SEScoops

Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.

  • Samoa Joe Reacts To Changes Coming To NXT

    Samoa Joe Reacts To Changes Coming To NXT

    Samoa Joe has weighed in on the changes that will be coming to the NXT brand.

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestler Observer was the first to report that NXT will be overhauled. This applies to a new logo, new lighting, and a new feel to the brand. It’s also been noted that WWE will be taking NXT more in the direction of a developmental system rather than a third major brand.

    WWE President and CRO, Nick Khan, confirmed the report during an interview with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport. Khan also confirmed that NXT will be shifting away from indie talent in order to focus on younger talent elsewhere.

    Samoa Joe, who will be competing for the NXT Championship tonight (Aug. 22) at TakeOver 36, spoke to Wrestling Inc. on the upcoming changes.

    “Absolutely, it always changes. This is the thing that really is a touch confusing about the ‘NXT is changing’ thing. It’s never been the same thing its entire existence. From when I entered NXT to now, it’s been drastically different, it’s changed so much.

    “The athlete, the stars that have come from NXT have completely shifted over from 4,3,2,1 year ago. To see this big vale of surprise that things are changing in NXT, it’s just yet another evolution of NXT and it will change again and after that it will change yet again. I’m failing to see the uproar when NXT is essentially doing what it has always done and what it will continue to do in the future.”

    Joe had been released by WWE back in April. He was brought back in short order to work on the NXT brand. Recently, Joe was able to get medical clearance to return to the ring.

    Where do you think Samoa Joe will fit in once the changes to NXT are in effect?

  • Nick Khan Confirms NXT Rebrand, Distancing From Indie Wrestlers

    Nick Khan Confirms NXT Rebrand, Distancing From Indie Wrestlers

    Nick Khan has confirmed reports of NXT receiving a significant makeover.

    Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer reported that major changes are coming to the NXT brand over TakeOver 36. Meltzer said that fans can expect new lighting, a new logo, and an overall different feel to the brand soon. On top of that, Meltzer has said that the idea is to treat NXT as the developmental system, rather than the third brand. He claimed the focus will shift from smaller indie wrestlers to bigger and younger talent.

    During an interview with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport, Nick Khan said that fans can expect a new experience with NXT in the coming weeks.

    “We’re doing a complete revamp on NXT, led by Triple H, Paul Levesque, who’s really one of the architects of the original NXT. What we found, it’s probably why we did the tryout yesterday, what we want to make sure is easy for folks who want to be WWE superstars is figuring out how to become WWE superstars. If you think of the life of an elevated athlete throughout their career, the opportunity to go play somewhere has always been easy, being able to play somewhere is not.

    “In terms of an NXT rebrand, look for it in the upcoming weeks, it’s going to have a whole new look, it’s going to have a whole new feel, and we believe because of a lot of the ‘indie wrestlers’ if you will, have come through our system, and are in our system with SmackDown and RAW now. We don’t want to keep doing that same thing, we want to look elsewhere for great young talent.”

    TakeOver 36 takes place tonight (Aug. 22). Samoa Joe will challenge Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship. Also set for the card is a two-out-of-three falls match between Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly. This could be Cole’s final match with NXT as his brief contract extension is set to expire.

  • Nick Khan Explains Recent String Of WWE Releases

    Nick Khan Explains Recent String Of WWE Releases

    WWE President and CRO, Nick Khan, has given his explanation for the wave of WWE releases.

    Fans were surprised when news broke that Braun Strowman was let go from his contract earlier this year. After all, Strowman won the WWE Universal Title at WrestleMania 36 and defeated Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 37.

    Aleister Black was also released, despite having just started an angle with Big E. He has since signed with AEW as Malakai Black. There were more names on the list, including Murphy, Lana, Ruby Riott, and Santana Garrett.

    The real shocker, however, came when “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt received his walking papers. Those releases were just part of this year’s wave as 12 NXT talents including Bronson Reed and Bobby Fish were later cut as well.

    Ariel Helwani of BT Sport spoke to Khan, who gave his take on the number of roster cuts WWE has been making.

    “I don’t know that there’s one explanation for it. I think ultimately what’s looked at is, is this person for us going to move the needle now or in the imminent future? By the way, we had a two-day tryout in Las Vegas which ended yesterday, which Triple H and Johnny Laurinaitis and Bruce Prichard were all across as were the rest of us. We’ve signed over a dozen new talent coming out of that tryout and I’m not suggesting, ‘oh that’s why we cut the other talent,’ but we’re always looking for what’s next.

    “We live in the present, we live in the future, we don’t live in the past. So when people leave and they move on with their life and their careers, that’s good by us. For us, it’s what works for us and our product at that moment and time and again what’s gonna work down the road, and largely in part the existing roster is based on that.”

    People on social media often blame Khan whenever WWE releases are announced these days. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that the NXT cuts had nothing to do with Khan and that it was Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, and John Laurinaitis who collectively made the call.

    Many have speculated that the releases have been done in an effort to make WWE look as attractive as possible when it comes to a potential sale. Nick Khan stirred the pot with his “open for business” line but he later said the company isn’t looking to sell.

  • WWE Money In The Bank 2022 Location Revealed

    WWE Money In The Bank 2022 Location Revealed

    WWE Money In The Bank already has a location and venue locked in for 2022.

    WWE has announced that the Money In The Bank event will be held inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the home of this year’s SummerSlam event headlined by the WWE Universal Title match between champion Roman Reigns and John Cena.

    In a press release, WWE President and CRO, Nick Khan, along with Allegiant Stadium GM, Chris Wright, commented on the announcement.

    “Las Vegas, its residents and visitors have demonstrated that Vegas is the perfect city for our biggest events,” said Nick Khan, WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer. “Money In The Bank, an appropriately titled event for Vegas and one of our five annual tentpoles, will bring the WWE Universe back to Allegiant Stadium July 4th weekend of 2022.”

    “We were thrilled to host SummerSlam at Allegiant Stadium. Its success continues to illustrate how the city of Las Vegas is uniquely positioned to host a variety of exciting and diverse sports and entertainment events,” said Chris Wright, Allegiant Stadium General Manager. “Partnering with the LVCVA team has been pivotal in bringing SummerSlam to the market and we are looking forward to collaborating with WWE on hosting Money In The Bank on July 4th weekend in 2022.”

    This year’s Money In The Bank event was held inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Big E and Nikki A.S.H. won briefcases for guaranteed title opportunities. Nikki successfully cashed her briefcase in on an episode of Monday Night Raw to become the Raw Women’s Champion. Big E hasn’t cashed in yet.

  • Big E: People Don’t Give Roman Reigns Enough Credit

    Big E: People Don’t Give Roman Reigns Enough Credit

    Big E believes that WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns deserves more credit than he gets.

    The Reigns character has been a polarizing figure in WWE for many years. Many fans believe that WWE tried to shove Reigns down their throats despite constant pushback. Over the past year, however, he has turned a corner with the naysayers thanks to his “Tribal Chief” gimmick.

    Big E told News 18 that he believes Reigns should be getting more props for his contributions to the wrestling industry.

    “There is a lot of work that he has done to solidify being that guy a lot of people didn’t give him credit for. People do not give him enough credit him either for what he has done in-ring and his in-ring abilities. He is an excellent pro-wrestler he is excellent at his craft and he has so many excellent matches under his belt, so, I have a ton of respect for what he has done.

    “I think growing up in the business, he has always had leg up but that’s not to discredit the work he has done. I am not saying he has been handed things. I have seen him work hard. In FCW, in those days he came in just like us. But you can say he got it right away. He has a certain charisma; he has a certain presence that a lot of people didn’t have that earlier, so, we always knew he was going to be someone.

    “So, I have got nothing but a good thing to say about what he has done with his career and the amount of work he has put in to deserve it because it is easier to sit on the sideline and say that should be my spot but you haven’t done that work that he has done.” 

    Reigns is set to headline SummerSlam tonight (Aug. 21). He’ll defend the WWE Universal Championship against John Cena. Reigns says if he loses, he will leave WWE. The action will be held inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    As for Big E, he is the Money in the Bank briefcase holder. As of this writing, he doesn’t have a match for SummerSlam but he has become involved in a feud with Baron Corbin, who stole his briefcase. Time will tell if he has an impromptu match with Corbin or a segment to get his briefcase back and potentially cash in.

  • CM Punk Reveals How Long He’s Talked To AEW

    CM Punk Reveals How Long He’s Talked To AEW

    CM Punk has unveiled how long he has been speaking to AEW.

    Punk made his AEW debut in front of a jam-packed United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Punk opened up the second episode of Rampage. Following an emotional entrance, Punk addressed the fans. He said he didn’t blame those who were disappointed by his absence.

    Punk also said he felt he hasn’t truly been a part of the wrestling industry since he left ROH in 2005. With his AEW signing, Punk said he now feels he’s truly back. He then turned his attention to Darby Allin. The two will collide on Sept. 5 at All Out.

    Punk took answers from the media following Rampage. He revealed how long he had been speaking to AEW.

    “I’ll go ahead and spoil that I’ve been talking to Tony for probably a year and a half about this. Some girls are easy to get into bed. I am not. I need to do wined and dined. That’s not, ‘oh I need more money and less dates’ and ‘oh I need this and I need that.’ It was literally just talking to Tony and getting to know him, and the more people that he employed that I knew, I’d ask them questions and they’d tell me things.

    “I’ve been in the game for a few minutes, you know, so I’ve seen that. I think I traced it back to, especially since the downfall of ECW, every six months to a year, somebody pops up, ‘I have money, we’re gonna have TV and we’re going to use all the ECW guys.’ This is not a slight on Tony at all. It’s more of, it’s more of a slight at me being a paranoid, neurotic, anxiety-ridden, very careful person, and I wasn’t in a hurry. The pandemic kind of help that out, you know, and I knew I couldn’t debut if there’s no people in the building. So, I always say, timing is everything, and there were a lot of happy accidents along the way that made this possible.”

    CM Punk had been away from the wrestling business since 2014. He left WWE following the Royal Rumble PPV. Punk expressed his dismay with the lack of time off and how the WWE medical team handled his staph infection. He also took issue with some creative decisions.

  • Christian Cage vs. Ace Austin Set For Victory Road

    Christian Cage vs. Ace Austin Set For Victory Road

    Christian Cage has his next Impact Wrestling World Title match set.

    Cage and Ace Austin competed in separate matches on the Impact Emergence card. Cage was in the main event defending his title against Brian Myers, who earned his opportunity by winning a battle royale. Cage ended up defeating Myers to maintain his gold on the gold.

    Austin competed in a fatal four-way match against Sami Callihan, Moose, and Chris Sabin. Austin won the match and will now meet Cage for the Impact Wrestling World Title on Sept. 18 at Victory Road.

    Cage captured the Impact Wrestling World Title on the debut episode of AEW Rampage. He defeated Kenny Omega with a Killswitch on a seated chair for the three-count. The victory over Myers is Cage’s first successful title defense.

    On the go-home edition of Impact Wrestling, Cage retired the TNA World Championship. Cage said he did so because he wanted to put the focus on the future of the wrestling industry instead of the past.

    This won’t be the first time Austin competes for the Impact Wrestling World Title. He challenged for the gold in a five-way elimination bout at Slammiversary back in 2020. Austin lost that match.

  • NWA-Tessa Blanchard Talks Reportedly At Standstill

    NWA-Tessa Blanchard Talks Reportedly At Standstill

    It looks like Tessa Blanchard won’t be coming to NWA anytime soon despite initial interest.

    Fightful Select reports that the NWA showed interest in bringing Blanchard over to the promotion this summer. The report notes that talks have been put to the side for the time being as both sides weren’t able to come to an agreement.

    Blanchard has mostly remained on the sidelines since making her nasty exit from Impact Wrestling. It was reported that she hadn’t made a decision regarding wrestling as she was celebrating her marriage to fellow wrestler Daga.

    Reports once swirled on Blanchard and Daga potentially making their way to AEW. Nothing has come to fruition on that front.

    Back in Sept. 2020, Blanchard broke her silence on her hiatus.

    “I’ve been away for a while, the main reason for that is to focus on my wedding & honeymoon. The past few months I’ve gotten back to the basics & been focusing on the relationships I have with family, friends & myself. The point of this post is because I’m taking back the control of my narrative.

    “I’ve had people weigh in on what I should do, what I should say, what interview to do, where to go.. now, I want to listen to what I want and what’s in my heart. I am so blessed in so many areas of my life & I am so grateful to have such strong people in my life.”

    If Tessa Blanchard returns to wrestling, which promotion do you think she will sign with?

  • Reigns: Jon Moxley Couldn’t Be The Man In WWE Because I’m Here

    Reigns: Jon Moxley Couldn’t Be The Man In WWE Because I’m Here

    Roman Reigns believes he knows why Jon Moxley could never be the top guy in WWE.

    Reigns exploded onto the WWE scene along with Moxley, who was Dean Ambrose on WWE TV, and Seth Rollins. Together, they formed a group known as The Shield. When the group split up, all three men ended up capturing world titles.

    As it stands now, Reigns is considered to be the top dog in WWE. Rollins has also established himself as a main eventer. Moxley decided against signing a new contract with WWE and made the jump to AEW.

    Reigns is due to defend his WWE Universal Championship against John Cena at SummerSlam this Saturday night (Aug. 20). During an in-ring promo, Cena accused Reigns of nearly ruining Rollins and running Moxley out of WWE.

    Reigns spoke to Ariel Helwani of BT Sport and responded to Cena’s claims.

    “You tell me. There’s levels to this game man. John has skills, he’s charismatic, he’s a great public speaker, he has good energy, he really understands crowd reaction. When you don’t have good stuff to say, let’s just pander to the crowd and that’s what he did. It’s like a professional watching another professional and I could see, he had nothing to him. He’s just doing that spin game and they’re counting to three with me, let’s say that over. Marketing strategy, let’s condition them and do it 14 times but when it comes down to it there was nothing that he said, there was no connection there. I have no clue.

    “Dean is obviously doing what Dean is doing and I think he’s happy over there at AEW but if he could’ve been the man here, he would’ve been the man here. But he couldn’t because I’m the man here. Seth Rollins is going through the same thing but he’s doing great. I can say that as someone who is doing better than him, I’m the Universal Champion, this is all mine, it’s my company. But he’s still a great talent who’s doing the best work of his career so I don’t really know man. It was quite the experience to see him out there, it was just words, a whole bunch of energetic words.”

    Moxley is a former AEW Champion. He held that title for 277 days. Many are wondering what’s next for Moxley now that a rumored All Out matchup with IWGP United States Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi appears to be off the table.

    What do you think Jon Moxley would be doing if he stood with WWE?

  • Paul Wight Drops Last-Minute CM Punk Hint Ahead Of AEW Rampage

    Paul Wight Drops Last-Minute CM Punk Hint Ahead Of AEW Rampage

    Add Paul Wight to the list of people who have teased a CM Punk appearance at AEW Rampage: The First Dance.

    The second episode of AEW Rampage takes place tonight (Aug. 20). It’ll be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. While nothing has been announced, Punk is expected to be making his AEW debut on the show.

    Wight appeared on ESPN’s SportsNation and talked about the rumors that have been heating up.

    “Tonight is a night on Rampage where in the future, people are going to say ‘Hey do you remember when?’ We’re in Chicago, United Centre, sold out. There’s a lot of rumors going around, a lot of scuttlebutt. There’s an opportunity tonight for someone to make an appearance on Rampage here in AEW that will literally knock the wrestling world on its keister. This is one of the biggest, anticipated events that I can remember in a long time.

    “I was trying to think about it today, what is it compared to? Is it compared to Hulk Hogan going to WCW? Does it compare to the nWo? Stone Cold Steve Austin glass breaking Austin 3:16? What kind of an impact, if the rumors are true, will this have on the wrestling business. I can neither confirm nor deny what kind of an impact tonight’s Rampage will have on the wrestling industry for the future.”

    Not counting WWE Backstage, CM Punk hasn’t appeared on a wrestling show since 2014. He left WWE following the Royal Rumble PPV. Punk cited a lack of time off, how WWE’s medical team handled his staph infection, and creative frustration when it came to his decision to leave.

  • Report: Sasha Banks Not At SmackDown, SummerSlam Match Possibly Off

    Report: Sasha Banks Not At SmackDown, SummerSlam Match Possibly Off

    The highly anticipated rematch between Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks may not be happening at SummerSlam.

    Belair is scheduled to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Banks tomorrow night (Aug. 20). The bout was feared to have been in jeopardy as both Belair and Banks were pulled from consecutive live events. While nothing had been confirmed, speculation of COVID-19 ran rampant.

    WWE fans had some good news when it was reported that Belair and Banks were “cleared” to compete this weekend. The good news didn’t last, however.

    PW Insider is reporting that Banks isn’t present for the go-home episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Furthermore, there is reportedly backstage talk that the title rematch could be off the SummerSlam card.

    Belair is reportedly in Phoenix, Arizona for SmackDown tonight. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not Bianca Belair will get a replacement opponent if Sasha Banks is unavailable. Last week’s episode of SmackDown ended with Banks using Belair’s hair to apply more force to the Bank Statement.

    During last week’s contract signing, Carmella and Zelina Vega attacked Belair, leading to Banks locking in the Bank Statement. It’s possible that they could be involved if Belair needs a new opponent for this weekend’s PPV, but of course, that is just speculation at this time.

    SEScoops will stay on top of this story as more details become available.

  • Drew McIntyre Responds To Mick Foley’s Criticism Of Chair Spot

    Drew McIntyre Responds To Mick Foley’s Criticism Of Chair Spot

    Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has given his response to concerns from Mick Foley.

    On the July 19 edition of Monday Night Raw, McIntyre had enough of Jinder Mahal’s cronies, Shanky and Veer. McIntyre stormed the ring with a chair and while Mahal and Veer escaped, Shanky was left alone. McIntyre nailed Shanky with a ton of chair shots to the point where Foley took to his Twitter account to criticize the angle.

    Foley expressed his belief that the angle should’ve been saved for a massive feud. Wrestling Inc spoke to McIntyre, who discussed Foley’s issue with the angle.

    “I would never gloss over those comments, especially from somebody like Mick. He has helped me dramatically in my career and is someone I have so much respect for, but everyone’s gonna have different opinions, and his was it should be saved for a huge story. To me, this is a huge story. Anything I do, I want to be the biggest story, and if that’s the reasoning behind it, that’s his opinion, and I respect that, but I’m going to do whatever I can to make people look over here and say, ‘Wow, look at what Drew’s doing over here’ and then expect them to take the physicality to that level.

    “You screw Drew McIntyre over the one thing he cares about more than anything else, the one thing he’s worked for his entire life, the one thing he held in front of nobody, the thing he wants back, the WWE Title, and Jinder and his guys took that away from him. So imagine what Drew McIntyre’s going to do. He’s going to take the physicality to a level never been seen before, including 34 chair shots.”

    McIntyre will go one-on-one with Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam this Saturday night (Aug. 21). Shanky and Veer are banned from ringside. The action will be held inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Kevin Owens: WWE Crew Helped Me During ThunderDome Era

    Kevin Owens: WWE Crew Helped Me During ThunderDome Era

    Kevin Owens has detailed how he got a feel for what was working in the ThunderDome era.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses were forced to adapt. WWE was no exception as full arenas were out of the question. WWE’s answer was the ThunderDome.

    Since there were no fans in attendance, it was difficult for the performers to determine what worked. Kevin Owens told ESPN The Game 102.5 that it was the WWE staffers who helped him know what was hitting it off inside the ThunderDome.

    “For me, I was lucky in a way because it took me 15 years wrestling on the Independents before I got to WWE. For those 15 years, I ended wrestling in front of very small crowds sometimes, as little as 20 people. When we got into that setting and we were wrestling in front of 15 or 20 crew members and that was about it, it wasn’t that foreign to me.

    “What I did, I started using the camera crew, the tech guys, everyone, the announcers…I started using them as my audience because all of those guys have been with WWE for so long. I know that if I’m entertaining them in some way and they come up to me and say, ‘Hey, that’s good stuff,’ they’ve seen it all so I know that I’m putting out quality work and that the people at home are most likely enjoying it as well. That’s how I attacked it.”

    WWE has returned to live crowds regularly. The company is gearing up for its biggest show since the pandemic era. While WrestleMania was held inside a stadium at limited capacity earlier this year, SummerSlam will have the higher attendance. The event is being held inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Four Matches Added To Impact Emergence

    Four Matches Added To Impact Emergence

    The Impact Emergence card has been finalized.

    Tomorrow night (Aug. 20), Emergence will air on Impact Plus. In the main event, Christian Cage will defend the Impact Wrestling World Championship against Brian Myers. Also set for the card will be an X-Division Title clash between champion Josh Alexander and Jake Something. The Impact World Tag Team Titles will also be on the line as Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson meet Violent By Design, and the team of Rich Swann and Willie Mack.

    We now have four more matches to round out the event. On the go-home show for Emergence, it was announced that Decay will collide with Tasha Steelz, Savannah Evans, Fallah Bahh & No Way. Another newly announced matchup is Deonna Purrazzo and Matthew Rehwoldt vs. Melina and Trey Miguel.

    Also announced on the recent episode of Impact is a one-on-one match between Matt Cardona and Rohit Raju. It was also revealed that Madison Rayne is making her return to take on Taylor Wilde.

    Here’s a look at the final Emergence card.

    • Christian Cage (c) vs. Brian Myers – for Impact Wrestling World Title
    • Josh Alexander (c) vs. Jake Something – For X-Division Title
    • Impact World Tag Team Championship:
    • The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) (c) vs. Violent By Design vs. Rich Swann & Willie Mack – for Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Titles
    • Deonna Purrazzo & Matthew Rehwoldt vs. Melina & Trey Miguel
    • Decay vs. Tasha Steelz, Savannah Evans, Fallah Bahh & No Way
    • Matt Cardona vs. Rohit Raju
    • Madison Rayne vs. Taylor Wilde
    • Steve Maclin vs. Petey Williams
  • Christian Cage Appears On Impact Wrestling, Retires TNA World Title

    Christian Cage Appears On Impact Wrestling, Retires TNA World Title

    Christian Cage and Impact Wrestling have said goodbye to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

    Cage captured the Impact and TNA World Titles when he defeated Kenny Omega on the debut edition of AEW Rampage. While Cage is looking to start his own belt collection, the TNA World Championship will not be a part of it any longer.

    Christian Cage made his return to Impact for the first time since 2008. During a promo, Cage revealed that he and Impact officials have decided to put the TNA World Title to rest so that the Impact World Championship can thrive as the lone top prize of the company.

    “Sitting here talking about my history with Impact Wrestling, it’s got me thinking this isn’t really about my history anymore. Maybe it’s time. I had some conversations with Scott D’Amore and other Impact executives and we all agree, as much as this TNA Championship means maybe it’s time to set this aside. To respectfully retire this championship because this isn’t about my history anymore, this isn’t about the past. This is about the here and now, this is about the future.”

    Cage is set for his first Impact World Title defense tomorrow night (Aug. 20). He’ll put the championship on the line against Brian Myers at Emergence. Myers won a battle royale match in order to earn the title opportunity.

    The TNA World Title had been revived in a sense back in April 2020. Moose brought the title out with him and proclaimed himself to be the true world champion of Impact Wrestling. Rich Swann defeated Moose in a title unification match. Kenny Omega then beat Rich Swann for the Impact gold and continued to carry both titles.

  • Mick Foley Comes To CM Punk’s Defense After Roman Reigns’ Comments

    Mick Foley Comes To CM Punk’s Defense After Roman Reigns’ Comments

    Wrestling legend Mick Foley is sticking up for CM Punk following comments made by WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

    Punk has been the talk of the wrestling world lately. While nothing has been announced, Punk is expected to make an appearance tomorrow night (Aug. 20) at AEW Rampage: The First Dance. This episode of Rampage will be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

    Reigns recently had an interview with Ariel Helwani for BT Sport. When Helwani mentioned that Punk has long been a detractor of part-timers taking the spotlight from full-time workers in the wrestling industry, Reigns had the following response.

    “… I think, man, those statements are coming from bitter people. Who possibly thought they were better than they really were. When it comes down to it, CM Punk was not as good or as over as a John Cena. Wasn’t as good or as over and moved the needle, like The Rock.”

    Mick Foley took to his Twitter account and made it clear that he disagrees with Reigns and feels Punk was as good and as over as he said he was.

    https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1428472898445103106

    “CM PUNK WAS DAMN GOOD, AND DAMN OVER. With one interview he changed the course of the wrestling business. He had great matches with a wide variety of opponents on a nightly basis. When/if he returns to wrestling, he will once again be damn good and damn over.”

    If all indications are correct, we won’t have to wait long to see just how much of a needle-mover Punk is in 2021. He hasn’t been involved with a wrestling promotion since 2014. His stint on WWE Backstage was through FOX, not WWE.

    Who do you agree with on the popularity ceiling of CM Punk, Mick Foley or Roman Reigns?

  • Tony Khan Teases Biggest Announcement In AEW History At Rampage

    Tony Khan Teases Biggest Announcement In AEW History At Rampage

    The second edition of AEW Rampage figures to be one that wrestling fans can’t miss.

    While it hasn’t been announced, the general consensus is that CM Punk will be making his AEW debut inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois tomorrow night (Aug. 20). Punk hasn’t been a part of a wrestling show outside of WWE Backstage since 2014.

    The upcoming episode of Rampage dubbed The First Dance has been heavily promoted by AEW to the point where extra seating recently opened up for the United Center.

    AEW founder Tony Khan took to his Twitter account to tease the biggest announcement in the company’s history tomorrow night.

    “I’m betting that excitement from the most anticipated announcement in AEW
    history at AEW Rampage The First Dance will build up through All Out on PPV. We’ll make new fans + we’ll welcome dormant wrestling households worldwide back into the fold; a new era in AEW begins tomorrow.”

    Tony Khan hasn’t been shy in teasing what AEW fans can expect from the upcoming Rampage episode. He told Busted Open Radio the following.

    “It’s going to be a huge card, and tonight [Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite] we’ll establish more of what’s coming on the premiere of Rampage. Of course, I think everyone knows what to expect on the second episode of Rampage, which is titled ‘The First Dance.’ And I expect the anticipation will continue to build.”

    Three matches have been set for The First Dance. Former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will take on Daniel Garcia. Plus, Jurassic Express will meet Private Party in an AEW World Tag Team Title eliminator. Also set for the card will be Jade Cargill vs. Kiera Hogan.

    Stick with SEScoops tomorrow night as we’ll keep you posted on the major news that comes out of The First Dance. Of course, we’ll also be bringing you full results.

  • GCW Adds Minoru Suzuki To Four Shows

    GCW Adds Minoru Suzuki To Four Shows

    Japanese wrestling legend Minoru Suzuki is making the most of his return to the United States.

    Suzuki has already been announced for the Sept. 25 and 26 tapings for NJPW Strong. Those cards will be taking place in Texas. His journey back to the U.S. isn’t solely with NJPW, however.

    GCW has announced that Suzuki will be a part of their upcoming September shows in Los Angeles and New York City. Suzuki’s stay is also being extended into October as he’ll be featured on the Atlantic City show and another LA event.

    Suzuki has been freed up for shows in the United States since he will not be participating in this year’s G1 Climax tournament. Many have been speculating about Suzuki potentially making his way to AEW. Of course, nothing has been confirmed as far as that is concerned.

    GCW has been on a roll as of late. The company got a ton of attention after Matt Cordona defeated Nick Gage to capture the GCW World Championship. Fans littered the ring with garbage in a scene not common in wrestling these days like it once was. On top of that, Gage made an appearance on AEW Dynamite, losing to Chris Jericho in a No Rules match.

  • Nikki A.S.H. Reflects On ‘Hail Mary’ Moment With Character On WWE TV

    Nikki A.S.H. Reflects On ‘Hail Mary’ Moment With Character On WWE TV

    Nikki A.S.H. admits her current character on WWE television was a hail mary.

    Nikki is the current Raw Women’s Champion. While she’s in the most prominent spot of her career, the Nikki A.S.H. character has drawn criticism. Those who take issue with the gimmick say that it spells doom for any babyface in 2021 due to its cheesiness.

    The character was Nikki’s idea as she wanted to come up with something that would stand out to the WWE brass. The idea earned her a title run and she will be competing at SummerSlam against Charlotte and Rhea Ripley.

    During a chat with Corey Graves on WWE After the Bell, Nikki discussed her superhero persona and how it came to fruition.

    “Yeah, it really felt like alright this is it, this is the hail mary as you say. It’s so weird nobody has asked me that. I think it was and it was that hail mary moment, there needed to be a change and that was really apparent to me. That was really apparent to me right around the Royal Rumble, we told this fun story on social media and on digital about me qualifying for the match and we made a story out of that. Right around the Royal Rumble it was so clear and so apparent that there needed to be a change and that was it. I spent hours and hours researching this idea and getting this pitch right and I commissioned this artist to draw up what Nikki A.S.H would be as a cartoon character.

    “You take it to the boss and it’s like you’re nervous but you’re also confident and I believed in this idea so much that you’re just like alright, let’s do it. You have to put your nerves aside and push down the butterflies. At the end of the day, I believed in the pitch on a personal level, I believed in it from a business sense, this is good business, this is a good idea. I also believed that in the heart of it it’s very pure and wholesome, something that I really wanted to portray, I wanted to portray something fun and joyful. It makes me happy and I want to try and make others and also for business I knew it was a great idea. It was just about swallowing the nerves and just going in and doing it. It did feel like a hail mary, that’s a good way of describing it.”

    Thanks to her efforts, Nikki ended up winning the Money in the Bank briefcase. She successfully cashed it in on Charlotte on the July 19 edition of Monday Night Raw. This is her first singles title reign in WWE.

    Time will tell if Nikki A.S.H. can maintain her hold on the gold this Saturday night. SummerSlam takes place on Aug. 21 inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Three Major Names Announced For NJPW Strong Autumn Attack

    Three Major Names Announced For NJPW Strong Autumn Attack

    Three big names have been added to the NJPW Strong Autumn Attack cards.

    NJPW Strong will be making its way to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX. NJPW will be holding tapings on Sept. 25 and 26. NJPW has announced that three major names will be making their appearances.

    One of those names is former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay. The leader of the United Empire made a surprise appearance on the Resurgence show this past Saturday (Aug. 14). He cut a promo proclaiming himself to be the real IWGP World Champion and Shingo Takagi as just an interim titleholder. Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada for the gold when Ospreay was forced to vacate it due to an injury.

    Another name added to the NJPW Strong Autumn Attack card is Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki is a legend in Japanese wrestling. He is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion as well as a former IWGP Intercontinental and NEVER Openweight titleholder. He hasn’t wrestled in the United States in nearly two years.

    The third name is Lance Archer. Archer recently lost the IWGP United States Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Resurgence. After the match, Archer said he hopes to see Tanahashi in AEW.

  • Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall Announced For AEW All Out

    Paul Wight vs. QT Marshall Announced For AEW All Out

    Paul Wight will be back in the ring on Sept. 5 at the All Out PPV.

    Wight has gotten involved in a feud with QT Marshall and The Factory. It all started when Marshall, Nick Comoroto, and Aaron Solow attacked Tony Schiavone and his son. Paul Wight made the save and chokeslammed Solow.

    Wight had an in-ring interview with Schiavone on the Aug. 18 edition of Dynamite. He was ready to make an announcement when QT Marshall interrupted.

    Marshall showed off X-rays of Wight’s hip and dismissed the big man as a competitor in 2021. That’s when Wight dropped a bombshell, announcing that he will meet Marshall in a match at All Out.

    https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1428163484357906442

    “I had a little talk with Tony Khan last week. It felt so good to step over that top rope to be in this ring in front of this amazing AEW crowd. That’s why at the All Out pay-per-view in Chicago, I have a match. And guess who my opponent is my little guppy. At All Out it’s gonna be Paul Wight one-on-one against QT Marshall.”

    All Out will be held inside the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. AEW World Champion Kenny Omega will put his title on the line against Impact World Champion Christian Cage.

    Are you looking forward to seeing Paul Wight return to the ring?

  • Dan Lambert Wanted Lance Archer To Legitimately Elbow Him

    Dan Lambert Wanted Lance Archer To Legitimately Elbow Him

    Dan Lambert apparently told Lance Archer to really lay into him with an elbow on AEW Dynamite.

    Lambert is the head coach of the renowned MMA gym, American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. Lambert has helped coach a slew of elite MMA fighters such as current UFC Women’s Bantamweight and Featherweight Champion Amanda Nunes. He’s also a huge wrestling fan.

    Lambert has appeared in angles for Impact Wrestling and, most recently, AEW. On the July 7 edition of Dynamite, Lambert cut a heel promo before being laid out with an elbow by Lance Archer. Lambert was then nailed by the Blackout.

    Olympic judo gold medalist and 2019 PFL Women’s Lightweight Champion, Kayla Harrison, appeared on MMAFighting’s The MMA Hour. She claimed that Lambert wanted Archer to legitimately elbow him to avoid getting an earful from the ATT fighters.

    “That was his Olympics. That was his moment. He was rapidly texting me, ‘I’m going on at 9:30, you gotta watch. Wait until you see this.’ Then he does this nerdy spiel about all these wrestlers and styles. Afterward, I told him, ‘Dan, I’m happy for you if you’re happy. You are the biggest nerd I’ve ever met in my life, but I’m happy.’ He’s like, You wanna hear a funny story?’ He starts talking about how they prepared all this and he said, ‘I had to tell (Lance Archer), can you do me a favor? When you elbow me, I need you to really elbow me. Everyone at my gym will give me sh*t if you don’t really give me the business.’”

    Lambert is set to return to Dynamite tonight (Aug. 18) and he won’t be alone. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, Tony Khan said Lambert will be bringing “two great UFC Champions” with him on Dynamite.

  • Konnan Reveals How AAA Locked Up Ric Flair For TripleMania XXIX

    Konnan Reveals How AAA Locked Up Ric Flair For TripleMania XXIX

    Konnan has dished out some details on how AAA was able to secure Ric Flair.

    On Aug. 14, AAA’s biggest event of the year, TripleMania XXIX, took place. In the co-main event, Kenny Omega put the AAA Megacampeonato Title on the line against Andrade. Fans were in for quite the surprise as Ric Flair accompanied Andrade to the ring.

    On an edition of his Keepin It 100 podcast, Konnan revealed how AAA was able to bring Flair in.

    “Originally, we were going to bring it up Andrade with this Mexican singer that’s mega-popular, but that fell through. (Andrade) told me that maybe Ric was going to come with him to the show, but as a guest, just to watch it. That’s when I first thought, ‘If he’s gonna be there as a guest, why doesn’t he just be your second?’ (Andrade asked Ric) and he said ‘yeah.’

    “Basically, I thought, If Flair comes out, that would be cool because no one is expecting it. When I told them when they are on the plane, ‘Make sure when you get to the airport, there are fans at the airport and they know what hotel you stay at, make sure he wears a hat, a mask, a jacket, something.’ He goes, ‘Nah, he doesn’t want to wear a jacket. He’s in a pink shirt and has gold chains.’ That’s Flair being Flair, right?”

    Flair ended up getting physically involved in the match. He and Andrade took turns chopping the chest of Omega. Flair even got in a figure-four leglock on Konnan, while Andrade sunk in the figure-four on Omega. Ultimately, Omega retained the title after hitting Andrade with the gold and planting him with the One-Winged Angel. Omega and Andrade have been teasing a rematch.

    Konnan said he asked Andrade beforehand if Flair would be willing to get physical in the match. Of course, “The Nature Boy” was on board with the idea.

  • Jinder Mahal Denies Being Experimental WWE Champion

    Jinder Mahal Denies Being Experimental WWE Champion

    Jinder Mahal feels he has been discredited.

    Mahal is currently involved in a feud with his friend and former 3MB teammate, Drew McIntyre. The two will collide this Saturday night (Aug. 21) at WWE SummerSlam. It’s Mahal’s highest-profile rivalry since he lost the WWE Championship back in 2017.

    During an interview with GiveMeSport, Jinder Mahal expressed his belief that his detractors have downplayed the hard work he put in to become WWE Champion.

    “So this is just people downplaying my accomplishments. WWE Universe in India, their TV deals everything, were just as much in play when I was in 3MB and while I was released I do believe WWE Raw was the live on Sony. When I was brought back who still write live on Sony. I wasn’t brought back to become WWE Champion, at that time they separated the rosters again, Raw and SmackDown, and they just needed some people who were TV-ready essentially to throw on and maybe highlight some of the newer talent, but somewhere along the line I knew ‘Hey this is my way in. This is my foot in the door. I’m going to knock the whole door down and I’m going to become WWE Champion.’

    “So that’s like me saying ‘Hey Drew, you were WWE Champion because WWE wanted to expand into the UK’. Why is that? Why are people not saying that? Right now Drew is celebrated, I’m the one who was this experimental champion, which is untrue. I’ve worked hard for and I’ve earned every opportunity that I’ve ever been given, every championship that I’ve had I’ve worked very very hard for.”

    Many have criticized Mahal’s 2017 run as WWE Champion. The general consensus is that the title change felt rushed and that Mahal’s character wasn’t built up before the title victory to look credible as champion. Even McIntyre shared that belief in an interview.

    Following Monday Night Raw, a stipulation has been added to the SummerSlam match between Mahal and McIntyre. Mahal’s cronies, Shanky and Veer, won’t be allowed at ringside. Furthermore, McIntyre is allowed to bring his sword.

    Were you a fan of Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title reign?

  • Kushida Reacts To Missing WWE NXT Cruiserweight Title Defense

    Kushida Reacts To Missing WWE NXT Cruiserweight Title Defense

    Kushida has issued a brief statement on missing a title defense on WWE NXT.

    He is the reigning WWE NXT Cruiserweight Championship. He was set to make a title defense on the Aug. 17 edition of NXT. Plans changed as NXT General Manager William Regal announced that Kushida wasn’t medically cleared to compete.

    “Unfortunately after a medical examination, officials learned Kushida
    is not cleared to compete tonight. When I informed Malcolm Bivens and Roderick Strong, they expressed Roderick’s desire to compete.

    Therefore, WWE NXT will begin with a Diamond Mine open challenge.”

    Strong remained on the show and issued a Diamond Mine open challenge as Regal mentioned in his statement. Ilja Dragunov ended up taking the challenge and he defeated Strong.

    Kushida took to his Twitter account to speak on not being able to defend his title on NXT.

    https://twitter.com/KUSHIDA_0904/status/1427766544784834560

    “I’m sorry for everyone who was looking forward to tonight’s title match. Did not [get medically cleared]. I can’t do anything and I’m just stunned… I promise to be back on TV soon. Thank you for your support.”

    There is no word on why Kushida hasn’t been medically cleared. We also don’t have an update on when he’s expected to return to the ring. For now, fans will have to wait to see when the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion can get back to business.

    SEScoops.com will keep you updated on the status of Kushida as well as when the NXT Cruiserweight Title bout with Roderick Strong will be rescheduled.