It’s fitting that Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns began the weekend confronting one another on a football field in their memorable “cinema” exchange on SmackDown because the NFL is always full of “cinema” week in and week out.

Starting this week for the rest of the NFL season, I’ll be doing a pro football/pro wrestling round-up – how the two worlds collide with one another during the NFL season.

Week 3 of the NFL had its fair share of upsets and defining Ws for certain teams, but pro wrestling was in full force on the gridiron. Stars from WWE and AEW were not just attending the games themselves, but players also took opportunity express their pro wrestling fandom.

Seth Rollins Gets “Royal Rumbled” By Star Colts WR!

Seth Rollins is unabashed in his fandom for the Chicago Bears and wears his emotions on his sleeve whether his team wins or loses. In near signature fashion, Rollins will typically wallow in a Bears loss by posting “I hate football” on X or will celebrate by writing “I love football” instead.

Rollins’ actions spoke louder than his words this week as the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion was actually in attendance for the game as the Bears played in Indianapolis. Rollins was clearly the heel in enemy territory and a babyface TY Hilton, longtime Colts wide receiver, “tossed” Rollins “over the top” and onto the field as the Bears took the loss, dropping to 1-2 currently on the season.

Ric Flair Sees Similarities Between Aaron Rodgers and Arn Anderson

With Tom Brady retiring two seasons ago, Aaron Rodgers is currently the oldest active player in the NFL. Even with Brady, the New York Jets’ QB is one of the purest top talents to ever enter the league. It’s no surprise that before the Jets played the New England Patriots this past Thursday that Ric Flair took to social media to put a picture-by-picture comparison of Rodgers next to his Four Horsemen compatriot, Arn Anderson, one of the purest pro wrestlers to ever step foot in the ring.

Rodgers infamously tore his Achilles tendon to start the 2023 season, taking him out for the whole year, but much like Arn, Rodgers didn’t appear to age on Thursday as he ripped the Patriots apart, going 27 for 35 with 281 passing yards, two touchdowns and a 118.9 passer rating. The Jets are now 2-1 after handing their division rival one hefty loss.

Sheamus Revs Up The Tennessee Titan Fans (Almost)

Sheamus may be Irish, but The Celtic Warrior packs quite the presence in Nashville, TN. Sunday was no exception as Sheamus took to Nissan Stadium to amp up the crowd ahead of the Titans playing the Packers. However, all that was “White Noise” as Will Levis and the Titans fell to the Green Bay Packers 30-14.

Jamaal Williams Believes In Joe Hendry

Many wrestling fans “believe” in Joe Hendry, but some NFL players do too. Jamaal Williams, running back for the New Orleans Saints, is one of them. Heading into warm-ups before his team played the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, Williams hit up the Saints social media team to sing the Joe Hendry theme for the viewers.

Williams may now have channel Journey with “Don’t Stop Believing” as the Saints fell to the Eagles 15-12.

AEW & WWE Stars Reunite For The 49ers vs. The Rams

There was quite the pro wrestling reunion in Los Angeles this weekend as AEW stars joined up with WWE stars to celebrate their San Francisco 49ers. Bayley, Leila Gray, Mercedes Mone, Tamina Snuka and Naomi all met up to cheer on the Brock Purdy-led red and gold. However, much like Giovanni Vinci this past Friday with Apollo Crews, the Los Angeles Rams has the Niners’ number, rolling up for an upset win with a game-winning field goal.

Wrestling Related Games Win-Loss Record

It’s a rough start to the season for wrestling and football related news as the team tied with pro wrestling went 1-4 for the week.

The New Orleans Saints come marching into NFL Sunday with Joe Hendry. The belief of Joe Hendry holds no boundaries as the pro wrestling sensation that has took fire in TNA and NXT now has caught wind in the NFL.

The Saints have a tall order ahead of them this football Sunday as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles in one of the featured games, but one star for the team knows who he can hang his helmet on in getting the job done.

As the team headed into warm-ups this weekend, Saints running back Jamaal Williams was caught by the team’s social media crew singing Joe Hendry’s theme. Not just that, but Williams is clearly a fan as he’s captured doing the signature rythmic clap of the pro wrestling star.

If Williams has “believed” in Joe Hendry to start the NFL season, it’s paid off dividends for the team as the Saints are currently undefeated heading into Sunday and have had one of the hottest offenses in the league so far.

Williams has done his share at contributing to the scoreboard as the running back already has a touchdown on the season, which actually totals the same amount of TDs he had last season with the team.

When it comes to Hendry, he believes in Terry Taylor. Just this week, Hendry tipped his cap to Taylor, saying he learned a lot from the seasoned veteran while working at the WWE Performance Center. While working with NXT, Hendry found himself right at the top of the card working with names like Ethan Page and Trick Williams.

Xavier Woods has expressed his frustrations with Kofi Kingston and could the former Consequences Creed have consequences for his best buddy?

Tension between New Day came to a head on Monday’s episode of WWE Raw as New Day lost their WWE World Tag Team Titles shot against The Judgment Day, but not without its share of complications.

It was Finn Balor and JD McDonagh defending the gold against Kofi and Woods, but it was almost arithmetic that the rest of The Judgment Day would meddle in the business. Woods made clear to Judgment Day rival Damian Priest that he wanted no help from anyone in the match, and Priest agreed. However, the LWO came out to fend off the Judgment Day insurgents and it caused Kingston to get involved. Woods ended up getting a visual three count on McDonagh, but the referee was too busy trying to restore order and it ultimately cost New Day the match.

Woods was irate with LWO after the fact and while Kingston tried to cool him down, only escalated the situation by revealing LWO standing guard was his idea. Woods was not pleased and made clear he wasn’t happy with Kingston. On Friday, Woods made a cryptic post on X stating he may have a reunion of sorts with some “old friends.”

“The streets saying that I may see some old friends soon. Just so yall know, I’m not a kid anymore.”

Who could these “old friends” be? Woods has his history in TNA and a team likely on the cusp of making their WWE debut is The Motor City Machine Guns. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin could be two names to align with Woods.

Paul Heyman may be a “Paul Levesque Guy” but will never forget his history with ECW and arguably the company’s biggest star in Rob Van Dam.

Heyman is currently off WWE television after he was memorably attacked by Solo Sikoa’s newly led Bloodline, but ‘The Wiseman’ remains a strong figure backstage.

Someone who he happened to cross paths with on the premiere episode of SmackDown on USA was Rob Van Dam. RVD received an invite to the program and sat at ringside for the tag team match involving Randy Orton, Kevin Owens and A-Town Down Under. Van Dam noted that he ran into Heyman backstage and had “high” praise for his former boss.

Heyman previously reciprocated his appreciation for RVD during his noteworthy WWE Hall of Fame speech back in Philadelphia. However, not even after a week of running into ‘Mr. Monday Night’, Heyman saw something that caught his eye on Thursday night to spark a social media conversation with fans of Rob Van Dam.

“This would be the perfect block for a dispensary. #JustSaying”

On the latest episode of “1 Of A Kind With RVD”, Van Dam was asked by a fan as to what ECW benefited greater from: Paul Heyman’s genius or the wrestlers being allowed to be themselves? RVD undoubtedly said Heyman’s genius is what made ECW succeed because there were plenty of times where Paul E. knew to not let certain wrestlers be themselves. It sounds like Triple H is following suit with Heyman’s philosphy as RVD expressed his optimism for the “refreshing” new vibe backstage at WWE.

If Chad Gable’s still a heel by 2026, he’ll pivot to one of WWE’s top babyface when it comes to the Special Olympics.

Gable announced on X his excitement for becoming an ambassador for the 2026 Special Olympics Games which will hail out of Minnesota.

“I’m excited to announce I’m an official ambassador for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games!

“Get ready for some epic moments as we celebrate all the incredible athletes who will compete in Minnesota in 2026!”

Gable will be following in the footsteps of fellow top heel on RAW in Drew McIntyre who happened to be a global ambassador for the 2023 Special Olympics. Drew also was an ambassador during the 2021 Special Olympics while WWE was in Las Vegas for SummerSlam. Another person Gable is mirroring in more ways than one is Kurt Angle who just recently appeared at the Special Olympics softball games which took place in Pittsburgh.

Chad Gable’s 2024

Chad Gable has had a banner year for his career in 2024. Gable started off as a big time babyface when he was feuding with GUNTHER before he ultimately turned on Sami Zayn and began demeaning Otis, Maxxine Dupri and Tozawa of the Alpha Academy.

He later received some comeuppance for his transgressions courtesy of the Wyatt Sicks who left him a bloody mess backstage. This caused Gable to feud with the mysterious faction and it prompted him to form American Made, aligning himself with The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile. The new group definitively lost that feud, but just this past Monday on Raw expressed an intent to move on from a battle with Bo Dallas’ new group.

Ken Shamrock has yet to be a WWE Hall of Famer, but “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” is now WWE legend on paper. An Chris Van Vliet interview with Shamrock just released this week and the former WWE Intercontinental Champion was asked if he was currently under a legends deal with the company and he confirmed that he was. Before that, he mentioned how he always remained in a relationship with the company.

“I’ve had a relationship with them forever, even since when I went away. We did a Legend’s contract and so I’ve always been apart of them. It’s one of those things where I think I spent enough time there and did enough there where I feel like I’m apart of that family forever.”

Shamrock hasn’t been on WWE television in over 20 years, but was a legend in the 2K24 video game.

During his WWE tenure, Shamrock was an intrical part in the notorious “double turn” between Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13. He’d later be the first big feud of The Rock’s WWE career as a babyface Shamrock battled with the Nation of Domination.

Why Isn’t Ken Shamrock In The WWE Hall Of Fame?

Shamrock doesn’t dwell on not being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, though he would appreciate the recognition. He’s grateful for the career he’s had, and feels his body of work speaks for itself.

“Yeah! you know that’s a great question and I get asked that a lot, which I guess is a good thing, right?

“When people ask that, it’s not really something I think about a lot.”

Watch Ken Shamrock’s full discussion with Chris Van Vliet:

Here are some more highlights of what Shamrock said about:

His Infamous Chair Shot from The Rock: He famously asked The Rock to hit him square in the forehead with a chair during their iconic match, as he believed the forehead was the safest place to take the blow. This has become a notable moment in his career.

The People’s Elbow: Shamrock recalls being the first to take The Rock’s People’s Elbow, joking that The Rock took too long to execute the move when he was still refining it.

Vader Incident: Shamrock unintentionally broke Vader’s nose during a match but received praise from both Vader and Bret Hart for his performance.

The Montreal Screwjob: He expressed discomfort over the controversy due to his close relationship with Bret Hart, who had mentored him in wrestling.

Working with Chyna: Shamrock declined to participate in matches with Chyna, citing his personal belief in not hitting women, which he felt would confuse his children.

Brawl For All: Shamrock turned down the opportunity to compete in WWE’s Brawl For All, not wanting to jeopardize the trust he had built in the locker room by fighting his colleagues for real.

Paul Heyman has created a lot of memorable moments for pro wrestling fans, but he has yet to live out his favorite one yet. However, that’s with good reason.

Whether he was in ECW’s land of the extreme or embedded in the ever-changing universe of WWE, Heyman has left his indelible mark on the squared circle. The 2024 WWE Hall Of Famer loosened his tie a bit to have a Fanatics Fanfest interview with Jazzy. He had a little fun heckling the young interviewer but ultimately gave her some insightful advice. When she asked Heyman if he’s had a favorite moment yet in WWE, Paul E. opened up about how he stays motivated.

“I haven’t lived it yet. Every moment I’ve been in WWE has been my favorite which means the next moment I have, that will become my favorite. If you don’t strive for that next moment to be your favorite then you’re lowering your own expectations and your own ambition and I won’t do that. I always strive for tomorrow to better than today and for the day after tomorrow to be better than tomorrow.”

What likely wasn’t a favorite moment of Heyman’s was when the new Bloodline attacked him and ultimately powerbombed him through the commentator’s table. Heyman hasn’t been seen on television since, but still remains an active mind backstage during tapings. Rob Van Dam noted that Heyman was actually behind-the-scenes at the SmackDown premiere on USA Network. However, it is a possibility we could see Paul get back in the on-air mix as Roman Reigns begins his feud with Solo Sikoa.

Rikishi remains very active on social media and on Wednesday, the WWE Hall of Famer posted a message that has fans hoping the best for Jimmy Uso.

One of the legends of the Samoan dynasty posted on X asking people to keep Jimmy in their prayers and in turn asked God to give him strength during this time. Included in the post was a video of Jimmy and a voiceover reciting a prayer.

“Dear GOD pray for strength and health to continue #JimmyUso #WWE #Bloodline #Anoai #Fatu. Stay prayed for my boy #JonathanFatu.”

There currently is no further details on the status of Jimmy Uso as he was written off WWE television months ago when Solo Sikoa and the new Bloodline attacked him, effectively kicking him out of the group.

It would be unfair to assume that Rikishi’s post is storyline based, but Jimmy Uso’s past could cause pause for a lot of fans. Back in July of 2019, Uso was charged with a DUI before a jury found him not guilty. Two years to the month after that, Uso was arrested for a misdemeanor DUI after allegedly failing a sobriety test.

Back in a 2023 interview with Ariel Helwani, Jimmy mentioned how he faced the noise with that arrest and continued to remain professional in the WWE work enviroment.

“Everybody has their issues outside of work. Everybody is human and makes mistakes as they go through it. As long as you face the noise, that’s something we always did.”

In August, Jey Uso talked about Jimmy’s potential return and told fans to get excited for “his greatness.”

We at SEScoops would like to extend our best wishes to the Fatu family at this time.

This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite will hail from the eastern side of Pennsylvania in Reading, PA where four matches have been announced for the program. Several banner names are on tap to compete including Chris Jericho, Will Ospreay, The Young Bucks and Ricochet.

AEW Dynamite Tonight

Here is what has been announced to occur on tonight’s show

• The Young Bucks & Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita
• Chris Jericho vs. Orange Cassidy
• The Beast Mortos vs. Ricochet
• Mariah May & Serena Deeb vs. Queen Amanita & Yuka Sakazaki

The Young Bucks find two new adversaries in Ospreay and Fletcher who won the Tag Team Casino Gauntlet last week to earn a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Titles.

Jericho ambushed Orange Cassidy on Saturday’s episode of AEW Collision which has heated up their feud even further. Cassidy did happen to pay Jericho his $7,000 back by dumping a whole bunch of loose change onto Chris’ new Bentley and now the two will finally clash tonight.

From a storyline standpoint, fans will have several elements to sink their teeth into as Nigel McGuinness has been quite the button-pusher online as he continues to take jabs at Bryan Danielson before their slated match at AEW Grand Slam.

Additionally, there still remains plenty of uncertainty when it comes to Jon Moxley’s plans as he, Marina Shafir, Claudio Castagnoli and PAC have waged war on a lot of the locker room.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for our continued coverage of Dynamite.

Rob Van Dam may have been on SmackDown this past Friday, but he wasn’t feeling blue and says Cody Rhodes is a positive proponent in the new WWE.

‘Mr. Monday Night’ was ‘Mr. Friday Night’ SmackDown as he and his wife Katie Forbes attended the premiere episode of the USA Network. Van Dam was all over the arena on Friday hanging out with fellow legends, meeting up with Triple H, but also ran into ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes.

Speaking with me on “1 Of A Kind With RVD,” Van Dam said he and Forbes actually hung out by Rhodes’ tour bus. Cody apparently had a set-up like a camp out by his bus with fold out chairs. Rhodes happened to pass by on more than one occassion before his big WWE Title match against Solo Sikoa.

“Me and Katie hung out there for awhile and he came by a few times and just was like super cool and even gave us a bottle of vodka. He was just really cool.”

Van Dam added that Dustin Rhodes has always been really cool and making everyone laugh. He recalled a time when Dustin would do a “vomit” trick with passerbys, but RVD would no-sell it.

Cody Rhodes: Apart Of The Positive Vibe In WWE

Before RVD changed subjects, he noted how different the WWE dressing room was from the days of his past. Earlier in the show Rob mentioned that there was a refreshing energy with the company and Van Dam reiterated that by running into Cody.

“Cody definitely was part of that vibe … in general the boys don’t look so tired anymore, you know? They look legitimately happy to be there, happy to be part of something, having fun and it used to be a different kind of vibe of a long drawn out day of tired people while trying to get to the end of the day and it didn’t ring true to that so much this time and I’ve heard a lot of people tell me, ‘Oh, you just gotta see how it’s changed,’ but I gotta say, they wasn’t lying.”

You can catch new episodes of “1 Of A Kind With RVD” every Monday at 4:20 PM ET.

Rob Van Dam had a busy Friday as the WWE Hall Of Famer made his return to SmackDown, and Mr. Monday Night noticed a very different vibe to Triple H’s new regime.

RVD and his wife Katie Forbes were invited as guests for the first SmackDown on USA Network. The power couple were seen sitting ringside for Kevin Owens & Randy Orton vs. Austin Theory & Grayson Waller and Van Dam was impressed with what he saw.

Speaking to me on a yet-to-be-released episode of his ‘1 Of A Kind With RVD’ podcast, the Hall of Famer shared his view of how different WWE is these days, both in the ring and backstage in the locker room.

“It was in a way that’s refreshing to make me realize how out of touch with the product I am because I didn’t realize that a lot of the things people have been telling me are in effect.”

Rob says in just watching the one match in some ways WWE seems to be aiming at bringing the wrestling product back to more storytelling and simplifying the exhibition of the in-ring action. Van Dam also loved the new SmackDown logo.

“I love creative s*** like that.”

Backstage Interactions With Triple H & The Modern Roster

Rob Van Dam had a brief interaction with Kevin Owens backstage after his match with a fist bump, hung with Booker T, Ron Simmons and Teddy Long in the legends dressing room. He also did some interviews on behalf of WWE for future projects. He also did get to chat with Triple H.

“He was really cool, in a good mood and I got good vibes off him as well.”

Van Dam did hear Triple H talk during a meeting about how the touring schedule would change and it reminded him of how daunting the old WWE schedule used to be.

A lot of the modern roster approached him to thank him for being there and saying how they enjoy his podcast too. RVD noted even a talent appreciated the knowledge they get from listening to Mr. Monday Night.

“Just getting feedback from social media or whatever, not only is it toxic, but it’s also deceiving because they were there to have fun. It was so obvious, again I’m gonna use the word refreshing, it was so refreshing.”

RVD said the fans were completely along for the ride and that was a big strong takeaway from the crowd.

“I get it, it’s a very fun vibe.”

Rob also made mention that he found entire WWE dressing room to be positive. No one was tired or exhausted as he remembered when he was full time and everyone looked very happy to be involved in the growth of the company.

New episodes of “1 Of A Kind With RVD” releases every Monday at 4:20 PM ET. Please h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

WWE SmackDown has a new residence in USA Network and a new intro song courtesy of Megan Thee Stallion, but the rap artist may have more planned.

SmackDown on USA kicked off in a big way with a Steel Cage Match for the Undisputed Championship but the show first fired off with “Neva Play” by Megan Thee Stallion and RM.

Both Michael Cole and Corey Graves put over the new tune during the show on the same program where Cole also made a Steely Dan reference regarding Kevin Owens “surprise” tag team partner Ricky Gibson.

An hour into SmackDown, Megan went onto social media to say she should maybe step into the ring now, “I think it’s finally time I make my debut lol.”

Megan Thee Stallion already had some pro wrestling ties before this new SmackDown song dropped. Back when she was SmackDown Women’s Champion, Bianca Belair was shown pictured with the artist and just this year, she and Mercedes Mone were shown together at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards where the TBS Women’s Champion hoped to get Stallion in the ring “very soon.”

Stallion, however, isn’t the only mainstream pop artist paying tribute to pro wrestling. Weeks back at Lollapalooza in Chicago, Chappell Roan was all decked out in a lucha libre themed set during her performance which prompted an open invite from All Elite Wrestling. Additionally, NWA owner Billy Corgan has typically had a “pro wrestling skirmish” go down during his Smashing Pumpkins performance who is currently on tour with Green Day.

Two more pro wrestlers have gotten engaged as Lyra Valkryia got quite the proposal to kick off the weekend. While in New York City, the former NXT Women’s Champion happened to walk into a hotel room adorned with rose pedals and photos of her and her long-time boyfriend LJ Cleary. Rose pedals were laid out on the bedspread asking Lyria, “Will you marry me?”

Valkyria clearly said yes as Cleary took to Instagram to share the big news that also shows Valkyria wearing a beautiful engagement ring.

“Yes. 10 years together celebrated by getting engaged to the person I will be spending the rest of my life with, and she is the love of mine.”

Several names like Scotty Too Hotty, Flash Morgan Webster and Pretty Deadly’s Kit Wilson all took a moment to congratulate Cleary and Valkyria on the happy news.

Valkyria was just showcased on WWE Raw as she teamed with a returning Natalya in Calgary to defeat the Pure Fusion Collective in a six-woman tag match.

Congratulations to Lyra Valkyria and LJ Cleary on this exciting news!

Who Is LJ Cleary?

While Valkyria has been busy on WWE Raw since after WrestleMania, LJ Cleary has been honing his wrestling craft overseas both in Ireland and NOAH. Cleary just actually celebrated his one year anniversary in being with NOAH, but back in June made his debut in New Japan. Just a week ago, Cleary competed in London under the NOAH & Progress banner taking on Amakusa.

Bryan Danielson will not be battling Darby Allin as originally planned at AEW Grand Slam, but will instead be taking on longtime rival Nigel McGuinness.

The fallout after AEW All Out were a little rocky after Danielson was choked out by a plastic bag courtesy of Jon Moxley and it appeared Danielson was going to be unable to compete against Allin at Grand Slam. Instead on AEW Dynamite Moxley challenged Allin to put his title shot on the line at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Allin accepted so it appeared that Danielson would indeed be unable to compete and Mox would headline against Darby.

Not so fast. Nigel McGuinness had different plans as in a backstage segment expressed his desire to speak to Tony Khan. Later on in the evening, we see Nigel standing in the ring with a piece of paper in hand. He comments on Danielson’s hatred toward him and then says the World Champion should compete at Grand Slam. He reveals that he has a contract for a match against Danielson at the event if Bryan has the guts to compete. Later on the match is confirmed with the caveat the Bryan is able to wrestle.

McGuinness may arguably be Danielson’s greatest rival of all time due to the memorable matches they had while both in Ring Of Honor. Injuries plagued Nigel’s career in the ring and made the decision to retire from in-ring action. However, McGuiness made the exception when he came out during the Casino Royale Gauntlet at ALL IN. McGuiness came out to Oasis in Wembley to a massive crowd reaction and had a great showing in the match before it was Christian Cage who captured the contract.

Sports often unite communities, and WWE Superstar Sami Zayn made sure to honor the late Calgary Flames player Johnny Gaudreau on this week’s WWE Raw. Gaudreau, a standout NHL star, tragically passed away last week alongside his brother, Matthew, in a bicycle accident in South New Jersey. A funeral for the brothers was held on Monday, and WWE took time to pay tribute to the Gaudreaus during their event.

Following Raw, the Calgary Flames thanked WWE and Sami Zayn on social media for putting on such a heartfelt tribute.

WWE Pays Tribute to Johnny Gaurdeau

Sami Zayn, born in Montreal, entered the arena wearing a Johnny Gaudreau Calgary Flames jersey, joining Canadian wrestling legend Bret Hart in a special segment. Together, the two confronted WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, adding an emotional layer to the night.

Later in the broadcast, commentators Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett directed viewers to WWE broadcaster Jackie Redmond. Redmond, visibly emotional, shared footage of fan tributes outside the arena, where Calgary Flames supporters had gathered to honor Johnny Gaudreau.

She also extended WWE’s condolences to the Gaudreau family, as the live audience observed a moment of silence to pay their respects to one of Calgary’s most cherished athletes.

We at SEScoops would like to extend our deepest condolences to Johnny and Matthew Gaurdeau’s family and friends during this difficult time.

WWE Raw is set to revert to a two-hour format starting Monday, October 7, 2024, bringing the show’s runtime back in line with its Attitude Era days. This change, announced during this week’s “season premiere” episode will continue through December 30, 2024, marking the final episode of Raw on cable after a 32-year run. Beginning January 6, 2024, WWE Raw will officially move to Netflix.

This marks a significant shift for WWE’s flagship program, which has aired for three hours for over a decade. The extended runtime has been a point of contention among fans, with many arguing that the show’s quality has suffered due to its length.

WWE has benefited financially from the additional ad revenue, but critics have pointed out that the longer format often led to pacing issues and filler segments. In contrast, SmackDown has maintained a tighter, two-hour format, even during its successful run on Fox.

Speaking of SmackDown, the blue brand is set to debut on USA Network this Friday after concluding its contract with Fox. WWE has loaded the card for the occasion, featuring a WWE Undisputed Championship steel cage match where Solo Sikoa will challenge Cody Rhodes for the title.

Tony Khan has to be feeling confident when it comes to the future of All Elite Wrestling on Turner broadcasting as the AEW President had some promising words for the live crowd in Chicago.

AEW Collision aired live last night ahead of ALL OUT this Saturday and while the action in the ring was set to go down, Khan made his usual appearance in front of the live crowd. Khan is going back to his classic look with a clean shave and glasses which could be a callback to the days of AEW old, but he did make some interesting statements to the live audience regarding AEW’s future with TBS and TNT. Khan was amped up in his hometown of Chicago as he commented on the potential of a forthcoming television deal with the promotion’s longtime TV partner.

“I feel pretty good to say, AEW on TBS and TNT, I think is here to stay!”

There’s been a lot of thought that a new television deal between WBD and AEW has been well in the works, but Khan has been much more vocal about it in recent days. During the ALL OUT media call on Thursday, Khan was asked about a new deal update and praised the relationship that AEW has had with Turner and their president David Zaslav. He even brought the relationship up unprompted later on during the call before actually saying that AEW is in “the redzone” with the new deal, they just gotta put the ball into the endzone, using a NFL reference.

Much like Rocky Balboa in his first fight with Apollo Creed, Joe Tessitore went the distance in his first outing behind the WWE Raw commentator booth. The expectation is that Tessitore would have big shoes to fill when replacing Michael Cole in the lead commentary role for the longest-running pro wrestling show on television, but the longtime boxer and football commentator put his gloves on and dug his cleats in to give the program a unique and refreshing voice.

While sports announcers were brought in previously, there’s a great deal of different circumstances at Tessitore being put in the main Monday night role – the big difference is that Vince McMahon isn’t there anymore. Not only would the former chairman berate his commentary team over the headset, McMahon knew basically zero about sports not contained in the squared circle. A Mike Adamle, a Jimmy Smith or Adnan Virk was just window dressing for the “shiny new toy” whims of Vince who would greatly handcuff anyone with his micro-managerial tendencies. It was baptism by fire, but with too much fire and no baptism.

Second and in conjunction with Vince McMahon being gone is that TKO is the ever-watching eye for WWE with Nick Khan now steering the ship as CEO. Unlike Vince, Khan has plenty of sports acumen, an asset that has clearly paid off dividends for WWE in major ways in production, relationships and merchandise sales. It’s unknown if the Tessitore hiring was the brain-child of Khan, but WWE ultimately being operated by people with sports knowledge is beneficial to a Tessitore who’s looking to tussle.

Finally, and just as important as the previous, Joe is a bonafide fan. After his first night on RAW commentary Joe noted his affinity for the likes of a Big John Studd or a “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Having a foundation that Tessitore holds steady ground on gives the veteran broadcaster plenty of ammo in his WWE Universal utility belt.

Tessitore’s appreciation for wrestling along with his understanding of how an actual athletic competition should be called enhanced the WWE product and gave it melded feel of Dick Enberg and Gordon Solie along with a sprinkle of Jim Ross.

Throughout the three hours, Joe weaved in a steadily calmness and precision in his commentary much like a star quarterback dissecting a defense behind center, but amped it up in the appropriate moments. If a heel did something egregious (see Drew McIntyre) Tessitore made the viewer feel that transgression. Bracelet beads being shoved down CM Punk’s throat? “Truly disgusting!” Drew beating Punk while he’s on a spinal board? “Abhorrent!” A Sami Zayn confronting GUNTHER and his World Heavyweight gold? Let’s lay out and let the moment speak for itself. The RAW season premiere may be next week, but Tessitore already turned the page in making it truly feel like a new season.

It’s also a necessity that commentary takes two to tango and Tessitore had a great dance partner in Wade Barrett. Barrett supported Joe in all the right ways, adding his signature cadence of colorful commentary, being a sounding board for Tess to bounce off of and just the simple fact that he’s a veteran of the ring boosted the two to being an already perfect pairing.

This Monday’s RAW may have been Tessitore’s first day on the job, but it feels like he’s already due a raise.

Adam Copeland is making strides toward his in-ring return following an injury, while Sting’s son, Steve Borden Jr., may be preparing for a debut of his own in the wrestling world.

Copeland, formerly known as Edge, has been sidelined since suffering a broken tibia during his steel cage match against The House of Black at AEW’s Double or Nothing over Memorial Day weekend. However, recent photos suggest the WWE Hall of Famer is back in the gym, training alongside notable names such as FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler), Darby Allin, and Sting’s son, Steve Borden Jr.

The workout session, captured in a photo shared by Harwood with the caption, “Album drops soon,” has sparked intrigue among fans. The sight of Copeland training with such a talented group hints at a potential return to action in the near future, while the presence of Steve Borden Jr. fuels speculation about his future in professional wrestling.

Borden Jr. first caught attention when he appeared dressed as his father, the iconic “Surfer Sting,” during Sting’s retirement match at AEW Revolution. Since then, the former college football player has expressed interest in pursuing a wrestling career. Darby Allin initially revealed this news back in May, adding further excitement about the younger Borden’s potential debut.

Sting himself also acknowledged his son’s aspirations during his speech at the Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion in Las Vegas, where he expressed pride in having both his sons, Garrett and Steve Jr., present for his farewell to the ring.

As for Copeland, he reflected on the injury, admitting that his high-risk dive onto Malakai Black during the cage match was a decision he now regrets. Longtime friend Hulk Hogan has echoed this sentiment, noting that Copeland didn’t need to take such a dangerous risk at this stage of his career.

Currently, FTR is involved in a mini-feud with The Grizzled Young Veterans as they build toward AEW All Out. Darby Allin, meanwhile, was last seen in action at AEW All In, where he lost a coffin match to Jack Perry.

History was made in the Netflix Hot Dog special and Nikki Garcia, Rey Mysterio and Omos had a front row seat to witness the gluttony.

Famed competitive eaters Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut took part in a live Labor Day special on Netflix where the two went head-to-head in eating hot dogs and one man broke the record. Chestnut came out the victor eating an unprecedented 83 hot dogs in 10 minutes to defeat his longstanding rival who could only down 67 dogs, and there were two WWE Hall of Famers on hand in Bella and Mysterio to be apart of the prestigious face-stuffing.

Along with comedian Rob Riggle, Garcia was the host to the event while Rey Mysterio presented Chestnut with the championship title after out-eating Kobayashi. Chestnut got his own WWE gold courtesy of Mysterio, who was the presenter for Chestnut while Omos was “Team Kobayashi.”

The event had to have felt like a breath of fresh air for Garcia after the unfortunate week she had as her husband Artem Chigvintsev was arrested on a felony corporal injury charge Thursday. Chigvintsev was released on $25,000 bail and through her representative, Garcia requested privacy after the incident. Garcia was noted to not be wearing her wedding ring during the Netflix special as she was photographed boarding a private jet with her son Matteo over the weekend.

Chigvintsev called 911 following the domestic dispute along with claiming that Garcia threw shoes at him. Police noticed injuries to Garcia and then took Chigvintsev into custody.

With a roster of premiere talent across its brands, Cody Rhodes has emerged as the leader WWE can champion in any capacity. Saturday’s Bash In Berlin post-show was the perfect example of that.

Rhodes had to make the EVP hot tag for Triple H by providing the attendance figures for Berlin. That alone is a testament to the confidence they have in Cody as their Atlas, and he excelled in several ways. Rhodes has the ability to walk the tightrope of keeping the company in mind while also being forthright in a press conference where he doesn’t necessarily have to be. The trust is there, and for good reason.

Cody navigated a Randy Orton question that in all likelihood played spoiler to a major storyline planned, but that was just the warm-up to the crossfire he was about to get in. Rhodes got the double-barrel aimed his way when he was asked outright about the Netflix Vince McMahon docu-series, a question that deserved to be asked, but there were two more add-ons: “Why has the locker room been so silent” and “do you believe Janel Grant?”

Handling Difficult Situations

Both questions were more sensational than professional. 1) Many prominent figures had addressed the situation when the story initially broke, and 2) Cody shouldn’t be put in a position to play judge. It was clearly a question designed to generate headlines, and it succeeded, but Rhodes navigated the waters beautifully, saying, “I don’t know enough about the information to give you a good enough answer. I’m sorry.”

Regarding the perceived silence in the locker room, Rhodes noted, “I don’t think that’s a matter of belief versus non-belief. I think, strictly speaking, we want to be doing what we were doing out there.” He mentioned that the locker room learned about the documentary just as the rest of the world did.

He handled the questions with such skill that even a seasoned White House press secretary would be impressed.

Cody’s position at the forefront of WWE’s brand is a testament to both his individual efforts and the company’s support. His merchandise sales are booming, a clear indication of his popularity and the fans’ embrace of his genuine babyface persona, a sentiment that had seemed absent since the Hulkamania era.

The First Cody Rhodes

Cody’s revival of this classic persona has been a welcome addition to the new era of WWE. CM Punk and Damian Priest effectively fill those alternative roles on RAW, but Cody, as the modern-day Babe Ruth, provides WWE (and pro wrestling as a whole) with a sense of positive nostalgia, reimagined for today’s audience.

Fans are concerned with Cody getting overshadowed by a Roman Reigns babyface run, but Reigns feels like he’ll basically have the schedule he’s used to. The consistency is what will keep Rhodes the guy the company can lean on. The presence of both feels like they’ll enhance rather than hinder one another. That table was already set with Roman helping Cody retain at SummerSlam. Adversaries becoming allies always creates intrigue, and the two may have a “Final Boss” to deal with during WrestleMania season.

Cody’s rise also coincides with John Cena’s retirement tour in 2025. Cena held that role for years when the crowd wasn’t willing to embrace it, but Cena stayed the course through the “Cena sucks” chants and fans ultimately appreciated him for it. Cody’s mentioned how he’s learned a lot about merchandise sales from John, but Cena undoubtedly laid the groundwork by showing staying steady in that role ultimately pays off.

For all of the talk of the next John Cena, Cody Rhodes is forging his own path in this new modern era. It’s all about playing the long-game, and Rhodes is WWE’s new marathon man.

Ricky Starks’ recent absence from AEW programming has fueled speculation, but the wrestler is setting the record straight. He vehemently denies rumors that he’s been difficult or uncooperative, stating he’s “never turned down anything.”

“Enough is enough. Usually I don’t even speak on this but it’s tired. I never turned down anything, EVER. Just stop.”

– Ricky Starks

This comes on the heels of a social media discussion sparked by Kate from Fightful, who shared a clip of Starks’ strap match against Bryan Danielson. While praising AEW’s approach to the stipulation, the conversation took a turn when a fan accused Starks of self-sabotage.

Starks has been off-screen for months since a concerning DDT spot on Collision. Though initially feared injured, he’s reportedly healthy. AEW President Tony Khan, while acknowledging Starks’ talent and past matches, remained silent on his future with the company during the ALL IN media call.

This silence has only fueled speculation. Starks’ close friendships with WWE stars Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill, coupled with reported WWE interest, have fans wondering if a move is imminent. Despite the swirling rumors, Starks seems to be enjoying his time away from the ring, sharing photos of vacations and time with friends on social media.

Whether his future lies in AEW, WWE, or elsewhere, one thing is clear: Ricky Starks is ready to wrestle, and fans are eager to see what’s next for the ‘Absolute’ one.

Cody Rhodes retained his WWE Undisputed Championship against Kevin Owens, but could he have another friend to face in Randy Orton?

During the Bash In Berlin post-show, Rhodes addressed plenty as he was also tagging in for Triple H who was unavailable for the post-show due to his daughter beginning college. However, after he got done with the nuts and bolts of the numbers, Rhodes was asked if he could envision Randy Orton as a future opponent for him after he was caught eyeing up the WWE Title months back.

Before Rhodes answered, he did take time to congratulate and thank both Orton and GUNTHER for the ‘house,’ after they headlined the Bash In Berlin, the highest grossing arena event in WWE history.

“Gosh, I don’t want to give you a bad answer, but that match, a lot would have to happen for that match to take place. Again, that’s a very real relationship and friendship in the mentor and the student, but it’s certainly not something I would back down from.

’cause like I just said, sometimes the people you want to know how you’ve grown the most is the ones closest to you and nobody’s closer to me than Randy Orton so if it happens, that’s a lot of drama.”

– Cody Rhodes

A battle between Orton and Rhodes seems more than likely to occur at some point. Even against Kevin Owens, Cody seemed in dire straits, but Owens couldn’t take advantage due to his friendship and it cost him opportunities to win the title. That could have led to a massive heel turn, but after the match KO kept his cool.

Please H/t SEScoops for the transcription.

CM Punk wants to put Drew McIntyre in his rearview mirror and has future plans, which included post-match donuts.

Punk’s strap-match victory at WWE Bash In Berlin was certainly definitive as he hit four GTS’s as he tapped all four corners and got the W against his long-time rival, marking his first singles win in WWE in over a decade. Cathy Kelley caught up with CM Punk in the locker room, asking Punk about his future plans.

“It’s definitely the end of me and Drew McIntyre. What’s next for me is I’m gonna take a long hot shower, I’m going to try and find some donuts and I got myself a main event to watch cause I’m very interested in the results: GUNTHER vs. Randy Orton and some people like to say ‘May the best man win,’ but in this case, ‘May the best man win cause the better man is coming for ya.’ I want the gold, I’m coming for you, sucka.”

Punk’s win leaves many people speculating if he’s really done with Drew. The feud could be all the more cemented as Punk also regained hold of the bracelet he and Drew have been battling over. However, the two stand at one victory apiece, meaning a rubber match is ready for the taking and it could culminate at WWE Bad Blood in what many may think should be a Hell In A Cell battle.

Please H/t to SEScoops for the transcription.

Cody Rhodes took on a big leadership role following WWE Bash In Berlin after addressing a very loaded question regarding Vince McMahon.

Rhodes kicked off the post-show by addressing the media, noting that Triple H was unable to be there due to his daughter heading to college for the first time. Rhodes took several questions before he was asked if he was going watch the forthcoming “Mr. McMahon” docuseries on Netflix and why he thinks the locker room has been silent regarding the Janel Grant case. Rhodes answered both his questions and started off light-hearted by saying he was currently “deep in a Game of Thrones rewatch.”

“I think there’s a bit misinformation in terms of WWE has no involvement in this documentary as far as I know. I imagine I’d get around to seeing it.”

As far as it goes with the locker room “being silent” Rhodes offered a different perspective for the talent.

“I don’t think that’s a matter of ‘belief’ vs. ‘non-belief’ I think it’s strictly speaking we want to be doing what we’re doing out there and the focus and attention it takes: 13,149 people to have a great story and have a great match and do that every single night has left most of us where we’re finding the information out just as you are and that includes the resolution of this information in terms of what happened, how it happened and how justice comes about whatever it may be, but I wouldn’t look at it as an active attempt from the locker to be silent in the attempt we just are doing what we do, day-to-day, WWE business.”

Rhodes was also asked if he believed in Janel Grant and he stated that he didn’t have enough information to know either way. The Mr. McMahon docuseries is set to release on September 25.

Please h/t SEScoops for the transcription.