Cardi B is reportedly set to be the guest host of SummerSlam this year. The news was first reported by Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast. The recording artist is someone WWE has had on their radar for some time now.
Back in January, Cardi B posted to Twitter after her name was dropped on an episode of WWE RAW.
“Ok nomore wwE tweets I haven’t watched it in years.I was just confused on all the wwe tweets I was getting.Before this last thing I Hurd bout it was about a sexy wrestler name Carmella,” Cardi Tweeted.
Back in April, Stephanie McMahon specifically mentioned that it would be “really cool to work” with Cardi B.
“I think it could be really cool to work with Cardi B, Stephanie McMahon noted on the Rich Eisen show in April. “She had a tweet she put out not long ago which was in reference to her name on the show. I think she’s so colorful herself and so vivacious and full of life that I think she would even bring it up a notch in WWE. I think she’d be awesome.”
Many fans were surprised when the former Peyton Royce and Billie Kay were amongst the mass roster cuts in April. Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay say they were also shocked by the release. They spoke on the subject during a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio.
“it was a total shock. I had no idea,” said McKay (transcriptions via Post Wrestling). “When I got the phone call, I thought it was in regards to something else. I was like, ‘Oh, they need me to do something. I’m needed for something else’ and when I heard those words, ‘We’re going to release you,’ my heart dropped and I was just — I was so shocked and I was just heartbroken and I don’t have any answers and I don’t think I’m ever gonna get answers. So at the moment I’m just trying to have peace with that.”
Cassie Lee also spoke about not expecting to be released.
“So, it was absolutely a shock because obviously they do the budget cuts once a year but they hadn’t done it in a while and then I thought last year’s was just purely because of the pandemic so, I didn’t see it coming and maybe I should have, especially because I was really doing nothing since they split us up so,” Lee said. “I was like laying in the middle of a massage in my bedroom and the husband [Shawn Spears] walks in and says, ‘You should probably check your phone’ and I was like, ‘Um, okay’ and then I checked it and I was like, ‘Yep, I’m done.’ Jumped up off the bed not wearing anything and that’s when I realized what was going down.”
Where Will The Iiconics Sign With Next?
With the former Iiconics now free agents, many fans are wondering where they will end up next. They spoke about possibly ending up in either AEW or Impact Wrestling.
“It’s tough because for example, AEW, I think we could really help their women’s division,” Lee said. “They don’t necessarily have a women’s tag division, I could be wrong, I’m not sure. But I just feel like we have that TV experience that we could bring to the division and help build that up and with IMPACT, they have a women’s tag team division, a well-established — the Knockouts division that I easily feel we could slip into so it’s like, I feel like we have a lot to offer both of them and it’s — I don’t know, I don’t know.”
“It’s tough to figure out where you think would be the best fit because we are wrestlers but then we are heavy personalities and characters and we love that so I think it’s just blending the two like we always have and just figuring out which company we think we would be better with, you know? AEW or IMPACT,” said McKay.
Shaquille O’Neal says that he’ll be back inside a wrestling ring soon. The NBA legend was asked on an episode of NBA on TNT when he’ll be wrestling again and he responded that he expects to wrestle again this summer.
“Soon. This Summer,” said the 49-year-old.
O’Neal has two official pro-wrestling matches on his record. He competed in the 2016 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32. It seemed as though his appearance in the match was to set-up a program with the Big Show. That program never seemed to develop, however.
O’Neal’s second official match in wrestling came just under 3 months ago in AEW. O’Neal teamed with Jade Cargill and defeated the team of Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet. The match took place on March 3rd’s “Crossroads” event. While Shaq’s team came out on the winning end of the match, he was sent through two tables and taken away in an ambulance. Cargill pinned Velvet to win the match for her team.
It is believed that Shaq had been training for the match for awhile. His preparation for Crossroads was addressed by Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live.
“I talked to several people and what I’ve gathered is that Shaq has been training for awhile,” Alvarez said on the show.
“I know there were rumors that he had been secretly training since the summer, I don’t know if it’s been that long,” Alvarez continued.
When WWE presents the 34th edition of SummerSlam this August, it will take place on a Saturday rather than the traditional Sunday night. The company has announced that the show’s date has officially been moved from Sunday August 22nd to Saturday, August 21st.
“WWE today announced that SummerSlam 2021 will take place on Saturday, August 21 from a summer destination location,” reads a WWE press release for the event.
The date change moves the show onto the same day as the Manny Pacquiao vs. Errol Spence Jr. fight in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium is among the frontrunners to host the venue, with stadiums located in Miami, Inglewood, Houston and Nasvhille also under consideration.
SummerSlam Main Event, Host
The rumored main event for SummerSlam 2021 is said to be John Cena taking on Roman Reigns. That has not been confirmed, however, but WWE is said to have big plans for Cena’s return to the company.
Other reports have indicated that WWE plans to have a “bizarre” host for SummerSlam this year. The host will apparently fit with a planned theme for the show.
Upcoming WWE Tour Dates
WWE also announced the following tour dates:
Saturday, July 24: Supershow – PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh
Sunday, July 25: Supershow – KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
Saturday, July 31: Supershow – Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee
Sunday, August 1: Supershow – Little Caesars Arena in Detroit
Monday, August 2: Raw – Allstate Arena in Chicago
Friday, August 6: SmackDown – Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
Saturday, August 7: Supershow – Hertz Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.
Sunday, August 8: Supershow – Stephen O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.
Monday, August 9: Raw – Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
Friday, August 13: SmackDown – BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Saturday, August 14: Supershow – Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Sunday, August 15: Supershow – Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
Monday, August 16: Raw – AT&T Center in San Antonio
Friday, August 20: SmackDown – Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix
Saturday, August 21: SummerSlam (Venue TBD)
Sunday, August 22: Supershow – Ball Arena in Denver
Monday, August 23: Raw – Pechanga Arena in San Diego
Friday, August 27: SmackDown – Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Ark.
Monday, August 30: Raw – Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City
Friday, September 3: SmackDown – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
Monday, September 6: Raw – American Airlines Arena in Miami
Impact Wrestling 5/27 featured Moose & Sami Callihan teaming up to take on the Good Brothers. Matches were booked for Against All Odds and Satoshi Kojima arrived to challenge Joe Doering.
Impact Wrestling 5/27 Quick Results:
TJP & Fallah Bah defeated Josh Alexander & Petey Williams
Rosemary, Jordynne Grace, Rachael Ellering, Tenille Dashwood, & Havok defeated Deonna Purrazzo, Kiera Hogan, Tasha Steelz, Kimber Lee & Susan
Crazzy Steve & Taurus (Decay) defeated Johnny Swinger & Hernandez
The Good Brothers defeated Sami Callihan & Moose
TJP Pins X-Division Champion Josh Alexander, Ironman Match Booked For BTI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfkyXUHexnE
TJP and Fallah Bah teamed up to defeat Petey Williams and X-Division Champion Josh Alexander this week. The finish of the match saw TJP pin Alexander with the Mamba Splash. The pinfall over the X-Division Champion should put TJP in line for the next shot at the title. It also moved TJP and Fallah Bah up the rankings in the tag-team division.
Later in the show, TJP challenged Alexander to another match for the title. Scott D’Amore then interjected and made an Ironman match for “Before the Impact” the company’s pre-show weekly event. That match will take place next week. TJP and Alexander shook hands after the match was booked.
W. Morrissey Rips Fans For Recording Him Suffering A Seizure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWAHkontss
W. Morrissey is not happy with how fans and others from the wrestling industry have treated him in the past. He cut an intense promo this week and referred to the time that fans recorded him suffering a seizure at a House of Hardcore event in late 2018. He also ripped his current rivals, Willie Mack and Rich Swann, before Swann appeared out of nowhere and attacked.
Rosemary Pins Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoPnRUb68EE
The second singles champion to be pinned on the show this week was Deonna Purrazzo. In a 10-person Knockouts tag-team match, Rosemary picked up the win for the babyface side when she hit a double-underhook slam on the champion and got the 3-count.
Satoshi Kojima vs Joe Doering In Impact Wrestling
Violent By Design cut a promo this week celebrating their tag title victory over FinJuice last week. Young reminded everyone that this world does not belong to you, it belongs to them. Satoshi Kojima then hit the ring and stared down his longtime rival from AJPW, Joe Doering. These two haven’t met since 2010 but the last time they did, Kojima defended the Triple Crown title against him in a show from Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
Kojima challenged Joe Doering to another match at Against All Odds. While Doering didn’t say anything at the time, he would later accept the challenge in a backstage interview.
Matt Cardona Out 12 Weeks With Broken Orbital Bone, Brian Myers Doesn’t Care
It was revealed this week that Matt Cardona will be out of action for 12 weeks with a broken orbital bone following the attack last week by Brian Myers. While Dr. Foreman was giving an update on Cardona’s condition, Myers interrupted, seemingly irate that they are wasting time talking about Cardona on the show. Sam Beale then walked in and this seemed to irritate Bad Mood Brian as well. Myers then told Beale he is going to teach him to be “professional.”
Decay Pick Up Victory Over Johnny Swinger & Hernandez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34sbs09yptw
Before Crazzy Steve and Taurus took on Johnny Swinger and Hernandez, they got into a backstage altercation with Violent By Design. Crazzy Steve berated Deaner for being a follower and set up what could be a possible match between the two down the line. It was noted that both Crazzy Steve and Deaner were trained by Eric Young. Decay then picked up the victory over the pair from Swinger’s Palace, Johnny Swinger and Hernandez after Steve hit Swinger with a flying DDT.
Moose and Sami Callihan Implode in Match Against The Good Brothers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MNk5vi79bc
Moose is the number 1 contender for Omega’s Impact World title but Sami Callihan seems to be interjecting himself into things as well. Callihan cut a promo to start the show that was interrupted by Moose who reminded Callihan that he is the one to challenge Omega next. This led to a match where Callihan and Moose teamed up against the Good Brothers.
The two could not get along during the match, however, and Moose delivered a pump kick to Callihan while he was setting up Anderson for a piledriver. This led to the Good Brothers giving Callihan the Magic Killer for the win. Moose then took out Callihan with a spear and told him to mind his business to close the show.
Coming Up In Impact Wrestling
The following matches are upcoming in Impact Wrestling:
Before the Impact – Next Week 7 PM est
X-Division Championship 60-Minute Ironman Match Josh Alexander (c) vs TJP
Next Week:
Tables Match Rohit Raju vs Jake Something
Satoshi Kojima vs Deaner
Knockouts Tag Team Championships Fire N Flava (c) vs Jordynne Grace & Rachael Ellering
Against All Odds – June 12th, 2021
Impact World Championship Kenny Omega (c) vs Moose
W. Morrissey (the former Big Cass) cut a promo on Impact Wrestling last night that while delivered in character, covered some very real issues. In late-2018, Morrissey suffered a seizure while at a House of Hardcore wrestling event. Some fans filmed him as he was in medical distress and the video was submitted to YouTube, as well as picked up by TMZ and other outlets. He addressed this incident during his promo on Impact last night.
“Every time that I’ve fallen down in this industry, every time that something bad has happened to me or I made headlines for all the wrong reasons, people kicked me when I was down,” Morrissey said. “When I had a seizure in front of 1500 people in Philadelphia, PA, those fans that love us and adore us, do you know what they did? They took out their phones, and instead of dealing 9-1-1 they recorded it and put it on YouTube and then everybody in the world got to watch me at my most vulnerable point.”
Morrissey’s time in Impact Wrestling has been notable thus far. Since debuting in the promotion, Morrissey has been feuding with Willie Mack and now appears to be moving into a program with Rich Swann.
Morrissey’s full promo can be viewed in the player below:
WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling have had talks regarding a potential partnership that would change the entire landscape of the professional wrestling industry.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE President Nick Khan has been negotiating with NJPW in a deal that would see WWE become NJPW’s exclusive partner in the United States.
“In what could end up being among the biggest wrestling stories of the year, or a non-story, depending on the end result, Nick Khan has been in talks with New Japan Pro Wrestling about WWE being the exclusive American partner with the promotion,” Dave Meltzer wrote.
There have been several indications that something major in pro-wrestling has been brewing. WWE is said to possibly be loosening its stance on not working with other companies. Nick Khan appears to be the driving force behind this. NJPW has been sending talent to Impact Wrestling and AEW over the last few months.
“There are no indications where talks are at past they date back to late March or early April. But it would include WWE sending talent and WWE top stars being allowed to work in New Japan if talks go anywhere,” Meltzer continued.
Where Daniel Bryan Fits In
Daniel Bryan recently made several comments regarding wanting to work with other wrestling companies and WWE at the same time. His recent free agency and teases it could be leading to something major may factor into this. Bryan’s free agency was discussed earlier this month on Wrestling Observer Radio.
“I will just say that if anyone tells you that they know, they are lying to you,” Meltzer said about Bryan’s situation.
“There’s some crazy things going on in wrestling, some really crazy things going on in wrestling but they haven’t happened yet. I’m sure one of them will be when he shows up somewhere, which could be WWE, could be somewhere else. That’s about it for now,” Meltzer continued.
WWE & NJPW Talent
Bryan also said in recent interviews that he feels WWE wrestlers would do well in NJPW. He used Cesaro and Otis as examples.
“If all of a sudden you saw Cesaro in New Japan for example like people would be like, ‘oh my god, this guy is the greatest!’”
“I think you put Otis in New Japan and people would be like ‘Holy cow! This guy is amazing!’ Like Vader from the 90s type of vibe. People think of him as the worm guy but it’s just a different presentation.”
Bryan also hinted that he would like to see a talent-exchange between NJPW and WWE.
“I’ve brought it up to a lot of people and now is more than ever is a time when people are open to new ideas,” Bryan said during the interview. “I think I have made some headway whether any of it actually happens, who knows?”
“I also think it would just be good for WWE and just wrestling in general. For people that are in the developmental system right now, for them to be able to go and learn in other places. I wouldn’t be the performer I am today if I hadn’t wrestled in Japan and not just like Japan where it’s like sports stuff but also like Butlins in the UK where it’s all comedy.”
The 34th edition of SummerSlam is reportedly to take place from one of the newest and most state-of-the-art stadiums in the world. Allegiant Stadium cost $1.9 billion to build and opened last July. It is the home of the Las Vegas Raiders and the UNLV Rebels.
According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Man Podcast, the stadium which sits at 3333 Al Davis Way in Las Vegas will be the home of SummerSlam this year. There is also expected to be a host for the show that has been described as “bizarre” and will fit the theme of the show.
Much like Raymond James Stadium, Allegiant Stadium has a pirate-like atmosphere due to being home to the Las Vegas Raiders, though this doesn’t necessarily mean Titus O’Neil and Hulk Hogan will be back dressed up in costume.
After speaking to a few people in Vegas who would know… I can confirm that SummerSlam will take place at Allegiant Stadium. pic.twitter.com/O5mKGLjO5n
As of this writing, SummerSlam is currently scheduled to take place on August 22nd, 2021. Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to face Errol Spence Jr. the night before on August 21st, 2021 somewhere in Las Vegas. That fight is rumored to either be taking place in Allegiant Stadium as well or the nearby MGM Grand. WWE’s big event being so close to such a high-profile boxing bout could cause some scheduling issues and/or changes.
Zarian continued to Tweet on the situation. He teased that “SummerSlam won’t be on a day you think it will be on.”
SummerSlam won’t be on a day you think it will be on.
The Twitter account Wrestle Votes is hinting that SummerSlam would be moved to the Saturday night this year. This would put it on the same day as the Manny Pacquiao fight, however.
The rumors of SummerSlam from Las Vegas taking place outside of a Sunday are correct according to a source. Hearing that internally the show is listed for Saturday night 8/21. Credit to @AndrewZarian for the initial date tweet.
There is also belief at the moment that WWE has big plans for John Cena’s return. Cena’s recent apology to China for referring to Taiwan as a country was reportedly an issue backstage in WWE with Vince McMahon having sent out an internal email in response. It is not clear what was written in that email, however.
There is the belief that WWE is planning a big main event for SummerSlam. Cena could be involved as WWE looks to pack Allegiant Stadium for the show.
Chris Jericho evidently spent part of his evening last night watching some of the Rock’s matches on YouTube. Jericho then took to Twitter to say that the Rock was one of the best ever inside a wrestling ring.
“Going down the @YouTube rabbit hole tonight and one thing is clear….he may be the biggest box office draw in Hollywood today, but my goodness, let’s not ever forget how GREAT @TheRock was in the ring. One of the best ever …” Jericho Tweeted.
This drew a response from The Rock himself, who offered up the following reply to Jericho.
“This means a lot, thank you brother for these words. You’re one of the GOATS and man the fun we had electrifying the millions around the world. What an honor. And I still owe you a receipt for that tobacco spit incident,” Rock Tweeted in response.
Chris Jericho and the Rock faced each other in singles action 9 times throughout their careers. 6 of those matches were for a world title, with the world title changing hands between them in half of those encounters. In total, Jericho leads the all-time singles series between the two with 5 wins to Rock’s 4.
You can view their Twitter interaction here:
This means a lot, thank you brother for these words. You’re one of the GOATS and man the fun we had electrifying the millions around the world. What an honor. And I still owe you a receipt for that tobacco spit incident ?? https://t.co/w9QsVaQbj2
All Elite Wrestling has announced that the NWA World Women’s Championship will be defended this weekend on the Double or Nothing Buy-In show. NWA Women’s Champion Serena Deeb will defend against former AEW Women’s Champion, Riho.
Deeb recently returned from knee surgery that had kept her out of action for 3 months. She defeated Red Velvet in a well-reviewed match on last week’s edition of Dynamite. 23-year-old Riho hasn’t wrestled in AEW since March 10th. She picked up a victory over Maki Itoh on the first-ever edition of AEW Dark: Elevation.
This will be just the 2nd ever match between Riho and Deeb. They met back in February in the 1st round of the AEW Women’s title-eliminator tournament. Riho pulled out the victory in a match, which is the likely reason she has been granted this title shot.
The announcement of this match comes one day after a new #1 Contender to the NWA Women’s title was not able to be determined on last night’s edition of NWA Powerrr. Thunder Rosa and Kamille wrestled to a 20-minute time limit draw on the show. It is now unclear who will challenge for the belt on June 6th when the NWA presents its next PPV, When Our Shadows Fall.
Fans of Alexa Bliss know that she enjoyed the companionship of a pet pig named Larry Steve for many years. Unfortunately, Larry Steve passed away yesterday just before turning 4 years old. The loss has been difficult for her and she posted a very tearful message early this morning to thank fans for their support.
“Hi, I just wanted to get on here real quick and say thank you to everyone who has reached out about Larry and to let everyone know that I really appreciate the amount of support and the people who have called and texted,” Bliss says in the video. “I will get back to you, I just can’t yet because we’re still trying to wrap our heads around what happened.”
“Larry went very quickly, digressed really quickly, and we don’t really fully understand it yet. But he was surrounded by people who loved him. My family was there, we were petting him, and Ryan was playing him music on his guitar because Larry loves music.”
Alexa put out several messages yesterday asking people for help finding a vet who will treat pigs. She said her normal vet was uncomfortable doing so in the condition Larry Steve was in. In her video, Alexa implored animal care workers to do more to help animals like Larry.
“And I just want to say to any animal care person or vet, no matter how big an animal is or how different they are, please help them. I hope Larry’s story helps open people’s eyes to the realities of having animals around his size and I just want people to do better.”
“We are going to celebrate Larry’s birthday tomorrow. I really want to do something where we celebrate his birthday and maybe do a charity thing to raise money for an animal rescue and if that’s something you guys are interested in or seeing or anything like that just let us know and again thank you.”
AEW Dynamite will not air tonight in its usual time slot due to the NBA Playoffs. Instead, it will air on Friday night. According to a report from PW Insider, this will also be the case for next week’s show.
Dynamite will air on Friday night at 10 PM est next week on June 4th, 2021 instead of its usual timeslot.
Additionally, it is being reported that his likely won’t be the last time Dynamite is preempted during the NBA Playoffs. Following the conclusion of the NBA Playoffs, AEW Dynamite will return to its normal time slot on Wednesday nights.
Unfortunately for AEW, this means both the important go-home show for this weekend’s PPV and the usually high-rated first post-PPV edition of Dynamite will not air in its usual time slot over the next 2 weeks.
TBS Move Could Prevent Preemptions
AEW’s move to TBS in 2022 will likely prevent further preemptions of Dynamite. TNT has a lot of sports programming and these have caused disruptions to Dynamite’s schedule over the last two years.
Tony Khan was asked about Dynamite possibly moving nights to make room for the NHL back in April. Khan said at the time they would consider a move if it made sense for AEW. Knowing what we know now, it’s likely Khan already knew about the move to TBS at this time.
“If there was ever an opportunity to move, or if there was a deal to be had, I would consider it,” Khan said back in April. “If we did something, it would have to be a really good deal for AEW.”
The former Enzo Amore (now nZo) was knocked out over the weekend during an SWE Fury television taping. nZo took a DDT on the outside of the ring and was stretchered off. He returned to social media recently to provide a rather unique update on his condition.
Appearing in a neck brace and dressed as Andy Kaufman for some reason, Enzo had the following to say:
“I’m out of the hospital now,” nZo begins in the video. “But I’m sure you read the headlines. Enzo Amore DDT’ed on concrete at SWE Fury show by Ivan Warsaw. Well, I’d like to thank all the fans for the prayers. Pennies from heaven is what I call them. But if we’re talking change let me tell you something, if I had a dime for every time I got knocked out and didn’t get back up I would have….what do we have over here? Zero Dimes!”
nZo then bashed a piggy bank with a hammer at the end of the video, to further emphasize that he would not have any dimes in the scenario he mentioned above.
Adnan Virk is gone from WWE just 43 days after the company announced his signing on April 12th.
In a brief statement issued Tuesday morning, WWE confirmed the two parties had mutually agreed to part ways. They thanked him for his work.
Adnan Virk served as the lead announcer of WWE Raw for seven weeks. He addressed his followers on Twitter and cited ‘the weekly travel along with his other jobs’ as reasons for the gig not working out.
Thanks to @WWE for a wonderful opportunity. The weekly travel along with my other jobs was a grind for me and my family. Am grateful to everyone with the company especially @WWEGraves and @ByronSaxton for being such fantastic teammates. https://t.co/lrP0fCAMXz
Shortly after his hiring by WWE in April, Virk appeared on the Sports Illustrated media podcast. He spoke about the new role he was taking on.
“It’s been a lot of excitement and elation mixed with trying to balance all the different balls in the air,” Virk said. “When that [WWE] news actually came, I felt like I was jumping out of a birthday cake.”
“I was a rabid fan, I wish my dad still had the Hulkamaniac shirts I had as a kid,” Virk continued. “But me and my brother would watch it all the time. Being Canadian, I’ll never forget Wrestlemania VI at Skydome when it was Hulk Hogan against Ultimate Warrior.”
Virk was dismissed from ESPN in 2019. It was reported that his release was due to ESPN leaks being made to other outlets. Virk also spoke about this during the interview last month.
“I think it was an overreaction on their part, but at the same time, it’s a major corporation that they’re overseeing,” Virk remarked on his exit from ESPN. “It’s not always a fair argument the way that things get framed, at the same time Jimmy, all that I’m doing now is based on the nine years that I put there.”=
Marcus “Buff” Alexander Bagwell has been arrested in Georgia for multiple driving-related offenses. Bagwell was charged with a slew of offences on Saturday night. These included DUI, hit and run, giving false info to a police officer, and reckless driving.
According to the Georgia Gazette, Bagwell was charged with the following:
Driving under the influence of drugs (Misdemeanor)
Failure to yield when entering an intersection (Misdemeanor)
Following too closely
Hit-and-run; duty of driver to stop at all return to the scene of an accident (Misdemeanor)
Duty upon striking a fixed object (Misdemeanor)
Reckless driving
Driving within a gore or median or emergency lane (Misdemeanor)
Giving false name, address, or birthday to a law enforcement officer (Misdemeanor)
License to be carried and exhibited on demand (Misdemeanor)
Bagwell was arrested in Cobb County, Georgia, a town with a long history of law and order in professional wrestling. According to PW Insider, he was released on bail yesterday.
Last August, Bagwell was hospitalized following an automobile accident. Reports at the time of the accident suggested Bagwell was under the influence of prescription medication at the time.
John Cena has apologized to China for calling Taiwan a country during a recent media interview to promote Fast and the Furious 9. The island is self-governed but China has claimed the territory despite this for over 70 years.
China pushes back on international messaging that involves Taiwan being referred to as an independent country and John Cena is the latest to experience this. Cena did an interview with local media in Taiwan and mentioned that it will be the first country to see the film.
“Taiwan is the first country that can watch F9,” Cena told the broadcaster in Mandarin.
Today, Cena took to China’s Weibo social media platform and delivered a message in Mandarin. He did not refer to Taiwan by name but spoke about having done a lot of interviews and having “made a mistake.”
“I’m sorry for my mistake,” Cena said. “I must say now, [it’s] very, very, very, very important [that] I love, and respect even more, China and the Chinese people.”
John Cena begs the CCP for forgiveness for calling Taiwan a country.
Here is his original quote: "Taiwan will be the first country to see Fast & Furious 9. This movie is really great—and it's huge," the WWE superstar said on May 8. "You'll be the first to see the film". pic.twitter.com/cwfnHKqxFX
Several airlines recently changed how they refer to Taiwan as a flight destination/route. This was in response to complaints by the Chinese government as well.
“Like other carriers, American (Airlines) is implementing changes to address China’s request. Air travel is global business, and we abide by the rules in countries where we operate,” American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson told CNN.
Per popular request, here's Mr. John Cena's apology video with English subtitles. I kept all the incoherence in the video, as well as the curious absence of what he's actually apologizing for pic.twitter.com/WmJlRcyOID
“Please say ‘Taiwan is part of China’ in Chinese, otherwise we will not accept,” one person wrote.
“I don’t understand why the Chinese people should be so tolerant to him, who has a vague political stance while profiting from Chinese people,” another wrote.
A&E and VICE TV are both airing new episodes of documentary series’ dedicated to wrestlers at the moment. This week, both docs-series will place a spotlight on the life and career of the Ultimate Warrior.
The A&E documentary episode aired Sunday night and WWE creative team member and husband to the late wrestler, Dana Warrior, took to Instagram to comment.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPOpLr7DU92/
Dana was asked if she had any involvement in Dark Side of the Ring’s episode on her husband in the comments section of her Instagram post.
“Do you know about Dark Side doing a documentary on Warrior coming out Thursday? did you approve of this? please let us know” a follower asked her.
“I had no part in this project. Smut and filth does not rise to my note,” Dana Warrior responded.
Dana Warrior On Ultimate Warrior’s Daughters Making Him A Better Person
Many people have criticized the handling of Ultimate Warrior’s legacy by WWE due to past hateful comments he made throughout his life. Dana Warrior’s response to this has always been that having daughters made Warrior a better person. She says that they taught him not to hate in this way.
“I will not be disloyal to my husband’s memory or speak ill of a man who is not here to defend himself. I can, however, tell you his heart was changed by conversations with his two daughters. The true testament of the man behind the character is his ability to evolve. My husband did just that,” Dana Warrior said in a statement in 2017.
AEW broadcaster Jim Ross recently named Randy Orton as the best pro wrestler in the world. Ross acknowledged that some people would give that honor to Kenny Omega, but Orton is still his pick.
Chris Jericho gave his two cents on the matter on Monday. According to Jericho, Omega is the best wrestler in the world – and believes that ‘fact’ is impossible to argue.
“In my opinion, Kenny Omega is the best wrestler in the world today,” said Jericho. “Others may feel differently, but I’ve been in the ring w everybody currently working on top & there’s nobody close. That’s why Kenny’s AEW Champ-the most protected title in the biz. It’s Impossible to argue,” Jericho Tweeted.
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— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) May 24, 2021
Despite the high praise from Jericho, Omega does not seem impressed.
“Meh. I’d rather believe the bigot cuck, dimwit e-drones, and the guy that thinks I’m the WWE champion,” he Tweeted in response.
Meh. I’d rather believe the bigot cuck, dimwit e-drones, and the guy that thinks I’m the WWE champion. https://t.co/X7LEIldMwT
The two Winnipeggers have met in singles action twice. The first time they met was at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Omega won the match which was for the IWGP United States Championship. The second time they met in singles action was at Double or Nothing 2019, when Jericho defeated Omega.
Omega and Jericho have met in tag-team action 5x. Jericho’s side has won 3 of those matches and Omega’s side has won twice. Their last match against each other was at Double or Nothing 2020 when Omega’s Elite stable defeated the Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match.
Chelsea Green hasn’t performed in a wrestling match since the November 13th, 2020 edition of WWE Smackdown. She broke her wrist in the match and would not be seen on WWE television again before being released last month. Green also had surgery recently to replace a plate in her arm from a previous injury.
According to a report from Fightful, Green is only expected to miss about 6 weeks following the surgery. This would mean she will likely be cleared for when her 90-day no-compete clause with WWE expires on July 15th, 2021.
There is a lot of ongoing speculation as to where Green could end up next. She is a former Knockouts champion and had a great run in Impact as “The Hot Mess” Laurel Van Ness. Her fiancé, Matt Cardona, is also currently in Impact as well. Cardona is in a feud with former tag partner, friend, and podcast co-host, Brian Myers. It was reported this week in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there have been talks between Impact and Green about her returning to the promotion.
Green recently took part in an interview with Metro UK and listed Playboy, being killed in a horror movie, and becoming a social media influencer as all being on her radar currently.
“Definitely, I wanna be killed in a horror movie. I’ve always wanted that, I always found it so hilarious where you see the girl running and they always trip and fall, and then they get killed,” Green said.
“When one door closes, so many more open. Sometimes you can’t see what those doors are gonna be,” she continued.
Enzo Amore returned to the ring this weekend for a big SWE show in Texas. Unfortunately, fans in attendance are reporting that Enzo was knocked unconscious and stretchered off during the show.
According to fan reports, he took a DDT on the outside of the ring and was knocked out. He was taken away on a stretcher just before the show went to intermission.
No further updates on Enzo’s condition are available at this time. He did return to Twitter this morning, however, to pay homage to the anniversary of the tragic death of Owen Hart.
The SWE promotion out of Texas has been bringing in big names for shows as of late. In addition to nZo, W. Morrissey (FKA Big Cass), Melina, Teddy Long, Charlie Haas, the Boogeyman, Rodney Mack, Christi Jaynes, Ivelisse Velez, Rosemary, and Salina De La Renta were booked on this show. The event was a scheduled TV taping for the show “SWE Fury.”
Where can I watch SWE Fury?
Episodes of SWE Fury are posted every week to YouTube for free. The most recent episode of the promotion’s television show featuring Cazz XL in action is available in the player below:
Mojo Rawley was released from WWE as part of the company roster cuts last month. The former Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner and 7x 24/7 Champion recently teased online that fans are about to see the “real him” when he’s free to perform again shortly.
“10 days until you get me. The real me. The version of me I’ve been so reeeeaaadddy to share with y’all for a decade,” Rawley Tweeted.
10 days until you get me. The real me. The version of me I’ve been so reeeeaaadddy to share with y’all for a decade. #StartTheCountdown!!!!!
In a recent interview, Rawley spoke about the difference between training for his NFL and WWE careers.
“I was surprised to see the extent of how different the training is,” Rawley said (Transcriptions via Sportskeeda). “In football, I was a defensive lineman so my weight training was centered around achieving mass and power. I did mostly high weights and low reps. My cardio training primarily required me to operate at a high energy output for short bursts throughout a football game. Now, my cardio and weight training has to enable me to function nonstop throughout a match. I have to be able to function continuously throughout the entirety of a whole match. Quickness within a ring is more important than straight line speed on a football field. The structure of my training has changed completely but my training style has not. Intensity, conditioning, power and HYPE!”
Jey Uso recently returned to WWE on the Smackdown brand. He’ll team with his brother Jimmy next week in a match against the Street Profits. The 35-year-old recently spoke with Yahoo Sports about the history of Samoans in wrestling.
“I think the Samoan people have made wrestling,” Jey Uso said. “Pro wrestling is right down our alley, we’re just physical people, strong, quick. I feel like we were just made to do this. Being a part of it now and seeing all of the blood that has been laid before me, the whole family tree, it’s very humbling and I’m so proud I am part of this.”
Jimmy and Jey Uso are both from the Fatu side of the Anoa’i family dynasty in wrestling. The Tonga Kid/Tama/Sam Fatu is their Uncle, as was Umaga, and MLW World Champion Jacob Fatu is their cousin.
“As I’m a part of the business now and as a man, you see Peter Maivia rocking the traditional Samoan tattoo, known as the Pe’a, right there, my mind is already blown because at that time they probably looked at him like he was crazy,” Uso continued. “That was telling me that he wasn’t afraid to show people who he was. The heritage, being proud of who he was. The tattoos, that’s our thing, we wear the markings on the skin to show the world who we are, what we are and how we are.”
Jey Uso on his father Rikishi and the Rock
Uso would continue to say that his father Rikishi and the Rock helped to break stereotypes in wrestling while still honoring their heritage.
“The cool thing is that my dad was part of those stereotypes when he was with the Headshrinkers,” Uso said. “When my dad gets with Too Cool and dyes his hair blonde, now he’s adding layers to his character. Now he starts dancing, now he’s got these hip-hop guys with him. That was a feel good moment. Same thing with The Rock. He was so witty and when he started cutting those promos, the way he talked and looked, you wanted to be around him.”
“These guys gave off great energy and that’s what Samoan people are, period. We’re happy people. We’re very, very family oriented. I think that’s what resonated with people and it started to bleed through the screen, to the point where people started to realize that these were fun, cool dudes.”
Moose picked up a big win at Under Siege this weekend. He is now the #1 contender to Kenny Omega’s Impact World Championship. He noted on Twitter recently that he is hoping to win the title before he becomes a free agent next month.
Moose recently teased that he could show up in NXT:
Moose and Kenny Omega came face-to-face last night on Impact. Sami Callihan surprisingly made the save for Moose when he appeared to be outnumbered. Moose teased that he could show up at Double or Nothing to confront Omega as well.
Moose has been with Impact Wrestling for close to 5 years now. In that time, he’s yet to win the Impact World Championship despite being in the title picture for years. He’s been the TNA World Heavyweight Champion and the Impact Grand Champion but never the Impact World Champion. He was defeated by Rich Swann in a TNA World Champion vs Impact World Champion title for title match at Sacrifice 2021.
Moose spoke with Sportskeeda earlier this year about his progression as a pro-wrestler.
“I still feel like I have a lot to learn, in growing every day as a performer. I’m going to keep doing it. Right now, I’m still working on my in-ring and my promos, my body. Hopefully, soon, you guys will see close to a finished product,” Moose said during the interview.
Posted May 21st, 2021 in TNA, News. Tagged: Moose.
WWE is reportedly looking to sign a popular Canadian wrestler who had been banned from entering the United States for years. In 2016, Bailey was caught entering the United States without a work visa to wrestle and was banned from entering the country for 5 years. His ban expired last month and Bailey is now a sought-after free agent.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is looking to sign Bailey and make sure he has a work visa to enter the United States as well.
“(WWE) is working on signing and getting visa issues taken care of for a deal with Speedball Mike Bailey,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Bailey was interviewed earlier this year by WrestlingHeadlines and spoke about his options in wrestling.
“I have friends right now and people I want to work with in all the major promotions. Of course, there’s a lot of pros to AEW and there’s a lot of pros to NXT..there’s also a lot of pros to Ring of Honor. Same with IMPACT, who I think have been putting out a phenomenal product for the past several years, and everyone I know that works there seems happy,” Bailey said.
“Over the last five years I’ve had to redirect my career and I’ve been traveling internationally…I’ve spent a lot of time in Japan, in Europe, doing indies in Canada. I’ve been teaching wrestling as well and that is something I love to do. So I consider all those perfectly cromulent options going forward. I could teach full-time or I could keep traveling, or I can go to Japan full-time, or I can sign with any major company. Whatever makes the most sense at the time is what I will do.”
Mike Bailey vs Brian Cage from Smash Wrestling can be viewed in the player below:
It’s been a difficult last few weeks for New Japan Pro Wrestling. The company has postponed its two planned “Wrestle Grand Slam” events including the May 29th show which was to eminate from the Tokyo Dome. At least 9 wrestlers on its roster has tested positive for COVID-19 following night 2 of Wrestling Dontaku at the start of the month. On top of all that, Will Ospreay has been forced to vacate the IWGP World title due to a neck injury.
According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, several of the promotion’s foreign talent are upset with the company over being kept in the dark regarding the company’s schedule and quarantining rules.
“There is also a lot going on behind-the-scenes with New Japan since the COVID outbreak and unhappiness regarding going through quarantine, particularly among the foreign contingent,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
The report would continue to say that wrestlers who have tested positive for the virus have been quarantining in the Dojo. The only reported names at this point are David Finlay and Jay White.
“There is a lot of unrest among some of the foreign talent because of the situation there, the dates canceled and the feeling they’ve been kept in the dark,” Meltzer continued.
David Finlay Considering Leaving NJPW?
Recently, it was reported that David Finlay is looking at options outside of NJPW. His father Fit was on a podcast recently and spoke to his sons situation.
“I don’t know how New Japan are going to handle this new outbreak or, I don’t know, no one does,” Finlay said (transcriptions via POST Wrestling). “But, he’s a little bit confused at the minute as what to do next, you know? Is he going to stay in Japan, does he want to try here, like WWE or whatever. But him and I are gonna sit down when he does eventually come home and try and figure it out but he just needs a little bit of wisdom put in his head. Not that I have any.”