Will Ospreay has challenged any wrestler in the world who thinks he is the best, to come and challenge him for the AEW International Championship.

The Aerial Assassin took part in the post Double or Nothing 2024 media scrum after defeating Roderick Strong to win the title at the PPV event. The AEW star was asked if he was thinking about his family while winning the title.

Ospreay explained that he is always thinking about his family and they are the most important aspect of his life. He also took a jab at the people who criticize his decision to pick a lighter work schedule, asking them to show anyone who is better than him:

“I think about my family in every decision I ever make. My family is the most important aspect of my life and yeah more time with my family was the main reason why I took this job but also becoming one of the best professional wrestlers on the planet. I think a lot of people want to look past that. They just think I’m not working as hard but like if you can show me a wrestler that is working at the same level as I am…like, be my fucking guest bro. This is the one thing that I’m like, very stern upon and very happy to say.”

I Dare You To Step Through The Door: Will Ospreay

Will Ospreay later expanded on his comments about testing AEW’s partnerships with different companies around the world as the International Champion. He claimed that in his hands the International Title is the best title in the world and anyone who thinks they are better can come and challenge him:

“I’m opening the doors to any professional wrestler that is willing to step through the door and to try and take this championship off me because right now, for me this championship has the lineage of kind of like the workhorse title, right? That’s kind of like what everyone wants to call it. When it’s in my hands, this title is the best wrestling title in the world. And if you think that you are the best wrestler in the world, then I dare you to step through that door. I’ve got the keys to that forbidden door, and it’s very hard to knock through it.”

• Wrestling World Reacts To AEW Double or Nothing 2024

You can check out the full Double or Nothing media scrum below:

The Young Bucks are proud of what they’ve achieved with AEW in 5 years.

The AEW EVPs picked up a big win at the 2024 Double or Nothing PPV when they teamed with Kazuchika Okada and Jack Perry to defeat Bryan Danielson, Darby Allin, and FTR in an Anarchy In The Arena match at the show.

The brothers took part in the post show media scrum where they talked about the 5-year anniversary. Matt Jackson noted that it’s crazy to revisit the MGM Grand Garden Arena once again for the 5th anniversary of AEW’s first show.

This Is Unbelievable: The Young Bucks

The Young Bucks then claimed that no other company has been able to achieve in 5 years what they have been able to accomplish with AEW:

“What we have accomplished here at AEW, it’s unprecedented. I feel like there’s a lot of ungrateful folks, some people in this room. Some people in the locker room, a lot of people out there tonight.

What we’ve done in five years, no other company — no other wrestling company, certainly, has ever done. And I think that sometimes you’ve gotta stop and you gotta smell the roses, and go ‘Look at what we’ve done! Look at the PPVs we’ve had. Look at the in-ring matches that we’ve had.’ This is unbelievable!”

The Bucks later talked about their new limited-edition Reebok Pumps and introduced miniature AEW World Title belts that you can tie to your shoes.

The media scrum also featured the AEW President Tony Khan who revealed that they have been thinking about introducing new Mix Tag Team Championships.

You can check out the full AEW Double or Nothing media scrum below:

Tony Khan has been thinking about adding yet another championship to the AEW line up though it may not be what fans are expecting.

The AEW President took part in the post-Double or Nothing media scrum to discuss the event. He was asked about the potential of adding a tag team or a trios title to the women’s division.

Khan claimed that they have talked a lot about potential championship additions to AEW. He explained that they are currently trying to build the company’s Women’s Division back to its previous strength. Tony specifically gave the example of the 2021 All Out PPV which featured a 21 Women Battle Royal as well as a singles match between Britt Baker and Kris Statlander.

It Would Set AEW Apart: Tony Khan

Speaking about a potential tag belt for Women, Tony Khan revealed that he actually has interest in introducing mixed tag titles for competitors:

“Those are both very interesting championships, I also think something different we could do here, that I have had interest in, would be mixed tag team championships. I think we have a lot people that are lined and said yes and nodded really quickly when I said that because a lot of people would be interested in that too. That’s different than what other major promotions have, and I think it would set AEW apart. So I’m also interested in mixed tag team championships.”

Tony Khan also commented on the return of MJF to AEW and his announcement to stick around the promotion. He said that seeing the Salt of The Earth return on the 5-year anniversary of AEW was a great moment for fans.

Apart from Khan, The media scrum featured names such as the new TBS Champion Mercedes Mone who claimed that joining AEW actually saved her life.

You can check out the full Double or Nothing 2024 press conference below:

Swerve Strickland knows MJF challenging him for the World Title is a real possibility but according to him, the returning star has a lot of work to do before he gets a shot at the title.

The Salt of The Earth made his triumphant return at tonight’s Double or Nothing PPV and confronted Adam Cole. After taking out Cole, MJF confirmed that he will not be leaving AEW anytime soon.

Swerve took part in the post-Double or Nothing media scrum after successfully defending the AEW title against Christian Cage at the PPV. He was asked about the possibility of the Devil challenging for his title, and Strickland said that it’s a real possibility:

“It’s a possibility, and that’s the beauty of this whole company: everything’s possible. I know he has probably some unfinished business with what Undisputed Kingdom did to him and Adam Cole, he probably wants to finish up some things. But it just goes to show you, I’m not one of the ones you can just walk over and come at any time, any place, anywhere when you see fit. While you were gone, I was building. And while I was building, I was making this place a fortress.”

You’ve Got Work To Do: Swerve Strickland

Swerve Strickland said that he is not against MJF challenging for the title at a future date. According to the current champion, however, our favorite scumbag will have to prove himself worthy of a title shot first:

“So you can come in. And I’m not even saying you can’t even challenge for the World Championship. But you got work to do, just like I had work to do. You’ve got work to do. Show me something, because this ain’t the same All Elite Wrestling from where you left.”

The AEW star said that the company has changed a lot since MJF lost the AEW title at the World’s End PPV in December last year. It’s up to the former champion to figure out where he fits in this new picture of the promotion.

You can check out the full Double or Nothing media scrum below:

Mercedes Mone says wrestling not only changed her life, but it also saved her life.

The CEO made her in-ring debut for Tony Khan’s promotion at tonight’s Double or Nothing PPV from Las Vegas. She defeated TBS Champion Willow Nightingale to win her first title in the company.

The new champion took part in the AEW media scrum after the show. When asked how it felt to return to the ring after over a year of inaction, Mone claimed that AEW saved her life:

“Wow. How did it finally feel after a year of being away from something that I loved since I was a little girl? Wrestling has not only changed my life, but saved my life. And coming here to AEW has saved my life, Tony. It’s given me new hopes, new dreams, new chances, new opportunities.”

AEW Is Where The Best Wrestle: Mercedes Mone

Mone put over her opponent for the night, Willow as one of the greatest women she has ever stepped in the ring with. Mercedes then claimed that AEW showed tonight that WWE is not the only place for wrestlers:

“It feels so incredible. I’ve been waiting for this moment, really ever since I got signed to AEW. But really, for the past two years, not knowing where I was going to be. What was going to happen after leaving WWE, what was going to be next for me. Because a lot of times in wrestling, people think WWE is the only place. And I think tonight, we showed the wrestling world that it’s not the only place. AEW is where the best wrestle.”

Mercedes Mone later talked about Double or Nothing being the 5 year anniversary of the company’s first ever show and claimed that they are going to show the world that AEW is the best place to be.

• Former World Champion Makes Surprise Return At Double or Nothing

You can check out the full AEW Double or Nothing media scrum below:

Bryan Danielson received a huge ovation from the crowd after tonight’s chaotic Double or Nothing main event ended and the show went off air.

AEW delivered everything they had promised and more for the Anarchy In The Arena match between Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry & FTR, Darby Allin and Danielson. This included Darby Allin getting hit by another bus and Jack Perry being set on fire by a flamethrower.

Toward the end of the bout, The Young Bucks hanged Darby Allin upside down from a cable in the middle of the ring. The former TNT Champion’s teammates tried to make the save for him but all their efforts proved to be useless.

Bryan was the last man standing for his team and had the upper hand over the Bucks. He delivered the Busaiku Knee to Nicholas Jackson through a chair and went for the pin. Okada however, broke the pin and delivered the Rainmaker to the former WWE star.

The AEW EVPs followed it up with the EVP trigger. Danielson still tried to help Allin but Perry finally landed a running knee and the Scapegoat pinned the wrestling veteran to pick up the victory for his team. The show ended with The New Elite celebrating their victory.

After the show went off air, Bryan Danielson remained in the ring as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. The former World Champion soaked in the moment before removing the AEW shirt he was wearing. Bryan then came out of the ring and accepted the ovation from the fans while standing at the ringside railing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrI2g1z1SQI

Bryan Danielson’s AEW Future

Danielson is in his final year as a full-time performer and he revealed recently that his current AEW contract actually expires before the upcoming All In 2024 event from Wembley Stadium on 25 August.

Though Tony Khan has said that he would like the wrestling legend to stay with his promotion forever in whatever role Bryan chooses for himself after his current deal.

Elsewhere in the Double or Nothing PPV we also saw a big title change and a much-anticipated return of a former AEW Champion. You can check out all about it here.

Will Ospreay is the new AEW International Champion and it appears that he is planning to make the title truly international in his reign.

The high-flying star challenged Roderick Strong for the title at the Double or Nothing PPV from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The ending of the bout saw Orpreay countering a backbreaker with a running forearm and then he used the Storm Breaker to become the new champion.

AEW cameras caught up with the Aerial Assassin after his big win. Commenting on his future plans, Will Ospreay said that he is a man who hunts for gold and this title won’t be his last:

“This championship might be the International Championship to a lot of people, but this is the Billy GOAT Title for now. Allow me to tell you all, just because I hold this treasure, just because I hold this championship, doesn’t mean that I am done. I am a man that hunts for more gold. I am a man that voyages to other places to collect championships. Anywhere, and everywhere. This championship was forged and made on the day of Forbidden Door. Luck has it, Forbidden Door is right around the corner and let me tell you guys, I am the Forbidden Door.”

EXCLUSIVE! NEW #AEW INTERNATIONAL Champion, @WillOspreay, has a message for @RoderickStrong, & anyone else looking to come for the "Billy Goat Title"! pic.twitter.com/Hsd5wptnw6

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 27, 2024

All Around The World

Will Ospreay also talked about the working relationship AEW has with different companies such as NJPW and CMLL and hinted that he is planning to defend the title all over the world:

“This championship does not have any inclusion to AEW. We have working relationships with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, CMLL, STARDOM. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can wrestle the STARDOM girls, right? We allow our talent to wrestle at Revolution Pro, DDT, all around the world. The door open, but not politely, because I am the keyholder to that door. I would love to show everyone how easy it is for the international Billy GOAT to hold the door closed with one hand and to carry the world in the other. Mark my words, this ain’t the end. I am Will Ospreay. On. Another. Level.”

Elsewhere in the show we saw the long-anticipated return of The Devil MJF who made his contract status with the company very clear. You can click here to read everything the Salt Of The Earth had to say on his comeback.

Bryan Danielson has compared the troubles of Jack Perry to his own WWE firing back in 2010 due to his actions during Nexus’ debut.

The former World Champion spoke to Sports Illustrated recently to discuss this Sunday’s Double or Nothing PPV from MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Bryan is set to team up with FTR and Darby Allin to face The Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada and Jack Perry in an Anarchy In The Arena match at the upcoming event.

Speaking about his teammates and opponents, Bryan noted that he knows what FTR and The Young Bucks will be bringing to the table for this bout. He explained that they don’t know how Okada would fair in a chaotic match like that and the two young stars will be wild cards in the fight:

“I’m not sure what Jack Perry will bring to the match. Honestly, I’m a little scared of what Darby is going to bring to the match. How about that flamethrower on Dynamite?”

• AEW Touts Triple Main Event For Double Or Nothing

It’s All About How You React: Bryan Danielson

The Anarchy in The Arena match will be Perry’s first bout in AEW since his return to the company. Prior this, he wrestled for the promotion during the All In London event in August 2023 which led to his backstage altercation with CM Punk and subsequent absence that lasted almost 8 months.

Speaking about the troubles Perry has had to face in the past few months due to his scuffle with Punk, Bryan Danielson said that we’re all put into weird situations from time to time. He recalled one such situation he experienced firsthand when he briefly got fired from WWE in 2010:

“We’re all put in weird positions, some of our own making and some that have nothing to do with us, It’s all about how you react to it. When I got fired [by WWE in 2010] for choking Justin Roberts and spitting in [John] Cena’s face, it turned out really well for me. But even in the moment, when you lose a steady paying job, I knew I’d land on my feet. I haven’t spoken with Jack. Is he mad about it? The name ‘Scapegoat’ implies he is. I don’t know his mindset, at least not yet.”

The former World Champion noted that he hasn’t been around Jack Perry long enough to know how he will react to a match like Anarchy In The Arena. This is going to change when he steps in the ring with the 26-year-old this Sunday.

Bryan Danielson made his WWE main roster debut when Nexus attacked John Cena and destroyed everything at the ringside during the main event of the June 7, 2010 episode of Raw.

The 43-year-old was fired from the company for being too violent during the segment. Though he was re-hired by the officials not too long after. He made his return during the August 15 episode of Raw.

The influence of Eddie Guerrero can clearly be seen in the evolution of Dominik Mysterio and Rey Mysterio wishes that his best friend was here to witness the progress of his son.

The Master of 619 recently had an interview with Peter Rosenberg to promote the upcoming A&E Biography: Legends episode focused on Eddie that will premiere this Sunday, May 26.

During the interview, Rey reflected on the infamous feud between him and Eddie with Dominik being in the center. Mysterio said that he wishes Eddie was still here to share the ring with Dirty Dom:

“It was such a cool moment. Such a cool phase of our lives, I should say, because not only mine, I know even though Dom was young, to be able to be in that position, and at his age, absorb everything that happened. Not only that night, but the months prior to that, him being part of the story, major part of the story and the connection that he had with Eddie as well.

The one thing I wish it would have happened and this would have changed the dynamic incredibly. If Eddie would still be here and just to see Dom and Eddie in the ring that would have been…that’s one of those dreams, that it’s never gonna happen, but I wish…that would have been a big opportunity for me to just witness.”

It Would Have Been Such An Incredible Time: Rey Mysterio

They also discussed how different Rey Mysterio’s current feud with the Judgement Day star would have been if Guerrero was still around. The WWE Hall of Famer revealed that he still thinks about how different moments would play out if Eddie was still here:

“I’ve had moments where I just overthink scenarios if Eddie would still be here. My mind just goes crazy. Just thinking about all the things we could have done, Eddie and Dom with me involved. It just, it would have been such an incredible time. It’s unfortunate that we will never experience that. But maybe in the heavens, when we’re all up there. We can do a special match for God.”

Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio had been friends since the early 90s and shared the ring with each other many times in different stages of their careers in different promotions. Their most memorable encounter came at the 2005 SummerSlam event in August when Guerro faced Mysterio in a ladder match with the custody of a young Dominik being on the line.

Guerrero unfortunately passed away only a few months after this match in November 2005 at the age of 38. While Eddie may not be with us anymore, his legacy lives on and there are many current wrestlers who credit the late star for inspiring them to get into the business.

The Great Khali has joined the neck tattoo club of wrestling.

The former World Champion has been going viral in India recently for his involvement in the ongoing general elections and his collab with the world’s shortest woman Jyoti Amge.

One development fans may have not expected to see however is Khali getting a neck tattoo rivaling that of the current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

The former WWE star real name Dalip Singh Rana visited famous Delhi artist Karan for this tattoo of a tiger. This is a play on his real name Singh, which is a word describing the king of the jungle:

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C7Ls2uKR5j0

The neck tattoo wasn’t the only ink Khali got done on his visit to Karan. He also got a full right arm tattoo as a tribute to his mother.

The Great Khali’s Post WWE Career

The Great Khali has continued being a celebrity in India following his exit from WWE in 2014 after a successful run with the company.

The Giant opened his own wrestling school dubbed Continental Wrestling Entertainment in Punjab. Wrestlers such as Dilsher Shanky and Kavita Devi have been signed by WWE after beginning their careers with CWE.

The WWE Hall of Famer joined the current ruling party of India, BJP in 2022. He has been active in the ongoing general elections, making appearances to promote local candidates for BJP in the states of Punjab and Haryana.

He also recently went viral for his video with Jyoti Amge. Amge is the world’s shortest living woman according to the Guinness World Records and Great Khali was seen lifting the record holder in a video he shared on Instagram.

Cody Rhodes had some choice words for Logan Paul after their Undisputed Title match at WWE King and Queen of The Ring PLE from the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The two competitors had an incredible match with the YouTube star once again showing off his athleticism. He delivered an impressive top rope frog splash on Rhodes through the Arabic announce desk which became a viral moment. In response, Cody hit the US Champion with a Vertebreaker.

Paul didn’t hold back on the shenanigans either and Logan introduced the brass knuckles in the bout to try and win the match. He had Cody Rhodes almost beat after the referee was knocked down and Paul delivered a low blow.

Actor Ibrahim Al Hajjaj who was in attendance for the show, however, prevented the challenger from using the brass knuckles to get the victory. This distraction allowed Cody to get back his footing and he finally won the match using a series of Cross-Rhodes.

The show went off air with the Undisputed Champion celebrating his victory. After the cameras stopped rolling, Cody cut a short promo where he gave props to Logan Paul and thanked the fans:

“Incredible showing by United States Champion Logan Paul. Well, this is it for now, I cannot wait until I see you all again. God bless you guys, thank you all very much. Take care of each other, have a goodnight, I love you all,”

What Happened At WWE King And Queen Of The Ring

The King and Queen of The Ring PPV saw some surprising winners coming out of the show aside from the expected results in the main event.

This included Gunther who defeated Randy Orton to win the King of The Ring tournament. Though the ending of the bout was not free of controversy.

Liv Morgan also surprised fans by defeating Becky Lynch for the Women’s World Championship after Dominik Mysterio made an appearance to ‘stop’ Morgan from taking Mami’s title.

Becky Lynch was obviously not happy with how things turned out and The Man has demanded a rematch for the title on this Monday’s episode of Raw.

Matt Hardy has opened up about his experience in Saudi Arabia.

The former WWE star visited the country with the rest of the roster for two early PLEs in the Kingdom. He teamed with Bray Wyatt to win the vacated Raw Tag Team Championships at the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018 and competed in a battle royal at the 2019 Super ShowDown event.

During the latest episode of his Extreme Life with Matt Hardy podcast, the Broken One reflected on his experience in the country. He compared the environment there to Los Angeles where the accommodations were luxuries but they had to deal with hot weather. The former Champion also claimed that everyone he met there was super nice to him:

“All those people that came to the show or that we met, they were all super kind. They’re all super nice. I did like a VIP party at one point and everybody there was just as friendly and as kind as it could have been. That’s one of the things that I think sometimes people forget about. Most of the people that live in Saudi Arabia are just normal human beings like you and I that have red blood whenever their skin gets cut open, that have a heart and lungs and whatever else in there, just trying to make it through every day and trying to live the best life they possibly can.

So my impressions of it were that it was nice, and you could see there was wealth in the country. Some of the spreads we had to eat were like outrageously great and good. We were taken very good care of while we were there. The hotel was very nice. The food was very nice. So no complaints on any of that front. And even the people that we met that we worked with that were like more government-type officials they were all very nice. There was nobody that was weird. There was no one that was off-putting.”

• Matt Hardy Reveals Backstage Reaction To Titus O’Neil’s Viral Greatest Royal Rumble Fall

It Made Me Appreciate United States Even More: Matt Hardy

Though despite all the luxuries, all the roster members were still on their toes not wanting to break any laws of Saudi Arabia. Matt Hardy also recalled an incident that made him appreciate the freedoms of US more:

“Probably the strangest thing and this is me being an American, right and growing up in the South. I just grew up [with] my dad, I would get my ass beat if it wasn’t ‘Yes, sir. Yes, ma’am.’ and whatnot. Just the way the women had to wear their outfits in the job whatever you see in majority of the women’s eyes.

Not everyone had to dress fully like that but the majority of the people did. There was one point where I was out on the beach hanging out with a couple guys. A couple guys came in front of us that were wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts, whatever. They say ‘Oh our kids are big fans. they would love to meet you.’ They said ‘If you can wait a second our wives are taking care of them’ Their wives were over there and they’re fully dressed in the outfits the wives have to wear during the day when they’re out on public.

And it was just, that was strange, you know, and I guess everybody that was there was just very much on their toes. They just wanted to act proper because you didn’t want to do anything that would break laws in Saudi Arabia obviously, just because it’s a very different culture from us. It is what it is. We knew what we were going into. It was a very different culture. They live very differently than we do here in America. I feel like even the experience of going over there made me appreciate America and the United States even more just because of all the freedoms we have.”

The latest WWE PPV from Saudi Arabia dubbed King and Queen of The Ring will be airing live from the Jeddah Super Dome on May 25.

WWE’s visits to Saudi Arabia always make headlines and their shows in the country are filled with memorable moments. Not all of these moments however are planned in advance.

Former WWE star Matt Hardy talked about his experiences of being part of some of the early WWE shows in the Kingdom on the latest episode of his podcast.

During the episode, he was asked about one such moment that Hardy got to witness firsthand, which was Titus O’Neil’s hilarious fall during his entrance in the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. Hardy branded it as the ‘craziest most insane thing ever’:

“It was just the craziest most insane thing ever. I remember everyone saw him slide underneath the ring and everybody was like ‘he’s dead.’ I mean everybody felt like he slid into a portal and he’s now somewhere in the 15th dimension. It was just so crazy that he ran and slid.”

It Was So Crazy: Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy mentioned that Titus could have hit the steel posts beneath the ring and got seriously injured. The former Prime Time Player however, somehow managed to come out unscathed:

“In the middle of the frame, of the ring there’s like an iron or steel post that’s big and thick that goes to the floor. Everyone’s like ‘Oh my god, if he slid in and hit his neck on that thing, he broke his neck.’ He made it in and he got out unscathed, which was crazy.

It was so crazy. It was just like such a viral moment because if you would have planned that you couldn’t have done it in 1000 takes. It just happened on that one take and he was able to get in and get out unscathed and uninjured. It was crazy.”

Hardy was part of two WWE events in Saudi Arabia. He teamed with Bray Wyatt to win the Raw Tag Team Titles at the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018 and competed in the 51 Men Battle Royal won by Mansoor at Super ShowDown in 2019.

WWE will be running their 11th PPV event from the country called King and Queen of The Ring from the Jeddah Super Dome today on May 25. You can check out the streaming details and full match card for the show here

Kelly Kelly’s run with WWE is iconic in many ways. Not only did the high-flying star break the stereotypes of female competitors with the moves in the ring but she also set new fashion standards for stars to come with many iconic looks in her career.

However while the former Divas champion put a lot of thought into many of her ring gears, there were some that came together accidentally but she kept them going for many reasons.

The wrestling veteran recently sat down with McKenzie Mitchell to talk about some of her most memorable looks. During the interview, Kelly was asked if she ever had to borrow a part of her ring gear from someone else and she recalled the late Ashley Massaro lending her wrestling boots one time:

“I know I talked about Ashley a lot and I just I love her and I miss her. I had a match and I didn’t have wrestling boots. She gave me her black Puma wrestling boots. She let me keep them and I wrestled in those every week, forever. I still have those to this day. But it was just so cool. She was like, ‘Hey, yeah girl here I got these.'”

According to Kelly Kelly, the Puma boots were so comfortable that she continued wrestling in them for a long time and she has kept them even now:

“They weren’t like regular wrestling boots. I love that because they were like they’re just lace up boots but so great to wrestle in because I didn’t want those big chunky wrestling boots. I never thought they were cute. I needed to be able to move, you know? So those boots and I still have them to this day.”

Kelly Kelly joined WWE back in 2006 and continued competing till her departure in 2012. During her run, Kelly won the Diva’s title once and feuded with names such as Maryse, Nikki Bella and Beth Phoenix.

The former champion has made occasional appearances for the company in recent years including her participation in the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble and the Evolution PPV in 2018.

Ashley Massaro joined WWE in 2005 and was featured regularly until she asked for her release in 2008 to care for her sick daughter. She unfortunately passed away in May 2019.

Randy Orton was told by doctors he should retire during his most recent hiatus.

The Viper is one of the longest-tenured WWE talents in the current roster. He has consistently been wrestling for the company for over 2 decades and he has competed in thousands of matches since his debut in 2000.

This longevity however comes with its own consequences. Orton found this out when he had to take 18 months off from WWE programming due to a serious back injury in May 2022. He finally returned to the company at the Survivor Series PPV in November 2023.

The Legend Killer opened up about his long recovery process during a recent interview with SportsKeeda. Randy Orton revealed that after taking a look at his injury, top neurologists were telling him that he should retire to preserve his body:

“I had top neurologists telling me, ‘You know what? You had a great career, you have a life after wrestling, and you wanna be comfortable. You don’t wanna be in pain the rest of your life. We’re gonna fix your back, but you’re gonna have to stop wrestling’. The first six months that I was out, I had that in the back of my head, and it was tough. It was mentally very challenging.”

While Randy is looking better than ever since his return to the ring, the months away from wrestling have definitely given him a new perspective and forced him to think about the end of his wrestling career.

The former world champion recently stated that he doesn’t want to have to convert to a part-time schedule like we have seen some other legends do. It’s likely that he will retire from active competition when he turns 50.

Randy Orton is currently competing in the ongoing King of The Ring tournament. Gunther has already entered the finals taking place in Saudi Arabia on May 25. Orton will be looking to do the same when he faces Tama Tonga in the semi-final on this Friday’s episode of SmackDown. 

The Young Bucks felt great dropping Tony Khan on his head.

The AEW EVPs have completely changed the perception about them in many ways since returning to AEW Programming after a short hiatus in January this year. The duo that have always been criticized for focusing on moves, have been doing some of the best character work of their careers.

The decision for them to be the team to wrestle Sting in his retirement match at Revolution was originally criticized by many fans. Not only did the brothers deliver the performance of a lifetime in this bout, but they have also taken the heat from it to become one of the hottest acts in the business.

One defining moment that helped them reach this status was when Matthew and Nicholas Jackson attacked their boss and AEW President Tony Khan during the April 24 episode of Dynamite. They beat Khan up with the help of Jack Perry and then laid him out using the ‘Tony Khan driver’

The AEW stars spoke to Sports Illustrated about this moment and said that it felt ‘dangerous and rebellious.’ Matthew Jackson claimed that he knew they had done the right thing when his phone lit up afterwards:

“The locker room gasped when it went down. Afterward, my phone lit up like a Christmas tree. It was probably the most feedback I’ve ever received for anything I’ve ever done, so I know it worked.”

The AEW EVP declared that it was something he had wanted to do since they first met with the Jacksonville Jaguars Executive:

“It was personally great for me, because I had fantasized many times about dropping Tony Khan on his head ever since I met him. I can remember many times watching him talk during production meetings, and my mind would wander to beating the hell out of him,”

We Kept An Eye On Him: Young Bucks

The Young Bucks also talked about the return of Jack Perry on AEW TV. The 26-year-old had been absent from AEW programming since his infamous All In scuffle with CM Punk in August last year.

When Perry first surfaced back on the wrestling scene in January, it was for NJPW and not AEW. Per the Bucks, they had been keeping an eye on the young star since then and giving him advice:

“We kept an eye on him the entire time he was gone and helped him navigate the situation–a familiar one that we had also gone through. We also talked him down a few times. We gave him advice on how to succeed in Japan.”

Jack Perry became the fourth member to join the new Elite after Kazuchika Okada when he returned to AEW in April. Speaking about taking the former Jungle Boy into their group, Bucks said that they had empathy for the young star for being treated unfairly:

“Jack unfairly ate crap for a very long time. So we had a lot of empathy for him, and we were very excited to help launch his comeback.”

The Elite have been running the company to their liking in recent weeks after adding both Okada and Perry to the group. Their dominance, however, will be challenged by Team AEW consisting of Bryan Danielson, FTR, and Darby Allin at the upcoming Double or Nothing PPV on May 26 when they meet in an Anarchy in the Arena match.

The Undertaker is one of the most unique characters in the history of pro wrestling. One of the things that made him stand out were the different ring gears he wore through the years as his character progressed.

The Dead Man recently talked about things such as his Hall of Fame speech, the boxing match of Tyson Fury & Oleksandr Usyk and more in a new Q&A on his Patreon page.

The former World Champion also discussed his ring gears. When asked which was was his favorite gear of all time, Taker said that it was his post-American badass set up because it was most comfortable:

“My favorite gear was the singlet with the kind of leather-ish-looking pants. I guess it was the modified Undertaker that I came back after the American badass run where I kept the pants but went back… you know had the singlet, the MMA gloves. It was just the most comfortable to move around. I never really liked the tights but I say that and I see a lot of people what they wear and it’s like…a little decorum please, as far as ring gear. But the leather pants, the singlet, the duster, the hat, MMA gloves, that was probably my favourite.”

• The Undertaker Comments On Underwhelming WWE Drafts

The Undertaker’s Python Pants

Taker later discussed some of the gears that he wasn’t a fan of. This included his python pants from Survivor Series 2000 match against Kurt Angle as well as the bat wings he wore for his match against Mankind in Madison Square Garden at Survivor Series ’96:

“I didn’t like the Python pants and I didn’t like the Undertaker pirate kind of look where I took the bat wings and I descended into the garden. That was so much cooler in my brain. The application wasn’t quite as cool as it was in my brain. In my brain, I was like ‘This is scary. This is gonna be so scary people are gonna freak out’ and then I just kind of looked like a jacked-up Gene Simmons.”

The Undertaker also revealed that he didn’t like changing his gloves, knee pads, and boots very regularly and told a story about Triple H making fun of his worn-out boots.

Cody Rhodes has said that he regrets not having Shawn Spears in the ring for his celebration after the WrestleMania 40 win over Roman Reigns.

The American Nightmare recently had an interview with The Babyfaces podcast. He discussed things such as The Miz throwing him a crazy party for his 21st birthday and more.

Cody has long history with The Chairman, going all the way back to their time in Ohio Valley Wrestling. Spears was one of Rhodes’ first mentors after Dusty Rhodes decided to put them in a tag team because Spears had more experience than his son.

The American Nightmare talked about this time and mentioned how Shawn Spears was the one who carried him through the rivalry with former WWE tag team Deuce ‘n Domino:

“You mentioned Shawn Spears. So Shawn Spears, during the Deuce-Domino-Cherry, during this rivalry, I had no fundamental experience. I couldn’t tell you a top wrist lock from a double quarter. I had no fundamentals. But they didn’t mind because they were teaching me from the story perspective first. That’s how Al [Snow] would like to teach and Shawn was there to lead me through it, and he does not get enough credit from me for how special he is.”

He Is A Blessing To The Business: Cody Rhodes

The Undisputed WWE Champion later recalled meeting Shawn Spears backstage on the day of his big win over Roman Reigns. Cody Rhodes claimed that he regrets not having Spears with him for the post-match celebration at the Show of Shows:

“He is the only person that I regret I didn’t have in the ring after WrestleMania because I saw him that day and we just took a picture together and he was just like he always was. He knew what this day was, he knew it was big and the opportunity to go and I could take it all if I wanted to and gosh dude, I wouldn’t be where I’m at without Shawn Spears. He is a blessing to the business and I am so glad to see him in NXT.”

The American Nightmare is scheduled to defend his title against Logan Paul at the upcoming King and Queen of The Ring Premium Live Event from Saudi Arabia on May 25.

After leaving AEW at the start of the year, Shawn Spears returned to WWE during the February 27 episode of NXT. He has been active on the brand as an on-screen talent ever since and has also been helping produce the shows behind the scenes.

Arn Anderson’s advice to young talents like MJF is to focus more on building moments instead of doing more moves. The wrestling veteran recently had an interview with WrestleBinge for Sportskeeda and spoke about topics including Cody Rhodes meteoric rise to the top of WWE.

During the interview, Arn was asked why he thinks today’s matches are not as memorable compared to the matches of the past. The AEW star explained that back in the day they used to build a match around just one big moment:

“You know why? Because we built a match around one big thing usually that would occur during a match. Today’s mentality is do a bunch of just spectacular, which it is, athletically unbelievable things and string them all together. The problem with that is, to the naked eye there I just saw six unbelievable things, but I don’t remember what was third, second, fourth because it’s just too much. In the old days we had to make everything mean something because you had to do that every single day, sometimes for 365 days a year.”

You can watch the full interview with Arn Anderson here:

‘You’ve Got Only One Body’

Later in the discussion, the Four Horseman original was asked for his thoughts on Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). Anderson first said that the former AEW Champion has unlimited potential. He then advised MJF and others to protect their bodies in the ring.

“I think MJF is unlimited in what he can achieve in this business as long as…You gotta take less chances in this business than a lot of these guys take and I’ve seen him do things. Were they spectacular? Yes. Were they athletic? Yes. Were they incredible? Yes. But did they particularly need it? and I’m using him as an example but it’s kind of across board. You just don’t beat your body up, you only got one, to the point that before you know it, you’ve had a brilliant five-year career.”

Many wrestlers have spoken about having a “bump card,” a term used to describe the finite number of bumps a wrestler can take throughout their careers. You take a bump, you ‘punch’ the card. If you don’t take care of your body, your bump card will fill up and your career can be cut short.

MJF lost the AEW World Championship to Samoa Joe at the Worlds End PPV in December 2023. He was supposed to start a feud with Adam Cole who cost him the title after the show but the Salt of The Earth had to take time off due to a shoulder injury.

The former champion reportedly underwent a surgery and currently there is no timetable for his return. He spoke with Jason Solomon for SEScoops just before Worlds End and detailed the injuries he was working through at the time.

Former WWE star Peyton Royce has said that she is ready to make a WWE Royal Rumble return if offered an opportunity after previously having turned down a similar role.

The former IIconics star recently spoke to Ring The Belle where she discussed things such as wrestling Kris Statlander before she was famous, planned dream matches in WWE that were cancelled and more.

Discussing the disappointing reign IIconics had with the Women’s Tag Team Titles in the company, Peyton Royce said that they made the best of the opportunities they were given:

“Obviously, if I could have written that title reign my way, it would have gone a bit differently to the way it actually went. But as I said everything happens for a reason. We can only control so much. We had fun and we made the best of every opportunity that we had.”

Peyton Royce Is Ready To Return

During the interview, Royce was asked if she would be open to making a surprise Royal Rumble return to WWE after having turned down the opportunity in 2022. The female star said that she would love the chance to catch up with old friends:

“Yeah, I’m open to it, for sure. I would love that. It’d be so good to catch up and I mean, it’s the Royal Rumble. We said no last time because we were still pretty hurt about it but, I feel healed now and I feel like I’d love to do that if the opportunity came.”

Peyton Royce was signed by WWE back in 2015 and is most widely known for her tag team with Billie Kay called The IIconics. The IIconics had a successful run with the company which includes winning the Women’s Tag Titles at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.

Their reign, however, didn’t last for long and they lost the title in August that year. The IIconics were disbanded following a loss to the Riott Squad in August 2021 and they were released from the promotion during the April 2021 budget cuts.

The duo was offered a spot in the 2022 Royal Rumble while they held the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Tag Team Titles. It was the same Rumble where the then Knockouts Champion Mickie James made an appearance.

While Impact Officials were willing to approve the gig, the former WWE stars turned down the offer, feeling that it wasn’t the right time for a comeback.

Former WWE star Reggie aka Sidney Akeem has opened up about his WWE departure and claimed that he is keeping a very positive attitude about his future.

The 31-year-old had his first post-WWE interview with Fightful where he discussed the journey from his signing with the company, the many highlights of his run and finally his departure from the promotion.

The former WWE star first spoke about his mindset following the company’s decision to not renew his contract. He explained how times have changed and said that he is in good head space:

“I’m very positive. The news came three or four weeks ago, I’ve been in really good spirits. It’s not how it was a couple of years ago when releases were happening and people were devastated. I know it’s still tough, but I’m in a good head space.”

Reggie noted that he had done circus for 16 years before joining the world of pro wrestling. According to him, he was ready to go to the indies had WWE not offered him a contract in 2020 and that’s what he is going to do now.

A Life That Many Would Kill For: Reggie

The star who was later repacked as Scrypts in NXT also detailed the call he received about his departure. He revealed that the official calling said that he was a joy to work with and the door was open for his return down the line.

Akeem mentioned that he is able to keep a positive attitude because he knows that many people would kill to have the life he has:

“My brother is heavy in drugs right now. My grandmother is sick. My other brother is in jail. My other brother is in a mental hospital from a car crash when he was 16.

I have people that are constantly dying back in St. Louis, and I’m living a life that many would kill to be in my shoes. I have nothing to be upset about. This is just another obstacle, another hurdle that I have to jump. It wasn’t a bad call at all.”

Sidney Akeem signed with WWE back in January 2020 and made his debut directly on the main roster as Reginald Thomas. He was initially paired with Carmella and also had multiple runs with the 24/7 Championship.

Reginald was moved to NXT in October 2022 where he was repackaged as Scrypts. The former champion was let go earlier this month when WWE chose not to renew his contract.

A challenge has been made for AEW President Tony Khan to step inside the ring at the upcoming Forbidden Door PPV next month.

The AEW owner announced on Twitter earlier this week that Konosuke Takeshita will be facing Jon Moxley in an IWGP World Title Eliminator match at the Double or Nothing PPV on May 26. If Takeshita wins this match, he will earn the right to challenge for the title currently held by Mox.

NJPW star EVIL who is set to challenge Moxley for the belt at the Dominion event on June 9 has taken an exception to this announcement. While speaking to Tokyo Sports, he questioned Tony Khan’s authority to make the bout concerning the NJPW title.

Tony Khan Challenged For Forbidden Door Showdown

The Japanese star claimed that he is the ‘highest authority’ of New Japan and suggested a ‘presidential showdown’ between the two at the upcoming PPV:

“You’re doing whatever you want, and I’m not going to stand by and watch. Don’t act like you’re an equal to me, the president of an organization that’s not that big. My company and your company are not of the same caliber. You don’t seem to know your place, so I’ll give you a lesson. You can stand in front of me (at Forbidden Door). Next time you won’t be wearing a corset. You and I are on different levels,”

EVIL is not the first NJPW star to speak against the treatment of the IWGP Title by AEW Authorities in recent times. Yota Tsuji had previously questioned NJPW management’s decision to put the belt on Moxley in the first place.

The Third Annual Forbidden Door jointly hosted by AEW and NJPW will be held on June 30 from the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

Considering the recent remarks from NJPW talent, it appears that there will be some bitter competition between the two rosters this time around instead of the friendly warfare we have seen in the past.

The quotes in the article have been translated through Google Translate

WWE star Ivar has addressed his current status amid all the conflicting rumors going around about his health and wrestling future.

Chatter about the wrestling star’s status began after WWE pulled him from an announced match. At first it was reported that Ivar was just taking some time off from the company and he wasn’t really injured.

Fresh reports since then, however, have contradicted the early statements. A photo posted by Andrews Sports Medicine team on Twitter further confirmed that the heavyweight star was dealing with a legitimate issue.

One-half of the Viking Raiders tag team then took on his Twitter to set the record straight. Ivar confirmed that he is indeed dealing with a legitimate serious injury:

There has been alot of misinformation floating around about me. Let me clearify:

Yes I am injured
Yes it is very serious
No I have not had surgery

Still trying to figure out all options and what this means for my future.

Continued…

— Ivar (@Ivar_WWE) May 17, 2024

The WWE star said that he will do everything he can to get back in the ring as soon as possible and thanked the fans for their support through this ordeal:

“No matter what happens, I owe it to everyone who ever believed in me to do everything I can to get back in that ring, under those lights, and infront of the most amazing fans on the planet, see you as soon as I can! That being said, I Want to thank everyone for the out pouring of love and support, not only after finding out I was injured but thru out the last several months, I have heard you all!”

Ivar’s Injury

Ivar was originally scheduled to compete in a triple threat #1 contender’s match for Oba Femi’s NXT North American Championship at next week’s episode of NXT.

However he, alongside the other two competitors of the match Wes Lee and Josh Briggs were taken out by Gallus on this week’s episode of the Tuesday night show.

The company then taped next week’s episode of the development show in advance and excluded the heavyweight star from the lineup. Ivar was also replaced in the ongoing tournament to determine the #1 contender for Ricochet’s WWE Speed championship.

Fightful Select later provided some more updates on the 40-year-old’s health. They claimed that Ivar has ‘long wrestled as if he’s on borrowed time after his double fusion surgery.’

The nature or the severity of Ivar’s current injury is not known. So it’s hard to say how long he will stay out of action or when can we expect him back on WWE programming.

SEScoops will continue monitoring the situation and you can follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with the wrestling star’s status.

Jey Uso believes any young person trying to break into the wrestling business should focus on learning the art of it properly instead of chasing the clout.

The former Bloodline member recently had an interview with the Battleground podcast. He discussed things such as JoJo Offerman’s reaction to his viral Firefly entrance during Backlash France and more.

Being the son of the legendary Rikishi and part of the renowned Anoa?i family, Jey has practically grown up in the business and knows everything there is to know about it.

The Raw star was asked what advice would he give to a young talent trying to make a name for himself in the industry. Jey Uso explained that anyone who is focused on chasing the fame is going to fail:

“If you’re trying to do this for like, some likes and views and fame this ain’t it bro. Because a lot of homies are lined up for that and they’re all gonna fail.”

Protect What We Love: Jey Uso

The former tag team champion then claimed that aspiring wrestlers should first focus on getting the basics down and try to protect the business they all love:

“I feel like just learn this craft. If you really love it, just start in the ring first. Learn the art of wrestling, right? Like it’s cool with characters, but I always take pride in [that]. Not a lot of people can do the entertainment part, the acting part, let alone do the athleticism in the ring – the moves, the bumps.

The movement with someone else in there is different with two people, let alone four or five. Protect the art, protect the business. If you really want to, get down and learn. Just don’t do what you see on Instagram. You know what I’m saying, Uce? Just protect what we love. It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon.”

Jey Uso has become a singles star since leaving The Bloodline in mid-2023. He most recently unsuccessfully challenged for Damian Priest’s World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash France earlier this month.

The WWE star is currently competing in the King of The Ring tournament. He has defeated Finn Balor and Ilja Dragunov in the tournament and is set to face Gunther in the semi-finals during the May 20th episode of Raw.

Jey Uso has revealed that JoJo Offerman sent him a text after watching his viral Backlash: France entrance featuring the Fireflies.

The ‘Yeeter of Worlds’ recently appeared on the Battleground podcast. He talked about things such as his match with brother Jimmy Uso at WrestleMania 40 and more.

During the interview, Jey was asked if the crowd participation in his entrance made him feel validated as a singles star. The former Bloodline member claimed that the most validated he felt was when Bray Wyatt’s widow JoJo Offerman sent him a message after the show:

“I think the most I was validated was (when) JoJo, Bray Wyatt’s wife, had texted me and said how emotional she was watching. She saw clips of it on YouTube and that let me know right there, ‘Alright, I’m gonna keep it.’ I hope it sticks with me, man. I never asked for it, I never…They did it and I just want to keep it with me now.”

The Fireflies were originally made famous by Bray Wyatt with his Cult Leader gimmick. He used to come out with a lantern during his entrance and the fans started to join in with the flashlights on their phones.

‘Main Event’ Jey Uso

Jey Uso also proclaimed that Backlash was probably his favorite moment in wrestling ever. To him, the arena looked like a wave of stars were falling in and that feeling would never be matched.

Reports suggest that WWE officials were happy with the reaction the former champion got during his entrance in Lyon, France.

The company plans to continue encouraging the fans to bring out the fireflies for him with dim lighting during Jey’s entrance. They also plan to highlight any main stream use of Uso’s theme song like we’ve seen.