Jack Perry is gearing up for a return to AEW following the company’s controversial decision to air footage from his backstage altercation with CM Punk from last year’s All In London PPV from Wembley Stadium.

During the NJPW Windy City Riot pay-per-view event at the Wintrust Arena on April 12, 2024, Shota Umino defeated Perry in a match that lasted just over 15 minutes. This marks the Scapegoat’s final NJPW match for the foreseeable future. 

Jack Perry’s next appearance will be for AEW and it’s expected “imminently,” according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

All Elite Wrestling returns to pay-per-view this Sunday for AEW Dynasty.

Perry’s AEW Hiatus

Jack Perry and CM Punk were both suspended following their All In Brawl last year. Punk was later fired, and he has returned to WWE since then. Perry, whose suspension lapsed some time ago, never returned to AEW television.

Tony Khan was reportedly still irritated with Perry, as he saw him as the reason AEW lost CM Punk. With Perry’s return to AEW on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how Khan works this into the story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeJ6Z-qrWNQ

Jack Perry’s Last NJPW Match

Some notable moments for AEW took place during the 4/12 NJPW Windy City Riot show in Chicago, including Jon Moxely winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Title. That event also marked Jack Perry’s last NJPW match for a while.

The match between Jack Perry and Shota Umino received the strongest crowd reaction. Fans brought signs to the event, both supportive and critical of Perry, and there were many chants directed at him during the contest. Perry embraced the heel role, as the crowd was filled with chants of “scapegoat” and singing “Oh, cry me a river” toward Perry.

He also entered the ring surrounded by security in riot gear, displayed a flag with the Chicago symbol to further provoke the crowd. And he wore a jacket saying “Cry me a River,” for good measure.

WrestleMania and the WWE Draft give the company a chance to shuffle the deck in a number of ways. Fans can look forward to a new pairing that will present fresh matchups wherever they wind up. 

This week’s WWE RAW broadcast from Montreal concluded with Sami Zayn’s hometown hero victory. He retained the Intercontinental Title against Chad Gable, but the Underdog from the Underground’s celebration didn’t last long. Gable attacked him, turning heel in the process. 

WWE is believed have big plans for the Olympian: an alliance with pro wrestling’s most technically capable tag team. According to this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

“The belief going around is that the Creeds are going heel to form a unit with Gable.”

WWE had a handful of factions for this new trio to work against on both Raw and SmackDown, a scenario we are very excited to see play out.

Creed Brothers’ History Before WWE

Julius and Brutus Creed, real names Jacob and Drew Kasper, are brothers with an outstanding background in amateur wrestling.

The siblings from Lexington, Ohio took over amateur wrestling in high school. Julius Creed, 31, attended Duke University, where he graduated in sociology and excelled in wrestling, earning multiple NCAA honors and setting university records. He also competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials and later coached wrestling at Duke.

Brutus Creed, 27, went to Otterbein University, where he studied exercise science and had a notable wrestling career, achieving a 108–13 record and earning NCAA Division III All-American honors twice before his final season was cut short by the pandemic.

WWE obviously wanted the Creed Brothers, as Gerald Briscoe scouted them in 2018. In October 2020, WWE signed Julius Creed, and in February 2021, following a successful try-out, Brutus Creed inked a three-year contract with WWE.

The two stand out performers were aligned with the Diamond Mine stable in NXT for a while, where they had a run as NXT Tag Team Champions.

During the 2023 WWE Draft, the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile were called up to the RAW brand, which is where we find ourselves today.

Aligning Chad Gable with the Creed Brothers could be a real recipe for success. They all have similar backgrounds, as Gable is a former state champion in high school. Gable was named as 2012 Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. He also won the 2012 the U.S. Olympic Trials, which secured him a spot to compete at the London Olympics in the 185-lbs division for Greco-Roman wrestling.

Welcome to the Daily Drop for Friday, April 19, 2024. Tonight on TV we have WWE SmackDown and AEW Rampage, which will serve as one of the final stops on the road to Sunday’s AEW Dynasty pay-per-view.

There was a lot of news coming out of this week’s ‘World Congress of Sports’ convention from Los Angeles, including Paul Levesque and Nick Khan talking about WWE changing up its approach to WrestleMania locations and dates. We can also look forward to seeing more International premium live events, but not the ‘Big 5.’

Don’t miss SEScoops correspondent Scott Fishman’s write-up of his first visit to the ECW Arena in Philadelphia over WrestleMania 40 weekend. He survived and had a pretty great time visiting the home of ‘extreme’ Here we go:

AEW:

Tonight on Rampage:

• Jamie Hayter & Dr. Britt Baker vs. Ruby Soho & Toni Storm
• TNT Championship Match: Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Wardlow
• Jay White vs. Komander
• The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker & Jake Hager
• Plus, Chris Jericho confronts Adam Cole and we’ll hear from The Elite and FTR.

Schamberger All Elite? Former WWE ‘artist in residence’ Rob Schamberger appears to be collaborating with AEW. 

Parting Thoughts: Matt Hardy believes AEW’s backstage controversies have damaged the brand and driven away fans. He recently finished up with the company and had been there since 2020.

WWE:

Tonight on SmackDown:

• AJ Styles vs. LA Knight to determine the #1 contender to Cody Rhodes’ WWE Championship
• Naomi challenges Bayley for the Women’s Championshi
• SmackDown Tag Team Title #1 Contender’s Match: The Street Profits vs. Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate vs. Angel & Humberto vs. The Authors of Pain

Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock: On WWE Raw the night after WrestleMania 40, The Rock congratulated Cody Rhodes on finishing his story and assured the new champ they will square off in the ring one day. The ‘American Nightmare’ appeared on Good Morning Britain on Thursday to promote this week’s UK live events tour. He fully expects ‘Final Boss’ to back up his words and has an interesting reason for why.

Fella Fires Back: Sheamus was a recent victim of ‘body shaming’ from online trolls, but responded to one of the trash talkers directly on social media. ** Not that he has to explain his physical appearance to random people on the Internet, but Sheamus said he was expecting to have several more weeks to get in shape before returning to television.

Bloodline Reunion? Jey Uso said on The Bump that he hopes he can one day reunite with Solo Sikoa, Roman Reigns and his brother.

“All in all though, I would like for us to come back together, but as a healed up family. We fighting right now. All families fight, but I want us to come back as the good guys one time and see how works. But if it wasn’t for The Bloodline, I really wouldn’t be Main Event or sitting here with YEET shirts. I had to go through that whole process to help me grow, and I feel like the people watched my story unfold.”

Upcoming PPV’s and PLE’s:

• Saturday, April 21: AEW Dynasty (PPV)
• Saturday, May 4: WWE Backlash France (PLE)
• Sunday, May 26: NXT Battleground (PLE)

Cities all over the world compete for the opportunity to host major WWE events. WrestleMania 40 proved to be another financial success for both WWE and Philadelphia, which may see upwards of $200 million added to the local economy. 

WWE President Nick Khan spoke at the World Congress of Sports convention on Wednesday and provided some new details on the company’s outlook for future locations. 

Key takeaways:

• The location for next year’s WrestleMania 41 has not been finalized, but Las Vegas is one of the finalists under consideration.
• WWE is looking to run more stadiums that have hosted the Super Bowl, but fewer stadiums on the East coast.
• WrestleMania will probably move to a different weekend to avoid competition with the NCAA basketball tournament.

WWE Making PLE Travel Plans

The WWE CEO recommitted their plans to hold more International premium live events. Their goal is to have the ‘big five’ shows in the US and all the others in other countries like we’ve seen for Elimination Chamber Perth and Backlash France.

“We sat down together a few years ago and decided, so the big five premium live events … should be in the United States or Canada. All of the other events, the goal is to have them from international locations.”

WWE fans have needed to set their alarms to different times in the past so they can watch a premium live events. Shows in Saudi Arabia air in the afternoon for fans on the East Coast, and Australia’s Elimination Chamber event started at 4:00 AM EST. This will become more of a trend as the company continues announcing more PLEs.

NBCUniversal secured a $1 billion streaming agreement with WWE, designating Peacock as the exclusive platform for all pay-per-views, specials, and library content. Their streaming agreement with Peacock is set to expire in 2026.

With Peacock as the company’s primary streaming partner, it does not matter to them if fans watch the PLEs live. The money is still coming in for WWE, as fans in North America can watch at their leisure whenever they like.

WWE’s merchandising partnership with Fanatics continues to be lucrative for both companies. Executives from both companies, including Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, Nick Khan and Fanatics’ CEO Michael Rubin were among the business leaders who spoke at SBJ’s CAA World Congress of Sports conference earlier this week in Los Angeles, CA.

Fanatics works with some of the world’s top sports leagues, including NFL, NCAA, MLB NASCAR and many more. Rubin has seen it all, but even he underestimated the insatiable demand for WWE merchandise. 

“The biggest growth sport in my mind Well, are we looking at percents, dollars? What’s wild, I’ll tell you honestly, what’s going on with WWE is insane. If I look at the growth in our WWE business, and it’s a big business already, it’s absolutely insane.”

“NFL is a multi-billion dollar business. Baseball is a multi-billion dollar business. We look collectively within our overall business, if you talk about growth percent, what’s going on with WWE is spectacular.”

When WWE and Fanatics announced their long-term partnership in 2022, Rubin explained it was a great fit. “WWE is one of the most widely admired sports and entertainment properties worldwide, and it made perfect sense to activate many parts of our Fanatics global platform to create a first-of-its-kind, all-in fan experience.” 

His statement in the press release continued, “From e-commerce and licensed merchandise to trading cards and more, we’re going to offer up an incredible set of capabilities to help WWE’s passionate fans worldwide celebrate their favorite Superstars, marquee events and the WWE brand overall.”

For more, check out Sports Business Journal’s coverage of the WWE panel at the conference: Levesque, Khan tout WrestleMania, Netflix deal

H/T to Arash Markazi from The Sporting Tribune on his coverage of the World Congress of Sports

Roman Reign is off filming a movie while on ‘indefinite hiatus’ from WWE, but he’s remain a driving force behind The Bloodline both on television and behind the scenes.

Reigns’ world came crashing down at WrestleMania 40. Once thought to be invincible, his historic title reign is finished and The Bloodline has undergone a dramatic shakeup. Jimmy Uso is out, Tama Tonga is in and Solo Sikoa is the group’s new on-screen figurehead.

We later learned Tribal Chief made the call for Jimmy to be removed, a sign of how his character will be kept in the mix while he’s off TV. According to WWE insider Wrestlevotes, Reigns “will still have substantial creative input in the evolving Bloodline storyline over the course of the next few months.

• Jacob Fatu Privately Confirming WWE Deal

The Bloodline’s Creative Process

Roman Reigns’ creative direction has been closely guarded since his evolution into the Tribal Chief and the rise of The Bloodline. the Bloodline chapter of his career started. Only a select few people have been involved in the Bloodline’s storyline development and that number is even smaller with Vince McMahon’s departure.

The Rock brought in Brian Gewirtz during his road to WrestleMania 40 for the Final Boss storyline. Since the show of shows is in the rearview mirror, Dwayne Johnson and his writer went back to Hollywood. 

Paul Heyman recently spoke about The Bloodline with Jimmy Traina on the SI Media podcast. The ‘Wise Man’ says one of their keys to success is their ‘collaborative teamwork’ approach.

“You know the old expression, ‘it takes a team?’ It certainly has with us. There are a lot of people who have worked really hard to make this work. It kind of all filters through Roman Reigns’ field. There are several people that come to me to present things to Roman, and then Roman and I will talk about it and comeback with either something that fits into their narrative or something that we would hope, we could perhaps enhance it or put it in our own words, or come back with, ‘that doesn’t work for us, what about this?’ and start a different process and we’re bouncing ideas off of them.”

Heyman said creative rumblings for the Bloodline storyline began under Vince McMahon’s leadership and continued without disruption when Paul “Triple H” Levesque took over. 

He also praised Michael Hayes for his exceptional ability to weave a narrative into wrestling matches, a rare and valuable skill. The SmackDown writing team, led by the often overlooked Ryan Callahan, along with Michael Kirshenbaum, Chad Barbash, and Zach Hyatt, are also involved in these discussions

Welcome to the Daily Drop for Thursday, April 18, 2024. AEW brought a packed episode of Dynamite last night, the go-home episode before Dynasty, as they prepared for Swerve Strickland’s AEW World Title shot against Samoa Joe.

Before we get going, new details about Vince McMahon’s life after WWE were revealed. McMahon has stayed in contact with The Rock and John Cena during his retirement. He has also done a lot of traveling and bought cats.

Let’s get into today’s Daily Drop!

WWE:

– WrestleMania 41 Location: Nick Khan stated that WWE is looking at Las Vegas for WrestleMania 41′s host city. People in Minneapolis may not be thrilled about that.

– WWE Moving PLEs: The WWE CEO also stated that the company will continue promoting the big four premium live events in the United States, but the plan is to shop all other PLEs, around seven a year, to markets outside America. So, overseas premium live events may become a very common thing from this point on.

– Piper Inspires: Piper Niven has spoken about how she wants to be a role model and inspiration for bigger girls.

– Drew McIntyre Gets Heat: McIntyre had a lot of fun trolling CM Punk, and the fans, in Birmingham.

Whole arena just chanted CM Punk at Drew McIntyre, so he grabbed a mic and said:

“Even if he was healthy, which is never, he’d never make the trip to the UK”

?#WWEBirmingham

— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) April 17, 2024

– Drew Was On Fire: During that same match in Birmingham, McIntyre grabbed the microphone a second time. Drew McIntyre interrupted his match to demand respect, noting he’s a Great British Hero and unlike Wade Barrett and British Bulldog, he has won a world title.

Drew McIntyre just grabbed the mic again mid-match and said the crowd should be showing him, a Great British Hero, some respect because Wade Barrett, British Bulldog and all the others never won a world title like he did lol#WWEBirmingham

— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) April 17, 2024

– Roman’s Acting Career: Roman Reigns will be in a new movie called ‘Good Fortune’ With Keanu Reeves, Keke Palmer.

– Erick Redbeard Situation: After pulling out of an indie wrestling event, it is the general belief that the former Erick Rowan is on his way back to WWE. The idea is that he may be a part of Bo Dallas’ rumored Uncle Howdy stable. Stay tuned…

Solve the QR Code message and this is what it leads to. #WWERAW #UncleHowdy pic.twitter.com/VgOyRT30Ux

— ?????? (@WrestlingCovers) April 16, 2024

– WWE NXT Viewership: The April 16 episode of NXT drew 625,000 viewers, slightly down from 647,000 on April 9. The April 9 episode’s 18-49 demographic rating was 0.17, a slight decrease from 0.19. NXT faced competition from an NBA Play-In Tournament game between the Lakers and Pelicans, which attracted 1.9 million viewers and a 1.46 rating on TNT.

AEW:

– Nyla Rose Ban: The state of Oklahoma has declared that Nyla Rose is not allowed to wrestle cis-gendered females anymore. This controversy sparked a huge response, and the Native Beast responded to her supporters on Twitter/X during AEW Dynamite.

Hey… ummmm i’m busy at work right now, but I just wanted to let you all know I see the love, and I feel the love and I appreciate all of you… except of course serpentico. #AEWDynamite is on right now. Please watch it.??

— Rizzie McGuire? (@NylaRoseBeast) April 18, 2024

– WWE to AEW: Longtime WWE Spanish language commentator Carlos Cabrera has signed with AEW. He started on Dynamite this week.

– Ruby Pregnant: Ruby Soho announced during the AEW Rampage taping this week that she is pregnant. This doesn’t seem to a storyline.

– Forbidden Door Plans: Bodyslam.net reported that AEW is planning to have Joshi star AZM back for Forbidden Door.

– Goodbye Bay-Bay: Adam Cole is off the road with AEW. The travel was getting in the way of his recovery progress, so he’s taking time off to focus on his ankle injury. That is terrible news for The Devil storyline.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:

• AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Adam Cole is eager to get back into the ring, but AEW fans shouldn’t expect that to happen any time soon.

According to Fightful Select, the former ROH and NXT Champion has not attended recent AEW events and is reducing his travel schedule so he can recover as quickly as possible.

Cole hasn’t been able to wrestle since September 2023, when he broke his ankle in 3 places at AEW Grand Slam while jumping off the entrance ramp. The injury was undoubtedly painful and disappointing for Adam Cole. It also derailed the company’s top longterm main-event storyline based around his rocky friendship with MJF.

Britt Baker released several photos of Cole’s ankle, including an x-ray showing the breaks. She credited his determination and said his love of wrestling will ensure he gets back to doing what he loves.

This guy broke his ankle in 3 places on a freak accident. He still hobbled around on live tv because as we like to say “the show must go on”. @AdamColePro gives his entire heart and soul to pro wrestling. He’s one tough cookie and this is just a small bump in the road. He’ll be… pic.twitter.com/Aya1JWTTvF

— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) September 28, 2023

A month after the injury and approximately seven months ago, Cole checked in on social media. He thanked everyone who shown him support while he works through the most ‘emotionally challenging’ injury of his career. 

Emotionally, this has been the most challenging injury of my career. Without question. Thank you to EVERYONE who has reached out & shown support. Means more than you know.

I will do everything in my power to get back to work doing what I love to do.

Because I’m #AdamColeBayBay

— Adam Cole (@AdamColePro) October 24, 2023

During his time away from wrestling, Cole is keeping busy with another one of his passions: gaming. He and fellow AEW wrestler Evil Uno recently launched the All Elite Arcade Podcast. New episodes are released each week on  YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more.

The Rock’s WWE return on the road to WrestleMania saw a few changes along the way, but Dwayne Johnson’s charisma was turned up to 11 the whole time. Charles Barkley was watching at home, and he noticed how the Great One didn’t lose a step.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Charles Barkley praised The Rock’s recent performance in WWE. The two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer has been paying close attention to WWE programming, and he had to give The People’s Champion his flowers.

“Pat, you know I’ve been watching you guys for a couple of months, and does The Rock have the best personality and charisma on television? Obviously, Roman and Cody and all those guys are fantastic, but The Rock … he’s got that thing, you know when you see a player and go ‘he’s different from everybody else.’ Man, when you see The Rock perform and you go, ‘damn, he’s good.’ His personality, when he’s talking, you’re like ‘oh I gotta watch this.’

"I've been watching the WWE and The Rock is unbelievable..

When he's on television you GOTTA watch"

Charles Barkley #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/iLZgSCaOMG

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 16, 2024

Sir Charles said that he loves Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, and everyone else, but The Rock stands alone. He commended Dwayne Johnson for going away for so long and coming back with “the charisma bug,” something that gained a massive amount of attention for The Final Boss as Cody Rhodes fought to finish his story.

Barkley went on to say of The Rock, “I was impressed. I’ve known him, we’re not great friends, but I’ve known him for a long time, and when I saw him, I was like, ‘He has that thing,’ and when he’s working, I want to watch. He plays the heel perfectly. His charisma, it’s an honor.”

The Rock’s Road to WrestleMania 40

The Rock first called his shot for WrestleMania 40 when he showed up during the Day 1 episode of RAW this year. His reference of sitting at the head of the table was not lost on anyone. After Cody Rhodes won the 2024 Royal Rumble match, he brought The Rock out the next night as he seemingly stepped away from an Undisputed WWE World Title match at the show of shows.

Original plans for WrestleMania 40 did not include the card fans saw in Lincoln Financial Field. The Rock wanted a one-on-one match against Roman Reigns, and that would have happened if the “Cody Crybabies” didn’t speak out. The Rock eventually conceded that Cody should have the main event.

The Rock vs Roman Reigns was the original plan for WrestleMania, with Cody Rhodes not wrestling at the event due to a kayfabed injury. Seth Rollins vs CM Punk was also supposed to happen, but that match was changed to Drew McIntyre after Punk’s triceps injury took him out of action.

The main event matches for both nights of WrestleMania 40 were then changed to facilitate the new direction. The Rock teamed with Roman Reigns to take on Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the first night, with Cody vs Roman getting to battle it out in a Bloodline rules stipulation on WrestleMania 40 Sunday.

Logan Paul’s fans have watched him for years, looking for his reactions to a variety of subjects. When Samantha Irvin called him a “cringe overreactor” after seeing a video of him in the crowd at WrestleMania 40, he just had to say something.

WrestleMania 40 left many fans swimming in a sea of emotions. Cody Rhodes raised his title at the end of the two-night event as the company embarked on a new era. Logan Paul saw it all go down, and he was admittedly emotional. 

Speaking on the Impaulsive podcast, Logan Paul brought up how Samantha Irvin called him a “cringe overreactor” in response to a video of him watching the WrestleMania 40 main event go down. In the end, The Maverick just saw it as ironic, because it was coming from her.

“I got emotional watching Cody win, and the ring announcer bullied me. The ring announcer, Samantha Irvin, bullied me. The fiancé of Ricochet, who I beat twice, she bullied me on Twitter. She called me a ‘cringe overreactor.’ It got a ton of favorites. I took it as irony, because if you see the video of her announcing Cody, she’s sobbing. It’s a funny way to take a dig at me, because I’m a cringe overreactor, bro, I’m an overreactor as f*ck. But, she reacts too, so I thought it was kinda funny.”

Logan Paul’s response to being called a “cringe overreactor” by Samantha Irvin pic.twitter.com/yrpbQ4AC1j

— IMPAULSIVE (@impaulsive) April 16, 2024

Logan Paul in WWE

As the current WWE United States Champion, Logan Paul has a deep respect for the pro wrestling industry. Logan Paul’s last defense saw him retain in a triple threat match against Kevin Owens and Randy Orton at WrestleMania 40.

Logan Paul made a name for himself outside WWE before making his way to pro wrestling. Triple H had to admit that he even laughed at the thought of the YouTuber turned boxer becoming a WWE Superstar.

After seeing a real dedication to the business, even John Cena sang his praises. He said of Paul, “I wish we had found him years ago and this would be his calling. I’m glad he’s found us, because he fits perfectly in what we do here.”

Wrestlemania 40 blew my mind ? pic.twitter.com/6pa2yJ22Nh

— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) April 8, 2024

Samantha Irvin’s WrestleMania 40 Performance

WWE fans noticed Irvin’s voice crack at the end of WrestleMania Sunday as she announced Cody Rhodes as the new Undisputed WWE World Champion. She had to fight through real tears to make that call to the Lincoln Financial Field crowd. 

Samantha Irvin’s name trended during WrestleMania 40 due to her fantastic job as ring announcer. The legendary Michael Buffer even gave her flowers after seeing how she owned the microphone, even through genuine emotions.

AEW and NJPW are gearing up for another Forbidden Door pay-per-view this summer. According to Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net, popular Japanese women’s wrestler AZM will return to the US this summer and is scheduled to compete at this year’s crossover event.

Several top NJPW stars have joined All Elite Wrestling in recent months, including Kazuchika Okada and Jay White. AEW star Jon Moxley just won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, a strong indication that the two promotions have a very healthy working relationship.

The inaugural Forbidden Door pay-per-view was held in June 2022 in Chicago. The main event saw Jon Moxley defeat Hiroshi Tanahashi by pin-fall to win the interim AEW World Title.

Last year, Bryan Danielson defeating Kazuchika Okada by submission in a dream match that fans are still talking about until this day. 

WWE picks their announcers carefully, as they are responsible for providing a soundtrack for the action in the ring. Everyone has their own voice, and Michael Cold has helped the company in significant ways.

Michael Cole entered WWE in 1997, and he has remained a part of the company since then. First as a backstage interviewer, he eventually made his way to the commentary table, where he never left.

WWE NXT commentator Vic Joseph spoke with SEScoops correspondent Scott Fishman for TV insider, where he revealed that Michael Cole wants to help each WWE commentary team member discover who they really are.

“Michael Cole is the greatest of all time. I’ll say it again. He is the greatest of all time. I’ve learned so much from him. Here’s the thing about Michael Cole. He doesn’t want me to be Michael Cole. He doesn’t want Corey Graves to be Michael Cole. We all have our own distinct voices. It’s how you as a listener hear it.”

“When I went to NXT, I didn’t want to be Mauro [Ranallo]. I don’t want to be Michael Cole. I want to be myself. But if you’re the greatest of all time why would you not want to pick a few things from them? There is no quarterback in the world that’s not looking at Tom Brady’s mechanics or Patrick Mahomes’ footwork. If you don’t study people who are the greatest, I think it’s foolish if you don’t. I will take as much as I can from Michael Cole and Corey Graves, for that matter, and mold it into my own. Then hopefully get to their level.”

WWE Commentary Teams

The company has several television shows, with different commentary teams on each program.

• WWE’s RAW: Michael Cole and Pat McAfee. 
• WWE SmackDown: Corey Graves and Wade Barrett  
• NXT: Vic Joseph and Booker T 
• NXT Level Up: Blake Howard and Byron Saxton 
• Main Event: Blake Howard and ‘Road Dogg’ Brian James

WWE will switch around their commentary teams occasionally. The last change came when Kevin Patrick was fired, and that caused the change to what we have today.

The WWE Draft is coming on the April 26th episode of Friday Night SmackDown. The draft will then continue on the April 29th episode of Monday Night Raw. We will have to see how the commentary teams look when the next roster shake-up goes down, but each show has a strong team already.

Welcome to the Daily Drop for Wednesday, April 17, 2024. WWE brought a packed episode of WWE NXT last night, as they continue telling their stories past WrestleMania 40 weekend.

Before we get going, Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes threw down in a cage match at the end of NXT this week. After the show, they had a pretty special moment for fans in the NXT Arena.

WWE:

– NXT Spring Breakin: WWE added a few top matches to the Spring Breakin special event. You can check out the updated card here.

– Rey Mysterio Speaks: SEScoops has an exclusive interview up with Rey Mysterio, where he spoke about his daughter reuniting with CM Punk.

– Foley’s Concussion: Mick Foley said that he had a “wake up call” when he had his last concussion while training. That being said, he has positive news to share.

– Giulia in WWE: Giulia is still heading to WWE, and they already have some plans for her. We compiled an article with some reported spoilers for you here.

– Mandy Rose Snub: Tatum Paxley cut a great promo on WWE NXT this week, where she revealed her love of the NXT Women’s Title. She named off all of the most recent champions, but she did not mention Mandy Rose at all. She also did not bring up how Sasha Banks carried the title.

That Tatum Paxley promo on #WWENXT was amazing … she also didn’t mention Mandy Rose when running through that list of former NXT Women’s Champions…

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) April 17, 2024

– Drew Gulak’s Disappearance: They finally addressed Gulak vanishing from NXT after Ronda Rousey accused him of grabbing the string on her sweatpants.

– Roman’s New Project: Roman Reigns may be taking a hiatus from WWE, but he was spotted filming something new with Kiki Palmer.

AEW:

– Tony Khan Defends Himself: Khan stated that airing the CM Punk and Jack Perry fight footage was the best decision. He said it made a lot of sense.

– MJF’s Status: Although he is out of action with an injury, MJF recently had a meeting with AEW higher-ups. He’s not gone from the company, despite his removal from their online roster.

– Copeland on Retirement: Speaking to Brandon Walker on Mostly Sports, Copeland spoke highly of the acting experience he was able to gain while he was out of the pro wrestling world. He said, “I’ve lived a lot more life. As strange as that sounds, it actually does add to your utility belt out there. As a performer, any kind of performer, they have to dip into a place to pull the character off. It’s the same with wrestling. That, more than anything, is what I’ve noticed coming back. Some of the skillset I got in the acting I did during those nine years off, I did over 100 episodes of television when I was retired.”

– CM Punk Chants: Footage has emerged from the crowd during AEW Dynamite last week, where you could hear “F*ck CM Punk” chants. It doesn’t seem like this was a chant that was participated in by a ton of people.

Meltzer did not lie about the "F CM Punk" chants. Two people chanted it at the end, yelling loudly into their own phone.
Now two people do make up about 50% of that live audience, so I can see where Meltzer thought that this was a big deal. ??? https://t.co/weyRI5uTil pic.twitter.com/3bVbE9YcFn

— AEWNeckbeards™??? (@AEWNeckbeard) April 16, 2024

AEW Dynamite Card (4/17):

• Adam Copeland & Willow Nightingale vs. House Of Black (Julia Hart & Brody King)
• Will Ospreay vs. Claudio Castagnoli
• Chris Jericho will lead a meeting with HOOK and Taz
• Jon Moxley returns to AEW Dynamite as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
• We’ll hear from Mercedes Moné

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:

• AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

A man who waged a lawsuit against WWE and AEW for plagiarism is now behind bars and has he asked the judge to pause his suit. Anthony Duane Wilson filed a request with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on April 10th to pause his lawsuit because he is currently incarcerated. This request for a stay could delay the proceedings against WWE and AEW until Wilson’s circumstances change, or he is able to participate in the legal process.

Wilson penned a letter to the judge, as obtained by PWInsider. In the writing, he asked for his lawsuit against WWE and AEW to be paused, since he cannot properly handle things at this time. He has also already sunk a lot of money into the proceedings.

“Due to my current state of being incarcerated at Trumbull County Jail, located at [deleted], I am unable to properly handle and follow the status of this case in a timely manner at this time.”

“I ask the court to grant my request to stay the case because I have put forth alot of my time and money to file the lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment and All Elite Wrestling, and being that I am of self representation and cannot do it properly at this time, see it necessary to file this motion.”

“I seek this stay not for the purpose of delay but that justice may be done.”

The Lawsuit Against WWE & AEW

Anthony Duane Wilson initially filed a lawsuit against WWE and AEW in August 2023, seeking $250 million in damages and the return of his intellectual property.

WWE and AEW were accused of using his wrestling concepts—like gimmicks, names, slogans, and likenesses—without permission. He claimed this infringement hindered his plans to start his own wrestling company, which also allegedly affected negotiations with Bullet Club members.

Wilson argued that the unauthorized use of his work caused him a variety of damages, which includes lost market opportunities. He also alleged that a conspiracy was at play, where the greater pro wrestling companies were out to derail his plans.

The lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Benita Y. Pearson on November 3rd, 2023, because neither defendant was served within the required 90 days after the lawsuit was filed in August. The dismissal was without prejudice, which allowed Wilson to re-file the lawsuit.

Welcome to the Daily Drop for Tuesday, April 16, 2024. WWE brought a packed episode of RAW last night, as they continue telling their stories past WrestleMania 40.

The biggest talking point has to be Rhea Ripley vacating the WWE Women’s World Title. She suffered an AC Joint sprain and had to vacate the title after an attack from Liv Morgan on the RAW after WrestleMania 40. A new champion will be crowned next week on the 4/22 episode of WWE RAW.

Now, let’s get into today’s Daily Drop!

WWE:

– New Titles: Triple H took the RAW Tag Team Titles off Awesome Truth this week on RAW, and he gave them new World Tag Team Titles. It was quite an awesome moment, where Montreal fans chanted “you deserve it” while Truth thought Triple H was Tommaso Ciampa.

– He’s back, Fella!: Sheamus provided a warning to the rest of the WWE RAW locker room after his successful 4/15 return.

– Young’s NDA: Eric Young stated that he had to sign an NDA before he left WWE. He refused to come back due to an unnamed person, and while reports Vince McMahon was the problem, he could not confirm that due to the non-disclosure agreement.

– Chad Gable Turn: Gable lost to Sami Zayn in the main event of RAW this week, but then he turned on Zayn. Now, Gable is a heel after beating down Montreal’s favorite son in his home city.

– Rousey’s Book: We learned a lot from Ronda Rousey’s book, “Our Fight.” You may check that out below.

– Creed Brothers Impress: The Creed Brothers aren’t messing around. Even though they did not win the triple threat match to become #1 contenders for the new WWE World Tag Team Titles. Team #DIY on that match to claim a shot at Awesome Truth.

– Heyman’s HOF Speech: Paul Heyman had an amazing reaction when a fan stated that his 2024 WWE Hall of Fame speech may have been the greatest ever. As I previously reported, many within WWE regard the speech as the best promo ever cut in WWE history.

WTF???

MIGHT???

POSSIBLY???

We use declarative words on the Island of Relevancy. Words like "definitely" and "absolutely" and "undisputed," "uncontroverted," "shall be acknowledged as …"

MIGHT POSSIBLY my f'n kosher tuchus! https://t.co/tb6XYawGi3

— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) April 15, 2024

– McIntyre’s Contract Status: Drew McIntyre has still not inked a new deal with Endeavor. At this point, he may be a massive free agent in a few weeks.

– The Maverick’s Big News: Logan Paul and fiancé Nina Agdal announced that they are expecting a baby in the fall.

– QR Codes Return: WWE aired another QR code this week on RAW. Those are certainly hinting toward something big.

Solve the QR Code message and this is what it leads to. #WWERAW #UncleHowdy pic.twitter.com/VgOyRT30Ux

— ?????? (@WrestlingCovers) April 16, 2024

WWE NXT Full 4/16 Card:

• Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes – Steel Cage Match
• Dijak vs. Noam Dar – Singles Match
• Sol Ruca vs. Lola Vice – Singles Match
• Ridge Holland vs. Joaquin Wilde – Singles Match

AEW:

– Schiavone isn’t Happy: Tony Scahivone spoke on the All In Brawl footage. He isn’t happy about how things went down at all.

– Moxley’s Defense: NJPW set Moxley’s first IWGP World Heavyweight Title defense.

– Ospreay’s Level: Will Ospreay admitted that he is nowhere near Kurt Angle’s level.

– All In Sales: AEW All In 2024 is scheduled for Sunday, August 25, 2024, at Wembley Stadium in London. As of now, there are 9,771 tickets available, with the current setup accommodating 50,708 attendees. To date, 40,937 tickets have been distributed.

AEW All In 2024
Sun Aug 25 2024
Wembley Stadium, London

Available Tickets: 9,771
Current Setup: 50,708
Tickets Distributed: 40,937

? | +405 since the last update (12 days ago)
? | Days until show: 133 pic.twitter.com/vIjXjAL0cD

— WrestleTix (@WrestleTix) April 15, 2024

– Nikki was almost All Elite: Nikki Bella watched Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut, and she almost called Tony Khan herself. In the end, she decided that being a mother was more important.

– Hardy is Free Agent: Matt Hardy is now a free agent. He confirmed that his AEW deal expired, and he is talking to “everyone” right now.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:

• AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Triple H presented Awesome Truth with the new WWE World Tag Team Championships during the 4/15 episode of WWE RAW. This was a historic moment in front of a frenzied Montreal crowd.

Awesome Truth won the RAW Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 40. Two weeks later, the company did away with those titles and replaced them with totally new belts.

WWE is in a new era, and that has brought many changes. The Undisputed Tag Team Championships were split during WrestleMania 40, and now the RAW Tag Team Titles are no more. In their place, Triple H introduced new titles.

Crowning New Champions on 4/15 WWE RAW

Triple H made his way out during RAW this week and the Montreal crowd was pumped to see him. Then the camera revealed that the ring was done up in its red carpet look, with something covered on a podium in the center.

It did not take long for Triple H’s promo to get directed toward the new RAW Tag Team Champions. Then Awesome Truth made their way to the ring. Triple H revealed that Awesome Truth are no longer RAW Tag Team Champions. They are now the World Tag Team Champions, and that came with new titles.

When The Game revealed Awesome Truth’s new titles, R-Truth flipped out and thought it was an amazing magic trick. Then he mistook Triple H for Tommaso Ciampa once again.

WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!

Paul @TripleH Levesque just revealed the brand new World Tag Team Championship for @RonKillings & @mikethemiz on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/L6LBAO9v3m

— WWE (@WWE) April 16, 2024

Triple H left, but not before taking Awesome Truth’s old titles and putting the new ones around their shoulders. As R-Truth and The Miz raised their new titles up, fans cheered the new belts.

After the new WWE World Tag Team Titles were given to Awesome Truth, they held a triple threat tag team match to decide a new #1 contender. Team DIY, Creed Brothers, and The New Day. In the end, Team #DIY won the match, so they will face Awesome Truth for the new World Tag Team Titles first. That might get confusing for R-Truth, because he thinks they are Shawn Michaels and Triple H.

WWEShop already has the new World Tag Team Champions replica belts available for pre-order here:

Rhea Ripley has been forced to relinquish the WWE Women’s World Championship due to an injury that doctors have told her will keep her sidelined for months. She was injured during the backstage attack from Liv Morgan on the RAW after WrestleMania 40.

The April 15 edition of WWE RAW started with Rhea Ripley making her way to the ring with her arm in a cast. She also had a sullen look on her face, and a bit frustrated at her current situation.

Ripley started by saying, “obviously you guys know what’s going on,” before explaining that she is not medically cleared to compete for a few months. She will also need to vacate her title, The Nightmare was not happy about this.

?????@RheaRipley_WWE has just vacated the Women's World Championship on #WWERaw due to injury. pic.twitter.com/3fDE5uxtLu

— WWE (@WWE) April 16, 2024

WWE Women’s World Title Vacated

Rhea Ripley put her title down, and Montreal members of the WWE Universe were not happy about seeing Mami go.

The fans chanted “bullsh*t,” while Ripley said she agreed with them. She also said the Women’s World Title means the most to her, but she had to put it down anyway.

Women's World Champion @RheaRipley_WWE kicks off #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/2iY6icHthz

— WWE (@WWE) April 16, 2024

After laying down her title, Rhea Ripley cut a promo directly to whoever wins the Women’s World Title. Mami said her revenge tour will before blood.

Liv Morgan has been flexing online after the news broke of her injury. It remains to be determined how WWE will crown a new champion, but you have to imagine that Morgan will be in the running.

Absolutely no doubt in my mind that @RheaRipley_WWE will come back tougher, stronger and more dominant than ever. Thank you, Rhea, for a reign that the entire @WWEUniverse can be proud of. pic.twitter.com/oea07IlAUl

— Triple H (@TripleH) April 16, 2024

Morgan came out to rub salt in Ripley’s wounds after being warned that the Eradicator will hurt her. Security had to separate them, and then Ripley took out a security guard with a headbutt for good measure.

It was later announced during RAW that they will crown a new Women’s World Champion next week in Columbus, Ohio during their 4/22 episode.

• Rhea Ripley Excited For Future Dream Match With Jade Cargill

Drew McIntyre has yet to sign a new contract with WWE and may soon become one of the biggest names to hit free agency marketing in quite some time. The Scottish Warrior’s contract situation has been well-documented over the past several months. 

McIntyre recently confirmed the key details of his situation. During a recent appearance on the Masked Man Show, the multi-time World Champion said he’s younger than people think, feels like he’s in prime of his career and plans wrestle for many more years. 

When could we see him wrestle elsewhere as Drew Galloway? According to Fightful Select, Drew McIntyre’s WWE contract expires in June 2024 and negotiations remain ongoing. 

His likeness featured prominently on advertisements for the upcoming WWE Clash at the Castle: Scotland premium live event scheduled for Saturday, June 15 from Glasgow.

Drew McIntyre remains one of the most talented and capable wrestlers in WWE. Approximately 7 years into his second run with the company, he’s been a mainstay of the main event scene. 

He ended Seth Rollins’ historic reign to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40, albeit for just a matter of minutes. That reign was short-lived due to Damian Priest cashing in Money in the Bank on a fallen McIntyre, who had just been taken out by CM Punk.

He’s been embroiled in a heated feud with CM Punk, although that match will wait until Punk’s injury heals and he’s medically cleared to compete. The recent World title win and (highly entertaining) rivalry with the company’s most controversial figure show that WWE thinks a lot of McIntyre and feels confident they’ll ultimately reach an agreement.

Influencer, businessman and podcaster Logan Paul can add “expectant father” to his long list of titles.

Fresh off another successful WWE United States title defense last weekend at WrestleMania 40, the PRIME Superstar just dropped his biggest announcement yet: he and fiancee Nina Agdal  are expecting their first child together.

In typical Logan Paul fashion, the news was delivered via an Instagram post that included the caption, “Another Paul coming this Fall.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C5yaunQOq5V

Nina Agdal is a Danish supermodel who has graced the covers of magazines and appeared in popular television shows (Entourage), a Super Bowl commercial and more. 

• Check Out: Nina Agdal on Instagram

Paul and Agdal have been dating since 2022. They were engaged last summer amid this jaw-dropping setting in Lake Como, Italy.

SEScoops wishes congratulations to the happy couple!

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:CuemMXqu2PO

AEW has signed some big named over the past several months, including Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mercedes Mone. After seeing Mercedes debut in AEW, Nikki Garcia almost joined that list. On the latest episode of the Nikki & Brie Show, the multi-time WWE Women’s Champion disclosed that she almost picked up her phone and called Tony Khan about doing business. After giving it serious consideration, she decided against it because she wants to devote her time to being a mother to her son, Matteo.

“Since we’ve been lifting so much, we always say, we always start to get that wrestling mindset, ‘We’re going to go back and do this story and cut this promo.’ You get it, but how serious I got where I was like, ‘Okay, I think I can do maybe a year at AEW and I can do it every week.'”

“When I saw Mercedes [Mone] debut and cut her promo, that line stuck with me, ‘Here, we’re going to make the evolution worldwide.’ I was like, ‘They do.’ It goes into many leagues, is what she means, it doesn’t have to be at one place. It can be at all these places where all these women are wrestling at. I go, ‘Brie, I think I can do it for a year. I can do it here to here and go every week.’

Then, I thought of Matteo. I had a good week of like, ‘This is it. I’m going to call Tony Khan. I’m your girl. I will commit.’ Then, I was like, ‘I can’t do that to my son right now. He needs me,'”

You can listen to the full episode embedded here, including Nikki’s comments about nearly calling AEW President Tony Khan:

Nikki Bella’s WWE Career and Exit

Nikki Garcia made a name for herself for years in WWE as Nikki Bella. Her contributions to the company helped spearhead the Women’s Revolution in the company, where she was placed on top of the card for years.

During that time in WWE, she achieved several notable accomplishments in the company. Nikki is a two-time WWE Divas Champion, and she was named Diva of the Year for three consecutive years in 2013, 2014, and 2015, with the 2013 award being shared with her sister, Brie Bella.

Additionally, Nikki was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020, alongside Brie as members of The Bella Twins.

Nikki Bella retired in 2018 because of neck and spine issues but made a comeback at the Royal Rumble in 2022. The Bella Twins left WWE in 2023 after their contracts ended to pursue independent ventures.

Since her WWE exit, Nikki has hosted Barmageddon, a show that aired after WWE RAW for a while. It was not lost on fans when Michael Cole internationally omitted her name while promoting the show during RAW.

Nikki Bella later commented on that snub from WWE to say, “I think more than anything, it’s disappointing. I worked there for 16 years and I helped paved the way for them. Not only that, they’ve always been family to me.”

Non-disclosure agreements became a hot topic in pro wrestling, thanks to the hush money scandal that led to Vince McMahon’s WWE departure. The company’s practice of NDAs extends past that scandalous situation, as even Eric Young agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement with WWE.

Eric Young requested and was granted his release from WWE in April 2023, shortly after re-signing with the company in November 2022. At the time, it was reported that his decision came after Vince McMahon returned to an official capacity in WWE as part of the deal with Endeavor.

Speaking to Sunday Night’s Main Event, Eric Young revealed that when he rejoined WWE, he never physically left his home for work. He signed a non-disclosure agreement, which still restricts him from naming specific people, but he did acknowledge that he refused to return due to someone who was around.

I actually never left my house (after agreeing to return to WWE in 2022). I mean, the whole story’s wild. Again, I had to sign an NDA, and I’m not allowed to say names… (Host asked if Young’s NDA is as ironclad as Janel Grant’s NDA) I don’t know. It depends if it goes federal or not. I mean, I might be able to say everything here within a few months but, the truth is, I don’t need to talk badly on it.

It is what it is and I talked to Hunter and he hired me back and wanted me back there and I was and another person came back and I won’t work for that person, I won’t be around that person and I said that when I left there the first time when I got fired and I meant it and you know, for me, there was tons of professional reasons.

WWE’s Non-Disclosure Agreements

On January 25th, Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon, alleging sex trafficking and sexual assault. McMahon resigned from his position on the TKO Group Board of Directors after Slim Jim pulled their sponsorship on the day before the 2024 Royal Rumble event. He has since denied the allegations, stating his intention to clear his name.

The lawsuit led WWE to distance itself from McMahon, who had previously led the company for over 40 years. In the summer of 2023, McMahon was served with a grand jury subpoena for documents related to allegations of sexual misconduct against current or former WWE employees.

Additionally, it was revealed that Janel Grant and at least four other women had previously entered into Non-Disclosure Agreements with McMahon regarding similar allegations. Grant’s legal team has since said that the amount of people coming forward to issue their own complaints about McMahon is overwhelming.

Eric Young’s Impact Wrestling Exit

Young expressed confidence that he could still work at WWE today. He remains in close contact with Triple H and holds him and the majority of the WWE staff in high regard.

Regarding his departure from IMPACT, Young disclosed that he had no plans to return after signing a four-year contract with WWE.

In 2022, Eric Young concluded his time with IMPACT Wrestling, as he exited their television stories after he was stabbed by Cody Deaner. This angle was designed to write him off as he was transitioning back to WWE, a move that never truly materialized.

AEW signed a few notable names over the past few months, but they did not re-sign Matt Hardy. The veteran tag team specialist is now a free agent after his deal with Tony Khan’s company expired.

Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, the veteran pro wrestler opened up about his contract situation. He is a free agent right now, but he is still talking to AEW. Hardy also made it clear that he is speaking with “everyone” at this time.

“Yes, I am a free agent now. Just negotiating, talking. I have interacted with everyone, still interacting with AEW, and that’s where we’re at right now. Whenever my deal ended up running out, that gave me the opportunity to negotiate and speak to everyone available, really weigh in my options, and that’s what I’m doing right now.”

Matt Hardy’s AEW Run

Matt Hardy entered AEW on the March 18, 2020, episode of Dynamite. He brought his Broken gimmick to the company, but it was abandoned during those Daily Place episodes. Later on, he transitioned his character into more of his Big Money Matt persona before starting the Hardy Family Office stable.

In 2022, Jeff Hardy finally joined Matt in AEW, and he turned babyface in the process. Although Jeff and Matt’s contracts were initially set to expire at the same time, AEW froze Jeff’s deal due to the time off he took to deal with personal issues. 

While the 49-year-old Hardy’s AEW contract was set to expire, there were discussions within the company regarding an extension. The idea was that this extension might last a few weeks past WrestleMania, but no such agreement was arranged.

AEW’s Recent Cuts

Although AEW has signed a few big names recently, including Kazuchika Okada, Mercedes Mone, and Will Ospreay, they also released several names as of late. 

The list of released talent includes Anthony Henry, The Tate Twins who are also known as “The Boys,” Stu Grayson, Gravity, Dasha Fuentes, Slim J, Parker Bordeaux, Jose The Assistant, and Jora Johl. Not signing Matt Hardy to a new deal could also be considered a cut as well.

Rossy Ogawa has launched a new Japanese women’s wrestling promotion, as expected. A press conference was held Monday morning to announce the launch of Marigold Dream Star Fighting.

Marigold been a long time in the making, with reports that Rossy was exiting Stardom to start his own project and taking talent with him. The company’s inaugural event, “Marigold Fields Forever,” is set for May 20 at Korakuen Hall. It broadcast live on Wrestle Universe with commentary in Japanese and English.

The will feature a tag team match pitting Giulia and Sareee on opposite sides, with partners to be announced soon.

May 20 Korakuen Hall
Inaugural Show!!
“Marigold Fields Forever”
?Main Event
Giulia & X vs Sareee & X

Live on https://t.co/vDwXf9pjwZ
with English and Japanese commentary!!#Marigold pic.twitter.com/AOkVzsBTGM

— Marigold Joshi (@Marigold_Joshi) April 15, 2024

Marigold Roster

Rossy has compiled a roster of former stars from STARDOM and Actwres girl’Z featuring these 13 wrestlers at launch:

• Giulia
• Utami Hayashishita
• MIRAI
• Nanae Takahashi
• Mai Sakurai
• Yuzuki (now using the name Victoria Yuzuki)
• Nao Ishikawa
• Natsumi Sumikawa
• Miku Aono
• Misa Matsui
• CHIAKI
• Chika Goto
• KOUKI

Giulia, who recently appeared at NXT’s Stand & Deliver event during WrestleMania weekend, is assisting Ogawa with the new promotion before her transition to WWE.

Rossy’s Controversial Exit from 

Ogawa was dismissed from Stardom in February amid allegations of attempting to poach talent as he exited. He denied these claims but confirmed his plans to start this new promotion.

Many top stars were thought to be leaving Stardom as well, including Utami Hayashishita, MIRAI, Mai Sakurai, and Yuzuki, who all had contracts set to expire at the end of March.

In early February, it was reported that Giulia would postpone her WWE debut in order to fulfill her commitment to assist STARDOM founder Rossy Ogawa with his new promotion. The STARDOM standout has said in the past that she had unfinished business in Japan.

Welcome to the Daily Drop for Monday, April 15, 2024. You never know what will happen every day in the pro wrestling world.

Before we get going, The Rock dropped a video update for fans. After giving a health update and calling Seth Rollins the MVP is WrestleMania 40, The Final Boss made it clear that he has his eyes on a return to the ring: “What an honor it was to share the ring with you three. What an honor it was to for us to break records, and now my sights are set on the next WrestleMania, but that’s conversation down the road.”

Now, let’s get right into today’s Daily Drop!

WWE:

– WWE Releases: We took a closer look at the last four shocking internal WWE releases.

– Big E’s Relationship: The New Day Member, who has been historically quiet about his personal life, revealed that he is dating Mia Yim’s sister, Kris Yim. Best of luck to the both of them.

– Jade Cargill Cosplay: Cargill said that she is waiting for the right moment to break out her Storm cosplay ring gear.

– WWE Draft: Two NXT Superstars are reportedly a lock to get a main roster call-up this time around. We will have to see where they land.

– Redbeard Rumors: Erick Redbeard had to pull out of an indie wrestling gig due to contractual issues. Most assume this means he is on his way back to WWE, because that is a common excuse for cancelling gigs before someone appears on television.

WWE RAW Card (4/15):

• Cody Rhodes appears
• WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley responds to Liv Morgan’s attack
• WWE Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Chad Gable
• Finn Balor vs. Jey Uso
• Andrade vs. Dominik Mysterio
• Sheamus returns
• Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri
• Chelsea Green & Piper Niven vs. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter

AEW:

– Ospreay Inspired: Will Ospreay said he hopes to be an inspiration for those with autism, dyslexia, and ADHD.

– Omega Surgery: Kenny Omega will not rule out surgery yet for his diverticulitis issue. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to have cleared up.

– Ricky Starks Defends Tony Khan: Absolute Starks decided to defend Tony Khan from Twitter/X trolls.

– Julia Hart’s Injury Status: Julia Hart experienced a concerning shoulder situation during last week’s Dynamite, and some feared an injury. It has been reported that she’s in the clear. Despite initial worries about her condition, Hart is still scheduled to compete at AEW Dynasty next week.

– AEW Collision Viewership: The April 13th episode of AEW Collision attracted an average overnight viewership of 442,000, scoring a 0.1 rating in the 18 to 49 demographic. This marks a decline from the previous episode, which had 463,000 viewers and a 0.15 demographic rating.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:

• AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

WWE just celebrated the biggest WrestleMania weekend in company history. With over 200,000 fans attending the events in Philly, the company was quickly back to business as they fired some high-profile internal names.

The recent round of “spring cleaning” came as Dan Ventrelle, Sid Scala, Trent Wilfinger, and Sue Aitchison were let go. Each one of those cuts were notable.

Dan Ventrelle

Many fans were surprised to discover that Dan Ventrelle, formerly WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, was released on April 11. He had been with WWE for many years, working closely with Nick Khan and Paul Levesque. He entered WWE by way of the NFL, where he joined the Oakland Raiders in 2003, rising to executive vice president and playing a pivotal role in the team’s move to Las Vegas and new stadium construction. After being appointed interim president of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, he focused on community integration and initiatives like vaccine verification before his departure in May 2022.

Trent Wilfinger

WWE cut Trent Wilfinger, who was Senior Vice President of Athlete ID & Development. He started his tenure at WWE in the summer of 2021, concentrating on Global Athlete Strategy & Development under Paul Levesque. Prior to WWE, he spent more than ten years at the fitness company EXOS.

Sue Aitchison

WWE Hall of Famers were not immune from the recent releases. Sue Aitchison was the longtime Director of Community Relations at WWE. After joining WWE in 1986, Aitchison had a 38-year tenure. During her time in WWE, she significantly influenced WWE’s community outreach and enhanced the company’s partnership with Make-A-Wish. In recognition of her contributions, she received the Warrior Award at the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019, inducted by Stephanie McMahon.

Sid Scala

Known as the British Superstar for many fans, Sid Scala was released from WWE in the last wave of internal cuts. He had been part of the company since the start of the NXT UK brand in 2017, serving as the Assistant General Manager with Johnny Saint. The NXT UK brand was absorbed by the OG NXT show, with NXT Europe still in the pipeline, but delayed due to the Endeavor takeover.

WWE’s New Era

WWE is entering into a new era under Triple H’s leadership. Vince McMahon is out of the picture, and some notable exits have followed, including long-time WWE executive producer Kevin Dunn in December 2023.

Lee Fitting, who entered WWE from outside the pro wrestling business, brought his expertise from ESPN to replace Dunn as head of production. We will have to see how these remaining spots that came open this week will be filled.

The company went through a major change as Endeavor merged WWE with the UFC. Now as a new company, fans are seeing how things will operate after WrestleMania, and there have already been some notable changes roll out this week.