SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Dustin Rhodes\’ AEW Contract Status Remains Unchanged

    WWE is not the only company with stars whose contract is set to be up soon and latest report suggest that the current AEW deal of Dustin Rhodes is also close to expiration.

    Dustin himself confirmed earlier this year that his contract with Tony Khan\’s promotion was up in September and that he was nowhere near being done with wrestling.

    With the wrestling veteran recently winning gold in ROH, many assumed that his status with the company may have changed.

    Latest reports from Fightful Select indicated however that this is not the case and as of the All Out PPV on September 7, his deal was still set to expire in the fall.

    Dustin Rhodes In AEW

    Dustin Rhodes has been signed to AEW since their very first show in Double or Nothing in May 2019. He faced his brother Cody Rhodes in a highly praised match at the show.

    The 55-year-old has been an integral part of the company since then. He not only works as a performer but helps coach people behind the scenes as well.

    While the former Goldust has not won any AEW titles during his run, he has had matches with the likes of CM Punk, Samoa Joe, and Kenny Omega proving that the promotion holds him in a high regard.

    The AEW star has most recently been involved in a storyline with The Von Erichs and Sammy Guevara. He won the ROH Six Men Tag Team Championships with the Von Erichs during the AEW Battle of The Belts XI event in July.

    Sammy Guevara helped save the trio from Dark Order upon his return to Television after 6 months. Guevara has since formed a tag team with Dustin and the duo has won the ROH tag team championship, making Rhodes a double champion.

  • Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet Match Confirmed For Dynamite 5 Year Anniversary

    The highly anticipated dream rematch between Will Ospreay and Ricochet has been made official for the October 2 episode of AEW Dynamite.

    The company will be celebrating the 5-year anniversary of their flagship weekly show in two weeks time and they have begun to build up the card for the event.

    Ospreay had told Ricochet last week that he needed to stack some wins up in order to challenge for the International Title and give fans the match they want.

    This week\’s episode of the Wednesday night show then saw the newest AEW signee picking up a singles win over The Beast Mortos with Vertigo.

    Ricochet was approached by Will Ospreay backstage later on. The former NXT star revealed that Tony Khan has granted him a title shot against his \’little bro\’ at the upcoming show:

    The History of Ricochet and Will Ospreay

    A rematch between the current AEW International Champion and the former WWE star has been teased ever since the latter made his AEW debut at the All In PPV last month.

    These two stars have clashed a number of times in the indies. They first stepped in the ring with each other at back in 2013 during a RevPro show in the UK.

    The one bout that everyone remembers, however, is their Korakuen Hall encounter back in May 2016. The NJPW match went viral for its fast-paced action and gravity-defying moves, dividing the opinions of wrestling fans all across the world.

    The duo has not had a chance to dance together since 2017. Both the stars have gone through an incredible transformation since then. It\’d be interesting to see how they fare against each other after so many years.

  • Nigel McGuinness Reveals Real Reason Behind His 2011 Wrestling Retirement

    Nigel McGuinness has revealed the real reason he retired from pro wrestling back in 2011 and it once again emphasizes the importance a company like AEW has for the betterment of pro wrestling.

    The AEW star spoke to TV Insider for a new interview following his long-anticipated in-ring return after 13 years at the All In 2024 event. He wrestled in the Gauntlet match at the show. Competing against the top talent of the company, Nigel showed why he was considered one of the best back in the day.

    During the talk, McGuinness was asked about his return to the ring and if he was thinking about his previous injuries while taking a bump again. The 48-year-old claimed that he didn\’t think much of it before mentioning how there is a lot of misinformation on why he was forced to retire:

    \”There is a lot of confusion and misinformation. The truth of the matter is when I stepped away from wrestling, it was purely because I couldn’t make a living as a wrestler anymore. I could have gone back to Ring of Honor and wrestled that style, but I wouldn’t have made enough money to even afford health insurance, let alone save for the rest of my life.\”

    Little Did I Know: Nigel McGuinness

    Nigel McGuinness recalled how WWE had passed on signing him because of an old injury and he didn\’t want to go back to TNA because of past differences. Without the presence of an alternative like AEW, he had no other option to make a sustainable living in wrestling.

    The former World Champion revealed that he agreed to the 2013 The Last of McGuinness documentary partially because he was hoping that it would catch on and someone would tell the rest of his story. Little did he know that it would be over a decade before it happened:

    \”Little did I know it would take until now with Tony Khan and AEW. I didn’t step away because of concussions. I didn’t step away because of hepatitis. I was perfectly okay to wrestle. So it’s all not a factor going in.\”

    Apart from this Nigel McGuinness also said that he has been training for an in-ring return for over 18 months, ever since he found out about the first AEW All In event from Wembley Stadium in 2023.

    Nigel has challenged Bryan Danielson for a match at the upcoming Grand Slam special of Dynamite on September 25. The match has not been confirmed yet as the AEW World Champion is not cleared for action.

  • Bryan Danielson Reveals Scary Details of Health Issues Before First Retirement

    Bryan Danielson has revealed that his current neck issues are very similar to his issues leading up to his career-defining WrestleMania XXX victory and subsequent retirement.

    The AEW World Champion recently had a lengthy interview with Justin Barrasso of Undisputed. He talked about things such as how his priorities in life have changed, the AEW title belt being one of the heavyweight he\’s ever held and more.

    During the interview, Bryan recounted the similarities between his famous WrestleMania victory and his win at All In 2024 including things such as having a great opponent and the support of fans.

    Another thing that\’s unfortunately very similar for Bryan is his battle with health issues leading up to the big event. He remembered how in December 2013, only months before the Show of Shows the doctors had told him that a neck surgery was inevitable:

    \”I was able to get through WrestleMania. I’d been getting this horrible, shooting nerve pain down my right arm. But as long as I still had strength in my right arm, that meant I didn’t need surgery yet.

    I Didn\’t Have Strength To Turn The Key: Bryan Danielson

    While Bryan Danielson was able to get through the big Mania match despite hiccups, the former WWE star\’s symptoms worsened right after. He remembered the time he didn\’t even have the strength in his arm to turn on his car:

    \”So I won the title, and the day before my first title defence, which was like a falls-count-anywhere match, I got into my car to make the drive. When I went to unlock my car door, I didn’t have the strength to turn the key and unlock the door. That was a bad sign.\”

    Bryan noted that his current health issues are very similar and that he\’ll have to undergo surgery sooner or later, it\’s just a question of when:

    “So the neck issues are very similar. Sooner rather than later, I’ll need neck surgery. I’m not losing strength, so I don’t need it just yet.”

    The current AEW star defeated Randy Orton and Batista in the main event of WrestleMania XXX to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. His reign however was cut short due to injuries. While Bryan continued wrestling for another year, he had to take time off frequently due to his condition and he eventually stopped wrestling altogether for 3 years.

    Nigel McGuinness has challenged Bryan Danielson for a match at the upcoming AEW Grand Slam event from Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on September 25, 2024. The match is currently not confirmed because Bryan\’s health status is up in the air.

  • Rhea Ripley On Her Thoughts On Rey Mysterio After Dominik\’s Betrayal

    Rhea Ripley is not walking back on her words about Rey Mysterio but she still considers Dominik Mysterio to be the bigger enemy.

    The Eradicator recently had an interview with Casual Conversations podcast. She discussed things such as her friendship with Damian Priest, her reaction to leaving Judgment Day, competing in WarGames and more.

    When asked how she feels about Rey now after being betrayed by Dom herself, Ripley explained that she won\’t go back on her words. She still believes that the young star needed to get out of his father\’s shadow even if they\’re not together anymore:

    “I’m not gonna be immature like Dom and contradict everything I’ve done in the past and said in the past what he has been doing in every single interview. He has been playing me out to be this bad guy, this villain in his life—which I wasn’t. I cared for him, and I loved him.

    So I’m not gonna do that about this situation either. I’m gonna stand on everything I said back then. I do think that Dom had to get out of Rey’s shadow. I do believe that. Rey was picking Edge over his own son—a man who literally speared Dom in the middle of the ring, looked at him, went ‘uh,’ and then ran after Finn Bálor. That man did not care about Rey Mysterio’s son.

    So why is Rey picking Edge over Dom? So I’m not gonna contradict myself and say that I do think Rey was in the right. Because I do think Rey was in the wrong. But at the same time, I think that Dom has hurt me in a bigger way than Rey ever hurt me. So he’s more in my good books than Dom is right now.”

    He Got Family Issues: Rhea Ripley

    Dirty Dom turned on The Mami at SummerSlam and he aligned himself with Liv Morgan instead. One of the reasons Dominik has given for this turn is that Morgan helped him beat his dad in a match, something Rhea Ripley never did.

    When asked if Dom has daddy issues, the former Women\’s World Champion explained that Mysterio has family issues. She also fired back at him for saying that he didn\’t come up with The Mami nickname:

    \”You can tell a man has daddy issues when he gets so excited about getting called Daddy. He got family issues let\’s be honest cause now he\’s saying that I made him call me Mami and he never liked calling me Mami. You got problems my dude because you came up with that by yourself. I didn\’t make you do crap.\”

    Dominik Mysterio most recently faced off against Damian Priest in a one-on-one match on Monday\’s Raw. While he lost the bout, the Judgment Day swarmed the ring immediately afterward, delivering a brutal beatdown on both the Terror Twins.

  • CM Punk\’s Role, Miz TV Announced For NXT CW Premiere

    WWE has confirmed CM Punk\’s role as well as the appearance of another former World Champion for NXT\’s CW premiere on October 1.

    NXT GM Ava held a contract signing between NXT Champion Ethan Page and Trick Williams during the latest episode of the show. Before getting into the segment, she announced that The Miz will be holding a special edition of Miz TV on the CW premiere while also confirming a Randy Orton match for the week after that.

    The contract signing couldn\’t be completed, however, as Page delivered an Ego\’s Edge on his opponent and left without putting pen to paper. This led to NBA star Tyrese Haliburton making an appearance during the main event of the show.

    Haliburton brought out both Williams and Page and made them sign the contract. The basketball star mentioned that there was one more thing to announce and then Punk came out. The Straight Edge Star confirmed that he will be the special guest referee for the upcoming title match. The show ended with both NXT stars brawling each other.

    This might not be the only championship match Punk gets involved in at the upcoming show. The episode also saw NXT Women\’s Champion Roxanne Perez offering some harsh words to her childhood hero during a segment before her upcoming title defense against Giulia.

    Giulia herself came out later to confront the champion. Punk had to intervene to stop Perez from attacking the Japanese star with the title belt. It\’s very much possible that the wrestling veteran will have a part to play when the two female stars finally face each other at the upcoming episode.

    Updated NXT On CW Premiere Match Card

    Apart from CM Punk and The Miz, WWE has confirmed that Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair will also be making an appearance at the upcoming show. Here is everything that has been announced for October 1:

    • WWE Women\’s Tag Team Champions Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair
    • NXT Women\’s Championship Match: Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Giulia
    • Miz TV
    • Street Fight: Wes Lee vs. Zachary Wentz
    • NXT Championship Match With Special Guest Referee CM Punk: Ethan Page (c) vs. Trick Williams

  • Randy Orton Set To Compete At October 8 NXT

    Randy Orton\’s role for the October 8 episode of NXT has been revealed.

    WWE\’s third brand will be moving to its new home on The CW at the start of October and the company is looking to make a big impact upon the premiere.

    They had previously announced that CM Punk and Randy Orton will respectively be appearing on the first and second episode of the show on the CW.

    During the most recent episode of the development brand, General Manager Ava announced that The Viper would actually be competing at the show coming live from his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.

    Orton\’s opponent was confirmed later when Je\’Von Evans asked Ava for a match and the 14-time world champion responded to his request on Twitter:

    Randy has previously made one appearance for the brand. He defeated Damien Sandow in a match during the March 17, 2013 episode of the show when it was still a one-hour broadcast.

    The Legend Killer won\’t be the only main roster star appearing at the upcoming event as Austin Theory and Grayson Waller have also been announced.

    The duo collectively known as A-Town Down Under will be challenging Axiom & Nathan Frazer for the NXT Tag Team Championships. The episode will also see the return of Sexyy Red, though what she will be doing at the event has not been revealed.

    Despite the inclusion of the big names, the episode seems to be drawing limited interest from people. The company recently moved it from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis to the smaller venue of The Factory at The District in Chesterfield, Missouri.

  • Rhea Ripley\’s Emotional Reaction to Judgment Day Breakup

    Rhea Ripley has revealed that she was very emotional upon leaving the Judgment Day and she cried on the night of their breakup.

    The Mami recently appeared on The Casual Conversations podcast. She talked about things such as working with Edge during the initial run of the group, competing in the WarGames match and more.

    When asked what being part of the Judgment Day meant for her, the Eradicator revealed that it helped her finally feel fully comfortable in front of crowds because she had people to fall back on:

    “The Judgment Day was really family to me. Like it really was. It has helped my career so much more than I could actually put into words. Cause I feel like that was when I started opening up and feeling comfortable going out there in front of the crowd cause I had the boys that I could fall back on. So it was really emotional for me.\”

    \’They Were My Family\’: Rhea Ripley

    Rhea Ripley joined the Judgment Day featuring Edge and Damian Priest at WrestleMania: Backlash in 2022. The group went through many changes over the next couple of years. They kicked Edge out of it while adding members such as \’Dirty\’ Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh.

    Ripley was finally expelled from the faction herself when Dominik Mysterio turned on her and aligned with Liv Morgan instead at SumerSlam 2024. Damian Priest was also kicked out of the group by Finn Balor on the same night. This marked the end of a chapter for the Judgment Day as all founding members left the faction.

    The former Women\’s Champion mentioned how there were reports about a member crying backstage after that show. She is not ashamed to admit it was her:

    \”I saw something come out about Judgment Day members, a specific one crying backstage after everything. I’m not ashamed of it. That was me. I was upset. Like the last two and a half years of my life is gonna be…like it\’s changed now. I can’t go back to that. They were my boys; they were my family. It was really sad.\”

    The female star is taking a positive approach to the situation, however, and she believes that when one good thing ends, something amazing starts from it. She claimed that she is now loving her time absolutely brutalizing the group which she characterizes as \’Street Trash.\’

  • Eric Bischoff Believes This Name Deserves More Credit For Success of DX

    Eric Bischoff believes there is one member of the D-Generation X who gets less credit for the success of the group than he deserves.

    While talking to Inside The Ropes\’ Kenny McIntosh, The former WCW President discussed DX\’s invasion of WCW on April 27, 1998 when both Raw and Nitro were held miles apart in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.

    During the session, Bischoff claimed that Sean Waltman, known as X-Pac at the time deserves more credit for making the whole thing believable:

    \”This guy gets very little credit for the success of DX. A lot of people take credit for shit they don’t deserve to get credit for, right? One of the guys who really helped make DX believable and feel real was Sean Waltman, X-Pac. Cause I fired him—he was a part of nWo.\”

    He Brought That Edge: Eric Bischoff

    Triple H ejected Shawn Michaels from DX after he lost to Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV. The Game then assumed full control of the group and recruited Sean Waltman as well as the New Age Outlaws into the faction. This came months after Waltman was fired by Eric Bischoff via FedEx while he was on shelf with a neck injury.

    The former WCW official claimed that they had developed an edgy character for the former Cruiserweight Champion which he ended up using against them:

    \”He had that personality, he brought that edge, he brought that character, that sense of ‘screw it, I’ll do whatever it takes.’ He brought that character that we created, and he was very instrumental in by the way, and supportive of. But when I fired him—and I did—he took that same character with him, and he was a part of DX. He used that same creative psychology to fire back at us.\”

    DX remained together until Triple H and Chyna turned on X-Pac and joined the Corporation at WrestleMania XV. While Waltman and the Outlaws continued using the name even after this, the turn is considered the end of DX\’s first run by many as all original members of the group had left the faction.

  • Jey Uso Teases \’More Surprises\’ For Bloodline Story

    Jey Uso has teased that The Bloodline story may be going in a different direction than fans are expecting after the return of Roman Reigns to WWE programming.

    Solo Sikoa has taken over the role of The Tribal Chief after Reigns\’ WrestleMania 40 loss to Cody Rhodes. He has since introduced a number of new members of the esteemed Anoa\’i family to WWE programming.

    Fans have been expecting to see Roman reuniting the old Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn to take on this new threat after his return at SummerSlam.

    Jey Uso was asked about the progression of the story and where he fits into it during an interview with Metro. He claimed that he doesn\’t know what the plans are:

    \”I’m looking forward to the Bloodline storyline as much as you all are, because I’ll be honest, I don’t know what we’re going to do, I don’t know what’s going to happen.\”

    We Have Other Family Members: Jey Uso

    Defying the expectations, Roman Reigns so far has made no attempts to reconcile with his old partners. He has instead found an unlikely ally in Cody Rhodes for the Bad Blood match against Solo and Jacob Fatu.

    In the wake of the Survivor Series: WarGames event set for November 30; many are expecting to see him back on screen with his former allies soon.

    The Yeet Man however is not sure if it will be natural for him to go back in light of the progression he has made as a singles star. He instead believes that the Original Tribal Chief could find the help he needs from other members of the family:

    \”I don’t know how we how they’re going to intertwine me back in there… Sami would be my first pick, right? It only makes sense. Hey, we might have other family members, more surprises, man!\”

    Roman Reigns leading a completely new group of Anoa\’i family members is certainly a proposition that fits with the booking philosophy of focusing on new stars that WWE has adapted since Triple H took over as a booker.

    There is no shortage of potential soldiers he can find in his family and names such as Zilla Fatu and Thamiko Fatu have already captured people\’s eyes as potential future stars for the promotion.

  • AEW-WBD TV Deal Reported To Be In \’Ballpark of $170 Million\’

    AEW\’s new TV deals are expected to be announced any day now and if latest reported numbers are to be believed, it will mark a clear success for the company.

    John Ourand of Puck News recently provided some inside information on the negotiations between the wrestling company and its TV partners, once again noting that the package is close to being finalized.

    According to him, it\’s expected to be a four-year deal with three guaranteed years and WBD having the option to extend the contract by another year. The number of $170 million a year that\’s been floated is \’apparently in the ballpark\’ according to Ourand.

    The deal with see AEW shows airing on TNT, TBS, and TruTV twice a week. It\’s part of a strategy from WBD CEO David Zaslav to make the latter two networks more valuable and sport-oriented. This comes after WBD lost the NBA media rights bid to Amazon.

    The report makes no mention of the highly anticipated Max streaming deal but they note that AEW is also pitching another separate package to broadcast channels. Though there is no timetable for when the company will start pushing that deal.

    This is in reference to the company trademarking \’AEW: Shockwave\’ for a new entertainment show which is rumored to be airing on Fox after SmackDown left the network to return to USA.

    The current AEW TV deals are believed to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $70 million per year so if true, the new numbers would be a huge success for Tony Khan\’s promotion.

  • Lita Believes Time Has Come For Gender Neutral Wrestling Championships

    WWE Hall of Famer Lita believes women\’s wrestling has progressed enough where we can retire gender-specific championships and have titles which represent everyone.

    The Attitude Era star was joined by fellow women\’s wrestling legend Trish Stratus for a panel at the Northern Ireland Comic-Con by Monopoly Events.

    During the session, the duo was asked what changes they would make to the women\’s division if they were booking it. Trish Stratus mentioned how the quality of wrestling among female competitors has improved significantly in the last few years but she explained that it has come at the cost of character work:

    \”I think I would like to have a little bit more focus on characters, right? I feel like, for sure, now there\’s way more opportunities for women. Obviously, we see them main eventing all the time, and we see them in high-profile matches. But I think what we had back in the day was a lot more character stuff.

    You got to know these characters, and the fans could really resonate with the character a little bit more. Now they\’re just kind of having these great matches, but there\’s no backstory as much as there was back in the day. So, I think character development would be one thing I\’d like to focus on.\”

    Lita Wants To See More Intergender Interactions

    Lita then chimed in talking about how women are getting more representation on shows now. The thing she would change, however, is increase the interaction between male and female competitors. The former champion even suggested the idea of gender-neutral titles to achieve this:

    \”What I would love to see is more interplay between the genders and have those lines be blurred further, where titles don’t have to be men’s or women’s titles, just titles, and whoever manages to get somebody’s shoulders down for three seconds is the champion, or whoever taps somebody out is the champion for that night.\”

    WWE has played with the idea of intergender wrestling on occasion but never fully committed to it. Chyna winning the Intercontinental Championship was the biggest example of it. She defended the championship against many male competitors during her run. The title went back to being exclusive to the men\’s division afterward.

    In more recent years we have seen Beth Pheonix wrestling Santino Marella and the brief interaction between Dean Ambrose and Nia Jax before the former left the company.

    The storyline between Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley is the closest we have come to seeing intergender wrestling matches under Triple H. It\’s possible that this story may lead to a revision of the past somewhere down the line.

  • Kurt Angle Names AEW Star He Is A Fan Of

    Kurt Angle is a fan of Kenny Omega and he believes that even though high spots wrestling is popular right now the time for more technical matches will return.

    The Hall of Famer recently took part in K & S WrestleFest virtual signing. He discussed things such as the progression of Roman Reigns, and praised a number of WWE talents like Gunther and Seth Rollins.

    Amid all the WWE talk, Angle was asked if there is anyone from AEW who he likes and the wrestling veteran unsurprisingly named Kenny Omega. Kurt noted that the Best Bout Machine can have a good match with just about anybody:

    \”I love Kenny Omega. I think he\’s a great talent. He can have a 5-star match with just about anybody. Kid\’s really well-versed. I didn\’t know about the injuries but man I saw the one match with him and the kid from the UK [Will Ospreay]. That was a match to remember. They lit it up that night.\”

    The Business Evolved: Kurt Angle

    When asked about the difference in style between him and Omega as well as the inclusion of more high-flying spots in today\’s wrestling, Kurt Angle explained that it\’s the evolution of the sport. Though he claimed that there is always room for more technical stuff and hoped that it will become the norm again someday:

    \”What you\’re getting today is you\’re getting a lot better athletes. That are doing more dangerous stunts, more stunt work than really wrestling and working in the ring. But I think that\’s because the business evolved. People like to see high-action wrestling matches.

    When I wrestled Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero it was all technique. It was technical matches. We didn\’t do a lot of crazy stuff. I think there is always room for that. I think it will eventually come back again as it has in the past.\”

    Apart from this, Kurt Angle praised Chad Gable for the work he has been doing the last few months. The Olympic Gold Medalist also said that he would be open to managing American Made if WWE offered him the right deal.

  • Kevin Nash Reacts To Second Alleged Donald Trump Assassination Attempt In Span of Weeks

    Hall of Famer Kevin Nash has reacted to the second alleged assassination attempt on former United States President Donald Trump.

    FBI on Sunday revealed that they were investigating \’what appears to be an attempted assassination\’ of Donald Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

    This came after the US Secret Service fired at a man pointing a rifle at the club. The person dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV. He was later arrested by officials.

    The former WWE star took to Twitter after the news of the incident spread. He implored the businessman-turned-politician to protect himself by avoiding open-air events:

    The arrested suspect has been identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh. New York Times revealed that Routh is a former roofing contractor from Greensboro, N.C.

    Donald Trump Assassination Attempt

    This incident comes only weeks after Trump\’s ear was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt while the former President was addressing a campaign rally in Butler Township, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.

    Donald Trump served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. He ran for office again in 2021 but lost to Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden.

    Biden suspended his re-election campaign in July this year and endorsed Kamala Harris for president who will once again be running against the US businessman.

    Trump has made many WWE appearances over the years most famously participating in the Battle of the Billionaires storyline against Vince McMahon which led to the WrestleMania 23 match between Bobby Lashley and Umaga.

  • CM Punk Calls Out Airport Collectors For Their Atrocious Conduct

    CM Punk is the latest wrestling superstar to call out airport collectors after an apparent unpleasant experience of his own.

    The Straight Edge Star put up an Instagram story calling out people who continue following talents despite being told off. He mentioned that airports are not meet & greets and asked people to stop using children as their excuse to continue harassing wrestlers:

    \"\"

    “Hey guys, Love y’all, but friendly reminder to respect privacy and boundaries. Airports are not a meet and greet. If I have to ask you to please stop following me multiple times you have crossed a line. Please stop this. Thank you. (And stop using your children as a shield or an excuse.)”

    CM Punk joins the long list of talents that have been forced to speak up due to the continuous harassment from the so-called fans. Talents such as Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, and Kris Statlander have all called out airport scrappers to no avail.

    The wrestling community also spoke up against the atrocious conduct of such people after a video of Asuka being swarmed by the pseudo-collectors at the airport went viral earlier this year.

    Seth Rollins too had talked about people using children for such acts during an interview last year. Though he had taken a positive approach saying that such cases were exception and people shouldn\’t lose their faith in humanity because of it.

    CM Punk is currently involved in an intense rivalry with Drew McIntyre where both stars have picked up one victory over each other. The two wrestling veterans are set to meet for one final time in a Hell In A Cell match at the upcoming Bad Blood PPV event.

  • \’He\’s Followed Through\’ WWE Legend Believes Roman Reigns Has Proven Himself As One of The Best

    Kurt Angle believes WWE made the mistake of pushing Roman Reigns too early but the Tribal Chief has followed through and proven why he is one of the best in the world.

    The Head of The Table has been operating on a whole new level since his heel turn in 2020. With his character work, Reigns has led the company into a boom period like it hasn\’t seen since the Attitude Era.

    During a recent K & S WrestleFest virtual signing, Angle was asked if there is any current WWE star he would have loved to get in the ring with. The Olympic Gold Medallist unsurprisingly named the former world champion:

    \”Roman Reigns. I\’m not gonna lie to you the kid\’s been on fire. I will say this – he earned every bit that he\’s gotten. I do believe the company pushed him a little too early and the fans didn\’t wanna accept that but he\’s followed through. He\’s proven that he\’s one of the best in the world right now.\”

    They\’re All Extremely Good

    Kurt Angle was also asked about the work of Jacob Fatu. The wrestling veteran praised Fatu as well before mentioning how the whole Anoa\’i family is filled with great wrestling talents:

    \”Yeah he\’s doing really well too. All those guys [are] extremely talented. They all come from the same family, the same Samoan background but yeah, they\’re all extremely good. They\’ve always been. You look at Rikishi and the ones in the past. They have a great reputation of being great workers.\”

    Apart from Roman, Kurt Angle also praised a number of other current stars including Chad Gable, Seth Rollins and the current World Heavyweight Champion Gunther.

    The WWE Hall of Famer said that the Ring General is a throwback to the past and he is as good in the ring as Eddie Guerrero or Chris Benoit.

  • Update On Matt Riddle And AEW

    Don\’t expect to see Matt Riddle in AEW anytime soon.

    The former WWE star was one of the hottest commodities in pro wrestling when he was released from the Endeavor-owned promotion last year. Unlike most who leave the company, however, there has never been any rumblings about the Superking of Bros joining their biggest rival.

    Riddle recently gave his own reason for not wanting to make the move, stating that he wanted to avoid the pressure of live TV for a while. Though it might not be the only reason why we haven\’t seen the former US Champion in AEW.

    According to Fightful Select Tony Khan has not shown any interest in bringing the former UFC Champion in through the years. The fact that AEW talents work with Matt Riddle only in Mexico and almost never in US Indies further suggests that the AEW President doesn\’t want to associate his brand with the controversial star.

    Matt Riddle\’s Post-WWE Career

    The 38-year-old was released from his WWE contract in September last year, following a viral incident at the JFK Airport. He has been active in the indies ever since and regularly competes for promotions such as MLW and NJPW.

    By his own admission, Riddle took a lot of indie dates after his departure from WWE. The scheduling conflict is the reason why he hasn\’t appeared on TNA programming despite having talks with the company.

    Though the former champion is not hopeless about his future in wrestling. He believes that if CM Punk can be welcomed back into the fold, then a WWE return for him is not completely out of the question either.

  • Hell Frozen Over: JBL Hints At New Wrestling Faction With MLW Fightland 24 Appearance

    JBL has continued his indie tour with his latest stop being one of the most surprising locations for the wrestling veteran considering his history with WWE.

    Major League Wrestling or MLW presented their latest Fightland 24 event on Sunday, September 14 from the Center stage in Atlanta, Georgia. The event featured stars such as KENTA, Mistico, Matt Riddle, and more.

    One of the matches during the bout saw the Anderson brothers, Brock Anderson and C. W. Anderson taking on The Bomaye Fight Club consisting of Alex Kane and Mr. Thomas.

    The ending of the bout was full of chaos. After the referee got knocked down, Bobby Fish and BRG came out to help the Andersons. The newest MLW roster member Kevin Knight took exception to this and he took out the entire faction by himself.

    The Fight Club couldn\’t capitalize on this opening, however. Just as Mr. Thomas was looking to win the match, JBL made his surprise MLW debut. The former WWE Champion took out Thomas with a Clothesline from Hell.

    He then whispered something in Brock Anderson\’s ear before leaving. This allowed the second-generation star to get the pin for his team.

    JBL\’s Independent Tour

    John Bradshaw Layfield had not made a non-WWE appearance since 1995. This streak was broken after almost 29 years when he accompanied Nic Nemeth at the Triplemanía XXXII: Mexico City event last month on August 17.

    The WWE Hall of Famer has made a number of mysterious indie appearances since then including his GCW debut and a couple of appearances for TNA wrestling.

    His MLW appearance is especially surprising considering the company had been involved in a bitter legal battle with WWE until earlier this year. The wrestling giant decided to settle the anti-trust lawsuit at a massive price tag of $20 Million.

    Very similar to his actions tonight, JBL had whispered something in the ear of Nemeth during his TNA debut at last month\’s Emergence PPV. He then helped the fellow WWE alumni retain his TNA World Title at Friday\’s Victory Road 2024 PPV. His GCW appearance was to help Mance Warner retain the GCW title.

    Now this latest adventure suggests that the former WWE Champion has a purpose behind his moves and we may see him managing a faction dominating the indie scenes in the coming times.

  • WWE Teases Chelsea Green Competing In Forgotten Stipulation Match

    WWE is teasing the return of a forgotten stipulation match for Chelsea Green that might get a mixed reaction from fans on its revival. The company brought in a number of veterans for last night\’s SmackDown season premiere on USA Network including RVD, Ron Simmons, Teddy Long, and Vickie Guerrero.

    The show also featured a singles match between Piper Niven and Michin with Green being at the ringside. When Chelsea confronted Michin during the bout, the female star took the diva out with a kendo stick. Michin went on to win the match but Green attacked her after the bell rang. After Niven landed a senton on her opponent, Green finished the segment off by bringing out a garbage can and delivering an Unprettier to Michin on the top of the can.

    In a SmackDown lowdown segment after the show, Vickie Guerrero praised Green and suggested that she should face Michin in a Dumpster match.

    Green didn\’t take the suggestion kindly. She went off on Vickie claiming that the former GM didn\’t even belong there. The current SmackDown GM Nick Aldis who was around heard the whole conversation, however, and he thought that it was a fantastic idea.

    Dumpster Matches

    A Dumpster match is very similar to a Casket match. It\’s a no-disqualification hardcore match where the sole purpose is to force your opponent into a dumpster and close the lid.

    The first Dumpster match took place at WrestleMania XIV in 1998. Cactus Jack teamed up with Chainsaw Charlie for the bout and they defeated the New Age Outlaws to win the WWF Tag Team Championships.

    A match of this type has not been seen on WWE programming since April 2017 when Braun Strowman defeated Kalisto during an episode of Raw.

    Another Stipulation Match Returning

    WWE\’s regular calendar features several stipulations matches, including the Royal Rumble, WarGames and Money in the Bank. With Chelsea Green teasing the return of the dumpster match, another rare and unusual match type is making a comeback: the Bull Rope Match.

    Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will soon compete in a Bull Rope Match, one of several concepts devised by his father, the late \”American Dream\” Duty Rhodes.

  • The Great Khali Gives His Perspective On Debate Of Wrestling Being Fake Or Real

    The Great Khali is not interested in engaging in debates of wrestling being fake or real and he believes that if you\’re a fan you should ignore others and just enjoy the sport.

    The Punjabi Playboy recently sat down with RJ Rohan for an interview. He discussed topics such as if he misses the life of WWE, his new restaurant in Punjab, and more.

    When asked about the constant debate about wrestling being fake vs real, Khali said that it all depends on your own mindset. He explained that wrestlers have to train for years and they go through many hardships. If someone still calls it fake, you should ignore them and enjoy the sport:

    \”What do you think? I believe it is as you think it is. If you think it\’s fake then it\’s fake. It\’s fake for you but for me it\’s real. If you think it\’s fake then I\’m saying it\’s fake. See you have to spend many years on this. You have to spend a lot of time; a lot of injuries happen. It\’s the toughest game. I say it\’s alright if people still think it\’s fake, just enjoy it.\”

    I Can\’t Change Your Perspective: The Great Khali

    The former World Heavyweight Champion mentioned how it\’s fruitless to try to convince someone that wrestling is real. He explained that wrestling is one of the most popular sports in the world watched by millions.

    Even if you think it\’s fake, you should leave the wrestlers who make their livelihood from it and fans who enjoy it alone. He also joked that anyone who is still not convinced can get into the ring with any of his CWE wrestlers and find out:

    \”If you think it\’s fake then I can\’t change your perspective. I have CWE. My wrestler will come and powerbomb you four times. He\’ll give you a tombstone like Undertaker. If you still get up it\’s fake, if you stay down then it\’s real. It\’s simple.\”

    Continental Wrestling Entertainment or CWE is a wrestling school and independent promotion in Punjab, India which was founded by the WWE alumnus in 2015 after he returned from America.

    The former WWE star has also gotten into politics and acting since returning to his home country. He has starred in a number of Bollywood and regional movies since retiring from active competition.

    If you use any quotes from the article please credit Anutosh Bajpai of SEScoops.com for transcription and translation

    This article has been edited for clarity

  • Roman Reigns\’ In-Ring Return Match Confirmed For Bad Blood

    Roman Reigns will be teaming up with an unlikely ally for his WWE return match against Bloodline at the upcoming Bad Blood PLE event.

    The SmackDown season premiere on USA Network opened with Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa in a cage match.

    The Bloodline didn\’t like it when Cody managed to beat Solo once again with a Cross Rhodes to retain his title. The group attacked the American Nightmare once the bell rang. After Jacob Fatu landed a moonsault off the top rope, Sikoa ordered him to get to the top of the cage.

    Before Fatu could fly, however, Roman Reigns\’ music hit, and the Original Tribal Chief came out to a huge pop. He brawled with the Bloodline for a bit and took out the group with help from Cody. The two stood in the ring unsure of each other to end the segment.

    Later in the episode, Nick Aldis revealed that Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu have challenged Rhode & Reigns for a match at the upcoming PLE. At first Cody declined the offer saying that he was done with The Bloodline and they were Roman\’s problem.

    Roman Reigns Gets A Unlikely Partner

    The final segment of the show saw Roman Reigns taking the contract from Aldis and declaring that he didn\’t need a tag team partner to take care of family business. Reigns proclaimed that he remains the Tribal Chief and that the WWE ring still belongs to him.

    Cody Rhodes took an exception to this claim. He came out to tell his WrestleMania 40 opponent that WWE is not his anymore since he got dethroned at the Show of Shows. Solo Sikoa then came out with Jacob Fatu while Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga tried to take out Rhodes and Reigns from behind.

    Roman and Cody sent the two crashing before Reigns signed the contract. Cody stared at him for a second before extending his hand to ask for the papers. The WWE Champion signed it as well, making the Head of the Table\’s return match official.

    WWE Bad Blood will take place at the State Farm Arena in Cody\’s hometown of Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, October 5. You can check out the other matches announced for the show here.

  • Watch: What Happened With Roman Reigns After (9/13) SmackDown Went Off Air

    The first night of WWE SmackDown\’s return to USA Network was pretty eventful with Roman Reigns\’ big return opening the show and a big Bad Blood match being made official at the end of the episode.

    The Original Tribal Chief made his return to confront the Bloodline after Cody Rhodes scored another victory over Solo Sikoa in the cage match. He made the save for the Undisputed WWE Champion and the two worked together for a bit to take out the faction.

    Nick Aldis then announced that Cody and Roman will be teaming to take on The Bloodline at the upcoming WWE PPV. The American Nightmare declined the offer at first, claiming that he was done with the group.

    The main event of the show then saw a confrontation between the two top stars being cut short by an attempted sneak attack from Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga. Realizing that he had no other choice, Rhodes finally agreed to the tag bout, signing the contract to end the broadcast.

    WWE released a video of Roman Reigns after the show went off air. The former champion was the first to exit the ring and his expressions say that he is still not sure about the team up:

    This wasn\’t all that happened after SmackDown however as fans also got to witness a SummerSlam rematch before the night was over.

    The World Heavyweight Champion Gunther was in the house and he successfully defended his title against Damian Priest to end the night.

  • Update On Plans For Raw After Netflix Move

    There has been a lot of chatter about how different WWE Raw would be on Netflix but one thing that won\’t be changing is the inclusion of commercials.

    Many fans have been hoping that the show will ditch the ads once it moves to the streaming giant but it won\’t be the case according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    In the latest edition of his newsletter, the wrestling journalist noted that one of the reasons Netflix has picked up the wrestling show is to make the incorporation of ads to their service easier:

    “One of the reasons Netflix picked up Raw is because they are trying to add commercials to programming and the Raw and pro wrestling audience is used to commercials on the shows.\”

    The difference with Netflix would more be about the order of the commercials as they will be able to adjust the length of breaks and the placement of ads more freely.

    Another thing that fans have been discussing is the expected runtime of the Red Branded Show after it was announced that Raw would be reverting back to 2 hours for the rest of the year on USA Network from October 7.

    The belief is that the program will have a variable run time once it leaves the traditional cable network and they\’ll be able to extend or reduce the time as needed.

    The flexibility will allow the company to change the length of the show to not only fit in things as required but also make the finish of matches less predictable.

    There has been no update on how the programming itself will change with the freedom of content offered by Netflix. A number of stars such as Roman Reigns and Dominik Mysterio have spoken in favor of keeping things family-friendly instead of opting for more mature content immediately.

  • Matt Riddle Details Awkward Conversation He Had With Tony Khan

    Matt Riddle has explained why he didn\’t want to join AEW after being fired from WWE and detailed the one awkward conversation he had with Tony Khan.

    Many expected the former WWE star to land a deal with the company\’s biggest rivals when he was released. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, however, he explained that he was actually relieved after being fired from the TKO-owned promotion.

    Riddle mentioned how he is a very provocative character and being on TV was stressful for him because it magnified everything. The reason he didn\’t go into AEW straight away was because he didn\’t want to get the attention for a while.

    Though the former US Champion didn\’t completely rule out the possibility of an AEW appearance in the future. He mentioned how MLW works with NJPW which in turn works with the promotion of Tony Khan.

    Matt Riddle\’s Strange Encounter With Tony Khan

    Matt Riddle explained that it\’s possible for him to make an AEW debut that way before revealing an awkward conversation he had with Khan at New Japan\’s Windy City Riot show in April:

    \”I talked to Tony, I don\’t know if he likes me. He seemed happy. I wrestled Zach Sabre Jr. in Chicago. He seemed cool about it. I don\’t know. When you meet me, I\’m very sarcastic. But when I met him, I was like, ‘Oh, you like that match’?

    But I said it a different way, and he looked at me all confused. And I was like, ‘Never mind, dude’. I just walked away. So that was my experience with that.\”

    The former WWE star later also explained why he hasn\’t made a TNA appearance so far either. Riddle mentioned that he took a lot of indie bookings following his release.

    So when he talked to Tommy Dreamer about potentially working for the Anthem-owned promotion, they couldn\’t find dates where he was free to participate in TNA tapings.

    Matt Riddle joined WWE back in 2018 and found a lot of success in the company. He was involved in a lot of controversies as well, however. Following one such controversial incident at the JFK airport in September 2023, Riddle was released from his contract.

  • Moose Explains How His Wrestling Retirement Will Be Different

    The goal of any wrestling talent is generally to get to a bigger promotion and continue growing their brand but Moose has a different mindset.

    The 3-time TNA World Champion has spent the majority of his wrestling career working for the Anthem-owned promotion and his plan is to continue wrestling for them until the time comes to hang his boots.

    The wrestling star recently appeared on the Battleground podcast to promote tonight\’s Victory Road PPV event. He is set to challenge Nic Nemeth for the world title in the main event of the show.

    During the interview, the former champion explained that in time he wants people to think of himself when they think of TNA, just like they think of AJ Styles right now.

    This is why he has dedicated his career to the company instead of going elsewhere. Unlike many other wrestlers who continue competing long after their prime, the 40 year old plans to retire with the promotion once his current contract ends:

    \”That’s the plan. I’m not one of those guys that wants to keep wrestling until he’s 50 or 60, I want to hang those boots up and ride into the sunset and enjoy some of this money I made with pro wrestling and pro football.”

    After retiring from professional football, Moose started training under Mr. Hughes. He made his pro wrestling debut in 2012 and he was competing for promotions such as ROH and NJPW by 2015.

    He has been a regular part of the Impact roster since making his debut in 2016. He has won a number of titles in the promotion since then while also winning the company\’s signature matches such as Call Your Shot Gauntlet.

    The former NFL star confirmed that he signed a new 5-year deal with Impact back in February 2024. Barring any injuries or other unforeseen circumstances, that would put the timeline of his retirement sometime in early 2029.