SEScoops

Author: Mike Reichlin

  • Tom Phillips Thanks WWE Employees & Fans For Their Support

    Broadcaster Tom Phillips (Tom Hannifan) has issued a statement thanking WWE employees and fans for supporting him during his time with the company.

    He wrote on Twitter:

    \”Earlier today I had the chance to address my future on the Sports Media Podcast. Thank you to Richard Deitsch for the platform and the opportunity. However, I’d like to address more precisely what is now my past.

    I am so grateful for the nearly 9 years I spent in WWE. I was hired at 23 years old. A kid out of college who’d had one job professionally, and knew very little about what he was getting into. I can’t even begin to describe how lucky I was to get that big of a break so early on; a position that so many would have done anything for.

    I have more people to thank than I’ll be able to compile here, so I’ll be brief. First off, thank you Vince, Hunter, KD, and Cole. You gave me so many opportunities to succeed, fail, learn, and grow. My family is better off because of the job you afforded me.\”

    The WWE Crew is second to none. They make the impossible possible on a regular basis. Without them, the spectacle never gets off the ground. The production staff is also world class. From those grinding in Stamford, to the tireless road team, the company has outstanding talent that make the product come to life for the fans. A special thanks to my \”Dream Team\” at ringside and in the truck. You know who you are, and thank you for lifting me up on every single broadcast.

    Thank you for the legions of people in Connecticut who influenced my career as a broadcaster, and also made our lives as easy as possible around the world. Lastly, thank you to the fans. Your support on social media in the last week has been overwhelming for me to process. Thank you for holding us all to extraordinary standards. I hope I entertained you.

    I loved a dream. Pro wrestling became my life, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. And as the cliche goes, never say never. I have nothing but grattitude for my experience in WWE. Sincerely, thank you all!

    My name is Tom Hannifan.

    It\’s time for the next chapter.\”

  • Tom Phillips Talks WWE Release, Internal Competition, Adnan Virk

    Former WWE announcer Tom Phillips (Tom Hannifan) appeared on the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch to discuss his recent WWE release, the challenges of calling the product and more.

    Phillips said he got hired by WWE at 23 years old, which he saw was a blessing and a curse. \”I had everything to learn about professional wrestling,\” he said. He was a casual fan as a kid, watched during the Attitude Era and played the video games.

    \”I had to learn everything from the ground up. On top of that, no broadcaster at 23 is really that finely polished, so everybody at WWE, it takes a village, did an amazing job helping me get up-to-speed just as a broadcaster. Things as simple as working in a studio, working with a teleprompter. Basics. I need to learn how to walk. They gave me so many opportunities to learn those things.\”

    Phillips was asked about his WWE Audition and if he had to do anything silly like interview a broom. He said, yes, he did. They handed him a piece of random equipment and said, \”Sell me on this.\” He spoke for about a minute and wasn\’t sure if he would get hired.

    Hardest Part of the Job

    When asked about the toughest aspect of being a WWE broadcaster, Phillips it took years to learn the intricacies of the product and what management is looking for.

    \”The toughest thing about WWE is that, if you\’re coming in, and there\’s plenty of people who come in who don\’t know wrestling inside out and backwards, you gotta get up to speed quickly. You find the right people who have your back and will support you and teach. I had so may people like that. But it look years for me to get comfortable with it, because that\’s how intricate the product is.\”

    Learning the Product

    Tom Phillips said people like Renee Paquette helped teach him the ins and outs of WWE. He\’s a big video game guy and actually learned a ton by playing WWE video games. He would go into the Create a Wrestler mode, which has thousands of wrestling moves available to select for your character. He\’d scroll through and learn from there. \”Watch that enough, you start to figure it out. Lots of trial and error, doing it over and over again.\”

    He said the early incarnation of NXT was taped, which helped him learn with a safety net. The best thing was being around other talented people. They\’d hold him to a high standard. So many people in WWE are diehard wrestling fans and experts. \”If you didn\’t take the time to immerse yourself in the product, you\’d be dead in the water.\”

    Phillips said the the WWE Network was also a crucial resource that helped him become an expert of the product. He\’d spend every waking hour watching the Network.

    Competition, Being Over-Produced

    Richard Deitsch asked how competitive things are in WWE amongst the broadcasters. Phillips said it depends on your relationships. He did feel competition from other play-by-play announcers. He\’d see others improving and felt motivated to keep up. However, the camaraderie amongst the announce team was fantastic. He considered it healthy competition. Between the crew, the production team and the talent, he made hundreds of friends.

    Tom Phillips said WWE announcers are overproduced, but it also depends on who you are. His experience was different from everybody else\’s. He thinks some broadcasters join WWE with the misconception that you can call it like a sport. It\’s really entertainment. \”We\’re trying to tell stories,\” he said. \”Great stories are what you remember\” was a mantra he heard a lot in WWE.

    His WWE Release & Adnan Virk

    He was genuinely surprised by his WWE release. \”Adnan Virk was somebody that I had known, not to date him in any way, but he had run on SportsCenter when I was in college, and then just right out of college, so I had watched him for years. So when I hear Adnan Virk is coming in to be the lead announcer of Monday Night Raw, I said, \’Whoa, that is a shift\’ But at the same time, I was like, I have all the respect in the world for this guy\’s ability, in terms of what the job requires.\”

    He added, \”I was definitely surprised, but to hear it was somebody like Adnan Virk, I said ok, I get it.\”

    Adnan Virk only lasted a few weeks, which also surprised him. \”I\’ve seen so many people come and go at different levels on the announce team. I won\’t speak necessarily to what he was going through, that\’s his experience, but it was fast. That being said, he has so many other things that he does in conventional sportscasting where he is so talented. He is going to do just fine.\”

    As for what\’s next, Tom Phillips is pursuing new sports broadcasting opportunities outside of professional wrestling. He hopes to call college football and thinks his WWE experience helped develop the ability to do play-by-play while incorporating storytelling.

    Listen to Tom Philips on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch at Stitcher.com.

  • CM Punk Blasts WWE After Latest Wave of Releases

    CM Punk criticized WWE after the company cut ties with six wrestlers on Wednesday.

    John Squires of Bloody Disgusting tweeted:

    “One thing that has consistently bummed me out about WWE in recent years is that there’s been a *wealth* of incredible talent in that company, but they rarely seem to really know what to do with any of it. This latest wave of releases is a truly stunning reflection of that issue.”

    Punk gave a scathing reply and gave a detailed explanation of why he feels WWE is \”trash\” and why some fans keep watching.

    “It’s like a movie with a blockbuster budget and cast, but if it’s written by creatively bankrupt nincompoops specifically for an audience of one, in a language nobody understands anymore, it’s…..trash. But people watch it because they like movies.”

    Punk has been a vocal critic of WWE creative over the years. This language is harsh and shows he\’s among the many people who have grown disenchanted with WWE programing.

  • Mil Muertes Signs New Multi-Year Deal With MLW

    Mil Muertes has signed a new contract with MLW. According to MLW boss Court Bauer, the former Lucha Underground champion re-upped with a multi-year deal that runs through at least 2023. Bauer tweeted:

    \”One of the most popular wrestlers since The Restart is staying with @MLW for years to come as I have signed @Mesiasaaa to a multi-year deal. Let the body count continue!\”

    https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1400228584409767936

    Mil Muertes quickly established himself as one of the top stars in MLW. He will have a big role in MLW\’s Azteca Underground storyline, which featured a massive cliffhanger ending at MLW Fusion\’s recent season finale.

    MLW has discussed a significant roster refresh during this \’off season\’ period. The MLW Open Draft is ongoing, with new signings being announced each week.

    MLW officially returns Saturday, July 10th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA. Fans will be in attendance for the first time since the pandemic. Tickets are now on sale at MLW2300.com.

  • WWE Raw Viewership For Memorial Day (Updated)

    TV ratings are in for Monday\’s Memorial Day edition of WWE Raw on the USA Network. According to PWTorch, the 5/31 edition of Raw averaged 1.418 million viewers and a 0.44 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic.

    Here\’s the hourly breakdown:

    • Hour 1: 1.536 million
    • Hour 2: 1.549 million
    • Hour 3: 1.168 million

    Update (6/3): John Pollock of POST Wrestling reports that WWE\’s internal ratings show that Hour 3 averaged 1.586 million viewers, not the alarmingly-low 1.167 million. This would bring the 3-hour average up to 1,557,000 viewers.

    ShowbuzzDaily, the website that has been the wrestling media\’s primary source of television viewership data over the past several years, has been out of action for the past several weeks.

    Wrestling journalist David Bixenspan provides some additional context to the updated figures provided by POST Wrestling:

    https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1400506093495799808

    Granted, it was a holiday. Raw also had stiff competition from the NBA playoffs. However, these are all-time low numbers for WWE. Even within the context of a \’holiday\’ show, these numbers are cause for concern.

  • Lana & Miro Comment On Her WWE Release

    Lana is among the six wrestlers released by WWE on Wednesday.

    Lana posted a short, but candid statement on Twitter thanking the fans who have supported her over the years.

    \”I will never forget the fans, and the love they showed me,\” she wrote. \”Whether it was a tank, power-suits, flags, CRUSH, Rusev, 900 partners, weddings or tables: I tried to always entertain you, and you definitely elevated me. Thank you.\”

    She embedded photos of memorable moments from her 8-year WWE career.

    Lana\’s husband, AEW star Miro, also addressed her departure. He posted the following on Twitter, joking that Lana might be better off exploring other options.

    Miro also posted the following photo on Instagram. Showing support for his wife, he wrote, \”Love will conquer all.\”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CPoZB7Bn7UN/

  • Buddy Murphy On His WWE Release: \”I Haven’t Even Hit My Peak Yet\”

    Buddy Murphy is the latest WWE Superstar to speak publicly about his release from the company on Wednesday.

    Murphy issued a statement on Twitter, calling his 8-year run with WWE a crazy ride. He says through all the highs and lows, he always gave a hundred precent.

    \”So Today ends my 8 years with WWE! What a crazy ride! Highest of Highs, Lowest of Lows, but weather I had 3 minutes or 20 minutes I put all my effort into my performances! Nothing is harder when all you want to do is wrestle but you can’t!\”

    The Australian grappler says wrestling fans still have not seen the best of what he has to offer. He\’s grateful he got a chance to work with such talented people in WWE, but assures fans that the best is yet to come.

    \”In my opinion I haven’t even hit my peak yet and I’m excited to see what the next adventure holds. I was lucky enough to work with some of the best talent in the world and learnt a tremendous amount. But trust me… the whole world will know what I meant by \’Best Kept Secret” Thank you all!\’

    During his time with WWE, Buddy Murphy held the NXT tag team championships (with Wesley Blake), the Cruiserweight championship and the Raw tag team championships (with Seth Rollins).

    https://twitter.com/WWE_Murphy/status/1400185450497810432

  • Aleister Black Talks About His WWE Release On Twitch (Video)

    Aleister Black was among the six Superstars released by WWE on Wednesday.

    Just hours after the news went public, Black held a live stream on Twitch to address his release and some other topics. Here is a recap of what he spoke about:

    Aleister Black said WWE told him that \”budget cuts\” were the reason he was being let go. He enjoyed a few great years with WWE, but said the past few years were a \”slow death\” for him.

    After a successful run in WWE, things fell apart when he was moved to the main roster. \”Whose fault that was, I don\’t know.\” He\’s taking an, \”it is what it is\” attitude.

    He\’s appreciative of all the guidance he received from Vince McMahon, Triple H, Paul Heyman, Bruce Prichard and others in management. He defended WWE\’s writing team, calling them creative and talented people.

    Black praised Roman Reigns, calling him, \”honest to god, one of the best locker room leaders I\’ve had in my life.\” He also had positive things to say about the Usos and Apollo Crews.

    He expressed interest in working with Andrade again, calling him \”one talented MF\’er.\”

    Someone in WWE pitched that Black win the United States title during the Thunderdome era, but Vince McMahon squashed the idea because they didn\’t want him to have such a big career milestone without fans in attendance.

    Regarding the other wrestlers released today, he was surprised by Bruan Strowman and was generally bummed about everyone who got left go.

    Ironically, WWE recently had new theme music made for him. He was very involved in the composition of the song. Hopefully that sees the light of day at some point. 2

    Check out Aleister Black\’s post-WWE release Twitch stream below.

    Farewell, Alesiter Black. Long live Tommy End!

  • Braun Strowman Comments On His WWE Release


    WWE shocked the wrestling world again on Wednesday by announcing the release of six talented performers.

    Braun Strowman, Alesiter Black, Lana, Ruby Riot, Buddy Murphy and Santana Garrett have all been let go by the company.

    Strowman is perhaps the most surprising release of the bunch, since he had the most success in WWE and held the Universal Championship just a year ago.

    He took to social media to comment on his departure from WWE.

    He posted a similar message on Instagram, accompanied by a tour bus photo with his former travel companions. Amazingly, Bray Wyatt is the only man in the photo who is still under contract with WWE.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CPoJ3QIBtsR/

    Braun Strowman had been with WWE since 2013. His accolades include holding the Universal Championship, the Intercontinental Championship and the Raw tag titles with two different partners (Seth Rollins and Nicolas).

    He also won the Greatest Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank (2018) and the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (2019).

    Braun Strowman\’s final match for WWE took place at the recent WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view. He competed in triple threat main event along with Drew McIntyre and WWE Champion Bobby Lashley

  • WWE Releases Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Lana & More

    WWE announced the release of six more Superstars on Wednesday morning. The news was first reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.

    As of this writing, the following people have been released:

    • Bruan Strowman
    • Aleister Black
    • Lana
    • Ruby Riott
    • Buddy Murphy
    • Santana Garrett

    WWE has since confirmed the news with a brief statement on the company website: \”WWE wishes them the best in all of their future endeavors.\”

    Braun Strowman is the biggest name to get cut, but these releases are all about trimming fat (costs) from WWE\’s budget. Strowman signed a monster 5-year contract in 2019, just as AEW was getting off the ground. The deal was estimated to be worth in excess of $1 million per year, making the \’Monster Among Men\’ a costly investment.

    Reactions to WWE Releases

    Aleister Black issued the following statement about his release:

    Lana\’s husband, AEW star Rusev, wrote:

    Here are some additional instant-reactions from the wrestling world:

    This is a developing story and this article will be updated if necessary.

  • Jon Moxley To Host An Upcoming Episode of Renee Paquette\’s Oral Sessions

    Jon Moxley will host an upcoming episode of his wife\’s podcast, Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette.

    Renee is 9 months pregnant and set to deliver their baby soon. She will be very busy in the weeks while she figures out the whole \”mom thing.\” The former AEW Champion is stepping up to the plate to ensure Oral Sessions doesn\’t skip a beat when she takes a week off.

    Renee is asking her Twitter followers to send relationship and general \’life\’ questions to her \”darling husband\” by using the hashtag #AskMox.

    This week\’s episode of Oral Sessions features a conversation with AEW star \”Powerhouse\” Will Hobbs.

    SEScoops wishes Renee Paquette good luck with the remainder of pregnancy.

    In addition to being soon-to-be-parents, Jon Moxley and Renee Paquette will both be published authors in 2021. Renee\’s cookbook, Messy in the Kitchen, is now available. Jon Moxley\’s autiobiograpy, MOX, is now available for pre-order and will be released later this year. You can get both books from Amazon:

  • AEW Friday Night Dynamite Viewership Numbers

    Last week\’s edition of AEW Dynamite drew only 526,000 viewers and did a 0.20 in the Adults 18-49 demographic. This was the \’go home\’ show before Sunday\’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view.

    The low numbers can be attributed to Dynamite airing in a different time slot than usual. The show was pre-empted due to the NBA playoffs on TNT. Instead of airing Wednesday night in prime time, Dynamite aired Friday at 10pm (Eastern).

    The NBA playoffs are still ongoing and AEW will be pre-empted again this week. Dynamite will air this Friday, June 4th at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT. Additional scheduling changes are expected in the weeks ahead.

    AEW is advertising the following items for this week\’s show:

    • Christian Cage & Jungle Boy vs. Private Party
    • Joey Janela vs. Hangman Page
    • Mark Henry will discuss his new role with AEW
    • Dustin Rhodes will face Nic Comoroto in a Bull Rope match
    • New AEW Women\’s Champion Dr. Britt Baker will have a Championship Celebration

  • Mark Henry Talks About Signing With AEW, More On His Multi-Year Deal

    • Mark Henry has signed a multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling
    • He will pull \”Double Duty\” as Broadcaster and in Talent Development

    WWE legend Mark Henry is All Elite. The World\’s Most Dangerous Man made a surprise appearance on Sunday\’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view. As announced by Tony Schiavone, Henry will serve as a broadcaster and \’coach.\’

    AEW sent out a press release on Tuesday providing more information on his roles.

    Mark Henry joins the broadcast team for AEW Rampage, the new hour-long show premiering Friday, August 13th on TNT. Henry has transitioned from a hall of fame wrestling career to broadcaster. He is one of the regular hosts for Busted Open Radio on Sirius XM.

    In addition to his new job analyzing the action on AEW Rampage, Henry is taking on some important functions behind-the-scenes. He\’ll use his 25 years of experience in pro wrestling to coach and mentor AEW\’s up-and-coming stars.

    Last but not least, Mark Henry joins AEW as a talent scout. Henry brought several talented athletes to WWE over the years and will be a strong asset to AEW\’s recruiting efforts.

    Mark Henry on Signing With AEW

    “I have been fortunate to experience a great deal of success in my pro wrestling career,” said Mark Henry. “From my own in-ring title runs and creative storylines, to identifying and scouting some of the top talent in pro wrestling business today, to my role as a broadcaster, I have long worked to stay ahead of the pro wrestling curve. The overall quality of professional wrestling has skyrocketed in the past few years, and I’ve been very impressed by the meteoric rise of AEW. I’m excited to join the broadcast team on AEW RAMPAGE, and I can’t wait to work with the incredible roster at AEW.”

    Visit AllEliteWrestling.com to read the full Mark Henry press release, including quotes from AEW President Tony Khan.

  • \’Eat Like A Luchador\’ Cookbook Released Today

    After two years in production, Masked Republic has released their first full-length book today, Eat Like A Luchador.  The book is published by Running Press, a division of Hachette Book Group, one of the three largest trade and educational publishers in the world.

    Eat Like A Luchador Press Release

    From the ring to the kitchen, celebrate lucha libre with popular Mexican dishes offering a modern twist from iconic athletes, legends, and superstars in this one-of-a-kind cookbook for wrestling fans and aspiring chefs alike now available from booksellers everywhere!

    June 1, 2021 – San Diego, CA

    Lucha libre—or, professional Mexican wrestling—is the most popular sport in Mexico after soccer and has become an international pop culture phenomenon all over the world. This officially licensed cookbook with the Legends of Lucha Libre includes more than 50 favorite Mexican dishes with a modern-day twist from the sport\’s most celebrated luchadores and luchadoras including Solar, Super Astro, Penta Zero M, Rey Fenix, Tinieblas Jr., Lady Maravilla and Keyra.  Professional wrestlers influenced by and whose roots trace back to lucha, including WWE Hall of Famer Amy Dumas (Lita) and Taya Valkyrie (new NXT Superstar Franky Monet) lead a number of international stars contributing their favorite Mexican dishes as well. 

    Mexico\’s leading female lucha libre journalist, Mónica \”Centellita\” Ochoa, has interviewed some of the most well-known wrestlers in lucha libre, costume designers, and restaurant owners from around the globe to compile this must-have collection of recipes fit for hungry luchadores and their families.

    Also included are fun stories and facts on championship details and family legacies, dozens of photos of wrestlers in the ring and in the kitchen, and illustrations of delicious food.

    From Mónica’s introduction to Eat Like A Luchador:

    Having grown up in a lucha family, one of my most favorite subjects to cover is that of the importance of family within the sport. While it is not uncommon for a child to follow in their parent’s footsteps in any career (many current WWE wrestlers in the United States are second- or third-generation wrestlers), in lucha libre, family and tradition are on a whole different level. Some families have ten or more members who have all become luchadores and luchadoras.

    With this cookbook, I wanted to share the family traditions and favorite dishes of the stars of our incredible sport with recipe seekers and lucha libre fans and enthusiasts around the world. I wanted to collect the rich and varied stories of Mexico’s iconic sports entertainers—from multiple-branched lucha dynasty family trees and the luchadores who broke out of Mexico and became global stars in the 1990s to today’s hottest up-and-coming stars, to individuals who simply worked hard and per-severed to make it on their own, like my mother.

    Masked Republic founder and CEO Ruben Zamora described the book as “1 part cookbook, 1 part lucha libre reference book (filled with bios, profiles and stories) and 1 part photo book.  What it yields is a recipe for awesomeness!”

    Kevin Kleinrock, Masked Republic President and COO added, “As we continue to expand our footprint in publishing, we could not have asked for better partners in producing our first full length book.  The teams at Masked Republic and Running Press have truly put together a work of art well beyond any traditional cookbook.  From the stories and histories to the images from more than half a dozen of the top photographers who cover the sport to the gorgeous illustrations by internationally acclaimed artist Bene Rohlmann, there simply is not another book on the planet like Eat Like A Luchador.”

    Purchase Eat Like A Luchador now from Amazon:

  • NXT Preview (6/1): Triple Threat #1 Contender\’s Match

    WWE returns to the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight with an all-new episode of NXT on the USA Network.

    We are now less than two weeks away from NXT Takeover: In Your House. The main event of that event will see Karrion Kross defend the NXT Championship. His opponent will be determined tonight on NXT.

    The main attraction of this week\’s broadcast is a triple threat match. We\’ll see Johnny Gargano vs. Kyle O\’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne. The winner will challenge Kross for the NXT title at Takeover.

    NXT Tag Team Champions MSK will also be in action. They will defend against Legado del Fantasma’s Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde.

    \"\"/

    Check back Wednesday morning for our NXT Takeover Results & Takeaways.

    The next NXT Takeover, In Your House, takes place Sunday, June 13th.

  • Hikaru Shida & Tony Khan Addresses Willie Urbina Mocking Her Accent

    • AEW Spanish broadcaster Willie Urbina was caught mocking Hikaru Shida\’s Japanese accent during Friday\’s edition of Dynamite.
    • Urbina was fired for the incident.
    • Shida and Tony Khan have addressed the controversy.

    An unfortunate incident took place during Friday\’s edition of AEW Dynamite. During a commercial break, Spanish broadcaster Willie Urbina was caught mocking former Hikaru Shida and her Japanese accent.

    Urbina was swiftly fired by AEW when they became aware of the situation.

    Hikaru Shida has since taken to social media to address her brush with racism. The former AEW Women\’s Champion said that she did not want to address the incident on Friday night when it occurred, because she did not want to bring it additional attention before Double or Nothing.

    Now that the PPV has come and gone, she is speaking her mind. \”I don’t give a shit what other people say about my race because I love it and I proud of it, and because I know which is fool. I don’t even feel anger. So don’t need to worry about me. Thank you.\”

    Tony Khan\’s Reaction

    AEW President Tony Khan also addressed the Willie Urbina incident at the AEW Double or Nothing post-show media scrum. Khan says there is \’no excuse\’ for his conduct.

    \”I was not happy with it, so after I heard what was said and having talked to the other commentators involved about what was said about her, who I also apologized to, I thought it was best for the company to make the decision that we made.\”

  • Several New AEW Signings, All Out Announcement Imminent


    AEW has signed several performers to new deals over the past few days.

    First up are the tag team Bear Country, who have been wrestling for the company since December. The team is comprised of Bear Bronson and Bear Boulder. They\’ve wrestled on Dynamite, Dark and Elevation.

    In addition to Bear Country, Mark Sterling is also \”All Elite.\” Sterling first appeared on AEW television last August as MJF\’s lawyer during his feud with Jon Moxley. This past week on Dynamite, Jade Cargill selected Sterling as her new manager after an extensive review process.

    AEW All Out

    We are just hours away from Double or Nothing, but plans are already in full swing for AEW All Out. According to Andrew Zarian, AEW will soon announce the upcoming pay-pere-view is returning to Chicago.

  • Anthony Ogogo Says He Broke A Rib Training For AEW Double Or Nothing

    Anthony Ogogo faces Cody Rhodes this Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing. This will be the highest profile wrestling match to date for the former Olympic boxer. In addition to general bragging rights, there is also national pride at stake. Ogogo represents the United Kingdom, while Rhodes is fighting for the United States.

    During an interview with Metro UK, Ogogo said that he injured himself during training this past week. \”I’ve got a broken rib right now,\” he revealed.

    He quickly acknowledged that he was probably being a little too \’open and honest\’ about his condition.

    \”My rib’s broken because I did a move in training this week,\” he said \”I did it wrong, and I broke a rib. I’m now wrestling Cody, the best wrestler in the world, with a broken rib… And that’s real, that’s not me just saying that. My rib is f***ed!’

    Ogogo vs. Rhodes

    Anthony Ogogo says that Cody Rhodes was instrumental in him joining All Elite Wrestling. Cody courted him to sign with AEW before he ever wrestled a single match. As of this writing, Ogogo\’s pro wrestling record stands at only 2-0.

    Despite his lack of experience, he feels the pressure is on Cody this Sunday. \”I watched him when I was a kid – before I had hairs on my bollocks, I was watching Cody Rhodes on TV and I was a fan of Cody Rhodes. Now, I have lots of hairs on my bollocks and I’m facing Cody at Double or Nothing. So, I’m really happy, the pressure’s on him.\”

    Visit Metro UK to read their full interview with Anthony Ogogo.

  • Tom Phillips Released By WWE

    Tom Phillips is the latest person to be let go by WWE. The news was first reported by Sean Ross Sapp for Fightful. We have since confirmed the story independently.

    Phillips was with WWE since 2012. During his time with the company, he worked on virtually all of their shows, including NXT, 205 Live, Main Event, SmackDown and Raw. He\’s also been on-air for various WWE Network and YouTube programs. More also been involved behind-the-scenes as a producer and served as a Senior Manager of on-air talent.

    Adnan Virk replaced Tom Phillips as the lead announcer of Raw the night after WrestleMania 37. That stint lasted just over a month. Earlier this week, Virk was let go from the Raw commentary team. Veteran MMA journalist Jimmy Smith will start in that role this coming Monday.

    WWE is in the midst of a major staffing shakeup, both in the office and on camera. WWE\’s film, TV and social media divisions saw extensive cuts this week in the Connecticut and Los Angeles offices.

    Tom Phillips is unquestionably a very talented broadcaster. At only 32 years old, he\’s got a bright future in the world of professional wrestling, if he chooses to stay in the industry. He\’s already updated his Twitter handle to reflect his birth name, @TomHannifan.

    AEW star Dax Harwood of the FTR tag team had this to say about Tom Phillips\’ WWE release. Interestingly, he tells Tom, \”I\’m sure I\’ll see you soon.\”

  • NXT Preview (5/25): Kross vs. Balor, Franky Monet Debuts

    WWE returns to the Capitol Wrestling Center tonight with a live episode of NXT on the USA Network.

    The main event of this week\’s broadcast will see NXT Champion Karrion Kross defend against former champion Finn Balor. WWE released this preview video hyping the bout:

    WWE also released this vintage poster promoting Cross vs. Balor:

    \"\"/

    In addition to the main event, tonight\’s NXT will also feature:

    • Franky Monet will make her \”world premiere\” in-ring debut
    • Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzales face Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon in a #1 contender\’s match. The winners will earn a shot against NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions, The Way.
    • Bobby Fish returns to action against Pete Dunne

    Finally, Cameron Grimes will have a \”Million Dollar Faceoff\” with Ted DiBiase and we\’ll hear from new NXT North American Champion, Bronson Reed.

  • Alexa Bliss\’ Pet Pig Larry-Steve Passes Away

    Alexa Bliss\’ pet pig, Larry-Steve, has sadly passed away.

    On Monday, Bliss posted a message on Instagram asking if anybody knew of an emergency veterinarian that specifically works with pigs.

    \”Larry is very ill, can’t move or walk. In a lot of pain,\” she wrote. \”His usual pig vet said she is not comfortable treating him in his current condition. Most vets are not comfortable treating pigs. If anyone knows of a pig vet please let me know.\”

    Tuesday morning, she broke the news that Larry-Steve \’gained his angle wings\’ the day before his 4th birthday.

    \”This morning Larry-Steve gained his Angel wings. I’m so sorry we couldn’t find you the help you needed in time. Some people didn’t understand. But I want you to know Larry, YOUR LIFE MATTERED. We are completely heartbroken.\”

    Alexa Bliss and Larry Steve

    Alexa Bliss was backstage at Monday\’s Raw, but did not appear on television.

    She posted the following photo on Twitter remembering her beloved friend.

    Fellow WWE Superstar Murphy also posted this message and photos honoring Larry-Steve\’s memory:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CPSxd80LeJT/?utm_medium=copy_link

    SEScoops sends our condolences to Alexa Bliss during this challenging time.

    Long live Larry-Steve!

  • Velveteen Dream Issues Statement On WWE Release & Allegations

    Former WWE Superstar Velveteen Dream (Patrick Clark) has issued a lengthy statement about his release from the company. He also defends himself against the sexual misconduct allegations that he feels derailed his wrestling career.

    Velveteen Dream wrote on Instagram, \”The allegations from April 20, 2020 have effectively derailed any upward momentum I had professionally. And has ultimately resulted in my termination with WWE. My name is Patrick Clark, not the Velveteen Dream. Velveteen Dream is a character that I have spent years developing and trying to bring to life. The success of the Dream character relied heavily on kayfabe, my ability to blur Patrick Clark from Tough Enough with this over the top personality.\”

    He says his character was conceptualized the day legendary pop music star Prince passed away on April 21, 2016. He says he knew \”nothing\” about Prince at this time, but recognized Prince\’s image could be leveraged to produce a captivating wrestling gimmick.

    \”The character was conceptualized the day Prince passed, April 21, 2016. I knew nothing about him at that time, but my thinking was that I could use my interpretation of Prince to create an onscreen personality vastly different from who I am as a person. *Cue Velveteen Dream: A Sexually Ambiguous, Gender Fluid, Self Absorbed Diva. And as I learned more about Prince I began to tame certain aspects of the character. Aspects that I deemed way too over the top and inconsistent with who Prince was as a performer\”

    Velveteen Dream Addresses The Allegations

    \”The night of April 20, from my verified Instagram account I [posted] a story to my followers letting them know that my DMs had been open. I received a few different messages ranging from support, to heckling, and some inquiring about how to get started in pro wrestling. I responded to a few, but not all, and in their conversation Jaccob shared his interest in working as a wrestler one day and asked what steps would be required. I messaged a short list of things he should consider if he was serious: Physique and Promo to start, Physique, because as an independent contractor no-one is going to make you train and eat in a way that creates the aesthetic of a believable pro wrestler. And promo because our job is to sell drama, and you can’t rely on someone flipping channels to stop to watch a choreographed fight, you’re more likely to grab their attention looking into a camera with a strong impassioned 30 second monologue. I also inquired about which schools he was closest to in relation to wrestling training, his weight, and his height.

    Jaccob explained how anxious he felt messaging me and asked me to verify it was really me. I did find it strange, because I have a blue check, but as a lifelong fan I remember meet and greets and the days I would message wrestlers hoping to be seem, so I chalked it up to his innocence and sent a voice message in my Velveteen Dream voice, as to keep kayfabe, The full voice message has me asking Jacob about his height, weight, where he trained, and what school he attended. Which Jaccob answered back with a voice message and I continued to answer his questions until I politely wrapped up the conversation. April 21 I woke up to notifications of tags of created screenshots and videos of a conversation I didn’t have with Jaccob. I immediately contacted WWE’s talent relations and social media departments as to begin an investigation. Even after the investigation, WWE released a statement maintaining my innocence. The part that hurt for me was having a personal picture that I’ve used in my personal life, on apps, being used to label me as a predator. I am in now way of the word a predator. This is the first and only time I’ve been accused of solicitation to anyone.

    Until I was accused of grooming by Joshua Fuller, unlike Jaccob, I know Josh. I met Josh after my stint on Tough Enough in (2015) at a meet and greet. And we developed a friendship through a mutual trainer at GXW. Josh shared to Twitter screenshots of the first time we communicated through text (2016), and autographed picture from when we met, and an extremely contradictory story. Josh alleged that I made him feel uncomfortable but contradicts himself twice by saying I was never sexual towards him. For those willng to research Josh’s tweet accusing me: Josh’s messages are in blue and mine in grey. Josh claimed that he was a 16-year-old high school graduate and that he takes “yearly trips” with his friend to Orlando, FL.

    I doubted that when he told me, yet I kept my replies diplomatic and professional. The reality of the situation is that I was very helpful and respectful to Josh. Josh lives with his grandparents in rural southern Maryland. Josh got a concussion (2017) and against my advice, insisted on wrestling. My worry came from Josh severaly injurying himself, specifically his brain. I suggested he take time off from training to see a doctor. He declined because he believed he could work through the concussion, and I cut all communication with him in 2018 because I didn’t want to be partially responsible had he worsened his injury. So to have him accuse me of predatory behavior because I chose not to help was spiteful.

    Josh and Jaccob are 2 of MANY people that I’ve helped. Yet these are the only two who have found me to be malicious and predatory in how I go about helping others. What wasn’t shared at the time

    • Josh Fuller reached out to Jaccob over social media before Josh put out his own accusation. When this came out Josh Fuller temporarily deleted his Twitter account @joshfullerpw
    • Which is important because in all the social media confusion, Josh Fuller is the only one who suggested that an investigation had not been done and that he had not been contacted.
    • Jaccob deleted his social media after he was outed for being a member of an anti-black group chat.
    • There is a public forum, wwe lpsg stars where people are buying, selling and sharing explicit photos and videos of multiple wrestlers and no-one has done anything to have this site taken down.

    All in all this entire experience defamed my character and ultimately accomplished what it sought out to do and that was to see me released. My hope is that over time people can put 2 and 2 together and realize that all the allegations surrounding me were baseless and untrue from jump. I felt strongly about not needing to defend myself on social media for a while now, but I understand the audience I work for and those who know me deserve clarity. I’m thankful for the opportunities afforded to me and the memories I have as a receipt. GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD ME AND HE ALWAYS WILL. DREAM IS OFFICIALLY OVER BUT Patrick Clark LIVES TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY\”

    Credit to Liam Winnard of WrestleTalk for transcribing Velveteen Dream\’s Statement

    \"\"
    \"\"

  • Velveteen Dream Released By WWE

    Velveteen Dream has been released by WWE. The news was first reported by PWInsider and we have since confirmed the news independently.

    Once seen as one of the hottest prospects in NXT, Velveteen Dream was accused of sending lewd messages to a minor last year. WWE officials stated on multiple occasions that they took the allegations seriously, but their internal investigation was inconclusive.

    Velveteen Dream has been off television for some time, but was backstage at a recent WWE Raw taping. This led to speculation that he\’d be joining the main roster soon, but it was not meant to be. His last televised match took place on the December 23rd, 2020 edition of NXT.

    Velveteen Dream (real name) Patrick Clark signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2015. He had previously competed on the 6th season of the Tough Enough reality show competition. He debuted the Dream gimmick in May of 2017.

    Earlier this week, WWE also released several people from NXT, including referee Drake Wuertz, Jessamyn Duke, Vanessa Borne, Skyler Story, Ezra Judge, Alexander Wolfe and Kavita Devi. WWE has yet to publicly acknowledge any of the cuts.

    https://twitter.com/LocalSoundwave/status/1395485973908180994

  • Soulja Boy Says Randy Orton Beef Was A Misunderstanding, Wants To Collaborate

    Randy Orton and rapper Soulja Boy had some heated exchanges on social media earlier this year. It began when Soulja Boy tweeted that the rap game is \’faker than WWE.\’

    Several WWE Superstars took issue with his tweet, including Orton. He fired back with a barrage of insults, calling Soulja Boy \”nuthin but a bitch ass\” and said Bad Bunny actually had the guts to check out the world of pro wrestling instead of just running his mouth.

    Click here to see a full recap of their their social media beef.

    Soulja Boy Comments On Randy Orton Beef

    Soulja Boy joined Ebro in the Morning on Hot 97 on Thursday and discussed his beef with Randy Orton. Host Peter Rosenberg pressed Soulja Boy to give us the real story of what went down. The 30-year-old Chicago rapper said he actually likes WWE, but is not going to take back anything he said to Orton.

    \”I said what I said about the WWE, he has a right to speak on how he feels, so I can\’t knock him for that, but i\’m gonna defend myself,\” he began. \”People know I like the WWE. Back in the day, with Stone Cold and The Rock, at the end of the day, I said what I said. I\’m not gonna take it back.\”

    Ebro asked Soulja Boy to recap how the beef began. He said he was in the studio one day and came up with the rhyme about the rap game being faker than wrestling. He said Orton got mad and went off on him. \”We went back and forth, but it wasn\’t anything too serious. It was entertainment, this is wrestling.\”

    Rosenberg pushed Soulja Boy to clarify if their beef was just a misunderstanding. Soulja Boy replied, \”That\’s exactly what happened.\”

    Ebro suggested that Soulja Boy make things right by getting back in the studio and producing music featuring some Randy Orton quotes and send it to him.

    \”I\’m gonna get back in the lab and try to cook something up,\” he added. Rosenberg is ready to broker a peace deal and said, \”I\’ll connect you guys, let\’s do it.\”

    Check out Soulja Boy talking about his beef with Randy Orton:

  • AEW Rampage Show Announced, Dynamite & Rampage Moving To TBS In 2022

    AEW dropped some bombshell news on Wednesday. Two years after the announcement of AEW Dynamite at the 2019 TurnerMedia up-fronts, AEW President Tony Khan reveals that All Elite Wrestling has negotiated its relationship with its television partner. The main developments:

    • AEW Rampage is the new television show launching Friday, August 13th. Rampage will air Friday nights at 10pm (Eastern) on TNT.
    • AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage are moving to TBS in 2022.
    • AEW will present quarterly specials on TNT in 2022. Think, Blood and Guts, Beach Break, Winter is Coming, etc.

    Here\’s the official word from Tony Khan:

    Tony Khan on Busted Open

    The announcements were made during Tony Khan\’s weekly appearance on Wednesday\’s episode of Busted Open on SiriusXM. Here are some additional highlights of Khan\’s conversation with Dave LaGreca and Mark Henry:

    • Tony ran down the card for tonight\’s AEW Dynamite. Top matches he\’s excited for include AEW World tag team champions The Young Bucks will defend against the Varsity Blonds, Moxley & Kingston vs. The Acclaimed, Serena Deeb vs. Red Velvet, Christian Cage vs. Matt Sydal, Anthony Ogogo vs. Austin Gunn and more.
    • He called MJF the \’Bret Hart of the Create-a-Pro dungeon\’ (wrestling school) on Long Island, NY. Tony said C.A.P. has produced many talented AEW stars, including The Acclaimed, Kris Statlander, members of the Dark Order and more.
    • Max Caster has a killer rap lined up for The Acclaim\’s entrance tonight on Dynamite. Luckily, Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston have thick skin.

    Catch Busted Open weekday mornings from 9-12pm (EST) on Sirius XM Fight Nation (Ch. 156).