SEScoops

Author: Anutosh Bajpai

  • Tony Khan: I Hope Bryan Danielson Will Stay With AEW For The Rest of His Life

    Tony Khan is hoping that Bryan Danielson will stay with AEW long after he has retired from active competition so that the company can continue benefitting from his knowledge.

    The American Dragon has confirmed that his current AEW deal will be his last full-time contract and he will be moving to a part time schedule after it expires.

    During a recent interview with The Rich Eisen Show, the AEW President was asked if he takes advice from some of the wrestling veterans that are part of the company\’s locker room when he is not sure about a story.

    Khan replied positively to the question and he specifically mentioned Bryan Danielson as someone who he loves to talk to:

    \”I can’t say how much time Bryan has left in the ring but he has said this will be his final year and this is going to be the year Bryan hangs it up from full-time wrestling.

    At that point it’s going to be a sad day for pro wrestling and for me personally but it’s great to be able to have Bryan that I can call and talk to or have in the locker room with us every week.\”

    As Long As Humanly Possible: Tony Khan

    Tony Khan was then asked about Bryan\’s commitment to move to a part time schedule and whether he would like Danielson to continue his association with AEW. Replying to it, TK said that he hopes the wrestling legend will be part of AEW in some capacity for the rest of his life:

    \”Absolutely. 100% I hope Bryan will stay here for the rest of his life and I know he’s planning to stay with us for a long time going forward as part of the company hopefully. I would want Bryan to stay with us as long as humanly possible.”

    Bryan Danielson has been featured prominently on AEW TV in his final year as a full-time performer. He recently won the Men\’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament. The former champion is now set to challenge Swerve Strickland for the AEW title at All In 2024 event from Wembley stadium in London on August 25.

    Apart from this, Tony Khan also talked about the origin of AEW and claimed that he had set plans in motion to launch the company before the 2018 All In event. You can check out his comments here.

  • Tony Khan Had Started Planning Launch of AEW Months Before All In

    Tony Khan has revealed that plans for the creation of AEW had been in motion since before the 2018 All In event.

    The inaugural All In event held on September 1, 2018, is widely considered to be the precursor of All Elite Wrestling. The success of the event is what many believe led to Tony Khan deciding to start his own promotion.

    The exact timeline of events, however, has been a matter of debate recently. Multiple different accounts of the sequence in which the key people were made aware of the project and brought into the fold has been shared online.

    During a recent interview on, The Rich Eisen Show, Tony Khan was asked about the belief that All In led to the formation of his company. The AEW President explained that the narrative is not true and he had first shared the idea with former TNT President Kevin Riley months before All In:

    “I had started working about five months before that in April of that year I guess so you know I guess it would be like four and a half months earlier with a friend of mine who was the president of TBS and TNT Kevin Riley.

    I ran into him at a party and brought up to him that I thought it would make a lot of sense to bring pro wrestling back to TBS and TNT and he was interested. Then I started working on it and well before like almost two months before All In I was actually talking to the Young Bucks.\”

    Tony Khan\’s Timeline of AEW

    Tony Khan later revealed the date of his first serious discussion with Mattew Jackson and his wife Dana Massie, which in turn led to him making acquaintances of the rest of The Elite and Chris Jericho:

    \”On July 3 which would be almost two months before the show I had a really long call with Matt and his wife Dana and we had a really nice talk. That led to me starting to talk to the Young Bucks.

    Then I started having conversations with Chris Jericho through his agent. Not long after that right around the same time and actually I think I might have like within a week or so give or take had a dinner then and followed up on that.

    So I was talking to Chris Jericho and the Young Bucks and then through the Young Bucks also to Cody Rhodes and Hangman and a number of other great wrestlers. Kenny Omega was going to be available from New Japan not long after that. So I was actually before All In.\”

    The AEW executive also mentioned how he was in attendance for the 2018 All In event, though according to Khan, he was there only as a spectator.

    SEScoops had originally broke the story of a new wrestling promotion backed by the Khan family being in the works in late 2018. The company officially launched at the start of 2019.

  • Ronda Rousey \’Encouraged\’ By Progress Of Women In Combat Sports

    Ronda Rousey believes women\’s wrestling in WWE is taking steps forward again now that Vince McMahon is no longer in charge of bookings.

    The former WWE star recently had an interview with TV Insider to promote her new graphic novel \’Expecting the Unexpected.\’ The Kickstarter campaign for the novel is set to be launched on July 25.

    Rousey, who is considered a trailblazer for women\’s combat sports across the board was asked for her thoughts the current state of female performers in WWE, UFC and beyond. The former Raw Women\’s Champion mentioned how women are being taken more seriously now:

    \”I think women in combat sports everywhere are succeeding more than ever before because people are taking them seriously. I think that being able to prove that women can fight and be exciting and dynamic. There has been this ripple effect on boxing, UFC, pro wrestling, and even Olympic wrestling.\”

    We Are Taking Steps Forward Again: Ronda Rousey

    Speaking specifically about the world of pro wrestling and WWE, Ronda Rousey explained that things have gotten better since Vince McMahon was forced out of WWE:

    \”There was a point after we had the main event of WrestleMania that I feel like WWE took several steps back, but now that Vince McMahon is gone and Triple H is at the helm, I feel we are taking steps forward again. I’m extremely encouraged by what is happening across the entire industry.\”

    Vince McMahon had to resign from his post on the TKO board in January this year after former WWE employee Janel Grant filed a lawsuit accusing him of sex trafficking among other things.

    The Department of Justice has since launched their own investigation of the matter. On May 30, it was revealed that Grant had agreed to stay her case for 6 months at their request.

    Ronda Rousey also recently talked about the potential of a UFC return somewhere down the line. You can check out what she said here.

  • Donovan Dijak Reveals His Focus For Post-WWE Run

    Donovan Dijak is enjoying the freedom he has found after leaving WWE and it doesn\’t appear that he is in a rush to sign a new contract with any promotion.

    The former WWE star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet for his Insight podcast. He discussed things such as the original pitch for Retribution, whether he\’s worried about burning bridges with WWE and more.

    When asked what are his immediate plans after leaving the Endeavor-owned promotion last month when his contract expired, Dijak explained that after having no control on his career for so long, he\’s leaning towards keeping all his options open:

    \”I am keeping my options open. There\’s literally nothing in any direction that I\’m leaning, because my professional life has been so directed for so long that having all these available options, and I\’m not saying that everybody’s clamoring for me, but just the possibility of multiple scenarios is very exciting for me.\”

    Dijak Is Focused on Proving Himself

    The former NXT star mentioned how he made his debut in 2013 and 7 out of his 10 active years have been spent in WWE. So now Donovan Dijak is excited to get back to the independent circuit:

    \”As of this moment, I\’m just gung-ho on the independent circuit, because that\’s what\’s directly in front of me right now, and I\’m very comfortable in that scenario because I\’ve done it before.

    I don\’t know that there is a lot left to prove in ring per say, but there\’s a ton left for me to prove – how do I wanna phrase this – as an entity. Does that make sense?\”

    Dijak has been in demand since his WWE exit and many promotions have already booked him for shows. He was also backstage at the Forbidden Door PPV but the wrestling star claims that he didn\’t talk to or meet Tony Khan at the event.

    SEScoops recently had the opportunity to talk to the popular star. He spoke candidly about things such as his relationship with CM Punk, his run in NXT, and more. You can check out our interview with Dijak below:

    Feast Your Eyes: A One-On-One With Donovan Dijak

  • Darby Allin Details Origin Of Infamous Sex Sent Me To ER Clip

    Darby Allin is known for many wild things but even the most hardcore of fans get surprised when they found out about one of his very early TV appearances.

    Before he was a successful wrestler, Allin actually made an appearance on the Sex Sent Me To The ER reality series where he claimed to have been stung by some bees in the forest.

    The infamous video still pops up on social media every now and then. During a recent interview with Battleground podcast, Allin was asked about it and he revealed how the whole thing came about.

    The high-flying star revealed that he was in the film school at the time and found out about the show through a website:

    \”It\’s so funny when people repost it as if I\’m trying to hide it. It\’s like, I\’m the one who told in an interview years ago with Chris Van Vliet that I did that show and people [are like], \’Wait, he did?\’ I\’m the one who told people, it\’s funny, it\’s hilarious.

    It\’s like \’Oh breaking news\’ because no one has a goddamn life anymore. The thing is, I was going to film school in Arizona, and I saw this, there\’s website with all these reality shows. And I said, \’Oh, Sex sent me to ER, that sounds funny. Let\’s come up with a story.\’\”

    Darby Allin Forged A Doctor\’s Note

    According to Darby Allin the whole thing was made up and he even forged a doctor\’s note to prove its authenticity. The girl who was featured in the video alongside him was an aspiring actress:

    \”So I made up this fake story, forged a doctor\’s note that had happened, because they actually asked, \’Did it really happen? We need doctor’s notes.\’ And I was like, \’yeah.\’

    So I met the girl on Craigslist. She was an aspiring actress, and we came up with the story. The day that we shot is the first day I met her. Then we just got our story straight, and then went in and filmed it.\”

    The Whole Experience Was Fun

    Darby Allin later revealed that the video resulted in a good pay day that was like a godsent to him during his struggling days because he was surviving on very little money:

    \”It was just funny because that\’s back when I was in film school, and I had no money. Literally no shit. I was living off of $5 a week on food. It was horrible. It was so bad. I worked at the 99 cents store at the time. So when I was in the freezer where they keep all the food, I\’d be like, eating the food secretly back there. I had no money.

    I forgot exactly the numbers it was like $500 or maybe $800 to do this reality thing. They flew me down to California. I was like \’This is awesome. I can afford to eat now.\’ Yeah, the whole experience was fun. It\’s just fun coming up with stories and messing around and having a good time.\”

    Apart from this, Darby Allin also talked about taking risks and doing extreme spots ahead of his Blood & Guts match this Wednesday. You can check out what he said here.

  • Darby Allin Explains Why He Can\’t Stop Doing Extreme Spots: I Never Phone It In

    Darby Allin says he is always ready to take big risks in any match because he doesn\’t want any of his performances to feel like he\’s phoning it in.

    The former TNT Champion recently had an interview with Battleground podcast to promote the upcoming Blood and Guts special of Dynamite this Wednesday.

    During the interview, Allin first discussed his crazy Anarchy In The Arena match at Double or Nothing 2024. During the bout, Darby took a superkick from the Young Bucks who were wearing boots lined with thumbtacks.

    The AEW star revealed that he had to pull thumbtacks out of his lip after the bout and his nose injury made for an awkward conversation with his doctor:

    \”My nose, you couldn\’t see it cause this shirt was hanging over my face, but my nose blew up like a faucet. When I got to the back, I had to pull thumbtacks out of my lip. I went right to the hospital. I thought this whole thing was re broke.

    It was a pretty crazy night, and trying to explain that to [the doctor], because right before of that match, I had to get clearance from my nose doctor. Then the nose doctor signed me off, he said, \’Be careful.\’ And coming back and having to explain that, yeah, that was really awkward conversation.\”

    I Don\’t Take Any of This Shit For Granted: Darby Allin

    Darby Allin later mentioned how a lot of people advise him against such spots. According to the former champion, however, the drive to take big risks comes from the necessity to prove his haters wrong:

    \”Everybody tells me, ‘Take it easy. Slow down. You\’re not gonna be able to walk when you\’re 30.\’ And it\’s like, \’Well, I\’m 31 and I feel great.\’ Believe it or not, even though like my foot, my face, everything feels great. It comes from a background of growing up working as a dishwasher, constantly being told that you\’re never gonna amount to anything.

    So going out there every night, I don\’t forget where I came from. So that\’s why you\’ll never see Darby Allin phone it in. It could be on in front of 10 people, 10,000 people. 81,000 people. I never phone it in. Because I don\’t take any of this shit for granted.\”

    The Blood And Guts episode of AEW Dynamite will see Darby Allin teaming with Swerve Strickland, Mark Briscoe, Max Caster & Anthony Bowens to take on Kazuchika Okada, Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, Jack Perry & “Hangman” Adam Page in the extreme bout.

  • The Miz Hopes To Get One More Moment With John Cena Before Retirement

    The Miz is hoping to get one more moment with John Cena before the WWE legend calls it a career and hangs his wrestling boots for good.

    The two WWE superstars have a long history together. They have been arch-rivals in the ring while also being really good friends behind the scenes.

    The A-Lister recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated to discuss Cena announcing plans for his retirement from active competition. The Cenation Leader has confirmed that 2025 will be his last year as an active performer.

    The former IC Champion mentioned how he is proud to have shared the ring with John Cena in his career and claimed that Cena is the greatest of all time. The Miz then expressed that he has mixed emotions on the announcement of his retirement:

    “He’s a bona fide movie star now, but he loves this so much he’s still going to do live events. I still can’t believe this is it for him. I’m sad, but I’m also happy–this must be what he wants.”

    Never Thought I\’d Do That: The Miz

    The Miz mentioned their history including their latest encounter at Raw after WrestleMania 40 where they teamed together. The wrestling veteran said that he hopes to have one more moment with Cena before his career comes to a close:

    “I would love one more moment with him. We were rivals for so long, and just this past WrestleMania, the day after, I’m tagging with John Cena doing the ‘You can’t see me’ and giving AA’s to people. I never thought I’d ever do that.\”

    John Cena and The Miz have shared the ring for more than 150 different matches both as rivals and tag team partners. The biggest testament to their importance in each other\’s career is probably their main event match at WrestleMania XXVII.

    With a rivalry as great as this, the 43-year-old certainly deserves the opportunity to step in the ring with the Hollywood Star at least one more time before the curtain falls on the legendary career of Cena.

  • WWE SummerSlam 2024: Updated Card With CM Punk’s Return

    WWE has officially confirmed CM Punk\’s in-ring return match against Drew McIntyre for the upcoming SummerSlam 2024 event with a twist.

    This week\’s episode of Monday Night Raw featured a segment with the Straight Edge Star. Punk cut a promo on Drew McIntyre and tried to attack him when the Scottish Psychopath showed up at the ringside.

    Adam Pearce however, brought in security to restrain the former AEW Star. He went on to announced a match between the two for the upcoming PLE, while also warning them of a suspension on getting physical before that.

    Pearce then mentioned how he has a \’referee\’ problem which was the perfect cue for Seth Rollins. The Architect shaked Pearce\’s hand and mentioned that no one wants to referee the match between the two WWE stars. He confirmed that he will be officiating the match at the upcoming show.

    \"WWE

    All top matches for the SummerSlam 2024 seems to have been confirmed with the latest announcement. Here is the updated match card for the show:

    • Undisputed WWE Championship Match: Cody Rhodes vs Solo Sikoa
    • Women\’s World Championship Match: Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley
    • World Heavyweight Championship Match: Damian Priest vs. Gunther
    • WWE Women\’s Championship Match: Bayley vs Nia Jax
    • US Championship Match: Logan Paul vs. LA Knight
    • IC Championship Match: Semi Zayn vs. Bron Breakker
    • Singles Match: Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk with special guest referee Seth Rollins

    SummerSlam 2024 will be taking place from the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio two weeks from now on Sunday, August 4, 2024.

    CM Punk Vs. Drew McIntyre is the Only Choice to Headline Bad Blood – Inside Hell In A Cell

  • Trish Stratus Explains Why She Chose To Leave WWE In 2006

    Trish Stratus is one of the most iconic professional wrestlers in the history of the business and people remember many moments from her career to this day. Though it\’s surprising to know that her full-time run in wrestling lasted only 6 years and Stratus had chosen to retire from active competition when she was only 30.

    The WWE Hall of Famer recently had an interview with Inside The Ropes. She talked about things such as her storyline with Vince McMahon, her rivalry with Lita, and more.

    On the topic of her decision to leave WWE in 2006, the former Women\’s Champion was asked if she was satisfied with her decision at the time. Trish explained that she got a lot of time to think about it before making the call:

    \”Yeah, at the time I was definitely very confident in my decision. I felt very fulfilled in my career at that point, and had a good look at it. It wasn\’t like I was yanked out of it, and was like, \’Oh, I wait. I didn\’t have that moment,\’

    I had the chance, luckily, to decide, \’Am I going to sign or not sign?\’ Listen, my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and that was one of the deciding factors that I was like, the universe is telling me it\’s time to go.\”

    I Was Ready To Move On: Trish Stratus

    Trish Stratus explained that she was already contemplating the idea of retirement and her mom\’s illness made the decision clearer. The former champion also mentioned how she had worked with all the top women in the roster so she didn\’t leave with the idea of any unfinished business:

    \”I mean, I was already playing with the idea of like re-signing or not, but my mom getting cancer, knowing that if I was on the road in that schedule, I could not be with her for her treatment and that journey. And for me, yeah, I looked at the roster, looked at the women we have that can work.

    I\’ve worked luckily, been blessed to have worked these great storylines and long storylines and really juicy storylines with Jazz and Victoria and Molly. Have these things that people remember to this day. This rivalry that people remember. So I was like, \’I feel good.\’ Like, I feel like I\’m good. I was 30 years old, and I was ready. I was ready to move on.\”

    The wrestling veteran had the final match of her original WWE run at the 2006 Unforgiven PPV in September. She defeated Lita in the PPV held in her hometown of Toronto to win her record seventh women\’s title and retired as a champion.

    Trish Stratus has continued her association with WWE and continued making sporadic appearances. She most recently hosted the Money In The Bank PPV where the company teased a match between her and Tiffany Stratton.

  • Shelton Benjamin Confirms Scrapped Plans For Hurt Business Reunion

    Former WWE star Shelton Benjamin has confirmed that WWE scrapped plans for a Hurt Business reunion last year.

    The Bobby Lashley-led faction was one of the highlights of the WWE programming during the pandemic era. With Lashley being presented as a dominant heel, the storyline quickly became a fan favorite. The decision to disband the group in early 2022 left fans puzzled and many people to this day believe that the whole thing had a lot of untapped potential.

    During a recent interview with Metro, Benjamin said that he considers the faction to be one of his \’defining contributions\’ to the business and claimed that it was cut too short. He then revealed that there was talk of reviving the group last year but it never came to fruition:

    \”There was definitely conversation and planning for the Hurt Business to make a return. And then things just changed. They set dates, the dates changed and things changed. And then suddenly it was like, \’Nope, we’re just not doing it.\’ And that was… that was a kick in the balls. [laughs]\”

    One Of The Biggest Mishaps: Shelton Benjamin

    Shelton Benjamin admitted that the decision was not in their hands and whatever the call maybe they have to live with it and move on. Though he still mentioned how the faction had the potential to elevate all its members:

    \”I love being a part of helping people succeed. But in the case of the Hurt Business, I felt like there was so much more for every individual in that to really elevate themselves within the company. And I think the fact that there was no Hurt Business versus Bloodline war is one of the biggest mishaps in pro wrestling\”

    WWE had teased a Hurt Business reunion in early 2023 when Benjamin reunited with Cedric Alexander with MVP taking credit for it. MVP even accompanied the duo at the ringside for a match but the angle was then quietly dropped. Shelton Benjamin was later released from the company in September 2023.

  • AJ Lee Confirms Several Upcoming Projects Amid WWE Rumors

    AJ Lee has confirmed several upcoming projects under her Scrappy Hearts production company amid rumors about her potential WWE return.

    The former Divas Champion was interviewed by Screen Rant during the Tribeca Film Festival. She was there promoting her new movie Sacramento starring Michael Angarano, Michael Cera, and Kristen Stewart in lead roles.

    During the interview, Lee real name April Mendez, was asked if she has any projects in the works under her Scrappy Heart Productions banner. The former WWE star revealed that they have several projects ready to be launched with the goal of telling stories of underrepresented communities:

    “We have an original comic book coming out very soon, and we have a short film that is about to hit the festival circuit and a horror movie that is next in list and ready to go.

    So we are really excited to show you what we have at Scrappy Heart Productions. We\’re trying to represent underrepresented communities, like my, like the Latino community. We want us to be the stars of our own stories and we\’re really fighting for that.”

    Scrappy Hearts Production is a company AJ Lee started with Aimee Garcia. Garcia is known for her roles in shows such as Lucifer and How To Train Your Dragon.

    A potential WWE return for the former champion has been a topic of discussion among fans since her husband, CM Punk returned to the company last year at Survivor Series.

    The repeated mention of Lee in Punk\’s ongoing feud with Drew McIntyre has only added fuel to the fire and there were even rumors that AJ could make an appearance at last Saturday\’s Money In The Bank PPV.

    Though when asked about it in the post-show media scrum, Punk had alluded to all the projects his wife was working on. The latest comments from the former WWE star only further confirm that she is not very likely to make time from her busy schedule for a wrestling comeback.

  • Former TNA Referee Believes Partnership With AEW Was Not Fair

    Former TNA wrestling referee Brian Hebner has blamed AEW for not being fair with their partner during the pandemic years.

    The wrestling veteran recently appeared on the Rewind Relive Recap podcast alongside current TNA head referee Daniel Spencer.

    While talking about TNA\’s partnership with different promotions, Spencer compared their collaboration with AEW back in the day with the ongoing crossover with WWE. He said that the WWE partnership makes sense today:

    \”I feel like the relationship with WWE and TNA just makes more sense. I know Brian was there, and we both were there when we had the other brand partnership, or whatever, with the other company. That crossover with the other company, and it was okay.

    But I just feel like this one, is the right one. Not to say the other one wasn\’t. Maybe it was right at that time, but it\’s not right, right now, what\’s right now is what we\’re doing. I\’m excited. I can\’t wait to see where it takes us.\”

    It Was Really Not That Good: Brian Hebner

    Brian Hebner then shared his opinion on the matter as well. He said that a rub from a company like WWE is always good for a smaller promotion like TNA. Hebner went on to criticize the way AEW handled their partnership:

    \”That old partnership you\’re talking about, I\’ll say it, with AEW was really not that good. It was a give and take. It was all give and we take nothing. That\’s what it really did amount to. I don\’t know if it was, I don\’t know all that aspect. I just know that I was a little bit back in the back scenes because I was traveling and doing all the stuff that we were doing mixed with AEW.

    I just felt like matches were, they weren\’t fair. It was just all about their talent getting over. Where I feel like WWE is not in it like that. I don\’t feel like, Jordynee Grace is going to win their title while she has TNA\’s, but I do feel like they\’re going to give her a fair shake and make her look really, really good. That\’s all I\’m sure TNA is asking.\”

    The partnership between TNA and AEW was spearheaded by the then AEW World Champion Kenny Omega. It started when Kenny turned heel and defeated Jon Moxley to win the AEW title with help from Don Callis at the end of 2020. Callis was an executive vice president of the promotion known as Impact Wrestling at the time.

    The partnership saw many talents from both rosters crossing over to the other show. During the course of it, Kenny Omega had multiple matches in Impact Wrestling and even held the Impact World title for almost 5 months.

    He dropped the title to Christian Cage at the premiere episode of Rampage. The partnership between the two promotions ended after Cage in turn lost the title to Josh Alexander at Bound For Glory 2021.

  • Mark Henry Details Unique Pre-Match Ritual of Rey Mysterio

    Mark Henry has revealed a unique ritual Rey Mysterio performs before his matches.

    The trio of Henry, Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer talked extensively about how they prepared before their matches during the latest episode of Busted Open\’s Masterclass.

    During the episode, they talked about people who partied the night before their matches and weren\’t their 100% when the time for the performance came. Bully Ray expressed a strong opinion against such talents, saying that he had zero respect for the wrestlers who did that:

    \”I had zero respect for the guys who went out and got banged up and then couldn\’t perform the day after. No way. Listen, you want to go, and I was a part of this, you want to go out and party all night long. You want to drink all night long. You want to do drugs all night long. You want to go out and hook up, I don\’t give a shit what you do.

    Just make sure you\’re in the gym the next morning and make sure you are 100% to go out there and tear the fucking house down the next night. Otherwise, you got no business putting my life in your hands because you\’re too fucking hung over.

    That\’s the biggest picture. We put each other\’s lives in each other\’s hands. I don\’t need to know that you\’re still hungover or you haven\’t come down off your high from the night before. Although I\’d rather have Rob Van Dam high than not high in a wrestling ring, because he\’d function better.\”

    Mark Henry Details Rey Mysterio\’s Ritual

    The trio also discussed their pre match rituals during the episode. Talking about unique pre match rituals, Mark Henry revealed that he always found the way Rey Mysterio prepared for his matches to be unlike any other:

    \”Do ever see Rey? Before every match, he would put his mask on the floor, he put his T-shirt that he was gonna wear on the floor. He would put his pants. He would put the underwear that he would wear on top of the pants. He put the socks on the bottom of the pants. He put the shoes, and he would sit there and look at it.

    I used to go, \’You alright, brother?\’ [laughs] But he had to see everything, the wrist wrap, everything. He had to see it all before he put it on and look at it. Make sure \’Alright, that\’s the look.\’ I\’m the Joker tonight [or] I\’m louis Vuitton man tonight. Like whatever his gear, he had to lay it out. It was a ritual, I watched it a bunch of times.\”

  • Riho Confirms Arm Injury After AEW Return Match

    Former AEW Women\’s Champion Riho has confirmed her injury.

    The female star took on Instagram to announce the news. She posted a photo with a sling, and noted that she has fractured her arm.

    A number of AEW stars have since replied to the post and people such as the TBS Champion Mercedes Mone, Willow Nightingale and Madison Ryan have wished a speedy recovery to their co-worker:

    Riho had only returned to the ring during the July 6 episode of AEW Collision where she defeated Lady Frost. Here’s the spot where she’s believed to have sustained the injury:

    https://x.com/sebas_bucks/status/1809761721692877306?s=46

    The 27-year-old had been out of action for four months before that. Her last match before the Collision debut had taken place at the March 13 episode of Dynamite where she suffered a defeat at the hands of Willow Nightingale.

    Riho In AEW

    Riho has been a part of the AEW roster since their first show in Double or Nothing 2019. She competed in a six-women tag team match at the event.

    She was notably crowned the Inaugural Women\’s World Champion of the company. The former DDT star defeated Hikaru Shida during the premiere episode of Dynamite for the victory.

    Things have not gone Riho\’s way since the COVID-19 pandemic. She has had to take multiple long breaks due to travel restrictions as well as injuries and has not held any titles in AEW since then.

  • Ethan Page Recreates Classic WWE Ending To Win NXT Championship, Joe Hendry Appears

    Ethan Page has won the NXT Championship and you wouldn\’t believe what happened afterward. WWE\’s development brand presented the Heatwave special from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this Sunday. This was WWE\’s third consecutive night at the venue, following WWE SmackDown and WWE Money in the Bank.

    The show was filled with many hard-hitting bouts which have become a signature of the brand under Shawn Michaels. Wrestling fans were buzzing on social media over the high spots in the tag title match between Axiom & Nathan Frazer.

    However, it was the fatal four-way main event for the NXT Championship that stole the conversation. Trick Williams was defending his title against Ethan Page, Shawn Spears, and Je\’Von Evans. The bout delivered everything you\’d expect from an NXT main event with Evans proving to be the MVP of the match with many notable bumps.

    The ending of the fight saw Page taking his frustration out on Evans for disrupting a pin attempt. Spears pulled Evans down, however, right when Page was about to hit the Ego\’s Edge. Trick Williams then joined the action and took out both Shawn Spears and Je\’Von Evans with a Trick Shot. He delivered one more to Page. This caused the former AEW star to fall on Evans who was lying in the ring. The referee started counting and he completed the three count before Williams could break the fall. Just like that, the landscape of NXT has been altered dramatically.

    Ethan Page Recreates Classic WWE Ending

    The finish reminded people of a classic WWE match from Backlash 2007. Notably, the WWE Championship match featuring John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and Edge ended in a similar fashion. Cena had unintentionally pinned Orton to retain the title back then, when he fell on the Viper after taking a Sweet Chin Music from HBK.

    Somebody Said Joe Hendry\’s Name

    The show ended with Page celebrating the win. Just before the show went off air, TNA Wrestling star Joe Hendry made a cameo.

    Page\’s First Comments as NXT Champion

    Backstage after his big win, Ethan Page clarified that his success has nothing to do with luck. He doesn\’t even consider himself a lucky man – he\’s just that good.

  • CM Punk Reveals What He Told John Cena After Money In The Bank Announcement

    CM Punk has teased one more match with John Cena before his retirement,

    One of the biggest surprises of the Money In The Bank 2024 PPV was the unannounced appearance of John Cena. The Cenation Leader cut a promo during the show and announced that WrestleMania 41 will be his last.

    The Straight Edge star who was part of the post-show press conference was asked about the big announcement from his arch-rival. Punk revealed what he told the Peacemaker star when they ran into each other backstage after the segment:

    \”I know he is busy, he\’s filming Peacemaker. So I figured he was leaving right away. I was pleasantly surprised to run into him afterwards, and I told him, I\’ll be the guy that drags him out of retirement.

    This retirement that he says he\’s going to adhere to, and that\’s it. When the final one happens, that\’s going to be it. Like 15 years, I\’ll drag him out of retirement.\”

    One More Time: CM Punk

    CM Punk discussed what John Cena means to his career and said that he feels proud at being an integral part of Cena\’s run. He then teased one final showdown with the 16-time world champion before he calls it a career:

    \”But Cena, I think to my career means a lot. I don\’t think there\’s many people up in that rare air where if you talk about my career, I feel you have to talk about John. And makes me feel proud that I think if you talk about John\’s career, I think you have to talk about me. We\’re married in that respect, so proud of him.

    He gets to go out on his terms. I know that\’s important. I\’m looking forward to what he does. And I told him that if it\’s going to be one more time, we gotta do it at least one more time.\”

    John Cena was also part of the press conference where he provided some more details on his retirement tour. You can check out what he said here.

  • Tiffany Stratton Is Ready To Face Trish Stratus After Money In The Bank Confrontation

    Tiffany Stratton is ready to get in the ring with the GOAT Trish Stratus.

    The Money In The Bank 2024 came live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. Hometown star Trish Stratus was announced to host the show. She made multiple appearances during the event. This included one where she introduced John Cena before he made a big career announcement.

    A more exciting appearance for the fans of the wrestling legend came later in the show. Stratus was being interviewed backstage but was interrupted by Tiffany Stratton.

    The young star asked \’Trishy\’ why she wasn\’t talking about her and Trish Stratus in turn told the 2024 Women\’s Money In The Bank winner to not get ahead of herself.

    Tiffany Stratton Is Ready For The GOAT

    In the post-show press conference, Tiffany Stratton was asked about potentially facing Stratus in a match. The 25-year-old claimed that she is ready to get in the ring with her idol:

    “Listen, those are two different generations. Trish, Trishy, Trishy Time, she is one of my idols in professional wrestling, and I am ready to get in the ring with the GOAT,\”

    These developments suggest that WWE is at least planning a future confrontation between the two female stars. It won\’t be a surprise if they end up sharing the ring at the upcoming SummerSlam PPV from Cleveland, Ohio on August 4.

    You can check out the full Money In The Bank post-show below:

  • CM Punk Says He Doesn\’t Want To Give False Hope of AJ Lee\’s Return

    CM Punk says he would love to see AJ Lee return to WWE but it\’s a decision she is going to have to make for herself.

    The Straight Edge star took part in the post Money In The Bank 2024 media scrum after costing Drew McIntyre yet another opportunity at becoming a world champion earlier in the night.

    During the talk, Punk was asked about the chatter of his wife potentially making a comeback to WWE and if we can hope to see the two of them sharing the ring again. The former world champion claimed that he doesn\’t want to give false hope to people:

    \”I appreciate the question. You would have to ask my wife but she\’s not here. She\’s taking care of Larry. I don\’t want to fall in the trap of saying never say never.

    I don\’t want to give people false hope. I also will not put words in her mouth and say \’I think this could happen\’ I think this is a brave new world. I don\’t think a lot of people thought I was going to show up. It\’s really all on her.\”

    She\’s Doing Her Own Thing: CM Punk

    CM Punk noted how as a fan of AJ Lee, he would love to see the former Divas Champion back in the ring. Though he also mentioned all the projects she is currently involved in, which makes it hard for the female star to make a comeback:

    \”She\’s busy. I\’m super proud of her. She\’s doing her own thing. She\’s got, I don\’t even know if I\’m allowed to talk about this stuff. She\’s got a production company started up, she\’s writing TV, movies, all kinds of stuff.

    I laughably, I always say I\’m a bad husband because I never know what project she\’s talking about. \’Oh, I have a meeting\’ and I\’m like, \’With who? Is it Netflix? Is it Hulu? Is it CBS?\’ I don\’t know. She\’s got so many irons in so many different fires. I will say as a fan of hers, would love to see it.\”

    You can check out the full Money In The Bank 2024 media scrum below:

  • Watch: What Happened With Kevin Owens After Money In The Bank 2024 Went Off Air

    Kevin Owens cut a short but heartfelt promo after WWE Money In The Bank 2024 from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada went off air.

    KO had revealed during last night\’s episode of SmackDown that his mother had been rushed to the hospital earlier this week and she was currently battling serious health issues. He mentioned how his mother would want him to \’fight like hell\’ and that\’s what he was going to do at the PPV.

    While the team of Owens, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton didn\’t manage to win their match against The Bloodline at the event, Kevin fulfilled his promise and delivered some serious beatdown on his opponents.

    After Money In The Bank went off air, Owens acknowledged the \’Mama Owens\’ chants and said that the fans have helped him get through the hardest week of his life:

    What Happened At Money In The Bank 2024

    Apart from this, the show featured the Money In The Bank matches which were won by Drew McIntyre and Tiffany Stratton respectively.

    Though for Drew, the celebration of the win didn\’t last long as he tried to cash in the contract the same night but CM Punk once again cost him the bout.

    The biggest surprise of the night was an appearance from John Cena who made a huge career announcement on the show. You can check out more about it here.

  • Watch: What Happened With Sami Zayn After (7/5) SmackDown Went Off Air

    Sami Zayn made an appearance after the Money In The Bank go home episode of SmackDown from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada went off air.

    There were two dark matches that took place after the broadcast of the Blue Branded Show ended. The first match featured IYO SKY defeating Naomi.

    The second dark match of the night saw Sami Zayn defending the Intercontinental Championship against Chad Gable. Gable got the Kurt Angle treatment from the crowd during his entrance.

    The former Olympian had locked in Zayn into an ankle lock towards the end of the bout but the IC Champion reversed it into a powerbomb. He finally delivered a Helluva kick to pick up the victory.

    After the match, Sami Zayn cut a short promo. Zayn who is billed from Montreal, mentioned how the Toronto crowd always makes him feel like he is in his hometown. He then hyped-up Saturday\’s Money In The Bank PPV:

    What Happened On SmackDown

    The SmackDown episode was largely built around the upcoming PPV. The opening segment saw all the competitors of the Men\’s Money In The Bank match coming face to face before the bout.

    Apart from this, the show featured matches such as Pretty Deadly vs. The Street Profits and Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair vs. Indi Hartwell & Candice LeRae.

    The latest WWE event also featured a big title change in the main event of the show. You can check out more about it here.

  • Chris Jericho Believes Wrestling Could Be An Olympic Sport

    Chris Jericho believes wrestling should be included as a Olympic sport.

    Pro Wrestling has always found itself battling for legitimacy in the broader climate of sports. Those who are not familiar still think of it as a fake performance instead of a scripted art form similar to many performing arts. The AEW star has a great idea to help it attain the respect it deserves.

    The former AEW Champion recently appeared on the Blocks Podcast to discuss things such as what it means to be an entertainer, how long he will continue performing and more.

    During the interview, Jericho floated a very interesting idea, suggesting that pro wrestling could be included in Olympics similar to any other sport that is judged on points:

    \”I\’ve started to really think about how pro wrestling could easily be an Olympic sport, because it\’s a athletic display between two people, much like figure skating or synchronized swimming or anything else that\’s judged on points.\”

    Chris Jericho Explains How Wrestling In Olympics Would Work

    Chris Jericho explained that wrestlers from different countries can put together matches to the best of their abilities. They can then be judged on their performances instead of the outcome of the match:

    \”Think about that. So let\’s say I\’m from Canada. Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, best wrestlers from Canada. We put together our routine, and then you got you know, Will Ospreay and Michael Oku from England. They put together their routine.

    Then you got you know Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, from the United States putting together their routine. Then the judges would say, \’Okay, this was the best,\’ It doesn\’t matter who wins or loses. Like figure skating.\”

    The 2024 Summer Olympics, branded as Paris Olympics 2024 is set to begin later this month in France. The opening ceremony will be taking place on July 26 with some competitions starting as early as July 24. The 2024 edition will notably feature the debut of breakdancing as an Olympic event.

    Apart from this, The Learning Tree also talked about things such as his start in wrestling, the backstage politics he had to deal with in 90s, and how things have changed since then.

  • Dijak Questions Legality Of WWE Contracts: Something Needs To Be Done

    Dijak has called the legality of WWE contracts in question after his WWE release.

    The former WWE star exited the company earlier last month after the officials decided not to renew his contract. The surprising part of this decision was that Dijak was not informed of this until last minute. He was being used by the company only days before he confirmed his departure from the promotion.

    The 37-year-old talked about the implications of his sudden release in a new interview with Forbs. He was asked if it was a blessing in disguise that he could appear for other promotions so soon after leaving the company vs. talents who have to wait 90 days for their non-compete to expire.

    It\’s Made-Up Nonsense: Dijak

    Dijak explained that it\’s a double-edged sword and there are pros and cons of both approaches. He said that he is not a fan of WWE releasing people, before questioning the legality of their contracts:

    \”I don\’t think it\’s a secret at this point that nobody\’s a fan of the WWE contract. That isn\’t a real contract, because they can just release you at any point for any reason. I think that\’s silly nonsense. I don\’t know why that\’s allowed to be legal. It just feels illegal to me, and I feel like nobody\’s taken the time and monetary effort to challenge the legality of it.\”

    The former NXT star also commented on the infamous independent contractor status given to talent signed by the company. He said that it\’s the most \’made up nonsense\’ in the history of the world:

    \”We\’re so clearly not independent contractors. That\’s the most made-up nonsense in the history of the world, and people have talked about this ad nauseum. Something needs to be done about it. It\’s just silly. It\’s silliness.\”

    The wrestling star later explained that officials should inform talents earlier if they don\’t plan on re-signing them. He mentioned how people like Lacey Evans and SCRYPTS were given a month\’s notice and it\’s not ethical to inform him of his release at the last second.

  • Mohammad Hassan Recalls Being Heartbroken After Sudden WWE Exit

    Wrestling is not a love story, it\’s a fairy tale for masochists

    The now-immortal words from the late Bray Wyatt is a perfect description of what people should be ready for while entering the business. For every success story, there are many heartbreaks to go along with it. For every superstar who makes a successful career in the business, there are many who have to live with the regret. It\’s especially true for someone like Mohammad Hassan, who had to pay the price of being too good.

    The former WWE star, real name Marc Copani recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He prominently talked about his career with the company formerly owned by Vince McMahon and the abrupt end of his run due to pressure from media and the TV Network.

    When asked why he decided to leave the wrestling business altogether after WWE, Hassan explained that he was heartbroken and depressed at the way his run came to an end:

    \”It took me a while to really figure it out. I think I was a little depressed. I was definitely heartbroken; you know turned off. The constant traveling and the spotlight, it was fun while it lasted but it wasn\’t for me. It took me a while to figure out that I just didn\’t want to get back in there because it really was a huge heartbreaking moment for me.

    You work so hard, you spend so much time just training, preparing and then it\’s all taken away kind of for no reason. Like I didn\’t do anything, I didn\’t bomb any place. And I understand why the character was taken off TV, it absolutely had to be but I think that was the heartbreak for me. I was just out there doing the best that I could and the rug was pulled out from under me.\”

    It Changed My Perspective: Mohammad Hassan

    Mohammad Hassan played his character to perfection and became one of the most talked about talents in WWE in a very short amount of time. When asked why the company didn\’t consider repackaging him, the former wrestling star explained that he had moved on from wrestling by the time it would have been possible for fans to accept him in a new role:

    \”I had that conversation with several people at the time and it was possible but I wasn\’t gonna be on TV for a long time because Hassan came so quick and had such a huge impact. They didn\’t feel like anybody would recognize me as another character at least for a long time.

    So that\’s why I was off TV and I was home and then we ended up parting ways maybe a year later the WWE. After that I just didn\’t want to do it anymore you know I wanted to do other things and like I said that huge letdown. I think kind of just changed my perspective on things.\”

    The 44-year-old also explained how the whole thing made him fall out of love with wrestling. According to him, it took him a long time to come to terms with it.

    Mohammad Hassan made his debut in December 2003. He was presented as a heel who complained about anti-Arab prejudice in society and WWE. The character quickly became one of company\’s top heels, sharing the ring with the likes of Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan.

    His run came to an abrupt end due a segment where masked men attacked Undertaker on Hassan\’s behalf. The pre-taped episode that aired on July 7, 2005 coincides with the London bombings, leading to huge backlash from main stream media. The pressure forced the company to keep him off TV and the character was written off after one final match against Taker at Great American Bash later that month.

  • Zack Sabre Jr Reveals Preferred Location For Bryan Danielson Rematch

    Zack Sabre Jr. wants his re-match with Bryan Danielson to happen in England.

    The NJPW star picked up a big victory at the Forbidden Door 2024 PPV. He managed to make Orange Cassidy tap out with a submission.

    He took part in the post show media scrum after his big win where the former NJPW TV Champion was asked about another star who picked up a win on the same show – Bryan Danielson.

    The two have shared the ring a number of times and ZSJ was asked what would be his preferred place if a rematch between the two were to take place. The English star mentioned how their first match was in England and expressed his interest in repeating that:

    “Our first match was in England. We had a rematch in Germany that’s somewhat forgotten, and then we had the match at WrestleDream in Japan. I know that Bryan says he’s winding it down, but he’s a pervert so I can’t imagine. In a wrestling sense, that’s not against his character. We at least have to have one more match in England.”

    I Can Never Repay The Debt: Zack Sabre Jr

    Zack Sabre Jr. mentioned how his early match with Bryan Danielson helped put him on the map and he can never repay the debt of it. This is why he wants to have another match with the wrestling veteran:

    \”I\’ve said this countless times but when I wrestled with Bryan for the first time in England, in front of a pub in front of 50 people when he had no idea who I was and he gave me so much. It kickstarted my entire career, and I can never repay the debt to him, outside of trying to break all his limbs. I\’m yet to tap out Bryan Danielson so we have to have at least one more match where he lets me try.\”

    The 36-year-old is not the only star who is gunning for a rematch against the former world champion. During the same media scrum, AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland mentioned how his previous loss against Bryan irks him to the day and declared that Danielson is at the top of the list of talents he wants to face.

    You can check out the full AEW Forbidden Door 2024 media scrum below:

  • Tony Khan Confirms Forbidden Door 2024 Drew $1 Million Gate For Third Straight Time

    Tony Khan has confirmed that the third Forbidden Door PPV from the UBS Arena in New York was a huge success for the company.

    The AEW president took part in the post Forbidden Door 2024 media scrum where he talked about things such as the upcoming Wrestle Dynasty PPV from Tokyo Dome which will be a joint show hosted by AEW, NJPW, and CMLL.

    During the press conference, Khan also touted the success of the latest AEW PPV. He confirmed that the show drew a million-dollar gate for the third consecutive time:

    \”What a huge success this PPV has been. This is our third Forbidden Door, what a great partnership. Tonight was not only a great PPV, also a great live event here. Like we said over 11,000 fans here at UBS arena paid and over a million dollars live gate, really really, special. Third straight year with over 11,000 fans and over a million-dollar live gate, which is pretty cool too.\”

    Tony Khan On Super Heavyweight Championship

    One interesting question Tony Khan was asked during the scrum was the potential of adding a \’meaty super heavyweight championship\’ after the match between Samoa Joe and Jeff Cobb at the PPV.

    The AEW official mentioned how we\’ve seen a lot of \’meat moments\’ in AEW and fans can chant \’meat\’ whenever they want to. On the potential of a title exclusive for the big men, Khan said that such matches are always exciting:

    \”There are a lot of championships in wrestling, but certainly any time we can get the big men fighting, I love it. Even if we\’re not ready for a championship, those matches are exciting and we\’ve seen people get engaged when those big guys start fighting and they love chanting \’meat,\’\”

    Apart from this, Tony Khan also discussed the upcoming Brodie Lee tribute shoes and more. You can check out the full Forbidden Door 2024 media scrum below: