Former WWE Superstar and AEW’s ‘Le Champion’ Chris Jericho took to social media to react to the Zombie Lumberjack match from WrestleMania Backlash.
It was recently reported that WWE were not happy with the AEW Blood & Guts match from just over a week ago. Several within WWE felt that the WarGames styled match “set the industry back 30 years.”
This was mainly due to the violence being taken up a notch from the standard fare on TNT.
Chris Jericho on Lumberjack Match
It’s fascinating that WWE opted to have a segment on the PPV just after this that featured ‘zombies’ as lumberjacks in The Miz vs Damian Priest match. The angle and bout was divisive online; most fans being bemused and angry that WWE would even consider this as something to put on television in 2021.
As mentioned, Chris Jericho was one of the names that decided to react to the match online. Jericho even hinted at the Blood & Guts report in his critique of the contest, saying “Zombies…ZOMBIES? Wow that just set wrestling back 30 years.”
Did you enjoy the Zombie segment from WWE WrestleMania Backlash? Let us know in the comments
WWE SmackDown had an interesting (sort of) change to the Shinsuke Nakamura vs King Corbin feud. Corbin defeated Nakamura in a match to determine the ‘king’ of SmackDown, with Shinsuke Nakamura wanting to be proclaimed the King of Strong Style once again.
Nakamura then ‘stole’ the crown from Corbin, the crown that the ‘King’ has had since winning the King of The Ring tournament back in 2019. Nakamura then appeared in a backstage video where he said that the King of Strong Style had returned, and that he enjoyed ‘looking good.’
“I’m the real King. The King of Strong Style is back, finally” Nakamura said in the video. “Finally. I’m looking good, it’s time to take photos,” Nakamura added.
Nakamura vs. Corbin
Shinsuke Nakamura vs King Corbin has not been confirmed for the WrestleMania Backlash card on Sunday, however it may end up being included as a pre-show match.
Hopefully, and I really mean hopefully, the King Corbin gimmick might now get dropped and Baron Corbin might take a different turn with his character going forward.
Shinsuke Nakamura has had a very stop start path on his career on the WWE ‘main’ roster. As NXT Champion, Nakamura appeared to be one of the prominent talents going forward, with the NJPW legend having a different type of charisma to other talents on the roster.
Sadly, Nakamura has arguably not reached the same heights, other than his Royal Rumble win and subsequent WrestleMania match against AJ Styles for the WWE Championship.
WWE Superstar John Cena recently spoke to Den of Geek. The future WWE Hall of Famer discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the creation of the Firefly Funhouse match.
The Funhouse match of course took place back at WrestleMania 36. The concept was brought together due to the COVID-19 pandemic meaning that 2020’s ‘Mania event had to take place in the WWE Performance Center. The Fiend Bray Wyatt and John Cena took part in the cinematic ‘match,’ showcasing the history of Cena’s career and throwing in some subtle (and some not so subtle) hints to the audience.
“The Funhouse match was something I hold very close to me” John Cena began during the interview. “Maybe that’s another 45-minute interview for another day, because that was kind of thrown in my lap at the last minute.”
John Cena on Firefly Funhouse
“I remember specifically asking what a Firefly Funhouse match was. And the answer was literally, ‘we don’t know’” Cena continued, noting how creative he and Wyatt had to get for the concept to work. “In most performers that would cause panic, but I was just riveted by the open field that we could possibly create something special.”
“And like you said, it took a lot of brave folks and a lot of hard work to make something that hopefully the audience understood” Cena noted. “At least if it reached one, we reached you and that’s good.”
John Cena has not been back on WWE programming since his ‘loss’ during the Firefly Funhouse match, which you can watch in its entirety below:
Stone Cold Steve Austin is the latest guest on the WWE Network series Drew & A. Austin joined former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre to discuss a number of topics surrounding his career, including the short-lived but fondly remembered Two Man Power Trip tag team alongside ‘The Game’ Triple H.
“I love working with Triple H,” Austin began, speaking to Drew McIntyre. “We hit it off when he came down to WCW way back in the day, we didn’t travel roads together but we were on the same page. We both loved bodybuilding, powerlifting. He’s a great worker, good mind for the business.”
“But Triple H, a great mind for the game,” Austin continued, before revealing that the Two Man Power Trip concept in 2001 was his idea. “I picked his opinion on many different things, and asked his opinion on many different things when I was on my run. One of my ideas as a heel that I wanted to do was form a tag team with him, and call it The Two-Man Power Trip.”
Steve Austin on Triple H
“We were really, really trying to get some heat” Austin stated. “Laying some heavy steel chairs down on The Undertaker, Kane, Hardys, Lita, my God.”
“We were doing everything we could in my alliance with him” Steve Austin claimed. “Which kind of ensured that I was headed in a heat direction. Then fate hit one night in a tag match on Monday Night RAW; he blew out that quad, and that was the end of that.”
Austin finished by praising Triple H for his return in 2002 following the quad injury. “He made a successful comeback. Obviously he’s had one of the greatest runs in the history of the business” Austin concluded. “But [he’s] a guy that’s a lot of fun to be in the ring with.”
WWE Superstar John Cena has spent the past few months filming the new Peacemaker series for HBO Max. The former WWE Champion confirmed earlier this year that he could not attend WrestleMania 37 due to the schedule for the Suicide Squad spin-off, due to the travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cena has been active in terms of Hollywood over the past few years, with F9, part of the massive Fast & Furious franchise, soon to be released. The new Suicide Squad film, the precursor to the Peacemaker series, will be arriving on August 6. That day will see the new film available on HBO Max and in Theaters.
John Cena in Peacemaker
The director of both Suicide Squad and Peacemaker James Gunn recently answered fan questions as part of an Instagram Q&A. Gunn confirmed that Cena’s new HBO series will be available to stream in January 2022.
With John Cena now seemingly finished with filming, he may be available for a return to WWE. Cena recently posted an image of the WWE logo to his own Instagram, leading fans to question if it’s just another one of Cena’s odd social media troll jobs or if he’s really looking to return.
A possible destination is SummerSlam, with WWE looking to re-introduce full crowds from that show onwards.
Former WWE personality and on-air host/interviewer Renee Paquette recently revealed that she reached out to Vince McMahon. Paquette said that she wanted to get the WWE CEO on her Oral Sessions podcast, but up to now he has ‘ignored’ her requests.
“No, he [Vince McMahon] did not get back to me” Renee Paquette revealed on the latest episode of Oral Sessions. “No response but I do have his email. I can get his phone number.”
“I kind of pushed pause on that a little bit because I’ve been busy” Paquette noted. “We’ve had so many great guests, but I would love to have any McMahon on the show. Any McMahon is welcome on my show.”
Renee Paquette on Vince McMahon
“I guess I would just talk to him about some of the visions that he has for things and just being able to pick his brain” Paquette revealed, saying what an interview with the WWE owner would involve.
“I mean, being able to sit in production meetings with him for a year plus, and getting to just see how his mind works and trying to understand how his mind works, I think I would just have a lot of questions about how he runs the shows” Paquette concluded.
Check out our recent interview with Renee Paquette below:
NWA star Kamille recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The ‘insurance policy’ of NWA Worlds Champion Nick Aldis discussed a number of topics on the show, including how she would like to face Jade Cargill in an AEW ring.
“I would definitely bring a different twist to their product and the type of matches they have” Kamille began, discussing AEW television and what she could bring to the roster. “The only way I would go there is if the business is there to do so.”
“I understand a working relationship, but I’m team NWA” Kamille added. “If the business got more eyes on our product, I’m all for it. Other than that, it is what it is.”
Kamille on Jade Cargill
“Down the line, no time soon, this girl is brand new but she’s an absolute superstar is Jade Cargill” Kamille continued, revealing that she’d like to work with the megastar in waiting. “If you’re flipping channels and you see her, you’re like, ‘What’s going on here?’”
“I like matches with people who are out of this world and you don’t see every day” Kamille concluded. “The business is there for me and Jade.”
Do you think we’ll ever see Jade Cargill and Kamille cross paths?
WWE SmackDown Superstar Bayley recently spoke to Sportskeeda. The former SmackDown Women’s Champion discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the returning Eva Marie and her concept of being a ‘role model’ as part of her new vignettes.
During this week’s episode of RAW, Eva Marie was part of another vignette where she claimed to be a ‘role model’ to the WWE roster. “I have seen levels of fame and fortune that I could never have imagined at the beginning of my career” Marie said. “Some may see me as a super model, but I like to see myself as a… super role model.”
“I guess I was surprised, but there’s already people out there [like Britt Baker] that call themselves role models,” Bayley began, speaking to Sportskeeda. “I was nice enough to let that one slide. But I’m not letting this slide, she’s coming back to my world.”
Bayley on Eva Marie
“We have a past, we have a history” Bayley continued. “I’ve wrestled Eva Marie so many times and I’ve actually had a lot of fun with her.”
“She was one of my favorite people to be in the ring with” Bayley stated. “But that don’t mean I’m going to let you come in here and be the role model of WWE – because there’s only one, there’s the one, and it’s me, Bayley.”
Bayley finished by teasing a feud with the returning Monday Night RAW Superstar. “She is going to have to come up with another name, maybe All Pink Everything or whatever. If she wants to fight me for the name, we can do that, too.”
Would you like to see Bayley vs Eva Marie? Let us know in the comments
WWE Superstar Randy Orton recently appeared on The Kurt Angle Show podcast via AdFreeShows. Orton discussed a number of topics with the Olympic Gold Medallist, including his ‘RK-BRO’ tag team partner Matt Riddle.
Orton revealed that he was not a fan of the ‘laid back’ Riddle, saying that he felt disrespected the first time that he met him. Randy would however get to finally enjoy the company of the former UFC fighter.
“My olive branch was basically me just looking at Matt and I go ‘Oh, there he is, there he is,’ just kind of ice breaker, expecting a ‘Oh hey Randy, my name is Matt, nice to meet you’” Randy Orton revealed of Riddle and their initial meeting.
“But instead, Matt just kind of, with the bloodshot eyes, glanced over at me and just kept walking” Orton continued. “I remember thinking ‘That motherf***er.’ For quite a while I didn’t like Riddle and it was because of that little scenario.”
Randy Orton on ‘That Motherf*cker’ Riddle
“I love the guy now,” Orton continued, not confirming what the bloodshot eyes referred to… “I’ve been in the locker room with the guy for probably a year, I was there when a couple weeks ago he forgot his verbiage live on RAW and scooted off on the scooter with Asuka in the back and everyone thought it was brilliant.”
“That was some of the best s–t I’ve ever seen” Orton added of the seemingly messed up segment a few weeks ago. “His backstage character, the ‘everything’s cool,’ and rambling nature of his promos, that works because in the ring, he goes. He reminds me of [Kurt Angle].”
“That dude, he can do it all and he busts his ass in the ring” Randy Orton stated. “Some of the matches he’s had with Sheamus, not my style of match I like to do have, but the Riddle – Sheamus matches I’ve seen as of late have been amazing. I think he’s going to do quite well, he’s going to do well” Orton concluded.
How far do you think Matt Riddle can go for WWE? Let us know in the comments
WWE RAW Superstar Jeff Hardy was defeated in pretty quick fashion this week on the program. Facing a returning Jinder Mahal, Hardy was on the receiving end of a loss whilst Mahal made a big return.
Mahal was flanked by former NXT tag team Indus Sher (Rinku Singh and Dilser Shanky). They are now going by the names Veer and Shanky.
Jinder also appeared on the May 3rd Main Event TV tapings where he beat Hardy in a singles match. Mahal also worked the Superstar Spectacle special back in January that aired on the WWE Network. Interestingly, Mahal teamed up with The Bollywood Boyz to face Drew McIntyre and his new on-screen cohorts Indus Sher.
With Jeff Hardy seemingly falling further and further down the card, fans have been assuming that he will be leaving the company at some point soon.
Jeff Hardy is not going to be in a position to work elsewhere anytime soon. The site He signed a new contract with WWE back in 2020. It’s not known exactly how long the deal is for, but it was believed to be for 2-3 years.
Even if Jeff were looking to leave and potentially join his brother Matt in AEW? He would have at least another year on his contract with WWE.
PROGRESS Wrestling has confirmed that the final match in their Best of 3 Series for the PROGRESS Women’s Championship will take place in just under two weeks.
Kanji and Gisele Shaw will do battle for the third time in as many chapters to determine who will be the next Women’s Champion on Saturday May 22.
Former Champions Jordynne Grace and Jinny commented on the importance of the title ahead of the final match between the two stars.
“The PROGRESS Women’s Championship is tied as one of the most prestigious belts I’ve ever held, on par with the IMPACT Knockout’s Championship” Jordynne Grace said recently. “Only the best women’s wrestlers in the world have held that belt, and it’s an honor to be among them.”
PROGRESS Chapter 111
“PROGRESS gave me my start in wrestling” NXT UK Superstar Jinny recently noted. “It allowed me to make my dream a reality. There wasn’t a Women’s Championship when I started.”
“From having the first women’s match on a Chapter show and proving we need a Championship for the women of PROGRESS, to becoming a two-time PROGRESS Wrestling Women’s Champion, makes the title that much more special to me,” Jinny concluded.
The company has also released a video ahead of the final match between Kanji and Gisele Shaw hyping the trilogy match:
Former WWE Superstar Mickie James appeared on this week’s episode of Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions. The former Women’s Champion and trailblazer discussed a number of subjects during her time on the podcast, including of course the ‘trashbag’ incident that saw her calling out WWE for their treatment of released talent.
When Mickie James was released just a few weeks ago, her belongings were sent back to her in a ‘trash bag,’ prompting James to write a message to WWE on social media. The anger from James meant that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon would apologize publicly, and Vince McMahon called her directly.
Chelsea Green was also given the ‘trashbag’ treatment upon her release, although she was accidently sent Natalya’s gear, something Green addressed on her new podcast ’50 Shades of Green.’
Mickie James Talks Chelsea Green Feud
Mickie James revealed on Oral Sessions that her and Chelsea Green were actually set to have a feud on WWE programming, before WWE nixed this and the two were forced to try and make something work on social media.
“That would’ve been fun,” James said on the podcast. “We started actually doing that on Twitter after the fact. I really didn’t think it was going to happen at that point because they had already pulled it. Because we shot the stuff and everything for it and for whatever reason it just never got approved prior to us even going out there and having the match.”
“That was supposed to be my comeback or whatever” James recalled. “That was part of my comeback from my injury and stuff. I was like ‘oh this will actually be really cool. And it’s a cool way to flip the script, do it differently but then hopefully build Chelsea up and do something. And maybe she even retires me or whatever.’”
Would you like to see Chelsea Green and Mickie James appear for another promotion? Let us know in the comments
AEW star and leader of The Pinnacle MJF recently spoke to Steel Chair Magazine. One of the questions posed to the outspoken and controversial character involved WWE and his Four Horseman-esque group potentially being lured over to the company.
“Me and my boys, we’re willing to go wherever the money’s at, it’s that simple” MJF began, speaking to Steel Chair. “Don’t get me wrong, AEW runs deep in me. I don’t want to leave, but I am a businessman at the end of the day. I can’t help myself if somebody’s got an offer for me, I’m going to listen to it.”
“I’m a prodigy” MJF claimed. “But people have been saying that about me since birth and the reason why it doesn’t shock me, but it shocks everybody else, is because, let’s face it, there’s ageism in this world.”
MJF on Being a ‘Prodigy’
“When people hear the number 25? They think, ‘Oh, that person probably doesn’t have their ducks in a row, he’s probably immature; he’s probably not ready for a big opportunity’” The Pinnacle leader concluded.
It’s highly unlikely that Maxwell Jacob Friedman or The Pinnacle would be heading over to WWE anytime soon. FTR themselves left the company to join AEW; citing a want to have more creative freedom and to be in an environment where they felt tag team wrestling was more ‘respected.’
Posted May 9th, 2021 in AEW, News, WWE. Tagged: MJF.
WWE Superstar and the United Kingdom Champion WALTER recently appeared on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast. The Austrian performer discussed a number of topics during the interview, including the three names in WWE that would be ‘dream’ matches for him.
“When I first got into watching other wrestling, I was watching Ring of Honor” WALTER began, somewhat giving a clue as to the performers he wants to go up against. “A lot of those guys are the top guys in WWE right now.”
WALTER Talks Dream Matches
“Daniel Bryan is a match I would want to do” WALTER noted. “Obviously, Cesaro. I’ve never worked with (Cesaro). He’s a great role model for all of us German-speaking talent. He’s always been super supportive.”
“As soon as we stepped foot in WWE, he reached his hand out to all of us” WALTER revealed of the Swiss Superstar. “He’s a fantastic wrestler. Regarding NXT, the one match I wanted before COVID was Finn Balor. Those are the three.”
The biggest reason that we have not seen WALTER appear more on the main roster is his want to stay in Europe. Reports have indicated that WALTER is settled and happy to perform in the UK/Europe; so he isn’t looking to relocate to the United States anytime soon.
Paul Heyman recently spoke to DAZN. The Special Council To The Tribal Chief discussed a wide variety of topics during the interview, however his answering of a question regarding Brock Lesnar returning to face WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns as particularly intriguing.
Although Reigns and Lesnar have already fought on multiple occasions, including WrestleMania main events, a meeting between the two now would be arguably the one that draws the most intrigue from the audience. With Heyman now aligned with Roman, and Reigns portraying his Head of The Table character, it means that Lesnar has a different reason to go after the Samoan Champion.
“The problem that I have with your question is that it’s based on a hypothetical” Heyman said to DAZN during the interview. “My father was a far smarter man than I will ever be, which is a testament to my father. My father used to have a saying, ‘If your aunt had balls, she’d be your uncle.’ She doesn’t. So she’s not.”
“If Brock Lesnar were to return, ‘if’ is a hypothetical. Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do” the former ECW owner continued. “How you can be cognizant of the fact that Brock Lesnar does not want to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal championship, or at least not yet, is because he hasn’t done it.”
Paul Heyman on Brock Lesnar
“Because if Brock Lesnar wanted to it, it would have happened already” Heyman noted, in an extremely telling manner. “And it hasn’t happened already because he doesn’t want to.”
“Now, there may be reasons why he doesn’t want to” Heyman added. “And that’s for Brock Lesnar to reveal if Brock Lesnar ever decides to reveal it. Man doesn’t tweet. He doesn’t post pictures on Instagram. He’s not a public persona. He’s a very private beast. He does enjoy being on his tractor and on his combine, and the man loves the farm.”
“If Brock Lesnar ever decides to appear in public, it’ll be when Brock Lesnar wants to appear in public because Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do” Paul Heyman concluded, leaving the door open to a potential mega match down the line.
AEW star and husband of former WWE Superstar Peyton Royce, Shawn Spears, recently spoke to Inside The Ropes. During the interview, the member of The Pinnacle discussed Peyton and her IIconics tag team partner Billie Kay potentially joining him in All Elite Wrestling.
“Obviously they [the fans] would assume that would be the plan that because I work there” Spears said during the interview. “Her [Peyton] husband works there, that it’s just, naturally she’s going to… Those questions are above my pay grade.”
“I don’t have anything to do with the hiring process” Shawn Spears continued, discussing the popular tag team unit and them potentially signing. “Selfishly, of course! Why would I not want my wife working there? Not only do I feel it’d be great to see her on a weekly basis with me, but what her and Jess can offer our women’s division and the entertainment world as a whole is just second to none.”
Shawn Spears on The IIconics
Shawn Spears then seemed to almost ‘pitch’ the duo, saying “you’ve seen how entertaining they are. I don’t need to explain to you what they bring to the table, and I don’t think I would need to explain to Tony Khan what they bring to the table either. That guy knows everything about every talent.”
With Billie Kay and Peyton Royce being almost shock releases from WWE a few weeks ago, there’s a good chance that they’re on the radar of many promotions. Whether we will see the duo end up in AEW remains to be seen, as IMPACT, NWA or even a return to Australia are all viable options.
WWE Superstar and United Kingdom Champion WALTER recently appeared on WWE’s After The Bell podcast w/Corey Graves. The Austrian Superstar discussed a number of topics during the interview, including how WWE was never his end goal and a destination he never expected to end up.
“I was never thinking about signing with WWE,” WALTER said in the interview with Graves. “It was never a goal. I was happy in the process, sometimes you get lost too much when thinking about the future. Sometimes, your brain is way ahead of you so I always have to focus on what I’m doing right now.”
WALTER then confirmed prior rumors regarding his status with the WWE ‘main’ roster. It has been reported in the past that WALTER is unwilling to move away from Europe, thus why he has not been moved over to either NXT, RAW or SmackDown, despite the company wanting him to.
“I was never too keen about leaving Germany or Europe to live in the United States. It’s a big step” WALTER said. “Most of the other wrestlers are willing to do it because it’s their goal from day one or early in their career. For me, it was never a realistic thing that I could ever wrestle for WWE.”
WALTER on WWE Landscape
“When I started ten years ago, the wrestling world was different” the NXT United Kingdom Champion continued. “WWE was very protected and isolated from everyone else. They opened up a few years ago when they realized how much talent there is. When everything came to talks with NXT UK, they talked to me right when it started and I was doing well on the Indies.”
“I wanted to wait and see what happens” WALTER revealed, clearly wanting to see how the pieces fell before he committed to the then new brand. “When everything came together with NXT UK, I was thinking about myself. The travel schedule on the Indies was really rough. You’re working for a different guy every day and have to organize everything. If you rely on the promoter, there’s a chance you get stranded somewhere.”
“I was only home two or three days a week. When NXT UK came up and we talked, obviously the focus was to build something in Europe and it was the logical first step in the process” WALTER concluded.
Do you think at some point we will see WALTER in NXT, RAW or SmackDown full time? Let us know in the comments
This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite ended with the spectacle of the Blood & Guts match. This is a bout that had been in consideration since 2020, although originally it was believed that Chris Jericho and The Inner Circle would be taking on The Elite.
With the COVID-19 pandemic putting those plans on hold, we had to wait over a year to see exactly how AEW would pull off their own version of WarGames. This time we would see MJF and The Pinnacle take on The Inner Circle, with MJF and his group taking the win after The Inner Circle had to surrender to try and save their leader, Jericho.
MJF threw Le Champion off the top of the cell anyway, with the show going off air with EMTs and The Inner Circle helping the former AEW Champion. After the match, The Pinnacle’s ‘mentor’ and Four Horsemen legend Tully Blanchard spoke to cameras backstage about the group and their massive win on Dynamite.
Tully Blanchard on The Pinnacle
“What you’re looking at is King of Blood & Guts!” Blanchard began. “These guys right here took everything that the Inner Circle could dish out.”
“And yet, they’re over there waving down, ‘No, no, no, no! We give up, we give up!” Blanchard continued, slamming The Inner Circle. “And that’s all it took to get our hands raised. You guys right here [pointing at The Pinnacle], you dug deep inside, you took everything they could dish out, and you walked out on top.”
“That’s the way it is! That’s what it’s about, being on the top!” Tully Blanchard concluded. “Being at the Pinnacle, that’s what it’s about. Ladies and gentlemen, it is your honor to look at these five guys.”
Japanese Deathmatch wrestling legend Atsushi Onita has announced the formation of a brand new wrestling promotion. The man who is regarded as one of the greatest Deathmatch competitors in history will be bringing back the FMW initials, although this new brand will be called FMWE.
Speaking recently at a press conference, the 63-year-old Japanese star confirmed that the promotion’s first ever show will be taking place in July at the Tsurumi Fruit and Vegetable Market in Yokohama City.
“The meaning of E is explosion,” Onita said. “It is an explosion. It is an organization specializing in hardcore that is said in the world. There is a request to see an electric current blast in the United States, and we are doing an electric current blast all over the world.”
Atsushi Onita Talks FMWE
In terms of the ‘electric current blast in the United States’ that Onita refers to, he is clearly referencing the AEW Championship match from the Revolution PPV. Kenny Omega defended his AEW Championship in the main event of that show against Jon Moxley.
The ending of that bout was a complete dud; with the ‘explosions’ not really being as big as fans had anticipated. AEW even had to address the dud explosion and weave it into the storyline with Moxley, Eddie Kingston and Omega.
“E is also entertainment” Onita added during the press conference. “Because of this era, I would like you to feel the power from FMW by returning to the origin.”
Will you be watching FMWE if it’s available on PPV? Let us know in the comments
AEW commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke about AEW’s ratings success. Discussing how well the company has done on Wednesday nights since NXT moved, JR specifically brought up how Darby Allin has been bringing in ‘extraordinary’ numbers.
“I was surprised that we did as well as we did,” Jim Ross began on Grilling JR, talking about the first AEW Dynamite event with NXT having moved a few weeks ago. “I thought we might do [900,000], I thought that was being generous. But to do 1.2 million, that was pretty phenomenal.”
Jim Ross on Darby Allin
As AEW Dynamite looks to establish momentum with viewers, Jim Ross knows the best way to do that is by putting on a great product consistently.
“Hopefully we will earn the trust and the dedication from the audience and the only way we’re going to do that is to have a hell of a show every week,” said JR. “Is that possible? I don’t know, but I know the effort will be there.”
He then turned his attention to the TNT Champion specifically. “A lot of our young talents are getting better, they’re getting over,” Ross said. “I think they’re getting better and assuming their roles better. Look at the ratings, quarter hour ratings for Darby Allin were extraordinary and he’s a home grown talent.”
Are you enjoying seeing Darby Allin in the main event of Dynamite recently? Let us know in the comments
AEW star MJF recently discussed All Elite Wrestling and how their ongoing ratings successes appear to mean they are ‘creeping up’ on WWE RAW on Monday nights.
Although last week’s rating fell below the 1 million mark, AEW has been doing extremely well ever since NXT were forced to move nights and broadcast on Tuesdays.
This week’s episode marks the 4th episode of Dynamite unopposed and looks set to break the 1 million rating mark again. This week is of course Blood & Guts between The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle.
MJF: Dynamite Hunting Raw
“There has not been a wrestling show that has been able to even sniff ‘Monday Night Raw’ in decades” MJF began in a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports. “We’re creeping up every single week in that key demo.”
“If I’m not mistaken, I believe we beat them a few weeks at points on their show in the key demo,” MJF said, discussing the key 18-49 demo. “Which is absolutely insane, because we have only been a professional wrestling company on television for a year and a half, two years. It’s unheard of and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Although AEW will have to be extremely consistent to challenge WWE going forward; it is interesting that such a young show has grown in today’s television landscape to be even this close to the market leader in WWE.
Do you think that AEW could match RAW at some point? Let us know in the comments
WWE recent aired a mysterious vignette on NXT programming touting the arrival of the Diamond Mine.
Amid speculation that the Diamond Mine has something to do with former IMPACT World Champion Tessa Blanchard, Fightful Select reports that the Diamond Mine is unrelated to the controversial performer.
Blanchard has used diamond imagery in the past, which is likely how people made this assumption. Per Fightful, “a WWE source, when asked, did not want fans expecting Blanchard to be the act or a part of it, but understood how the misconception could happen.”
WWE is looking to keep the identity of the person (or people) behind the Diamond Mine as close-to-the-vest as possible. If you haven’t already seen the vignette, check it out below:
Tessa Blanchard was at one point considered one of the top female wrestlers in the world. With rumors persisting that she is ‘difficult to work with’ and allegations of racism, her star power and marketability have greatly diminished over the past year.
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley recently appeared on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin. The Australian Superstar discussed a number of topics during the interview, including her struggle to ‘come out of her shell’ on WWE’s ‘main’ roster.
In NXT, Rhea Ripley had a character that was far more about doing the talking in-ring. As the RAW Women’s Champion, Ripley needs to address some of the shortcomings that she has on the microphone and as a ‘presence.’
“My confidence isn’t huge in my everyday life,” Ripley began. “I’m a really shy person and I’m not good at keeping a conversation and being a larger-than-life person.”
Rhea Ripley on Confidence
“When I’m in the ring, that’s where I get all my confidence and where I get to be Rhea Ripley,” she continued. “But still myself, which is weird to say out loud because it doesn’t make sense but then it does when you’re there doing it.”
“I want to be myself, as in Rhea Ripley” she concluded. “But I want to have that confidence that everyone else seems to have all the time. I’m working on it.”
Rhea Ripley seems to indicate here that she is taking classes to help her work on her promo ability. Working alongside the likes of Charlotte Flair, she’ll be ‘competing’ against one of WWE’s most seasoned performers.
On Monday’s Raw, Charlotte Flair was added to the RAW Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash. That contest will now be a Triple Threat with Rhea Ripley defending her title against Asuka and The ‘Queen.’
Former Nexus member Michael Tarver recently spoke to VOC Nation’s Talkin Sass podcast. The former WWE Superstar discussed a number of topics during the interview, including how he felt he was ‘buried’ by John Cena during his time on the WWE main roster.
“The irony of how WWE works, you could be the man or the woman in developmental, and (when you) get to the main roster, it doesn’t matter how good you are,” Tarver began on the show.
“If one of the main people there don’t like you, they will do everything they can do to bury you” Tarver added. “I got to the main roster and just got buried.”
Michael Tarver on John Cena
“It was [John] Cena,” Tarver revealed, discussing who at the top of the card in WWE was ‘burying’ him. “I don’t have any heat with him now, I make jokes about it. But there was a target on my back. I don’t know why he targeted me, but it is what it is.”
“We ended up on good terms (but) I had to defend myself a lot” noted. “Everyone was high on me, and then all the sudden they all turned on me. People wouldn’t shake my hand, they wouldn’t even speak to me.”
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. With that win, Roman has ‘banished’ Bryan from the blue brand of WWE.
Following the win Reigns posted a video online, saying that the former WWE Champion Bryan should ‘thank him’ for giving him the ability to go home and ‘be a dad.’
“Already putting in the work, just a few hours removed on Saturday morning” Reigns began during the mid workout video. “Last night, I achieved greatness once again. As I’m hitting this cardio, I’m sitting here thinking, the whole world should be thanking me.”
Roman Reigns on Daniel Bryan
“Daniel Bryan, you should be thanking me” Reigns added. “I’m a man of my word, I did what I said I was going to do. Not only did I give the audience what they need, I got rid of you and I’m driving us forward, taking care of the future, getting rid of the old.”
“I gave you what you wanted. You made it clear; you were looking for a new door” Roman Reigns continued, alluding to Daniel Bryan saying that he potentially wants to wrestle elsewhere. “What better way to go through the new one when the old one hits you in the ass? That’s what I did, I closed this door on you.”
“We’re going to live the ‘Show up and Win’ mantra and keep putting work in” Reigns added. “Next Friday on SmackDown, not only do I expect you to acknowledge me — we’re not talking about you Daniel Bryan, we’re done with you. Go have fun, be a dad, save the world, hug a tree, whatever you want to do — To the WWE Universe.”
“Some of them call you that, but to me you’re mine. You’re my audience and my people” Reigns concluded. “Not only are you going to acknowledge me on Friday, you’re going to thank me.”
Do you want to see Daniel Bryan leave WWE and look for a ‘new door?’ Let us know in the comments