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Adam Cole Says It Was A “Fairly Easy” Decision To Sign With AEW

Adam Cole debuted for All Elite Wrestling last night at All Out 2021. Shortly after entering the ring following the night’s main event, Cole super kicked Jungle Boy and re-joined his former stablemates in the Elite.

Cole’s short stint as a free agent this summer garnered many headlines across pro-wrestling but according to the former NXT Champion, his decision to sign with AEW was “a fairly easy one.”

“When you think about where I was, that technically was my dream since I was 9 years old,” Cole said in the post-event press conference. “And then I’d seen everything that AEW was doing…I’d been here countless times to support Britt and hang out with the crew and it’s just the best group.”

“At the same time, I’d really built a reputation for myself there as well but I knew in my heart pretty early on that I wanted to come here and it’s no knock whatsoever on them. I had a very excellent 4 year experience but I wanted to come back and work with a crew that I love being around 24/7, a crew that is just as passionate about pro wrestling as I am and fans that feel the exact same way as we do. So, making the decision was a fairly easy one.”

Cole’s comments can be heard in the below Tweet:

Posted September 6th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson Signs With WWE

WWE has reportedly signed Olympic Gold Medalist and NCAA Champion Gable Steveson.

After months of speculation as to where he might land, Steveson has signed with WWE, via Dave Meltzer. Earlier in the day, he tweeted, “Just put pen to paper…”

https://twitter.com/GableSteveson/status/1434175454953578500

Gable Steveson recently appeared at SummerSlam along with another Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler, Tamyra Mensah-Stock. Mensah-Stock has said it is her dream to become a WWE Superstar.

Steveson’s younger brother Bobby was also recently announced as being part of the latest class of recruits at the WWE Performance Center.

Gable Steveson: Paul Heyman Guy

Steveson has said that if he goes to WWE, he hopes to be the next “Paul Heyman Guy.”

“If I ever go to WWE, I’d be a ‘Paul Heyman Guy,’ ” said Steveson to Sports Illustrated last month. “Heyman is a legend. We’d be two people doing great things, and that would be a tough team to beat.”

Steveson has also trained with fellow University of Minnesota alumni, Brock Lesnar.

“And I’ve known Brock since I was in high school. He’s been there for me for a long time, making sure I do things the right way and put my best foot forward.”

Seth Rollins Offers to Train Gable Steveson For WWE Career

Posted September 4th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

CM Punk Says WWE Reached Out To Him In December

According to comments CM Punk made to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, WWE reached out to Punk in December through intermediaries. This occurred shortly after Punk had removed himself from the UFC’s USADA drug-testing pool.

“Punk said WWE had been reaching out to him about a return as well, through intermediaries,” Raimondi wrote. Punk continued to say that while he listened to WWE’s overtures, things did not advance far.

“I remember one of the first things I ever said to them was, ‘Above all, don’t play games,'” Punk said. “And they played games. Some things never change. … When you enter a conversation with people you have a past with and you know who they are, how seriously can you take it? I know exactly who they are and they just continue to prove it. I’m trying to be as diplomatic as I possibly can.”

Punk made several comments about his former employer (without referring to them by name) during his appearance at the First Dance last month. Punk then spoke about his comments regarding WWE during an appearance on The Angi Taylor Show.

“The reality is you can’t talk to me, coming back after seven years, without bringing up the place I used to work,” Punk said. “I’m just trying to do my best to not sling mud so to speak because everything I say about them is 100% the truth.”

https://twitter.com/Arda/status/1433763823689797633

Punk will take on Darby Allin tomorrow at All Out. It will be his first official match in over 7.5 years. The show will take place from the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The arena was formerly known as the Sears Center and was the venue of All In on September 1st, 2018.

Posted September 4th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

First Look at the “New NXT” Premiering September 14th

NXT will return to live-airing shows on Tuesday, September 14th, 2021. According to promotional footage released by, the “New NXT” will debut that night.

A video aired on Smackdown and was shared on WWE’s official YouTube page which teases a new look inside the Capitol Wrestling Center.

WWE’s video teasing “The New NXT” can be viewed in the player below:

The only segment scheduled for the show thus far is a wedding between Dexter Lumis and Indi Hartwell.

The New NXT

A report from the Wrestling Observer recently stated that while Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard will play a larger role with NXT, they will not be producing the weekly show.

“There was a meeting with talent and staff where they were told the stories of McMahon and Prichard directly producing the weekly television show is incorrect,” wrote Dave Meltzer. 

He would continue to say, however, that several key decisions regarding the brand are now being made by upper WWE management.

“The new logo came from WWE with no input from the NXT people and it’s when it comes to the future of NXT and its rebranding, it’s said the people making the decision, on their own, are the likes of Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, John Laurinaitis, Kevin Dunn, and Bruce Prichard,” Meltzer continued. 

Posted September 4th, 2021 in News, NXT.

Brock Lesnar Announced For WWE Super SmackDown

WWE has confirmed that Brock Lesnar will make his return to television next week on the Super Smackdown from Madison Square Garden. The news broke on Smackdown last night as Paul Heyman informed Roman Reigns that Lesnar will be on the show.

Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar Head To Head Statistics

A 4th singles match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar appears to be on the horizon. Their previous 3 singles matches all took place in 2018. Lesnar defeated Reigns at WrestleMania 34 and then again a few weeks later in a steel cage match at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. Reigns then finally defeated Lesnar at SummerSlam 2018.

Lesnar and Reigns have also been involved in 3 multi-person matches as opponents as well. At WrestleMania 31, their singles match got changed to a triple threat when Seth Rollins cashed in his MITB briefcase and won the title. Reigns won a triple threat match against Lesnar and Dean Ambrose at Fastlane 2016 and Lesnar won a fatal 4-way at SummerSlam 2017 against Reigns, Braun Strowman, and Samoa Joe.

Lesnar and Reigns are the two longest-reigning Universal Champions in history. Lesnar has held the title for 686 combined days across 3 reigns. Reigns has held the title 431 days across two title reigns.

Posted September 4th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

The Acclaimed Perform “Scripted Rap” During Dark Tapings

Max Caster made his return to AEW after about a month away during last night’s AEW show at the NOW arena. The Acclaimed came out for their usual entrance only this time Max Caster let everyone know that his rap had “been approved by AEW management.” He read the lines from a script.

“Yo, this rap has been approved by AEW management,” Caster began. “We’re the Acclaimed and we came to say that we’re feeling pretty darn good today.
These two guys are formidable opponents but against us, they don’t have the components. How about the Jaguars? They sure are great…”

At this point, Anthony Bowens grabbed the microphone from Caster and called for the music to be turned off.

“Are they scripting our promos now, Max?”

Bowens then read from the scripted rap as well and plugged the Rhodes to the Top reality show. Eventually, the team tore up the script and continued with their usual entrance. Footage of the Acclaimed’s entrance can be viewed in the Tweet below:

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Caster was sent to sensitivity classes following a rap of his on Dark being deemed offensive.

“After what happened last week and the fallout, Max Caster has been sent to sensitivity training,” wrote Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Max Caster Sent To Sensitivity Training (Report)

Posted September 4th, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: , .

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 To Be A 3-Night Event

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that Wrestle Kingdom in January will be a 3-night event next year. The event will take place on January 4th and 5th from the Tokyo Dome and then on January 8th from the Yokohama Arena. The announcement was made during the intermission of today’s Wrestle Grand Slam event.

Wrestle Kingdom History

While there have been 15 Wrestle Kingdom events in the Tokyo Dome dating back to 2007, there has been an annual Tokyo Dome show in the venue on January 4th dating back to 1992. The Super Warriors in the Tokyo Dome show in 1992 was a joint show with WCW that featured Sting and the Great Muta taking on the Steiner Brothers. Riki Choshu also defeated Tatsumi Fujinami on the show.

The first Wrestle Kingdom event in 2007 saw Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono defeat Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima). In 2020, Wrestle Kingdom expanded to two nights. Tetsuya Naito won both heavyweight titles by defeating Kazuchika Okada on Night 2 that year. Kota Ibushi won both belts after defeating Jay White on Night 2 of Wrestle Kingdom last year.

Wrestle Kingdom in 2022 will be the 31st consecutive year New Japan has presented a big show on January 4th.

Posted September 4th, 2021 in News, NJPW.

Tony Khan Says Nobody In AEW Has ‘Creative Control’

During a recent AEW media call to promote All Out, Tony Khan stated that while wrestlers in his company have creative input, not one person on the roster has creative control. This includes the newly signed CM Punk.

“Not one person, including Mr. Punk and everyone on the roster, has creative control. It’s not like WCW and that is one of the issues with WCW. When you have a person who has creative control in their contract, it can hold up the show. I don’t know how you get through TV doing that,” Khan said.

Khan continued to say, however, that he encourages wrestlers to come and talk to him if something they are being asked to do doesn’t make sense.

“I’ve told (Punk) if I ever ask you to do something that doesn’t make sense, it’s not coming from a malicious place, if something doesn’t make sense, tell me and we’ll talk about it. That’s generally how I am with everyone,” he continued.  

“Just because nobody has a contractual right to tell me ‘you can’t make me do that, you can’t put me in that match,’ doesn’t mean I want to put people in bad situations or do things that don’t make sense to them or for their career or for the fans,” Khan further explained.

Wrestlers Speak On AEW’s Creative Freedom

While creative control isn’t something anyone in AEW has in their contract, many on the roster have spoken about the creative freedom they do enjoy.

“It feels really good that I’m in a place now where my creative mind can be utilized versus stopped, and controlled, and being presented in things that I know are not gonna work,” said Malakai Black on Twitch earlier this summer.

Malakai Black is Enjoying the Creative Freedom Offered by AEW

Ethan Page also spoke about the creative freedom in AEW during an interview with Chris Van Vliet.

“It’s amazing, now being in AEW, the creative freedom and I guess trust that they give their talent to kind of let them do what they want,” he said.

Ring announcer Justin Roberts also commented on the creative freedom he’s given in AEW.

“If there’s a scale of creative freedom, and there’s a one and a 10, I guess I’m at 100, since day one, it’s just one of those things where I’ve never been handed a script, or I’ve never been told what to say on anything starting from the first show when,” he said on the AEW Unrestricted podcast.

Posted September 3rd, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

Finn Balor Says He Pitched Going To NXT UK Before Smackdown Return

Finn Balor will challenge Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship tonight on Smackdown. According to comments he made to BT Sport, however, Balor had actually pitched moving to the NXT UK brand instead of Smackdown to WWE management.

“Believe it or not, before I returned to SmackDown, I could feel the run at NXT kind of coming to an end and I’d kind of exhausted all the resources there, like the guys that I could wrestle against,” Balor said. He continued to say that he pitched the idea of him going to NXT UK to WWE management.

“I actually pitched the idea of moving to NXT UK and obviously that might have been a little bit of a bold move and maybe a bold pitch,” Balor continued. He went on to discuss how he felt he would be able to help the brand.

“I felt like I could not only challenge myself against guys like Ilja, and WALTER, A-Kid, and Jordan Devilin but help the brand the same way I tried to help NXT in the last couple of years. I felt like it was a win-win for all of us but the office had a different opinion on that and they wanted me on Smackdown. But seeing that brand grow, it’s incredible. Some of those guys are some of the best in the world.”

Balor took part in NXT UK tapings in early 2020. He also wrestled current NXT UK champion, Ilja Dragunov, at Worlds Collide 2020. Balor said that it had been the plan for him to spend more time in NXT UK had the pandemic not changed things. His run would have eventually led to a match with then-champion, WALTER.

Balor’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Finn Balor vs Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship

Balor will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal title tonight. He is the first-ever holder of the championship, having first won it at SummerSlam 2016. Since then 7 more wrestlers have won the belt. There have been 14 title changes in the championship’s lineage.

The all-time leader in total reigns and days spent with the belt is Brock Lesnar. He’s held the title 3x for a total of 686 days. Roman Reigns has held the title twice for a total of 431 days. Balor’s one reign with the belt lasted less than 24 hours when he was forced to vacate it due to injury.

Posted September 3rd, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Impact Results (9/2): Tommy Dreamer vs Ace Austin Headlines

Tommy Dreamer vs Ace Austin headlined this week’s Impact Wrestling. The stipulation was that if Dreamer could defeat Austin, he’d be added to the world title match against Christian Cage at Victory Road.

Impact Wrestling 9/2 Quick Results:

  1. Taylor Wilde, Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering defeated The Influence (Madison Rayne, Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb With a K)
  2. Decay (Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve) defeated Fallah Bahh & No Way
  3. X-Division Championship
    Josh Alexander defeated Jake Crist
  4. Rohit Raju & Shera defeated Matt Cardona & Chelsea Green
  5. Ace Austin defeated Tommy Dreamer

Taylor Wilde Teams With Grace & Ellering To Defeat The Influence

T

Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering recently came out to save Taylor Wilde from an attack by the newly formed “The Influence.” The consists of Tenille Dashwood, Madison Rayne, and Kaleb with a K. Finally, the heels would not have the numbers advantage against her here. Wilde got a measure of revenge against the Instagram-savvy trio this week, pinning Kaleb after a tornado DDT and German suplex.

Don’t Cross The King and Queen, Drama King Matt & Deonna Purrazzo

Footage of Deonna Purrazzo from this weekend’s two NWA events was shown. The Virtuosa defeated Melina at Empowerrr and then attacked Mickie James at NWA 73. She spoke to Gia Miller along with Drama King Matt backstage this week and said that nobody should cross the King and Queen.

Decay Wins Tag Match, But Tasha Steelz & Savannah Evans Get In Cheap Shot

Taurus and Crazzy Steve took on Fallah Bah and No Way this week. As No Way’s conga line was making its entrance, however, one member dressed up as a hamburger gave Rosemary a codebreaker. It turns out that hamburger was actually Tasha Steelz in disguise. Havok then chased Steelz but got caught by Savannah Evans on the stage area. Steelz and Evans were then chased away by Rosemary.

Meanwhile, Crazzy Steve picked up the win for Decay in the ring by delivering a top rope DDT to Fallah Bah.

Moose & W. Morrissey Align

Two of the biggest heels in Impact Wrestling, Moose and W. Morrissey, appear to have aligned. Morrissey was being interviewed in the back this week but Moose interrupted to say they share common enemies in Eddie Edwards and Sami Callihan. Moose then came out later to call out Edwards. Morrissey then came out to give the heels the 2-on-1 advantage but Sami Callihan never came out to help Edwards.

Eric Young Is Doing Somthing To Rhino

After Rhino took the pin for his team in a recent tag-team title match, Eric Young feels that he must do something about a “sickness” that is within him. A vignette aired this week featuring Young saying he must cure Rhino. The video ends with Rhino being placed in darkness. It seems like a change could be coming to Rhino’s character soon.

Jake Crist Returns, Answers Josh Alexander’s Open Challenge

Former X-Division Champion Jake Crist returned to Impact Wrestling on this show. Josh Alexander’s Open Challenge was only open to former holders of the title, a requirement that Crist meets. Alexander picked up the win with Divine Intervention and then cut a promo after the match.

Chris Sabin Challenges Josh Alexander

As Alexander was being interviewed, another former X-division champion came out to challenge him. Chris Sabin came out and said if Alexander wants to be considered the greatest X-Division Champion of all time, then he’ll have to beat him. The match was later made official for Victory Road on September 18th.

Brian Myers Cuts Most Of His Recruits

Brian Myers cut all but two recruits for his crew of wrestlers who want to learn how to become just as “professional” as he is. Zicky Dice and Manny Lemons were the only ones to make the cut and will now seemingly be under Myers’ tutelage.

Rohit Raju Pins Chelsea Green In Tag Action

Chelsea Green and Matt Cardona teamed up to take on the team of Rohit Raju and Shera this week. After Shera refused to wrestle Green, Cardona hit him with Radio Silence. Raju then drove Cardona into the steel post, however, and then hit Green with a jumping knee and got the pin.

A New Soul Becomes Su Yung’s Minion

Last week, Brandi Lauren was attacked by Su Yung and the former Kimber Lee. This week, Lauren appeared in a creepy backstage vignette along with Yung and Lee. She was wearing the same makeup and appears to have been inducted into the group.

The Good Brothers Address Rich Swann and Willie Mack

After losing to Willie Mack and Rich Swann in a recent non-title match, the Good Brothers assaulted the team in a post-match beatdown. Willie Mack is now on the shelf with an injury after having been put through a table. Swann came out to confront the tag champs with a steel chair this week but was eventually subdued by security. Scott D’Amore late booked a bunkhouse brawl match between Swann and Karl Anderson for next week.

Ace Austin Defeats Tommy Dreamer in the Main Event

The stipulation here was that if Dreamer could beat Austin, he’d be added to the match at Victory Road with Christian Cage, making it a triple threat. Dreamer looked to have the match won with a cutter but Fulton put Austin’s leg under the rope to break up the pin. Dreamer then went to the outside to confront Fulton and drive him into a steel post. As Dreamer was getting back into the ring, however, Austin hit him with the Fold and picked up the win.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

Next Week:

  • Bunkhouse Brawl
    Karl Anderson vs Rich Swann
  • Moose vs Eddie Edwards
  • Chris Bey vs David Finlay
  • Rosemary vs Tasha Steelz
  • Steve Maclin vs Petey Williams

Victory Road (September 18th):

  • Impact World Championship
    Christian Cage (c) vs Ace Austin
  • X-Division Championship
    Josh Alexander (c) vs Chris Sabin

Posted September 3rd, 2021 in News, TNA. Tagged: .

Update On McMahon & Prichard Taking Control of NXT

Several reports have come out as of late regarding Vince McMahon & Bruce Prichard playing a larger role in NXT. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, a meeting was held with talent and staff in NXT recently. Reports of McMahon and Prichard’s involvement were addressed.

“There was a meeting with talent and staff where they were told the stories of McMahon and Prichard directly producing the weekly television show is incorrect,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The report continued to say that Prichard and McMahon are too busy to take on that role. Major decisions regarding the brand will now be made by upper WWE management, however. This includes the rebrand, roster cuts, and who gets pushed and/or protected.

“The new logo came from WWE with no input from the NXT people and it’s when it comes to the future of NXT and its rebranding, it’s said the people making the decision, on their own, are the likes of Vince McMahon, Nick Khan, John Laurinaitis, Kevin Dunn, and Bruce Prichard,” Meltzer continued.

It was also noted that there were many who had hoped changing to Tuesday nights would benefit NXT. That is not what has happened, however. Television ratings for the brand are averaging just under 650,000 viewers and a 0.16 over the last 10 weeks.

“Like with the cuts, all the major decisions as far as marketing, direction of the brand and promotion of the brand are all being made outside the NXT circle,” Meltzer continued.

Latest Report Signals The End Of An Era For NXT

Posted September 3rd, 2021 in News, NXT. Tagged: , .

Matt Cardona’s Trolling Continues With New GCW “Spinner” Belt

Matt Cardona knows just how to get under the skin of GCW fans. After defeating Nick Gage to win the GCW Championship earlier this summer, Cardona has now unveiled a specially designed GCW “Spinner” title. Text on the belt also refers to it as the GCW “Universal” Championship.

He unveiled the new belt on social media recently:

Cardona became the 20th wrestler to win the championship when he defeated Nick Gage for it at GCW Homecoming Night 1. Gage is the only person to have won the title more than once. His 2 reigns and 828 days spent with the belt are both records.

Cardona spoke with Sports Illustrated after winning the title from Gage. During the interview, Cardona talked about how it is his first world championship.

“This title is a big deal. I was fortunate in WWE to win the tag team title twice, the intercontinental title, and the United States title,” Cardona said. “But the GCW title is my first world title. So people are absolutely crazy if they don’t think I’m going to treat this as the biggest thing in the world. I took the title to Disneyland and posed in front of the castle.”

Posted September 3rd, 2021 in GCW, News. Tagged: .

Backstage Update On Riddle’s Comments About Roman Reigns

RK-Bro’s Matt Riddle has reportedly rubbed some people the wrong way backstage in WWE with his comments about Roman Reigns. Riddle recently said in an interview with the Bleacher Report that Reigns doesn’t “move the needle,” and isn’t a draw.

The reaction to Riddle’s comments was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. “There was a lot of heat in certain circles on Riddle for comments on Bleacher Report on Reigns. This was definitely not storyline related,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

“It was very much considered a negative by many with the basic theme that Riddle is incredibly talented, more so than he gets credit for, but he’s not very astute politically in the WWE jungle,” Meltzer continued.

Riddle has rubbed several WWE power players the wrong way. He’s had public feuds with Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, to name two. There’s no question that Riddle is a talented in-ring performer and fits the mold of WWE’s brand of Sports Entertainment. However, he could hinder himself by getting heat from the likes of Roman Reigns.

Matt Riddle Details Royal Rumble Verbal Altercation With Brock Lesnar

Riddle’s Comments About Roman Reigns

During the interview with the Bleacher Report, Riddle said Reigns doesn’t “move 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.”

Riddle and Randy Orton won the RAW tag-team championships from AJ Styles and Omos at SummerSlam. They’ve since defended the belts against MVP and Bobby Lashley on this week’s edition of WWE RAW.

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

Posted September 3rd, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

CM Punk Addresses Bryan Danielson to AEW Rumors

CM Punk has had trouble containing his enthusiasm for Bryan Danielson potentially joining him in AEW. He recently told a live AEW crowd that they might have to “be patient” after a “Yes!” chant broke out.

During an interview with WFAN, Punk addressed the rumors of Bryan potentially debuting in the company. “Listen, the 7 years I was gone, if you told me who is the one guy that could get you back to wrestling, you just have one match with them, it would be him,” Punk said when asked about Bryan on the show.

“I don’t know if that answers your question or not. The guy was in the WrestleMania main event 6 months ago, so that would be a huge acquisition. I think he could, just like me, I think he could do everything he wants to do.”

“For a guy like him and me, pro wrestling is art, this is our art.”

– CM Punk

Tony Khan was also asked about the rumors of Bryan Danielson during an interview on Wrestling Observer Radio. Khan opted not to answer questions about Danielson during the discussion, however.

“I can’t answer that question. It’s fair for you to ask that question but it’s not anything I could address on the Observer today but it’s fair enough for you to ask it. He’s one of the all-time greats,” Khan said.

[Potential All Out Spoilers?] On an interview with WFAN, CM Punk: "If you told me who's the one guy that could get you back to wrestling […] it would be Him."
byu/elizer_lives inSquaredCircle

Posted September 2nd, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: , .

WCW/TNA Star Daffney Unger Has Passed Away

Shannon Spruill, better known to wrestling fans as Daffney, has passed away. She was 46. Her death has been reported by Shimmer Wrestling at the request of her family.

Concern for Daffney’s well-being began last night after she posted a concerning video to Instagram live. Many people helped spread the word to get help to Daffney’s residence as soon as possible.

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1433248797031813124

Earlier this morning, TMZ reported that police had still not been able to contact Daffney by 7:25 AM PST. Shimmer then relayed news of Daffney’s passing this afternoon.

If you or anyone you know is struggling please know that help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1433490661765009408

Daffney performed with World Championship Wrestling from 1999-2001. She often teamed with Crowbar and David Flair. Daffney is a 1x former WCW Cruiserweight Champion as well. She also performed with TNA Wrestling from 2008 to 2011 and with companies such as SHINE and Shimmer.

Numerous people from around the wrestling world are paying tribute to Daffney online and urging others to reach out for help if they need it.

“RIP Daffney. This is so, so sad. You are never alone. You are loved,” wrote Indi Hartwell.

Posted September 2nd, 2021 in News. Tagged: .

Ric Flair Comments On A Possible 4 Horseman Reunion In AEW

Ric Flair recently took part in an interview with Renee Pacquette for her Oral Sessions podcast. During the conversation, Flair was asked if he would like to take part in a 4 Horsemen reunion in AEW.

“Let me tell you something,” Flair said (transcriptions via 411Mania). “If you’re at AEW and the Four Horsemen get together, everyone in the world watches. You’ve got Arn [Anderson], Tully [Blanchard], Barry [Windham] is sitting about a mile from here, and JJ [Dillon], you fly him in. You do a half-hour interview with [Tony] Schiavone and Jim Ross.”

Flair was also asked if he wants to get in the ring and wrestle again. The 16x World Champion noted that he would want to receive Vince McMahon’s blessing beforehand if he did.

“Get back in the ring and entertain? Absolutely,” Flair responded. “I would ask [Vince] first because I owe that to him.”

Will Ric Flair Wrestle Another Match?

We are coming up on the 10-year anniversary of Ric Flair’s last official match. He lost to Sting on an episode of Impact on September 12th, 2011. Flair got physical during the Andrade vs Kenny Omega match at TripleMania, however, as he and Andrade put Omega and Konnan in duelling figure four leglocks at one point.

During the podcast with Renee, Flair said while he likely couldn’t do a match of his own, he’d be happy being part of a match.

“No. I could be part of a match. I’d be happy doing that,” Flair said when asked if he wanted another match. “There’s another example, me and Andrade against Sting and Darby. What a great deal that is. The other day they were doing that thing where they were tapping their chests and stuff like that. I can see Sting is having the best time of his life. He’s one of the best guys to ever come along in our business.”

Flair most recently appeared on the NWA 73rd Anniversary show at the Chase Ballroom in St. Louis this weekend. He cut a promo during the PPV and came out at the end to congratulate the new champion, Trevor Murdoch.

Posted September 2nd, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

More NXT Cuts Coming: Veterans “On The Chopping Block”

NXT is going through a period of transition. There’s a new logo, a new directive, and Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard are going to play a greater role.

According to comments made on Wrestling Observer Radio, part of the changes coming to NXT in the near future could involve the release of top talents who have been on the brand for some time.

“I’ve heard names on the chopping block,” said Dave Meltzer. “You don’t know until it happens but I’ve definitely heard names.”

“A lot of the guys who’ve been there for a long time, those are the names that have been talked about.”

– Dave Meltzer on upcoming NXT cuts

What Are Vince McMahon’s and Bruce Prichard’s Role With The New NXT?

While Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard will be playing a greater role with the brand, Meltzer continued to say he’s heard they won’t be the executive producers of the show, though he doesn’t sound certain his sources would know if that was the case or not.

“The story that Vince and Bruce would be executive producers I was told is not the case but then again, I don’t even know who knows what right now because everything’s in transition,” Dave Meltzer said.

“The big picture stuff, (Vince and Bruce) are taking over. The new logo, I heard (it was) Kevin Dunn, but it’s from that side. The major stuff is going to be them but they are not going to be producing every segment of the show, I don’t think.”

Bryan Alvarez continued to say he’s heard from people who say that Vince McMahon will be “hands-on” with NXT moving forward.

“Paul Levesque certainly has lost power, there’s no doubt about that, and (Vince and Bruce) are going to be in charge of the big picture stuff. How detail-oriented they will be, that remains to be seen.”

– Dave Meltzer
Latest Report Signals The End Of An Era For NXT

Posted September 2nd, 2021 in News, NXT.

Braun Strowman To Wrestle EC3 At “Free The Narrative 2” PPV

Former WWE Universal Champion Adam Scherr (FKA Braun Strowman) will face EC3 on October 1st. The match will take place at EC3’s “Free the Narrative 2” and will be streamed on Vimeo here. The event will serve as a sequel to EC3’s first Free the Narrative PPV which aired in July. EC3 wrestled Matt Cardona on that show.

“Free The Narrative” is completely independent of any wrestling promotion. Set to an original score, FTN blends professional wrestling, cinema, and harsh reality in what will become the true definition of “creative freedom” for an industry that desperately needs it, and any performer that truly seeks it,” reads a description of EC3’s series.

Strowman was released from WWE on June 2nd. His 90-day no-compete window is believed to have expired yesterday.

“After his shocking dismissal from the corporate wrestling realm, join Adam Scherr on a journey of self-discovery in his return to the ring when Scherr battles ec3 in “Free The Narrative II: The Monster In Us All.” 

Where Else Might Braun Strowman End Up?

There has been plenty of speculation as to where Strowman might end up next. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, he is expected to end up in Impact Wrestling. It was also noted that the former Buddy Murphy is expected in the promotion as well.

“It appears that the former Braun Strowman and Buddy Murphy will be here, with Murphy as Buddy Matthews (his real name is Matthew Adams) and not sure what name Strowman will use,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Braun Strowman Likely Heading To Impact Wrestling (Report)

Posted September 1st, 2021 in News.

Matt Cardona Comments On Why He’s Not With AEW

GCW Champion and Pabst Blue Ribbon spokesman, Matt Cardona, was recently Chris Jericho’s guest on Talk is Jericho. During the discussion, Cardona spoke about his brief time in AEW and why it didn’t lead to something more permanent.

“AEW, it just didn’t work out at the time,” Cardona said (transcriptions via WrestlingNewsCo). “There’s so many people there, and there just wasn’t anything for me at the time.”

Cardona has wrestled twice for AEW. His first match was on the July 30th, 2020 episode of Dynamite when he teamed with Cody Rhodes and defeated the Dark Order’s John Silver and Alex Reynolds. He then teamed with Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall, and Scorpio Sky to defeat the Dark Order at All Out 2020.

“No hard feelings, not to say I’ll never be there again because I would love to be. Obviously, there’s no doubt AEW is the place to be. It’s the talk of the wrestling business every single week. Timing is everything, and it wasn’t the right time.”

In addition to his run in GCW, Cardona is also currently active in Impact Wrestling. He defeated Rohit Raju on the Emergence show on Impact Plus last month. Cardona also teamed with his partner Chelsea Green and made it to the semi-finals of Impact’s Homecoming King and Queen tournament in July.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tniiiK26OX0S4ZGSyWHYE

Posted September 1st, 2021 in AEW, GCW, News. Tagged: .

Riddle Comments On Potential Matches With Brock Lesnar & Goldberg

Matt Riddle has long wanted a match against Brock Lesnar. When the two met backstage at the Royal Rumble in 2020, however, it is believed that Lesnar told Riddle that a match between the two was not going to happen. According to comments Riddle made recently to BT Sport, however, he believes if he can keep raising his stock in WWE, the match will eventually make sense for all parties.

“When we had our little back and forth backstage at the Royal Rumble – I think about two years ago at this point now – he did not like me,” Riddle said about Lesnar (transcriptions via 411Mania). “Ever since I was a kid, people either hated me or loved me and I think I just rubbed them the wrong way just like I rubbed Bill [Goldberg] the wrong way.”

Riddle feels like at the time he spoke with Lesnar at the Royal Rumble, he wasn’t seen as valuable enough to Brock. He says that both Lesnar and Goldberg have seen him rise up the ranks in WWE recently, however.

“I made it a point to make myself valuable and I felt like at that point when I talked to Brock, I wasn’t valuable enough to him. Same thing to Goldberg when I was talking some trash. But now, they’re starting to see my stock rise.”

Riddle and Goldberg are said to have met backstage this summer in WWE. Things were much more respectful between the two and Goldberg even congratulated Riddle on his success on the main roster.

“I think as long as I keep working, I keep upping my value and upping my stock, eventually, it’s gonna be the right choice for them,” Riddle concluded.

Matt Riddle Reveals Recent Backstage Interaction With Goldberg

Riddle Targeting Roman Reigns?

Riddle recently made some comments about Roman Reigns in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Perhaps this is a case of the RK-Bro member targetting Reigns in the same way he has with Lesnar and Goldberg.

“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,” Riddle said.

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

Posted September 1st, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

CM Punk On What About AEW’s Locker Room Has Impressed Him

CM Punk makes his in-ring debut for All Elite Wrestling this weekend at AEW All Out. He’ll face Darby Allin in the most anticipated match of what’s happing up to be AEW’s biggest show of the year.

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Punk appeared on ESPN’s SportsNation this week and was asked about his decision to sign with AEW. According to Punk, AEW’s locker room has really impressed him.

“It kind of helped breathe life back into my love of professional wrestling,” Punk said of AEW. “I see this young, upstart company that’s full of what I call punk rock youthful exuberance. Rough around the edges but just so eager to learn and soak up everything they possibly can. It’s new and it’s exciting.”

CM Punk on AEW’s Locker Room

Punk continued to talk about how the AEW locker room keeping news of Brodie Lee’s illness a secret impressed him.

“One of the big things that turned me on to them and made me consider going there was, unfortunately, the wrestling world lost Brodie Lee last December,” he said. “His sickness and everything that came with it was known in the company but they kept it so secret. And wrestlers will always tell you that ‘oh the boys, we’re a big family, we care about each other, the wrestling business…’ none of that is entirely true but to see everyone in the company band together just to keep a secret about somebody’s health, I was blown away by that. I was blown away that it wasn’t plastered all over every single website and it was just kept secret. And that made me go, ‘there’s something to that locker room.'”

Watch CM Punk’s comments about choosing AEW over WWE below:

Posted August 31st, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

Ric Flair Comments On AEW Rumors and WWE Departure

It was a big weekend for Ric Flair. He took part in the NWA’s 73rd Anniversary show in St. Louis on Sunday evening. Flair cut an emotional promo during the show and then returned later in the evening to congratulate the new champion, Trevor Murdoch.

Flair recently appeared on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette and spoke about a variety of topics including what led to his departure from WWE.

“There is no animosity whatsoever. It was just business, I wanted to try something and they just had a different vision,” Flair said of his relationship with WWE on the show.

Renee then asked Flair what was the vision WWE had for him.

“To just get paid, basically, a lot of money. Nothing was wrong with that,” Flair responded. He would continue to say, however, that he wants to be out doing things in the wrestling business.

“Like this weekend, I’m doing the 73rd Anniversary of the NWA, which is a huge deal,” Flair said.

“I probably wouldn’t have been able to do that, not because Vince would have said no, it would have never got to him,” Flair continued.

“I talked to Vince after it was over and I just said whatever paths our lives take us, we’ll always be brothers and he said ‘you’re damn right.'”

Is Ric Flair Headed To AEW?

Flair also commented on rumors that he’s possibly headed to AEW.

“Yeah (Tony and I) are friends but I haven’t heard a word from Tony,” Flair said to Renee. “If he asks you, tell him I’m around. I hear you know someone that works there!”

Flair also noted that Charlotte Flair will likely never leave WWE.

“Ashley would never leave there, she’s the happiest she’s ever been,” Flair said.

The full interview can be listened to in the player below:

Posted August 31st, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

Pat McAfee Offers Adam Cole A “Legit Contract”

Adam Cole is a free agent. His WWE contract is believed to have expired on Friday and it is not clear where he will end up next. While some expect Cole to sign with AEW, there are others hoping a chance still remains he re-signs with WWE.

One darkhorse contender to sign Adam Cole to a contract appears to be Pat McAfee, however. The Smackdown commentator sent out a Tweet recently to offer Cole a “legitimate contract” to work on the Pat McAfee Show.

What is the latest on Adam Cole?

According to a report from PW Insider, a memo was sent out to some WWE employees recently letting them know that Adam Cole is no longer with the company. He is expected to field offers from other promotions. It was also noted that he could still re-sign with WWE. Previous reports have suggested that Cole is likely done with the company, however.

Adam Cole Considered “Done Internally” By WWE

According to a report from Talk Sport, Cole does not have a 90-day no-compete clause that he would have to wait out before debuting in another company.

“As part of the extension, Cole also managed to ‘kill the non-compete clause’ he would have had to fulfill,” wrote Alex McCarthy earlier this month.

Posted August 31st, 2021 in News, NXT. Tagged: , .

Tony Khan Compares AEW’s Roster To 1997 WCW

Tony Khan was recently a guest on Busted Open Radio. During the discussion, he mentioned that he sometimes likes to compare AEW’s roster to the one WCW had in 1997.

“I like to compare our roster sometimes to what I think was the hallmark great roster, which was 1997 WCW,” Khan said on the show (transcriptions via Fightful).

While WCW in 1997 had many top names including Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Hollywood Hogan, Sting, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash, Khan feels it was the young and underutilized talent that really could have helped the company in the long run.

“They had a lot of young talent that they didn’t realize and they could have built for the future to help make it a profitable company that they never want to shut down. They could have made it a money-printing machine if they developed the young talent in-house that they had like Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio.”

Khan would continue to say that those young names didn’t get an opportunity in WCW. In AEW, however, Khan says he’s proud of the young homegrown stars the company has been able to produce thus far.

“I do try to build stars for the future and that’s why you have so many great homegrown stars that are being featured at All Out. There are great opportunities here and I don’t think Jericho, Mysterio, and Guerrero got those same opportunities when they were on a roster with the all-time names like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, and Roddy Piper.”

Chris Jericho was on the roster in WCW in 1997 and is currently a member of the AEW roster. The role he is in has swapped, however. Back in 1997, Jericho was one of those young and underutilized guys. In AEW today, Jericho is an established name and the company’s first-ever world champion.

“What a great TV business they built with that roster that unfortunately didn’t last, but I think would have lasted longer if they had built the young stars the way I try to do,” he said.

Posted August 31st, 2021 in AEW, News. Tagged: .

Update On When Sasha Banks Could Return

Sasha Banks hasn’t wrestled since an August 7th WWE house show in Fort Myers, Florida. Both Banks and Bianca Belair were pulled from house shows two weeks ago, and Banks did not perform on SummerSlam either. Belair lost in just 25 seconds to Lynch at SummerSlam.

Banks is not expected back for Friday’s Smackdown or this weekend’s house shows. According to PWInsider, WWE is hopeful she will be medically cleared to return in time for the Madison Square Garden Super Show on September 10th.

“The hope, should all go well, is that Banks will return to the road for the company the weekend of 9/10,” wrote Mike Johnson. It should be noted, this is not a definitive return date, but that is when the company expects her to be back.

Sasha Banks Hiatus

It is not clear what has led to Banks’ recent absence from WWE programming or Belair missing house shows earlier this month.

Following WrestleMania in April, Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks have wrestled four times on WWE house shows. Belair has won 3 of those matches and they once went to a double count-out. Belair is the only person to defeat Banks in a singles match so far in 2021.

Posted August 30th, 2021 in News, WWE. Tagged: .

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