SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • Season 7 Trailer for Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring

    Season 7 Trailer for Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring

    Dark Side of the Ring returns for its seventh season on Tuesday, July 7 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Vice TV, and the show is opening with a three-part deep dive into TNA Wrestling and Jeff Jarrett. AEW president Tony Khan turns up in the new trailer, a striking crossover that ties today’s wrestling landscape to the series’ notoriously dark retrospective lens.

    The trailer features Khan alongside Jarrett, Scott Steiner, and Matt Hardy, among others. Khan delivers one of the trailer’s standout lines, according to F4W.

    “It is Dark Side of the Ring after all,” Khan says.

    Dark Side Of The Ring Season 7 Topics

    After the opening TNA and Jeff Jarrett episodes, the season branches out across several other subjects from wrestling’s past. The full slate of topics announced for season seven:

    • Three-part episode on TNA Wrestling and Jeff Jarrett
    • “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff
    • Big Boss Man (Ray Traylor)
    • Missy Hyatt
    • Samoa Joe vs. Necro Butcher from IWA-MS in 2005 and the personal animosity the two had toward each other
    • Zach Gowen
    • The Renegade (Rick Wilson), described as “an exotic dancer who had a brief run as an Ultimate Warrior knockoff”

    Khan, who serves as president, CEO, and head of creative for AEW, is a rare active promoter to appear within the show’s framework, which typically revisits the troubled chapters of the industry’s history.

    Season seven premieres Tuesday, July 7 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Vice TV.

  • WWE President Denies “Online Rumors” About Big Creative Change

    WWE President Denies “Online Rumors” About Big Creative Change

    Nick Khan is now claiming WWE never changed its WrestleMania 40 plans, a statement that flies in the face of The Rock’s own public admission and WWE’s own behind the scenes documentary. The WWE President insists the famous creative pivot fans witnessed in 2024 was the intended outcome all along.

    The road to WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia saw Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes briefly give up his main event opportunity against Roman Reigns to The Rock. WWE reverted to Reigns vs. Rhodes after heavy fan backlash, and a tag team match was booked for Night 1 with Reigns and The Rock facing Rhodes and Seth Rollins.

    Speaking at SBJ On Stage ahead of WrestleMania 42, Khan claimed those plans never changed and that what happened in Philly was always the design.

    “By the way, the plan was always how it ended up in Philly two years ago. Sometimes, it’s a pre-determined outcome in wrestling. You want to throw the fans off, you want to let things bake, and then, boom, it ends up the way that we wanted it to end up. It never changed,” Khan said.

    “That was just online rumors and gossip that we were changing, it never changed. We convinced Dwayne Johnson to come back. He’s on our board of directors. It was a tag team match. He’s about the same age I am, so two years ago let’s say he was 50, he was obviously in phenomenal shape, he did everything that we asked of him and then some. But that was always the result we were looking for,” Khan added.

    Khan’s Claim Contradicts WWE’s Own Documentary And The Rock

    The trouble with Khan’s version is that WWE itself has already told a different story. The promotion released a WrestleMania 40 Behind the Curtain documentary that admitted fan backlash forced the pivot back to Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes.

    The Rock has also said publicly that the original plan was for Roman Reigns vs. The Rock, before WWE pivoted to put Rhodes in the match. Khan’s framing of the situation as nothing more than online rumor runs directly against both accounts.

    Fans pointed out the contradiction on X, arguing that Khan does not want to accept that WWE listens to online criticism. On the same stage, the WWE President made comments tied to the WrestleMania 42 news cycle and claimed the company does not alter creative plans in response to social media reaction.

    Khan’s standing as WWE President under TKO gives his public statements weight, which is part of why this account has drawn such pushback. He recently signed a WWE contract extension that keeps him in the role for years to come.

  • MJF Announces His Final American Independent Match

    MJF Announces His Final American Independent Match

    MJF says his Beyond Wrestling match this Friday against Bobby Orlando will be his last American independent date for the foreseeable future, as he turns his full attention back to AEW. The reigning AEW World Champion framed the move as a deliberate decision to protect his title reign after a recent loss he insists never should have happened.

    Speaking with Undisputed (Justin Barrasso), MJF made the announcement while taking direct aim at the circumstances of his defeat.

    “I’m going to announce that this is probably the last American independent match I’m going to have for an extraordinarily long time,” MJF said. “I need to focus on AEW. I took my eyes off the ball for a millisecond, and a dude who is like 145-fucking-pounds soaking wet beat me. That can’t happen. I don’t care that he hit me in the nuts and spammed his finisher on me four times, and Aubrey Edwards, who is a complete liar, made a fast count. But glass half full, I’m now a three-time champion at the age of 30.”

    The in-character explanation doubles as fresh heat heading into his next televised assignment. MJF is booked to face RUSH on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

    MJF Steps Away From The Indie Circuit

    Over the past year, MJF has taken bookings across several independent promotions, including WrestlePro, HOG, Limitless, and CAP. Friday’s bout with Bobby Orlando at Beyond Wrestling is positioned as the cap on that run.

    The pivot lines up with his current AEW priorities, with MJF’s first title defence already confirmed after Double or Nothing. His AEW World Championship win gave him the belt he now says demands his undivided focus.

    For fans of the indie scene, Friday is the chance to catch MJF on a smaller stage before he locks back in on AEW programming.

    Via Undisputed (Justin Barrasso)

  • Danhausen Hits Stephen A. Smith With Knicks Curse Ultimatum

    Danhausen Hits Stephen A. Smith With Knicks Curse Ultimatum

    Danhausen took his Knicks curse storyline to the national stage, crashing ESPN’s First Take ahead of NBA Finals Game 1 to hand Stephen A. Smith an ultimatum: give him a TV show, courtside seats, or more money, or watch the New York Knicks get cursed again. Smith did not play along, firing back on air by accusing the wrestler of blackmail.

    The segment, which aired before the Knicks’ Finals opener against the San Antonio Spurs, turned Danhausen’s supernatural gimmick into a genuine crossover moment on mainstream sports television, according to ESPN First Take.

    Danhausen made clear that Smith’s previous payments had bought results, but said the protection comes with new terms.

    “Stephen A. Smith, your checks have cleared so far. However, if you want to keep this un-cursing going, perhaps Danhausen is gonna need his own TV show or more monies or perhaps those courtside seats. No big deal. You have until tip-off time to decide what happens with the curse,” Danhausen said.

    Smith was not amused. He shot back by accusing Danhausen of “damaging his reputation by engaging in blackmail.”

    How The Knicks Curse Storyline Got Here

    The angle traces back to April 28, when Danhausen first lifted the curse on the Knicks. New York has rolled since then, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers on the way to the Finals, giving the wrestler all the ammunition he needs to claim his powers are real.

    The saga has already spilled into merchandise, with a Danhausen Knicks “uncursed” line landing on the WWE Shop after the curse lift. His demand for a TV show also lands differently given he recently signed with Adventure Media for management across film, TV, and digital.

    For now, the question is whether Smith meets the latest demands before tip-off or risks the curse returning at the worst possible time. Either way, Danhausen has turned the Knicks’ Finals run into one of the strangest side stories in sports and wrestling.

    Via ESPN First Take

  • WWE Nearly Revived nWo During ThunderDome Era

    WWE Nearly Revived nWo During ThunderDome Era

    WWE nearly brought back the nWo during the ThunderDome era in 2020, according to former WWE writer Chris Dunn. The proposed lineup would have featured Sheamus, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Lars Sullivan.

    Dunn revealed the scrapped plan during an appearance on the Public Enemies podcast. He explained that the ThunderDome setting forced creative to pitch unusual ideas because producing television in that environment was challenging.

    “So, speaking about dog food ideas, do you guys remember that Thunderdome? Really tough to do TV in there. So, a lot of ideas were thrown against the wall. Um uh, So, it was discussed at one point, bringing back the nWo uh 2020, again. Yeah, new version,” Dunn said.

    The Proposed Lineup

    When asked who would have been part of the revived faction, Dunn named four superstars. “So, the pitch was Sheamus, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Lars Sullivan, We were really, It was really close to happening,” he stated.

    The plan called for a legendary former nWo member to fly to Orlando and introduce the new group on television. However, that person failed COVID testing upon arrival, and WWE scrapped the entire concept before it could air.

    “So, I forget which legendary nWo member was supposed to fly to Orlando to introduce this new nWo, but they essentially landed and they didn’t pass the COVID test,” Dunn explained.

    Why The Plan Fell Apart

    The failed COVID test appears to have killed the idea before it reached television. The timing aligns with the ThunderDome era, when WWE faced strict production limits, travel restrictions, and constant behind-the-scenes changes.

    Sheamus, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Sullivan would have represented a very different version of the iconic stable. WWE was attempting to keep programming fresh without live crowds during that period, leading to creative pitches that might not have been considered under normal circumstances.

    The nWo revival never happened, but Dunn’s account shows how close WWE came to bringing back one of wrestling’s most legendary factions under unusual circumstances.

  • WWE Confirms ESPN Simulcast For Clash In Italy PLE

    WWE Confirms ESPN Simulcast For Clash In Italy PLE

    WWE will simulcast the opening hour of its Clash in Italy Premium Live Event on ESPN linear television, the company announced Friday night. The show on May 31 becomes the third WWE PLE to get the ESPN simulcast treatment.

    A graphic shown on Friday’s SmackDown teased Roman Reigns facing Jacob Fatu under Tribal Combat rules in that opening hour.

    The full event will stream live in the U.S. through the ESPN Unlimited app. A kickoff broadcast airs beforehand on ESPN and across WWE’s social media platforms.

    Clash in Italy starts earlier than a typical PLE because of the time difference, going live at 2 p.m. ET.

    Since WrestleMania, WWE and ESPN have been putting the first hour of PLEs on linear TV. The idea is to pull extra attention to the events and push viewers toward the Unlimited app to watch the rest of the card.

    Clash In Italy Match Card

    • Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu (Tribal Combat) for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
    • Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship
    • Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther for the Undisputed WWE Championship
  • Road Dogg Pulled From Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling TV Tapings

    Road Dogg Pulled From Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling TV Tapings

    Road Dogg has been pulled from Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s upcoming television tapings. Johnny TV will replace him at the June 12 and 13 events.

    Scott D’Amore’s Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling promotion is set to hold TV tapings for its new Mayhem series. The New Age Outlaws, Billy Gunn and Brian “Road Dogg” James, were originally advertised for the tapings.

    MLP announced that due to circumstances beyond their control, Road Dogg is no longer able to appear. No specific reason was provided for the change.

    “Due to circumstances beyond our control, BG James will be unable to appear as part of MAPLE LEAF PRO Mayhem,” the promotion stated. “Stepping in instead is AEW & CMLL star Johnny TV, formerly known as John Morrison.”

    The Mayhem series will premiere on TSN. Billy Gunn remains scheduled for the tapings as originally advertised.