Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne revealed in April that they are expecting their first child. Rousey said her pregnancy dates back to January so the couple is likely looking at a September birth. Today, Rousey and Browne posted a YouTube video to reveal the sex of their baby.
“Our gender reveal is finally here! We didn’t want to do anything that would set hundreds of acres ablaze or thousands even, some people are idiots. We didn’t want to do that so we are keeping it simple, we are keeping it safe, we are keeping it Browsey Acres style,” Ronda said to begin the video.
An animated video then revealed the couple are expecting a girl.
Rousey spoke to ESPN shortly after WrestleMania 35 and revealed her plans to have a family.
“I’ve not kept it a secret that I would definitely want to start a family,” Rousey said. “But how do you go about doing that? I love this way more than I thought that I would. So do you just keep going until you just happen to get pregnant? Or should you stop and go try and get pregnant? Or is going and trying to get pregnant putting yourself on the spot and then you’re less likely to get pregnant?”
Ronda Rousey and Travis Brown revealed the sex of their baby in the below video:
WWE’s internal shakeups continue. Producer Sonjay Dutt is no longer with the company, as first reported by Fightful. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer adds that Dutt left on his own after asking to be released a couple weeks ago.
Dutt requested his release from Impact Wrestling in early 2019 and signed with WWE shortly after receiving it. The 39-year-old is a former X-Division Champion in TNA/Impact. Upon his retirement in 2019 was inducted into the CZW Hall of Fame as well.
Meltzer also reported that Canyon Ceman was also out as the Senior Vice President of Talent Development. However, WWE has denied Ceman’s release and Meltzer backtracked, calling it a “crazy story.”
Ceman has been with WWE since March of 2012. He is one of the most influential people behind the scenes, working closely with Superstars on their contracts and also scouting new talent for the company.
Prior to joining WWE, Canyon Ceman worked as an executive with the Association of Volleyball Professions after having playing pro volleyball for 14 years.
There have been numerous shakeups regarding WWE executives recently, however, including Mark Carrano’s release earlier this year.
Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher are currently a tag team in NXT. Ciampa recently was interviewed by PW Insider and was asked about possibly moving to WWE’s main roster.
“When I was a kid, I wanted like, ‘Oh, I want to be on WrestleMania and stuff.’ For sure, those were the goals. Because I was signed at 20, 21, and released, and then did a bunch of independents, and toured around the world, and just found myself and grew as a performer. It’s just all these different experiences I had, and it just became more about the journey than anything,” Ciampa said.
He would continue to say that it’s more about performing with talented wrestlers and building his legacy than it is about being on a specific show.
“The Raw brand is fantastic,” Ciampa continued. “Great roster, lots of talented men and women. Same thing with SmackDown, same thing with NXT. I’d love to get in there with everybody.”
Ciampa continued to talk about how he wants to build upon his legacy. and it doesn’t matter so much where he does so.
“It’s just more about me doing things that, I don’t know, help my own legacy at the end of it, that helped me, as a performer, grow and get better and stuff. There’s no door that’s closed, but at the same time, there’s no weird carrot that’s dangling in front of me, where I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s what I got to do.’ It’s just going with the flow of it all and making the most of every opportunity that’s presented to me, essentially.”
Triple H on Tommaso Ciampa Working Backstage in NXT
In 2019, Triple H spoke about Ciampa possibly working backstage in NXT after his in-ring career concludes.
“I’ll tell you, when the time is right, he’ll be a phenomenal coach,” Triple H said on After the Bell. “He’ll be a phenomenal backstage producer. We’re letting him get experienced in that now.”
“He’s picking up the things that we’re teaching him, and he’s putting it someplace else. And that’s gonna translate long-term in his career too.”
Yesterday, Jungle Boy Tweeted out a photo that showed him and the Dark Order’s Anna Jay in an embrace. Kenny Omega was not impressed. He took to Twitter to voice his dismay.
“Oh geez Louise…,” Omega Tweeted. “Is this the part where some loser out there tells me, “there are things in the world more important than titles”??
Oh geez Louise… ? Is this the part where some loser out there tells me, “there are things in the world more important than titles”??? https://t.co/gt9OctxXCT
The win for Omega was his 5th successful title defence after winning the title at Winter is Coming on December 2nd, 2020. Omega has defeated Rey Fenix, Jon Moxley, Rich Swann (title for title in Impact), Orange Cassidy and PAC (Triple Threat), and now Jungle Boy.
On July 26th, 2013 the Bella Twins appeared on an edition of E! Network’s Fashion Police. During the appearance, Nikki Bella commented on now knowing if Chyna was a man or a woman.
A video clip from the show has been shared online recently, leading Nikki Bella to issue an apology for her comments in it. “We don’t know if it’s a man or a woman,” she says in the clip.
Joan Rivers, who would pass away the following year, also made fun of Chyna during the segment.
Nikki Bella has issued an apology for her comments today. She wrote on social media:
“I want to sincerely apologize for a comment I made over 8 years ago on Fashion Police. I am sorry and embarrassed by my 29-year-old self, who offended Chyna and in turn, hurt her family and others.”
Nikki continued to say she wishes she could take back her comments.
“I wish I could it back. Please learn from me, it’s not worth hurting someone’s feelings for a meaningless laugh. Chyna will always be remembered as an icon and pioneer who helped create the opportunities for women in wrestling that exist today. Thank you Chyna! – Nikki Bella”
Update: Chyna’s family has replied to Nikki Bella’s apology:
Nikki has apologised on her page and in private. It was sincere. Please stop attacking her. Her apology has been passed on to the family also. She has grown as a person. There is no hate or Ill will. Please build each other up not tear down. Chyna believed in forgiveness ?? https://t.co/TqKh2Vj3N6
At the conclusion of the Blood & Guts match between the Pinnacle and Inner Circle last month, MJF threw Chris Jericho off the top of the cage. Shortly following the match, fans and a couple of wrestlers from WWE were critical of this or made fun of it online. Jericho addressed two wrestlers from WWE who were critical of the bump during his Saturday night live stream.
“Best of luck to anybody in our business, and anybody that bags on somebody who’s taking a chance and putting their bodies on the line can really f*** off,” Jericho said. “Especially people in the business. I could say some names.”
Jericho then mentioned there were some women from WWE who took shots at the bump.
“There’s a couple of chicks in WWE who said some stuff and they should probably not have said that. They probably weren’t trained any better, and in 6 months they’ll probably be asking us for a job anyways and I’ll remember that, so we’ll leave it at that.”
Shayna Baszler and Shotzi Blackheart each posted about the bump from Blood & Guts. Blackheart posted the following the night of the match:
Baszler posted the following the day after the match:
We don’t ACTUALLY want a village to be burned by a dragon in GoT. If they did that, that would be really bad. But if the special effects would have been garbage, it would have sucked also & everyone would have said so.
Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and WWE Hall of Famer Barry Windham was recently interviewed by Bill Apter. During the discussion, Windham was asked about his nephew Bray Wyatt and gave some surprising answers.
“I hope he makes the cut in WWE, we’ll just have to see,” Windham said when asked about Bray Wyatt.
Apter then noted that Wyatt has been an amazing performer. Windham would continue to say that he does not feel his nephew has been used properly in WWE, however.
“He has been (a great performer), he just hasn’t been used properly there,” Windham continued. When asked, however, Windham said he’s only seen some of the vignettes they’ve done with the Fiend.
“You know I haven’t really seen any of his matches, I’ve just seen a few of the little vignettes that he’s done.”
“He was always ready to be a wrestler growing up,” Windham continued to say about his nephew.
Back in 2018, Windham spoke to Hannibal TV about Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas.
“Bray is really doing well. He’s so good on the mic and Taylor (Bo) just needs a chance,” Windham said. “He’s really talented but to have him do that Bo-lieve thing for so long, it was just brutal.”
You can see the full discussion between Bill Apter and Barry Windham in the video below:
John Morrison returned to WWE in 2019 after having been gone for 8 years. During his absence, Morrison was involved in many film projects. These included his own Boone: The Bounty Hunter film.
Morrison was recently interviewed by TV Insider and spoke about working with scripted promos in WWE.
“Sometimes it’s improv, but I would call it more collaborative,” Morrison said about the creative process he and the Miz have in WWE. “We’re not going to talk or say anything without producers, agents, writers, Vince [McMahon]. As soon as we get anything, we read it and talk to each other. We may say, ‘These lines are crap. Let’s fix it the best way we can and then go talk to them about our fixes.’ It’s not good to be thrown into an office and just say something is garbage.”
Morrisson continued to talk about what he feels is the best way to handle things if they end up with lines they don’t like.
“You may say, ‘You know what I like better is this other option.’ We constantly do that. A writer or Vince may agree and say, ‘This is better. But you know what would be even better? This.’ It then evolves…”
Morrison continued to say that they work hard but also have a lot of fun with the promos and backstage segments they do.
“Also, something that is lost on so many people is it takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable and be affected by something. Just being cognizant about that, which I wasn’t during the first run. Doing improv and saying things. We are having fun, but we also work really hard on the promos. Everything you see on TV, it’s a process.”
Tyler Breeze was one of several names released from WWE last week. The former NXT tag-team champion had been with the company for 11 years. During a streaming session on Twitch over the weekend, Breeze spoke about his release and time with the company.
“I was with the company for eleven years,” Breeze said. “An eleven year run in the biggest wrestling company in the world is unheard of, it’s a huge thing. Most people are there for three or four years. The fact that I was there for 11, fantastic, more than I could ask for.”
In terms of what comes next for the 33-year-old, that is not yet clear. Breeze said he has a lot still to consider.
“I’ll be streaming and we have a lot of stuff to figure out,” he continued. “A lot of stuff is still in the works. Yes, I’m setting up my Cameo again, I’m just waiting for them to approve it. There’s a lot of stuff in the air that we’re slowly figuring out. You guys will kinda know as I know. We’re trying to figure out a lot of stuff.”
Breeze also sounded noncommittal over continuing his wrestling career following his release from WWE. He stated that he has not yet made up his mind if he’ll continue.
“Will I continue my wrestling career? I don’t know, we’ll have to see,” Breeze said. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Breeze also confirmed that he has a 90-day no-compete clause with WWE.
On the 100th episode of his House of Hardcore podcast, Tommy Dreamer spoke to his longtime rival, Raven. During the discussion the two on-screen enemies discussed a variety of topics including Raven’s early time in ECW.
“As soon as I saw (ECW), the first episode I saw I was like ‘this is the best TV show I’ve ever seen, I gotta to be on this,'” Raven said. “I called Page to call Paul E because I didn’t know Paul E. I didn’t know his number and I didn’t think he liked me anyway. I figured DDP has always been a good friend to me. He called Paul E and Paul E hired me to put you (Dreamer) over.”
Raven continued to say that Paul Heyman had a different understanding of the Raven character at first.
“He thought it was going to be like a comedy gimmick. He didn’t really get where I was going,” Raven continued.
Raven Says Paul Heyman Saw Himself Through Dreamer and Raven
Raven continued to say that once Heyman got the character, he started to see himself in it.
“Bookers always see themselves through a certain wrestler’s eyes. Like Vince sees himself through Lex Luger, The Patriot and the Million Dollar Man. That’s who he views the world through and Paul E saw the world through my eyes and (Dreamer’s) eyes.”
Tommy Dreamer and Raven Comment On Their Rivalry
Dreamer and Raven then spoke about his favorite parts about the rivalry.
“My favorite thing part about the Raven/Dreamer feud, was you were a very giving heel,” Dreamer said.
“I’m a giving lover too,” Raven interrupted to add.
“Behind the scenes, it was all about to make the match better. It wasn’t like you wanted to get yourself over,” Dreamer continued.
Dreamer and Raven then spoke about what each other meant to their careers.
“Without you there would be no Tommy Dreamer. You had an amazing mind for what I would say is layering a finish,” Dreamer continued.
“You were the perfect dance partner,” Raven said. “I couldn’t have had a better dance partner to open up my new career with.”
Dreamer and Raven went through much of their long feud with one another during the podcast. The full discussion between Raven and Tommy Dreamer can be viewed in the player below:
Joey Janela has been on the shelf since wrestling Hangman Page on the go-home episode of Dynamite before Double or Nothing. Page defeated Janela on the show before then defeating Brian Cage on the PPV.
Janela appeared recently on the Wrestling Perspectives podcast and spoke about dealing with a concussion.
“I’ll be coming back soon. I’m dealing with an injury right now, a little concussion deal. S**t happens, everyone knows that, it’s wrestling. All sports, everyone gets concussions. I’ll be cleared from that in the coming weeks, maybe the coming weekend. I’ll be good and hopefully doing AEW stuff soon. Things were about to pick up for me right before [the concussion].” (transcriptions via Fightful).
Not long after his match with Page on Dynamite, Janela posted a video to Twitter noting that he will have to miss his bookings in June.
Before getting injured, Janela and Sonny Kiss appeared to be building an angle. Janela’s character seems like it might be going heel as he was making excuses for not coming out to help his tag-team partner. In the below backstage segment from Dark 2 weeks ago, Kiss seems to be done with their team. Janela then tried to blame Alex Marvez for his recent actions.
AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker was recently interviewed by Sporting News. During the discussion, Baker spoke about the improvement seen in AEW’s women’s division as of late.
Baker was asked about fans who are critical of how AEW has handled its women’s division.
“The match that I had with Thunder Rosa we put everything we had out there. We had the women’s eliminator tournament, we have so much to look forward to. We have so many talented females on our roster: myself, Hikaru Shida, Tay Conti, Red Velvet, Jade, Thunder Rosa, Anna Jay. It’s not something you can just turn a blind eye to anymore. We’ve improved so much, we’re putting out great content,” Baker responded.
Baker then continued to say that perhaps some of the division’s critics simply don’t want to like it.
“So, at some point you have to really look at yourself in the mirror and say: Do you not like the women’s division, or do you just not want yourself to like the women’s division?” Baker continued to ask.
Shortly after losing to Sami Zayn on the Hell in a Cell PPV, Kevin Owens took to Twitter to say he was taking some time away. Now, he’s scheduled to face Sami Zayn in a Last Man’s Standing match on next week’s Smackdown. The winner will qualify for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
What is going on with Kevin Owens possibly taking time away from WWE was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio.
“I asked ‘what’s up with Kevin? Is he hurt? And it’s like ‘No, he asked for personal time off,'” Meltzer said on the show. “I was told that specifically.”
“Well, he got a week off!” said Bryan Alvarez.
Why Owens seemed like he was taking time away but now has a match scheduled for next week is not immediately clear.
“This booking is giving me a headache. Trying to decipher this booking, it doesn’t work,” Meltzer continued.
I fought like hell. Now, I need a little break. I’ll be back soon.
As Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn square off next week on Smackdown, their hometown Montreal Canadiens will be in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This is the first time the team has made it to the finals since 1993. A few months after the Canadiens beat the LA Kings in the finals that year, the Quebecers (Jacques Rougeau and Pierre Carl Ouellet/PCO) won the WWF tag-team championships.
I am so amped up. I can’t believe this is real. Let’s go boys.#GoHabsGo
Aleister Black has announced that he’s signed a sponsorship deal with combat sports apparel and equipment company, Hayabusa. Black took to Twitter to announce the news yesterday.
“Only have so many characters that I can type but as of today I am officially sponsored by @hayabusacombat. Which ironically was the name of one of my favorite wrestler growing up. More to come as I will give some cool stuff away for you hip kids that hit bags and pads,” he Tweeted.
Only have so many characters that I can type but as of today I am officially sponsored by @hayabusacombat. Which ironically was the name of one of my favorite wrestler growing up. More to come as I will give some cool stuff away for you hip kids that hit bags and pads pic.twitter.com/mhjfYrK41G
Where Aleister Black/Tommy End ends up next is something many fans are wondering about. According to comments made by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio last week, he’s likely headed to AEW.
“Unofficially, because you are not allowed to negotiate and all that but I certainly have heard at one point not many days ago to expect him in AEW,” Meltzer said. “Officially, there’s no deal and there can’t be a deal until end of August, I think.”
During an appearance on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette, he mentioned wrestlers he hopes to face in his post-WWE career.
“I want to get in the ring with Moose, Callihan, Mox, Omega, Chris Daniels. My god. There is such an array of crazy talent. I think Jungle Boy is great. Hobbs, I think Hobbs is awesome. Brian Cage, Brody King from Ring of Honor. Homicide, I would love to get in there with Homicide, I think Homicide is the OG, I love Homicide, tons of respect. Eddie Kingston is another one.”
4 Horsewoman of MMA Marina Sharfir was one of several names WWE released yesterday. News of her release is said to have come as bit of surprise as there were reportedly plans in place for her to be part of upcoming storylines.
“It’s a cold world. Good thing I was born in Moldova. Thank you to everyone who reached out and thank you for the opportunity @WWENXT. I will continue to be the hardest worker in the motherfucking room, but now i need to be keen. I’m not done,” Shafir Tweeted.
It’s a cold world. Good thing I was born in Moldova. Thank you to everyone who reached out and thank you for the opportunity @WWENXT. I will continue to be the hardest worker in the motherfucking room, but now i need to be keen. I’m not done.
The “Supernova from Moldova” signed with WWE in 2018. Shafir’s MMA career finished with a 1-2 professional record after having won 5 straight as an amateur. Her last MMA fight was in July of 2015. She’d marry Roderick Strong later that year and she gave birth to their first child the following April.
WWE announced that her and Jessamyn Duke signed in May of 2018. She lost her final WWE match back in January when her and Zoey Stark were eliminated in the 1st round of the Dusty Rhodes Classic. Most of Shafir’s WWE matches were untelevised. From 2018 to 2021 she only wrestled 8x on WWE programming.
The Bollywood Boyz/Singh Brothers were two of several releases made by WWE yesterday. They made their WWE debuts in the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic and then were packaged together with Jinder Mahal in 2017. They would be by his side as he won the WWE Championship that year.
The brothers from Burnaby, British Columbia took to Twitter today to share some comments they received from Bret Hart following their release.
Before signing with WWE, the Bollywood Boyz competed for TNA’s India based promotion, Ring Ka King in 2011. They also performed for Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling promotion in 2015. They won the promotion’s tag titles that same year. Between the two of them they are also 9x WWE 24/7 title-holders. Sunil has held the title 4x and Samir has held it 5x.
“All the bumps, torn ACL’s, dislocated shoulders, it’s all been worth if for the last 5 years. And how ironic, we finished our last match with a shoulder hanging out of socket It’s fitting we got fired while showing up for wrestling training – we love what we do, with a passion,” the team Tweeted out following their release.
All the bumps, torn ACL’s, dislocated shoulders, it’s all been worth if for the last 5 years. And how ironic, we finished our last match with a shoulder hanging out of socket
It’s fitting we got fired while showing up for wrestling training – we love what we do, with a passion
Tyler Breeze was one of several members of the NXT brand to be released yesterday. The 33-year-old had been with the company since 2010. Several people connected to Breeze have commented on his WWE career and release on social media recently.
Bayley had the following to say regarding Breeze:
“Breeze spent so much time teaching me things in the ring, watching my matches, little details, character work, (and later teaching me in LIFE) that I would literally write WHAT WOULD BREEZE DO on my wrist for my matches,” she Tweeted.
Breeze spent so much time teaching me things in the ring, watching my matches, little details, character work, (and later teaching me in LIFE) that I would literally write WHAT WOULD BREEZE DO on my wrist for my matches. pic.twitter.com/GVbLfk2qk2
Amanda Huber also spoke about Breeze on Instagram. She mentioned how Breeze was one of the only people who knew from the beginning when Brodie Lee first got sick. Amanda wrote a touching note about how much Breeze’s friendship has meant to her family.
“When I met @mmmgorgeous we were in FCW. We were cool but ended up both being injured once and we would keep each other from going insane by waking up and playing borderlands 2 online together. Through this video game we realized that we were the ying to the others yang.”
WWE has made the Universal Title match at Money in the Bank official. After Edge returned last night on Smackdown, a title match between him and Roman Reigns on the PPV was made official during Talking Smack.
During the Talking Smack broadcast Seth Rollins was a guest and was not happy about Edge being granted the title shot. Rollins stormed off of the set in response.
Talking Smack aired footage that took place immediately following Smackdown involving Edge confronting Adam Pearce. Edge told Pearce he wants the match that should have happened at WrestleMania and was then granted it.
The updated card for Money in the Bank is as follows:
WWE Championship Bobby Lashley (c) vs Kofi Kingston
RAW Women’s Championship Rhea Ripley (c) vs Charlotte Flair
Men’s Money in the Bank John Morrison vs. Ricochet vs. Riddle vs. Big E vs TBD
Women’s Money in the Bank Asuka vs. Naomi vs. Nikki Cross vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella vs TBD
The event is scheduled for July 18th from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. It is scheduled to be the 12th such PPV in the Money in the Bank lineage dating back to 2010.
Trent from the Best Friends took to Twitter today to share post-surgery photos. Evidently, the AEW star had neck fusion surgery recently. He’s been out of action for over 2 months. His last match was on April 21st when he faced Penta El Zero Miedo on Dynamite. There is currently no timetable for his return.
Trent had actually only been back in action for a few weeks after missing 4 months due to a torn pec. He missed from December 16th to April 7th due to that injury.
Mainly due to Trent’s injuries, the Best Friends have spent only 1 week in the AEW top-5 tag-team rankings this year. They were ranked on January 6th, 2021 but haven’t been back in the top-5 since. They’ve only wrestled two 2-on-2 tag matches and both were on Dark: Elevation. The last time the Best Friends challenged for the AEW tag-team titles was in October. They dropped a title match to FTR on the October 14th, 2020 Dynamite show.
As for the other members of the Best Friends squad, Kris Statlander is currently ranked #4 in her division and has a match with the Bunny tonight on Dynamite. Niether Orange Cassidy or Chuck Taylor have matches upcoming on the schedule. Cassidy beat Cezar Bononi last week in singles competition and is currently ranked #3 in his division, however.
Fandango’s last match came on an episode of NXT taped on June 15th. Along with Tyler Breeze, Fandango defeated Imperium.
Tyler Breeze
Breeze had been with WWE since 2010, when he made his debut for Florida Championship Wrestling. He’s a former NXT Tag Team Champion with Fandango.
Tony Nese
Tony Nese last wrestled on an episode of 205 Live taped on June 15th. He lost to Ikemen Jiro on the show. Daivari’s last match was the week prior where he teamed with Nese and defeated the team of Ari Sterling & Asher Hale.
Nese is a former 1x WWE Cruiserweight Champion. He defeated Buddy Murphy on the WrestleMania 35 Kickoff show to win the belt. Nese had originally been hired by the company in 2016 for the Cruiserweight Classic and subsequent launch of 205 Live.
Thank you everyone! I don't care about how unwatched and underappreciated 205 was. I busted my ass every single time I stepped foot in the ring doing whatever was asked of me with no questions asked. I can't wait to be that type of employee for someone else.
Daivari was also signed to WWE in 2016 for the Cruiserweight Classic that year and subsequent launch of 205 Live. His older brother, Shawn Daivari, currently works as a producer for WWE.
Thank you all for the kind words and support. It's time to put sports entertainment behind me and get back professional wrestling.
News of WWE cutting several cruiserweight wrestlers comes at the same time there are reports that NXT plans to put greater emphasis on the division. The Diamond Mine and KUSHIDA are both expected to play a major role in the division moving forward.
Ever-Rise
Ever Rise, Chase Parker & Matt Martel, lost to Hit Row on this week’s episode of NXT. They recently signed new contracts with WWE.
WWE has let go writer Kenice Mobley. This comes after comments the comedian made on the “Asian Not Asian” podcast where she said WWE did not require her to know anything about wrestling.
News of Mobley’s release was reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.
WWE writer Kenice Mobley has been let go. She was in the news this week after a podcast appearance where she said she wasn't familiar with the product.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) June 25, 2021
For what it's worth, I'm told fan reaction to Kenice Mobley's podcast appearance had little to nothing to do with the decision for WWE to let her go. I was told it was more of an internal concern. What she was told, I'm not sure.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) June 25, 2021
I mean, it absolutely had to do with the podcast, but not the fan backlash.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) June 25, 2021
What Did Kenice Mobley Say?
Earlier this month, Mobley appeared on the Asian Not Asian podcast and spoke about her new job on the WWE creative team.
“Yes, I have just been hired by WWE. Given the things that you know about me and my entire life and what I’m into, yes [that’s surprising]. Yes, also a surprise for me. They did not require me to know anything about wrestling but I do have a background in film production and comedy writing and they’re like, ‘Perfect. Come on in,” she said (Transcriptions via Post Wrestling).
She continued to talk about being assigned to the WWE RAW team. Mobley then commented on WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and the Hurt Business.
“So I am on the Monday Night Raw team. So there’s Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown and the people I know that are on it are Bobby — his name is either Bobby Ashley or Bobby Lashley and I really should know that. He’s like this giant Black guy and he and the people who are part of his crew, I know that they call — or at least as of last year, they called themselves The Hurt Business. The Hurt Business. They wear suits and they’re like, ‘We’re cool.’”
Mobley doing standup on the Tonight Show can be viewed below:
Leading up to WrestleMania, it was reported that plans were in place for Becky Lynch to return during the event. That never happened, however. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lynch’s return at Mania didn’t happen because she was in the process of negotiating a new deal with WWE.
“Lynch wasn’t used at WrestleMania as first talked about and teased by her because they were waiting for her to sign a new deal, which is now in effect and because they felt it was too early to debut her before she would be back wrestling,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
The report would also say that Lynch’s return to WWE is expected to happen soon. She has been training at the Performance Center and was backstage at Hell in a Cell.
Previously, it was mentioned in the Observer that Lynch would return at Mania in a segment that had something to do with a big vehicle akin to Austin’s beer truck or Kurt Angle’s milk truck. A talking segment with Bayley would have been where she made her return.
Lynch herself sent out several teasers on Twitter in the build to WrestleMania that she would be there. She sent out the below Tweet teasing she’d appear on Night 1 of Mania this year:
WWE is heading back to the UK in September. The company has just announced a 4-show tour from September 19 to the 22nd.
Newcastle – Utilita Arena (Sunday, September 19, 2021)
London – The O2 (Monday, September 20, 2021),
Cardiff – Motorpoint Arena (Tuesday, September 21, 2021)
Glasgow – The SSE Hydro (Wednesday, September 22, 2021)
WWE made a point to note that this will be a “Smackdown tour.” Promotional materials for the tour include only Smackdown roster members. It is rumored that WWE could have a draft that takes place at the end of August or beginning of September, however.
WWE has not been in the United Kingdom since November of 2019. A tour had been scheduled for May of 2020 but was postponed due to the global pandemic.
The tour will conclude with a return to Scotland for former WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre in Glasgow. McIntyre spoke with Talk Sport last year about his goal of bringing a WWE PPV back to the UK.
“This situation has affected a lot of plans, let’s just say things were looking positive and when things are looking a little bit more normal, I’ll be pushing once again because, we’re on the right path and it’s not a case of if it will happen, it’s when it will happen. We’ve just got to roll with the punches right now and eventually we will get that UK PPV we deserve,” McIntyre said in the interview.
WWE Live is coming home to the UK!
This September don’t miss your favourite @WWE Superstars in NEWCASTLE, LONDON, CARDIFF and GLASGOW including Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair, Big E, Sasha Banks, Bayley, The Usos and more!
NJPW has announced that for the first time ever, episodes of New Japan Strong will be filmed in front of live fans on August 16th. The show will take place from Thunder Studio in Long Beach.
NJPW has revealed that “extremely limited tickets” will start on June 30th. They are also advertising that 9 matches will take place on the show. General admission seats are $60 with ringside seats going for as much as $120.
NJPW listed the following names as being on the show:
NEVER Openweight Champion: ‘Switchblade’ Jay White
STRONG Openweight Champion ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor
‘Flamboyant’ Juice Robinson
‘The Man of the Hour’ Lio Rush
Shota Umino
Ren Narita
‘Mr. No Days Off’ Fred Rosser
‘The Alpha Wolf’ Karl Fredericks
‘Wild Rhino’ Clark Connors
‘Young Gun’ Hikuleo
It doesn't end with a Resurgence.
We're going to continue STRONG!
Amid huge popular demand, Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021 will see fans at #njpwSTRONG matches in Long Beach's Thunder Studios August 16!
“Premiering in August 2020 on NJPW World and FITE, NJPW STRONG began without a live crowd, but has quickly become critically acclaimed and a favorite of fans around the world,” an NJPW press release reads.
The show will be part of NJPW’s “Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021” series of episodes of Strong. The New Japan Strong tapings will take place 2 days after the Resurgence event from The Torch at the LA Coliseum.
Impact Wrestling on 6/24 featured a tag-team title match and Tommy Dreamer receiving a new role in the company. The promotion is continuing to build to Slammiversary on July 17th.
Impact 6/24 Quick Results:
Rosemary defeated Tasha Steelz
Deonna Purrazzo defeated Susan
Rohit Raju & Shera defeated Petey Williams & Trey Miguel
Jake Something defeated Sam Beale
Impact Tag Team Championships Violent By Design (Deaner & Joe Doering) defeated Satoshi Kojima & Eddie Edwards
Rosemary and Havok Move Closer To Tag Title Shot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nSdGwJt_Zw
After Rosemary and Havok dumped Fire N Flava in the trash last week (where they discovered a bag labelled “Mickie James”) Rosemary took on Tasha Steelz in singles action to kick off this week’s show. After Kiera Hogan attempted to get involved from the outside, Havok came to ringside in support of Rosemary. Rosemary then picked up a victory with her double-underhook slam finish she’s titled “As Above So Below.”
Josh Matthews noted on commentary that this result moves Havok and Rosemary closer to a title shot.
Tommy Dreamer To Serve As An Impact Consultant For Anthem
Last week on Impact, Anthem sent a representative to deal with the Don Callis situation. That representative turned out to be Tommy Dreamer. This week, it was revealed by Dreamer himself that Anthem has asked him to stay on as a consultant and he will oversee operations in the wrestling promotion. How this will impact Scott D’Amore’s role is not immediately clear.
Deonna Purrazzo is Done With Susan & Kimber Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL2_6VvCOCI
The Knockouts Champion said she was done with Kimber Lee and Susan last week and this week she faced Susan in singles competition. Purrazzo picked up the win with the Fujiwara armbar and then continued the assault after the match. She left the ring area shouting at both Kimber Lee and Susan that she was done with them.
Don Callis and Tommy Dreamer Agree To Huge Main Event Next Week
Don Callis visited with Tommy Dreamer in a backstage segment and said there were no hard feelings over his firing last week. Callis then issued a challenge for next week with Tommy Dreamer fielding a team of guys to go up against Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers. As the show would go on, Moose, Sami Callihan, and Chris Sabin would be revealed as the members of Team Dreamer.
Sides Being Taken In The X-Division
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPItR3OSurE
The return of Ultimate-X at Slammiversary has the X-Division all at odds with each other. Chris Bey said in a backstage segment this week that he’s not going to choose sides and that’s what’s going to help him become a 2x X-Division Champion. Petey Williams and Trey Miguel told him he better pick a side before a side picks him.
Later in the show, Rohit Raju and Shera would defeat Williams and Miguel following a distraction form the outside by Ace Austin and Madman Fulton. The heels continued the assault after the match but this brought out X-Division Champion Josh Alexander for the save. He succumbed to the numbers disadvantage as well, however. Meanwhile, Chris Bey watched from the ramp but chose not to get involved.
Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace Hash Things Out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rpf-IuagLY
After winning but then losing the Knockouts Tag Team titles in quick succession, Rachael Ellering and Jordynne Grace have had their problems in recent weeks. This week, Ellering opened up to Grace about their string of losses and problems with Tenille Dashwood. Jazz came out to help settle things between the two. Grace eventually said she needed time to think and headed to the back. Then Dashwood and Kaleb came out but Ellering was not in the mood this week. She challenged Dashwood to a singles match and then her and Jazz cleared the heels out of the ring.
Jake Something Defeats Sam Beale Despite Brian Myers’ Coaching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3z9my6qVdY
Brian Myers is serving as something of a mentor for Sam Beale at the moment. It didn’t help Beale much this week, however, as he was defeated by Jake Something. After the match, Myers’ lesson to Beale was that in order for him to be a success, he must do the opposite of what Something does.
Violent By Design Retain Tag Titles Over Satoshi Kojima & Eddie Edwards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjth2H5fia8
Eddie Edwards teamed with NJPW’s Satoshi Kojima this week and challenged the tag champions from Violent By Design. Eric Young’s stable uses the Freebird rule to defend the titles and this week it was Deaner and Joe Doering who did so.
After a back and forth title clash, it seemed as though Edwards and Kojima had VBD right where they wanted them. Edwards charged out of the corner to hit Doering with the Boston Knee Party but the big man countered it into a sit down power-bomb for the 3-count. It was a convincing win for Violent By Design. They closed the show by celebrating on the stage with the belts.