As revealed on Fusion, Alexander Hammerstone has re-signed with MLW. Hammerstone is the promotion’s current and inaugural National Openweight Champion and a member of the Dynasty faction along with Richard Holliday and Gino Medina.
Hammerstone took to social media to explain his decision to re-sign with MLW.
“The news just dropped on the latest episode of Fusion that I re-signed with MLW,” Hammerstone says in the video. “And I got some people asking me what made me make that decision? Why didn’t I go with this company or that company? And what you have to understand is how important pro-wrestling is to me. How important its become to me, how much it means to me to prove that I’m one of the best wrestlers in the world.”
Hammerstone then continued to say that what he wants in wrestling has changed over the years.
“When I first started, I was just trying to look good, have a couple matches, get scouted, have the big company come and offer me a contract. That’s what I thought I wanted but over the years that’s really changed. If you look at the matches in the last year alone with MLW, Marufuji, Go Shiozaki, Laredo Kid, Takashi Sugiura, T-Hawk, Davey Boy Smith Jr, Brian Pillman (Jr.), Rey Horus, like I’m wrestling the best wrestlers in the world. I’m getting to go out there, I’m not being told ‘hey, give us 5 minutes,’ I’m being told ‘hey, give us 25 minutes.'”
From there, Hammerstone began talking about the freedom he is allowed in MLW.
“I’m getting to go out there and give you my best. I’m not being told how to act in promos, I’m not being told how to dress.”
“I don’t want to just make money and retire, I want to create a legacy,” he continued. “I think MLW has given me that platform.”
“I’ve just made MLW my home for the next couple of years so I hope you give it a chance, I hope you check out Fusion,” he continued. “I’m not going to be neutered, I’m not going to be chained-up.”
Check out our recent exclusive interview with Alexander Hammerstone:
Fyter Fest will be returning in 2020 and the event already has a big title match booked for the event. At a post-event media scrum from Double or Nothing last night, AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that Brian Cage will challenge AEW World Champion Jon Moxley at the event.
Cage was the surprise entrant in the Casino Ladder Match and won the match by collecting the large gambling chip hanging above the ring.
AEW will announce the date for this year’s Fyter Fest on Wednesday’s Dynamite.
Last year’s Fyter Fest was held on June 29th, 2019 from the Ocean Center in Dayton Beach, Florida. The event was held in conjunction with the CEO Fighting Game Championships.
Also revealed following Double or Nothing last night, is that Fyter Fest 2020 was originally supposed to be held in London for AEW’s UK debut. Those plans had to be scrapped due to the ongoing global pandemic, however.
The theme of the show last year was a spoof on the “Fyre Festival.” Multiple documentaries about the ill-fated music festival had been released just prior to the show.
AEW Upcoming Dates
While no date is currently known for this year’s Fyter Fest, AEW did reveal that All Out 2020 will happen on September 5th, 2020.
Main news out of the press conference is they will be having a second Fyter Fest show, Moxley vs. Cage main event, date will be announced Wednesday. Plan was for London, but obviously everything is in Jacksonville for the time being. But that was the original UK debut.
Brodie Lee spoke with SEScoops.com last week ahead of his title match with Jon Moxley at Double or Nothing. Amongst other topics, Brodie spoke about going from being unfertilized in WWE to headlining a PPV with a new company.
“It’s very gratifying, it’s awesome, it’s exactly what I wanted, it’s exactly what I craved, it’s exactly what I desired,” Brodie said. “It’s everything I ever wanted it to be.”
Brodie would continue to say, however, that now the pressure on him is to deliver in his new role.
“So, now the pressure becomes on me because this is what I asked for, this is what I told people I could do,” he continued. “So now the pressure is on me to either put up or shut up. There’s an added pressure but also I believe that pressure will help make me better and I’m not afraid of the pressure.”
The “Empty Arena Era”
Brodie Lee made his AEW debut on the March 18th episode of Dynamite. That episode was originally supposed to take place from Rochester, NY, his hometown.
Lee revealed that AEW President Tony Khan gave him the option of delaying his debut until things got back to normal, since his big homecoming was not meant to be. He decided to debut on March 18th as planned and make the best of it.
“That’s kind of one of the things I was most looking forward to,” he said about AEW’s live crowds. “I was supposed to make my debut in Rochester, New York on March 18th. They had a really good presale crowd there and then the next week would be in New Jersey, which I think they had 12,000 tickets sold there. So, I was looking to jump right in into the huge aspect of AEW and the fans and the passion. Unfortunately, of course, that turned out to be too good to be true because everything happened on March 11th right before my debut.”
He then mentioned that AEW told him his debut could be pushed back.
“I was told ‘you don’t have to debut, you can wait, we can push it back.’ but at the same time, nobody knew how long that would be and I had been caged up and a stray cat for so long and just kind of left out that I was ready to be a professional wrestler again, I was ready to be a performer again, I was ready to work on my craft and there was no hesitation in me at all to jump right into it.”
“Tony, like I said, Tony gave me the option to hold it off but I think me and Matt Hardy we’re on the same page, we’re ready to hit the ground running.”
AEW Behind The Scenes
AEW stars such as Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley have said that AEW is less scripted and more open to input from performers than previous companies they have worked for. Brodie also commented on this aspect of his new company.
“That’s exactly it. There’s a lot of collaboration but it’s a lot of, I guess friendly collaboration. It’s not like ‘hey do this’ it’s ‘hey, what do you think of this idea?’ and then if I don’t like it, I tell them and it’s a conversation and we go from there.”
“Same thing with promos, it’s like there’s no written script. It’s like here’s the kind of point we need to get across. You say it how you want to say it. It’s your character, you’re fleshing out the character the way you want to which is incredibly refreshing because I was never able to flesh out a character for the past…I was a very one-dimensional character. I said my promo I think it was 2 weeks ago was the first time I’d spoken on a live mic at a professional wrestling show in the past 8 years, almost combined. Again, there’s a certain pressure to it because it’s on you now, there’s nobody left to blame.”
“Again, it’s a different element but it’s a very cool, creative element that helps you sleep at night.”
AEW Changing Course Due To Pandemic
Brodie Lee came to AEW at a time when some on the roster was unable to attend tapings due to travel restrictions. We asked what he knows about AEW changing course creatively as a result of the current climate.
“I think certain things with people not being able to be there maybe got put on hold,” he said. “I’m not privy to that information. I know that Jon Moxley presented us a situation for me to jump at and that’s what I did. So, I can’t worry about hurt feelings about people that didn’t show up to the show and didn’t get the opportunity, I can’t worry about that, I can only worry about myself. But, that said, hopefully, the way I handled things and the way that I performed changed some people’s minds as well if I wasn’t supposed to be in this position.”
Talent He Wants to Work With in AEW
Finally, we wanted to know about which young talent Brodie Lee wants to work with in AEW.
“Every person on the roster is a fresh match-up for me. At the top of that list would be Kenny and the Young Bucks. Watched them work, been friends with the Young Bucks for a long time. I’ve always told them that they had these unbelievable matches in Japan.”
“It’d be a thrill to get in there and test myself against guys like that.
“Darby Allin, a guy like that, a guy like Jungle Boy. Even people like the Proud and Powerful, they are fun for me to watch, I think they are wonderful workers. Jericho, Cody, so these people even who I have history with, Shawn Spears even, these guys that I have history with to now do it in a different environment is very appealing to me.”
Brodie then went back on a previous comment. He joked, “I take that back, anybody but Shawn Spears, if you could put that quote in.”
Order AEW Double or Nothing at BR Live (US) and FITE.TV (Internationally).
Earlier this week, we had a chance to chat with Brodie Lee, the Exalted One of AEW’s Dark Order. During the discussion, we asked how he got involved with the Dark Order, the group’s ultimate goal in AEW and why he does not consider them a cult.
“I’ve known Evil Uno and Stu Grayson for the better part of 15 years,” Brodie said during the interview. “We’ve worked together in promotions like C4, Chikara, and upstate New York too. So, I’ve known them, I’ve been in contact with them the entire time they’ve been in AEW. Been watching what they do.
“It was just a good almost piece for me to jump in and try to take something to the next level. Unfortunately, since I’ve been here I’ve seen Uno and Grayson once in the past 2 months just because they’re from Canada and they haven’t been able to get across the border yet. But I think once we’re back together, people will understand and see what a formidable unit we are together.”
The Dark Order’s End Game
We asked Brodie about what the plans are for his Dark Order.
“I don’t want to be a violent organization, that’s not my M.O,” Brodie said. “It kind of becomes a necessity when you are in the professional wrestling world. And to me, you enter the professional wrestling world is to have power and what power equals in professional wrestling is world titles, and tag team championships, and TNT championships now.”
“So, I think our goal is to collect gold and to be a force to be reckoned with. I know the Elite claims to be the elite, they named a frigging promotion after themselves. So, to me, it’s almost like now you’re at the top, just like Jon Moxley, you put a mark on your head and us as a group we think we’re better than that and we think that we’re powerful, we want power, we want the glory. World championships, TNT championships, and tag-team championships are always in our future.”
Dark Order: Cult or Corporation?
Finally, we asked Brodie Lee why he does not consider the Dark Order to be a cult. He flipped the question on our interviewer and asked if SEScoops.com is a cult.
(Editor’s note: For the record, SEScoops is not a cult)
“Who do you work for?” Brodie asked. “Do you have a boss? Would you consider what you do as part of a cult? So then, what is the difference between what you’re doing in your line of work and what we’re going in our line of work?”
We attempted to explain that it seems as though the Dark Order preys upon the down-and-out people.
“Well that’s a strong possibility but the thing is, we’re making those people better in the long run. I mean, I’m undefeated. Uno and Stu are undefeated. Preston was undefeated until last night so I don’t understand, I think results speak for themselves. I don’t understand what difference a successful organization with a wonderful leader like myself, would make it a cult.”
“Tony Schiavone was given clear instructions and I understand you were probably not given the same instructions so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one. But Schiavone was given clear instructions not to ask that question and they actually cut out two other times that he brought it up and left the third one in there.
“The way they cut it of course, they left my little tantrum in there which I wasn’t thrilled about but hey, I thought I got my message across. And again, I asked Tony this too, he works for many corporations and they’re not considered cults, so I don’t understand what the difference is.”
Brodie Lee challenges Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing. Order the PPV now at BR Live (US) and FITE.TV (Internationally).
The most recent edition of AEW Dynamite saw several wrestlers sustain injuries. At the moment, it is not clear if any of them will cause changes to the planned card for Double or Nothing, however.
Britt Baker Injury
Dr. Britt Baker sustained an injury to her knee on Dynamite. Baker teamed with Nyla Rose and took on Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida. During the match, Shida and Statlander tossed Rose onto Baker in the corner. It appears as though Rose landed hard on Baker’s knee. Baker took another move from Statlander (despite appearing to have trouble going up for the move) before tagging out and spending the rest of the match on the apron.
In an update from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Baker was said to have been feeling better the next day but her match with Statlander on Saturday could be in jeopardy. AEW has not released any official word on her status at this point, however.
Fenix Injury
Fenix did a dive to the outside on Dynamite and was not really caught by anyone before landing flat on the floor. The dive looked back and while he was said to have been pretty banged up, the Wrestling Observer is reporting that he will not miss any action and is still scheduled to be in the Casino Ladder match at Double or Nothing.
Matt Jackson Injury
The Young Bucks returned to AEW during the brawl inside the stadium on Wednesday night. Matt hurt his rib doing the diving crossbody inside the stadium. According to the Wrestling Observer, however, the injury shouldn’t cause him to miss any time.
“(Matt Jackson) said on 5/21 that he was hoping it’s just bruised or a cartilage injury and that the doctor seems to think that’s what it is, but that he would be wrestling on Saturday,” wrote Dave Meltzer.
Brodie Lee challenges Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship this Saturday night at AEW Double or Nothing.
Just days before the biggest match of his career, The Exalted One spoke with SEScoops about how he’s preparing for the bout.
“It’s a lot of cardio right now,” he began. “Having not been in the ring for the better part of a year almost, I think I had 7 matches last year in WWE and maybe 3 at the end of the year and then 0. I’ve had 1 match over 3 minutes this year. So, it’s a lot of cardio, a lot of preparing myself for a long battle.”
“I know exactly what Jon Moxley is going to bring. He’s very violent, he likes to punch you in the face right away. So I think that’ll snap me out of any kind of slumber I might be in real quick. And I know he’s going to bring a level of violence that I have to be prepared for and I am prepared for that because I’m not afraid of violence.”
He then revealed that his wife is concerned about what will transpire at Double or Nothing.
“Before I left the house on Tuesday, my wife told me ‘you and Jon Moxley scare me.’ I think she knows and hopefully the fans know that when we link it up it’s going to be something, I guess, terrible, is a good description.”
There’s no doubt that Jon Moxley will bring the violence. However, Brodie Lee feels he has the advantage when it comes to size, agility and instability.
“I know I have the size advantage, I maybe have the agility advantage,” he continued. “He probably thinks he’s a little more violent than me but there’s definitely something wrong up here [in his head].”
Thanks to Brodie Lee for chatting with us. You can check out our full interview below.
Order AEW Double or Nothing at BR Live (US) and FITE.TV (Internationally). Catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights on TNT.
In the build-up to and following the season 2 finale of VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring, the topic of Owen Hart’s death has made frequent headlines. Unfortunately, much of this news is focussed on the way Owen Hart died. In a recently released deleted scene from the documentary, however, Owen’s fondness for practical jokes and his sense of humor take center stage.
VICE has recently released the below deleted scene from the Dark Side of the Ring episode on Owen Hart. In the scene, several wrestling personalities detail Owen’s infamous ribbing.
Evidently, Owen’s pranking was not limited to his wrestling life. His son Oje recalled a story of Owen ordering pizza for the family in the deleted scene.
“Dad was interested in getting pizza so he calls the number and he puts in the order. About 30 minutes later his friend walks in the door and he says ‘hey, we should get pizza.’ and (Owen’s) like ‘yeah, yeah we should get pizza.’ So he pretends to phone again and is like ‘Yah, I’ll get the thin crust, pepperoni pizza with extra this and that.’ Then, of course, the pizza shows up a minute and a half later and the guy’s like ‘f**k, did you cook that in your car?”
Martha Hart also spoke about Owen’s sense of humour in the scene.
“One time we were jogging and there was this big group of runners just passing us and Owen was just a little bit ahead of me. Just as they were passing us, he looked back and he yelled ‘would you stop chasing me, I told you I don’t want to go out with you!'”
Owen Hart Prank Stories
More stories are told including Owen having a bunch of pigs loaded into Vince McMahon’s office. Jim Ross told a story about Owen calling him pretending to be Stu. D’Lo Brown and Jim Cornette also tell stories in the scene.
There is actually a book published on Owen Hart’s infamous ribs. The book is titled “Owen Hart: King of Pranks.” It can be purchased here.
Earlier this week, we had a chance to speak with the #1 contender to the AEW World Championship, “The Exalted One” Brodie Lee. He faces Jon Moxley in the main event of Saturday night’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
We had the chance to sit down with AEW’s Brodie Lee recently for an exclusive interview. During the discussion, we asked Brodie about the possibility of his former teammate Erick Rowan‘s recent release from WWE.
“I think Erick’s a wonderful human being, he’s a wonderful father, which is strange to say if you look at him,” he said jokingly. “We weren’t always the best of friends early on in our tenure together but we became really good friends by the end. Somehow we always seem to find each other, at least for the last 8 years.”
Brodie Lee then continued to talk about what might come next for some of the recent WWE releases.
“I think it’s going to be very refreshing to him and a guy like Zack Ryder/Matt Cardona, I think it’s going to be very refreshing to them to be out of that bubble and to understand now the freedom that they have creatively. Ryder especially, who’s done it before on his own, he’s one of the most creative people you’ll ever meet.”
“As soon as I was released, it’s almost a weight off your shoulders. WWE gives you so much but as soon as its over, it’s almost either panic or opportunity arises. It can be both but you have to learn to adjust and take it in as it comes.”
Lee then said he feels Erick Rowan likely has a run in Japan coming up. Rowan has a history wrestling in the country, having trained at the Pro Wrestling NOAH dojo earlier in his career.
“I think Erick Rowan is almost tailor-made for a Japan run. I don’t know if we’ll ever find each other over there because that would be pretty cool. Or if we’ll find each other in AEW, who knows? I think there’s going to be a lot of opportunity for these guys.”
Order AEW Double or Nothing at BR Live (US) and FITE.TV (Internationally). Catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights on TNT.
Check out our full 18-minute interview with The Exalted One, Brodie Lee:
Dr. Martha Hart has been taking part in several media interviews this week. Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring covered Owen Hart’s tragic fall in their season 2 finale Tuesday night. Martha spoke about WWE’s legal tactics as the wrongful death lawsuit was unfolding when speaking with Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho and in an interview with CBS Sports. WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt responded to her comments in a lengthy, and at times aggressive, statement to CBS Sports.
“We were basically trying to find out what happened that night. Martha wasn’t even interested from a distance to find out what had happened that night; she just wanted to use it as a vehicle to beat a business in which she didn’t like her husband being, the wrestling business,” McDevitt said about Martha.
“In response to Jerry McDevitt’s recent comments I want to make it very clear, if there was one person on this planet who wanted to get to the bottom of what happened to my husband Owen it was me!” Martha Hart said in a statement released to media.
“The defense on the other hand was doing everything in their power to muddy the waters (as they try to continue to do) in an effort to detract from the case because they didn’t have one. I read every single affidavit taken, sat through endless face-to-face depositions, and spent over a year of my life dissecting every solitary fact of this case. To insinuate for one second that I of all people did not care about the truth behind Owen’s death, but instead was more interested in a ridiculous vendetta against the wrestling business, is beyond the pale.”
McDevitt’s full statement can be found here and Martha’s full response can be found here.
OHF Triumphant May Long-Weekend Sylvan Lake Food Bank Drive!
The OHF collected tons of much need food for the Sylvan Lake Food Bank over a two day haul with a $1000 in cash donations too! Well done Sylvan Lake neighbors and thanks to our fabulous OHF Committee! #caring#foodbankpic.twitter.com/kXMp1gooHm
— The Owen Hart Foundation (@owen_foundation) May 20, 2020
Celebrate Owen Hart and Support The Owen Hart Foundation
Unfortunately, the nastiness involved in the aftermath of Owen Hart’s death remains even to this day. On May 23rd it will be exactly 21-years since the world lost Owen Hart. Fans of Owen’s do have an option to celebrate Owen’s life and career, however.
VICE media and the Owen Hart Foundation have teamed up to create the first official Owen Hart merchandise in over 20 years. All proceeds from the sales of the below t-shirts go to support the Owen Hart Foundation.
First Official Owen Hart T-Shirt in 20 Years – All Proceeds Go To The OHF!
To commemorate Vice Media's Dark Side of the Ring Episode 'Owen Hart's Final Days' the OHF has produced Owen Hart T-shirts with One Hour Tees. Includes a Authenticity Certificate. https://t.co/hcJOAvBgUtpic.twitter.com/sCSKnmo3jV
— The Owen Hart Foundation (@owen_foundation) May 19, 2020
In an interview with Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho, Dr. Martha Hart stated that much of the work the Owen Hart Foundation does mirror the kind of person Owen was in life. She told the story of Owen once offering a person experiencing homelessness use of his hotel room. The Owen Hart Foundation now offers programs to help low-income families and individuals purchase homes. The Foundation also provides scholarships for students.
The Foundation was created with funds from the wrongful death lawsuit against WWE.
Examples of the great work done by the Owen Hart Foundation can be found in the below Tweets:
OHF Bids Farewell To Our Giant Pandas!
The OHF is a proud supporter of The Calgary Zoo & is very saddened to hear that due to the shortage & lack of access to fresh Bamboo our Giant Pandas need to be transported back to China. The OHF was there to welcome them & to say goodbye. pic.twitter.com/7Bs6XXNIuJ
— The Owen Hart Foundation (@owen_foundation) May 12, 2020
Sylvan Lake Food Bank running low due to the Covid-19 crisis so the OHF has organized the OHF May Long-Weekend Sylvan Lake Food Bank Drive. All donations to the OHF up to May long-weekend will be donated to this great cause: https://t.co/n0d9hJwnp0pic.twitter.com/ywBlp7MlBH
— The Owen Hart Foundation (@owen_foundation) May 1, 2020
Goal Reached For Nova Scotia Mass Murder Victims.
OHF thanks all for helping Barb Simic's family reach $75,000 gofundme goal. We celebrate with a tribute from Canadian Fiddler Natalie MacMaster who performed with a video of Barb's lost niece Emily Tuck NS Kitchen Party Style. pic.twitter.com/eL9GF5lD4K
— The Owen Hart Foundation (@owen_foundation) April 25, 2020
The OHF support OHF Committee Member Ashid Bahl's (founder of For The Love of Children Society) initiative sending aid to Afghanistan where a hunger crisis beckons due to terrible food shortages from COVID-19. For more info on how to help contact us or: https://t.co/iHvKWS5wavpic.twitter.com/2LNoVIFSsW
— The Owen Hart Foundation (@owen_foundation) April 19, 2020
Seth Rollins appeared on Corey Graves’ “After the Bell” podcast that was released today. During the conversation, Rollins responded to comments Jim Cornette made on his podcast regarding Becky Lynch.
Cornette criticized Lynch for becoming pregnant while she was on-top of the wrestling industry.
“What would you do if your wife came home and said instead of making a million dollars next year I’m going to basically just be a raging b**ch for the next 9 months and then give you more s**t to worry about around the house?” Cornette said on his podcast.
Rollins responded to Cornette’s comments at the very beginning of his discussion with Corey Graves.
“It hurt my feelings on a personal level because Jim Cornette is someone who is a legend in our industry and he is someone that I have personally worked with in my time at Ring of Honor,” Rollins said on the show.
“And for him to come out and say some real negative things, some real misogynist things about women in general and pregnancy in the industry, it kind of caught me off guard and made me lose a lot of respect for someone who a lot of people have kind of lost respect for.”
“This is something that I am so proud of my fiance Becky of what she is doing,” Rollins continued.
“Look, she’s 33, so once you hit 35 you start running risks with these pregnancies, so she made an incredibly tough decision.”
“She is the most talented woman I have ever seen in my entire life and she’s going to be just fine being pregnant, making money, doing alright. So everything that Jim Cornette said is complete nonsense, not just for her but for women all around the globe.”
There is currently the belief amongst some that the XFL’s second death is still not the final nail in the coffin for the league. Vince McMahon’s twice ill-fated football league filed bankruptcy earlier this year after the global pandemic hit.
According to a report from the Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan, some XFL creditors believe Vince McMahon’s plan is to wait out the pandemic before buying the league back at a “fire sale” price.
It is also being reported that XFL President Jeffrey Pollack has contacted stadiums in St. Louis and Seattle about reinstating lease agreements.
Creditors have also been led to this conclusion based on a plan to repay $3.5 million to season ticket holders. The XFL’s creditors believe this is a goodwill gesture to ticket holders in the attempt to win them back when McMahon buys back the league.
McMahon would then have to completely rebuild the league from scratch in order to start over again. This would also involve hiring a new league commissioner after McMahon fired Oliver Luck shortly before filing for bankruptcy. Luck has since filed suit against McMahon for money he says he is owed on the remainder of his contract.
Luck’s team contends that his contract states he is owed the remainder of his contract if he is terminated without just cause. McMahon’s team is arguing that Luck was terminated with cause.
According to documents pertaining to Owen Hart’s tragic fall from the Kemper Arena ceiling in 1999, Max Mini was originally supposed to be part of the fatal stunt.
Reporter David Bixenspan posted to Twitter portions of a file from the Kansas City Police Department’s investigation into Owen Hart’s death. In the highlighted section below is a portion of the transcript from an interview with the stunt’s rigger, Bobby Talbert. His comments to the police stated that Max Mini was originally supposed to be attached to Owen Hart for the stunt but the plan changed last minute.
“Talbert stated originally the stunt was to be that a midget MAX-MINI would be attached to the victim, however, they later decided against performing that stunt and were only going to lower the victim to the ring,” the police report reads.
“I only knew Owen a little,” Max says in the video. “He was very modest and calm. And me, the day that the accident happened, I was with him all day. I was supposed to be his mascot. And when they told me, he was already…lost. We love you very much. May God watch out for you.”
AEW has released new top-5 rankings for its men’s, women’s, and tag-team division.
AEW Men’s Single’s Rankings
Champion: Jon Moxley (10-0)
Cody (9-1)
Lance Archer (5-0)
Brodie Lee (5-0) (+1)
Kenny Omega (4-0) (-1)
Darby Allin (6-3)
#3 Brodie Lee moved up one spot this week in the rankings. Lee moves ahead of #4 Kenny Omega after defeating Christopher Daniels on Dynamite this week. He’ll go on to face Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at Double or Nothing this weekend.
#1 Cody and #2 Lance Archer will clash this weekend for the inaugural TNT title. Neither wrestled this week but they were involved in segments with each other.
#4 Kenny Omega teamed with Matt Hardy on Dynamite and defeated Proud and Powerful.
#5 Darby Allin picked up a win over Serpentico in the main event of Dark last night. Taz was on commentary for the match and again stated that he could help Darby.
AEW Women’s Division
Champion: Nyla Rose (5-1)
Hikaru Shida (9-1)
Kris Statlander (3-4)
Britt Baker (4-4)
Yuka Sakazaki (1-1)
Riho (3-3)
There was no movement in the women’s single’s division this week but #1 Hikaru Shida picked up two victories and maintained her top spot in the rankings. Shida defeated #2 Kris Statlander, #3 Britt Baker and the unranked Penelope Ford in a fatal 4-way match. She also defeated Dani Jordyn on Dark. Shida will face Nyla Rose for the AEW Women’s World Championship at Double or Nothing.
Also scheduled for Double or Nothing will be #2 Kris Statlander vs #3 Britt Baker.
AEW Tag Team Division
Champions: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page (6-0)
Best Friends (7-3) (+1)
The Dark Order (5-0) (-1)
Private Party (4-1) (+2)
The Young Bucks (2-2)(-1)
Jurassic Express (3-1) (-1)
#1 The Best Friends move into the top-contender spot for the AEW tag titles. They defeated #5 Jurassic Express on Dynamite, dropping that team one spot in the rankings.
#3 Private Party moved up 2 spots after picking up a win over Mike Reed & Ryan Rembrandt on Dark.
#4 the Young Bucks drop a spot in the rankings. They have been competing on the BTE compound rather than on Dark or Dynamite as of late. #2 Evil Uno and Grayson are unable to travel to tapings due to travel restrictions between Canada and the US.
24-year-old Arisa Hoshiki has been forced to retire due to head and neck injuries. Hoshiki was a star in World Wonder Ring Stardom and was the promotion’s Wonder of Stardom champion. The title has been vacated with news of Hoshiki’s retirement.
The promotion posted an announcement from Hoshiki through their social media channels:
Long time no see, thank you for always showing me support. It’s Arisa Hoshiki.
After asking you to wait, I can now announce it.
I was absent from the Korakuen Hall show on March 8th due to head and neck issues. After discussions with doctors, Mr. Harada (President of Bushiroad Fight) and Mr. Ogawa (Rossy Ogawa/Stardom Executive Producer), I have decided that I will retire.
I’ve not been well for about a year, but I was able to continue because I enjoyed doing professional wrestling and my feelings helped me keep going.
However, since my physical condition has deteriorated this year and I have accumulated various injuries, I am out of balance mentally and physically, so I can’t continue.
At present, my neck has improved, but my head is still in a bad condition.
I wanted to return the Wonder of Stardom belt as soon as I got into such a state but I think that the timing was bad because of the coronavirus and so on.
I can’t settle in-ring issues with Natsuko Tora, Giulla and Tam Nakano. I wanted to fight against these three guys especially for my White Belt, but I couldn’t finish it because of my body and to all the fans who were looking forward to it, I’m sorry.
In the end, I wanted to tell the fans in the ring but we have this current world situation. I’m really sorry that the announcement was made while the Stardom shows aren’t happening.
In the future, I will continue to do work that I love, while watching my physical and mental conditions.
It was a short time that I came back to wrestling, but I would like to thank you all of your support.
Arisa Hoshiki.”
Arisa Hoshiki
Hoshiki competed as a teenager with the promotion until leaving from 2012 until 2018. She won the Cinderella tournament in April of 2019 and then won the Wonder of Stardom championship the next month.
Impact Wrestling presented another episode last night from their recent set of tapings in Tennessee. This episode featured 2 more first-round matches in the #1 Contenders tournament as well as Moose defending “his” TNA World Championship.
TJP & Fallah Bah defeated Team XXXL (Ace Romero & Larry D)
TNA World Championship Moose (c) defeated Suicide
X-Division Championship Willie Mack (c) defeated Johnny Swinger
#1 Contenders Tournament (1st Round) Michael Elgin defeated Sami Callihan
Michael Elgin Defeats Sami Callihan, Advances In Tournament
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FizqJHpRNNs
The main event of Impact this week saw Michael Elgin go up against Sami Callihan in the 1st round of the #1 Contenders tournament. It was a rough draw for each wrestler to get in the 1st round. Callihan came into this match at a disadvantage, however. After Ken Shamrock caused Sami to pass out at Rebellion in the ankle lock, it became clear the injury has not fully healed yet and that was a factor in this match.
Elgin didn’t shy away from focussing on his opponent’s injured ankle but Sami fought back. Ultimately, Callihan stumbled on his injured leg after escaping a power bomb attempt by Elgin and this allowed Elgin to capitalize and land a sit-down power bomb for the win. Elgin will go on to meet Trey in the semi-finals.
Moose Defends “His” TNA Championship, Josh Matthews Having None Of It
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htmuO44TtE0
We saw more highlights this week of a sit-down interview between Josh Matthews and Moose. Matthews made no secret of the fact that Moose is only a self-proclaimed holder of the TNA World title. Moose did not respond kindly to Matthews’ expression of this fact.
Moose needed to resort to underhanded tactics to score a second-straight victory over Suicide this week. This time, as Suicide landed a crossbody block from the top rope, Moose’s momentum landed him on top of Suicide in a pinning position. Moose then grabbed a handful of trunks and got the 3-count to defend “his” TNA World Title.
Moose continued to insist that he be announced as the TNA World Champion and that the referee hold up the title before the match.
Ace Austin Advances In Tournament
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gocxmhG9zUM
Ace Austin was named as a last-minute replacement for an injured Ken Shamrock in the tournament. The former X-Division Champion was in tough in the 1st round of the tournament but much like he did throughout his title reign, Austin was able to find away to escape with a victory.
In this match, Austin would use his baton to hit Rhino with while the referee’s attention was averted. With the win, Austin will go on to face Hernandez in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Johnny Swinger & Chris Bey Attack Willie Mack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD6Wl3K_Xzw
In Johnny Swinger’s mind, he and Willie Mack used to form a tag-team called “the Mack and Pack Connection.” Once Mack won the X-division title, Swinger started calling for a title shot against him. Chris Bey was shown speaking with Swinger in the back before the match and it appears an alliance between the two is brewing.
At one point in the match, Swinger hit a swinging neck breaker and Mack only kept his title by getting his foot on the rope. Swinger thought he’d won the match and the title but it was not the case. Mack would pick up the victory with a Samoan Drop followed by a standing moonsault.
After the match, however, Chris Bey hit the ring and he and Swinger attacked Mack and left him laying.
Madman Fulton Quits OVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFU2rUdz6Es
The returning Crazzy Steve picked up a victory this week in single’s action. He landed a diving DDT on Dave Crist for the win. Joey Ryan came out to watch Steve in action this week after the two had a bit of an altercation in the back last week. Ryan feels Steve’s name is “offensive to crazy people.”
The other members of OVE, Madman Fulton and Jake Crist were at ringside but after the match Madman Fulton let it be known he’d had enough of being in the faction. Fulton grabbed both Crist brothers by the neck and proclaimed that he quit. It looks like OVE really is over now, as Sami Callihan and Madman Fulton have left, leaving just the Crist brothers on their own.
Tasha Steelz was recently signed to a contract with Impact Wrestling. She lost a single’s match to Kylie Rae last week. This week she was approached by Kiera Hogan in the back and the two came to an understanding on a new alliance.
Steelz is a 5-year pro who has competed for ROH, NWA, Warrior Wrestling and many other promotions. Last summer, she challenged Kelly Klein for the WOH title on the ROH Summer Supercard in Toronto. Steelz was also featured prominently recently on episodes of NWA Powerrr. Now it looks like Steelz will be joining forces with Kiera Hogan in Impact Wrestling.
Next weak on Impact Wrestling, the semi-finals of the #1 Contenders tournament will take place. Trey will take on Michael Elgin and Hernandez will take on Ace Austin. Also next week, the North will take on Cody Deaner and a partner as all 3 are in Ontario, Canada and unable to travel to tapings. Kimber Lee and Havok will also rematch after Lee picked up a victory in their first tilt by way of using a pair of brass knuckles.
#1 Contenders Tournament (Semi-Finals) Ace Austin vs Hernandez
#1 Contenders Tournament (Semi-Finals) Michael Elgin vs Trey
Ember Moon hasn’t wrestled since dropping a single’s match to Lacey Evans on the September 13th, 2019 episode of RAW. She was reported to have suffered an ankle or Achilles injury during a segment where she was chasing then 24/7 champion Carmella.
Unfortunately, based on comments she made on WWE Backstage recently, Moon feels her injury may be career-ending.
“The more and more I sit back and look at everything I’ve done and what I would redo, I think more about my injury currently and realizing that I may have a career-ending injury,” Moon said.
“I’m coming back from the hardest injury and I might not have a chance to redeem myself of all the things I wanted to do and all the things I want to do in my future. It’s so hard to think back in regret when I try to look forward.”
Following her injury, it was reported that Moon could be out of action for up to a year. She gave further detail regarding what happened during the injury in an interview with Booker T.
“We do the run through and I told Truth, I was like, ‘Truth, you better run, I’m gonna catch you, Truth. If I catch you, I’m tackling you and you’re going down.’ And so when we actually did it, I literally caught them right before we went through the curtain,” she added. “So they go through the curtain and they didn’t realize how close I was behind them. As I’m coming through, the curtain shuts, I open it, go through. Truth is dropping Carmella and I’m going full speed and I had to hit the brakes. I was just like, ‘whoah,’ BOOM, and I felt a pop.”
A body now confirmed to be Shad Gaspard has been discovered on Venice Beach. His body was discovered near where he went missing on Sunday after getting caught in a riptide. Gaspard was 39-years-old.
Reports that the body of an unidentified male had been found in the area were made earlier this morning. The body was later confirmed to be Shad Gaspard.
“The individual that was seen here on the beach this morning was an African-American male approximately 6ft 6, over 240lbs. So it matched the description of the missing swimmer that had gone missing during the rescue efforts that we conducted here on Sunday afternoon,” the official in the above video says.
Shad Gaspard 1981-2020
In the wake of this tragedy, many wrestlers and those from the wrestling business have been speaking about what a quality human being Shad was. Shad is being remembered as brave and selfless and as a good friend and father.
“Shad is a fighter, a warrior and a magical soul. We are hoping and praying for his safe return,” a statement released by family yesterday reads. “As a family we thank you all for your concern and well wishes. Please continue to keep sending your positivity and prayers to our beloved Shad.”
The search for Shad Gaspard has been suspended by the US Coast Guard. According to a report from TMZ, the US Coast Guard suspended search efforts this morning. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed with Fox News shortly after, however, that they have not called off their search for Gaspard even if other agencies have.
The family issued the following statement today:
“We would like to express our gratitude to the first responders who rescued Aryeh and to the lifeguards, coast guard, divers, fire and police departments for their continued efforts to help find our beloved Shad.”
“Shad is a fighter, a warrior and a magical soul. We are hoping and praying for his safe return. As a family we thank you all for your concern and well wishes. Please continue to keep sending your positivity and prayers to our beloved Shad.”
JTG recently posted a screen cap from a conversation he had with Gaspard:
Several people have been out searching for Shad today. Chris Masters and Lillian Garcia have both gone out to the beach to look for him. Garcia is asking fans for their prayers.
Walking over to The Marina/Venice beach for @Shadbeast If anybody else wants to come I’ll be there in about a half hour
Several wrestlers are upset with Combat Zone Wrestling for how they treat and portray their female wrestlers. Recently, the company has been running PPVs featuring matches from previously held CZW events. Several PPV events featuring women’s wrestling matches have been given titles such as “CZW Girlz: Top Heavy & Tough” and “Hot & Sweaty Combat.”
Several wrestlers have spoken out about the naming of these shows and how the female talent are being portrayed.
I never publically bash CZW but this is just terrible. I’m embarrassed that my name is attached to these “PPV’s” I doubt I have any legal right to get my name off there. This is gross. The CZW office should be ashamed. I’m sorry to the ladies and that have to deal with this. https://t.co/Dtolvb0eDR
— RSP ????????????? (@RickeyShanePage) May 13, 2020
LuFisto published the below video directed at CZW:
“I am a very proud professional wrestler,” LuFisto says in the video. “Lately, CZW, Combat Zone Wrestling, has been promoting us as soft-core porn actresses. I’m a professional wrestler, I’m not a cat fighter, I’m not a sweaty girl getting involved in dirty fights. Although I am top-heavy and a very proud bottom-heavy girl, nothing gives them a right to promote me as such. That’s not what I signed up for.”
The full video can be viewed below:
CZW Issues Statement
Combat Zone Wrestling has since issued a statement that they entered into an agreement with a media distributor who is able to name the PPVs whatever they want. CZW said they stand behind the ring action in all their footage. It sounds as though they signed away their right to have anything to do with the branding of the shows.
— CZW: Combat Zone Wrestling (@combatzone) May 19, 2020
Jordynne Grace and Kimber Lee Comment
“And I’m certain I NEVER signed an agreement giving you the right to sell my intellectual property…. nor did ANY of the women you’re blatantly disrespecting. Or how you told us all you wouldn’t book us if you wouldn’t f**k us. It’s about time the harassment gets exposed,” Kimber Lee Tweeted.
Impact Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace issued the following response to the statement released by CZW:
In AEW at the moment, both classic Matt Hardy and the version that has been taken over by a 3000-year-old entity named Damascus can be seen. In a recent interview with CBS Sports Radio, Hardy noted that he wants to create the most layered character in wrestling history.
“You’re going to see many versions of Matt Hardy,” Hardy said on the show. “I’m really working to create the most layered wrestling character ever right now.”
He also noted that he likes it when other wrestlers or those in segments with him aren’t aware of what he is going to say next.
“A lot of times it works best when I’m speaking with my opponent and they don’t even know what’s coming,” he continued. “You get more of a natural reaction because he says a lot of absurd stuff, he says a lot of unpredictable stuff.”
Hardy then used the example of Chris Jericho’s reaction to Hardy calling him a “Hole of the Ass” on a recent episode of Dynamite.
“When I called Chris Jericho, we were in the ring together, and I called him a hole of the ass, he almost lost it just because he wasn’t expecting that,” he continued.
Hardy’s comments on the show can be heard in the Tweet below:
Broken Matt Hardy says he's going to develop layers no wrestler has ever tried I @DAonCBS pic.twitter.com/IHIUuHsBYR
— Infinity Sports Network (@InfSportsNet) May 19, 2020
Dark Side of the Ring’s season finale tonight will focus on Owen Hart’s tragic death at the Over the Edge PPV in 1999. In the build-up to the episode airing, Martha Hart has been taking part in media interviews and speaking about the events surrounding her husband’s death.
Bret Hart has since responded to comments Martha Hart made to the Wrap regarding the fallout between his and Martha’s relationship. Martha stated that her fallout with Bret had to do with Bret wanting access to his wrestling footage and rekindling his relationship with Vince McMahon.
“(Bret) was very upset that he didn’t get his footage. It prompted him to befriend Vince again so he could have access to his footage. That was the first fracture in our relationship,” Martha said.
Bret has since released the following statement on the matter:
“While I am not interested in engaging in any more media mudslinging between Martha and myself especially in light of a global pandemic, I will say that our fallout is multifaceted. To say that it only involved being able to access and use my WWE footage and photos for future projects would merely be an oversimplification and inaccurate. I will not comment any further on the matter.”
WWE Lawyer Comments On Martha Hart Statements
In a recent interview with CBS Sports and on Talk is Jericho, Martha Hart spoke about the negligence involved in Owen’s fall. She also spoke about WWE taking legal action against her in an attempt to force the wrongful death suit to be filed in Connecticut where punitive damages would be less of a factor.
“It was really tough. I have to say it was a knock-down-drag-out fight/battle against them,” Martha said on Talk is Jericho. “A lot of people might not realize this but they actually sued me for breach of Owen’s contract.”
“They had in their contract that you could only sue them in Connecticut but I wasn’t suing them about Owen’s contract, it was something totally different. But through that process of the lawsuit, they were trying anything and everything to muddy the waters or just intimidate me.”
Jerry McDevitt Comments
WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt has since issued a response to CBS Sports.
“The reality is, we’ve never told our side of the story of what happened — at least not outside of court,” the statement McDevitt provided reads. “We told it in court, but when she talks about the way the lawsuit unfolded over the years, it really isn’t accurate what she’s saying.”
McDevitt then made accusation about Martha’s lawyers attempting to fix the judicial selection process to get a judge they favoured.
“What she did whenever this happened is, she hired a lawyer in Kansas City who we caught essentially trying to fix the judicial selection process to get a judge that was more to their liking. We caught them and went all the way to the Missouri Supreme Court. The Missouri Supreme Court said, ‘No, no, no. We’re not going to let that happen.’ They essentially appointed an independent judge to come in from outside of Kansas City to oversee the proceedings. We were basically trying to find out what happened that night.”
McDevitt then stated that Owen Hart’s widow wanted to damage the wrestling business.
“Martha was not even remotely interested in finding out what happened that night; she just wanted to used it as a vehicle to beat up a business that she didn’t like that her husband was in, the wrestling business.”
McDevitt’s full statement along with Martha’s comments to CBS Sports can be read here.
Martha talking about WWE’s legal action against her can be heard in the player below:
Hangman Page hasn’t wrestled since the March 18th episode of Dynamite from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. It was the first of AEW’s empty arena shows due to the ongoing global pandemic. On the most recent episode of “Being the Elite,” Page may have teased a potential return to AEW shows, however.
On BTE, Page has been shown living in the woods as of late but on the most recent episode, he teased it was time to go home. As he discussed going home, it could be speculated that by “home” he means returning to AEW television.
“Maybe I should go home,” Page said possibly referring to no longer living in the woods.
“Honestly, it would be ridiculous to go home right now because out here I can’t get infected, I can’t infect anyone else. I mean, we’re all in this together, right?”
“It feels irresponsible to go back to my house, I mean, even now. I’d never know if I over-reacted coming out here to live but I’d forever live with the pain of knowing I didn’t do enough and to be honest, I’ve kind of been enjoying living out here.”
Hangman Page Returning To AEW Tapings?
Then Hangman’s analogy started to become more clear.
“I used to know more but living in a house is kind of all I understand now. And maybe most selfishly, I feel like I want to go back home because I was on the run of my life in that house,” Page said possibly referring to the momentum he had in AEW.
“I nearly won the prestigious ‘Man of the House’ award in May,” Page continued as he listed off reasons to possibly return “home.”
“I teamed up with our broom to clean the house better than anyone had ever swept before,” Page continued, possibly talking about his team with Kenny Omega if not his actual domestic prowess.
“Everybody was loving it, what I was doing in the house, and it made me feel more validated than I’d ever felt in my life. I felt like maybe I was on my way back to winning the ‘Man of the House’ award.”
“It seems unfair that I’ve gotten to live out this Snow White woodland fantasy while Cynthia from Foodland has to go back to her apartment every morning,” he continued.
Page’s comments begin at the 14:45 mark of the below video:
Tonight’s season finale of Dark Side of the Ring focusses on Owen Hart’s tragic death on May 23rd, 1999. In conjunction with the episode, the Owen Hart Foundation and VICE media have produced official Owen Hart merchandise for the first time in over 20 years. All proceeds will go to support the foundation Martha Hart set-up in Owen’s name.
Two T-shirts are currently available on ProWrestlingTees.com. One has a picture of Owen and the Dark Side of the Ring logo in the corner. The other shirt features a pink and black heart logo with the words “In our hearts forever.”
First Official Owen Hart T-Shirt in 20 Years – All Proceeds Go To The OHF!
To commemorate Vice Media's Dark Side of the Ring Episode 'Owen Hart's Final Days' the OHF has produced Owen Hart T-shirts with One Hour Tees. Includes a Authenticity Certificate. https://t.co/hcJOAvBgUtpic.twitter.com/sCSKnmo3jV
— The Owen Hart Foundation (@owen_foundation) May 19, 2020
Established following the wrongful death lawsuit regarding Owen’s tragic fall, the Owen Hart Foundation supports a variety of programs including helping low-income families and individuals purchase homes and a scholarship program for students.
“Owen was a practical man of profound integrity, a wonderful husband and devoted father. He would be extremely proud of the good work carried out by the Foundation and would be honoured to be remembered for what he loved best, which was his sincere kindness to all people,” reads the website of the Owen Hart Foundation.
Owen Hart was inducted into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019. The Hall of Fame and Museum are located in Wichita Falls, Texas and was founded by Tony Vellano in 1999. Do not expect Owen to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, however. Owen Hart’s widow Martha Hart recently took part in an interview with CBS Sports and commented on WWE’s version of a pro-wrestling Hall of Fame.
“Their Hall of Fame? They don’t even have a Hallway of Fame. It doesn’t exist,” Martha said about the possibility of Owen being inducted into WWE’s Hall of Fame. “There’s nothing. It’s a fake entity. There’s nothing real or tangible. It’s just an event they have to make money. They put it on TV and have a celebration, and it’s just so ridiculous. I would never even entertain it. It’s garbage.”
Owen was also inducted into the Lou Thesz/George Tragos Hall of Fame in 2018:
Martha Hart holding her husband’s Hall of Fame plaque. Owen Hart was inducted posthumously into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 28. pic.twitter.com/ECYLzMKbFo
Martha Hart On Over The Edge PPV Continuing After Owen’s Death
Martha also spoke about how disrespectful it was for WWE to continue on with the Over the Edge PPV in 1999 after Owen had died.
“When Owen died, they scooped him out like a piece of garbage and they paraded wrestlers out to wrestle in a ring that had Owen’s blood, where the boards were broken from Owen’s fall and where the guys could feel the dip in the ring from where he fell. Just that disrespect and lack of respect for a human life that had just been lost,” Martha Hart said. “The fact that they didn’t stop the show is just appalling. Vince McMahon was a poor leader, and he failed because that talent was looking for leadership and he failed them.”
Martha’s full interview with CBS Sports can be found here.
Fans of Owen Hart are encouraged to support the Owen Hart Foundation. The organization was set-up following the wrongful death lawsuit against WWE. Martha has said that much of the work the Owen Hart Foundation does mirrors the kind of person Owen was in life.
Recently on Talk is Jericho, Martha spoke about how she remembered one time Owen offered a person experiencing homelessness use of his hotel room. Now, the Owen Hart Foundation helps low-income families and individuals purchase homes. The Owen Hart Foundation also offers scholarships for students.
“Owen was a practical man of profound integrity, a wonderful husband and devoted father. He would be extremely proud of the good work carried out by the Foundation and would be honoured to be remembered for what he loved best, which was his sincere kindness to all people,” reads the website of the Owen Hart Foundation.
Martha also noted recently that official Owen Hart merchandise will likely be available soon.
Dark Side the Ring’s season 2 finale will focus on the tragic death of Owen Hart.
Last week on WWE RAW, Becky Lynch shocked the wrestling world by announcing she is pregnant. Lynch had been the RAW Women’s Champion dating back to WrestleMania 35 when she pinned Ronda Rousey in the main event. Now, she’ll be gone for an extended period of time.
Natalya recently commented on Becky Lynch’s pregnancy in an article for the Calgary Sun.
“It took me a minute to digest what I was hearing; Becky Lynch would be no longer be sharing a locker room with us, but she would be taking on this new role of motherhood during the height of her career,” Natalya wrote. “I knew in that moment that I was truly going to miss seeing someone who wasn’t just a coworker, but a friend to me and so many others in WWE.”
Natalya also noted in the article that their shared history goes back before either was in WWE.
“Becky and I shared our first tour of Japan together in 2005 when we were both just getting started,” Natalya continued. “She knew what it was like to be an underdog, which was ultimately what helped turn her into one of the biggest stars in WWE.”
Lynch and Natalya wrestled each other at SummerSlam last year in a submission match. In her article, Natalya noted that they drew inspiration from the Bret Hart vs Steve Austin WrestleMania 13 submission match for their SummerSlam tilt.
“I told Becky that one of my favourite matches of all time was Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13,” Natalya continued. “Turns out we both found inspiration in Austin vs. The Hitman, and we both studied that match closely before our SummerSlam match. “
Natalya continued to say her match against Lynch was her favourite submission match of her career and that it set the bar high for the women’s revolution.
“Not only did we tear the house down in what was my favorite submission match I’ve been in, but we also felt proud that together we were setting the bar high for the Raw women’s division.”
Natalya’s full article from the Calgary Sun can be read here.
