SEScoops

Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

  • WWE Changes Location Of Oct. 1 SmackDown Taping

    WWE Changes Location Of Oct. 1 SmackDown Taping

    WWE has announced they are moving the location of its planned Oct. 1 SmackDown taping.

    The company initially scheduled a SmackDown taping on Oct. 1 for New Orleans. The event was going to be held inside the Smoothie King Center. WWE has revealed a change in plans.

    “STAMFORD, Conn., August 30, 2021 – The WWE Friday Night SmackDown live event scheduled for October 1 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans has been postponed. All original tickets will be honored for the new 2022 date.

    Friday Night SmackDown on October 1 will now take place at Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore.

    Additional ticket information on both events is forthcoming.”

    WWE made the change due to Hurricane Ida.

    WWE has been enjoying the ability to return to live crowds. The promotion created the ThunderDome in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside of WrestleMania 37, the company wasn’t running events in front of a live audience for over a year. That changed in July when SmackDown was held live inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

    Time will tell when the company will return to the Smoothie King Center but for now, the live SmackDown action comes to the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

  • NJPW Strong Moving To Saturday Nights Starting Sept. 18

    NJPW Strong Moving To Saturday Nights Starting Sept. 18

    NJPW Strong will have a new air date and time.

    Strong has been airing on Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET. With AEW Rampage being introduced at that night and time slot, it appears NJPW has wasted little time making a move.

    The company has announced that starting on Sept. 18, NJPW Strong will now be airing on Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET.

    “September 18 will see a brand new era for NJPW STRONG. After growing consistently on Friday nights at 10/9c, September will see weekends get even STRONGer, with a new timeslot on NJPW World and FITE of Saturdays at 8PM eastern, and 5PM Pacific. With a new day, a new time, and new crowds, we can’t wait to have you join us for a new STRONG starting on September 18!”

    NJPW Strong has served as New Japan Pro Wrestling’s push for the United States market. The promotion got a good taste of success in America when Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Hangman Page were under the NJPW banner. NJPW also had a successful event with Ring of Honor at Madison Square Garden in New York City back in April 2019.

    NJPW has been making an effort to stay relevant in the U.S. The promotion planned to go solo with an MSG event in NYC in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that plan. Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will be a regular on Strong as his storyline friction with NJPW management over being stripped of the world title continues.

  • Tajiri To Debut at MLW Fightland On October 2nd From Philadelphia

    Tajiri To Debut at MLW Fightland On October 2nd From Philadelphia

    MLW has made a big reveal for its upcoming Fightland event.

    Fightland is scheduled to take place inside the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA on Oct. 2. The event was announced back in June.

    MLW took to its Twitter account to reveal that Tajiri will be making his way to Fightland.

    https://twitter.com/mlw/status/1432506647486861312?s=21

    MLW Fightland

    Here’s what is planned for the event according to the listing on the official 2300 Arena website.

    • Scheduled to appear:
    • World Heavyweight Champion Jacob Fatu
    • National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone
    • The Von Erichs
    • King Muertes
    • Azteca Underground
    • Alicia Atout
    • Mads Krügger
    • “Filthy” Tom Lawlor
    • Davey Richards
    • Richard Holliday
    • World Middleweight Champion Myron Reed
    • EJ Nduka
    • Calvin Tankman
    • Gino Medina
    • Ikuro Kwon
    • Jordan Oliver
    • And MORE!

    Of course, you can now add Tajiri to that list.

    Tajiri left WWE back in 2017. He returned to Japan to compete for All Japan Pro Wrestling. During his time with AJPW, Tajiri captured the Gaora TV Championship. He also won the AJPW TV Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Yusuke Kodama and Hokuto Omori. Tajiri is also a former two-time World Junior Heavyweight Championship in AJPW.

    Stick with SEScoops.com for more information on the Oct. 2 MLW Fightland card as more details become available.

  • WWE Adds New Wave Of PC Recruits Including Steveson & Joseph Fatu

    WWE Adds New Wave Of PC Recruits Including Steveson & Joseph Fatu

    WWE has announced a new wave of Performance Center recruits and there are a couple of key names.

    United States Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson has been the talk of both the wrestling and MMA communities. Steveson appeared during the SummerSlam event. WWE honored him for winning gold for the U.S. in wrestling. Steveson has expressed his desire to step inside a WWE as a member of the roster.

    Steveson is indeed a part of the new wave of PC recruits, but it isn’t Gable. Instead, it’s his brother, Bobby. Bobby Steveson has wrestled at the University of Minnesota. This is the same university that Brock Lesnar and Shelton Benjamin attended.

    Another interesting name on the list is Joseph Fatu. Fatu is the younger brother of Jimmy and Jey Uso. Joseph stands at 6’2, 240 pounds, and has played football in college.

    Ben Buchanan has also been recruited. He is the son of former WWE star Bull Buchanan. Bull Buchanan wrestled in WWE from 1997-2003, winning tag team gold along the way. Ben was a wrestling champion at an Alabama state high school.

    Here’s a full list of the Performance Center recruits.

    • Bobby Steveson
    • Joseph Fatu
    • Ben Buchanan
    • Brady Booker
    • Jessica Woynilko
    • Joshua Dawkins
  • CM Punk: ‘Heels’ Character Is An Homage To Tracy Smothers

    CM Punk: ‘Heels’ Character Is An Homage To Tracy Smothers

    CM Punk says that his Ricky Rabies character on “Heels” is in honor of Tracy Smothers.

    “Heels” airs on Starz. Its debut episode premiered on Aug. 15, just before Punk’s big AEW debut. The show stars Stephen Amell, who plays the role of heel Jack Spade. Alexander Ludwig plays the role of Spade’s brother, Ace.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFfSSXavYc

    Punk also plays a heel wrestler on the show, taking on the role of Ricky Rabies. During an interview with Sportskeeda, CM Punk revealed that Rabies is an homage to the late Tracy Smothers.

    “Ricky Rabies is Tracy Smothers you know and we lost Tracy a couple of years ago and he was the first name I ever wrestled, maybe. I wrestled Tracy Smothers in a barn in Southern Indiana in 1999 or 2000, something like that. And he just walked up to me, he’s like, ‘hey man I seen you work, you’re good, listen, uh, I can’t remember sh*t you know, is it okay we just go out there and do it? I can’t memorize this and that, we can talk about it but I’ll just forget it.’”

    Smothers passed away on Oct. 28, 2020. He was 58 years old. Smothers had been battling cancer and heart issues.

  • Damian Priest To Open Aug. 30 Episode Of Raw With Open Challenge

    Damian Priest To Open Aug. 30 Episode Of Raw With Open Challenge

    WWE United States Champion Damian Priest will open Monday Night Raw tonight (Aug. 30).

    Tonight’s episode of Raw will take place inside the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Sheamus will be looking for revenge after WWE Champion Bobby Lashley left him high and dry during a tag team match last week.

    After the tag match, Sheamus confronted Lashley face-to-face. The two had to be separated by MVP.

    WWE has announced that Priest will be getting Monday Night Raw started. He’ll be putting his United States Championship on the line in an Open Challenge.

    A matchup between The Miz and John Morrison had been set for tonight’s Raw, but that is no longer being advertised. The Miz recently turned his back on Morrison after the two had been hinting at a split.

    Here’s a look at what’s been announced for tonight’s Raw thus far.

    • Eva Marie vs. Doudrop
    • WWE Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Sheamus in a non-title match
    • Damian Priest defends his WWE United States Title in an Open Challenge

    Can’t catch the action live? Be sure to check out the homepage of SEScoops after tonight’s episode of Raw as we’ll be posting results, which will include video highlights.

  • Paul Heyman: I Was Rescued By Roman Reigns

    Paul Heyman: I Was Rescued By Roman Reigns

    Paul Heyman believes that ever since Roman Reigns has acknowledged him, he’s been rescued.

    Heyman serves as the “special counsel” for Reigns on WWE SmackDown. The partnership began back in Aug. 2020. This solidified the heel turn of Reigns and he has dominated as the WWE Universal Champion for over 360 days. Many believe it was a much-needed change for Reigns.

    Heyman took to his Twitter account to celebrate the one-year anniversary of being aligned with the “Tribal Chief.”

    “EXACTLY 1 YEAR AGO, I was rescued by Roman Reigns. In the 52 weeks that have transpired since then, the #TribalChief has redefined the medium, disrupted the status quo and titled the axis of what it means to be THEE top superstar in WWE … and we’ve only just begun!”

    Heyman has found himself in a rough spot in regards to his role as “special counsel.” Brock Lesnar, someone who Heyman has long advocated for, made a surprise appearance at the end of SummerSlam and stared down with Reigns. Jimmy and Jey Uso questioned Heyman, asking if he knew Lesnar would show up.

    Before SummerSlam, Paul Heyman told Ryan Satin that no one can serve as “special counsel” better than he can (h/t Fightful).

    “This, I can do, and I dare say I do it better than anybody else,” said Heyman. “I have redefined the medium from manager to advocate to special counsel. That may be me drinking my own kool-aid, but it tastes good at the moment. I’m challenged every day to be even better.”

  • Chris Jericho Confirmed For Interview On Sept. 1 AEW Dynamite Episode

    Chris Jericho Confirmed For Interview On Sept. 1 AEW Dynamite Episode

    Chris Jericho will be making an appearance on the upcoming edition of AEW Dynamite.

    Jericho is set to put his in-ring career on the line against MJF on Sept. 5. The match will be featured on the All Out PPV card. If MJF wins, then Jericho can never wrestle for AEW again.

    The official Twitter account of AEW revealed that Jim Ross will be doing an in-ring interview with Jericho on the Sept. 1 episode of Dynamite.

    Chris Jericho made the challenge to MJF on the Aug. 25 edition of Dynamite.

    “I am proposing one final match. One final fight at All Out on September 5th. And I’ve been thinking about this long and hard, and I’m serious when I say this, if I can’t beat MJF maybe I don’t belong in AEW anymore. It’s inside my head. If I can’t beat MJF maybe I don’t deserve to be ‘Le Champion’ anymore.

    “So this is what I propose. If you beat me MJF, I will go to that commentary table full-time on Rampage, hell maybe someday I’ll commentate Dynamite as well because if you beat me I will never wrestle in AEW again.”

    MJF responded, accepting Jericho’s challenge but he gave him a stern warning.

    “Being able to say that I ended Jericho, now that’s legendary. So you know what, Chris? You want the match? You got it.

    “I want you to really consider this, Chris. I want you to really mull this one over. Because you are putting your in-ring career on the line against the same man who has mopped the floor with you not once, not twice, but three times! You sure you want this match, bud? Because if I were you I wouldn’t because I’m better than you and you know it.”

  • Damian Priest Credits The Miz For Helping Him Improve Promo Work

    Damian Priest Credits The Miz For Helping Him Improve Promo Work

    Damian Priest says The Miz is someone he’s been able to learn from as far as promo work is concerned.

    Priest and The Miz have been feuding for months. During their time on TV, Priest has been able to grasp doing promos. Once WWE transitioned from the ThunderDome back to live crowds, Priest had to speak in front of large audiences.

    During an appearance on After The Bell with Corey Graves, Priest admitted that while being on the mic is nerve-racking, The Miz was able to teach him a lot.

    “I couldn’t ask for a better way to segue from NXT to Raw than working with The Miz. He just knows how to be important. He knows how to be front and center and be a star. Just being in the ring with him, I can feed off that stuff and learn. Watching him do things, I’m like, ‘Oh, I should probably do it that way.

    “To me, the most uncomfortable thing is holding a microphone and speaking to the WWE Universe. With him, I see how his flow goes and how he breaks and how he makes sure that you understand every single word he says. Being in the ring on Miz TV, I’m listening to him speak and the way he delivers it. You can see when I start speaking and by the end, I’m more speaking how he does. I’m like, ‘This is why he’s so good.’ The way his speaking gear changes and he can deliver different types of emotions and levels.”

    Damian Priest has been receiving a steady push on WWE television. He is the current United States Champion. He won the title from Sheamus at SummerSlam. At WrestleMania earlier this year, he teamed with Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny. The two defeated The Miz and John Morrison.

  • Mark Henry Reacts To Matt Hardy’s Injury Against Orange Cassidy

    Mark Henry Reacts To Matt Hardy’s Injury Against Orange Cassidy

    Mark Henry has given his take on Matt Hardy’s recent injury.

    The Aug. 25 edition of AEW Dynamite opened with a matchup between Hardy and Orange Cassidy. At one point in the match, Cassidy landed a flying crossbody and Hardy was clocked right on the nose. Hardy began bleeding and the aftermath was a busted face. Cassidy ended up winning the match.

    Henry was asked about Hardy’s injury during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio and had the following to say.

    “I don’t know if you all paid attention, but Orange Cassidy, right before they went to the finish, he did a flying cross body where he cross bodied Matt Hardy right across the face. I hope that Matt Hardy is alright because I saw him later on in the evening, and his eye was shut, his nose was broken, his face was swollen up to where I couldn’t recognize him if I didn’t know what clothes he had on.”

    Hardy has been in a feud with Orange Cassidy that started when Cassidy took issue with Hardy’s treatment of Wheeler Yuta. It was explained on AEW TV that Cassidy felt Hardy targeted Yuta, who has aligned himself with Cassidy and Chuck Taylor, because he’s a newcomer to the promotion.

    Matt Hardy says his feud with Orange Cassidy is personal now that he’s busted his face.

    “When you come for the KING, you’d best not miss. Your best shot missed, OC. You didn’t finish me. You couldn’t end me. This is personal now. You can’t BREAK what’s already BROKEN.”

  • Tony Khan: I Had Been Talking To CM Punk For A Really Long Time

    Tony Khan: I Had Been Talking To CM Punk For A Really Long Time

    Tony Khan admits he had been in talks with CM Punk for quite a while.

    When CM Punk arrived in AEW, it was the worst kept secret. AEW intended for it to be that way, dropping hints of Punk’s arrival for weeks. When Punk made his appearance on the second episode of Rampage, the crowd inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois came unglued.

    During an interview with the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Khan revealed that he had been speaking to CM Punk for years.

    “We’ve been talking a really long time, and a few years ago, it just wasn’t the right time. I think he wanted to see how this thing went. He wasn’t ready to come back to wrestling, especially not for a startup company. Now we’re long past the startup phase. It’s been really successful. We signed a big TV extension and I think once we got the extension and it looked like we were going to be in place for a while, it probably made the company look a lot more like a stable option for CM Punk, honestly.”

    Punk is set to have his first match since 2014. He’ll share the ring with Darby Allin on the All Out PPV event. It’ll be held inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on Sept. 5.

  • Santana & Ortiz Comment On ‘Gnarly’ Cash Wheeler Injury

    Santana & Ortiz Comment On ‘Gnarly’ Cash Wheeler Injury

    Santana and Ortiz have weighed in on the nasty injury that Cash Wheeler suffered in their last meeting.

    Santana and Ortiz collided with FTR on the July 28 edition of AEW Dynamite. Wheeler suffered a nasty arm injury. Wheeler’s arm reportedly got caught on a turnbuckle hook. Santana and Ortiz ended up losing the match after Dax Harwood pinned Ortiz.

    During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Santana and Ortiz spoke on the nasty injury and how they reacted in the moment.

    “It was a gnarly situation because I was on the top rope with Dax, and I look over and all I see is, it looked like a water fountain,” Ortiz described. “Blood just came shooting out of Cash’s arm, and he just grabbed it and ran straight the doctor. We were freaking out a little bit. We were kind of like, alright, what are we gonna do? What are we gonna do? And we got to it, and we did the we could with the situation. And at that point, we just wanted to end the match, and obviously, we didn’t know how badly injured he was.

    “We’re always taught to, for me, day one of pro wrestling to protect your opponent and protect yourself,” Santana added. “It was one of those things where I look back at it, and I was like, damn, what could I have done to avoid that situation? What could I have done to maybe help or whatever. It was one of those situations. It was a freak accident, and thankfully, he’s good and just keep it going.

    “And we’re gonna run it back,” Ortiz noted.

    The rematch between Santana & Ortiz and FTR will take place on the Sept. 1 edition of Dynamite.

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  • NWA EmPowerrr Quick Results: Kamile vs. Leyla Hirsch

    NWA EmPowerrr Quick Results: Kamile vs. Leyla Hirsch

    NWA EmPowerrr has wrapped up.

    The event took place earlier tonight (Aug. 28). The action was held inside the Khorassan Ballroom of the Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri. Our own Ella Jay and Samira were on the scene for NWA EmPowerrr.

    The main event of NWA EmPowerrr was the Women’s Invitational gauntlet match. Also featured on the card was an NWA Women’s Title match between champion Kamille and Leyla Hirsch. Also on the card was an Impact Wrestling Knockouts Title match between titleholder Deonna Purrazzo and Melina.

    History was also made at NWA EmPowerrr. For the first time since the 1980s, new NWA Women’s Tag Team Champions were crowned.

    Peep the results below.

    • Chelsea Green wins Women’s Invitational gauntlet match
    • Kamille def. Leyla Hirsch to retain the NWA Women’s Championship
    • Allysin Kay and Marti Belle def. Red Velvet and KiLynn King to win the NWA Women’s Tag Titles
    • Deonna Purrazzo def. Melina to retain the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Championship
    • Red Velvet and KiLynn King def. The Freebabes (Jazzy Yang and Miranda Gordy) to advance to the finals of the NWA Women’s Tag Title tournament.
    • Allysin Kay and Marti Belle def. Renee Michelle and Sahara 7 to advance to the finals of the NWA Women’s Tag Title tournament
    • Diamante def. Chik Tormenta and Kylie Rae in a triple threat match
  • WWE Star Alexa Bliss Willing To Try Her Hand At Acting

    WWE Star Alexa Bliss Willing To Try Her Hand At Acting

    Alexa Bliss is intrigued by the idea of taking acting roles if the stars align.

    Bliss has made a major transition in her character. The former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion went from being “The Goddess” to taking on a supernatural gimmick. While the gimmick has been quite polarizing, there’s no doubt it has garnered attention.

    With the gimmick, Bliss has had her acting chops tested. Here’s what she told Entertainment Tonight about a potential run in Hollywood.

    “If I wasn’t in this industry, I don’t know, that’s tough. I went to school for diet after having my eating disorder. So I don’t know if I’d be working at an eating disorder clinic or if I’d be pursuing acting. I’m very introverted as a person. I don’t think I would be able to pursue acting if it wasn’t for breaking out of my shell in WWE,” she said. “WWE will always be home. That’s always where I’ll be, but I would love to see what happens if I tried to go for acting. I’ve been working with an acting coach for the last ten months and everything I’m doing right now character-based wise is a lot of acting and a lot of fun. I would love to try that one day if the cards allow. That would definitely be a passion of mine. For now, WWE is home.”

    Alexa Bliss has seemingly begun a program with Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte. On the post-SummerSlam edition of Monday Night Raw, Bliss introduced her doll, Lilly, to Charlotte.

  • Tony Khan Confirms More Talent Acquisitions For AEW

    Tony Khan Confirms More Talent Acquisitions For AEW

    AEW fans can expect more talent to appear in the coming months.

    As AEW continues to grow, so does its roster. Fans clamored for the return of CM Punk and AEW delivered on the second episode of Rampage. Punk made his return to a thunderous ovation inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Tony Khan said Punk’s debut alone paid for itself.

    Fans are eagerly awaiting the debut of Bryan Danielson, who reportedly signed with AEW. His appearance has reportedly been bumped up to the Sept. 5 All Out PPV. Khan is staying mum on the report just as he did ahead of Punk’s promotional debut.

    One thing Tony Khan wasn’t shy in discussing was beefing up the AEW roster even more. Here’s what he told the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    “I’m definitely going to make multiple additions over the next four to six months. I think there’ll be some activity in the near future. I can’t specify exactly what it is and I don’t think anybody would really want me to. Just like nobody would have wanted any combination of anything going into The First Dance of what it was, or how it was going to come off. But I definitely will be active and have been active signing people from day one in this company.

    “Recruiting talent is key to any wrestling company. It’s key to any sports business, whether it’s the NFL or English football or wrestling. In this case of wrestling, I think we’ve built as good a roster as I believe you could build in this amount of time, with so many stars, a really really great core of people that have been here from day one, and we’ve expanded consistently. I think the additions we’ve made have been a lot of smart additions and really are very well positioned now with expanding our TV and adding a third hour. This is when I really wanted to kick into full gear so to speak.

    “But the timing of it is perfect because going into All Out, which is definitely without a doubt going to be the biggest PPV event we’ve done in our history.”

    All Out will feature the in-ring return of CM Punk. He’ll be going one-on-one with Darby Allin. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will put his gold on the line against Christian Cage.

    Click here for an updated look at the AEW All Out card.

  • No Way Jose Claims He Pitched The Idea Of WWE 24/7 Championship

    No Way Jose Claims He Pitched The Idea Of WWE 24/7 Championship

    No Way Jose says it was he who initially pitched the idea of having a 24/7 championship in WWE.

    The WWE 24/7 Championship was introduced back in May 2019. Since that time, there have been almost 150 title reigns. No Way Jose never got his hands on the title but he claims to have been the one to pitch the idea.

    Here’s what he told the folks over at the Wrestling Perspective Podcast.

    “Okay, I want to say that — and I don’t know how many people have claimed this, but in December of 20?? — God, when did that title come out? I might have the year wrong, but in December of 2018, I wrote to my writer, and I, word for word said, ‘What if we do a 24/7 Championship?’ I’ll pull it up right now. What if we do a 24/7 title that gives everybody something to do.

    “Because I wasn’t doing sh*t and I was like, ‘they’re not going to put me in this title run, that title run, or that title run.’ They didn’t want to do hardcore, so I was like, ‘why don’t we do a 24/7?’ He straight up said, ‘no, that’s not an idea that we want at this time.’ I was like, ‘alright, whatever,’ and I just kept rolling with other ideas. I was watching Spartacus at that time, I started coming up with stuff from there. I was just watching so many different things. But I legitimately remember that. Six months later, here comes the title and I’m like, ‘oh!’ No bonus, no nothing. Like I said, I don’t even know if it was my idea. But I know six months before that, I mentioned that and then there it was. So it was what it was.”

    No Way Jose has since changed his name to “No Way.” He currently competes under the Impact Wrestling promotion. He made his debut for Impact Wrestling at Slammiversary back in July.

  • Chelsea Green: AEW Would Benefit From Signing Female Free Agents

    Chelsea Green: AEW Would Benefit From Signing Female Free Agents

    Chelsea Green believes there are some top female free agents that would bring a lot to AEW.

    WWE has been on a budget cut spree this year and it’s the talent who have taken the brunt of it. Green found herself on the chopping block and has since appeared on Impact Wrestling along with her fiancé, Matt Cardona, who was also released from WWE in 2020.

    There have been many other female wrestlers who received pink slips from WWE. During an interview with Wrestling Inc., Chelsea Green said AEW would be wise to scoop up some of the top female names.

    “There are so many people coming in and out of Impact, the opportunities are really endless there. We could see Ruby [Soho, AKA, Riott]. We could see The IIconics. We could see any of the females being released from WWE come through the Impact doors at any moment, and that’s pretty cool too.

    “It would be a travesty if they didn’t [get signed somewhere]; AEW can totally gain from those faces. We all love to watch them. We all know them. We know they’re great workers.”

    Ruby Soho has been teasing a return to the ring with a series of vignettes. As for Jessica McKay and Cassie Lee, formerly known as The IIconics in WWE, they have announced they’ll be sticking as a team. They’ll be known as IInspiration going forward.

  • AEW Heads To UBS Arena In Long Island On Dec. 8

    AEW Heads To UBS Arena In Long Island On Dec. 8

    AEW is making its way to Long Island, NY before 2021 comes to a close.

    It’s clear that AEW has been looking to make waves on the east coast. On Sept. 15, the company will be airing Dynamite live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Just one week later, they’ll be inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City for the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite.

    Andrew Zarian is reporting that AEW will be making another trip to New York in December. AEW will hold Dynamite inside the UBS Arena on Dec. 8. WrestleTix notes that the setup will likely be at 14K capacity.

    “Andrew Zarian broke the news last night that AEW Dynamite will be coming to the UBS Arena (home of the NY Islanders) in Elmont, NY on 12/8, a week after Raw will be there (11/29). Referencing this Weeknd concert, this is roughly a 14K capacity/set-up for wrestling (for sell out).”

    It’s been an eventful year for AEW thus far. More recently, we saw the massive return of CM Punk. Punk will be making his in-ring return on Sept. 5 on the All Out PPV against Darby Allin.

    Bryan Danielson has also reportedly signed with the company. While the initial report was that he’ll be making his promotional debut on Sept. 22, a new report from Bodyslam suggests that he will now be making an appearance at All Out.

  • Jim Ross Addresses Report He’s Stepping Down As Full-Time Announcer For AEW

    Jim Ross Addresses Report He’s Stepping Down As Full-Time Announcer For AEW

    Jim Ross has responded to rumors floating around about his role at commentary for AEW.

    Reports have swirled claiming that Ross will be seen far less calling matches and instead will be doing sitdown interviews and other backstage segments. The reports note that “Good Ol’ JR” will call big matches and major events when they occur.

    While the rumors have said that this was Ross’ decision, it appears JR himself didn’t get the memo.

    SEScoops reached out to Jim Ross on social media, who responded to the rumors.

    “It’s news to me…”

    Sources tell SEScoops that they hadn’t heard of anything regarding Ross transitioning from a full-time role at commentary.

    “I haven’t heard anything about this except for what stories are out there.”

    Ross has been on board with AEW since 2019. He has served as the lead play-by-play commentator on Dynamite along with Tony Schiavone and Excalibur. He does not provide commentary for AEW’s new show, Rampage. As of late, we’ve seen the Rampage booth filled by Excalibur, Chris Jericho, Tazz, and Mark Henry.

    Earlier this year, Ross responded to speculation regarding possible retirement on his podcast. JR made it clear that he doesn’t plan on slowing down.

    “I had my 69th birthday here a while back. I don’t have any desires to slow down. I get asked this all the time, ‘When you going to retire?’ Well, I hate to answer this with a question, but retire and do what?”

  • Penta El Zero M Talks What Defeating Young Bucks At All Out Would Mean

    Penta El Zero M Talks What Defeating Young Bucks At All Out Would Mean

    Penta El Zero M and Fenix are going to All Out in search of some gold.

    The Lucha Bros have earned the right to take on The Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Titles. The Lucha Bros defeated Varsity Blondes and then Jurassic Express to seal their spots on the All Out PPV.

    During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Penta El Zero M discussed what defeating Matt and Nick Jackson would mean for him and Fenix.

    “Matt and Nick Jackson are our greatest rivals, and we have so much history with them in AEW and from the independent world. We are both brothers, and we all have a passion for wrestling, but there is a difference between us and The Young Bucks. It is not for show. Winning titles means everything to us. We will fight to the death for that championship.

    “Our biggest motivation is that we are indebted to all our fans. This time, we will show them it is different. This time, we are better prepared. We will show why we’re the best tag team in the universe.”

    The Lucha Bros have yet to capture tag team gold in AEW. Back in Oct. 2019, they took on SoCal Uncensored for the inaugural AEW World Tag Team Championships. Penta and Fenix fell short in the match, which aired live on Dynamite.

    The title bout between Lucha Bros and The Young Bucks will be inside a steel cage. Time will tell if the stipulation will be able to prevent interference.

  • Miro vs. Eddie Kingston Announced For AEW All Out

    Miro vs. Eddie Kingston Announced For AEW All Out

    A TNT Championship match has been added to the AEW All Out PPV.

    Miro has been calling for a showdown with Kingston for weeks. The TNT Champion attacked Fuego Del Sol on the Aug. 27 episode of Rampage. This got the attention of Kingston, who stormed the ring and the two brawled.

    https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1431443050887327748

    Later in the night, it was announced that Tony Khan has made Miro vs. Kingston official for Sept. 5 at All Out. The action will take place inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

    All Out has been shaping up to be one of the biggest wrestling cards of the year. The PPV will feature the in-ring return of CM Punk. He will be going one-on-one with Darby Allin.

    Also set for the card will be an AEW World Title match between champion Kenny Omega and Christian Cage.

    Take a look at the updated card for AEW All Out (not sorted by order).

    • Preshow: Women’s Casino Battle Royale
    • Kenny Omega (c) vs. Christian Cage (for the AEW World Championship)
    • Pac vs. Andrade El Idolo
    • Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall
    • The Young Bucks (c) vs. Lucha Bros (Steel Cage Match for AEW World Tag Team Championship)
    • CM Punk vs. Darby Allin
    • Chris Jericho vs. MJF (if Chris Jericho loses, he will retire from in-ring competition)
    • Britt Baker (c) vs. Kris Statlander (for the AEW Women’s World Championship)
    • Jon Moxley vs. Satoshi Kojima
    • Miro (c) vs. Eddie Kingston (for the AEW TNT Championship)
  • Riddle Sends Message To Roman Reigns: You’re Not Moving Needles

    Riddle Sends Message To Roman Reigns: You’re Not Moving Needles

    One half of the Raw Tag Team Champions, Riddle, is well aware of recent comments made by Roman Reigns on moving the needle.

    Reigns made some headlines when he discussed the return of CM Punk. Reigns told Ariel Helwani of BT Sport that Punk was never as over or as good as John Cena or The Rock.

    Riddle caught wind of that interview and told Bleacher Report that Reigns himself isn’t exactly moving the needle.

    “No disrespect to Roman, he seems like a swell fella, but at the same time, it’s like when people say they’re a good parent. You know what? If you were a good parent, your kids would be telling you you’re a good parent. When he’s saying ‘Acknowledge me’ or ‘I move the needle,’ no, you don’t. You’re related to The Rock. Shut up. Like, I’m not impressed, I can beat you up in a real fight. So, shut your mouth.

    “You’re not moving needles. I’m the real stallion, RK-Bro is moving the merch, we’re moving the needle, and that’s it. I don’t want to say too much, I’m not trying to get in trouble. Hey, hats off to him. He’s amazing at what he does. I do like what he does, but at the same time, it’s like, get off your high horse. You’re in that spot for a reason. You’re not a bro. You’re second generation. I’m first generation.”

    Riddle has been known to ruffle some feathers. He’s had backstage run-ins with Goldberg and Brock Lesnar. When it comes to Goldberg, Riddle seems to have been able to ease tension between the two. The incident with Lesnar was reportedly due to Riddle constantly calling him out in the media. It’s said that Lesnar told Riddle to stop talking about him because they’ll never share the ring.

    As far as Reigns goes, he and Riddle aren’t likely to cross paths unless this year’s Survivor Series PPV has cross-promotional matches. Riddle has hit his stride on Monday Night Raw with Randy Orton as his tag team partner. Reigns is also on a roll with his “Tribal Chief” character on Friday Night SmackDown.

  • Jade Cargill Comes To Defense Of Red Velvet Following Moonsault Botch

    Jade Cargill Comes To Defense Of Red Velvet Following Moonsault Botch

    Jade Cargill is sticking up for Red Velvet.

    Velvet was seen in action on the Aug. 25 edition of AEW Dynamite. She went one-on-one with Jamie Hayter. Hayter ended up winning the match but Velvet’s performance was panned after she badly missed a standing moonsault.

    Jade Cargill took to her Twitter account to respond to a fan who criticized AEW’s decision to give Red Velvet airtime over her.

    “Red was/is fine. She can work. Everybody loved her when she was killing it. Shit happens. But clearly you all don’t know wrestling to not see some shit in that go round. SMH. I’m done.”

    Cargill has been built up to become a dominant athlete on the AEW roster. She’s gotten off to a red hot start in AEW with a record of 10-0. AEW has also been making Red Velvet look strong with a 2021 record of 24-5. She challenged Britt Baker for the AEW Women’s title in a losing effort.

    Cargill was immediately put in a prominent spot on AEW television. She was set for a tag team match with Shaq to take on Cody Rhodes and Brandi Rhodes. Brandi was pulled from the match due to her pregnancy. Cargill and Shaq ended up defeating Cody and Red Velvet.

    Do you agree with Jade Cargill on the criticisms hurled at Red Velvet?

  • Baron Corbin Offers Explanation For His Gimmick Change

    Baron Corbin Offers Explanation For His Gimmick Change

    Baron Corbin has discussed the significant change to his character.

    Corbin debuted on WWE’s main roster as “The Lone Wolf.” He then went on to become the Constable of Monday Night Raw, which saw him take on a role as an authority figure. Once that gimmick ran its course, he became “King Corbin.” Nowadays, Corbin finds himself on WWE SmackDown going through financial struggles.

    During an appearance on 104.5 The Zone, Corbin explained why it was the right time to portray a character who lost all of his riches.

    “Right I’m doing what now is so different than anything I’ve done. And I’m a believer that it’s like evolve or die. I don’t want to spend ten years doing the same thing. So a lot of this, when I’m getting to evolve from ‘The Lone Wolf’ to ‘The Constable’ to ‘The King’ to what I’m doing now, to me it’s this really fun evolution, and it’s just a fun ride. Because you see a lot of guys don’t want to change or they want to continue the same thing, and the fans, it’s hard to keep them invested.

    “We live in such a fast-paced world now where two weeks is a long time. We used to tell stories over six months or a year, and now the audience can be a little impatient and they wanna get where we’re going quick but I think this story we’re telling right, they’re really enjoying the ride, which is different. Because normally after two or three weeks, they’re like alright, what are we doing? Where are we going? But now they’re going well I can’t wait to see what happens next. I think this is a fun story that people have been invested in.”

    Corbin has gone as far as to beg the WWE Universe for a minimum of $1,000. He also asked Drew McIntyre for $100,000 and even stole Big E’s Money in the Bank briefcase before losing their match on the SummerSlam kickoff show.

    As of late, Baron Corbin has been rolling out videos where he’s had a string of luck in Las Vegas. While he ended up being down to a few hundred bucks after one bad night, Corbin seems to have hit his stride again, purchasing a luxury car.

  • Backstage News On Britt Baker’s AEW Women’s Title Run

    Backstage News On Britt Baker’s AEW Women’s Title Run

    AEW is thinking long-term as far as Britt Baker’s toughest title challenger is concerned.

    Baker is arguably the most popular female competitor in AEW. Baker ended the 372-day reign of Hikaru Shida at the Double or Nothing PPV event back in May. She successfully defended her gold against Nyla Rose and then Red Velvet in her hometown of Pittsburgh.

    While many agreed that Britt was primed for a run with the AEW Women’s Title once she turned heel, one match pretty much sealed the deal. Back in March, Baker and Thunder Rosa headlined an episode of Dynamite in an unsanctioned Lights Out match. Rosa won the match but Britt emerged as an even bigger star in defeat.

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that AEW fans shouldn’t expect to see a rematch between the two this year. In fact, the plan is to save the match for early 2022. There’s no word on whether this will be a match for Dynamite or if it’ll take place on next year’s Revolution PPV.

    Baker is scheduled to put her gold on the line against Kris Statlander at All Out on Sept. 5. As for Thunder Rosa, she recently signed a full-time deal with AEW and has 25 wins and just three losses with the promotion in 2021.