WWE Superstar Raquel Rodriguez has revealed a medical diagnosis that has kept her away from in ring action for the last few weeks.
The former NXT star posted a video on Instagram earlier today providing an update on her recent absence. She revealed that she has been diagnosed with a disease called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome [MCAS], which has stopped her from doing the things that she loves:
“What’s up guys. Happy New Year. So long story short. Last year I posted a video about being a WWE superstar with eczema. And in the month of December, it got progressively worse and I have been diagnosed with something called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Basically, I was red, swollen, there was a lot happening in this area physically. It kept me from doing the things that I love, like travelling, going to the gym and wrestling.”
Rodriguez’s last match was at a live event back on December 3. She was defeated by Nia Jax in a singles bout during the house show in Portland. The female star revealed that she has since moved back to Texas to be with her family:
“I also didn’t want to be on camera. I didn’t want to look in the mirror. And I understand that all of those things can mess with someone both emotionally and mentally but thank God I moved back to Texas when I did because I had the best support system in the world during this time, which is my family. I’m so grateful to them and for everything they have done for me and you guys as well who have sent me kind messages and reminded me that I didn’t have to go through this alone.
So to anyone who has been struggling or had to celebrate the holiday season a little bit differently this year. I just wanted to say remember to give yourself a little bit of compassion and grace, for the things that you don’t understand and the things that you can’t control. Life can be really hard sometimes, and it can throw us these crazy curveballs and I know they feel like they’re gonna last forever, but I promise they’re not. This is going to pass. So let’s go into 2024 remembering to give kindness to others and give kindness to ourselves. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen this year.”
A patient suffering from MCAS can experience repeated episodes of the symptoms of anaphylaxis. This can include allergic symptoms such as hives, swelling, low blood pressure and difficulty in breathing.
There is no timetable for Raquel Rodriguez’s recovery or return to action at this point. The WWE star did note in her Instagram post that she will share more on her healing journey as she develops a better understanding of her condition.
SEScoops sends our best regards to the wrestling star as she navigates her treatment.
Everybody has an opinion on the internet and Julia Hart cares about none of them.
The 22-year-old has been one of the break-out stars of AEW in 2023. She picked up a number of impressive victories in the last few months. The female star is ending the year as a champion after defeating Kris Statlander and Skye Blue for the TBS title in a triple-threat match at Full Gear and becoming the youngest champion in AEW history.
She picked up another victory while successfully defending her title against Abadon at the Worlds End PPV. In the post-show press conference, Hart was asked about handling criticism online. The young star claimed that the only opinions that matter are hers and her boss Tony Khan’s:
“When it comes to the internet, it’s different because at the end of the day, the only person’s opinion that matters is Tony and myself. So whatever, the internet’s always going to have an opinion on you. It’s going to be negative, it’s going to be positive.” said Julia Hart,
She continued: “They can think whatever they want because I also remember being a fan and I thought I knew everything as well. A fan doesn’t know everything. What I do know, Tony is my boss and if he says I do good job, I believe him. If I tell myself I do a good job, that’s all that matters. The fans, they can say whatever they want.”
Worlds End was only the third title defence for Julia Hart in her title reign and 2024 will bring even more challenges for her. You can check out the full media scrum featuring the AEW star below:
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
The Rock is teasing a big NFL announcement on the last day of 2023.
The Fox Sports NFL Twitter account recently teased a big news coming our way. Interestingly they tagged XFL in the photo they posted, followed by The Rock promoting the announcement:
A consortium led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson purchased the XFL brand from Vince McMahon back in August 2020, with intentions to once again relaunch the football league.
This came after a relaunch attempt by Mr McMahon himself failed due to the COVID-19 pandemic halting the 2020 season after only five weeks of play.
The league under The Rock’s ownership returned to play in February 2023. They announced a merger with USFL earlier this year, aiming to play a combined season next year.
Now the latest tease suggests that things may be changing once again and we may see XFL and NFL joining hands in some form before the 2024 season.
The Great One is also rumored to make his return to WWE for the WrestleMania 40 build-up. He made a lone appearance back in September taking out Austin Theory in a segment.
His return may take place as soon as this Monday’s Day 1 special of Raw for which Triple H has been teasing the return of a former WWE champion.
Swerve Strickland is not waiting for anybody going into 2024 and if Keith Lee wants to have a match with him, then he’s gonna have to work hard for it.
The two former tag team partners were supposed to finally face each other in a singles match at the Worlds End PPV. Hours before the show, however, it was revealed that Lee was not cleared by doctors. This resulted in a last-minute change in the match card, and Dustin Rhodes stepped up to face Strickland in a match instead.
The Limitless One’s injury was addressed at the Worlds End press conference. In response to a question, company president Tony Khan confirmed that Lee wanted to wrestle at the show and detailed why he wasn’t allowed to do so:
“Keith absolutely did want to wrestle. There is a process there and it involves a doctor examining the wrestler every time before they go out and wrestle but also keeping in touch with him during the week. Keith mentioned he got injured in his match at Final Battle. He had a great match with Shane Taylor hard hitting match in Dallas at Final Battle. Then after that, Keith had gotten back in the ring and had a great match with Brian Cage. Did a great number on Collision.
Keith, today when he went in to see the doctor, his injury had gotten worse during the week and really it was worse than it was after the Shane Taylor match and it was worse than it was after the Brian cage match. The swelling had gone up and with the swelling being what it was the doctor didn’t feel comfortable clearing Keith. So it’s a tough call. But the doctor did what he thought was right and I respect the medical team’s decision.”
On the question of this long-anticipated match taking place sometimes later, Swerve Strickland said that he is done waiting. He explained that if Keith really wants to get a shot at him now, he’ll have to do something to earn it:
“It’s quite unfortunate. I’m done waiting though. I don’t wait on anybody. For me. I’ve been waiting for a while now. Now I have my sights set on something else, and that’s championship gold. So either Keith’s gonna have to work harder than ever in 2024 to reach me at that point or reach to the championship or do something, but I’m not waiting on anybody. If the match happens, he’s gonna have to work hard to get to me at this point.”
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Tony Khan has confirmed that Andrade El Idolo’s AEW contract is expiring at the end of the year and he will not be renewing his deal with the company.
The AEW President took part in the media scrum after the World’s End PPV. Among other things, he talked about this being the 5 year anniversary of AEW and how it means that some contracts are bound to expire. Khan gave a shout-out to QT Marshall who is one of the day one talents leaving the promotion at the end of the year. He then confirmed that Andrade’s AEW deal is coming to an end as well:
“Somebody who has not been with us the entire five years, but they’ve been with us about half the time. They’ve been outstanding and somebody I really respect and I don’t expect to see necessarily, as it stands right now renewing the contract but somebody that I have a great amount of respect for and would be parting on good terms and was tremendous, was here and did wrestle tonight is Andrade El Idolo.
Andrade El Idolo’s contract is up at the end of the year. We’ve had great talks. I have a tonne of respect for Andrade El Idolo. He’s been a huge performer in the Continental Classic week after week I talked about this great run Collision’s been on, Andrade El Idolo has been a huge part of it. Also has wrestled on the other shows and the Blue League of the Continental Classic.
Tony Khan claimed that they would have given a prominent position to Andrade if he had decided to stay with the company. He then praised him for the World’s End match with Miro, saying that he will be leaving on a high note:
“He’s outstanding. I wanted to keep him involved at the top. If we had been able to reach an agreement, certainly he would be somebody we would slot in, in a prominent position. I think we did everything we could to show Andrade El Idolo we really do value him.
I think this last run he’s had in recent months has been tremendous. If this is going to be the way he’s gonna leave AEW, talk about leaving on a high note because he had a great match with Miro tonight.”
Andrade has long been rumored to be on his way back to WWE. A contract expiration means he will be free to make an appearance for any company he likes at the start of the year. With Triple H’s latest tease, many believe that we may see him back in the Endeavor owned promotion sooner rather than later.
You can check out the full Worlds End media scrum below:
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
The new AEW World Heavyweight Champion Samoa Joe has confirmed that we will be getting a new belt for the top prize of the company in his new era.
The Samoan Submission Machine took part in the World’s End press conference after his big win at the PPV. He was asked about the current title design and Joe confirmed that the current belt is ‘going into garbage’:
“Oh this is going into garbage, Don’t worry about that. I mean this trash right here, this little knockoff, BS Lucha stuff that he got going on, this is going away.
We’re getting the good belt, the right belt. Something that’s designed well. I’ve spoken with Tony intensively about it and we’re we’re very much looking forward to it. I mean, we got a whole new era starting up here.”
The current AEW title design was introduced by MJF last year after he defeated Jon Moxley at the Full Gear PPV to win the title.
The Scumbag held the championship for 406 days before Samoa Joe defeated him for the title. Though Joe had a lot of help in doing so.
The new AEW champion had been helped by the mysterious devil who was revealed at the show tonight. You can check out the identity of the masked man here, and read what the future holds for MJF after the show tonight here.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
The Undertaker says that people backstage were ‘pissed’ when The Streak came to an end at WrestleMania XXX.
The Dead Man’s 21-match undefeated WrestleMania streak is one of the most incredible achievements in all of pro wrestling. So much so that the former World Champion even holds a Guinness World Record for this accomplishment. Not only do the fans consider it to be one of the greatest things ever done in wrestling but even talents behind the scenes saw it as a grand achievement.
The Last Outlaw opened up about the importance of the Streak during the latest episode of his Six Feet Under podcast. He mentioned how people first started taking a note of it after his 10th victory over Ric Flair at WrestleMania 17:
“Shortly after the Flair match, that’s when the streak really came alive. It really became special. There were guys that will tell you, and there’s still guys that would tell you like, ‘I don’t care if I’m the main event or not. I want the streak.’
It was such a huge attraction ‘Who is going to be?’ It gets up there 13-0, 14-0. It’s like, ‘oh, is this the guy that is going to beat the streak?’ I’m not the one to tout my own horn but on many occasions, it was as important as whatever the main event was. Is this guy the guy that’s gonna bust the streak? It was just a really special time.”
‘They Were Pissed’: The Undertaker
Unfortunately like all good things, this record was also broken at WrestleMania XXX when Brock Lesnar finally conquered The Streak. According to The Undertaker, people behind the scenes were as emotional in the moment as the fans in the arena and around the world:
“Among fans, even amongst the talent because most of the guys were, they were pissed. They were like, ‘Man, The Streak shouldn’t have been broke.’
That’s the business.I don’t have any decision in that but a lot of the boys that were part of making that streak something, making it mean what it meant. They were like ‘Damn man, why are you taking away? Why are you taking away such a vital part of WrestleMania?’ It was like ‘This is as important as a title match.’
Eddie Kingston will be facing Bryan Danielson in the finals of the Blue League of the AEW Continental Classic, and the build-up for the match is already off to an intense start.
The main event of Collision this week featured The Mad King taking on Andrade El Idolo in the final league stage match of the tournament. Kingston won this match after hitting Andrade with Northern Lights Drive.
After the match, Bryan Danielson came out to confront the winner and the show ended with both the AEW stars staring at each other.
This wasn’t the end of the night, however, and AEW later posted an extended video of the confrontation between the two. In the video as seen below, Eddie Kingston cuts a passionate promo, declaring himself as the King of The Underground.
AEW’s First Continental Classic Champion
Bryan Danielson faced Claudio Castagnoli in his last league match in the opening of tonight’s show. Bryan ended the league stage on the top with ten points after this bout ended in a draw.
The American Dragon will now face Kingston in the finals of the Blue League at the December 27 episode of AEW Dynamite. That show will also feature the finals of the Gold League between Swerve Strickland, Jay White and Jon Moxley.
The survivors of both these matches will face each other at the upcoming World’s End PPV on December 30. The winner will then be declared the first-ever AEW Continental Classic champion.
WWE has changed a lot under the new Endeavor management. The latest proof of it is the apparent agreement between the US based promotion and All Japan Pro Wrestling, which will see a current NXT talent traveling to Japan for a huge match in 2024.
The Japanese promotion has been teasing a new challenger for the AJPW Triple Crown Championship in recent times. The challenger dubbed as ‘Assassin’ has been promoted to face the winner of the upcoming match between Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kento Miyahara on January 3rd.
The company posted a video on social media this Saturday morning, confirming that the mysterious challenger is an outsider.
In the video as seen below, AJPW President Tsuyoki Fukuda is talking to an unidentified caller. During the conversation, the AJPW official can be heard thanking his conversation partner at NXT for sending a ‘strong superstar’:
[Via Google translate] “The assassin that President Fukuda is trying to make into a Triple Crown Champion for 1.3 is an NXT player! ? Is it true, President Fukuda? Are you okay, President Fukuda? ! Agony??
President Fukuda’s office?? Episode 1 “Hello WWE!?”
This is not the first time WWE under the new leadership has extended a hand of friendship toward a Japanese promotion. Earlier this year, we saw Shinsuke Nakamura returning to Japan to face The Great Muta in one of his final matches at NOAH The New Year 2023.
The name of the NXT star who will be traveling to Japan has not yet been revealed. If the announcement video is any indication, the match will be a big focus of AJPW programming heading into 2024.
While Bray Wyatt’s wrestling career was tragically cut short due to his untimely passing, his memory will remain forever. His legacy will forever be cherished by the people impacted by his work. This includes people such as former WWE star AJ ‘Top Dolla’ Francis, who credits the late star for getting him back into wrestling.
The recently released WWE star spoke about Wyatt in an interview with MuscleManMalcolm. He mentioned how he stopped watching wrestling in high school because he didn’t have time. AJ got back into it with the 2011 Royal Rumble event:
“It was really crazy because Bray was one of the reasons that I got really heavy back into wrestling. I watched wrestling from literally before I was one year old until I was like 15. Then not because I didn’t want to watch wrestling. I was just in high school and was playing football and basketball and doing all these different things. I was in the school plays. I didn’t have time to watch wrestling.
So I didn’t watch wrestling for like five years. I didn’t watch wrestling til like 2011. I remember the first event I watched after that five six year hiatus was Royal Rumble, the one where Alberto Del Rio won. The 40 men Rumble with Santino coming back.
That’s why I knew I loved wrestling because I didn’t know who Alberto Del Rio was, I hadn’t watched the product. I didn’t know who Santino was. So I was like ‘Who are these guys?’ But it was so entertaining. That show led to another show there was, led to another and another.”
Bray Was So Good At What He Did: AJ Francis
Per Top Dolla, he had been watching the sport casually and it was The Wyatt Family act that led to him becoming a regular fan again. Speaking about the qualities of Bray that appealed to him, Francis explained that Bray Wyatt wasn’t going over the top to grab your attention:
“Then when I really started getting back heavy into it, is right when The Wyatt Family debuted. I don’t know man Bray was just special. Bray would quote some of [the] deepest thinkers all the time, including civil rights activists.
He was different. He was the kind of guy that…He could talk very low, almost like a Jake The Snake. In a world full of people that would be so over the top to get your attention. He didn’t have to do that because he was so good at what he did. That made me a fan of his.”
AJ Francis was released from his WWE contract in September this year and he officially became a free agent earlier this week. The former WWE star has wasted no time making his move and he has already started a feud with Joey Janela by attacking him at a GCW event.
You can check out Top Dolla’s full interview below:
Former WWE star Hornswoggle was shocked by his WWE release when it happened. At the time he had no idea what to do next. In a tough situation like that, it was a fellow former WWE star in Brian Myers who helped him get back on his feet.
Swoggle recently appeared on Road Dogg’s Oh You Didn’t Know podcast. The former Raw General Manager discussed things such as getting hired by WWE without much wrestling experience and the memorable WeeLC match.
Talking about his release from the promotion in May 2016, the 37-year-old mentioned how he never thought about life after WWE. Like many other names released alongside him, Hornswoggle was also left shocked when it hit him:
“It never hit me. I was there for so long, I thought ‘Oh they can’t fire a midget.’ They did eventually. They fired [El] Torito and I the same day. It was a mass firing. It was that moment where it hit me. The day I got released it was like everything stopped.
It was just this weird moment where I remember sitting on my living room floor and like everything stopped, the whole world almost froze. I sat there and I go ‘Shit. What am I gonna do? I’ve never wrestled independently in all reality. I’ve been paid well, for 10 years of my life, two weeks under 10 years. What am I going to do? I have a child who is in elementary school. As a single dad, what am I going to do?'”
Brain Myers Took Care of Hornswoggle
It was a fellow WWE alumnus who helped Hornswoggle at this time. He recalled calling Brian Myers, better known as Curt Hawkins to WWE fans in a state of shock. Myers not only calmed him down but helped Swoggle take the first step to get back on his feet:
“I remember this first person I called, was Brian Myers, Curt Hawkins. I remember calling him and I go ‘What do I do?’ Because he was released at the time too. He goes, ‘Get up off the floor. Stop fucking crying and I’m calling you back. Give me a bit.’ I go. ‘Okay, great,’ He goes ‘See if those green pants still fit, you got to start working.’
I was expecting a call like, around suppertime with a date or two, he called me back 30 minutes later, with 16 dates. He goes, ‘I got you. Here’s the people. Here’s what you message. Do your thing.’ He goes ‘Let’s have fun. Now is the time to have fun.’
I think about that moment, at least once a week, where it’s like, he was in that world. He got released. And he did not have to look out for me, obviously he was my friend, but he didn’t have to do that. It was one of those like he just wanted me to be okay. It’s something I truly truly like, I’ll never be able to repay that in my life ever.”
Hornswoggle has made appearances for promotions such as Impact, ROH and even AEW since his release. He has also opened his own wrestling school in Wisconsin. You can check out his full interview below:
WWE has changed in a lot of different ways over the past few years. While some of these changes are pretty evident, there are others that are more subtle. One such change that is not talked about as much is in the characters of broadcast personalities.
At a time, the role of show hosts or backstage interviewers was limited to asking questions. In the past few years, however, we’ve seen the broadcasters showing more personality and even getting involved in storylines every now and then.
Kyla Braxton is one such name who has made her mark among other broadcasting talents. Though it’s not something that came naturally to her when she joined the company in 2016. She has had to work hard to get the reorganization from fans. One of the things that has helped Kyla make this transition is her on-screen interactions with Paul Heyman on SmackDown and other shows.
Braxton recently appeared on Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast. She discussed her work with Heyman and gave the Special Counsel a lot of credit for her growth:
“Paul Heyman. I give a lot of credit to Paul. I had so much fun doing all that back and forth with him with the Bloodline. Paul and I were doing Talking Smack together and we didn’t really know each other at the time.
We didn’t really interact a lot and getting to know him on that panel and getting to go back and forth and realising we’re both kind of spitfires helped immensely. Then he got me on camera to do those bits with him on SmackDown with the Bloodline. Now I am the sassy backstage interviewer.”
When asked how the segments with Paul came about, Kyla Braxton revealed that she has no idea how it happened. According to her, Heyman wanted to help her and so he made it happen:
“I don’t even know. I think he just really wanted to help me. He does that with a lot…I see him with talent, other interviewers. He just really wants to see what our strengths are. Then I don’t know he just makes it happen. I honestly don’t know how he made it happen. But he did.”
Kyla Braxton Is Not Intimidated By Paul Heyman
One of the recurring segments featuring the two that fans love is Kyla jump-scaring Heyman backstage for an interview. Speaking about the origin of the running gag, the WWE personality claimed that it wasn’t pre-planned:
“I don’t even remember how the first one happened. A lot of times like Paul and I would just go. There’s not really talking about beforehand. We just [said] whatever happens, happens. I think that his freakout happened on one and it just hit big. So we just kind of kept doing it. [It] got a good reaction, fans loved it.”
Due to his decades of experience in the business and his impressive clientele, Paul Heyman can prove to be an intimidating personality for a rookie talent. Though Kyla Braxton said that it’s not the case with her:
“He can be but not to me. We have great rapport. We have a great relationship. He’s always so helpful. Even if it’s a segment that he’s not a part of he wants to give feedback and give notes. I really appreciate it because everyone’s so busy on those days. There’s not a lot of time to stop and show that you care enough to give feedback. So it’s definitely helped me become a better broadcaster.”
Dominik Mysterio is ready to do anything it takes to earn the respect he deserves.
The 26-year-old has completely turned his image around in one year. After betraying his father at Clash At The Castle last year, he has become one of the hottest stars in all of pro wrestling. Though despite being one of the hardest-working talents of WWE, Mysterio does not get the respect he deserves from fans.
Dirty Dom recently had an interview with The Amin Show to promote the upcoming Elimination Chamber PPV in Perth. Dominik Mysterio was asked if he thinks people don’t respect him because they still see him as the kid from the storyline with Eddie Guerrero in 2005.
The WWE star mentioned how he has wrestled the second most matches for WWE this year. He proclaimed that he will do whatever it takes to get the respect of people:
“No I don’t really know if it like…because when you put it that way, I’ve never really even thought about it that way. I think it’s more of like, they see me as a kid. So it’s kinda like they know me already. They expect a certain thing out of me. It’s like they only see me as this blond-haired, horribly dressed Dominik. Young Dominik that was always so sad.
But no at the end of the day, one way or another, I’m going to make them respect me. Whether it’s in the ring, or what I have to do. Whether it’s getting more titles or more matches. Hell, I’m the second most person that has had matches in WWE this year, with 102 matches. So like I said, if I don’t get my respect, I’ll go out there and get it.”
Dominik Mysterio Is already prepared
Dominik Mysterio was also asked how he can prepare for the Elimination Chamber match which is going to be even more brutal than WarGames. The Judgement Day member mentioned that he’s already been behind bars once, so he is already prepared:
“Yeah, most definitely. I remember growing up watching the Elimination Chamber matches and just thinking just how brutal they were and how, intense. The first thing that comes to mind is Shawn Michaels just bleeding coming down his face just insane, but I don’t know if you can prepare for something like that.
I think the best way I can prepare is I’ve already done it, and I escaped and [I] was bailed out of prison. So the last thing I want to do is go back behind cages. So we’ll see what I can do, man, but I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully I can make my way and sneak into that Chamber match.””
You can check out Dominik Mysterio’s full interview below:
Cody Rhodes believes Seth Rollins is the MVP of wrestling in 2023.
2023 has been a strong year for WWE. The momentum gained after the COVID era has helped the company record some of its best financial numbers since the Attitude Era. A number of breakout performances from rookies and veterans alike have been one of the biggest catalysts of this unprecedented growth.
With names such as Gunther, LA Knight, Rhea Ripley and more contributing to this success, it’s hard to pick one name as the MVP performer of the year. One guy that seems to be on everyone’s radar more than others however, is Dominik Mysterio.
The son of wrestling legend Rey Mysterio has been able to carve a unique path for himself and he has received praise from many industry veterans for his growth this year. One such legend that has been impressed by Dirty Dom is Shawn Michaels, who picked the young star as his performer of the year during a recent interview.
The American Nightmare was questioned about this pick while appearing on The Michael Kay Show and asked to name his own choice for the honor. Cody Rhodes said that for him, Seth Rollins is the real MVP of WWE in 2023:
“That’s a loaded [question] because Dom is a prickly individual. If I was looking at it from tickets sold, merch sold, excitement over matches, genuine body of work, I’d say your MVP is…I’m not gonna say myself, somebody else hopefully will say me, but I’d say Seth Rollins, World Heavyweight Champion is probably somebody who’s more of the MVP.”
‘There Is Something Incredibly Special About The Young Man’: Cody Rhodes
The WWE star didn’t take Michaels’ words lightly despite having a different opinion. He explained that there is something special about Dominik and proclaimed that his future is brighter than anybody else in the business:
Who am I to go against what Shawn Michaels said though. If Shawn Michaels sees something in Dominik Mysterio. That’s huge, because he’s not one that often will make that claim. Dom is…as difficult as he is to get along with, he is incredibly linked to the audience.
I have a feeling that if, Dom Mysterio walks out now, for those of you don’t watch WWE. He walks out and you can’t hear a word he’s saying because they boo him out of the building. I have a sense that Dom will be getting that same reaction two or three years from now but they won’t be boos, they’ll be cheers.
There is something incredibly special about the young man and I’m sorry that I’ve had to beat him so many times. But I look forward to what he does. He comes from good stock, obviously. His future is perhaps brighter than anybody’s.”
You can check out Cody Rhodes’ full interview below:
Mick Foley is hoping that Cody Rhodes will win Royal Rumble this year once again and finally finish his story.
It’s rare for WWE to have more than a month’s gap between two PLEs. This year, however, the company has chosen not to run any main roster PPVs in 2023 after Survivor Series, giving the 2024 Royal Rumble more time to build up stories.
The build-up for Royal Rumble includes many overlapping fueds. One such story is between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, who are both looking to claim that ultimate WrestleMania spot by winning the Rumble.
During a recent appearance on The Bump, Mick Foley was asked who he would like to win the ultimate Battle Royal between these two. The WWE Hall of Famer explained that fans are ready for Cody to finally win the world title:
“I’d love to see Cody back in the main event picture. Yeah, I really would. I think that’s the perfect ending to his story. I know that fans were bitterly disappointed when Cody did not defeat Roman last year, but he went out on his own and he earned something more important than that WWE title. He earned the respect of all the naysayers.
Brock Lesnar will put you through the ringer. When Brock shook his hand, unexpected, he meant it. He meant it. He’s not a back-padder. He’s not a feel good, people person. He really respected Cody for surviving that and the fans respected it. So now they’re even more ready for Cody to claim that ultimate prize.”
Mick Foley Says Royal Rumble Is The Second Biggest PPV
When asked for his advice for talents competing in the rumble, the Attitude Era star mentioned how he’s never won the match himself. Mick Foley, however, did explain that you can still create a memorable impression even if you don’t win the match:
“Let me tell you a quick story. My son Hughie when he was about five. He knew his dad had been a wrestler but he wasn’t alive when I was wrestling. He goes ‘Dad, were you ever in the Royal Rumble?’ I figured I’m gonna grab on to this. I said ‘Not only was I in it, I was in it three times in one night as three different characters,’ And without missing a beat. He looked at me and said, ‘And you still couldn’t win?’ I can’t tell you how to win the rumble.
I can tell you how to make a memorable impression in a rumble. It can only be one winner but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some memorable moments. It doesn’t mean that we can’t have one of the best nights of the year. My feeling is that five years running, I would say Royal Rumble became the second greatest show in WWE, all due respect to SummerSlam and the others.”
You can check out Mick Foley’s appearance on The Bump Below:
Celebrities being harassed by people at airports and other public places is a glaring issue. Many wrestling stars have spoken up about this and names such as The Undertaker, Rhea Ripley, and Kris Statlander have all called out the so-called fans for disrespectful behavior. Being one of the most well-known wrestlers of our time, Seth Rollins has also faced these issues, but he is not losing his faith in humanity over it.
The WWE World Heavyweight Champion discussed this topic in his new interview with Sports Illustrated Media podcast. He was asked about his experience at a recent Disneyland trip with his daughter. Seth Rollins explained that while he did encounter some people who don’t know how to react, most who approached him were very respectful knowing that he was with family:
“You know, it’s funny in a big place like that we often get…like people aren’t expecting to see you so they’re not even really paying attention. You get a fair share of folks coming up asking for photos or just wanting to say hello but I do find that because we’re with our daughter. Most people are super respectful about it. They’ll come up and whisper, give you a little nudge.
You get some people who just like don’t know how to act in public, which, you know, whatever. That’s fine. I’ve been accustomed to dealing with them for long enough but yeah, I would say most people, and this gives me faith in the human race. Most people see us with our three-year-old daughter, and they’re pretty chill about it.”
Seth Rollins Is Not Losing Hope
Seth Rollins then talked about the issue of airport collectors which has been condemned by fans and talents alike. The Architect mentioned how some people use their kids to get things signed, but he explained that it’s more of an exception:
“We get a lot of pseudo-collectors at the airports that are a little funky and a little aggressive sometimes. Again, because we have our daughter people tend to stay away a little bit more but yeah, they’re a bit aggressive.
Sometimes they’ll use their kids, they’ll send their kids up with a figure to sign it. And you’ll be like, ‘Oh, what’s your name? Let me sign it to you.’ They’re like, you can see them like, ‘Oh, no, oh no.’ So that’s not nice. That’s not a nice thing but I do find that that’s not the rule, it’s more the exception. So there’s still faith in humanity to be had man, don’t lose all hope just yet.”
Izzi Dame has put the whole NXT roster on notice via Twitter after making a surprising appearance at NXT Deadline PLE on Saturday night.
The latest NXT event featured a Women’s Steel Cage match between Roxanne Perez and Kiana James. It was a physical affair with both women giving everything they had to try and win the fight.
Towards the ending of the bout, James introduced a steel chair into the match but Perez got hold of it. Perez then tried to escape the cage but Izzi Dame made a surprise appearance and smashed the cage door into her head.
The distraction from Izzi allowed James to pick up the win. It appears that these two NXT stars have formed an alliance as Dame later posted some photos on Twitter and warned the whole NXT locker room:
A former volleyball player Izzi Dame made her NXT debut in May this year. She has been competing at NXT House Shows trying to get as much experience in the ring as possible.
The 24-year-old also competed in the NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament back in October. Though she was eliminated in the first round by Kelani Jordan.
The latest NXT Deadline appearance suggests that Dame has impressed the NXT officials with her work ethic and we can expect to see more of her in coming time.
Seth Rollins has not watched Becky Lynch’s Celebrity Jeopardy appearance because he’s a loyal husband, and also because she wouldn’t let him.
The Man is no stranger to making headlines and being in the center of social media trends. She recently found herself going viral for an unlikely reason, however, as she became the worst contender to ever compete in Celebrity Jeopardy. The former Women’s Champion became the first contestant to not give a single correct answer through 60 clues.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, Seth Rollins was asked about his wife’s Jeopardy appearance. Rollins defended Becky mentioning that she never watched the show growing up. He also touted the huge rating Becky Lynch pulled for the show after the WWE superstar went viral:
“She never watched it. She’s from Ireland. She didn’t have Jeopardy growing up. I don’t think she fully grasps it. When we were younger especially, it’s just massive. Our parents, grandparents everybody watched it. The buzzer’s tricky, the way you have to answer the questions is tricky,
But hey! top rated episode of season. The repeat actually did more viewers, we found out yesterday, than the original airing of the episode. So the buzz that she got, Celebrity Jeopardy people gotta be thrilled.”
Seth Rollins Is A Loyal Husband
Seth Rollins was then asked what he was feeling while going through the appearance. The World Champion revealed that he never actually watched the episode featuring Lynch because she wouldn’t allow it:
“I didn’t watch the episode. She wouldn’t allow me to watch the episode. She said ‘You can’t watch the episode. No way. Can’t do it. Don’t watch it.’ [So] I didn’t do it. I’m a loyal man. I wouldn’t do that to her. If she didn’t want me to watch something. I wouldn’t watch it.”
Though when prompted about potentially making an appearance on the show himself, Seth Rollins claimed that he would make an excellent contestant:
“Absolutely. I would crush some bodies on Celebrity Jeopardy. I am the king of, not useless information, but I do a lot of crossword puzzles. So I know lots of weird stuff. I know lots of stuff that I got no business knowing. I think that would come quite in handy on Jeopardy. I’m pretty decent at trivia.”
This week’s SmackDown was an episode to send the Ruthless Aggression era fans a trip down memory lane, as it featured names such as Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton and CM Punk.
WWE also confirmed the brackets for the announced US Championship #1 contender tournament during the night as the competition kicked off.
The show opened with a first-round match that saw Santos Escobar defeating Dragon Lee. The second tournament match of the night then featured Bobby Lashley who beat Karrion Kross.
CM Punk’s announced appearance on the show gave fans a lot to talk about. The Straight Edge Star cut a promo, making references to Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes and the Brawl Out incident that eventually led to his AEW departure.
What Happened After SmackDown
In the main event of the show, Randy Orton teamed up with LA Knight against the common adversary in The Bloodline. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa represented The Bloodline in the match but they couldn’t get the win.
Orton picked up the victory by delivering an RKO to Jimmy Uso. The broadcast ended with Randy Orton holding up the hand of LA Knight as the pair stood tall.
This wasn’t the end of action however, as fans got to see a rematch between Gunther and Chad Gable after SmackDown went off air. The two arch-rivals put on another great match reminding people of their previous encounters. The bout, however, ended in a disqualification with Gable picking up the victory.
The second dark match of the night saw Cody Rhodes once again taking on Dominik Mysterio. Cody cut a promo after winning the match and he then gave away another table to end the show.
Ethan Page is forever grateful to Matt Hardy for everything he has done.
The AEW star grew up watching The Hardy Boys do all sorts of crazy stunts. It was a dream come true for him when he got to work with the duo during his run with The Firm in late 2022 and early 2023.
The Canadian star recently appeared on Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast. Ethan Page first discussed how his outlook on The Hardy Boyz has changed over the years:
“Back to my convo with Matt last night. He recently put up this clip of…it’s like Broken Matt in his bed and he’s reacting to old things that happened to him in his career. It was all these wild falls and bumps and crashes and just insane things that he put his body through. I’m watching this at 34, almost 20 years into my wrestling career and the thoughts going through my mind compared to when I was a kid watching.
When I’m a kid watching I’m thinking, ‘This is amazing. I want to do that. This looks so fun. Do you see he jumped off the ladder?’ and all this stuff. Now I’m 34, all these years in and I’m like, ‘How is this man alive? How is he walking?'”
Ethan Page On Working With Matt Hardy
Ethan Page then talked about working with Matt Hardy on AEW Dark: Elevation among other shows. He mentioned that Matt always made sure that he benefited from those matches, and explained that both of these veterans deserve their flowers:
“The things that Matt and Jeff have put their bodies through physically. I’ll never comprehend just because of how I feel now and how I have done nothing as close to them and I never will. I promise you. I never will. Both of those guys deserve their flowers forever just for what they’ve done and the fact that they’re still willing to give.
I was just giving Matt praise to somebody in the car yesterday because I feel like there are people in wrestling that, they might be nice and they’re very friendly and cordial. But when it comes down to the business part of things most people are very selfish. Whereas I feel like with Matt, he cares more about delivering a good story, instead of benefiting himself.
I got to work with him for over a year. [We were] very heavily featured on Elevation which gave us a lot of creative freedom, which I’m obviously going to defer to the legend in professional wrestling and he would always look out for me. He would always make sure that I benefited in anything that we did. That’s kind of rare in wrestling. So I will appreciate that from Matt for the remainder of my career and I’ll love that dude forever.”
You can check out Ethan Page’s full interview below:
Ricky Starks is ready to challenge for the AEW world title after his big win at Revolution.
The AEW star was involved in storyline with Chris Jericho heading into tonight’s PPV. The young star beat Y2J once earlier this year, but chose to have another match with him at the show. Starks proved that his first win wasn’t a fluke and he beat the former AEW Champion once again at Revolution.
The former FTW champion explained the reasoning behind accepting this fight in the post-show media scrum. He was asked how soon he will he try to get his rematch against MJF after tonight. Ricky Starks said that his win over Jericho puts him in front of the line for the world title:
“So I’m glad you asked that question. I think it’s important to let everybody know because there’s been speculation of why I beat somebody and then wanted to beat him again. If I did it once I can do it twice. If I beat a former AEW champion, that means that I skip the line. Now I can go back to getting my shot at the AEW championship.
That is ultimately what this whole thing has been about since day one. I am not a dumb, young kid. I know what I’m doing. Obviously, people don’t think that. So after tonight, obviously I feel like I’m in contention to be the guy next up, especially after how December went. I feel like it’s well worth it in my playground to actually go after it. And be a little bit more prepared, honestly.”
While Ricky Starks is ready to go after the world title, MJF proclaims that he doesn’t believe in dream matches. You can check out the full Revolution media scrum featuring Starks, Tony Khan and more below:
If you use any quotes from the article, please creditSEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Tony Khan hopes that Kenny Omega will remain with AEW for a very long time.
There have been lots of rumors and speculations around the future of The Cleaner recently. Omega’s AEW contract was originally set to expire in early 2023. Amid rumors of WWE interest, reports suggest that AEW has added time to his deal which he has missed due to various injuries.
The AEW President was asked about all the speculations surrounding the former AEW world champion during the post-Revolution Media Scrum. While Tony Khan did not provide any update on his contract, he did praise Omega and said that he hopes to have Kenny in his company for a long time:
“No, I think Kenny Omega is one of the best wrestlers in AEW history. He’s one of the most decorated wrestlers. To have somebody who’s been World Trios Champion and had a great match defending that title tonight, World Tag Team Champion and the World Champion. He’s done everything you can do as a world champion in this company, and also the IWGP US champion.
This year alone he’s had some of the best matches in the world. I thought it was an excellent match on the Pay Per View tonight. He started the year with a great match in Tokyo vs. Will Osprey at Wrestle Kingdom. Kenny Omega can do anything he sets his mind to. He’s one of the best stars in the world, and I hope he’s here for a very long time.”
Tony Khan also commented on the weak build for The Elite vs House of Black due to visa issues for Kenny Omega and Buddy Matthews. He said that there is a possibility to revisit this feud in the future.
You can check out the full Revolution media scrum below:
If you use any quotes from the article, please creditSEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Tony Khan thinks that Mercedes Mone is a great wrestler but he wouldn’t comment on any potential talks he has had with the former WWE star.
The current IWGP Women’s World Champion became one of the hottest free agents after walking out of WWE last year. Many believed that it was only a matter of time before she ended up in AEW. The company even teased a mystery competitor for a tag match in January. This led many to believe that Mone would be debuting for the promotion but it didn’t turn out to be the case.
The AEW President was asked about this during the AEW Revolution Media scrum. Tony Khan explained that he has a ton of respect for Mercedes Mone, but he don’t want to comment on any potential discussions with her:
“Well I have a ton of respect for the IWGP Women’s World Champion. She’s tremendous wrestler. I wouldn’t want to comment on discussions I’ve had with any wrestler as a free agent. In particular, a wrestler who’s a champion at one of our partners. But ton of respect for that great wrestler and that somebody any wrestling company would be very fortunate to have wrestling for them.”
Mercedes Mone made her NJPW debut during Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January this year. She then won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the Battle In The Valley event in February. Though it has since been revealed that Mone only has two more dates left with the company in her current contract.
You can check out the full AEW media scrum featuring MJF, Tony Khan and more below:
If you use any quotes from the article, please creditSEScoops with an H/t for transcription
MJF says he is the only pillar holding all of AEW up and he would like his ‘reign of terror’ to last an eternity.
The Wrestling Devil retained his title in an impressive outing in the main event of the Revolution PPV. The company also put over a number of other young stars during the show with people such as Ricky Starks, Wardlow, and House of Black picking up victories in their respective matchups. After the PPV event, it’s possible that one of them gets the next shot at the world title.
The AEW champion was asked who is next in line for a shot at his championship during the post-show media scrum. Replying to it, MJF explained that there are a lot of people he would like to demolish, but he doesn’t do dream matches:
“To be brutally honest, like I said, there’s a lot of people on my radar. I am fully aware that Hangman Adam Paige is a good competitor. I’m also fully aware of how I won this. Anybody know who I beat for this Dynamite Diamond Ring originally? Hangman Adam Page. I think Hangman, is scared of MJF and I think Hangman knows better than to come anywhere near MJF for the time being. There are other people here that I genuinely, really, really don’t like. I also don’t love the fact that a guy like Jungle Boy, or Darby Allin, or Sammy Guevara is allowed to walk around like they are homegrown superstars. Yes, they’re homegrown. They’re very solid. But at this point, I think it is very obvious that there is only one pillar that actually holds this place up. So kinda would like to prove a point there.
Adam Cole was talking shit on Twitter, wasn’t a fan of that. Think he should keep his fucking mouth shut and maybe you should tell his girlfriend is to do so as well. Are there more people? Sure. I don’t like Claudio Castagnoli’s face. I think Eddie Kingston is a cry baby bitch. I think he’s also a little punk and I wouldn’t mind getting a chance to slap him across his blue collar face. There’s a lot of people that I would love to absolutely demolish both on the microphone and in the ring. But as I said, I don’t do dream matches. The only dream I have is to hold this [AEW title] and for the reign of terror to last an eternity.”
You can check out the AEW Revolution media scrum featuring MJF below:
If you use any quotes from the article, please creditSEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Bryan Danielson received a big ovation from the crowd after his incredible performance in the main event of Revolution.
AEW presented a solid PPV from Chase Center in San Francisco tonight with many different kinds of matches featured on the card.
The main event of the show was a 60 minutes Iron Man match where Danielson challenged MJF for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship.
Both the performers gave everything they had in this match. They managed to get three falls each at the end of the allotted time limit, pushing the bout into sudden death.
The ending of the match saw MJF hitting Danielson with an oxygen tank. The Wrestling Devil then locked him into the Lebell Lock and forced Bryan to tap for the victory.
What Happened After Revolution
While Bryan Danielson did not manage to win the match despite his best efforts, his performance still impressed everyone.
The wrestling veteran received an ovation from the crowd with ‘Thank you Bryan’ chants as he recovered after the show went off air.
This wasn’t the end of the night however, as AEW President Tony Khan also came out and thanked the fans after Revolution:
Apart from this, the Revolution PPV also featured a big heel turn, a surprise return and a title change. You can check out the full results of the show below: