NXT wrestler Scrypts has confirmed a rumor that he\’s leaving WWE soon.
On Tuesday, he posted a video on social media that provides details on his next moves. With Kendrick Lamar\’s new Drake diss song \’Euphoria\’ paying in the background. Scrypts can be seen packing a box with the WWE 24/7 championship and his old mask, before taking off the OTM necklace. The clip concludes with him sitting back and smiling at the camera as the message \”Available June 1st\” is shown on the screen.
Scrypts joined WWE back in 2020 and portrayed the character of Carmella\’s sommelier, Reginald. He went on to enter the WWE 24/7 title scene and enjoyed the title reign four times. His gimmick was eventually repackaged as Scrypts and he moved to NXT. He made his debut in WWE\’s developmental brand on November 22, 2022. Initially, he performed wearing a mask but dropped it after his storyline with Axiom. Scrypts went on to form OTM alongside Bronco Nima, Lucien Price, and Jaida Parker.
His most recent match NXT took place in April where he endured a defeat against Je\’Von Evans. Most recently, Scrypts was featured in a Snickers ad with OTM and Street Profits.
You can follow Scrypts (Syndey Akeem) at @ScryptsWWE and find all the necessary information for booking.
AEW TNT Champion Adam Copeland is welcoming new challenges by trying to add new maneuvers to his arsenal in the latter stage of his career.
\’The Rated R Superstar\’ undoubtedly has an impressive array of moves up his sleeve, but even veterans of the ring haven’t executed every conceivable maneuver. Copeland has showcased some spectacular moves in his recent matches and he says this is no accident.
While speaking with Swerve Strickland and Monteasy on AEW Champion Swerve Strickland’s Swerve City Podcast, Cope has made it clear he will try a new move in every match from now on. He feels extremely fortunate to still be wrestling, is excited to work with so many new opponents in AEW and relishes the challenge of pushing himself and executing unfamiliar strikes, holds and dives.
\”What I\’ve done with this AEW run, I told myself, \’I\’m going to try a move that I\’ve never tried before. One move, every match. That I\’ve never done before.\’ [AEW Collision before AEW Dynasty], I did the Davey Boy powerslam. Never done one before. I\’ve done the rotation powerslam, but never the Davey. Last week against Brody King, I\’ve never done a blockbuster, \’I\’ll try a blockbuster.\’ Just for myself, really. Just to have fun and the challenge of it. I get off on challenges. The challenges are very big for me in life. I work best when I have a challenge that I have to try and conquer.\”
On March 20 edition of Dynamite, Adam Copeland captured the AEW TNT Championship for the second time when he defeated his former best friend Christian Cage in front of his hometown crowd. Ever since, Copeland has been defending his title in Cope Open challenge and has already retained against the likes of Penta El Zero Miedo and Matt Cardona.
Adam Copeland set to defend his title on Dynamite
On this week\’s Dynamite, Copeland will put his title on the line against one of the members of The House of Black.
The Canadian wrestler has been vocal about challenging himself post-WWE career, which is one of the reasons he joined AEW. Signing with the promotion has certainly opened the door for him to explore new trails and he is just enjoying his time before the sun sets on his career.
Fans had been buzzing on social media after Kamille stated that she was signed to a promotion in February. However, she didn\’t mention the name of the particular promotion which led to several speculations. Now, the former NWA star has finally clarified her status.
Earlier, Kamille responded to a fan on X saying that she\’s signed with a company since February. It seems that it was only confusion that occurred after she misinterpreted a question. She deleted her previous response and in an updated Tweet, she made it clear that she thought the fan was asking if she had been to any signings (autograph signings).
\”Dang yall, I read the original posters tweet wrong. I meant I haven’t been to a signing since Feb\”
Dang yall, I read the original posters tweet wrong. I meant I haven’t been to a signing since Feb ???
Kamille had been a key figure in the women\’s division of NWA. She parted ways with the promotion and became a free agent after her contract expired in 2023. It was reported that she had an option to extend her contract for six months. However, she didn\’t opt for an extension and decided to depart.
In her last match with the promotion, she participated in a Mixed Street Fight in which she teamed up with Thom Latimer and faced Looks That Kill (Bryan Idol & Natalia Markova) in a losing effort on the November 18, 2023 edition of NWA Powerrr.
Kamille was on WWE and AEW\’s radar
The former NWA Women\’s World Champion had garnered interest from multiple promotions including WWE and AEW. Reports stated that she was backstage at the January 17 edition of AEW Dynamite which led to talks that she would ink a deal with the promotion. However, it was soon reported that she remained a free agent.
Fans are eagerly waiting to know what will be Kamille\’s next move as her future remains up in the air.
Former WWE star Maven Huffman made his comeback to pro wrestling over the weekend. The Tough Enough alum competed for Reality of Wrestling in a 30-man Last Stand Rumble match. It was his first time in the ring since July 2023.
Maven\’s surprise debut WWE Hall of Famer Booker T\’s promotional came when he entered the high-stakes rumble at #21. He received a great ovation from the fans in attendance. Maven threw punches at every wrestler in sight. He also hit a dropkick but in an amusing moment, he lost his shoe. Fans soon showered him with \’You still got it\’ chants and Maven was visibly touched by the warm response.
He eliminated Inferno Tiger before getting eliminated by Quentin Wynters.
Maven signed with WWE after being a co-winner of the inaugural season of WWE Tough Enough. He went on to have a successful run with the company and had captured the Hardcore Championship three times.
Maven has competed in a handful of battle royals and one of the biggest moments in his career took place during the 2002 Royal Rumble match. That night, he pulled off a shocking upset when he eliminated The Undertaker.
Post WWE
After parting ways with WWE, he had a short run in other companies and then retired from pro wrestling. The 47-year-old star returned to the indie circuit in 2015 and has been making sporadic appearances ever since.
Maven\’s Podcast
Outside of pro wrestling, Maven has a successful YouTube channel that boasts 377K subscribers. On his channel, he talks about WWE, what goes behind the scenes, and much more.
Maven had a chance to make his return to WWE but he still regrets that the move didn\’t materialize. He previously discussed how the pandemic impacted the return.
Watch the full Reality of Wrestling 30 Man Last Stand Rumble:
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H believes Trick Williams\’ future looks bright after the latter captured the prized NXT Championship.
Williams defeated Ilja Dragunov to claim the coveted title during this week\’s NXT Spring Breakin\’ Week One. The stipulation stated that Williams would be banished from the brand had he lost the bout. However, he came out on top and was crowned the new champion.
WWE has ushered in a new era with Triple H at the helm and it\’s the dawn of a new era for WWE\’s developmental brand as well with Trick Williams claiming the top prize of the brand. Hunter is quite impressed with the \”well-deserved victory\” after a \”hard-fought\” match and feels the era of Trick Williams is \”looking bright\”. Check out this Tweet below:
The match featured some thrilling moments which ultimately culminated into Trick Williams securing the coveted title. In the final moments of the match, Williams hit the finisher to get the pinfall and bagged the title. Following the match, Dragunov showed sportsmanship and hugged his opponent as the fans chanted \’Whoop that, Trick.\’ The brand-new champ also explained what this title win means to him.
With this triumph, Williams put an end to Dragunov\’s 206-day reign and became the 30th man to capture the title. Williams and Dragunov previously fought for the title at Vengeance Day in February. That night, the Mad Dragon was able to successfully defend his title.
What\’s next?
Trick Williams had all the momentum by his side heading into the title match. He scored a couple of massive wins in matches against his former buddy, Carmelo Hayes. They had squared off at NXT: Stand & Deliver and then in a cage match on NXT. It will be worth witnessing how his championship reign pans out.
On the other hand, Ilja Dragunov is heading to the main roster as he declared himself for the 2024 WWE Draft which commences on Friday, April 26 on SmackDown and will conclude on Monday, April 29 on Raw. It will be interesting to see which brand lands the signing of Mad Dragon.
\’The Man\’ competed in the battle royal to crown the new Women\’s World Champion in the main event of this week\’s edition of Raw. She outlasted superstars like Natalya, Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, and many more to capture the World title.
Following the match, she told Jackie Redmond in a Raw Exclusive that she is delighted after the championship victory. Becky talked about \”burning the candle out\” and went on to mention that her book, Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl became the New York Times best seller.
Lynch had been away from her daughter Roux but she has made it clear that it was worth it. She says it feels great to hear her introduced as WWE Women’s world champion, a title she’s never held before.
“Look at it, it’s beautiful, it’s beautiful. Look, for the last few months, Rhea even said it, I’ve been burning the candle all out. I’ve been away from my daughter for weeks on end. Got myself a New York Times bestseller for a damn near month. But man, it’s worth it. It’s worth it because the words of my book are written on my gear. It reminds me why I do this, where I started, where I’ve gotten to. We’re just going up, baby.\”
Lynch further added that she hopes her daughter is proud of her and is excited to bring the gold back to their household once again. She said:
\”Everything that I do, I want to make her proud. I hope she’s proud. She did [stay up late to watch the match]. I got a text from my husband [Seth Rollins], who’s recovering from surgery. At all stages, we need at least one champ in the house, so I’m bringing it home, baby.\”
Tommaso Ciampa is having a hard time processing that he and Johnny Gargano blew their opportunity to claim the World Tag Team championship on this week\’s WWE Raw. DIY were unsuccessful in dethroning Awesome Truth.
Despite the disheartening loss, sportsmanship was on display in some capacity, as Gargano shook hands with the champs after the battle. However, fans were surprised to Ciampa did not express the same level of sportsmanship. He turned his back on the winners and left the ring frustrated and leaving his tag-team partner behind.
Backstage after their match DIY spoke to Jackie Redmond, who sought information about where they go from here. Ciampa said that the plan was to win the World tag team titles.
\”What’s the next step? This was the next step. Becoming the World Tag Team Champions was the next step. There’s no next step.\”
Ciampa was also asked to explain why he didn\’t shake hands with The Miz and R-Truth following the match. He said that it would be a waste of time and walked out on Gargano. Johnny Wrestling defended his partner saying that he was emotional and had a tough night.
Ciampa and Gargano have had multiple tag-team runs in the company whether it\’s in NXT or on the main roster. However, they have held the NXT tag team titles only once and the tag team titles on the main roster have eluded them.
What\’s next?
Sometimes heartbreaks lead to gimmick changes for WWE superstars. Is a similar transformation waiting for DIY as well?
In the past, both Ciampa and Gargano have tasted success during their heel runs and there is a huge possibility that they could embrace their darker side once again, dropping DX-inspired gimmick in the process.
Jim Ross suggests that airing the infamous All In: London 2023 backstage footage helped with nothing but the storyline between FTR and The Young Bucks.
During theGrilling JR podcast, the veteran commentator shared his take on the backstage footage. He believes that airing the backstage clip benefits the ongoing feud between FTR and The Young Bucks as both teams are set to collide in a ladder match for the AEW World Tag Team titles at AEW Dynasty on April 21.
\”The value of showing that footage to me was the fact that you got on with your storytelling [with] FTR and the Bucks. So to me, when that was the direction that was chosen, I was much more comfortable showing that footage. Other than that, I’m not sure what it meant. I’m not sure why we did it, other than the fact that it helped tie together a very crucial and important pay-per-view match. So that’s my thoughts on that deal.\”
The backstage video clip was aired on the April 10 edition of AEW Dynamite and it was only a few days after CM Punk shared his side of the story of what went down that night. Another AEW commentator wasn\’t against the idea of revealing the footage. Tony Khan had explained his decision to air the footage as well.
Tony Khan claims he received praise from TBS
Many critics believe Khan\’s idea to air the debatable footage was an attempt to take a shot back at CM Punk, who parted ways with the promotion under controversial circumstances. It is widely believed that Khan\’s attempt misfired and further hurt the reputation of AEW.
However, the AEW head has revealed that he received a green signal from those at TBS to air the video clip and the network officials were \”happy\” with the April 10 edition of Dynamite which saw a boost in the viewership.
NXT superstar Wes Lee has provided an update on his recovery and revealed that he\’s making great progress.
Lee has been quite active on social media to share updates on his recovery. In the latest update on Twitter/X, the former NXT North American Champion flaunted his spray painting skills and noted that he is on the road to recovery. It is currently uncertain when he will be able to return back in the ring but he remains determined on recuperating. Here is what he wrote on:
\”Recovery update: I\’m making great progress, still uncertain on when everything will be firing on all cylinders with my body, but the mind is strong.\”
Wes Lee added that he is \”having creative waves\” and exploring other avenues \”to create art\” as he continues to recover.
Update: Making great progress, still uncertain when everything will be firing properly with my body, but the mind is strong. Having creative waves and I’m diving back into outlets to create art.
Haven’t done this since ‘08 so bare with the sloppiness..have a great weekend! ??? pic.twitter.com/ffCzlidc8G
Lee had been dealing with back issue and it ultimately put him out of action. He has been NXT North American Champion in the past and had the opportunity to claim the title yet again in December last year. However, he revealed that he would undergo back surgery which would keep him on the shelf for eight to twelve months.
Lee was scheduled to challenge Dominik Mysterio for the title at NXT Deadline but he was pulled from the high-stakes match due to last-minute changes. Dragon Lee was announced as the replacement who went on to face Mysterio.
The Undertaker never got the opportunity to lock horns with fellow WWE Hall of Famer \’Stone Cold\’ Steve Austin at WrestleMania. Could Austin break The Phenom\’s legendary undefeated streak? Well, Taker thinks so.
Each month, the \’Dead Man\’ does an exclusive Q&A Session for Patreon members of his Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway show. The fan questions often produce interesting quotes and this show was no exception. One question asked which wrestler could have ended the Streak earlier than 2014, when Brock Lesnar \’conquered\’ it at WrestleMania XXX. The 59-year-old Hall of Famer said it would have to be \’Stone Cold\’ Steve Austin.
\”It\’d have to be Stone Cold. That\’s really one of the only guys I didn\’t get to work with at Mania. That would have been huge. The Streak may have gotten broken earlier, but still, it would have been nice to work with Steve at Mania.\”
The idea of Undertaker vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania prompted discussion about what the reaction would have been if Austin ended the streak instead of Lesnar. Wrestling fans were furious when WWE\’s \’Best Incarnate\’ did the unthinkable, but would Austin get a similar response?
Taker feels that Austin\’s popularity was unrivaled, and that would have helped offset some of the backlash, but some fans would have still taken issue with the Streak ending and he could still expect some mixed reactions.
\”Steve was over at a level… That was just a whole \’nother level that he was over at. It would probably be, just like anything else, half the people would love it, half the people would hate it. That\’s how it is. Everybody has an opinion but that\’s the guy that I would have liked to work with at Mania that I never got a chance to.\”
The Undertaker is synonymous with WrestleMania. His fabled undefeated \”streak\” remains to be one of the greatest chapters in WWE. While WrestleMania is a spectacle itself. Every year, the eagle-eyed fans also anticipated \’The Deadman\’ putting his streak on the line against some of the biggest superstars in the company.
The Undertaker famously \’claimed the souls\’ of some of the all-time greats at Mania over a couple of decades until Brock Lesnar did something unimaginable – ending the streak at WrestleMania XXX. \’The Phenom\’ suffered another loss at \’The Grandest Stage of Them All\’ against Roman Reigns in a No Holds Barred Match at WrestleMania 33.
The Undertaker was involved at WrestleMania 40 when he hit a chokeslam on The Rock during the headlining match between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Reports suggest that it was Steve Austin, who was originally in the plans to get involved instead of Taker but that didn\’t materialize.
Roman Reigns has his hands full with an acting project during his time away from WWE and will soon sharing the silver screen with some prominent Hollywood stars. The former Undisputed WWE champ generated buzz earlier this week when actress Lauren \’Keke\’ Palmer posted a photo with working with Reigns on a new project.
SEScoops has learned Roman Reigns (Joe Anoa\’i) will appear in \’Good Fortune,\’ a heist comedy film due out in late 2024. The cast includes Keanu Reeves, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, Seth Rogen, and comedian Aziz Ansari making his directorial debut.
\’Good Fortune\’ tells the story of Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) a guardian angel, while Ansari\’s character is burdened with taking on the odd jobs of Jeff (Seth Rogen).
We\’re looking into Reigns\’ character, but in the photo that surfaced online, he looks right at home sitting on a throne, surrounded by money, gold bars, and beautiful women.
Reigns\’ Future in Hollywood
Reigns\’ historic 1,316-day title reign ended at WrestleMania 40. It also marked the conclusion of the most transformative chapter of his career, when he commanded the Acknowledgement of everyone and cemented himself as an all-time great.
He\’ll be back, but it\’s newsworthy that he\’s taking this time off to continue building his acting career. Now in the later stages of his days traveling the world and taking bumps, Reigns has a very clear path to follow for the next phase of his career.
IMDB has Reigns listed as the lead cast member in \’Action Force.\’ Limited details are available, but we know it\’s in pre-production and will co-star Tom Budgen, better known to our readers as AEW star Malakai Black.
The 38-year-old superstar has had a light WWE schedule and he can\’t be grinding inside the ring forever. Thereby, as his wrestling career slows down, a transition to Hollywood seems suited.
The call from Hollywood has been a long time coming for him, especially the way he has established himself over the past few years. Roman Reigns could soon shift to Hollywood and it wouldn\’t come as a surprise given The Rock and John Cena\’s influence on him.
Long-tenured WWE Spanish commentator Carlos Cabrera is now All Elite.
During this week\’s edition of AEW Dynamite, Tony Khan took to his Twitter/X account and announced that Cabrera has signed with All Elite Wrestling and welcomed him to the AEW commentary team.
Welcome to the @AEW commentary team tonight on Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite!
The veteran served as the Spanish-language commentator in WWE for almost three decades and he will now lend his voice to the action in AEW. He will be on the commentary team on Wednesday nights for AEW Dynamite.
The current AEW Dynamite commentary team features Taz, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur. Schiavone is also a part of AEW Collision alongside, Nigel McGuinness and Jim Ross, who is looking to call it a day.
Carlos Cabrera\’s commentary career
The veteran\’s voice is familiar in the world of pro wrestling. Before signing with WWE, he worked as a newsman and radio personality. He also bagged the coveted ACE Awards both for radio and TV. Whether it\’s Spanish radio or TV in the US, Cabrera has lent his voice in several commercial ads as well.
Cabrera had been the longest-tenured Spanish language commentator in WWE since he joined the company in 1994. During his run, he called the action with the likes of Ed Trucco, Hugo Savinovich, and eventually Marcelo Rodriguez. He called the action in Spanish for the weekly WWE shows as well as the pay-per-views.
Hailing from Bogota, Colombia, Cabrera has also served as the host of WWE\’s Spanish-language program called, \’WWE en Espanol.\’ The show mainly recapped WWE shows, Raw and SmackDown.
However, his run with the company ended in February 2022 after the 64-year-old was released. Reports had emerged that he was let go due to his age and WWE was seeking services of younger talent. Soon after his departure, he called matches in AAA\’s Rey de Reyes event and reunited with Savinovich.
It is believed that \’The Eradicator\’ suffered the injury when Liv Morgan attacked her backstage and sent her into the wall. \’Mami\’ injured her AC joint where her collarbone and right shoulder are connected.
Initially, it was believed that the chair shot from Liv Morgan might have caused the injury but the outlet reported that wasn\’t the case.
Rhea Ripley has established herself as one of the top stars of the stacked WWE women\’s division. She has had a dominant run as the champion and her latest title defense took place against Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 40.
She captured the Women\’s World Championship (then known as WWE SmackDown Women\’s Championship) after defeating Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39. Holding the title for 380 days, Rhea eclipsed Bayley\’s longest reign of the title (379 days) but her dominating reign has now ended in an unfortunate fashion.
It has been announced that WWE will crown a new Women\’s World Champion on next week\’s Raw which takes place in Columbus, OH. It is currently unknown how the new champ will be determined.
We will keep you updated on the situation when more details emerge. Keep an eye on SEScoops for the latest updates.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) has been out of the public eye since December 2023. He went into his high-stakes battle against Samoa Joe at AEW World\’s End facing multiple injuries, including a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He lost his prized \’BBB\’ AEW World title and is still not ready to get back in the ring over four months later.
MJF Update: The 28-year-old wrestling prodigy recently met with AEW officials to discuss his return. PWInsiderreports thatMJF traveled to Boston last month for a gathering that took place after Big Business on March 13. He\’s not been seen backstage at any AEW shows this year.
We recently got confirmation on the AEW PPV Schedule for 2024, including the dates, cities and venues. It\’s interesting to note that after next month\’s Double or Nothing PPV from Las Vegas, AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door heads to MJF\’s backyard of Long Island, NY on June 30.
Uncertain Future
Amid his absence, fans have speculated about his future in AEW. MJF has been vocal about his contract expiry in 2024. The eagle-eyed fans have been wondering if he became a free agent during his time off.
Check out our December 2023 interview with MJF hosted by The Solomonster:
WWE
WWE has kept MJF on their radar for quite some time and recently several AEW stars such as Andrade, Jade Cargill, and Shawn Spears have also jumped ship to WWE. This keeps the possibility intact of WWE splurging a huge deal to bag MJF\’s signing.
As of now, there is no timetable for MJF\’s return as he recuperates the injuries that have plagued him over the past few months.
Sheamus has sent a stern warning to the talents in the locker room after making a triumphant return on last night\’s WWE Raw.
The \’Celtic Warrior\’ spoke to backstage interviewer Jackie Redmond in a Raw Exclusive. He was thrilled with the warm ovation from the wrestling fans in Montreal and said it was great to be back on Canadian soil, the site of his last match before taking time off to heal injuries. The niceties then shifted to a stern warning for the WWE locker room: you \”don\’t want this.\”
“It’s kind of ironic. My last match at WWE before tonight was in Toronto, Canada, in August. My first match back is in Montreal, Canada, and I couldn’t have ever expected a response like that from these Canadian fans tonight in Montreal. It was off the charts, and that’s why it’s been so hard sitting at home for the last couple of months. But if you want me to send a message to everyone in the WWE locker room, I only have four words. You don’t want this.\”
Sheamus returns from injury
After last week\’s teaser, Sheamus made his return and also brought back his old theme song, \”Written In My Face.\” He emerged victorious over Ivar and following the win, he celebrated with WWE commentators, Pat McAfee and Michael Cole.
This marks his first appearance since last year\’s August 18 edition of Friday Night SmackDown. That night he fought WWE Hall of Famer Edge in the latter\’s final match for the company before heading to AEW. The Irish superstar had been sidelined after he faced some shoulder issues and underwent surgery.
There is no doubt that the WWE roster is stacked with a plethora of talents. But Sheamus\’ return only bolsters the roster as WWE ushers in a new era with Triple H at the helm.
However, there had been reports that his contract would expire this year. The details of his current contract have not emerged. If he hasn\’t penned a new deal already, he would join the long list of superstars whose contracts run out this year.
Kenny Omega has provided an update on his health and it seems surgery remains on the card.
Omega has been on the shelf for four months as he recuperates from diverticulitis. During his latest live video game stream on Twitch, the former AEW World Champion reveals he’s still battling the effects of diverticulitis and diverticulosis.
He’s been focusing on milder treatments for his injury and general wellness, including gut health and healing peptides. Omega says this has helped reduce inflammation but may not be enough for him to be able to avoid surgery.
\”With these supplements, a lot of my inflammation has gone down,” he said. “I\’m able to eat properly and drink more fluids without feeling discomfort. Aside from feeling sensitive to the touch, for a quick second I thought, \’Oh my goodness, is it possible I\’m able to go back without surgery?\’ Nah. The first time I take someone\’s double foot stomp, even if it\’s Marko Stunt or Riho, something is probably going to blow. Even if Dobby walks on my belly, that\’s a 21-pound cat.\”
Omega has added that he feels good for day-to-day training but things \”get dangerous\” when he does heavy lifting. He added:
\”As good as I feel right now in my day to day and training, once impact starts to get involved or you have to use your core to do heavy lifts, that\’s when things start to get dangerous. I\’m going to have to make sure it\’s all taken care of.\”
Omega was diagnosed with diverticulitis after his match as Ethan Page last year. He went on to miss the AEW Worlds End pay-per-view where he was set to join forces with Chris Jericho to challenge then-AEW World Tag-Team Champions Big Bill and Ricky Starks.
Kenny Omega\’s future
There is no timetable for Omega\’s return as he remains on the sidelines to recover from the illness. Meanwhile, he was fired from The Elite with his arch-rival Kazuchika Okada being named the replacement.
Though Kenny Omega\’s future is up in the air he has teased a potential boxing match:
Hikuleo, the 6-foot-8 inch son of wrestling legend Haku, will soon finish up with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The big man’s deal expires June according to Fightful, and we have reason to believe he’ll soon follow his brother Tama Tonga to WWE.
Hikuleo 33 years old and has been wrestling for NJPW since 2016. You may have also seen him in AEW and TNA. He and Tama negotiated with WWE in late 2023. This was around the time of Vince McMahon’s ill-fated return to the company’s board of directors, which halted a handful of potential signings.
Tama made a surprise debut on Friday’s WWE SmackDown, the first episode following last weekend’s WrestleMania 40 premium live event. In a shocking development, he attacked Jimmy Uso and joined forces with the new and improved Bloodline. Tama Tonga signing with WWE, these new details about Hikuleo and the buzz surrounding Jacob Fatu’s next move indicate we’re in for an exciting few months ahead.
Meanwhile, Hikuleo’s tag team partner El Phantasmo, may also be free to wrestle else. His NJPW contract was set to expire in January. He continues to wrestle for the company (including at Friday\’s NJPW Windy City Riot event) but we’ve been unable to get confirmation that he’s currently working on anything beyond a per-appearance deal.
AEW Dynasty pay-per-view is set to go down next week and the card is stacked with some exciting match-ups. At the event, two of the greatest tag-teams – The Young Bucks and FTR will collide to crown the new AEW World Tag Team Champions. Now, the stakes have been raised as they will battle in a ladder match.
During the latest edition of AEW Collision, Tony Schiavone announced that Tony Khan has decided that the tag team match will now be contested under the new stipulation, making it a highly-anticipated bout.
BREAKING: Matthew & Nicholas Jackson will face FTR for the #AEW World Tag Team Titles in a LADDER MATCH next Sunday at #AEWDynasty!
The tag-team titles were vacated as Sting and Darby Allin relinquished them following the former\’s retirement. After some high-intensity battles in a tournament, FTR and The Young Bucks remain the last two teams standing toe-to-toe. They will battle to crown the new tag-team champions in the tournament final at AEW Dynasty. This will mark their fourth outing.
New title match announced
Another title match was announced for the AEW Dynasty – Roderick Strong is set to put his AEW International Championship on the line against his former stablemate, Kyle O\’Reilly.
During the Battle of The Belts X, Strong emerged victorious over Rocky Romero, who was attacked by Wardlow following the match. O\’Reilly wasn\’t impressed and confronted Strong. The AEW International Champ then turned on O\’Reilly as he laid him out with a jumping knee.
Don\’t expect to see Sting back on AEW television anytime soon. As he recently hung up his boots, it seems that there should be some time in between ahead of his return for special appearances.
While his future remains up in the air, an update has emerged on what could the fans expect. PWInsider has reported that he could make special appearances. However, the exact timeline is unknown and he is likely to appear sometime down the road.
Sting had competed in the final match of his decorated career at last month\’s AEW Revolution. The veteran had joined forces with Darby Allin and squared off against The Young Bucks with AEW Word Tag Team titles up for grabs. Sting managed to showcase some age-defying moves and had a triumphant outing that night. He finished his AEW run with a flawless record and has since kept his fans waiting about his next move.
It was back in 2015 that Sting suffered a neck injury against Seth Rollins at Night of Champions and it seemed that the injury would end to his career. It was soon labeled his final match. However, after signing with AEW in 2020, things took a turn for him, and \’The Icon\’ has since managed to overcome the barriers and exceeded expectations as his legendary career culminated on his terms.
Tony Khan wanted Sting to extend his career
Sting was offered to work beyond AEW Revolution 2024 by Tony Khan, who was aiming to feature the veteran at AEW All In London 2024. But, the legend was well aware of the physical toll on his body. He made it clear that wouldn\’t push his body beyond his capacity and decided to retire.
Now, the latest report is certainly building anticipation for Sting\’s return as the speculation about his future continues.
Adam Cole is pushing himself hard to return from injury and get back into the squared circle. Evan as one of the most talented wrestlers in the world, he still has to deal with online trolls that have nothing better to do than hurl insults at people they watch on television.
Earlier this week, one fan sent him a message implying that Cole got what he deserved (a broken ankle), made a bad decision by leaving WWE and should \”seriously go to the gym once in a while.\”
Cole fired back with a warranted \’eat me\’ and middle-finger emoji. He also assured wrestling fans that he\’s working as hard as he possibly can to heal his ankle and get back to doing what he does best.
My friend…I really mean this. I have never worked harder to get back into the ring than right now. I promise you & the world that I am doing all that I can. And when I do get back into the ring…eat me. ? https://t.co/ftm9HbU78D
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T previously suggested that Adam Cole is too skinny and should pack on more muscle to advance himself in the industry.
Adam Cole\’s Injury
Adam Cole has been on the shelf for several months after he sustained a broken ankle during MJF\’s AEW World title defense against Samoa Joe in the main event of AEW Grand Slam. Cole landed badly while running down to the ring and jumping off the entrance ramp.
This guy broke his ankle in 3 places on a freak accident. He still hobbled around on live tv because as we like to say “the show must go on”. @AdamColePro gives his entire heart and soul to pro wrestling. He’s one tough cookie and this is just a small bump in the road. He’ll be… pic.twitter.com/Aya1JWTTvF
Cole has called this the most challenging injury of his career. While on hiatus, he\’s keeping busy with a new gaming podcast called \’All Elite Arcade.\’ He and co-host Evil Uno will cover the latest video game news and share their thoughts on new releases they play together.
The word \’cinema\’ has been thrown around a lot to describe WWE\’s storytelling over the past year, particularly the gripping Bloodline saga involving Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman. As great as all that has been, the main event of Sunday\’s WrestleMania XL spectacular delivered perhaps the greatest masterstroke of all.
Nearly a decade after the breakup of The Shield, Seth Rollins delivered on his promise to serve as Cody Rhodes\’ \’shield\’ by sacrificing himself to bring down the Tribal Chief. Reigns was nearly unbeatable, but Rollins placed a winning bet on the belief that his former \’brother\’ would be unable to resist exacting revenge, one of the msot al seven deadly sins.
Apart from Cody Rhodes finishing his story, the tension between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns was one of the talking points. There was no shortage of drama or layers of depth to dig into. The former Shield members have a long history together and WWE played out an angle beautifully that has been in the making for over ten years.
Seth Rollins is one of the key figures who helped in building what could be regarded as one of the greatest stories ever told in WWE. After all, he is \’The Architect.\’ He was among many superstars who came to the aid of Cody Rhodes, who dethroned Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Let\’s take an in-depth look into the angle between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, thanks to Mith Gifs Wrestling.
Reopening old wounds
Roman Reigns\’ decision to exact revenge upon Seth Rollins cost him everything
\’The Visionary\’ is a master of playing mind games and he got into the head of \’The Tribal Chief.\’ Reigns had the chance to hit Cody Rhodes with a steel chair to win the match but he ended up deciding to hit Seth Rollins in the back, mirroring Rollins to dissolve The Shield back in the day.
Reigns certainly got flashbacks of the betrayal and couldn\’t help but get his payback. However, at the cost of the title which he held for 1,316 days.
This right here was the definition of long term storytelling.
The fact that Roman Reigns could never get over the fact that Seth Rollins broke up The Shield and it cost him his title.
— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) April 8, 2024
Seth Rollins, who was partly responsible for the creation of the \’monster\’ knew that Roman would be unable to contain himself long enough to exact revenge on his former Shield brethren. \’The Architect\’ did what was necessary to bring down the monster he helped create.
The Hero\’s Shield
After what went down at WrestleMania 40, fans soon recalled what Rollins told Cody Rhodes back in February. During a fateful promo on WWE Raw, Rollins said:
\”When it comes to fighting Roman Reigns, there is only one man on earth, who is uniquely suited to be your shield.\”
Well, Rollins is a man of his word. He took the bullet for and protected Cody.
Mind Games
Last year, it was Sami Zayn who backstabbed \’The Trible Chief\’ in a similar fashion, which still haunts him to this day. Betrayal has been Roman Reigns\’ worst fear and Rollins was well aware of that.
Rollins could get into Roman\’s head like no one else and from time to time, he has messed with his former Shield teammate. This is something \’The Tribal Chief\’ couldn\’t escape and thus Rollins managed to outwit his former friend despite getting attacked.
Well, this is not the first time Rollins reopened Reigns\’ old wounds. At the Royal Rumble in 2022, Seth deliberately messed with Roman when he walked out to the Shield\’s old music, wearing the Shield\’s old gear ahead of the title match.
During their match, Seth mocked Roman and even offered the Shield fist bump which caused Roman to snap and got Rollins in a guillotine choke. It was comprehensible enough that Rollins controlled Roman\’s emotions. With rage and trauma getting the better of him. Roman Reigns refused to relinquish the hold and that night Rollins won the contest via DQ.
Seth Rollins had dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. Meanwhile, with Roman Reigns returning empty-handed as well, there is a huge possibility that we could witness another feud between the two down the road.
Will they ignite a new rivalry to settle the dispute once and for all? With Triple H at the helm of this new era, wrestling fans can rest assured that it\’s safe to invest in these longterm stories.
Pro-wrestler-turned-actor John Cena feels there can be only \’one alpha\’ in the longstanding feud between his Fast & Furious co-stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne \’The Rock\’ Johnson.
On the Armchair Expert podcast, host Dax Shepard noted to Cena that Johnson and Diesel made \”a tough pairing\” after WWE\’s \’Final Boss\’ joined the Fast & Furious franchise with 2011\’s Fast Five. Cena replied that both the stars are very alpha, driven people but there can be only one.
\”There\’s certainly rumors about that. I can\’t deny that. You have two very alpha, driven people. You get two, there can only be one.\”
Additionally, the 16-time World Champion feels that he was simply \”a guest\” in the Fast & Furious world and expressed gratitude for the chance to be involved.
\”I\’m not trying to get the sandbox. That\’s not my thing,\” he said. \”I\’m grateful for what you\’ve given me, I just want to be the best firetruck I can.\”
Cena had joined the franchise when he starred in F9: The Fast Saga as Jakob Toretto, Dom\’s estranged brother.
Dwayne Johnson, who starred as Luke Hobbs, has worked in as many as five films in the Fast & Furious franchise from 2011 and 2019. His character was originally introduced in Fast Five as an antagonist for Diesel\’s Dominic Toretto character. However, as the story rolled, the two characters eventually joined forces in the future films.
Dwayne Johnson-Vin Diesel feud
In 2016, rumors started floating that Johnson and Diesel don\’t share a cordial relationship behind the scenes. In a now-deleted Instagram post from 2016, Dwayne Johnson had called out his \”male costars\” of the franchise without naming anyone.
Johnson, who is also popularly known as The Rock had claimed in 2021 that he would not make appearances for the franchise. However, he did a cameo in last year\’s Fast X. Apparently, the duo squashed the beef after Johnson returned for a mid-credits scene in the latest installment which potentially leaves the chance of him being featured in upcoming films.
Mark Briscoe has secured the ROH World Championship after grinding in the promotion for more than two decades.
In the headlining clash of Friday\’s ROH Supercard of Honor, Briscoe dethroned Eddie Kingston and secured his first major singles title. As expected, it was a bloody affair on Friday night.
During the brutal match, Briscoe\’s head was slammed into the announcer\’s table and it busted him open. In the final moments of the match, Mark Briscoe hit his finisher Jay Driller for the three count to win the title.
After his triumph, his family and some members of the locker room included ROH veterans such as Jay Lethal, Christopher Daniels, Dalton Castle, and others entered the ring to celebrate his memorable victory.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) April 6, 2024
It\’s quite a special moment for Mark Briscoe, not only for the title win but also because it marks the same day when his brother Jay won the title eleven years back at the same event. That night, Jay Briscoe defeated Kevin Steen (now Kevin Owens) in the main event.
Mark Briscoe sends a message to Jay Briscoe
During the post-show media scrum, Mark Briscoe was asked to share what he would tell his brother Mark Briscoe, who tragically passed away last year. He said:
“I love you, dog. There’s no words, man. It’s just too many coincidences for it to be a coincidence. I wear my faith on my sleeve, and God is good, man.\”
He added that memorable nights like those help him keep going but it\’s not an easy task. With his efforts, Mark Briscoe is trying to make his brother proud:
\”Stuff like this, the tragedy that happened, you don’t want to go on, you don’t want to get out of bed…and then nights like tonight…this is what helps you move on. It’s not easy. But nights like tonight make it a whole hell of a lot easier. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but there are no words. I love you dog, be with me. Until we meet again, just trying to do him proud, man.”
Back in the day, Jay Briscoe held the title for 89 days before relinquishing it due to a storyline injury. Now, we will have to wait and see how Mark\’s championship reign pans out.
The Rock has been the mastermind behind his recent heel turn that perfectly fits in the storyline involving The Bloodline and Cody Rhodes.
\’The Final Boss\’ has been promoting WrestleMania 40 and on the Will Cain Show, he revealed that he decided to become the biggest heel of all time after making his massive return to WWE.
The Rock discussed WWE fans turning against him when he tried to take Cody\’s spot against Roman Reigns. Thereby, he kept the Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes intact but remained involved in the storyline and brought back the iconic \’Hollywood Rock\’ persona.
“Back in January, I called Nick Khan, our friend. And I said, I have an idea. How about this? Why don’t we take care of the people. Give them this story of Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. And Nick said, great. And I said, however, it’s a little bit of a twist. He said, what’s that? I said, what if I became the greatest bad guy of all time?”
The Rock is set to make his highly-anticipated comeback to the squared circle at WrestleMania 40. On WrestleMania Saturday, he will join forces with Roman Reigns to face the team of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
The outcome of the match will determine the stipulation for Sunday\’s main event. If The Bloodline wins then Roman Reigns will defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes under \’Bloodline Rules\’.
However, if Cody and Seth Rollins win, the next night\’s main event will be free of The Bloodline.
The Rock\’s future
The Rock\’s involvement in the Road to WrestleMania 40 has certainly helped to garner more attention to the \’Biggest WrestleMania Ever.\’ However, it seems his commitments in Hollywood will prevent him from making appearances in WWE following the \’Show of Shows.\’
Wyatt\’s real-life brother, Taylor Rotunda (better known as Bo Dallas in WWE) and his sister Mika Rotunda did the honors of inducting the legendary U.S. Express into the Class of 2024. During the segment, they paid homage to Wyatt.
“We would be remiss not to take a moment not to acknowledge Windham Rotunda, also known as Bray Wyatt. He should also be standing on this stage with us tonight. He may not be on this stage. But we know he’s here.\”
After the speech concluded, Mike Rotunda urged the fans to join him and light up their phones like Wyatt\’s entrance. This was a fitting tribute to the late superstar.
“I wish that our son Windham could have been here, he would have liked to see his old man go in the Hall of Fame.\”
The segment concluded with Mike and the crowd lighting up their phones with Bray Wyatt\’s entrance song playing in the background.
Beautiful moment as the siblings of Bray Wyatt take a moment to remember him tonight before inducting their father and uncle into the WWE Hall of Fame. ???#WWEHOFpic.twitter.com/b3BN0HsAQE
"I wish that our son Windham could have been here, he would have liked to see his old man go in the Hall of Fame."
Bray Wyatt's father, Mike Rotunda, leads a touching tribute to his son with the help of Barry Windham and the WWE Universe. #WWEHOFpic.twitter.com/h2aqUwV5WN
This year\’s class included Paul Heyman, U.S. Express, Bull Nakano, Muhammed Ali and Thunderbolt Patterson. There had been talks of Bray Wyatt possibly being inducted into this year\’s Hall of Fame Class but that didn\’t happen.
Bray Wyatt\’s legacy
Wyatt gained massive success when he revamped his persona as the leader of the Wyatt Family back in NXT. The character would lead him to great heights after joining the main roster where he won the WWE Championship and WWE Universal Championship.
Eventually, he debuted his popular \’Fiend\’ gimmick which was widely well-received by the fans. However, he was released by the company in 2021 but would go on to make his comeback the following year.
In his returning match, Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match at Royal Rumble last year. Unfortunately, it was his final match before passing away.
Bray Wyatt is not with us anymore, but his legacy will live on forever.