WWE will crown a new NXT Champion this Tuesday night.
Samoa Joe relinquished the belt late Sunday night due to injuries. He did not divulge the nature of his medical situation, nor the length of time he will be out of action.
General Manager William Regal has announced a Fatal 4 Way match to crown the new face of NXT. The participants will be:
Samoa Joe was a 3-time NXT Champion, although two of his reigns were short. He held the title most recently for 20 days. His earlier reigns were 13 days (2016) and 121 days (2016).
Hit up the comments and tell us who you think will be crowned the next NXT Champion.
Samoa Joe has relinquished the title just days before the black and gold brand is set to undergo an image overhaul.
According to a video he posted on social media, Samoa Joe recently met with WWE\’s medical team. They informed him that \”certain injuries\” will prevent him from wrestling any time soon.
\”Effective immediately, I relinquish the NXT Championship.\”
– Samoa Joe
Joe sounds optimistic that he\’ll be back soon, saying he\’d be out for \”a brief, yet still indeterminate amount of time.\”
Samoa Joe returned to NXT in June to ensure NXT and its championship received the respect and integrity they are due. He won the title just a few weeks ago at Takeover 36 during SummerSlam weekend.
Joe wishes luck to whoever vies for the prize and warned that he\’ll be seeking it again when he\’s cleared.
Miesha Tate noted that this show has been \’months in the making.\’ Tate is scheduled to face Ketlen Vieira on October 16, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 195.
Lee Moriarty is All Elite. The popular independent wrestler competed at the AEW Dark: Elevation tapings that took place prior to the live Dynamite broadcast. He faced Daniel Garcia in a match that will air on AEW\’s Youtube channel in the days ahead.
After the match, Moriarty made his way to the backstage area. AEW President Tony Khan greeted him on the stage.
Tony Khan said he\’s been so impressed with Moriarty\’s appearances on Dark that he wanted to offer him a full-time contract with AEW. Of course, he accepted. You can see footage of Tony Khan presenting Lee Moriarty with his AEW contract here:
AEW\’s talent acquisition efforts show no signs of slowing down. The varied ages of their recent signings show the company is investing in the present and future:
Following Wednesday\’s edition of AEW Dynamite (Results), we have updated previews for Friday\’s AEW Rampage and next week\’s Dynamite from Newark, NJ.
Plus, Darby Allin and Sting will respond to Tully Blanchard\’s challenge from Dynamite.
AEW Dynamite Preview (9/22)
The following items are set for next week\’s Dynamite from Newark, New Jersey. This will be a big night for AEW, as the company has already sold over 11,600 tickets for the Prudential Center.
Adam Cole vs. Frankie Kazarian
Darby Allin (w/Sting) vs. Shawn Spears (w/ Tully Blanchard)
Will Ospreay called out Kenny Omega on Wednesday after the AEW World Champion was named the #1 pro wrestler the world on this year\’s PWI Top 500 list.
Omega topped the list, while Ospreay charted at the #7 spot (behind Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Kota Ibushi and Jon Moxley.)
Ospreay was so put off by his placement on the list that he said, \”I\’d beat up number 1 any day of the week and twice on Wednesdays……just saying.\”
This did not sit well with Kenny Omega. He replied by telling Ospreay that \”his promotion\” (New Japan Pro Wrestling) has been so \”ice cold\” since he left that not even Dave Meltzer can convince his followers that Ospreay should be in the conversation for Best in the World.\”
\”It hurts me, bruv,\” said Omega. \”One of you dorks should have been the guy. Turned out a bigger dog was my only competition.\”
Your promotion has been so ice cold since I left that not even Meltzer can convince his followers that you were part of any BITW conversation.
It hurts me, bruv. One of you dorks should have been the guy. Turned out a bigger dog was my only competition. https://t.co/VhqRWQQh6Q
He also touted New Japan Pro Wrestling\’s accomplishments since Omega left. \”A pandemic put the breaks on & you know it. Open that door, let’s have this conversation.\”
Last chat we had was “you need to be the guy”
Since then you left we sold out MSG, sold more tickets at the Tokyo dome than ever before, and put on banger after banger.
Needless to say, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay would be a banger of a match. With NJPW talent already wrestling on AEW programming, this is high on the light for potential \’Forbidden Door\’ dream matches we could see in the months ahead.
WWE executive Paul Levesque (Triple H) is recovering from a recent \’cardiac event.\’
According to a statement sent in by WWE, he underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital. The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue.
“Paul Levesque, a.k.a. Triple H, underwent a successful procedure last week at Yale New Haven Hospital following a cardiac event. The episode was caused by a genetic heart issue and Paul is expected to make a full recovery.
– WWE Statement on Triple H\’s health
Levesque serves as WWE Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy & Development.
SEScoops wishes Paul \”Triple H\” Levesque a full and speedy recovery.
AEW tag team The Acclaimed returned to action on this week\’s AEW Dark.
The team of Max Caster and Anthony Bowens were last seen on the August 28th episode of the AEW Youtube series. Caster found himself in hot water after one of his pre-match freestyle raps received major blowback from fans.
Caster is known for walking the line of tastefulness, but his references to US Olympian Simone Biles\’ mental health and the Duke Lacrosse 2006 sexual assault scandal crossed that line for many. He was sent to sensitivity training as a disciplinary measure.
During their entrance on Dark this week, the duo joked about their hiatus from AEW programing. Instead of lacing into their opponents with well-crafted biting insults, they jokingly read from a script approved by AEW management. See below:
Hot off Sunday\’s blockbuster All Out pay-per-view, All Elite Wrestling returns this Wednesday with a live edition of AEW Dynamite.
Dynamite will emanate from Jon Moxley\’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. The homecoming won\’t be an easy night at the office for the former AEW World Champion.
In a \’Forbidden Door\’ dream match, Moxley will clash with NJPW legend Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki made a surprise appearance at All Out and left Moxley sprawled out on the canvas in their first physical encounter in an AEW ring.
In addition to Moxley vs. Suzuki, Malakai Black will face Dustin Rhodes. The Natural looks to stop Black\’s path of destruction through the Nightmare Family.
Former WWE Superstar Ruby Soho made a surprise debut at All Out. She was the Joker in the Casino Battle Royal match and was victorious. Ruby Soho earned the right to challenge Women\’s World Champion Britt Baker and will be on hand at Dynamite to discuss her arrival in AEW.
We can also expect plenty of fallout from All Out, including the shocking debuts of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson.
We are just hours away from AEW All Out. It\’s a stacked card and internal estimates already indicate that it will shatter the company\’s all-time pay-per-view record.
People have been wondering which match will close the show. Fans with a traditiona, \”old-school\” mentality feel the World title match should headline big events. However, All Out will feature CM Punk\’s first match in over 7 years. A case could be made that CM Punk\’s return is the main attraction and should be the final match.
That debate has been settled. According to Dave Meltzer, Kenny Omega\’s AEW World Title defense against Christian Cage will go on last at All Out.
CM Punk addressed the crowd at the conclusion of the latest episode of AEW Dark.
As Jurassic Express was hanging in the ring after their match, Cult of Personality hit and Punk headed tot he ring. He grabbed a microphone and said he thinks it\’s super cool how involved the audience is. They sing wrestlers\’ entrance songs, they\’re chanting AEW and it\’s an amazing party-like atmosphere. \”It helps, it really does,\” said Punk.
\”I\’m Super Grateful, Humble Punk now\”
– CM Punk
Punk said he\’s been tasked with \”sending the crowd happy\” and led the crowd to sing the \’Golden Girls\’ theme song.
Last week in Milwaukee, he addressed an AEW crowd and told them, if you enjoyed the show, great, tell your friends about it. If you didn\’t enjoy the show, \”shut the F up.\”
He wanted to clarify what he meant by that. He doesn\’t mind criticism. In fact, he welcomes criticism, because that\’s feedback on how they can improve. However, there is a segment of wrestling fans who are negative for the sake of being negative.
\”The part about shutting the f–k up is for the people who hate watch stuff and have nothing good to say, or nothing good to add to the conversation. We don’t need you, so shut the f–k up.\”
CM Punk wants Sunday\’s All Out pay-per-view to be like a \”gigantic party\” that makes people wish they were there in person.
“At the end of the day, ya’ll are our bosses,\” Punk added. \”If you’re not having a good time, please let us know. But if you like what you see, you let us know and we’ll give you all that we have. So, sing those songs, cheer for these guys, boo for the ones you don’t like. And if you don’t like it…\”
CM Punk battles Darby Allin tonight at AEW All Out. It will be Punk\’s first match in over 7 years.
Olympic Gold medalist Kurt Angle spoke with Nick Hausman this past week for the Wrestling Inc Daily podcast. They discussed a variety of current events, including AEW\’s popularity and reports that Bryan Danielson will soon be All Elite.
Kurt Angle was one of the top Superstars during the Attitude Era, a time when WWE attracted young adults in droves. In recent years, WWE has toned down the product and is geared to be more family-friendly. Angle thinks that AEW is gaining ground with the demographic that brought WWE monster success twenty years ago.
\”WWE are losing the young adults,\” said Angle. \”The 18 to 40 years olds that WWE had during the Attitude Era, that’s more the way AEW’s direction is right now. They’re swearing on the air, they’re putting up the middle fingers. It’s more of an Attitude Era attitude.\”
Kurt Angle on Bryan Danielson to AEW
Angle also commented on the rumor that Bryan Danielson will be joining AEW in the near future. Angle says he\’s very surprised by this development and never thought WWE would let him go.
\”Daniel was a big part of the company for the past ten or so years,\” said Angle. \”He was literally the top babyface in the company for a few years, so, I’m really surprised they let him go. But Daniel is probably happier in AEW for whatever reason. I don’t know if it was money or if he wasn’t happy with the direction of his character, but it had to be something that made him leave.\”
As of this writing, Bryan Danielson remains a free agent and has not yet appeared for All Elite Wrestling.
WWE Superstar Sasha Banks has stepped up to take the Paqui One Chip Challenge.
Paqui sells extremely spicy tortilla chips. The #OneChipChallenge involves the participant testing their resolve against the Carolina Reaper Chip. The Carolina Reaper Chip is laced with Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers.
\”One eye-watering, curse-inducing chip made with the hottest peppers on the planet.\”
The goal is to last 5 minutes after eating the chip before needing to drink water or milk to offset the heat.
Sasha Banks and host Sean Evans subjected themselves to the Carolina Reaper Chip as part of a sponsored promotion with Paqui. Watch how they did here:
Wrestlers on Hot Ones
Sasha Banks is no stranger to spicy food. She previously appeared on Hot Ones, the show that sees celebrities being interviewed while eating increasingly hot chicken wings. Pro wrestlers have have appeared on Hot Ones include:
Steve Austin
Ronda Rousey
Chris Jericho
Ronda Rousey
Sasha Banks
Which of these pro wrestlers were able to take the heat? Visit the link below to see all of their appearances on Hot Ones:
Charlotte Flair is the most decorated women\’s champion in WWE history. She\’s an 12-time Women\’s Champion, a 2-time NXT Women\’s Champion, she won the 2020 Women\’s Royal Rumble and has achieved countless other accolades.
This fall, WWE will present the first-ever Queen of the Ring tournament. The finals are rumored to take place in October at WWE\’s next live event from Saudi Arabia.
During a recent media call with Inside the Ropes, Charlotte said it\’s great that WWE is holding a women\’s tournament because it will bring opportunities for the participants.
Charlotte says WWE should use the Queen of the Ring to elevate some NXT talent, in addition to women on the main roster. She also implies that she\’s too big a star to be involved.
\”Being that I’m already The Queen, if it was to happen, I believe whoever wins it has to face me, since I am The Queen of Queens, right?\” asked Charlotte. \”Like I don’t think I have to be in it. I already have the title. I think they should have the opportunity to face me if they win.\”
The interviewer said that match could be billed as, Queen vs. Queen. However, Charlotte set the record straight and said she\’s the only queen in WWE, no matter what they call this tournament.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,\” said Charlotte. \”It won’t be Queen vs. Queen. It will be Queen vs. the Woman Who Won the Tournament. OK? Let’s get something right.\”
CM Punk\’s highly anticipated return to pro wrestling helped AEW draw massive viewership for Friday\’s AEW Rampage: The First Dance special.
AEW Rampage: The First Dance averaged 1,129,000 viewers and drew a 0.52 rating in the A18-49 demographic. The data comes courtesy of Brandon Thurston Wrestlenomics.
Some additional key metrics:
Viewership for The First Dance was up 53% from the previous week\’s premiere. The demo rating was up a staggering 75%.
The 0.52 demo rating is the most-watched AEW broadcast in history aside from the AEW Dynamite premiere in October 2019.
The opening quarter hour of Rampage featuring CM Punk\’s debut was watched by 1,341,000 viewers and did a 0.65 rating (A18-49).
As Brandon noted, AEW beat Smackdown in males 18-49, persons 18-34, females 18-34, males 35-49 and was within 46,000 of tying persons 18-49. On a Friday at 10 PM.
It has been an eventful week. SummerSlam saw the surprise returns of Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar. NXT delivered another stellar Takeover event ahead of the brand\’s upcoming major overhaul. However, the debut of CM Punk at Friday\’s AEW Rampage remains the most buzz-worthy topic by a long shot.
Punk appeared on Chicago\’s ESPN 1000 radio on Monday morning to discuss his arrival in All Elite Wrestling.
After a few days to process what transpired, CM Punk says The First Dance may have been the greatest night of his career. He took a gamble by coming out of retirement and signing up with AEW. After that memorable night, he feels great about his decision.
\”That might have been the greatest moment, the greatest night of my career… The way we set it up as the worst kept secret, selling out the United Center on a rumor that I was going to be there, never announced, never advertised, shows the connection to the fanbase that AEW has.”
– CM Punk
Punk says AEW fans \”get it\” and are looking for the brand of professional wrestling he loves. Punk and AEW dropped hints that he was coming without explicitly advertising his name. That approach came with some risk, but he thinks it paid off.
AEW has a young roster that includes talent such as MJF, Sammy Guevara, Jungle Boy, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, Dante Martin and many more. CM Punk has been vocal about wanting to work with some of these performers.
During the ESPN 1000 call, Punk said AEW\’s youthful roster has a \”punk rock\” vibe to it. He said it\’s a young and hungry roster. Whatever they lack in experience, they make up for with effort.
CM Punk returns to action against Darby Allin at AEW All Out. The upcoming pay-per-view event takes place Sunday, September 5th from Chicago\’s NOW Arena. When asked about how he\’s preparing for his first match in 7 years, CM Punk said he\’s watching a lot of Darby Allin footage. His goal is to tell a story and remind fans one more time why he is still the Best in the World.
Bray Wyatt was released from WWE on July 31st, but that hasn\’t prevented fans from supporting the former WWE Champion at live events. WWE sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling world when they announced Wyatt \’s contract was terminated after 11 years with the company.
\”We want Wyatt\” chants have been audible at WWE TV tapings since his departure. During Sunday\’s SummerSlam kickoff show, a large Fiend sign was shown at ringside. It did not take long for security to approach the fan and confiscate the sign, which incorporated the Fiend mask into the Las Vegas Raiders logo.
Here it is in all it’s glory, took me about 30 hours to draw it with colored pencils. I hope it put a smile on your face and shows that your fans really appreciate you! You are the most creative wrestler ever and definitely one of the most talented! #RaiderNation @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/8NxWRtPd7V
Bray Wyatt\’s 90-day non-compete clause runs through the last week of October. He will be unable to work for other wrestling companies until then, but it is believed he\’ll be joining All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
The night CM Punk returned to wrestling at AEW Rampage: The First Dance, Bray Wyatt posted an Eddie Van Halen Quote on Twitter. Many wrestling fans are interpreting this as another indication that we have not seen the last of Bray Wyatt inside the squared circle.
Rock Stars come and go. Musicians play until they die.
AJ Lee is one of the most significant figures in professional wrestling over the past decade. The former Divas Champion was an unlikely success story at a time when WWE was still fixated on bikini babes and fitness models.
AJ Lee is credited with kickstarting WWE\’s Women\’s Revolution. She paved the way for the likes of Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Bayley. She hung up her boots in 2015, but some fans are optimistic she\’ll grace the squared circle again one day.
Following CM Punk\’s blockbuster appearance at AEW\’s First Dance event, there is renewed discussion about her future.
Big E spoke Sportskeeda this week to promote SummerSlam. He told Riju Dasgupta WWE would roll out the red carpet for AJ Lee, if she were interested in a return.
Big E on AJ Lee Back in WWE
Big E thinks AJ Lee was so successful during her initial run that WWE would let her work a \”Brock Lesnar\” schedule (big money for limited dates).
\”I also think, if she wants it, of course, there very easily is a massive place for her,\” he said. \”I feel like she\’s in this legend territory where she comes back and she gets a massive pop. She can have a Brock Lesnar type schedule if she wanted to and work a few times a year. So, if it\’s something she wants, of course there\’s a place for her.\”
AJ Lee and Big E had undeniable chemistry when he served as her on-air bodyguard around 2012-2013. They were feature players during an era that is looked back upon fondly. We don\’t know if AJ Lee has any interest in returning to wrestling. However, with her husband signing with AEW, it seems unlikely she\’d return to the environment that drove him away for seven long years.
Ric Flair will appear at NWA 73, the upcoming pay-per-view presented by the National Wrestling Alliance.
Flair is a 10-time NWA World Heavyweight champion and a member of the NWA Hall of Fame. The legendary Nature Boy will be on hand for NWA 73 Sunday night, August 29th from the Khorassan Ballroom at The Chase in St. Louis.
Check out this video announcing Flair\’s involvement:
AAA\’s TripleMania XXIX event took place Saturday night from Mexico City, Mexico. One of the top matches saw Kenny Omega retain the Mega Championship against Andrade El Idolo.
Wrestling legend Ric Flair was in attendance. He accompanied Andrade to the ring and roughed up Kenny Omega, as seen below.
On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that the original plan was for Andrade to win the match and win the title. AEW reached out to AAA officials and requested they delay the title switch until a further date.
Charlotte Flair missed a WWE live event in her hometown to attend TripleMania in Mexico City with Ric Flair and Andrade.
The Queen of WWE was advertised for Saturday night\’s live event from Charlotte, North Carolina. Konnan, who was put in a figure four by Andrade El Idolo during TripleMania, posted this photo with Ric and Charlotte Flair backstage.
Kenny Omega retained the AAA Mega Championship over Andrade El Idolo at Saturday night\’s Triplemania XXIX event.
Andrade was accompanied to the ring by Ric Flair, who couldn\’t help getting physically involved in the match. Flair roughed up Kenny Omega before slapping his figure four leglock on Konnan. You can see video of that altercation here.
Despite taking several chops and a punch from the Nature Boy, Omega was victorious. He commented on his match backstage after TripleMania and had some words for Ric Flair. As you can imagine, Omega was none too pleased that Flair roughed him up during the match.
Kenny Omega & Andrade Trash Talk
On Sunday morning, Kenny Omega sent Andrade a message on Twitter. The Best Bout Machine told Andade that he is a tough competitor and came close to winning the AAA Mega Championship. However, he crossed the line with that \”stunt\” involving Ric Flair. \”Not in 2021, and not in my ring, pal.\” Omega wrote.
Andrade paid respect to Omega as well, but said he\’s glad the champion took things personal Saturday night.
Everyone, around the world says how good you are. Last night, I witnessed that first hand. #Respect@KennyOmegamanX
It\’s clear that Andrade still has sights on Omega\’s AAA Mega Championship. Since both men are signed to All Elite Wrestling, there\’s a good chance they will cross paths again in the future.
According to AZ, the King of the Ring tournament is returning in October. WWE\’s first Queen of the Ring tournament will also take place around that time.
The finals of both the King and Queen tournaments are scheduled to take place at WWE\’s next live event from Saudi Arabia. Multiple sources have confirmed that WWE is currently eyeing October 21st for the next PPV from Saudi Arabia.
King of the Ring
WWE has held many King of the Ring tournaments throughout the years. The event started out in 1985 as a special attraction at live events. The first King of the Ring pay-per-view was held in June 1993, with Bret Hart winning the crown.
In total, WWE has held 21 King of the Ring tournaments. Aside from Bret Hart, winners have included Randy Savage, Ted Dibiase, Owen Hart, Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar and most recently, Baron Corbin (2019).
Queen of the Ring
History will be made this October when WWE crowns the first Queen of the Ring. Some of WWE\’s top female competitors have expressed an interest in a QOTR tournament, including Sasha Banks and Bayley.
WWE has considered hosting a Queen of the Ring tournament dating back to 2018. Three years later, it\’s finally coming to fruition.
Stay tuned for more details on the upcoming King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring tournaments.
AEW President Tony Khan made his weekly appearance on Busted Open Radio this morning. TK was on hand to promote tonight\’s AEW Dynamite from Pittsburgh, PA and Friday\’s AEW Rampage premiere.
As per usual, \”Tony Time\” yielded some newsworthy items. Here are some highlights of what was discussed:
Rampage is a great news for wrestling fans and AEW. It\’s been a busy week (\”Sleep is overrated\”) but things are about to pick up over the next two weeks leading up to the First Dance on 8/20. Everybody in AEW has been looking forward to the launch of Rampage. It will create new opportunities and matchups for the entire AEW roster.
TNT has been very happy about the early buzz for Rampage. There\’s a lot of interest and TNT has rolled out the red carpet for AEW, in terms of promotion. Tonight on Dynamite, we\’ll learn more about the card for Friday\’s Rampage premiere.
Dark and Dark: Elevation have helped them cultivate new talent, but Rampage is \”still going to be a star-driven show.\”
Dan Lambert from American Top Team and his \”backup\” (two great UFC champions) – that is being pushed back to next week in Houston, Texas. Lambert previously brought Amanda Nunes and Jorge Masvidal to Dynamite.
Khan called next week\’s AEW Rampage: The First Dance, \”The most anticipated wrestling television show in years.\”
He spoke about the benefits of working with other promotions and featuring non-AEW talent on AEW programming. Khan said he has no problem helping other companies if it helps AEW at all.
AEW Rampage will not have a 4-man commentary team at all times. There are 4 hosts announced, but sometimes it will be 3 guys calling a match.
AEW Rampage premieres this Friday night at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT.
Several wrestlers from WWE\’s NXT brand are currently backstage at the Amway Center for tonight\’s Raw from Orlando, FL. The following names are in attendance, according to Mike Johnson:
Odyssey Jones
Austin Theory
Dakota Kai
Xia Li
Aliyah
WWE has brought NXT talent to TV tapings several times over the past several weeks. NXT wrestlers who have competed in dark matches prior to Raw and SmackDown tapings include Karrion Kross, Bronson Reed, Shotzi Blackheart, Indi Hartwell, Toni Storm, Odyssey Jones and Austin Theory.
NXT Champion Karrion Kross was saddled with a losing streak storyline and has been pinned twice on Raw in the past month. Bronson Reed was among the 13 released from WWE this past Friday night.
WWE is advertising talking segments from Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair and WWE Champion Bobby Lashley for tonight\’s broadcast.
AEW Rampage premieres this Friday on TNT at 10pm (Eastern). The event will air live from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, PA.
All Elite Wrestling is pulling out all the stops to ensure Rampage gets off to a strong start. As previously announced, Dr. Britt Baker will defend the AEW Women\’s World Championship in her hometown against Red Velvet.
We now know that AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will also be in action on the 1-hour broadcast. His opponent has yet to be announced, but his opponent could be be #1 contender Christian Cage.
![\"Queen](\"https://media.sescoops.com/uploads/2021/07/E7UCMMpWYAEVcCu-680x385.jpg\")