MLW is heading back to New York City and the promotion has some big plans set to close out the summer.
MLW recently revealed that they’d be popping the Big Apple territory on August 29 with Summer Of The Beasts that feature a big fight between KENTA and AKIRA as both fighters continue to battle for the Opera Cup in a quarterfinals match. Tickets are now on sale for the event that takes place at the Melrose Ballroom.
Satoshi Kojima has been on a historic run since returning to MLW as he became the company’s first-ever two-time World Heavyweight Champion when he defeated Alex Kane, but he also became the first wrestler to hold multiple titles simultaneously in the promotion. Both he and his COZYMAX comrade Okumura won the MLW Tag Titles. Now they’ll defend that gold against Minoru Suzuki and Ikuro Kwon of CONTRA Unit.
Matt Riddle happens to be the number one contender for Kojima’s aforementioned World Title but will have to go up against Matthew Justice beforehand. Justice has been perfectly paired with the five-star referee and manager of the extreme in Bill Alfonso.
Janai Kai of CONTRA has been on a massive winning streak with the World Featherweight Championship but she’ll have a literally big formidable contender in Hanako. Also on tap is Bobby Fish going up against Timothy Thatcher and scheduled to appear is World Middleweight Champion Mistico.
Could Ricky Starks revolution indeed be televised by WWE? A new report has WWE expressing interest in the current AEW star.
Starks has been unseen on AEW television since a scary DDT spot occured between he and Top Flight in a World Tag Team Title tournament, but ‘Absolute’ has seen absolutely healthy and ready to wrestle since then.
A new report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider notes that WWE has interest in Starks, but there is no confirmation as to if WWE has been in contact with Ricky. Starks is still under contract with AEW despite not being on television and there is no details as to when that contract expires.
Ricky has made the most of his opportunities while he was on television and it all began in him challenging Cody Rhodes for the TNT Championship during the global pandemic. He later turned heel by teaming with Team Taz before later transitioning into a babyface run before turning heel once more and aligning with Big Bill.
Another name stirring around in the pot according to PWInsider is Daniel Garcia, who AEW fans have seen recently. Garcia was teased to be MJF’s opponent at ALL IN which initially seemed like a match of mutual respect, but MJF backstabbed Garcia and bloodied him off television. Garcia has not signed a new deal with AEW and WWE remains interested in the boy from Buffalo.
Along with Starks, two other major names reportedly on WWE’s radar are The Lucha Brothers as both Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix’s contracts are on the verge of expiring.
Triple H is well aware of the impact Kevin Sullivan left on pro wrestling after the legend passed away at the age of 74.
Sullivan suffered several health complications after being involved in a car accident back and the news broke Friday morning that ‘The Taskmaster’ had passed.
WWE made a post on social media extending their condolences to the Sullivan family following the tragic loss and Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque penned a nice tribute to Sullivan, as ‘The Game’ respected the pro wrestling game of his influential colleague.
“Kevin Sullivan had one of the most unique minds in the history of our industry, pushing creative boundaries and developing some of the most intriguing characters to step into the ring. He had an unwavering passion for what we do. My thoughts are with his family, friends & fans.”
Kevin Sullivan had one of the most unique minds in the history of our industry, pushing creative boundaries and developing some of the most intriguing characters to step into the ring. He had an unwavering passion for what we do. My thoughts are with his family, friends & fans. https://t.co/uEz12aiKGQ
Sullivan never had an extended run in WWE, but his impact in the world of wrestling is clearly indelible. While working with Championship Wrestling from Florida, Sullivan designed a persona stemming off the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s. The act caused plenty of controversy and he also stemmed that into the cult-like Varsity Club faction. It’s pretty undeniable that the Wyatt Family and the new Wyatt Sicks faction would have never taken place if it wasn’t for Sullivan laying the groundwork decades ago.
Sullivan can also be credited as one of the names to have WWE against the ropes during the Monday Night Wars as he was a major part of the development of the NWO.
We at SEScoops would like to send our prayers and thoughts to Sullivan, his family, friends and fans at this time.
The wrestling world lost a master storyteller and booker in Kevin Sullivan, who sadly passed away at 74.
Florida wrestling personality Barry Rose confirmed the news, “With the heaviest of hearts, we are devastated to have to report the passing of the legendary Kevin Sullivan. May he RIP and his family, friends and fans find comfort in how much he was loved.”
The legend’s heath took a turn for the worse as he developed sepsis and encephalitis while hospitialized. Ric Flair took to social media last night sending out prayers and well wishes to his long-time colleague.
Kevin Sullivan Has Been One Of My Closest Friends In The Business. His Knowledge Of All Sports, Not Just Wrestling, Is Unparalleled. He Is One Of The Most Brilliant Minds In The History Of Our Business. Kevin Led WCW To A Year And A Half Victory Over WWE, And Dealt With So Many… pic.twitter.com/Mq9k5ryupW
Sullivan transcended pro wrestling by shocking the Championship Wrestling from Florida territory by leaning into the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s. He’d notoriously go to the grocery store in Kayfabe attire to make residents feel uncomfortable. Sullivan would also go on to form the cult-like varsity club that featured Mike Rotunda and Rick Steiner.
“The Taskmaster” remained an active wrestler in the heyday of WCW and was vital in the formation and development of the NWO. While never apart of the faction, Sullivan notoriously quarantined Hulk Hogan until it was time for him to turn heel at Bash At The Beach 1996. Kevin Nash also greatly credits Sullivan for his ability to book and helped to make NWO one of the hottest acts in pro wrestling history.
Before his health took an unfortunate decline following a car accident earlier this year, Sullivan was an active podcast voice on “The Taskmaster Talks” with Jon Pozarowski and “Tuesdays With The Taskmaster” on AdFreeShows.com. He also appeared as a priest in recent vignettes shot by Karrion Kross.
Fans and wrestlers alike came to the aid of Sullivan after he remained hospitalized as they raised over $20,000 to help pay for his expenses.
We at SEScoops would like to send our prayers, thoughts and condolences to Sullivan, his family, friends and fans at this time.
Oh, it’s true – Kurt Angle is watching wrestling in the Olympics and is liking what he’s seeing from Team USA and even a name outside the country.
The amateur wrestling aspect of the 2024 Summer Olympics started off this week and Angle has been impressed with what he’s seen so far at this juncture.
While Angle is obviously all about Team USA, the 1996 Gold Medalist had to give credit to the 41-year-old Olympian from Cuba, Mijain Lopez who Angle dubbed the best wrestler in the world after winning his fifth gold medal in five different Olympics.
“I usually don’t discuss athletes outside the USA but this guy did something nobody in history ever did. He’s won 5 gold medals in 5 different Olympics. Mijain Lopez!!! 41 years of age and STILL the best wrestler in the world.”
I usually don’t discuss athletes outside the USA but this guy did something nobody in history ever did. He’s won 5 gold medals in 5 different Olympics. Mijain Lopez!!! 41 years of age and STILL the best wrestler in the world. #greco#freestyle#wrestlingpic.twitter.com/Ehh5KcdsXu
When it comes to the United States, Angle praised women’s wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt who got the gold for America, but did note it was under bittersweet circumstances.
“Congrats to @sarhilde on her Olympic gold medal win. It was bitter sweet due to her opponent Vinesh Phogat of India failing to make weight for her gold medal match. Sarah is an amazing wrestler and deserves the gold regardless of the circumstances. Well done Sarah!”
Congrats to @sarhilde on her Olympic gold medal win. It was bitter sweet due to her opponent Vinesh Phogat of India failing to make weight for her gold medal match. Sarah is an amazing wrestler and deserves the gold regardless of the circumstances. Well done Sarah! #usa#gold… pic.twitter.com/ObKakvoedC
Angle also didn’t forget about women’s wrestler Amit Elor, who at the age of 20 made her own type of history for USA wrestling.
“Congratulations to @amitelor1 of the USA women’s freestyle wrestling team for winning the gold medal in the Finals – over Meerim Zhumanazarova, of KGZ. She’s the youngest American gold medalist in USA wrestling history. Well done!!!!”
Angle has been all about the Olympics as when they kicked off, he shared in his excitement to dive into the wrestling.
The opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games starts today. Best of luck to all of the competitors! The best feeling about being a USA Olympian, is hearing that 3 letter chant. U S A!!!! Let’s go! #olympics#usa#wrestling#GOLDpic.twitter.com/xOMMKk5hfh
Drew McInytre could be the Kurt Angle at trolling CM Punk and ‘The Scottish Warrior’ is well-aware of that.
The 2024 Summer Olympics are well underway and the United States are bringing home its fair share of gold medals and that’s in thanks to superstar gymnast Simone Biles. Biles roped in a total of four medals in Paris. She won gold in the team final, all-around and the vault competition and also secured silver in floor exercise.
When photos surfaced of Biles holding her new hardware she resembled Ultimo Dragon holding all his titles but Drew McInytre saw some similarities in himself. He decided to share the photo of Biles and added a comment that shows his Olympian ability to push the buttons of CM Punk.
“Me if f***ing with CM Punk was an Olympic sport.”
McIntyre has indeed been ruthless when it comes to his online prodding of Punk. Merchandise has been made off what Drew has posted online and most recently, McIntyre managed to capture a “Kodak moment” with legitimate CM Punk adversary Jack Perry before he deleted it.
McIntyre certainly has more ammunation after he defeated CM Punk at SummerSlam. Plenty of hijinks happened in his match with Seth Rollins as the special guest referee but McIntyre made the most of opportunity and got the 1-2-3. Drew added further salt to the wound when he was able regain control of CM Punk’s bracelet that has his wife and dog’s name on it.
Before SummerSlam, Drew managed even tie in his Robin Williams fandom into detest for CM Punk.
Penta El Zero M & Rey Fenix may be covering their bases as their current AEW deals are set to expire.
At the very least, The Lucha Brothers are protecting their creative properties as they move forward in their wrestling career as both Fenix and Penta have put in for three different trademarks apiece.
On August 1, Penta filed for the names of “Cero Miedo,” “Zero Miedo,” and “AN1MO” are for the meaning of entertainment purposes. Meanwhile, his younger brother Rey put in for “King Fuego,” “Rey Fuego,” and “Fuego” all on the same date for the same reason.
Penta confirmed that his AEW contract would run out this year and that WWE has expressed interest in his talents. The thought is that Fenix is in a similar situation contractually and that the brother tag team could test the free agent market.
Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer reported back in June that Penta El Zero M is open to leaving AEW if the price tag fits because at the age of 39, the luchador has a lot of people relying on him.
Both Fenix and Penta have been with All Elite Wrestling since the very beginning and it would be a very significant shift in the two companies if the brothers were to bounce from AEW to WWE. If they were to do that, Penta and Fenix would join a notable list of names to do the same including Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Ethan Page and Shawn Spears.
Chappell Roan paid a little homage to lucha libre during her set at Lollapalooza, but the pop singer may have put herself in quite the predicament with Nyla Rose.
Roan, who has been catching the musical world on fire, came out dressed as a luchadora for her performance, complete with a drumset surrounded by a wrestling ring. She was also flanked by two female bodybuilders. The moment took place over the weekend and it caught the eyes of two AEW stars in Willow Nightingale and Nyla Rose.
Nyla Rose was a little more proactive about the wrestling aspect loosely indicating that she’d like to grapple with Roam in the ring and on a bigger scale at Wembley.
WWE was not without their musical acts this weekend as Jelly Roll played a huge role at SummerSlam. He kicked off the show with a rendition of “God Bless America” but then also chokeslammed Austin Theory later in the evening during a confrontation featuring him, Awesome Truth and Grayson Waller.
Chappell Roan has been a pop artist who has been out for several years, but her music has been greatly catching on as of recent including hit songs like “Good Luck, Babe,” “HOT TO GO,” & “Red Wine Supernova”.
Steve McMichael has finally been inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame and the city his was most known to terrorize the gridiron for made sure he saw and heard everything.
McMichael joined fellow other Chicago Bears as Canton’s Hall Of Fame class for 2024, but due to his battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, the NFL legend turned pro wrestler was unable to physically be at the ceremony. Mongo’s wife Misty was there in attendance and got to see the bust of her husband revealed to the fans.
However, the beautiful aspect about it all during such battle was that Chicago brought the Hall Of Fame to Mongo. Several other Hall Of Famers like Mike Singletary, Richard Dent and Jim Covert all came to McMichael’s home, who also donned a gold jacket as he was presented with his bust in person. Jarret Payton, son of the late Walter Payton (who Mongo handpicked to induct him), welcomed McMichael into Canton where he rightfully belongs.
Ric Flair, who has constantly visited McMichael during his ALS battle, went to social media to wish a big congratulations to one of his closest friends.
“He’s In!! Congratulations My Great Friend Steve “Mongo” McMichael. You Made It! So Well Deserved! What A Beautiful Ceremony! And Needless To Say, You Would Always Want Me To Say WOOOOO!”
He’s In!! Congratulations My Great Friend Steve “Mongo” McMichael. You Made It! So Well Deserved! What A Beautiful Ceremony! And Needless To Say, You Would Always Want Me To Say WOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/fXcJfSVIHR
Mongo’s former boss, Eric Bischoff, was brought to tears when he saw the city of Chicago brought a bagpipe band to play outside of his home when his induction occurred.
“This brings tears to my eyes. Good on you CPD Pipes & Drums. Good on you.”
Other names also took to social media to send their love and congrats including Marc Mero & Blue Meanie.
Congratulations to Steve "Mongo" McMichael for being inducted in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame! pic.twitter.com/MZWDSfQj1Z
— Brian Heffron aka The Blue Meanie (@BlueMeanieBWO) August 4, 2024
We extend our warmest congratulations to Steve 'Mongo' McMichael, a legendary figure in the history of the Chicago Bears, on his well-deserved induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today. He was also a member of the renowned 4 Horsemen in the 1990s WCW. Great to see. pic.twitter.com/sJ2bHJ0cLS
Most of the McMahons are gone from WWE, but Stephanie McMahon still remains, and SummerSlam did become a family affair.
Chief Content Officer Triple H kicked off the festivities of SummerSlam by introducing Jelly Roll to Cleveland Browns Stadium and after Bron Breakker became the Intercontinental Champion after defeating Sami Zayn, Stephanie McMahon was shown sitting at ringside aiming to amp up the fans in attendance.
Stephanie hasn’t been seen on WWE programming since the Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. She happened to be one of the several names Paul Heyman thanked in his induction speech and Stephanie happened to hearken back to her days as the “owner” of ECW during the Invasion with a backwards leather snap brim.
Stephanie showing up at SummerSlam has some serendipituos timing to it as it’s only a few days removed when a photograph of her brother Shane McMahon surfaced sharing a meeting with AEW President Tony Khan.
While Vince McMahon may be completely gone from the landscape of WWE, his kin could still have a strong influence on the business, particularly if Shane does happen to come together with Tony on a deal to work with AEW in some capacity.
WWE is feeling a swing of momentum when it comes to creativity in coordination with Vince McMahon’s exit. CM Punk recently stated how Vince’s leave from the company “illuminated” his way for a return to WWE.
Nic Nemeth’s ‘Wanted Man’ moniker fits him like a glove these days as the reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Nemeth has vowed to be a fighting champion, and he’s not just waiting for top competitors to call him out. The company is asking fans on social media who they want to see step up and put themselves to the test. Nemeth wasted no time chiming in with his own pick for a future challenger: AEW star Kenny Omega.
If his World Title win was any indication, Nemeth has made the most of his opportunities outside of WWE, fully embracing his free agency by wrestling on the independents, but also in New Japan Pro-Wrestling before finding more of a residence in TNA. Nemeth has also flexed his commetary and comedic muscles by staying busy in stand-up comedy and as a host on Busted Open Radio.
Omega vs. Nemeth would certainly draw some eyes as Kenny happened to have a memorable heel run as TNA World Champion during the global pandemic. Omega took on several challengers while champion after he defeated Rich Swann for the title. Omega’s timetable for an in-ring return is quite blurry as he’s been aiming to recover from a bout with diverticulitis.
TNA is currently working relationship with WWE, which is the biggest factor prohibiting this TNA vs. AEW dream match. We’ll follow up if Kenny Omega replies to Nemeth’s call-out.
Wrestling fans had a lot to enjoy at last weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con 2024 event. The top stars from WWE and AEW participated in discussion panels. We got a first-look at dozens of upcoming action figures. Even the blockbuster reveal that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to portray the iconic villain Doctor Doom featured elements of a wrestling angle
“New mask, same task.”
Robert Downey Jr. surprises Hall H to announce his return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. pic.twitter.com/j1SEjzse3p
Here are the pro wrestling highlights from San Diego Comic Con 2024:
WWE Panel
WWE stars CM Punk and Zoey Stark participated in the Mattel panel, which included a Q&A session with fans in the audience.
CM Punk talks Vince McMahon and Darby Allin
In an interview with Denise Salcedo, Punk discussed how much it meant to work with a rising star like Darby and considered him a great friend.
“Being a straight-edge kid, being the one that kind of lured CM Punk back to the ring and getting my first match back after six or seven years or whatever it was. That’ll always be my number one with a bullet because I think Darby is a talented kid and I was happy to share the ring with him. I think we told a nice little story.”
“Vince being out of the picture probably illuminated the way,” he said. “That might have been one of the biggest things. That’s both ways, for everybody who is going to sensationalize a headline. It wasn’t me, it wasn’t him, there’s just a lot of history there. All of a sudden, one of us is removed from the equation, and I think it changed a lot of things.”
Punk also shared this photo of a backstage meetup with AEW’s Darby Allin and Brody King:
All the while this was going on Drew McIntyre was trolling his SummerSlam rival while in Nashville, making sure he got a photo-op with Jack Perry who was still cooling down from his AEW Blood & Guts battle.
AEW Panel
All Elite Wrestling ”maximized their minutes’ at the convention, with a Jazware panel that featured a big wrestling angle and a massive rollout of upcoming wrestling figures.
A skirmish occurred during the panel with all stars such as Swerve Strickland and Ospreay tried to break it up. The only man to remain neutral was Darby Allin who thought the two recent rivals should duke it out.
The CEO was in full villain mode as she was in a Poison Ivy from Batman cosplay and appropriately alongside her was her new enforcer, Kamille, who donned the mask and jacket of other Batman baddie Bane.
— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) July 26, 2024
Wrestling Figures Galore
The reason wrestling had such a presence at SDCC was for the aforementioned line of figures both companies have in store and it’s quite a bit.
Mattel and WWE have several CM Punk figures set to release including a modern day version, but also the notorious Money In The Bank 2011 Punk blowing a kiss to Cena. Additionally, there is a variation of Punk wearing Randy Savage gear and the masked Straight Edge Society CM Punk.
There were tons of new & upcoming @Mattel@WWE Ultimates on display at San Diego Comic Con 2024! Which was your favorite? ?
Legends included in Mattel’s upcoming Monday Night Wars include Syxx, Curt Hennig, DDP, Ultimate Warrior, Big Bossman and Dusty Rhodes.
A lot of newer faces on the roster are getting the WWE figure treatment, including Zoey Stark, Jade Cargill, Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci, Chase U and others.
???
Repost from @ZoeyStarkWWE • The little girl inside of me is still freaking out…I grew up playing with action figures and to FINALLY get one of my own is surreal! This also shows that I reached a stepping stone….BLESSED
AEW was far from resting on their laurels as plenty of special edition figures were revealed. A big release was a special pre-order of Mark and Jay Briscoe. There’s also a silver screen Toni Storm, House of Black three-pack and three eras of the recently retired Sting.
Retired pro wrestler Al Blake, a notable ‘Russian heel’ during the 1980s, passed away at the age of 66 on July 27, 2024. Greg Oliver of SLAM Wrestling broke the news. Blake portrayed the role of Vladimir Petrov, a brutish heel who replaced Barry Darsow as one of Ivan Koloff’s “comrades” back in the Jim Crockett Promotion days. Darsow was Vladimir Khrushchev and ironically enough, both he and Blake actually were from Minnesota, not the former Soviet Union.
In his obituary, Blake was noted to have a passion for health and fitness all the way up to his passing and grew up in a very musically inclined household.
Blake was trained by Eddie Sharkey after discovering him in a bar as a bouncer. Before joining the side of Ivan Koloff, Blake worked as the masked “Russian Assassin” in Paul Jones’ stable. Koloff and Blake ended up feuding with the now babyface Nikita Koloff, Dusty Rhodes and The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express.
Blake’s squared circle career didn’t last very long as he ultimately retired from wrestling in 1992. In late 1988 Blake was convicted on multiple drug dealing charges, stemming from a that started back to 1983 when he was still a bar bouncer that happened to put a speed bump in his wrestling career.
Ivan Koloff didn’t have much to write about Blake in his autobiography and Nikita didn’t know too much about him but did say his personality didn’t match up well with his fellow wrestlers. However, Blake had been married to his wife, Karla Nelson, a bodybuilder and worked several different occupations after hanging up the wrestling boots.
We at SEScoops send our condolences to Al Blake’s family and friends.
Seth Rollins was par for the course when it comes to outlandish outfits but his referee shirt had a little extra flare to it. Unlike Jerry Seinfeld, Rollins really wanted to ‘be a pirate’ as his officiating garb was a puffy shirt with the standard WWE zebra stripes.
Per usual, Rollins’ outfit of choice got wrestling fans talking online and Seth stated how he’s merely dipping his toe into the pizzazz pool.
“This is just the appetizer, baby. You gotta tune into #SummerSlam on Saturday for the main course…we’re gonna be eatin’ goooood!”
This is just the appetizer, baby. You gotta tune into #SummerSlam on Saturday for the main course…we’re gonna be eatin’ goooood! pic.twitter.com/iTlH4C7KMh
Rollins was a major player on the go-home episode of WWE RAW before SummerSlam as he was the main aspect to a near 20 minute segment on Monday. Rollins laid out the ground rules for CM Punk and Drew McIntyre for their grudge match this weekend as it will be Seth in the role as the special guest referee for the fight. Rollins has shown that he has no love loss for Punk or McIntyre.
On the previous episode of RAW, GM Adam Pearce made it clear that McIntyre and CM Punk cannot lay a finger on one another before their big fight.
Seth Rollins has equal incentive to cost Punk or McIntyre their victory against one another. Drew aimed to cash in his Money In The Bank briefcase during Rollins’ match against Damian Priest and it was Punk who ultimately cost Rollins a victory by stopping McInytre.
It’s been over 36 years since Bruiser Brody’s passing and his wife Barbara Goodish is thankful for Greg Gagne in making sure profit off the late legend’s likeness is going to the right finally going to the right people.
Goodish was on-hand in Waterloo, Iowa for the Hall of Fame inductiona of Gagne, Arn Anderson, Tony Schiavone and other legends. During the festivities, she sat down with Greg and Marcus DeAngelo of One True Sportto talk about Bruiser Brody’s action figure that was introduced by PowerTown it’s first series line.
In an SEScoops early exclusive, Goodish touched upon how Brody’s likeness was taken advantage of over the years and how Gagne, Magnum TA & PowerTown shifted the power in favor of Brody’s family.
“I don’t think they realize what an honor it is with the family because I said in the 36 years so many people made so much money from his image, from his merchandise and the family has had nothing. So a lot of people have made money and then we have a lot people like PowerTown and is actually giving back to the family.”
Gagne reaffirmed Goodish’s thoughts on that, making it known that a primary part of him getting involved with PowerTown was making sure the families of legends were benefitting from merchandise and figures.
“I said, ‘Barb, here’s what we’re doing and we’re trying to represent the people that had never had the opportunity to make money merchandise,’ and there’s other people that were ripping everybody off.”
The next line of PowerTown figures is available for pre-order now and they feature Wahoo McDaniel, Jack Brisco, Kamala, Madusa, Junkyard Dog, and Dory Funk Jr.
Gagne touched upon his dealings with Bruiser Brody in the ring. Gagne was one of the talents whom Brody really enjoyed working with, but Greg did note of the beatings he and Jim Brunzell would get from both Brody and Stan Hansen.
“First time I had an opportunity to wrestle him was in Japan, I’ll never forget it and he was an icon in the sport. A little off the wall, different than everybody else who was out there, but what an athlete.”
Brody tragically died after he was stabbed in Puerto Rico by Invader 2 (Jose Gonzalez) on July 17, 1988.
Bret Hart had a lot of respect for the late Leo Burke, calling him one of the top five wrestlers he had ever stepped in the ring with.
Burke unfortunately passed away earlier this week but left a great legacy in a squared circle, most notably up in Canada. Bret Hart mentioned in his Hitman biography that he learned a great deal from Burke in the ring and Hart wrote a heartwarming trible to his friend on social media.
“Words cannot describe how saddened I was to hear of the recent passing of Leo Cormier, better known to the wrestling world as Leo Burke. I consider him to be one of the top 5 workers I ever stepped in the ring with. I learned the basics of pro wrestling from my two teachers Mr. Hito and Mr. Sakurada, but the most valuable lessons I ever learned came from Leo. He taught me pacing and storytelling. There was no one better at building a match and, as a young wrestler working with him, he opened up his vault of finishes and I soaked up all I could.”
Hart mentioned that Burke was the originator of the fantastic finish between him and Davey Boy Smith back in 1992.
“The great finish at Wembley Stadium SummerSlam 1992 with The British Bulldog was Leo Burke’s. We did the same finish in Edmonton back in my old Stampede days and I never forgot it. He taught me so much about ring psychology, the ability to visualize scenes in your mind and then do them. When people compliment me on my style and work rate, they should be thanking Leo Burke. He was my greatest teacher. On top of being a consummate professional in and out of the ring, he was a kind and happy man who loved what he did. Leo Burke was a true friend and one of the most incredible wrestlers there ever was and I’ll miss him dearly. Rest in peace, Leo.”
Bret Hart is one of the most brutally honest professional wrestlers in history.
— The Straight Shooters (@ShootersRadio) July 27, 2024
Burke not only influenced Bret but fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Mark Henry learned greatly from Leo. Following his passing Henry also took to X to pay tribute to his former teacher.
Wrestling in peace, Leo! I’m going to miss him. He was very good to me. https://t.co/0boux0XHsP
Drew McIntyre’s heel work has no boundaries when it comes to furthering his feud with CM Punk. The Scottish Warrior continued to wage mental war against his upcoming opponent for SummerSlam, bringing the actual Jack Perry into the mix.
Both AEW and WWE have a presence at the San Diego Comic Con this year and WWE’s side actually includes both McInytre and CM Punk. Drew sure had some cruel intentions in mind as he happened to cross paths with Perry who is just fresh off of nearly getting lit aflame at Blood & Guts the day before.
McIntyre made sure he didn’t miss getting a Kodak moment with Perry. To add further salt to the wound, Drew dipped into the words Perry had for Punk during ALL IN 2023 in his match against HOOK.
“It’s a real photo, cry us a river,” McIntyre wrote as he shared the photo. However, McIntyre either reconsidered his post or got word to take it down because he has removed it from his socials.
The history between Punk and Perry isn’t one of good nature as their is infamous footage behind the scenes where Punk scuffled with Perry after Jack decided to use real glass in his street fight battle with HOOK. AEW ALL IN 2023 ended up being Punk’s final appearance with the company as Tony Khan fired him the following weekend.
McIntyre will face CM Punk at SummerSlam but not without some added moderation as Seth Rollins will be the special guest referee.
Arn Anderson is far from a video game player, but what ‘The Enforcer’ saw from Cody Rhodes and Call Of Duty, he liked.
WWE has collaborated with the ever-popular first-person shooting game, Call Of Duty for season five of their latest game, Modern Warfare 3 and WarZone. The collaboration included “finishing moves” and an array of character skins to use for the game including Rey Mysterio, Rhea Ripley and ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes.
An in-game action screenshot was taken of Cody Rhodes holding an assault rifle and it conjured up memories for Arn Anderson. Rhodes’ former “coach,” ever loaded with a zinger, had a good one for the current WWE Undisputed Champion.
All this stems back to the notorious “glock” promo Arn cut on Cody back in September of 2021, giving Rhodes a reality check during his feud with Malakai Black. Anderson said Rhodes was the type of guy who would let someone hijack his car, while “The Enforcer” would pull out his glock and defend his wheels. You can catch the promo below.
Leo Burke, a Stampede Wrestling staple, has passed away. Burke, real name Léonce Cormie, who also wrestled under the name Tommy Martin was 76. Details behind his passing are currently unknown.
Burke was born in New Brunswick, Canada and competed under the NWA affiliate up north known as Central States Wrestling, teaming with his brother Romeo before later joining up with Stu Hart’s Stampede promotion in Calgary. While there, he won the promotion’s Tag Team Titles and also became a notable singles wrestler, winning Stampede’s North American Championship on several occassions. While there, he caught the eye of a young Bret Hart who in his Hitman autobiography, said he resembled late actor Burt Reynolds.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer was the first to report the news, also adding further context to Burke’s legacy left in the squared circle.
“Very sad to report the death of Leo Burke/Tommy Martin of the famous Cormier family of New Brunswick at the age of 76. He was a major star in Eastern Canada and an eight-time North American champion with Stampede Wrestling. Very well respected in the ring. Bret Hart considered him one of the best.”
Very sad to report the death of Leo Burke/Tommy Martin of the famous Cormier family of New Brunswick at the age of 76. He was a major star in Eastern Canada and an eight-time North American champion with Stampede Wrestling. Very well respected in the ring. Bret Hart considered…
Wrestling trainer and veteran Rip Rogers also took time to pay tribute to Burke, noting of his star power in Canada.
“Just heard my friend Leo Burke passed away.. he was a legend in the Maritimes .. I wrestled him in Calgary for Stu Hart and all over the Maritimes in summers of 88, 90, 97 ., Pr in 89,.. his brothers Rudy Kay , Bobby Kay , and the Beast proceeded him in death ..”
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry also credits learning a lot from Leo Burke as he began honing his skills as a wrestler.
We at SEScoops would like to extend our prayers, thoughts and condolences to Leo Burke, his friends and family at this time.
MJF couldn’t care less about winning the AEW International Championship against Will Ospreay and made that perfectly clear to kick off this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
The new champ did come out with the title around his waist, but it didn’t take him long to take that gold out and literally throw it in the trash. MJF channeled a mid 1990s Madusa when she threw her WWF Women’s Championship in the garbage on WCW Nitro, but then Max had some new hardware to debut.
Underneath a cloth was a new “AEW American Championship” which had a star-spangled strap that would make any belt enthusiast drool. Friedman then disparaged the city of Nashville before Will Ospreay ran down to attack his latest rival. However, ‘Billy Goat’ really got MJF’s gruff when he told him that Tony Khan booked him vs. MJF for the Internatiional gold at AEW ALL IN in Wembley.
While MJF did hearken back to Madusa, he also pulled a page out of the book of a heel Ospreay. While in New Japan, Ospreay became the holder of the IWGP United States Championship in 2023 and redubbed it the IWGP United Kingdom Championship.
Will Ospreay in 2023: changes the IWGP United States Heavyweight title into IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight title
MJF did cheat to win the “American” Championship last week on Dynamite when he and Ospreay nearly went the full hour time limit, but it was when MJF popped Will with the Dynamite diamond ring to secure the pinfall victory and the gold.
Ospreay vs. MJF joins an already growing card for ALL IN as Swerve Strickland is set to take on Bryan Danielson, Mariah May challenges Toni Storm and just announced on tonight’s Dynamite was Darby Allin vs. Jack Perry for the TNT Championship.
Kamille has finally showed up in AEW and she has first set her sights on Britt Baker. The former NWA Women’s Worlds Champion has been patiently waiting to make her pro wrestling return at some point, with heavy speculation that she did sign with AEW and she confirmed that on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
Britt Baker had a back and forth battle with an old AEW rival in Hikaru Shida and she got the former AEW Women’s Champion to tap via the Lockjaw. As Baker was celebrating, Mercedes Mone sauntered down the ramp. As Baker focused on Mone, she was caught off guard by the big boot of Kamille, who leveled the D.M.D. It was all part of the plan for Mone as it appears that Kamille will be the enforcer for “The C.E.O.”
Kamille certainly passes the classic ‘airport test’ of pro wrestling as she certainly turns heads with her physique and size. The vibe of Kamille very much reflects that of Jade Cargill, one of AEW’s original stars who now calls WWE home.
While Cargill has a great deal of TV time, Kamille has a historic NWA Women’s Worlds Championship run as she had the gold for an impressive 813 days before dropping it to Kenzie Paige.
Kamille has been a free agent in the world of pro wrestling since January so she hasn’t been a television presence for over six months. Kamille adds to a growing AEW Women’s division as she joins rising stars such as Willow Nightingale and Mariah May, but also a good deal of veteran talent on the roster as well.
CM Punk is enjoying his current WWE run so much that’s already thinking beyond the length of his current 3-year deal. According to respected wrestling journalist and podcaster Ibou of WrestlePurists, Punk is looking to restructure and extend his deal.
“I can tell you right now that he is in the process of trying to get his deal restructured from a money and years standpoint. Punk’s legitimate stance right now is if all goes well I will never leave. That’s his legitimate standpoint. He wants to be here ‘forever,’ is the actual word he used.”
Ibou, WrestlePurists, 7/22 WWE Raw Youtube Review
What does CM Punk Want?
Punk is gearing up to return from injury and wrestle his first match since Jauary next weekend at WWE SummerSlam. According to sources close to Punk, he’s interested in spending the latter years of his pro wrestling career giving back to the next generations.
” Basically, he wants this to work out, he wants to get paid, and then he wants, when it’s time to slow it down, to slow it down and just run NXT.”
Ibou, WrestlePurists, 7/22 WWE Raw Youtube Review
Despite his injury at WWE Royal Rumble, Punk has been a bonafide team player while healing from a torn triceps. He’s still managed to appear on WWE television, but has also found some solace in helping out down in NXT. Additionally he’s found some pre-show chemistry with Big E during big WWE kick-off shows.
However, Punk’s absence from the ring is soon to come to an end as just this past Monday on WWE Raw, Punk revealed that he’s medically cleared to wrestle and will face Drew McInytre at SummerSlam with Seth Rollins as the special guest referee.
Punk is not on the best of terms with Rollins after he cost Seth his WWE World Title chances against Damian Priest at Money In The Bank. That story will continue on as Rollins will lay out the ground rules next week to both Punk and McIntyre, who aren’t allowed to lay a hand on one another until SummerSlam.
MJF believes he’s the true blue ‘Nature Boy’ while he thinks Will Ospreay watches too much tape of Simone Biles.
MJF just defeated Ospreay in a near 60-minute marathon to kick off last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite to become the new AEW International Champion and Maxwell Jacob Friedman is relishing every single minute of it.
In a new interview with Justin Barrasso ofSports Illustrated, MJF had some harsh words for his recent opponent all while putting over his own athletic efforts.
“I’m on the Stairmaster every day for two hours. That’s the difference between me and Will Ospreay. I’m a real athlete. He’s a f—— gymnast.”
MJF was far from done as ‘The Scumbag’ also caught wind of Ric Flair’s praise. The two-time WWE Hall Of Famer happened to put a side-by-side photo of him and MJF hoisting up freshly won hardware. Max tipped the cap to ‘The Nature Boy’ but in natural heel form, put himself over at the same time.
“There’s a reason that after my match, Ric Flair posted a side-by-side comparison photo. I’m Ric Flair incarnated–and with all due respect to Ric, better.”
MJF certainly pulled from the page of ‘The Dirtiest Player In The Game’ in how he defeated Ospreay on Wednesday. Will’s conscience got the better of him nearing the end of the bout as he hesitated to hit his self-banned Tiger Driver and MJF took advantage, hitting him with the Dynamite Diamond Ring. We’ll more than likely hear from both stars this week on a stacked episode of AEW Dynamite that features a big Blood & Guts bout.
The wrestling world is buzzing at the news that Bobby Lashley and MVP may be on their way out of WWE. Over the weekend, word broke on social media that the former WWE and TNA World Champion’s contract is expiring soon. It’s also become known that Lashley’s former Hurt Business mentor MVP’s deal is also up this summer.
Lashley has been featured as a main eventer during his most recent run, but Mike Johnson at PWInsider reveals insider information about WWE and Lashley’s contractual negotiations.
Although Lashley was interested to remain with WWE, and still might, the financial offer ‘didn’t exactly make Bobby eager to sign.’
Bobby Lashley, MVP, WWE & The Hurt Business
The Hurt Business in WWE (Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander and MVP)
The belief within WWE is that Lashley and MVP will leave when their deals expire. Considering that Shelton Benjamin is also a free agent, the speculation is that the duo may try to reform The Hurt Business outside of WWE. They wouldn’t be able to use the Hurt Business name, since WWE owns that trademark, but
Lashley’s last big match with WWE was at WrestleMania XL in the Philadelphia Street Fight involving The Pride and The Final Testament. MVP last appeared on the SmackDown before WrestleMania, managing Omos for The Andre The Giant Battle Royal.
We’ll be following this story closely and will provide our readers with updates as soon as they become available. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Bobby Lashley, MVP, and all your wrestling news.
If you don’t think Cleveland is going to give Damian Priest a champion’s welcome, think again.
WWE announced Monday morning that on August 2, the day before SummerSlam, that The Agora Cleveland will play host to Damian Priest Live which will feature the premiere of WWE 24: Damian Priest, but will also involve a live panel discussion involving Priest, Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio.
Details about the forthcoming documentary are below:
“WWE 24: Damian Priest is an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the long, obstacle-filled journey that Priest endured on his path to becoming World Heavyweight Champion. The documentary features exclusive interviews with El Campeón and his family, WWE Hall of Famers Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Undertaker and Paul Heyman, members of The Judgment Day and other WWE Superstars.”
Priest will obviously have a big weekend in the ring as well considering the stakes he has at WWE SummerSlam. ‘El Campeón’ will be putting his WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line against GUNTHER and if one’s been following the storyline, Priest is looking for a lot to prove in his championship reign while GUNTHER is all the more willing to take the mantle.
The Agora Cleveland will not only play host to Damian Priest Live, but will showcase Sami Zayn & Friends Do Cleveland and Undertaker 1 deadMAN Show during the weekend as well.
Priest has held the World Title since WrestleMania XL, but has yet to get a definitive win against a major name and much of the thought from critics (and from on-air foes) is that he’s just keeping the title warm for GUNTHER.
