Last week, AEW President Tony Khan announced that the company will be heading back to Boston, Massachusetts on March 13 for a special edition of AEW Dynamite.  According to Khan, the show which is titled Big Business, will be “one of the most important nights in AEW.” 

While AEW has yet to reveal further details on the event, recent reports have indicated that “The CEO” Mercedes Mone (formerly known as WWE’s Sasha Banks) is expected to make her AEW debut at Big Business. AEW previously showed Mone in attendance for their August 2023 All In event in London.

Athena Wants “The CEO” 

Given these recent developments, Sunday Night’s Main Event asked the ROH Women’s Champion about the possibility of Mercedes Mone becoming ‘All Elite’ in her hometown of Boston, MA in just a matter of weeks.

Athena is “immensely curious” to see if Mercedes Mone arrives at Big Business. She said she and the entire AEW locker room are hoping it happens, but Tony Khan is keeping things close to the vest and nobody knows for sure.

Ember Moon and Sasha Banks crossed paths a few times in WWE, but they never squared off one-one-one. She considers Mercedes Mone a dream opponent and may finally get her wish later this year in an AEW ring.

“I might finally get one of my dream matches,” she said. “That is one of the coolest things because I’ve shared the ring with this person for many times, and whether we were on the same tag team at live events in WWE, to us getting to briefly touch at Money in the Bank, to us briefly touching in this awesome fatal four-way we had on Raw, I just wish the world for this person because she is someone that I think is one of the absolute best wrestlers in the world.” 

Stacking Up

Athena considers herself to be “immensely” humble, despite the talent and work ethic its taken to establish herself as one of the top wrestlers in the world. As much as she’s accomplished, she’s eager to see how she’d stack up against someone she’s looked up to for so long. Aside from that, she wants to see what they can create together. 

“I’m a firm believer of, when you have two dedicated women, to the cause, it’s going to be money and it’s going to be magic. I just have to have it. I don’t care if I have to go to Japan for it. I just have to get it one time.”

Athena is far from the only AEW wrestler who is eager to mix it up with Mercedes Mone. As you can read about below, former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker is also on that list. Mone, Baker, WWE Superstars Bayley and Naomi were all spotted together at the Super Bowl this past weekend in Las Vegas.

H/T to Fightful for the transcription

The ever-fearless Darby Allin will begin his quest to climb Mount Everest this April. Upon his return, though, Allin will be focused on fulfilling a pair of goals in All Elite Wrestling. 

During a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Allin revealed the two professional goals he’s aiming to reach after he conquers Mount Everest. Given that Allin is already a former TNT Champion, and one-half of the current AEW Tag Team Champions, Allin believes the next step would be to move toward the company’s top prize — the AEW World Championship.  

“So to be the face of a company, I believe you have to be World Champion, so that is the next logical step when I get back from Everest because Everest is almost like a vision quest in a way,” Allin said. “I’m going to go dig deep down inside the mountains and find out what it’s really like inside of here.”

Allin Wants ‘The American Dragon’

Outside of his championship aspirations, Allin is also keen on facing ” The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson before his full-time wrestling run ends later this year. 

Despite being in the same company for over two years, Danielson and Allin have yet to share a ring together.

“Wrestling-wise, before this man’s career is done: Danielson. That’s the next thing.

It has nothing to do with us being from the northwest, it’s just his work ethic. He’s another man, his career was supposed to be over. He came back and he’s better than ever. So those are my two things that I want to hit in AEW.”

Next month, WWE will release its 2K24 video game. This year’s game will see Cody Rhodes rocking the cover of the title’s standard edition, while Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley share the front of the Deluxe Edition. 2K will also be releasing a special tribute to the upcoming 40th anniversary of WrestleMania with the Forty Years of WrestleMania Edition, which displays the likes of The Undertaker, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, and Becky Lynch on the cover. 

As the anticipation continues to grow, WWE has provided a glimpse into some of the notable wrestler entrances featured in WWE 2K24. On Monday, the company released a video showcasing The Fiend’s entrance with the caption “Let. Him. In,” indicating that the spirit of Bray Wyatt will live on.

The Fiend In WWE 2K24

As expected, The Fiend, who was portrayed by the Windham Rotunda (aka Bray Wyatt), will don his signature mask that was crafted by Jason Baker of Callosum Studio. In addition to his spooky mask, The Fiend is wearing his signature leather jacket with his red and black striped pants. The Fiend can also be seen walking to the ring while carrying a replica of Bray Wyatt’s face designed in the form of a lantern. 

Fans can see the full clip of The Fiend’s entrance below:

Let. Him. In. ? pic.twitter.com/d741fFSoIQ

— #WWE2K25 (@WWEgames) February 12, 2024

Bray Wyatt’s run as The Fiend spanned two years, beginning with its inception in 2019. Along his journey, The Fiend feuded with performers such as John Cena, Randy Orton, Goldberg, and Daniel Bryan. The spooky superstar is also known for recruiting Alexa Bliss into his Firefly Fun House.

Bray Wyatt sadly passed away in August 2023.

Last week saw a notable title change in the main event of AEW Dynamite, with Darby Allin and Sting defeating Ricky Starks and Big Bill to claim the AEW Tag Team Championships.

This win is particularly relevant given that Sting is set to wrestle in his retirement match alongside Allin at AEW Revolution on March 3, meaning that “The Icon” may now be heading into his final match as a champion. 

Before the duo gear up for Revolution, Allin took a moment to soak in the glory of becoming one-half of the new AEW Tag Team Champions.

“It’s been an amazing week,” Allin told Denise Salcedo. “I’m a little banged up after Wednesday, but when am I ever not banged up? The big thing about it though to me is having Sting’s career end this way. It’s so insane because I remember my first year in professional wrestling, I saw him essentially have to retire back in 2015 with the neck injury.”

Pro wrestling is full of thrill-seekers who enjoy pushing their bodies to the limits, but Darby Allin is in a class of his own. He is planning to climb Mount Everest in April and regularly risks life and limb outside the ring, let alone what he does on television for All Elite Wrestling.

Sting Is The Crazy One

Sting is set to end his decades-long career next month at AEW Revolution. He and Darby Allin will put their titles on the line against AEW Executive Vice Presidents Nicolas and Matthew Jackson, professionally known as The Young Bucks.

Nobody could have expected his 3-year run with AEW would produce so many memorable moments. He’s ending his career on his own terms, with Darby Allin at his side. Sting’s final run in AEW will be remembered for his insane dives.

Allin makes it clear that he’s not pushing Sting into any of his crazy stunts. He says the 64-year-old icon hasn’t needed any help with his high-risk offense.

“Then fast forward now and convincing him to get back in the ring, it’s pretty cool to see how far we’ve came,” Allin says of the partnership with Sting. “The fact that he’s so crazy.. he could have just rode off into the sunset, played it safe, but no.

Trust me when I say this, I don’t tell him to jump off those balconies. That’s all him. It’s awesome to see how much he’s willing to push it because he’s got nothing to prove.”

Sting and Allin’s victory last week marked Sting’s first title reign of any sort since 2011, when he captured the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for a fourth time.

For Allin, this marks the beginning of his first tag team reign in AEW, as he’s previously held the TNT Championship on two occasions. 

The Road to WrestleMania has officially begun, and so has the speculation for this year’s card. So far, four matches have been confirmed, including a major rematch set between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes.

As the lineup for WrestleMania 40 continues to take shape, many members of the WWE Universe have presented the idea of “The Megastar” LA Knight taking on “The Maverick” Logan Paul in a United States Championship match. Paul and Knight previously exchanged intense words in the lead-up to WWE’s 2023 Money in the Bank event. Given their brief history, LA Knight does have some thoughts on the possibility of wrestling him at WrestleMania 40.

“Well, I’ll tell you what, if it presents itself and that’s a thing, yeah, maybe,” Knight told In The Kliq. “Look, WrestleMania, at this point, as far as the WWE Universal Undisputed Championship, that’s already been determined. So, it’s not going to be me and Roman Reigns … It’s not me, so with that being the case, am I open to another opportunity on the way to claiming my throne at some point, absolutely. So, we’ll see.

Will I cross paths with Logan Paul? I don’t know. Will I cross paths with Gunther? I don’t know. Will I cross paths with Seth Rollins? I don’t know, but at some point, one way or another, I’m coming for gold and I’m looking for the top spot, ’cause I can’t be in any other spot.” 

On tonight’s episode of WWE Raw, Knight will have the opportunity to earn his way into the 2024 Men’s Elimination Chamber as he faces Ivar in a qualifying match. The winner of the Men’s Elimination Chamber match will then go on to challenge Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. Much like Knight, Logan Paul also has a chance to qualify when he takes on The Miz on SmackDown later this week.

Knight’s Reported WrestleMania 40 Plans

SEScoops’ Aaron Varble recently provided an update on LA Knight’s WrestleMania status via X, reporting that “The Megastar” will be receiving a match at the two-night premium live event. While WWE continues to weigh the options, there is an idea floating around that would see Knight getting a title shot of some sort.

LA Knight will get a #WrestleMania match. There are still options, and discussions were still going for the rest of the card as of yesterday.

I’ve been told one idea would see him get a title shot. ?Keep in mind … There are a lot of matches being discussed for Mania, that's…

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) February 8, 2024

As she continues to move forward with her own career, Natalya also continues to give back to her fellow wrestlers. 

Not too far from their home in Florida, Natalya and her husband TJ Wilson run The Dungeon 2.0, where performers across multiple companies have the opportunity to hone their in-ring skills with other active competitors. In recent years, the Dungeon 2.0 has brought in the likes of Liv Morgan, Jade Cargill, Angelo Dawkins, TJPW’s Miyu Yamashita, and AEW’s Ricky Starks. 

During a recent interview with TV Insider, Natalya further explained the motivation behind opening up The Dungeon 2.0 as a training space.

“TJ and I rented a warehouse. A little warehouse. There is no air conditioning, one small bathroom, and a wrestling ring. And the only thing you need is passion,” Natalya said. “We have friends who work in every corner of the industry. We have friends from every promotion. Our ring is not a school where you can sign up, or pay a fee, or just drop in. It’s invite only. You have to know a friend who knows a friend who knows a friend.”

“It’s kind of a wrestling workshop for intermediate to advanced people. We rent the space, but “The Dungeon” is our way of giving back to the industry. It’s our love letter to wrestling. I love being able to give back from women of NXT to women in the independent industry to women who love this industry.”

‘Honored’ To Train Jade Cargill

When asked who she’s particularly enjoyed working with, Natalya highlighted recent WWE signee Jade Cargill. At the beginning of January, Cargill put in a fierce training session at The Dungeon alongside the likes of Ricky Starks, Angelo Dawkins, and B-Fab.

“When Jade Cargill asked to train in ‘The Dungeon,’ I was so honored because when she asked she had just lost her mother,” Natalya said. “I thought, ‘That shows me right there the women we are going to get in WWE. Someone who has such passion for this.’ Having just lost a parent and thinking, ‘You know what? This is a positive focus for me and a way to shift my focus to work hard.’

I have so much respect for her for wanting to train during that difficult time in her life. ‘The Dungeon’ is our love letter to professional wrestling.”

Three weeks after training at The Dungeon, Cargill made her official WWE in-ring debut at the 2024 Royal Rumble event. There, Cargill entered the Women’s Royal Rumble match from the #28 position, eliminating three competitors from the field — one of which was “The Irresistible Force” Nia Jax.

Coming off her victory in the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match, Bayley was tasked with choosing her opponent for WrestleMania 40. While initially eyeing WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, Bayley ultimately decided to challenge her now former ally, WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY. 

With Bayley vs. IYO SKY locked in, WWE announced that the WrestleMania challenger for the WWE Women’s World Championship will determined inside the Elimination Chamber later this month. So far, one woman has qualified for this grueling match stipulation.

On Monday’s WWE RAW, Becky Lynch and Shayna Baszler competed in the first qualifying matchup, making a callback to their WrestleMania 36 clash over the RAW Women’s Championship. Despite a valiant effort, Baszler’s fate would repeat itself, as Lynch defeated her with a Manhandle Slam to claim the first spot in the Women’s Elimination Chamber match. 

The Man is Elimination Chamber bound!@BeckyLynchWWE ?#WWERAW | Live on TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/xsUL7ps27z

— WWE on TNT Sports (@wweontnt) February 6, 2024

Next week, Liv Morgan and Zoey Stark will battle to secure the second slot. Ahead of their qualifier, Morgan delivered a backstage promo, highlighting her six-month absence from WWE programming due to injury. Now that she is cleared to compete again, Morgan is not only eager to challenge Ripley for the WWE Women’s World Championship, but also to enact some revenge on her for taking her out of action last July.

Rhea Ripley To Defend Women’s World Championship At Elimination Chamber

Before she can get to WrestleMania, Rhea Ripley has one obstacle in front of her — a title defense at Elimination Chamber.

During tonight’s episode, WWE RAW General Manager Adam Pearce informed Ripley that she will put the WWE Women’s World Championship on the line against Nia Jax at the upcoming premium live event. This title match was made after Jax recently unleashed a pair of attacks on Ripley.

Women's World Champion @RheaRipley_WWE called out Nia Jax on #WWERaw and paid the price! pic.twitter.com/4o5ZeLwNz7

— WWE (@WWE) February 6, 2024

Should Ripley retain her championship there, she will then move on to face the winner of the Women’s Elimination Chamber in a title match at WrestleMania 40.

The 2024 Elimination Chamber PLE will emanate from the Optus Stadium in Perth Australia, airing live on February 24.

Mustafa Ali’s hopes to pick up championship gold when his ‘world tour’ rolls through TNA Wrestling later this month.

On January 25, Mustafa Ali appeared in a video package on TNA Wrestling television, stating that the company has undergone several changes recently. As a part of his political campaign though, Ali vowed to bring a “different kind of change” to TNA Wrestling — one that will seemingly impact TNA’s X-Division. 

Following his original message, Ali then interrupted a backstage segment involving X-Division Champion Chris Sabin. In this vignette, Ali noted that can change is necessary, and only achieved when one faces their fears head-on. Ali also declared that the “fearful” need leadership to guide them, implying that he may soon assume that responsibility. 

With Ali’s eyes now directed at Sabin, TNA Wrestling has confirmed the two will square off at the No Surrender event in New Orleans on February 23. There, Ali will challenge Sabin for the X-Division Championship, while simultaneously marking his official TNA in-ring debut.

BREAKING: @SuperChrisSabin will defend the X Division Championship against @MustafaAli_X on February 23rd at #NoSurrender LIVE on TNA+ and YouTube for IMPACT Ultimate Insiders!

Get TNA+: https://t.co/VpfTemzmNS

Be there LIVE: https://t.co/7uvCH4iL5D pic.twitter.com/G7mai6u4ct

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) February 5, 2024

Ali was released from WWE in September 2023 in the days following the launch of TKO Group Holdings. Upon the completion of his 90-day non-compete clause, Ali revealed that he had a stacked lineup of bookings on the independent circuit. Now, he looks forward to making his debut for TNA Wrestling as well.

As of now, TNA has announced two other matchups for No Surrender, one of which is a rematch that will see Moose defend the TNA World Championship against the previous titleholder, Alex Shelley. Elsewhere, Gisele Shaw will cash in her title shot against Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace after winning the Knockouts Ultimate X match at Hard To Kill last month.

Later this month, WWE will head to the land down under as they host the 2024 Elimination Chamber premium live event from Perth, Australia. While no matches have been announced, this officiail poster indicates that this event will serve as a major homecoming for WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, a native of Adelaide, Australia. 

Ripley has seen a significant rise in her stock over the last two years. As she continues to wreak havoc with her fellow Judgment Day members, Ripley has also kept a firm grip on the WWE Raw women’s division and the WWE Women’s World Championship — a title she has successfully defended against the likes of Raquel Rodriguez, Natalya, Ivy Nile, and Zoey Stark. 

High Praise From ‘The Hitman’

Outside of her in-ring accomplishments, Ripley’s menacing character has also attracted the attention of many viewers, one of whom is WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia, Hart issued praise for Ripley’s character, specifically pointing toward the realism that she conveys through her on-screen portrayal. 

“I really like her a lot. I really like her poise, her staying in character and sort of living her.. she seems like she’s adapted a character that’s fun to play, and she’s playing into that, full tilt,” Hart said.

“She’s putting that realism into it; that’s what I miss in a lot of wrestling today, just making it feel more real, and she makes it feel pretty real all the time.”

With Elimination Chamber on the horizon, Rhea Ripley is not only thrilled about returning to her home country, but also about the possibility of defending her title in front of them. 

During a recent interview with Sam Roberts, Ripley noted that she would embrace the opportunity to defend her WWE Women’s World Championship inside the grueling Elimination Chamber structure. 

Rossy Ogawa is pushing back on the allegations levied against him by Bushiroad, the company that owns the Stardom women’s wrestling promotion he helped launch over a decade ago. 

In a statement that’s rocked the wrestling world, Bushiroad announced it has terminated its agreement with Ogawa. The company claims he’s been caught poaching Stardom athletes and staff members and he’s gone effective immediately.

Stardom noted on Twitter that talent was informed of the shakeup Saturday evening.

Stardom wrestlers and staff were notified last night that Mr. Rossy Ogawa’s contract was terminated effective immediately.

— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) February 5, 2024

Rossy Ogawa is not taking this matter lightly. He maintains his innocence, says the public still does not know ‘the truth of the matter’ and is most concerned with the talent.

“Suddenly, after yesterday’s show, I was notified that my contract would be terminated,” Ogawa wrote on X (formerly Twitter.

“The truth of the matter may be told someday. I’m worried about the players right now. Thank you for supporting Stardom for the past 13 years. From now on, it will be Stardom created by Bushiroad.”

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????13?????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/vTj3giwl5z

— ???????Rossy Ogawa (@rossyogawa) February 5, 2024

Stardom’s Future

Ogawa, alongside wrestling veterans Fuka Kakimoto and Nanae Takahashi, founded Stardom in 2010. Prior to the launch of STARDOM, Ogawa served as a co-producer for All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW).

On the heels of Rossy Ogawa’s exit, the Wrestling Observer reported that Taro Okada and Oyawa, the Bushiroad Fight merchandise manager, will be taking over the booking responsibilities for STARDOM. Neither has previous experience in booking wrestling shows.

Stardom’s roster is loyal Ogawa, because he helped many of them break into the business. There is concern within Bushiroad that we could see a mass exodus leave Stardom and follow Ogawa wherever he goes next. A lot of Stardom contracts are set to expire next month, so we won’t have to wait long to see ‘the other shoe drop’ in this developing situation.

As she continues the transition to life on WWE’s main roster, Ivy Nile looks forward to partaking in some major premium live events and wrestling some notable competitors from RAW and SmackDown. 

During a recent conversation I had with Nile, she spoke about her aspirations on WWE’s main roster, citing a pair of powerhouses as women she’s particularly keen on working with.

 “I love working with huge, strong women because I feel like I’m really good at breaking them down,” Nile said. “I’ve worked with Lash Legends a lot in NXT and some of my favorite fights have been with her. Rhea Ripley [as well]. I just love working with these strong big women because it makes me want to match their energy and match what they can do. I’m like, ‘You can do that, I can do that.’

So to name a few, Nia Jax maybe. Bianca Belair, we’re [from] the same Knoxville place. I don’t know if I want to go toe to toe with her, maybe team up with her, maybe. I think the sky’s the limit. I’ll go toe to toe with anyone. Just because they’re bigger than me doesn’t doesn’t mean anything.”

In addition to competing with more main-roster talent, Nile is also aiming to land a  spot on some of WWE’s biggest events, such as Elimination Chamber, WrestleMania 40, and the 2024 Royal Rumble, which will take place on January 27.

“There’s so many things I’ve trained for that I didn’t know what was to come, but I’m ready for it,” Nile said. “So many people will be like, so you have this certain event in a couple of weeks, ‘Oh, I have to get ready.’ That’s not me. I’m ready.

It’s ambitious to say, this is my first year in, in RAW, we have Rumble coming up. We have Elimination Chamber coming up. We have WrestleMania. There’s so many things this year, dare I say, I want to get my hands on everything, but gosh, you just never know.”

NXT Standouts

While her focus on now centered on the main roster, Ivy Nile hasn’t forgotten about the up-and-coming stars in WWE NXT. In assessing the current landscape in NXT, Nile pointed out three competitors she has been particularly impressed with, all of whom Nile has previously shared a ring with.

“I worked with Fallon Henley a lot. I feel like she’s definitely starting to get more noticed and more eyes on her. And I think she is one of the sassiest and feistiest girls there. She definitely will pack a punch, let me tell you. We worked together a lot and she’s always just one of the hardest workers in the room. Kiana James is another one. To work with her, she is just incredible. She’s just always bringing out new things and just very, very fierce in everything that she does.

I think Roxanne Perez is also so, I wouldn’t say underdog at all, it’s just when you look at her, she just always surprises me in what she does. I can just feel her emotion and feel everything she’s doing. Every time I see her, she just elevates herself. And that’s so inspiring for myself to kind of just keep getting better if she’s elevating herself every single match. I think she’s amazing.

Read more from my interview with WWE Superstar Ivy Nile:

The 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble came equipped with several surprises, one of which was the return of Liv Morgan. The former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion had been out of action since sustaining a second shoulder injury — an injury that later resulted in her being written off WWE television in late July 2023.

After six months on the shelf, Morgan resurfaced in WWE’s Women’s Royal Rumble match on January 27, entering the field from the number 30 position. Morgan  was one of the final two competitors in the match, but was eliminated by the winner, Bayley. 

During an interview with Denise Salcedo, Morgan commented on her return, sharing her excitement to being back in a ring. 

“It’s been a journey the
last 6 months,” Morgan said. “It’s been a fight, it’s
been a struggle, so to come back at the
Royal Rumble in the coveted 30 spot, I
was very happy. I felt honored and
just happy to be back, happy to be back
doing what I love, doing my thing, came
really really really close, but I am
happy for Bayley, nonetheless.”

Despite a lengthy absense from WWE due to injury, Morgan returned to action just in time to keep an impressive Royal Rumble streak in tact.

“Last year
I came very close as well. I was also a
runner-up last year when Rhea beat me. I think Nattie and I are the
only superstars in WWE to be in all
seven women’s Rumble match, so I am a
little bit of a veteran in this match. Maybe next year will be my year.”

Liv Morgan Channels Christina Aguillera

Morgan paid homage to singer Christina Aguilera’s outfit from her Dirrty music video with her ring gear in the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble:

Good morning ☀️

Love u @xtina pic.twitter.com/s8rgxRwML8

— LIV Morgan (@YaOnlyLivvOnce) January 28, 2024

Prior to her victory in the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble, Bayley loudly proclaimed that if she won the match, she intended to challenge WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley for her title at WrestleMania 40. Ripley, however, believes “The Role Model” should be looking elsewhere right now.

Following Bayley’s Royal Rumble win, ‘The Eradicator’ addressed this previous claim during an interview with Denise Salcedo, suggesting that Bayley may be better served by looking inward at her Damage CTRL stablemates, particularly WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY.

“I love Bayley. I think she’s great,” Ripley said. “I’ve danced with her in the ring a couple times, and we’ve teamed together with WarGames and all that.I want to say that she has love for me too, and she wouldn’t choose me for Wrestlemania and just throw away her ticket to WrestleMania like that. If I were her, I would keep my eyes on the people around her because it’s good to keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.”

As Ripley alluded to, recent months have seen the majority of Damage CTRL (IYO SKY, Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane) gradually distance themselves from Bayley. Coming off her Royal Rumble win, Bayley now has an opportunity to confront that divide head-on by facing SKY for her title at WrestleMania 40. 

For right now, though, wrestling fans will have to stay tuned to find out which champion Bayley will officially issue a challenge to. 

Assessing The Royal Rumble Field

While she didn’t partake in this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley kept a close eye on the events that unfolded within the match. In surveying her potential competition, Ripley noted this year’s entrants thoroughly impressed her, making her even more excited to see who would eventually prevail. 

“I was just standing there watching it and I’m like ‘Yo, all of these women they’re competitors.’ I could easily step in the ring with any one of them and you would think that I’m in danger and I love that,” Ripley said.

“That’s a way that the women’s division is thriving and it’s all about competition. I live for that, so I was so over the moon and thrilled to see these women going in there and getting their opportunity to shine. Then watching the whole thing, like everyone did so exceptionally well. I’m proud of our division. We really showed everyone exactly what we’ve got and I’m very proud of them.”

This year’s field featured several surprises as well, including the returns of Naomi (also known as Trinity) and Liv Morgan. Recent signee Jade Cargill also made her official WWE in-ring debut, eliminating the likes of Becky Lynch, Nia Jax, and Naomi during her outing. 

Before she graced the screens of WWE NXT and WWE RAW, Ivy Nile made a name for herself on another notable television program — that being NBC’s Titan Games. 

Competing under her real name of Emily Andzulis, Nile appeared in season one of The Titan Games, where she soon became the show’s first female champion. The following year, Nile inked a contract with WWE, pivoting her focus to a full-time career as a professional wrestler. 

On January 1, 2024, Nile’s worlds intersected, as the former host of The Titan Games — Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson — made a surprise appearance on the special Day One edition of WWE Raw to lay the smack down on Jinder Mahal and set the stage for a match with Roman Reigns.

During a recent interview with Ella Jay for SEScoops, Ivy Nile revealed that she and The Rock caught up backstage at the 2024 ‘WWE Day 1’ edition of Raw in what she described as an insane, full-circle moment for her life and career.

“It’s insane. It’s like, how did this happen? It was almost five, six years ago that the Titan Games happened. Next thing you know, I’m in WWE and I see him, not a lot, but more than the average person. So when he was at Day One, I didn’t know he was going to be there. Next thing you know, I saw him and it was like, ‘Wait a second.’ We had a short conversation. It’s about like he’s super proud that a titan of his is now here, so it’s really cool. I got to talk to him for a little bit, and I had a match that night, so there definitely a lot going on, for sure.”

Ivy Nile on working with Rhea Ripley

As Nile alluded to, January 1 also marked her first televised title opportunity on WWE’s main roster. On this occasion, Nile challenged Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s World Championship.

Ripley has been a dominant champion during her reign, but Nile believes she was able to push ‘The Eradicator’ out of her comfort zone by utilizing the element of surprise. 

“Rhea Ripley, she is one of the most dominating females in all of WWE, right? And from me being someone who just got moved up [to the main roster], that doesn’t have a lot to show for, I think that worked in my favor because she didn’t have a lot to see what I could do,” Nile said. “She didn’t know what I could do. So for me, I studied her, I watched her matches, like what she does and what she likes to do. I just like to study her like film study. And with her, with me, she kind of didn’t know [what to expect], so that kind of helped in my favor. So I can throw out a bunch of stuff that she didn’t really know I could do, and maybe that caught her off guard. I think that’s what worked for me. I think that’s pretty much what it was.”

After a feverish 13-minute battle, Ripley finally put away Nile with a Riptide to retain the WWE Women’s World Championship. You can watch highlights from the match herE:

The road to WrestleMania will soon begin charting its course. Before we can reach the final destination at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia though, we must first head to the starting point in St. Petersburg, Florida — the site of the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble. 

This weekend, 30 men and 30 women will compete in their respective Royal Rumble matches, with the winner of each guaranteeing themselves a title shot of their choosing at WrestleMania 40. SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay spoke with WWE Raw star Ivy Nile ahead of this premium live event, where Nile shared her excitement about the possibility of competing in the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match. 

“Isn’t that crazy that I was an alternate last year? That’s crazy,” Nile said. “I really believe in visioning yourself. Like last year, I envisioned just making that run down the way, and just envisioning myself in it. I definitely am doing the same thing this year and gosh, I’m just getting goosebumps thinking about it. To say you were in a WWE Royal Rumble, that’s insane to me. I’m very hopeful that I’ll be in it, but you never know. If Nia Jax is in it, we will see, I’m coming after her first. We’ll see. It’s definitely an exciting time backstage, and just hoping and waiting.”

Potential Surprise Entrants

As of this writing, only a handful of competitors have been confirmed for the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble, leaving the field wide open for surprise entrants to appear. When asked about who she’d like to see emerge as a surprise in the match, Nile pointed toward another powerhouse — WWE NXT star Lash Legend.

“I gotta say, I hope my girl Last Legend comes up from NXT. Like I said, we’ve had some of the best fights, but that’s also my girl. Gosh, I honestly love the element of surprise. I think that’s why everyone watches the Rumble, because you just never know who’s gonna show up, and I think that’s so exciting. I mean, you kind of wish for some things, and then if someone is there and you’re starstruck, you’re just standing there like ‘What?’ So gosh,I really love the element of surprise.”

On the topic of surprises, Nile tells SEScoops that there are specific two names that would cause her to feel starstruck if they were to compete in the Royal Rumble this year. 

“I think AJ [Lee] would be amazing. Gosh, like star-struck by, I’m a huge Ronda Rousey fan. Of course, I just think she’s amazing. I would definitely — I don’t know what I would do. I would start running down, or if I’m running to them in that case, I don’t know, it would be crazy.”

WWE Royal Rumble takes place Saturday, January 27 from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Last month, CJ Perry sustained a serious MRSA infection after getting a small splinter in her finger while backstage at AEW. After the infection began spreading up Perry’s arm, Perry was then required to undergo emergency surgery Perry and real-life Miro later announced that the surgery was successful. 

Unfortunately, Perry is now experiencing a setback in her recovery journey. 

Infection ‘Relapse’

Over the weekend, CJ Perry provided an update on her post-surgery care (via X), revealing that she had a ‘relapse’ in her MRSA infection after her antibiotics stopped working. As a result, Perry was rushed to the hospital, where a surgeon cleaned out her wound in the search for blood. 

When no blood emerged, the doctor inserted a long IV needle into Perry’s hand, which Perry described as a fire-like ‘stinging sensation,’ to numb the area around her finger. The doctor then continued to dig through Perry’s finger until they spotted blood.

Following this treatment, Perry was instructed to return to the surgeon to repeat the process every day this week. Perry has also been put back on antibiotics. 

What’s up @X ?!? Update on Mersa & surgery!
Also, $3 sale on https://t.co/MAgyLXCNel for next 24hrs ! pic.twitter.com/6mRygLl0PI

— CJ Perry (@TheCJPerry) January 14, 2024

In a separate TikTok video, Perry revealed she may need a second surgery on her finger. Should doctors determine that a follow-up operation is necessary, Perry says they plan on taking skin from either a ring finger or her palm to act as a skin graft. 

For now, though, Perry will continue forward with her daily doctor’s visits in the hope that her recovery continues on an upward trajectory. 

From everyone here at SEScoops, we send our best wishes to CJ Perry.

Eager to secure herself a singles match at WrestleMania 40, former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley was the first to declare herself for the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble. And while the event is still nearly two weeks away, Bayley has made it clear that if she wins the Women’s Royal Rumble match, she plans to challenge WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. 

Praise For Ripley

Speaking with The New York Post, Bayley shared praise for Ripley’s journey through WWE, which has resulted in her now being the most talked about woman on WWE programming.

“If I’m able to work with [Rhea] at WrestleMania, that would just be a dream match I never even thought of before,” Bayley said. “She is obviously untouchable. She is the most talked about woman on TV right now and she backs it up. She doesn’t just have the look. She doesn’t just have the body. She doesn’t just have – besides Damage CTRL – a badass group to align with. She’s so good and it makes me so mad. ‘I’m like why are you so good, you are so young.’ I can’t even throw a drop kick and she can do one over my head. Just little things that she does that she’s able to do and portray on TV is very hard to do and she does it with ease.”

Excluding past Royal Rumble matches, “The Role Model” and “The Eradicator” have only shared a ring on three other occasions. After teaming together in the 2022 Women’s WarGames match, Ripley and Bayley found themselves in opposite corners during a triple threat match to determine the number one contender to the WWE RAW Women’s Championship — a match that saw Bayley emerge victorious. The two later met again in March 2023 for a singles affair on RAW, in which Ripley picked up the win. 

Should Bayley and Ripley face off at WrestleMania 40, it will mark only their second singles match. 

“She carried that title on her back proudly,” Bayley said. “I’m gonna have to take it off of her and it will be an honor to do. It will be an honor, Rhea.”

WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker has conquered several daunting match stipulations and moments in his wrestling career, but which was the scariest? On episode 12 of the Six Feet Under podcast, The Undertaker provided an answer, pointing to one of his most memorable appearances inside Hell in a Cell. 

The moment in reference happened during The Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell match against Mick Foley (Mankind at the time) at the 1998 WWE King of the Ring pay-per-view. 

While many remember this match for Foley’s thunderous plunge through the announce table, The Undertaker considers another part of the match to be even more terrifying. 

Mankind / Mick Foley and Hell in a Cell (1998)

“I think probably the scariest moment was when Mick went through the Cell. When I choke slammed him through it. Not when I threw him off, but when I choke-slammed him through the cell. The way that he landed. I was legit like, ‘Come on, please move,’ because I didn’t know that he was going to. That was pretty tense there for a little bit,” Undertaker said. 

“And I’m thinking the worst because of just the way that it looked from my perspective. From my perspective, it looks like he landed on his head. And regardless of the reason why or how, in my head, it’s like, ‘You’re the one that just choke slammed him through it.’ So if he doesn’t get up, all those things are already going through your mind like ‘Are you going to be the guy that crippled Mick Foley?’ Yeah, that was pretty gnarly.”

Another ‘Scary’ Moment

Outside of his Hell in a Cell match against Mick Foley, The Undertaker says another scary moment occurred during his 2019 WWE Super ShowDown match against another fellow WWE Hall of Famer — Goldberg. At one point, Goldberg set The Undertaker in position for a suplex. However, when the two crashed onto the mat, The Undertaker then+ experienced what he described as an “incredible lightning bolt of pain” in his back. 

A new WWE trademark filing with a biblical connotation may be used for Friday night SmackDown’s newest faction.

According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office database, WWE applied to trademark the name ‘Final Testament’ on Sunday. The ‘Goods and Services’ usage description on the January 7 filing discusses the usual:

“Wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered through broadcast media including television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service;”

The application does not reference any WWE Superstar(s) in particular, but there are a few clues to follow regarding the true nature of Final Testament.

Karrion Kross & AOP’s New Faction

On the January 5 episode of WWE SmackDown, a promo segment involving Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits was interrupted by Karrion Kross, Scarlett, and a returning Paul Ellering. 

As Kross, Scarlett, and Ellering emerged onto the stage, Akam and Rezar of the Authors of Pain snuck up into the ring from behind, providing a pathway for them, along with Kross, to promptly attack Lashley and The Street Profits. The end of the segment then saw Kross, Akam, Rezar, Scarlett, and Ellering standing tall on the entrance ramp. 

In the lead-up to Akam and Rezar’s on-screen return, Kross began teasing that he was in need of some “authors” to help put his vision, or rather, “proclamation” into motion. 

The group is officially a faction and we should find out soon if their name has anything to do with ‘Final Testament.

Recent reports indicated that AEW’s Vice President of Live Events and Touring, Rafael Morffi, was set to leave the promotion after the Worlds End event on December 30. Morffi, one of AEW’s founding executives, was tasked with coordinating AEW live event tours, which included booking venues, local marketing, and other logistics. 

Following his exit from AEW, Morffi is now expected to transition into a senior executive position with the Barclays Center in New York City, where he will be responsible for booking events in entertainment and sports. Morffi will also reportedly be working under the Brooklyn Nets’ owners as well. 

In addition to AEW, Morffi is also known for his previous behind-the-scenes work in TNA Wrestling, WWE, and Tommy’s Dreamer House of Hardcore independent promotion. 

Morffi Confirms His Exit, Sends Departing Message

On December 31, Morffi confirmed his exit on X (formerly Twitter), posting a departing message directed to AEW President Tony Khan, as well AEW talent and staff.

“Thank you @TonyKhan @AEW talent, staff. I’ll forever remember my time at #AEW fondly,” Morffi wrote. “2024 will be the start of a new era in my professional career. Been blessed with a wonderful opportunity. Excited to start this new journey & challenge soon. Happy New Year-stay safe & sound!”

Thank you @TonyKhan @AEW talent, staff. I’ll forever remember my time at #AEW fondly. 2024 will be the start of a new era in my professional career.
Been blessed with a wonderful
opportunity. Excited to start this new
journey & challenge soon. Happy New Year-stay safe & sound!

— Rafael Morffi (@rmorfnyc) December 31, 2023

Multiple AEW stars have since responded to Morffi’s post, many of which expressed their congratulations and gratitude toward the former AEW’s Vice President of Live Events and Touring. 

“Raf! Oh my goodness [crying emoji] we’ll miss you so much and all that you did for us all. Best of luck in this new chapter,” wrote Penelope Ford. “Happy New Year”

“There’s some people that just bring comfort and familiarity when you walk into a room full of people and you were always that for me Raf. Love you Raf, and I’ll miss ya. I still owe ya a whiskey,” wrote Rebel.

“Oh man. Had no idea! Thanks for always being such a legend Raf man, stay in touch,” Kib Sabian wrote.

“Thank you for everything Raf! You will definitely be missed. I can’t thank you enough for how kind you were. Best of luck to you in your next chapter,” wrote Leyla Hirsch.

“Omg you will be missed!! [red heart emoji],” Anna Jay wrote.

Former AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa, Daniel Garcia, Diamante, Jon Silver, and many others also sent their positive regards to Morffi. 

One night after competing for the ROH World Television Championship at ROH Final Battle, Bryan Keith received the opportunity to challenge for another title — Orange Cassidy’s AEW International Championship, to be exact.

While Keith’s title pursuits didn’t produce his desired outcome, he still has his eye on facing some more performers in both companies. During an interview with the To Be Someone Podcast, Keith revealed some of the names on his list of dream opponents, which includes representatives from NJPW, WWE, ROH, and AEW. 

“One of them is a guy named [Tomohiro] Ishii that wrestles with New Japan. The Stone Pitbull. I feel like his aura is everything that I try to emulate,” Keith said. “When he comes out, he may not be the biggest guy, and he’s not the fastest, not the strongest, but when he comes out, the song hits, you hear the dogs barking, you know you’re in for like a hell of a match. It don’t matter who he’s in there with. He could be in there with anyone, and there’s going to be a five-star classic. I draw heavy influence from him and guys like him …

He just has that aura about himself that I always try to portray because I’m not the biggest guy, I’m not the fastest, I’m not the strongest. I don’t do a bunch of flips or anything like that. I just got that Texas ‘I’m coming there and I’m gonna kick your ass’ feel, I want people to feel that, and I feel like he’s got that aura. Japanese strong style versus Texas strong style, that’d be a hell of a match.”

WWE, ROH, & AEW Dream Opponents

Within the landscape of WWE, Keith identified Finn Balor and AJ Styles as two other names he’d like to face one day. In assessing their work, Keith noted that both performers display a crisp arsenal of offense and defense in the ring. 

Within AEW and ROH, Keith is keen on squaring off with current ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston and former ROH Television Champion Samoa Joe. If he had to choose between them though, Keith would favor a match with Samoa Joe, whom he describes as one of his early wrestling influences.

“Samoa Joe’s the man. I’d love to wrestle Eddie Kingston, and Eddie Kingston is definitely a dream match for me, but Samoa Joe is legendary. Not the Eddie Kingston is not, but just Samoa Joe and what he’s done, what he means to me and the influence on me. I learned about Eddie Kingston later on in my career, whenever I was an older wrestler. So foundationally, I wasn’t really watching Eddie Kingston to grow up and be a better wrestler,” Keith said. 

“I was foundationally watching Samoa Joe, seeing him wrestle on TNA, seeing him wrestle on the Indies, Ring of Honor and stuff. He’s a guy that definitely influenced my style in the way I wrestle.”

A native of Houston, Texas, Keith has steadily built a name for himself in the southern independent wrestling scene, notably becoming the longest-reigning New Texas Pro Champion. 

CM Punk has worked with a variety of legends in his wrestling career, but perhaps, the biggest confidence booster came when Punk was paired to work with “The GOAT” — John Cena. 

Recently, Punk joined Elite Comics11 for a live stream on Instagram, in which he was asked to recount a match that helped fit the pieces together for him as a wrestler. In response, Punk referenced a three-way bout he had with WWE Hall of Famers Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero in 2002 at IWA Mid-South. 

In addition to learning some valuable performance elements from his two opponents, Punk also believes this match put his name on the map, setting the stage for him to eventually sign with WWE a few years later.

After joining WWE in 2005, Punk steadily raised his stock, later earning himself an opportunity to work with the arguable face of the company, John Cena. While their feud was rather intense on-screen, Punk’s work with Cena actually came with a refreshing sense of ease. It also further motivated him to step up his game.

CM Punk on working with John Cena

During the Instagram live stream, Punk spoke about working so closely with WWE’s top attraction and felt it was a sign the company trusted him to be in that coveted spot. Here’s what Punk said, transcribed by Post Wrestling:

“Now I’m here [in WWE] and then being trusted enough to work with John Cena pretty much every day, every night for quite some time,” said Punk. “We were married to each other and it was always a night off and it was always easy.

When you’re tasked with working with the guy who pretty much is the engine that makes the company go at that point, it’s kind of just like, ‘Okay, I figured it out then.’ I was like, “Alright, I know. They trust me enough and I’m not gonna do anything stupid, I’m not gonna hurt the guy.’

It’s always good and it’s quality and it was fun and it was different and they trusted me to keep it different and it wasn’t the same thing all the time.”

Watch: CM Punk vs. John Cena WWE Championship match:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lfdSA7SZnY

WWE Hall of Famer Afa undergoes medical evaluation for a concern related to his heart.

Afa Anoa’i, one-half of the original Wild Samoans tag team, recently completed two procedures aimed at checking out his heart valves. The 81-year-old is currently scheduled for a follow-up appointment later this week, where doctors will then determine the next course of action. Despite the uncertainty, Afa has since returned to the comfort of his home and seems to be in good spirits. 

The latest update, which was posted to Afa’s official Facebook, reads:

“Yesterday Afa had two exploratory heart procedures to check his valves. In his own words: “I kicked out before the 1!” He is home and doing very well. Nothing keeps a Wild Samoan down! His follow up appointment is on the 20th to go over next steps. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he may need a valve replacement. But he’s up and at it, working hard on the WXW Seminar on January 13th and the first show of the year, February 17th, with proceeds to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Afa was joking with and signing autographs for the hospital staff.”

As mentioned in the aforementioned Facebook statement, Afa is also in the midst of preparing for an upcoming seminar he will be hosting at WXW Wrestling in Minneola, Florida on Saturday, January 13. The following month, WXW Wrestling will be holding a live wrestling event, in which proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

SEScoops would like to extend our sincerest well wishes to Afa Anoa’i as he soon undergoes further evaluation. 

This Friday, Athena will defend her Ring of Honor Women’s Championship against her former minion, Billie Starkz, in the main event of ROH Final Battle. The title match came forth after Starkz turned on Athena, who had previously served as her mentor throughout her training at MIT (Minion In Training). 

After months of intense training, Starkz and fellow MIT student Lexy Nair recently geared up for their 2023 MIT graduation ceremony, where the valedictorian would receive a graduation certificate and an official “Athena’s Minion” t-shirt. Much to the surprise of the crowd, and Billie Starkz, Lexy Nair was bestowed the title of valedictorian. In response, Starkz sent her long-time ally crashing into the barricade alongside the entrance ramp. Now, Starkz will challenge Athena for the ROH Women’s Championship at Final Battle in Garland, TX.

During an interview with Under The Ring, Athena laid her thoughts on Starkz’ vibrant betrayal, and their upcoming title match. 

“Chaos has ensued,” Athena said. “I feel like I’ve given Billie the world, and she’s just not grateful. She’s that rebellious teenager that doesn’t understand this is how real life works. She’s still in that, ‘Hey, I’m an adult. It’s sunshine, rainbows, happiness,’ that type of thing. And I’m sitting here like, ‘No, this is the real world. This is how this happens.’ 
She has turned on me and going into Final Battle in my hometown, it’s not about me reclaiming my championship, it’s about me teaching Billie a lesson that she rightfully deserves.”

Briefly putting their feud aside, Athena recognizes that Starkz, who is currently 19 years old, is one of the hottest young talents within the entire wrestling landscape right now. However, Athena asserts that she was an even better performer at that age. 

“It’s crazy when you look at everything that she’s done, making list after list after list, not just for the women, but for the men when it comes to PWI. She’s probably one of the hottest young talent around the world right now. Everyone is looking at what Billy Starkz is going to do next, so I can’t discredit any of that. But I actually know exactly who I’m dealing with. As someone that has started when they were 18 years old, fresh out of high school, in college, I have done this entire thing that Billie has done. Billie thinks that she is unique. She thinks she is special. No, plenty of us have done this journey. I just did it better,” Athena said.

Other announced matches for the ROH Final Battle card include Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page in an I Quit Match and The Blackpool Combat Club vs. FTR & Mark Briscoe.

Prior to joining All Elite Wrestling in 2022, Ring of Honor Women’s World champion Athena spent six years with WWE. As Ember Moon, she held the NXT Women title as well as the brand’s tag titles, alongside Shotzi Blackheart.

Despite her WWE run coming to an end in late-2021, Athena maintains an overall positive outlook on her experience there, particularly with the atmosphere in NXT. 

Athena spoke with Phil Strum for Under The Ring and explained how working for WWE helped her develop as a performer. 

Athena Says NXT was like going to Pro Wrestling University

Athena individually thanked several of the coaches she worked with in NXT, including Sara Amato, Robbie Brookside, Norman Smiiley, Matt Bloom, Fitt Finaly, Shawn Michaels, as well as Triple H.

“I learned a lot about myself,” she began. “I learned a lot about what I wanted, and where I wanted to be in my career. I think the most awesome part about being an NXT was working with [Triple H] or with working with all the amazing coaches like Sara Amato, Robbie Brookside, who I love to death. I cannot say enough great things about Robbie Brookside. [He] brought out that aggression within the Ember Moon character. Norman Smiley, Matt Bloom, Fit Finlay — there were just so much knowledge in one place in. Shawn Michaels too, Scotty 2 Hotty was there. 

“There was just so much knowledge wrapped up in one place, that it was like a college for wrestling. I don’t know if that’s an accurate term, it was like Pro Wrestling University. It was really cool to jus be able to go there and just learn so much.”

Athena says she still speaks to many of her NXT coaches to this day. She asks them if they watch her matches in ROH and tries to pick up any pointers that she can.

“It’s just really cool to have that support still, even though I’m not there. I just learned a lot about myself and what I wanted out of my career there. I learned how to work for television, how to work for myself. It made me more motivated ever than before, just to be good at what I do. And I think that’s the beauty of that place.”

Listen to Athena’s appearance on Under the Ring at Apple Podcasts.