SEScoops

Author: Thomas Lowson

  • The Rock \”Headstrong\” On Making Roman Reigns WrestleMania Match Happen (Report)

    Roman Reigns Vs. The Rock has yet to be made official behind the scenes by WWE, but the Brahma Bull is focused on making the match a reality.

    The Brahma Bull returned to WWE on the Day 1 episode of Raw and teased coming for Reigns\’ spot as the Head of the Table. A match between the pair has been teased for years and was at one point locked in for WrestleMania 39. 

    The Rock & WrestleMania 40

    A potential Reigns-Rock match will come as bad news to fans of Cody Rhodes, who until the Day 1 edition of Raw, seemed poised to face the Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 40. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that despite the anticipation of a match between the two, The Rock has yet to sign a deal confirming his involvement with WrestleMania. 

    An agreement has yet to be reached, but the Brahma Bull is eager for the match to happen. One person in the company noted that Johnson was “headstrong” about wrestling Reigns at WrestleMania. Reigns himself laughed at the idea of facing The Rock during the episode of SmackDown that followed the Day 1 Raw. During an episode of ESPN\’s First Take, The Rock admitted there is a chance of a match with Reigns at WrestleMania. 

    The Rock\’s Return to WWE

    If The Rock does compete at WrestleMania, it won\’t solely be as a wrestler. This week, Dwayne Johnson was appointed to TKO\’s Board of Directors. As part of his lucrative deal, Johnson has full ownership of \’The Rock\’ moniker in a deeply personal move for the former WWE Champion. 

  • What Has WWE Told Superstars About The Latest Vince McMahon Allegations? (Report)

    A lot has already been said about the latest allegations against Vince McMahon, but don\’t expect any comments from current WWE Superstars.

    This week, Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, filed a lawsuit against McMahon and the promotion. Grant alleges that she was sexually abused by McMahon and John Lauriniatis and was trafficked to several wrestlers, including a former UFC Heavyweight Champion. McMahon\’s camp, which includes former WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt, has denied the claims, calling the suit \”replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and a vindictive distortion of the truth.\”

    WWE Superstars Keeping Quiet

    The allegations against McMahon have led to a lot of discussions about WWE and their business practices but those within the promotion are keeping quiet. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Superstars have been encouraged to \”lay low.\” The gist is that talent should not talk publicly about anything other than the upcoming Royal Rumble Premium Live Event or storyline related matters.

    This lawsuit comes at a time of great attention on WWE. In addition to this weekend\’s Royal Rumble event, the promotion recently finalized a ten-year deal to bring Monday Night Raw to Netflix. 

    A Company-Wide Clean Up

    While WWE Superstars won\’t be speaking on the matter, the same rule doesn\’t apply to ex-WWE talent. On Wrestling Observer Live, Lance Storm gave his view on the matter.

    “I think there needs to be a legitimate cleaning house of anyone who covered anything up, who knew about this. This is absolutely disgustingly horrible and Vince McMahon needs to be gone and done. And I hope there’s criminal charges brought if any of this is even remotely true.”

    Storm deemed the situation “absolutely disgustingly horrible” and stated that if any of the accusations were remotely true, Vince McMahon should be held accountable, even if that leads to criminal charges.

  • Royal Rumble Surprises: List Of Expected and Rumored WWE Returns

    Fans can expect to see several surprise returns as part of the upcoming Royal Rumble event, it has been reported.

    The WWE 2024 Royal Rumble premium live event will take place on Saturday, January 27 from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. It will be the 37th annual Rumble event and the seventh event to feature both men\’s and women\’s Royal Rumble matches.

    SE Scoops will have a live correspondent on hand for the Royal Rumble. Stay tuned for more information about exclusive content coming to the site, social media and YouTube from St. Petersburg.

    Wrestling fans are eagerly anticipating some surprise entrants in the men\’s and women\’s matches. Less than three weeks out as of this writing, the first round of rumored names include Sean Waltman, Naomi, and Liv Morgan, according to reporting from PW Insider.

    Who Not To Expect In The 2024 Royal Rumble

    Hulk Hogan

    Okay, let\’s get this one out of the way, because we must address it. Hulk Hogan\’s name was not churning in the rumor mill for the 2024 Royal Rumble match until he put it there. The Hulkster showed up on RAW this week and said he may have one more match left in him. That is not happening this year. I asked around about this right after Hogan\’s promo, and everyone gave me a resounding \”No way\” and/or \”Hell No!\” when I asked whether Hulk Hogan is coming in for the match at Tropicana Field.

    Shane McMahon

    Shane McMahon used to have a lot to do with the Royal Rumble match, as he also used to help produce it. I asked around as late as this week and was able to confirm that Shane-O Mac is not in any discussion for the 2024 Royal Rumble match. So, despite many expected surprises, Vince McMahon\’s son will not be one of them either. 

    Royal Rumble Potential Surprise Entrants

    Sean Waltman

    Waltman was recently at the WWE Performance Center which is also in Florida. On January 12, the nWo and DX alum said he can still go in the ring, but there\’s \”zero chance\” he\’ll be there:

    There was talk last week at the PC about Waltman being in Florida over the Rumble weekend. Last year, Waltman told a fan \”maybe\” when asked about competing in the match. Waltman is a two-time WWE Hall of Famer. His most recent match for WWE was a 10-person tag-team match on the July 8, 2002, edition of Monday Night Raw.

    Naomi / Trinity Fatu

    Former WWE star Naomi is among those being discussed for a return in the Women\’s Rumble match. The reigning IMPACT/TNA Knockouts World Champion competes as Trinity but is expected to finish with that promotion at tapings later this month. The belief within WWE is that she will be returning once her run with IMPACT/TNA expires. Naomi/Trinity famously walked out of WWE in May 2022 alongside Sasha Banks (now Mercedes Mone) due to creative differences with WWE.

    Liv Morgan

    Liv Morgan is also said to be in the mix, as there were talks back in November of her returning from her shoulder injury. Morgan was recently arrested for marijuana possession, but there is little to no heat on her from WWE management. Her legal issue has not changed plans for her, and she recently saw the most serious charge against her dropped.

    Giulia

    Giulia\’s status is a very interesting one. Rumors have been flying around about WWE interest in here. In face, it was reported that AEW backed off of her completely after interest from WWE was evident. Only time will tell if Giulia shows up at the Royal Rumble. She has not been to the WWE Performance Center yet, but the idea of her showing up in Tropicana Field is certainly possible.

    Mercedes Mone/Sasha Banks

    Mercedes\’ free agent situation is very interesting. The former Banks, who is notorious for keeping her contracts close to the vest, is now bound for another company after her NJPW deal expired. Although rumors of a WWE return are strong, those in WWE still believe that she is heading to AEW. Others, like Sean Ross Sapp have indicated the same. There were talks between WWE and Mone, but they hit a financial roadblock.

    Jade Cargill

    A lot of things are going on with Jade Cargill, and WWE has big plans for her. As a former TBS Champion in AEW, World Wrestling Entertainment didn\’t jump right to debuting her in the ring. Instead, they opted for a slow burn debut, where she showed up at Fastlane. Then, they placed her in the WWE Performance Center, so she could polish up her skills and get ready for her big moment. It will be interesting to see if WWE pulls the trigger on her debut at the Royal Rumble, and just how much time they give her in the match.

    Kazuchika Okada

    Okada is leaving NJPW, and that news broke the pro wrestling world wide open. We have not heard any explicit report of a WWE contract offer, but the man has been on WWE\’s radar for years. It may be possible that NJPW would allow Okada to perform at the Royal Rumble, even if he has more dates with them. Obviously, Okada\’s addition to WWE would also greatly shake up the WrestleMania landscape as well.

    Kamille

    Although it is expected that Kamille may debut for NXT first, WWE has their eye on the former NWA Women\’s Champion. She was just backstage at AEW Dynamite, but that was only because they were very close to her home. That didn\’t give any indication that Tony Khan is close to snatching her away from WWE. By all appearances, Kamille is going to WWE, where she will probably be a major player when the time comes.

    This page will be updated in the weeks and days leading up to the Royal Rumble.

  • Rhea Ripley: \”I Was Trying to be The Girl Next Door, But That Wasn\’t Me\”

    Rhea Ripley has become one of WWE\’s very top Superstars, but that has only come about after she narrowly avoided being released. 

    Ripley is WWE\’s reigning Women\’s World Champion, a reign that began at WrestleMania 39 with her SmackDown Women\’s Championship win over Charlotte Flair. Ripley\’s work with The Judgment Day has been praised by fans and has helped make the \’Mami\’ one of WWE\’s must-see Superstars. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lT9DIey1Ts

    Ripley Is True to Herself

    With her unique look, Ripley certainly stands out among the roster of WWE\’s women. When she debuted in WWE, Ripley had a more traditional look to her, complete with long, blonde hair. During a recent interview with The Ringer, Ripley recalled trying to fit in with what she believed WWE wanted from her, which ironically led to talks about whether to let her go. 

    “I was on the chopping block. I nearly got fired a few times. I don’t know if they wanted me to know that, but I did know that

    Realizing that a change needed to be made, Ripley looked to her taste in music and the performers she has gravitated toward throughout her life. 

    \”They didn’t care about what anyone thought. And I really aspired to be like that. I love the studded jackets, I love the painted jackets. I love the black makeup, the black hair. I’ve always loved that grungy look. And that’s been me, deep down. I’ve just been hiding it for so long because I was trying to be the girl next door, the beachy sort of vibes, but it wasn’t me.\”

    Ripley\’s most recent title defense saw the Eradicator retain against Ivy Nile on the Day 1 edition of Monday Night Raw. She is not booked to compete at this weekend\’s Royal Rumble event. 

     Rhea Ripley recently reached another milestone in her WWE career… 

  • Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling Returns: Promotion Founded by Dusty Rhodes Holding Event Next Month

    Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling, the promotion founded by the late Dusty Rhodes will host an event next month, the first in over two decades. 

    PW Insider reports that TCW will host an event on February 8, in Atlanta, Georgia from the Nightmare Factory school in McDonagh. Rhodes\’ daughter Teil and QT Marshall are said to be heavily involved with the promotion. Last month, Cody Rhodes and Marshall filed a trademark for the company\’s name, which led to the belief that a revival was in the works. 

    Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling

    Dusty Rhodes started making plans for TCW in 1999 and would establish offices in East Cobb County, Georgia. At the time, Rhodes described his idea for the new promotion as \”old school but with modern ideas.\” The first TCW event took place in July 2000 and saw Glacier win a tournament to become the first TCW Heavyweight Champion.

    The following year, TCW would host its first pay-per-view, and would also begin airing on TV. In March of 2001, Scott \”The Clap\” Anton and \”The Extreme Dream\” Erik Watts became the first TCW Tag Team Champions defeating Glacier and Jorge Estrada.

    With the demise of WCW and ECW, TCW welcomed talent that the WWF did not pick up. In an August 2001 interview with Greg Oliver, Dustin Rhodes had high praise for TCW.

    \”TCW is the alternative to the World Wrestling Federation. To me in my mind, my opinion, and my dad\’s opinion, we are the World Wrestling Federation\’s competition. We are not an independent, we are a company. We want to be treated as one.\”

    The original TCW saw several notable names compete, including Scott Hall, \’Hacksaw\’ Jim Duggan, New Jack, Leilani Kai, Daffney, and Steve Corino. Years before he\’d make it big as part of TNA Wrestling, James Storm would compete during the latter stages of the company.

  • Kazuchika Okada Grateful After First TNA Match in 13 Years: \”Thank You Everyone!\”

    Kazuchika Okada made sure to express his gratitude to TNA and the fans after wrestling his first match for the promotion in over a decade. 

    In the main event of this week\’s episode of iMPACT! on AXS TV, Okada teamed with the Motor City Machine Guns to defeat The System\’s Eddie Edwards, Bryan Myers, and TNA World Champion Moose. After the match, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin spoke about their love for TNA before handing the microphone over to Okada. 

    \”Thank you! Many people asked me \’Why you hate TNA?\’ You know, but I don\’t hate TNA. Thank you TNA! TNA made me, not the Rainmaker, but [it was] a good thing for me. Thank you TNA! Thank you everyone!\”

    Okada would shake hands with fans after his promo as the popular \’Cross the Line\’ theme for TNA iMPACT! played. Okada would return to the ring and kiss the mat, which features the TNA Wrestling logo, in a sign of respect to the promotion. 

    Kazuchika Okada and TNA Wrestling

    Okada doesn\’t hate TNA Wrestling, despite what some have claimed based on a previous run with the company. Okada first appeared for TNA in 2010 and would be established as a fan favorite in 2011. Dubbed \’Okato\’, the future IWGP Heavyweight Champion would use a look inspired by Kato from The Green Hornet series. A Green Hornet film would come out that same year, though TNA Wrestling had no official partnership with the project. Many felt that the gimmick was goofy and beneath someone of Okada\’s immense skill set. 

    What\’s Next for Kazuchika Okada? 

    Okada\’s contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling will expire this month and after a handful of shows in February, he will be a completely free agent. Despite previously working with AEW, it is believed Okada will sign with WWE. There has been talk that he will begin his WWE run as a high-profile member of the WWE NXT roster. 

  • Mustafa Ali Makes TNA Wrestling Debut: \’It\’s Time For an X-Factor\’

    The momentum of former WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali has found its way to TNA Wrestling as of this week\’s episode of TNA iMPACT! on AXS TV. 

    Ali was among those cut from WWE in September 2023, as part of the first wave of talent cuts following the launch of TKO Group Holdings. Ali\’s release came as a surprise given that he was in the middle of a storyline in WWE NXT. There had been plans for Ali to win the NXT North American Championship before being cut.

    Mustafa Ali\’s TNA Wrestling Debut

    In a vignette aired during this week\’s episode of iMPACT! a voiceover speaks about the changes TNA has experienced in recent weeks. The voice adds that it\’s now time for a different kind of change, to images of a politician being escorted and prepared by secret service officers. Ali then appears on camera, and true to his political campaign, says that he approves of this message. 

    The Changes to TNA Wrestling

    Ali is right to say that TNA Wrestling has experienced a change as of late. The company officially relaunched as TNA at Hard to Kill 2024 after years of operating as IMPACT Wrestling. This relaunch also saw new championship designs be introduced. In the main event,  Moose dethroned Alex Shelley to capture the TNA World Championship. His celebration would be short-lived as Nic Nemeth would debut for TNA after the main event and lay out the new champion. Ash By Elegance also made her TNA debut at Hard to Kill, in her first appearance in wrestling following her release from WWE last September. 

    TNA Wrestling won\’t be the only place that fans will be able to see Mustafa Ali in action… 

  • Logan Paul Has Re-Signed With WWE, Brawls with Kevin Owens at Performance Center

    WWE United States Champion Logan Paul will remain with the promotion for the foreseeable future after signing a new deal, but his celebration was short-lived. 

    Taking to Instagram this week, Paul shared a video of himself training in the ring. The Maverick said that WWE had renewed his contract and that he has been training at the Performance Center in Orlando. From there, Paul would run the ropes before taking several bumps as part of his training. 

    Logan Paul then discussed WWE\’s deal with Netflix to bring Raw to the streaming service in 2025 as well as The Rock\’s appointment to TKO\’s Board of Directors. During more training in the ring, Paul was confronted by Kevin Owens. After some punches were shared, the trainers, which included Shane \’Hurricane\’ Helms, were able to keep the two apart. 

    https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C2iDyh9JplF

    Logan Paul in WWE

    After debuting for WWE in 2021, Paul signed with the promotion the following year. He is currently 4-4 in the ring and has won at WWE\’s two biggest shows, WrestleMania and SummerSlam. He has held the U.S. title since WWE Crown Jewel last November, where he dethroned Roman Reigns. 

    What\’s Next for Logan Paul? 

    Paul\’s next match will take place this weekend and see the Maverick defend the United States Championship against Owens. The match at the upcoming Royal Rumble Premium Live Event will mark Paul\’s first title defense. 

    Win or lose, Paul will appear at next month\’s Elimination Chamber: Perth event. The show will be WWE\’s first Premium Live Event in Australia since 2018. While not confirmed at this time, it\’s likely that Paul will compete at WrestleMania 40 this April. 

  • Broadcaster Kevin Patrick Released From WWE Days After Being Pulled From SmackDown Job

    The WWE tenure of Kevin Patrick has come to an end with the Irish broadcaster\’s release from the promotion today. 

    PW Insider broke the news about Patrick\’s departure from the company. This news comes mere days after Patrick was removed from SmackDown\’s commentary team, with the belief backstage that his tenure on the blue brand just wasn\’t working. Patrick has since been replaced by Michael Cole, who will be calling the action with Corey Graves moving forward. 

    January hasn\’t been an easy month for Patrick by any stretch of the imagination. In the weeks leading up to his release, there was a consensus in WWE that he needed to prove himself in the high-profile role on SmackDown. Patrick\’s time on the blue brand would be short-lived, as he was only moved to SmackDown a few weeks ago.  Despite this, Patrick was said to be well-liked by those in the company. He was the co-host of the After the Bell podcast with Corey Graves. 

    More on Kevin Patrick

    Patrick studied journalism at Ireland\’s Griffith College Dublin, and worked as part of the RTÉ Sport team covering the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He left Ireland for the United States in 2009.

    Prior to joining WWE, he worked for a number of major media companies, including CNN, Fox Sports and also did commentary for Major League Soccer\’s Atlanta United home games on Apple TV+.

    Kevin Patrick isn\’t the only notable member of his family. His father Liam was an All-Ireland-winning Gaelic footballer. While Kevin played for Raheny GAA, an injury would cut his athletics career short. 

  • \”Come Take Over WWE With Us\” – Bayley Offers Damage CTRL Invite to Top NXT Prospect

    The future of Damage CTRL may be looking increasingly uncertain, but Bayley hopes to bring an NXT Superstar on board when the time is right. 

    Damage CTRL debuted at SummerSlam 2022, which marked the return of Bayley after an injury that kept her out of the ring for over a year. The Role Model showed up in Nashville with Dakota Kai (who had been released earlier that year) and Io Shirai (since renamed IYO SKY) whose contract was close to expiring. 

    A New Member? 

    In November of last year, Kairi Sane and Asuka joined the faction, despite the Empress\’ previous battles with Damage CTRL. On Instagram this week, Bayley threw out an offer to WWE NXT Superstar Cora Jade who is currently out of action with an ACL injury. 

    Cora Jade\’s Injury

    Jade suffered her injury at a WWE NXT live event during a match with NXT Women\’s Champion Lyra Valkyria. It was later confirmed that she suffered a torn ACL. Jade, a former WWE NXT Women\’s Tag Team Champion, is expected to miss up to a year of ring time due to the injury. This injury comes at an awful time for Jade. She had only returned to WWE programming weeks prior at NXT Deadline after a hiatus from TV that lasted for several months. 

    Cora Jade joined WWE in 2021. She has previously competed under the name Elyanna Black and has made appearances for TNA Wrestling (IMPACT Wrestling) at the time, as well as AEW. 

    Cora Jade\’s efforts in the ring haven\’t gone unnoticed by one of WWE\’s veteran performers… 

  • End of the WWE Network: Streaming Service to Be Absorbed By Netflix Next Year (Report)

    The era of the WWE Network will seemingly come to an end next year as part of the promotion\’s lucrative deal with Netflix. 

    This week, WWE and Netflix confirmed a deal that will see Monday Night Raw move to the streaming juggernaut. The deal, valued at over $5 billion, will last for ten years, though Netflix has the offer to end the deal at the five-year mark or extend it past ten years for another decade. 

    The End of the WWE Network?

    For fans outside the United States, they will receive Raw, SmackDown, WWE NXT, and Premium Live Events as part of this deal. This has raised questions about the future of the WWE Network, which fans outside the U.S. currently use for said shows. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that Netflix will take up the brunt of the workload. 

    ”For most of the world, they’re going to be taking over the WWE Network. The WWE Network itself, that exists outside the United States, that will be folding at the end of the year and Netflix will pick up the content.

    \”So a lot of people have asked will they pick up all the content? All the archives? I don’t know. But they will be the sole source of that, the archival content of all the old territories and all the old stuff that was on the old WWE Network. That will, that will move to Netflix outside the United States in January.”

    Meltzer then looked at WWE\’s relationship with Peacock, where the WWE Network in North America currently resides. Meltzer wouldn\’t be surprised if this also falls under Netflix\’s watch when the time is right. 

     \”When the Peacock deal is up, if Netflix were to get that, that’d be interesting to see how much more they would pay. Obviously, it’s a $200 million deal per year deal right now. So that’s the next deal. That’s coming up.”

    Raw will move to Netflix in Jan 2025, but their deal with the USA Network will expire in September 2024… 

  • WWE\’s Natalya Reportedly Working on Hart Family Movie

    The legendary Hart family could be the subject of an upcoming movie, following the success of A24\’s The Iron Claw. 

    The Iron Claw delves into the lives and tragedies of the Von Erich wrestling family and has been met with praise by wrestling fans and critics. Even pop sensation Adele described the biopic as her favorite film of the past year. Despite this, The Iron Claw received zero nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards.

     A Hart Project In the Works? 

    Given the popularity of The Iron Claw, there\’s been speculation about other wrestling stories making it to the big screen. On Instagram, Natalya posted a photo of herself with Rory Culkin, the star of movies including Signs and Scream 4. Jordan Levine and Jordan Beckerman of Yale Productions were also in the photo. 

    Natalya\’s caption made clear that she is working on something close to her heart. Fightful Select reports that this something involves possibly making a movie based on the Hart family. Levine and Beckerman have reportedly had an interest in the idea for some time. Culkin, like his brother Macauley, is a known long-time wrestling fan. 

    The Hart Family Out of the Ring

    If this film makes it to the big screen, it won\’t be the first time that the first family of Canadian wrestling has been covered. WWE has released several documentaries about the Harts including individual DVD sets about Bret and Owen Hart. 

    Outside of WWE, Bret and his family worked with Trimark Pictures to create 1998\’s \’Wrestling With Shadows.\’ The documentary gives an in-depth look at the highs and lows of professional wrestling and features Bret recounting his life in the business from a wrestler\’s perspective. Wrestling With Shadows, which also covers the Montreal Screwjob, received a 25th-anniversary Blu-Ray release last year.  

  • Moose: TNA is the Best Wrestling Company Top to Bottom & It\’s Only Going to Get Better

    TNA World Champion Moose is ready for the promotion to take the wrestling world by storm after the strong start at Hard to Kill. 

    The January 13, event marked the official relaunch of TNA Wrestling, which was announced back at Bound for Glory 2023. Speaking on the Insight podcast, Moose was asked how it feels to be a TNA wrestler and recalled the locker room\’s reaction to last October\’s announcement. 

    \”[It feels] Great! It\’s something that within the boys, that we\’ve always talked about. We\’ve always said to each other \’What if TNA came back and we weren\’t IMPACT Wrestling anymore? We were just TNA?\’ I didn\’t know personally [about the rebrand] They didn\’t tell me, I\’m the last person that finds out about anything that\’s going on. I remember the night, I think Josh [Alexander] was in the main event and everybody was like \’Make sure you watch the monitors after the match.\’ In my head, I\’m like \’What\’s going on?\’ Is CM Punk coming in? Because he was a free agent at the time. CM Punk coming in? No way!

    \”So I\’m going to watch the monitor and the match is over and the reveal happens. And there\’s a reaction video and you can see me jump up, get on the chair chanting \’T-N-A! T-N-A!\’ with the rest of the boys. I think that was the most epic part of the year last year.\”

    Moose on TNA Hard to Kill

    In the main event of Hard to Kill, Moose captured the TNA World Championship from Alex Shelley, ending the 218-day reign of the Motor City Machine Gun. Moose\’s celebration would be short-lived, as he was confronted by the debuting Nic Nemeth, who laid out the new champ with a superkick. On the podcast, Moose recalled the excitement of what happened after his win. 

    \”I don\’t think anybody was expecting what happened after [Hard to Kill\’s main event.] Obviously, I wasn\’t expecting it either. But just rethinking the whole moment. They set it up in the weeks prior that there\’s going to be a huge signing and this person is showing up at Hard to Kill. \’You won\’t believe who\’s there!\’ I think the way they set it up, they announced Dana Brooke [Ash By Elegance] in the Women\’s Championship match. And everybody thought \’Oh man, Dana Brooke, that\’s awesome.\’ That\’s a new signing to TNA.

    \”So [after that] nobody thought anything was going to happen. And then I win the title and I\’m celebrating and Nic [Nemeth] comes out from out of nowhere and kicks my ass. He\’s gonna get his back.\”

    Moose Makes His Promise

    TNA Hard to Kill would prove to be a runaway success for the promotion with fans and those in the industry praising the relaunch show. On the podcast, Moose vowed that Hard to Kill is just a sign of things to come. 

    \”It just shows how great the year has started off, and it\’s only going to get better. I promise you… And I\’m sure he [Nemeth] is going to have great matches with a ton of guys on my roster. There\’s the crazy thing about it. You go on Twitter and you see all these idiots, that never watch the product, only say bad things.

    \”But then you watch the product and as soon as you watch it, you\’re hooked because you\’re like \’I didn\’t know TNA was this f****** good!\’ We, I think, in my personal opinion, are the best wrestling company from top to bottom.\”

    TNA Wrestling is ready to \’Cross the Line\’ once more… 

    For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.

  • Potential Spoiler On Injured Superstar Returning At the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble PLE

    This weekend\’s Women\’s Royal Rumble match could see one currently injured Superstar make her presence felt in the 30-Woman contest. 

    The Women\’s Royal Rumble was first introduced in 2018, with Asuka last eliminating Nikki Bella to be crowned the first winner. Since then, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Ronda Rousey, and Rhea Ripley have all emerged victorious in the match. Currently, there is a 66% chance of a Women\’s Rumble winner being successful at WrestleMania, with Lynch, Flair, Belair, and Ripley all capturing gold at the April supershow. 

    The Women\’s Royal Rumble Match

    With 24 spots in the Women\’s Royal Rumble match yet to be filled, fans are eager to see what surprises are in store for the contest. PW Insider Elite reports that one name who has been discussed to make a return for the match is Sonya Deville, who has been out of action for months. 

    Deville has been out of action since July, when she suffered an ACL injury. The following month, she would have surgery that would end her tag team with Chelsea Green. Before her injury, WWE had hoped that Green and Deville would \’stabilize\’ the often-chaotic Women\’s Tag Team Championship division. 

    Throughout her recovery, Deville has been supported by her fiancee Toni Cassano. The pair got engaged in February of this year in an interview with PEOPLE. Deville has been present at WWE\’s Performance Center this month, which some have taken as a sign of an imminent comeback. 

    WWE Royal Rumble 2024

    Here is the card for the WWE 2024 Royal Rumble PLE as it currently stands:

    • Men\’s Royal Rumble match (Confirmed entrants: Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, GUNTHER, Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, Kofi Kingston, Damian Priest)
    • Women\’s Royal Rumble match (Confirmed entrants: Bayley, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Nia Jax, Maxxine Dupri, Ivy Nile)
    • Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. LA Knight (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
    • Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship)

    A certain WWE Hall of Famer is waiting for a call about the Men\’s Royal Rumble match… 

  • WWE RAW Without TV For 2024 Q4 Before Move To Netflix

    Monday Night Raw will begin streaming on Netflix come January 2025, but there are questions about the red brand\’s home for the months before the big move. 

    This week, it was announced that Raw will move to Netflix as part of a $5 billion deal with the streaming giant. Fans in the U.S. will have access to Monday Night Raw each week, while those outside of the States will receive Raw, SmackDown, WWE NXT, and Premium Live Events. Netflix will not cover monthly PLEs in areas where deals are already in place with other distributors, such as India. 

    Monday Night Raw Without A Home

    Raw\’s move to Netflix won\’t happen until January 2025, which has raised questions as to the red brand\’s future in the final quarter of 2024. That\’s because WWE\’s current deal for Raw to broadcast on the USA Network will expire later this year. 

    On the Pollock & Thurston show, Wrestlenomics\’ Brandon Thurston noted that an NBC official informed him that the USA Network will not carry Raw after the expiration date of this deal, which is September 30. On the show, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer said that an announcement was coming shortly regarding those three months in which Raw currently has no broadcast deal. 

    Moving to A New Day? 

    Raw has been synonymous with Monday nights ever since its launch, and Nick Khan intends that to be the case after the Netflix move. On the Pat McAfee show, Khan addressed the possibility of Raw being released on Netflix on a different date. 

    \”At this moment in time, it remains Monday Night Raw. Keep in mind, we have ten and a half months until this deal is up and running… If we stay on Mondays, it\’ll work, if we move to a different day, we think it\’ll work too.\”

    In an SEC filing, it was noted that Netflix has the option to extend the WWE Raw deal beyond the initial ten years or opt out after five years.

    H/T – Fightful

  • UFC Legend Says Seth Rollins \”Dodged A Bullet\” – MCL Injury Could\’ve Been Much Worse

    WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth \’Freakin\’ Rollins is looking on the bright side as his recent injury could\’ve been much, much worse. 

    During the main event of last week\’s Raw, Rollins retained against Jinder Mahal. The match had a big-fight feel, thanks in part to Tony Khan\’s outburst about the booking of Mahal. Due to an injury, Mahal was seen limping and had to be helped to the back after the match. It was later confirmed that Rollins suffered a torn MCL and a meniscus injury. 

    Seth Rollins Dodged A Bullet

    On this week\’s Raw, Rollins confirmed reports about his injury but valiantly vowed that he would defend the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. Speaking to ESPN MMA with Daniel Cormier, Rollins addressed his gratitude given that his situation could\’ve been much worse. 

    \”Dodged a bullet, the ACL is intact, the MCL will heal with time, I’m hoping to be back at full strength in around a month, [that’s] my kinda timeline. We’re gonna take it day-to-day, I’d like to be back in a month, I don’t wanna walk into WrestleMania & that be my first match in 2/3 months, that’s not gonna be good for me.

    \”I want be able to get back in there, test the wheels & make sure we’re in a good place so we’ll see how it goes. I’m happy we dodged a bullet & wasn’t anything too serious that was gonna put me on the shelf for 6-9 months.\”

    On this week\’s Raw, WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER confronted Rollins and expressed his genuine respect for the World Heavyweight Champion. The dominant Austrian also vowed to win this weekend\’s Men\’s Royal Rumble match and challenge Rollins at WrestleMania 40. 

    Rollins\’ rival CM Punk has had some choice words for the World Heavyweight Champion… 

  • John Cena: I\’m 47 This Year, I\’ll Retire Before I\’m 50

    WWE icon John Cena has given the clearest image to date as to when his time in the ring will come to an end.

    Speculation over Cena\’s retirement has continued to grow in recent years, especially with his matches for WWE becoming increasingly sporadic. Cena\’s most recent match for WWE came at Crown Jewel 2023 and saw the 16-time WWE World Champion lose to Solo Sikoa.

    The End of John Cena\’s Career 

    In addition to his lengthy tenure, Cena\’s thriving Hollywood career has led many to believe his days in the ring are numbered. In an interview with ET Online to promote his new film Argylle, John spoke candidly about the end of his wrestling career.

    \”I never wanted to go out there just for the sake of going out there. And I’m gonna be 47 this year. I feel great. So inside I feel great, but I know what it takes to be a WWE performer night in and night out and I don’t ever wanna just go out there and do it to do it. I wanna have the passion — the same passion as the fanbase — and I wanna give them exactly what they give me. The miles on the speedometer say, ‘Hey, that’s gotta be done before 50.\’”

    Little is known about what plans WWE and Cena have (if any) regarding his retirement match. Mere weeks after his loss to Solo Sikoa, Cena underwent successful surgery on his arms. 

    Argylle will release in cinemas on February 2.

    Cena has an idea as to where his last match should happen… 

  • Booker T Wants In The 2024 Men\’s Royal Rumble Match: \”I\’m In The Best Shape Of My Life!\”

    Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T is ready to lace up his boots one more time for this weekend\’s Men\’s Royal Rumble match. 

    The 2024 Royal Rumble event will take place this weekend from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The show will be the 37th annual Royal Rumble event and the seventh to feature a Men\’s and Women\’s match. On his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker made his case for why he should be in the match. 

    \”I’m in the best shape of my life, y’all. I’ve been training, I’ve been hitting the gym harder than I’ve ever hit it before. I’m serious, man. I’m serious on this. So if they need an extra man, if they need me to make that walk just one time going down in St. Petersburg, Florida, oh yeah, man. I will be ready, willing and able to get the job done, guys.”

    Booker went even further, saying he\’s not taking any phone calls unless it has a 203 area code, the code for Stamford, CT, where WWE\’s headquarters are located. The former World Champion added that he\’ll already be in St. Petersburg for the show, as he\’ll be part of the kick-off panel. 

    Booker T in the Royal Rumble Match

    After joining the WWF following the demise of WCW, Booker\’s Rumble debut would come in the 2002 match. The \’favorite\’ Superstar of Mr. McMahon at the time, Booker entered at #30 but his time in the match would be woefully short-lived. Booker has appeared in a total of 9 Royal Rumble matches. He has a total of 11 eliminations to his name and has lasted in the match for a combined time of 42:57.

    WWE Royal Rumble 2024

    Here is the card for the WWE 2024 Royal Rumble PLE as it currently stands:

    • Men\’s Royal Rumble match (Confirmed entrants: Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, GUNTHER, Chad Gable, Otis, Akira Tozawa, Kofi Kingston, Damian Priest)
    • Women\’s Royal Rumble match (Confirmed entrants: Bayley, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Nia Jax, Maxxine Dupri, Ivy Nile)
    • Roman Reigns (c) (with Paul Heyman) vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. LA Knight (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
    • Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship)

    Who else should the WWE Universe expect during this week\’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event… 

    H/T – Fightful

  • John Cena Knows Exactly Where He Wants His Final Match To Happen

    Details may still be sketchy as to what John Cena\’s last match will look like, but if John has his way, this much-anticipated bout will take place overseas. 

    Much has been said about Cena\’s potential retirement, with the 46-year-old Superstar being well aware that he is in the twilight years of his time in the ring. Following last year\’s loss to Solo Sikoa, Cena teased that he\’d wrestled his final match. More recently, however, John made it clear he\’s open to wrestling one big final match for WWE.

    Where Will John Cena\’s Last Match Be? 

    It\’s unclear when exactly John Cena\’s last match will happen, but plans are slowly coming together for him. Speaking on a recent edition of BBC\’s The One Show, Cena spoke about his future in the ring, and would like for his final match to take place in the UK. 

    “Fans in the UK, WWE fans, they’re the best & fans in London specifically they will let you know how they feel & I don’t think I’ll be able to choose my opponent but if I could choose a venue it’d be the O2 in London.” 

    John Cena & The O2

    Cena made his return to WWE at the O2 Arena at Money in the Bank 2023 in July of last year. In front of a passionate crowd, Cena spoke about how important the UK crowd is and vowed to bring WrestleMania to London. Cena\’s promo was interrupted by Grayson Waller, who after pitching WrestleMania in Australia, was laid out with an AA by Big Match John. 

    Cena has also competed in the O2 Arena several times. One of Cena\’s more infamous matches in the venue saw him lose to Lord Tensai in an Extreme Rules match on an April 2012 episode of Raw.  

  • William Regal Returns To WWE NXT, Ava is The New General Manager

    This week\’s episode of WWE NXT saw two huge developments, including the return of William Regal in his first role on TV in a very long time. 

    Regal was released from WWE in January 2022, ending his over-two-decade tenure with the promotion. After joining AEW that same year, Regal was let out of his contract by Tony Khan so that he could return to WWE and be closer to his son Charlie Dempsey. 

    William Regal and Ava

    As part of his agreement with AEW that allowed for his release, Regal did not appear on WWE programming for the first year of his return. On this week\’s show, the British veteran re-emerged and was seen to have had a producing meeting with WWE\’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels. 

    Regal appeared alongside Ava, who has been making matches and big decisions as of late. In their segment, Regal confirmed that not only is the fourth-generation wrestler officially the GM of NXT, but at 22 years old, she is the youngest General Manager in WWE history. 

    Regal pleaded with Ava to take care of NXT, recalling his own role with the gold brand since the very start. The former Intercontinental Champion hardly sold the role, calling it a thankless job that means working long hours and juggling the egos of several Superstars. 

    Ava admitted that she has big shoes to fill, but she is confident she can do it. Regal concluded the segment stating if she ever needs anything, she knows how to contact him. 

    Ava isn\’t the only member of her family to recently be placed in a position of power… 

  • The Rock: There Is A Chance I Will Face Roman Reigns At WrestleMania

    Will The Rock lace up his boots and compete against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 this April? There\’s a chance… 

    The Brahma Bull returned to WWE on the Day 1 episode of Raw and teased coming for Reigns\’ spot as the Head of the Table. A match between the pair has been teased for years and was at one point locked in for WrestleMania 39. 

    There\’s A Chance

    With The Rock\’s tease on Raw, many are expecting the long-awaited showdown between himself and Reigns to take place at WrestleMania 40. During an appearance on Hot Take, The Rock, fresh off his appointment to TKO\’s Board of Directors, was asked about the possibility of headlining WWE\’s grandest stage against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. 

    \”I\’m a long-gamer and I like to build.  Something like this, what this is [is potentially huge.] If… if myself and Roman Reigns were to main event WrestleMania, and I mean this very respectfully of all the WrestleManias prior, because I grew up in this business and I love it, we could possibly put on, with us as the main event and this incredible group of men and women who are these incredible performers,  we could possibly put on the greatest and the biggest WrestleMania of all time.\”

    When a host sought to confirm if The Rock was saying there was a chance he would wrestle, the Brahma Bull didn\’t reject the notion. 

    \”There\’s a chance… I love this business, I love pro wrestling, I love WWE. But I also have this deep passion to grow it and to build it. And if we\’re going to do something like this, I want the world to watch.\”

    The Rock has his sights set on Roman Reigns, but the Head of the Table isn\’t sweating his cousin…

    For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops. 

  • Dwayne Johnson: Owning \’The Rock\’ Name Means So Much More to Me Than Business

    Dwayne Johnson\’s excitement over having full ownership of the name \’The Rock\’ goes far deeper than the potential business prospects that this agreement provides. 

    Johnson was announced as the newest member of the TKO board of directors today, as part of a landmark agreement between the two sides. Johnson will serve on the board that will oversee decisions for TKO which consists of both WWE and UFC. TKO Group Holdings is owned by Endeavor. 

    Dwayne Johnson on Owning The Rock

    As part of his deal with TKO, Johnson now has full ownership of the name \’The Rock\’ which until now had been owned by WWE. During an appearance on CNBC, Johnson spoke about the deeper meaning to owning the name. 

    \”There\’s the business side of that, as we know. There\’s the economics and the Math side of that. But also, it goes much deeper than that. And this idea, the name of The Rock, for me, I owe that name everything. Without that name, there would be no wrestling career.

    \”There would be no Hollywood career. But also that name was a derivative of my dad Rocky Johnson who was one of the first Black tag-team champions in WWE. A trailblazer paved the way, a man of color. For a kid like me to be embraced in a bigger way when I came along [he was inspirational.]\”

    Johnson made sure to credit Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, who was also on the show, for agreeing to give him the name and appointing him to the board. 

    \”I want to acknowledge Ari [Emanuel] and give him his flowers because at the end of the day, he had a million reasons to say no but he found the reason to say yes. And the reason why is because he understood, as he told me face to face \’This is your name and it comes from your family and that\’s important to me.\’ So family is very important to us.

    \”The name \’The Rock\’, this is why it becomes invaluable. The street valuation of the name \’The Rock\’, it\’s got some heft behind it. But more importantly than that, it\’s something that I\’ve earned, I built, and I owe so much to that wild lunatic called \’The Rock\’.

    \”And by the way, and I told him this last night. The greatest benefit of now completely owning the name \’The Rock\’ [with] no gimmicks, no BS, across the board, full ownership [is] the name \’The Rock\’ years ago, really allowed me to be me, and that\’s very special. Thank you Ari.\”

    The Rock has his sights set on Roman Reigns, but the Head of the Table isn\’t sweating his cousin… 

    For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops. 

  • WWE\’s Broadcast Deals: Where to Watch Raw, SmackDown & NXT From Now On

    The landscape of WWE is set to change dramatically over the next 12 months following the announcement that Raw will be moving to Netflix in January 2025. 

    The streaming giant has paid $5,000,000,000 for a decade-long agreement with WWE to stream Raw on Netflix. Fans outside the United States will especially benefit from this deal. For those audiences, Netflix will also become the home of SmackDown, WWE NXT, and Premium Live Events including WrestleMania. WWE\’s documentaries, original series, and upcoming projects will be accessible on Netflix internationally starting in 2025.

    WWE\’s Broadcast Landscape

    Monday Night Raw won\’t be the only WWE brand to be on a new home relative soon, as you can see in the chart below. Last year, it was announced that WWE NXT will begin airing on the CW Network this October. The news about NXT came about mere days after reports that the CW was going to bring the NWA to its broadcast programming. Instead, the NWA is now being featured on the CW app, with some believing that the controversial \’cocaine\’ spot from NWA Samhain ruined the company\’s chances. 

    WWE SmackDown will also be moving to a new home this year. After five years on FOX Sports, the blue brand will move to the USA Network in October. Speculation had grown in early 2023 that SmackDown\’s days on FOX were numbered when a 2023-2024 lineup shared by the network didn\’t include the wrestling show. 

    For clarity, WWE\’s broadcast plans look like this. 

  • Kazuchika Okada Believed to Be WWE-Bound, Potentially Starting In NXT

    Kazuchika Okada is believed to be heading to WWE once his contract expires with New Japan Pro Wrestling, it has been reported. 

    Last week, it was confirmed that Okada\’s contract will expire this month. Despite this, Okada will work the New Beginnings event scheduled for February, as a sign of respect to the promotion. Once these are finished, the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion will be a completely free agent. 

    Heading to WWE

    Given his talents, it\’s no surprise that both AEW and WWE are interested in bringing Okada on board. While the Rainmaker has a history with AEW, a source from Monthly Puroresu reported this week that it looks like Okada will be signing with WWE when he can. 

    \”Although we’re unable to verify with The Rainmaker himself, one source close to NJPW’s top talent has indicated to Monthly Puroresu that it appears Kazuchika Okada is WWE bound, potentially starting in NXT first.\”

    Okada has reportedly always dreamed of competing at WrestleMania, an aspiration that those in WWE, including CCO Paul \’Triple H\’ Levesque, are well aware of. The Game and NXT head Shawn Michaels have shown \”significant interest\” in bringing Okada on board. 

    The belief is that should a match happen, AJ Styles or Finn Balor would be the right opponents for Okada\’s WrestleMania match. Both men have pre-existing relationships with Okada thanks to their respective NJPW runs. Okada recently spoke about not wanting to rest on his laurels by remaining in New Japan. 

    Okada has something big in mind before he hangs up his boots for good… 

  • Kevin Patrick Out as WWE SmackDown Commentator, Source: \”It Just Wasn\’t Working\”

    Kevin Patrick\’s days as a commentator on Friday Night SmackDown are coming to an end, SE Scoops can reveal. 

    Our very own Aaron Varble reports that SmackDown is set to undergo a change that will see Patrick removed from the commentary table. At this time, no replacement has been announced for Patrick, who has been calling the action alongside his After the Bell podcast co-host Corey Graves. When asked for the reason behind the change, the WWE source simply stated \”it just wasn\’t working out.\”

    Kevin Patrick in WWE

    Ahead of the first SmackDown of 2024, Michael Cole was moved off the SmackDown commentary table, leaving Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves as the two announcers of the blue brand. Cole, a veteran of WWE for close to 30 years, is now solely working on Monday Night Raw, where he calls the action alongside Wade Barrett.

    It was reported earlier this month that Patrick\’s performance was being monitored closely by WWE higher-ups. The belief backstage at the time was that Patrick would need to prove he could handle the role as SmackDown\’s play-by-play commentator.

    Kevin Patrick

    Before coming to the U.S., Patrick studied journalism at Griffith College Dublin, and worked as part of the RTÉ Sport team covering the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. In 2009, Patrick left Ireland for the U.S. and has worked for CNN in the past. He has also worked for FOX Sports and was the commentator for Atlanta United home games on Apple TV+. 

    Kevin Patrick isn\’t the only notable member of his family. His father Liam was an All-Ireland-winning Gaelic footballer. While Kevin played for Raheny GAA, an injury would cut his athletics career short.