Three AEW stars made appearances via video on this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw including Chris Jericho, Bryan Danielson, and Paul Wight.
Danielson was billed as Daniel Bryan, Paul Wight as Big Show. This was done to help celebrate John Cena’s 20 years in WWE as he made his main roster in-ring debut in 2002 on an episode of SmackDown against Kurt Angle.
Cena made his first appearance on Raw since last year’s SummerSlam where he lost to Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Fightful reports the situation was very straightforward in making it happen as the idea was pitched and signed off on so WWE contacted AEW founder Tony Khan in order to see if he’d be okay with it.
Because of the circumstances, Khan was said to be okay with the videos and provided approval. One WWE source said they were able to land virtually everyone they hoped to for the “congrats” videos.
Since All Elite Wrestling launched in 2019, these types of instances have been few and far between. Most notably, Jericho appeared on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions show on Peacock last year.
Could a new member be making his way to The Judgment Day?
Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley made waves when they turned on Edge in order to align themselves with Finn Balor. All three of them kicked Edge out of the group he created.
Ever since Priest laid out Edge with a Conchairto, the “Rated-R Superstar” hasn’t been seen on WWE TV.
While Balor, Priest, and Rhea appear to be formidable on their own, they may be adding a new member.
Money In The Bank will always be a piece of WWE’s history. 2022 brings the 13th edition of MITB as a standalone show.
A newer piece of said history is that of the few women’s Money In The Bank matches we’ve seen. Due to the women’s revolution, the female performers in WWE got the opportunity to fight for the Money In The Bank contract like men.
So far, there have been six Women’s Money In The Bank matches, all but one being on under the pay-per-view titled after the match. Charlotte Flair has been included in 3/5 of the cash-ins with Carmella, Bayley, and Nikki A.S.H. cashing in on Charlotte. Natalya has been in the most matches with her participating in 5/6 of the Women’s Money In The Bank matches.
Throughout the years, the women’s MITB match has always been one that many look forward to. Sadly, fans have come to not expect much of the run that the winner would have with the briefcase.
Carmella is the only woman to hold the briefcase for more than one day. Carmella held the briefcase longer than Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Asuka, and Nikki A.S.H. with both of her reigns with the case being more than a day. The briefcase and the contract inside of it can do many things to help boost the character and star power of the person holding it. We even saw this in the case of Carmella, but stars like Big E, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus, and other have benefitted from their time with the contract immensely.
Women’s Money In The Bank Reigns
Women’s MITB #1 & 2: Carmella (2 Days & 287 Days)
Carmella is the first, and somehow second, Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. The first-ever Women’s Money In The Bank match took place at Money In The Bank 2017. In the infamous match, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Tamina and Carmella competed for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship Money In The Bank contract. Carmella became the inaugural WWE Women’s Money In The Bank winner because James Ellsworth retrieved the briefcase for Carmella and dropped it to her.
Carmella was stripped of the briefcase because of the interference. A rematch was scheduled for two days later on the June 27, 2017 episode of SmackDown Live. Carmella won the match herself this time. She held the contract for 287 days, which is the longest of any wrestler, male or female, to hold the contract. Carmella would go on to cash in her contract on Charlotte Flair. This would lead to Carmella becoming the SmackDown Women’s Champion on the April 10, 2018 episode of SmackDown.
Women’s MITB #3: Alexa Bliss (1 Hour, 10 Minutes)
Alexa Bliss is the third Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. Alexa won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2018. She defeated Ember Moon, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Lana, Naomi, and Sasha Banks to get the contract. The match included stars from both brands, so the winner would be able to cash-in on the champion of their own brand. This started the trend of allowing stars of different brands to fight for the same MITB contract.
Alexa was the first woman to cash in the briefcase on the same day she won it. Later in the night, Nia Jax was defending the RAW Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey, when Bliss decided to make her move. Bliss attacked both women before cashing in. This cash in lead to a SummerSlam 2018 match with Bliss and Rousey.
Women’s MITB #4: Bayley (39 Minutes)
Bayley was the fourth Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. She won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2019. In the match were the following: Natalya, Dana Brooke, Naomi, Nikki Cross, Mandy Rose, Ember Moon, Carmella, and Bayley.
Bayley cashed in her Money In The Bank contract only 39 minutes later. She attacked Charlotte Flair who had just won the SmackDown Women’s Title from Becky Lynch seconds before. This victory over Charlotte came after she hit the elbow drop on her to win her first SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Women’s MITB #5: Asuka (1 Day)
Asuka became the fifth Women’s Money In The Bank contract winner at the Money In The Bank 2020 pay-per-view. She defeated Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, and Carmella to win the contract.
Asuka was the one of the winners of the most unique Money In the Bank match ever. Due to COVID-19, WWE was forced to get creative with what 2020’s Money In The Bank matches would look like. The company decided to hold the women’s and men’s ladder matches simultaneously at the WWE HQ in Stamford, CT. The rest of the matches on the show took place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
The next night on RAW, the Raw Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, came out with the women’s Money in the Bank briefcase and announced that she was going on hiatus. Asuka came out very confused after Becky’s announcement. Lynch stated that by Asuka winning the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, she had actually won the Raw Women’s Championship. The RAW Women’s Championship belt was inside of the MITB briefcase. Lynch then revealed that she was going on hiatus because she was pregnant. Due to this, Asuka became WWE’s second Women’s Grand Slam Champion and third Women’s Triple Crown Champion.
Women’s MITB #6: Nikki A.S.H. (1 Day)
Nikki A.S.H is the sixth Women’s Money In The Bank match winner. She won the Women’s Money In The Bank match at Money In The Bank 2021. In the match were the following: Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Liv Morgan, Naomi, Natalya, Tamina, Zelina Vega, and Nikki A.S.H. Money in the Bank was the first WWE pay-per-view with a full crowd following the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the PPV, Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Championship. The following night on RAW, a rematch between the two women for the title was scheduled to take place that same night. The match ended after Charlotte was disqualified, but Ripley still hit the Riptide on Flair after the match.
The lead to Nikki A.S.H. running down to the ring and cashing in her Money in the Bank contract and defeating Flair to win the Raw Women’s Championship.The next week, it was announced that Nikki was going to defend the title against Flair and Ripley in a triple threat match at SummerSlam. Nikki went on to have an infamous title reign where she lost constantly and only held the title for 33 days.
Men Vs. Women MITB Statistics
If you were to run the statistics, on average, male Money In The Bank contract winners hold their briefcase for almost two times as long as the female contact winners do. Honestly, these statistics are a bit wonky due to a few of the women’s contract reigns lasting hours, not even days. If you were to find the average of the reigns of the last six Men’s Money In The Bank contract winners, it would come to 92 days. On the other hand, the average of the reigns of the last six Women’s Money In The Bank contract winners comes to 48 days. The statistics of the Women’s contract reigns are heavily supported by the lengthy reign of Carmella.
It is yet another indictment of how the women’s division is treated by creative that all but one women’s Money In the Bank contract cashed their briefcase within a day. It is an obvious sign of the amount of investment that is put into not only the title reigns within the division, but also the women in general. Many of the women heading into this year’s Women’s Money In The Bank match are deserving of holding the briefcase for more than just one day.
As of right now, there are still two spots remaining in the Women’s Money In The Bank match this year. So far, Lacey Evans, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Asuka and Shotzi have qualified to compete in the match. Two of these stars have already won the MITB contract, so many are hopeful one of the newer talents will win. Liv Morgan seems to be the fan-favorite heading into the match. Liv, for example, is one of the talents who could really benefit from the elevation that the MITB contract can tend to bring.
WWE RAW airs live tonight from the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, Texas. John Cena is scheduled to make his return to WWE to celebrate his 20th Anniversary with the promotion. Kevin Owens vs. Ezekiel was scheduled for tonight but it was postponed. In addition to the takeaways below, Cody Rhodes was interviewed in his gym and he said Money in the Bank will be bittersweet for him this year.
Riddle won a Battle Royal to qualify for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match
Montez Ford def. Jey Uso
AJ Styles def. The Miz via count out
Liv Morgan def. Alexa Bliss
Lashley def. American Alpha in a Handicap match
Becky Lynch def. Xia Li, Doudrop, Nikki A.S.H., Shayna Baszler, and Tamina Snuka to qualify for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match
Share your thoughts in the comment section below and refresh the page during RAW for live updates!
John Cena Arrives
John Cena was shown getting a round of applause backstage and he shook every superstar’s hand. Cena turned down a drink from the Street Profits and shared a moment with Ziggler. Cena hugged Michael Cole, Adam Pearce, and even shook The Miz’s hand.
Riddle Won A Battle Royal To Qualify For Money in the Bank
A Battle Royal kicked off the show to determine the final superstar in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Veer Mahaan sent Akira Tozawa over the top rope for the first elimination. Veer then eliminated Shelton Benjamin before The Mysterios attacked him from behind.
Mustafa Ali hit Veer with a Dropkick and the Mysterios followed it up with a double 619. Ali and The Mysterios sent Veer over the top rope for the elimination. Shanky and Jinder Mahal eliminated R-Truth. Mahal then turned his back on Shanky and eliminated him. AJ Styles Clotheslined Mahal over the top rope to the former WWE Champion. T-Bar sent Reggie flying out of the ring for an elimination as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Rey Mysterio and Ziggler battled to the apron. The Miz tried to boot Rey to the floor but Mysterio blocked it. Rey brought Miz to the apron and launched Rey to the floor for the elimination. Ziggler and Miz tried to eliminate Riddle but he managed to hang onto the ropes.
Ricochet and T-Bar battled on the apron. T-Bar threw him off but Ricochet landed on a ladder. Ricochet hopped back on the apron and eliminated T-Bar with a Hurricanrana to the floor as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, AJ Styles eliminated Ricochet and Nakamura. It was just down to Styles & Riddle. AJ connected with an Enziguri and set up for the Phenomenal Forearm. The Miz wasn’t eliminated and snuck up from behind to eliminate AJ. Riddle caught Miz with a DDT and went for the RKO but Miz blocked it. The Miz planted Riddle with the Skull Crushing Finale and went for a Clothesline but Riddle dragged him over the top rope.
The two superstars were now battling on the apron for the final spot in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. The Miz charged and Riddle planted him with an RKO. The Miz fell to the floor and Riddle won the Battle Royal. Riddle is now in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. It should be noted that Riddle cannot get another title match against Roman Reigns as long as he is champion, as that was the stipulation for their title match a couple weeks ago on SmackDown.
Jey Uso battled Montez Ford tonight on RAW. The Usos will be defending the Undisputed Tag Team Championships against Street Profits at Money in the Bank. Jey tripped Montez up on the ring apron and sent him into the steel steps as RAW went to a break.
When RAW returned, Ford connected with an Enziguri but Jey stayed on his feet. Montez took him down with a Clothesline and followed it up with a standing Moonsault for a near fall. Montez connected with a slam and hit a giant Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.
Backstage, The Judgement Day ran into Dominik & Rey Mysterio. Damian Priest and Finn Balor wanted Dominik to join the faction and leave his father behind.
Kevin Patrick brought The Miz down to the ring to react to pictures of Logan Paul training. The Miz was wearing the same gear as he wore at WrestleMania. The Miz teamed with Logan Paul at WrestleMania but hit him with a Skull Crushing Finale after their victory.
Miz boasted about being on the Today Show and promoted his reality TV show Miz & Mrs. The Miz claimed that the Skull Crushing Finale was a lesson to Logan Paul and he understood that. Miz suggested that the duo could become WWE Tag Team Champions. Miz announced that he will team with Logan Paul again at WWE SummerSlam. AJ Styles made his way to the ring and leveled The Miz with a punch as RAW went to a break.
Styles then battled Miz in a singles match when RAW returned. AJ dominated the action early and kept The Miz on the mat. Miz battled back and caught Styles with a running kick to the face. Miz followed it up with a double axehandle off the top rope for a two count before applying a headlock. AJ escaped and threw Miz out of the ring as RAW went to a break.When RAW returned, Styles connected with a Brainbuster and set up for the Phenomenal Forearm but Miz rolled out of the ring. The Miz went backstage and the match ended in a count out.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Carmella had a face-to-face before their title match at Money in the Bank. Bianca claimed that Carmella has the potential to be great but she is too insecure. Belair vowed to win the match at Money in the Bank before Carmella’s music hit. She said that if she doesn’t get the respect she deserves, she will take it at Money in the Bank. Carmella vowed to win and said, “Mella is Money”. Carmella went for a sneak attack but Belair slammed her down to the mat. Carmella retreated to end the segment.
Alexa Bliss battled Liv Morgan tonight on RAW. Asuka joined commentary for the match. Alexa connected with a Moonsault early but both superstars caught each other with a Clothesline at the same time and fell to the mat.
Bliss connected with a Jawbreaker but Liv battled back with a Dropkick. Alexa tripped her up and pointed at the Money in the Bank briefcase. Bliss was about to hit a DDT but Liv countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory.
John Cena Returned To Thank The Fans, Vince McMahon Appears
Vince McMahon made his way to the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Vince McMahon introduced John Cena to a big pop from the crowd. Cena made his way to the ring as the locker room applauded him on the entrance ramp.
John Cena came to the ring in his new merchandise and said today is his WWE birthday. Cena claimed that he couldn’t think of a better place to have his birthday. John thanked the fans for allowing him to do this for two decades and for being brave enough to tell him when he has sucked. The crowd chanted “thank you Cena!” and he thanked them again for making him who he is.
John said that he doesn’t know when he will come back but when he does, it won’t just be for one match. Cena told fans to speak their mind and say when something sucks. John closed the promo by saying “we are just getting started” and exited the ring. John posed for the crowd on the entrance ramp before making his way backstage.
Cena also interacting with several superstars backstage during the show. Seth Rollins caught up to John and cackled at him to the tune of Cena’s theme song. Omos and MVP appeared from behind and stared at Rollins. Omos and Rollins will compete in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match this Saturday.
Several WWE legends including Stone Cold Steve Austin and Randy Orton sent in messages for John Cena that aired throughout the show. AEW stars Chris Jericho, Paul Wight (Big Show) and Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) also appeared during the broadcast to send a message to Cena.
Lashley Won A Handicap Match & Sent A Message To Theory
Bobby Lashley faced Alpha Academy in a Handicap match. United States Champion Theory was the “special ring enforcer” and spent the beginning of the match distracting Lashley. Gable hit Theory with a Senton and Otis followed it up with a Splash as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Lashley knocked Otis out of the ring but Gable tripped him up from behind. Chad climbed to the top rope but Lashley caught him with a punch to the face. Otis planted Lashley with a Powerbomb and Gable followed it up with a Moonsault for a near fall.
Theory started pacing around the ring as Lashley battled back. Bobby booted Gable out of the ring and battled with Otis in the corner. Otis climbed to the top rope but Lashley got him up in the Electric Chair. Gable got into the ring and Lashley applied the Hurt Lock for the submission victory.
After the match, Theory attacked Lashley and beat him down. American Alpha joined in on the beatdown and Theory went for a selfie. Lashley booted him away and leveled Gable with a Spear. Bobby was about to hit Theory with a Spear but the United States Champion escaped out of the ring.
Becky Lynch, Xia Li, Doudrop, Nikki A.S.H., Shayna Baszler, and Tamina Snuka competed in a Last Chance qualifying match.
Becky Lynch eliminated Xia Li with the Man-Handle Slam early. Nikk rolled up Becky for a two count and Lynch countered into a Dis-Arm-Her for the submission elimination. Becky sent Shayna into the barricade with an Exploder Suplex.
Doudrop leveled her with a shoulder tackle and rolled Shayna into the ring. They all battled in the corner for and hit a Tower of Doom Spot. Doudrop Powerbombed Becky and Shayna as they delivered a Superplex to Tamina. Shayna got Doudrop in the Kirifuda Clutch but she escaped and hit a Splash. Doudrop then pinned Baszler for the elimination.
Tamina planted Becky with a Samoan Drop and climbed to the top rope. Tamina missed with the Splash as Becky rolled out of the ring. Doudrop hit Lynch with a Body Slam and battled with Tamina in the ring. Doudrop hit an Elbow Drop on Tamina for the pinfall elimination. Doudrop went for a Splash on Becky but she got out of the way. They battled to the top turnbuckle and Lynch hit the Man-Handle slam for pinfall elimination. Lynch has qualified for the women’s Money in the Bank.
Pat McAfee got some help from one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the business – The Rock – for his promo about Happy Corbin on last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
McAfee referenced the “millions and millions” of WWE fans, which was a clear reference to The Rock’s catchphrase during the promo. That line, made famous by The Rock, was done with the blessing of “The Great One.”
On today’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show, the SmackDown commentator thanked The Rock for letting him use his classic line.
“Shoutout to The Rock, by the way, thanks, man. ” He continued by noting that he was going to use it during a promo while feuding with Theory earlier this year.
McAfee described reaching out to The Rock to make sure he was cool with it.
“Then I’ll send like a [message], ‘Okay, I’m thinking, hey is there any way I could potentially drop a…,’ and he actually responded and said, ‘Hey give me some context on how you’re gonna do this. Give me some context so we can really get this thing going.’ So he gave me an entire like, ‘Hey here we go here we go.’ So I’m very, very, very grateful and thankful for The Rock and I appreciate the hell out of him on the back side of it saying, ‘Hey, pretty good usage if it.’ So I’m very, very thankful for The Rock.
I’m very thankful,” McAfee continued. “I appreciate the hell out of you, man. I appreciate the opportunity to do it and then I finally got the opportunity to do so for saying, salu, I am very very thankful. Aloha, big Uce.”
Sunday’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view featured a loaded card that delivered with high-quality in-ring action that was praised by many fans despite a lackluster build due to injury bug hitting the AEW roster hard leading up to the event.
In the main event, Jon Moxley defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the interim AEW World Championship. Post-match, there was a brawl between with Blackpool Combat Club (Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli, Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz) and the Jericho Appreciation Society (Chris Jericho, Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Jake Hager & Sammy Guevara) ahead of their Blood & Guts match on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.
Moxley grabbed the microphone once the cameras stopped rolling and did a promo about how pro-wrestling is the ‘best f**king thing in the world.’
AEW President Tony Khan also addressed the fans in attendance before Negative One, son of the late Brodie Lee, was given the live mic.
The Jericho Appreciation Society earned the advantage in the Blood & Guts match during Forbidden Door when Minoru Suzuki, Jericho & Guevara defeated Kingston, Shota Umino & Yuta.
No other matches have yet to be confirmed for this upcoming episode of Dynamite.
An early estimate for the AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door buyrate has been revealed.
Forbidden Door went down inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois this past Sunday night (June 26). The event featured top AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling talent.
Jon Moxley defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to become the interim AEW World Champion. Jay White successfully retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada, Hangman Page, and Adam Cole.
The show was heavily praised for the quality of the matches but how about the PPV buys?
Forbidden Door Exceeds Expectations
(via United Center)
AEW President Tony Khan spoke to media members during the Forbidden Door post-event scrum. He revealed that early numbers indicate that the PPV garnered over 100,000 buys.
“The show was a big success. We had ticket sales of over $1.1 million. I think it will be within literally thousands, just behind Double or Nothing, but right there, both over $1.1 million live ticket sales. The pay-per-view, I said if we hit 100,000 worldwide buys, I would feel it’s a big success and I feel very comfortable now, based on the early digital numbers, saying we did 100,000 buys and more. I feel great about that,” Khan said.
It’s quite the victory for AEW and NJPW if the final PPV numbers are indeed over 100,000. There were some on social media skeptical about the success of the PPV going in but early signs indicate the event did quite well.
Khan has said he hopes there are more Forbidden Door shows in the future. Given the success this event had, it’s hard to imagine AEW and NJPW passing up on another opportunity.
Angle knew that it was going to be a tough recovery process. During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall, the Olympic gold medalist reveals the thought process that led him to have both knees fixed at the same time.
“Well, my knees were shot,” said Angle. “I had to have something done. I had a plan that I was going to have one knee done, and then wait about 6 months and have the other knee done, but they were both so bad, the doctors said let’s just get them out of the way.”
He added, “I’m glad I did because now I’m starting to come out of it a little bit, it’s been about a month. I was regretting having the surgeries up until now, but now I’m glad I did it.”
Athletic Ability Helped His Recovery
Angle explained that he was in constant pain before the procedure, “Yeah, it was very painful, when you get your knees replaced, you literally can’t walk at least for about a week, although I was walking the next day, I’m not going to lie to you.”
“Everybody’s different, you just have to go at your own pace. The doctor told me, the more active I was, the quicker my recovery time would be.”
It appears that Angle being an all-around athlete benefited him a lot in the recovery of this surgery.
‘He [the doctor] said, ‘You’re a world class athlete. Just go at your own pace, just don’t do anything too crazy,'” Kurt added.
Watch Steve Fall’s interview with Kurt Angle:
If you use the quotes above, please credit the original course with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
“He’s gonna be okay long term, but probably if he couldn’t continue wrestling it made sense [to end the match]. I think if you can’t keep fighting there’s discretion is a better part of valor. I think long term he’ll be okay.”
Okada’s Future in AEW
Kazuchika Okada at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door
On Monday, Kazuchika Okada addressed his future with All Elite Wrestling.
The Rainmaker thanked AEW, as well as the city of Chicago. The rowdy crowd nearly lost it at the sight of Okada in an AEW ring and showered him with praise and appreciation.
Okada wrote, “The door is closed. But I’ll open the door again. See you next time.”
Thank you Chicago. Thank you AEW. The door is closed. But I’ll open the door again. See you next time.
It remains to be seen when we’ll see the likes of Okada, Tanahashi and White back in AEW. However, all indications are that Forbidden Door was a huge success We already know the event grossed over $1 million in ticket sales and sold over 100,000 PPV buys.
With so many of AEW’s top stars unable to compete at Forbidden Door, it’s just a matter of time before we Okada and more cross paths with the likes of Kenny Omega, CM Punk and Bryan Danielson.
There is a buzz in the air for John Cena’s return to WWE.
Cena is scheduled to make his return on the June 27 episode of Monday Night Raw. The show will take place inside the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo, TX. Cena’s appearance will celebrate his 20th anniversary.
Cena is a megastar and whenever he makes time for WWE, it always feels like a big deal. This time is no exception.
Excitement Over John Cena’s Return
(via WWE)
WrestleVotes is reporting that while WWE higher-ups are obviously pleased with John Cena returning for a boost in business, it goes beyond that.
The report notes that the WWE locker room is also excited about John’s appearance because of his upbeat personality and leadership.
Cena isn’t around much on WWE TV these days. His calling is in Hollywood now and he is never short on filming opportunities. Much like The Rock, Cena was able to break through in the mainstream media beyond wrestling.
Also like The Rock, however, Cena remains passionate about the business and is loyal to WWE.
It’s been reported that WWE is planning on booking Cena vs. current United States Champion Theory at SummerSlam in July.
Keep it locked on the SEScoops homepage as we’ll be providing live coverage of the June 27 episode of Raw featuring Cena’s return.
Wrestling legend Kurt Angle says he had a chance to join All Elite Wrestling, but didn’t feel he was physically up for what they wanted out of him.
Angle is now retired, but he has been in the wrestling business for around 25 years. He is an Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling and former collegiate wrestler. Angle has won 21 total championships and is a 13-time world champion.
All Elite Material
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Angle opened up about an offer he received from AEW.
Angle had the following to say when he was asked about AEW reaching out to him:
“Well, you know what. They actually wanted me to wrestle in particular. Tony Khan gave me a call, wanted me to wrestle. They offered me a pretty good deal, but I just can’t do it anymore. I wish I could, but it’s just not possible.
They did offer me two different times, and they did want me to do an on-camera personality as well, or a non-wrestling role. I actually turned that down as well. I just wanted to start up my supplement company, so I wanted to put more time into that. So, I didn’t want to leave the company at this particular time, so I decided not to do it,” he said.
“I decided not to do it because of my supplement company, and the fact that I’m just not the same as I used to be.”
– Kurt Angle on AEW’s offer
“They wanted me to have big special matches. They gave me a contract for ten matches, but they didn’t say how long it would be, so it might not have just been for a year. It might’ve been for three years, and I would’ve wrestled three matches a year.
But I decided not to do it because of my supplement company, and the fact that I’m just not the same as I used to be. If I’m gonna go in there and wrestle, I want to be the old Kurt Angle, and I know I can’t be that anymore,” Kurt added.
Not The Same Kurt Angle
Kurt was asked if he felt like he received a contract offer for the person he used to be.
“Well yea, I did think that. You know what, I don’t want to perform if I can’t perform at my best. I don’t want to put together a match that is less than average. That’s what I felt like I was doing at that particular time, especially my retirement match. I didn’t think it was very good. I could tell that I was slower. I gained a lot of weight. I was more methodical. It just felt like it wasn’t the retirement I was expecting,” the 13-time World Champion explained.
Sting & His Longevity
AEW currently have a few legends on their roster at the moment. One of them being Sting. At 63 years old, Sting is still an incredibly physical wrestler and defies the bounds of age.
Kurt, like many, is in awe of Sting’s longevity within the business.
The WWE Triple Crown winner said, “He’s timeless. The guy, it doesn’t matter how old he gets, he still can go. It’s amazing how Sting has been able to go this long. I mean, he’s had to be in the wrestling business for 40 years.”
Check out Steve Fall’s interview with the great Kurt Angle:
If you use the quotes above, please credit the original course with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
Fans may be pleasantly surprised by a backstage update on a recent segment involving Ronda Rousey.
It’s been well known that WWE runs a tight ship. The company often controls everything about the presentation of its shows.
This goes for promos all the way to facial expressions. If Vince McMahon wants it, he’ll get it on his shows.
In some cases, however, there can be a little bit of leeway. Usually, this is reserved for big stars and Ronda Rousey certainly fits that bill.
Ronda Rousey’s Idea
(via WWE)
During the June 24 episode of WWE SmackDown, Natalya walked out dressed as Ronda Rousey. She also had a baby stroller to mock Rousey as she became a mother last year.
Rousey ended up interrupting Natalya and said the closest she’ll ever come to being a main eventer is by dressing like her. The segment ended with Natalya using the stroller as a shield to get away from Ronda.
Dave Meltzer took to Wrestling Observer Radio to report that the segment was actually Rousey’s idea. Meltzer noted that Ronda wanted to do something outside the box and she was given the green light to do so.
The angle garnered praise for making the feud more personal. Both Ronda and Natalya have traded harsh digs on social media to promote their SmackDown Women’s Title match at Money in the Bank on July 2.
Ring of Honor will be back on the air for a special PPV event next month.
There’s been a lot of talk about the future of ROH. Tony Khan purchased the company and while we’ve seen a lot of ROH champions on AEW TV, Ring of Honor has yet to score a broadcast deal of its own.
As Khan continues his search, ROH will keep trucking along. The promotion has announced its Death Before Dishonor PPV set for July 23.
Death Before Dishonor
The PPV will be held on July 23. The action will emanate from Tsongas Center in Lowell, MA. Tickets will go on sale on July 8 at 10 a.m. ET.
Featured on the poster are ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham, ROH World TV Champion Samoa Joe, ROH Tag Team Champions FTR, ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez, ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta, and Jay Lethal.
No matches have been announced at this time.
Be sure to check back on the SEScoops homepage as we’ll be providing live coverage of ROH Death Before Dishonor on July 23.
One rumor surrounding a WWE SmackDown superstar has been squashed.
The rumor mill spreads across many industries and the wrestling business is no exception. This has been heightened even further by social media.
Some have even gone as far as to blatantly lie about a credible source issuing a report.
Unfortunately, that seems to be the case here but rest assured it is bogus.
Aliyah Rumor Killer
(via WWE)
Aliyah was scheduled to compete in a Money in the Bank qualifying match on the June 24 episode of WWE SmackDown against Shotzi. She ended up being replaced by Tamina and on the WWE broadcast, it was revealed that Aliyah suffered an injury.
Rumors started spreading that a credible wrestling journalist reported that Aliyah was pulled from the match after being sent down to the WWE Performance Center due to a poor showing in a rehearsal for the match with Shotzi.
That rumor is simply not true as the journalist never reported it.
The real story is Aliyah is in fact dealing with an injury. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio confirmed that WWE’s reasoning for pulling her from the match isn’t a storyline.
The recent string of AEW and NJPW injuries forced Tony Khan and company to make many major changes to the Forbidden Door PPV. This included the main event of the show which featured Jon Moxley instead of CM Punk.
Dave Meltzer talked about the PPV event on Wrestling Observer Radio. He revealed that the Hardcore star was originally expected to be on the opposite end of the card.
The original idea for Jon Moxley was for him to be part of the six-man tag team match that opened the show. The bout saw Shota Umino, Wheeler Yuta, and Eddie Kingston going up against Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki.
The interim AEW world champion would have joined Shota Umino who has been his protege. Though it’s unknown whether he would have replaced anyone from Yuta and Kingston, or they planned on adding a fourth contestant to Jericho’s team instead.
CM Punk won the AEW World Heavyweight Championship from Hangman Page at Double or Nothing in May. However, he had to step away from the company only days later after suffering a broken foot.
Jon Moxley ended up replacing him in the match against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door. Mox won this bout to become the interim AEW World Champion.
Cesaro kept his WWE departure very quiet and it was only after he became a free agent that fans got to know about it. Nobody knew what he was planning for his future in the following months. Some even believed that he could ultimately return to WWE before he made his AEW debut as Claudio Castagnoli at Forbidden Door.
In the post-show media scrum, the former WWE star was asked about his inspiration behind joining the promotion. He first mentioned how the perfect opportunity for him arose due to Bryan Danielson’s injury. The newest AEW star explained that he is always looking for a challenge. AEW is the place where he felt like he could challenge himself:
A Kid In Candy Store
“Sometimes the stars align for a perfect moment. That’s what happened tonight. I hope Bryan is alright and I hope Bryan will be back. But it’s just perfect fit. I just talked to Mox. We’ve been going back for 10-12 years. I have known him [for] so long time.” said Claudio Castagnoli, “We used to ride together. We used to work out together. We still do. It just fits you know. At the end of the day, I’m always looking for new challenges. Here in AEW, it’s like I am a kid in a candy store.
“So here’s the other thing, you always look for a challenge. I mean, Zack Sabre Jr. on Sunday, and then Blood and Guts on Wednesday? That’s a challenge. That’s awesome. To me Blood and Guts, that’s like a staple, right? To be thrown right in there with my friends, with Mox, Yuta, it’s just amazing. That’s what gets you up in the morning, right? That’s what makes you work out every day. That’s what makes me tick. So I can’t wait. It’s awesome and what I love is that show is [on] free TV. Where do you get that on free TV? It’s awesome. So it’s like, to me that’s again, kid in a candy store.”
If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Adam Cole already went into his Forbidden Door match banged up and the physical bout he wrestled only appears to have made things worse.
The former NXT champion wrestled a fatal four-way match for the IWGP heavyweight championship. The other contestants of the bout were Jay White, Kazuchika Okada, and Hangman Page.
The ending of the match saw Okada trying to deliver a rainmaker to Cole but White interrupted before he could execute the move. Jay White hit the Bladerunner on Okada and then pinned Adam Cole who just collapsed to the side.
This awkward finish to the bout got people talking and many wondered if Cole had suffered another injury. Bryan Alvarez said on Twitter that the former champion is believed to have suffered a concussion:
Adam Cole’s injury believed to be a concussion, wishing all the best to him.
Tony Khan was later asked about the AEW star in the post show media scrum. He explained that it made more sense to end the bout than to risk further damage. The AEW President also ensured the fans that Cole will be fine long term:
“Yeah, I think Adam Cole will be okay. He was in the match. It was a very physical wrestling match and he was pinned in the match. The timing of it wasn’t [right].
It may not have looked when people expected it to happen but that’s when it happened. He’s gonna be okay long term, but probably if he couldn’t continue wrestling it made sense [to end the match]. I think if you can’t keep fighting there’s discretion is a better part of valor. I think long term he’ll be okay.”
If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Claudio Castagnoli fka Cesaro in WWE made his surprise debut at Forbidden Door and joined the BBC. His free agency was a blessing in disguise for AEW and Tony Khan as a number of big names had to be removed from the PPV due to various injuries.
In the post-Forbidden Door media scrum, the AEW president told the story of how Castagnoli’s AEW debut came together. He revealed that he had contacted the former WWE star before he knew that Bryan Danielson will not be competing at the PPV. The original idea was for him to debut at ROH’s Death Before Dishonor PPV on July 23:
‘I Have Claudio Under Contract, Bryan’
“I asked him about coming in actually before I knew for sure that Bryan was out, but I had pretty good idea that Punk would be out. I could tell there were going to be a lot of changes. We already had a lot of injured people. I had no idea we’d have even more on the run up to the show.
“So I figured there was a chance that if Bryan made it back, that there was a good chance that probably he would have started at Death Before Dishonor. It would have been great moment there but I think for the crowd here this is something very special. As long as Bryan’s Okay, that’s the most important thing. I think he will be fine. It was great to have a great moment here at Forbidden Door. So things worked out perfectly.
“I was very fortunate. I talked to Bryan on the phone last weekend. He just wasn’t feeling 100%. As soon as he said that I said ‘We’re eight days from the pay-per-view. but if you’re not feeling 100% today, don’t even think about wrestling on the pay-per-view. Don’t even think about wrestling at Blood and Guts.’ I didn’t even want to take another chance as soon as he said that. So he mentioned Claudio, and, I said ‘it’s funny cause I have Claudio under contract, Bryan.’ I hadn’t told anybody. You’re the first person I mentioned it to.”
If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
FTR is having an incredible year and things only got better for them at Forbidden Door. The AEW stars won a three-way match to become the new IWGP Tag Team Champions. The duo were interviewed backstage after their big win. They first claimed that they will make the Japanese people fall in love with them, the same way as America.
FTR then went on to explain that this win makes them one of the greatest tag teams in the history of the business. Now their names should be written beside teams such as The Hart Foundation and The British Bulldogs:
We’re Gonna Make New Japan Our House
“We’re coming New Japan. We’re gonna make New Japan our house. We’re gonna make it our house because we are the absolute best tag team on this planet. As we have been here in America, we’re gonna make you Japanese people fall in love with us. You know why? Because we love you. We’re bringing our fighting spirit, FTR’s fighting spirit to Japan.”
“I think now here in America they could put our names beside the Midnight Express. Now they could put our names beside the Hart Foundation, The Bulldogs, Demolition. The list goes on and on. But now we’re coming to Japan. Now we’re coming to New Japan and we’re bringing these [titles] with us.
“You can write our names on the same notepad as Muta and Hase. You can write our names on the same Notepad as Bam Bam Bigelow and Vader. You can write our name on the same notepad as the Steiner Brothers. Because right now I’m telling you, none of those three teams can measure up to the greatest tag team of all time – FTR.”
You can check out their reaction in the video below:
Claudio Castagnoli fka Cesaro is finally All Elite and the wrestling world is as excited to see the former WWE star join Tony Khan’s promotion as the fans.
Speculations had been high ever since Bryan Danielson announced that a mystery opponent will be replacing him in the match against Zack Sabre Jr. at Forbidden Door.
Many signs pointed toward the former WWE star making his AEW debut on the show. He got one of the loudest pops when he finally arrived.
Castagnoli went on to prove that he hasn’t lost any step during his time away from wrestling. He ended up winning the match by pinning Zack with a a powerbomb.
Wrestling World Is Excited For Claudio Castagnoli
The wrestling world reacted to this headline-making debut of the former champion. This included stars from both WWE and AEW roster.
Eddie Kingston, who previously claimed that Claudio Castagnoli did not have the balls to join AEW, reminded everyone of his old remarks:
Other names who reacted to this big Forbidden Door debut include people such as Renee Paquette, Bully Ray, Evil Uno and more. You can check out the reactions below:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jon Moxley was booked as the main event of the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view event to determine the Interim AEW World Heavyweight Champion.
Moxley with the early offense. Mox with the slingblade and Mox was cut open. Tanahashi with a frog splash off the top rope for 2. Moxley with a clothesline then several elbow shots and a rear-naked choke. Moxley with the death rider for the win.
Post-match, Chris Jericho and Daniel Garcia beat down Moxley and Tanahashi. Eddie Kingston ran out then Santana, Ortiz, Yuta then the rest of JAS came out before Claudio made the save.
Because CM Punk had to get surgery to fix a foot injury, he will be sidelined, but he won’t be vacating the AEW World Heavyweight Title as AEW President Tony Khan didn’t want to do that. There’s still no word yet on how long Punk will be out of action. Instead, there was an AEW Interim World Championship Eliminator Series booked.
The way it worked was there was a battle royal held at the top of the June 8th edition of Dynamite, that was won by Kyle O’Reilly. In the main event, O’Reilly took on Moxley with Mox coming out on top.
At Dominion, Hiroshi Tanahashi went over Hirooki Goto to advance to the finals.
What are your thoughts on Jon Moxley winning the Interim AEW World Heavyweight Title? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Jay White had the deck stacked against him in storyline when he defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada, Hangman Adam Page, and Adam Cole in a fatal 4-way bout at the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view event.
The match saw White and Cole work together early. Page went for a moonsault, but Cole kicked him in the face. Okada with a crossbody over the barricade to Cole and White. Page missed the buckshot lariat then hit dead eye to White then hit the buckshot for 2 as Okada broke it up. Okada with an elbow drop to Cole off the top rope. Cole with superkicks to Okada and Page. White pinned Cole in a clunky finish as Cole avoided the rainmaker by Okada and fell down. Post-match, the medical staff checked on Cole.
White became the champion when he beat Okada at the NJPW Dominion event earlier this month. White originally won the IWGP Heavyweight Title in 2019 from Hiroshi Tanahashi and held it for 54 days before losing it to Okada.
On the June 22 episode of Dynamite, Page worked a match against Silas Young with Cole on commentary. White interrupted and said that he would not be defending the title against Cole or Page. Both Page and White attacked Page. Cole seemingly considered attacking White, then Okada ran in to make the surprise save for Page.
What are your thoughts on Jay White retaining the World Heavyweight Title? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Former WWE star Claudio Castagnoli, the former Cesaro, is the latest star to join AEW when he was revealed as the mystery opponent for Zack Sabre Jr at Sunday’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view event.
Right out of the gate, Claudio hit an uppercut then the neutralizer for 2. They went back and forth with a strong style bout. Zack countered the giant swing with a guillotine. Claudio eventually did the giant swing. Claudio with a powerbomb for the win.
Originally, NJPW had Sabre Jr. call out Danielson after his match at the Dominion event, but the match was never officially announced. Danielson confirmed on Wednesday’s Dynamite that he couldn’t wrestle at the show, but is getting a suitable mystery replacement to take his place. When this was announced, many fans speculated it could be Johnny Gargano or Cesaro.
Cesaro had been one of the top free agents in wrestling after he departed from WWE earlier this year as the two sides had been in talks about a new deal, but couldn’t come to an agreement on terms.
AEW President Tony Khan has spoken highly of the former WWE star. Earlier this month, it was reported that Cesaro had taken time off for family reasons with a young child.
What are your thoughts on Cesaro joining AEW? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.
AEW officially announced their second-ever Grand Slam Dynamite & Rampage during the Forbidden Door pay-per-view event on Sunday night.
The promotion will return to Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York on Wednesday, September 21st for a live Dynamite with Rampage taped afterward and airing that Friday night.
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 22nd. In 2021, AEW sold more than 15,000 tickets following the public on-sale with a capacity then set for 17,000. In the end, 20,177 tickets were sold for last year’s debut Grand Slam on September 22nd.
It was headlined by the first-ever meeting between then-AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson that went to a 30-minute draw. Many consider it to be one of the best matches in company history.
Last year’s show is AEW’s largest attendance to date and was the most for a non-WWE show in the U.S. since 1999. It also marked AEW’s first stadium show and also their debut in New York City.
History was made last year in NYC! Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY opens its gates once again for #AEWDynamite & #AEWRampage: #GrandSlam Wednesday September 21st for an experience of a lifetime!
