WWE NXT Superstar Samoa Joe recently appeared on WWE’s After The Bell podcast. The Samoan Submission Machine discussed several topics during the show, including his return to the ring at NXT Takeover 36 on August 22nd.

“I kept it simple. It was just getting healthy. A lot of times, people have a tendency to overcomplicate their problems and make them worse and adding to them by adding extra pressure” Samoa Joe began on the podcast, discussing his return to in-ring health.

Joe also discussed the actual injury and how it was beyond anything he had suffered with before. “It was a much worse type of injury than I had dealt with before. It scared me, it scared a lot of people I cared about” Joe added.

“It became very easy to make that the focus as far as what I wanted to do when I came back. Inevitably, it all hinged on making sure I was alright and feeling good and when I came back to the ring, I didn’t want to come back in a 70% or 60% capacity” Joe revealed.

“I wanted to make sure I could come back and give the best I could to the fans. I do play my cards close to my chest, but that’s just the belief I have” the former NXT Champion concluded. 

AEW is reportedly looking at a major AEW vs NJPW match for their upcoming All Out PPV event on September 5th. Hiroshi Tanahashi made an appearance in a pre-taped segment on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, and according to Dave Meltzer, Moxley will be facing the Japanese legend at the PPV in Chicago.

“What I do know is that fairly recently, at 4am, Jon Moxley had a discussion” Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio. “I don’t know the night, I think it was the night of the taping – with Tony Khan.”

“He had an idea for a match which I believe is for the September 5 pay-per-view. And Tony Khan liked the idea. I knew it was a top New Japan wrestler, I didn’t know the name of who it was, but I know about the discussion” Meltzer concluded.

Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

With Jon Moxley calling out Tanahashi on this week’s episode of Dynamite, it appears as though this is the aforementioned match that Meltzer was alluding to.

All of the recent excitement surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson signing with AEW means that this news has been lost somewhat in the shuffle, but it is arguably the biggest match in the ‘Forbidden Door’ angle thus far.

What do you think of Jon Moxley vs Hiroshi Tanahashi on an AEW PPV? Let us know in the comments

WWE has confirmed the news that Bray Wyatt has been released from the company. The news broke this evening on Twitter, where WWE officially confirmed the news.

Wyatt has been off of WWE programming for some time, since the WrestleMania 37 PPV event in Florida.

There have been rumors of Bray Wyatt not being happy with the overall creative direction of The Fiend character, however these are conflicting with the reports that Wyatt has a major part to play in his own creative.

Bray Wyatt Released from WWE

‘The Fiend’ character for Bray Wyatt is arguably some of his best work on the WWE main roster, however his original ‘cult leader’ Wyatt Family persona is also lauded by fans and critics, especially in hindsight.

There’s no news on when Bray was made aware of his release, however we can expect him to now be sitting out a 90-day non-compete clause.

Several former WWE Superstars have gone on to sign with AEW, such as Malakai Black, who also played a dark character on-screen for WWE and NXT prior to that. Black was able to appear in AEW earlier than expected, due to a clerical error which meant he had a 30-day non-compete rather than the standard 90 for a main roster Superstar.

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and one time WWE Superstar Cain Velasquez has revealed that he will soon be making his return to pro wrestling, although not with WWE.

Speaking on In the Corner with Cyrus Fees, the former UFC Heavyweight confirmed that he will be making a returning to Mexican promotion AAA.

“I’m doing a show in December for AAA,” Velasquez revealed on the podcast. “For me, I love AAA and I’m going to keep doing that right now.”

“I love WWE as well, but I have to first develop myself in order for me to go out there” Cain Velasquez continued. “I’m going to keep doing stuff and have fun with it.”

Cain Velasquez Returns To AAA

Cain Velasquez joined AAA back in 2019, before making his way to WWE. Velasquez signed a three match deal with the promotion.

The former UFC Heavyweight Champion made his first appearance for AAA at TripleMania XXVII, where he teamed with AEW’s Cody Rhodes and Psycho Clown to take on Black Taurus, Karrion Kross and Texano Jr.

Velasquez was released from WWE back in April 2020, after only having one televised match against Brock Lesnar that only lasted 88 seconds. That contest took place at Crown Jewel 2019, where Tyson Fury also faced former WWE Superstar Braun Strowman.

Interestingly, AAA has an ongoing working relationship with AEW, IMPACT and NWA as part of the ‘forbidden door’ angle. Although it isn’t likely right now, we may well see Velasquez appear on an All Elite Wrestling show at some point in the future.

Hager vs Velasquez in a cage anyone?

Do you think that Cain Velasquez will one day be brought back to WWE? Let us know in the comments

AEW, IMPACT and NJPW Strong star Karl Anderson recently took to Twitter to react to comments from Vince McMahon during the recent Q2 investor’s call for WWE.

McMahon slated All Elite Wrestling and said that they are not competition in the way that WCW was competition for them back in the Monday Night Wars era of the late 90s.

“I don’t consider them [AEW] competition in the way that I would consider WCW back in the day,” Vince McMahon claimed during the Q2 earnings call. “Not anywhere near close to that.”

Karl Anderson on Vince McMahon Comments

“And I’m not so sure what their investments are as far as their talent is concerned, but perhaps we can give them some more”, McMahon continued, taking somewhat of a pot shot at the former WWE Superstars that AEW has signed recently.

Karl Anderson was none too pleased about the comments from the WWE CEO. The former WWE Superstar in his own right revealed that there are people who still work on the WWE main roster who are ‘unhappy’ in their working environment.

“The amount of unhappy texts I get from people there, well, the whole professional wrestling world is waiting for ya,” Karl Anderson wrote on Twitter. “@IMPACTWRESTLING @AEW @njpw1972 Gonna talk about it on @TalknShop.”

Do you think that AEW could end up becoming competition to WWE at some point? Let us know in the comments.

We were able to speak to PROGRESS stars Charlie Sterling and Nick Riley, the Smokin’ Aces, ahead of their PROGRESS Chapter 116 matches on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS this weekend.

Charlie Sterling will be facing Cara Noir for the PROGRESS World Championship and Nick will be facing one half of the PROGRESS Tag Team Champions, Kid Lykos II. 

The duo discussed how they are feeling ahead of the bouts, and also who they see on the independent scenes, and beyond, that they want to get in the ring with on a PROGRESS card.

SEScoops: Charlie Sterling, how do you feel heading into the biggest match of your career thus far?

CHARLIE: I expect Cara to be a bit worried. One thing we’ve learned is that he can’t put anyone away in less than 10 minutes. If I can get him before then? I’m absolutely taking the gold home with me, but he’s an absolute stamina machine and can go for 20-30 minutes, so I really need to get in there and take him out early.

SEScoops: And Nick, how are you preparing for Kid Lykos II?

NICK: Kid Lykos is sneaky, dangerous and has never met a rule he hasn’t broken, the same goes for Kid Lykos II. I want to make sure that when Charlie comes back with the PROGRESS World Championship that the team is in a position to go for the tag belts. A win against Lykos II could push us in that direction. As a team we thrive, a well-oiled machine, Shearer and Sheringham…well I’m Jack Grealish and Charlie is…erm…McGinn?

SEScoops: In terms of your influences in wrestling, who would you say is most important to you from a tag and singles perspective?

CHARLIE: As a singles competitor, in fact even as a tag team member, Bret Hart is the greatest ever. To me there’s no discussion, best there is, was and ever will be. There’s a lot of Curt Hennig in my style as well, I’ve been told that the way I carry myself in the ring is like Mr Perfect, and I’ll take that compliment any day of the week. In terms of current performers? AJ Styles has done it everywhere and continues to be on top of his game.

NICK: Love Jerry Lynn, his matches with Rob Van Dam from later years ECW were fantastic. Eddie Guerrero is A+, and I have to show my love for Trent Acid as well. Owen Hart is another, I’ve got a bit of that relationship with Charlie, brother to brother, except he loves mentioning that I’m older than him…I’m still the Grealish of this team.

SEScoops: And in terms of tag teams?

CHARLIE: Have to go with FTR, they’re easily one of the best out there. 

NICK: Loved The Eliminators, The Steiners, and still love The Young Bucks.

SEScoops: So, as a tandem, are there any teams out there that you want to face in PROGRESS?

CHARLIE: I’ve always wanted to face Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, the Motor City Machine Guns. I’d really like to have some former PROGRESS Tag Team Champions back here so we can show them the new generation is ready to take the company forward. I’ve got history with Zack Gibson, so I’d be more than happy to go to war with Grizzled Young Veterans.

Nick Riley and Charlie Sterling of PROGRESS

NICK: Dangerous Tekkers are a sound team, I’d like to face them. I’m with Charlie in that I want some of the ‘old’ guard to face, like Santana & Ortiz, they’ve had some belters in PROGRESS, and Jonathan Gresham with Chris Brookes. Bring them all in.

SEScoops: And in terms of continuing as singles competitors in PROGRESS?

CHARLIE: I would give my right arm to face PAC, preferably after I’ve wrestled him. Jay Lethal as well, I have huge respect for him and his ability.

NICK: Davey Richards, Bandido and Sami Callihan. If I can face Callihan first and nick his bat for the other two that would be handy.

SEScoops: Do you have any parting words before Chapter 116 this Saturday?

NICK: Charlie, beat the black swan, bring that belt home.

CHARLIE: Oh, it’s coming home.

NICK: I’m still Grealish.

SEScoops: Thanks for your time lads

Former WCW President and co-host of the 83 Weeks Podcast Eric Bischoff recently discussed the deathmatch style of wrestling on the show.

Specifically, Bischoff would bring up Nick Gage and his style, referencing the recently Dark Side of The Ring episode focusing on the Deathmatch King.

“I just don’t think that kind of thing [works],” Bischoff began. “Number one, it doesn’t interest me, that style of wrestling. I think it’s bad for the industry in general, I think it appeals to such a small portion of the audience that a larger portion of the audience is turned off by it.”

“Those guys that love that, we saw it the other night with [Jon] Moxley and whatever his name was [Lance Archer]” Bischoff added. “They were digging at each other with a fork. Alright, cool, whatever. For me, I won’t watch that kind of stuff. Number one it’s not entertaining, there’s nothing magic about it.”

Eric Bischoff on Deathmatches

“When Dark Side of the Ring focuses too much on that story, I think it gives the entire industry a bad name,” Bischoff continued, discussing Nick Gage and his deathmatch style. “Passive wrestling audience, the advertising community, the television network executive community, when people see that kind of thing they walk away with a perception of what wrestling is. That perception becomes harmful in the long run.”

“I get it, I love the storytelling I see out of the Dark Side for the most part, but when you get too dark like that, I just think it’s not good for the business long term overall” Eric Bischoffc concluded. “The Jake Roberts story for example was dark, that was hard to watch but I don’t think it hurt the business.”

The rumors surrounding CM Punk and Bryan Danielson have reached boiling point over the past few weeks.

Whilst the news of both Punk and Bryan negotiating with All Elite took fans by surprise, it also appears to have taken some of the wrestlers themselves have been contacting journalists to get more information on the situation.

Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport and formerly WrestleTalk confirmed that he had been contacted by wrestlers at All Elite wondering what exactly is going on with Punk and Bryan.

AEW stars on CM Punk and Bryan

“Despite knowing nothing about this before Sean broke the news last week, I had more than one AEW wrestle reach out to me last week to ask about CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson coming in” Dangoor wrote on Twitter. “So it looks like it caught wrestlers by surprise too.”

Right now there is no official confirmation either way as to whether or not CM Punk and Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson will be heading to All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan recently refused to comment on the situation, purely saying that the rumors are ‘exciting.’

Former WWE NXT Superstar Chelsea Green recently appeared on Those Wrestling Girls podcast. The ‘Hot Mess’ discussed several topics on the show, including revealing some of the pitches she had whilst in WWE.

“I really think one that stuck with me, that I tried to shove down WWE’s and NXT’s throats was always the crazy, obsessive character,” Chelsea Green began. “Someone a lot like Mickie James, but possibly a little darker, a little more like the movie Obsessed and Swimfan, kind of in that direction.”

“Very creepy. I like that,” Green continued. “For me, character work is my thing. So I just want to do something that shows my character work and my mic skills, as well as my wrestling skills.”

Chelsea Green on Alexa Bliss

Chelsea Green also admitted that she was ‘jealous’ of Alexa Bliss’s character that currently appears on WWE television. “Trust me; I tried, I really tried. And when I saw Alexa Bliss do what she’s doing, I’m so happy for her, but I have forever been jealous of that character.”

“Because I know that that is the exact type of character I would’ve thrived [in] if I was given it. But, you know, that’s the crazy thing about wrestling,” the IMPACT and ROH star would conclude.

Where else do you want to see Green appear? Let us know in the comments.

Former WCW star Konnan recently appeared on a special AdFreeShows event over at their Patreon. Konnan discussed the ongoing Pinnacle vs The Inner Circle feud during the show, which includes the ongoing feud between Santana & Ortiz and Pinnacle’s FTR.

Santana & Ortiz of course have a long history with Konnan, with the duo having been introduced as part of the LAX stable during their time on IMPACT.

Konnan has been brought in for this feud and has appeared a couple of times on AEW programming, almost as a direct answer to FTR’s manager, Tully Blanchard.

Konnan on FTR vs Santana & Ortiz

“There are a couple of guys in this business I consider my Lucha sons like them (Santana and Ortiz), Pentagon, and Fenix”, the LAX leader revealed on the AdFreeShows event.

“Let me just put it to you this way. There’s still more to be seen in the FTR-Santana/Ortiz-Tully/Konnan thing. Just stay tuned,” Konnan concluded.

FTR and Santana & Ortiz will be colliding this week on the Fight For The Fallen episode of AEW Dynamite. Here’s the full card for that event:

• No DQ Match for the Trials of Jericho – “The Painmaker” Chris Jericho vs. Nick Gage
• IWGP United States Championship Match – Lance Archer (c) vs. Hikuleo
• Tony Khan makes “a major new live event announcement.”
• 10 Man Elimination Match – Hangman Page, Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds vs. Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson Nick Jackson, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows
• Santana and Ortiz vs. “FTR” Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood.
• Christian Cage, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus vs. Angelico, Marq Quen, and Isiah Kassidy.
• QT Marshall’s apology to Tony Schiavone

The past 18 months have had a huge impact on the professional wrestling scene internationally. Stars that would usually travel for much of the year have now had to work either local shows or be forced to semi-retire for the foreseeable future.

With the potential of the pandemic now getting to a somewhat controlled point, with vaccines being rolled out across the major hubs of independent wrestling, there’s a good chance that some of the biggest names on the indie scene will be able to work internationally once again.

Here are 5 of the names we want to see making the rounds again on the US, European and Australian scenes towards the end of the year and into 2022.

Chris Hero returns to the Indies?

Before Chris Hero re-signed with WWE back in 2017 as Kassius Ohno, he was regarded as one of the very best performers on the independent circuit. The Knockout Artist moved to NXT UK during his last stint with WWE, and he has a wealth of experience on the UK scene overall.

Chris Hero has not wrestled since March 2020 for the NXT UK brand, so a return to the UK independents, where he was a major star for PROGRESS and Rev Pro, would be more than welcome later this year.

Match we NEED to see: Chris Hero vs PROGRESS World Champion Cara Noir

Chelsea Green

The former WWE NXT Superstar was released from the company earlier this year and has been extremely active on social media. Recent appearances on Ring of Honor and IMPACT have shown that she is more than ready to get back out on the circuit, and there’s a ton of fantastic independent companies that could use the talents of Green.

GCW looks like it could be a great fit for Chelsea at some point; with her fiance Matt Cardona having just won the Game Changer Wrestling title, she could be brought in as part of a ‘GCW Universe’ stable to bring even more heat to the jacked Champion.

Match we NEED to see: Chelsea Green vs Mickie James

Charli Evans

The Medusa Complex (Charli Evans and NXT UK Superstar Millie McKenzie) were one of the most intriguing acts on the UK independent scene before the pandemic. McKenzie has since signed for WWE; however, Charli Evans is still an incredible performer in her own right. The Australian star has helped build PWA Black Label, Deathmatch Down Under and Newcastle Pro Wrestling in 2021.

There’s still a wealth of opportunities for Evans on the UK circuit, with the former Pro Wrestling: EVE Tag Team Champion (along with Millie) looking like an ideal fit for the next generation of UK talents such as Lizzy Evo, Kanji, Gisele Shaw and Mercedez Blaze.

Match we NEED to see: Charli Evans vs PROGRESS Women’s Champion Kanji

Drew Parker

Drew Parker was a promising UK performer when he made the jump to Japan. That was several years ago, and the Deathmatch specialist has proven that the expectation levels were right for the current GCW Ultraviolent and BJW Death Match Heavyweight Champion.

There is a renaissance of Deathmatch wrestling across the globe (although we Deathmatch fans would say it never went away). Parker could be a mainstay with the likes of TNT Wrestling in the UK, who have a wealth of Deathmatch talent on their roster and seem to be cornering the market on the style in the United Kingdom.

Match we NEED to see: Drew Parker vs TNT Extreme Division Champion Clint Margera

Mickie James

One of the most important performers in Women’s wrestling history is back on the free market and looking to prove once again why she is up in the pantheon of greats. Not that Mickie James needs to prove anything, but the former WWE Women’s Champion could be a fantastic fit on both the European and Australian indie scenes.

With the aforementioned current crop of Women’s talent in the UK, James could be having some blow-away matches against some of the EVE, Rev Pro and PROGRESS talent. Gisele Shaw looks like she would be a top draw opponent for Mickie, with the Rev Pro Women’s Champion building herself up as the Quintessential performer on the UK circuit right now.

Match we NEED to see: Mickie James vs Revolution Pro Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw

Game Changer Wrestling Champion Nick Gage recently appeared on the Wrestling Delorean Podcast. The ‘Deathmatch King’ discussed several topics whilst appearing on the podcast, including what it would take for him to have a match with AEW Champion Kenny Omega.

Nick Gage made a shocking appearance during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Gage was revealed as the 2nd Labor of Jericho by MJF, with Gage now getting a No DQ match against ‘Le Champion’ next week on the show.

“Oh, I have no problem facing Kenny Omega, but it would be in a deathmatch,” Nick Gage began on the podcast, revealing the stipulations it would take for him to have a match with the AEW Champion.

Nick Gage vs Kenny Omega

“It wouldn’t be a regular match, ya know? Does he say he is the King of the Deathmatch? Well, let’s go with real glass and real barbwire. Do you know what I mean? Let’s go,” Gage continued, referring to the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch between Omega and Jon Moxley, where Omega proclaimed himself the King of The Deathmatch.

“I seen clips of it,” Gage revealed, talking about the contest from AEW Revolution. “I thought it was ok. Something happened at the end. Are you talking about that exploding barbwire one? I don’t know what happened there, man, I don’t know, man.”

“I just feel like they are using Hollywood glass, and they are snipping the barbwire because any barbwire I been in or get hit with it, I always get stuck in it”, the GCW Champion added.

“So I always start bleeding, and any glass I land in, my back starts slicing up, bleeding really bad. So for them not to have no blood on them, or blood just on their forehead, makes me second guess what they are using, ya know what I mean?” Nick Gage would conclude.

Nick Gage will be defending his GCW Championship this weekend against former WWE Superstar Matt Cardona.

AEW Women’s Champion Dr Britt Baker D.M.D went to watch the Paige VanZant vs Rachael Ostovich Bare Knuckle Boxing fight this weekend in Tampa, Florida.

This contest was VanZant’s second fight with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC), and she lost to Rachael Ostovich after 5 rounds via unanimous decision. VanZant has now moved to 0-2 in her bare-knuckle fighting career.

The AEW Women’s Champion tweeted that she was backstage with the fighter before she took to the ring to face Ostovich. Baker also revealed that she had sustained a broken wrist.

Dr Britt Baker on Paige VanZant

“With Paige VanZant…And oh yeah, I retained the title on Wednesday night at AEW Dynamite with a broken wrist. Not taking any time off either. #AndStill.”

F4Wonline.com first reported that Baker sustained the injury during her match on AEW Dynamite Fyter Fest Part 2 this past Wednesday. Britt Baker retained her AEW Championship against Nyla Rose after making the challenger tap out in the Lockjaw.

Paige VanZant has said in the past that pro wrestling is an avenue she is considering. With the former UFC fighter now 0-2 in bare-knuckle, she may look at AEW or WWE as her next career move.

VanZant has apparently spoken to WWE in the past, so the chance for a move to the squared circle isn’t out of the question for the former MMA fighter.

All Elite star Andrade El Idolo revealed on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite that his new ‘consultant’ was former WWE Superstar Chavo Guerrero.

Before this week’s show, Andrade El Idolo had been accompanied to the ring by Vickie Guerrero, who was acting as his manager on-screen. According to a report from the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, several ‘complaints led to the storyline direction being changed for Andrade.

Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez did not confirm if the ‘complaining’ had come from those within AEW or the fans, but it was enough for Tony Khan himself to change the former WWE Superstars’ push.

Meltzer stated, “I guess sometimes when you complain a lot, things happen. [Chavo] was not the surprise, this was a change. Tony Khan made a change from Vickie Guerrero to a new manager, and the new manager is Chavo Guerrero. So, that was not the original plan. The original plan was for Vickie Guerrero.”

Andrade El Idolo and Chavo Guerrero

There’s no news either on whether Andrade himself requested the change of manager to now have Chavo as his consultant.

El Idolo and Chavo interacted with Death Triangle on this week’s episode of Dynamite, with PAC, Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix interrupting the newly signed AEW star during his segment.

It’s not confirmed what the direction now is for Andrade going forward. Still, it will likely be similar to what was originally planned, but with Chavo Guerrero managing him rather than Vickie.

Vickie Guerrero appears only to be managing Nyla Rose on AEW programming at this point. Dr Britt Baker D.M.D defeated Rose on this week’s episode of Dynamite in a contest for the AEW Women’s Championship.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is reportedly on the radar of Space Jam: A New Legacy director Malcolm D. Lee as being a potential leading actor for the franchise as they look towards the future of the series.

The first two films are among some of the most successful ever, with Space Jam: A New Legacy ranking #1 in theaters and bringing in $31 million on opening weekend.

Malcolm D. Lee recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the future of the franchise and how The Rock could be considered as the leading star, meaning that Space Jam may be heading beyond the basketball court.

“Dwayne Johnson would be an interesting choice,” Lee would begin the interview. “It would be different. I’m not exactly sure what his skill set would be, maybe he goes back to wrestling. That might be interesting.”

Space Jam 3 Feat. The Rock?

“I never say never” Lee continued. “It’s all going to be about whether the fans respond to this positively. But I think the bar has been set so high in terms of the first one with this global iconic superstar in Michael Jordan, and now the same global iconic superstar in LeBron James, who transcends sports.”

“Who is that next person to put into that universe?” the Space Jam: A New Legacy director noted; implying that the next megastar in the main role would need to be a huge name, like The Rock.

“And then you’ve got to find a script and story that’s good enough to not repeat what’s been done; but will capture the spirit of it and keep it going” Lee then concluded.

Would you like to see The Rock in Space Jam? Let us know in the comments.

Ryan Nemeth, AEW star and brother of WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler, recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The former FCW star discussed several topics on the podcast, including how his brother may have run into issues after ‘anti promoting’ AEW a few months ago.

“I think he got in trouble for tweeting so much”, Ryan Nemeth revealed on the show, discussing how his brother would tweet some ‘encouragement’ for his AEW debut matches.

“He would always anti-advertise for Dynamite by posting ‘do not watch this show, this guy sucks’ and it’s (a picture) of me”, Nemeth continued. “‘Don’t tune in to TNT at 8 pm tonight.’ I think, after a few months, maybe he got a talking to.”

Ryan Nemeth on Dolph Ziggler

Jericho himself then revealed that he actually wanted Dolph Ziggler to be part of his cruise. ‘Le Champion’ didn’t want Ziggler to appear to wrestle; he wanted him on tour as a comedy act.

“I was going to book him on my cruise at one point, and it was like, ‘You can’t book him on your cruise.’ ‘Why? He’s coming as a comedian,'” Jericho stated on the podcast.

With Chris Jericho having an affiliation with AEW for the first cruise and then having signed with the company for the second, it’s easy to see why WWE would chose not to let Ziggler make an appearance.

WWE Superstar Toni Storm will be making her official debut on SmackDown this Friday. The former NXT UK Women’s Champion has had a rocky road on the NXT brand in the United States, but now she will be part of the main roster on FOX.

Storm has worked as a heel during most of her time on NXT, although he did portray a babyface for her entire run on NXT UK.

According to a report from PWInsider, WWE is planning to bring Toni Storm up to SmackDown as a babyface.

Storm, 25, was signed to WWE back in May 2018. The Australian star was initially signed for the NXT UK brand, where she held the aforementioned Women’s Championship.

Toni Storm Plans Revealed

Toni Storm moved to WWE NXT to live in the United States full-time last year, where she then played a heel on USA Network television for the first time in her WWE career.

Storm has worked several WWE dark matches before television tapings, although Storm’s debut for SmackDown was promoted several weeks back.

It is currently unknown what the plans are for Storm when she gets to the main roster, however a potential showdown between the Australian performer and WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair looks extremely promising.

Check out the promo for Toni Storm’s move to the main roster and SmackDown below:

WWE RAW Superstar Eva Marie made her return to the show earlier this year; however, she has not yet made an appearance in front of a live audience since she got back to the company due to the WWE Thunderdome essentially being behind closed doors.

During a recent interview with Erin Silvia and Russ Weakland of Hollywood Life, Eva Marie would say that she is more than prepared for fans to boo her once she does make her way out in front of a live WWE crowd.

“There is nothing like performing and walking into our upcoming tours that start July 16th with SmackDown out in Texas and Monday Night Raw in Dallas,” the leader of the Evalution began. 

Eva Marie On Being Boo’ed

“I just moved there, so I feel like it is a little bit of my hometown now, but to walk out there and embrace the fans… actually I hope they boo”, Marie continued, describing what she wants to happen when she gets out there in front of a crowd.

“I hope they boo me out of the building. Every movie and every show or book, you always need a good villain, and I’m okay wearing that hat. Coming back, I think the WWE Universe has no problem making me that villain either,” the RAW Superstar concluded.

Eva Marie and Doudrop are currently in a feud with Alexa Bliss that will likely take them to some sort of handicap match at SummerSlam in August.

AEW Champion Kenny Omega appeared in the main event of the IMPACT Slammiversary PPV this weekend against Sami Callihan.

Omega successfully retained his IMPACT World Championship at the show, and IMPACT seemed to push the ‘forbidden door’ angle even further with a tease of AAA, AEW, IMPACT and NJPW all being represented at the upcoming Bound For Glory PPV event.

During the Slammiversary event, Don Callis would say that Omega was ‘tougher’ than GCW Champion and Deathmath King, Nick Gage. After hearing this on the broadcast, Game Changer Wrestling would invite Kenny Omega to take part in their Homecoming event next weekend.

“GCW tweeted, “Omega “tougher” than Gage? @TheDonCallis what are you smoking pal?” The promotion responded.

Kenny Omega vs Nick Gage

“You and Kenny are welcome to come and prove it but you have to get in line & the line starts this Saturday at #GCWHomecoming Weekend in AC… Saturday: GAGE vs CARDONA Sunday: GAGE vs OMEGA??? See ya there???” GCW added.

It is not confirmed if this is part of the ongoing forbidden door angle, or if Game Changer Wrestling are attempting to just get some more buzz for the PPV shows next weekend.

GCW Homecoming Night 1 (July 24) and Night 2 (July 25) takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Nick Gage will be defending his GCW Championship against Matt Cardona/Zack Ryder on night 1. Both shows will be available to view on FITE TV.

WWE RAW Superstar Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley at Money In The Bank to become a 14-time Women’s Champion in the company.

Flair spoke to WWE cameras following the win backstage and was extremely complementary of her opponent; possibly signalling that she is turning face now or in the near future.

“I think she definitely got the point tonight” Flair began backstage. “But I also got the point. She’s a student of the game, literally, and she’s not that far behind.”

“I just got the upper hand in the end. I’m the dirtiest player for a reason, so…” Flair continued.

Charlotte Flair on Rhea Ripley

“I won this title for the first time at WrestleMania 32, and to have it back with the crowd back feels pretty surreal” Flair would add, again seemingly adding some potential ‘face’ nuance to her promo.

“You never really know what you have until it’s gone and tonight feels amazing. It couldn’t have gone any better” the new RAW Women’s Champion would conclude.

It was rumored throughout the night that Becky Lynch may have been making her return to the company at the event.

Even with Lynch trolling the audience with a teaser tweet; this didn’t occur, so the potential for ‘The Man’ to return to try and win back the RAW Women’s Championship that she never lost could still be on the cards in the coming weeks.

The WWE Money In The Bank PPV event will be taking place tonight from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

An image has been released showing what the set will look like for the special PPV attraction, and it appears as though WWE are running with the standard set that we saw debut on SmackDown this week.

Money In The Bank will be the first WWE PPV since WrestleMania 36 to take place in front of an audience. This show will also be the first PPV event in over 70 weeks to have a capacity crowd.

There are several surprises expected to take place tonight, with the likes of John Cena, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and even Sonya Deville (for an in-ring return) being teased.

It’s not confirmed if any of the above will be appearing, but Becky and Sasha are the most likely at this point, although Cena is being heavily rumored near showtime.

WWE Money In The Bank 2021

Here’s the full card for WWE’s Money In The Bank 2021 show that takes place on Peacock and WWE Network:

• Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match – Ricochet vs. Riddle vs. John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Big E vs. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins vs. King Shinsuke Nakamura
• Women’s MITB Ladder Match – Asuka vs. Naomi vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross vs. Liv Morgan vs. Zelina Vega vs. Natalya vs Tamina
• Universal Championship Match – WWE Hall of Famer Edge vs. Roman Reigns (c)
• WWE Championship Match – Kofi Kingston vs. Bobby Lashley (c)
• RAW Women’s Championship Match – Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley (c)
• RAW Tag Team Championship Match – AJ Styles & Omos (c) vs The Viking Raiders
• Pre-show WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match – Dominik and Rey Mysterio vs The Usos

Check out the tweet below to see the set for tonight:

WWE RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley recently spoke to The South African. The former NXT Women’s Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including potential matchups that she would like going forward on the RAW brand.

“Yeah, I mean, I have a lot of matches that I want to do,” Rhea Ripley would begin the interview. “Like I never got to wrestle Candice [LaRae], which is someone that I wanted to wrestle real badly.”

“So I’m hoping that one day I get to wrestle Candice, I can’t wait for more of my NXT girls to come up so I can have more fights with them” Ripley then continued. “Because it’s always lovely stepping in the ring with them. And we bring out that certain side of each other, we just know each other so well. So it really is a fight to win.”

Rhea Ripley Talks Alexa Bliss Match

Rhea Ripley would then reveal who on the RAW roster right now she would like to face, and the first name was Alexa Bliss and her ‘Fiend’ character.

“Out of the people that have here at the moment like I actually, even though she’s creepy, and you never really know what you’re gonna get from her, I wouldn’t mind stepping in the ring with Alexa Bliss” Rhea Ripley revealed.

“I know. I might regret what I’m saying right now. But she’s just so different. And I like different. And I like a challenge. And she definitely is a challenge. So Alexa Bliss will be someone that I’m curious of, and I just I wouldn’t mind stepping in the right with” the RAW Women’s Champion concluded.

Rhea Ripley will be defending her RAW Women’s Championship on tonight’s Money In The Bank PPV event which airs on Peacock and WWE Network.

PROGRESS Chapter 115: For The Hearts That Never Played In Tune will be taking place today on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS.

The card has three major Championship matches, with Cara Noir, Kanji and Lykos Gym all putting their gold on the line during the show.

Cara Noir will be facing British wrestling legend Jody Fleisch on the show, with the ‘Phoenix’ Fleisch having two impressive wins under his belt since returning to the promotion this year. Fleisch is most known for his appearances in ROH in the early 2000s and PWG Battle of Los Angeles entry in 2019.

Kanji will also be defending her title against Gisele Shaw and Laura Di Matteo in a triple threat match. Shaw attacked both Kanji and Di Matteo at the end of the last Chapter show, leading to this three-way for the belt.

The PROGRESS Tag Team Championships will also be on the line this weekend as Lykos Gym (Kid Lykos and Kid Lykos II) will be defending against Big Money Gun Dogs (Gene Munny and Big Guns Joe) in a Doghouse Rules match.

PROGRESS Chapter 115

Here’s the full card for the show:

• PROGRESS World Championship Match – Cara Noir (c) vs Jody Fleisch
• Malik (w/Kosta Konstantinou) vs Ethan Allen (w/Luke Jacobs)
• Chris Ridgeway vs Warren Banks – No Rope Breaks
• PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Dog House Rules Match – Big Money Gun Dogs vs Lykos Gym (c)
• Greedy Souls vs Sunshine Machine
• Taonga vs Alexxis Falcon
• PROGRESS Women’s Championship Match – Kanji (c) vs Laura Di Matteo vs Gisele Shaw
• Mercedez Blaze (w/Taonga) vs Roxxy Hellz Belle
• Nick Riley vs Charlie Sterling – PROGRESS Championship #1 Contender’s Match

WHERE AND HOW TO WATCH: 

WWE Network (worldwide)

demandPROGRESS (worldwide)

Peacock (US only)

WWE have been hoping to get a WrestleMania main event of The Rock vs Roman Reigns for years, and now it appears as though the contest will be taking place at WrestleMania 38.

In the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer would claim that WWE are looking at a potential tag team match including the two megastars just in case they’re unable to get The Rock in a singles match for insurance or worries surrounding health.

With WWE wanting to continue The Bloodline/Family storyline with Reigns and The Usos; The Rock may be teaming with Jey Uso and Roman teaming with Jimmy Uso. The reverse of this has also been considered, depending on which of the Usos is a babyface or heel before the match.

The Rock vs Roman Reigns

WWE do prefer the idea of having The Rock vs Roman Reigns as a singles match on the card, however having Dwayne Johnson on a WrestleMania marquee is better than not having Dwayne Johnson on a WrestleMania marquee. So if the company have to run with a tag team match it is worth it.

Dave Meltzer would also claim that The Rock may be weary of making a return for a singles match. The 49 year old megastar has a strong history with wrestling across his family dynasty and he does not want to look bad in a potential return.

“Obviously the singles match is the preferred match but any involvement of Rock is preferred over him not doing the show” Meltzer wrote in the Observer. “Because at 49, the idea of him coming back would lessen each year because he doesn’t need it, but he always has a soft spot in his heart for wrestling and family but he’s also not going to do it if he’s going to look bad because I don’t think he wants that Undertaker-Goldberg moment.”

Do you think we’ll see The Rock vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38? Let us know in the comments

AEW star and former WWE/WCW legend Chris Jericho recently appeared on the Keepin It 100 with Konnan podcast. ‘Le Champion’ and leader of The Inner Circle discussed a number of topics during the show, including last weekend’s UFC 264 event that saw Conor McGregor lose to Dustin Poirier.

McGregor lost the fight due to doctor stoppage, with the Irish fighter’s ankle breaking towards the end of the first round, thus meaning he could not continue. Although Jericho doesn’t appear to be working an angle, he said that McGregor is ‘done’ in the sport of MMA.

“Conor’s done and I think everyone knows it,” Chris Jericho began on Konnan’s podcast. “I think he knows it. I think the best thing that could’ve happened is that he snapped his ankle, because he would’ve lost in the second round.”

Chris Jericho Talks Conor McGregor

“Herb Dean almost called it at the end of the first, but he was letting it go because it was towards the end and it’s a championship, million dollar fight” the former Y2J continued. “Not a championship but it was a million dollar fight. Those elbows in the corner man, once you get a guy down like that he’s finished.”

“So I think it was actually a stroke of fate that’s going to end up making them all more money that Conor broke his ankle” Jericho added. “Because he would’ve been done in about another two minutes anyway.”

“The only thing I would say for Dustin, if he’s going to take a number four, which I would say ‘go f**k yourself, I’m not doing it.’ I’d say ‘okay, you want number four? I want a 50-50 purse split with Conor.’ See what happens” Jericho would then conclude.

Would you like to see Conor McGregor have a run in pro wrestling? If so, would you rather he be in WWE or AEW? Let us know in the comments