Former NFL and UFC star Greg Hardy is waiting on a call from either WWE or All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Recently, Hardy left the UFC after the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion opted not to re-sign him once his deal expired. Now, Hardy has signed with Bare-Knuckle FC (BKFC) and will be competing in bare-knuckle boxing.
However, Hardy seems interested in a potential career in professional wrestling as well. The former Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman spoke to Chris Van Vliet about what’s ahead for him.
Hardy said he’s waiting on a call from either WWE or All Elite Wrestling (AEW), seemingly inspired by the likes of Rey Mysterio and Goldust.
“Somebody hit me up, AEW, WWE, hit me up. I’m down,’ Hardy said. “I’ll get in the gym right now. I’ll show up with the Monday night muscles and jump off the side of the rope on anybody. I’ll come out with one of those Rey Mysterio type masks.
“I’m going to grab a design artist too. You have to have showmanship, or like Goldust, something crazy. It has to be entertainment level stuff. You can’t just come out with tights on and have a six-pack unless you’re Brock Lesnar or The Rock.
“I’m an old school fan. I would love to get in there. I’m waiting for the call. If you know somebody that is watching this right now, hit me up and let’s get to work.”
Of course, any signing of Hardy wouldn’t come without a bit of controversy. Hardy has a 2014 arrest for domestic violence, amongst several other run-ins with the law, that seemingly ended his NFL run.
It’s certainly possible WWE and AEW would prefer to steer clear of Hardy and the baggage he brings to the table.
AEW President Tony Khan is intrigued by the possibility of venturing out to Japan.
We’re just a few days away from the big AEW-NJPW crossover show Forbidden Door. The PPV event takes place inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26.
As we draw closer to the event, Japanese wrestling fans are wondering if it’s possible that AEW will make its way to “The Land of the Rising Sun” one day.
AEW in Japan?
(via AEW)
During an interview with Tokyo Sports (Michael Nakazawa serving as the interpreter), Tony Khan discussed the possibility of holding an AEW event in Japan (rough Google translation):
“I haven’t held a tournament in another country yet, but I would like to try to deliver AEW to the world. Of course, I want to hold a tournament in Japan, and if I do, I would like to invite a lot of new Japanese players. Japan is definitely included in the list of countries where you want to have an AEW tournament.”
Khan also had high praise for NJPW’s “Ace” Hiroshi Tanahashi, who will meet Jon Moxley for the interim AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door.
“Tanahashi (Hiroshi) is a charismatic and legendary person who leads the industry. He has a very strong heart … He is an indispensable part of the history of New Japan.”
The June 22 episode of AEW Dynamite is expected to feature a slew of NJPW talent to help promote Forbidden Door this weekend. One of the big names expected for the show is Zack Sabre Jr., although that is a report and hasn’t been confirmed by AEW.
Vince’s duties on the creative side of things remain unchanged, and he hasn’t been shy in letting people know about it.
Internal Reaction to Appearances
(via WWE)
PWInsider is reporting that there is a lot of sympathy for Stephanie McMahon backstage over being brought back in after being buried by executives in the media and wanting to step back.
It’s also been said that there is a lot of “head shaking” over Vince McMahon’s public appearances on Raw and SmackDown after The Wall Street Journal report. The internal feeling is that Vince is “in denial” that this is a serious situation.
The report also notes that a lot of employees have been mum on the Vince news to avoid getting caught up in the mess.
There is a positive update on Nikkita Lyons made official by WWE.
Lyons was expected to perform in the semifinals of the NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament on May 24. She ended up being pulled due to an injury.
Lyons revealed that she had suffered a partially torn MCL. She referred to it as just a sprain and didn’t expect to be out of action for long.
Nikkita Lyons Returns Next Week
(via WWE)
During the June 21 episode of NXT 2.0, it was announced that Nikkita Lyons will be making her return during next week’s episode (June 28).
Some had Lyons as the favorite to win the NXT Breakout Tournament before she suffered her injury. Roxanne Perez ended up defeating Tiffany Stratton in the finals to take that honor.
It’ll be interesting to see what Lyons has in store upon her return to WWE’s developmental brand.
She hasn’t competed since the first round of the tournament when she defeated Arianna Grace.
You can add another WWE superstar to the list of talents who have received a name change.
WWE has long been known to make adjustments to characters. Sometimes, a talent will receive a full-blown makeover, while other times it can be as simple as new theme music.
In the case of this particular performer, he will no longer be using his real name on WWE programming.
Jordan Devlin Gets New Name
(via WWE)
Jordan Devlin will be making the move from NXT UK to NXT 2.0. With the move comes a new name.
Devlin will now be referred to as “JD McDonagh.” WWE had a vignette on the June 21 episode of NXT 2.0 promoting McDonagh’s inevitable arrival to the brand.
Devlin is a former NXT Cruiserweight Champion. His final appearance on the NXT UK brand was a loser leaves town match. He fell short against NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov.
WWE did not reveal a date for Devlin’s debut on the NXT 2.0 brand but promised he will be “coming soon.”
Devlin first appeared on WWE programming back in early 2017. He participated in the first-ever United Kingdom Championship tournament. He was defeated by Tyler Bate in the quarterfinals.
In the three years since being founded, AEW has proven to be a hit with wrestling fans around the world.
AEW content is aired in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, but has so far only hosted shows in the United States.
Fans around the world have been clamoring for AEW to bring their unique brand of programming to their countries, and now audiences in Canada are one step closer to watching AEW live and in person.
AEW in Canada
While speaking to The Star in Canada, Tony Khan addressed plans for one of his promotions to travel to the Great White North (via nodq.com.)
“We’re all back on the road this past year and we’ve been all over America, but I do look forward to bringing an AEW live events to Canada soon. I think we have a chance to really build a strong presence, not only what we’ve established on television with TSN, but also with live events for the fans.”
Khan also praised Canada for being the home of some of AEW’s wrestlers, including Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Christian Cage and Kyle O’Reilly.
“We have a lot of great Canadian wrestlers and I’m excited about the possibility of our live events here because we’ve had great success on TV here.”
Tony Khan.
While Khan said that Toronto is his current favorite to host AEW’s debut event in Canada, he also mentioned Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver for future events.
Everyone wants to be the best at what they do, and professional wrestling is no exception.
In WWE today, it’s safe to consider Roman Reigns the biggest Superstar of the current era, as the “Head of the Table” is now in his 661st day as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Reigns has dominated WWE since his heel turn and title win in August 2020, but Seth Rollins believes he has a leg-up on the Champ.
Rollins’ Comment
This week, the New York Post published an article, saying that Rollins is on an all-time run in WWE.
The article said that Rollins’ current run may be better than the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Responding, Rollins told the NYP to drop the maybe, assuring that he is definitively better than the “Tribal Chief.
Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have had their careers compared for years, thanks in part to their simultaneous debuts at Survivor Series 2012.
In terms of metrics, Reigns has a clear advantage, being taller, bigger, and with more World Championships to his name.
However, Rollins is often considered the better wrestler between the two given the multiple styles he can bring to the ring.
Rollins is considered by many to be the more popular of the two, given that Reigns was hated by fans for much of his tenure as a babyface.
“The Architect” also has some accolades Reigns does not have, including two tenures as Intercontinental Champion, as well as being a former Mr. Money in the Bank.
Rollins is also the only person to hold a PLE victory over Reigns since the latter’s heel turn, albeit via disqualification at the 2022 Royal Rumble.
With that said, it’s clear which name WWE considers to be a bigger star, as while Rollins competes each week, Reigns’ appearances are becoming rarer and treated as a much bigger deal.
Roderick Strong and Damon Kemp defeated Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro (w/Stacks and Two Dimes) in a tag team match. Two Dimes tripped Wilde and Strong hit a flying knee strike for the win.
This was the final appearance of Two Dimes, who was released by the company in the same week that this show was taped due to him failing a drug test. It’s been reported that he was told by WWE management that they might bring him back in a year.
The match was set up last week after Strong ran down the rest of the Diamond Mine. The Creed Brothers said they put Strong and Kemp in a match, but Strong didn’t like the idea. He was eventually talked into it.
Toxic Attraction came out to the ring. They called the win from last week a fluke in an in-ring promo. Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez interrupted.
Perez said that the best thing about dreams is who you get to share them with. Perez said one day she will become Women’s Champion, but for now, it would be much more sweeter to win the Tag Team Titles with her best friend
They wanted to challenge for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance interrupted and said that they’re still in the hunt. A brawl broke out.
NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes (with Trick Williams) defeated Tony D’Angelo (with Stacks, Two Dimes, Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro, and Joaquin Wilde) to retain the title with the help of Santos.
Post-match, Tony, Stacks and Two Dimes stared down Santos, Joaquin, and Cruz.
Last week, D’Angelo presented Stacks and Two Dimes with expensive watches after they defeated Legado del Fantasma at NXT In Your House. D’Angelo said after his win, he wanted gold of his own, which brought out Hayes. After exchanging words, D’Angelo said he’d face Hayes for the North American Title and the match was booked.
One AEW star didn’t leave Mexico unscathed following a match during AAA’s TripleMania event this past weekend.
If there’s one thing major promotions can agree on, it’s that injuries are bad news. We’ve seen WWE hit hard with the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton injuries. Reigning AEW World Champion CM Punk recently underwent surgery and he’ll be out for a little while.
Some injuries are more severe than others and in the case of one AEW veteran, the hope is that he hasn’t sustained anything serious.
Matt Hardy Suffers Swelling
(via AEW)
Matt Hardy recently teamed with John Hennigan to take on Dragon Lee and Dralistico at the TripleMania event in Mexico. Fightful reports that Matt was banged up as a result of the match and suffered some significant swelling in his knee.
At this time, there is no word on the severity of the injury. Obviously, AEW officials are hoping that Hardy was simply dinged up a bit and the issue won’t have any long-term effects.
Matt was expected to challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Titles during the Road Rager episode of AEW Dynamite. That plan went awry as his brother Jeff was pulled from the match due to his recent DUI arrest.
Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline had reported that even if Jeff’s DUI incident never happened, AEW had plans of pulling him from the match as he had a brain scan scheduled.
Dan Ryckert, who worked for WWE, on podcasts and other projects recently left the company. Since his departure, he has been vocal about several things in regard to the backstage environment.
Ryckert spoke about a specific corporate meeting that he took part in while with WWE during an interview with MinnMax including the start of The New Day podcast.
He recalled what the meetings were like, which reminded him of a dumb comedy movie.
“But it’s more like running from meeting to meeting and kinda dealing with more of the corporate crap. These meetings and stuff, they feel like they’re straight out of a dumb comedy or something where like nobody could ever be this way. I remember for instance, so we had this business partner when I first started, before the pandemic. They would fly in these experts, these podcast marketing experts from Beverly Hills. It was always a big deal where it’s like, okay, we’re gonna have a three or four hour meeting with this company. I got pulled into this room and there’s this whole PowerPoint thing and they’re trying to think of ways to do a podcast with the New Day. The New Day, as a wrestling fan and a friend of those guys, the answer is let them talk because they are hilarious. Don’t screw with the rapport, we don’t have to overproduce this thing and put all of these segments [together] and stuff.
Ryckert continued on to detail some of the ideas that the partnering company had like using words such as “epic.” He noted that the people pitched working with Color Run for a podcast, which would’ve seen New Day doing a podcast while running in traffic. There was another pitch where New Day would play video games while doing a podcast and call it ‘Ya Boys Are Twitchin?’
Ryckert did recently admit how WWE has a culture of fear behind the scenes.
AEW star Athena recently spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about Athena’s love for wrestling being “sucked out” towards the end of her WWE run.
“I do… right so it became work and I think like a lot of people will hopefully understand what I mean by that like we have the craziest coolest job in the world where no day is the same when you walk in it’s constantly changing chaos you know and something about that drew me to it, but over the course of like six seven years with WWE it became work and it became okay what do we got to do okay and I wasn’t so much passionate as much as I was like wanting to do a good job if that makes sense and so when I like left it was like I got to sit at home for three months and just kind of figure out what I wanted to do and I didn’t necessarily know if I wanted to wrestle again it was just like ah okay because I was afraid that I would go like and it would feel like work and so like on some level yeah I feel like the passion was sucked out“
Naomi hasn’t been seen on WWE TV since her now-infamous walkout during the May 16, 2022 episode of Raw.
“The Glow” alongside Sasha Banks walked out due to a creative difference with the planned main event, which would have seen Naomi earn a shot at the Raw Women’s Title.
The duo, then the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, believed the match would lessen the importance of their titles, and while Naomi hasn’t been seen since, she will soon be back on TV.
Naomi’s Appearance
On Twitter, the fan-run account @NaomiWWENews announced that the former SmackDown Women’s Champion will feature on an episode of the upcoming season of Celebrity Game Face, hosted by Kevin Hart.
Naomi herself would go on to confirm the news by retweeting this tweet though there is no word on when the episode will air.
More Guests
After over a month off TV, Naomi’s appearance will be a huge deal for WWE fans, but she won’t be the only WWE names around.
Eonline.com reports that WWE Hall of Famers The Bella Twins will also be appearing on the third season of Celebrity Game Face.
AEW star Athena recently spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about her road to becoming “all elite.”
“I feel like it was one of those things as soon as I got released [by WWE] or mutually parted ways, whichever way you wanna have it there, it was like, ‘Man, I don’t know how to get in contact with them, but I gotta get in contact with them,’ and I told my agent, I was like, ‘Hey, I’m really interested in going there. I really want to go there, you know.’ It’s kind of like a combination of, we reached out and they reached back, and it was like a six month ‘Are we interested?’
Are you interested, because I think when I left [WWE], I didn’t really know if I wanted to continue wrestling. I just knew that like, I loved and enjoyed watching the AEW product at home, watching the pay-per-views watching just everything. I’m like, ‘Oh, this looks like so much fun,’ and then I’d be like, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know.’
So, I had a couple matches on the indies and just those blew up, and it just getting kept getting more and more attention. And I think like, we finally just kind of hit the double tap on the phone call and it was like, ‘Yeah, let’s let’s figure out something.'”
Preparing for Double or Nothing Debut
Athena also spoke about her AEW debut at last month’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
“I get in at like eight, nine o’clock in the morning, and I was like, you know what, I’m not gonna go to the baggage claim for my airline. I’m gonna go to the other one, right, and now I’m telling all my secrets, so now I get lost, I get very obviously lost and turned around because I’m terrible at navigating airports, and I end up in the big baggage claim and all I see is piles and piles of AEW fans like stalking out the baggage claims with their binoculars.
I’m 5’1″ so I can blend so I get in the biggest crowd that I possibly can and I get in the middle and I’m like head down like I have like my glasses on my mask on, I’m trying to hide.
So they put me at a different hotel that isn’t the TV hotel. I get there, my hotel has been given away, so I’m sitting in the lobby and I’m like, ‘Oh this is weird,’ and like the travel team was like, ‘Oh no, this is like, they tried to call, they tried it they were like, ‘Hey, we bought this room day before, blah blah blah, and they’re like, ‘Well, you should have called,’ and I’m sitting here like, ‘Oh no, uh, someone is going to notice me, because I was in that lobby for like an hour or two as we were trying to figure it out. I’m just head down, just like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the worst, you know, and eventually, they’re like, ‘Okay, we’re sending a car for, you we’re gonna put you up at the hotel where everyone else is at,’ and I’m like, ‘How is that going to work?'” because once again AEW fans, or just wrestling fans in general, are really good about ruining surprises for themselves.
‘So they take me through like the basement level and they put my room name under someone else, and we are like, ‘Aright, go up the elevator, you’re on this floor,’ and I get in the elevator and it stops on the lobby level, and three AEW fans get in like they had the Jericho Society shirts and I’m like, ‘How?’ and I’m just sitting, they’re just like, and I remember they went to turn and look at me, and I start coughing and they’re like, “Oh, oh, oh god, please don’t get that on me,’ and I was like so they totally know who I am.”
Check out Steve Fall’s exclusive interview with AEW star Athena:
Posted June 21st, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Athena.
At a time when WWE is dealing with various stars injured such as Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, one wrestler could be coming back from injury soon and that’s Zelina Vega.
The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion has been absent from Raw for several weeks due to an injury that reportedly required surgery.
Vega reacted to one fan calling for her return on Twitter by stating, “Aww I know my loyal subjects your queen will return soon, I promise! I am simply allowing the … humans … to have their fun … for now.”
After becoming “Queen Zelina” by winning the inaugural Queen’s Crown Tournament in 2021, she was paired in a tag team with Carmella and they went on to hold the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. They lost the titles to Sasha Banks and Naomi at WrestleMania 38 in a Fatal 4-Way Match that also featured the teams of Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley and Natalya and Shayna Baszler.
There’s still no word on what injury Vega was dealing with, but it was expected to keep her out of action for 6-8 weeks, which would allow for her to return in time for SummerSlam on July 30 in Nashville.
Aww I know my loyal subjects ? your queen will return soon, I promise! I am simply allowing the .. humans.. to have their fun.. for now. @wwehttps://t.co/dU7sMlhJfy
The WWE Intercontinental Championship has a long history. It was the title that served as a stepping stone for men like The Ultimate Warrior, The Rock, and Triple H to eventually win world titles. That’s in addition to men like Tito Santana, The Honky Tonk Man, and Don Muraco thriving as Intercontinental Champions in their own right.
The title has suffered from inconsistent booking over the years, though, and particularly as of late it has seemed like an afterthought. Champs like Shinsuke Nakamaura, Apollo Crews, and Ricochet—despite their considerable talent—weren’t booked to do anything of note during their reigns. Gunther won the title IC strap on last week’s SmackDown.
More than a simple instance of a title changing hands, this one might represent much more. Gunther may well be the perfect man to restore the title to its past glory.
Gunther Can Work Great Matches
One of the cornerstones of Intercontinental Championship history was that it was title great matches got built around. Particularly in eras when the main event picture was more consumed with showmanship and star power than technical precision, this was the workers’ title.
It set up absolute classics like Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat at WrestleMania 3, Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect or The British Bulldog at back-to-back years of SummerSlam, or the first Ladder Match WWE ever broadcasted live at WrestleMania 10, between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon.
Gunther represents an opportunity to return to that tradition. He’s a stiff, polished worker and one need look no further than his NXT UK efforts opposite Butch or Ilja Dragunov to see the kind of instant classics he can deliver, in particular opposite a tough, smaller opponent.
Gunther hinted at what he was capable of when he took the title from Ricochet, and it would be a pleasure to see him actively defend the title in matches like that over the months ahead.
Gunther Seems To Have Earned Management’s Respect
There’s not shortage of talents who’ve done well in WWE’s developmental system but flopped when they got to the main roster. On paper, Gunther is exactly the kind of talent most at risk of suffering a similar fate, given his indie and international pedigree, complete with a focus on stiff offense and technique over playing a colorful character. However, he has been presented as a dominant force in this main roster run so far, up to and including winning the Intercontinental Championship.
A part of why Gunther might have earned management’s respect and admiration is his adaptability. The big man was purportedly not willing to base his career in the US when he first signed on to work with NXT UK. He has changed his mind since that time, though. Moreover, reports suggested management asked him to get more visibly cut to consider him for a main roster run. Gunther delivered.
While his work rate and cardio probably weren’t ever in question, he nonetheless has made major strides in looking like a more traditionally ripped WWE Superstar leading up to his introduction to the SmackDown roster. All of these factors bode quite well for his long-term prospects.
Gunther Is Still New To The WWE Main Roster
Though hardcore fans may have followed Gunther for quite some time, he only got his formal call up to the WWE main roster this past April. Yes, he put over Ilja Dragunov in NXT UK and Bron Breakker in NXT 2.0. That’s not to mention his early elimination from inter-branded Survivor Series in 2019.
Still, in the eyes of the more casual fan, his record remains mostly clean, and having Ludwig Kaiser in his corner offers him a credible sidekick he has already built strong chemistry with. Without the baggage of ever looking like a jobber or someone relegated to the tag team division, the sky’s the limit for what Gunther might accomplish in WWE.
So it is that Gunther arrives as Intercontinental Champion with a noteworthy combination of credibility and optimism for what he might become. Nothing is guaranteed. Nonetheless, at this point he feels like he could the one to reinvent the tradition of the fighting Intercontinental Champion who elevates the title every bit as much as it elevates him across a series of great matches, en route to an eventual main event destiny.
It has been a while since WWE has given its fans much reason to get invested in the Intercontinental title or the person holding it. Between his talent, management’s support, and his bright future, Gunther just might be the man to make this championship prestigious again.
Adam Page isn’t interested in trashing the next generation of wrestlers that come after him.
The Hangman issued a short statement on his personal Twitter account this morning calling out older wrestlers who constantly criticize today’s talent on their “sh*t ass podcasts.” While not mentioning anyone specifically this comes one day after WWE Hall of Famer Booker T received backlash for his bodying shaming comments about AEW superstar Adam Cole.
The topic Page is discussing has become a popular trend from stars of the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Some of the most widely controversial headlines at times come from big names like Jim Cornette, Eric Bischoff, Booker T, and Bully Ray to name a few, all who have podcast platforms with a large number of followers.
Page, who rarely tweets and always gains some traction when he does, writes the following:
“I just hope that when im old and retired i don’t lower myself to some shit ass podcast where i trash the younger generation that’s just chasing the same fortune wrestling has afforded me.”
Aside from Page’s antics on Twitter he has been trying to bounce back from his Double or Nothing loss to CM Punk, and has been constantly calling out top NJPW superstar Kazuchika Okada for this Sunday’s Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
You can check out the former world champion’s tweet, which also sees him promote tomorrow’s edition of Dynamite in Milwaukee, below.
AEW star Athena recently spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about the possibility of WWE’s Paige becoming All Elite.
“Absolutely! Like I tell people all the time it’s like everyone says the women’s evolution started with the Bellas, I highly disagree! Started with Paige and Emma!
“Started with them, that was the first like mainstream women’s match that got time that made people like want more and knowing that she’s capable of that not to mention seeing her story in the movie and I’ve wrestled her mom on the indies before and just got my ass handed to me excuse my language, but like of course like she’s someone I’ve always wanted to wrestle with. I actually rolled around with her when she was training to come back.
“She is an invaluable superstar in her own right. She is absolutely phenomenal whether she’s going to be a mouthpiece, whether she’s able to get back in the ring like any company would be like stupid not to try to snatch her up. I think her eventually returning to wrestling anywhere would be beneficial to whatever companies snatches her up, but I think AEW will be a smart move again because there’s something to be added to the women’s division”
Posted June 21st, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Athena.
Independent Wrestling star Alec Price believes he is a strong candidate for best wrestler today.
After five years of working on his craft, Price has risen in popularity and earned accomplishments. He is the current Limitless World Champion and Southern Underground Pro Bonestorm Champion.
Price has also competed in well-received matches against wrestlers like Mike Bailey and Biff Busick this year. However, that isn’t enough for the double champion.
The 23-year-old rising star wants to prove that he belongs to be mentioned among the best wrestlers today.
While it may be debatable to some fans, he’s making a solid case to back up his claim and is unafraid to show his doubters why.
I recently had the chance to speak one on one with Price. Here’s the video of our discussion, followed by written highlights.
Getting into Professional Wrestling
Growing up in a small apartment with seven family members, Price didn’t have an easy upbringing. His parents worked hard to give Price the best childhood they could. He shared that his mother would skip meals so Price and his other siblings could eat.
While the living conditions weren’t ideal, he credits his parents’ work ethic for helping make the current double champion the person he is today.
“…I didn’t grow up with much, so now I’m getting older; I want everything because I have the ability to go get it, and they taught me how to do that,” said Price. He continued, “…It was lit. I love growing up the way I grew up. I love my parents.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ4hlBoONpY/
Price got into wrestling by watching WWE and IMPACT Wrestling with his grandmother. When he turned 18 years old, Price went into wrestling school with the help of his parents. They helped him pay for classes early on, and then he spent his way through his training.
“…I started when I was 18, like a couple of months after that or February, because my parents got their tax money. They dished out the first $300 for me to start training, and then after that, I started having to pay myself, which is no big deal. I had a job,” said Price.
He shared that he was helping pay rent when he was 15 and that having to mature early helped him be responsible.
Price can follow his dreams thanks to his parents and inherited their work ethic that led to his success.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYFMKQjv3fF/
Current Run of Success in Independent Wrestling
Between 2021 and this year, Price has started to find his stride in professional wrestling. He became the Limitless World Champion by defeating former WWE talent Anthony Greene at Limitless Wrestling: Prize Possession on Nov. 13, 2021.
Four months later, he followed up his success by defeating Jaden Newman for the SUP Bonestorm Championship at Beyond Wrestling Open on Mar. 17. Now with two titles on each of his shoulders, Price is ready to take on all oppositions.
When asked where does he see himself among other wrestlers, he revealed that he’s number one in the world.
“…I see myself as number one, and I’m not even being cocky. I’m just being humbly honest,” said Price. He also took a jab at IWTV Independent Wrestling World Champion AC Mack, whom he teased that a match could happen between the two soon.
This year he’s currently won over 20 singles matches. He also made his GCW debut on Feb. 20 and has competed at an event every month since.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaC0ywNsykd/
What’s Next For Alec Price?
While Price is thriving as an independent wrestler, he still has aspirations to sign with a major wrestling company like WWE or All Elite Wrestling. He wants longevity in professional wrestling and to ensure he and his family are financially secure for his career.
Price understands that he will have to continue working hard and evolving as a wrestler. However, the challenges of reaching high goals are something that motivates him.
“…I know that I’m not the biggest dude, so I’m going to have to work ten times harder than everybody else, but I’m going to work ten times harder and earn that. Regardless, if it’s not even the best fanciest contract, I can work my way up. I just want that recognition,” said Price.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Price. However, it seems like he’s just getting started, and fans can expect to see him try to make his dreams a reality.
One person in the group asked The Rock for advice on going beyond WWE and breaking into the world of acting as a professional wrestler. Moss shared the advice Rock gave them in that regard.
“[The Rock] came and talked to a group of us one time and someone asked him about being able to go beyond WWE and get into Hollywood and get into acting. [The Rock] said, ‘We should all want to transcend the business. We should all want to be that big of a star, but you have to master the business before you can transcend it.”
After establishing himself as one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, The Rock left WWE in favor of acting full-time in 2004. Since, he has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s biggest and most profitable stars.
The Rock has been feature din hit films and franchises such as Fast And The Furious, Jumanji, Moana, Black Adam, and so many more.
It’s no surprise that the 10-time World Champion serves as an inspiration to current WWE stars to become even bigger stars beyond the scope of professional wrestling.
Rhea Ripley is one of the most talented and well-received women in WWE today. After her successes in NXT and NXT UK, she made a splash by debuting on the main roster opposite Charlotte Flair in a match that stole the show at WrestleMania 36.
From there, Ripley’s resume includes a Raw Women’s Championship victory over Asuka at WrestleMania 37, and most recently garnering a high profile angle as the first female addition to the Judgment Day faction.
From her on screen partnerships, to her aesthetic, to her positioning within the women’s roster, more and more reasons have developed for why fans might liken her career to Lita’s.
Like Lita, Rhea Ripley Is A Woman Sharing A Mutually Beneficial Partnership With Men
After a couple of bit parts and false start working as part of The Godfather’s entourage and with Essa Rios, Lita rose to prominence as part of Team Xtreme. The Hardy Boyz were a cool tag team with an edgy look and eye-catching aerial offense. Lita fit that style perfectly.
Having a uniquely talented and attractive woman with them elevated The Hardys, while being paired with a featured tag team got Lita more time on screen and a more clearly defined persona. Later in her career, Lita enjoyed a similar relationship with Edge.
Having a well-known femme fatale in his corner helped The Rated R Superstar feel more credible as a top tier act, while a provocative partnership with Edge helped Lita get over as the top heel of the women’s division.
WrestleMania Backlash saw Rhea Ripley strike up her own partnership with Edge when she joined his Judgment Day faction. The Nightmare, Damian Priest, and Finn Balor have since turned on Edge but the core consideration remains in place.
She‘s a woman, paired with men who have similar dark and edgy personas, and everyone involved stands to benefit from this alliance and the clear identity it lends them.
Like Lita, Rhea Ripley Has A Different Aesthetic
Part of Lita standing out during the Attitude Era was her signature look. In a sea of blonds who looked like clean-cut fitness models, Lita had bright red hair, highly visible tattoos, and a signature look that included a thong peeking out from her pants.
There’s a somewhat similar ethos to Ripley’s act. With short hair, tattoos, piercings, and leather, she stands out from the pack of female performers in WWE, looking a bit edgy, a bit alternative, and perhaps most importantly like a clearly identifiable character no fan is ever likely to confuse with another woman from the WWE roster.
Like Lita, Rhea Ripley Has Lingered One Step Shy Of The Top
Lita was one of the best and most popular female performers of her day. However, it was difficult to ever call her the top woman in WWE, at least in a sustained way. Just as Randy Savage tended to play second fiddle to Hulk Hogan, or Randy Orton spent the better part of a decade one step behind John Cena’s stardom, Lita was a key rival, but ultimately second fiddle to Trish Stratus.
Some of that comes down to timing—particularly when Lita got hurt going into what might have been her biggest push for WrestleMania 21–but regardless, she tends to be remembered more as half of a package deal with Stratus than as the face of the division on her own.
Time will tell how Rhea Ripley’s career wil play out. In NXT UK, though, she shared the top women’s spot with Toni Storm, and in NXT she tended to be featured a step behind Io Shirai and Raquel Gonzalez at different points.
On the main roster, Ripley has had her moments, but Charlotte Flair has tended to get the best of their exchanges and Bianca Belair has surpassed The Nightmare in their cohort of talents, when it comes to kayfabe accomplishments like title reigns and winning the Royal Rumble, as well as overall star power.
At twenty-five years old there is still plenty of time for Rhea Ripley to carve out her legacy. The fact that WWE’s women’s division is much better featured now can be a blessing and curse in comparing her run to Lita’s, as The Nightmare certainly has more opportunities to break out, but also a more crowded roster to overcome to stand out from the pack. Nonetheless, key elements of their presentation and journey have overlapped so far.
Sasha Banks reportedly getting released from her WWE contract ends the WWE career of an all-time great women’s wrestler. WWE wisely made Sasha a huge part of the women’s evolution after she thrived in NXT and held a lot of fan support on the main roster. Banks won every title possible and proved that her childhood dream could come true.
WWE witnessed Sasha having quite a few career-defining moments that showcase just how much she accomplished there. Even though Banks wasn’t always booked perfectly and there were some odd creative decisions, she won out in the end by becoming a massive star. The following moments deserve to be viewed deeper as the best things Sasha did in WWE.
Legendary NXT Match With Bayley
Sasha Banks took her career to the next level with an epic performance at the first NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn event. An argument can be made this was the biggest night in NXT history since it was the first time that they worked a large venue in a sold out Barclays Center during SummerSlam 2015 weekend.
Bayley and Banks paid off their rivalry in NXT by having a must-watch classic match on a bigger stage. The entire wrestling world was talking about this match with the perfect mix of in-ring magic and advanced storytelling for flawless pro wrestling. Sasha took the loss putting over Bayley, but the performance helped define her career.
Historic WrestleMania Main Event Vs Bianca Belair
WWE didn’t push Sasha Banks as hard as Charlotte Flair despite them both being on the same footing in their early main roster runs. Many fans wondered if Sasha would ever reach that WrestleMania main eventer status with Charlotte and Becky Lynch when she was struggling to find the right role.
Banks eventually did her chance by breaking out again with a tremendous Smackdown Women’s Championship reign. Bianca Belair challenging Sasha for the belt at WrestleMania 37: Night One created a historic moment. The first WM main event between two black women stole the show with Banks perfectly putting over Belair to build a new star.
Winning Raw Women’s Championship First Time
WWE is rightfully criticized for not having the best booking for Sasha Banks during her rivalry with Charlotte Flair. The trend of Sasha winning the Raw Women’s Championship and losing it back to Charlotte on PPV upset many viewers, but that shouldn’t take away from their better moments.
Banks won the Raw Women’s Championship for the first time on the first Raw episode after the 2016 brand split. The early stages of the women’s evolution needed moments and matches like this. Sasha received a massive ovation from the crowd for dethroning Charlotte to get to the top of the mountain.
WrestleMania Debut
Another pivotal moment in the very early months of the women’s evolution featured the trio of Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch having their first WrestleMania match. All three women were given the honor of having a triple threat match to replace the Divas Championship with the Women’s Championship.
A memorable entrance saw Sasha’s cousin Snoop Dogg rapping her to the ring as confetti fell in the venue. Banks delivered an outstanding performance despite falling just short to Charlotte. Even though she didn’t win like many felt she should have, Sasha was a huge part of the best match in front of a record-setting WWE crowd.
Getting Revenge On Bayley In HIAC
The top defining chapter of Sasha Banks’ WWE career featured her feud with Bayley in 2020. Fans wanted to see a main roster pay off to the years of Banks and Bayley having a unique relationship. The two stars had breaking points attacking each other, but they always made up to remain best friends as a team.
This ended when Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley finally betrayed Banks by viciously attacking and attempting to injure her. Sasha and Bayley delivered a flawless culmination inside of the Hell in a Cell structure. The feel-good moment of Banks dethroning Bayley to win the title gave Sasha the story, moment and pay off to show a childhood dream reaching peak results.
There you have it, our picks for Sasha Banks’ greatest WWE career moments. Hit up the comments section and share some of your own favorite memories of The Boss’ WWE run.
Also Check Out: WWE runs down some of Sasha Banks’ Greatest Moments
We have the reported backstage reaction from WWE talents in regards to Bruce Prichard being named the interim WWE Head of Talent Relations to pass along.
As we’ve noted, John Laurinaitis was put on administrative leave in light of the sexual misconduct allegations made against him and Vince McMahon.
PWInsider reported that a memo was sent out to staff to alert them of the move, adding that Bruce Prichard was named interim Head of Talent Relations in the meantime.
Fightful’s report had one person on the inside joke that “Vince only knows three people,” referencing Vince only giving Prichard and Laurinaitis several different jobs, despite having a very large team.
Meltzer’s report suggested that talents aren’t thrilled with the move and it is “not necessarily well-received” Fightful’s report noted that several people backstage are not expecting Laurinaitis back, suggesting he’s “as good as gone” with some celebrating that fact.
Perhaps unrelated, but Fightful also reports that Vince McMahon was said to be in a very good mood during Monday Night RAW last night.
He even made a surprise appearance to briefly hype the return of John Cena next week.
Vince McMahon has had a difficult time as of late, as the ex-WWE CEO is under investigation.
In addition to the investigation into an alleged affair with a paralegal, McMahon’s company is also being investigated by multiple law firms for alleged violations to their shareholders.
In just one week, McMahon has gone from the unquestionable head of WWE to stepping down as CEO and under investigation, but there is some good news for the billionaire promoter.
McMahon and Luck Settle
PW Insider reports that McMahon and former XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck have settled their lawsuit out of court.
This settlement comes weeks before the two sides were set to go to trial on July 7, in Connecticut.
In a statement to Brandon Thurston, an attorney for Luck said the decision had been amicable, and both sides wished the other the best in future endeavors.
The suit claimed that Luck’s contract guaranteed him full pay, an estimated worth of $25 million over five years if his contract was terminated without cause.
Luck claimed he was owed $23.8 million remaining on his deal, other damages, plus his attorney fees.
McMahon’s legal team later responded that Luck had been negligent in his duties as XFL commissioner, giving the league cause to terminate him.
McMahon’s counter-claim focused on Luck’s signing of wide receiver Antonio Callaway, whose 2018 legal issues violated the league’s mandate to not sign players with any off-the-field issues.
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T recently made some comments about Adam Cole that didn’t go down well.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast recently, Booker said how “we gotta get more weight on Adam Cole” and said the former NXT Champion’s frame was a factor behind injuries in his career.
Many fans on social media called out Booker as “body shaming” the leader of The Undisputed Elite and Renee Paquette seemingly reacted to Booker’s statement with a tweet.
Clarifying his comments
While speaking with Brad Gilmore, Booker clarified his comments about Cole, saying that he doesn’t want to come across as obtusely critical of the AEW star or AEW as a whole (via Wrestling Inc.)
“People want to make it seem like I’m hating on an AEW guy – I’m not. If I didn’t like Adam Cole, I wouldn’t be saying that we need to get some muscle on him. I’d be saying a whole lot worse than that.”
Booker T.
In a tweet of his own, Booker said that his initial comments had been taken out of context.
In late, it was reported that Adam Cole was dealing with a shoulder injury, which would force him out of a match for AEW.
Cole had been scheduled to compete in a tag match on the June 1, Dynamite, but was pulled, and Jeff Hardy was pulled from the opposing team to balance things out.
It was later reported that AEW was hopeful that Cole will be healed up to compete by this weekend’s Forbidden Door event.
Madcap Moss is one of the fastest rising stars on the WWE roster. His storyline with Baron Corbin has helped the young star evolve past his days as the 24/7 champion and develop a personality fans can get behind. Corbin who has served as a mentor to Moss in many ways, believes that the former NXT star can realistically challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Title in not-too-distant future.
The Lone Wolf recently appeared on Out of Character. The host Ryan Satin mentioned how Madcap has reached a new level in the last few months. Agreeing with it, Corbin explained that Moss has developed his personality compared to his initial days on the main roster:
“Absolutely. His personality is there which is important. Before he was just kind of like a call man, it was like a guy you created on 2K [who] you played with.” said Baron Corbin, “It was just Joe Somebody, but now his personality has really come through. It’s allowed him to show who he really is.”
He continued, “I think this whole thing, the evolution of Madcap Moss has really done good for him. I think he’s gonna be a star. I think he’s a guy that six months from now could be going to face Roman Reigns for WWE championship. I can see it now. With his ability, his in-ring work, and his psychology that he’s learned and done and then just his character development.”
Corbin is not alone as Paul Heyman has previously said that nobody has a clue about Moss’ talent and he will be a future main eventer.
