Archive for September, 2021

Seth Rollins On The Original Plans For The Shield’s Breakup

Seth Rollins shocked the world when he turned on Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns to end the Shield during the June 2, 2014 episode of Monday Night Raw.

However, during his recent appearance on the Broken Skull Session, Rollins revealed that WWE originally intended to break the faction up a lot earlier.

Rollins claimed that WWE had discussed breaking up the Shield back in January 2014. The plan was for it to lead to a match between Ambrose and Reigns at WrestleMania:

“What happened was, they wanted to break us up back in January [2014], maybe December. They wanted to go to Ambrose and Roman and at WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans. I was left out. Maybe a special referee or something.'”

Explaining how the plans got changed, Seth Rollins revealed that they went to talk to Triple H. They explained how they were on the cusp of a face turn and breaking them up would mean the loss of a lot of merchandise money.

Apart from this, the former Universal champion also talked about his 2019 Hell In A Cell match with Bray Wyatt and recalled being furious with Vince McMahon for it. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.

Bryan Danielson Was Pleasantly Surprised With AEW’s Creative Approach

After butting heads with the WWE writers for over a decade, Bryan Danielson was pleasantly surprised with the creative approach in AEW. The former WWE star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated. Among other things, he talked about the difference in the creative process of the two companies.

Detailing his reaction to his first encounter with the AEW creatives, Bryan admitted that he was a little blown away. According to him, no one told him what he was doing and they asked Danielson what he wanted to do instead:

“I was actually a little bit blown away, my first time I had to talk or anything was in Cincinnati, and I was like, so what are we doing? ‘I don’t know, what do you want to do?’ Wait, what?”

Bryan Danielson On AEW’s Approach Compared To WWE

Bryan Danielson continued his explanation mentioning how he was never handed a sheet of paper. He described that people in AEW have a collective approach where they sit down and figure out what the plan for him is:

“Last week in Newark, it was the same thing. I was never handed a sheet of paper. I was never told what we’re doing. We kind of sit down and decide what we’re doing, And I was just like, oh. And then there’s this overarching fear for me a little bit because some people don’t like working with the writers.”

The former world champion made his AEW debut during the All Out PPV from Chicago on September 5. He made his first Dynamite appearance on September 8 from Cincinnati, Ohio. Danielson also talked about the WWE creative process in detail and discussed being part of the creative himself during his finishing months. You can check out his comments at this link.

WWE Royal Rumble Location & Venue Revealed For 2022

We now know the location and venue of the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble event.

The next Royal Rumble event is scheduled to take place on Jan. 29, 2022. Tickets will be going on sale on Oct. 15. So that leaves the question, where will the big PPV event take place?

WWE has announced that next year’s Royal Rumble will be held inside The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Here’s what WWE Executive Vice President of Special Events, John P. Saboor, had to say in a press release.

“WWE has a rich history in St. Louis and we are excited to bring Royal Rumble to the Dome at America’s Center, a venue that has hosted countless large-scale sports and entertainment events. We look forward to giving the WWE Universe an opportunity to experience all that St. Louis has to offer.”

Of course, the city of St. Louis is also excited. Tishaura Jones, the Mayor of St. Louis, chimed in.

“The City of St. Louis is thrilled to host Royal Rumble at the Dome at America’s Center in January. St. Louis has the best sports scene in the country, and Royal Rumble will enhance it even more. This event is an incredible opportunity for our city, bringing WWE fans from across the nation to St. Louis and helping keep our downtown vibrant during the winter season.”

WWE is touting The Dome at America’s Center as the largest venue to ever play host to the Royal Rumble. It’s quite the change from the Royal Rumble event that took place at the beginning of 2021. While the event emanated from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, there were no fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will be the first Royal Rumble event with fans in attendance since 2020. That show took place inside Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

Bray Wyatt Responds To Seth Rollins’ Comment About Their Hell In A Cell Match

Seth Rollins recently admitted that he was very upset with Vince McMahon after the finish to his 2019 Universal championship Hell In A Cell match with Bray Wyatt. Now Wyatt has responded to his remarks

The former WWE superstar took on his Twitter to respond to the Architect. He indicated that his reaction to the finish was very similar to his opponent:

The 2019 Hell In A Cell PPV saw a newly debuted Fiend facing Seth Rollins in a cell match. The bout ended in Referee stoppage after Wyatt was hit with a sledgehammer by Rollins and buried under weapons.

However, The Fiend rose from under the pile of weapons when the officials were checking on him. He attacked Rollins and incapacitated him with the Mandible Claw. This ending attracted largely negative reactions from fans.

Seth Rollins On His Reaction To Match Against Wyatt

Seth Rollins talked about his reaction to the Hell In A Cell match against Bray Wyatt during his recent appearance on Broken Skull Sessions. Rollins claimed that he wanted to ‘strangle Vince McMahon’ for that finish:

“I put a positive spin on it now because I can look back a year and a half later, but at the time, I came through that curtain and I was ready to strangle Vince McMahon. I’m not kidding you.”

Rollins also talked about the fan reaction to the finish. He revealed which star held him back from talking to Mr. McMahon that night. You can check out his comments here

Bryan Danielson Talks AEW vs. WWE Fanboy Wars

Bryan Danielson has shared his thoughts on the fanboy wars between AEW and WWE fans.

Danielson is one of the major names that signed with AEW. He had been with WWE since 2010 and even competed in the main event of WrestleMania earlier this year. Danielson says that while leaving WWE was a difficult decision to make, he made the jump because he felt AEW provided an exciting challenge.

Of course, fans on both sides constantly argue on social media over which product is better. Danielson addressed this during an interview with Sports Illustrated.

“After I got a little promo and I said, ‘I love where I worked before,’ that got a huge chorus of boos. But it’s true. I think that also speaks to it’s not just a wrestling culture thing. I think there’s also a tribalism in our country right now. The narrative of being on one side or the other, and I think most people are actually very rational and will enjoy both sides, but I think the harder edges, and those are the people who tend to speak out more.”

Danielson went on to say that social media brings out the worst in fanboys from both companies. Bryan Danielson has been all class since his WWE departure. He even penned a “Thank You” letter to WWE chairman Vince McMahon. He also admitted that he enjoyed working with WWE writers.

On the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite in New York City, Danielson made his in-ring debut for AEW. He went 30 minutes with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a draw. After the match, Danielson expressed gratitude to the fans and AEW.

WWE Championship Match To Open This Week’s Raw

The WWE champion Big E will be defending his title against Bobby Lashley in the opening match of this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.

The opening match of the Extreme Rules PPV saw the trio of The New Day facing the team of Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, and Omos. The New Day won this bout.

Though this wasn’t the last of E and Lashley we saw during the night. Bobby Lashley was seen again in a backstage segment after The Usos vs. Street Profits match.

The All-Mighty called Big E “chicken s***” for cashing in the Money In The Bank contract on him after his match with Randy Orton. He then challenged E for a singles match on Raw saying  “I want my title back!”

The New Day member responded to the former champion later in the night. He said that Lashley has lost his mind before claiming that he doesn’t hide behind anyone.

Big E went on to accept the former TNA star’s challenge for a match at the red branded show. Michael Cole then announced that this bout will be opening this week’s episode of Raw.

It will be interesting to see how this match plays out and if WWE provides any hint at the upcoming roster changes on the episode of Raw before the Draft.

WWE Superstars React To Extreme Rules

The Extreme Rules PPV gave people much to talk about including the strange finish to the main event extreme rules match between ‘Demon’ Finn Balor and the Universal champion Roman Reigns.

Many people including some WWE superstars reacted to the show on various social media sites. WWE also posted reactions of some of the stars who were part of the PPV on their YouTube channel.

WWE star Drew Gulak reacted to the finish of the Balor vs. Reigns match which saw the demon losing after the top rope broke. He said that the moral of this story is not to climb the rope if you are about to win the match.

Sasha Banks who made her return to WWE programming after more than a month of absence was seen in a backstage video. She simply said that ‘The boss is back’ and promised to see the fans on Friday.

Charlotte Flair retained the Raw women’s championship against Alexa Bliss at Extreme Rules. However, what she was asked about in her backstage interview were her actions after the match where Flair ripped Lily to pieces.

Flair said that it’s a problem that people care more about what happened with Lily than Alexa Bliss. She then claimed that the Alexa she faced on the show was the old Alexa who had won the women’s championship multiple times.

The US championship match on Extreme Rules saw Damian Priest rolling up Sheamus to retain his title. WWE also posted the reactions of both Sheamus and Priest on YouTube after the show. You can check out their reactions in the playlist below:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_LkY4YPlaXZ5nVOfTK4XRTVPznreENUh

WWE Extreme Rules Results: Roman Reigns vs. The Demon, Sasha Banks Returns

WWE Extreme Rules aired live from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against The Demon Finn Balor. Becky Lynch put her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Bianca Belair.

Extreme Rules Results

  1. Liv Morgan def. Carmella (Kickoff Show)
  2. New Day def. Lashley, AJ Styles, Omos
  3. The Usos def. Street Profits to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championship
  4. Charlotte Flair def. Alexa Bliss to retain the RAW Women’s Championship
  5. Damian Priest def. Sheamus & Jeff Hardy to retain the US Title
  6. Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch via DQ (Becky retained the SD Women’s Title)
  7. Roman Reigns def. The Demon Finn Balor to retain the Universal Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

New Day Picked Up A Win

New Day faced AJ Styles, Omos, and Bobby Lashley in a 6-man tag match to begin the PPV. Big E leveled AJ Styles with a Clothesline and threw him to the corner. Big E dared Lashley to tag in and Bobby entered the ring. Lashley and Big E traded punches in the middle of the ring. Lashley got the better of the exchange and leveled the WWE Champion with a Clothesline.

Lashley sent Big E to the corner and charged but the champ got out of the way. Big E drove Lashley to the corner and beat him down against the turnbuckle. New Day took turns stomping on Lashley in the corner and sent him out of the ring. Kingston went for a Crossbody but Lashley caught him. Woods dropped Lashley with a Dropkick and rolled him back in the ring.

New Day traded some words with Styles and Omos outside the ring. Lashley capitalized on the distraction and sent Kofi flying across the ring. Omos tagged in and continued to beat Kofi down. AJ Styles tagged in and got Kingston in a Headlock in the middle of the ring.

Kingston escaped and dropped Styles with a Double Stomp. Lashley dragged Big E off the apron and hurled him into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Lashley hit a slam on Kofi for a two count. Kofi battled back but Woods and Big E were taken out and he had nobody to tag.

Lashley brought Kingston back to the corner and beat him down some more. Kingston finally was able to tag in Woods and Xavier caught Lashley with a kick to the side of the head. Woods unloaded some punches and delivered a Dropkick. Woods went for a DDT but Lashley escaped. Xavier then connected with a Tornado DDT and went for the cover but Lashley kicked out at two.

Woods and Lashley battled on the top turnbuckle. Woods knocked Lashley down and hit him with a Dropkick off the top rope. Big E and AJ Styles tagged in and the WWE Champion connected with a couple Belly to Belly Suplexes. Big E knocked Omos and Lashley off the apron and hit a third Belly to Belly Suplex. Big E followed it up with a Splash in the middle of the ring.

The crowd broke out in a “New Day rocks!” chant as Big E went for the Big Ending. AJ was able to break free and hit Big E with a Pele Kick. Big E shrugged it off and connected with a big Uranage for a near fall. Styles bounced Big E’s face off the turnbuckle and rolled him up for a two count.

Styles hit another Pele Kick that sent Big E to the corner. Kingston tagged in but Styles didn’t see it. Kingston booted Styles in the face and Big E lifted AJ up in the Electric Chair. Kofi connected with a Double Stomp off the top rope and went for the cover but Lashley broke it up at two.

Lashley tagged himself in and slammed Kingston to the canvas for a two count. Lashley went for a Spear but Kofi got out of the way. Lashley tumbled out of the ring and Styles was sent to the outside as well. Kofi Kingston went for a Splash but Omos caught him with a punch. Styles leveled Woods as Lashley connected with a slam on Big E.

AJ Styles tagged himself in as Lashley set up for a Spear. Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Lashley tagged himself in. Lashley tried to hit a Spear but the WWE Champion got out of the way and Lashley leveled Styles. Big E hit the Big Ending on Lashley for the pinfall victory. Later on the PPV, Lashley cut a backstage promo and called Big E a chicken shit. Lashley demanded a shot at the WWE Championship tomorrow night on RAW. Big E later accepted the challenge and the match will kick off RAW tomorrow night.

The Usos Retained The SmackDown Tag Team Titles

The Usos defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins). Ford had his ribs taped due to the attack by The Bloodline on SmackDown. The Usos isolated Ford in the ring and focused their attacks on his injured midsection.

Montez Ford avoided a Splash and finally was able to tag in Angelo Dawkins. Angelo hit an elbow to the face and then delivered some Splashes to Jimmy and Jey. Angelo sent Jimmy to the apron as the crowd chanted “we want tables!”.

Dawkins connected with a Superplex and rolled through into a Twisting Neckbreaker for a two count. Montez tagged in and hit The Usos with a flip over the ring post. Ford followed it up with a Frog Splash but the pinfall was broken up as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. The Usos hit Ford with a Superkick to the injured ribs and followed it up with a double Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. The Usos are still the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

Charlotte Flair Retained & Destroyed Lilly

Charlotte Flair defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss tonight at Extreme Rules. Alexa and Charlotte circled each other as the bell rang. Bliss and Flair locked up and Charlotte shoved Alexa to the canvas. Flair posed and the crowd booed her out of the building.

Bliss connected with a Dropkick and went for a DDT but Flair escaped. Charlotte went for a big boot but Alexa got out of the way. Flair tumbled out of the ring and Alexa hit a Cannonball off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Flair took control and connected with a Tilt-A-Whirl Backbreaker for a two count.

Charlotte bounced Bliss’ face off the middle turnbuckle and climbed to the top rope. Alexa tripped Flair up and Dropkicked her out of the ring. Alexa went for a Baseball Slide but Charlotte caught her and slammed Alexa into the barricade. Charlotte mocked Alexa’s hometown crowd and rolled Bliss back into the ring. Flair went for the cover three times in a row but Alexa kicked out.

Flair went for a Moonsault but Alexa got out of the way. Charlotte landed on her feet and hit a Standing Moonsault for a near fall. Charlotte crawled around behind Alexa and went for the Natural Selection but Alexa dodged it. Bliss connected with a Senton and went for the cover but the champion kicked out at two. Charlotte planted Bliss with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Alexa somehow kicked out at two.

Charlotte couldn’t believe it and threw her hands in the air out of frustration. Flair went for the Moonsault again but Bliss got her boots up. Bliss connected with a Sunset Flip Bomb for a two count. Alexa went for Twisted Bliss but Charlotte got out of the way. Bliss then planted Flair with aDDT and went for the cover but Flair got her boot on the ropes at two. Charlotte hit a big boot and launched Alexa into the ring post.

Flair followed it up with the Natural Selection for the pinfall victory. Charlotte Flair is still the RAW Women’s Champion. After the match, Charlotte ripped up Lilly the doll and posed with the title. Alexa Bliss freaked out and attack Charlotte. Bliss unloaded some punches but Charlotte slammed Alexa into the ring apron. Charlotte then launched Alexa over the announce table. Bliss got up and threw a tantrum after seeing Lilly destroyed in the ring. Bliss cried on the entrance ramp with Lilly’s remains and

Damian Priest Retained The US Title

Damian Priest defended the United States Championship against Jeff Hardy and Sheamus in a Triple Threat match. Sheamus booted Jeff out of the ring and locked up with Damian to begin the action. Priest unloaded some strikes and and Clotheslined Sheamus to the outside.

Priest launched Sheamus into the barricade and followed it up with some punches to the face. Sheamus battled back and sent Priest into the barricade. Sheamus launched Jeff into the barricade but Hardy battled back with a Senton. Priest leveled both Sheamus and Hardy with a Dropkick and rolled Jeff back into the ring.

Sheamus brought Damian back out of the ring and threw him face first into the ring post. Hardy caught Sheamus with a knee to the face as he was getting back into the ring. Sheamus responded with a big Backbreaker and posed for the crowd.

Hardy went for a Clothesline but Sheamus countered into a Powerslam and shouted “are you not entertained?!”. Sheamus battled with Damian before turning around into a Dropkick from Hardy. Jeff went for a Splash but Sheamus got his knees up. Hardy connected with a Russian Leg Sweep and followed it up with a Leg Drop.

Jeff went for the cover but Damian broke it up at two. Hardy hit Sheamus & Priest with Whisper in the Wind and went for the cover but the Celtic Warrior kicked out at the last moment. Sheamus hit an Alabama Slam on Hardy for a two count. Sheamus applied a Cloverleaf submission on Hardy in the middle of the ring.

Damian broke it up and sent Sheamus to the corner. Sheamus battled back and hit White Noise for a two count. Jeff connected with Twist of Fate on Sheamus and knocked him out of the ring. Priest went for the Reckoning but Hardy countered. Jeff went for the Twist of Fate but it was botched and both superstars stumbled down. Jeff then hit Twist of Fate and made his way to the top rope.

Sheamus shoved Jeff to the floor and climbed to the top turnbuckle. Sheamus taunted Jeff by doing his gestures before hitting a Knee Drop on Priest for a near fall. Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick but Priest got out of the way. Sheamus climbed to the top rope but Damian caught him with a Chokeslam. Priest went for the cover but Jeff Hardy broke it up with a Swanton Bomb out of nowhere.

The crowd got behind Jeff as he traded punches with Priest in the middle of the ring. Hardy went for the Twist of Fate but Damian blocked it. Sheamus hit Damian with a knee to the face and delivered a Brogue Kick to Jeff. Damian sent Jeff out of the ring and rolled up Sheamus for the pinfall victory. Damian Priest is still the United States Champion. After the match, Damian Priest and Jeff Hardy showed each other respect as Sheamus scowled on the entrance ramp.

Sasha Banks Interfered In The SmackDown Women’s Title Match

Becky Lynch defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair tonight at Extreme Rules. Lynch went for the Uranage right away but Bianca was ready for it this time. Belair went for the KOD but Lynch escaped and rolled out of the ring.

Lynch got back in the ring and Belair got her in a Headlock. Lynch escaped but Bianca connected with a shoulder tackle. Becky went for the Dis-Arm-Her but Bianca escaped. Bianca connected with a Body Slam and followed it up with a Splash for a near fall.

Becky stomped Belair down in the corner of the ring and send her to the corner. Belair hopped to the middle turnbuckle, taunted Becky and flipped to the mat. Bianca sent Lynch out of the ring and Becky paced around for a bit. Bianca got out of the ring and bounced Becky’s face off the apron before rolling her into the ring.

Lynch hit a Natural Selection and went for the cover but Bianca kicked out at two. Becky went for a Leg Drop but Belair got out of the way and the champ crashed to the mat. Lynch battled back with an Exploder Suplex and went for the cover but Belair powered out at two.

Bianca broke out of a submission hold and planted Lynch with a Suplex. Belair followed it up with a Dropkick and held Lynch up for a massive Vertical Suplex. Bianca unloaded some punches to the champion’s face in the corner of the ring. Becky grabbed Bianca’s hair and the two superstars played tug of war. Belair won and dragged Lynch into a Spinebuster for a two count.

Belair caught Lynch in midair and connected with a Fallaway Slam. Bianca went for the cover but Lynch kicked out at two. Becky booted Bianca in the face and made her way to the top rope. Belair joined her up there and hit a forearm to the face. Bianca lifted Becky up but the champion countered into the Dis-Arm-Her. Belair quickly got her boot on the ropes to break up the hold.

Becky went Bianca’s hair again but Belair used it to drag Becky out of the ring. Lynch sent Bianca into the steel steps and rolled her back into the ring. Lynch climbed to the top rope and hit a Leg Drop for a two count. Becky hit another Leg Drop as Bianca was on the middle rope for a near fall.

Lynch went for the Manhandle Slam but Bianca countered. Belair went for a Suplex but Becky countered. Lynch went for an Armbar but Belair blocked it. Bianca planted Becky with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but the SmackDown Women’s Champion was able to kick at the last second.

Bianca and Becky traded punches in the middle of the ring. Lynch went for the Manhandle Slam but Belair countered into a cradle for a near fall. Becky went for the Dis-Arm-Her but Belair blocked it. Bianca was about to hit the KOD but Sasha Banks interfered. Banks beat Belair down and hit her with a running kick to the face. Banks stared at Becky as she gave her a thumbs up. Sasha then tackled Becky and unloaded some punches. Belair got up and Sasha hit her with a Backstabber. Sasha connected with a Backstabber on Becky and said she will see Bianca and Becky on Friday.

Roman Reigns Retained The Universal Championship

Roman Reigns defend the Universal Championship against The Demon Finn Balor in an Extreme Rules match to close the PPV. Paul Heyman was ringside for the match. Reigns and Balor locked up in the middle of the ring to begin the action. The two superstars traded forearms to the face. Reigns hit a knee to the midsection and went for a Body Slam but Balor countered with a rake across the champion’s back.

Reigns shrugged it off and planted The Demon with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Roman grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring and looked for Balor but he was out of the ring. Finn popped up with a bundle of kendo sticks and bashed Reigns in the midsection with the kendo sticks. The Demon unloaded a few strikes with the kendo sticks to Reigns’ back and followed it up with a chop.

The champion threw Balor out of the ring and followed him out there. Balor tripped up Reigns with the ring skirt and stomped on him several times. Balor followed it up with a running kick to the face that knocked the champion to the floor. Finn brought out a table but turned around into a Clothesline from Reigns.

Roman brought a chair into the ring and bashed The Demon in the ribs multiple times. Finn knocked Roman to the mat and hit a Double Stomp while the chair was across Reigns’ chest. The action spilled out of the ring and The Demon launched Roman into the steel steps.

Finn slid the table into the ring but Reigns connected with a Drive By that sent Balor into the ring post. Reigns launched The Demon over the barricade and to the concrete. Paul Heyman handed Roman a mask and he put it on before battling with Balor in the crowd.

Roman went for a Uranage but Balor escaped and hit the Universal Champion with a kick to the face. The Demon leaped off the stage and hit Reigns with a Crossbody through a table. Back in the ring, Reigns slammed Balor through the table with a Uranage for a two count.

The Demon dodged a Superman Punch and hit Roman with a Pele Kick. Reigns bounced off the ropes and hit the Superman Punch but Balor kicked at two. Roman geared up in the corner and went for the Spear but Balor countered with a knee to the face. Finn connected with a Slingblade and went for a Dropkick but Roman countered with a Spear for a two count.

Balor connected with a low blow as he kicked out and then hit a Dropkick. Roman fell out of the ring and The Demon flipped onto him. Back in the ring, The Demon climbed to the top rope and hit the Coup de Grace. Balor went for the cover but The Usos broke it up. Jimmy and Jey hit The Demon with a double Superkick and brought out another table from under the ring.

The Usos tried to Powerbomb Balor through a table but he escaped. The Demon hit Jey with a Slingblade and sent Jimmy into the barricade. Balor Powerbombed Jey through the announce table but turned around into a Spear from Roman Reigns through the barricade as the crowd chanted “holy shit!”.

The lights started blinking red and The Demon hopped up. The lights in the arena went completely red and The Demon unloaded a bunch of chair shots to the Universal Champion. The Demon delivered a Dropkick and Reigns fell through the table. Smoke filled up the ringside area as Balor’s theme played during the match. The Demon climbed to the top rope but it broke and Balor fell to the mat. The music stopped playing and the lights came back on. Reigns hit a Spear for the pinfall victory. Roman Reigns is still the Universal Champion.

Roman Reigns Retains WWE Universal Title At WWE Extreme Rules

Roman Reigns put the WWE Universal Championship on the line against Finn Balor, who was portraying his Demon character, in the main event of the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Columbus, Ohio at the Nationwide Arena on Peacock. 

This was the first time Balor has used the Demon character since 2019. The match saw them brawl throughout the crowd so they could do a spot where Balor drove him through a table. They did a spot where Reigns hit a spear, but Balor kicked out by hitting a low blow. The Usos came out to attack Balor, but Balor eventually fought them off thanks to the announce table.

The finish was very interesting as after Reigns speared Balor through the barricade, Balor’s music played with the red light coming on. Balor fired up, hit him with a chair and kicked him through a table. However, when Balor went to the top rope, the rope broke and Reigns hit a spear to Balor for the win. 

Their first match took place earlier this month on an episode of SmackDown. Reigns retained the title when Balor passed out in a guillotine. After that match, the lights turned red and there was a soundbite of a heartbeat that played. 

On the September 10th edition of SmackDown, Balor’s Demon character made its return as Balor confronted Reigns from  Madison Square Garden.

Reigns will make his next title defense against Brock Lesnar at the Crown Jewel pay-per-view event in October. 

Sasha Banks Returns At WWE Extreme Rules

Becky Lynch made her first televised defense of the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair in a rematch, but the bigger news was the return of Sasha Banks. 

It happened during the hour of the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Columbus, Ohio at the Nationwide Arena. The match was fast-paced right from the get-go. Throughout the match, Lynch would go for the armbar and this was the story of the match as Belair continued to get out of it. 

Belair went for her finisher, but Banks ran out and attacked Belair to cause the DQ. After Banks got done attacking Belair she went after Lynch. Banks hit Belair with the backstabber and so did it to Lynch. Banks stood tall. 

Lynch made her WWE TV return last month at SummerSlam by defeating Belair in under 30 seconds to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Originally, Belair was supposed to defend the title against Banks at this show, but it was announced at the PPV that Banks wouldn’t be able to compete.

In late August, Belair became the number one contender by defeating Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Zelina Vega in a four-way elimination match on SmackDown despite the rule of champions getting an automatic rematch. 

At first, Lynch refused to give Belair a title shot as Lynch declined to give Belair a title match. However, WWE authority figures Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce informed Lynch that she’ll be defending the championship against Belair at Extreme Rules. On the SmackDown episode from Madison Square Garden, WWE booked a contract signing for the match to make it official. 

Damian Priest Keeps United States Title At WWE Extreme Rules

Damian Priest was at a storyline disadvantage when he put the WWE United States Title on the line in his latest title defense at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event when he wrestled Jeff Hardy and Sheamus in a triple threat match. 

The match saw everyone get their key spots in. Sheamus even mocked Hardy’s signature celebrations before hitting a knee drop off the top rope to Priest. Priest with a chokeslam off the top rope to Sheamus but Hardy hit a Swanton Bomb to both stars. Priest rolled up Sheamus for the win. 

WWE originally announced that Sheamus would challenge Priest for the United States Title at Extreme Rules. However, on Monday’s Raw, WWE booked Sheamus against Jeff Hardy with the stipulation that if he won then he would be added to the title match and make it a triple threat bout at Extreme Rules. 

Obviously, Hardy won the match and was added to the title bout. After it,  a brawl between Priest and Sheamus was broken up by officials. It started when Sheamus got in Priest’s face and shoved him.

Last month at SummerSlam, Priest won the United States Title from Sheamus. Two weeks ago on Raw, Priest retained the title against Hardy after Hardy answered his open challenge.

Sheamus earned a title shot to become the number one contender after defeating Drew McIntyre on Raw three weeks ago.

Charlotte Flair Retains WWE Raw Women’s Title At Extreme Rules

WWE Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair put her title on the line in a match at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Columbus, Ohio against Alexa Bliss. 

The match was short but both stars got plenty of offense. Flair tossed Lilly the doll at Bliss, which allowed her to send Bliss into the ring post and hit Natural Selection. Post-match, Flair ripped apart the doll. Bliss attacked her as a result. Flair got the better of Bliss in the brawl. 

Flair had been in a feud with Nia Jax as Jax got a win over the champion only for Flair to successfully retain the title. After the match, Bliss and her doll Lilly appeared on the video screen so Bliss could invite Flair to join them on the playground. Flair said she wasn’t interested in Bliss’ mind games so Bliss said she would join them. After a match challenge, Flair accepted it and setting up this match. 

Flair became the Raw Women’s Champion by beating Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match at SummerSlam last month.

Based on this post-match angle, it appears WWE will continue this feud.

What are your thoughts on Flair retaining the Raw Women’s Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

The Usos Keep SmackDown Tag Team Titles At WWE Extreme Rules

The Street Profits were the latest challengers to step up to take on The Usos for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. 

The match was booked at the WWE Extreme Rules pay-per-view event in Columbus, Ohio at the Nationwide Arena. It featured the challengers coming out strong, but once Jimmy landed a kick to the “injured” ribs of Ford, the champions took over and dominated the majority of the match until Dawkins got the hot tag. The finish saw The Usos hit a double splash to Ford. 

Earlier this month on an episode of SmackDown, The Usos and The Street Profits headlined the show with the titles on the line where The Street Profits were close to getting the win after Montez Ford hit a frog splash on Jimmy Uso. However, Reigns came out and interfered to cause a disqualification.

“The Big Dog” put Ford in a guillotine, but Finn Balor came out as his “Demon” character to make the save. The following week, a non-title match was booked with The Street Profits winning by DQ again as Ford hit a frog splash on Jimmy, but Jey broke things up. Post-match, The Street Profits got the better of a brawl with The Usos. 

Seth Rollins Reveals When His WWE Contract Expires

Seth Rollins has unveiled when his WWE contract is set to expire.

Rollins has been a top main event player ever since he debuted as a member of The Shield back in 2012. Since splitting apart from the group, Rollins has won multiple world championships in WWE. He currently competes under the SmackDown brand.

Rollins has proven to be quite valuable to WWE but he isn’t so sure what he’ll do once his current deal is up. Here’s what he told Stone Cold Steve Austin on Broken Skull Sessions.

“Now, as a dad, part of me is starting to shift a little bit. I have a couple years left on my contract, I definitely want to see that through. After that, we’ll see what happens. I don’t know, I wish I had a proper answer because I love it, but life is starting to get a lot bigger when you got a little baby girl and when my contract is up, she’ll be about 3 or 4 and ready to go into school and do stuff. We’ll see. If it all ended tomorrow, I’d be pretty satisfied with the things I’ve accomplished and the contributions I’ve made to the business. I always wanted to leave it better than I found it and I’ve been able to do that in some respects. I’m proud of that.”

Rollins has been involved in a feud with Edge. He defeated Edge on the Sept. 10 edition of SmackDown, which was held inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. WWE ran an injury angle on Edge, who received The Stomp from Rollins.

Edge will return on the Oct. 1 edition of SmackDown despite an initial report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter claiming that Edge was expected to be off TV for months.

Jeff Hardy: Damian Priest Reminds Me Of My Younger Self

Jeff Hardy sees a lot of him in Damian Priest.

Tonight (Sept. 26), Hardy will be featured in a triple threat match for the United States Championship. Sheamus will also be a part of the match, while Priest is the defending champion. The action will take place on the Extreme Rules card.

Appearing on WWE’s The Bump, Hardy said that Priest gives him flashbacks of a younger version of himself.

“Damian Priest, I am such a huge fan of him and he has been on fire lately, man. We actually got to team last night and it was amazing. He reminds me a lot of my younger self. So that’s what’s kind of scary and intimidating and all that good stuff that creates a wonderful match so I’m looking forward to getting in there with Damian and Sheamus at the same time. It’s going to be insane.”

Priest has been given a steady push on WWE TV. He had a pivotal match on the WrestleMania card back in April. He teamed with pop star Bad Bunny to take on The Miz and John Morrison. Priest and Bad Bunny emerged victorious.

As for Hardy, he’s suddenly in a better role on TV than he has been over the past several weeks. Many fans criticized WWE for throwing Hardy into the 24/7 Championship mix randomly. He has quickly found himself back in a better spot.

Stick with SEScoops tonight for Extreme Rules results throughout the event.

Jim Ross Explains Why Christian Wasn’t As Popular As Edge

Jim Ross has a theory on why Christian, known as Christian Cage outside of WWE, never reached the popularity that Edge did.

Many wrestling fans fondly remember the tag team of Edge & Christian during the Attitude Era. Both men weren’t afraid to tell you that they “Reek of Awesomeness.” As a team, the two had many memorable matches including the big TLC match at WrestleMania X-Seven back in 2001.

Edge and Christian ended up having success as singles competitors, but there’s no denying that Edge became more popular. Meanwhile, Christian is often regarded as one of the most underrated talents in the wrestling business.

During an edition of his Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross shared his take on why Christian never caught fire the way that Edge did in WWE.

“I always thought Edge was going to be a breakout star because he connected with the audience. [Christian] was always the clear number two on that team. I was glad they both got their opportunity to grow on their own, but I always thought that Edge had a little bit of a leg up in that scenario. That does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that Christian wasn’t a great hand. The match that he had with Kenny Omega in AEW was outstanding. He still is a hell of a worker, he’s always been a hell of a worker, but he just didn’t quite have that connectable charisma that Edge had.”

JR went on to say that his comments aren’t a slight to Christian at all. In fact, he thinks it’s more of a testament to Edge’s abilities.

Regardless of stardom, it’s safe to say that both Edge and Christian are quite happy at the moment. Edge has proven that he’s still got it since returning to WWE after being forced to retire due to neck issues. As for Christian Cage, he’s the current Impact Wrestling World Champion and has been a key player on AEW television.

Liv Morgan Addresses Her Start And Stop Pushes In WWE

Liv Morgan has been the victim of start and stop pushes in WWE but the female star is blaming herself for it rather than putting it on the management. She recently had an interview with SportsKeeda wrestling. Liv talked about things such as what Becky Lynch told her before going on a hiatus last year and more.

Discussing her career in WWE, Morgan admitted that she has failed to get a breakthrough despite having a lot of momentum a number of times. Though instead of putting the blame on the WWE creative for not pulling the trigger on her, Morgan believes that she probably wasn’t ready for the spot:

“I feel like the past two years of my career I’ve had moments where I feel like I had so much momentum and I was ready for a breakthrough, and then I don’t. I do feel like this time is different. I like to think positive and I’m very much a glass half full, so when I look back, I think, maybe I wasn’t as ready as I thought, and that’s why I didn’t break through.”

Liv Morgan then claimed that she now feels much more well-rounded as a performer. She said that she is now ready for the top spot. The former NXT star explained that after the Money In The Bank PPV she definitely feels like she is going to keep her momentum going until she wins the SmackDown women’s championship.

Morgan has not won any titles in WWE despite being with the company since 2014. She participated in the women’s ladder match at the Money In The Bank PPV this year. The match was won by Nikki A.S.H. who went on to cash in the contract to become the Raw women’s champion.

Seth Rollins Says He Was Furious With Vince McMahon After HIAC 2019

The main event of Hell in a Cell 2019 is not fondly remembered by many. The match between Seth Rollins and the Fiend was voted “Worst Match of the Year” by the subscribers of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and given the 2019 “Gooker Award” by WrestleCrap for worst gimmick, storyline, or event in wrestling as well.

The match ended via referee’s stoppage, although some at the time assumed a DQ had taken place. Rollins hit Wyatt with a sledgehammer and the ref decided to call for the bell. The Fiend then recovered from the move in time to attack Rollins before the show came to a close. The live fans in Sacramento were not happy and loudly expressed as much.

Seth Rollins Reflects On Hell in a Cell 2019

Seth Rollins recently stated on a clip from Broken Skull Sessions that he was not happy with what happened either.

“My vision for what that match was going to be was a lot different than what we had to go out there and do. We went out there and did what we were told to do to the best of our ability,” Rollins said (transcriptions via Fightful). “Obviously, as it was ongoing, I felt…you watch it back, it’s boos piled upon boos piled upon boos and at the end of it, the reaction when the audience didn’t get the result they wanted, that’s a real tough pill to swallow.”

Rollins continued to say that he was angry with Vince McMahon when he walked through the curtain after the match. They wouldn’t speak that night, however.

“I put a positive spin on it now because I can look back a year and a half later, but at the time, I came through that curtain and I was ready to strangle Vince McMahon. I’m not kidding you. TJ Wilson was there to hold me back. I stared right into Vince’s eyes, I looked at him, he looked at me, we didn’t say a single word to each other and he walked out.”

Rollins continued to say he spoke with Paul Heyman but the conversation didn’t really lead to much.

“The next day, I went into Vince’s office, I was much calmer, and I said, ‘Let’s talk about this. We need to figure out what we’re doing here because that can’t happen again.’ It was civil, but it took me a night. I was ready to go. If somebody wasn’t there making sure I was okay, my temper and the adrenaline.”

Bianca Belair On When She Found Out About Changes In Her SummerSlam Match

Bianca Belair was originally scheduled to face Sasha Banks at the SummerSlam PPV. She didn’t find out that her opponent had been changed to Becky Lynch until the last minute. The former SmackDown women’s champion recently had an interview with Inside The Ropes. She talked about her SummerSlam experience among other things.

Revealing when she was told about the change of plans, Belair said that she practically found out about it when she had already entered the ring for the bout:

“It was pretty much very, very, very, very, very last minute. Pretty much when I was in the ring up – until the time that I went out [to the ring].” said Bianca Belair, “Very late call, very late moment, Everything, all the emotions that you saw in my face during the match at SummerSlam, were real emotions,”

WWE knew that Sasha Banks will not be able to compete at the SummerSlam PPV 8 days before the show but they didn’t officially call off the match until the day of the event. Bianca Belair wasn’t the only performer who wasn’t told about the changed plans until very late either. Becky Lynch also found out that she will be competing at the PPV only a day before the show.

WWE Survivor Series 2021: Date, Location, Matches, Tickets And Everything You Need To Know

WWE Survivor Series is considered one of the big four (or five if you count Money In The Bank) PPV events of the calendar year for the company alongside the Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and WrestleMania.

Over the past couple of years, WWE has used the November event as a way of pitting the Champions of both RAW and SmackDown against each other to determine “brand supremacy,” even though it usually happens just a few weeks after the WWE Draft and Superstars end up representing a brand they have been on for less than a month.

Here is everything you need to know about WWE November PPV event:

Survivor Series Date

WWE Survivor Series 2021 will be taking place on Sunday 21st November 2021.

Location

The show will be emanating from the Barclays Center in New York City, USA. The venue can hold a total of 17,000 spectators for concert events and has been a well-drawing location for the company ever since they began running there.

WWe Survivor Series 2021 Matches

The matches for WWE Survivor Series 2021 are yet to be confirmed, with major events set to take place between now and November, it is likely that we will not know what will be taking place until late October/early November.

If WWE are looking to replicate what they have done with the card over the past few years, then the main event of the show will likely be WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs WWE Champion Big E.

Tickets

Tickets for Survivor Series 2021 are available to purchase now via Ticketmaster and the official Barclays Center website.

Fans can purchase a bundle ticket for both Survivor Series on Sunday and the Monday Night RAW event for the night after, which will also be taking place in Brooklyn.

AEW Star Adam Cole Wants Back In NJPW

AEW star Adam Cole says he’d like to step back inside a New Japan Pro Wrestling ring.

Cole is one of the newest members of the AEW roster. He has already proven to be a massive signing for the promotion. He has been getting massive crowd reactions and certainly doesn’t appear to be overshadowed by Bryan Danielson as some had feared.

With the “Forbidden Door” being cracked wide open, it has led to cross-promotion between the likes of AEW and NJPW. Adam Cole told Renee Paquette on Oral Sessions that he’s hoping to take full advantage.

“New Japan is something I’d like to do more of. I had done a fair amount of tours, it was almost 10. I got to wrestle at Koruakan Hall and the Tokyo Dome and Sumo Hall and all these really cool venues. I enjoyed my time there and right as I was kind of find my footing there or gain momentum, that was when I left. The chance to go back there would be really cool. I think back so fondly of my time in ROH. PWG, I had some of the times of my life there. I got my start in CZW, which is where I met Jon. There’s a bunch of really cool things that I would like to do. Independent wrestling is a blast.”

As Cole mentioned, he made some appearances for NJPW when he was a member of Bullet Club. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks turned on Cole during an ROH show after Cole made the decision to sign with WWE back in 2017.

A lot has changed since Cole was last with the Super Kliq. Bullet Club split apart from The Elite. Also, all of The Elite members ended up signing with AEW and haven’t been seen in NJPW since early 2019.

During an interview with Asbury Park Press, Cole teased a rivalry with Bullet Club.

Shane Thorne Debuts New Gimmick

The former Slapjack, aka Shane Thorne, debuted a new gimmick recently in a dark match before Smackdown this week. Thorne came out to the ring wearing khaki shorts, and a hat similar to one worn by Outback Jack and Crocodile Dundee.

Fox’s Ryan Satin posted to social media about Thorne’s new gimmick:

Thorne responded to Satin’s post as well, noting that he has always been Australian.

Thorne would also take to social media to comment on this new gimmick.

“Just to let yous know what I’m trying now is all me and my ideas,” he wrote on Twitter. “A huge inspiration for me is Nikki ASH and you can’t deny that she is doing incredible! Wrestling can be fun! So relax mate and let’s have a good one.”

“Other inspirations 100% Paul Hogan, Steve Irwin and John Cena. And honorable mention to T-Bar for constantly nagging me to just go full Australian”

The 36-year-old Thorne has been with WWE since 2016. He was part of the TM-61 in the promotion until Mikey Nicholls left the company in late 2018. In March of 2020, he was called up to the main roster as part of the Retribution angle. He would be renamed Slapjack.

Chris Jericho Comments On What The Owen Hart Cup Means To Him

Chris Jericho has mentioned in numerous interviews and his own books that Owen Hart was a huge influence on him. Jericho has also spoken of how when he was growing up, he dreamed of being in a tag team with Owen. Unfortunately, their careers never crossed paths and Jericho never did get to wrestle with or against his childhood hero.

During a recent interview with Stephanie Chase, Jericho spoke of what AEW’s deal with the Owen Hart Foundation means to him.

“It was a passion project for me and obviously for Martha and Tony,” Jericho said (Transcriptions via Fightful). “We worked on it for a long time, about a year and a half, to put the deal together and figure out what we wanted to do. I just knew I wanted Owen’s legacy to be something positive and something great as far as wrestling goes, rather than just be dwelling on his death. That’s the main reason why we all wanted this to happen, so we can celebrate Owen Hart’s career and the contributions that he made. He was a pioneer.”

There have been some fans questioning what connection Owen Hart has to AEW. Jericho commented on that during the interview as well. Jericho noted that he was the first world champion in AEW and he is an Owen Hart disciple.

“‘What’s his connection to AEW?’ some people are saying. Well, one of the connections is that he’s specifically the reason I got into wrestling. Owen Hart was the guy. To an extent, Shawn Michaels and Ricky Steamboat, but Owen Hart, to me, I thought, ‘I want to be like that guy.’ There is your connection to AEW.”

Jericho also commented on how the Owen Hart Cup will allow fans of Owen’s to celebrate his life and career rather than focus on his death. The tournament is set to be an annual tradition.

“We’ll do the Owen Hart Cup and tournament and make people feel good about Owen rather than sad. We know what happened, but that was over 20 years ago. Let’s move forward remembering his amazing contributions and legacy in the ring that still resonate to this day.”

In addition to the Owen Hart Cup tournament, AEW’s agreement with the Owen Hart Foundation also permits them to use his likeness for merchandise. This includes the upcoming AEW console video game. Owen Hart apparel is currently available at Pro Wrestling Tees here.

Tyler Rust Opens Up About WWE Release

Tyler Rust is one of the many stars released by WWE this year. The NXT star was signed by the company back in December 2020. He was released from his development contract in August alongside people like Bronson Reed. The now-former WWE star recently had an interview on ROH Strong. He talked about a number of things and also opened up about his release from the promotion.

A lot of people were surprised by Rust’s release because he had been revealed as a member of The Diamond Mine just a few weeks prior. However, according to Tyler, he has no hard feelings after being let go:

“There are no hard feelings because, at the end of the day, it’s just business and we all know that this is part of wrestling and it can go that way. It’s unfortunate, surprising, and can be a little shocking at first.”

Tyler Rust explained that being signed by WWE was a goal for him since he was 17. He claimed that he would have been happy even if the company had released him a day after his signing and he is content with the opportunities he got.

Tyler Rust On His Goal After WWE Release

The former NXT star also talked about his future in pro wrestling after being released by WWE. He explained that he is an adult who has bills to pay. So his goal after his release is to obtain a new contract in pro wrestling:

“My goal is to obtain a contract. My goal is to get a signed deal in professional wrestling again, sooner than later. I’m an adult, I have bills. I have life to take care of outside of this business. While I don’t mind the free agency, I know after a year or so of free agency, the uncertainty of income will be quite annoying,”

Tyler Rust has returned to Ring of Honor after his WWE release. He made an appearance at the Death Before Dishonor XVIII. We will have to see if Rust gets offered a contract by the promotion or if he ends up signing with a different company.

John Morrison On How He Probably Spooked Walter At Royal Rumble

John Morrison recently joined the After The Bell podcast with Corey Graves. Among other things, he detailed a very strange backstage interaction with Walter.

The former IC champion first revealed that Walter is the favorite wrestler of his dog. The dog named Presley watches the former NXT UK champion’s entrance every time:

“Walter, I’d like to wrestle Walter because he’s [my dog’s] favorite wrestler, Presley was tweeting Walter for like six months, every time he came out, Presley would watch his theme music.”

How John Morrison Spooked Walter

John Morrison then recalled his interaction with Walter at the Royal Rumble event last year. According to him, he yelled at the heavyweight star which probably spooked him:

“The first time I met Walter was at [Royal] Rumble before the lockdown started. I was a little too excited maybe. He walked in and I was talking to Edge and Christian and a bunch of the guys,

And I screamed like across the room like ‘Hey, Walter ! Hey, you’re my dog’s favorite wrestler.’ I ran over and I think I spooked him because he turned around and left.”

Morrison revealed that he hasn’t talked to the Austrian star ever since. He said that Walter hopefully knows that he was just being excited for his dog.

John Morrison made his return to WWE back in January 2020 after months of rumors. He associated himself with the Miz upon his return and the two have been tag team partners ever since.