Ezekiel\’s days as a WWE Superstar may have come to an end according to a report from PW Insider.
Ezekiel debuted in WWE on the post-WrestleMania 38 episode of Monday Night Raw, confronting Kevin Owens.
Owens accused the new Superstar of being Elias, Ezekiel\’s older brother, a claim that \’Zeke has consistently denied.
The End of Ezekiel
The Ezekiel character proved to be a hit with fans, but he hasn\’t been seen in over a month on WWE TV.
Ezekiel\’s last in-ring appearance was on the August 8, Raw, where he was power-bombed on the ring apron by Owens.
The following week, Ezekiel, Elias, and their father Ernie were all seen in a hospital segment alongside other members of the family.
According to Mike Johnson of PW Insider, Ezekiel has been delisted from WWE\’s internal roster.
At this time, there are no reported plans for the character to return in any capacity.
The Return
Ezekiel\’s time in WWE may have come to an end, but the opposite is the case for his brother Elias.
In the same report, it\’s noted that Elias has been re-added to the company\’s internal roster and is expected to be used as an in-ring performer again soon.
Elias hasn\’t competed for WWE since the July 19, 2021, edition of Monday Night Raw, where he lost the Symphony of Destruction match to Jaxson Ryker.
After a lengthy hiatus and teased change in character, Elias returned to WWE programming earlier this year, appearing on-screen with his brother.
Chris Jericho will look to add another World Championship to his impressive collection when he faces ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli next week.
Castagnoli is in his first reign as champion, having dethroned Jonathan Gresham at the ROH Death Before Dishonor event this past July.
The match, scheduled for the Grand Slam Dynamite, was confirmed on last night\’s AEW Rampage, and marks Jericho\’s first shot at the ROH World Title.
Grand Slam Dynamite
Jericho Vs. Castagnoli will be a huge match and just part of a packed event.
The AEW Grand Slam Dynamite card so far is as follows:
ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli defends against Chris Jericho
AEW World Trios Champion PAC defends his AEW All-Atlantic Title against Orange Cassidy
AEW Interim Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Britt Baker, Athena and Serena Deeb in a Fatal 4 Way
AEW World Tag Team Champions Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland defend against The Acclaimed
Grand Slam Tournament of Champions Finals: Bryan Danielson vs. Jon Moxley for the vacant AEW World Title
Ramage
In addition to Jericho Vs. Castagnoli, it was announced during last night\’s Rampage that Darby Allin and Sting will face Brody King and Buddy Matthews next week.
The House of Black members attacked Allin last night following the former TNT Champion\’s victory over Matt Hardy.
After the attack, King and Matthews challenged Sting and Allin to a No-Disqualification tag match with the duo accepted.
Last night\’s Rampage also saw Eddie Kingston cut a promo on Sammy Guevara, and a match between the two being confirmed for Rampage.
A Rampage Golden Ticket Battle Royale will take place, with the winner getting a shot at the AEW World Championship.
The AEW Grand Slam Rampage card is as follows.
FTW Champion Hook and Action Bronson vs. Matt Menard and Angelo Parker
Sting and Darby Allin vs. Brody King and Buddy Matthews in a No DQ match
ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe and AEW TNT Champion Wardlow vs. Tony Nese and Josh Woods
AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill defends against Diamante
Eddie Kingston vs. Sammy Guevara
Rampage Golden Ticket Battle Royale (winner receives a future shot at the AEW world title)
Braun Strowman couldn\’t hold back his emotions after his impactful return to WWE earlier this month.
The former WWE Universal Champion was released by WWE on June 2, 2021, as part of \’budget cuts\’ made in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Strowman\’s departure was notable given that he had been heavily featured on WWE programming, with his final match being a WWE Championship opportunity at WrestleMania Backlash 2021.
Strowman\’s return came at the expense of four tag teams, the Alpha Academy, Street Profits, Los Lotharios, and The New Day, who had been competing to determine the number one contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.
In the days prior to Raw, it was reported that Strowman was set to return, the latest name to be rehired by WWE in the post-Vince McMahon era.
Emotions
Strowman may be the Monster Among Men, but the former Universal Champion was feeling heavily emotional over his return.
Speaking on After the Bell, Braun recalled his return after a year away from WWE.
\”I don\’t want to admit it because I\’m supposed to be this big giant tough monster, I had to swallow back the emotions. It was really really hard to stay in character.\”
Braun Strowman.
Strowman looked emotional during the early stages of his return, as seen in the image above.
The recently returned Superstar added that the emotional rush of returning still gets to him now, nearly two weeks after his comeback.
\”I heard that roar, I heard the place come unglued. I just gave myself goosebumps thinking about it. I am home.\”
Braun Strowman.
Behind the Curtain
Strowman was just about able to hold it together on TV, but couldn\’t keep his emotions bottled up after the segment was finished.
\”I cried when I came back through the curtain. Once I got away from everybody, I finally was able to absorb it and let it in.\”
Braun Strowman on breaking down after WWE Raw return.
The former Universal Champion reiterated that he is \’home\’ and that \”it\’s good to be back.\”
Ricky \’The Dragon\’ Steamboat will be lacing up his boots one more time after over a decade away from the ring.
Steamboat, considered one of the greatest of his generation, is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and one-time Intercontinental Champion, among other accolades.
In 2009, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his long-time rival Ric Flair.
Returning to the Ring
Earlier this year, it was reported that Steamboat was going to face Ric Flair in the latter\’s final match, but that didn\’t happen.
On Twitter, the Big Time Wrestling promotion confirmed that The Dragon will wrestle as part of November 27, event at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
This will be Ricky Steamboat\’s first match since competing at the June 18, 2010 event for WWE\’s then-developmental territory: Florida Championship Wrestling.
That event saw Steamboat team with his son Richie Steamboat to defeat Caylen Croft and Trent Barretta.
The Hall of Famer\’s most recent singles match came in August 2009, when he defeated a rookie Drew McIntyre at a WWE Live event.
Life After the Ring
While Steamboat\’s full-time days in the ring are long behind him, The Dragon remains active in various roles.
In 2012, Steamboat worked as a trainer for NXT (now WWE\’s developmental program) and became an ambassador for the company the following year.
In his first televised appearance for TBS in 28 years, Steamboat served as the guest timekeeper on the August 17, 2022, episode of AEW Dynamite.
Logan Paul will be on tonight\’s episode of WWE Smackdown on FOX, the promotion has confirmed.
In a tweet, it was announced that the YouTuber-turned-boxer will be on the show, which will air from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The show will also feature a fatal-four-way tag-team match to determine the number one contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.
Confronting the Tribal Chief?
WWE hasn\’t confirmed what Paul will be doing on the show, but he may be settings his sights on the Head of the Table.
During a recent episode of Paul\’s Impaulsive podcast, Roman Reigns spoke about his career thus far in WWE. Paul said he\’d love to one day face Reigns one day.
Reigns\’ next match is expected to be at the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia, as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion is not scheduled for next month\’s Hell in a Cell.
Earlier this week, Paul and Paul Heyman had the following exchange on social media:
Fans will soon get the chance to see a \’new\’ Jeff Hardy following the former World Champion\’s lengthy absence from AEW.
Hardy hasn\’t competed for AEW since Double or Nothing 2022 in May, where he and Matt defeated the Young Bucks. Back in June, he was arrested in Florida and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
This marks Jeff\’s third DUI arrest in 10 years, after having faced arrests in both WWE and TNA/Impact Wrestling. Hardy has since been suspended without pay from AEW, and will not be allowed to return until he shows he has changed.
The New Jeff Hardy
Jeff has entered alcohol rehabilitation, and is said to be making great improvements, according to his brother Matt Hardy.
\”We’re getting close to the point where we meet the new Jeff and we figure out his future and what he ends up doing. I’m pretty excited.\”
Matt Hardy on his brother Jeff.
Matt added that his brother realizes that this is a make-or-break moment for his career.
\”I feel like his mentality is that he knows he has to make changes and do what’s right and I feel like he’s at the point where he will this time around. I’m excited to have him back.\”
Last Chance
While Tony Khan has said he supports Jeff and wants him to get better, the AEW President has said this is his last chance he\’ll get in the promotion.
Hardy has pleaded not guilty to all charges related to his June 2022 arrest, and if convicted of the DUI charge, faces up to five years in prison.
At one point, Keith Lee was seemingly on the cusp of being WWE\’s next breakout Superstar, starting off 2021 with a WWE Championship match against Drew McIntyre.
After a lengthy hiatus from the ring, partly due to COVID-19, Lee returned in July 2021, but was released from the promotion that November.
Body Shape
Since his release, there has been speculation about why Lee fell from prominence so quickly, and was eventually cut from WWE.
A popular theory is that Lee was cut before of his weight, with some claiming that Lee refused to lose weight, forcing WWE to end their push of the \’Limitless\’ one.
In April 2022, Lee denied a claim that his weight was a factor in his release, describing the idea as a \”fallacy.\”
Many fans have compared Lee\’s situation to Gunther, who lost a considerable amount of weight during his WWE tenure.
Gunther was called to the main-roster earlier this year and is currently the Intercontinental Champion, which fans have cited as proof that Lee\’s WWE run would have been better had he lost weight.
Responding to a tweet comparing Lee and Gunther, in which it was again claimed that Lee \”refused\” to lose weight, the Limitless One\’s wife Mia Yim fired back.
Yim, another WWE alum, said that even if Lee\’s weight was a factor, that his medical issues during his WWE time could have cost him his life.
Yim explained that doctors told him that he could die if he elevated his heart rate, so working out wasn\’t an option.
Walter is awesome.
“What keith Lee refused to do” When we weren’t sure if he was going to LIVE, the doctors told him if he elevated his heart rate, he could literally die. So working out, even jogging wasn’t an option. But go off about how he chooses to be fat and lazy. https://t.co/Eiqmp1su1z
Keith Lee did not find the success on WWE\’s main roster many expected for him, but he has bounced back in AEW.
In February 2022, Lee joined AEW, defeating Isiah Kassidy to qualify for the \”Face of the Revolution\” Ladder match at Revolution, which was won by Wardlow.
In July, Lee, alongside fellow WWE alum Swerve Strickland, captured the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
Former WWE NXT Superstar Velveteen Dream has had a lot of controversy to his name, but he is denying claims recently made by EC3.
Dream, real name Patrick Clark, was once considered a future big name in WWE, after impressing audiences in the 2015 season of Tough Enough.
In 2020, allegations were made that Clark had sent explicit photos to minors, and while he admitted the photos were of him, Clark claimed his phone had been hacked.
Despite a WWE-led investigation finding no wrongdoing by Clark, he was released in May 2021.
EC3
Earlier this month, Clark faced a new accusation, this one may be fellow NXT alum EC3.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, EC3 accused Clark of hiding his camera phone in a bathroom at a party hosted by the former Impact World Champion.
EC3 said that Clark filmed the genitals of guests, including wrestlers, without their consent, and Sean Ross Sapp later reported that this had been a long-standing rumor.
The Response
Patrick Clark is used to being on the receiving end of accusations and has now responded to the claims.
In an Instagram video, Clark claimed that EC3 was very drunk at the party, and was slumped in a corner.
Clark said that while he did leave his phone in the bathroom, it was not filming people, and that EC3 has falsely accused him of the act.
Clark claimed that EC3, who is \”not friends, at all\” with him, made the claim as he was unaware of Clark\’s sexuality, due to the hedonistic persona of the Velveteen Dream character.
Clark went on to detail handing a mutual friend his phone, noting that he showed him the \”recently deleted\” section of his phone as well, to prove that he was not recording him.
The Accusation
After receiving plenty of accusations, Patrick Clark has made an accusation of his own against EC3.
In the same video, Clark claimed that EC3 uses cocaine and encouraged him to \”get your sh*t together.\”
Clark also claimed that despite EC3\’s negative comments about him, the Control Your Narrative founder follows him on Instagram, which was true at the time of the video being published.
The video has since been removed from Instagram, but can be seen here:
In July 2021, Chris Jericho fought death-match veteran Nick Gage at the company\’s Fight for the Fallen event, in a match that would go on to live in infamy.
Using staples of death-match wrestling, the bout saw the inclusion of panes of glass, baseball bats and light tubes, making it one of the most graphic AEW bouts in the promotion\’s history.
The most infamous weapon in the match was a Pizza cutter, which Gage used to slice Jericho\’s biceps and later on his forehead.
Clearing the Air
After the Pizza cutter was used, reports came out that many big names were furious at the spot being shown on TNT programming.
At the time, it was claimed that Domino\’s had threatened to pull their advertising from all AEW shows, as the spot with the Pizza cutter aired during an ad for their deep-dish treats.
Speaking on the latest Talk is Jericho, the former AEW World Champion recalled the spot, and said that despite what was reported, nothing happened between AEW and the veteran pizza chain.
\”So right when Nick is carving my forehead with the pizza cutter, there is a Domino\’s Pizza commercial where the guy is cutting the pizza with what? A pizza cutter. Apparently, Domino\’s was furious. [Everyone was] like \’AEW\’s gonna lose all their sponsors. This is it. This is the end of the line.\’ Nothing ever happened.\”
Jericho added that rather than be furious about the spot, Domino\’s should have capitalised on a potential advertising idea.
\”I was like \’If I was the Domino\’s guy I would have filmed a Chris Jericho – Nick gage commercial the next f*cking day.\’ I mean it\’s right there. Pizza cutters – Domino\’s. They go hand in hand.\”
It was later reported after the match that WWE had allegedly called wrestling media outlets, encouraging them to pick up the story.
In 2020, two years after his return, EC3 was released from WWE for the second time.
After his departure, EC3 went on to co-found \’Control Your Narrative,\’ which encourages talent to take the reins of their careers and relies on stories booked by the wrestlers.
Braun Strowman
Earlier this month, Adam Scherr returned to WWE as Braun Strowman, over a year after his release from the company.
Scherr had been a large part of CYN, but of course will no longer be able to appear for the promotion.
Following Strowman\’s return, Control Your Narrative issued a statement saying the \”immediate future\” of the promotion is unknown.
Speaking to SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston, EC3 spoke about the company\’s unknown future and said he\’s happy for his friend.
\”Life is flux. Life is interesting. Life is wild. Life is unexpected, and what I really wanted to press home with that press release and Adam\’s return is that everything you ever want, is when you go beyond the unknown. So obviously, I\’m a close personal friend. Obviously, I\’m super happy if he\’s happy he\’s back. There\’s a lot of unfinished business. I know how that motivated me for a long time to go back there. Hopefully he has better luck than I did.\”
NWA
While CYN\’s future may be unclear, they have formed a partnership with the NWA.
At last month\’s NWA 74 event, EC3 competed on both nights of the show, and members of the CYN roster invaded on the second night.
In the interview, EC3 had praise for Billy Corgan, who he sees as a \’kindred spirit.\’
\”Billy and I are kind of like-minded, kindred souls and spirits in a way. And having the opportunity now to finally be able to do something with him… He\’s committed to his vision. And few are because it\’s so much easier to fall back into what we think we have to do as opposed to what we should do. What we should do is follow our intuition and let us see if it succeeds or fails.\”
Given that CYN\’s appearance at NWA 74 came before their statement about Scherr and their future, it is unclear if plans have changed.
WWE\’s new Era
Control Your Narrative\’s immediate future is unclear, especially with Adam Scherr and Karrion Kross returning to WWE.
Since Vince McMahon\’s retirement, several ex-Superstars have returned, including Dexter Lumis, Johnny Gargano and Hit Row.
When asked about the returns, EC3 didn\’t state if he wanted to come back, but had praise for WWE\’s new Head of Talent Relations: Triple H.
\”What I noticed about Paul, Triple H, he\’s a real leader, and I got a lot from watching him work as much as conversations he\’s very open to having and how hands-on he was with the talent from NXT. Really, watching him work and lead and address rooms and address people as people as opposed to just objects, I had a lot of respect for it.\”
EC3 added that he believes WWE is in \”very good hands\” with Triple H running talent and creative.
Please credit Steve Fall with a link to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes from this article.
WWE isn\’t exactly panicking over this week\’s dip in the ratings for WWE Monday Night Raw.
According to numbers obtained by Wrestlenomics, this week\’s show averaged 1.71 million viewers across the three hours, down significantly from the previous week\’s 2.054 million.
Ever since Vince McMahon\’s retirement, Raw has seen a sharp uptake in ratings, with the show averaging over 2 million viewers an episode over the past month.
The Reaction
While this week\’s Raw saw a sharp decline, this isn\’t a cause for concern for WWE.
According to sources who spoke to Fightful Select, many within WWE expected the drop, given that Raw was going up against the season premiere of Monday Night Football.
Raw was also up against the 2022 Emmy Awards, and those within WWE expected the viewership to fall under 1.7 million.
Since the post-Summerslam 2022 episode of Raw, the red brand has had a consistent viewership between 1.9 and 2.2 million viewers.
This week\’s episode saw Damage CTRL capture the WWE Women\’s Tag Team Championships and Edge compete in the main event.
Last year\’s Monday Night Football premiere saw an even worse result for Raw, which dropped to 1.67 million for the September 13, 2021, episode of the red brand.
Bouncing Back
The dip in ratings this week may not be seen as a huge problem, but WWE will hope to bounce back.
Next week\’s Raw will see United States Champion Bobby Lashley defend against Seth Rollins, with the Visionary hoping to win his first title in three years.
Kevin Owens Vs. Mr. Money in the Bank Austin Theory has also been announced for the show.
In wrestling, fewer chants have stood the test of time quite like the simple word \’What.\’
While most synonymous with WWE Hall of Famer \’Stone Cold\’ Steve Austin fans have used the chant over the years, often disrupting promos from faces and heels.
The Tribal Chief
Roman Reigns knows all about the \’What\’ chant, having heard it both during his time as a babyface and since turning heel.
Speaking on Logan Paul\’s \’Impaulsive\’ podcast, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion gave his advice for Superstars (via Sportskeeda.)
\”It’s an old Stone Cold Steve Austin gimmick and they still hold on to it. So they’ll hit you with those and that’s when you can hear the more experienced performers and talkers where they’ll change their cadence.
\”I have to machine gun then I’ll machine gun them but as soon as I know I’ve stopped that or I have a gauge on what’s happening I don’t mind sitting and letting them chant.\”
Origins of the What
Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show in December 2020, Austin recalled how arguably his most iconic catchphrase began.
Austin said that the chant began when he was traveling on the road and rang Chrisitan, who didn\’t pick up the phone.
The Texas Rattlesnake decided to prank call Christian, leaving a series of lengthy voicemails, in which he would list several points with the term \’What\’ repeated throughout the message.
AEW star Andrade El Idolo has plenty of moves at his disposal, but don\’t expect him to bust out a spinning elbow in the ring.
After years of working in WWE, where he became NXT Champion and United States Champion, Andrade was released last year, after having his initial request to be let go denied.
When a fan tweeted a clip of El Idolo using the spinning elbow on Johnny Gargano, the former NXT Champion said he is not allowed to use the move anymore.
While Andrade didn\’t give a reason, it\’s likely that the move has been banned for him, due to the spinning elbow bearing a striking resemblance to Chris Jericho\’s Judas Effect finisher.
Andrade\’s most recent match for AEW came at All Out, where he lost in the Casino Ladder Match to the Joker, later revealed to be MJF.
His most recent non-Pay Per View match was a month ago on the August 17, 2022 Dynamite, where he, Dragon Lee and Rush lost to the Elite.
Leaving AEW?
Andrade has been with AEW for over a year now, but his tenure with the company could be coming to an end.
In August, fans were critical of his booking in the company, with one tweet claiming that both he and Miro have been booked worse than when they were in WWE.
This tweet was liked by El Idolo, which came at a time where reports of talent being unhappy were becoming more common in the company.
This culminated in a talent-wide meeting prior to August 24, episode of AEW Dynamite, where Tony Khan addressed communications issues within the promotion.
From his decades in wrestling, working in WCW, WWE and TNA/Impact Wrestling, Eric Bischoff knows about coming up with creative ideas.
It was Bischoff who played a pivotal role in the forming of the New World Order in WCW, the effects of the group still being felt to this day.
Years later, Bischoff would be credited as the mind behind the Elimination Chamber: a cross of several stipulation matches including Hell in a Cell and War Games.
Ending the Viper
Bischoff isn\’t tied to any one promotion at the moment but is ready to return to WWE if he gets the call.
During an episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff was asked about which Superstar he\’d like to write for and didn\’t hesitate in choosing Randy Orton (via Sportskeeda.)
“I would like to be on the team to write Randy Orton’s retirement story, like there’s going to be a point in time when Randy’s ready to cash it in.
\”I’d love to be on the team to write that one Randy Orton you know we haven’t seen a lot of them lately, you know he kind of comes in and comes out.\”
Orton has been out since May recovering from an injury, and is expected to be out for the rest of the year.
The End of Orton\’s Career
Earlier this year, Randy Orton reached 20 years since his main roster debut on the April 25, 2002 SmackDown.
In that time, Orton has become a multi-time World Champion, Grand Slam winner, two-time Royal Rumble winner, and Money in the Bank winner.
Kenny Omega won\’t be appearing on AEW programming anytime soon, but the former World Champion can be found in Japan.
Omega is currently off AEW TV serving a suspension for his involvement with the All Out media scrum post-show fight.
Tokyo
Prior to his suspension, Omega had been announced as one of the names set to appear at the Tokyo Games Show.
Omega may be barred from AEW programming, but it appears that the Cleaner is still set to appear at the event.
In a tweet from HAOMING, a Japanese wrestling apparel company, Omega can be seen having fun at their offices.
Yuka Sakazaki, the AEW/Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling star who was recruited to the promotion by Omega when AEW was formed in 2019, was happy to see the Canadian wrestler, tweeting \”Yeah yeah yeah yeah!?\”
The Tokyo Game Show convention is scheduled to begin this Thursday and will feature a presentation on AEW: Fight Forever.
AEW: Fight Forever
AEW: Fight Forever will be the promotion\’s first console video game, following the release of AEW: Elite GM and AEW Casino: Double or Nothing for mobile devices.
The game was recently featured at the Gamescon in Cologne, Germany, where it won an award for being the Best Sports/Racing game featured at the event.
With AEW investing an eight-figure amount in their gaming department (at least $10 million) a lot is riding on the new game, which may explain why they\’re allowing the suspended Omega to appear in Tokyo.
Omega\’s appearance also implies that his punishment will not be severe, especially compared to CM Punk, who\’s future with AEW remains uncertain.
Since returning to WWE in 2017, Drew McIntyre spoke of plans for a Premium Live Event in the UK.
The last PLE in the UK that was broadcast internationally was Summerslam 2022, but McIntyre\’s years of work paid off.
Earlier this month, WWE hosted Clash at the Castle, which was a huge success for the company.
Where Next?
Drew McIntyre headlined WWE Clash at the Castle, but the Scottish Warrior isn\’t taking things easy now that he\’s had his UK show.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, McIntyre praised the Indian fans, and hopes to bring WWE back to the sub-continent soon.
\”I talked about the UK show for a long time. It\’s happening right now and I\’m telling you I\’m going to keep talking to people to bring it back to India.\”
Drew McIntyre
Professional wrestling, especially WWE, is immensely popular in India, which boasts a popular of over one billion people.
In 2021, WWE hosted their \’Superstar Spectacle\’ to coincide with India\’s Republic Day, but the event took place inside the WWE Thunderdome in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Record Breaker
WWE Clash at the Castle was a huge event for the promotion, breaking several records.
In a graphic shared by WWE\’s Head of Creative & Talent Relations Triple H, it was reported that the show had the highest gate of any European WWE event.
In terms of merchandise, the Cardiff show sold the most of any non-WrestleMania event by WWE, while the post-show press conference had the highest concurrent views on YouTube of any non-pre-show event.
Malakai Black may be gone from AEW, but the influence of the former NXT Champion isn\’t going with him.
The Dutch wrestler parted ways with AEW earlier this month, after being granted a conditional release from the promotion.
The Trademark
On September 8, AEW filed a new trademark for the term \’House of Black.\’
The group that Black led until his AEW departure now consists of Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart.
There have been no words on what AEW has planned for the faction, other than this trademark filing.
The filing allows AEW the use of the term for merchandise for \”beanies; Hats; Shirts; T-shirts.\”
Black\’s final match came at AEW All Out 2022, where he, King and Matthews lost to Darby Allin, Sting, and Miro.
Black\’s Departure
Malakai Black joined AEW last year, but his tenure with the company has been short-lived.
Black requested his release earlier this year, which was reportedly denied by Tony Khan.
Despite talks between the two going well, Khan has agreed to the release, though with conditions that are believed to be similar to WWE\’s non-compete clause.
It has been reported that a personal issue has been having a toll on Black\’s mental health, and that he has been considering a lengthy, possibly permanent break from wrestling.
Black is the latest prominent name to leave AEW, after Cody Rhodes departed in February and Bobby Fish decided recently not to renew his contract.
Fans of AEW won\’t be seeing the likes of Kenny Omega or the Young Bucks in the ring, and they won\’t be seeing the trio on the popular Being the Elite YouTube series either.
The hit series follows the Elite, among other wrestlers in their lives outside of the ring, which often includes skits related to the world of pro wrestling.
The YouTube channel boasts over half a million subscribers and close to 100 million views.
The Hiatus
Being the Elite has proven to be a hit with fans for years, but now the show is on an indefinite break.
In a tweet from the official Being the Elite Twitter account, it was confirmed that there will be no new episode this week, and that the show is on a hiatus until further notice.
No #BeingTheElite this week. On hiatus until further notice.
While no reason was given as to why the show is on an indefinite break, it is believed to be related to the ongoing suspension the Elite are dealing with.
The Young Bucks and Omega have been suspended due to their involvement in the All Out media scrum fight, which came after explosive comments by then-World Champion CM Punk.
While the Bucks and Omega have been suspended, it is unclear what Punk\’s status is with AEW, with rumors that he could be fired, or possibly has already been fired, along with his trainer Ace Steel.
The Elite have been stripped of the AEW Trios Tag Titles won at All Out, with the Death Triangle winning the vacant championships on last week\’s Dynamite.
Mick Foley would have shaken off the thumbtacks and barbed wire to speak to the media if he had been given the opportunity during the Attitude Era.
Both WWE and AEW used press conferences recently following Clash at the Castle and All Out respectively, with differing results.
While Triple H and Roman Reigns spoke at WWE\’s conference about the biggest WWE UK event in 30 years, CM Punk\’s fiery comments and post-show fight have brought an abrupt end to his second reign as AEW World Champion.
Foley\’s Comments
Press conferences have been common in sports for decades, but the world of pro wrestling is only catching up now.
Speaking to SESccoops correspondent Steve Fall, Foley spoke about the idea of post-show interviews, and how he wishes the idea was around during his time in the ring.
“I would have loved to have had the opportunity to address the media after matches. I think it’s something that’s been missing. Of course, the latest one at AEW turned out a little unusual in a way that might not be good for business, but I like the idea. Y’know, Roman Reigns talking to the press after a big victory I think it gives that added touch to what we do.”
Meeting Fans
Mick Foley\’s days in the ring are over, but the three-time World Champion still has a huge fanbase.
Nowadays, fans can find Foley doing one-man comedy shows, or get the chance to meet the Hardcore Legend at a convention.
In the interview, Foley discussed the differences between the two experiences.
\”When you\’re doing the meet-and-greet, which is the favorite part of the show for a lot of people, by the nature of the meet-and-greet lasting only 90 minutes or so after a show you can\’t spend too much time with any one person.
\”Whereas over the course of three days [at a convention] especially if I see someone who needs a little extra attention, I\’m pretty good at figuring that out being an autism dad, I can spend a little more time.\”
\”I can do what I need to do to make people feel the time they\’re spending in that line, and hopefully it\’s not a very big line. Hopefully, it\’s just a steady flow… I can do what I think needs to be done to make that person feel like the time they spent in that line and the money they\’ve paid is worth it.\”
Please credit Steve Fall with a link to SEScoops if you use any of the quotes from this article.
At WWE Clash at the Castle, Dominik Mysterio turned heel on his father Rey and Edge, who had won their match with The Judgment Day\’s Finn Balor and Damian Priest.
For many, Dominik\’s heel turn had been a long-time coming, having been teased all the way back in 2020 during Rey\’s feud with Seth Rollins.
On last week\’s Raw Dominik was welcomed as an official member of The Judgment Day.
Monday Night Raw
Tonight, Dominik will have his first official match since turning heel, when he faces Edge on Monday Night Raw.
According to a report from PW Insider, a match may not be all from Dominik, as an angle could be shown from Edge\’s home (via Cageside Seats.)
\”PW Insider notes Rey & Dominik Mysterio were both in Asheville, North Carolina this past weekend, leading to speculation they may have shot an angle, or filmed something, at Edge’s house because that’s where he lives.\”
The Rated-R Home
Edge, who ironically invaded John Cena\’s home in 2006, is having to get used to uninvited guests in his domain.
Last October, Seth Rollins invaded Edge\’s home during their feud, with the Rated-R Superstar rushing from SmackDown.
Edge even referenced AEW tag-team FTR, using the real names of Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood on a phone call to his wife Beth Phoenix.
In a recent interview, Rollins said that the idea for the home invasion came from Edge, and that this too was filmed in Asheville, North Carolina.
Dolph Ziggler is aware that he can\’t wrestle forever, but the Show-Off has no plans to stop anytime soon.
Ziggler debuted on WWE\’s main roster in 2005 as the caddy for Kerwin White (Chavo Guerrero.)
After being repackaged as Nicky, one-fifth of the Spirit Squad the following year, Dolph would get the Ziggler name in 2008 which he has used ever since.
Retirement
Having worked on WWE\’s main roster for close to two decades, Ziggler is one of WWE\’s most veteran performers competing today.
\”It really depends. The healthiest people in the world, sometimes it doesn\’t work. Some people have re-occurring injuries. I\’ve been very lucky. Going on 18 years, no major surgeries.
\”I don\’t want to stop. One day I\’ll have to but it sure as hell won\’t be now.\”
Dolph Ziggler.
\”Any kind of surgery I got, it was from wrestling in college. I\’ve been lucky. I don\’t ever want to stop. One day I\’ll have to, but it sure as hell won\’t be now.\”
Turning Face
After a reign as NXT Champion earlier this year, Ziggler returned from a break in June this year, attacking MVP and turning face for the first time in 2017.
In recent weeks, Ziggler feuded with Austin Theory, culminating in a match on the August 15, 2022 episode of Raw.
Theory defeated Ziggler in the match, ending their feud, and Dolph has had a handful of matches with the Judgment Day since then.
Wrestlers from both WWE and All Elite Wrestling were able to put their differences aside last weekend to strut their stuff as part of a fashion runway.
During a celebrity fashion show in Pittsburgh, PA, stars from both companies walked the runway, wearing outfits from David Alan Clothing.
AEW TNT Champion Wardlow was on hand to show off the clothes and removed them on the runway.
Shawn Spears gave fans a little dance during his performance, while AEW\’s lawyer and manager \’Smart\’ Mark Sterling had someone play an electric violin for his walk.
Sterling also handed out business cards to those in the audience.
As for WWE, Braun Strowman walked the runway and was also billed under his real name Adam Scherr.
The event also featured former WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley.
This is the latest public appearance by the former WWE Women\’s Tag Team Champions, who haven\’t been seen since walking out of Monday Night Raw during the May 16, 2022, episode.
Despite belief that the pair were set to leave WWE, there has been reports that Banks and Naomi have agreed to return under the company\’s new regime.
Mercedes Varnado is no stranger to playing characters, both in and out of the ring.
In WWE, she\’s known as Sasha Banks, the multi-time Women\’s Champion, while outside of wrestling, Varnado is perhaps best known for her character Koska Reeves in Disney Plus hit \’The Mandalorian.
Controlling her Characters
Recently, Sasha Banks spoke about wanting to branch out into other forms of entertainment, including music.
While it may be a while before the Boss is on the Top 40 charts, Banks plans on ensuring that what she does is her own property.
Speaking to the Ahch-To podcast, Banks spoke about her media plans, and how she wishes to own the Intellectual Property of her characters (via Fightful.)
\”We’re always portraying different characters in every different moment of our time. For me, it’s really just owning my own IP [Intellectual Property] and owning the character behind the character and really defining, who is the character that is playing the character. It’s really just finding yourself. When it comes to even wrestling, that’s a character that I come up with.\”
At this time, there\’s no word on any other characters Banks hopes to portray in the future, though she has told fans to \”stay tuned.\”
Returning to WWE?
Sasha Banks is still with WWE, but hasn\’t been seen since walking out of the May 16, 2022, episode of Raw.
Despite the belief that she and Naomi were done with the company, there has been renewed hope that the pair will return in this post-Vince McMahon era of the company.
If AEW has made any mistakes, it certainly hasn\’t been many, at least according to Chris Jericho.
Jericho has been with AEW since the beginning, joining the promotion during a press conference in January 2019.
That same year, Jericho would become the first AEW World Champion, and has been prominently featured in AEW for years.
One or Two Things
Like many in AEW, Jericho is intensely passionate about the company.
Sitting down with Inside the Ropes, Jericho spoke about the company, and what he perceives as a lack of mistakes (via Wrestling Inc.)
\”We’ve been doing this for three years now and continuing to grow, and this is a big-time corporate business. We are run and paid for by a giant television corporation.\”
\”We\’ve done nine things right and maybe one thing wrong or two things wrong.\”
Chris Jericho on AEW
\”So, there’s always gonna be growing pains when you start a company. I think we’ve done nine things right and maybe one thing wrong or two things wrong. So we learn from that and we continue to build our brand and continue to improve.”
Fans
AEW has a deeply loyal fan base, but its programming still falls behind WWE in terms of viewers.
Speaking about his former employer, Jericho said that AEW is in this for the long game.
\”WWE has a lot of [fans], but they’ve also been around for 50 years. Give us another 47 years to see where we’re at. I guarantee we’ll still be here.”
The Next World Champion?
Following CM Punk\’s actions at AEW All Out, the Chicago Made wrestler has been stripped of the AEW World Championship.
Jericho is part of the tournament to crown the next AEW World Champion, with the new champion to be crowned at the Grand Slam Dynamite on September 21.
Jericho will face Bryan Danielson on next week\’s AEW Dynamite, with the winner advancing to the finals.
Roman Reigns has dominated WWE for over two years as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Reigns\’ tenure as the Tribal Chief has seen him defeat plenty of WWE\’s biggest stars, including Bray Wyatt, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Edge to name just a few.
Now, the leader of the Bloodline has another impressive accolade.
Pinfall
Reigns has retained against every opponent he\’s faced so far, and it\’s been a very long time since the Tribal Chief suffered defeat.
This week, Reigns reached 1,000 days since being pinned, which took place at the WWE: Tables Ladders and Chairs event in December 2019.
At the show, Reigns, then a babyface, loss to Baron Corbin in a TLC match.
It\’s worth mentioning that Corbin had significant help in the match, with Dolph Ziggler and the Revival (now FTR in AEW) helping him get the win.
Who\’s Next?
Reigns has gone 1,000 days since last being pinned, but this streak will have to end eventually.
It was recently reported that the Tribal Chief won\’t be competing at next month\’s Extreme Rules, and his next title defense will be at the Crown Jewel show in November.
Despite Kevin Owens teasing confronting Reigns, it\’s also been noted that he won\’t be facing Reigns, nor will long-time rival Seth Rollins.
Braun Strowman has been rumored by fans to be next to step up to the Head of the Table, given his return to WWE earlier this month.
There has also been speculation that Cody Rhodes could be the one to break Reigns\’ tenure as Champion, as well as reports of Roman facing his cousin The Rock at WrestleMania 39.