SEScoops

Author: Staff

  • Cody’s First NWA World Title Challenger Annouced

    Cody’s First NWA World Title Challenger Annouced

    NWA World Heavyweight Champion Cody Rhodes’ first challenger has been revealed. Cody was in Los Angeles on Sunday for a Championship Wrestling From Hollywood taping. During that appearance, Cody revealed that he will defend the 10 pounds of gold against Willie Mack later this month.

    Cody Rhodes vs. Willie Mack will take place at the September 29th Ring of Honor television taping from Las Vegas, NV. This will be an ROH television taping the night after the company’s Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view at the Orleans Arena, Las Vegas. Visit ROHWrestling.com for more information on Death Before Dishonor weekend.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-xr8rU98KY&feature=youtu.be

    Should Cody Rhodes successfully defend against Willie Mack, his next challenger is already waiting in the wings. Former NWA Champion Nick Aldis will get a rematch against Cody at the NWA’s 70th Anniversary show on October 21st from Nashville, TN. The 70th anniversary show will be available for purchase at FITE.tv for $24.99.

    Visit the NWA’s official YouTube channel to check out their Ten Pounds of Gold series.

  • Big Name Backstage For WWE Hell In A Cell (Spoiler)

    Big Name Backstage For WWE Hell In A Cell (Spoiler)

    WWE Hell in a Cell takes place in just a matter of hours. In case you haven’t already, there is still time to check out our WWE Hell in A Cell Predictions.

    In what could turn out to be a big spoiler for tonight’s show, SEScoops can confirm that former WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is currently backstage at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The news of Lesnar being backstage was first reported by PWInsider.  Lesnar is said to be walking around in plain sight, so WWE is not making any efforts to hide that he is there.

    We will find out soon whether or not Lesnar appears on television tonight. He might be there to do a run-in during Roman Reigns’ Hell in a Cell match against Braun Strowman. If not, it is possible he is at Hell in a Cell to discuss his future with WWE.

    Brock Lesnar was last seen at SummerSlam, when he lost the Universal Championship to Roman Reigns. He was advertised for WWE Raw the night after SummerSlam, but did not appear. On the post-SummerSlam edition of Raw, Brock Lesnar’s advocate approached Raw GM Kurt Angle and stated Brock Lesnar wants his rematch against Roman Reigns. Angle refused, which was done to write Lesnar off television.

    Lesnar is currently gearing up for a return to UFC. He is expected to fight UFC Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier in early 2019.

    Join us here tonight for WWE Hell in a Cell Results & Live Coverage.

  • Matt Riddle Training At WWE Performance Center, Details On His First NXT Feud

    Matt Riddle Training At WWE Performance Center, Details On His First NXT Feud

    Matt Riddle has started training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, according to the Wrestling Observer. A few people in WWE were surprised did not publicize the news.  (As noted earlier this week, The Rock’s daughter Simone has also been training at the facility.)

    After months of speculation about Matt Riddle signing with WWE, he appeared ringside at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn. He has yet to appear on NXT television, but it’s expected that Matt Riddle will make his in-ring debut for NXT at the next set of television tapings.

    NXT currently has television taped through September 19th and the next round of tapings will be held next week. (Spoilers)

    There has been some buzz about who the King of Bros will feud with first. Velveteen Dream sent out a tweet using Riddle’s “BRO” catch phrase, but WWE reportedly has something else planned.

    On this week’s edition of NXT TV, veteran journeyman Kassius Ohno had a backstage segment with General Manager William Regal. Ohno said something along the lines of, “I’ll take on whoever is the next new big thing….bro.” The Observer states that there is in fact talk of Matt Riddle facing Ohno at the next NXT Takeover event. NXT Takeover: Los Angeles will be held from the Staples Center during Survivor Series weekend in November.

    We’ll have full NXT TV Spoilers next week, which will give us a better idea of where things are headed for Matt Riddle.

    NXT’s roster is beyond stacked: which NXT talent do you want to see work with Matt Riddle in the months ahead?

  • Spoilers: Impact Wrestling Taping Results From Mexico City (9/13)

    Spoilers: Impact Wrestling Taping Results From Mexico City (9/13)

    Impact Wrestling is holding their next round of television tapings this week from Mexico City from the Fronton Mexico entertainment center. The first round of tapings were held on Thursday night. Complete results from that show are below, courtesy of TNAmarkFromIndia.

    Another set of tapings are being held tonight (Friday). After the second round of tapings, Impact will have television episodes filmed through Bound For Glory.

    Taped for Xplosion:

    – Aramis, Dragon Bane, & Starfire def. Arez, Latigo, & Chik Tormenta

    Impact Wrestling (Airing September 20th)

    – Petey Williams def. Jack Evans, Trevor Lee, & Puma King

    – King & The OGz beat up a local wrestler. They call out LAX but they don’t show.

    – Faby Apache def. Alisha Edwards. After the match, Josh Mathews interviews Faby, who challenges Tessa Blanchard.

    – oVe (Sami Callihan, Dave Crist, & Jake Crist) vs. Brian Cage, Fenix, & Pentagon Jr. went to a no contest when Callihan shoved the referee and the two teams continued brawling after.

    – Austin Aries(c) (w/ Killer Kross & Moose) def. Texano to retain the Impact Worlds Championship. After the match, Johnny Impact and Eddie Edwards return to brawl with Aries/Kross/Moose.

    Taped for Xplosion:

    – Freelance, Iron Kid, & Astrolux def. Belial, Impulso, & Fly Metalik

    Impact Wrestling (Airing September 27th)

    – LAX (Ortiz & Santana w/ Konnan) def. The Desi Hit Squad (Rohit Raju & Gursinder Singh w/ The Great Gama Singh). After the match, King & The OGz appear on the screen with old photos of Konnan. King talks about how Konnan lost his mask years ago and they end up burning a Konnan mask.

    – Allie & Kiera Hogan def. Su Yung & The Undead Maid of Honor

    – LA Park def. Eli Drake via countout.

    – The Lucha Brothers (Fenix & Pentagon Jr.) def. Matt Sydal & Rich Swann. After the match, oVe try to attack but Brian Cage comes out to stop them.

    – Moose & Killer Kross (w/ Austin Aries) def. Eddie Edwards & Johnny Impact when Moose pinned Eddie after Aries interfered.

  • Hart Foundation In Action At MLW Fury Road NYC Taping (10/4)

    Hart Foundation In Action At MLW Fury Road NYC Taping (10/4)

    The Hart Foundation will be in action against Rich Swann, ACH and a mystery partner when MLW presents Fury Road next month from New York City. The mystery partner will be revealed on Friday night’s special War Games edition of MLW Fusion.

    MLW sent in a press release hyping the match, which included the following backstory of this feud:

    Never shy for making his thoughts known, Teddy Hart ignited the feud on MLW FUSION in early July when he felt ACH and Rich Swann were mocking him behind his back. Since then, Hart has recruited his cousin Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Brian Pillman Jr. to form a new era Hart Foundation.

    Controversy once again struck as the two teams squared off in New York this past July. During the bout, Swann suffered a concussion, which many attribute to the Hart Foundation’s rugged and questionable conduct during the bout. In the aftermath, ACH had words for the Hart Foundation calling them out for exploiting Swann’s dangerous injury for the purpose of winning a match.

    The teams now look to settle the score in New York City as they square off in what will be a high-octane trios encounter. The question is WHO is the mystery third member of ACH & Swann’s team? Find out this Friday night exclusively on MLW FUSION!

    In addition to this six-man tag team match, MLW has confirmed LA Park (with Salina De La Renta) vs. PCO in what’s sure to be a very physical encounter.

    World Heavyweight Champion Low Ki, Shane Strickland, Jimmy Havoc and Sami Callihan are all signed to appear.

    MLW presents Fury Road on Thursday, October 4th from the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, NY. This will be an MLW Fusion TV taping. Tickets start at just $20 at MLWtickets.com.

  • WWE RAW Preview: Ronda Rousey In Action, Triple H, Mick Foley

    WWE RAW Preview: Ronda Rousey In Action, Triple H, Mick Foley

    Tonight’s edition of WWE Raw takes place from New Orleans, Louisiana at the Smoothie King Center. With Hell in a Cell taking place this Sunday, here is a preview of what to expect tonight:

    – Raw Womens’ Champion Ronda Rousey will team up with Natalya against Alexa Bliss and Alicia Fox. This will be Rousey’s first tag team match on Raw.

    – Triple H will be in the house to hype his upcoming match against The Undertaker at Super Show-Down. The Game will respond to Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker’s segment last week.

    – WWE.com‘s official Raw preview questions, “Is The Shield shattered?” The conclusion of last week’s show saw various heel wrestlers join in on a Shield beatdown, which was led by Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler. Roman has a date with Braun Strowman this Sunday. How will the Hounds of Justice react to last week’s attack

    – Hardcore legend Mick Foley will be in the house to “relive Hell in a Cell history.” If there is one man who knows just how dangerous the demonic structure can be, it’s Foley.

    – As announced this morning, Renee Young is now a full-time member of Raw’ commentary team. She will call the action along with Michael Cole and Corey Graves. Jonathan Coachman is moving to the pre-show Kickoff panel.

    Ahead of tonight’s broadcast, check out our 9 Takeaways from last week’s show.

    Join us here later tonight for our WWE RAW Results & Live Coverage. 

  • Ringside Photos From The Top Matches at ALL IN

    Ringside Photos From The Top Matches at ALL IN

    We’ve had a ton of ALL IN news coverage over the past few days, including:

    Photographer Bruno Silveira was ringside at the event taking exclusive photos for Paul Heyman’s Heyman Hustle website – and they’re incredible. The Hustle site has dozens of photos from the top matches at ALL IN.

    Click on the photos below to see more from each match. 

    Cody vs. Nick Aldis (NWA World Heavyweight Championship)

    Young Bucks & Kota Ibushi vs. Rey Mysterio, Bandito & Rey FenixRey Mysterio

    Kenny Omega vs. Pentagon Jr. (with surprise attack by Chris Jericho)

    Jay Lethal vs. Flip Gordon (ROH World Championship) 

  • MLW War Games: Final Card, How To Watch

    MLW War Games: Final Card, How To Watch

    Major League Wrestling presents WAR GAMES this Thursday night from Ft. Lauderdale, FL at the historic War Memorial Auditorium. The event takes place 15 years after the original MLW War Games was held in the same venue.

    MLW is bringing back the double-ring steel-cage battlefield, but that’s not all. The MLW World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line and legendary luchador LA Park will battle Pentagon Jr. in a Mexican Massacre match.

    This will be a TV taping for MLW FUSION. The War Games match is scheduled to air on beIN SPORTS next Friday night, September 14th at 8pm ET. War Games will be uploaded to MLW’s YouTube Channel the following night at 6:05pm ET.

    If you’re in the Ft. Lauderdale area, there are still a limited number of General Admission tickets available. Be part of history for just $10 and get your tickets now at MLWgo.com.

    MLW War Games Card

    The following matches are scheduled for Thursday night:

    • War Games Match: Shane Strickland, Tommy Dreamer, John Henigan, Kotto Brazil & Barrington Hughes vs. Sami Callihan Abyss, Jimmy Havoc And the Death Machines

    • MLW Champion Low Ki (w/ Salina de la Renta) vs. Rey Fenix (w/ Konnan)

    • Mexican Massacre: LA Park (w/ Salina de la Renta) vs. Pentagon Jr. (w/Konnan)

    • Filthy Tom Lawlor vs. Joey Janela

    • PCO vs. Brody King

    • Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. ACH

    • Joey Ryan & Taya vs. MLW Middleweight Champion MJF & Aria Blake

    • Teddy Hart vs. Rich Swann

    • Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Vandal Ortagun

    • El Hijo de LA Park vs. Jimmy Yuta

    • Myron Reed vs. Jason Cade w/ Rhett Giddins

    Check back late Thursday for MLW War Games Results.

  • Tessa Blanchard Signs With Women Of Wrestling

    Tessa Blanchard Signs With Women Of Wrestling

    AXS TV sent in word that third generation wrestler Tessa Blanchard has signed with the WOW (Women of Wrestling) promotion. Blanchard is scheduled to debut for the company at the upcoming WOW Superhero TV tapings from Los Angeles.

    The WOW Live Event Tapings are scheduled for October 10th and October 11th from downtown Los Angeles at the famed Belasco Theater. The shows will air on AXS TV in early 2019.

    “Knowing the expectations of our WOW fans to see the best in women’s professional wrestling, we are elated to sign Tessa Blanchard,” WOW Owner, Jeanie Buss said in a press release. “Tessa enhances and elevates our athletic roster of talent beyond measure and we can hardly wait to showcase her skills in the series set to broadcast on Mark Cuban’s AXS TV.”

    Blanchard is a third generation wrestler. Her wrestling lineage includes grandfather, Joe Blanchard, father Four Horsemen member, Tully Blanchard, step-father Magnum T.A.

    At 22 years old, Blanchard has held championships in the United States, Mexico and Japan. She is the reigning Impact Wrestling Knockouts champion.

    “I am grateful to both Impact Wrestling and the WOW executives for working out the details to allow me to pursue my dream of competing at the highest levels within our industry,” Blanchard said. “The success I’ve experienced in the past month in winning the Impact Championship, winning in Chicago at the ‘All In’ event in front of over 10,000 people, and now signing with WOW is what dreams are made of. My next dream to come true that will top off my year’s success will be when I beat Santana Garrett to win the WOW World Championship.”

    For more information about Women of Wrestling, visit WOWE.com.

  • Billy Corgan Says More NWA Titles Are Coming

    Billy Corgan Says More NWA Titles Are Coming

    NWA President Billy Corgan says the promotion is planning to re-introduce several more championship titles.

    This past weekend, Cody made made history by capturing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at All In. At next month’s NWA 70th Anniversary event from Nashville, the organization will re-introduce a “re-christened” National Heavyweight Championship.

    The NWA National title was first introduced in 1980. It was held by legendends such as Jack Brisco, Tomy Rich, Paul Orndorff, Dusty Rhodes, Larry Zbyszko, Ted DiBiase, Tully Blanchard and Nikita Koloff. The National title was vacated back in February.

    The NWA has yet to announce who will challenge for the NWA National title on 10/21, but they are not stopping there. According to Billy Corgan (via Instagram), the next focus will be the Tag Team and Women’s Championships. NWA executive Dave Lagana clarified on Twitter earlier today that the NWA tag titles are currently vacant.

    Following the success of All In and Cody being the current NWA World Heavyweight champion, it should be interesting to see how The Elite factors into the future of the National Wrestling Alliance. Will the Bullet Club remain with Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling? Will they start their own promotion? Will they be part of a full NWA reboot? These questions remain unanswered, for now.

    The NWA 70th Anniversary show takes place on Sunday, October 21st from the Nashville Fairgrounds. The show will be available to purchase for live streaming through the FITE mobile app

  • Bret Hart Pens Touching Tribute To Jim Neidhart

    Bret Hart Pens Touching Tribute To Jim Neidhart

    WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has released a statement regarding the passing of his longtime friend and tag team partner, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, who passed away on August 13th.

    Bret tweeted on the 13th, “Stunned and saddened. I just don’t have the words right now.” With almost a month to mourn and gather his thoughts, the Hitman published the following on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon:

    “I’ve lost a lot of friends over the past few years. One of the things you realize about getting older is that not everybody is going to get older with you.” – Cormac McCarthy

    I’m sorry for taking so long in making a statement about the recent passing of my longtime friend and companion Jim “Anvil” Neidhart. No loss has ever dimmed the light in my heart as this one. I loved Jim as more than a brother. He was a one-of-kind character. The most beautiful thing about Jim was how on the longest days and in the most miserable times, he could always make you laugh. He’ll always be the “Anvil”, the big rhino, the tank. He was the best friend I ever had and I owe him for everything good that ever came my way as a pro wrestler. Jim didn’t need me so much as I needed him. We had always been close friends from the first time we met in Stampede Wrestling. We never fought or argued about anything and we were always in agreement. Aside from being my loyal friend, tag team partner, and brother-in-law, I can say Jim helped me keep my sanity during our numerous dark and lonely times. He was such a hilarious friend. Thank you Jim for a lifetime of happy and great memories.

    Pro wrestling is a profession where trust and loyalty are everything. We were such a fun, fast, exciting, and formidable combination highlighting each other while always making our opponents. When it came to wrestling teams like Andre the Giant and Haku, the British Bulldogs, the Nasty Boys, Demolition, and The Rockers, the Hart Foundation could work with any team and have the best match on the card. We were both always very proud of all of our accomplishments as the Hart Foundation but we we were always most proud of our friendship.

    Someday but far enough away , I hope to have a joyous meeting with the many friends and loved ones gone before and, when I make that crossover, I pray God will lead me straight to the Anvil. Thank you Anvil, for I owe you everything.

    “I’ve met men I could trust in the mouth of hell. I would trust them to breathe for me, to pump my blood with their hearts.” – Sebastian Faulks

    Love,
    Bret

  • All In Live Attendance Tops 11,000

    All In Live Attendance Tops 11,000

    This past Saturday night’s ALL IN pay-per-view from Hoffman Estates, Illinois was a huge success. Tickets for the show sold out in less than 30 minutes. The buzz leading into the show was unlike anything we’ve ever seen. The entire card delivered and it seems we might be on the cusp of a revolution in pro wrestling. On Tuesday, the show’s organizers revealed the live attendance for All In. By any measure, All In was a smashing success.

    The initial ‘challenge’ by wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer was to draw 10,000 fans. According to Cody and the Young Bucks, All In had a live attendance of 11,263. Wrestling promoters do have a history of exaggerating live attendance. Even Cody joked that the 11,263 figure is kayfabed. We will provide an update on this story when more attendance data is released, but this is a very impressive number.

    https://twitter.com/ALL_IN_2018/status/1037028282229841920

    As the dust settles from the historic weekend, it seems that NWA World Heavyweight Champion Cody is wondering the same thing we are.

    Update: Young Bucks Merch is now selling a t-shirt touting the attendance figure. If there is a next time, can they top this crowd ?

  • Nikki Bella Receives Custom Air Jordans For RAW Return

    Nikki Bella Receives Custom Air Jordans For RAW Return

    Nikki Bella was wearing a custom pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers for her return to the ring on Monday’s RAW. Custom shoe artist (Twitter: @mache275) posted a video and photos to Instagram showing off the pair he made for Nikki. Knowing that Nikki loves Louis Vuitton, Mache created a custom “NB” version of the Supreme / Louis Vuitton Air Jordan 1’s.

    This Instagram embed includes a video of Nikki showing them off and several close-up photos of the custom NB Air Jordan 1’s. 

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSC1zSFsSa

    Mache’s Customs For Other WWE Superstars

    As seen below, Mache has made custom sneakers for several other WWE personalities, including The Undertaker, Bruan Strowman, Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk87JBJl6UJ/?taken-by=mache275

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BkJr4HIl2Ol/?taken-by=mache275

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BmpPN9Wl1nd/?taken-by=mache275

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BlCDKcqlffc/?taken-by=mache275

  • The Rock Congratulates Cody On NWA Championship Win

    The Rock Congratulates Cody On NWA Championship Win

    Hollywood megastar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has congratulated Cody on winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Of course, Cody’s big victory came at Saturday night’s big All In pay-per-view from Chicago. Rhodes defeated Nick Aldis in a thrilling contest that delivered one of the most memorable moments of an emotionally charged weekend.

    Although we haven’t seen The Rock on WWE television in some time, People’s Champ still follows pro wrestling, as evidenced by his social media activity. The Rock addressed the “real legacy” of the NWA World Championship that Cody is now a part of and told Cody that Dusty is looking down and smiling “BIG!”

    Cody thanked The Rock for paving the road for him and his peers. Cody and The Rock have more in common than meets the eye. In addition to having fathers who were wrestling superstars, both men have ventured into acting and both have expressed an interest in political careers.

    Check out this video of The Rock and Cody Rhodes having a fun interaction on WWE SmackDown back in January 2013. The Rock gets payback on Team Rhodes Scholars for interrupting The Great One’s homecoming.

  • Lanna Poffo Launches The Genius Cast Podcast

    Lanna Poffo Launches The Genius Cast Podcast

    Lanny Poffo is the latest wrestling legend to launch his own podcast, The Genius Cast. Episode 1 is now live and looks at his brother Macho Man Randy Savage’s posthumous induction to the WWE Hall of Fame.

    Poffo announced on Twitter, “Behold, it is Lanny Poffo, brother of Macho Man Randy Savage, and I am proud to proclaim: The Genius Cast is here! Listen to the inaugural episode where I open up about my brother in the WWE Hall of Fame against his wishes, those rumors (you know the ones), and so much more! Let me know your thoughts.”

    In addition to Randy Savage’s 2015 Hall of Fame Induction, Lanny also speaks about his resentment towards Jerry “The King” Lawler and Pat Patterson, the urban legend about Randy and Stephanie McMahon and much more.

    “You’ll feel moved and be left with goosebumps by the end of this uniquely quirky and nostalgic show. Don’t miss out!”

    The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo and JP Zarka is presented by ProWrestlingStories.com and drops each Monday.

    Listen to Episode 1 of The Genius Cast below or at this link of the embed does not display.

  • RAW Preview: Bella Twins In Action, Shawn Michaels Returns

    RAW Preview: Bella Twins In Action, Shawn Michaels Returns

    Tonight’s Memorial Day edition of WWE RAW takes place from Columbus, Ohio at the Schottenstein Center.

    The Raw crew is coming off a grueling tour schedule last week. Following last week’s Raw broadcast from Toronto, the Raw brand had live events from London, England (Wednesday) Osaka, Japan (Friday) and Shanghai (Saturday).

    WWE.com is advertising the following items for tonight:

    – The Bella Twins return to action against The Riott Squad.

    – The B-Team defends the Raw Tag Team titles against The Revival.

    – WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels returns. HBK will be at Raw to hype the upcoming match featuring Triple H vs. The Undertaker at WWE Super Show-Down.

    – Braun Strowman aligned himself with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre at the conclusion of last week’s show. How will this new trio deal with The Shield, the group WWE calls the Greatest Faction in History?

    – Alexa Bliss has a date with destiny at Hell in a Cell. Bliss will get her rematch against Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey. How is she preparing for this battle? Is she ready?

    Joins us here later tonight for our weekly WWE RAW Results & Live Coverage.

  • Kenny Omega Addresses G1 Supercard, Cody vs. Nick Aldis Highlight the ALL IN Weigh Ins

    Kenny Omega Addresses G1 Supercard, Cody vs. Nick Aldis Highlight the ALL IN Weigh Ins

    The ALL IN weigh-ins from Starrcast took place on Friday, although only one match ended up on the scales.

    Following a brief introduction, The Young Bucks made their way to the stage to talk about ALL In and celebrate with the crowd after selling out 10,000 seats for what is being hailed as the biggest independent pro wrestling show of all time.

    While everybody involved put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into building the card, the Young Bucks were obviously excited by the reaction from the crowd and the wrestling community as a whole.

    “The way I feel right now, I wanna do 50 more of these damn things!” the Young Bucks shouted to the crowd.

    From there it was time for the only actual weigh-in that took place at the hour plus long event as Cody Rhodes and NWA heavyweight champion Nick Aldis made their way to the stage. Cody officially weighed 206 pounds while Aldis was at 238 pounds.

    Afterwards, Aldis refused to shake hands with Cody before leaving the stage to a loud chorus of boos from the audience.

    Cody then made a special announcement regarding his match as famed referee Earl Hepner will be the third man in the ring during the NWA heavyweight championship match on Saturday night.

    Bill Apter also made an appearance during the weigh-ins where he presented three custom made ALL IN championship belts to Cody and The Young Bucks, who spearheaded the entire idea behind this massive show.

    The show was then turned over to “The Hangman” Adam Page, who came out without wearing any boots — and then he allowed the fans to ask him a few questions.

    Unfortunately for Page, all anybody wanted to talk about was Joey Ryan, which finally led to him erupting on the microphone.

    “The truth is I murdered Joey Ryan. I murdered him!,” Page shouted before his “attorney” came onto the stage to take away the microphone to protect his client.

    Following a brief appearance from the SoCal Underground, the crowd then came to its feet when Marty Scrull came to the stage. He definitely received one of the loudest ovations during the entire weigh-ins before addressing his upcoming match against former IWGP heavyweight champion “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada.

    “I will stop the rain!” Scurll shouted to the crowd in anticipation of his match at ALL IN.

    Joey Janela also popped up out of the crowd before making his way to the stage to stir up the audience while smoking a cigarette and chugging a beer while promising to beat “Hangman” Page at ALL IN.

    Finally at the close of the weigh-ins, one final guess was introduced as reigning IWGP champion Kenny Omega came to the stage to the loudest reaction of the night.

    Omega answered a few questions from the crowd — and even anticipated an inquiry about his interest in going to WWE, although that never actually came.

    Perhaps the biggest piece of news to come out of Omega’s appearance was a question about him appearing at the upcoming G-1 Supercard co-promoted by Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling taking place in Madison Square Garden in New York.

    While Omega wasn’t ready to commit to anything just yet, a giant smile crept across his face after the question was asked. He joked about getting a ticket before adding more intrigue to the card coming up on April 6, 2019.

    “I will probably be there,” Omega said. “Whether I’m needed or not, I don’t know.”

    Before leaving, Omega was asked what it felt like being the greatest wrestler in the world right now on the heels of reaching No. 1 in the 2018 PWI 500.

    Omega said that as much as awards and accolades are nice to receive, what means even more to him is the reaction he gets from the fans who watch his matches and they are the ones he’s representing each time he steps into the ring.

    “That’s what fuels me to continue to fight,” Omega said. “To represent every one of you guys as the alternative for ALL IN.”

    ALL IN goes down on Saturday night from Chicago and don’t miss a minute of the coverage all weekend long on SEScoops.com.

  • WWE Returns To Saudi Arabia On November 2nd

    WWE Returns To Saudi Arabia On November 2nd

    WWE will return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a special event on Friday, November 2nd. PWInsider first reported the news on Wednesday afternoon.

    This will be the second WWE show from the country of the year after the Greatest Royal Rumble back in April. Beyond that, details are scarce. WWE has yet to confirm the location of the upcoming Saudi Arabia show and whether or not it will air on the WWE Network. As part of the planning for WWE’s return to Saudi Arabia on November 2nd, the company’s previously scheduled European dates for October have been rescheduled to May 2019.

    WWE in Saudi Arabia

    The November 2nd live event is part of WWE’s multi-year deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Although the Greatest Royal Rumble was a financial success, it was not without controversy. Due to the country’s conservative social climate, female Superstars were not allowed to participate in the first event. WWE Co-President Michelle Wilson addressed the situation during WWE’s Q1 2018 investor call.

    “I think everyone is familiar with the fact that we have obviously been very vocal about our female performers and re-branding them as Superstars,” said Wilson. “We feel really good about our continued commitment on that front. There are many countries around the world where we perform and we’re respectful to the cultures there but we certainly hope to be a part of the change moving forward.”

    WWE executive Triple H has also addressed the sensitive issue, noting that the first show was a “foot in the door” with hopes that progress that will be made over time.

    Shortly after the Greatest Royal Rumble, the Yamen-based branch of terrorist organization Al-Qaeda issued a warning to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling his efforts to liberalize the Kingdom as “sinful projects.” The Crown Prince was accused of “opening the door wide for corruption and moral degradation” by allowing the WWE and other aspects of western culture into the Middle Eastern country.

  • Superfan Izzy Makes In-Ring Debut, Chokeslam Spot Criticized By Wrestlers (Video)

    Superfan Izzy Makes In-Ring Debut, Chokeslam Spot Criticized By Wrestlers (Video)

    Bayley ‘superfan’ Izzy made her in-ring debut over the weekend at an independent wrestling show for Punk Pro Wrestling in Orlando, Florida. She won her debut against Effy and won a championship belt in the process. However, a spot in the match has been stirring up controversy on social media.

    Midway through the bout, 12-year-old Izzy was choke slammed. Several wrestlers have voiced their strong disapproval of Izzy taking the move, including Lince Dorado, Chelsea Green, Lance Storm, Zack Ryder and more.

    Izzy’s In-Ring Debut

    https://twitter.com/ItsIzzyMania/status/1033859588901285889

    Izzy Gets Choke Slammed

    https://twitter.com/mediumcore/status/1033860584335450112?s=21

    Reactions to Izzy Being Choke Slammed

    https://twitter.com/ImChelseaGreen/status/1034595359257972737

    https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/1034608076207214594

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    https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1034613611774193665

  • Cody Rhodes Talks ALL IN, Randy Orton, and Future Shows during Reddit AMA

    Cody Rhodes Talks ALL IN, Randy Orton, and Future Shows during Reddit AMA

    Cody Rhodes never shies away from a tough question. The former WWE superstar turned independent wrestling darling had plenty to answer during a Reddit ‘ask me anything’ session with fans on Tuesday. This weekend, Rhodes will serve as performer and promoter for the highly anticipated ALL IN pay-per-view that is expected to be the biggest independent wrestling card of 2018.

    Despite a busy week ahead, Rhodes took time to answer questions about some of his favorite moments in the ring, plenty about the upcoming ALL IN show and he even addressed a notorious rumor regarding Randy Orton.

    Here’s the best of the best from Cody Rhodes’ AMA on Reddit:

    Promoting Future Shows

    This weekend, Cody will put on his promoter hat after teaming up with the Young Bucks to put on the ambitious ALL IN card that takes place in Chicago. Obviously, Cody still loves in ring competition but does this latest show mean he’s thinking about turning promoter again in the future?

    “I don’t know,” Rhodes answered. “I’m already over budget and overtime.”

    Still, Rhodes says he wouldn’t have it any other way because he invited the headaches that he knew would happen with a show of this magnitude.

    “I wanted the stress,” Rhodes stated.

    Security at All In

    Sadly after the shooting in Jacksonville just days ago during a Madden football tournament, some fans were curious about the security at the ALL IN pay-per-view, which is being held just outside of Chicago.

    “Security was beefy from the jump, but we’ve added several levels and the building is an incredibly secure and disciplined building,” Rhodes stated.

    All In Taking Place In Different Cities

    Several months back, Rhodes had teased several potential locations for the ALL IN card and he even mentioned Dublin, Ireland as a possible landing spot. It turns out, Cody was dead serious about turning this show into an international card but ultimately they decided on Chicago instead.

    “Loved the fans at OTT. Promoter wasn’t too keen on me and the ref actually had the balls to tell me to “take it home” during a triple-threat match. Yea, I’ll telepathically do that bud,” Rhodes wrote.

    “But we weren’t lying. Dublin was considered and I’d love to be back there. Such a fun crowd that night.”

    While they aren’t traveling to Europe, Rhodes was asked about bringing in more talent from overseas to perform on the ALL IN show. Sadly, Rhodes says navigating the difficult visa system made it nearly impossible to get everybody possible on the card.

    “One issue with talents from outside countries was visas,” Rhodes explained. “The three of us were not versed in how that works properly. Securing the Canadian and Japanese ones were rather difficult. Lesson learned though.”

    Marty vs. Okada

    When it came time to booking the show, Rhodes had lots of ideas for the talent involved including the highly anticipated matchup between Kazuchika Okada and Marty Scurll.

    “Nick Jackson wanted Marty to have a match. I had Marty doing a “singing segment”. Nick was right,” Rhodes joked.

    The Best Advice Cody Has Received In Wrestling

    Outside of ALL IN, Rhodes also answered a few questions from his past including the best advice he’s ever been given since becoming a professional wrestler.

    “Never let them convince you that you aren’t the star of that tag team” -Joey Mercury

    These days, Rhodes says he’s listening to himself for the best possible advice after receiving plenty from WWE CEO Vince McMahon and his own famous father, Dusty Rhodes.

    “I got 10 years of advice from [Vince] and 30 years of advice from Dusty…invaluable, but got to follow my own advice now,” Rhodes said.

    The Brotherhood vs. The Shield at WWE Battleground 2013

    Rhodes also addressed one of his favorite moments from the past when he teamed with his brother Dustin in a match at WWE Battleground against The Shield team of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. That night, Cody hit the ‘Cross Rhodes’ to get the pin in front of his father and that still serves as one of the best moments of his entire career.

    “Sorry I’m a little late! It’s definitely in my TOP-5,” Rhodes stated.

    So .. Did He Shake Randy Orton’s Hand?

    And finally just to add a little levity to the Q&A, Rhodes was asked about his former partner Randy Orton, who recently had some rumors brought up about his backstage behavior, especially when it came to shaking hands with people.

    Rather than avoid the question, Rhodes offered his own hilarious answer.

    “We hugged,” Rhodes said.

    Check out Cody Rhodes and the entire ALL IN card this weekend with full results and coverage on SEScoops.com.

  • Goldberg Open To Wrestling The Undertaker, Says WWE HOF Ceremony ‘Sucks’

    Goldberg Open To Wrestling The Undertaker, Says WWE HOF Ceremony ‘Sucks’

    WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg recently spoke with the guys from Inside The Ropes after his sold-out stage show from Dublin, Ireland. Goldberg spoke about a variety of topics, including his thoughts on the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, feeling like a caged animal on RAW the night after WrestleMania and the possibility of wrestling The Undertaker. Here are the highlights

    WWE’s Hall of Fame Ceremony

    Bill Goldberg was the headline inductee for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. By the time Goldberg gave his induction speech, many of the WWE Superstars had already left the arena. The ceremony lasts 3+ hours during WWE’s busiest weekend of the year. Goldberg reveals he spoke to Vince McMahon about the need to make changes to the event’s formt.

    “First and foremost I went to Vince and I told him my impression of the Hall Of Fame and what should happen,” Goldberg said. “I don’t think it’s a justice to the people being inducted. I don’t think it’s a justice to the fans that sit there for four hours. I think it needs to be changed completely right up on its head.”

    He continued, “It needs to be changed because it sucks … I don’t care about what other people say or how they did it, I’m telling you in my experience as a headliner in 2018 in the Hall Of Fame — it needs to be changed.”

    The Possibility of Wrestling The Undertaker

    The night after WrestleMania, Goldberg addressed the WWE Universe as a Hall of Famer. He thanked everyone for supporting him during his latest WWE run. He was very grateful that his son got a chance to see him be ‘Goldberg’ in person.

    Goldberg also revealed that it was very difficult for him to be backstage at Raw, because he saw all the Superstars going out and doing what he loves to do. He is very competitive,  and still has the itch to compete under the right circumstances. When asked about the possibility of wrestling The Undertaker, Goldberg was very specific with the wording of his answer.

    “No, don’t put words in my mouth,” Goldberg said when asked if he ‘would like’ to have a match against The Undertaker.  I wouldn’t like to have it. If it became available and it was right and people wanted it, I’m still capable of doing it. Because once I sit here and say, ‘It’s a match I’d like to have,’ it means that I’m asking for it. I’m not asking for anything. i’m just saying, if the cards fell right, I wouldn’t say no.”

    Watch Bill Goldberg talk about WWE’s HOF Ceremony, The Undertaker: & More

  • Toronto Will Host SummerSlam 2019

    Toronto Will Host SummerSlam 2019

    After four straight years in Brooklyn, New York, WWE SummerSlam is heading to Toronto in 2019. The news was first reported by ET Canada and later confirmed by WWE.

    Next year’s WWE SummerSlam will take place on Sunday, August 11th from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. The venue will host 4 nights of WWE action as part of SummerSlam weekend.

    The full schedule for WWE SummerSlam 2019 weekend includes:

    • Saturday, August 10: NXT TakeOver
    • Sunday, August 11: SummerSlam
    • Monday, August 12: Monday Night Raw
    • Tuesday, August 13: SmackDown Live

    WWE will also host a number of activities in the city, including a SummerSlam Axxess fan festival at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

    “We are thrilled to bring WWE’s biggest event of the summer back to Toronto,” said John Saboor, WWE executive vice-president, special events, in a statement. “We look forward to working with our partners at Tourism Toronto and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to build a blueprint that welcomes our global fan base to the great city of Toronto.”

    Toronto hosted SummerSlam once before back in 2004.

  • Cody Rhodes Reveals How He Paid for All In ‘Over Budget Battle Royal’

    Cody Rhodes Reveals How He Paid for All In ‘Over Budget Battle Royal’

    Putting on a massive event like ALL IN isn’t cheap.

    The highly anticipated pay-per-view event that goes down this weekend features stars from all over the professional wrestling world and might just be one of the most ambitious independent shows in recent memory.

    As one of the primary people behind the show, Cody Rhodes knows exactly what it took to get this incredible lineup together.

    In fact, Rhodes had to go above and beyond when it came time to afford the ‘Over Budget Battle Royal’, which earned its name thanks to the real life financial constraints that were required to make it happen in the first place.

    With an hour long special dubbed ‘ALL IN: Zero Hour’ set to air on WGN America, Rhodes knew he had to pull out all the stops to make the battle royal happen — and so that’s exactly what he did.

    “When you look at the ring for the entire show — you look at the canvas, you look at the aprons, the buckles, all the soft goods that make up a professional wrestling ring – know that I sold each and every one of them to various collectors so that I could afford the Over Budget Battle Royal,” Rhodes revealed on the latest ALL US podcast.

    Memorabilia from events like this one can fetch a premium price from collectors so that’s exactly what Rhodes used to ensure he could afford the battle royal that will air on WGN America.

    The winner of that battle royal will then go onto compete for the Ring of Honor championship during the pay-per-view portion of ALL IN.

    Rhodes definitely gets points for creativity and now ALL IN: Zero Hour will feature the ‘Over Budget Battle Royal’ starting at 6 p.m. ET on WGN America this Saturday night.

  • Cody Rhodes Explains How ‘Arrow’ Star Stephen Amell Ended Up Going ALL IN

    Cody Rhodes Explains How ‘Arrow’ Star Stephen Amell Ended Up Going ALL IN

    It’s no secret that ‘Arrow’ star Stephen Amell is a big fan of professional wrestling and now he will go ALL IN this weekend for a match against Christopher Daniels.

    Amell has actually appeared in matches previously, including a showdown against Cody when he was Stardust in WWE back in 2015.

    Now Amell is scheduled for his biggest match today as he goes into singles competition at the highly anticipated ALL IN pay-per-view this weekend from New York.

    According to Rhodes, who also has a five episode arc upcoming in the new season of ‘Arrow’, says that Amell has pro wrestling in his blood and that’s why it wasn’t all that hard to get him on board for the match at ALL IN.

    “Well, Stephen got it in his blood.” Rhodes said when speaking to ComicBook.com. “The first time he came back, we were in Barkley Center when he did the match with Stardust. When he came to the curtain, he got a standing ovation. He got it in his blood, man. It doesn’t matter what age you are, if you’re a millionaire already, the feeling of pro wrestling for an entertainer, for a show person, there’s nothing like it. And he wanted a singles match immediately after that. Immediately.

    “‘Arrow’ marches on, and we didn’t necessarily get there with Stardust. But when we talked about this event, I obviously thought what a wonderful moment that would be, and at the same time, I was heading back to ‘Arrow’ for five episodes now.”

    https://twitter.com/StephenAmell/status/1032092867584389125

    Filming for ‘Arrow’ season 7 is still ongoing but obviously Amell is taking a break this weekend for his match against Daniels.

    Rhodes says the pairing was natural just given what he knows about both of the guys involved in the match and he can’t wait to see how it all unfolds at ALL IN.

    “He was the right person at the right time.” Rhodes said about Daniels as Amell’s opponent. “I mean, if I’m talking as a real insider perspective, here’s two guys that I would give the world to. I won my first world title from Christopher Daniels, and I may dislike him. He’s literally busted my lip and both my eyebrows, but I’ll have a bond with that guy forever because of it. And Stephen, even though I read for eight different parts and finally got something, Stephen has been a big part of my career. That was my favorite thing that I did as Stardust. It really helped me learn the character, and to be able to come into his world, and that’s something that I want to pursue, and we’re doing more with after.”

    “So it’s just two of the greatest people ever, and plus, they’re both super contrarian. They’re both super aggressive, and competitive, so I just feel like it’s going to be a full blown hockey fight, and I’m excited for that hockey fight. I’ll be mortified and terrified if [Christopher Daniel] busts Stephen open like he has done to me every time we’ve ever been in the ring, but my fingers are crossed, man.”

    Given Amell’s excitement about the upcoming match, it’s tough to believe he won’t show up any time Rhodes has an offer for him to hop back into the ring.

    https://twitter.com/StephenAmell/status/1032097168557989888

    Are you excited about Stephen Amell making his singles debut against Christopher Daniels at ALL IN?

  • Backstage Details On Changes To AAA’s Writing Team

    Backstage Details On Changes To AAA’s Writing Team

    Mexico’s Lucha Libre AAA promotion presented TripleMania XXVI over the weekend. According to sources within the promotion, there have been some significant changes behind the scenes in AAA over the past several months.

    SEScoops has learned AAA quietly let Chris DeJoseph go as their head writer back in June. Prior to his release, DeJoseph had been working as a ‘ghost writer’ for former AAA booker Vampiro. When Dorian Roldan found out about DeJoseph helping Vampiro write their shows, he formally promoted DeJoseph to a writing position.

    Shortly after DeJoseph was officially brought on board as part of AAA’s writing team, there was a sharp decline in ticket sales and television ratings. Dorian eventually gave control back to Konnan, who is the current head writer.

    Vampiro is still loosely involved helping as a talent coordinator, but his role has been heavily scaled back.

    Chris DeJoseph remains the head writer for Lucha Underground and does some acting work in the Los Angeles area.