A lot is being made about the WWE Raw TV rating situation and now we know who made the call.

Andrew Zarian initially reported that starting on July 18, WWE Raw would be moving on from the PG era and returning to TV-14. As it turns on, the internal memo jumped the gun and a date has yet to be finalized.

It’s been said since that report that there were mixed signals internally regarding a TV rating change within WWE.

As it turns out, this wasn’t even WWE’s call.

USA Network Made TV-14 Rating Decision

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that the USA Network actually made the call to change the Raw TV rating.

Meltzer has expressed his belief that the new rating probably wouldn’t lead to performers blading because the network has been vocal about not wanting blood on the show. With that said, Dave notes that the mentality can quickly change just as it did in the 90s.

The feeling is that there’s probably no chance the show would revert back to how female talents were portrayed in the Attitude Era, especially in this day and age. WWE has also made great strides in building female stars as main eventers.

It was also noted that USA Network initially planned to allow Brock Lesnar’s “sh*t-kicking” line to go through unedited during the July 11 edition of Monday Night Raw.

The line ended up being bleeped out.

Sasha Banks’ fee for non-wrestling appearances has been revealed.

Banks has become a hot ticket in the world of wrestling. She and Naomi shook things up in a major way when they walked out of an episode of Monday Night Raw back in May.

The two were expected to compete in a six-pack challenge to determine Bianca Belair’s challenger for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell. Creative differences led to the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions walking out.

It’s been reported that Sasha is gone from WWE but the company has yet to make an announcement.

Sasha Banks’ Appearance Fee

Fightful reports that Sasha Banks has an asking price of $30,000 for non-wrestling appearances.

The report notes that this fee is on par with Sting’s but lower than that of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, and Goldberg.

Sasha will be attending this year’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. She is being advertised by her real name, Mercedes Varnado.

It’s been reported that Sasha has told those who have inquired that she will not be taking any wrestling-related bookings until Jan. 1, 2023.

It looks like Sasha will have quite a while to rest her body before getting back inside the ring.

An AEW talent has cleared the air on his status with the promotion.

Stars come and go in the wrestling business. With so many departures across various companies, it’s easy for the rumor mill to get started.

Just ask Peter Avalon, who is constantly asked about his status with AEW. This is despite the fact that he regularly appears on Dark, although you’re not likely to catch him on Dynamite or Rampage.

He’s offering some clarity on his situation with AEW.

Peter Avalon Dishes on AEW Role

During an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, Peter Avalon confirmed that while he’s been taking more opportunities outside of wrestling, he remains on the AEW roster.

“I’m trying to do more and more. I just got myself a commercial agent and I’m working on getting myself more agents. I just did a film and a music video with Jacob Sartorius. He is a very talented young man and he is big on TikTok with millions of followers. I’m just trying to stay busy while also still wrestling.

“I’m still with AEW.”

Peter Avalon on AEW status

“I’m also booking, writing, and appearing on Championship Wrestling which we do every month at the Irvine Improv. I’m doing GCW with my man Ray Roa, Prestige Wrestling, and we have Epic Pro Wrestling coming up. There is a lot of stuff. I’m very active, very busy, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Avalon went on to say that while he may not be featured on the main AEW shows, he’s quite happy with how his matches on Dark have gone.

“You can see me and (Ryan) Nemeth and the rest of the Wingmen, Cezar and JD usually main-eventing Dark. Weird how it works out where people wonder where we are at.

“We are not on the flyers or any of the advertising. Hell, it’s hard. But it’s funny that we will main event most episodes of Dark and we are now 0-672 to the Dark Order and to The Best Friends.

“We are doing really well against both teams.”

More recently, we’ve seen the likes of Stu Grayson and Alan Angels depart from AEW once their deals were up.

As was the case with Avalon, rumors also swirled on the status of Chuck Taylor but he is still on the AEW roster as well.

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co.

Another day, another name change for WWE talents.

WWE has been known to make changes to its characters. These modifications can range from attire, to theme music, to an entirely new gimmick.

Over on the NXT brand, WWE is given far more leeway to experiment with these ideas.

While NXT is featured on the USA Network, it’s a developmental brand. This allows WWE to experiment and see what shines and what flops.

In this case, two NXT talents will be going by different names.

Grizzled Young Veterans Get Name Changes

PWInsider is reporting that James Drake and Zack Gibson of the Grizzled Young Veterans are undergoing name changes.

James will be referred to as “Jagger Reid,” while Zack’s new name is “Rip Fowler.” Many have speculated that the pair will be joining Joe Gacy’s faction, “The Schism.”

Gacy announced the new faction during the July 12 episode of NXT 2.0.

The belief is that Jagger and Rip could be “The Dyad” team that Gacy has been teasing.

There is an update on WWE Raw’s TV-14 rating.

Andrew Zarian initially reported that starting on July 18, Raw will have a TV-14 rating on USA Network. That means the July 11 episode of Raw would’ve been the last PG-rated show.

“Starting July 18th WWE Raw will have a TV-14 rating moving forward on USA Network. The PG Era is over.”

Andrew Zarian’s report

Zarian later updated, stating that the internal memo USA Network sent out had a premature date. It looks like July 18 won’t be the big TV-14 rating switch.

“There was a memo within USA Network that went out this morning regarding WWE Raw changing to TV-14 on July 18th. Apparently, that was sent out prematurely and the day was not finalized.

Andrew Zarian’s update

Cody Rhodes dropped a tease on his Twitter account that perhaps he may have had something to do with WWE looking into the change.

We’ve seen WWE attempt to be edgier as of late. The NXT 2.0 product is very much looser than Raw and SmackDown in terms of harsh language and sex appeal.

On Raw, WWE has constantly joked about The Miz having “tiny balls.” Miz insists he has massive balls and he even has a T-shirt on WWE Shop telling fans to ignore those rumors.

Whether or not a TV rating change would lead to a new creative direction remains to be seen.

Vince McMahon is currently under investigation by the WWE board over a $3 million hush pact. Since that time, The Wall Street Journal has revealed more NDAs with other women.

While Vince has stepped back as the CEO and Chairman of the company, he’s still very much the head of creative.

With Vince and his righthand man, Bruce Prichard at the helm, it’s hard to envision things changing much outside of maybe some bloodshed and swear words.

But as they say, never say never.

WWE went PG back in July 2008 to cater to its younger audience. That movement was spearheaded by John Cena, who became the face of the company for several years.

One current AEW onscreen talent has ruled out the possibility of having another match.

AEW is filled with stars and it doesn’t stop with in-ring action. The company also has plenty of managers such as Stokely Hathaway and former in-ring legends turned managers such as Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, and Jake Roberts.

In the case of one AEW/ROH manager, his days of sharing the ring with some of the best in the world have come to an end.

Sonjay Dutt Has No Plans of Wrestling Again

During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Sonjay Dutt made it clear that he doesn’t plan to wrestle anymore due to physical ailments.

“There will be zero chance that I will be returning to the ring. Let’s put it like this. If I was fixed physically, if my body was 100%, that would be something I would consider. But until that happens, there’s no way I’m doing it.” 

Sonjay Dutt rules out in-ring return

Dutt is not only an AEW producer but he’s also found his way as a manager for Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh. Lethal will challenge Samoa Joe for the ROH World TV Championship at Death Before Dishonor on July 23.

The former IMPACT Wrestling star discussed his longtime close friendship with Jay Lethal.

“Tony Khan came up to me and he had this idea. I guess it’s no secret to him and a lot of people backstage that Jay Lethal and I are best friends. We’ve been best friends for 20 years. When I say best friends, I mean Thanksgiving, Christmas, vacations, he’s family.

“Tony said, ‘Hey, man. I got this idea. I want to try to link you with Jay Lethal on television, and then he drops the Satnam bomb. Since I stopped wrestling, I was very adamant that my future was not in front of the camera. I refused those roles in previous companies.

“I was very fulfilled, and I still am very fulfilled with what I do backstage in cultivating new talent, and helping them out and showing them the ropes. That is where I truly feel like I have excelled in the last five plus years. So when he came to me with this idea, I was kind of hesitant, but when he dropped ‘Hey, you’re going to work with Jay on camera’, it was a quick yes.

“Being on camera and working so closely with my best friend, I mean, I can’t write a better story. It is truly like a dream come true to be out there with Jay.”

Dutt also put over Satnam Singh as a quick learner and relishes teaching him the ins and outs of the wrestling business.

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co.

Much has been made over AEW making a trip to the UK and one legend may have spilled the beans.

AEW has emerged as the number two wrestling promotion in America. While the company is enjoying great success in the United States, company president Tony Khan has been looking to expand internationally as well.

The promotion has garnered a strong following in Japan and the crossover event with NJPW, Forbidden Door, certainly helped matters. While AEW hasn’t held an event in Japan, Khan certainly seems open to it.

Could the UK be back on the radar?

Jim Ross Claims AEW Is Coming to UK Within a Year

During a recent edition of his Grilling JR podcast, AEW play-by-play ace Jim Ross claimed the company will be going to the UK within the next 12 months.

“I know that we’re going to go to places, like PAC is defending that title now in the UK I get it all the time. When are you guys coming to England? When are you going to do a pay-per-view? When are you going to do this?

“Well, when we come to England, you can bet your ass it’s going to be big. Tony’s got great business contacts there.”

“But the key thing is AEW is definitely coming to the UK and it will be in the next calendar year. I know that for a fact. I don’t know the dates, but we’re all excited about that because we get great television ratings in the UK. So why not play off that?”

Jim Ross on AEW coming to UK

AEW did have plans for UK events in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed that idea.

At the time, Cody Rhodes was with the company as an EVP and on-air talent. He admitted to talkSPORT that the idea of calling one of the events “Royal Flush” was brought about before Tony Khan realized it was a “terrible” name.

Back in 2019, AEW scored a UK TV deal with ITV. Episodes of Dynamite and Rampage are aired on the network.

H/T Wrestle Purists

Finally, some good news for AEW in the midst of an injury wave.

AEW has been hammered with injuries over the past few months. The company is currently without its world champion CM Punk.

There are some other key injuries as well to the likes of Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Jungle Boy, Kyle O’Reilly, and more.

It doesn’t help that one of AEW’s biggest stars, Kenny Omega, has been out of action since Nov. 2021 to heal from multiple injuries.

There is some good news for the company to cling onto, however.

Bobby Fish Returns

Taken off the mega-list of AEW injuries is now Bobby Fish. He returned to action at the tapings for the July 18 episode of AEW Dark: Elevation.

Fish defeated Blake Lee in his return to the ring. It’ll be interesting to see how AEW plays this one out as Cole and O’Reilly aren’t ready to perform yet.

The company had been running a storyline where Fish and O’Reilly weren’t on the same page with The Young Bucks but things had been getting better between the two teams.

Time will tell if Fish stays aligned with The Young Bucks or if he’ll be kept away until the rest of Undisputed Elite returns.

Regardless, this serves as a sliver of hope that things are looking up for AEW on the injury front.

We’ve updated our Wrestling Injuries Tracker to reflect Bobby Fish returning to action.

Sasha Banks has been a hot topic over the last few months and there is some info on her in-ring status.

Back in May, Sasha and Naomi left an episode of Monday Night Raw. The two had been booked for a six-pack challenge that night. The winner would’ve received a shot at Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.

Reports claimed that Naomi was scheduled to win the number one contender match.

Sasha and Naomi ended up having creative differences with company officials and ultimately walked out, leaving their WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles behind.

Latest on Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks and Naomi were officially suspended by WWE back in May. Since that time, reports have surfaced claiming that Sasha has been released by the company.

Sasha was recently announced for this year’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo under her real name, Mercedes Varnado. Other names such as Mick Foley, Lita, and Trish Stratus will also be attending and are advertised as WWE legends.

As for Sasha, she is being promoted separately from WWE.

In an update, Fightful is reporting that while Sasha Banks is taking non-wrestling bookings, she will not be doing anything wrestling-related for a while.

The report notes that all wrestling-related organizers who inquired have been told that Sasha will not be taking any bookings until Jan. 1, 2023.

The Fyter Fest edition of AEW Dynamite week one has wrapped up and here’s what happened just before the Rampage tapings began.

This week’s episode of Dynamite was held inside Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA. The show got started with a TNT Championship match between titleholder Wardlow and Orange Cassidy.

There was also a non-title match between interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita.

Headlining this week’s episode of Dynamite was an AEW World Tag Team Title match between champions The Young Bucks, Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks, and Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland.

After The Show

Dynamite went off the air with new AEW World Tag Team Champions. Swerve in Our Glory defeated The Young Bucks, Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks to lay claim to the gold.

When the show went off the air, Lee and Hobbs continued to celebrate and were then congratulated by AEW President Tony Khan.

Before meeting with Khan, Keith Lee shared some words with the fans and had a heartfelt message for a close friend.

The July 15 edition of AEW Rampage is being taped right after Dynamite. The show will feature an ROH World Championship match between Jonathan Gresham and Lee Moriarty.

Stick with the SEScoops homepage for coverage of this week’s edition of Rampage.

Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland have shocked the world.

Week one of AEW Fyter Fest began on the July 13 episode of Dynamite. The show was stacked and featured key matches. Championship gold was also at stake.

In the main event, The Young Bucks put the AEW World Tag Team Titles on the line against Swerve in Our Glory, Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks.

The action was intense but in the end, it was Strickland who scored the pinfall over Ricky Starks.

That’s right, we have now AEW World Tag Team Champions.

Many expected The Young Bucks to successfully retain the gold but that isn’t what transpired. AEW has been running a storyline where Lee and Strickland haven’t been on the same page but continue to win.

There was even a moment in the match where Strickland appeared to be looking to turn on his partner but thought better of it.

Here are video highlights of the big title win for Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland:

Could another member of the AEW roster be turning heel?

AEW has begun its Fyter Fest event. It is a two-week special that started on the July 13 episode of Dynamite.

Week one featured two championship matches. Wardlow put the TNT Title on the line against Orange Cassidy. The Young Bucks defended their AEW World Tag Team Titles against Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks, and Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee.

Anna Jay was also in action and it was a special night for her. She was close to her hometown and went one-on-one with Serena Deeb.

While Anna lost the match, it may have been the best performance of her career to date.

Anna Jay Turning Heel?

Backstage after the match, Tay Conti, who was once Anna Jay’s best friend on TV, sarcastically talked about feeling bad about her leg being hurt in the match.

Tay then offered an interesting proposal to Anna. Conti, who has aligned herself with the Jericho Appreciation Society, suggested that Anna should turn over to the dark side.

She urged Anna Jay to think it over before walking off.

Anna Jay is currently a member of The Dark Order. She was often seen with Tay Conti. Things changed when Tay and her boyfriend Sammy Guevara turned heel.

Chris Jericho will be bringing back a fan favorite gimmick for his upcoming grudge match with Eddie Kingston.

On the July 20 episode of Fyter Fight week two for Dynamite, Jericho and Kingston will collide in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match. The Jericho Appreciation Society will be hanging above the ring in a Shark Cage.

This rivalry has been brewing for months and has been quite personal. Despite his team scoring a win over the Jericho Appreciation Society at Blood & Guts, Kingston wants to make Jericho bleed for all that he’s done to his friends such as Ruby Soho.

Painmaker Returns

Chris Jericho has been presenting himself as a sports entertainer since going back to a heel role on AEW TV. He’s also been dubbing himself as a “wizard,” throwing fireballs in the face of his foes.

During a promo on the July 13 episode of Fyter Fest Dynamite, Jericho revealed that he wil be bringing back his Painamker gimmick for the Barbed Wire Everywhere match with Eddie Kingston.

During a backstage interview in response to Jericho, Kingston promised to hurt his fierce rival. Ruby Soho was seen in an arm sling after Tay Conti slammed a car door on her hand last week.

A key member of the AEW roster isn’t in the building for the Fyter Fest episode of Dynamite.

Tonight (July 13), a special edition of Dynamite will be held inside Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA. AEW has stacked this year’s Fyter Fest event with title matches and grudge matches.

This will be a two-week special.

Set for week one is an AEW World Tag Team Title match with champions The Young Bucks putting their gold on the line against Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs, as well as Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland.

There will also be a TNT Championship match between titleholder Wardlow and Orange Cassidy.

Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will collide with Konosuke Takeshita in a non-title match. If Takeshita wins, he will get a future title opportunity.

Former tag team partners turned bitter rivals will also clash. It’ll be Claudio Castagnoli of Blackpool Combat Club vs. Jake Hager of the Jericho Appreciation Society.

Dustin Rhodes Missing Fyter Fest Week One

One star who will not be in the backstage area for tonight’s kickoff to Fyter Fest will be Dustin Rhodes.

Rhodes took to his Twitter account to reveal that he is too sick to attend the show.

“Not at #AEWDynamite #FyterFest tonight as I am super sick at home. Y’all tune in to @TBSNetwork at 8/7 central.”

Dustin Rhodes on Missing AEW Dynamite

While Dustin isn’t always seen on TV, he is a crucial part of the AEW locker room and the backstage area in general.

His presence behind the scenes will be missed tonight.

Peep the SEScoops homepage for live coverage of AEW Dynamite Fyter Fest week one.

A former AEW star has unveiled the one thing that bothered him about working under the AEW banner.

Talents come and go in the wrestling business. Some become lifers with one organization but most do not.

Even longtime company stalwarts such as Chris Jericho and Paul Wight eventually left the company they had called home for many years.

In the case of one talent who had been working for AEW, a promising start didn’t exactly lead to the road he had hoped and now he’s seeking opportunities elsewhere.

Alan Angels Not a Fan of Wrestling in Mask

In late June, it was revealed that Alan Angels’ AEW contract was up. It was said that Angels would be making per appearance dates for AEW but it seems that plan is no longer in place.

Angels recently surfaced for IMPACT Wrestling and it appears he’s embracing life outside of AEW.

During an appearance on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast, Alan Angels admitted that he did not enjoy wrestling in a mask during his time with The Dark Order faction.

“Personally, no, I didn’t like the mask. I think it was a good look. I think it looks cool. But, personally, I didn’t like wrestling in it.

Alan Angels on wrestling with a mask

“It’s just uncomfortable and I have to worry about it staying on all the time and making sure it doesn’t fall off. You got to fix it so you can see through the eye holes and stuff like that. I personally didn’t like it. But like I said, I did think it was kind of a cool look for sure.”

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co.

Big E may be out of action but the grind doesn’t stop for the former WWE Champion.

E has been on the shelf since March due to a serious neck injury suffered on an episode of SmackDown. The New Day member landed right on his head and neck off a belly-to-belly suplex from Ridge Holland outside the ring.

He suffered a broken neck but was able to avoid disaster as he didn’t suffer spinal damage or displacement. As of now, he does not need surgery.

With that said, Big E’s C1 vertebra is not ossifying, so he will have to check in with doctors one year after the injury to see the status of his neck and what his in-ring future holds.

Big E’s Sobering Experience

During an interview with ESPN, Big E admitted that being told by doctors that he could’ve died with the kind of fall he had was quite the eye-opener.

“It’s very sobering to hear that,” the 36-year-old said. “… I think to be great at something like [pro wrestling], or at least to be competent, you can’t spend all your time worrying about possibly fatal injuries or breaking your neck. You have to go out there and be free and in the moment. I think a lot of us as performers don’t spend a lot of time thinking about that stuff. I never thought I would be.”

Working With Tomorrow’s Stars

Later this month, Big E will be working with WWE in its search for the stars of the future at a talent tryout featuring college athletes.

Big E discussed wishing there was more that could be done for athletes at the collegiate level.

“I wish there was an exit program for college athletes, because you spend so much of your time on campus studying for your sport or participating for your sport or practicing for your sport,” Big E said.

“You devote so much of your life to it, and then when it’s gone, it is such a distinct drop-off. It’s so hard to prepare for that. That was something that was really hard for me mentally too.”

Big E on college athletes

One former WWE referee has reflected on a big “no-no” for officials.

Being a referee in the wrestling business can be a thankless job. Officials can often make or break a match.

You’re more likely to be chastised for a botch than praised for a job well done as a referee. There are exceptions such as NJPW’s Red Shoes Unno and AEW’s Aubrey Edwards.

Who could forget former WWE legend Earl Hebner?

Officials also have to follow some strict rules if they work under the WWE banner.

No Visible Tattoos for WWE Refs

During a new edition of his Monday Mailbag podcast, former WWE referee Mike Chioda revealed an important rule all WWE officials had to follow.

“That’s a no-no. Can’t be wearing sleeves, can’t have tats on the arms. I have one on my arm up here, but my sleeve always covered it.”

Mike Chioda on rule for WWE referees

There’s no word on whether or not this is still a rule for WWE officials today. Chioda was released from WWE back in April 2020.

Chioda went on to recall the time Vince McMahon asked him to drop some weight for presentation purposes.

“I remember him telling me, ‘drop a few pounds’ and stuff like that, and I’m like, ‘I’m working on it, sir!,’

“I mean, they’re working out more than they’re learning how to referee down there,” Chioda jokes. “These kids come in good shape nowadays, man. Vince has got on me about certain things and it’s exactly how he says it: ‘Hey, pal!’”

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

An NXT Star has not only undergone a name change but an entirely new look as well.

The NXT brand allows WWE to experiment with different character ideas to see what works and what doesn’t. It is very much a developmental brand these days rather than its own competing show with big names from the indies and internationally.

NXT now has mostly green talent with some veterans sprinkled in to help guide the stars of tomorrow. It’s the newer talent that is typically given fresh gimmicks and names.

That’s exactly what has happened with Axiom, formerly known as “A-Kid.”

Axiom Character is Quite The Change

Earlier this month, WWE revealed a name change for A-Kid. He’ll now be referred to as Axiom but not much else was known about his appearance.

The attire was partially revealed on the July 12 episode of NXT and it’s a doozy. Axiom will be rocking a mask it seems for his matches.

During the latest vignette, it was announced that the fresh character will be debuting on the July 19 episode of NXT 2.0.

Axiom had competed on the NXT UK brand before making the move to the United States to be a part of NXT 2.0.

There have been rumblings over the last few weeks of an AEW tag team no longer being on the same page.

The talks simply started as speculation, rather than a report. Fans took notice of Santana and Ortiz not really being together for their feud with the Jericho Appreciation Society.

While the duo had been involved in multi-man tag team matches, they weren’t really seen together, which got people talking.

As they say, where there’s smoke there’s fire.

Konnan Claims Tension is Real

Konnan has taken to his Keepin’ it 100 podcast and he confirmed that there are indeed issues between Santana and Ortiz.

“Yes, they are not on good terms.”

Konnan on Santana & Ortiz

Konnan is close with both men, so he certainly has credibility when it comes to the topic at hand.

It’s quite the turn of events as many felt Santana & Ortiz had the potential to eventually win the AEW World Tag Team Titles after the Inner Circle disbanded.

Santana is expected to be out of action for quite some time as he suffered a knee injury during the recent Blood & Guts match.

On top of that, Santana’s AEW contract is reportedly going to be up soon.

While it isn’t confirmed, some have speculated that he has been teasing leaving the promotion once his deal expires.

An NXT star has turned over to the dark side.

The July 12 episode of NXT didn’t end on a happy note. The main event featured an NXT Women’s Championship match between titleholder Mandy Rose and Roxanne Perez.

Perez was accompanied to the ring by Cora Jade. Perez thought she could trust her good friend and tag team partner.

After all, they currently hold the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles. Jealousy eventually won out, however.

Cora Jade Turns on Roxanne Perez

With the referee distracted during the title match, Jade took her tag title and nailed Perez in the injured ribs. Mandy Rose capitalized and pinned Perez to successfully retain the NXT Women’s Championship.

Perez had been selling the injured ribs as she was attacked in the infamous NXT parking lot earlier in the night.

It had been reported that WWE was planning on turning Cora Jade heel ahead of the recent NXT episode.

The news came as a surprise to many as Jade comes across as a natural babyface. Time will tell if she can find her groove as a rotten apple.

After the match, Cora attacked Perez with her skateboard and even broke it in half.

WWE Raw superstar Zelina Vega is showing off a fresh look.

Zelina has been out of action due to an injury. She had been involved in a tag team with Carmella and the two even held the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.

They eventually split after Zelina voiced her displeasure with Carmella over being too concerned with her appearance instead of focusing on winning matches. They ended up brawling during the April 4 episode of Monday Night Raw.

Fans continue to wait for Zelina to return but in the meantime, she has switched things up.

Zelina Vega’s New Look

In a new Twitter post, Zelina Vega asked her fans to remain patient for her return. Of course, she did it in her heel character.

Along with the message was an image of Zelina showcasing her new hairstyle.

“I’m planning something veryyyy special for The Queen’s Return… patience peasants…”

Zelina Vega on eventual return

It’ll be interesting to see when Zelina will be able to return and what the creative plans will be for her.

As of now, there have been no plans in place for the vacant WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. After Sasha Banks and Naomi were stripped of the gold, WWE promised a tournament to determine the new champions.

Since that time, it’s been reported that the tournament is “dead in the water.”

Fans puzzled by the finish to a tag team match during the July 11 episode of WWE Raw now have answers.

The latest edition of the red brand’s show was held inside the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX. During the show, there was a tag team match with AJ Styles and Ezekiel taking on The Miz and Ciampa.

The match ended rather abruptly when Ciampa, who was not the legal man on his team, attacked Styles.

Ciampa didn’t use a weapon, he simply mounted Styles and got some punches in before the referee called for the bell.

The finish left fans confused but the reason for the DQ has been revealed.

“Secret” Rule

During a new edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that WWE has a “secret” rule when it comes to tag team matches.

The gist is that the non-legal person in a tag team match is allowed to make just one save for the partner. Going for the save a second time results in a DQ.

This rule wasn’t explained on commentary as WWE simply used the excuse that Ciampa is unhinged. Ultimately, Styles nailed Ciampa with a Phenomenal Forearm after the match and Miz ran off.

Miz has been feuding with Styles for weeks but with Logan Paul’s return set for the July 18 episode of Raw, he now has two enemies.

From the looks of it, a tag team match with AJ Styles and Logan Paul vs. The Miz and Ciampa seems to be the direction for SummerSlam.

Time will tell if that will indeed end up being the match.

Dolph Ziggler is back and in a far bigger spot than many anticipated.

The July 11 episode of WWE Raw took place inside the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX. The show featured the return of Brock Lesnar as well as a Raw Women’s Championship match between titleholder Bianca Belair and Carmella.

The show ended with a tag team match as United States Champion Bobby Lashley teamed with Riddle to take on Money in the Bank briefcase holder Theory and Seth Rollins. Ziggler appeared and sat at ringside for the match.

He ended up playing a major factor in the finish.

Dolph Ziggler’s Role Explained

Near the end of the match, Theory rolled up Riddle and attempted to use the ropes as leverage. Dolph shoved Theory’s feet off the ropes, signaling a face turn.

As Theory looked on in shock and anger, he turned around and was nailed with the RKO from Riddle and pinned.

After the match, Dolph got inside the ring and planted Theory with a Super Kick to end WWE Raw.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that WWE officials have put Dolph Ziggler in this big spot because the brass wants Theory to work with someone who has a ton of experience.

Dolph is a longtime veteran of the wrestling business, specifically the WWE style. Meltzer notes that WWE feels it would be beneficial for Theory to run the ropes with a guy like Dolph as much as he can as they try to build him as their next big superstar.

Dave also said that WWE hasn’t been afraid to book Theory to lose matches now as the feeling is that he won’t be negatively impacted by it due to their big plans for him down the road.

A recent house show incident involving Liv Morgan and Natalya has got people talking.

Morgan is currently involved in a program with Natalya and the two will be doing battle on the July 15 episode of SmackDown.

This could be the blowoff match as Liv will be putting her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam on July 30.

In preparation for their upcoming television match, Liv and Natalya faced off at a live event this past weekend. Liv got the pinfall but after the match, Natalya said something to Liv and seemingly no-sold the finish.

Putting Gossip to Rest

In a since-deleted Tweet, Natalya said that she simply told Liv Morgan “thank you” after the match.

In an update, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that the issue was resolved that very same night. The exact details behind what transpired aren’t known, but there was some backstage heat on Natalya and possibly even Liv over it.

Now, here’s the rumor killer.

Dave notes that there is no heat between Liv and Natalya. It’s been said that Natalya was upset about something but her anger wasn’t directed at Liv despite the footage coming across that way.

Why Liv would be getting any heat is unknown but it appears that this was a spur-of-the-moment situation and probably won’t have long-term consequences.

One WWE superstar is on her way out of the company.

Departures are nothing new in the wrestling industry. Talents come and go all the time.

In some cases, the departure is due to a release or the company wouldn’t renew a contract. In others, the star in question simply wanted to move on.

It appears to be the latter in this situation.

Io Shirai Likely Done With WWE

There’s been a lot of rumblings about the future of Io Shirai. Reports had claimed that Shirai’s WWE deal is set to expire and she wants to return home to Japan.

In an update, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio noted that Io is “pretty much gone” from WWE.

It isn’t hard to see what Io would be in store for if she returns to Japan. She had been a top star under the Stardom promotion and would be welcomed back with open arms if that’s the path she chooses.

Shirai addressed this latest report about her future on Tuesday afternoon:

Io Shirai was last seen in action at the NXT Stand & Deliver show back in April. She’s been out due to an injury but is expected to be back in the ring soon.

The question is, can she been written off WWE TV, or was Stand and Deliver her last appearance with the company?