Archive for September, 2021

When Did Big E Know He Was Winning WWE Title?

Big E has revealed when he was told he’d be winning the WWE Championship.

E was the Money in the Bank briefcase holder. Throughout the day of the Sept. 13 edition of Monday Night Raw, Big E made it clear that he would be cashing in his briefcase on the winner of the WWE Title match between Bobby Lashley and Randy Orton. After Lashley defeated Orton, E successfully cashed in his briefcase to lay claim to the gold.

During an appearance on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast, E unveiled when he knew about the decision to have him win the WWE gold.

“I didn’t know I was going to RAW ’til that Saturday. We did the show in New York and I was driving from New York to DC, and then I just got a call that my travel and everything was adjusted. So I was like, ‘okay, I’m going to RAW.’ But it wasn’t until Monday afternoon, pretty much right before I sent the tweet, that it was like, ‘alright, all systems are go and this is what we’re doing.’ So pretty much from then on, it feels like my life changed because everything has been so much more hectic.”

Big E has already successfully defended his title against Lashley in a steel cage match. With the draft coming up on the Oct. 1 edition of SmackDown, it’ll be interesting to see who makes their way to Monday Night Raw. We could have some potential contenders lined up for E.

Posted September 29th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Eric Bischoff Thinks AEW Should Hold Off Bray Wyatt’s Debut

Bray Wyatt is rumored to make his AEW debut as soon as this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite. Though Eric Bischoff believes that the promotion should hold off on the former world champion’s first appearance for a few months.

The former WCW president discussed it on the latest episode of his 83 weeks podcast. He mentioned how AEW has seen a good few surprise appearances recently and explained what he would do if he was in the place of Tony Khan:

“If I were in Tony Khan’s shoes, I would give the surprises a breather, they’ve done a great job, they’ve gotten tremendous return on their investment.” said Bischoff, “It’s served its purpose beyond expectation in my opinion. But I would give that a rest.”

Discussing when he thinks AEW should bring Wyatt in, the former Raw GM said that he would save his debut for the first quarter of next year because they have had so many great signings recently:

“Let’s just assume Bray Wyatt is going to end up [in AEW].” said Eric Bischoff, “I wouldn’t do that till after the first of [January]. I’d save that for the first quarter of next year because they’ve had so many signings, and they’re great ones too.”

The former WCW official explained his comments with an analogy of a roller coaster. He said that people need some rest for them to be able to enjoy the next exhilaration point of a roller coaster and claimed that we are getting close to ‘surprise fatigue’ after all the recent debuts.

Tony Khan has confirmed that this week’s Dynamite episode from Rochester, NY will be dedicated to Brodie Lee. Khan has also teased some big plans for the show and Bray Wyatt is rumored to make his debut on the episode.

Eric Bischoff Has High Hopes For Bron Breakker, Doesn’t Like The Name

Posted September 29th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Former Raw Underground Star Makes AEW Dark Debut

This week’s episode of AEW Dark featured the debut of two more former NXT stars in Santana Garrett and Arturo Ruas now known as Adrian Jaoude.

Garrett took part in a backstage interview during the opening of the show. She said that she wanted to make her father proud and show everyone that she is elite.

The former NXT star was interrupted by Diamante. She challenged the debutant for a match next week on AEW Dark. The duo then brawled and the segment ended with them being separated.

Jaoude on the other hand teamed up with his real-life best friend Cezar Bononi for a tag team match. They won the bout against Jake St. Patrick & Ryzin.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1442988490904403973

Both Garrett and Jaoude were released from their WWE contracts in June this year. Prior to tonight’s AEW show, Santana Garrett competed in the 2021 Royal Rumble.

Jaoude had not wrestled since November 2020. He had faced the former NXT cruiserweight champion Kushida in a one-on-one match back then.

Some fans may also recognize Adrian Jaoude from his Raw Underground appearances as Arturo Ruas. He had defeated Mikey Spandex in his debut match for the short-lived division hosted by Shane McMahon.

Arturo Ruas Discusses Nixed Plans For Him To Join The Diamond Mine

Posted September 29th, 2021 in AEW, News.

Tony Khan Confirms This Week’s Dynamite Will Be Dedicated To Memory Of Brodie Lee

Tony Khan has announced that this week’s episode of Dynamite from Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY will be dedicated to the memory of Brodie Lee. The AEW president made the announcement on Twitter. He noted how Rochester is the hometown of the late star and claimed that they will have a great show dedicated to the former TNT champion’s memory:

“It’s Wednesday. You know what that means. Tonight #AEWDynamite is Live from Rochester, home of Mr. Brodie Lee.” wrote Khan, “Tonight we’ll have a great show dedicated to his memory with a special card including a huge TNT Championship match, a title forever synonymous with his indelible legacy.”

Brodie Lee, real name Jonathan Huber passed away on December 26, 2020, after battling with lung issues for a while. His death shocked the entire wrestling world. Tony Khan and AEW had dedicated an episode of Dynamite to the late star’s memory back then as well. The Brodie Lee Celebration of Life Dynamite aired on December 30, 2020.

The lineup for this week’s episode of the show includes Miro vs. Sammy Guevara TNT championship match, Cody Rhodes & Lee Johnson vs. Matt Sydal & Dante Martin, Adam Cole vs. Jungle Boy, and Penelope Ford & The Bunny vs. Anna Jay & Tay Conti.

Tony Khan Taunts WWE With Latest Dynamite Rating

Posted September 29th, 2021 in News. Tagged: , .

MVP Responds To Criticism Over The Hurt Business Reunion

MVP, who is currently out of action following a knee surgery, has responded to fan criticism over the Hurt Business reunion seen on this week’s episode of Raw.

A fan tweeted at the former US champion saying that Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander’s reunion with Bobby Lashley did not make sense.

MVP responded to this complaint of the fan with a tweet of his own. As seen below, he posted an emoji and wrote: “You didn’t grow up with brothers obviously”:

The team of Benjamin and Alexander lost a 2 on 1 handicap match against Drew McIntyre. This barred them from the ringside for Bobby Lashley’s WWE championship match against the Scottish Warrior at WrestleMania 37.

As a result of this loss, Bobby Lashley attacked the duo on the March 29 episode of Raw this year, effectively kicking them out of the Hurt Business and ending the faction.

However, MVP had recently teased a Hurt Business reunion prior to taking time off. This week’s episode of Raw then saw Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin interfering in the opening match of the night between Lashley and Big E.

It’s unknown if the reunion was a one-night thing or if we are going to see the Hurt Business competing together once again in the coming future.

How Long MVP Is Expected To Stay Out Of Action

Posted September 29th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

More On Upcoming WWE Draft

WWE Draft is expected to begin later this week with Friday’s episode of SmackDown. It will conclude with next Monday’s episode of Raw.

Dave Meltzer talked about the Draft on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. He reported that both Fox and USA Network have already been informed of the ‘key people’ who will be switching brands.

He also confirmed the previous reports about NXT superstars being included in the Draft. Meltzer said that it’s an effort from the official to freshen up the rosters. Though it was mentioned that the plans can change at any time.

There is no word on which stars are expected to be moved. Local advertisements have been promoting a Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre match for this week’s SmackDown suggesting that McIntyre may show up on the blue brand.

Although since the bout is advertised as a Universal championship match, it’s very likely that it will end up being a dark match. It’s even possible that it may not take place on the night at all.

A number of NXT stars have been working dark matches in recent times. The names include Austin Theory, Kacy Catanzaro, Xia Li, Aliyah, and Dakota Kai.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. also worked some dark matches over the Summer. Now it would be interesting to see if any of these stars get assigned to a brand during Draft.

WWE Status Update On Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Posted September 29th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

WWE NXT 2.0 Results (9/28): Three Title Matches

The September 28, 2021 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Elektra Lopez def. B-Fab.
  • Xyon Quinn def. Oney Lorcan.
  • Zoey Stark & Io Shirai def. Toxic Attraction to retain Women’s Tag Team Titles
  • Boa def. Andre Chase.
  • Roderick Strong def. Grayson Waller to retain Cruiserweight Title
  • Kyle O’Reilly def. Ridge Holland.
  • Raquel Gonzalez def. Franky Monet to retain Women’s Title

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Kyle O’Reilly vs. Ridge Holland

Late on Tuesday, WWE announced that Kyle O’Reilly vs. Ridge Holland in a singles match for the show. Just two weeks ago, Holland and Pete Dunne attacked O’Reilly in the locker room, which prevented him from working the fatal four-way match for the vacant NXT Championship.

Last week in the main event, Tommaso Ciampa and Bron Breakker faced Dunne and  Holland where O’Reilly appeared to stop Holland from using his club as a weapon. 

These guys brawled earlier in the show then before the match. There was outside inference by Dunne, but Kyle managed to roll him up for the win. After the match, Holland and Dunne attacked Kyle until Von Wagner, who Wagner replaced Kyle in the fatal 4-way title match a few weeks ago, ran down to make the save. 

No DQ Match

B-Fab vs. Elektra Lopez in a No DQ Match took place in the opening contest of the show. 

Hit Row (Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Top Dolla, and B-FAB) and Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Raul Mendoza and Elektra Lopez) have been feuding for over a month now. 

The match saw them go right at it and put on a pretty stiff bout. They used a chair for a spot and Lopz sent a table in the gut of B-Fab. Lopez won with a sitdown powerbomb. 

NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match

NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Io Shirai and Zoey Stark defended the titles against Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne.

Mandy Rose, Dolin, and Jayne are known as “Toxic Attraction” in NXT. Last week, the group cut a promo sending a warning to the entire women’s division. Dollin and Jayne later issued a challenge to Io and Zoey, which led to this match being made. 

The match was one of the best bouts on the show as they were doing various high spots and had a quick pace. Zoey hit a nasty german suplex right on Jacy’s head. Stark at one point hit a flipping GTS move that was pretty sweet. The finish saw Io hit a springboard moonsault for the win. 

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1443017732866252808

NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match

NXT Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong made his first title defense against Grayson Waller. The match saw Waller got a lot of offense in and was bringing a real fight to Strong, who was giving him plenty. Waller wears boughting shorts. At one point, Waller rolled into the ring and hit a stunner for a near fall. Strong won with a knee strike to the face. 

Roderick Strong defeated Kushida to win the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Following the match, Waller came out to issue a challenge to Strong for the title, which was obviously accepted. 

Waller(formerly known as Matty Wahlberg) joined the WWE Performance Center this April and had been working matches on the 205 Live brand. He’s also been aligned with Drake Maverick in NXT.

Title Match

WWE NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defended against Franky Monet. The match was saved for the main event in which Monet got most of the time to shine. Raquel made a comeback and hit her finisher for the win. 

Post-match, Toxic Attraction came out to attack Monet and The Robert Stone Brand. They circled Raquel before attacking her. Mandy Rose stood tall with the title to close the show. 

When Monet first made her promotional debut, she had her sights set on the title as she confronted Gonzalez in April. Just three weeks ago, Monet interrupted a backstage interview with Gonzalez and promised to take Gonzalez’s shine and her title.

Gonzalez defeated Jessi Kamea two weeks ago and after the match, she had a staredown with Moment, who is aligned with Kamea and Robert Stone.

Gonzalez won the NXT Women’s Championship from Io Shirai at TakeOver: Stand & Deliver in April. 

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News.

Cody Rhodes Denies AEW Grand Slam Gear Was Inspired By Homelander

Fans who were convinced that the gear Cody Rhodes wore for AEW Grand Slam was inspired by Homelander are in for a rude awakening.

Rhodes competed inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. He went one-on-one with Malakai Black in a rematch. Cody fell victim to the classic mist in the eyes and a small package, which led to him losing the match.

Fans couldn’t help but notice Cody’s gear. Many assumed it took inspiration from Homelander. That isn’t the case, however. Here’s what Cody Rhodes told Robbie Fox on My Mom’s Basement.

“The Boys, which is a wonderful everything. If you’re not ready or watching The Boys, it’s outstanding. (My gear) isn’t (inspired by the show). I feel bad saying it isn’t because everyone thought the initial cape that [Lead Seamstress/Designer] Ms. Sandra Gray had made was Homelander inspired, but really, I think it was a Colonial soldier is what inspired it. I never once, because of the fun reactions online, I never told her to deviate only because if people find that parallel and they like it, why not? There is a parallel in characters in terms of my goody-two-shoes nature not always sitting that great with wrestling fans. I can be the good guy, but they don’t have to cheer me, they can do whatever they’d like.”

Rhodes is known for his extravagant entrances. For an event the magnitude of Dynamite, it comes as little surprise that the former two-time TNT Champion went to great lengths to show out.

Now that he’s gone 0-2 against Black, Rhodes is seemingly left to start a new rivalry. Who that will be against remains to be seen. It was teased that Cody and Arn Anderson were beginning to have some problems during the rematch with Black. It’ll be interesting to see if it leads to Arn aligning himself with someone else.

Posted September 28th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

Kenny Omega: WWE Is Desperate, AEW Turned The Tables

Kenny Omega believes AEW has caused WWE to hit the panic button.

AEW has achieved quite a bit for only being in existence since 2019. The rapid success of Dynamite led to AEW scoring a new deal with TNT and a second television show, Rampage. Now, Cody and Brandi Rhodes are set to premiere their reality show on the network.

The company has signed the likes of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and Adam Cole. AEW sold out the United Center in Chicago and packed Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City. They’ve been hitting over one million viewers consistently on Dynamite as well.

Not bad for a “pissant” company.

Of course, WWE has long been the Big Kahuna when it comes to the wrestling industry. Having been around for decades, the promotion is able to pull in higher total viewership numbers for Monday Night Raw and SmackDown.

With that said, Kenny Omega believes the gap has been closing quickly. Here’s what the AEW World Heavyweight Champion told Tokyo Sports.

“At the start, there was a huge gap between WWE and AEW. (AEW) was just some fledgling promotion after all. But have you realized how the tables have turned? WWE is desperate. They keep bringing back legends every other week. COVID is a terrible thing, and we never wanted it to happen but it is what it is.”

There was a huge down period for the wrestling industry when it came to COVID-19. Many people wondered about the future of AEW since it was a newer promotion. WWE was certainly better equipped to ride out the pandemic but AEW managed to pull through and is thriving now more than ever.

Whether you’re solely an AEW fan or a WWE fan, most can agree that competition benefits the customer. Time will tell just how far AEW can keep going.

Posted September 28th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

The Miz Explains Why He Stayed On TV Despite Torn MCL

The Miz has detailed why he was able to stay on WWE TV despite a torn MCL.

For years, WWE has relied on The Miz to play any role they wish for him to do. Whether it’s as WWE Champion or as a goofy midcarder, The Miz has been a team player since his arrival on the main roster back in 2006.

The Miz has also been able to stay relatively healthy throughout his career. In a Zombie lumberjack match of all things, he ended up tearing his MCL. While many expected him to miss a substantial amount of time, The Miz remained on WWE TV in a non-wrestling role.

During an appearance on Off The Vine, the former two-time WWE Champion explained how he managed to avoid time off.

“My first major injury was about twelve weeks ago when I tore my MCL. I didn’t have surgery. It was partially torn, but I had to sit out. It was the first time I had to actually take time off, but I didn’t. The doctor was like, ‘you can still be on the program, you can’t do much, you can have crutches or a wheelchair.’ I was like, ‘I will take a wheelchair and John [Morrison], my tag team partner will roll me around in it. I don’t want to have to do anything. Honestly, it created for great content.”

The Miz ended up turning his back on John Morrison but plans for the feud have been halted. That’s because The Miz is a currently contestant on Dancing With The Stars. He was able to survive the first round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jXNhNL5GK4

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Major ROH Name Set To Be Free Agent In Early 2022

A big name on the ROH roster will see his contract come to an end at the start of 2022.

That name is Rush, the former two-time ROH World Champion. Unfortunately for Rush, he’s dealing with an injury at the moment. He underwent surgery following a knee injury that he suffered during a tag team match. He is said to be out of action anywhere between 8-12 months.

During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Rush revealed that he will be a free agent in Jan. 2022.

“My contract expires in January. So far, we have not talked about a contract renewal. I am very grateful to ROH. I am also a man of challenges and goals, and I’m open to listening to everyone.”

Rush first captured the ROH gold back in Sept. 2019. He ended up losing the title to PCO but won it back in Feb. 2020. Rush would hold the championship for 498 days as ROH went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once the company got the ball rolling again, Rush lost the title to Bandido at the Best in the World event inside Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland back in July.

Stick with SEScoops for the latest on Rush’s future.

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News, ROH. Tagged: .

NXT 2.0 Reportedly in Discussion to be involved in WWE Draft

Call-ups from NXT 2.0 could end up playing a role in the upcoming WWE Draft.

Mat Men Podcast co-host Andrew Zarian reports that he heard NXT 2.0 would be involved in the draft. However, WWE hasn’t officially confirmed the report. The WWE draft will start on October 1st on Friday Night Smackdown. It will also conclude on Monday Night Raw on October 4th.

“Hearing that NXT will be involved in the draft,” said Zarian. He continues, “Expect a few call-ups.”

NXT 2.0 Call Ups

NXT 2.0 is in the process of introducing new talent to its roster. However, the brand also has talent that has been on the roster for several years. WWE could bring several NXT veterans to the main roster to create opportunities for newer talent.

Ad-Free Shows’ Jon Alba reports that faction Hit Row could be in the draft. However, he clarifies that WWE hasn’t decided yet if they will leave the developmental brand and that plans can change.

“Hit Row is one of the names being discussed for a main roster call-up from #WWENXT for the #WWE Draft, I’m told,” said Alba. He continues, Whether it ultimately gets the call will remain to be seen, obviously, but @AndrewZarian reports NXT will be involved in the draft.”

While Hit Row formed four months ago, the leader Isaiah “Swerve” Scott has been with the brand for two years. Scott is also the current NXT North American Champion. Hit Row is in a feud with Legado Del Fantasma, which doesn’t seem to be ending soon. It’s unclear if Hit Row does get drafted if they would still appear on NXT 2.0 to finish the feud.

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News, NXT.

Update On WWE Running Major PPV In The U.K Next Year

Multiple recent reports are stating that WWE is hoping to host a major PPV in the UK next year. A report by WhatCulture stated that WWE’s plan is to hold a PPV in the U.K next September.

A recent report from TalkSport is stating that WWE is hopeful to hold SummerSlam from the UK next year. The preferred venue is reportedly Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

“Sources tell talkSPORT that although it’s WWE’s preferred venue, nothing is final right now,” wrote Alex McCarthy. “It’s even possible that WWE will hold a stadium show in the UK that isn’t SummerSlam.”

One of the main features of the venue that is appealing to WWE is the retractable roof. It holds 74,500 but has hosted as many as 78,000 for boxing.

This would be the first WWE main roster PPV in the U.K since Insurrextion in June 2003. If SummerSlam takes place in the UK next year, it would be the first time that event has taken place there since 1992.

SummerSlam 92 was held at London’s Wembley Stadium. “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith defeated his brother-in-law Bret Hart for the Intercontinental title in the main event. Randy Savage also faced the Ultimate Warrior and the Undertaker took on Kamala.

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News, WWE.

Kurt Angle Reveals What He Didn’t Like About First Feud With Samoa Joe

Kurt Angle wasn’t exactly gung-ho about his first feud with Samoa Joe in TNA Wrestling.

Angle signed with TNA back in 2006 after an eight-year run with WWE. In his first pivotal feud with the company, Angle went to war with “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe. It was a memorable rivalry for many fans who watched the product back then but the Olympic gold medalist took issue with it.

During an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, Angle discussed why he didn’t like the idea of going one-on-one with Joe right away.

“I don’t know. I did not like that because Samoa Joe was undefeated. I felt like if I came into the company and started out with someone else, Joe and I could work up to each other in six months to a year. Really build our program, but they wanted to slingshot this thing and do it really quickly. Unfortunately, I ended Joe’s undefeated streak the first pay per view I wrestled. It made no sense at all. I just felt like we could’ve built this up, done a lot more pay per view buys if we built it the correct way instead of slingshotting it. That’s what the company wanted, so that’s what I did.”

Joe did eventually pick up a massive victory over Angle. He defeated Kurt for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship back in 2008 in a Title vs. Career match. Joe’s reign lasted 182 days and it was his only run with the championship.

Today, Angle is retired from pro wrestling while Joe is featured on the NXT brand for WWE. Joe recently was forced to relinquish the NXT Championship due to an injury.

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News. Tagged: , .

Brodie Lee Documentary To Premiere In Rochester

A documentary on the life of Jon Huber (aka Brodie Lee) will premiere tonight. A screening of the film will take place in his hometown of Rochester, New York. “This is Brodie Lee” was produced by Wrestlevision in association with Classy Wolf Media. The film will screen at the Movies 10 in Rochester and tickets are available online here.

A synopsis for the film reads as follows:

“Documentary movie on the life of Jon Huber, known worldwide as Brodie Lee/Luke Harper. Tells the story of his life in wrestling, from a backyard to the Western NY indy scene, to the big time in WWE and AEW – from the fellow wrestlers who shared the road with Brodie.”

It is not currently known who was interviewed for the film.

AEW will be in Rochester tomorrow night for AEW Dynamite from the Blue Cross Arena.

Huber spoke with News 8 anchor Adam Chodak in 2018 about what Rochester means to him.

“Rochester is a very special place for me, I love it here. Red Hots are my favorite thing in the world, garbage plates are wonderful, I have to be careful with them though,” he said. “To me, Rochester just has a different feel and you could go to Buffalo or Syracuse and it doesn’t feel the same as it does here.”

Posted September 28th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

Seth Rollins Didn’t Earn Brock Lesnar’s Respect Right Away

Seth Rollins learned that earning the respect of Brock Lesnar wasn’t easy.

Rollins and Lesnar have had their share of matches in WWE. It was Rollins who stole the WWE Championship from Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 back in 2015 with his Money In The Bank cash-in. Just two months prior, the two were involved in a highly-praised triple threat match that also included John Cena at the Royal Rumble.

The two ended up meeting again at WrestleMania 35 back in 2019. This time, Rollins was the face challenging heel Lesnar for the WWE Championship. Rollins ended up winning the match.

During an appearance on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions, Rollins admitted that Lesnar didn’t respect him immediately.

“It took some time. He’s a guy who is not just let you come in and, on a shoot, can take anybody in the locker room. It takes time to earn his respect. It took me a cold pack of Coors Light in his locker room after [WrestleMania 35].”

Seth Rollins also revealed that it was Lesnar’s call to have their 2019 match open up the WrestleMania 35 card. Lesnar’s reasoning was that he felt having back-to-back world title changes to close out the show would hurt both matches. Lesnar vs. Rollins was initially set to take place right before the women’s triple threat title match between Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, and Charlotte.

Rollins admitted that at first, he was bummed out that he didn’t get the call to headline WrestleMania 35. On the flip side, he was elated for Becky Lynch, who is now Rollins’ wife.

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Anthony Bowens Comments On Kanyon ‘Dark Side’ Episode

The Acclaimed’s Anthony Bowens recently took to social media to comment on the Dark Side of the Ring episode on Kanyon. Bowens said that he used to hide to read Kanyon’s book because he didn’t want anyone seeing him reading a book about a gay wrestler.

“Finally got around to watching this & it broke my heart. I use to hide in Barnes & Noble to read Kanyon’s book bc I didn’t want anyone to see me reading a book about a gay wrestler.”

Bowens continued to say that he felt many of the same fears Kanyon did.

“I felt his same fear. I wish he was alive to show him how far we’ve come & how much he was loved.”

“Wrestling Reality: The Life and Mind of Chris Kanyon, Wrestling’s Gay Superstar” is available on Amazon here.

In 2019, Bowens spoke about realizing his sexuality in a video posted to YouTube.

“I prefer to be labeled now as gay,” Bowens said.

“Most people who come out say they had a moment in their youth when they figured out something was different,” Bowens said. “They just knew they were gay. I never had one of those moments.”

Bowens originally said he was bisexual in 2017.

“I identified myself as bisexual because I really didn’t know much about the LGBTQ community,” he said. “I didn’t dive in that much because I was still closeted.”

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News. Tagged: .

Ronda Rousey & Travis Brown Announce Birth Of Daughter La’akea Makalapuaokalanip

Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne have announced the birth of their first child together. The baby girl’s name is La’akea Makalapuaokalanip Browne.

The ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet’ posted this photo on Instagram of her daughter:

Rousey is also step-mother to Browne’s two children from a previous marriage. She and Browne announced in April that Rousey was 4-months pregnant. Back in July, Rousey spoke about the challenges of pregnancy on Instagram.

“I wish I could say that pregnancy feels amazing, that I’ve never felt more powerful as a woman. But it feels more like my organs are being crushed by the miracle of life,” Rousey says in the post. “I’ve never felt more exhausted, unmotivated or aware of gravity. Some days I have to lay on my side for hours just to comfortably breathe.”

“This baby is gunna be some kind of superhero cause I swear she’s eating all my muscles.”

Will Ronda Rousey Return To WWE?

Ronda Rousey left WWE after WrestleMania 35 for what she referred to as an “impregnation vacation.” Triple H said in an interview to MMA Junkie in 2019 that Rousey had been pitching ideas for her return.

“I don’t think she understood that walking in the door, but when she got here, she said to me multiple times, ‘It’s like the family that I never knew I was missing, and the group of friends and the environment I never knew I was missing.’ I think she misses that greatly. She talks to everybody all the time, she’s constantly with us, and she’s constantly pitching her return. So, if I had to guess, it would be sooner than later, but who knows?”

Posted September 28th, 2021 in News. Tagged: .

WWE RAW Results (9/27): Steel Cage Main Event, Title Matches, Goldberg Appears

WWE RAW aired live from the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Big E defended the WWE Championship against Lashley tonight. Charlotte Flair issued an Open Challenge for the RAW Women’s Championship. Damian Priest defended the US Title against Sheamus in a No DQ, No Countout match.

In addition to the takeaways below, Goldberg appeared on tonight’s RAW via satellite and vowed to get revenge on Lashley for attacking Gage.

RAW Results (9/27)

  1. Big E def. Bobby Lashley via DQ & retained the WWE Title
  2. Angel Garza def. Erik
  3. Reggie vs. Ricochet ended in a DQ
  4. Keith “Bearcat” Lee def. Akira Tozawa
  5. Damian Priest def. Sheamus to retain the US Title
  6. Veer, Shanky, Jinder Mahal def. Mustafa Ali, Mansoor, Jeff Hardy
  7. Karrion Kross def. Jaxson Ryker
  8. AJ Styles def. Riddle
  9. Charlotte Flair def. Doudrop to retain the RAW Women’s Championship
  10. Big E def. Bobby Lashley in a Steel Cage match to retain the WWE Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Opening Title Match Ended In A DQ

Big E defended the WWE Championship against Lashley in the first match of the night. Lashley controlled the action early and got Big E in a Headlock. The WWE Champion battled out of the hold but Lashley leveled him with a shoulder tackle.

Lashley perched Big E up on the top turnbuckle and went for a Superplex but Big E held onto the ropes. Lashley launched Big E to the outside and Big E crashed to the floor. Bobby followed Big E out there and both superstars hit a Clothesline at the same time.

Big E and Lashley traded punches in the middle of the ring. Lashley got the better of the exchange and sent the champion to the corner. Lashley connected with a Swinging Neckbreaker Big E went for the Big Ending but Lashley escaped to the ring apron.

The WWE Champion punched Lashley in the face and then hit a Spear. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin made their way to the entrance ramp and wound up attacking Big E for the DQ. They were wearing Hurt Business shirts as apparently the group is back together without explanation. New Day made the save and Adam Pearce came to the entrance ramp. Pearce announced that Big E will defend the WWE Championship later tonight against Lashley in a Steel Cage match.

Angel Garza def. Erik

Angel Garza squared off with Erik tonight on RAW. Ivar and Humberto Carrillo were ringside for the match. Erik connected with a Suplex and followed it up with a knee to the face. Humberto hopped on the ring apron for a distraction and Garza capitalized with a DDT for the pinfall victory.

Keith “Bearcat” Lee def. Akira Tozawa

Akira Tozawa faced Keith “Bearcat” Lee. Lee sent Akira to the corner and hit a Splash. Lee launched Tozawa across the ring and hit a Ground Zero (Powerslam) for the pinfall victory.

Damian Priest Retained The US Title

Damian Priest defended the United States Championship against Sheamus in a No DQ, No Countout match. Priest and Sheamus battled to the corner of the ring to begin the action. Sheamus wrestled Damian to the canvas and applied a Headlock.

Sheamus and Damian battled to the outside and the Celtic Warrior sent the US Champion tumbling over the steel steps. Sheamus set up a table but turned around into a forearm to the face from Damian. The two superstars battled to the apron and Sheamus hit White Noise through the table as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Priest and Sheamus were battling outside the ring. Sheamus shoved Damian into the ring post and then hurled him into the barricade. Sheamus went to attack Priest with a chair but Damian knocked it away. Sheamus set up the chair in the corner and launched Damian’s face into it.

Sheamus connected with an Alabama Slam and went for the cover but Damian kicked out at two. Damian threw the chair and Sheamus’ head and connected with a Uranage for a near fall. Sheamus and Damian traded punches in the middle of the ring.

Damian hit a Clothesline but Sheamus responded with a jumping knee strike to the head for a two count. Damian sent Sheamus through a table in the corner and connected with the Reckoning for the pinfall victory. Damian Priest is still the United States Champion.

Veer, Shanky, Mahal Picked Up A Win

Jeff Hardy, Mansoor, Mustafa Ali faced Shanky, Veer, and Jinder Mahal tonight on RAW. Hardy slammed Jinder to the mat and hit a Leg Drop for a near fall. Mustafa Ali tagged himself in and hit a Facebuster but Veer broke up the cover. Veer hit Ali with a shoulder tackle and then a big Clothesline for the pinfall victory.

Karrion Kross def. Jaxson Ryker

Karrion Kross faced Jaxson Ryker in a quick match tonight. Before the match, Karrion Kross cut a backstage promo and promised to put his opponent through agony. Kross beat Ryker down and applied the Kross Jacket for the easy submission victory.

AJ Styles def. Riddle

AJ Styles squared off against Riddle again tonight on RAW. Styles hit a Splash in the corner and then tossed Ridde to the outside. Riddle got up but AJ hit him with a knee to the face.

The action went back and forth and Riddle hit AJ with a Pele Kick. AJ responded with a Ushigoroshi for a near fall. Riddle connected with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Styles kicked out at two. Riddle hit the Ripcord Knee and Styles battled back with a Backbreaker.

Styles hit a Moonsault outside of the ring and rolled Riddle back inside. Styles locked in the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring but Riddle was able to get to the bottom rope to break the hold. Riddle went for an RKO but AJ blocked it and hit the Styles Clash for a pinfall victory.

Charlotte Flair Retained The RAW Women’s Title, Baszler Attacked Eva Marie

Charlotte Flair had an Open Challenge for the RAW Women’s Championship and Doudrop took the challenge. Doudrop hit a shoulder tackle and went for a slam but Flair got out of the way. Doudrop connected with a chop and then a Senton in the middle of the ring. Eva Marie’s music hit for a distraction and Charlotte hit Natural Selection for the pinfall victory. Charlotte Flair is still the RAW Women’s Champion. Eva Marie posed and Charlotte hit her with a Clothesline as the crowd cheered. Eva then got on the microphone and claimed that she would have won the title if she had the opportunity. Shayna Baszler interrupted and attacked Eva. Baszler stomped on Eva’s arm against the steel steps to end the segment.

Big E Retained The WWE Championship

Big E defended the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley inside a Steel Cage in the main event. Big E dominated early and slammed Lashley into the steel a few times. Lashley exploded out of the corner and leveled Big E with a Clothesline.

Lashley went for a Spear but Big E countered into a Hip Toss that sent Lashley into the steel. Big E bounced Lashley’s head off the cage a. few times and went for the Big Ending but Lashley escaped. Lashley went for the Hurt Lock but Big E was able to block it. Lashley hit a Suplex and went for the cover but Big E kicked out at two.

Both superstars battled on the turnbuckle and Big E went for the Big Ending. Lashley countered into a Dragon Sleeper against the ropes and then dropped him to the mat. Lashley made his way up the cage but Big E brought him down. Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander tried to interfere but Kofi and Xavier cut them off. Kingston hit a ridiculous Trust Fall off the cage and onto Benjamin & Alexander as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Big E connected with three Belly to Belly Suplexes in a row and fired up the crowd. Lashley hit a Spear and went for the cover but Big E kicked out at two. Lashley went for a Clothesline but Big E ducked and hit the Big Ending. Big E went for the cover but Lashley powered out at the last moment. Lashley and Big E battled on the middle turnbuckle and Big E hit a massive Big Ending for the pinfall victory. Big E is still the WWE Champion.

Posted September 27th, 2021 in Results.

Big E Beats Bobby Lashley In Rematch To Retain WWE Championship

As promised, Bobby Lashley got his rematch for the WWE Championship against Big E in the opening match of Monday’s episode of Raw. The match was hard-hitting and went about 10 minutes until the DQ happened as The Hurt Business reunited (Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, and Lashley) to attack Big E.. This led to Kofi Kington and Xavier Woods running out to make the save. 

It was announced that the match would be restarted and take place inside of a Steel Cage. This was saved for the main event. At one point, Kingston did a dive off the side of the cage to take out The Hurt Business. Big E won with a Big Ending. Drew McIntyre came out and pointed his sword at Big E to close the show, so that’s the new direction. 

Two weeks ago on Raw, Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Lashley to win the title after Lashley had retained the WWE Championship against Randy Orton. WWE gave Lashley a storyline out as he was selling a knee injury. Big E got the win after hitting the Big Ending.

WWE set up the rematch at Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view after Big E pinned Lashley in a six-man tag match that saw The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) defeat Lashley, AJ Styles & Omos.

Later that night, Lashley cut a promo about Big E and dared him to defend the WWE Championship against him on this Monday’s Raw. Lashley went as far as stating that Big E was a coward for the way that he won the title. Quickly after that, Big E accepted Lashley’s challenge by stating that  Lashley better be ready this time.

Posted September 27th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: , .

Keith Lee Returns On WWE Raw With New Nickname

Keith Lee made his return to television on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw and did so with a new nickname.

The former NXT Champion did so when Akira Tozawa was upset after failing to win the WWE 24/7 title in the previous segment. This led to him issuing an open challenge to anyone. 

Lee came out and was introduced as Keith “Bearcat” Lee, who quickly picked up the win after pinning Tozawa with a powerslam. The nickname is a way to pay homage to Bearcat Wright.

At last Friday’s SmackDown event, while working a dark match, Lee was introduced under the Bearcat nickname for the first time. Since the start of August, he had been working dark matches prior to Raw and SmackDown. 

Lee said in a video on YouTube that he contracted COVID-19 in January and that was why he missed TV for 3 weeks.

Lee had been out of action since February as it was reported that he was not medically cleared to compete. It turned out that there was an issue with his heart and thus, he was forbidden from training as there was a fear that he could pass away if he put strain on his heart.

The inflammation in his heart eventually went down to normal and he was eventually cleared to return. He was last seen on television when he beat Karrion Kross on the August 2nd edition of Raw. 

Posted September 27th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Former WWE Star Reaches Out To Company Over Potential Return

A former WWE superstar has reached out to the promotion and received a response.

Stars come and go in WWE. Not everyone can avoid the pink slip at some point. The good news for many is that second chances aren’t exactly rare with the company. Ariane Andrew played the role of Cameron on WWE TV. She was released back in 2016.

Speaking to Wrestling Inc, Andrew revealed that she actually made contact with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to discuss a possible return.

“I am very torn if I want to say this, but I actually reached out recently and was like, ‘I would love to come back,’ and, will I be back? That’s to be determined, but I actually reached out to Vince [McMahon] himself and was like, you know what, I’m going to go to the person who’s at the top. I miss being in that world of wrestling. I saw Naomi three months ago, and I was like, you know what, if I have nothing, if I never got the championship, I feel like having the tag team titles would be awesome.”

Ariane Andrew was in for quite the surprise when McMahon responded to her.

“He actually responded, which is crazy. I know he’s a busy person. He was like, ‘I’ll pass this along to John Laurinaitis,’ who’s head of talent relations.”

Andrew was most recently seen on AEW TV back in 2020. She teamed with Nyla Rose in the AEW Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament. The team ended up being bounced from the tournament in the first round.

Posted September 27th, 2021 in News, WWE.

Alexa Bliss To Be Off WWE TV Soon (Report)

Alexa Bliss appears to be making her way off WWE TV.

Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc reports that Bliss is expected to be off future WWE shows soon. The report notes that it’s unknown whether or not the angle on Extreme Rules where Charlotte destroyed Alexa’s doll will be used as a way to write her off television.

The storyline going into Extreme Rules was that Charlotte didn’t think Alexa Bliss could be championship material again due to her obsession with playgrounds and dolls. After her match with Bliss, Charlotte said she hopes this serves as a wake-up call for the former five-time WWE Women’s Champion.

It’s been said that Bliss will be off TV for “a few months.” It’ll be interesting to see if she shows up on Monday Night Raw tonight (Sept. 27) or if her time off has already begun.

Bliss’ character began to change after being aligned with “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. Bliss ended up costing Wyatt a match with Randy Orton at WrestleMania back in April. Following a post-WrestleMania promo on Raw the following night, Wyatt wasn’t seen on TV again. He ended up being released from the company. Many people believe that Bliss essentially took Wyatt’s place.

Stick with SEScoops for more information on Alexa Bliss’ reported time off WWE TV once more details become available.

Posted September 27th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Jim Ross: MJF Is A Star Regardless Of Era

Legendary play-by-play ace, Jim Ross, has some high praise for MJF.

It’s clear that MJF is one of the fastest-rising stars in the wrestling industry. Many have praised him for his heel work. While he is known for his impressive mic skills, his in-ring work has also been nothing to dismiss.

One person who has taken notice of MJF’s potential is JR. During an edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross said that MJF fits in with any era past, present, or future.

“I think MJF is going to be a star in any era. He understands the fundamentals of being a villain. He doesn’t want to entertain you so much as he wants to infuriate you. Cowboy (Bill Watts) would have loved him. He may have made him a manager because of his size, but I don’t think so. MJF is as big as Buddy Roberts. Buddy Roberts headlined cards all over the world. I believe in MJF’s abilities.”

Ross went on to say that he feels Maxwell Jacob Friedman hasn’t even scratched the surface in terms of what he can do. MJF is only 25 years old and made his pro wrestling debut back in 2015.

MJF has already mixed it up with some of the biggest stars in the business. He’s gone one-on-one with the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Cody Rhodes, and others. The match with Moxley was for the AEW World Championship but MJF fell short.

Do you think MJF would’ve fit in with any era in pro wrestling?

Posted September 27th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

Mick Foley Believes WWE Needs To Pay More Attention To Continuity

Mick Foley had been very vocal about WWE’s mistreatment of stars recently. He continued talking about the promotion’s problems during his recent appearance on Sean Waltman’s Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast.

The Hall Of Famer discussed how Vince McMahon changing the script of WWE shows at the last minute has become a regular occurrence in the company.

Speaking of how these last-minute changes affect the quality of programming, Foley said that it leads to the shows losing their continuity. He then compared WWE’s state to AEW explaining how it makes WWE look bad in comparison:

“You lose your continuity. When you promise people two or three different matches for the next week and then they don’t take place, and you don’t explain why,

And then you have another show [AEW] that does a really good job of telling you what’s gonna take place next week.”

Detailing how he would fix this problem, Mick Foley said that the officials need to go back to the big picture thinking. They should pay more attention to continuity:

“I just think they need to pay attention to continuity, They need to go back to big picture thinking, outside of just the WrestleMania main event, and they need to let the talent be as good as it can be.”

What do you think about Mick Foley’s remarks on the state of WWE programming? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Mick Foley: WWE Is No Longer The Place For Talent To Aspire To

Posted September 27th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »