All Elite Wrestling is dealing with its share of problems at this time, following the events of AEW All Out.
After the September 4, Pay Per View, CM Punk had explosive comments for several people on the roster, including AEW\’s Executive Vice Presidents The Elite.
Backstage, a fight broke out, which Punk is believed to have instigated and thrown the first punch.
The Meeting
Despite these issues, AEW has not slowed down with its content production, with last night being the AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam special.
According to a report from Fightful, the meeting was held in the afternoon, hours before AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam went live.
It was not confirmed who spoke, but it is reported that the meeting was considered a \’pep-talk\’ and was said to be \”very positive.\”
This is the latest meeting for the promotion after a talent-wide meeting was held last month to address reports of talent being unhappy.
A meeting was held earlier this month following the controversy following AEW All Out.
Addition by Subtraction
The meetings held by AEW so far have been received positively by attendees, and it\’s reported that the mood backstage has begun to improve.
One veteran AEW talent said the backstage atmosphere recently has been a lot more relaxed since All Out and the post-show incidents.
Another talent added that the locker room at the last three tapings has been the best it’s been in a while.
One source said that AEW is going through a process of \”addition by subtraction;\” making the promotion better by the removal of some members of the roster.
It is unclear who this source is referring to, though CM Punk, Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and Ace Steel have all been removed from programming.
Al Snow struggled to enjoy a nice meal out in peace during the Attitude Era, as staff and other customers didn\’t appreciate his choice of company.
During the late 1990s, Snow would appear on WWE programming with \’Head\’ a mannequin head who he\’d speak to and who would seemingly speak back to Snow.
Dining Out
Al Snow, like any other wrestler, had to find time to eat during his career, but that was easier said than done.
Speaking to SEScoops\’ correspondent Steve Fall, the former WWF Hardcore Champion recalled keeping in character at the time.
\”I carried the head everywhere. When I went out to eat after shows I took it to a restaurant, sat directly across the table. I ordered two meals. We\’d argue, we\’d fight. Waitresses would come up to you. \’Sir you\’re making the other customers uncomfortable you\’re gonna need to leave.\’
\”Sir you\’re making the other customers uncomfortable you\’re gonna need to leave.\”
Al Snow recalls being asked to leave restaurants over Head.
\”I\’m like \’well they\’re making us uncomfortable how are we gonna eat our food? They [Head] have got an upset stomach. Now I\’ve paid for their dinner box it up please we\’re gonna go.\’ And then I would just take the second meal back and eat it in the hotel room later that night.\”
The Comic Book
Snow and Head struggled to have a nice meal together, but the veteran wrestler and his friend have made it in the world of comic books.
Earlier this year, a Kickstarter was launched for \’The Ballad of Al Snow & Head\’ a comic about the fictional life of his WWF character.
The project made nearly double it\’s original $3,000 and Snow had plenty of praise for the project.
\”The Ballad of Al Snow and Head is about 40-pages long and I was blown away by [it.] I mean these are top talents in the comic book industry that worked on it and the artwork for each and every one of these comic books is different and unique. Absolutely incredible. Just beautiful.
\”The story for the first one \’The ballad of Al Snow and Head\’… I\’m wrestling an opponent very short and then I land on my head or whatever and then we go off into the post-apocalyptic world. Everything takes place basically inside my mind because I\’m quote-unquote insane and I\’m running a detective agency in this post-apocalyptic world.\”
More information about \’The Ballad of Al Snow and Head\’ can be found here.
For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.
Nobody can hold a candle to what Seth Rollins is doing in the ring right now, at least according to WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page.
Rollins has certainly proven to be a success, having become a WWE Grand Slam winner, holding a World Championship, Intercontinental and United States Championship and Tag Team titles.
Outside of championship titles, Rollins is a Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble winner.
Nobody Does it Better
On this week\’s Raw, Rollins challenged United States Champion Bobby Lashley, but was unsuccessful in winning his first championship in over three years.
Speaking on his Snake Pit podcast, Diamond Dallas Page praised the bout and referenced WWE\’s change in creative direction.
“They put on a barnburner. When you go to three commercials and they\’re still watching the show… You see the show changing, with more wrestling-orientated, storytelling in the ring. I don’t think there’s a better guy out there doing it than Seth Rollins. I mean Bobby [Lashley] is a beast, he did a hell of a job. I thought they were going to drop it [make Seth the Champion.] By no means do I think Seth Rollins needs a title unless it’s the world title or the Universal title.
\”You see the show changing, more wrestling orientated. I don’t think there’s a better guy out there doing it than Seth Rollins.\”
Diamond Dallas Page.
\”I thought they were going to put him over. There were some great false finishes, some great false finishes during that match. That was my favorite thing of all during the show, and opening up with it. It lets you know that you’re watching a different Raw.\”
NXT
Rollins\’ success on the main roster came after he became a top name as part of WWE\’s developmental ground: NXT.
In 2012, after the then-reality show was relaunched into its own brand, Rollins was crowned the first-ever NXT Champion.
Speaking about the developmental brand, which is now run by Shawn Michaels, DDP explained why in many ways, its better to come straight to WWE.
\”A lot of these kids get trained in independent places by guys who really never made it! Never even got to the show, never mind top guy. A lot of these guys get trained by guys who weren’t top guys. And there’s no bigger top guy than Shawn Michaels.\”
Braun Strowman should get more serious now that he\’s back in WWE, at least according to Hall of Famer Jake Roberts.
Strowman returned to WWE earlier this month, over a year after his surprising release from the promotion in June 2021.
The former Universal Champion has been feuding with the Alpha Academy so far, and will compete in his first match back this Friday against Otis.
The Smiling Monster
Strowman is back with WWE, and according to reports, will be the top babyface moving forward on SmackDown.
While the Monster Among Men will be a good guy, that doesn\’t mean he has to play to the crowd.
Speaking on the latest DDP Snake Pit, Jake Roberts named the mistake that Braun, and other babyfaces, are making.
\”Braun, listen to me. Nobody wants to see a friendly monster. Quit smiling. You’re not that guy. So many guys make that mistake when they turn babyface, they completely change themselves. No! The only things that have changed are your opponents. You’re still the beast. The beast is what they love. They just want to see it pointed in the direction of someone they don’t like.
\”Nobody wants to see a friendly monster. Quit smiling. You\’re not that guy.\”
Jake Roberts\’ advice to Braun Strowman.
“So many guys make that mistake and for Braun to be such a beast man, to see him out there smiling and asking the crowd what they would like for him to do, oh my God! If I was big enough I’d punch you right in your box. You are a beast and my god! Use what you’ve got son. Show us what you’ve got.\”
Diamond Dallas Page added that isn\’t new in wrestling, saying that stars who turned on the New World Order in WCW or even join the faction would completely change their characters.
Bron Breakker
Jake Roberts may not be the biggest fan of what Strowman has done so far, but he gave special praise to reigning NXT Champion Bron Breakker.
Speaking about the two-time champion, Roberts said that he and Tyler Bate have been doing a lot of good work in NXT as of late.
\”I was glad to see our buddy, the Steiner boy [Breakker.] Him and his tag team partner Tyler Bate they did some stuff. Really enjoyed seeing him.\”
DDP also had praise for Breakker, as well as the NXT developmental system that has honed the second-generation Superstar.
\”Bron Breakker, or Bronson or Steiner as I call him, because he is a Steiner, with his dad and his uncle. That kid’s got such natural skills. They\’ve got some great talent down there in NXT.\”
For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.
Kurt Angle could be walking down the aisle at WrestleMania one last time as part of next year\’s two-night event.
Angle recently returned to WWE TV during the August 29, 2022 edition of Monday Night Raw, and was involved in a segment with the Alpha Academy and the Street Profits.
The Olympic Gold Medalist celebrated with the Profits after their match, where the stipulation being that Kurt would have had to join the Academy if Chad Gable and Otis won.
WrestleMania
Angle was able to keep clear of joining the Alpha Academy, but he could be appearing at WWE\’s biggest event of next year.
Speaking to the Wrassingh Show, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion revealed that there have been talks about him doing something for next year\’s event (via 411 Mania.)
They’re talking about maybe me doing something at WrestleMania.\”
Kurt Angle on possibly appearing at WrestleMania 39 next year.
Angle went on to clarify that nothing is set in stone yet, calling his possible WrestleMania 39 “just an idea.\”
The WWE Hall of Famer did confirm that if he does appear at WrestleMania he will not be wrestling.
\”It won’t be in a wrestling capacity at all. I don’t mind because I can’t wrestle anymore.\”
Kurt Angle on appearing for WWE without competing.
WWE WrestleMania 39 will take place on April 1 and April 2, 2023, from the SoFi Stadium, in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California.
AEW
Despite being released from WWE in April 2020, Kurt Angle hasn\’t ever appeared for All Elite Wrestling, a promotion many fans believe he would be a perfect fit for.
Angle explained on the show that his loyalty to WWE has kept him from Tony Khan\’s company.
\”I have a contract with WWE, it’s a nostalgia contract. It’s more of a merchandise contract with them right now. And I’ve always try to keep a good relationship with them, ever since I left them for TNA and came back to WWE.
\”I don’t want to do that again, I don’t want to jump ship because WWE has always been good to me.”
WWE Hall of Famer Edge could be back on TV sooner than fans had first expected if a popular theory about the Rated-R Superstar is to be believed.
Edge hasn\’t appeared since the September 12, Monday Night Raw, where he faced Dominik Mysterio.
During the match, all four members of the Judgment Day attacked Edge, taking him out of action.
The Injury
After the attack on Edge, it was reported on WWE\’s The Bump that he had suffered a Grade-2 MCL sprain, though it is believed this is a kayfabe injury.
If it is legitimate, then Edge would not be expected to miss much in-ring time, as a Grade-2 MCL sprain typically takes two to four weeks to fully heal.
The Return
According to a popular theory, Edge\’s return may come in time for WWE\’s next Premium Live Event: Extreme Rules
Many fans have pointed out that on the poster for the event, Edge is featured, alongside other Superstars including Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins.
Typically, WWE avoids using any Superstars on a poster if they are not scheduled to appear, to avoid allegations of false advertising.
Edge is also the only Superstar on the poster without a match confirmed or expected for Extreme Rules at this time.
Extreme Rules 2022 will take place on October 8, at the Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Another Return?
Edge may be back on WWE TV in time for Extreme Rules 2022, but he\’s not the only possible return.
In an image promoting Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins\’ Fight Pit, a lantern and fireflies can be seen, both synonymous with Bray Wyatt.
Seth Rollins vs Riddle Extreme Rules graphic contains hidden fireflies and lanterns ? pic.twitter.com/aziaYMFBwU
Ric Flair could be about to lace up his boots for one last match, which would be his second last ever match in recent memory.
In July, the Nature Boy competed in his last ever match as part of Starrcast V, where he teamed with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
Other events at the time celebrated Flair\’s career in wrestling, including a roast of the two-time WWE Hall of Famer.
Getting Back in the Ring
Ric Flair may have confirmed his retirement in July, but he may be getting that wrestling itch again.
Steamboat coming back makes me want to come back again. I went back up to Lincoln and started training again. What else is there to do?”
Ric Flair on the possibility of wrestling again.
Before Flair\’s last match in July, it was reported that the plan was for Ric to face Steamboat in the former\’s final match, playing off their legendary rivalry.
It was later reported that the Dragon turned down the idea of facing the Nature Boy.
Ricky Steamboat
Steamboat will wrestle as part of the Big Time Wrestling event at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, NC on Sunday, November 27.
This will mark The Dragon\’s first match in over 12 years, with his most recent being a tag-team match with his son Richie in 2010 as part of FCW.
Steamboat\’s most recent singles match saw him defeat Drew McIntyre at a WWE Live event in August 2009.
Sammy Guevara\’s tenure with All Elite Wrestling could be about to come to an end, at least according to the Spanish God himself.
Guevara joined AEW in February 2019, making him one of the first wrestlers to sign with the promotion.
Since then, he has become a record-tying three-time AEW TNT Champion, and worked in the stables the Inner Circle and the Jericho Appreciation Society.
Threatening to Leave
Guevara has become a star in AEW, but he may soon be seeking his exit from the company.
Speaking on his latest vlog, the Spanish God addressed his future with the company, blaming hostile fans for his possible abrupt departure (via Sportskeeda.)
\”Maybe I should go away, maybe this is it for me. I had a nice ride, and maybe I need to go away to get y\’all [fans] to appreciate me, \’cause that\’s what you guys do.\”
Sammy Guevara.
Guevara also made reference to Cody Rhodes, a fellow three-time AEW TNT Champion, who left in February after years of a mixed response in AEW.
\”That\’s what you did to Cody [Rhodes.] While he was in AEW, you hated him and then he went to WWE and you guys love him now.\”
Sammy Guevara.
These comments come after Guevara teased that things were \”coming to an end\” in a cryptic tweet.
Despite this threat, Guevara\’s recent comments come just one week after he said how he enjoys AEW and is planning to stay.
AEW Departures
Cody Rhodes isn\’t the only name to leave AEW this year, as multiple names have ended their tenures with the promotion.
Stu Grayson and Alan Angels have both left AEW this year after working as part of the Dark Order.
In August, it was reported that Bobby Fish\’s contract would not be renewed.
Earlier this month, Malakai Black was granted a conditional release from his contract, and is rumored to be considering a WWE return.
AEW star Wardlow is riding high right now as the reigning TNT Champion, but that isn\’t quite the highlight of his career with the company.
Wardlow joined All Elite Wrestling in 2019, initially as the bodyguard of MJF, before splitting with the Salt of the Earth earlier this year.
Face of the Revolution
Speaking on the Dynamite Diamond Podcast, Wardlow said that the Casino Ladder Match at AEW Revolution 2022 will go down as his favorite moment to date.
\”The ladder match at Revolution. That was the best moment of my life that night. Winning that ladder match. Holy sh*t. Standing up there with that ring and the reaction from that crowd, especially after murdering Ricky Starks.
Wardlow added that while the fan reaction wasn\’t as he predicted, that made the moment with Starks even better.
\”It was supposed to be I powerbomb him, the place goes wild, [I] grab the thing, They go even more wild. Instead, it was powerbomb, place goes f***ing silent, because I just murdered him. Then I was like \’F**k you\’ and as soon I did that, the place came f***ing back up. Then I grabbed the thing and it was all good.
As if winning the match wasn\’t enough, Wardlow also enjoyed the crowd reaction after the bell.
\”The eruption from the crowd as I turned around and walked up that ramp was [amazing]. The eruption from that crowd. That is the best feeling in the whole world. It really is, hands down. There is nothing in the world that can compare.\”
Turning Face
Later in the show, Wardlow would turn on MJF, establishing himself as a face and beginning a feud with his former employer.
When Wardlow cashed in his shot at the AEW TNT Championship, MJF cost him the match against then-Champion Scorpio Sky.
At AEW Double or Nothing 2022 in May, Wardlow would defeat MJF, earning his freedom from the latter\’s contract, and would capture the TNT Title in July.
WWE is facing a new mystery, and it\’s not even appeared on TV yet.
For the past week, a mysterious tease for what\’s been dubbed \’the White Rabbit\’ has been part of WWE Live events and now as part of the TV programming.
Wrestling is no stranger to mysteries, and now one amateur sleuth may have the answer.
The White Rabbit
WWE has been playing the song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane and has provided no explanation for the track.
At a WWE Live event and during a commercial break on last Friday\’s SmackDown, the promotion also used ominous red lighting, with fans believing that this could mark the end of Bray Wyatt.
At the two events, fans also held up their camera phone lights, referencing the \’fireflies\’ from Wyatt\’s tenure with the company.
During this week\’s Raw, a QR code could be spotted that took fans to an eerie video, teasing that more will be revealed during this Friday\’s SmackDown.
Mystery Solved?
WWE has kept quiet about this White Rabbit mystery, but a fan on Reddit may have found the answer. The Reddit user noted how on July 4, this year, Wyatt shared a tweet, asking if anyone knows about \’The Devil\’s Hole\’ in Self, Arkansas.
After our intrepid Reddit user did some Googling, they found that Self, Arkansas isn\’t even a town but instead an \”unincorporated community.\”
Looking up The Devil\’s Hole in Self, Arkansas took the Reddit user to a 2004 forum about the area and creepy things that have happened. The Reddit user noted how the moderator of the forum had the interesting name – White Rabbit.
Using an 18-year-old non-WWE forum may seem like long-term storytelling too long for the promotion, but its hardly the first time Wyatt has waited. In 2019, Wyatt revealed that he had used eight backstage promos from 2015 to make a secret message which nobody found.
Fun game time!
Bet you didn’t know that in 2015 I did 8 consecutive (backstage) promos where one sentence didn’t belong in each of them. But together they make up a secret message, no one ever found it. ?
AEW should carry on blending the worlds of professional wrestling and music according to one-half of the World Tag Team Champions Swerve Strickland.
In February this year, AEW announced an album featuring Hip Hop & R \’n B artists for Black History month, including performers such as Jon Connor, Mega Ran, Brinson, Omega Sparx, Monteasy, and Josiah Williams.
Earlier this month, Daniel Garcia\’s ring entrance was performed by Westside Gunn, ahead of the \’Dragon Slayer\’s\’ ROH Pure Championship win over Wheeler Yuta.
AEW has seen plenty of Hip Hop artists already, and that trend is set to continue if Strickland has his way.
Speaking on the latest episode of \’The Sessions\’ Strickland told host Renee Paquette how he thinks that pro-wrestling and entertainment crossovers just make sense.
\”I\’ve always been a big advocate of the crossover. Sports and media and entertainment, now we\’re seeing Dwayne Johnson announce the Superbowl and things like that. There\’s those same types of parallels that are transferring over and I\’ve always been a big proponent for it.\”
Bringing it Back
While Strickland said that AEW was crossing over with music prior to his arrival in March this year, he felt that the company\’s interest in Hip Hop had wained in that time.
\”I had a connection make the Kevin Gates thing that we did happen, and I was like \’man I feel like we can bring that back to life and provide something that has been missing for quite some time on the show.
\”Especially for hip-hop culture and African American culture and stuff like that. I think that may influence, and ripple through the industry. Even when we did LA. right after Double or Nothing I brought in Jeff Hamilton to do a little one-minute backstage with me. Hip-Hop heads, true hip-hop heads through the music industry and fashion were like \’yo! What is he doing here on AEW Wrestling?\’\”
Responding to Critics
AEW has a huge fan base, but it is impossible to please everyone.
Speaking about recent crossovers, Strickland admitted that not everyone is on board with seeing musical artists take up time on AEW programming.
The AEW World Tag Team Champion countered that seeing artists is likely to win over people who want to watch wrestling, but don\’t quite know how to start.
\”There were some critiques about it like \’what was this for? It was like a minute. What was that put on TV for?\’ Some wrestling fans were like \’I don\’t understand what the purpose of that was.\’
\”You guys are already watching, it wasn\’t for you as fans. It was for these people who want to like wrestling, but they\’re so hesitant because they don\’t see representation on certain shows.
\”It was for these people who want to like wrestling, but they\’re so hesitant.\”
Swerve Strickland on AEW\’s crossover with music winning over new fans.
\”So now just having that \’oh Jeff Hamilton he just did the NBA 75 jackets for Lebron James and Steph Curry and all these guys. What is he doing in AEW? Oh, they\’re in the forum!\’
\”That\’s a pop culture thing that goes all the way through You don\’t have to be a wrestling fan to appreciate those connections. And that\’s why I try to find.\”
The Future
AEW has shown no signs of easing up on their involvement with music now that Strickland is around, and he has big plans for the future.
When asked what he hopes to be the next step, Strickland said that with Hip Hop artists coming to AEW, it\’s time for AEW to enter their domain.
\”I want to see us transfer over there to that side a little bit more. Because when you look at a lot of wrestling that gets involved with rap and music or doing it, it always feel like its very charicature, where it\’s a parody of the music.\”
For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.
Triple H should be keeping his eye on Nick Aldis, according to WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page.
In July, the former WWE World Champion was appointed WWE\’s Head of Talent Relations replacing John Laurinaitis.
Since his appointment, The Game has brought back several released Superstars, including Karrion Kross, Dexter Lumis, Hit Row, Johnny Gargano and others.
On the Radar
WWE is bringing back several names from their past, with Bray Wyatt also rumored to return, but Nick Aldis has never worked for the promotion before.
That should change according to DDP, who during the latest Snake Pit podcast, praised the former two-time NWA World\’s Heavyweight Champion (via eWrestlingNews.)
“He’s got the friggin’ look, he’s got the work, he’s got the promo. I mean, all this time, he is a hidden, he is a hidden diamond. He isn’t a diamond in the rough, he’s a diamond. Like, he’s ready to go.\”
When asked if WWE is aware of Aldis and are considering bringing him in, Page remained coy.
“I would think [so]. And if not right now, at some point later. He [Triple H] has got enough to do right now.”
Diamnd Dallas Page on whether Nick Aldis is on Triple H\’s radar.
Nick Aldis
Beginning his wrestling career in 2003, Aldis rose to prominence in TNA/Impact Wrestling, working under the name Magnus.
A former TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Aldis remained with the company 2015, and had a brief return in 2017.
That same year Aldis joined the National Wrestling Alliance, where he is a two-time World Champion.
Scotty 2 Hotty took a lot of moves throughout his WWE career, but there\’s one that he only took once, thanks to Linda McMahon.
Scotty, real-name Scott Garland, signed with WWE in 1997 and was with the company until resigning as a trainer in 2021.
The Move
Appearing this week on the Wrestling with Johnners podcast, Scotty was asked about his match with Dean Malenko at the Backlash 2000 Pay Per View.
The match for the Light Heavyweight Championship ended with Malenko countering Scotty\’s attempted Superplex from the top-rope into a Cradle-DDT that spiked Scotty\’s head into the mat.
The finish earned a loud response from fans, but it wasn\’t Scotty\’s idea, as he explained on the podcast (via Wrestling Inc.)
\”It was Dean\’s idea. He told me had done it with (Chris) Jericho; I recently just saw it with Jericho taking it a month ago for the first time and I was like \’oh, that\’s what I was supposed to do.\’
\”I was supposed to jump out further so I would land more on my stomach and I didn\’t jump out. I just kind of spiked myself right into the mat from the top-rope.\”
Scotty went on to say that it was \”very dangerous\” and he could have easily broken his neck.
Linda McMahon
The move, if done incorrectly, could have resulted in severe neck problems for Scotty, with the match taking place less than a year after Darren Drosdov had been paralysed during a match.
Speaking about the reaction backstage, Scotty recalled being confronted by then-WWE CEO Linda McMahon.
\”don\’t ever do that again!\”
Linda McMahon\’s words of warning to Scotty 2 Hotty
Scotty told Linda that she didn\’t need to worry about him taking the move again, as he wasn\’t planning on it.
AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman is happy to be back on TV with the promotion, as long as company President Tony Khan keeps paying him the big bucks.
MJF returned to AEW at All Out, winning the Casino Ladder Match as the Joker, earning an AEW World Championship opportunity.
Prior to this, MJF hadn\’t been seen since the June 1, AEW Dynamite, where he cut a scathing worked-shoot promo on Tony Khan, daring Khan to fire him.
A New Deal
MJF has never shied away from teasing leaving AEW, even claiming during last week\’s Dynamite that he could take the AEW World Championship to WWE.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, MJF announced that he has a new deal with the promotion, one that is seeing him be paid more.
\”I\’m making a stupid, absurd amount of money now, and I didn\’t have to sign a contract extension.\”
MJF.
MJF had reportedly been against signing any new deal with the company which would have extended his current contract, which is set to expire on January 1, 2024.
Despite blasting Khan as a \”f***ing mark\” during his June 1, promo, MJF now says he loves the AEW President thanks to the new deal, but says he has Khan \”by the balls.\”
Double or Nothing
Before his three-month hiatus from programming, a lot had been said about MJF\’s antics before May\’s Double or Nothing Pay Per View.
Prior to the event, MJF had no-showed a fan appearance, and had not been responding to attempts to contact him by AEW management.
The self-professed \’Salt of the Earth\’ claimed that during his three months away, he vacationed across Greece with his girlfriend (now fiancee.)
MJF claimed that he told Khan \”pay up or daddy doesn\’t show up.\”
Leaving AEW
MJF is pretty pleased with himself, and his new deal with AEW, but he may still leave when the time is right.
Speaking about the January 1, 2024, expiration date on his contract, MJF said that \”the devil goes to the highest bidder.\”
MJF reiterated later in the interview that his loyalty is to who will pay him the most in 15 months\’ time.
\”A lot of people think I\’m leaning towards one place or the other. All I\’m leaning towards is money. That\’s all I live and die by. I go where the money is at. Whoever is going to offer me the most amount of money, that\’s where I\’m going to do. It\’s that simple.\”
AEW
MJF may still have one foot out of AEW (or at least wants people to believe that) but he did have some rare kind words for the promotion.
MJF put over some of AEW\’s top stars, while still considering himself the brightest star of them all.
\”[AEW] has a lot of great stars. Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, Brody King. But if we\’re being honest with ourselves, the show had a big gigantic void, and I was that void.\”
MJF.
When asked, MJF said he could not discuss the current situation with CM Punk, who is serving a suspension and could be fired for his actions following All Out.
Shawn Michaels may have worked with Vince McMahon for decades, but the relationship between the two wasn\’t always friendly.
During the mid and late 1990s, Michaels, by his own admission, was battling personal demons, which would be a factor in his four-year retirement from wrestling.
Although Michaels would eventually return to WWE after finding God, the Heart Break Kid\’s reputation as difficult to work is still remembered years later.
Traveling
During the New Generation era, the WWF tried to maintain \’kayfabe\’ by keeping heels and baby faces apart at all times, in case fans spotted them outside of an event.
For many wrestlers, that meant keeping away from their closest friends, which Shawn Michaels was not ready to do.
Speaking on the \’Kliq THIS\’ podcast, Kevin Nash recalled Michaels exploding on then WWF head Vince McMahon, who quickly backed down.
\”They told Shawn[Michaels] that Scott [Hall] couldn\’t ride with us, because they were working the matches together. And Shawn, I mean just zero to one hundred went to \’Mother f***er! You got me on the road 300 days a year and you\’re going to tell me who I can spend my time with?!\’
\”And Vince just went like [raises hands] \’Woah. I didn\’t realize it was that. Okay. If it\’s that much of a deal to you three, jeez. Do what you want to do.\’\”
When asked why McMahon, traditionally someone who had things done his way, was so quick to back down, Nash said that the quality of the Michaels-Hall feud gave them leverage.
\”The match was so good. What are they going to do?\”
Kevin Nash on Vince McMahon not punishing Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall.
To the Club
It wasn\’t just travel arrangements that McMahon tried to have control over, as Nash also had his share of demands from the then-Chairman of the company.
Speaking about his own experiences with Vince, Nash recalled he and The Undertaker being told to keep out of strip clubs as they were babyfaces, and McMahon believed that a face wouldn\’t visit such an establishment.
\”Me and ‘Taker got called into the office. Principal McMahon told me and ‘Taker that he didn’t want to see us or hear of us being in any strip clubs. He said it wasn’t a good image for Mark [Calaway] and I because we were both babyfaces at the time.\”
Despite the strong warning by McMahon, both men defied the order and had a reunion at a club.
\”I look straight across from me in the room, I see this long flicking hair, I see a bandana. I look over and I f**king just see ‘Taker. We’re not gonna sit with each other, we’re just like, ‘Oh, so you didn’t listen either.’ It was just acknowledged, like, ‘F**k that, right, man?’”
Kayfabe
With wrestlers appearing regularly out of character on social media, many have argued that \’kayfabe\’ is dead in the modern day.
Addressing the idea, Nash recalled finding out that wrestling isn\’t as legitimate as it is portrayed on TV, and whether kayfabe can still exist.
\”I knew this sh*t was a work when I was ten. Don\’t have a boom mic when you\’re doing the shot. I say \’oh! Boom mic. I\’m watching a movie. Oh, he hit him 45 times in the face, and there\’s no blood.\’
\”You\’re selling the disbelief that these two guys are going out there and trying to beat each other\’s ass. You can tell when you have the people. When you have a hot angle and you have the people and you work stiff.
\”You can say what you want about Bill Goldberg but when he was on his streak… people sat up.\”
The former WWF Champion also claimed that Edge Vs. Dominik Mysterio on last week\’s Raw was able to \”hook me in\” with how aggressive Edge was following the latter\’s heel turn at Clash at the Castle.
For use of any quotes from this article please give a h/t to SEScoops.
WWE Superstar Ricochet is excited for the future of NXT after the changes teased for the show on the latest episode.
This week\’s NXT 2.0 marked the one-year anniversary of the show\’s relaunch in September 2021, which was met with a hostile response by fans at the time. The latest episode ended with the NXT 2.0 fading into a black and gold design, which many have seen as the return of the original NXT.
Ricochet knows all about NXT, having joined the brand in early 2018 before his call-up the following year. Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports, Ricochet shared his views on the revamp, and is excited for the future.
\”NXT 2.0 was trying something new, trying something different. I think it was just so sudden, so quick, that people didn’t get a chance to really adjust. That was the biggest aspect whatever you thought of it.
\”But now I think it changing again, not back to what it was, but to something different, something that I feel like will be better… and it really might start be something bigger. Who knows? But I think it’s so cool to be thinking about the future.”
Making History
Ricochet has been with WWE for under five years, but has already made it into the proverbial \’history books.\’
Earlier this year, the high-flyer captured the Intercontinental Championship, making him the first (and only person) to hold that title, the United States Title, and the NXT North American Championship.
Ricochet explained how he wasn\’t even aware of the accolade until it was pointed out.
\”That was something that I was really unaware of until on Twitter, I found out. Someone posted it and I was like “Oh wow! I guess so!” But that’s awesome. Especially being organic and natural, not being something we planned, make it even better.\”
Making it into WWE\’s history books is extra special for the \’One and Only,\’ who opened up about thinking he\’d never make it to WWE.
\”Somebody, who didn’t even get into wrestling because they didn’t think they\’d ever be in the WWE because they’re so small. So to now be in the history of books as far as that goes, and I feel like I have a couple more things that can go into the history book as well.\”
Presentation
Ricochet\’s Intercontinental Championship lasted under 100 days before he was dethroned by Gunther, and the One and Only missed out on competing at WrestleMania.
At the time, fans criticized WWE\’s treatment of both the IC and U.S. Titles, which have both been featured more prominently in recent weeks.
Speaking about the WWE main roster mid-card titles, Ricochet spoke about the post-Vince McMahon era and the importance of presentation.
“I think just presentation of the championships has always been important to me. Around \’92 \’93 \’94 \’95 \’96 \’97 \’98 \’99 like it was all about the champion.
“I think there will probably be you know more light on those which I think will help viewers watch it a little better and understand okay they\’re going after that. So I think it\’s all going to be perceived it\’s going to be a great product.”
Ricochet added that \”everyone\” is thinking up new ideas as part of the new creative direction for the promotion.
Please credit Steve Fall with a link to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes from this article.
Ronda Rousey has been an active part of WWE\’s roster since her return to programming this year, but she won\’t be doing an entire overseas tour for the company.
Rousey returned after a nearly three-year absence from WWE programming at this year\’s Royal Rumble, winning the 30-Woman match.
European Tour
Unlike several high-profile stars such as Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, Rousey makes regular in-ring appearances for WWE at Premium Live Events and TV.
While her tenure on TV shows no signs of ending, a full European tour is out of the question.
\”I can’t do those (European) tours anymore now that I have P? [Rousey’s daughter] which sucks because it was really fun… I can’t really do a whole tour. I had to do like one arena or whatever, because London, O2 Arena, or something was a big deal.
\”If they’re in a big venue or something, I’m like the emergency button. We’re having trouble selling out this venue. Quick, hit the \”Ronda\” button kind of a thing.\”
Ronda Rousey the Mother
Becoming a mother was always something that the former UFC fighter turned WWE Superstar wanted to do.
After her first WWE loss at WrestleMania 35, Rousey took an indefinite leave from the company to start a family.
After years of trying, Rousey and her husband Travis Browne welcomed their first daughter La\’akea Makalapuaokalanipo Browne.
Kenny Omega has been seen in Japan with what is believed to be a bite mark stemming from the AEW All Out 2022 fight.
After the promotion\’s latest Pay Per View, new-World Champion CM Punk had explosive comments about Omega, the Young Bucks, Colt Cabana, and \’Hangman\’ Adam Page.
Backstage, a fight broke out between the Elite and Punk with Ace Steel, resulting in all being removed from AEW programming.
The Bite
During the AEW All Out 2022 backstage fight, Ace Steel bit Omega on his left forearm, and pulled the hair of the former World Champion.
Last weekend, Omega was in Japan and appeared on a Capcom TV live stream, where a noticeable bruise could be seen where the bite is reported to have been.
Several outlets have reported that this bruising is from Steel\’s bite on Omega, and is unlikely to have happened in a match, given the Cleaner\’s suspension.
According to Fightful, the Capcom \’live stream\’ was filmed last week, so the bruise from a bite mark would still be visible.
Unmistakable
One source who saw Omega in Japan, who had seen the former World Champion after the fight said the bite mark was “unmistakable.”
Another source told Fightful that Omega’s arm looked “disgusting” immediately following the fight.
It was also noted that Omega was \”very verbal\” after receiving the bite and furious over the situation.
Both sides have confirmed that the bite did occur, with a neutral source saying that the visible evidence on Omega\’s arm means there\’s no way Punk\’s side could deny the bite happening.
Christopher Daniels is well-aware that he will soon have to hang up his boots for good after a lengthy career in professional wrestling.
The 52-year-old wrestler made his debut in the industry in April 1993, and has worked for several promotions over the decades.
While best known for his stint in Impact Wrestling, Daniels has also competed for Ring of Honor, WWE, WCW, Chikara, AAA, and others, before coming to All Elite Wrestling in 2019.
Daniels signed with AEW in January 2019, becoming one of the first names to be contracted to Tony Khan\’s company.
The End is Near
Taking to Twitter, the \’Fallen Angel\’ reflected on his career and working for so many promotions throughout his tenure.
Daniels also addressed that he is getting \”close to the end\” of the \”in-ring part\” of his wrestling life.
I’m pretty sure I’m the first person to hold the distinction of wrestling for all of these great companies in their career. As I get close to the end of the in-ring part of my wrestling life, I’m honored & humbled to have had the opportunities to work where I have. Thank you all!
World Championship Wrestling would be thriving to this day if not for the actions of Eric Bischoff, according to the man himself.
Bischoff joined WCW in 1991, initially as an announcer, but worked his way up the company, both on and off-screen.
In 1997, the man known as \’Easy-E\’ had the official role of President of World Championship Wrestling and would remain with the company until its end in March 2001.
Taking the Blame
A large part of Bischoff\’s WCW was to attack WWE, infamously spoiling results of Monday Night Raw, which was pre-taped, during live episodes of Monday Nitro.
During the January 4, 1999 episode, announcer Tony Schiavone revealed that Mick Foley was set to become WWF Champion, causing hundreds of thousands of viewers to switch from Nitro to Raw.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks Podcast, Bischoff reflected on the criticism that his focus on WWE led to WCW\’s demise.
\”I went after WWE because I was focused on WCW. It\’s part of the underlying narrative, if Eric would have been more focused on WCW instead of trying to take out WWE, WCW would still be around. I\’ve heard that kind of thing for 20 years now.
\”What people fail to recognize is that I made WCW number one, by focusing on WWE and by focusing on outperforming WWE… That\’s why I brought in the Luchadores, created a cruiserweight division. All of those things were because I was focused on going after WWE.\”
AEW
Nearly two decades after WCW left Turner Network television, AEW is hoping to also stick it to WWE.
The Tony Khan-led promotion has been popular so far, winning the Wednesday Night Wars, but has yet to match the ratings of WWE\’s flagship shows: Raw and SmackDown.
On the podcast, Bischoff refuted the idea that Tony Khan poses any threat to WWE Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon.
\”They\’re delusional. They want you to be delusional because it\’s like if you keep saying it, eventually people will believe it. Right? Just keep repeating the same nonsense over and over and over again. And people will eventually believe it.\”
Bischoff has appeared for both AEW and WWE in recent years, though given his consistent criticism of Khan and his company, is unlikely to make more AEW appearances.
Is the WWE Universe big enough already? Not according to Logan Paul.
The Youtuber-turned-boxer has made an impression this year, having victories at both WrestleMania 38 and Summerslam.
Paul comes to WWE already with a sizable fan base, with his YouTube channel boasting over 23.6 million subscribers and close to six billion views.
Speaking to Bleacher Report after this week\’s press conference, the YouTuber spoke about plans to expand WWE\’s current fan base (via Sports Illustrated.)
\”This is no diss to the WWE but I told them this before I signed my contract, I’m a good amplifier.
\”I crossover big, mainstream events. The WWE is a universe and it’s huge, but I told Triple H I want to make this a multiverse.”
Paul also spoke about how he specifically can bring in people who wouldn\’t necessarily watch wrestling.
“How do we bring in people who aren’t necessarily watching and interested in the WWE to the sport? I think I bring the eyeballs, I think they know it.\”
Logan Paul has honed himself on both YouTube and boxing, but wouldn\’t make his in-ring wrestling debut until WWE WrestleMania 38.
At the event, Paul teamed with The Miz to defeat Rey and Dominik Mysterio but was attacked by the A-Lister after the match.
In July, Paul signed a talent contract with WWE, and defeated The Miz at Summerslam.
The Youtuber/Boxer\’s next match will be against Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on November 5 at the Crown Jewel event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sasha Banks has stepped out of the ring and into a galaxy far, far away with her Princes Leia-inspired outfit for the red carpet premiere of \’Andor.\’
Andor, which dropped on Disney Plus this week, is based on Rebel Alliance fighter Cassian Andor (Diego Luna,) first introduced to fans in 2016\’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Walking the Red Carpet
Sasha Banks is used to making an impact with her attires on WWE TV, and the same is the case on the red carpet.
In a series of posts on Instagram, Banks shared her outfit, inspired by Carrie Fisher\’s Princess Leia from 1983\’s \’Return of the Jedi.
The former Raw and SmackDown Women\’s Champion also shared an image of a mask, which seemed loosely based on Darth Vader.
In the Star Wars universe, Banks plays Koska Reeves in season two of Disney Plus hit \’The Mandalorian.
WWE Hiatus
Banks hasn\’t been seen on WWE TV in months, after she and Naomi walked out of the May 16, 2022, Raw, over a creative dispute with Vince McMahon.
Despite the belief that the pair were finished with WWE, recent reports have stated that they are expected to be back.
It\’s believed that their real issues were with McMahon, and with the ex-WWE CEO now retired, the pair are likely to work well with WWE\’s new head of Creative: Triple H.
Banks has benefitted from working under the Game in the past, becoming the NXT Women\’s Champion and part of WWE\’s four horsewomen during her days in the black and gold brand when it was run by Triple H.
AEW Women\’s World Champion Thunder Rosa has a long road back to the ring ahead of her as she continues to recover from her injury.
During the pre-All Out episode of AEW Dynamite, Rosa confirmed that she is injured, and will be unable to defend the Women\’s World Championship.
Despite the injury, Rosa has remained champion, with an Interim AEW Women\’s World Championship created in her absence, which is currently held by Toni Storm.
Recovery
Speaking during her latest vlog, Thunder Rosa discussed her recovery and the process she\’s undergoing.
\”I\’m here at the South Texas Spine & Joint Institute with Dr. Kaiser. He is the one who helped me out, find out that I had a back injury. I’ll be coming here pretty often. I’ve been treated by him for over four years so he knows me very well.
\”I just had my first treatment. It’s gonna be six weeks, just to start. I’m going to be here four times a week.”
Rosa added that not being on the road has already made a huge difference to her injured back.
\”I’m doing my first physical therapy session today. This is after six weeks of being injured. Not traveling has actually made a huge difference.\”
TripleMania
Thunder Rosa is keeping positive about her recovery, but it\’s not just her bookings for AEW that have been effected.
AAA have confirmed that Rosa will not compete at Triplemania XXX: Mexico City on October 15.
Taya Valkyrie had previously been set to defend her Reina de Reinas Championship against Rosa but will now defend against NWA Women\’s World Champion Kamille.
Earlier this month, EC3 claimed that he had invited Clark, aka Velveteen Dream, to a house party while both men were in NXT.
EC3, a former four-time WWE 24/7 Champion claimed that he found Clark\’s phone in the bathroom of his house, and had been recording guests urinating without their consent.
Clark has responded saying that though his phone was in the bathroom, it was not recording, and proved it by showing others his phone\’s videos, as well as those that had been recently deleted.
Clark has also claimed that EC3 accused him of this due to the hedonistic Velveteen Dream character he played in NXT.
Thanks
While speaking on The Wrestling Outlaws show, EC3 claimed that WWE employees have reached out to him over his allegations against the problematic ex-Superstar (via Sportskeeda.)
“What else could I possibly even say or bother to address? It’s done. He recorded people trying to urinate in my bathroom. That’s the truth. You asked me a question regarding this man who I haven’t thought about in many years, and that story came to mind.
\”WWE employees thanked me for telling that story out loud, so there is no thought of bringing him back to the company from those said employees.”
EC3 was reportedly deemed a \’public relations nightmare\’ prior to his WWE release.
Patrick Clark
Despite hopes of returning to WWE one day, that looks incredibly unlikely for Patrick Clark.
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