Happy Corbin has been feuding with Pat McAfee recently, and he took this rivalry to a whole new level during this week’s episode of SmackDown from Atlanta, GA.

The Lone Wolf attacked the SmackDown commentator out of nowhere on last week’s episode of the show. It led to a backstage brawl between the two.

This week’s episode of the blue branded show then saw Corbin coming out in the arena through the crowd. However, he didn’t get to the ring.

The former US champion was holding a sign featuring a mugshot of McAfee. He revealed that he had bought a ticket and sat behind the commentary desk.

Happy Corbin started yelling at the former NFL player to do his job. Both the stars got into a heated argument as Michael Cole tried to run down the SummerSlam card.

Some officials came down to the ring to try and remove Corbin from the ringside. The King of The Ring winner then threw his popcorn at Pat’s face. He also managed to deliver a low blow to McAfee before leaving the arena.

You can check out the full segment below:

The current WWE commentator was arrested back in October 2010. He was charged with public intoxication, a Class B misdemeanor.

Baron Corbin and Pat McAfee are scheduled to face each other in a one-on-one match at the SummerSlam PPV tomorrow night.

• WWE SmackDown Results (7/29/22): SummerSlam Go-Home Show, Brock Lesnar & Drew McIntyre

The neck injury of Big E is an example of how quickly things can take a turn for the worse in wrestling. His condition didn’t look very bad at first, and people believed that the WWE star will be back soon. However, the severity of his injury has since been revealed and there is currently no timetable for his comeback.

The former WWE champion recently had an interview with The MMA Hour. Speaking about his immediate reaction to the injury, E said that he didn’t think it was a big deal:

“So the bump happens and I can tell right away something went array, but I didn’t think it was that severe. I thought maybe I had a contusion or sprain. I’ve had no neck issues before. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but immediately EMTs rushed over.

Salute to all the doctors and EMTs and everyone because they made sure I wasn’t going to move. My thought was ‘Let me just make sure I’m okay. My fingers. I’m so thankful that I could move my hands.’ I didn’t seem to have any like, there was no nerve pain, no tingling. So I wasn’t really that worried.”

‘I Felt Like A Bullet Went By My Head’: Big E

Big E noted that he expected to be out for a few weeks. However, after learning about the severity of his injury, the New Day member felt like a bullet had passed by his head:

“I really just expected to be told that ‘Hey, your neck is sprained. You are out for a month’, but they told me pretty soon after running a battery of tests and everything that I had broken my neck. They let me know how severe it was. In that moment, in many ways I felt like a bullet whiz by my head.

I felt like the breeze of a bullet went by my head because I very quickly learned that a lot of people die instantly from the same kind of injury. If they don’t die, if your C1 is displaced in a certain way. It can travel towards your brain stem and it can either lead to stroke, it can lead to paralysis or death. For me to come out of all of that, with no nerve issues, no atrophy, to still be alive honestly, is pretty incredible.”

You can check out Big E’s full interview in the video below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Becky Lynch Opens Up About Battle With Depression During Wrestling Hiatus
• Joey Janela Discusses Jim Cornette Fans Harassing His Family Members
• Rey Mysterio Reveals What Vince McMahon Wanted Before His WWE Debut
• Becky Lynch Tells Her Favorite Vince McMahon Story
• Gunther Describes Difference Between NXT And Main Roster

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Becky Lynch is one of the most successful pro wrestlers of the current generation but it wasn’t always the case. The former women’s champion stepped away from wrestling in 2006 and stayed retired for more than six years. According to Lynch, it was a dark time for her and she battled with depression during this period.

The Man recently had an interview with ESPN. Speaking about her early wrestling career, Lynch mentioned how she didn’t look like the girls that WWE was signing at the time. So she joined a bodybuilding competition in hopes of building herself up, but it turned out to be a slippery slope for her:

“At the time, they wouldn’t have signed me. I didn’t look like the models that they had under contract. So I started doing a bodybuilding competition because I thought, ‘Well, maybe if I look like these girls, then I’ll have a chance of getting signed.’

So I started doing this bodybuilding competition. I know there’s a lot of people that do bodybuilding, and they do great. For me, it was a slippery slope right into an eating disorder. [It] really ruined my mental health for a long time. I became depressed.”

‘It Felt Like A Death’: Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch stepped away from wrestling after suffering a concussion during an indie event in September 2006. She spent the next six years trying to figure out something else to do with her life. She also went to guidance counselors for help:

“I couldn’t face up to it. I was so ashamed that I had turned into this dark person in my head. That I hit this, this low point in this depression. I couldn’t identify with myself because I identified myself as being this great wrestler. Then I just I spent so many years trying to find who I was and what lit that fire in me again.

I would go see counselors and stuff. Guidance counselor. [I was] like ‘I was good at this thing, and I loved this thing,’ and they were like ‘Okay well, but you can’t do this thing anymore. So what else are you gonna do?’ It felt like a death I was kind of trying to grieve. I know that’s very morbid and it’s a dramatic statement, but that’s how it felt.”

Thankfully for Lynch, she managed to recover and get back into the wrestling business. She participated in a WWE tryout after encouragement from a friend. Lynch was signed to a development contract in April 2013, and the rest is history.

You can check out Becky Lynch’s full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Joey Janela Discusses Jim Cornette Fans Harassing His Family Members
• Rey Mysterio Reveals What Vince McMahon Wanted Before His WWE Debut
• Becky Lynch Tells Her Favorite Vince McMahon Story
• Gunther Describes Difference Between NXT And Main Roster
• Gunther Reveals Unique Reason He Did Not Want To Move To America

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom wrestling have announced the creation of a IWGP Women’s championship in conjunction.

The official English Twitter account of Stardom revealed that this title will be defended not only in Japan but in NJPW events within US as well.

The inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion will be crowned at the NJPW X Stardom joint show from the Ariake Arena in Tokyo Japan, in November later this year:

Stardom noted that the World of Stardom championship and the Wonder Of Stardom championship will remain the main titles of the company.

The red and white belts will be the titles defended at Stardom shows regularly. Though the IWGP belt could be defended on big Stardom events.

This is a big news as NJPW has never had a women’s title in the 50+ years of history of the company. This announcement means that we might see the creation of a separate women’s division in the promotion.

There is no word yet on if the officials are planning to hold a tournament to determine the contenders for the upcoming championship match.

It’s possible that they may just name the contenders for the title match. We will keep you posted on any new information about the belt.

Vince McMahon has been named in yet another lawsuit over XFL.

Per PWInsider, a man named David Adrian Smith filed a lawsuit before the District Court for the Northern District of Texas on July 20. People such as Vince McMahon, Dani Garcia, The Rock, current WWE CFO Frank Riddick, Riddick’s wife Carol and others has been named in the lawsuit. Both WWE and ESPN have also been mentioned.

Smith has claimed that he had an email exchange with Carol Riddick in May 2016 in which he “disclosed confidential trade secret information,” including market and opportunity analysis regarding the concept of a minor league or developmental football league. He is alleging that the Riddicks disclosed this information, and it was brought to Vince McMahon. McMahon further shared it with former NBC executive Dick Ebersol as well as ESPN.

Per the claims made in the lawsuit, the “trade secret information” were used in production of the ESPN 30 For 30 documentary This Was The XFL. Smith is alleging that WWE sold the rights to XFL over to McMahon’s Alpha entertainment because they knew the ‘trade secrets.’ Ebersol also launched the AAF league in part because of his knowledge of the said secrets.

When The Rock, Dani Garcia and others purchased XFL, the trade secrets were “disclosed / conveyed to and acquired / received” to the new ownership without the authorization of smith. David Smith is requesting damages for the misappropriation of his trade secrets with an estimated figure greater than $15 million as well as a declaration that defendants’ actions were unlawful, among other things.

Neither Vince McMahon, nor any other involving parties have responded to these claims publicly. We’ll keep you posted on any development in the story.

• Good News for Vince McMahon as lengthy Lawsuit Ends

A lot of things are expected to change in WWE with Vince McMahon’s retirement. One of them could be their reconciliation with Sasha Banks and Naomi.

Dave Meltzer talked about the former women’s tag team champions during his appearance on Sports Illustrated Media podcast. He revealed that the company is expected to make attempts to bring the duo back:

“It’s kind of up in the air. They’re gone, the last I heard was that there would be attempts made to reconcile, especially with Vince gone. So, it’s up in the air. I don’t think there’s anything definite just yet.”

Sasha Banks and Naomi

Sasha Banks and Naomi infamously walked out of WWE before the May 16 episode of Raw. They were unhappy with some creative decisions as well as the treatment of the women’s tag titles.

Numerous reports have suggested since then that Banks has gotten her WWE release. Her asking price for post-WWE appearances has also been revealed.

• Sasha Banks Spotted With WWE Star (Photo)

There has been no update on the future of Naomi. She has been posting inspirational messages on social media, but there is no word on what she is planning.

With the team of Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Nick Khan being at the helm of WWE, it’s very much possible that the former champions may agree to a comeback.

Fans have been speculating about the wrestling future of Johnny Gargano since his WWE departure. His first post-WWE appearance came at the most unexpected place.

Impact Wrestling’s Alex Shelley is scheduled to challenge Josh Alexander for the Impact World Championship at the upcoming Emergence PPV on Friday, August 12.

The July 28 episode of their weekly show featured clips of various wrestling personalities talking about the legacy of Shelley. Among them was also Gargano, who claimed that Alex Shelley is one of the most underrated wrestlers of the current generation:

The former NXT champion left the Vince McMahon-owned promotion in December last year. He stepped away from wrestling to be with his wife Candice LeRae after the birth of their son.

Johnny Gargano has kept his distance from the wrestling world since then. While he has made some promotional appearances, Gargano is yet to sign a new contract with any promotion.

• Johnny Gargano Not Ruling Out WWE Return

Many believed that the former DIY member will end up in AEW sooner or later. However, things have changed due to Vince McMahon’s retirement.

With Triple H taking over the creative responsibilities of the main roster, there is now a good chance that Gargano would end up re-signing with the company.

Joey Janela is one of the faces of deathmatch wrestling and a mortal enemy of Jim Cornette. The former wrestling promoter has now confined himself to staying at home and targeting wrestlers who he thinks are ‘killing the business.’ Though his fans do the bidding for him and per Janela, his whole family has been harassed by them.

The former AEW star recently appeared on The Sessions podcast. Speaking about how Cornette makes his living nowadays, he revealed that the former manager doesn’t leave his house anymore:

“He knows what gets the listeners and makes the money because he’s not leaving his house. He’s like, Agoraphobic or something. He don’t like to leave. I think he likes going to the supermarket and that’s it. He won’t do appearances anymore or anything. This is all he has. His podcast. This is how he’s gonna live out the rest of his life, which might be two years might be 10 years. Who knows? because Evil never dies.”

‘I Might Go Out Dimebag Darrell Style’: Joey Janela

Joey Janela then opened up about his encounters with the fans of Jim Cornette. He revealed that they have sent outlandish messages to his family. The Bad Boy also discussed the possibility of being attacked by a Cornette fan in real life:

“These people have nothing to lose, some of these people. This is like their religion. Jim Cornette is the pastor of the church. They’re gonna drink his Kool-Aid. I don’t know, I might go out Dimebag Darrell style, some deranged fan comes in and kills me because they believe every word he says. That I’m actually ruining the business they love.

Someone brought it up to me last year – ‘Maybe you should calm down a little bit.’ These people are actually crazy. They’re sending Facebook messages to my mom. Just sending me just the most deranged fucked up messages on my personal Facebook, on my mom’s Facebook, family members. Jim Cornette fans. You have to realize these people are a little bit crazy. Now everywhere I go, there’s always at least a fan that is there for the sole intention of heckling me.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Rey Mysterio Reveals What Vince McMahon Wanted Before His WWE Debut
• Becky Lynch Tells Her Favorite Vince McMahon Story
• Gunther Describes Difference Between NXT And Main Roster
• Gunther Reveals Unique Reason He Did Not Want To Move To America
• Sami Zayn Tells Amazing Story Of How He Started In Wrestling

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Vince McMahon was notorious for being a workaholic and not taking any time off before his retirement. The one time he did take a holiday, the wrestling veteran came up with the biggest spectacle of the wrestling business, according to Becky Lynch. Adam’s Apple on YouTube recently caught up with The Man.

When asked about her favorite Vince McMahon story in light of his retirement, Becky recalled the time she asked the boss about taking Holidays:

“Probably, I sat down with him [and asked] ‘Hey Vince, you ever take any time off?'” recalled Becky Lynch, “He’s like ‘Well, one time I took a holiday and I was lying on the beach. I couldn’t relax. Then I came back and I said you know what we’re gonna do? We’re gonna do a big event. It’s gonna be like the SuperBowl and we’re gonna call it WrestleMania.’ I was like ‘Well Vince, I think you should take more Holidays.'”

• WWE Legend Stopped Becky Lynch From Leaving the Company

Apart from this, Lynch was also asked about her favorite match. Replying to it, she said that currently it’s the WrestleMania 38 bout against Bianca Belair.  She mentioned how they stole the show at the Grandest Stage Of Them All and got people talking.

Becky Lynch is currently scheduled to face Bianca Belair at SummerSlam in a WrestleMania rematch for the Raw Women’s Championship this Saturday.

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Rey Mysterio’s iconic mask has become synonymous with his character. It’s almost impossible to imagine him wrestling without it at this point but there was a time when Mysterio had dropped it from his gear. Rey had to drop his mask after losing a match to nWo in WCW back in 1999. He credits Vince McMahon for bringing it back.

The wrestling veteran had an interview with Ariel Helwani to celebrate 20 years of his WWE debut. Speaking about his arrival in WWE, Mysterio recalled how he had been wrestling without his mask for some time. The former world champion then told the story of how he got his mask back:

“So funny story, I leave WCW. Then I get signed by WWE, and at the time, I’m wrestling without a mask. I had done a couple dates in Mexico and I was comfortable wrestling without it.” recalled Rey Mysterio, “I go into OVW in Kentucky. I started training before I went into WWE, before my first match. During that week of training, a week before I debuted, they were like, ‘Rey, Vince wants to see what outfit you’re gonna wear.’

So I showed them a getup of what I was wearing at the time. They were like, ‘but where’s the mask?’ I said, ‘I’m not wearing a mask right now.’ ‘Oh no, Vince wants you to bring the mask back.’ I was like, ‘Oh, you guys should have told me.'”

How many masks does Rey Mysterio have?

Over the years, Rey Mysterio has used many different masks and ring gears. When asked how many masks he has in his collection, Mysterio claimed that he has lost count:

“Man, I’ve lost count. But if we put my wife’s purses and shoes next to mine, I think we’re right about the same. I would have to say, yes over 1000.”

You can check out Rey Mysterio’s full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Gunther Describes Difference Between NXT And Main Roster
• Gunther Reveals Unique Reason He Did Not Want To Move To America
• Sami Zayn Tells Amazing Story Of How He Started In Wrestling
• The Undertaker Approves of WWE’s Return to TV-14
• Cody Rhodes Reveals Best Part Of His ESPY Win

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Shark Week is all about celebrating the majestic kings of the sea, and The Rock is getting involved in more than one way.

The 34th annual Shark Week began on July 24th, with Discovery intending to take the week-long event to the next level after their recent acquisition of WarnerMedia.

The Great One was brought into the mix with the same intention. The Rock is hosting the show this time, replacing Josh Gates from last year.

The Rock Reacts

Atlantic White Shark Conservancy recently revealed on Twitter that they have named a Shark after the People’s Champion. The Shark had an injury on his dorsal fin, but the conservancy’s research team oversaw the healing process.

The Rock responded to this news mentioning how we don’t see such injuries in sharks very often. The Hollywood star also noted that he would want to meet the creature named after him someday:

“That’s a gnarly injury we don’t often see on the apex predator. Good to see the recovery! I’d be honored to meet #TheRock? one day. Thanks for the tweet.”

Shark Week premiered on Disney back in July 1988. Its primary goal was to eradicate the fear of Sharks among people who had seen Jaws movie franchise. It has become an annual phenomenon since then.

• The Rock Praises WWE Star As ‘The Whole Package’

The Undisputed WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns returned on Raw this Monday night and dropped a big reference during his promo.

The Bloodline showed up during the second segment of the show. Paul Heyman started hyping up The Tribal Chief’s upcoming title defence at SummerSlam.

Though he could not conclude his talk, as Theory interrupted the wise man. Mr Money In The Bank told Reigns that he will win both the US championship and the Undisputed world title at SummerSlam.

The Head Of The Table invited Theory to the ring, and he told the young star that he should look around and analyse the situation before saying anything.

Roman Reigns then told Theory ‘you’re daddy is not here anymore,’ referencing to former WWE chairman Vince McMahon retiring from the company last week.

The segment ended with Reigns leaving the ring with others. You can check out the full segment from Raw below:

Theory had been involved in a storyline with Vince McMahon since last November. The retired Chairman had been projecting the young star as the next face of the company.

Roman Reigns is set to defend his title against Brock Lesnar at the SummerSlam PPV this Saturday, July 30. Theory is going to challenge Bobby Lashley for the US title on the same show.

• WWE RAW Results (7/25/22): Roman Reigns & Theory, Seth Rollins Attacks, Rhea Ripley Returns, Rey Mysterio

Gunther signed with WWE in 2019 and helped put the NXT UK brand on the map with his 800+ days long reign as the NXT UK champion. He then had a short run in NXT 2.0 before being called up to the main roster in April this year.

The former NXT UK star appeared on Out of Character podcast recently. He discussed the difference between the behind-the-scene environment of NXT and main roster. The Intercontinental champion claimed that things are more ‘relaxed’ on the main roster:

“I think at the end of the day when it comes to what happens in the ring, wrestling is wrestling. For me at least it doesn’t matter if it’s in front of 50 people or if it’s in front of 20,000 people. Obviously [the major] difference is all the happenings around it. there are way more people involved [in the main roster]. A lot more stuff has to happen in a shorter amount of time.

It’s not too different, but it’s obviously just NXT is a little bit [more] strict and organized.” said Gunther, “Because the people involved are less experienced, I will say, like the talent and stuff. While it’s a little bit more relaxed I would call it on SmackDown in my experience. Everybody’s way more experienced and can get all the stuff done. Like tick, tick, tick, tick, one after the other. Everything has its little routine. It’s a little bit more relaxed in terms of nobody’s really tensed or freaked out about what they have to do. “

You can check out Gunther’s full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Gunther Reveals Unique Reason He Did Not Want To Move To America
• Sami Zayn Tells Amazing Story Of How He Started In Wrestling
• The Undertaker Approves of WWE’s Return to TV-14
• Cody Rhodes Reveals Best Part Of His ESPY Win
• Claudio Castagnoli On Moment With Jake Hager During Blood And Guts

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

It’s pretty well known that Gunther did not want to move to America for a long time. According to the WWE star himself, it was also about timing things right to make himself stand out.

The current Intercontinental Champion recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast. Speaking about his decision to move continents, Gunther discussed how he still prefers the European lifestyle. He then talked about how he started back in 2005 and saw the wrestling landscape change:

“I think I started in 2005, looking back at the steps wrestling made [since then], like changing and developing. Then out of nowhere the gates were open for so many young wrestlers from Europe to actually go to WWE or wrestle other places and be seen and be successful.” said Gunther, “It felt a little bit like a gold rush.

He continued: “So everybody obviously just jumped on every opportunity they had. Sometimes it’s better to just wait things out and wait out the timing a little bit. I always felt like if everybody moves to America at the same time, it’s not gonna be as special when I do it. It was always clear to me that it will happen at some point but I tried to time it as good as possible for myself.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Sami Zayn Tells Amazing Story Of How He Started In Wrestling
• The Undertaker Approves of WWE’s Return to TV-14
• Cody Rhodes Reveals Best Part Of His ESPY Win
• Claudio Castagnoli On Moment With Jake Hager During Blood And Guts
• Madcap Moss Recalls Disastrous WWE Tryout

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

This Friday’s SmackDown saw an abrupt change in the Maximum Male Models storyline. NXT star Sofia Cromwell debuted as Maxxine Dupri, with reports suggesting that Max Dupri was done with the group.

We have an update on the situation and the future of the character played by the former LA Knight.

Per Fightful, the whole angle was Vince McMahon’s idea and he had taken a particular interest in the storyline. The boss even came down to the ring to produce the Maximum Male Models debut segment which doesn’t happen often.

The former WWE chairman had a distinct vision for how Max Dupri would sound. McMahon worked with Max quite a bit on it. He said that he wanted the character to sound nothing like Knight.

Both Mace and Mansoor were on board with the angle, but LA Knight had some reservations. He said to have ‘ruffled some feathers with a couple of scripts’ and challenged what the writers had come up with.

Though despite the report that the decision was made a couple of weeks ago, Max Dupri was unbooked on last minute. Other people involved in the segment weren’t given any concrete information on his status.

A source said that Vince McMahon retiring from WWE is the best thing that could have happened to Knight. He still has supporters in WWE that enjoy his work, and the door isn’t closed for the decision to be reversed.

Vince McMahon held the keys when it came to WWE creative for over 5 decades. Now that he is gone from the company, the WWE programming is expected to go through some major changes.

Fightful Select provided some updates on what changes we can expect. They noted that one source within creative said that we may see fewer rematches moving forward.

It’s believed that Vince McMahon will redo a match if he liked it and thought that it made sense. He then ‘later forget that they’d done it so many times.’

There were people that claimed that the 76-year-old had issues remembering names of talents here and there. This might be a reason why he shortened many talent names.

People believe that the new leadership may not want to deviate from McMahon’s vision too much out of ‘respect’ for the boss, but they still think that small improvements in current programming can make a huge difference.

As far as long-term changes go, most people said that it will be determined by who ends up in control of creative. If Bruce Prichard ends up taking over, it’s likely that not much will change.

Though if it’s someone else, the likelihood of ‘forward progression’ will be much higher. You can check out more backstage news on Vince McMahon’s retirement here.

A lot of famous wrestling stars come from very humble beginnings, and Sami Zayn is no different.

The WWE star recently appeared on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. During the interview, he told the story of how he started in wrestling. Zayn recalled that he had a friend who worked at a wrestling radio station. One day he called him. The friend told Sami that a local wrestler named Patty The Kid was willing to train them and the high-flying star took the offer in a heartbeat:

“It was 25 bucks a week so I can kind of afford that. So I go, and it’s just me, him and one other guy from the radio station, also about the same age – 18. There’s no school. Right? It’s my friend’s backyard, and a mattress that I guess they pulled from the garbage or something. We had that mattress for one week. And that was the end of that.

Then it was just the grass. His philosophy was, ‘Well, if you can learn to bump on grass, you’re gonna bump properly because there’s no room for error.’ Great philosophy if you don’t have a ring.”

‘Hey, I’m A Wrestler’: Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn continued his training for six months. After that he was told that he was ready to wrestle but he needed a booking to get started. The former Intercontinental champion also told the story of how he got his first booking:

“So I trained for about six months and then it took two or three months to just kind of get my foot in the door. Get the opportunity to get booked. All I needed was one match, because then I could go around and start saying ‘I’m a wrestler. Can I work here?’

So I had a match, and then I remember taking the bus in the metro to the east end and go into this church basement. I go, ‘Hey, I’m a wrestler. I’d love to work for you.’ The guy looks around, and there’s like three people in the crowd. He’s is like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ That’s how I got booked”

More Originals From SEScoops:

• The Undertaker Approves of WWE’s Return to TV-14
• Cody Rhodes Reveals Best Part Of His ESPY Win
• Claudio Castagnoli On Moment With Jake Hager During Blood And Guts
• Madcap Moss Recalls Disastrous WWE Tryout
• Kurt Angle Reveals Unknown Details About Jason Jordan’s Career-Ending Injury

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

The wrestling world is still in shock over the news of Vince McMahon’s retirement. However, latest reports suggest that it wasn’t a last-minute decision.

The decision of Vince McMahon’s retirement was said to be made ‘about a week or so’ ago. Not many people knew what was coming, and the site has been told that the shockwaves are still being registered within the WWE HQ and beyond.

Many long-term employees are especially in shock because similar to a lot of fans, they never truly believed that one day they would be working for the company without Vince McMahon at the helm.

The decision to make Stephanie McMahon the co-CEO alongside president Nick Khan was made shortly after it became clear that the boss will be leaving.

• Read Vince McMahon’s Memo to WWE Employees About his Retirement

The timing of the announcement was no coincidence. Releasing the news on late Friday was a strategic move to blunt any negative fallout in terms of media and stockholder response.

Vince McMahon was not present backstage at SmackDown. It’s confirmed that he will not be officially involved in the creative process going forward, though there is no word on how the creative will work after McMahon’s retirement.

Kevin Dunn and Bruce Prichard were said to be the people running Friday’s SmackDown taping in Boston. Stephanie McMahon and Triple H were backstage as well but it wasn’t clear if Nick Khan was there.

• Wrestling World Reacts to Vince McMahon’s Retirement

Ring Of Honor is scheduled to present its second PPV event under Tony Khan’s ownership in Death Before Dishonor this Saturday. It may see two unadvertised stars making an appearance.

According to reports from Fightful, Brian Cage who has moved to the ROH brand recently, is scheduled to travel to Lowell, Massachusetts for the upcoming show.

Cage was revealed as a member of the Tully Blanchard Enterprises at Supercard of Honor last month. No match has been announced for the heavyweight star but it’s believed that he will be wrestling on the PPV.

Another unadvertised name who is scheduled to be in the arena for the Death Before Dishonor event is former ROH Pure Champion Josh Woods.

Woods is a former NXT star who competed in WWE’s development brand from 2014 to 2016. He has been working with ROH since his WWE release.

Josh Woods made his AEW debut back in December and he has been wrestling on Dark and Elevation occasionally.

The former champion held the Pure title until this April. He was defeated by Wheeler Yuta at the Supercard of Honor event which was the first ROH show under Tony Khan.

The main event of Death Before Dishonor will see Claudio Castagnoli challenging ROH champion Jonathan Gresham for the title. Though this match may have already been spoiled by the promotion.

There are reports that WWE Raw will be ditching the PG rating in favor of the TV-14 rating. According to The Undertaker, it’s a good move because it will allow talents to integrate more mature aspects into storylines instead of using a cuss word here and there to get a cheap pop.

The Dead Man was asked about this potential change during his most recent appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con. Taker said that it’s a good move, mentioning how the Attitude Era produced some of the best TV content in the history of wrestling:

“I think it’s a good move. With their main demographic being 18-34 year old males. Done the way that WWE will do it, it will mean much more than just a random, ‘Okay, we’re gonna use a cuss word because it’s gonna get a cheap pop.’

WWE is smart and hopefully, when they do. Maybe it’s a chance to touch that Attitude Era. right? because I mean, the Attitude Era was out of control but it was such great, great TV.” said The Undertaker, “And we’re finally starting to get a talent roster now that knows how to use those kinds of tools.”

The WWE legend also recalled the TV debut of Raw. He discussed how it changed the wrestling world forever by being a live show in the era of taped wrestling programs.

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Cody Rhodes Reveals Best Part Of His ESPY Win
• Claudio Castagnoli On Moment With Jake Hager During Blood And Guts
• Madcap Moss Recalls Disastrous WWE Tryout
• Kurt Angle Reveals Unknown Details About Jason Jordan’s Career-Ending Injury
• Liv Morgan On Negative Reactions To Her Title Win

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

This article has been edited for clarity

Monday Night Raw revolutionized the wrestling business. Before the show came along, all wrestling programs used to be taped in advance with studio voiceovers. Raw changed this formula in favor of a live wrestling show every week with its debut back in January 1993. The Undertaker, who witnessed this change as part of the WWE roster, admits that it’s the greatest things to happen in the modern era of wrestling.

The Dead Man made a surprise appearance at the San Diego Comics Con. During the Q&A session, he was asked if he knew that Raw would become the Television phenomena it turned out to be. The former world champion replied to it negatively, saying that they were just excited to be going live at the time:

“No. We were actually just; we were excited that we were going to be live and all that but we had no idea that this was about to revolutionize the wrestling business. Because at that point, we would do three weeks of TV, three days in a row and then we would be out touring.” recalled The Undertkaer, “At that point all we worked [with] basically we worked with extras. That’s how we did business.

He continued, “Then Monday Night Raw comes along and we’re gonna be live every Monday night. That really did just change the scope of the wrestling business. [Before you] would have Undertaker vs. somebody else in an enhancement match. Now you had top guys going against top guys every Monday night because you have to had ratings. If you were to keep a live show. You had to put the best out that you could. [It was] probably one of the greatest things to happen in the modern era of wrestling is going on live [with] Monday Night Raw.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Cody Rhodes Reveals Best Part Of His ESPY Win
• Claudio Castagnoli On Moment With Jake Hager During Blood And Guts
• Madcap Moss Recalls Disastrous WWE Tryout
• Kurt Angle Reveals Unknown Details About Jason Jordan’s Career-Ending Injury
• Liv Morgan On Negative Reactions To Her Title Win

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

This article has been edited for clarity.

A lot of things changed in WWE when Cody Rhodes was away rebuilding himself. According to the American Nightmare, the locker room was almost unrecognizable for him when he first came back.

The WWE star talked to James Williams on the ESPY red carpet. When asked about the changes in WWE he has noticed, Rhodes mentioned how the faces in the locker room have changed and how stars are treated differently:

“I think it’s changed so, so much. It’s unrecognizable to me as far as the return until I see someone like a Kofi or Xavier Woods, someone that I knew really well. One of the things that it’s changed, it’s such a healthy company in terms of [caring for talents]. I am two months out of surgery here. They won’t even give me a timeline because they’re afraid I’m gonna try and overtrain. Come back too soon.

The medical team, they’ve just been so wonderful to me. But yeah, with that change it also kind of highlights for you, you’re a grown up now. Even though I showed up at 20 years old in WWE, I’m not anymore. It’s time to be a grown up and having a daughter of my own makes it definitely is a different chapter in my career.”

‘I Am Always There: Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes who was once a rookie in the WWE locker room, is now a seasoned veteran. During the talk, he mentioned how his executive role in AEW didn’t suit him. However, now that people like The Undertaker and John Cena aren’t in the locker room anymore, Cody claimed that he is always there for anyone who needs his help:

“I’m always there for somebody, whether he ever asked me to or not. The first day I was there. I wanted to make sure Dominic Mysterio had my number. I’ve been there. It’s a hard, hard, hard walk ahead of you but [I’m] hoping he can absolutely make the best of it. So there are those young folks who didn’t get to wrestle Undertaker [and] John Cena, people like that. I was able to be in the ring with them. So all I can do is pass on what they knew and I can only do that when asked.”

You can check out Cody Rhodes’ interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Cody Rhodes Reveals Best Part Of His ESPY Win
• Claudio Castagnoli On Moment With Jake Hager During Blood And Guts
• Madcap Moss Recalls Disastrous WWE Tryout
• Kurt Angle Reveals Unknown Details About Jason Jordan’s Career-Ending Injury
• Liv Morgan On Negative Reactions To Her Title Win

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Cody Rhodes won big at the ESPY Awards, bagging the trophy for the WWE Moment of the Year for his WrestleMania return. For the former AEW star, the best thing about his win was being nominated alongside people such as Stone Cold Steve Austin for his WrestleMania match and The Undertaker for his Hall of Fame speech among others.

The former TNT champion spoke to ComicBook.com at the San Diego Comic-Con. Speaking about his ESPY win, Cody explained why it means so much to him via a story. He recalled seeing posters of The Rock vs John Cena match, 2 years after it happened:

“It’s the best part of the ESPY. The best part of the ESPY was the fact that Steve was nominated, Undertaker was nominated and Cena was nominated and then I was nominated. That is by far the best part of the ESPY. Because in 2015, when I left in 2015.” recalled Cody Rhodes, “I remember even talking with WWE management about this. One of the crazy moments for me.

I was sitting outside the Scranton Wilkes-Barre hotel and the giant Mania bus that still was papered with Rock versus Cena. I remember just staring at it and wondering like how over are these guys and how long does this go. How do you get this? I remember just this defining [moment] ‘I don’t want to make excuses’ So last night to be in the same category with John and to be able to [get] that landslide win was pretty exciting.”

You can check out Cody Rhodes’ interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

• Claudio Castagnoli On Moment With Jake Hager During Blood And Guts
• Madcap Moss Recalls Disastrous WWE Tryout
• Kurt Angle Reveals Unknown Details About Jason Jordan’s Career-Ending Injury
• Liv Morgan On Negative Reactions To Her Title Win
• Shawn Michaels Explains How Bret Hart Rivalry Turned Into Shoot

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Former WWE Universal champion Adam Scherr better known as Braun Strowman was apparently involved in a car accident on Thursday.

The former WWE star shared a photo of his truck and boat that were damaged in the accident on Twitter. He noted that everyone involved walked away without any serious injuries:

“Always count your blessings.  Trucks and boats can be replaced.  Everyone walked away from this ok.   Thankful the lord was watching over us.” wrote Strowman

The Monster Among Men was part of the WWE roster from 2013 to 2021. He started out as a member of the Wyatt Family and later became a successful singles star.

Braun Strowman won the Universal championship among other titles during his time with the company. He was surprisingly released during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since leaving the company, the former Wyatt Family member has joined the Control Your Narrative promotion founded by EC3.

He has wrestled only a handful of matches since his departure from WWE. Though several CYN events are scheduled for later this month in the North Carolina area.

It’s a surprise that no other major promotion has signed the former world champion yet. Impact wrestling is the last known promotional to have talked to Braun but they couldn’t reach an agreement.

The WWE Panel at the San Diego Comic-Con was full of exciting moments but probably the biggest one was a surprise appearance from none other than The Undertaker.

The Dead Man wasn’t advertised for the show in advance. When his music hit, fans thought that it was to reveal his retro mid-90s action figure.

For the surprise of fans, however, Taker himself showed up in person. The wrestling legend received a huge standing ovation from the crowd upon his entrance:

Apart from the former world champion, the panel also featured a number of other WWE superstars, including Cody Rhodes, Zelina Vega, and Tommaso Ciampa.

Rhodes who has been out with a shoulder injury since the Hell In A Cell PPV provided an update on his health and recovery.

The American Nightmare said that he is unable to win an arm-wrestling contest at the moment, but he is healing slowly.

• Who Came up with The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak?

Cody reiterated that the doctors have not given him a timeline for his return. They fear that he will try to jump ahead of the expected timeframe.

WWE also announced several new action figures during the comic con. This included a WrestleMania 3 Andre The Giant figure and an early 90s Shawn Michaels figure, among others.