SEScoops

Author: Chris Stephens

  • Britt Baker On How Important Tony Schiavone Has Been To Her Success

    Britt Baker On How Important Tony Schiavone Has Been To Her Success

    AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker recently spoke on how important Tony Schiavone has been to her success. She was interviewed on the “In the Kliq” podcast when she made the below comments.

    “I will never be able to thank him for how much he’s helped me in all aspects of my life. He’s one of my best friends,” Baker said of Schiavone.

    “Anytime there’s anything going on, good, bad, you know, he’s one of the first I call, first I talk to when I’m excited or to vent about [something] but just how he helped me, especially early on with those promos.”

    When AEW first started, Baker was being portrayed as a babyface. She started to really find her stride shortly after turning heel, however. Tony Schiavone played a big role in her early heel promos.

    “When I first turned heel, I don’t know where I would be without him because it was — I was so nervous to be cutting these live promos as a bad guy, something I had never done before and I just always knew in the back of my head, ‘Hey, if anything goes wrong, I have Tony Schiavone here. Like, he’s pretty good at this. We’re gonna be okay.’ So just to have him there and along for the ride and just like this lasting friendship I have with him, I’m so thankful for.”

    Britt Baker and the Pittsburgh Steelers

    Baker, a noted Pittsburgh Steelers fan, seemed to have been stressed out last night when the Sunday Night football game almost ended in a tie, something that would have eliminated her Steelers from appearing in the playoffs.

    Baker headlined AEW’s Battle for the Belts event on Saturday night. She faced and defeated the #1 contender to her title, Riho. Currently, there seems to be some dissension brewing with her and her ally, Jamie Hayter that could potentially lead to a storyline rivalry between the two as well.

    H/T to Post Wrestling for the above transcriptions.

  • Ruby Soho Comments On Moving In With Sarah Logan

    Ruby Soho Comments On Moving In With Sarah Logan

    Ruby Soho revealed in a recent interview that she is currently living with her former Riott Squad teammate, Sarah Logan. Soho is godparent to Logan’s child along with Viking Raider Erik. In a recent interview with the New York Post, Soho noted that she moved onto Logan’s farm in Ohio almost a year ago.

    “I tell a lot of people often I want you to picture that exact opposite of the lifestyle that you think I would live and that’s the lifestyle that I live,” Soho said. “It was a pretty easy decision. I moved here in I believe February, probably closer to March of last year. I am godmother to Sarah’s son, Cash, and she asked me to be as much as part of his life as possible.”

    Logan gave birth to her first child last February. She was in labor for 44 hours. The child is named Raymond Cash Rowe.

    “I love that little boy to death and she is one of my best friends, so it was an easy choice and I was able to find this farm in the middle of nowhere and I was able to get horses and I have a place for my dogs to run around,” Soho continued.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CLE-lEBJISw/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=3b415c4d-f2b3-4b30-9515-032a7d0f263b

    Soho made it all the way to the finals of the TBS title tournament. She lost to Jade Cargill in the finals on AEW Dynamite last week. Soho and Logan were members of the Riott Squad together in WWE beginning on November 2nd, 2017. Logan was released from WWE in the summer of 2020. Soho was released by WWE in June of last year.

  • W. Morrissey Says He Wants To Be The Face of Impact, Comments On Contract Status

    W. Morrissey Says He Wants To Be The Face of Impact, Comments On Contract Status

    W. Morrissey had a chance to become the Impact World Champion at Hard to Kill this weekend. He was in a triple threat match with champion Moose as well as Matt Cardona. Moose would retain, however.

    During a recent interview with the Battleground Podcast, Morrissey spoke about wanting to become the face of Impact Wrestling.

    “My number one goal is to become the face of the company. That’s my goal,” he said. “I was there last year to come in and slowly build towards that goal and to make an impact, no pun intended. But my goal for this year is to be the face of IMPACT wrestling. To be the guy, and that’s a goal I think I will achieve. I think it’s something I’m extremely capable of.”

    Morrissey opted against providing any further details on his current contractual status with the company, however. He said that the deal he has with Impact is something that will stay between him and his family, Scott D’Amore, and the company.

    “That’s between me and Scott D’amore, everybody at IMPACT, and everybody in my family, and everybody who’s going to be affected by it,” Morrissey responded. “You know, in terms of how long I’m there or what I’m making, that’s nobody’s business. That’s just my opinion. But yeah, I’m with IMPACT right now, and my goal is to be the face of the company.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BxvVqo9dF0

    H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the above transcriptions.

  • Dixie Carter Now Running A Hemp and Cannabis Company

    Dixie Carter Now Running A Hemp and Cannabis Company

    Former TNA President Dixie Carter is now the President of a Hemp and Cannabis company named Panda Biotech. The company operates out of Dallas, Texas. It is focussed on producing industrial hemp that can be used for a variety of purposes.

    In an interview this summer, Carter spoke about Texas becoming an epicentre for industrial hemp.

    “The truth is, Texas farmers are going to need a couple of years to learn how to best plant it. I think Texas farmers are the best in the world and will learn it quicker than anyone in the world,” Carter said in an interview with Times Record News.

    “This is an opportunity for Texas to be kind of the epicenter of industrial hemp on a global basis,” Carter continued.

    https://twitter.com/davidbix/status/1480327134837153794
    https://twitter.com/tilagontv/status/1280497024752742400

    Carter continues to follow professional wrestling as evidenced by her social media posts. She commented on the recent passing of former TNA talent Jimmy Rave, and also posted in regards to Ring of Honor’s end of an era Final Battle PPV.

    Carter served as the President of TNA Wrestling from 2002 until 2017. She stepped down as President of the company when Anthem Sports and Entertainment purchased it in 2017. Ed Nordholm replaced her in the role.

  • Cody & Brandi Rhodes In Isolation With Family That Tested Positive For COVID-19

    Cody & Brandi Rhodes In Isolation With Family That Tested Positive For COVID-19

    Cody Rhodes was scheduled to face Sammy Guevara in a TNT title match tonight on AEW Battle of the Belts. He will have to miss the show, however, due to being in isolation with family that have tested positive for COVID-19. His brother Dustin will face Guevara in an interim TNT title match instead.

    Cody recently took to Instagram stories to comment on both him and Brandi Rhodes being in isolation.

    “I appreciate everybody reaching out. Brandi and I are in isolation with family that have unfortunately tested positive for Covid. It’s been a scary time dealing with such a strong virus and the complications that can come with it. We are doing all we can to nurse and protect the family during this time. I will remain in quarantine as long as needed. Everyday is more encouraging. Thank you immensely for your support and respect for our privacy. Thank you to AEW for understanding and allowing me to be where I am needed today, and for still allowing the TNT Title to be represented. I look forward to being back soon. All the love in the world!”

    The updated lineup for tonight’s Battle for the Belts event includes Ricky Starks defending the FTW title against Matt Sydal. Britt Baker will still defend her title against Riho as scheduled. As previously mentioned, Dustin Rhodes will now face Sammy Guevara in a match for the interim TNT Championship.

  • Sasha Banks to miss 6-8 weeks due to foot injury

    Sasha Banks to miss 6-8 weeks due to foot injury

    Sasha Banks had to be helped to the back on a January 2nd WWE Live event in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She suffered a foot injury during her match with Charlotte Flair on the show.

    WWE took to social media recently to provide an update on Banks’ injury. She suffered a bruised calcaneus bone but nothing was broken. Her estimated timetable for return is 6-8 weeks.

    “Sasha underwent an MRI and it was discovered she has a bruised calcaneus bone. She is at home recovering and undergoing physical therapy. She is expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks,” reads a WWE press release.

    Sasha Banks Injured At WWE Live Event

    Image

    The injury means that Sasha Banks will miss the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble match at the end of the month. She will likely be able to return in time for WrestleMania, however.

    Shortly after news of the injury broke, Sasha took to Twitter to provide an update.

    “I’m good. Thank you for the love always,” she Tweeted.

    Banks also took to Twitter recently to comment on William Regal’s release from WWE.

    “There would be no Sasha Banks if it wasn’t for @RealKingRegal thank you for giving me a chance and believing in me. Forever grateful,” she wrote.

  • Impact Comments On Mickie James Being In The Royal Rumble

    Impact Comments On Mickie James Being In The Royal Rumble

    Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie James was announced as participating in the Royal Rumble last night on Smackdown. James was released by WWE in April of last year.

    WWE acknowledged that James is the current Knockouts champion when announcing her participating in the Rumble. James will defend that title tonight at Hard to Kill against former champion Deonna Purrazzo, however.

    Impact posted to their website about the news:

    “WWE wanted it, Mickie wanted it and IMPACT Wrestling’s philosophy is always to work with other major promotions to create buzz for the fans,” said IMPACT’s Scott D’Amore. “Everything is signed and agreed with WWE and IMPACT Wrestling – the only question is whether or not Mickie will enter one of WWE’s most historic annual matches as the reigning Knockouts World Champion.”

    “There’s never been a time like this for wrestling fans. In a 12 month period, IMPACT Wrestling has worked with NWA, AAA, New Japan, AEW and now WWE. IMPACT Wrestling is the nexus of the forbidden door era.”

    Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

    Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

    • Impact World Championship
      Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
    • Knockouts Championship
      Texas Death Match
      Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
      Lady Frost vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
    • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
    • X-Division Championship
      Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
    • ROH Championship
      Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • 10-Man Hardcore War
      Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)
  • Natalya & Summer Rae Trade Shots Regarding The Royal Rumble

    Natalya & Summer Rae Trade Shots Regarding The Royal Rumble

    Last night on WWE Smackdown, Summer Rae was announced as a participant in the Royal Rumble this year. Summer was released from WWE in the fall of 2017.

    Natalya took to Twitter to say she was looking forward to facing her in the Royal Rumble later this month.

    Summer Rae then appeared to not remember who Natalya is.

    Natalya then reminded Summer of the below incident on Total Divas:

    “Ohhhh yes, thank you for posting this now I remember. How could I forget Mrs Get off my Property,” Summer responded.

    “I’m a 3 time world record holder, bitch. If you have any more correspondence, please reach out to my assistant. I’m super busy,” Natalya responded.

    WWE revealed several names set for the Royal Rumble on last night’s Smackdown. These included multiple performers not on the current WWE roster. Mickie James, the Bella Twins, Kelly Kelly, and Lita will all take part in the Rumble this year.

    Earlier this year, Summer Rae commented on her relationship with Vince McMahon on the TWC Show.

    “Oh, Vince loved me. I love it, I would walk my butt straight into Vince’s office all the time. Vince did not scare me at all. Mind you, you have to be respectful. I would never just walk in there. I would knock and then wait for hours and hours, but if I ever was having an issue or when I was thinking of leaving, I went and talked to him.”

  • Big Swole on Tony Khan’s Tweet: “I was very disappointed. Embarrassed, even.”

    Big Swole on Tony Khan’s Tweet: “I was very disappointed. Embarrassed, even.”

    Following her departure from AEW, Big Swole recently commented about AEW having a lack of diversity. This led to AEW President Tony Khan responding on social media and writing “I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough.”

    Swole returned to her Call In Show recently and spoke about her reaction to seeing Tony Khan’s Tweet.

    “When I read the TK tweet, it was, not necessarily sent to me, but I got a text message saying, ‘Do not respond to him, it’s not worth it.’ At that time, I was already a little zooted because it was about to be New Year’s. I looked at it and I was like, ‘Wow, this is a lot,”” Swole said.

    “Overall, I’m very disappointed. A person with that pedigree should know how to respond in a way that doesn’t come off in the most negative way possible,” she continued.

    “I was very disappointed. Embarrassed, even. Embarrassed for the people that are there. I really couldn’t believe it. Did he even listen to the podcast? Obviously not because it went completely off the rails. You went completely to counting brown people. If was truly about counting brown people, I would be naming certain demographics.”

    https://twitter.com/SwoleWorld/status/1479553202764894214

    H/T to Fightful for the above transcriptions.

    Mark Henry Speaks On Big Swole and Tony Khan

    Mark Henry recently spoke about this matter on Busted Open Radio. According to Henry, Tony Khan got a raw deal in this discussion on diversity.

    “I feel like Tony got a really raw deal by what was said by Swole but also what was said about all these people jumping on the bandwagon and they didn’t know what the hell happened.”

    “You talk about a diverse workplace, man that place has got everything and I feel like the people in power, the highest-ranking officers are Tony and Megha [Parekh] and then you have people like myself and Shawn Dean who are both African-American people, people of color, that are working in the office,” Henry continued.

    “So, you mean to tell me that those people don’t count as being diverse?”

    Mark Henry: Tony Khan Got A ‘Raw Deal’ In Diversity Discussion
  • Triple H’s Reaction To WWE Gutting His Version of NXT

    Triple H’s Reaction To WWE Gutting His Version of NXT

    The NXT that Triple H spent years developing is no more. NXT 2.0 is a radical departure from his vision.

    Stars like Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Keith Lee, Karrion Kross and more are no longer with WWE. The management structure that Triple H spent years to build no longer exists. With William Regal, Samoa Joe and “Road Dogg” BG James and many others getting axed by WWE this week, the ’black and gold era’ of NXT is dead and buried.

    Unsurprisingly, WWE’s decision to gut Triple H’s version of NXT are said to be quite upsetting to him, according to Wade Keller of the Pro Wrestling Torch.

    Keller spoke about Triple H’s reaction to the latest cuts during a recent audio update behind the PWTorch VIP paywall site.

    “I’ve talked with people who had said Triple H was building his team that he would bring with him to the main roster. And if his day came to run the main roster he wanted his group of people,” Keller said.

    “At some point, it was thought that it would include William Regal and Gabe Sapolsky and Road Dogg and they’re gone.”

    Keller added, “NXT just isn’t what it once was. I’ve heard just a little about Triple H’s reaction to all of this and nothing super reportable other than it sounds like he’s bummed out.”

    In addition to the releases of Samoa Joe, Road Dogg, and William Regal, numerous others were let go. These include Timothy Thatcher, Danny Burch, Scott Armstrong, Allison Danger, Hideki Suzuki and more. Reports are that morale backstage in NXT is at an all-time low.

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the above transcriptions.

  • The Iinspiration Pulled From Hard To Kill Due To COVID Exposure

    The Iinspiration Pulled From Hard To Kill Due To COVID Exposure

    Impact Wrestling stars The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay) will miss Saturday’s Hard to Kill PPV due to COVID exposure.

    They had been scheduled to defend their Knockouts tag team titles on the show against Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood.

    The tag team contacted Impact to let them know they were in close contact with someone who tested positive shortly after.

    As of this writing, neither Lee or McKay have tested positive themselves.

    “IMPACT’s COVID protocols are in place to keep our talent roster, staff and fans safe. I am sure the fans will share The IInspiration’s and my disappointment that they won’t be in action at tomorrow’s stacked HARD TO KILL event, but we look forward to their return soon,” said Scott D’Amore.

    Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

    Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

    • Impact World Championship
      Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
    • Knockouts Championship
      Texas Death Match
      Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
      Lady Frost vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
    • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
    • X-Division Championship
      Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
    • ROH Championship
      Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • 10-Man Hardcore War
      Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)
  • NWA To Expand To 6 Annual PPVs, More Details On NWA All Access Revealed

    NWA To Expand To 6 Annual PPVs, More Details On NWA All Access Revealed

    The National Wrestling Alliance put out a press release today that they are expanding to 6 PPVs per year. The promotion also revealed new details of NWA All Access. For the cost of $49.99 per year or $4.99 per month, fans who purchase NWA All Access will receive all 6 NWA PPVs as well as access to episodes of NWA Powerrr every Tuesday on FITE.

    Also announced by the promotion recently, NWA Powerrr will return to YouTube, airing Friday nights at 6:05PM. Subscribers on FITE will see the shows early on Tuesday evening at 6:05PM.

    Tomorrow, the NWA debuts a new show titled NWA USA. That show will air Saturdays at noon est. on YouTube.

    “With the NWA coming off our biggest and most successful year of this modern era, I can’t express just how thrilled I am to make this newest offering to fans via NWA All Access,” says NWA President William Corgan. “And to that, we will work that much more to exceed expectations. Which is what makes the inherent savings in this annual package so exciting. Because we as an organization really believe this new model will change the game for us; all whilst rewarding our most loyal and ardent fans with more shows and more PPV events.”

    https://twitter.com/nwa/status/1478722703624388612
  • Impact Results (1/6): Go-Home Show For Hard To Kill

    Impact Results (1/6): Go-Home Show For Hard To Kill

    Impact 1/6 was the go-home show for Saturday’s Hard to Kill PPV. It was also the first show back for the promotion since airing a 2-part Best of 2021 series the last two weeks.

    Impact Results 1/6

    1. Lady Frost, Chelsea Green & Tasha Steelz defeated Jordynne Grace, Rachael Ellering & Rosemary
    2. JONAH defeated Jake Something
    3. Masha Slamovich defeated Sandra Moone
    4. Deonna Purrazzo defeated Mercedes Martinez
    5. Ace Austin and Madman Fulton defeated Hernandez and Johnny Swinger
    6. Karl Anderson defeated Heath

    Chelsea Green Picks Up Win For Her Team Ahead of Knockouts Ultimate-X Match

    Things opened up this week with a trios match pitting participants in the upcoming Ultimate-X match at Hard to Kill. It was announced recently, however, that Rachael Ellering has been pulled from the match and will be replaced by Alisha Edwards. No reason for Ellering being pulled has been given.

    Chelsea Green picked up the pin for her team after hitting the Un-pretty-her on Ellering.

    JONAH Defeats Jake Something Ahead of Hard To Kill

    At Hard to Kill, JONAH will face former Impact World Champion Josh Alexander. This week, JONAH was showcased heavily here. Something actually got the early advantage on JONAH but it wouldn’t last. JONAH hit a big clothesline, hit a senton and then finished him off with his big splash off the top rope.

    After the match, Alexander hit the ring and tried to lock in the ankle lock before security broke up the melee. JONAH then took out all the security and went after Alexander. He then gave Alexander his big splash through a table to end the segment.

    Masha Slamovich Debuts

    Vignettes promoting Masha Slamovich’s Impact debut have been airing for weeks and she finally arrived on this week’s show. After an initial flurry from Sandra Moone, Slamovich took her out with a series of strikes, suplexes, and then something of a fisherman’s brainbuster for the win. She looks like someone who could be in store for a big push in the Knockouts division.

    Deonna Purrazzo Defeats Mercedes Martinez Ahead Of Title Clash With Mickie James

    On Saturday, Purrazzo will have a chance to regain the Knockouts title. She would face Mercedes Martinez on this week’s show. To gain the upper hand, Purrazzo would attack Martinez before the bell. A back and forth match followed. The end of the match came when Purrazzo countered a slam from Martinez into the Venus De Milo and got the submission.

    Mickie James then entered the ring and got face-to-face with Purrazzo but things never came to blows.

    The Influence and Iinspiration Get Into Backstage Altercation

    Ahead of the Iinspiration defending their Knockouts tag team belts against The Influence at Hard to Kill, the two teams got into a backstage altercation this week. The Iinspiration were hosting their own backstage segment when Madison Rayne, Tenille Dashwood, and Kaleb with a K interrupted. The segment ended with the Iinspiration leaving and Tenille Dashwood signing off as if she had just hosted a segment of “All Bout Me”.

    Ace Austin and Madman Fulton defeated Hernandez and Johnny Swinger

    After Ace Austin and Madman Fulton defeated Hernandez and Johnny Swinger in tag team action this week, they continued the attack after the match. With Hernandez on the mat, Swinger abandoned his partner. Fulton and Austin then wrapped Hernandez’s arm and neck in a chair and smashed another chair on top to end the segment.

    Karl Anderson Beats Heath To Earn Hardcore War Advantage

    Ahead of the 10-man hardcore war at Hard to Kill, Karl Anderson squared off with Heath in singles action this week. Matt Striker explained the rules for the match at Hard to Kill. Participants will enter the match in War Games style, with 2 men starting and a new participant entering at different intervals and one team being given a numbers advantage. This match between Anderson and Heath would determine which team has the advantage.

    The finish of the match saw Heath miss an attack in the corner and Anderson hitting the cutter for the win. After the match, members of both teams hit the ring and an all out brawl ensued to end the show.

    Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

    Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

    • Impact World Championship
      Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
    • Knockouts Championship
      Texas Death Match
      Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
    • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
      Lady Frost vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
    • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
    • X-Division Championship
      Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
    • Knockouts Tag Team Championships
      The IInspiration (Cassie Lee and Jessie McKay) (c) vs. The Influence (Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood) (with Kaleb with a K)
    • ROH Championship
      Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
    • 10-Man Hardcore War
      Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)
  • Update On Jade Cargill’s TBS Title Win

    Update On Jade Cargill’s TBS Title Win

    Jade Cargill is the first-ever TBS Champion. She defeated Ruby Soho in the finals of a tournament on Wednesday night.

    Some fans have suggested that Cargill’s title win was a reaction from AEW management to Big Swole’s recent comments regarding Black wrestlers not being featured in prominent storylines. However, that is not the case.

    Cargill had been the planned winner all along, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer noted that there was concern some of Swole’s comments gave away the results of the tournament. This even led to discussion regarding possibly changing the planned booking.

    “Jade Cargill’s TBS title win may have come off to some as a reaction (to Swole’s comments), but that decision was made before the tournament ever started,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

    “There were people internally who believed Swole gave away the tournament finish by pretty much saying they’ll pick Jade before the tournament started, but very few fans made that connection.”

    Cargill’s first-ever match was a high-profile bout where she teamed with Shaquille O’Neal. Cargill and Shaq defeated Cody Rhodes & Red Velvet with Jade pinning Velvet as the finish. The 29-year-old is officially 23-0 in the promotion.

  • Matt Cardona & Joey Janela Recreating Famous Ric Flair/Randy Savage Angle

    Matt Cardona & Joey Janela Recreating Famous Ric Flair/Randy Savage Angle

    Joey Janela is saying “She was mine before she was yours” about Chelsea Green to Matt Cardona. The 3 appear to be recreating a famous angle between Randy Savage, Miss Elizabeth and Ric Flair to potentially play out in GCW.

    The angle between Flair and Savage took place in the build-up to WrestleMania VIII. Flair was the WWF Champion after having won the vacant title in the 1992 Royal Rumble. Flair then began claiming that he had pictures of the lovely Miss Elizabeth that would prove Flair and her had once been an item. Keep in mind this was before editing photos could be done by anyone other than a professional photographer.

    Flair eventually released the photos that showed him with Miss Elizabeth. Joey Janela has now done the same only with him and Chelsea Green.

    https://twitter.com/JANELABABY/status/1479213353314791437

    It turns out that package contained compromising (by early 1990s standards) photographs of Janela and Green. The photographs sure do look a lot like the ones Flair had of Elizabeth.

    Cardona now wants a chance to get at Janela in a GCW ring. He had previously quit the promotion but this appears to be motivating him to return.

    Cardona appears to now realize the photos were fake (but were they???).

    https://twitter.com/JANELABABY/status/1479305302088597505

    For those interested in the original angle, there is a WWE Timeline documentary on the WWE Network titled “She Was Mine Before She Was Yours” which covers it.

  • Roman Reigns Medically Cleared, Set For Friday’s SmackDown

    Roman Reigns Medically Cleared, Set For Friday’s SmackDown

    Roman Reigns is medically cleared to return to the ring. The Universal Champion was forced to miss last weekend’s Day 1 premium live event after testing positive for COVID-19.

    WWE announced on Thursday, “BREAKING: Roman Reigns has been medically cleared and is set to return at tomorrow’s Friday Night SmackDown. What will Brock Lesnar have in store for their explosive confrontation?”

    Reigns hasn’t wrestled since a December 19th live event in Des Moines, Iowa. He teamed with his cousin the Usos and lost to Drew McIntyre, Xavier Woods, and Rey Mysterio on that show.

    Leading up to the Day 1 show, Reigns had been pulled from several live event shows including at Madison Square Garden and shows in Florida as well.

    At the conclusion of this week’s WWE Raw, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar sent a message to Reigns that he would see him on Friday on Smackdown. Lesnar had been scheduled to face Reigns for the Universal title at Day 1 before Reigns was pulled from the show.

    Lesnar went on to win the WWE Championship in a fatal 5-way match against then-champion Big E, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, and Kevin Owens. He has also re-aligned with Paul Heyman after Reigns fired him recently on Smackdown.

    Brock Lesnar Appearing on SmackDown and Raw
  • Rey Fenix Injury Update, Estimated Time Out of Action

    Rey Fenix Injury Update, Estimated Time Out of Action

    Rey Fenix took a nasty bump through a table at the hands of Luchasaurus on Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite. As Fenix landed on the outside, his arm bent back the wrong way. The injury appeared to be quite serious.

    Fenix never did return to the match. Jungle Boy pinned Penta El Zero Miedo to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships.

    Thankfully, it seems that things could have been much worse. Bryan Alvarez from F4WOnline posted an update on Fenix’s condition on Thursday afternoon. As it turns out, Fenix did not break his arm, but it was badly dislocated.

    Tony Khan also wished Fenix a speedy recovery.

    Republic of Lucha, retail store owned by the Lucha Bros in South Pasadena, CA, provided another update on the situation.

    Rey Fenix is said to be recovering from the dislocated elbow. Thankfully, the injury will only keep him out of action for a few weeks.

    https://twitter.com/republicoflucha/status/1479147791792308226

    The Lucha Bros were the 5th team in AEW history to win the tag team titles. SCU, Hangman Page & Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and FTR all held the belts before them. They held the titles for 122 days and successfully defended the championships on 4 occasions during their reign.

  • Nick Aldis Re-Signs With NWA, Promotion Announces “NWA All Access”

    Nick Aldis Re-Signs With NWA, Promotion Announces “NWA All Access”

    Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis has announced that he has re-signed with the promotion. He appeared recently on Busted Open Radio and spoke about his decision.

    “I can confirm that I have extended my agreement with the NWA. I have re-signed. It’s a good day in terms of looking ahead to a great new year for the NWA and for me,” said Aldis. “There is a lot going on in the business and it’s nice to be in a good position, but ultimately, respect goes a long way and from the first conversation that Billy and I ever had regarding the NWA and my career and our working relationship together, I’ve had nothing but absolute respect from him, more so than any person I’ve worked with in my career. I can’t wait to see what else we come up with.”

    The NWA has also announced several broadcasting changes. A new show titled NWA USA will premiere this Saturday on YouTube. Nick Aldis stated on last night’s broadcast of Powerrr that he will be an ambassador on the show. It will focus on up-and-coming talent looking to make a name for themselves.

    The NWA have also announced “NWA All Access” on FITE TV. More details on the program will be revealed soon.

    https://twitter.com/nwa/status/1478722703624388612

    H/T to Fightful for the above transcriptions.

  • Cody Rhodes “Regrets Almost Everything” About Anthony Ogogo Feud

    Cody Rhodes “Regrets Almost Everything” About Anthony Ogogo Feud

    Cody Rhodes says he regrets almost everything about the angle he had with Olympic boxer, Anthony Ogogo. Rhodes was speaking to Brandon Walker on the Barstool Rasslin’ podcast when he commented on the matter.

    “I regret almost everything about the Anthony Ogogo angle. Almost everything about it,” Rhodes said on the show.

    Rhodes would continue to say that perhaps he wasn’t the best person to be speaking about race relations as he did during that storyline.

    “A white guy talking about race relations, who has an American flag tattoo on his neck, I can see why people would use the terms ‘tone-deaf’ when it came to that,” Rhodes continued. “Then trying to defend it and all — Just again, intentions were good and sincere and I was so excited about Brandi and the baby but it just — That should have just been one where I went out and almost just winged it.”

    “It set the angle in a tailspin where it just wasn’t a classic, USA vs. UK, fun-spirited deal. I was going to go over to the UK and have the return match. Now I just never want to think about it again.”

    Rhodes’ promo can be viewed in the player below:

    Rhodes defeated Anthony Ogogo at Double or Nothing 2021 in May. The following week, however, QT Marshall and Ogogo defeated Cody and Lee Johnson in tag team action.

    Ogogo then took a 6-month hiatus from AEW. He returned on the December 1st show in Duluth, Georgia, wrestling on AEW Dark: Elevation. He also took part in the AEW Dark tapings at Universal Studios on December 3rd. Ogogo competed on the Dark: Elevation shows throughout December but was off last week for the show in Jacksonville.

    H/T to Fightful for the above transcriptions.

  • AEW Officially Signs Jake Atlas

    AEW Officially Signs Jake Atlas

    After making his promotional debut on AEW Dark: Elevation last night, Tony Khan has revealed that AEW has signed Jake Atlas. The 27-year-old had been released from his WWE contract in August of this year where he had been assigned to the NXT brand.

    Tony Khan made the announcement today on social media.

    “Congratulations on winning your tryout match last night, Jake Atlas! What a great @AEW debut, and now @kennymarquez, I’ll see you Tomorrow night in Newark at the debut of #AEWDynamite on @TBSNetwork! Safe travels, and… Welcome to the team!”

    Atlas was trained by Santino Bros Wrestling in Los Angeles and made his debut in 2016.

    Atlas has wrestled 3 times since departing WWE this summer. He wrestled and defeated Effy on GCW’s Effy’s Big Gay Brunch Chicago on September 5th. He lost to Taylor Rust on ROH’s Death Before Dishonor show on September 12th. Shortly after, Atlas announced he was leaving the wrestling industry citing mental health concerns.

    “At 26 years old, I’ve got my entire life ahead of me & I’m choosing to explore completely different industries to find my passion again,” he wrote.

    Evidently, Atlas had second thoughts about leaving the industry. He returned last Wednesday at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida and defeated Serpentico.  

  • Odyssey Jones Sparks Backlash Over Transphobic Social Media Post

    Odyssey Jones Sparks Backlash Over Transphobic Social Media Post

    Omari Palmer, better known to wrestling fans as Odyssey Jones is being called out for having made a transphobic social media post recently.

    Jones posted a picture to his Instagram stories of an article headline that reads, “A transgender ‘man’ who “gave birth” is outraged over nurses calling him ‘mom’” and added 3 laughing emojis to the post.

    https://twitter.com/Brian_wrestle13/status/1477796164690976772

    Jones has since set his Twitter account to private.

    https://twitter.com/TransGraps/status/1477777824228462592
    https://twitter.com/TransGraps/status/1477778322272800774

    Odyssey Jones in WWE

    Odyssey Jones
    Odyssey Jones

    Odyssey Jones, 27, has been with WWE since 2019. He previously played football for the Syracuse Orange.

    In addition to wrestling on NXT, he worked a series of dark matches on the main roster in September and July of last year.

    Earlier this year, Odyssey Jones was on Corey Graves’ After the Bell podcast and spoke about having been recruited to WWE by Mark Henry.

    “Every year, Joe [Saladino] does a jiu jitsu symposium in New Jersey. For some reason, Mark Henry went one time,” Jones said.

    “I don’t know what Mark Henry knows about jiu jitsu, but Mark Henry was there. They talked and exchanged contacts. Next thing you know, he was sending him pictures of me and him in the gym to Mark Henry. Next thing you know, I’m getting a call from Canyon (Ceman) contacting me for a tryout, and you know, the rest is history.”

  • Mickie James On WWE Rejecting Pitch For Storyline With Chelsea Green

    Mickie James On WWE Rejecting Pitch For Storyline With Chelsea Green

    Mickie James has spoken previously about wanting to have worked an angle with Chelsea Green that mirrored the one she had with Trish Stratus leading up to WrestleMania 22. She recently spoke to Metro UK about what she felt when WWE decided not to go forward with the idea.

    “Within the pitch of Chelsea Green on the way out, it would’ve been a perfect, magical re-circling way to build Chelsea and elevate her and make her a star as I was transitioning to find my foot into this other [backstage] role,” James said.

    “For me, I felt like it was the perfect set of business but didn’t seem to hit on that level, and whatever. I don’t wanna say, “I get it” because I don’t get it.”

    Green would have portrayed the stalker role similar to what James did in 2005/06 while James would have been in the Trish Stratus role.

    “I know that that story would have been money and I know that would have ended up probably rivaling Trish and I’s angle, because it was going to mimmick and mirror it, but in a different capacity so well,” James continued.

    Leading up to WrestleMania 22, James’ character was portrayed as something of a stalker for Trish Stratus. James won the WWE Women’s Championship from Stratus on the show, just months after making her debut with the company.

    Both Chelsea Green and Mickie James were released earlier this year on April 15th, 2021. Green and James are both now with the NWA and Impact Wrestling.

  • Tony Khan Comments On His New Year’s Resolutions For AEW

    Tony Khan Comments On His New Year’s Resolutions For AEW

    Tony Khan was recently interviewed by CBS Sports. During the discussion, he spoke about what his new year’s resolutions for AEW are in 2022.

    “To continue expanding,” Khan said. “We’ve got the Battle of the Belts, and the Owen Hart Cup, and so much more to come in 2022. We’ve developed the roster so much in the past year, more than I honestly had ever dreamed we could going into the year.”

    “So I look forward to what’s ahead in 2022. What a year it was. Our four pay-per-views this year happened to be the four biggest pay-per-views we’ve ever done. Our top four box office shows of all time. The last two are the top two. We’ve ended up in an amazing place and it’s very exciting going into 2022.” 

    When asked about what wrestlers he expects to have a big year in 2022, Khan mentioned Dante and Darius Martin.

    “I think for a variety of reasons, there’s a number of people I’m excited to feature in the coming year,” Khan said. “For example, it was completely out of everyone’s control, but Darius Martin has been out injured and I think he’s tremendous. I would love to get him back soon and teaming with his brother, Dante. Dante has become a big star and I think they were tremendous as a tag team.”

    Khan also spoke about the success AEW has seen over the last year on PPV and numerous other topics. The AEW President noted how the roster for his company has expanded well beyond what he dreamed it could have in the last year as well as Serena Deeb’s role as a producer backstage.

    The full interview with Tony Khan can be heard in the player below:

  • The Miz Comments On How John Morrison Made Him A Better WWE Superstar

    The Miz Comments On How John Morrison Made Him A Better WWE Superstar

    John Morrison was released from WWE on November 18th, 2021. He had re-signed with the company in 2019 after having left in 2011. His tag team partner and run-in buddy, The Miz, recently spoke about Morrison during an appearance on Freddie Prinze Jr.’s podcast “Wrestling with Freddie”. During the discussion, The Miz spoke about how he feels Morrison made him a better WWE Superstar.

    “If you want to be in the entertainment industry, you have to be a sponge and you have to be willing to fail. As much as you [Freddie Prinze Jr.] said I was the glue in Miz & Morrison, it’s not true. Morrison is such an out-of-the-box thinker. He would think of the oddest, weird things that aren’t supposed to work and then we would come together and make them work.

    “We had such great chemistry, and he’s so smart and able, and willing, and we both push each other to be the best that we possibly can, so we’re both the glue in that. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. John pushes me to be the best Superstar I could possibly be and he always has.”

    Morrison and Miz won the Smackdown tag-team championships from the New Day at Super Showdown on February 27th, 2020. They’d drop the titles back to New Day on an episode of Smackdown just less than two months later. In Morrison’s first run with the company, they won tag team gold twice as well. In 2008, they won the Slammy Award for best tag team of the year.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the above transcriptions.

  • The Dudley Boyz React To The Usos Using The 3-D

    The Dudley Boyz React To The Usos Using The 3-D

    Last night on WWE’s Day 1 PPV from Atlanta, the Usos defeated the New Day after using a 3-D. The move was previously used by Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley. The Usos are referring to the move as the “1 and Done” or “1D”.

    Bully Ray posted the following to social media:

    To which the Usos responded with:

    D-Von Dudley works as a producer in WWE. While he didn’t respond to Bully Ray’s Tweet, he did offer up his own praise for the Usos.

    “Fantastic match between the Usos and the new day!!! Great way to end the match with a 3-D fantastic job boys …. Oh testify!!!!!” He wrote.

    The Dudley Boyz were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018. They are former 9x WWE tag team champions, 1x WCW tag team champions (while in WWE), 1x NWA tag team champions (in TNA), 2x TNA tag team champions, and 8x ECW tag team champions.

    The Usos are 7x WWE tag team champions. They also won the Slammy award in 2014 and 2015 for tag-team of the year. In 2017, they also won the Smackdown tag team champions vs RAW tag team champions match at Survivor Series against Cesaro and Sheamus.