Kenny Omega has been suspended from All Elite Wrestling, meaning fans won\’t be seeing him on TV, and they won\’t be hearing from him either.
Omega had been scheduled to be on Swerve Strickland\’s Swerve City podcast, but that isn\’t going ahead at this time.
Strickland, one-half of the reigning AEW World Tag Team Champions, took to Twitter to say that the interview has been postponed due to what\’s being described as \”unfortunate circumstances.\”
Omega\’s appearance on the show was announced last month, and Strickland said that a replacement guest will be confirmed tomorrow.
Strickland also promised that the former AEW World Champion and former World Trios Tag Champion will appear when the time is right.
Due to unfortunate circumstances the interview with Kenny Omega, has been postponed to a later date. Stay tuned for a rescheduled appearance in the future.
Strickland didn\’t confirm what the \’unfortunate circumstances\’ are that led to Omega being postponed, but it is believed to be as a result of his ongoing suspension.
Omega, along with the Young Bucks, has been suspended from AEW due to their actions during the All Out 2022 post-show fight.
This decision also led to Tony Khan stripping the Elite of the AEW Trios Tag Titles, and the Death Triangle won the gold on this week\’s Dynamite.
While the Bucks and Omega have been suspended, there\’s been no talks of them being fired by AEW, unlike CM Punk and Ace Steel.
Punk is reported to have instigated the fight backstage after last week\’s Pay Per View, while Steel is reported to have bit Omega and pulled his hair.
Punk has been stripped of the AEW World Championship, but it is unclear at this time whether he\’s been suspended or fired by the company.
Sasha Banks is one of WWE\’s most recognizable stars in recent years, but fans haven\’t seen much of her as of late.
Banks and Naomi were suspended in May following their walk-out during Raw, citing creative differences with the planned main event, and long-term plans for both women.
With Vince McMahon\’s retirement, it is believed that Banks and Naomi will be back on WWE TV soon, but \’the Boss\’ has plans for outside the company.
Outside the Ring
Sasha Banks is already an established name in WWE, and she\’s been looking to make her name in other forms of entertainment.
Banks\’ best-known non-WWE role is as Koska Reeves on Disney Plus hit \’The Mandalorian\’ set in the Star Wars universe.
Speaking to Ahch-To Radio, Banks discussed her work outside the ring and teased big plans for the future.
“There is so much that I’m creating right now. It’s all under an umbrella. I’m an actor, writer, producer, and extraordinaire entertainer. All within those realms, I’m doing something. You just have to stay tuned. You have a microphone, that’s something big I want to do. Not podcasting, but music. I don’t know if that’s the number one next thing because acting.\”
\”You just have to stay tuned.\”
Sasha Banks
\”There are a lot of things coming up acting right now. I’m really starting to focus my mind around music and the music realm and being kind of a director in that space of creating a musical video piece.\”
Banks recently appeared at the premiere for Marvel\’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and walked the runway for the New York Fashion Week.
As founding members of AEW, it\’s hard to imagine that the Young Bucks would be willing to join any other promotion, especially WWE. On the F4W Message Board, a fan claimed that Matt and Nick Jackson have signed new deals with AEW, but that isn\’t the case.
The Wrestling Observer\’s Ryan Frederick corrected the fan, saying that their current deals were renewed. \”They didn\’t sign new deals. Their options were picked up. They did reach out to a talent to send feelers that they would be interested in talking about coming in when their deals are up.\”
When Cody Rhodes returned to WWE in April 2022, fans speculated on who could be next to join him. Since returning, the three-time AEW TNT Champion has been treated very well, and is expected by many to hold the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion when he\’s back from injury. WWE has also got their eye on certain AEW talent, with reports of reigning AEW TNT Champion Wardlow and MJF being on their radar.
Young Bucks to WWE?
With a budding tag-team division in WWE, including teams like The Usos, the Street Profits, and RK-Bro, there\’s no shortage of fans who hope to see the Young Bucks join the company.
Frederick explained that while the Bucks may not have spoken to WWE directly, they did try and gauge what it\’s like to work there.
\”I can’t say they talked to anyone direct at WWE, but that would fall under tampering and this came at the same time the legal letters were being sent about tampering.
\”They talked to other WWE talent about coming in.\”
Ryan Fredrick on the Young Bucks joining WWE.
\”Can’t confirm they actually talked to WWE people themselves, but they talked to other WWE talent about coming in, which they can do (much like WWE talent can send feelers thru AEW talent, which has happened and happens on both sides often).\”
The Bucks are currently serving a suspension for their role in the All Out post-show fight.
This week\’s AEW Dynamite came hot off the heels of All Out 2022, and the explosive media scrum and backstage fight that has overshadowed the Pay Per View.
During the scrum, CM Punk had harsh words for the Elite, Colt Cabana and \’Hangman\’ Adam Page, and fought with the Elite backstage, in a brawl that included Punk\’s trainer Ace Steel.
The Elite have since been suspended from AEW, and there are talks that Punk and Steel could be fired, if not already.
The Meeting
Mere weeks after hosting a talent-wide meeting to discuss reports of conflict in AEW, another meeting was held prior to this week\’s Dynamite.
Instead of Tony Khan, this was led by Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley.
Fightful reports that talents were complimentary of the meeting, noting that Danielson, Moxley, and Jericho were the right people to lead.
What was said?
Talent were told to “keep their personal issues personal” and solve their problems backstage instead of leaking news.
The issue of stories of problems getting out to the media was also a topic of discussion during the previous meeting in August.
Wrestlers were encouraged to leave AEW All Out 2022 in the past and move on.
One source noted that it was the “best backstage meeting” the talent have had
CM Punk
A large topic of discussion during the meeting was CM Punk, who\’s future with AEW is unclear at this time.
The meeting was said to be not “anti-Punk,” and that wrestlers left in a better mood than the day before.
Danielson was commended as a \”calming\” presence during the meeting, while Jericho has been praised for his professionalism throughout his time in AEW and especially during this recent period.
Moxley was said to be \”adored\” during the meeting, with wrestlers agreeing with his promo about being \”the answer\” to AEW\’s problems.
AEW may have more than its fair share of problems at the moment, but money certainly isn\’t one of them.
Since launching in 2019, the promotion has won fans over with its alternative style to WWE, and Tony Khan\’s promotion is paying dividends.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that AEW is on track to gross over $100 million this calendar year, the first company in two decades to do so, not named WWE.
While it\’s an impressive figure, it is dwarfed by WWE, which is projected to gross $1.1 billion.
All Out
Speaking at the now-infamous All Out post-show media scrum, AEW President Tony Khan spoke about the show\’s buy rate, which he believes will be affected by WWE.
The opposition produced not one but two shows to run the same weekend as All Out, WWE Clash at the Castle, and NXT Worlds Collide.
Khan considers the actions by WWE a \’predatory\’ move by running multiple events in competition during Labor Day weekend.
Regardless of WWE\’s \’interference\’ All Out has proven to be a financial success.
All Out drew a gate of just over $1 million from the 9,100 fans in attendance (8,800 paid.)
The show marks the third consecutive AEW Pay Per View to surpass $1 million.
Dynamite
Tony Khan isn\’t just pleased with the numbers for All Out, but has been impressed by the figures for this week\’s Dynamite.
In a tweet, Khan noted that this week\’s show surpassed one million viewers, the third week in a row Dynamite has done so well, and the first time since October 2021 that this streak has been reached.
This week\’s Dynamite had a lot of intrigue ahead of going live, as fans tuned in to see what Khan would do regarding the post-All Out comments by CM Punk and the fight backstage which saw Punk and Ace Steel fight the Elite.
This week\’s DYnamite marked the 15th Wednesday in a row that the show has been in cable\’s top two shows in the 18-49 demographic.
Bobby Fish isn\’t done sharing his opinions about CM Punk.
Fish was released by WWE on August 6, 2021 after four years with the promotion. He spent his entirety of that run in NXT, where he was part of the Undisputed Era faction. By October, he was wrestling for All Elite Wrestling. He\’s since left AEW after two sides failed to come to terms over a new deal.
He was gone from Tony Khan\’s promotion by the time Punk melted down at the All Out post-show media scrum, but that didn\’t stop Fish from challenge Punk to a fight during the latest episode of his Undisputed Podcast. He had more to say about the self-proclaimed \”Best in the World\” during a new interview.
Bobby Fish\’s Harsh Words for CM Punk
Bobby Fish spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston earlier this week. As a lifelong martial artist, he feltwas personally insulted having to \’sell\’ for Punk\’s \”bunk-ass martial arts\” during their match on the October 27, 2021 edition of AEW Dynamite.
“Phil is not a bad pro-wrestling, but what Phil is not is a martial artist,\” said Fish. \”I’ve been doing martial arts since I was eight years old so I take a lot of pride in it… You are insulting the audience’s intelligence. It’s honestly insulting for you as one of my co-workers. As a martial artist you’re asking me to go out and sell, put over your bunk-ass martial arts. It’s insulting to the audience. It’s insulting to me. At the same time, I\’m working for AEW. They\’re the ones paying my check. You asked me to go out and put my shoulders down for Phil Brooks. I go out and I do it.”
\”Phil, after the match, was a c***.\”
Bobby Fish on his October 27, 2021 AEW Dynamite match with CM Punk.
Instead of thanking him for a good match, as is customary, Fish says Punk was bent out of shape over a blown spot. Fish says Punk was salty after he executed his Go to Sleep finisher poorly, a move that Fish reminds everybody was lifted from NJPW star KENTA.
“Phil, after the match, was a c*nt. Frankly as a martial artist, I laid my shoulders down for you. You should be grateful that I did, because on national TV if I decided I wanted to \’Haku\’ your ass, I could have. You’re that little of a threat in my world. I\’m not Jon Jones or Anderson Silva, but like, I\’ve been doing martial arts since I was young and I can handle myself enough to where I will fold you like a wet-nap, Phil Brooks.\”
\”So for you to be c*nt afterwards because of a mistake that you made, it doesn\’t it doesn\’t wear well, not to mention the move that he finished me with, it\’s not even his finish. It was Kenta\’s. Phil, you took a man\’s finishing move, which anybody who knows pro wrestling knows like, that\’s kind of fu*ed up, and you weren\’t even decent enough to change the name.\”
\”So yeah, I mean, it goes back. It wasn\’t a challenge. It was an invitation like Phil, if you want to throw hands with The Young Bucks, who are on a short list of people that are my friends when it comes to this business, I\’m happy to oblige. I wasn\’t there, so I don\’t know what exactly went on. But like, if you\’re feeling froggy, man, come on. Let\’s jump together.\”
As seen below, Fish does kick out of Punk\’s finisher at the \”3.1\” second mark of the pinfall, so that might be a factor in Punk\’s post-match frustration.
Watch: CM Punk vs. Bobby Fish (AEW Dynamite, 10/27/21)
Open to All Options
When asked about the possibility of going back to work for WWE, Fish said he\’s open to the possibility.
“I don’t know. I’m open to all options and offers at the moment. I do know that there have been quite a few people who have come back through those doors. And I’m happy for you know, the people, that I know were left there after I had left.
“Things were weird there for a bit. So for them to be back in the direction of some normalcy and some positivity, working for Hunter. I know I enjoyed it.”
Speaking about his relationship with Triple H, Fish praised the WWE Head of Creative and Talent Relations as \”awesome\” and \”down to earth.\” Last month, while still under contract with AEW, Fish was quoted saying that he would go to war for Triple H.
Watch Bobby Fish\’s interview with Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston:
During the AEW All Out 2022 post-show media scrum, CM Punk had some explosive comments for Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
Punk criticized the management skill of the AEW EVPs and also accused them of spreading false information about him.
The two-time AEW World Champion also fought with the Bucks and Omega, in a brawl that also involved Punk\’s trainer Ace Steel.
Return to WWE?
Due to his comments and involvement in the fight (in addition to an injury) Punk has been removed from AEW programming and stripped of the AEW World title.
It has been reported that Punk could be fired (if not already) or could choose to leave AEW, especially if Steel is fired as expected. Speaking to WrestlingInc, Booker T discussed a possible WWE return for the \’Best in the World.
\”It would be hard, it would be really hard for him just to swallow his pride and go back to that.\”
Booker T on CM Punk.
Booker added that while Punk\’s time on WWE Backstage provided an opportunity, he believes that ship has sailed.
The two-time WWE Hall of Famer also questions what Punk\’s \”positioning\” would be in WWE\’s current roster.
Is a Deal Possible?
Punk walked out of WWE after the 2014 Royal Rumble Pay Per View, citing injuries and frustrations with the company.
Though Punk was part of WWE Backstage in 2019, the former Champion never returned to WWE, signing a deal with FOX instead.
AEW Rampage is set to go live for the next two months, according to the schedule for the show.
While Rampage airs on Fridays, the show is traditionally taped on Wednesday\’s following the live AEW Dynamite.
According to the schedule, the majority of episodes after September 28, will be live rather than taped.
The exception to this is the October 13, taping of Rampage in Toronto, Canada, which will be aired on Thursday instead of Wednesday or Friday.
It has been speculated that the delay will be due to international travel from the United States to Canada.
This pattern will continue until the November 4, episode of AEW Rampage.
Making the Show Important
While AEW Rampage started strong last year, with Christian Cage beating Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship on the debut episode, the show has lot a lot of steam since then.
During a media call leading up to the All Out pay-per-view, Tony Khan said that the fall of momentum was down to several stars being out of action (via Comicbook.com)
\”A lot of the biggest stars in AEW have been out and the stars that I do have, I\’ve had to put them on Dynamite every single week.\”
Tony Khan on AEW Rampage losing momentum.
Khan added that Rampage will pick up momentum again with many stars coming back from injuries as of late.
It\’s worth pointing out that Khan made these comments prior to All Out and before Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, CM Punk, Ace Steel and others were removed due to their involvement in the post-show media scrum fight.
During the April 11, 2022 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Tommaso Ciampa had his call-up to the main roster, appearing in a segment with Kevin Owens and Ezekiel.
For his run on the red brand, Ciampa has aligned himself with The Miz, and both lost and regained his first name.
Change of Plans
Ciampa may be seen on the main roster these days, but for years, the two-time former NXT Champion was against being called-up.
In an appearance on a 2019 episode of After the Bell, Ciampa told Corey Graves that he would rather retire than leave NXT.
Speaking to Fightful, Ciampa explained his previous comments, saying that at the time, he felt his career was coming to an end soon, and he does not feel that way now.
Instead, the former NXT Champion said he now feels to be finished with the first half of his career, because he\’s learned to wrestle with his neck injury, andnjot be in pain.
Addressing the call-up, Ciampa said that lot of things changed, from the world, his life and maturity that made him more open to joining the main roster.
Creative Freedom
Speaking about his time on Raw, Ciampa addressed his passionate promo during the July 25, 2022 edition of Raw Talk.
Ciampa said that he was given a lot more freedom than expected, and was told to say what he wants as long as he made the relevant points.
The Miz, who was also in the promo, encouraged Ciampa to improvise along the way.
Cruiserweight Classic
In 2016, Ciampa competed in the Cruiserweight Classic, the tournament of cruiserweights which was won by TJP.
Ciampa\’s time in the tournament was short-lived, as he lost to his friend and rival Johnny Gargano in the first round.
Tommaso told Fightful that he was not planned to be in the tournament at first, but told William Regal he wanted to be included and wanted to face Gargano.
Regal, then the NXT GM, encouraged Ciampa to pitch the idea to Triple H, who approved the change.
CM Punk will not be returning to All Elite Wrestling any time soon, if ever. Punk was on top of the world after defeating Jon Moxley to reclaim the AEW World Championship in the main event of Sunday\’s All Out pay-per-view from Chicago. It would all come crashing down soon after that.
Aside from all the drama resulting in his post-show media scrum appearance, SEScoops has learned that Punk was injured during his match against Moxley. He\’ll require surgery which will keep the 2-time AEW World Champion out of action for the remainder of the year.
Six to Nine Months
Punk tore a muscle in his arm after hitting a tope suicida (suicide dive) on Moxley mid-way through the bout, as first reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. It\’s unclear if the injury affects his triceps, biceps, or pectoral muscle, but he\’s expected to miss 6-9 months of ring time.
Meltzer added that Punk\’s injury and guaranteed layoff time made Tony Khan\’s decision to strip him of the AEW world title a no-brainer. It\’s possible that Khan will decide Punk is not worth the trouble he brings.
“Punk’s out for eight months, or whatever it’s going to be, six months/eight months, whatever. If he’s not let go, and a lot of people don’t want him back.”
Dave Meltzer.
The Fight
Punk has been stripped of the AEW World Championship, in part due to his comments at the All Out media scrum and his participation in the backstage fight.
In his report, Meltzer noted that Punk didn\’t feel respected, as his philosophy when it comes to wrestling differs from how the Elite do things.
Meltzer said that Ace Steel\’s side of the story is that he grabbed and bit Kenny Omega, because Omega was trying to pull CM Punk off of Nick Jackson.
Steel also mentioned wanting to protect his wife, who was also in the room at the time.
Last night\’s AEW Dynamite was the first show since All Out 2022, and the first after what happened following the Pay Per View.
During the post-All Out media scrum, CM Punk had explosive comments about AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, as well as Colt Cabana and \’Hangman\’ Adam Page.
Backstage, Punk and his trainer Ace Steel engaged in a fight with Omega and the Bucks.
Talent Meeting
With AEW under scrutiny, a talent-wide meeting was held prior to last night\’s episode of Dynamite.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reports that Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson, and Jon Moxley led the meeting, which included wrestlers, referees, coaches, and announcers.
It was reported that Chris Jericho has been commended by the talent for his professionalism and demeanor following the CM Punk/Elite controversy.
This meeting comes weeks after an AEW talent meeting last month to address reports of issues within the company.
What\’s next?
During this week\’s AEW Dynamite, Tony Khan confirmed that CM Punk has been stripped of the AEW World Championship and that the Elite have been stripped of the AEW Trios Tag Team Championships.
The Death Triangle won the vacant AEW Trios Tag Titles during Dynamite with a win over Best Friends and Orange Cassidy.
A new AEW World Champion will be crowned at the Grand Slam Dynamite on September 21.
Last month, Patrick Clark, aka Velveteen Dream, was arrested twice.
On August 20, Clark was arrested over an alleged first-degree battery, and was arrested again six days later for a violation of probation by the Orlando Police Department.
Battery
TMZ has added new details to Clark\’s first arrest from last month, which is reported to have happened around 8:45pm EST at the Club Orlando fitness facility in Orlando, Florida.
Officers connected to the case claimed that Clark was confronted by a senior employee of a gym, who informed the wrestler that he had to vacate the area of the gym as it was due to cleaning.
Clark reportedly became \”irate and argumentative\” and after things escalated, the ex-NXT Superstar was told to leave the gym entirely.
Threats
After being ordered to leave the gym, Clark is reported to have become more aggressive at the employee.
TMZ\’s report states that Clark threatened to kill the man, before punching him in the face.
Officers said the gym employee told them the two then got into a fight, during which Clark bit him on the left side of his chest, near his armpit.
The two were separated by other employees of the gym.
According to the documents, officers arrested Clark after they observed teeth marks on the employee.
The Plea
According to court records, Clark has been charged with two misdemeanors: battery and trespassing on a property after warning.
Clark\’s attorney has filed a not guilty plea in this case.
Last night\’s AEW Dynamite was the first show after All Out 2022, but the Pay Per View has been overshadowed by what happened after.
In the post-show media scrum, CM Punk had some explosive comments about AEW EVPs the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, accusing them of spreading false information about him.
Punk also took aim at his former best friend Colt Cabana, as well as \’Hangman\’ Adam Page.
The Fight
In addition to comments, Punk was involved in a backstage fight at the All Out post-show media scrum.
Several reports have stated that Punk was the one to throw the first punch, hitting Matt Jackson, while his trainer Ace Steel would hit Nick Jackson in the eye with a chair.
Steel is also reported to have bit and pulled the hair of Kenny Omega.
AEW Dynamite
The Bucks, Omega, and CM Punk are four of the biggest names in AEW, but none were featured on last night\’s Dynamite.
AEW\’s production team also worked quickly to remove Punk and the Elite from the opening video package, which had featured all four men prominently until this week.
During his announcement that the AEW World Championship and AEW World Trios Championships had been vacated, Tony Khan did not reference any of the suspended individuals by name.
New AEW World Trios Champions were crowned during Dynamite, with a new AEW World Champion set to be crowned during the Grand Slam special edition of Dynamite in two weeks on September 21.
At AEW All Out 2022, CM Punk captured his second AEW World Championship, dethroning Jon Moxley in their rematch.
Punk\’s win has been overshadowed by what happened after All Out, as he had fiery comments for Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, Colt Cabana, and \’Hangman\’ Adam Page in the post-show media scrum.
A fight broke out pitting Punk and trainer Ace Steel against Omega and the Bucks, which has reportedly led to suspensions for all involved.
Injured
CM Punk match may have been overshadowed by his actions out of the ring, but the AEW World Champion isn\’t just facing a possible firing from the company.
Dave Meltzer reports that Punk is injured, which is believed to have happened after hitting a tope suicida during his All Out main event with Moxley.
It had been rumored since Sunday that Punk may have been injured in the match.
Meltzer added that no matter what punishment Punk receives for his role in the media scrum fight, the AEW World Championship situation will be addressed on tonight\’s Dynamite.
Punk is reported to be at home in Chicago, and is not scheduled to appear at tonight\’s AEW Dynamite in Buffalo, New York.
Change of Plans
Addressing a CM Punk injury is just the latest change of plans made for tonight\’s AEW Dynamite.
With reports that everyone involved in the fight after All Out is suspended, Tony Khan has had to book multiple last-minute appearances.
It was reported earlier today that Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley are set to appear on Dynamite, despite not previously being advertised for the show.
In August 2020, WWE hired Nick Khan as their company President, following the departures of co-Presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson.
Both Barrios and Wilson were cut from the company, just one week before the company\’s 2019 Q4 Earnings report, and the act caused stock in WWE to fall by over 20%.
Khan joined WWE at a difficult time, as the company had spent months without live fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it would be just under a year before fans would return on a permanent basis.
Taking the Blame
Around the time WWE hired Khan, the promotion was laying off several members of the roster.
This process began in April 2020, months before Khan was hired as WWE President, but many considered him a factor in the mass releases.
The releases, cited as due to \’budget cuts,\’ were deemed unnecessary by some, as they came at a time when the promotion was making record profits.
Khan didn\’t exactly do himself any favors, saying he\’s happy to take the blame for fans\’ unhappiness and the releases.
Not His Fault
Many fans saw Khan as the reason behind the budget cuts, with the then-WWE President still being blamed to this day.
“There was a period of time… where the whole world was like, ‘That damn Nick Khan.’ It just makes me laugh. He had zero to do with those decisions that are happening, the poor guy. He’s just getting battered online for having zero to do with any of those stories.”
Triple H on Nick Khan.
Promotion
After a year as WWE President, Khan was promoted to Co-CEO, a role he shares with Stephanie McMahon.
Khan\’s promotion came following the retirement of Vince Mcmahon in July, a month after stepping down as CEO and Chairman of WWE.
In his place, Frank Riddick has been appointed WWE President after previously serving as Chief Financial Officer.
Mike Chioda worked with WWE for over 30 years, before his release came in August 2020.
Chioda, like many at the time, was cut due to budget cuts, reportedly brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reffing the Chairman
Over his 30+ years with WWE, Chioda was often called upon to officiate matches with Vince McMahon.
McMahon had a total 57 sanctioned matches prior to his retirement in July this year, a month after stepping down as CEO and Chairman of WWE.
Speaking on his \’Monday Mailbag,\’ Chioda recalled how stressful it was to have his boss in the ring (via Wrestling Inc.)
\”You\’re stressed with Vince in the ring, you don\’t want to f*** up. If he asks for a spot or asks for something like, \’Hey, what\’s next?\’ you better, you better know it, you know what I\’m saying? What I like about Vince is when Vince asks you do something, you say I can get it done.\”
\”\”If he asks for a spot… you better, you better know it.\”
Mike Chioda on officiating a Vince McMahon match.
Chioda said that his concerns only grew as McMahon got older and more prone to injury.
McMahon\’s final WWE match came at this year\’s WrestleMania, where he defeated Pat McAfee.
The \’match\’ saw little offense by McMahon himself, but more by Austin Theory who was the on-screen protege of the then-Chairman at the time.
McMahon\’s win at WrestleMania marks his only victory at his biggest creation.
In June 2019, Dani Luna had her first match for WWE, competing in a handicap match at that year\’s Download Festival as part of NXT UK.
In January 2020, WWE confirmed that Luna had signed a contract with the promotion, but had fewer than 20 matches before her release.
Luna was cut from WWE last month, alongside the majority of talent from NXT UK, as part of WWE\’s plans to launch NXT Europe next year.
Released, Not Fired
Speaking with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston, Luna reflected on her time in WWE, and made it clear that there\’s a difference between being released and being fired.
\”I was released. I don’t want to set any of those rumors alight. I was released under very nice terms. I wasn’t fired. It was just a case of what they’re doing at the moment doesn’t fit what I’m doing at the moment kind of thing.\”
Luna wasn\’t too mad at her situation, admitting that she still had her friends made in NXT UK, and that she was in good company.
Speaking Out
NXT UK was never the focus of WWE, and the brand was hit hard by the 2020 Speaking Out movement.
The movement highlighted several wrestlers in several promotions who had engaged, or alleged to have engaged in abusive behavior with women.
Joe Coffey, Jack Gallagher, Travis Banks, El Ligero, Jordan Devlin, and referees Joel Allen and Chris Roberts were all NXT UK talent who were accused of misconduct.
Speaking about the decline of NXT UK, Luna said how the Speaking Out movement had an impact.
“I don’t know. I don’t know if it [NXT UK\’s decline] was necessarily WWE’s fault, or obviously we had the whole Speaking Out Movement over here as well, so I don’t know if that obviously affected it a little bit too.\”
Luna added that low viewership also had an effect in the decline of NXT UK.
NXT Europe
NXT UK is now on what WWE have called a \”brief hiatus\” to make room for the launch of NXT Europe next year.
Luna said how the demise of NXT UK came suddenly.
\”It was a pretty quick turnaround, to be honest. But the same you hear all these rumors, we hear them all too, and it’s even more unsettling when you work there… we were all understandably upset.\”
Despite WWE\’s claims of a brief hiatus, many believe that NXT UK is finished for good.
Tonight\’s AEW Dynamite will air from the KeyBank Arena in Buffalo, New York, and will be the first event since All Out 2022 last Sunday.
Dynamite will therefore be the first event following the All Out 2022 post-show media scrum, where CM Punk had fiery comments for many members of the roster.
Punk was also reported to have been in a fight, where he and trainer Ace Steel fought the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega.
Changes to the Card
Tonight\’s Dynamite will be show fans will want to see, and the event has some added star power.
According to the Wrestling Observer\’s Dave Meltzer, both Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley will be appearing on tonight\’s show, despite not previously being advertised.
It is believed that their appearances were made after several AEW names were suspended for their involvement in the fight after All Out.
All Out saw Moxley lost the AEW World Championship to CM Punk in the main event, while Jericho defeated Bryan Danielson.
Other Plans
In addition to Moxley and Jericho, fans will hear from MJF on tonight\’s Dynamite, in his first appearance on the show in over three months.
MJF has been absent since a fiery worked-shoot promo during the June 1, Dynamite, where he called Tony Khan a \”f***ing mark\” and begged to be fired by the AEW President.
MJF returned at All Out by winning the Casino Ladder match under a mask, and revealed himself at the end of the show.
ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta will defend against Daniel Garcia, and the Death Triangle will face Orange Cassidy and Best Friends.
Major League Wrestling has made a huge leap by striking a deal with Range Sports.
Range Sports is a division of Range Media Partners, best known for productions in film, television, and music.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, MLW head Court Bauer made it clear he\’s optimistic about the partnership.
\”With so much disruption in the content space, live sports are increasingly valued. Range has the resources to take Major League Wrestling to new heights by creating strategic partnerships that enrich and ensure our continued momentum.”
Court Bauer on MLW\’s new deal with Range Sports.
Range Sports
Range Sports is led by Will Funk, who has a lengthy history in sports presentation.
Having worked at WarnerMedia for two decades, Funk oversaw the NBA on TNT partnership, and helped lead a joint venture with CBS to acquire March Madness in 2011.
Funk reached the role as Executive Vice President of WarnerMedia before parting ways with the company in July this year.
In wrestling, Funk also helped bring AEW to WarnerMedia, with Dynamite and Rampage airing on TBS and TNT.
Plans for MLW
With Funk\’s past success with AEW, Court Bauer is confident in the future of MLW.
In the statement to Sports Illustrated, he explained that the first big step will be for MLW to find a distribution partner.
\”The goal is to extract maximum value across television, sponsor sales, event touring, and our full portfolio. We want to grow our windows and that is driven by live broadcasts.”
Funk himself added that the plan is to get MLW to as many people as possible, with the promotion already viewed in 60 countries.
Since Triple H took over as Head of WWE\’s Creative, the promotion has undergone several changes.
Fans have seen several returns from Superstars released under the previous regime, with Karrion Kross, Dakota Kai, Hit Row, Johnny Gargano and Dexter Lumis all being rehired.
WWE has also relaxed rules against some \’banned\’ words, allowing terms like wrestler and hospital to make it to air.
Nikki A.S.H, No More?
During this week\’s Monday Night Raw, Nikki A.S.H and Doudrop came up short in their efforts to become WWE Women\’s Tag Team Champions.
Losing to Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah, this loss came mere days after the pair of Scottish Superstars failed to capture the NXT Women\’s Tag Team Championships at Worlds Collide.
During a segment backstage, where Damage CTRL were walking to the ring, Nikki could be seen berating Doudrop, and ripped her mask off and threw it at her tag team partner.
Nikki stormed off, and on Twitter, reacted to a video of the clip.
If Nikki A.S.H does revert back to Nikki Cross, she\’ll be the latest WWE Superstar to undergo a change.
With Vince McMahon retired, multiple Superstars have had their names changed to monikers used earlier in their careers.
Austin Theory and Tommaso Ciampa both lost their first names as part of a McMahon-era rule against talent using real names.
On last week\’s SmackDown, Butch, who previously wrestled as Pete Dunne, competed in his Dunne-era attire.
While Nikki did use part of her real name while working as Nikki Cross (her real name is Nikki Glencross) it is not believed that her name change last year was part of the rule.
\”I was was going to do something with Gable Stevenson and try to get him launched and get going. When they told me I was like, \’Okay.\’\”
Triple H on plans for him at WrestleMania 38.
Triple H added that then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon was counting on an appearance by his son-in-law, who needed \”the attraction\” of the former World Heavyweight Champion.
However, Stephanie McMahon was reportedly against the idea of Triple H doing anything physical with Steveson, and the idea was later scrapped.
Going Cold
Instead of tangling with Triple H, Steveson appeared at WrestleMania: Saturday, having an in-ring segment with the Street Profits and RK-Bro.
WWE signed Steveson last year, with huge expectations for the Olympic Gold Medalist, who was drafted to Raw last October.
According to recent reports, WWE has gone cold on Steveson, as he\’s not shown the level of improvement in training expected of him.
While WWE had plans to fast-track Steveson to the main roster, his name hasn\’t come up in creative meetings in months.
Sunday\’s All Out pay-per-view was another successful outing for AEW. The matches were well-received, we\’ve got a new AEW World Champion (CM Punk) and MJF made his highly anticipated return.
Unfortunately, the events that transpired after the show went off the air have been overshadowing AEW\’s latest event.
During the post-show media scrum, new AEW World Champion CM Punk lashed out at Colt Cabana and Hangman Page, who he called an \”empty-headed f**cking dumb f***.\” Punk also trashed AEW\’s Executive Vice Presidents (Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks), who he said are incapable of managing a Target retail store.
Punk said once again, if you have a problem with him, he\’s not hard to find. His locker room door is always open. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks took this message to heart. They were waiting for Punk in his locker room after Punk finished ranting at the media scrum.
The Fallout
We know a physical altercation occurred involving CM Punk, AEW producer Ace Steel, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Details are still coming out, as it relates to escalated the situation to the point of violence.
Punches (and a chair) were thrown, hair was pulled and there\’s even been reports that Ace Steel bit Kenny Omega. Nick Jackson was seen with a black eye after the melee. The situation is a complete mess and you can be sure consequences will be levied very soon.
AEW has yet comment publicly on what transpired, but we can report that Ace Steel is not expected to stay with the company due to his conduct. Steel has been working as a producer for AEW since earlier this year. Last week on Dynamite, he played a key role in CM Punk agreeing to wrestle Jon Moxley at All Out.
Additionally, we\’re told several AEW personnel who were in the room for the altercation have been suspended. For more on this developing story:
When WWE introduced the 24/7 Championship, the title was at first met with criticism from fans.
Fans had been hoping to see the return of the Hardcore Championship, especially as it was Mick Foley (the first Hardcore Champion) who did the unveiling of the 24/7 title.
The title\’s design also spawned criticism, though fans got on board with the new championship thanks to comedy segments, many of which featured R-Truth.
The End of the Championship?
The 24/7 Championship has been around for over three years, but fans haven\’t seen much of the title as of late.
The most recent televised title match took place on the July 18, 2022, episode of WWE Raw, when Dana Brooke pinned Tamina to win the gold.
This lack of TV time has led to the belief that the title could be quietly retired as part of the new era of WWE.
While the title isn\’t being defended on TV, there are still title changes happening at untelevised WWE Live Events
According to a report from Fightful Select, none of those title changes have been acknowledged, which has fueled belief that the title is finished.
It is not confirmed whether or not Triple H is planning on retiring the title or if he will just be using it for live event purposes.
Replicas of the WWE 24/7 Championship are still available on WWE\’s merchandise website.
The current Champion is Dana Brooke, who is in her seventh official reign as Champion, but has held the title several times more than that by winning at WWE Live events.
In 1997, Joan Laurer debated in the WWF, introduced as Chyna: the imposing bodyguard for D-Generation X.
Chyna\’s career would see her become a two-time Intercontinental Champion (the only woman to win the title), as well as a one-time Women\’s Champion and the only woman to enter the King of the Ring tournament.
After her 2001 departure, Chyna was never welcomed back to the company before her death in April 2016.
Survivor\’s Guilt
One Superstar who worked closely with Chyna is \’Road Dogg\’ Jesse James, who often teamed with the Ninth Wonder of the World in DX.
Speaking on his \’Oh You Didn\’t Know\’ podcast, James said that he recently filmed content for an A&E Biographies: WWE Legends episode about the deceased wrestler.
Road Dogg said he got emotional thinking about Chyna, and how like her, he too had problems with drugs and other substances, but is still alive (via Wrestling Inc.)
\”They came to my house and I didn\’t think I was gonna, I was gonna cry, but it got me, man. Some of that survivor\’s guilt comes back, you know what I mean? … I did every horrible thing she ever did, why me? … It got me yesterday and the guy said, \’Oh, man, that\’s gonna be good TV.\’\”
\”I did every horrible thing she ever did, why me?\”
Road Dogg Jesse James on questioning why he\’s alive and Chyna isn\’t.
The Hall of Fame
For years, WWE tried to downplay Chyna\’s influence, arguing that her career in pornography meant that she could not be acknowledged by the PG-rated promotion.
In recent years, WWE has done a U-turn and now celebrates Chyna, inducting her posthumously into the Hall of Fame in 2019.
While Chyna is worthy of the induction, fans criticized that she was being inducted as part of DX and not as a singles Superstar.
There have been calls for Chyna to receive a second induction, with WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley saying he believes it should happen.
In January, Ronda Rousey returned to WWE after a near-three year absence from the promotion.
Returning at the Royal Rumble, Rousey won the Women\’s Rumble match, earning a title match at WrestleMania 38 that she\’d lose.
Rousey would win the SmackDown Women\’s Championship a month later at WrestleMania Backlash, before losing the title to current champion Liv Morgan who cashed in Money in the Bank.
Plans for Rousey
Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest stars to join WWE, having established herself in the Olympics and UFC before signing in 2018.
Since losing the SmackDown Women\’s Championship, Rousey has acted as a tweener, bordering on the line between heel and face.
Speaking during Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said the plan is for Rousey to be presented similar to another ex-UFC name (via Wrestling News.)
\”They want to get her back to \’special attraction, big Brock Lesnar star.\’ So that\’s the goal of what they\’re doing right now. The belief was that at the end, because she\’s [working with babyface] Liv Morgan, [Ronda] ends up as a heel. What they\’re doing now isn\’t necessarily to make her a heel, it\’s to make her a big big star.\”
Meltzer added that recent Google Trends show Rousey falling behind Raw Women\’s Champion Bianca Belair, and WWE wants to rebuild her image as a special attraction.
WrestleMania
Despite her impressive performances, Rousey doesn\’t have a great WrestleMania record.
The former champion is 1-2 at WWE\’s biggest show of the year, having won in 2018 (her WWE debut match) but lost in 2019 and 2022.
Meltzer noted that a year ago, the plan was for Rousey to face Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 39.
This has been a match WWE planned for Survivor Series 2018, but was changed after Lynch suffered a concussion.
It was noted that plans for WrestleMania 39 could change depending on fan reactions.