Cody Rhodes will always appreciate the WWE fans who easily could\’ve rejected the former AEW EVP upon his return at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022. Despite once being a driving force behind WWE\’s chief competition, Rhodes has been accepted with open arms by the WWE Universe, in stark contrast to the often-hostile reactions he received in AEW.
Speaking to \’Diamond\’ Dallas Page, Rhodes said he had \”nothing but positive things\” to say about the fans and that he \”can\’t find a negative in anything that they do.\” The Undisputed WWE Champion adds that fans could have \”fully rejected me\” when he returned two years ago.
\”Here’s this guy, he went off and started his own company, he was real bitter about how he left, midcard, jobber, all of this, they really could’ve gone a different way with it and that wasn’t the case. Somebody asked me at Mania, why do you think [they’ve stuck with you] and the only thing I could tell them was that I think it resonated with them, my story is a real story.\”
Rather than being rejected, Rhodes has become one of WWE\’s top stars, a consistent merchandise-selling powerhouse, and the face of the company in this \’new era.\’ In an era of wrestling where discourse is incredibly tribal, Rhodes\’ accomplishments across both AEW and WWE and his story have endeared him to fans across the wrestling landscape.
The Undisputed WWE Champion will next put his title on the line at WWE SummerSlam against Solo Sikoa. The August 3, show will take place from the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
WWE U.S. Champion Logan Paul hasn\’t completely closed the door on professional boxing, but he won\’t fight unless there\’s a good reason. Speaking to Fred Talks Fighting after his brother Jake\’s fight with Mike Perry this week, Paul said he\’d only return for \”a fight that excites me\” and he\’d need to be inspired by the \”dance.\”
\”I got a good thing going on in the WWE, bro. I\’m the United States champion, and I\’m much better at wrestling than I am at boxing.\”
Logan Paul in Boxing
Paul has competed in several boxing matches, including against his PRIME Enegery co-owner and occasional WWE ally KSI. Paul\’s most recent fight saw him defeat Dillon Danis last October. Mere weeks later, Paul would capture the United States Title, a championship he has held longer than anyone else over the past decade.
Although a return fight isn\’t in his immediate future, don\’t count out Paul making big waves in the ring outside WWE. Last year, Paul shared his ambition to hold gold in WWE, boxing, and UFC during an episode of his ImPaulsive podcast with fighter Israel Adesanya. Paul\’s career in entertainment has been defined by defying expectations, so fans shouldn\’t count out the Maverick making a return to boxing and beyond.
Alex Shelley has suggested that his days competing on the independents are coming to an end, amid rumors he is set to join WWE. Appearing at West Coast Pro Wrestling\’s Untouchable event, Shelley indirectly addressed speculation that he and Chris Sabin are set to join the Stamford-based promotion. Shelley did not confirm or deny those reports but did tell fans \”I might not come back here.\” If that is the case, Shelley is pleased that \”the future of pro wrestling is safe and sound is a West Coast Pro ring.\”
Alex Shelley addresses the Motor City Machine Gun’s rumors of them heading to WWE tonight at West Coast Pro!
— The Wrestling Blog (@WrestlingBlog_) July 21, 2024
Alex Shelley WWE Rumors
Recent reports have suggested that Shelley and Sabin, collectively known as the Motor City Machine Guns, have been in talks with WWE. Reigning WWE Tag Team Champion Tommaso Ciampa added fuel to the speculation when he posted a photo of the duo on his Instagram Stories.
Shelley\’s message at West Coast Pro Untouchable isn\’t the first tease that he is leaving the indies, seemingly to join WWE. In a recent Instagram post, Shelley spoke about celebrating the 4th of July by possibly having his final match with Beyond Wrestling for a while.
Shelley stepping away from the independents has led many to believe he and Sabin will soon be joining WWE. After all, if the pair were heading to AEW, it\’d be more likely that they\’d be allowed to still compete on the independents as many All-Elite talent already do.
A world-renowned athlete who has held gold in TNA and beyond, Shelley would make an excellent addition to the WWE roster. If Sabin joins Shelley, then the Guns would be able to demonstrate their skills against some of the top tag-teams in wrestling today that can be found in WWE.
Alex Shelley\’s WWE Past
Should Shelley join WWE, it won\’t be his first time competing for the promotion. Shelley\’s first match for the company came in June 2005 on Sunday Night Heat where he lost to Simon Dean. After establishing himself as one of the most talented wrestlers in the world, Shelley competed in a handful of matches in NXT in early 2020 where he teamed with Timesplitters ally KUSHIDA.
Nic Nemeth is proud to hold the TNA World Heavyweight Championship and is ready to defend the title as much as he can. Nemeth won the gold at Slammiversary 2024 in the show\’s six-man elimination main event. Less than a year removed from WWE, the \’Wanted Man\’ of wrestling bested Steve Maclin, Frankie Kazarian, Josh Alexander, and former champion Moose to win the gold, fulfilling his promise to win the title that he made earlier this year.
Speaking after TNA Slammiversary 2024 went off the air, Nemeth spoke about his 20-year journey in wrestling that has brought him to TNA. Nemeth admitted that he faced five of the very best TNA has to offer and on \”any other night, you flip that coin and someone else wins.\”
\”Look in these eyes and tell me you don\’t think this [the TNA World Championship] is the premier championship in this business. And if you don\’t, you\’re wrong. And if you don\’t believe me, try me. Any day, anytime, any place, I will be there.\”
These comments come at an interesting time for TNA, as the company has been enjoying a crossover with WWE NXT. Nemeth recently told ComicBook Nation’s Liam Crowley that he does not have \”unfinished business\” with the gold brand but should the main roster come calling, then \”let\’s talk.\”
Nic Nemeth\’s Championship Wins
Nemeth\’s title victory at TNA Slammiversary 2024 is just the latest championship that the \’Wanted Man\’ has obtained post-WWE. One month after debuting in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Nemeth captured the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship in his debut match.
Skye Blue is recovering at her home after an injury suffered during the latest AEW Collision put an abrupt end to her match. In the second match of the night, Hikaru Shida hit a crossbody to Blue on the floor and the referee immediately called for medical attention. After a commercial break, it was decided that the match had to be called off.
Skye Blue vs Hikaru Shida was just stopped abruptly due to this dive and Shida was announced the winner.
Blue, who also wrestles in ROH, had to be carried to the back and fans chanted her name in a show of support. AEW/ROH President Tony Khan announced later on that Blue had suffered an injury to her right ankle.
Our previous match was stopped + @shidahikaru was declared the winner, due to an ankle injury to @Skyebyee. Skye Blue is being evaluated now by the Doctors; we're all wishing her the very best.
This is a heartbreaking setback for Skye Blue who just a few weeks ago was in the AEW TBS Championship picture. On Twitter, Blue\’s partner Kyle Fletcher shared a photo of her recovery at home, though Skye hardly seemed in the mood for a photo.
we got her home everyone, doctor Kyle on the clock
Saraya was only informed that she\’d be winning the AEW Women\’s World Championship at the last minute, according to the wrestler herself. Saraya\’s victory came at AEW All In: London 2023 where she won the gold in a four-way that included Britt Baker, Toni Storm, and then-Champion Hikaru Shida. Not only did Saraya win the gold in her hometown, but she had quite the entrance with her family to Queen\’s \’We Will Rock You.\’
Sitting down with the Broad Ideas podcast, Saraya said that before they arrived in England, the four women had no clue who was going to win, and made up finishes that\’d see each woman win. It was only when Tony Khan arrived fresh from a Fulham FC match that the four finally learned the plan. [h/t POST Wrestling]
\”[Tony Khan] flew in, you know, at last-second as we’re about to leave because the show was the next day and he was like, ‘Oh, you’re going over, you’re gonna win’ and I cried… With championships, you’re like, yes, it’s predetermined, right? But they trust in you to be the face of that company but I never thought I would be in this position again.\”
Saraya\’s victory in London marked her first championship win in close to a decade, with her previous victory seeing her regain the WWE Divas Championship at SummerSlam 2014. Given that she lost nearly five years of her career due to a neck injury, it\’s not hard to see why Saraya feared her days of winning gold in wrestling had ended. Though that injury came at the hands of Mercedes Mone, Saraya isn\’t afraid to get back in the ring with the CEO.
Saraya\’s reign as AEW Women\’s World Champion would last 44 days before she lost the gold to Hikaru Shida on Dynamite: Title Tuesday in October 2023. While Saraya holds the unfortunate honor of having the least amount of days of any AEW Women\’s World Champion, capturing a title again meant a lot to Saraya who has vowed to appear at AEW All In: London 2024 this August.
TNA Wrestling has a brand new World Champion and his name is Nic Nemeth! The \’Wanted Man\’ won the gold at Slammiversarty 2024 in the show\’s six-way elimination main event. The bout consisted of Nemeth, Moose, Joe Hendry, Steve Maclin, Frankie Kazarian, and Josh Alexander.
Maclin was the first name eliminated from the match. A former Impact World Champion, Maclin was eliminated after being flattened by Moose\’s spear. Up next, it was Moose who was eliminated by Joe Hendry, guaranteeing that a new TNA World Champion would be crowned.
Though the crowd was firmly behind the Scottish star, Slammiversary wouldn\’t be Hendry\’s night, as he was eliminated by Josh Alexander after a low-blow and a C4 Spike.
Even after eliminating Hendry, Alexander continued his assault on the former TNA/NXT star. Josh also got in the face of the official and showed a side to himself that fans (who chanted a**hole at their fellow Canadian) had never seen before.
Alexander had little time to relish in what he had done, as he was eliminated thanks to a superkick from Nic Nemeth. With just Nemeth and Kazarian left, neither man held anything back, but it was a Danger Zone by Nemeth who secured him the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
Former WWE Superstar Ariane Andrew (aka Cameron) sat down this week with the A2TheK Wrestling podcast to discuss a variety of topics. Though best known her time in WWE, Andrew is today working with Pound Town Wrestling. The promotion will host its Light It Up pay-per-view on July 28.
On Appearing On WWE Tough Enough
In 2011, Ariane appeared on the fifth season of WWE Tough Enough but failed to win the tournament. Her tenure on the show is best-remembered for her stating a match between Alicia Fox and Melina was her all-time favorite and admitting she hadn\’t been watching wrestling for very long.
Ariane: \”Of course, that\’s where people still talk about it. I\’m just gonna bring it up myself the famous, famous \’What\’s your favorite match?\’ People still talk about that and I\’m like guys, how long ago was that? And also, I was very honest. I wasn\’t an avid wrestling fan growing up.
\”I don\’t know why I get so much s**t about that. There\’s so many people who\’ve gone on to be champions… it was interesting. It\’s like everyone wasn\’t a die hard fan but it\’s the passion and stuff that I feel that comes after, once you do become a part of the company.\”
On Her First Reaction to the Funkadactyls Gimmick
In 2012, Andrew, as Cameron, arrived on WWE\’s main roster as one-half of the Funkadacytls alongside Naomi. In the interview, Andrew explained that this wasn\’t the first idea WWE had in mind for her.
Ariane: \”I was like \’what?\’ Because initially I had been told that I was going to be replacing Brandi [Rhodes as an announcer] because she was moving up and I was like announcing, that\’s cool then they were [wanting me] to be a Funkadactyl and dance. I was like \’Oh all this sounds stressful.\’
\”Whether it\’s wrestling because I\’ve only had three months of training [or] doing announcing because I\’m like \’When have I done that? Maybe once\’ and being a dancer, I don\’t dance so all three of these. I\’ve only been in developmental three months I\’m like okay but you know this is just my personality and I feel like anything in life it\’s sink or swim. There\’s a little bit of faking it till you make it.\”
On Her Favorite Total Divas Story
In 2013, Cameron joined the cast of Total Divas alongside Naomi, the Bellas, Eva Marie, JoJo Offerman, and Natalya. The former Superstar had plenty of storylines on the show and recalled her favorite moment with seamstress Miss Sandra.
Ariane: \”I feel like Miss Sandra would probably slap me if I said this. I don\’t know it\’s it\’s a favorite [moment] it\’s just funny. Especially back then I was way smaller than what I am now and Tren I just have two different body shapes. Trin has like that voluptuous \’Pat-out \’Kapow\’ and I was just really small. So I just remember Miss Sandra used to be like \’Oh girl, what are these like baby clothes?\’ She was, \’Making gear for you was hard\’ because she\’d have to stuff the top area because there was nothing going on up there… I don\’t know, it\’s just like a funny moment of her just being \’Girl I need you to get like a little extra meat or something cuz I feel like I\’m making children\’s clothing.\’
On Her AEW Appearance
In July 2020, Andrew appeared for AEW and teamed with Nyla Rose in the Women\’s Tag Team Cup Tournament. The pair were eliminated in the first round and there were not plans for Andrew to become a regular member of the roster.
Ariane: \”Based on what I knew it was just a one-off type of situation. It was a very interesting one-off because I was just like, how do you get me and Nyla together? that\’s an interesting [situation] just because our personalities are different and stuff like that. It was just interesting how the dynamic of what they came up with… Nyla is super sweet so yeah, just trying to figure out how do we how do we make this story work and make it make sense even though it\’s just like I\’m coming in here as a random ass person.\”
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
WWE United States Champion Logan Paul has etched his name in the history books by holding the title longer than anybody else over the past decade. Mere days after hitting 250 days with the gold, Paul overtook Austin Theory\’s second reign as U.S. Champion (257 days) to achieve the milestone. Paul has held the gold since WWE Crown Jewel 2023 where he ended the 84-day reign of Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio.
In the annals of all U.S. Champions, including those from WCW and the NWA, Paul is the 22nd longest-reigning holder of the gold. This time next week, the Maverick will surpass Ricky Steamboat and Booker T in the rankings, both of whom held the title four times each.
While Paul is the longest-reigning champion in WWE today and the only current title holder to have won their gold last year, he\’s hardly been a fighting champion. Since capturing the title in Saudi Arabia, Paul has had just two title defenses. His first came at the Royal Rumble where he earned a DQ win over Kevin Owens. The second sawPaul defeat Owens and Randy Orton at WrestleMania 40.
H/T to @WWEStats for uncovering this stat. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more interesting wrestling facts and statistics.
What\’s to Come?
Paul\’s third United States Championship defense will come at SummerSlam 2024 against LA Knight. On the July 19, edition of WWE SmackDown, Paul agreed to face Knight at the Biggest Party of the Summer in Paul\’s hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. SummerSlam 2024 will take place on August 3, from the Cleveland Browns Stadium. Paul is undefeated at SummerSlam having defeated The Miz in 2022 and Ricochet in 2023.
MJF will bring his newly won AEW International Championship to CMLL on August 2, after what he has called an easy victory over former champion Will Ospreay. During the latest episode of CMLL, MJF was seen in a bathtub and spoke about his hour-long war during this week\’s Dynamite.
MJF bragged that his showdown with Ospreay was the \”easiest match of my life\” and was proud that he, unlike Ospreay, had a killer instinct (referring to Ospreay hesitating to use the Tiger Driver 91.) MJF then confirmed that he will be defending the International Title against those \”masked morons in Mexico\” on August 2, at the Arena Mexico.
???? ¡MJF apostará el Campeonato Internacional de AEW en La Catedral de la Lucha Libre!
Despite calling it an easy victory, MJF required an oxygen mask after his 59:58 showdown with Ospreay, a match that saw more in-ring action than all of WWE RAW. Despite this, the AEW International Champion is firmly back to his heel roots and plans to show the world what kind of champion he is this August when he makes his debut for CMLL.
On this week\’s episode of SmackDown, Rhodes teamed with Kevin Owens to face A-Town Down Under. Despite getting the victory, Rhodes and Owens fell victim to another assault by The Bloodline, who took out Randy Orton on last week\’s show.
After SmackDown, Rhodes delivered a superkick to the big PRIME bottle that had been at ringside and joked that he\’d ruined any chance of being sponsored by Logan Paul\’s energy drink. Rhodes thanked the fans in Omaha for coming out and supporting the show and that it was \”exciting\” to do the double taping. Cody ended the night by signing autographs and taking pictures much to the delight of the crowd.
Cody was able to have some fun after SmackDown, but things will be all business at SummerSlam 2024. Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at the Biggest Party of the Summer against Solo Sikoa and the Bloodline has continued to have Rhodes\’ number in recent weeks. WWE SummerSlam will take place on August 3, from the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
It has been reported that Hikuleo has signed with WWE after finishing his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling earlier this year, but what do you need to know about him?
Fightful Select broke the news that Hikuelo has signed with WWE and multiple sources have confirmed. The adoptive son of Tonga Fifita (aka Meng/Haku) Hikuelo is the brother of Tama Tonga and the adoptive brother of Tonga Loa and his arrival in WWE has been expected for some time now.
Early Career
Hikuelo\’s wrestling journey began in 2016, when, after training in the Team 3D Academy in Florida, he became a student at the NJPW Dojo. The Hikuleo name comes from Hikule\’o, a Tongan God, and he made his in-ring debut on November 12 in Auckland, New Zealand.
NJPW – The Bullet Club
After completing his training, Hikuleo joined the NJPW roster fill time in 2017 and joined the Bullet Club alongside his brothers and his cousin Bad Luck Fale. Unfortunately, an injury in March 2018 derailed his plans and he wouldn\’t appear for NJPW until FFebruary 2019 at Honor Rising: Japan.
NJPW – Guerillas of Destiny
After his brothers were kicked out of the Bullet Club by Jay White, Hikuleo began a feud with the faction\’s leader and lost to the Switchblade at the Mutiny show in April 2022. He would later align fully with GoD and defeated White in a \’Loser Leaves Japan\’ match in February 2023. Two months later, Hikuleo captured the Strong Opeweight Championship, his first title in New Japan, but lost the gold back to Kenta weeks later. At Wrestle Kingdom 18, Hikuleo and Phantasmo won the IWGP World Tag Titles but lost the gold
Outside New Japan
Hikuleo was in the crowd of AEW Fyter Fest Night 2 in July 2021 where he watched the IWGP U.S. title match between Jon Moxley and Lance Archer. After slapping the victorious Archer after the match, Hikuleo challenged him at Fight for the Fallen but was defeated. He returned to AEW in June 2022 to team with the Young Bucks and reDRagon to win a ten-man tag-team match.
In 2021, Hikuleo also appeared in Impact Wrestling and established himself as part of a U.S. branch of the Bullet Club alongside Chris Bey, and El Phantasmo. He and Bey would challenge for the Impact World Tag Team Titles at that year\’s Bound for Glory and Turning Point events but failed to win the gold from the Good Brothers.
Now, Hikuleo\’s journey has taken him to WWE where his brothers are already headlining SmackDown as part of the Bloodline. With Hikuleo by his side, Solo Sikoa could grow even more dominant on SmackDown which could certainly spell disaster for Cody Rhodes.
Ex-WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal wasted no time in making an impact after his non-compete clause expired when he showed up in Game Change Wrestling. At last night\’s GCW So High event, Effy was attacked from behind by a masked figure who hit him with the Khallas. This attacker was revealed to be Mahal, who is now working as Rah Dhesi.
Mahal\’s debut for Game Changer Wrestling comes shortly after his 90-day mon compete clause with WWE expired. The former World Champion was one of seven ex-Superstars who entered free agency this week and on Twitter, he made clear he can work and sign anywhere he chooses.
It\’s hardly a surprise that Mahal has made an impact in wrestling so soon after his non-compete clause with WWE expired. After his release, promotions were said to be heavily interested in the Modern-Day Maharajah and GCW was \’foaming at the mouth\’ to work with him.
Each week brings new releases for wrestling merchandise, including apparel, figures, and replica championship belts for fans to collect. Merchandise is a huge part of wrestling fandom and we want to keep our readers apprised of the best of what’s out there.
Here are this week’s top wrestling merchandise releases:
Ahead of Team AEW Vs. Team Elite on next week\’s episode of Dynamite All Elite Wrestling has released this graphic shirt hyping the upcoming Blood & Guts match.
Not enough Kenny Omega for you? This 1 of 1,000 Captain America-inspired replication of the former AEW World Champion is an exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con.
— Wrestling Figure News Source (@WrestleFigNews) July 16, 2024
If you\’re in the market for a poster, it doesn\’t get much nicer (or more evil) than this Danhuasen print from renowned wrestling artist Rob Schamberger.
You can acknowledge The Bloodline with this WWE Generations: Samoan Dynasty three-pack featuring Afa, Sika, and Roman Reigns which is now available for pre-order.
Sneak preview of @Mattel's new WWE Elite Collection @Walmart-exclusive WWE Generations: Samoan Dynasty three-pack!
Facing Bron Breakker left Ludwig Kaiser struggling to breathe in a testament to the raw power of the former NXT Champion. In an interview with Metro, Kaiser revealed that he was already dealing with rib issues before facing Kaiser on the June 24, 2024, edition of RAW. Kaiser \”couldn\’t breathe\” after mere minutes in the ring with Breakker and the German has been out of action ever since.
\”With everything in life, if you’ve been put in a bad situation, you make the best out of it. And that’s what we did. We managed it all well, it was all fine, but obviously I wanna be there, I want to wrestle and perform.\”
Despite this injury, Kaiser remains optimistic that he will be back in time for Bash in Berlin on August 31. The Imperium member said that the injury has been \”annoying\” but that he\’s \”recovering great\” thanks to his impressive genetics. German news source BILD has reported that Kaiser will be in a dark match at the SmackDown before Bash in Berlin. Kaiser will team with GUNTHER on the night against Ilja Dragunov and Sami Zayn though as always, the card is subject to change.
This injury has been an unfortunate setback for Kaiser, who had been in the midst of a singles push before stepping in the ring with Bron Breakker. It just goes to show that wrestling is a high-risk career and that injuries can happen anytime a Superstar steps in the ring.
Seven former Superstars are free agents 90 days after their WWE releases in April 2024. We\’ll be following their next moves here at SEScoops, so you can follow their careers wherever they wind up next.
Here are the WWE Superstars that are now free to work anywhere:
Jinder Mahal
Now going by Rah Dhesi, the former WWE Champion is the most high-profile name among this crop of wrestlers to enter the free agency market. Dhesi will make his debut for Black Label Pro Wrestling at their upcoming event on July 26.
Fans waited long enough for Veer Mahaan to arrive on Monday Night Raw, but that didn\’t stop the wrestler and former baseball player from being released. His final match saw was as part of the 2024 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in which he was eliminated by the Creed Brothers.
Sanga
The final member of Indus Sher, Sanga was part of Ring Ka King (An india-based brand of TNA Wrestling) before coming to WWE in 2018. His final match was also the 2024 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal where he was also thrown out by the Creeds.
Cameron Grimes
The former NXT North American Champion has plenty of pre-WWE homes, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, OMEGA Wrestling, and TNA Wrestling. It\’s in the latter promotion where Grimes held the X-Division Championship three times and is a former TNA World Tag Team Champion.
Xia Li
Despite a high-profile feud with Becky Lynch in 2023, Li was among those released in April. On August 3, Li will make her MMA for the Combat Night promotion. The ex-Superstar who is trained in wushu will face Xiomara Lee in Kissimmee, FL.
A former Rugby player who signed with WWE in 2018, Quinn had to wait until 2020 before he made his debut. Despite an impressive build, the Australian\’s final match for WWE saw him squashed by Bron Breakker in mere seconds on an episode of SmackDown.
Despite being poised as one to watch when NXT 2.0 launched, Von Wagner\’s tenure in WWE NXT ended this past April without any title gold to his name. Wagner is the son of WWE alum Beau Beverly and Von\’s final match saw him lose to Lexis King.
Braun Strowman is hoping to keep his distance from the Wyatt Sicks but won\’t deny that there is something alluring about Bo Dallas\’ macabre faction. Sitting down with WWE Deutschland, Strowman said that he hopes \”they stay the hell away from me\” and described the group as \”pretty scary.\” Strowman believes that Bo Dallas is \”off his rockers\” and doesn\’t want to become one of the \”bodies laying around everywhere.\”
Despite his fears, Strowman feels a connection to the faction, and that he \”can feel it pulling me towards them.\” The former Universal Champion isn\’t sure if this is a bad thing or a good thing, adding that \”I put that part of me away a long time ago.\”
\”If The Wyatt Sicks is able to get that monster to come back out on me, I fear for myself and anything that’s walking around me.”
Braun\’s Connection To The Wyatt Sicks
While not a member of the faction (yet!) Braun does have obvious ties to the Wyatt Sicks. The group is inspired by the late Bray Wyatt who was pivotal in bringing the Monster Among Men to the main roster in 2015. Braun and Bray later feuded and it was Wyatt (or rather, The Fiend) who ended Braun\’s tenure as Universal Champion at SummerSlam 2020.
During his days in the Wyatt Family, Braun worked alongside Erick Rowan who is now part of the Wyatt Sicks as Ramblin\’ Rabbit. On the latest RAW, Rowan poured his heart about losing Bray Wyatt and Brodie Lee/Luke Harper. Could Braun Strowman don his black sheep mask one more time as part of the Wyatt Sicks? Fans know to count nothing out with this popular, and mysterious faction.
Dominik Mysterio may have been the grand prize of a WWE match in 2005, but Liv Morgan plans on winning over \’Dirty Dom\’ without stepping in the ring.
Speaking to Rusic & Rose on The Big Show, Morgan was asked about whether Mysterio\’s affections would be on the line in a match. The reigning WWE Women\’s World Champion said she plans on winning over Dominik the \”ol’ fashioned way\” and plans on showing him what she can do.
“I don’t want to win him in a match. I want him to see what I bring to the table because I see so clearly what he brings to the table.”
Dominik, or rather the custody of him, was on the line at WWE SummerSlam 2005 in a ladder match between Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. While Rey won the match, much to the delight of Dominik at the time, the Judgment Day has acknowledged Eddie as his father since turning heel in September 2022.
What\’s to Come?
Morgan will defend her WWE Women\’s World Championship against Rhea Ripley next month at WWE SummerSlam 2024. On this week\’s RAW, Mysterio\’s efforts to be forgiven by Ripley were rebuffed while Liv remained interested in the Judgment Day star. As SummerSlam draws closer, the WWE Universe will have to wait and see which side Mysterio takes when Mami and Morgan meet in Cleveland.
Nic Nemeth won\’t let a partially torn labrum keep him from competing at Slammiversary, where he has a chance to capture the TNA World Championship.
On TNA iMPACT, Nemeth shared that the injury took place during last week\’s match with Frankie Kazarian. Despite this setback, the \’Wanted Man\’ will be part of the the six-man elimination match against Moose, Joe Hendry, Steve Maclin, Josh Alexander, and Kazarian.
With five challengers, the odds are definitely against Moose who has held the TNA World Championship since the Hard to Kill relaunch show. Both Maclin and Josh Alexander are former TNA World Champions with Alexander boasting the longest reign of any champion at 335 days. Alexander also never lost the title as his reign was cut short due to an injury.
Kazarian is the most tenured TNA wrestler in the match, having debuted in the company back in 2003. In fact, the TNA World Championship is the only title to allude Kazarian in his journey to the TNA triple crown.
Joe Hendry is perhaps the biggest wild card in the upcoming match given his immense popularity in both TNA Wrestling and WWE NXT. The Scottish wrestler has claimed he\’ll challenge John Cena should he win the gold at Slammiversary. This would certainly make for a unique match on Cena\’s impending retirement tour that will come to an end in 2025.
TNA Slammiversary will take place on July 20, 2024, at Verdun Auditorium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The event will stream live on TrillerTV pay-per-view.
Former WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal recently sat down with Chris Van Vliet to reflect on his journey in wrestling and his release earlier this year. Mahal held the WWE, United States, and 24/7 Championships before being cut.
Thoughts On WWE
This year marked the second time in a decade that Mahal, now working under the name Rah Dhesi, has been released from WWE. Despite this unfortunate statistic, the Canadian wrestler bears no ill will to his former employer.
Mahal: \”There\’s no hostility, there\’s no negative feelings at all with WWE. I\’m very grateful for them for all the years and the platform they provided me.\”
On The Release
Mahal was let go from WWE along with the rest of Indus Sher after the group had worked on Monday Night RAW and in WWE NXT. Mahal recalled WWE keeping the group away from important personal events, only to be left on the sidelines.
Mahal: \”A few months prior (to being released) Veer had a religious event that he holds, it was the one-year anniversary of his father\’s death. He got told that no, we\’re needed for RAW, you can\’t go back home… Sure enough, that week we weren\’t booked, we were sitting at home.
\”They were quite frustrated. And also myself, started off the year with The Rock and had the WWE championship match. Then one week later, I\’m not in the Royal Rumble. Which was I thought it was very weird. So we talked to TR, we just said, Hey, listen, like, if there\’s nothing for us, we can go our separate ways. And sure enough, a few months later, we went our separate ways.\”
When asked if he requested his release, Mahal made clear that he didn\’t but that at the time was open to the two sides going their separate ways.
On Fan Support After He Was Released
While being released is rarely fun, Mahal was met with a whirlwind of fan support and interest from independent promotions shortly after his release. This wave of momentum didn\’t go unnoticed by the former World Champion.
Mahal: \”I generally get a lot of hate online. But it was one of those rare instances where I got to show my real personality, actually, this happens to me all the time. I meet people and they\’re like, wow, like you\’re not what we expect. [They say] you\’re nice, maybe it\’s the Canadian in me. Always respectful, polite, and the Jinder Mahal character was the complete opposite of me.\”
On Drew McIntyre
Mahal isn\’t the only 3MB alum to reach the pinnacle of WWE as Drew McIntyre is also a former WWE Champion after capturing the gold at WrestleMania 36. While Mahal is happy to remind fans that he was the first 3MB member to taste WWE World Championship gold, he\’s pleased to see McIntyre be a main event talent on Monday Night RAW.
Mahal: \”I became WWE Champion before Drew McIntyre, don’t you forget that [laughs]. Drew\’s the man. What Drew is doing right now is incredible. This is the best version of Drew. Drew\’s the man. He\’s like a brother to me and to see him in this position.
\”He just signed a new contract so he\’ll be there for a few more years. Something about a man like he is incredible. He’s having fun. I just don\’t think he cares anymore and that\’s usually when the best comes out. Like CM Punk, he doesn\’t care about anything and that\’s why he\’s the best.\”
On Being in The Punjabi Prison Match
In 2017, during his reign as WWE Champion, Mahal faced Randy Orton in the third Punjabi Prison match. While Mahal would win the match (with a timely assist from the Great Khali,) it\’s not a match that the Modern-Day Maharaja enjoyed.
Mahal: \”The Punjabi prison match sucks. It\’s terrible. [In what way?] It\’s so hard. The inside cage is the blue old-school cage. You can hit it as hard as possible and it won\’t even make a noise. It was terrible. And then just the crowd reaction they couldn\’t really see the people in the arena, there\’s two cages so when we\’re on the inside, there\’s two cages they couldn\’t really see. And it was just painful. Kendo sticks, chair shots, everything.\”
On Not Working With Brock Lesnar
Later on that year, Mahal (still the WWE Champion) was poised to face RAW\’s Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. Mere days before the show, Mahal lost his title to AJ Styles who\’d lose to the Beast at the PLE. Despite rumors of Lesnar refusing to work with him, Mahal doubts that\’s the case.
Mahal: \”The headline came out, ‘Brock Lesnar refused to work with Jinder.’ I don\’t think he refused. I just think it was he probably pitched for a match with AJ because stylistically, it is a much better match. Me and Brock are both heels. Who\’s gonna put heat on who? It was gonna be a flat match. It would have just been him suplexing me a bunch of times, maybe Singh Bros get involved. But the match he had with AJ was phenomenal.\”
\”I had it [the WWE Championship] for six months and I didn\’t know that I was losing the championship until the day of. We were in Manchester and we have the title match. We get to the building. Michael Hayes tells me and AJ go talk to Vince, and send us to Vince\’s office, Vince tells me you\’re dropping the championship.\”
All Elite Wrestling made sure to get the blessing of Dr. Martha Hart for Darby Allin\’s entrance during the 250th episode of Dynamite.
Allin arrived inside the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock by descending from the rafters during a brawl between the Elite and those they\’ll face in Blood & Guts. Allin confirmed that he will join Swerve Strickland, Mark Briscoe, and The Acclaimed in next week\’s match.
AEW was mindful to consult Dr. Hart about the entrance, Fightful Select report, given the tragedy that took her husband Owen\’s life at WWF Over the Edge 1999. This isn\’t the first time that AEW has sought Martha\’s blessing, as she approved of Sting making his iconic entrance from the rafters on the go-home Dynamite before AEW Revolution 2024.
In September 2021, it was announced that the Owen Hart Foundation and AEW would be working together to honor the legacy of the late wrestler. This partnership has seen six Owen Hart tournaments (three for men and three for women,) and Owen be included in the AEW Fight Forever video game. This partnership has allowed for a whole new generation of fans to celebrate the life and career of The Rocket who remains a beloved name in professional wrestling.
The 250th episode of AEW Dynamite saw plenty of in-ring action and one more would surpass all the wrestling fans saw on this week\’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
This one match from Dynamite had more wrestling than the entirety of Monday Night Raw, according to stats from Cagematch as pointed out by Drainmaker on Twitter. From bell to bell, the July 16, edition of RAW saw 48 minutes and 52 seconds of wrestling, over eleven minutes less than the MJF-Ospreay showdown.
AEW is often considered to be a more wrestling-centric promotion when compared to WWE, and stats like these suggest that to be the case. In total, the 250th episode of AEW Dynamite had 80 minutes and 50 seconds of bell-to-bell action, over half an hour more than WWE\’s flagship show.
Ric Flair may be a 16-time World Champion, but the Nature Boy is fuming that he hasn\’t made the rankings of ESPN\’s top 100 athletes of the 21st century.
The list in question features athletes across various sports and is compiled based on votes from experts. Despite his impressive wrestling career, Ric doesn\’t appear on the list, and took to Twitter to address being snubbed.
How In The Hell On God’s Green Earth Is Ric Flair Not Considered To Be One Of The Top 100 Athletes In The World??? I Should Actually Be In The Top 10. 16 World Titles, Actually 22. 1,200 Hour Matches, 15 Years Without A Day Off; A Cultural Icon & Worldwide Sensation. Good Lord, So Many People Have Lost Sight Of What Greatness Truly Is! I Never Pulled Out With A Calf Muscle Strain. Oh How The Times Have Changed! What A Bunch Of Bitches! I Get Tom Brady And All That, But Come On Let’s Get Serious!
How In The Hell On God’s Green Earth Is Ric Flair Not Considered To Be One Of The Top 100 Athletes In The World??? I Should Actually Be In The Top 10. 16 World Titles, Actually 22. 1,200 Hour Matches, 15 Years Without A Day Off; A Cultural Icon & Worldwide Sensation. Good Lord,… pic.twitter.com/Ebx2bOZHA1
Ric isn\’t the only name in professional wrestling that feels he should have made the list. On his show (which airs on ESPN), Raw commentator Pat McAfee shared that he feels the Nature Boy should have made the rankings. It\’s important to remember though that ESPN\’s rankings cover athletes in the 21st Century, and therefore the vast majority of Flair\’s career should not be taken into consideration.
The 21st Century saw Flair capture his 16th World Champion after being awarded the gold by Kevin Nash in 2000. Once WCW went out of business, Flair returned to WWE in November 2001 and competed for years until losing to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. He would later wrestle a handful of matches in TNA before his final match in 2022 saw himself and Andrade defeat Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
At 75 years old, it certainly appears that Flair\’s days in the ring are officially behind him, despite showing interest in one final, final match. Until that day comes, Flair will continue to have an incredible legacy, albeit not one enough to get him in ESPN\’s Top 100 list.
TNA World Champion Moose likes what he\’s seeing from his company\’s working relationship with NXT and WWE. The NFL alum recently chatted with Alistair McGeorge for Metro and praised the ongoing situation as, \”the best relationship that TNA\’s ever had.\”
TNA has worked with AEW, AAA and others throughout the years, but Moose says the talent exchange with NXT has been second-to-none. Moose says both companies are acting professionally, which is not always a given in wrestling. \”There’s not one company that is being selfish,\” he said.
NXT & TNA
Wrestling fans have been treated to WWE\’s own version of the \’Forbidden Door\’ over the past few months. TNA Wrestling stars Jordynne Grace, Frankie Kazarian, The Rascalz, and Joe Hendry have all graced the NXT, with a strong TNA presence on this week\’s NXT TV. Both The Rascalz and Joe Hendry are expected to remain in the mix for the foreseeable future.
NXT stars who have shown up in TNA include Tatum Paxley and Izzi Dame, who challenged Grace for the Knockouts World Championship. The No Quarter Catch Crew made a home in TNA, with Charlie Dempsey defeating Zachary Wentz on the latest episode of Impact. Even Drew McIntyre has teased returning to TNA, which would be quite a scene considering he\’s a former TNA World Champion..
Could Moose Join WWE?
Moose has yet to appear in WWE NXT as part of this working relationship, but there\’s been talk for years about him one day joining the promotion. In the interview, Moose admitted that \”WWE is a place I always wanted to work for.\” Should he join, Moose would be met with some familiar faces from TNA\’s past including reigning Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and former TNA World Champion Drew McIntyre.
Whether Moose one day competes for WWE or not, the reigning TNA World Champion will be in action this weekend at Slammiversary. The odds will be against Moose in the six-way eliminator for his title which will see him defend against Joe Hendry, Josh Alexander, Steve Maclin, Frankie Kazarian, and Nic Nemeth. The show marks the highest gate of any TNA event over the past decade, as things are certainly heading in the right direction for Moose and all those in TNA.
The worlds of WWE and Call of Duty will collide later this month when the world\’s premiere pro wrestling company \”brings its best\” to Call of Duty: Season 5 kicking off July 24.
WWE Superstars Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley and Rey Mysterio Jr. will be available to play in various game modes, including a Slam Deathmatch mode.
The WWE Superstars will have all of their signature moves in the game. Check out the Undisputed WWE Champion busting out Cross Rhodes:
?THE CROSS RHODES IS IN CALL OF DUTY AS A FINISHER?
Slam Deathmatch is a unique twist on traditional Team Deathmatch, focusing on finishing moves. While weapons can down enemies, points are only earned by executing Finishing Moves, which will be randomized WWE Finishing Moves in upcoming matches. This particular mode will be available exclusively during the in-game WWE SummerSlam event, starting on July 31.
The Call of Duty website has blog post laying out all of the Season 5 content drop for Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile.
It's about to be a smackdown ?@WWE is bringing its best to the ring in Call of Duty Season 5 starting July 24 ???? pic.twitter.com/AXkfo7Xdcl
Several WWE Supertars Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, John Cena, and The Rock have all appeared in Fortnite. Lynch and The Undertaker also had customized skins for characters in Rainbow Six Siege.
Want more video game news including the latest about WWE 2K24 and AEW Fight Forever? Head over to our Gaming channel.
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