Andrade El Idolo isn\’t afraid to make his feelings clear about All Elite Wrestling amid reports of an exit.
In recent weeks, Andrade has teased departing the promotion, including using the #FreeElIdolo hashtag on social media.
Andrade has also liked and retweeted comments saying he has underutilized in Tony Khan\’s first promotion.
El Idolo will face Preston \’10\’ Vance in a career vs. mask match on this Friday\’s AEW Rampage.
Stuck
Speaking to Más Lucha, El Idolo addressed his current situation with All Elite Wrestling.
El Idolo, who\’s yet to hold gold in AEW, confirmed that he is still with the company, but laughed when he asked how he feels about AEW.
Andrade believed he would grow in AEW, but currently feels stuck in the company.
He did comment that he is signed to a great contract and schedule.
A WWE Return?
With the AEW star teasing an exit, many believe that he is hoping to return to WWE.
A former NXT Champion and United States Champion, Andrade is a name WWE would likely try and sign, given that Triple H is now head of Talent Relations.
Speaking about the Game, Andrade said that Triple H was a big supporter of his during his time in WWE, and is thankful for all the help he received from the WWE Hall of Famer.
Andrade added that while he cannot speak with Triple H or WWE directly, he can indirectly communicate through his wife and current WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair.
AEW may be losing its \’Chairman\’ soon enough going by a recent tweet by Shawn Spears.
On Twitter, Spears tweeted a simple \”goodbye\” which many saw as him teasing his exit from the promotion.
Spears\’ tweet did not last long, as it was quickly deleted, feeling fan speculation that he was teasing an exit, and had been told to delete his tweet.
Shortly after, Sammy Guevara tweeted in response to Spears \”You are a jobber. A favor hire. Be grateful b*tch.”
It has been suggested that Spears could be looking for an extended break from AEW, as his wife Cassie Lee is pregnant with the couple\’s first child.
Departures
Spears has teased an AEW exit, and he\’s not the only one who may want out.
In recent weeks, Andrade El Idolo has teased leaving AEW, and will put his career on the line against Preston \’10\’ Vance\’s mask on this week\’s Rampage.
Miro has also teased an exit, liking tweets suggesting that he would do better in WWE.
Shawn Spears
Spears joined AEW in 2019 at the company\’s debut Pay Per View, \’Double or Nothing,\’ coming up short in the Casino Battle Royal.
After his signing was confirmed in June, Spears would establish himself as a heel at Fyter Fest, hitting Cody Rhodes in the head with a chair, busting the American Nightmare open.
Calling himself the \’Chairman\’ of AEW, Spears aligned with Tully Blanchard and would use a loaded glove, gifted by Blanchard to pick up victories.
After a lengthy absence, Spears returned to TV in March 2021, aligning with FTR, Wardlow, and MJF to become \’The Pinnacle.\’
When Wardlow split from the group, the heavyweight would face Spears in a Steel Cage match on the May 25, 2022, AEW Dynamite, which Wardlow won.
Cody Rhodes may not be as destined to be a WWE World Champion as first thought, despite his booking since returning to the company.
Rhodes returned to WWE at WrestleMania: Saturday in April 2022 and was booked incredibly well before his injury in June.
The American Nightmare has spoken about his intention to become a World Champion in WWE, fulfilling a promise to his late-father Dusty Rhodes.
Not Championship Material?
Between this promise and Cody\’s booking, many believe it\’s just a matter of time before Rhodes holds a World Championship, a feat he didn\’t accomplish in AEW.
Cody is the arguable favorite among fans to dethrone Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, but that may not be the case.
Fightful Select reports that when WWE rehired Rhodes, Vince McMahon had no concrete plans in place for Rhodes to become WWE or Universal Champion.
While many in the company assumed it would happen eventually, Fightful note that \”no firm plans\” were in place.
Roman Reigns
Cody Rhodes wasn\’t going to dethrone Roman Reigns prior to his injury, but WWE didn\’t plan on anyone else doing the honors.
In their report, Fightful add that McMahon was \”all on board\” with Reigns unifying the WWE and Universal Championships at WrestleMania: Sunday.
It\’s also noted that no ideas were suggested to McMahon that would have resulted in Reigns losing either title, prior to Vince\’s retirement in July this year.
Reigns will face Logan Paul at WWE Crown Jewel next month, with either Rhodes or The Rock expected to face him at WrestleMania 39.
Raquel Rodriguez is hungry to be champion again after her most recent reign came to an abrupt end.
Rodriguez was called up to the main roster in April 2022, after an impressive run in NXT, where she competed as Raquel Gonzalez. Prior to wrestling, Rodriguez played collegiate basketball for Texas A&M and later Sam Houston State University.
Across NXT and WWE, Rodriguez is a three-time tag team champion, but has had very short title reigns. In NXT, Raquel and then-partner Dakota Kai lost both of their first Women\’s Tag Title defenses. On the main roster, Rodriguez and Aliyah captured the WWE Women\’s Tag Team Titles in August, but dropped the titles two weeks later.
During a recent interview with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Rodriguez said it was good to win, but upsetting to lose the titles so quickly.
\”It\’s bittersweet you know? You get a taste, I hate to quote Nacho Libre at this time in my life but you get a taste of a piece of the glory. You see what it tastes like and that\’s exactly what it was. Aaliyah and I had this moment and honestly for the two weeks that it was it was absolutely amazing.
\”But it does give me something to look forward to because I get hungry when I have these opportunities. I get so hungry and I just want my chance at winning those titles back.\”
Women\’s Mid-Card Title
The WWE Women\’s Tag Team titles are the latest piece of gold the women of the main roster can compete for, in addition to the Raw and SmackDown Women\’s Championships.
While the 24/7 Championship is unisex, there is no women\’s exclusive mid-card title, something that Rodriguez hopes will change.
\”100%. I think that would be something so great for the women\’s division especially because we have so much diversity in the women\’s division. We have women from all over the world, from all over the country, from different backgrounds and different ethnicities. I think having an Intercontinental Championship, having a North American championship for the women would be something. Just a huge leap forward for the Women\’s Division in wrestling in general.
\”I think that would be something so great for the women\’s division especially because we have so much diversity in the women\’s division.\”
Raquel Rodriguez on a Women\’s mid-card championship.
\”And I personally do feel like that is something that is possible and is something that\’s that could possibly be happening in the near future so I\’m looking forward to that and possibly you know making new history.\”
While WWE doesn\’t currently have a Women\’s mid-card championship, AEW has the TBS Title, currently held by Jade Cargill.
The White Rabbit
For weeks, the WWE Universe has been trying to decipher the mystery of the White Rabbit, which the creative team has taken a \’hands-off\’ method to promote.
Speaking about the mystery, Rodriguez said she\’s not sure who it is, but like fans is eager to find out.
\”I\’m just as confused and lost as y\’all are. I am doing the same thing with the QR codes. I\’m trying to figure it out. There\’s so many ideas of who it could be out there right? Of course, it could be really anything. Honestly, I don\’t know. I don\’t know. I can\’t even give you my theory because I\’m just as confused as you guys.\”
The White Rabbit is believed by many to be Bray Wyatt, and could be revealed as soon as this weekend\’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event.
Eric Bischoff was part of some of wrestling\’s biggest ever moments, but the work in the ring isn\’t too important compared to the characters and storylines.
In WCW, Bischoff was one of the architects of the New World Order, ushering in the era of \’cool heels\’ and would be part of the company until their demise in 2001.
After joining the WWE the following year, Bischoff would be General Manager of Raw until 2005, and was the person who introduced the Elimination Chamber.
Not a Fan
Bischoff may have spent over three decades in the wrestling industry, but he considers the industry entertainment first, sports second.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks Podcast, Bischoff admitted that to him, the storylines and the production of shows are far more important and interesting to him than the in-ring action.
\”I\’m going to get burned. I\’m going to get crucified for what I\’m about to say. But guess what? I don\’t care. I\’m just not that big of a fan of wrestling matches. I\’m a big fan of the story and the way the show is architected. Built. Formatted. Created. I\’m a big fan of new ideas. Sometimes they work sometimes they don\’t.\”
\”I\’m just not that big of a fan of wrestling matches. I\’m a big fan of the story.\”
Eric Bischoff.
The question of which is more important has long been debated, with WWE using the term \’Sports Entertainment\’ instead of pro-wrestling.
Watching the Competition
Before joining WWE in 2002, Bischoff spent years trying to put Vince McMahon out of business during the Monday Night Wars.
Bischoff would ultimately fail in that endeavor, and explained that he watched little to none of the competition at the time.
\”No [I didn\’t watch WWF content.] I was aware. If I heard of something that was coming up that was significant, that people were excited about or interested in and I got word of that, I\’d check it out. But I didn\’t study it. I didn\’t keep track of it. I didn\’t really think about it all that much.
\”To the extent that there were things about the WWF that were really noticeable I watched WWF at that time, and when I would drop in, more often than not, I was dropping in to see how they produced their show. I wasn\’t tuning in to watch a wrestling match.\”
Human Nature
WCW may be finished, but many of the ideas of the brand live on.
In 2002, the WWF tried their hand at their own New World Order, which was done mere months later.
Speaking about the wrestling industry repeating ideas, Bischoff isn\’t too shocked at the notion.
\”I think it\’s human nature. Of course, it\’s human nature. Especially when you\’re in the entertainment business. You\’re going to lean on past successes and past experiences. Good and bad.\”
Even in WCW, several repeats of the NWO, including NWO Wolfpac, NWO 2000, and the LWO were made.
Joseph signed with WWE in 2017, replacing Tom Phillips on WWE Main Event.
A month after joining, Joseph would also begin work commentating 205 Live, while still calling the action on Main Event.
In October 2018, Joseph joined the commentary desk for NXT UK, and in September 2019, joined Raw\’s announce team after a shakeup saw Corey Graves be moved to SmackDown.
Months later, Joseph was removed from the Raw commentary team and would return to 205 Live in July 2020.
That August, Joseph would join the NXT commentary team, where he remains to this day.
McKenzie Mitchell
Before making it to WWE, Mitchell had been covering sports for years, having worked with Fox Sports West and Fan Girl Sports.
In 2016, Mitchell joined Impact Wrestling as a backstage interviewer but found her way to WWE three years later.
Since signing in 2019, Mitchell has primarily worked on the NXT brand but has also served as a backstage interviewer on select episodes of Raw and SmackDown.
Mitchell has cited interviewing Keith Lee after his NXT Championship win in 2020 as the proudest moment of her career.
We here at SEScoops would like to offer our congratulations to the happy couple.
\”How many YouTube viewers did Ring of Honor get before they were purchased? You’re talking about tens of thousands, maybe? It was an insignificant, off-the-radar, unknown brand, with the exception of the most active of the internet wrestling community who sought it out.
Eric Bischoff\’s scathing review of Ring of Honor.
\”The library was worth almost nothing. A lot of that library is so poorly produced it doesn’t lend itself to a premium streaming platform.\”
TV Deal
While Ring of Honor talent appear on AEW programming, ROH is yet to have a TV deal of his own.
In the past, Khan has said he is working hard on securing a deal for Ring of Honor, but there\’s no word on when a deal will be reached.
There is a belief among some that Chris Jericho\’s recent ROH World Title win is part of trying to reach a deal, after Jericho spoke recently about his star-power helping AEW\’s TV efforts in 2019.
AEW\’s very own Jade Cargill brought her presence to a recent event for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship promotion.
The inaugural, and reigning AEW TBS Champion, Cargill appeared at last night\’s event \’BKFC 30\’, and participated in the walk-out entrance for Bare Knuckle Fighting Champion Lorenzo Hunt.
Cargill brought her championship title with her for the show and was addressed by commentary as you can hear in the video below.
The fight saw Hunt face Quentin Henry for the vacant BKFC Cruiserweight championship, with Hunt would win.
There was controversy in the fight, as at one point, Hunt punched Quentin in the head, and the latter was not moving.
As Henry\’s corner tried to rouse him, Hunt argued that what would have been an illegal punch from him missed, and that Henry was seeking a disqualification win to capture the title.
After several minutes, referee Dan Miragliotta agreed with Hunt\’s assessment and Hunt would win the fight and title in the third round.
AEW\’s Crossover Star?
Cargill\’s appearance at BKFC was notable, but the reigning AEW TBS Champion has bigger plans in the future.
Speaking last month to The New York Daily News, Cargill expressed a desire to be as big a star as The Rock, now a leading man in Hollywood.
\”I aspire to be like a female Rock. I really do. I think I have the look, I think I have the aura.\”
AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill.
Cargill remains undefeated in AEW, though there\’s no word on if any possible acting roles have caught her eye so far.
In a tweet, Cargill also expressed a desire to try fighting for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Marcus \’Buff\’ Bagwell is celebrating after surpassing 30 days without using substances, a new record for the former WCW World Tag Team Champion.
Bagwell\’s battle with drugs, alcohol, and other substances has been going on for years, which has resulted in over half a dozen DUIs since 2005.
In August, Bagwell re-entered rehab after suffering a relapse and has also been working on improving himself with WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page.
30 Days
Bagwell has become the latest former wrestler Page has tried to help, after previously doing wonders with Jake \’The Snake\’ Roberts and the late-Scott Hall.
In a video shared by the DDP Yoga YouTube channel, Bagwell spoke about his work so far (via WrestlingNews.)
\”I spent four weeks up there [at rehab] and it was the only rehab I\’ve really taken completely 100% serious. And I\’m going to get 100% out of it on this one and already have so far and I\’m going to continue.
\”This is day 32 or three. I\’m not a big counter on your sobriety, but my sober date is August the 26th and today is September 29. So 32 or 33 days I\’ve been sober. This is the longest I\’ve ever been sober. I\’m really excited.\”
Bagwell added that thanks to the work at rehab, he is now able to do things he thought he could never accomplish without pills.
Being an Addict
Bagwell by his own admission has suffered from addiction for years, which has severely affected his personal and professional life.
In the video, Buff gave a rare glimpse into how life as an addict works.
\”I was staying clean Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and tell myself, \’great job mark, that\’s a great job and you were sober four days, you deserve three days off.\’ That\’s what the addiction tells you.\”
We at SEScoops would like to extend our congratulations to Buff on surpassing 30 days sober.
Is WWE\’s Sami Zayn the top performer in all of professional wrestling today? \’Hurricane\’ Shane Helms certainly thinks so.
Zayn joined WWE in 2013 and was called up to the main roster in 2016.
A former NXT Champion and three-time Intercontinental Champion, Zayn has been featured prominently in recent months as part of the Bloodline.
The Top Performer?
Zayn has entertained fans with his antics trying to become part of the Bloodline, but this is just the latest in a series of successes for the former NXT Champion.
\”I have no problem saying this, Sami is the top performer in this entire industry. That’s how good Sami is. It’s daunting sometimes, Sami has a reputation you know. He’ll drive you bananas, but the end result is always a home run or grand slam.
\”Sami [Zayn] is the top performer in this entire industry.\”
Hurricane Shane Helms.
“[His WrestleMania match with Johnny Knoxville] was definitely a grand slam. He was the perfect guy for that. His personality and Johnny’s, they were so [compatible] to each other, using all the members of all the Jackass crew and all of the gadgets.\”
Tensions in the Bloodline
On last week\’s SmackDown, Zayn was officially added to the Bloodline, being given the shirt as an \’Honorary Uce.\’
While the group has welcomed him, Jey Uso isn\’t buying Sami\’s allegiance to the group.
In a backstage segment this week, Jey told Zayn \”I see right through you\” and has vowed to take Sami out if he does anything to hurt the Bloodline.
The group, consisting of Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio has been at odds with Mysterio since July.
During Summerslam, Rey and Dominik defeated Balor and Priest in a no-disqualifications tag team match, thanks to the returning Edge.
At Clash at the Castle, Dominik turned on his father and the WWE Hall Famer after the team got the win over Balor and Priest.
As for Styles, he has been feuding with the Judgment Day off and on for even longer, and the group has made efforts to recruit the two-time former WWE World Champion.
Monday Night Raw
AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio teaming up to face the Judgment Day will be just part of tomorrow\’s go-home Monday Night Raw before Extreme Rules 2022.
The show will also see Raw Women\’s Champion Bianca Belair and Bayley have a contract signing, making their Ladder match for the title at Extreme Rules official.
The match will be the first singles women\’s ladder match in WWE history on the main roster.
Braun Strowman will have his second match since returning to WWE, when he takes on the Alpha Academy\’s Chad Gable.
The Academy\’s other member Otis will also be in action, as he takes on Johnny Gargano, while Candice LeRae will face WWE Women\’s Tag Team Champion Dakota Kai.
WWE could be about to move the date of next year\’s WWE Day 1 premium live event, despite the show\’s name.
WWE Day 1 is the latest event to be added to the WWE calendar, with the first event happening earlier this year.
As the name suggests, the event took place on January 1, 2022, the first day of the calendar year.
Moving Dates
Despite the name Day 1, next year\’s WWE Day 1 may not take place on January 1.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that WWE is open to changing the date.
At this time, WWE Day 1 2023 will take place on January 1, at the State Farm Arena, in Atlanta, Georgia.
This would see the show fall on a Sunday, WWE\’s traditional pick for Premium Live Events, though WWE has moved several events to Saturdays this year.
The Observer reports that and an announcement will be made next week if WWE changes the date, but that the venue will remain the same no matter the date.
The Beast\’s Return
Brock Lesnar appeared at this year\’s WWE Day 1, and had been scheduled to face Reigns (then just the Universal Champion.)
That match was canceled as Reigns had tested positive for Covid-19, and Lesnar was added to the WWE Championship match which he won.
The Observer also reports that Lesnar\’s next match in the United States will be at the WWE Day 1 2023 event.
The report specified that this will be Lesnar\’s next match in the United States, keeping the possibility of an appearance at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5.
AEW\’s roster is reportedly set to grow after Bandido was offered a contract following this week\’s episode on Dynamite.
During the show, Bandido took on Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho in a losing effort.
Jericho has vowed to defeat every former ROH World Champion, and has his offer accepted by former Champion Davey Richards.
The Offer
Bandido may have come up short against Jericho during Dynamite, but he impressed the right people behind the scenes.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Bandido, a former ROH World Champion in his own right, was offered a contract \”immediately\” after his performance on this week\’s show.
It is reported that this is a full-time contract with the company, though the lengthy of the deal is unknown at this time.
It was also not confirmed whether Bandido has accepted the offer yet.
Bandido
Debuting in wrestling in 2011, it wouldn\’t be until 2016 that Bandido (real name unknown) would adopt the Bandido name.
In 2018, Bandido would join Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and would capture the PWG World Championship in December 2019 from Jeff Cobb.
Bandido would hold the title for 863 days, a record-breaking reign, before losing the title to Daniel Garcia in May this year.
In July 2021, Bandido defeated Rush to win the ROH World Champion, before losing to Jonathan Gresham at this year\’s ROH Supercard of Honor XV.
Bandido has also competed for CMLL and AAA, and participated in New Japan Pro Wrestling\’s Best of the Super Junious 27 tournament in 2019.
Melina Perez is proud to have been a WWE Diva, despite what others may think of the term or of the Divas era.
In the 1990s, WWE introduced the term \’Diva\’ to address female talent, and would retire the phrase in 2016, with the women being called \’Superstars\’ like their male counterparts.
Despite the term once being a staple of WWE programming, Diva is now on WWE\’s banned terms list, never to be uttered on TV.
Negative Stigma
The Divas era has faced criticism from fans, as the focus was more on soap opera-style storylines than in-ring skill.
The urban legend is that John Laurinaitis, then WWE\’s Head of Talent Relations, would hire talent using a binder of modeling photos, instead of seeking established female wrestlers.
Speaking with MCW Backstage Pass, Melina addressed her time as a WWE Diva and the stigma around it (via 411 Mania.)
\”It’s a weird thing, because ‘diva’ gets tied up with the model search and that’s not it. And that’s the hard part where the term ‘diva [era]’ is thought of as ‘model days’ right when it wasn’t even that — well kind of, but regardless, each woman who held that title did their best, gave it their all.
\”the term ‘diva [era]’ is thought of as ‘model days’ right when it wasn’t even that.\”
Melina
\”I mean, blame the — I’m kind of blaming Diva Search. But it was really, you can’t blame them for getting an opportunity. It’s like Tough Enough, I mean you can’t blame the people who did Tough Enough, and that’s what the Diva Search was.\”
A Change in Perspective
Nowadays, WWE takes women\’s wrestling more seriously, with female matches often headlining TV.
Speaking about the change, Melina said that she\’s pleased that there are more opportunities now, but doesn\’t regret her Divas era days.
\”I’m never gonna change and look down on my time, because everyone’s like, ‘Okay, do you wish that you were in this era because of all the opportunity?’ No, I love what I went through.\”
The WWE Universe has been hooked on trying to decipher the mystery of the White Rabbit, all without the company putting much effort into the angle.
The White Rabbit teases began earlier this month, when WWE used the song of the same name by Jefferson Airplane during a SmackDown commercial break.
WWE has since used the song and eerie red lighting off-camera at several Live events, with the belief that this will mark the return of Bray Wyatt.
Hands Off
While the White Rabbit has been a talking point among fans, the story has yet to be referenced by anyone on Raw or SmackDown.
According to Fightful Select, WWE\’s creative team, now led by Triple H has been \”hands off\” with their approach.
The attitude backstage is that the fans are doing plenty to promote the storyline, which is being seen as a \”major success\” backstage.
Rather than reference the storyline on WWE TV, the company has used fan-assisted viral marketing, as well as unique tactics including leaving flyers of the car windshields of fans at arenas.
While WWE\’s higher-ups are aware of what the plan is, many within the company still have no confirmed clue, which has led to excitement behind the scenes.
From the Rabbit Hole
WWE has done little to address the White Rabbit mystery on TV, but the mystery could be solved at next week\’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event.
It is reported that WWE has at least at one point had plans for the White Rabbit to be revealed at Extreme Rules.
It is unclear if the person or group that WWE has been building towards will be there in person or just have a presence on the show.
WWE Extreme Rules will take place on October 8, at the Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho believes AEW would have not hit the ground running in the way they did without his involvement.
Following the success of ALL IN, AEW was announced in January 2019, with Jericho, being one of the first names announced.
Later that year, Jericho became the first AEW World Champion and has been a fixture of the promotion ever since.
The Jericho Effect
Jericho joined AEW less than a year after his last WWE match, and after a Hall of Fame-worthy career with the promotion.
Speaking during the latest AEW Unrestricted, Jericho discussed his own influence in the company\’s early days.
\”I wouldn\’t say it [AEW] was built around me but at the risk of sounding egotistical if there was no Chris Jericho, I don\’t know if the company would have gotten off the ground as quickly as it did.
\”At the time, I was the only national superstar name that was involved. I mean besides Jim Ross but Jim Ross isn\’t an on-air talent, he\’s a commentator.\”
The only Big Star?
Jericho wasn\’t the only wrestler confirmed during the January 2019 press conference, as AEW EVPs Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and then-EVP Cody Rhodes all made appearances.
On the podcast, Jericho explained how while the group are all stars in their own right, they didn\’t have the same presence as he did that attracted networks.
\”Keep in mind, no-one really knew Cody at that point. He\’d been gone for years, and the last time we\’d seen him, he was Stardust when he left [WWE.] And as much buzz as Kenny [Omega] and Matt and Nick Jackson had, they were still mostly just regional guys. They were worldwide stars, but when it comes to national TV in the States, they didn\’t have any experience with that.
\”They were worldwide stars, but when it comes to national TV in the States, they didn\’t have any experience with that.\”
Chris Jericho on The Elite not bringing the same appeal to networks.
\”So there really wasn\’t anybody else and I think if Chris Jericho wasn\’t involved, it would have been a lot harder to sell to TBS or TNT or those types of people that were involved.
\”We needed that big TV [deal] to get off the ground. We needed money, which we had, passion, which we had, television which is very hard to get and a roster of stars that no-one had really seen before, that were ready to go to the next level. But you needed a guy that kinda could open the door.\”
AEW Without Chris Jericho?
It\’s hard to imagine AEW without Chris Jericho, and for all his claims, the former World Champion believes that the company would have succeeded, with or without him.
\”If I\’m the bridge to get here, check me out, and then look at all these other guys that we have… Would the company have happened if I wasn\’t there? Probably. But I don\’t think it would have grown as quickly as it did, or maybe gotten off to such a huge start.
\”Would the company have happened if I wasn\’t there? Probably. But I don\’t think it would have grown as quickly as it did.\”
Chris Jericho.
\”Everything worked out the way it should, but it happened very quickly, and once again, I think when the company started, it was on my back.\”
Drew McIntyre has become one of WWE\’s biggest stars in years, and he has The Undertaker to thank in playing a role.
McIntyre signed with WWE in 2007 and after a brief spell on SmackDown, returned to the blue brand in 2009 as \’the Chosen One.\’
It wouldn\’t be until 2020 that McIntyre would fulfill Vince McMahon\’s promise that he\’d become WWE Champion, winning the title at WrestleMania 36.
Working with the Deadman
Drew McIntyre and the Undertaker shared the ring only a handful of times, but the two were close behind the scenes.
Speaking to Hollywood Raw, the Scottish Warrior explained how he became a personal project of the Deadman.
\”It was awesome. He was put in charge of me probably against his will, when I was about 23. That was about the time where I think the powers that be realized that the older generation were starting to retire. [They] weren\’t going to be there forever and they had to start pushing some youth to the front.\”
McIntyre was right, as, in 2007, The Undertaker would begin taking lengthy periods off TV, and by 2010, was competing in just a handful of matches a year.
The Youth Movement
McIntyre learned plenty working with The Deadman, but he wasn\’t the only young Superstar being groomed for greatness.
Over on Raw, Sheamus was moved to the red brand in 2009, and ended the year as WWE Champion.
In the interview, Drew explained how his real-life best friend also had a mentor of his own.
\”Sheamus and I were kind of the first two people they took as the kind of projects. With Sheamus on Raw and myself on SmackDown. Sheamus was put under the Triple H learning tree and I was going to The Undertaker learning tree. Vince said \’You don\’t listen to anybody but The Undertaker.\’
\”Vince said \’You don\’t listen to anybody but The Undertaker.\’\”
Drew McIntyre.
\”I wish I thought the way I think now back then, because [his] wrestling IQ is obviously off the charts. At the time, mine was a lot lower than it is now. So many of those lessons that I got, just flew right over my head. Thankfully I remembered a few.\”
McIntyre Today
After capturing the WWE Championship, McIntyre was relied upon to carry the company through the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking about the Undertaker, who he called the \”coolest guy in the room,\” McIntyre said the Phenom\’s presence backstage would pay off years later for him.
\”You could feel him when he walked in the room. It\’s such a presence. If there was a situation, it was always dealt with calmly by him. So it\’s such an impact on me. How to be a leader. How to conduct yourself.\”
Imperium and the Brawling Brutes will look to settle the score next Saturday when the two factions meet in a Good Old Fashion Donnybrook match at WWE Extreme Rules 2022.
The no-disqualification match was confirmed on WWE.com and on social media, after weeks of the two sides feuding.
Imperium Vs. The Brawling Brutes
The two teams have been at odds for some time, with Imperium reuniting at Clash at the Castle 2022.
At the Cardiff, Wales event, GUNTHER retained the Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus in a critically-acclaimed match.
Imperium once again stood tall over the Brawling Brutes in a Six-Man Tag Team Match on the September 9, edition of SmackDown.
After Butch and Ridge Holland defeated three-other teams (including Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) to earn a shot at The Usos, Imperium attacked them, costing them the Undisputed WWE Tag Team title match.
On the SmackDown before WWE Extreme Rules, Sheamus will once again challenge GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship.
Extreme Rules
The Donnybrook match is just the latest addition to a stacked WWE Extreme Rules 2022 card, which will see several stipulations.
Raw Women\’s Champion Bianca Belair will defend her title against Bayley in a ladder match, the first singles ladder match in WWE Women\’s history.
Drew McIntyre will take on Karrion Kross in a strap match, while Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins will square off inside the Fight Pit.
The Judgment Day\’s Finn Balor will take on former leader Edge in an I-Quit match.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is certainly a rich man now, but that wasn\’t the case when he joined the promotion.
Foley debuted in the then-WWF in 1996, as Mankind, appearing not long after WrestleMania 12.
Mankind would immediately enter a feud with The Undertaker, with Foley getting the win in the first Boiler Room brawl at Summerslam.
Five Matches & $750
Foley came to the WWF in 1996 after a lengthy and successful run in WCW working as Cactus Jack.
Speaking on Foley is Pod, the Hardcore Legend said his deal when joining the WWF was much lower.
\”I signed on that opportunity, and the only thing you were guaranteed is five matches a year at $150 a match. So you\’re guaranteed $750 a year and that\’s it. If they decided not to push you or take you off the road, then you\’re sitting by idly, not making anything.\”
When asked by co-host Conrad Thompson how he felt at the time, Foley said he was just grateful for the opportunity.
\”I was happy. I didn\’t start complaining about checks until 1998. I was just happy to be there, but they [the checks] weren\’t enormous. Even the Pay Per View checks were not that big a deal.
\”I remember accepting it as \’this is what I get.\’ When I did get a much bigger payoff for King of the RIng [1998] Hell in a Cell, it really did surprise me. I even wrote a letter of thanks to Vince [McMahon.]\”
Marc Mero
While Foley received a very low guarantee, a sign of the company\’s financial struggles at the time, Marc Mero had the opposite treatment.
Despite signing with the WWF around the same time, and having also worked previously in WCW, Mero received a much more lucrative contract
Speaking about Mero, Foley said there was some resentment from the locker room at the time.
\”It wasn\’t his fault… It\’s not like Marc was going to say \’hey, looking at the guys, I\’ve decided to give them a little bit of mine back.\’
\”I took it personally at the time, and I saw him [recently] and asked him to forgive me. I kind of dogged him for a few years, even in my book.\”
Part of Mero receiving the WWE\’s first guaranteed contract was that the company wanted to make sure his then-wife Sable joined with him.
Saying No to WrestleMania
After a year in the WWF, Mankind had established himself but continued to be in the mid-card.
During the podcast, Foley said he even said he turned down a very short feud with Mero which would have culminated at WrestleMania 13.
\”I was opposed to working with Marc [Mero] was at Wrestlemania in 1997. I said \’if it\’s just on the card, if it\’s just a matter to be on the card, I\’d rather not be on it.\’ Even though it\’d be years before I referred to myself as Mr. In Your House, I realized there are opportunities for me to shine and be in main event matches and steal the show.\”
Instead of Mero, Mankind teamed with Vader to face Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith at WrestleMania.
WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg is always ready to return to the ring but isn\’t contracted for any more matches.
Goldberg returned to WWE in 2016 and has had 12 matches so far, with a 5-7 win-loss record.
Highlights of Goldberg\’s return include two Universal Championship victories, defeating Kevin Owens in 2017 and \’The Fiend\’ Bray Wyatt in 2020.
Goldberg\’s Contract
As part of his deal with WWE, Goldberg wrestles a handful of matches each year, traditionally at important events like WrestleMania, Summerslam or a Saudi Arabia-held event.
Speaking on the latest episode of WWE\’s The Bump, Goldberg addressed his current contract, and a possible rematch with Roman Reigns.
\”Well, I don’t have any matches left on my contract, but I know one way we could take care of him. I do need to give him a little receipt for that little choke-out in Saudi Arabia.\”
The two-time former Universal Champion last competed at Elimination Chamber 2022 in Saudi Arabia, losing to Roman Reigns.
The Tribal Chief
Goldberg would love to be the one to dethrone Roman Reigns (now on day 760 of his title reign,) but he\’s not the only one.
Speaking about possible challengers to the head of the Bloodline, Goldberg said that a mutual foe of theirs could do it.
\”I think there are a number of superstars that are capable of dethroning him, most definitely. It’s got to be the right time, the right place, and it has to be one-on-one. That’s tough because nowadays with The Usos, he’s got a built-in bodyguard system working out pretty well for him. I think Brock most definitely has the opportunity to do it when he comes back.\”
Lesnar hasn\’t appeared on WWE TV since losing to Reigns at Summerslam.
The Tribal Chief will next defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel 2022 against Logan Paul.
Saraya had a subtle dig at WWE during her first promo for AEW during last night\’s edition of Dynamite.
The two-time former WWE Divas Champion debuted for AEW during last week\’s Grand Slam edition of Dynamite, after parting ways from WWE in July.
Saraya left WWE on July 7, when her contract expired and was not renewed by the company, and she has since made it clear it was not her decision to leave.
The Promo
Appearing on this week\’s AEW Dynamite, Saraya spoke about the promotion being \”my house\” and was joined in the ring by AEW\’s female babyfaces, led by Interim Women\’s World Champion Toni Storm.
When Britt Baker interrupted the segment, entering alongside Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Penelope Ford, Saraya announced a lumberjack match between Storm and Serena Deeb.
Saraya also took aim at WWE\’s former CEO Vince McMahon, saying:
\”I talked to Tony [Khan] backstage… It\’s so good to have a boss that finally listens to me!\”
Saraya.
Storm would retain the Interim AEW Women\’s World Championship against Deeb later in the show.
Will She Wrestle?
Saraya has not competed so far in AEW, but there is a belief that she will wrestle for the promotion.
The Forbidden Door will be opened once again for tonight\’s AEW Dynamite, as New Japan Pro Wrestling\’s booker Gedo will be around for the show.
On Twitter, Khan shared an image with Gedo as well as reigning AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and confirmed that Gedo will be around for tonight\’s Dynamite in Philadelphia.
Khan also thanked fans who will be watching the show tonight on TBS.
The #ForbiddenDoor is opening again TONIGHT in Philadelphia!
Gedo won\’t be the only example of the Forbidden Door being opened for tonight\’s show.
In addition to New Japan\’s booker, Juice Robinson will also be on the show and will take on Jon Moxley.
This will be a championship contenders match, meaning that a win over Moxley in non-title action will guarantee Robinson a future AEW World Championship opportunity.
Robinson is one of two men (the other being CM Punk) to have a victory over the reigning AEW World Champion in 2022.
At NJPW Capital Collision in May, Robinson got a victory over Moxley in four-way action, which included Will Ospreay and then IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Tonight\’s AEW Dynamite
AEW will be opening the Forbidden Door, but that\’s not all in store for the show.
Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho will have a celebration of last week\’s victory, but will also have his first title defense against Bandido.
AEW Interim Women\’s World Champion Toni Storm will defend her title against Serena Deeb, while Saraya is set to speak for the first time since joining AEW last week.
An appearance by MJF has also been promoted for the show.
Kayla Rossi is used to being compared to WWE Hall of Famer Chyna, but plans to establish herself on her own merits in the ring.
Rossi debuted for AEW earlier this year, initially as the bodyguard of Joey Janela. Since Janela\’s departure in late April, she\’s appeared as a solo act on AEW Dark. With her impressive physique, there are natural comparisons to Chyna, the muscle-bound female DX member who broke down barriers regarding how women are portrayed in pro wrestling.
Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports, Rossi was asked if she takes the comments comparing her to the Ninth Wonder of the World as a compliment.
\”I mean I do, but then I\’m in the back of my head like \’no, Chyna was like 5\’ 10 5\’ 11, statuesque and brute force.\’ I get it. I look like her I\’m built like her, but I\’m 5\’3 and I\’m athletic as hell and I can do other things.\”
While Rossi wants to set herself apart from the Ninth Wonder of the World, she had nothing but praise for the late trailblazer.
\”I can\’t lie. I\’ve taken inspiration from her who wouldn\’t? She is such a prominent figure in the world of wrestling and did such great things for women in general.\”
Body Confidence
Although wrestling has become more accepting of different body types among female talent, Rossi is still considered an outlier to many in the industry.
Speaking about her physique, the 34-year-old wrestler addressed receiving hateful comments on social media, long before she stepped in the ring.
\”When I first started bodybuilding it was really tough because you put yourself out there and you see these comments like \’oh she looks like a man\’ or whatever it might be. And it used to bother me at first and it made me super self-conscious. It made me question if I even wanted to do it and if I even wanted to look that way. And then I was like \’you know what I\’m gonna own this\’ because you can be strong and badass and beautiful and feminine at the same time.
\”It made me question if I even wanted to do it and if I even wanted to look that way.\”
– Kayla Rossi on hateful comments shaking her confidence.
\”There doesn\’t have to be one or the other and I think people get that misconception because I can go up there on tv or I can get on that bodybuilding stage and be powerful and be strong but I\’m still a woman and I\’m still feminine.\”
The Next Chapter
Rossi has had a handful of matches on AEW Dark, but her next big opportunity could come outside of wrestling.
When Fall asked if she\’d ever consider a jump to MMA, Rossi said that she\’s up for the idea, and has already had training.
Jake \’The Snake\’ Roberts has experienced a lot of pain in his life, but nothing can compare to working with Andre the Giant.
In 1989, Roberts feuded with the Eighth Wonder of the World, who was terrified of Jake\’s snake Damian.
While Andre would win at untelevised events, Roberts would get a DQ win over the former WWF Champion at WrestleMania 5.
Working with Andre
Speaking during the latest DDP Snake Pit podcast, Roberts was asked about the most painful moment of his career.
\”Probably when I clothes-lined Andre [The Giant.] He went through me and it ripped my pec. I remember going down and I thought I\’d broke my shoulder. I\’m just holding my shoulder. I\’m wiggling my fingers, trying to get some feeling back in them and Andre reached down and grabbed me by the hand and jerked me to my feet, which stretched that back out again.
\”At this point, I decide \’I\’m going to sleep.\’ I passed out from the pain, and when I woke up Andre has got me in a bear hug and he\’s single to me. \’Nice little baby. Nice little baby.\’ And I woke up like \’oh my God\’ I need to get us out of here. [Andre says] \’No. We finish match.\’ So we finished the match and then that night we wrestled again. Me with the blown pec, but I never took a day off.\”
Working with Vader
Roberts may still be reeling from working with Andre, but he\’s not the only legend who left Jake worse for wear.
Roberts also spoke about working with Vader, notoriously a wrestler who was hard-hitting in the ring, and recalled being injured by the super-heavyweight.
\”A broken sternum, Leon [White, aka WWE Hall of Famer Big Van Vader] gave me that. Broke my sternum twice in two matches. He crushed me in the corner and broke my sternum. A broken sternum is real painful because it takes a long time to heal and if you sneeze or cough you\’re going to rip your eyeballs out.\”
Vader sadly passed in 2018 and the 13-time World Champion was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
Last week saw AEW host their latest \’Grand Slam\’ special of Dynamite, with five title matches on the show.
The event saw Jon Moxley capture the AEW World Championship, defeating Bryan Danielson for the vacant title and becoming a three-time champion.
Chris Jericho captured the Ring of Honor World Championship from Claudio Castagnoli, while The Acclaimed won the AEW World Tag Team Titles from Swerve in our Glory.
The show also saw Pacretain the AEW All-Atlantic title while Toni Storm held on to the Interim AEW Women\’s World Championship.
The \”Conundrum\”
Despite the stacked show, which also saw the AEW debut of Saraya, the show\’s numbers didn\’t live up to expectations.
The show garnered an average 1.039 million viewers, down 12% from the previous week\’s standard episode of Dynamite, which had 1.175 million viewers.
\”It was an interesting thing, how do you explain the fact that AEW does around a million viewers on a big-time hyped show that is loaded with five title matches, how do you justify or explain that? I don\’t know the answer to that conundrum, I really don\’t.\”
\”I don\’t know the answer to that conundrum.\”
Jim Ross on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam not doing better in terms of viewership.
\”You\’d think we were providing the audience with what they wanted to see; all of our top programs, all the titles that were significant are getting some exposure. When you don\’t have those massive numbers that you were hoping for, it\’s hard to explain why that happened.\”
AEW President Tony Khan remained positive in his report of the viewership for Grand Slam, pointing out that Dynamite has been over one million viewers for five consecutive weeks.
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