Triple H is back in the saddle in a big way and former WWE talent have reacted.

Hunter has taken over the reins of WWE creative in the midst of Vince McMahon’s “retirement.”

McMahon announced his retirement on July 22 but an 8-K report revealed that Vince actually resigned amid an investigation into his alleged million-dollar pacts with former employees.

With Stephanie McMahon in place as the Chairwoman and co-CEO, Triple H is the new Head of Creative. He is essentially running the show for Raw and SmackDown.

This was reportedly been well received by both current and former WWE performers.

Former WWE Stars React to the News

Fightful is reporting that talent who have since exited from WWE dating back to 2016 have shared their opinion on Triple H’s new position. The report notes that the overall feeling is that had Triple H taken over sooner, then they would still be in the company today.

Sean Ross Sapp also spoke to one current member of the AEW roster who used to be with WWE. This talent said that had Triple H been running the main shows when their deal was up, they probably would’ve re-signed with WWE.

In a previous report, it was said that the USA Network is quite optimistic about Triple H’s new role and the overall feeling is that of excitement.

One AEW star has spoken out on the notion that he might have backstage heat.

AEW has a lot of talent. It’s no secret that Tony Khan has a lot on his plate with AEW, ROH, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Fulham F.C.

Reports have surfaced that there has been a lack of communication within AEW and ROH, leaving talent frustrated. Khan has reportedly been working to smooth things over.

For one AEW talent, many have come to the conclusion that he hasn’t been used to his full potential due to backstage heat.

Brian Cage Speaks Out

The performer in question is Brian Cage. He took to the K & S WrestleFest virtual signing to address rumors of having backstage heat over some social media activity.

“I’ve re-tweeted in favor of plenty of things that fans have said about me,” Cage said. “I mean, why would I not? They are supporting me. So regardless, if someone agrees or not, it’s someone’s opinion and it’s positive for me, why would I be against that? The fact that it’s my wife, she’s obviously going to have a biased opinion.

“It’s not really for what she said, it’s about certain people backstage in AEW who don’t like me there that pointed that [tweet] out and brought that heat to me intentionally. So it wouldn’t have been a big deal but certain individuals there made it a big deal. And that’s what they hung their hat on. There’s more to it, but I’m not going to say that. These certain individuals know who they are.”

Brian Cage on perceived backstage heat

Cage is expected to have a role with the ROH brand going forward. It’ll be interesting to see if Tony Khan can snag a TV deal for the promotion.

Khan claims there has been interest but he’s looking for a deal that makes sense. AEW is currently on TBS with Dynamite and TNT for Rampage.

There’s no word on whether or not Warner-Discovery is interested in bringing ROH to one of its platforms.

Quotes via WrestleTalk.

WWE and Epic Games have become quite chummy and that much is evident with recent partnerships.

Fortnite, the most popular free-to-play game today, will be adding a major WWE superstar to the item shop.

And his name is John Cena!

Epic Games made the reveal in a statement on its website. The Cena outfit will be available in the item shop this Thursday (July 28) at 8 p.m. ET.

The new outfit comes with entrance gear and in-ring attire.

Cena recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with WWE. During an in-ring speech on the June 27 episode of Monday Night Raw, Cena said he doesn’t know when he’ll wrestle again but promised he has a lot more than one more match left in him.

Cena’s addition to Fortnite is part of the “Epic SummerSlam” partnership with WWE and Epic Games.

WWE will also have its presence felt on Fall Guys and Rocket League. The Undertaker, Asuka, and Xavier Woods have their likenesses in Fall Guys, while special Roman Reigns and John Cena vehicles will be added to Rocket League.

The date for those items is also July 28.

The first episode of WWE Raw post-Vince McMahon has ended and here’s what went down when the show went off the air.

This week’s show for the red brand emanated from the world-famous Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main event featured a six-man tag team match as Riddle and the Street Profits took on Roman Reigns and The Usos.

Also showcased on Raw was the 20th anniversary of Rey Mysterio. He teamed with his son Dominik to take on Finn Balor and Damian Priest of The Judgment Day.

After The Show

The conclusion of WWE Raw saw Riddle take a Spear from Roman Reigns, resulting in a loss. Seth Rollins used this as the perfect opportunity to attack a vulnerable Riddle ahead of their SummerSlam showdown.

Rollins delivered a Curb Stomp to Riddle right on the steel steps.

Once the cameras stopped rolling, Rollins made his way to the back with Raw color commentator Corey Graves. As for Riddle, he needed assistance following the vicious attack.

There was no dark match after the show.

Raw Talk

In addition, WWE held its Raw Talk show tonight. Ciampa, The Miz, and Maryse made an appearance. Ciampa delivered a passionate promo ripping Logan Paul.

Also showing up was The Judgment Day. Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Rhea Ripley all mocked The Mysterios, and Balor was presented with a birthday cake.

JBL was also on the show serving as an analyst.

A big episode of WWE Monday Night Raw is going down on July 25 and there are rumblings on the status of Edge.

The “Rated-R Superstar” has been out of action since Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley kicked him out of The Judgment Day. Edge was replaced by Finn Balor, who led the charge in ousting the former faction leader.

Priest put Edge out of commission with a Conchairto.

Now, there’s some chatter about whether or not Edge’s planned surprise appearance will come to fruition inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Edge’s Travel

Fightful had reported that Edge was factored into plans for the July 25 edition of Raw. It would be his first appearance since June 6.

WWE has been running vignettes teasing Edge’s return.

In an update, however, Fightful has been told that Edge’s travel plans have been altered and there’s no word on how that may impact his planned surprise return tonight.

WWE did not advertise Edge showing up tonight. If he does indeed appear, he’ll likely be going after Balor and Priest.

The Judgment Day members are set to meet Rey and Dominik Mysterio in a tag team match. WWE will be celebrating Rey Mysterio’s 20th anniversary with the company.

Keep it locked on the SEScoops homepage for live coverage of tonight’s episode of WWE Raw.

One big WWE executive appears to be on borrowed time with the company.

Change is coming for the once Vince McMahon-led empire. On July 22, WWE issued a statement announcing the retirement of Vince.

McMahon had been the longtime Chairman and CEO of WWE before stepping back amid an investigation into his alleged million-dollar pacts with former female employees. The “retirement” was actually a resignation as revealed in the company’s 8-K filing.

With McMahon and former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis gone, the Stephanie McMahon-Triple H takeover is upon us.

Don’t forget about Nick Khan as well.

Kevin Dunn Likely Gone From WWE Eventually

Fightful is reporting that Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Distribution Kevin Dunn is likely to be gone from the company in due time. It’s been said that he will either leave on his own or be forced out.

PWTorch also shared a similar report. Wade Keller noted that while Dunn isn’t expected to be ousted immediately, he likely won’t be around at this time next year.

The PWTorch report also mentioned that Kevin Dunn is not a Triple H guy. Hunter has been positioned as the new Head of Creative.

It’s also been reported by several outlets over the years that Stephanie McMahon, the new Chairwoman and CEO of WWE, was never a fan of Dunn.

Triple H is now the Head of Creative in WWE and here’s how USA Network execs feel about it.

Vince McMahon had his hand in the pot of just about everything creatively within WWE for decades. From character changes to scripts, it all went through Vince. You’ve often heard former WWE employees say they always worked for an audience of one.

That one, of course, being the former Chairman of the board.

Things have changed now, however. Vince McMahon “retired” mere hours before the July 22 episode of SmackDown went on the air.

In an 8-K report, a filing sent to the SEC, McMahon’s departure is officially listed as a resignation. The move was clearly in relation to The Wall Street Journal’s report of alleged million-dollar pacts with former female employees over the course of 16 years.

USA Network Reacts to Triple H’s New Role

WWE has confirmed to several reporters that Triple H is now the Head of Creative. It’s a role that “The Game” took on during his time in NXT before enduring major health issues.

Now that he is back in the saddle, Triple H will be the point man for creative on WWE’s main roster shows, Raw and SmackDown. His wife, Stephanie McMahon, is the Chairwoman and co-CEO, a title she shares with Nick Khan.

Fightful is reporting that a source within USA Network says the overall feeling with this move is excitement.

Many have criticized WWE for being too stale and in desperate need of a change creatively. While business has been booming for WWE, its TV shows haven’t exactly been met with praise over the past few years.

Maybe things will start to change.

To the surprise of pretty much no one, there’s more to Vince McMahon’s retirement than age.

Just hours before the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown went off the air, it was announced that Vince has retired. The wording of the statement left some to believe that McMahon could possibly retain his role on the creative team but that isn’t the case.

While Vince remains the majority shareholder, he is completely gone as an executive from the company.

While McMahon is 77 years old and many believe this move was long overdue, his retirement didn’t come about because he felt he had done all he needed to do.

Vince McMahon Resigned

In an 8-K report, which is a required company filing to the SEC, Vince McMahon’s departure from WWE is officially listed as a resignation.

The news shouldn’t come as a surprise. Vince McMahon was in hot water after The Wall Street Journal uncovered Vince’s alleged million-dollar pacts with former female employees over the course of 16 years.

While many felt that McMahon was bulletproof, you simply can’t get away with this kind of stuff in 2022 and beyond.

Stephanie McMahon is now the full-time Chairwoman and shares the CEO title with Nick Khan. WWE has also informed reporters that Triple H is now positioned as the Head of Creative.

The 2022 ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV has gone off the air and FTR created a moment that one fan won’t soon forget.

Death Before Dishonor was held inside the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. The show got started with a bang as Jonathan Gresham put the ROH World Championship on the line against Claudio Castagnoli.

In the end, it was Claudio who hit the Ricola Bomb and pinned Gresham to become the new ROH World Champion.

In the main event, FTR and The Briscoes had an instant classic for the ROH World Tag Team Championships. This was a best 2 out of 3 falls match and FTR won the match, earning the two falls, while The Briscoes earned one.

When Cameras Stopped Rolling

Once ROH Death Before Dishonor went off the air, FTR brought a young fan into the ring. The fan got to hoist up one-half of the ROH World Tag Team Titles.

SEScoops’ Steve Fall was in attendance for the show and he captured the special moment:

SEScoops provided live coverage throughout the evening. You can check back on the homepage for ROH Death Before Dishonor results and video highlights.

Welcome back to the Bryan Danielson show.

Danielson has been out of action since late May. The top AEW star competed in an Anarchy in the Arena match during the Double or Nothing PPV.

It is believed that Bryan suffered a concussion during the match. While Danielson was feeling fine physically, AEW President Tony Khan left no stone unturned in ensuring that Danielson would wait until he was 100 percent ready to get back inside the ring.

That day has come.

Bryan Danielson Returning

During an appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con Convention, Bryan Danielson announced that he medically cleared to get back in the ring.

Furthermore, it was announced during the ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV event that Danielson will take on Daniel Garcia on a special Fight for the Fallen edition of AEW Dynamite this Wednesday night (July 27).

The Danielson vs. Garcia matchup seemingly confirms that the rivalry between Blackpool Combat Club and the Jericho Appreciation Society will continue.

We’ve updated our Wrestling Injuries Tracker to reflect Bryan Danielson being medically cleared to wrestle.

AEW continues to receive good news after going through a wave of talent injuries. It was reported that Kenny Omega is expected to be back sooner than later. The target for Omega could be at the All Out PPV on Sept. 4.

• AEW Fight for the Fallen Preview

Claudio Castagnoli can finally call himself a world champion.

Castagnoli challenged Jonathan Gresham in the PPV opener for Death Before Dishonor. While many expected the bout to headline the card, commentator Ian Riccaboni explained that there was a coin toss to determine what would be the main event.

FTR vs. The Briscoes for the ROH World Tag Team Championships won the toss.

It was clear that the crowd heavily backed Claudio in this one and they got exactly what they were hoping for.

Claudio Castagnoli hit the Ricola Bomb to cap off one heck of an opening match. Claudio scored the pinfall and he now lays claim to a world title for the first time in his career.

This marks the end of Jonathan Gresham’s 225-day reign as the ROH World Champion.

SEScoops’ Steve Fall and Jaychele Nicole are both in attendance for ROH Death Before Dishonor and have provided some clips of the celebration:

It’s time for Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor PPV and the live stream for the preshow is set to begin.

Tonight’s (July 23) ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV will be held inside the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham will put the title on the line against Claudio Castagnoli.

Plus, Jay Lethal will challenge Samoa Joe for the ROH World TV Championship. Also, FTR puts their ROH World Tag Team Titles on the line against The Briscoes in a 2 out of 3 falls match and much more.

There’s so much to unpack that we’ve narrowed down five key things to look for during tonight’s event.

ROH Death Before Dishonor Card

Here’s a look at the ROH Death Before Dishonor card (not in order):

• Zero Hour: The Trustbusters vs. Shinobi Shadow Squad
• Zero Hour: Colt Cabana vs. Anthony Henry
• Zero Hour: Gates of Agony & Brian Cage vs. Tony Deppen, Alex Zayne & Blake Christian
• Zero Hour: Willow Nightingale vs. Allysin Kay
• ROH World Championship Match: Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Claudio Castagnoli
• ROH World TV Championship Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Jay Lethal
• ROH Pure Championship Match: Wheeler Yuta (c) vs. Daniel Garcia
• ROH World Tag Team Championship Match: FTR (c) vs. The Briscoes – 2 out of 3 falls
• ROH Women’s World Championship Match: Mercedes Martinez (c) vs. Serena Deeb
• ROH Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match: The Righteous (c) vs. Dalton Castle & The Boys
• Rush vs. Dragon Lee

Live Stream

Before the PPV card begins, the Zero Hour preshow will be streaming live at 7 p.m. ET. You can catch the live stream below.

The PPV festivities will begin at 8 p.m. ET. Fans looking for that portion of the card can make their purchase through Bleacher Report for $39.99.

The hours leading up to the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown were chaotic but it ended up working out for one massive superstar.

The Friday night show for the blue brand was historic. It was the first WWE show since Vince McMahon announced his retirement.

Vince had been the longtime Chairman and CEO of the company. He was also the Head of Creative but he is not gone from the company entirely outside of being a majority shareholder.

The announcement was made just hours before SmackDown went off the air and there was a lot of uncertainty with Brock Lesnar.

Brock Lesnar Ballyhoo

It had been reported by Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline and Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful that Brock Lesnar left the building hours before WWE SmackDown went off the air. Bryan noted that Brock let WWE officials know he wasn’t happy about Vince McMahon retiring.

Brock had been advertised to appear on the show but WWE pulled that advertising and didn’t mention his name on the air outside of a commercial for the July 25 episode of WWE Raw in New York City.

Brock did indeed show up, however at the end of SmackDown. He attacked Theory with his own Money in the Bank briefcase and laid him out with the F5.

In an update, Fightful reports that once things cooled down, Lesnar returned to the TD Garden in Boston, MA. One WWE superstar told the outlet that there was uncertainty about Brock’s status for the show but felt the situation was “overblown.”

There were also said to have been multiple script changes after Lesnar left the building and most within the backstage area didn’t know if “The Beast” would return.

A WWE NXT star has made her main roster debut.

The July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown was held inside the TD Garden in Boston, MA. Dominating the headlines going into the show was the fact that Vince McMahon retired earlier in the afternoon.

While the show was rewritten due to Brock Lesnar leaving the arena amid the Vince news, some plans will be going ahead as scheduled.

That much is clear from the newest character serving as a mouthpiece for Maximum Male Models.

Maxxine Dupri has arrived.

Who is Maxxine Dupri?

There was a lot of speculation on which NXT star would don the Maxxine Dupri character. The real answer was revealed on Friday night.

In a backstage segment, NXT 2.0 star Sofia Cromwell was revealed as Maxxine Dupri. Her character is the sister of Max Dupri, who wasn’t seen during tonight’s episode.

The planned 2022 beachwear collection showcase for Maximum Male Models has been pushed back to the July 29 edition of SmackDown.

Max Dupri Character Scrapped

Maxxine Dupri is now leading Maximum Male Models, so what about the group’s original figurehead, Max Dupri?

According Pro Wrestling Torch, one of Vince McMahon’s final duties as the head of WWE creative was to scrap the Max Dupri character, portrayed by the man formerly known as L.A. Knight.

The decision was made after Max Dupri was “rubbing people the wrong way” behind the scenes. Sofia Cromwell’s debut as Maxxine Dupri was WWE’s way of writing Max Dupri out of storylines.

The historic July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown has wrapped up and here’s what transpired when the FOX broadcast went off the air.

This was the first WWE show following Vince McMahon’s retirement. The action was held inside the TD Garden in Boston, MA.

In the main event, the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos teamed with Money in the Bank briefcase holder Theory to take on the Street Profits and Madcap Moss.

The show also featured a face-to-face meeting between SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey. The two will clash at SummerSlam on July 30.

Following The Broadcast

Once WWE SmackDown went off the air this week, there was a dark match between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. The two will be competing in a Shillelagh Match on next week’s episode of SmackDown.

The dark match in Boston, however, was a street fight to give the fans in attendance something extra. McIntyre picked up the victory and yes, a table was involved.

There was also an unaired moment during a commercial break. Following Sonya Deville’s loss to Raquel Rodriguez, Ronda Rousey made her way out and added insult to injury.

Here’s the footage courtesy of SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall:

Reports be damned, Brock Lesnar is in the building.

The lead-up to the historic July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown was chaotic, to say the least. Just hours before the show, Vince McMahon announced his retirement from the company.

Reports then surfaced from multiple credible news outlets claiming that Lesnar left the TD Garden in Boston, MA upon hearing the news of Vince’s retirement. It was said that Lesnar essentially told WWE management that if Vince is out then so is he.

As it turns out, “The Beast” isn’t going anywhere.

Brock Lesnar Shows Up on SmackDown

The main event of Friday Night SmackDown was a six-man tag team match. It was the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos aligning with Money in the Bank briefcase holder Theory to take on the Street Profits and Madcap Moss.

The match ended via DQ when Theory attacked Moss with his briefcase.

The assault continued until Brock Lesnar’s music blared out of the speakers. Lesnar was in the house and he made his way down the aisle.

Once he was in the ring, Lesnar delivered an F5 to Theory to close the show.

Stephanie McMahon got WWE SmackDown started on this historic day in the wrestling industry.

On July 22, it was announced that Vince McMahon has retired at age 77. Vince had been the longtime WWE Chairman and CEO before stepping back over a scandal involving secret NDAs with former female employees.

In the statement, it was revealed that Stephanie’s interim Chairwoman and CEO roles are now permanent. She is now the full-time Chairwoman and co-CEO, which she shares with Nick Khan.

Stephanie McMahon Opens SmackDown

Stephanie McMahon got the latest edition of SmackDown started and discussed Vince’s retirement. She eventually led the crowd to chant “Thank you, Vince.”

Stephanie then looked at the camera to send the following message to Vince, “I love you, Dad.”

The Street Profits then made their way out to get the ball rolling in terms of current WWE storylines.

Keep it locked on SEScoops as we’ll be providing details on WWE behind the scenes, post-Vince McMahon, as more information becomes available.

It looks like WWE will be looking to add a big star to the SummerSlam card amid uncertainty with Brock Lesnar.

July 22, 2022 will forever go down in wrestling history. Vince McMahon, the former longtime Chairman and CEO of WWE, announced his retirement.

He not only leaves behind those two roles, but he won’t have anything to do with creative or any other executive role within the company goring forward.

The news apparently did not sit well with Brock Lesnar, who essentially told WWE brass that if Vince is out then so is he.

Enter Goldberg?

Cultaholic is reporting that WWE could be making overtures to Goldberg for a WWE Undisputed Universal Title match against Roman Reigns if Brock Lesnar ditches SummerSlam.

Lesnar was scheduled to be featured on the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown but he exited the TD Garden in Boston, MA hours before the show was scheduled to go on air.

Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline has reported that WWE does have someone in place should Lesnar not make it to the show but the company is trying to keep the original plans intact. Bryan has NOT confirmed whether or not the replacement is indeed Goldberg.

Pretty much everyone is in agreement that Vince McMahon didn’t retire due to old age. He has come under fire after two Wall Street Journal reports uncovered alleged million-dollar hush pacts with former employees.

The second WSJ report claimed that Vince has paid millions in NDAs over the course of 16 years.

The Vince McMahon era in WWE has come to an end.

On Friday afternoon just hours before WWE SmackDown, Vince McMahon announced his retirement as the Chairman and CEO of WWE. His daughter, Stephanie, had taken his place in interim roles amid an investigation into alleged million-dollar pacts with former employees.

The statement issued by WWE announcing Vince’s retirement has now listed Stephanie as the Chairwoman and co-CEO of WWE. She now shares the CEO title with Nick Khan.

Here is the official statement from Vince McMahon:

“As I approach 77 years old, I feel it’s time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE.“

Vince McMahon announces retirement

“Throughout the years, it’s been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you. I would like to thank my family for mightily contributing to our success, and I would also like to thank all of our past and present Superstars and employees for their dedication and passion for our brand. Most importantly, I would like to thank our fans for allowing us into your homes every week and being your choice of entertainment. I hold the deepest appreciation and admiration for our generations of fans all over the world who have liked, currently like, and sometimes even love our form of Sports Entertainment.

“Our global audience can take comfort in knowing WWE will continue to entertain you with the same fervor, dedication, and passion as always. I am extremely confident in the continued success of WWE, and I leave our company in the capable hands of an extraordinary group of Superstars, employees, and executives – in particular, both Chairwoman and Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and Co-CEO Nick Khan. As the majority shareholder, I will continue to support WWE in any way I can. My personal thanks to our community and business partners, shareholders, and Board of Directors for their guidance and support through the years. Then. Now. Forever. Together.”

Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline has since reported that Vince sent out a message to the talent saying that while they will no longer be seeing him, he will be watching them.

“Vince sent out a message to talent confirming his departure, noting they wouldn’t be seeing him but he’d be watching them, and then concluding with a plug for Smackdown tonight.”

Bryan Alvarez’s report on Vince McMahon’s message to WWE talent

For those wondering if the language in Vince’s statement means he’s retaining his role as the Head of Creative, that isn’t the case. Vince McMahon is out for good.

Vince had come under fire after several hush pacts were reported by The Wall Street Journal. The reports claimed McMahon paid millions in NDAs over the course of 16 years in hopes that former employees involved wouldn’t air out his sexual advances.

One former female talent claims that the company demoted her once she stopped sexual relations with Vince and the company decided against re-signing her.

The belief is that even more details will soon emerge and it’s all led to McMahon finally leaving the WWE empire.

Early plans for the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown have been revealed.

Tonight’s show for the blue brand will emanate from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.

Advertised for the show is the return of Brock Lesnar, Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey having a face-to-face meeting, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ludwig Kaiser, and Maximum Male Models unveiling the 2022 beachwear collection.

Here is what WWE reportedly has cooked up behind the scenes going into tonight’s show.

Early SmackDown Plans

Fightful is reporting that Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Theory, Adam Pearce, Street Profits, New Day, and Maximum Male Models have all been written into the show as of this afternoon.

The report notes that Roman Reigns’ locker room has been prepped for a segment. There’s no word on if Roman will show up tonight.

It’s also been said that the beachwear collection segment set for tonight could have some SummerSlam merch incorporated.

It’s also been reported that Drew McIntyre is set to “smash some tables.”

In an off-air backstage note, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan will be making the trip to Boston for tonight’s show.

Keep in mind that things change within WWE at a rapid pace, so these tentative plans could be modified or scrapped altogether.

Keep it locked on the SEScoops homepage for live coverage of WWE SmackDown tonight.

An update has surfaced on an injury Chris Jericho recently sustained.

Jericho was featured on the main event of Fyter Fest night three. This was a special edition of AEW Dynamite.

Jericho went one-on-one with Eddie Kingston in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match. The Jericho Appreciation Society was suspended above the ring in a shark cage.

JAS members ended up being let out of the cage when Ruby Soho, who was in control of the cage, was attacked by Tay Conti and Anna Jay.

Jericho ended up winning the match thanks to the interference but Kingston got the last laugh.

Eddie threw Jericho into a barbed wire board to end the broadcast. When Dynamite went off the air, Jericho was stretched out.

Chris Jericho Suffers Broken Nose

There was a spot in the match where Eddie Kingston was holding up a chair covered in barbed wire. Jericho countered with the Code Breaker but as Kingston went down for the move, the chair caught Jericho right on the bridge of the nose.

Both AEW and Jericho have revealed the injury status. It is indeed a broken nose.

Here’s a video clip of what caused the injury:

With the angle after the match and having sustained a legit injury, it appears Chris Jericho will spend a brief period of time off TV. At the very least, he’ll probably take a few weeks off from having matches.

Time will tell if the feud between Jericho and Kingston is over. At the end of the Fyter Fest night three broadcast, commentator Excalibur did say Eddie Kingston finally delivered what he promised despite losing the match.

We’ve updated our Wrestling Injuries Tracker to reflect Chris Jericho’s broken nose.

Vince McMahon wasn’t in the backstage area for a recent WWE TV taping.

McMahon may have stepped back as the CEO and Chairman of WWE but he still very much runs the show. When Stephanie McMahon was announced as the interim CEO and Chairwoman, WWE made it clear in a statement that Vince remains at the helm of creative.

Vince has stepped back from the role amid an investigation into his alleged million-dollar pacts with former female employees.

Despite the situation, Vince hasn’t really missed a beat in terms of being fully entrenched in the gorilla position for Raw and SmackDown.

It appears he wasn’t seen for a recent taping, however.

Vince McMahon Missed SmackDown

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that Vince McMahon was not present for the July 15 episode of SmackDown. In addition, Kevin Dunn wasn’t seen in the backstage area either.

At this time, there is no word on why Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn weren’t in attendance for the show.

It had been reported that Vince’s planned trip to Canada to visit John Cena had been pushed back a week. Cena recently had an official wedding ceremony but it’s unknown if Vince attended.

It’ll be interesting to see if it’ll be business as usual for the July 22 episode of WWE SmackDown, which will be held inside TD Garden in Boston, MA.

Don’t expect this particular AEW star to join the Blackpool Combat Club until the stars perfectly align.

AEW certainly isn’t short on factions. The company has the likes of House of Black, Death Triangle, the Jericho Appreciation Society, The Elite, and of course Blackpool Combat Club.

Some fans have been calling for Lee Moriarty to join Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and William Regal in the BCC.

For Moriarty, he’s in no rush.

Lee Moriarity Explains Not Focusing on Joining BCC

The Blackpool Combat Club is a red hot group in AEW. Since joining the stable, Wheeler Yuta has seen his stock increase drastically.

Many feel such a move could do the same for Lee Moriarty. MuscleMan Malcolm asked Lee about the possibility of joining BCC and his answer may surprise you.

“The way I look at the AEW groups is, I’m going to do what’s best for my career. I understand everybody wants me to join the Blackpool Combat Club ever since Danielson said my name, and I get that my style of wrestling would fit well with them. But I like the idea of growing by fighting them.

“You can’t get better if you are only teaming with these people, you can only get to a certain place if you’re not fighting the best, in my opinion, there’s only so far we can go.“

Lee Moriarty on not joining BCC at the moment

“[Wheeler] Yuta is a great example. He fought those guys repeatedly. He fought Jon Moxley 3 times, I think, before joining the group, and you saw how he progressed before getting there. I’ve only had the chance to step into the ring with Danielson twice. Moxley, once. Yuta, once in AEW. There’s a lot more room for me to grow before joining them — but that’s not my priority. My priority is getting better on my own.”

Moriarty recently fell short in his bid for the ROH World Championship. He was defeated by current titleholder Jonathan Gresham on a Fyter Fest edition of AEW Rampage.

Quotes via Fightful.

AEW President and ROH owner Tony Khan has confirmed where Colt Cabana will be working going forward.

There has been a lot of speculation over the past few weeks on the status of Colt Cabana. A report suggested that Khan was ready to drop the performer once his AEW deal was up but that wrestlers in the company rallied behind him to prevent that from happening.

Dax Harwood of FTR has since denied that report.

One report that is undoubtedly true, however, is Fightful noting that Cabana will be taking his talents to ROH going forward.

TK on Colt Cabana’s Role in ROH

During a media call for the July 23 ROH Death Before Dishonor PPV, Tony Khan revealed that Colt Cabana does indeed have a role under the ROH banner.

“TK confirms Fightful’s report that Colt Cabana is a part of ROH (plans to have him involved in the DBD show) Colt was a big part of the SCOH show … declined to comment on the CM Punk/Colt stuff or dynamics.”

Jaychele Nicole’s recap of TK’s comments on Colt Cabana

Rumors swirled that CM Punk had something to do with TK almost deciding to pull the plug on working with Colt Cabana. This is what caused Dax to speak out and deny such claims.

Dax and Punk have become good friends and have been angling to create a faction along with the other half of FTR Cash Wheeler.

Cabana and Punk were once best friends before a legal battle ruined their relationship.

Cabana believes Punk owed him money over a legal issue with WWE doctor Chris Amann. While Punk and Cabana won that case, their own legal dispute over money caused them to sever ties.

AEW could be getting even more good news soon as two popular stars seem to be on the verge of returning.

Kenny Omega has been out of action since Nov. 2021. Following his AEW World Title loss to Hangman Page at Full Gear, Kenny was shelved to heal from injuries that had been lingering for quite some time.

Bryan Danielson hasn’t been performing since the Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing back in May. It’s been reported that he suffered a concussion and while he feels fine, Tony Khan isn’t taking any chances.

Omega & Danielson Returning Soon?

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio is reporting that Kenny Omega is hoping to be back in the saddle for the All Out PPV on Sept. 4. It had been reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful that Kenny will be returning sooner than expected.

Meltzer also noted that this is probably the target return date for Bryan Danielson as well. Danielson missed his scheduled Forbidden Door match with NJPW technical master Zack Sabre Jr.

Danielson also missed the Blood & Guts match.

In addition, All Out could also mark the return of AEW World Champion CM Punk. The question remains, can his foot heal in time for the event, which will take place in his home city of Chicago.

AEW has been hit hard with injuries but the tide seems to be turning. During the July 20 episode of Dynamite, Jungle Boy made his return. He had been dealing with an injury following a ladder match at Road Rager.