It was recently reported by the Wrestling Observer that IMPACT Wrestling star Moose had re-signed with the company. There were rumors surrounding the powerhouse performer looking elsewhere, with both WWE and AEW supposedly interested.
Fightful Select has now confirmed that Moose has signed a two year deal, keeping him with IMPACT until at least the Summer of 2023. Although not specific monetary details were given, he is apparently on a ‘significantly improved’ wage structure to his prior deal.
Moose on Improved Contract
IMPACT apparently have been factoring in Moose into their ongoing plans in a ‘major’ way. Whilst it isn’t clear what this means for the time being, he is consistently part of the main event scene on their weekly programming and PPV shows.
Moose recently faced Kenny Omega for the IMPACT World Championship at the Against All Odds event. Moose was unable to capture the title after The Young Bucks would interfere and cost him the match.
With the current ‘Forbidden Door’ storyline ongoing, there’s a good chance that we will see the IMPACT star appearing more at Daily’s Place, likely under the AEW banner.
Posted June 16th, 2021 in TNA, News. Tagged: Moose.
PROGRESS Wrestling has announced that the PROGRESS Women’s Championship will be on the line at Chapter 113: Warp Into Monster Disco Hell. Champion Kanji will be defending against Mercedez Blaze, who pinned the Champion at the last Chapter event.
Gisele Shaw vs Alexxis Falcon was announced previously for Chapter 112, however the match turned into a tag team bout during the show. Kanji would team with Alexxis Falcon to take on Gisele Shaw and Mercedez Blaze; with Blaze getting the pinfall over the Women’s Champion with the assist from Shaw.
PROGRESS Chapter 113
This is the second time that Blaze has pinned Kanji since the return of PROGRESS earlier this year. Kanji defeated Gisele Shaw in a Best of Three Series to become the new PROGRESS Women’s Champion after NXT UK Superstar Jinny had to vacate.
Here’s the currently confirmed card for PROGRESS Chapter 113 Warp Into Monster Disco Hell:
The other matches currently confirmed for the show are:
Dean Allmark vs Chuck Mambo
Gisele Shaw vs Alexxis Falcon
Big Money Gun Dogs vs Greedy Souls
PROGRESS Tag Team Champions Lykos Gym and Warren Banks vs NorthWest Strong (Chris Ridgeway, Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen)
TK Cooper vs Man Like Dereiss
Alexxis Falcon vs Gisele Shaw
PROGRESS World Championship Match – Cara Noir (c) vs ELIJAH
Jody Fleisch vs Danny Black
PROGRESS Chapter 113: Warp Into Monster Disco Hell will be streaming on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS as of Saturday June 19.
After much discussion, we cannot deny that @Mercedez_Blaze deserves a shot at @KanjiDuku after pinning the Champion on two occasions in 2021
So, the Champion defends at 113#Chapter113 Saturday June 19th at 5PM BST on:
Former WWE Superstar Alexander Wolfe/Axel Tischer recently spoke to Nick Hausman for WrestlingINC Daily. The former Sanity member discussed a number of topics during the interview, including when he moved from the main roster ‘down’ to NXT UK.
One of the more intriguing aspects of moving talent in WWE is that their contract status does not appear to change. That is at least the case when it came to Alexander Wolfe, as he said that he was still making ‘main roster money’ when he was on the NXT UK brand.
Alexander Wolfe on NXT UK Contract
“I had just signed the contract and had two years left” Wolfe revealed during the interview, indicating that he did not have to sign a new contract when moving to the smaller NXT UK brand from SmackDown.
“So you just stay under contract, and that’s it” Alexander Wolfe continued. “Which I am very grateful for because I went to NXT UK and just made main roster money, so that was sweet.”
It’s interesting that this would be the case for someone like the former Sanity member. Finn Balor of course made the move back ‘down’ to NXT in Florida, but with his status as a more upper card talent, it was almost expected from fans that he would be on a similar deal.
WWE Superstar Liv Morgan and the son of John Huber, Dark Order’s -1, recently had a ‘rematch’ from earlier this year. Morgan was training at Natalya and Tyson Kidd’s ‘dungeon’ in Florida and Brodie Lee Jr was visiting earlier this year shortly after his father passed away.
John Huber’s wife Amanda posted a video of the ‘rematch’ between -1 and Liv Morgan on Instagram. Huber also wrote a heartfelt message and thank you to Natalya and Kidd.
“The rematch everyone has been waiting for -1 vs Liv Morgan” Amanda Huber began. “Thank you again to Natalya and Tyson Kidd for letting us come hang out and letting B roll around. He always looks forward to being around wrestling and this is a safe way for him to learn basics without bumping around.”
Liv Morgan vs -1
“Keeping close to wrestling has been so important for the boys” Amanda Huber continued. “And staying close to the people they have known for their whole lives has been even more important. We don’t have any blood relatives in Florida, so keeping close to our wrestling family has been a huge part in our healing process.”
You can check out the video of -1 practicing below with Liv Morgan. The AEW star actually looks really promising and could become an asset to All Elite Wrestling at some point:
NXT General Manager William Regal seemed to cast doubt on his future with the brand on Sunday night. The former Intercontinental Champion mentioned how the NXT locker room had been at war over the past few weeks, specifically the performers in the Fatal 5 Way match for the NXT Championship.
Regal said after the event that it might be time “for a change” on NXT. It wasn’t clear if William Regal meant he was going to leave the position, however Triple H did discuss the situation on the post-show media call.
“William Regal, he’s been such an integral part of this since day one,” Triple H began. “There are certain people that have and then there’s people that have come in along the way. It’s hard to envision doing it in any sort of way without them.”
Triple H on William Regal
“Regal’s definitely one of those people” ‘The Game’ added. “And I don’t think that we will ever do it without him. He’ll be a part of this until the day that he tells me he doesn’t want to be a part of it anymore.”
“It’s why Shawn’s here, it’s why I’m here, it’s why Matt Bloom’s here, Sara’s [Amato] here, it’s why this whole team is here, they love the business, and they love all the aspects of this business and want to see it continue and move forward” Triple H added.
“They want to help guide it and change it into the future, try to create the business that they always hoped and wished it could be as they were coming up and get rid of the things that none of us liked or understood about the business and enhance the bits and pieces that we did love about it.”
It’s likely that the situation will be addressed further on this week’s episode of NXT on Tuesday.
AEW, AAA Mega, IMPACT and TNA Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega recently appeared on the PWI Podcast. The former IWGP Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the ongoing ‘Forbidden Door’ storyline that has seen multiple companies work together during the pandemic era.
“I think there will always be limits,” Omega began, discussing the concept of the Forbidden Door and companies working in tandem. “There will always be lines that you cannot cross. But I believe that there is a world, right place, right time, when you can see every company working together.”
“And I don’t necessarily mean every company. I just mean if another wanted to work with another company, I think they’d be open to the idea. And I think again, this is a terrible thing to say, one of the reasons the Forbidden Door, quote unquote, was opened with New Japan, it was partly due to what we’re all struggling with right now, which is a pandemic” Omega continued, highlighting the overall landscape of pro wrestling.
Kenny Omega on The Forbidden Door
“For us to take a step back and stop worrying about our own stuff and see what kind of world we’re all living in. It’s the same world” Kenny Omega would continue. “And how we need to set aside petty differences, how we need to set aside just age old tropes of ‘this is my company and my territory and stay the heck out. There’s no way we can ever play nice and cross paths.’
Although New Japan appear to still be working with AEW, there have been rumors of WWE working out a deal with the Japanese company. These are not currently confirmed, however talks between WWE and NJPW are at a more advanced stage than previously thought.
It was confirmed on this week’s episode of Talking Smack that Rey Mysterio will challenge for the Universal Championship inside of the Hell In a Cell. Mysterio suggested the stipulation and ‘The Special Council To The Tribal Chief’ Paul Heyman confirmed that the match will take place inside of the structure.
Roman Reigns has now taken to social media to issue a stark warning to his opponent on June 20. “For a man whose legend looms so large in our industry, he sunk to the lowest depths to try to take me down” Roman Reigns began.
Roman Reigns on Rey Mysterio
“Next week, you will #AcknowledgeMe properly. #HIAC”
There are now two matches on the Hell In a Cell card that will be taking place inside of the structure at the ThunderDome. Bobby Lashley vs Drew McIntyre will also be a Cell match, where Drew McIntyre will never get to challenge for the title again if he loses.
Here’s the current confirmed card for Hell In a Cell 2021:
WWE Championship: Hell in a CellMatch – Bobby Lashley (c) with MVP vs. Drew McIntyre
Universal Championship: Hell in a CellMatch – Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE RAW Women’s ChampionshipMatch – Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte
WWE SmackDown Women’s ChampionshipMatch – Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley
Rey Mysterio will be challenging for the Universal Championship at the Hell In a Cell PPV next Sunday. Interestingly, that’s also Father’s Day, so the ongoing story involving Rey’s son Dominik having been attacked by Roman adds an extra layer to the narrative.
Mysterio challenged Reigns on this week’s episode of SmackDown to make it a Hell In a Cell match. During Talking Smack, the ‘Special Council To The Tribal Chief’ Paul Heyman would accept the challenge from the Luchador legend.
“I get this story, I want to see it go down,” Heyman began on Talking Smack. “As special counsel to the Tribal Chief, the Universal Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns. I, Paul Heyman, hereby inform the public that I’m authorized to accept Rey Mysterio’s challenge against Roman Reigns inside Hell in a Cell. And that’s bad news for Rey Mysterio.”
Paul Heyman on Mysterio’s Challenge
“Because you are not stepping into Hell in a Cell with just a defending champion. You’re stepping into Hell in a Cell against the monarch of the mat” Heyman added. “The gracious God of the grappling game. The taste-maker of the island of relevancy. The savage Samoan sadist. The devil himself — inside Hell in a Cell. You’re stepping into the demonic structure with Roman Reigns.”
Here’s the full card for Hell In a Cell on Sunday June 20:
WWE Championship: Hell in a CellMatch – Bobby Lashley (c) with MVP vs. Drew McIntyre
Universal Championship: Hell in a CellMatch – Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE RAW Women’s ChampionshipMatch – Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte
WWE SmackDown Women’s ChampionshipMatch – Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley
IMPACT Wrestling held their Against All Odds event last night. The main event of the show saw Kenny Omega defend his IMPACT and TNA Championships against IMPACT star Moose. Near the end of the contest, the referee was knocked out and AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks appeared.
The match was held at AEW’s home, Daily’s Place, so it was likely that there would be some involvement from Omega’s group.
Matt and Nick Jackson attacked Moose by hitting the BTE Trigger and multiple Superkicks. The brothers then helped lift Moose up so that Kenny Omega could hit the One Winged Angel to win the contest.
The Young Bucks Interfere
Omega was scheduled to go on to Slammiversary to face Sami Callihan for the IMPACT World Championship. Callihan actually appeared himself after the main event to attack Kenny Omega; which prompted Don Callis to ‘fire’ the IMPACT star.
Although Don Callis is reportedly no longer in power at IMPACT; he is at least still playing the role of executive on television. It is likely that we will still see Omega vs Callihan at Slammiversary for the belt.
Former WWE Superstar and independent performer Matt Cardona recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former WWE United States Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including his current feud with deathmatch king Nick Gage.
“I don’t know how it started on social media” Cardona began, discussing the genesis of the feud. “Whether a fan tweeted it and I responded? And then it got kind of personal at first. I was like ‘dude, I don’t want to do this death match stuff. That’s not my style at all.’”
“But he [Gage] just kept calling me out and calling me out” Cardona continued. “And they (GCW) even promoted me for one of their shows, when I clearly had a booking somewhere else.”
Matt Cardona on Nick Gage
“And they had the whole crowd, like I can’t even say what they were chanting at me. So it’s like, at one point I had to stand up for myself” Cardona stated. “Because I can’t take that. I just got to be a man and shut them up.”
Cardona appeared at the Zombie Walk PPV event earlier this month, attacking Gage following a GCW Championship match. Matt Cardona was dressed as a ‘druid,’ and started doing Jon Moxley mannerisms and even hitting the Paradigm Shift DDT. Cardona then took off the hood to reveal himself, sending the hardcore GCW ‘Universe’ (as Cardona calls them) into a frenzy.
Matt Cardona is currently scheduled to be taking on Nick Gage for the GCW Championship at GCW Homecoming in July.
PROGRESS Chapter 113: Warp Into Monster Disco Hell will be streaming on Peacock, WWE Network and demandPROGRESS as of Saturday June 19. The PROGRESS World Championship will be on the line during the show, with Champion Cara Noir defending against ELIJAH.
A number of fans have questioned why ELIJAH has been given the title shot; names such as Spike Trivet have had more wins since the return of PROGRESS on Peacock and the Network earlier this year.
PROGRESS Chapter 113
ELIJAH’s manager and former PROGRESS commentator Charles Crowley released a video today hyping the upcoming bout. Crowley slammed the fans for looking past the dangerous ELIJAH, quoting some who say that Cara won’t lose the title until “there’s fans back live.”
The other matches currently confirmed for the show are:
Dean Allmark vs Chuck Mambo
Gisele Shaw vs Alexxis Falcon
Big Money Gun Dogs vs Greedy Souls
PROGRESS Tag Team Champions Lykos Gym and Warren Banks vs NorthWest Strong (Chris Ridgeway, Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen)
All Elite Wrestling star Darby Allin recently appeared on the Wrestling Perspective podcast. The former TNT Champion talked a number of topics during the interview, including his high risk and daredevil style of pro wrestling.
“I’m all in or nothing, for the most part” Darby Allin would note on the podcast. “And I always made a commitment to myself that I’d rather have a real short career and then just push it hard every day.”
“[I’d rather that] then just try to focus on outside projects when the time’s up,” Allin added, making it quite clear that he doesn’t intend on having a very long pro wrestling career. “As of right now, I feel like I’m just gonna keep going and going and going until my wheels fall off, but I feel wonderful right now.”
Darby Allin Talks Risk Taking Style
“I’ve been doing DDP Yoga with Dallas over in his house” Allin revealed, at least giving somewhat of an indication that he’s looking after his body. “And I’m insane about physical therapy and you know, I don’t take any drugs.”
“I don’t take aspirin or anything like that” Allin noted, as he is a staunch straight edge believer. “I just take a bunch of ice baths and you know, yoga and just… yeah, man.”
AEW star Sammy Guevara recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The member of the Inner Circle stable discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the leader of the group, Chris Jericho.
“Man there’s so many” Guevara began, discussing the reasons why Chris Jericho is a ‘genius’ in wrestling terms. “Just taking your time in between the moments, structuring certain things. He’s such a mastermind at this.”
“There’s a reason he’s been doing this longer than I’ve been alive” Sammy Guevara continued. “And so anytime he says something I always try to just take it.”
Sammy Guevara on Chris Jericho
“And even if I don’t see what he’s seeing, I try to understand it from where he’s coming from” Guevara revealed. “Then by the end of it I’m like, ‘Okay, now this makes sense.’”
“He kind of has a different way of thinking” the Inner Circle member concluded. “I don’t even know. He’s a genius. There’s so many lessons this dude has taught me and too many to really say, to be honest.”
With The Inner Circle set to continue their feud with The Pinnacle, Sammy Guevara will be able to continue to ascend the ranks. Guevara winning the Stadium Stampede II match was a huge moment for the young star, and he’s just one of the many performers who AEW have built in their first years of existence.
WWE has changed their policy regarding fans in attendance at NXT shows going forward. Previously, fans at the Capitol Wrestling Center (CWC) were expected to have a negative COVID-19 test result before entering the building. It appears as though this will no longer be the case as of this Sunday and the In Your House event.
WWE NXT has been the only show with fans live in attendance since the move to the Thunderdome last August. Previously, fans had to fill in a questionnaire and take a free rapid COVID-19 Antigen test on the night of the event. Fans were also expected to complete a COVID-19 health questionnaire and sign a waiver; as well as have a thermal temperature check before entering the venue.
COVID-19 Policy
WWE is still asking fans not to attend if they have been in contact with someone showing COVID symptoms in the last 14 days. Of course fans who have themselves shown signs of the virus over the past 2 weeks will need to remain isolated also.
NXT In Your House takes place this Sunday and will be available on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.
Here’s the card for the event:
Fatal 5 Way for the NXT Championship – Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Karrion Kross (c)
NXT Women’s Title Match – Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez (c)
Winners Take All for the NXT North American Title and NXT Tag Team Titles – Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza) vs. Bronson Reed (c) and MSK (Wes Lee, Nash Carter) (c)
Ladder Match for the Million Dollar Title – LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes (WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr. will be present at ringside)
Former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida debuted a new look during this week’s episode of AEW Dark: Elevation. The Japanese star lost to Dr Britt Baker D.M.D at the Double or Nothing PPV event just over a week ago, and now Shida has changed up her look as she looks to climb up the Women’s division rankings.
Hikaru Shida faced Diamante in the main event of the show. The episode also featured some of AEW’s more established names on the card, including Santana & Ortiz, Ethan Page, Brian Cage & Powerhouse Hobbs, The Acclaimed and Scorpio Sky.
Here’s the full results for this week’s episode of the YouTube show:
Jade Cargill w/ Smart Mark Sterling b. Rache Chanel
Santana & Ortiz b. Liam Gray & Adrian Alanis
Scorpio Sky b. Trevor Read
Brian Cage & Powerhouse Hobbs w/ Hook & Ricky Starks b. Trevor Aeon and Kendall Blake
Evil Uno w/ -1 b. Danny Limelight
Ethan Page b. Mike Sydal
The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) b. Alex Reynolds and Alan “5” Angels
Kris Statlander b. Queen Aminata
Varsity Blonds (Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison) w/ Julia Hart b. JD Drake and Ryan Nemeth w/ The Wingmen
Impact Wrestling star Karl Anderson has some advice for the WWE Superstars who were released this past week.
Anderson and his tag team partner Luke Gallows were cut by WWE in April 2020, just weeks after they participated in the Boneyard Match main event of WrestleMania 36.
During the latest episode of the Talk N Shop podcast, Anderson advised that the released talent be ‘less friendly’ in their social media comments.
“We know what it’s like to get canned from WWE,” Anderson began. “Here’s the advice I would say; enough of the ‘thank you’ tweets. Give me a f*cking break. When you get canned, let it go. How about hashtag ‘f*ck off.’ I don’t think less than 24 hours after being fired…take a second to take a breather.”
“Take it easy with the thank you bullsh*t within 24 hours” Anderson continued. “Breathe it in and take it all in for just one second. Put together a plan of attack before you start thanking all these motherf*ckers that fired you.”
Anderson Praises Jim Ross
Karl Anderson would then praise Jim Ross, who himself is a lot more candid than most when it comes to discussing WWE’s business practices. “People give Jim Ross a lot of heat, but I have respect for Jim Ross.”
“When we got canned, he said, ‘There’s a reason why WWE decided to not do business with these individuals anymore'” Anderson added. “It’s as true as it can get and Thank God. We made the most money we’ve ever made in our lives this past year and that’s after WWE.”
There’s a good chance that a number of the talents released could end up at AEW and/or IMPACT; so Anderson’s comments could end up hitting home to some of the Superstars when he eventually works with them again.
Listen to the latest episode of Talk N Shop at MLWRadio.com.
The WWE Hell In a Cell match for the Universal Championship has now reportedly been set. Dave Meltzer reports that Rey Mysterio is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the biggest prize on SmackDown.
Roman Reigns attacked both Rey and his son Dominik this past Friday on the program. Reigns attacked the duo during their second SmackDown Tag Team Titles match against The Usos.
As of this writing, Bobby Lashley vs Drew McIntyre is the only cage match confirmed for the PPV. No word yet on if Reigns vs. Mysterio will take place inside the massive steel cage structure. Mysterio vs Reigns would be the first contest in the feud, which makes the stipulation less likely. However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility, as WWE have done this in the past.
Here’s the current lineup for WWE Hell In a Cell which is set to take place on Sunday June 20:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Rey Mysterio – WWE Universal Championship Match
Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Drew McIntyre – WWE Championship Match
Bianca Belair (c) vs. Bayley – SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
AJ Styles and Omos (c) vs. TBD – RAW Tag Team Championship Match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte Flair – RAW Women’s Championship Match
WWE Superstar and former Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn took to social media to react to the Logan Paul vs Floyd Mayweather fight. The contest took place over the weekend and saw the YouTuber turned boxer Paul take on one of the greatest of all time, the 50-0 Mayweather.
Prior to the fight, Logan Paul made multiple appearances on WWE programming around WrestleMania 37. Paul was part of the Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens feud heading into the event, and received a Stunner from Kevin Owens following the match between the two at ‘Mania.
Logan Paul also recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump to discuss the Fanmio PPV event. The contest follows in a line of ‘celebrity’ vs fighters boxing contests that last saw Logan’s brother Jake Paul defeat former MMA fighter Ben Askren.
Sami Zayn on Logan Paul
“I’ll say this, @LoganPaul no doubt worked his ass off and proved a lot of people wrong” Sami Zayn tweeted. “But if he never meets Sami Zayn, he never realigns his perspective.”
“And no chance he goes 8 rounds with Floyd Mayweather” Zayn continued, weaving in a bit of character work into the tweet. “I’m glad to have played my part in this historic bout.”
Logan Paul is currently teasing a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, but that isn’t confirmed to be happening at this time.
Would you like to see Logan Paul return to WWE? Let us know in the comments
Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) held the sixth instalment of their Tournament of Survival this weekend. The event took place from the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The Deathmatch tournament is available to watch on replay now via FITE TV for $13.99. You can also check out the embedded version of the show at the bottom of this page.
Here’s the full results from the show:
Tournament of Survival 6 Results
Nick Gage appeared to open the show and call out Matt Cardona/Zack Ryder. The IMPACT theme played for Cardona but he never appeared. Gage then said that he would hunt down the former WWE Superstar
Tournament of Survival First Round Matches
G-Raver b. Effy
Atticus Cogar b. 1 Called Manders –
Nolan Edward b. Orin Veidt –
GCW Ultraviolent Championship Match: Alex Colon (c) b. Bam Sullivan
Former WWE Superstar and Hall of Famer Nikki Bella recently took to Instagram to write messages to some recently released WWE Superstars. Bella specifically mentioned Ruby Riott, Mickie James, The IIconics, Lana and Chelsea Green.
“I have been shocked to say the least about some of the releases lately at WWE” Bella began on Instagram. “Wanted to write a thank you post to the women that have given their everything to the wrestling industry. Mind, body, soul and time”.
“I was so honored to share the ring with some of you and the ones I hadn’t I was so looking forward to one day sharing it” Nikki Bella continued. “Ruby Riott you were one of my favorite matches, you are such a selfless, kind, and incredibly talented woman.”
Nikki Bella on Released Superstars
“Mickie James you are an icon” Bella added. “I always hoped to have had a badass storyline with you. I know we could have created magic. Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, goodness our future wrote itself, Brie and I were dreaming of fighting for the tag titles against the both of you. You two were a magic duo!”
Nikki Bella then finished by praising Lana and Chelsea Green. “Lana you shined in and out of that ring, loved our Total Divas days and traveling the world together. So many amazing laughs and memories!”
“And Chelsea Green, was super excited to see what you were going to bring! Thank you all for the entertainment and the memories! I know the future is so bright for you all! Can’t wait to follow you all wherever you may go.???? #womenswrestling”
It’s not confirmed at this time when Nikki and Brie intend on returning to the ring themselves. The twins recently gave birth, with Nikki becoming a mother for the first time. Both were present at the WWE Hall of Fame and WrestleMania this year, but are likely still some way off of being ready for a return to the squared circle.
Having been released just a few days ago, former WWE Superstar Braun Strowman appears to already be hinting at his next move. Strowman being released from WWE was arguably one of the biggest shocks of the year, with The Monster Among Men having been in the main event of WrestleMania Backlash.
Braun Strowman would take to Twitter to quote classic southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd; saying “if I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be traveling on now, cause there’s too many places I’ve got to see!!!!”
Granted, it’s not exactly clear what Strowman means here. The powerhouse star may be hinting at his next move outside of WWE. NWA owner Billy Corgan recently said that he would like to sign Strowman to the promotion; but with the former WWE Superstar having been on a huge contract, that may not be possible.
Braun Strowman Hints at Future
Could Strowman be alluding to a wider run on the independent scene? Again it’s not exactly clear. What is known is that Braun Strowman will have to wait out his 90-day no compete clause before he makes his next move on a national scale.
The clause ends the first week in September, which would mean that Strowman would be available to appear at AEW’s All Out PPV event in Chicago.
There’s always of course the possibility that Braun may not ever return to the ring. Prior to WWE, Strowman was a powerlifter, so he could return to the sport. Braun could also pursue a career in television/film with his massive frame and look.
Where would you like to see Braun Strowman end up? Let us know in the comments
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis recently appeared on the It’s Our House podcast. The former Magnus in TNA discussed a number of topics on the show, including the WWE releases that have taken place over the past few weeks.
One of the Superstars released was Aldis’ wife Mickie James. “That’s just part of the game” Nick Aldis said on the podcast, talking about the likes of Aleister Black and Braun Strowman being released in shocking fashion. “You know if you’re gonna go to WWE you just need to be prepared for the good and the bad. You kind of jump on the roller coaster and hold on for dear life; it’s just sort of like that, that’s the big time, you know what I mean? Everyone knows it now, it shouldn’t come as any sort of major shock.”
“I certainly don’t want to speak on her behalf, but I think the frustration was more from how poorly used she was” Aldis continued, discussing the fallout from Mickie James being released.
“I think most people kind of know who was responsible for that” Aldis noted. “So that was like, nobody wins. They don’t really think about the fans. But at the same time, right away I got excited about the idea of her being able to be herself again and started thinking about potential matchups that we can help promote in our own way; on our own time and give it the stage it deserves.”
Former WWE Superstar Andrade made his All Elite Wrestling debut on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Now going under the name of Andrade El Idolo, the Mexican star that was previously a major part of the NXT brand is now looking to become one of the major names on Wednesday nights (Fridays for now).
Vickie Guerrero interrupted a segment with Tony Schiavone and Mark Henry, where the Worlds Strongest Man was discussing his own move to the promotion. Guerrero told them both to get out of the ring.
Vickie revealed that she was here to introduce a man who has won championships around the world and is a third generation wrestler. Guerrero then introduced Andrade El Idolo and he came to the ring. Andrade said they use to say he was the face of Latinos, but now he is saying he will be the new face of All Elite Wrestling.
Andrade’s partner Charlotte Flair reacted to the former WWE Superstar making his debut for All Elite. Flair posted a tweet with crying face and heart emojis; although it was clear that she was reacting to the debut with the timing of the message.
WWE has been on a releasing spree over the past few weeks/months; with some surprise names being given their walking papers by the company.
With yesterday’s news of Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Lana, Ruby Riott, Santana Garrett and Buddy Murphy being released; it has now also been revealed that the rest of the roster were informed of the situation before it was confirmed online by WWE.
Dave Meltzer noted on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio that John Laurinaitis, WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, sent out text messages to the entire full roster.
According to a source in WWE we reached out to, the text message reads:
Due to Budget cuts the following talent were released today. Braun Strowman, Lana, Buddy Murphy, Santana Garrett, Ruby Riott, and Aleister Black. – John Laurinaitis
There are currently rumors of more talent being let go over the coming days/weeks. It’s not confirmed exactly where these cuts will be coming from, but it looks as though NXT UK might be on the list.
Braun Strowman was a main event performer for WWE, which shows the company is willing to go to great lengths to achieve their cost-cutting objective.
Here are some reactions from the wrestlers who were released by WWE this week:
WWE NXT Superstar and former PROGRESS Champion Pete Dunne recently spoke to Mike Johnson of PWInsider. The Bruiserweight discussed a number of topics, including a potential bout between himself and the NXT Champion, Karrion Kross.
“With my style being as physical as it is, and the way the Kross wrestles, I think it does mesh together quite well” Pete Dunne would begin, discussing the potential match. “He’s somebody that I had my eye on just before he got to the company, and then seeing the way he’s come in, and he’s breezing through so fast.”
“Obviously, he had the injury” Dunne added, alluding to the injury Kross suffered after winning the NXT Championship for the first time. “But to come back and do it all over again is impressive; and I definitely would like to work with him down the line.”
Pete Dunne on Karrion Kross
“And for me personally, it’s just a case of, I’ve been in NXT now for coming up to five years, I had that obviously long run in the UK with the UK title; I had a brief run with Matt Riddle as the tag champion” Dunne added.
The Bruiserweight finished by discussing how his current work compares to his time in NXT UK and the independents; saying that he is producing the best work of his career.
“But I really do feel like now I’m here, I’m in the best shape of my life” Pete Dunne noted. “I’m doing the best work I’ve ever done, and it’s time to take that next step. And if Kross’ is who I’d do that against, then so be it. I can’t wait to get rolling” The Bruiserweight concluded.