PROGRESS Wrestling star Gisele Shaw won the company’s Women’s Championship over the weekend.
Former Champion Kanji had to relinquish her title due to injury. The former Champion confirmed that she had re-injured her arm following a devastating near career-ending injury a few years ago.
The planned triple threat match for the night between Alexxis Falcon, Mercedez Blaze and Gisele Shaw then became a contest with the Women’s Championship on the line.
Gisele Shaw Wins The PROGRESS Title
Shaw would win the match to solidify her career on the British wrestling stage, with the Lance Storm trained star also holding the Rev Pro Women’s Championship.
The ‘Quintessential Diva’ appeared on WWE’s The Bump a few months ago and called out the likes of Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch.
Gisele’s next challenger has yet to be revealed by the company, although the company are likely to announce if she will appear at the next Chapter show in the coming week.
Shaw has been one of the bigger stars coming out of the new era of PROGRESS Wrestling, with the Canadian/Filipino performer having main evented a large number of shows since the company began running from the Theatre Peckham.
WWE NXT Superstar Candice LeRae recently revealed that she and Johnny Gargano were expecting their first child.
Candice confirmed on Instagram that she does not plan on going on maternity leave right now, and she will stay working for NXT until the last possible minute.
“Just when I didn’t think I could possibly be happier, you all proved me wrong. My heart is so full of love and support I never expected,” Candice LeRae revealed.
Candice LeRae on Maternity Leave
“This road for me and Johnny has been long, and I’ve had days where I thought this would never happen for us. It’s hard as a woman to choose between your career you’ve wanted since childhood and growing a life inside you. There never seems to be a right time,” LeRae noted.
“I have been a wrestler for 19 years and it’s been my constant since I was a little girl. It’s my first love. It’s given me irreplaceable friends, a brother, experiences I’d have never had otherwise, the blessing of traveling the world, the ability to make an impact on people’s lives, and (last but not least) a husband.
CANDICE LERAE
“I don’t plan on being “away” until I absolutely have to”, Candice continued. “Indi clearly needs me! — And I want to be there for my locker room of girls as long as I possibly can!”
“However, I do have to take a step back from my favorite part of this business for a while- physically wrestling. But I know this little one is going to be soooo very worth every second away from the ring,” the former WWE NXT Tag Team Champion concluded.
WWE Champion Bobby Lashley recently spoke to Rick Ucchino of Sportskeeda. The ‘All-Mighty’ Champion discussed several topics during the interview, including what advice he has for the recently released WWE and NXT Superstars.
“Stay motivated” Bobby Lashley began, revealing what advice he has for the dozens of performers who have been released from their WWE contracts over the past few weeks and months.
“There were guys that contacted me in WWE while I was out and they asked, ‘What’s going on? Do you have any advice?’ I always told them, ‘If you’re good, your talent can’t be denied'” Lashley continued.
Bobby Lashley Gives Advice
“That’s one. Two; never burn bridges. A lot of times, people leave the wrestling business or leave one organization and feel the need to badmouth them, I think that’s ridiculous. Every one of us made our name from WWE or pro wrestling and made a lot of money” the WWE Champion added.
“I look at it on a nightly basis when I tuck my kids in and the ability to put a roof over their head and give them things that I didn’t have. The money that I made from wrestling, I’ll always have respect for wrestling. Fans need to understand that if you see someone fighting one organization or the other, don’t even pay attention to them.”
BOBBY LASHLEY
“As a fan, walk away from it” Lashley pleaded to fans. “They [the fans] don’t understand what the wrestling business is about. Everyone needs to eat and feed their kids.”
“Everyone wants to have a good show. Instead of putting someone else down; just look at your own field and promote what you have instead of hating what you don’t like. If you leave, leave with motivation and keep doors open for yourself” Bobby Lashley would conclude.
Lashley is set to defend his WWE Championship against Goldberg at the upcoming WWE SummerSlam 2021 PPV event on Saturday August 21st.
New Japan Pro Wrestling star Will Ospreay recently spoke to Booker T on “The Indies” podcast. The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion discussed several topics during the show, including his relationship with WWE Superstar AJ Styles.
“I remember sitting down with AJ” Ospreay noted on the show. “I had a match with him and when I found out I was wrestling AJ Styles, a tear rolled down my eye. It was the greatest night of my life.”
“He’s the sole reason I got into wrestling” Will Ospreay revealed. “AJ was it for me. I started crying, I was so thankful. How genuine he was and he took the time to explain why we were doing things.”
“I told him I was going to Japan. He was leaving for WWE. I told him I was going to Japan in April and he was like, ‘I’m proud of you, you’re going to do so well there'” Ospreay revealed.
Will Ospreay on AJ Styles
“I won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and he dropped me a message like, ‘Bro, I’m so proud of you.’ It gets me every single time because that’s my hero and is such a big deal to me,” the Aerial Assassin concluded.
Will Ospreay is currently back in the United Kingdom following an injury that caused him to relinquish his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Ospreay is still the current Rev Pro British Champion, and he will reportedly be appearing at a Rev Pro show at some point to talk the status of the title and he has not been stripped.
Bianca Belair recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast. The SmackDown Women’s Champion discussed several topics during the interview, including which opponents she is targeting down the road in her WWE career.
“I always say that one of my main goals – I look up to the Four Horsewomen,” Bianca Belair began. “When I was in NXT, I remember just looking at the Four Horsewomen and standing in in the locker room thinking like, Wow, they used to be here in the same spot that I’m at, and now they’re on Raw, and they’re on SmackDown.”
“They’re doing these amazing things” Belair continued. “And if I could ever just get up there and be in the same ring as them, that’s when I know that I’m doing it, I’ve made it. And I’m here now.”
Bianca Belair on Charlotte and Becky
Bianca Belair is eager for Becky Lynch to return so she can pin her shoulders to the mat.
“I can’t wait for Becky to come back. I would love to feud with Becky. I’ve pinned Bayley, I’ve pinned Sasha. And now my goal is to eventually feud again with Charlotte and Becky and hopefully pin the other two Four Horsewomen.”
Bianca Belair is set to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks at the upcoming SummerSlam 2021 event on Saturday, August 21st.
Banks attacked Belair to close out this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, with Zelina Vega and Carmella potentially joining Banks to form a new group, although this has not been confirmed officially.
Former WWE Superstar Lio Rush will be challenging Tom Lawler for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship. This was confirmed by NJPW for the upcoming NJPW STRONG tapings.
August 16 will see New Japan film Fighting Spirit Unleashed, the first show to have live fans in attendance for the US based STRONG brand. That show will see Lio Rush take on the MMA fighter for the Openweight belt.
NJPW sent out the following press release confirming the match:
Filthy Tom Lawlor’s fourth defence of the STRONG Openweight Championship will take place in Thunder Studios, at Fighting Spirit Unleashed and NJPW STRONG’s first matches in front of a live crowd.
Lio Rush vs Tom Lawler
After Tom Lawlor recently logged his third successful defence of the STRONG Openweight Championship against Satoshi Kojima; he was confronted backstage by Lio Rush. The Man of the Hour declared that he was not going to wait for any more championship opportunities to come his way; and that he would be calling his shot. Lawlor laughed off Rush, but this week on STRONG, Rush and Karl Fredericks scored a convincing victory against Lawlor and his Team Filthy partner Danny Limelight.
Can Rush be the Man of the Hour and claim his first NJPW Championship? Fighting Spirit Unleashed tapings are SOLD OUT August 16; but get set to watch the championship action in the coming weeks on NJPW STRONG!
You can watch NJPW STRONG every Friday on the NJPWWorld.com streaming service.
This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown began with a heated back and forth promo segment between John Cena and WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.
Cena and Reigns exchanged words ahead of their WWE SummerSlam 2021 match for the Universal Title, the match that will most likely headline the show inside of Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, August 21st.
John Cena vs Roman Reigns
According to a new report from Fightful Select, we now know who produced the segment between the two main event Superstars on this week’s episode of the show.
Former WWE Superstar Jamie Noble produced the opening segment, or according to Fightful he was “at least listed as such.”
It was also noted that Paul Heyman has “also had heavy influence over Reigns’ stories” over the past few months and that Roman and Cena both have significantly more creative freedom over their segments than most within the company.
The actual promo segment had a lot of elements of the original feud between Cena and Reigns, except that on this occasion Reigns is no longer portraying the all-conquering babyface.
It has not been confirmed if Jamie Noble will be producing the actual match between John Cena and Roman Reigns, however he does appear to have a big hand in the structure of the segments between the two going forward.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Gable Steveson has been on the radar of WWE and UFC for quite some time.
The amateur great reportedly wants a move to pro wrestling, and he has confirmed that he will be in attendance at SummerSlam 2021, although as a fan.
Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Gable Steveson said that he is going to the show mainly to see The Head of The Table, Roman Reigns.
Gable Steveson on Roman Reigns
“I’m heading over to Vegas to watch the champ Roman Reigns do his thing. John Cena is great, but he’s still going to have to acknowledge Roman Reigns” Steveson stated.
The Olympian also revealed who he would want to manage him should he ever make his way to the squared circle and WWE.
“If I ever go to WWE, I’d be a ‘Paul Heyman Guy'” Steveson revealed. “Heyman is a legend. We’d be two people doing great things, and that would be a tough team to beat.”
“And I’ve known Brock since I was in high school” Gable Steveson added. “He’s been there for me for a long time, making sure I do things the right way and put my best foot forward.”
Here is the currently confirmed card for the upcoming PPV event:
WWE Universal Championship Match – Roman Reigns (c) vs John Cena
Raw Women’s Championship Match – Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair (Triple Threat Match)
WWE Championship Match – Bobby Lashley (c) vs Goldberg
Edge vs Seth Rollins
SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair (c) vs Sasha Banks
SmackDown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (c) vs Dominik & Rey Mysterio
United States Championship – Sheamus (c) vs Damian Priest
AEW President Tony Khan recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio in his now permanent slot. The owner of All Elite discussed several topics during his latest appearance, including AEW Rampage which debuts on Friday night.
“TNT is so happy with how Rampage is tracking already” Tony Khan began. “I think they think it’s going to be a huge hit. There’s definitely a lot of interest and we owe the people at TNT.”
“They could not have rolled out the red carpet anymore for us” Khan continued, praising AEW’s network. “They have so much in terms of promoting the show. There’s been ads all over the place.”
“I watched Seinfeld on TBS last night when I checked into the hotel in Pittsburgh. Every time it went to break, there were Rampage commercials, which is great” Khan added.
Tony Khan on TNT Network
“So it’s on all kinds of shows, including other wrestling shows. And I really, really am happy that they’re promoting it… Really, I think with two shows it’s going to provide more opportunities, more upward mobility” Khan noted, alluding to the huge roster that All Elite now has.
“But it’s still going to be a star-driven show, Rampage, just like Dynamite is a star-driven show. And I think what Elevation and Dark have given us the ability to do is develop stars and get them TV ready. Now there’s more TV real estate for everyone to work towards getting in there and fighting for” the AEW President concluded.
AEW confirmed several matches for Rampage this Friday on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Here’s the full confirmed card for the debut show on Friday 13th:
IMPACT World Championship – Kenny Omega (c) vs Christian Cage
AEW Women’s Championship – Dr Britt Baker D.M.D (c) vs Red Velvet
WWE Superstar and WCW Legend Goldberg recently spoke to WWE India. The former Universal Champion discussed several topics during the interview, including his WWE SummerSlam 2021 match against Bobby Lashley.
“I don’t come back and choose the people I’m going to go after” Goldberg began, alluding to the complaints from fans about his return and instant title shot. “If I could have come back and chosen one person to go after, it would have been Bobby Lashley.”
“There is a way you should represent the championship title and I don’t believe he’s been doing it properly” the former WCW Champion added. “He’s very callous. In this match, my name should not be Goldberg, it should be karma. He deserves a lot of things coming to him and I will hopefully be the guy who delivers that.”
Goldberg on Bobby Lashley
Goldberg has been on the losing end of his last big WWE matches, which include the Royal Rumble contest against Drew McIntyre and his WrestleMania 37 contest against former WWE Superstar Braun Strowman.
“My last outings have fallen short of a number of reasons” Goldberg explained. “I plan to change the outcome of this one and have it not be a resurgence of me coming back for one night, doing my thing, and walking off into the sunset, riding off into the sunset.”
“I put a lot of time and effort into the preparation they gave me, about double the time they usually do to prepare for a match. I’m excited. Bobby Lashley poses a very big threat. There are few people who can match up to him physically and mentally. I still think I’m one of them.”
GOLDBERG
Here is the currently confirmed card for the upcoming PPV event:
WWE Universal Championship Match – Roman Reigns (c) vs John Cena
Raw Women’s Championship Match – Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair (Triple Threat Match)
WWE Championship Match – Bobby Lashley (c) vs Goldberg
Edge vs Seth Rollins
SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair (c) vs Sasha Banks
SmackDown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (c) vs Dominik & Rey Mysterio
United States Championship – Sheamus (c) vs Damian Priest
WWE SmackDown Superstar and Universal Champion Roman Reigns recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show. The Head of The Table discussed several topics during his time on the show, including his SummerSlam opponent, John Cena.
“There’s a lot of good things John has done, obviously, Make-A-Wish, very charitable guy” Roman Reigns began on the show. “When it comes to our profession of sports entertainment, he’s levels below me in this game.”
“Entertainment is storytelling” Reigns added. “I’m the greatest storyteller of our generation and our time. He’s a big name and a big star, but he, like so many other greats, they camouflage themselves and disguise themselves.”
Roman Reigns on John Cena
“You see me every Friday night, I have to dull this sh*t down” the Universal Champion noted. “I come out there in sweatpants and J’s. I don’t throw on the crazy colors and wear wristbands all over my body or make myself something that I’m not.”
Roman Reigns vs John Cena for the Universal Championship will be headlining SummerSlam 2021 on Saturday, August 21st from he Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here is the currently confirmed card for the upcoming PPV event:
WWE Universal Championship Match – Roman Reigns (c) vs John Cena
Raw Women’s Championship Match – Nikki A.S.H. (c) vs Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair (Triple Threat Match)
WWE Championship Match – Bobby Lashley (c) vs Goldberg
Edge vs Seth Rollins
SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair (c) vs Sasha Banks
SmackDown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (c) vs Dominik & Rey Mysterio
United States Championship – Sheamus (c) vs Damian Priest
It has been a difficult few weeks for WWE Superstars, particularly on the NXT brand, with the company releasing several names across the developmental system.
WWE are back tonight with a live programme after two weeks of taped shows on SyFy. According to a new report from WrestleVotes, the tensions behind the scenes at NXT are sky-high.
“The mood at the PC today ahead of tonight’s NXT show…. hooooooo boy. Tensions running high, to say the least,” the Twitter leaker noted.
Tensions in NXT
WWE has confirmed several matches and moments for this week’s episode of the show, including Adam Cole, who may well be on his way out of the company in the next few weeks himself.
It isn’t surprising that there may be some issues backstage at the taping; with 12 members of the NXT brand released this past Friday, this is probably the first time that many Superstars have been around the locker room as a whole since then.
Here’s the current lineup for NXT on USA Network tonight:
Sarray vs. Ember Moon
Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly meet for a “Face to Face” segment mediated by NXT General Manager William Regal
Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez addresses Dakota Kai and their Takeover 36 match
WWE Superstar Matt Riddle recently spoke to Sony Sports India. The ‘Original Bro’ discussed several topics during the interview, including his ongoing beef with WCW legend Goldberg.
The two Superstars have gone back and forth over the years, with Riddle questioning Goldberg’s work rate as a performer. Riddle did however reveal that he spoke to the former WCW Champion recently.
“I’ll say this. I had my interaction with Goldberg, bumped into each other, he’s not my bro, I get it, you’re not my bro” Riddle began. “I kept calling him bro and he didn’t like that whatever, you know me, I’m not the best listener.”
“Then I talked to him after the match, we had a disagreement, you know, I think he has the belief… and it worked for him… all he needs is a couple of moves in wrestling to be one of the best, and he has the Spear and the Jackhammer” Matt Riddle continued.
“My philosophy is you gotta be good at everything, you gotta talk, you gotta be able to walk, you gotta be able to grapple, you gotta be able to suplex, you gotta be able to do it all, so we disagree on that.”
MATT RIDDLE ON GOLDBERG
“I saw Bill the other day before he challenged Bobby Lashley and he was walking to the Gorilla Position and I was standing there and I was with Damian Priest at the time and he says hi to everybody” Riddle added.
“And then Goldberg comes up to me gives me a look. He was making a face and then he goes, ‘Hey, congratulations kid….’ and I was like, ‘Oh man, Goldberg is kind of nice’, so I gave him a little handshake and he went out and challenged Bobby and then he was coming out, through Gorilla again and I was like, ‘Hey Goldberg, good stuff’ and as he gave me a fist bump he says, ‘I only need two moves’ so I was like, ‘Oh man, the guy’s still got it'” the Original Bro concluded.
Adam ‘Flex’ Maxted recently appeared on the Tea and Tights podcast on BodySlam.net. The former World of Sport/WoS and current British independent star revealed on the show that he was offered a WWE contract, but this was rescinded due to his previous work as a ‘buff butler.’
“Unfortunately NGW weren’t able to pay our contracts so I was obviously technically a free agent, so I messaged Mr Regal and said look this is the situation, I’m not tied down to anything anymore” Maxted revealed on the podcast.
Adam Maxted on WWE Contract Offer
“Then I had a call from Kanyon Ceman, he said Mr Regal and a few others speak highly of you so we want to bring you in to our NXT UK Brand. So they offered me a contract there and then, they said as soon as I finish the phone call the contract will be sent through” Maxted revealed.
“You’ve got to go through background checks in WWE to then get signed so that they can cover themselves” the British star added.
“So, heres where the story takes its turn. So basically, and this is the truth, when I was younger I, when I worked in Belfast, I used to do do some work as a Buff Butler. Which involved wearing a bowtie and an apron and I’m mainly working at hen parties or you know women’s events I’m walking round with Champagne, passing their drinks, nothing crazy, and I did that because it was easy money, I was in good shape at the time, I was like 17, 18, 19, you know just trying to earn some money.”
ADAM ‘FLEX’ MAXTED
“I never got fully naked, you can google my name there’s nothing like that out there, you know what I mean because I checked all this and didn’t do it anyway there might be the odd picture of me in an apron?” The British star would conclude, revealing that it was purely a case of his past ‘incriminations’ stopping him from joining the company.
WWE Superstar John Cena recently spoke to Chris Hardwick on ID1OT. The 16-time World Champion discussed several topics during the interview, which would include how long he intends on wrestling with the company.
“Returning to WWE, it’s a brand new world” John Cena would begin the interview. “A new cast of characters, new direction with the company, new platforms, new environment. There is a challenge there.”
“To challenge myself as a 44-year-old to go back, there is an intrinsic challenge there, a set of circumstances. That’s a good challenge in many ways. My body could tell me after this extended stay, ‘dude, you’re done’ or it could tell me, ‘You’re so far from done it’s crazy’” Cena would continue.
John Cena on WWE return
“That’s another interesting conversation with myself. If physically, I’m slower, I’ve said openly to everyone that I will keep doing this until I feel I’m offending the customer” Cena revealed. “I will continually go out there and do what I can to contribute and add.”
“I don’t want to go out there and be like, ‘Okay, just let him go out there and (do his thing).’ I’m not into that because I know what it’s like to pay for a ticket. If I were to get that on this go-round, it’s a humbling and tough thing that I will have to hurdle.”
JOHN CENA
“If I get the opposite and it’s like, ‘You’re quicker and can do some things better and define a new personality,’ then that’s a new conversation because I do not have much time left and if I want to give it like, ‘let’s really commit to this thing and really go all in,’ that’s an honest choice where other stuff will have to take a backseat” John Cena would conclude.
John Cena is set to main event WWE SummerSlam 2021 against the ‘Head of The Table’ Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.
All Elite Wrestling faction The Nightmare Family have added several new members to the group. During a recent episode of Sammy Guevara’s vlog, Cody Rhodes confirmed that four All Elite stars have been officially added to ever-growing group.
“If you are somebody who is part of The Nightmare Family, then I consider you more than a one day a week wrestler,” Cody Rhodes said on the vlog.
“And can take that Nightmare Family logo, jacket, familial connection. Do whatever the hell you want with it, take it to any company in the world — go anywhere with it, it means you are family” the former TNT Champion added.
Fuego del Sol, Red Velvet, KiLynn King, and Baron Black have all now officially been added to the stable, with Cody Rhodes also mentioning how fans incorrectly believed that Red Velvet was already a member.
The Nightmare Family now consists of:
Cody Rhodes
Brandi Rhodes
Dustin Rhodes
Arn Anderson
Gunn Club (Austin, Billy, and Colten Gunn)
Lee Johnson
Brock Anderson
Red Velvet
Fuego del Sol
KiLynn King
Baron Black
Diamond Dallas Page (association)
Glacier (association)
Tommy Dreame (association)
Stephen Amell (association)
With CM Punk’s links to Stephen Amell, there’s potentially a chance that he aligns himself with the group, should he make his much anticipated debut for AEW. That chance is slim however, as All Elite will likely keep Punk and the other rumored signee Daniel Bryan as main event singles talents.
AEW star Andrade El Idolo reportedly wants to have ‘the whole family’ with him in All Elite Wrestling.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that means that the former WWE Superstar wants to see stars from ROH and beyond make their way over to All Elite.
Dave Meltzer confirmed that the new AEW signee wants to bring more than Chavo Guerrero with him over to All Elite, with his partner Charlotte Flair someone who he is really eager to see make the jump over from WWE.
“Andrade has told people that he wants the whole family there. And by the family, it’s, you know, RUSH, Bestia, Dragon Lee, him, Ashley [Charlotte], Ric, that’s what he wants. Ashley, you know, I don’t know her. I’m certainly not going to speak for her, I sense that she wants to be in WWE, that it’s the big leagues to her.”
WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER
Andrade Wants Charlotte Flair in AEW
It’s doubtful that Flair will be making a move over to AEW, but there’s a chance that this news was leaked to try and help secure the WWE Superstar a better contract.
With Charlotte Flair one of the bigger names on the main roster, WWE will no doubt want to ensure that she does not go anywhere, and news like her partner wanting her to move to the competition (despite what Vince McMahon may say) is a good bargaining tactic for negotiation.
Ric Flair however is a different prospect, with the former WCW and NWA star almost a shoe-in to appear on the AEW product, with the history between himself, the TNT network and stars such as Tully Blanchard? There’s at least a one-off appearance waiting to happen for the Nature Boy.
It was recently reported by Fightful Select that WWE NXT Superstar Pete Dunne is extremely close to the end of his WWE contract and that he has not as of yet signed an extension to remain with the company.
This week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Pete Dunne’s WWE NXT contract is up at the end of August.
Prior to this report, there were no reports as to when Dunne’s contract was up, only that he is in a situation similar to Adam Cole, whose own contract ended around NXT Great American Bash and he signed a extension up to WWE SummerSlam 2021.
“Pete Dunne’s deal is also coming due on either 8/31 or 9/1. He’s another super worker who has been in the system for years and should have been a main roster star, even if he started as part of a tag team, long ago.”
WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER
Pete Dunne Moving To AEW
Pete Dunne began on the WWE NXT UK roster, holding on to the WWE United Kingdom Championship for 685 days. Dunne was then moved to NXT in the United States ‘officially’, where he then won the NXT Tag Team Championships with Matt Riddle in early 2020.
Dunne is considered a hot commodity, with WWE eager to keep the 27-year-old performer and stop him moving over to AEW. The former PROGRESS World Champion could be a major player if he were to make the move to All Elite, with a wealth of experience but youth meaning that he’s got at least another potential 15 years left in his career, should he wish to wrestle for that long.
AEW Star Chris Jericho recently spoke to the Inside the Ropes website. The former WWE Superstar discussed several topics during the interview, including his no holds barred/deathmatch against Nick Gage on AEW Dynamite.
‘Le Champion’ Jericho revealed in the interview that he has no plans to do any other deathmatches for the rest of his career; although, he would be prepared to get gory once again if the storyline dictated as such.
“Well, I’m not being egotistical when I say, ‘Of course it was my idea, and of course I was fine with it’ because I thought of it. I booked the whole match as well” Jericho began.
“You never thought you’d see Chris Jericho in that type of match, maybe not on TNT, but why wouldn’t you see Chris Jericho in that type of match? Because I’ve done every other match!” the former AEW Champion continued
Chris Jericho vs Nick Gage
It was then that Jericho stated that he would do another similar match if the storyline called for it. The ongoing blood feud between Jericho and MJF may well necessitate a match of this type, or close to it.
“If the story fits, I’ll do it – because it is all about storytelling. Obviously, it’s not something I would want to do every night or probably will ever do again but when you’re talking about the story that we’re telling, it was perfect for it. And I think that match was a classic in its genre.”
CHRIS JERICHO
“I think it might even be the most-watched death match of all time in the fact that we had 1.2 million people watching it. Show me another deathmatch that had that type of viewership” Jericho would conclude.
WWE and TNA Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently sat down with Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp. The Olympic gold medallist discussed several topics during the interview, including how he feels WWE performers are not able to connect to the crowd like they used to in prior eras.
“It’s not the same. I think the character development was a lot stronger back in the early 2000s, 1990s, 1980s,” Kurt Angle began on interview. “We were able to connect with the fans a lot better. Now they don’t really connect with fans.”
“There are some characters, but for the most part, today is about performance” Kurt Angle continued, alluding to the idea of in-ring technicality being more important to modern performers than developing a rapport with the fans.
Kurt Angle on modern wrestling
“It’s about what you can do in the ring. How good you are. It’s about high-flying stunts and acrobatic stuff. These guys are incredible athletes today” Angle would conclude.
Kurt would also reveal who he felt was the best writer when he was performing with the company. “Brian Gewirtz,” Angle emphatically stated. “He was my writer at WWE. I think he was the best writer in the history of the business.”
“Actually, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson hired him to be a writer for his production company, and that was a brilliant move”, Angle continued.
“Brian was incredibly talented. He was a nerd too, so he liked to do nerdy stuff and he liked me to do nerdy stuff,” Kurt Angle revealed, praising the former WWE/WWF writer.
WWE made even more releases this weekend, with 12 names being cut from the roster across the NXT and 205 Live shows. The biggest names to be released were Bronson Reed, Bobby Fish and Tyler Rust; all of which seemed to be locked in with the company going forward.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, WWE making these releases of talent is going to become a ‘regular occurrence going forward. A source noted to Fightful that “Vince McMahon can personally put a stop to any of these,” when it comes to the names being cut.
WWE Releases becoming regular
The same source claimed that WWE releases are going to be a regular occurrence moving forward. However, the source also personally expects that “2021 will be an outlier with both the frequency and the level of talent.”
The idea of ‘mass releases’ hadn’t been a topic of discussion or concern in WWE for nearly four years, since the summer of 2016 and the beginning of 2020 and the pandemic.
A number of former WWE Superstars have already made the move over to AEW following their releases. Interestingly, Vince McMahon himself even joked about making more cuts to help All Elite on a recent investor’s call, saying that he didn’t understand their investment structure.
Here is the full list of talent that was released from their WWE contracts on Friday:
PROGRESS Wrestling has released a new video interview on Peacock and WWE Network. The company confirmed this afternoon that the new series, Hi Def With Hustle, would be starting with a sit down between PROGRESS commentator Lee ‘Hustle’ Malone and British wrestling legend Doug Williams.
Doug Williams discusses a number of topics during the interview, ranging from his start in judo to his PROGRESS retirement match against Trent Seven inside of Wembley Arena.
Williams has most notably performed for Ring of Honor in the early to mid 2000s and TNA. During his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Doug Williams would become the X Division and Television Champion, whilst also winning the TNA Tag Team Championships and IWGP Tag Team Championships alongside Nick Aldis/Magnus in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Doug Williams
Doug Williams retired from the British scene back in 2018, losing to the aforementioned NXT UK Superstar Trent Seven in a PROGRESS ATLAS Title match at Wembley Arena. Williams stated that he would retire the moment that he lost the belt, and did until earlier this year where he confirmed that he would be entering the ring once again.
Williams has already performed for ICW and Rev Pro. The Ambassador of British Wrestling confirmed his return to the ring on Twitter earlier this year, writing “the events of the past year has made me reassess my decision to retire as it made me understand that you should use your life to fullest doing what you enjoy. As such I am open to bookings again, email is in my bio…”
The rumors surrounding CM Punk and his impending debut for AEW have been ramping up over the past few weeks.
Several AEW stars alluded to the former WWE Superstar on this past week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, with Darby Allin essentially calling out the man who was known as the ‘Best In The World.’
Although Allin has since denied that his promo was aimed at CM Punk, the straight edge Superstar will be making his debut at an upcoming event, likely AEW Rampage in Chicago on August 13.
CM Punk Betting Odds
Bet Online recently released the following list of odds for Punk’s first AEW opponent, with Daniel Bryan and Darby Allin looking like the two most likely candidates:
Darby Allin: +100
Daniel Bryan: +200
Christian Cage: +320
Orange Cassidy: +600
Matt Hardy: +700
Chris Jericho: +800
Cody Rhodes: +800
Jungle Boy: +900
Sting: +1000
Although Punk vs Daniel Bryan would be a big match for AEW, it is unlikely that his first match in the company would be against the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Darby Allin seems to be the safe bet for Punk as a first match when he finally debuts in All Elite. It’s unlikely that he will wrestle on the Rampage show itself on August 13, but he may well set up an ALL OUT match against the former TNT Champion for September 5.
Who do you think CM Punk will face in his first AEW match? Let us know in the comments
WWE RAW Superstar and former NXT North American Champion Damian Priest recently appeared on the Battleground Podcast. The man who teamed with Bad Bunny at WrestleMania 37 discussed several topics during the show, including the NXT Championship.
“I mean, there’s a lot of guys that I wish I could have had the opportunity to work with” Damian Priest began, discussing the talent in NXT that he didn’t get a chance to work with originally.
“Obviously, that’s not saying that we were never going to work because it’s still WWE, right? Whether it happens here or I go back or whatever. But yeah, there are definitely more moments, there are definitely championships. I wanted to be the NXT Champion” Priest continued.
Damian Priest on NXT Run
“You know, unfortunately, I didn’t get that opportunity. But again, you never know, you know, Finn Balor’s done it, you know, so I don’t see why not down the line” Priest added, citing the NXT return of Finn Balor in 2019.
“If that opportunity presents itself, I’ll take advantage of it. But at the same time, there are no regrets about how I did things. I mean, obviously, everything worked out the way it should have.”
DAMIAN PRIEST
“I got to have good experiences, I got to become North American Champion. I got to have great matches with a lot of incredible talent. So at the end of the day, it was still a successful and positive NXT run” Damian Priest concluded.
WWE announced the shock release of Bray Wyatt over the weekend. The news broke Saturday evening, and several stories regarding the backstage situation and talent have been leaked over the past couple of days.
According to a report from Fightful Select, several WWE Superstars now do not feel ‘safe’ in their roles with the company, even the upper card talent who have seen the likes of Braun Strowman and now Wyatt released.
Bray Wyatt Release Concerns Talent
The official reason for Bray Wyatt being released from WWE was ‘budget cuts,’ at least this is what the talent where told over the weekend. Many believe that there is far more to the story, but we will have to wait to hear directly from the man himself.
In addition to being a third-generation wrestler and multi-time world champion, Bray Wyatt was one of the top merchandise movers in WWE over the past decade. The general feeling amongst WWE talent has been that if Wyatt is expendable, what does that mean from everyone else?
It’s not confirmed exactly which talents are concerned about their positions, and it is likely we won’t get any names, anytime soon.
There has been a lot of talk online about Bray Wyatt now making his way over to AEW, with some hoping that he join the Dark Order stable to ‘continue the work’ of his friend Brodie Lee who of course passed away late last year.