SEScoops

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • Tony Khan on Kota Ibushi in AEW: \”I Really Want to Work With Him\”

    Former NJPW star Kota Ibushi is now on the free agent market after departing from New Japan Pro Wrestling and he knows he will have promotions interested in him including AEW. 

    AEW/ROH owner Tony Khan has signed some of the biggest stars in today’s wrestling and is interested in talking with Kota about potentially being the next to become All Elite. 

    During a his weekly Wednesday morning appearance on Busted Open Radio, Khan was asked about Ibushi.

    “When you have a name like that, everybody in the world of pro wrestling would be very fortunate to have in their promotion. I really wanted to work with him in the past so I think that\’s something we\’d certainly have to consider.”

    – Tony Khan

    Ibushi said in an interview today that he thinks he will talk with AEW after he opens a wrestling school in Japan.

    When his contract expired, NJPW issued a statement, wishing him luck in his future endeavors.

    Kota has been sidelined for over a year as his last match happened in October 2021 with a dislocated shoulder suffered in the G1 Climax finals. GCW has already announced that Ibushi is slated to work Bloodsport and Spring Break during WrestleMania weekend in Los Angeles.

    Kota Ibushi Discusses Possibly Joining AEW

  • New WWE 2K23 Gameplay Trailer features WarGames

    2K Games has released a new gameplay trailer for WWE 2K23, this time showing the video game debut of an NXT star and what WarGames, a fan favorite match, looks like in the virtual world. 

    The game is still a month away, but this new trailer highlights Roman Reigns, Logan Paul, John Cena, The Undertaker, and Bad Bunny. It also features the details gone into making WarGames look as real as possible. 

    WarGames

    WarGames is making its WWE video game debut this year after the company brought back the match type in 2017 for NXT. Although WWE first used WarGames on the main roster for last year’s Survivor Series event, the match will only be able to take place in one WarGames arena modeled after the 2021 event.

    Also, NXT’s Cora Jade and Alba Fyre are featured as Jade hit Fyre with a Glory Bomb. It should be noted that it looks like she will have her babyface gimmick in the game, which marks her video game debut. 

    The game is slated to be released on March 17, 2023. Fans who  pre-order the standard edition of the game early will be able to play as Bad Bunny and those get the Deluxe or Icon editions will have access to the game on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. 

  • WWE NXT Results (1/31/23): Final Vengeance Day Build, Tag Team Invitational

    The January 31, 2023 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

    WWE NXT Results 

    • Indus Sher def. Creed Brothers
    • Zoey Stark def. Indi Hartwell
    • Dijak def. Von Wagner (w/ Mr. Stone).
    • Tyler Bate def. Axiom.
    • Stevie Turner def. Dani Palmer.
    • Drew Gulak def. Charlie Dempsey 
    • Duke Hudson & Andre Chase def. Mailk Blade & Edris Enofe and Duke Hudson & Andre Chase and The Dyad (Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid).

    Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

    Final Build

    \"\"

    What did WWE do for the final build for the steel cage match between Bron Breakker and Grayson Waller at Vengeance Day? 

    They did a video package where both stars were talking trash. Waller vowed to become the champion and go viral while Breakker vowed to break him. 

    The New Day Tag Team Invitational

    \"\"

    The Dyad vs. Edris Enofe & Malik Blade vs. Andre Chase & Duke Hudson took place in The New Day Tag Team Invitational with the winners being added to the fatal 4-way bout at Vengeance Day. That upcoming bout will also see NXT Tag Team Champions New Day vs. Gallus (Mark Coffey and Wolfgang) vs. Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson).

    The match served as the main event when Chase U went over with their finisher on Reid. 

    Tag Team Match

    \"\"

    Indus Sher vs. The Creed Brothers in a tag team bout was booked. 

    Following The Creeds\’ victory against Drew Gulak & Hank Walker on last Tuesday\’s NXT, Indus Sher and Jinder Mahal confronted them and challenged them to a match.

    The match opened the show. Juilus knocked Ivy off the apron and this led to the finish where he was pinned after taking a chokeslam. 

    Let’s Talk

    \"\"

    Roxanne Perez responded to last week’s attack by Toxic Attraction’s Jacey Jayne and Gigi Dolin where she was put through a table. Perez will defend the NXT Women’s Title against them this Saturday in a triple threat match. 

    They did a split interview where Perez was on one side while Toxic Attraction were on the other. Perez talked about how surreal everything is to here to get to this moment. Toxic said that she has no chance to win. Jayne said that Perez peaked at 21 years old and it is all coming to an end. Dolin said that she messed up when she went up against Toxic. Perez went to the other room and a brawl broke out. 

  • Kenny Omega Expected Back in AEW This Week, Visa Issue Resolved

    Kenny Omega is slated to be back at this week’s AEW Dynamite after not appearing on AEW television since January 11 due to a visa issue. 

    Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported on Tuesday that Omega will be at Dynamite in Dayton, Ohio. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether Omega will be appearing on the show as he hasn’t been advertised for the episode.

    Omega being cleared to travel again should pave the way for the future title defense of Trios Champions The Elite against Top Flight & AR Fox, which has been in the planning stages for weeks. Up to this point, AEW was not able to announce the date because of the visa issue.

    The Elite won the titles on the January 11 episode of Dynamite in Los Angeles by defeating Death Triangle (PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) in a ladder match.

    Updated AEW Dynamite Card

    \"\"
    • Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page III
    • Bryan Danielson vs. Timothy Thatcher
    • TBS Champion Jade Cargill defends against Red Velvet
    • TNT Champion Darby Allin defends against Samoa Joe in a no holds barred match
    • Konosuke Takeshita vs. Brian Cage
    • AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed vs. TBA

  • Hulk Hogan Health Update Following Latest Back Surgery

    Although Kurt Angle recently made some statements that worried fans, the representative of Hulk Hogan has assured fans that he is doing just fine. 

    On his Kurt Angle Show podcast last week, the WWE Hall Of Famer stated that the legendary star can\’t feel his legs after back surgery and needed a cane to walk around.

    \”He had the nerves cut from his lower body,\” said Angle. \”He can\’t feel his lower body. He has to use his cane to walk around. I thought he was using his cane because he had pain in his back. He doesn\’t have any pain. He has nothing at all. He can\’t feel anything. He can\’t feel his legs so he has to walk with a cane, so that\’s pretty serious.\”

    The Olympic gold medalist noted that Hogan told him this while they were talking about their health and injuries backstage at WWE Raw\’s 30th anniversary episode.

    The Statement

    Hogan\’s representative told Entertainment Tonight through a statement that Hogan is doing well and is not paralyzed. The representative added that Hogan is able to walk without a cane.

    \”Everything is OK with him. Hulk is someone with a lot of humor.\” 

    Statement from Hulk Hogan\’s representative

    When hogan appeared on Raw\’s 30th anniversary show on January 23, he was walking around without assistance as he and Jimmy Hart kicked off the episode as a way to welcome everyone to the anniversary celebration.

    Over the years, Hogan has done a lot of damage to his body, especially due to his finisher, the leg drop. Hogan has stated in past interviews that he wishes he had picked another finishing move. 

    Hulk Hogan Can’t Feel His Legs After Back Surgery, Says Kurt Angle

  • John Cena to Film New Movie During WWE WrestleMania 39 Season

    John Cena was one of the names rumored to work WWE WrestleMania 39 in addition to Steve Austin and The Rock. 

    With the event just over 60 days away, it’s been reported that Rock doesn’t feel like he is in good enough ring shape to work a main event match with Roman Reigns while Austin has reportedly turned down matches against Brock Lesnar and Reigns. 

    For months, it’s been rumored that Cena would work Mania, but his acting schedule may keep him away from WWE television for the majority of the build up to the match itself. 

    Movie Shooting

    According to Variety,  the upcoming R-Rated comedy Ricky Stanicky, starring Zac Efron and the former WWE Champion will start production next month in Melbourne, Australia and run through March.

    The WWE PLE is scheduled for April 1-2 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. This filming schedule won’t prevent Cena from working the show. It’s possible that he will film segments that he can send to WWE to build up whatever they have planned for him. 

    His rumored opponent is current United States Champion Austin Theory, who dropped references to Cena on recent episodes of Raw. Theory reportedly filmed a backstage segment while Cena was in town for the December 30 edition of SmackDown in Tampa, FL where Cena came back to work a tag team match with Kevin Owens for a win over Reigns and Zayn. 

     Theory has been pushing for a match with Cena for years.

  • Reigns vs. Rhodes, Flair vs. Ripley Set for WWE WrestleMania 39

    WWE has set up two of the bigger matches slated to take place at WrestleMania 39. 

    On Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, it was confirmed that Roman Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Cody Rhodes and Charlotte Flair will defend the SmackDown Women’s Title against Rhea Ripley. 

    Rhodes won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match while Ripley won the Women’s Royal Rumble Match this past Saturday night. 

    The Segments

    In the opening segment of the show, Rhodes name-dropped Reigns in his post-Royal Rumble victory promo by noting that they will clash at Mania. He vowed to become the Undisputed WWE Champion Universal Champion. 

    Later in the show, Rhea did a promo segment where it was hyped whether she would challenge Flair for the top prize for the women on SmackDown or challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Title. Ripley decided to go to the blue brand and Flair’s title. This is a rematch from WrestleMania 36 where Flair retained the NXT Women’s Title over Ripley. 

    WrestleMania 39 is scheduled to be held as a two-night event, taking place on April 1 and 2, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in LA. 

  • Charlotte Flair Thinks She Was The Glue That Made WrestleMania 35 Headliner Come Together

    WWE made history in 2019 when they had Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, and Becky Lynch work a triple threat match with the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Titles on the line in the headliner of WrestleMania 35. 

    It was a winner take all match. The original bout was Lynch vs. Rousey, but Charlotte was inserted into the match by Vince McMahon. 

    Flair recently appeared on Busted Open Radio where she discussed the bout. She agreed with the sentiment that she was the glue in the match. 

    The Match

    \”Yes, I do. You have this hot babyface, Becky Lynch, that the fans love. You\’ve got this woman [Rousey] who paved the way and showed that women could main event pay-per-view in UFC. I definitely feel like I made it all come together. Yes, the narrative is fun to say that I was shoe-horned or however the inside circle wants to talk about me, but I know what my purpose was. Looking back now, I\’m okay with that.\”

    Flair continued by noting that she had never put down other talent to prop herself up but sees the constant hate from fans towards her. She said that despite the hate, no one will be able to take away the accolade of headlining WrestleMania. 

    Lynch went over to win both titles while Rousey went on hiatus to start a family before returning in January 2022. 

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription

  • Pat McAfee Was Originally Supposed to Return in WWE Royal Rumble Match

    Pat McAfee has commented on what WWE originally had planned for him at the Royal Rumble where he made his surprise return. 

    The SmackDown announcer revealed today on his radio show that he was supposed to be in the men\’s Royal Rumble match. He had been away since last September due to his commitments to ESPN\’s College GameDay

    He said his goal was to enter the Rumble match but decided against it because he felt he wasn\’t in good enough shape to do so.  

    The Moment

    “A lot of people thought I was going to be in the Royal Rumble, a lot of people thought that I was going to be there. That was not figured out until late last week. I mean, that really came together pretty quick. Not that there was any bad relations or anything, it\’s just my schedule for the last five months and everybody\’s schedule, especially in WWE… My wife\’s pregnant, with what the schedule was… There was no bad beef or anything. It was just like \’I don\’t want to have to train enough to go into that Royal [Rumble].\’

    McAfee stated that when he left, the company thought the Rumble was the perfect time to return. 

    “They said immediately, Hunter and everybody and Nick, and Stephanie at the time, were like, \’You know, Rumble, that\’s like a perfect time to come back because that\’s when people come back, and it\’s after college football season or whatever.\’ And I was like \’perfect, alright\’ because I actually need something to keep me in shape. I always get fat. I actually need something to keep working out for and I tried. Everybody saw me, I was getting after it there.”

    McAfee praised Kevin Dunn and other people in WWE for keeping his return a secret. He had also kept his return a secret from Michael Cole, who has become good friends with the former NFL punter. 

    McAfee also noted that he had an issue with his plan and other travel arrangements had to be made so he arrived to the venue less than 30 minutes before the event started. 

    H/T to F4Wonline.com

  • Pat McAfee\’s Royal Rumble Return Kept a Secret from Michael Cole & Corey Graves

    To start off the WWE Royal Rumble PLE, Pat McAfee made his surprise return to the company by joining Michael Cole and Corey Graves at the announce table to call the show that started with the 30-Man Royal Rumble match. 

    WWE brought him in last year to be part of SmackDown, and he has been praised for his one-liners and energy during shows. Wade Barrett replaced McAfee while he was gone on SmackDown, and WWE has used Booker T in NXT to replace Barrett. 

    The Shock

    \"\"

    McAfee\’s return was kept very close to the vest to prevent the news of his return from leaking out, according to a report by PWinsider. It should be noted that there were rumors on the day of the show that he may be returning.

    According to this report, Cole, who has become good friends with McAfee, was legitimately surprised by the return.  On the broadcast, Cole said that he had spoken with McAfee that day, but the fellow SmackDown commentator didn’t tell him he was returning. 

    WWE went as far as keeping those working in production in the dark. Not only were there rumors of him returning, but it was just a matter of time before he was back due to the college football season being over and the belief that he would return once he had finished up his duties with ESPN for the season.

    Early Sunday morning, McAfee took to Twitter to deliver a \”massive thank you\” to the fans who were in attendance at the Royal Rumble.

  • Sami Zayn Attacks Roman Reigns, Gets Laid Out by The Bloodline at the Royal Rumble

    Roman Reigns made his latest title defense as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion against Kevin Owens, a rematch two years in the making. However, it was the post-match angle that had people talking. 

    The title match at Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble premium live event featured a back and forth affair to start things off. Although Owens got the upper hand after hitting a back splash on the floor, Reigns took over with a slower pace.

    Owens did manage to hit a frog splash off the apron to the floor before getting back into the ring where Reigns connected with a powerbomb for 2. Reigns missed a spear, leading to a superkick and swanton bomb by Owens for 2. Owens missed a moonsault and Reigns hit a spear for 2. There was a referee bump. Although Zayn got a chair as Reigns asked him to do so, Owens managed to hit a stunner for 2. Reigns speared him through the barricade, bounced Owens’ head off the steel steps and hit a spear for the win. 

    Post-match, The Bloodline beat down Owens. Zayn pleaded with Reigns to top the attack. Reigns wanted Zayn to hit Owens with the chair. Zayn hit Reigns in the back. Reigns, Solo and Jimmy Uso beat down Zayn, but Jey walked out. 

    In recent months, Owens has been a thorn in the side of Reigns and The Bloodline. At Survivor Series: WarGames, Owens was on the opposite team, although he fell short thanks to Sami Zayn. 

    At the 2021 Royal Rumble event, Owens and Reigns battled in a Last Man Standing bout, but dealt with interference from The Bloodline and other factors, eventually leading to his loss against “The Tribal Chief.” 

  • Rhea Ripley Wins 2023 WWE Women’s Royal Rumble Match

    The winner of this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match has been revealed and it’s Rhea Ripley. Now, her journey to WrestleMania 39 begins.

    It started off with Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan before Dana Brooke and Emma followed. Shayna Baszler was #5 while Bayley was out at #6. B-Fab was #7 but was quickly eliminated by Ripley. NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez entered next then Dakota Kai. IYO SKY was next out. 

    Brooke was eliminated then Emma. Perez was taken out by Kai, Bayley, and SKY. Natalya entered the match next followed by Candice LeRae. NXT’s Zoey Stark and Xia Li were the next entrants. Lee was eliminated by Damage CTRL. Becky Lynch was #15. Tegan Nox was out at #16 and Asuka at #17. Piper Niven was next out (Doudrop name dropped). #19 was Tamina. Chelsea Green was #20 but was eliminated right away by Ripley. Kai and SKY were eliminated by Lynch. Bayley eliminated Lynch. Morgan eliminated Bayley. Zelina Vega was #21 and eliminated Li. Raquel Rodriguez was #22. 

    Mia Yim was out next followed by Lacey Evans. Michelle McCool entered after sitting in the front row. Indi Hartwell was #26. Sonya Deville was #27 and eliminated Stark. Evans choked out Vega on the top rope and dropped her for the elimination. Shotzi was #28 then Nikki Cross. The final entrant is Nia Jax. Everyone jumped on her and she was eliminated. 

    McCool and Evans were eliminated followed by Shotzi and Yim. Niven ate a big boot and was eliminated by Raquel. Ripley kicked Raquel out of the ring. Asuka sent Morgan to the floor. 

    Ripley outlasted the likes of Cross, Morgan, and Asuka in the Final Four at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. Ripley and Morgan were the final two. 

    With her beating out 29 other stars, she has earned the right to be in one of the main events of Mania and will have her choice to go after one of the top titles in the company. The decision for her comes down to the Raw Women’s Title, which is held by Bianca Belair. The other option is challenging SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

    Royal Rumble List of Entrants

    Here’s a list of the entry of superstars who competed in this fan-favorite match:

    1. Rhea Ripley
    2. Liv Morgan
    3. Dana Brooke
    4. Emma
    5. Shayna Baszler
    6. Bayley
    7. B-Fab
    8. Roxanne Perez
    9. Dakota Kai
    10. IYO SKY
    11. Natalya
    12. Candice LeRae
    13. Zoey Stark
    14. Xia Li
    15. Becky Lynch
    16. Tegan Nox
    17. Asuka
    18. Piper Niven 
    19. Tamina
    20.  Chelsea Green
    21. Zelina Vega
    22. Raquel Rodriguez
    23. Mia Yim
    24.  Lacey Evans
    25.  Michelle McCool
    26. Indi Hartwell
    27. Sonya Deville
    28. Shotzi
    29. Nikki Cross
    30.  Nia Jax

  • Cody Rhodes Wins 2023 WWE Men’s Royal Rumble Match

    The winner of this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble match is Cody Rhodes. He outlasted the likes of Logan Paul, GUNTHER, and Seth Rollins in the Final Four at the WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. 

    GUNTHER and Sheamus started off the match. The Miz was out next followed by Kofi Kingston, and Johnny Gargano. Sheamus eliminated Miz with the Brogue Kick before Xavier Woods made his entry. Karrion Kross was out at #7. Chad Gable was #8 followed by Drew McIntyre, who eliminated Kross. Santos Escobar was next out then Angelo Dawkins.

    Brock Lesnar was the #12 entrant where he eliminated Dawkins, Gable, and Escobar. Bobby Lashley was the #13 entrant.  Lashley eliminated Brock with a clothesline. Lesnar hit an F5 to Baron Corbin before he left ringside. Seth Rollins was #15 then Otis. Rey Mysterio was #17, but he didn’t come out.  Rollins eliminated Lashley.  Dominik Mysterio walked out with Rey’s mask.  Elias came out then was eliminated and Finn Balor entered the bout where he eliminated Gargano. Booker T came out at #21 before he was eliminated by GUNTHER.  Damian Priest was out at #22 then Montez Ford. Edge came out at #24 where he eliminated Balor and Priest before Balor eliminated Edge, who was trying to toss out Mysterio. Austin Theory was #25.  Bet Phoenix returned to attack Rhea Ripley.

    Omos was #26 followed by Braun Strowman, who eliminated Omos. Ricochet was #28. McIntyre and Sheamus was eliminated by GUNTHER. Logan Paul came out at #29 and Cody Rhodes was the final entrant. Paul and Ricochet did a spring board double clothesline spot from one side of the ring to the other. Theory eliminated Ricochet. Rollins hit the stomp to Theory before Rhodes clotheslined Austin to the floor.  Paul eliminated Rollins the Rhodes tossed out Paul. GUNTHER worked over the pec of Rhodes before Rhodes eliminated him. 

    Rhodes has earned the right to be in one of the main events of WrestleMania 39 and will have his choice to go after one of the top titles in the company, as a result of beating out 29 other stars.

    Royal Rumble List of Entrants

    Pat McAfee returned to the announce table before the match. Here’s a list of the entry of superstars who competed in this fan-favorite match:

    1. GUNTHER
    2. Sheamus
    3. The Miz
    4. Kofi Kingston
    5. Johnny Gargano
    6. Xavier Woods
    7. Karrion Kross
    8. Chad Gable
    9. Drew McIntyre
    10.  Santos Escobar
    11.  Angelo Dawkins
    12.  Brock Lesnar
    13.  Bobby Lashley
    14.  Baron Corbin
    15.  Seth Rollins
    16.  Otis
    17.  Rey Mysterio
    18. Dominik Mysterio
    19. Elias
    20. Finn Balor
    21. Booker T
    22. Damian Priest
    23. Montez Ford
    24. Edge
    25. Austin Theory
    26. Omos
    27. Braun Strowman
    28. Ricochet
    29. Logan Paul
    30. Cody Rhodes

  • WWE Royal Rumble Match Order Revealed

    WWE Royal Rumble is quickly approaching, and the planned match order has been revealed based on the internal production listing.

    Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens will headline the show. 

    There are a total of title matches on this card. There are no titles expected to change hands, according to the final betting odds released. The event starts with the Kickoff show at 7 PM EST and the main card at 8 PM EST. 

    WWE Royal Rumble Match Order

    According to Fightful Select, the current scheduled match order for tonight is as follows:

    Men’s Royal Rumble Match: GUNTHER, Austin Theory, Kofi Kingston, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, Santos Escobar, Rey Mysterio, Cody Rhodes, Omos, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, Karrion Kross, Dominik Mysterio, The Miz, Brock Lesnar

    Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight – Pitch Black Match

    WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss

    Women’s Royal Rumble Match: Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Emma, Zelina Vega, Shayna Baszler, Xia Li, Lacey Evans, Bayley, Dakota Kai, IYO SKY

    Country music star Hardy to perform

    Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens

  • The Undertaker on Sami Zayn’s Storyline With Bloodline: “It’s Perfect”

    The Undertaker has been retired from in-ring action for a few years now but is keeping a close eye on the product. 

    Taker got an up close and personal look past Monday night on WWE Raw, where he made an appearance with his American Badass gimmick and rode his motorcycle down to the ring for a segment with LA Knight that led to Taker grabbing him by the throat, then giving him to Bray Wyatt, who laid out Knight with Sister Abigail. 

     It marked the first time in over two decades that Taker made an entrance to the song. This was ahead of Wyatt taking on Knight in the first-ever Pitch Black match at the Royal Rumble.

    Praise From The Deadman

    While speaking with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, The Undertaker praised Sami Zayn for his storyline with The Bloodline as The Honorary Uce.

    “I’ll tell you what, I’m really eyeing right now, Sami, what he’s doing. It really is and it’s the perfect offset to Roman and The Usos. It’s just perfect, it’s different, right? It cracks me up watching him crack those guys up and them trying to keep their composure. Sami…that whole thing has been done so well.”

  • Bayley Addresses WWE Cutting Her Steel Cage Match From Raw 30

    Bayley had been scheduled to work a steel cage match with Backy Lynch on this week’s WWE Raw 30 show, but the bout didn’t take place. An angle was booked instead, where Bayley, Dakota Kai, & IYO SKY attacked Lynch and laid her out before the bout started.

    It was reported that the Trial of Sami Zayn segment went long, which led to the rest of the card being trimmed. Unfortunately for the ladies, their cage bout was impacted the most. The decision was made to do the angle instead of booking a short match. 

    While speaking to Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, this was something that Bayley was asked about:

    “The outcome of it? Yeah, I felt good. I honestly think it put our story in a whole different place. I think it did a lot for Damage CTRL. So I\’m super happy with it,” Bayley stated. 

    Bayley noted she wasn’t bummed at all because the match got cut. However, she did see the fan backlash. 

    \”I did, which is cool. They have our backs and stuff, but I don\’t want them to think that women\’s wrestling is moving backward or that we\’re not seen in the same light of Roman Reigns or anybody like that. We are very appreciated backstage, we\’re treated super well, and we are a part of big conversations when it comes to big stories, big matches, big pay-per-views, and big premium live events. We\’re in conversations with that. I don\’t want the fans to get the wrong idea about what happened, and it was just what happened.  We\’re going to make the best of it, and they\’re going to see how it made everything so much bigger and better.\”

    If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit with an h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Hulk Hogan Can’t Feel His Legs After Back Surgery, Says Kurt Angle

    Hulk Hogan has put himself through a ton of damage in his wrestling career, where he made himself a household name. After decades of wrestling, he has had to have countless surgeries. 

    During the latest episode of his podcast on AdFreeShows.com, WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle talked about his appearance at the WWE Raw 30th anniversary show this past Monday night that also saw the company bring in other legends, including Hogan. 

    What Hogan Said

    Angle revealed that while speaking with Hogan, the fellow Hall Of Famer told him that he had back issues and had to walk around with a cane because he no longer can feel his legs. 

    \”Hogan had his back surgery again. He had the nerves cut from his lower body. He can\’t feel his lower body, so he has to use his cane to walk around. I thought he was using the cane because he has pain in his back. He doesn\’t have any pain. He has nothing at all. He can\’t feel anything. So now he can\’t feel his legs, so he has to walk with a cane. That\’s pretty serious, man. I mean, I really feel for Hogan. He put his heart and soul into the business and it ate him up.\”

    In the past, Hogan has discussed the back and hip issues he\’s dealt with. It doesn’t help that his finisher was a leg drop that he’s performed thousands of times. 

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

  • Watch: Bella Twins Continue Speaking Out About Lack of Women’s Representation in WWE

    The Bella Twins got people talking this week when they were critical of how WWE represented the women on this past Monday’s episode of Raw during the 30anniversary episode. 

    After Raw on an Instagram live video, The Bella called out the company for not showcasing the women’s evolution on the show and how Mercedes Mone and Saraya were people who WWE didn\’t want to feature.

    Although The Bellas was initially advertised for the show, they were pulled due to media commitments this week to promote Nikki’s new reality show on E! Madusa was the only female legend to appear on Raw. 

    Nikki started out by noting that whenever you love and have passion for something you want to be appreciated. She said that women have done a lot to make Raw what it is. 

    Make Time

    “So when you have a three-hour show, and it\’s male-dominated and women aren\’t being honored, pretty much at all, you just sit back and you\’re like, \’Why aren\’t we being appreciated? Like, why don\’t you even have a video package showcasing what all these incredible women have done?”

    Nikki continued, “I just, I\’m someone who they\’ve always called \’No Filter Nikki.\’ I know sometimes my team is back there like, \’Oh my gosh if we could just take her phone.\’ It made me upset for all the women, because I know that feeling of walking out to the ring. It happens to some of the men, but where you walk out, and you put your body on the line, you give it your all just to entertain the fans and the TV viewers, and you just come back, and you want to feel appreciated for that.”

    Sacrifice 

    Nikki stated that some wrestlers have had career-ending injuries, and we shouldn\’t go away.

    “And even if I feel that if a wrestler even leaves the company or they\’re no longer there, it doesn\’t mean that they shouldn\’t be remembered. I wished and I hoped, and maybe that will be more in the future, we still have a way to go, but that women will finally be appreciated for what they do.”

    Brie stated that women from the past have paved the road for today’s wrestlers, who are doing amazing things in the company. She added that it’s not about them but the other women that should’ve been at the show. 

    If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit with an h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Cody Rhodes Getting in Peak Cardio Shape Ahead of WWE’s Royal Rumble

    Cody Rhodes will step back inside of the squared circle to wrestle again for the first time in several months on Saturday night by competing in the 30-Man Royal Rumble match. 

    Rhodes has been sidelined since June and wants to return in the best shape possible, especially heading into WrestleMania season. 

    Rhodes last worked a match when he beat Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell due to a torn pectoral muscle he suffered heading into the match. Rhodes underwent surgery for his injury.

    WWE has been hyping his return through several video packages and confirmed his entry in the Rumble match ahead of the show. 

    Great Shape

    In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that “Rhodes went through what was described as a boxing training camp to get into shape for the show and has dropped from 17.7 percent bodyfat under nine percent.”

    Just because Rhodes is training like a boxer doesn’t mean that he’s training to be in the match for a long period of time, but rather would indicate that Rhodes is preparing his body to go hard for an extended period of time now that he’s working a tougher schedule in WWE with more dates compared to what had been used to in recent years.

  • Mercedes Mone Addresses Her WWE Departure, Why She Signed With NJPW

    Mercedes Mone, formerly known as Sasha Banks, is in a new chapter of her wrestling career after departing from WWE last year and joining NJPW this month when she made her promotional debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17. 

    The debut happened when she attacked IWGP Women\’s Champion KAIRI, after her successful title defense against Tam Nakano. 

    This set up a championship bout between KAIRI and Mone for a match at February\’s NJPW Battle in the Valley. 

    The Reason

    While speaking with NJPW’s website, Mone noted that working in Japan became her number-one goal even before WWE. 

    \”I was so amazed by them that Japan became my number one goal even before WWE. I managed to achieve what I wanted to achieve in WWE, and now I get to live out this international dream.\”

    Mone noted that she was surprised by how quickly people have taken to her new monicker.

    Mone walked out of WWE last May alongside Naomi due to creative differences. However, that doesn’t mean she’s been relaxing, as she noted she’s been working every day since she left, whether that be modeling, making movies or wrestling.

  • Matt Riddle Earns His BJJ Black Belt, Update on WWE Return

    Matt Riddle has been making progress in his personal life while away from WWE. 

    The WWE star has been gone from television since December 5, when Solo Sikoa attacked him on Monday Night Raw to cover up his absence from television. WWE announced at the time that he would be away for six weeks. 

    Outside The Ring Problems

    In reality, WWE did the angle because he failed a second drug test in 2022 with the expectation that he would be going to rehab. Riddle reportedly violated WWE\’s wellness policy for the first time over the summer.

    An adult film star confirmed he was in rehab while also alleging that he cheated on her to do drugs with another woman, something Riddle later issued a statement on

    Riddle recently noted on Instagram that he got his BJJ black belt while training under Daniel Gracie. 

    “Finally got my BJJ black belt and I couldn’t be happier, thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me along the way #bro #danielgracie #wwe #mma #bjj #stallion.”

    In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer questioned whether Riddle would be back in time to be a surprise entrant in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match as WWE announced his absence on the December 12th show.

    “Riddle was announced as returning in six weeks after the injury angle on 12/12. That would indicate a Rumble return, although if he’s suspended two months, he wouldn’t make that time line.”

  • Vince McMahon Spotted at WWE Headquarters

    Vince McMahon returned to WWE as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, and countless changes have been made in the wake of his decision.

    His daughter and the former WWE CEO and Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon publicly announced her resignation on January 10, just hours before McMahon officially named himself the Executive Chairman. 

    This was after McMahon brought himself back to the Board along with George Barrios and Michelle Wilson while some Board members had left. 

    JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey R Speed, and Alan M Wexler were the members that were removed to make way for them. Nick Khan is the CEO of the company, while Triple H remains in charge of WWE creative as well. 

    Last week, several big backstage names parted ways with WWE, and several employees were fired. Vince has also brought back EVP of Operations Brad Blum to the company.

    He’s Back

    Pwinsider.com reported, \”McMahon was spotted earlier this week at Titan Tower, so it appears he\’s back in his old office.”

    Since his return to the Board, there have been rumors that he was back, but this marks the first confirmed sighting of the former CEO and Chairman. 

    McMahon’ departed from the company last July after ‘hush pact’ allegations. He reached a settlement with Rita Chatterton for millions after she accused him of raping her in 1986. McMahon is back to facilitate a sale of the company and help with the TV rights negotiations.

  • Britt Baker Update Following Wednesday\’s AEW Dynamite

    AEW President Tony Khan unexpectedly announced Wednesday morning that Britt Baker wouldn’t be competing as scheduled on this week’s Dynamite episode. 

    Khan cited that she wasn’t medically cleared to compete and had been pulled from a scheduled triple threat bout against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm on this week’s show. 

    Dave Meltzer noted on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio that Baker\’s injury is not considered serious although it’s still unclear what the exact injury is. She wasn’t cleared and won’t be sidelined for a lengthy period of time. 

    Plans Change

    Soho vs. Storm in a singles match was booked instead on the show. AEW did use Baker on Dynamite as she was seen on the stage area during the match, leading to a distraction that allowed Soho to pick up the victory.

    Khan revealed on Wednesday morning\’s Busted Open Radio that the planned triple threat would take place once Baker is medically cleared. 

    Baker’s last Dynamite match happened when she teamed with Jamie Hayter and defeated Saraya and Toni Stormon on the January 11, 2023, edition of Dynamite from Los Angeles. She teamed with Jamie Hayter and defeated Saraya and Toni Storm that night. Last week, Hayter & Baker beat the Renegade twins on Rampage.

  • Triple H Reveals WWE Name He Thinks Has Potential To Be One Of The Biggest Stars In Wrestling

    Triple H thinks highly of Austin Theory, just like his father-in-law, Vince McMahon, now that he has seen what the young star can do on the WWE main roster. 

    Theory’s first run on the main roster didn’t go as anyone wanted it to and he was sent back to NXT where he was paired with Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, and Indi Heartwell, where he got over with the fans. 

    It was reported that when Vince McMahon was still overseeing main roster creative, he thought Theory had the potential to be the next coming of John Cena. Theory even looked up to Cena while growing up as a child and wants to work a match with him. 

    Triple H on Theory

    Triple H commented on Theory\’s potential as a top WWE star while speaking to ESPN.

    \”It\’s a nuanced feeling… once you see this guy\’s a great athlete, I\’m looking for their personality, their charisma,\” Triple H said. \”Austin Theory has it, and then some. Do I think he has all the potential to be one of the biggest stars in the business? Absolutely. What determines that? A lot of that is up to him now. You give him little bits of things here and there and he\’s improving his game and he\’s smart. He listens to the crowd, he listens to the people. He sees all the stuff that\’s going on, and he adapts his game on a regular basis.\”

    Theory, who retained his US Title over Bobby Lashley in the main event of WWE Raw 30, has not officially declared for the WWE Royal Rumble.

  • Chris Jericho Explains What Would Make Him Retire From Wrestling

    Chris Jericho has been in the wrestling business for 30 years, where he found success in ECW, WCW, WWE, and now AEW. 

    Throughout his career, he has reinvented himself at various times. Once he went to NJPW for a one-off match with Kenny Omega in 2018, it opened up his mind to what could be outside of the WWE bubble, eventually leading to him going to AEW when the promotion launched in 2019. 

    Jericho became the inaugural AEW World Champion at All Out in August 2019 when he beat Hangman Page. 

    Retirement

    While speaking on the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, the top AEW star discussed what would cause him to quit the business. 

    “People say, ‘Well, how much longer are you going to do this?’ I could end tomorrow. I could end five years from now, or who cares? Sting is 63 and still doing great stuff. So who knows, man? To me, as long as you can still compete at a high level — like I have a high standard for myself. If I went out there and two, three, four times in a row I felt like, ‘Oof, I’m starting to f*cking phone this in,’ I would quit.”

    On this week’s AEW Dynamite, Jericho teams with Sammy Guevara to face the duo of Action Andretti and Ricky Starks.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcription