According to a new report, one of AEW’s key superstars is currently out and dealing with a minor injury, but will return in “a few weeks.”
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Matt Jackson suffered a “stinger”on the July 13 episode of AEW Dynamite Fyter Fest week one. However, Meltzer says that Matt is doing better. During this match, Matt competed with his brother Nick in a triple threat tag team match against Team Taz (Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs) and Swerve in Our Glory (Swerve Strickland & Keith Lee) for their AEW Tag Team Championships.
Update On Matt Jackson
Meltzer says:
“Matt described it as like bad whiplash. He’s had no loss of strength, and his mobility and range of motion is already back to normal. He passed a strength test right after the injury.”
Matt is expected to be out of in-ring action for “a few weeks.” On Twitter, the Young Bucks current bio reads “R&R.”
Swerve in our Glory won this triple threat tag team match, and captured the AEW Tag Team Titles in the process.
STAMFORD, Conn., July 22, 2022 – WWE today announced that effective immediately, Paul Levesque will resume his executive position as EVP, Talent Relations.
“I look forward to returning to my prior position as head of Talent Relations. I’m healthy, fired up, and ready to take charge,” said Levesque.
Triple H’s Time Away
In the fall of 2021, Triple H left his duties as NXT producer to take care of his health issues. This included undergoing a successful procedure following a cardiac event.
During his time away, NXT rebranded to NXT 2.0 with more focus on newer talent and a brighter display. He did make on-screen appearances at NXT Stand & Deliver and night two of WrestleMania 38.
In March, Triple H announced his in-ring retirement and detailed his health scare from viral pneumonia.
According to a new report, one of AEW’s injured wrestlers is already on the way to recovering.
A few weeks ago, during the Blood & Guts match on AEW Dynamite, AEW star Santana suffered an injury. He injured his left knee during a spot with Daniel Garcia just minutes after he entered the match. It was a non-contact injury.
Update & Timetable
Dave Meltzer reported, in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that Santana had “reconstructive knee surgery and looks to be out about eight months.”
This confirms what Chris Jericho said on the True Gordie Podcast. Jericho said that Santana injured his knee doing a simple rock bottom and that he would be out for eight months.
It was previously reported that Santana attended a live event in Puerto Rico last weekend to relinquish a championship that he was holding. He was also seen walking on crutches at the indie wrestling event.
Konnan recently confirmed reports of there being a rift between Proud & Powerful or Santana & Ortiz. They had not worked a normal tag team match together in 2022. Before he was injured, Santana had been working as a singles star on the indie scene this year.
According to a new report, one of WWE SmackDown’s key superstars is currently out and dealing with an injury.
During last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Sami Zayn was seen with his arm in a sling. It now seems that Zayn is dealing with a legitimate injury.
On this episode of SmacDown, Sami confronted Theory, Mr. Money in the Bank, on behalf of the Bloodline. During the segment, it was not clear if the injury was real or a storyline injury.
The Injury
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer wrote that the injury is “legit, but it’s not major, and they are hopeful of him being able to wrestle in a few weeks.”
Judging by Zayn’s activity, it seems that the injury happened on July 2nd in the Money in the Bank ladder match at the 2022 Money in the Bank event. Since Zayn hasn’t wrestled since then, it would appear that that match is when the injury happened.
Natalia Markova spoke to Steve Fall of SEScoops about her claims of Carmella stealing her catchphrase.
The History
On July 18, Natalia Markova sent out a tweet addressing WWE superstar Carmella. On Monday Night Raw, Carmella had just labeled herself as “A Bad Ass with a Great Ass” while cutting a promo.
NWA’s Natalia Markova had been branding herself under that title for some time, and even has had t-shirts with the title printed. The catchphrase is also in her bio.
Many fans on Twitter began to call out Carmella for using the catchphrase.
This is not the first time Carmella has been called out for using someone else’s gimmick as Jersey Shore star Angelina Pivarnick also publicly called out Carmella and accused her of gimmick infringement.
Carmella just called herself "A Bad Ass with a Great Ass"
Carmella is still using the title, and recently sent out a tweet with the caption, “A badass with a great ass??” Natalia responded to the tweet with a quote tweet asking, “I mean…. Who did it better? Let her know?”
Natalia Markova sat down with Steve Fall of SEScoops to talk about these claims and her feelings on them.
Natalia said:
“Well, it’s similar to this Walmart [getting her purse stolen from her] situation. Somebody’s just stealing my stuff. And I don’t think it matters if it’s intellectual property or physical properties, still stealing.
“So, that’s how I look at that. And obviously, those people they know that it’s my catchphrase, the wrestling world is small. You know, everybody knows everything. And the way I feel about it, I think it’s wrong.”
Natalia Markova on Carmella allegedly stealing her line
“Like, if you said once, like the first time it said it last week, and I was like, ‘okay, whatever.’ I guess they just didn’t know, somehow, maybe, I don’t know.
“But then people were tagging like crazy amounts of people were tweeting, like, ‘Oh, my God, come on, that’s Natalia. That’s her catchphrase. Everybody knows that.’
“It’s actually one of my fans, like this supporter at FN wrestling podcast came up with this phrase for me. And I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll just use it. It’s amazing.’ So that was my thing.
“Everybody knew that people tweeted on them and showed them. I mean, I feel like it’s a little disrespectful. But I’m not really mad about it. I just think it’s wrong. You know, when somebody steals, it’s not good. I don’t approve of that, you know?”
“A Bad Ass with a Great Ass” Branding
The NWA wrestler continued and talked more about how the catchphrase has become a part of her branding.
She said:
“I actually have T-shirts, my fans, were buying those T-shirts, they have those T-shirts is like a brand catchphrase. And so I know that I mean, I’m not like trying to talk law right now. But I know that if you have an item for sale with this, that means that belongs to you.
“So and again, some people would be like, ‘Oh, you know, she’s way more popular.’ So? Why are you saying that?
“But again, so it’s trying to tell me if some rich person will steal from a poor poor person, for example, that makes it not a crime. That’s still the same crime. I’m for equal rights. I think it doesn’t matter.
“If you have a million followers or you have 40,000 followers on Twitter, you’re still the same person, and it’s your property and that property got stolen. That’s the same level of crime.
“That’s how I see that. So I feel like still stealing because I have a T-shirt that says that it’s not just me at home, saying, ‘Hey, I’m a badass with a great ass. This is my T-shirt. I wear it at home.’ No, that’s an actual product that people buy.
“Everybody knows me for that and I am in wrestling. I’m on NWA. I’m actually on WWE Network, my matches are on there. I’ve done AEW, I’ve wrestled in over 20 countries all over the world.
“I’m about to go to AAA this week. I’m not just you know, like some I’m not known wrestler; I’m a known wrestler. And people know that and it was so many tweets.
“I want to actually thank you guys, It was nice to see your support. Everybody was like, ‘Come on, don’t do this. It’s just not good. It’s not nice.’ And why would you do that? We’re all wrestlers who do the same thing. Come up with your own stuff. It’s not that hard. Come up with your own.”
Was it WWE or Carmella?
Steve Fall then asked Markova who she believed came up with the idea to use the phrase.
“Well, obviously, I don’t know how it works in WWE, or how they do that. And again, I mean, I know that it can be either somebody gave her the phrase, and she’d be like, ‘Whatever. That’s my job. I do my job.’ Either those people stole it or maybe she came up with the idea and told people and they’re like, ‘Okay, let’s do that.’
“But whoever, I think doesn’t really matter who came up with the idea. It’s still stealing because it’s on TV and her saying that. So it doesn’t really change the results, who’s guilty, you know,” Markova responded.
Natalia is currently performing in the NWA regularly, but she is also working many independent dates. In the rest of the interview, Markova talks about her story of coming from Moscow, training in Japan, her match with Mickie James, and so much more.
Watch Natalia Markova’s interview with Steve Fall for SEScoops:
The headline attraction for Music City Mayhem (7/30) will see AEW Interim World Champion Jon Moxley taking on El Desperado in a No-Disqualification match.
Here is the final card for NJPW Music City Mayhem:
No DQ, No Time Limit: Jon Moxley vs. El Desperado
Alex Shelley vs. KUSHIDA
FTR & Alex Zayne vs. Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis & TJP
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Blake Christian
Strong Openweight Champion Fred Rosser vs. Big Damo
Clark Conners vs. Davey Richards
Fred Yehi, Yuyu Uemura & Shota Umino vs. The DKC, Kevin Knight & Ren Narita
In addition to NJPW Music City Mayhem, you can also check out the full card for the Ric Flair’s Last Match PPV, which closes out Starrcast on Sunday, July 31st.
Main Event Preview: Moxley vs. El Desperado
NJPW has provided this backstory to the main event:
“After El Desperado was part of Suzuki-Gun’s partnership with the Jericho Appreciation Society at Forbidden Door, the masked rudo wants another taste of a mutual enemy of both Minoru Suzuki and Chris Jericho- and someone who just so happens to be the Interim AEW World Champion. Desperado issued a challenge to Jon Moxley backstage at Korakuen Hall last week, and the Death Rider has accepted, but under the condition that this is a no disqualification match.
With no DQs, no time limits and no rules, Moxley will undoubtedly be bringing the violence, but with his own blood strewn past in deathmatches with the legendary Jun Kasai, Desperado will give every bit of that violence back to Mox.”
Starrcast is a pro wrestling fan convention. The event was created and established by podcast host and AdFreeShows.com founder Conrad Thompson.
The multi-day event included stage shows, live wrestling, photo opportunities, meet-and-greets, and more.
This is the fifth Starrcast convention with the others taking place in Chicago (twice), Las Vegas, and Baltimore.
Starrcast V General Info
This year’s Starrcast convention will take place from July 29-31, 2022 on the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. The event takes place during WWE SummerSlam weekend and is headlined by Ric Flair’s last match.
Below, you will find a description of the event provided on the Starrcast website:
“After a three-and-a-half year hiatus, STARRCAST, the wildly popular professional wrestling fan fest, is back and ready to rock the Music City. Often called “The Woodstock of Professional Wrestling,” STARRCAST V, in partnership with Thuzio, a Triller company, will take place at the world famous Nashville Fairgrounds from Friday, July 29th to Sunday, July 31st. The event will also be made available worldwide, exclusively on FITE.”
How To Watch
The following podcasts and stage shows can only be viewed through one of the three bundles:
Father James Mitchell’s “Midnight Karaoke”
The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast
Insight w/ Chris Van Vliet
The Sessions w/ Renee Paquette
One Last Ride For The Horsemen
30 Years Later w/ Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart
Foley Is Pod w/ Mick Foley
Saraya: Turning The Page
Kliq This w/ Kevin Nash
What’s NeXT? w/ Johnny Gargano
The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy
Bundles
These individual podcasts can only be purchased as a part of the following bundles:
He made his surprise return after a 4 month absence. At #STARRCAST, @ClaudioCSRO sits down to discuss the indies, leaving #WWE, his decision to sign with #AEW & much more!
INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet, featuring special guest Claudio Castagnoli
July 30: 12:30PM – 1:45PM CST (1:30PM – 2:45PM EST)
Featuring Bryan Danielson
The popular duo reunites to discuss and.. talk smack?
It’s your exclusive opportunity to attend a rare, LIVE episode of #TheSessions with Renee Paquette, featuring special guest & multi-time World Heavyweight Champion Bryan Danielson at #STARRCAST!
July 30: 2:15PM – 3:30PM CST (3:15PM – 4:30PM EST)
Ric Flair
Arn Anderson
Tully Blanchard
Barry Windham
Lex Luger
JJ Dillon
For the first time on stage & the last time ever, join us at #STARRCAST for “One Last Ride for The Horsemen.”@RicFlairNatrBoy, @TheArnShow, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, @GenuineLexLuger & JJ Dillon share their insights & never before heard stories!
Join us on Saturday, July 30th for The Official After Party at #STARRCAST!
Featuring performances by Jericho and The Trembles, DJ Whoo Kid & DJ T Swan, hang out with fellow fans + wrestlers & talent for THE hottest party of the summer!
Hall of Famer, hardcore legend & Mrs. Foley’s baby boy returns to #STARRCAST!
@RealMickFoley brings his unique storytelling ability to the live stage with tales from his career & more! Join us for Foley Is Pod, only at STARRCAST!
Saraya (FKA Paige) turns the page on her WWE career and looks at what’s next
She signed a major contract at the age of 18. At 21, she became the first #WWENXT & youngest ever Women’s Champion. Her first night on #WWERaw, she won the #WWE Diva’s Championship. Now… what’s next for @RealPaigeWWE?
July 31: 2:15PM – 3:30PM CST (3:15PM – 4:30PM EST)
Johnny Gargano discusses what’s next for him after his time away from NXT/WWE
He’s one of the hottest free agents in wrestling. When it comes to Johnny Wrestling, the thing on everyone’s mind is… where will he end up, next?#STARRCAST presents: ‘What’s NeXT with Johnny Gargano’
Matt Hardy & Jon Alba discuss Matt’s time in AEW, WWE, and IMPACT Wrestling
His career has spanned decades. As one of the greatest tag teams ever & as a single competitor, he’s seen & experienced a lot. At #STARRCAST, Matt Hardy discusses his time in #WWE, #ImpactWrestling, #AEW & more!
Wheeler Yuta recently spoke with Jaychele Nicole for SEScoops this past week to talk about his upcoming match with Daniel Garcia and about holding the ROH Pure Championship.
On April 1, Wheeler Yuta became the brand new ROH Pure Champion by defeating then-champion Josh Woods at ROH Supercard Of Honor XV.
His History With Daniel Garcia
(via @JWasherBeyond)
Since then, Wheeler has been defending the title on AEW Dark and Dark: Elevation against a vast amount of competitors. Now, at Death Before Dishonor, Yuta will be putting his championship on the line against Daniel Garcia.
For the past few months, Eddie Kingston and Chris Jericho have been in a blood feud. When Eddie needed backup, he called on the Blackpool Combat Club.
Yuta has now been involved in Eddie’s feud against the Jericho Appreciation Society. He recently competed in the Blood & Guts match between the Blackpool Combat Club and the Jericho Appreciation Society where he had his first interaction with Daniel Garcia since the independents.
On August 8, 2021, Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta went to a 60-minute time limit draw for the IWTV Independent Wrestling World Title.
Yuta retained the title due to the draw, but that is the last and only match between the two.
Yuta’s Confidence Heading Into Death Before Dishonor
(AEW)
The youngest member of the Blackpool Combat Club, Wheeler Yuta, spoke with Jaychele Nicole for SEScoops about his feelings going into the match with Garcia.
The ROH Pure Champion said, “Yeah, definitely going into this match. I’m more confident than the first one. We went 60 minutes, but that’s actually the only time Garcia and I have ever had a singles match. The only time we’ve ever interacted in a match would be Blood and Guts. So it’s definitely going to be something that I’m excited for.
“And I think we do know each other a lot better now. But I’m excited to see where the return match goes. I don’t know if it’ll go the full 60 minutes but I think with the pure rules, it’ll be an interesting factor as well that I think fits in very well with both of our styles. So very excited. Yeah.”
Expectations For Yuta vs. Garcia
He also talked about his expectations for the match and how he plans to defeat Garcia:
“Well, I think it’s, it’s interesting that it’s under pure rules. You know, I think pure rules, people think of a very sportsman-like contest, but I think that this one’s gonna get gritty, it’s gonna get dirty, it’s gonna get violent. So I think that the key to winning this match is just who’s willing to go the extra mile.”
Wheeler Yuta on what fans can expect in his match with Daniel Garcia
“Of course, we do have those rules, but who can take those rules and like I said, make them advantages? Use them to hurt your opponent, as opposed to having them be weaknesses or restrictions. So I think that’s what we’re gonna have to do. And we’ll see who the better man is and hopefully, at the end of this will, we’ll have a satisfying conclusion and we’ll know.”
Defending the ROH Pure Championship
Before his time in AEW and the sale to Tony Khan, he spent some time in ROH having Pure Rules matches. Yuta had four Pure Rules matches in Ring of Honor in late 2020 and early 2021.
“It’s really been special to me that I’ve been able to defend the Ring of Honor Pure Championship for, for one thing, it kind of felt like a chapter of my career that I never got to sort of complete, like I had a very brief stint in Ring of Honor, actually it was all through the pandemic.
“So I never got to have a Ring of Honor crowd even, it was all empty arena. So it felt like something that I had, you know, check it off the bucket list.
“It’s always something I wanted to do. But I didn’t feel like I really reached my potential. So when Tony bought Ring of Honor, and I was able to re-enter that world was really exciting.
“So now being able to defend the pure championship, it feels like I’m sort of coming full circle with that sort of completing that chapter. And additionally, just the people that have held it before me, the legacy of the championship is something that’s really special. And I’m really happy to be part of it,” Yuta said.
Strategies for Pure Rules Matches
Yuta even shared some of his strategies for participating in Pure Rules matches.
Matches for the ROH Pure Championship are conducted under “Pure Wrestling Rules”. The Pure Wrestling Rules are:
Each wrestler has three rope breaks to stop submission holds and pinfalls during the match. After a wrestler exhausts his rope breaks, submission and pin attempts under the ropes by the opponent are considered legal.
There are no closed-fist punches to the face allowed in a Pure match, only open-handed slaps or chops to the face are allowed. Punches to other parts of the body (except for low blows) are permitted. The first use of a closed fist to the face would get a warning, and the second would cause the wrestler to be penalized a rope break. If he is already out of rope breaks, he would be disqualified.
A wrestler is subject to a 20 count by the referee if the wrestler goes to the floor.
The Blackpool Combat Club member said:
“Yeah, you really just need to take those rules that could be weaknesses and turn them into advantages. So like, for example, the punch one, you just sort of have to change up the strikes that you’re using.
“If you know that you can’t punch, then maybe use a forearm, maybe use an uppercut, a kick, a knee. So, changing your strategy is very difficult for that. But it’s a lot of fun, as well.
“And then, of course, like the rope breaks, you have to do different things like maybe, maybe it’s a weakness because you can’t get out of submissions. But maybe you turn that into a strength where you exhaust your opponents.
“And then you can use the ropes, you can do rope-assisted submissions, different things that you can’t do in normal wrestling matches. So just taking those rules and making them advantages instead of weaknesses.”
Watch Wheeler Yuta’s interview with Jaychele Nicole for SEScoops:
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Claudio Castagnoli talked about how his AEW debut came together and what it was like the day of.
At AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door, Claudio Castagnoli made his promotional debut against Zack Sabre Jr. He replaced Bryan Danielson in the match as Zack’s mystery opponent. He was also named Bryan’s replacement for the Blood & Guts match.
As Claudio’s debut was a secret, Claudio now says that he was hidden and had to have a private plane fly him in for the show.
The new Blackpool Combat Club member revealed how his debut came together.
Being Hidden During Forbidden Door
(via AEW)
Castagnoli said:
“Yeah, so yes, on a special flight, no, on a hotel, kind of right to the arena. And I was kind of hiding. Well, they were like, ‘well, we put you on,’ like, I’ll just go to the locker room.
“They’re like, ‘No, no, you can’t do that.’ I’m like, ‘okay,’ so I was kind of in hiding, but I saw a lot of the guys. And a lot of the friends that came said hello. So it was pretty cool.”
Claudio Castagnoli on being hidden during Forbidden Door
He added, “Yeah, I mean, I, you know, they said maybe some vague texts to some good friends. Like, you know, maybe you come over here, you know? Because I know you, I wanted to say hello. And some people had an idea. So they came and say hello. So it was great. Yeah.”
Claudio was then asked about having to go through the airport and trying to have his location remain a secret.
The former Cesaro revealed, “Yeah, I may not have been at a public airport. So I didn’t have that problem.
“No, yeah, no, I was, it was kind of a private thing. And then I was whisked to the arena. And then I was there for the rest of the day. It couldn’t have worked out any better I thought.”
Acting As Bryan Danielson’s Replacement
At Forbidden Door, Claudio served as Bryan Danielson’s replacement. He spoke about how the debut and match came together and his feelings regarding being the replacement.
“Yeah. And, yeah, obviously very, very sad and upset to hear about Bryan being hurt. But I’m very flattered to be I mean, you know, if it’s somebody who plays Bryan, and you think of me, I’m like, it’s a very flattering compliment.
“And also, you know, Bryan is a very good friend. So of course, I jumped in at a heartbeat, you know, help him and Blackpool Combat Club, which are all my friends anyway. You know, fits perfect again, just worked out.
“So perfect. I was very excited that that was the beginning,” Castagnoli said.
Claudio was also asked if his Forbidden Door debut was the original plan or not.
He responded, “It was not. There was something in the works. But then it was like, ‘Can you start next week?’ That kind of thing. And I was like, ‘Yeah, of course. That’s … I’m a professional, right?”
Hugging Tony Khan
After the AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view, at the post-show media scrum, Claudio and AEW Owner Tony Khan shared a hug. Many wrestling fans had opinions on the hug, but Claudio thinks that people will always find something to complain about.
He said:
“It’s so strange because that was after Forbidden Door, the press conference. And it was literally like, it was like a quick hug.
“It was just like, I was done and it was just like, you know when you like see your friend and you give like a high five and then like a pat on the back kind of hug? And like it was screen captured.
“And I guess people remembered it. Hey, it’s just a few bros hugging you know.
“… If people want to complain, they’ll find something to complain about the picture or whatever.“
Believes It Should Just Be Taken As A Positive
“And if people like it, they’ll hopefully find something you like about because but I would rather be somebody that appreciates something and says something positive and likes it you know?
“Like, that was a great picture. It was a great night, there was a great view, we hugged awesome, right? Like, isn’t that great? Right?
“Yeah, successful show successful pay-per-view in Chicago, New Japan and AEW coming together, who people didn’t think that was going to be possible, and so many awesome matches on that show.
“I was just watching the whole show like what I could and it was fantastic. So just take a positive here.”
Watch Steve Fall’s full conversation with Claudio Castagnoli right here:
SEScoops recently got to speak with Wheeler Yuta. Jaychele Nicole spoke to him about Claudio Castagnoli making his debut and joining the Blackpool Combat Club. You can read about that here.
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Claudio Castagnoli talked about feeling like there was a ceiling above him in WWE and his decision to join AEW.
Claudio’s Ceiling In WWE
WWE.com
On February 24, a report emerged that Claudio’s, at the time Cesaro’s, WWE contract had expired and that he had left the company.
During his time in WWE, Claudio only held one singles championship, and that was the United States Championship in 2013. As Cesaro, he held seven tag team titles in WWE.
He was also the winner of the inaugural André the Giant Memorial Trophy at WrestleMania XXX. Even though he accomplished more than some ever will in WWE, many believe that he never got to fulfill his full potential.
Claudio spoke with Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about having a ceiling in WWE.
He was asked if he thinks that there was anything he could’ve done to make it to the next level in WWE.
He responded, “Well, if I would know an answer, we probably wouldn’t have that discussion, right? It’s just one of those things that I do not have the answer to. There’s obviously a lot of speculation going on. But, again, I said if I would have known I would have obviously done it.
“You know, like you said it was a lot of one step forward, two steps back, but I feel that’s how life is for many people. And you have to just keep going and learn from those experiences and then like, learn from it, and then make decisions based on that. that’s why I’m where I’m at now, and I’m very happy.”
Claudio Castagnoli on hitting a ceiling in WWE
Reflecting On His Time In WWE
(via WWE)
“I’m also very grateful, like you said, like for, you know, John Cena that I shared the ring with him, the experiences and the respect they have for him, and I would like to think he has for me.
“That’s something that I’ve built over the past 10-15 years, and it’s the same with the fans, you know, like, I am there, and they accepted me, you know what I mean?
“Like, I’m not the guy that just, you know, just say, like a formula. They know, I’ve been in Ring of Honor, I’ve been on the indies before, you know, the United States to do this.
“And they also know that every single time I step in the ring, I always give it 100% no matter if the match is two minutes or 35 minutes, I want to make it the best match possible.
“And that it’s very important to me that it’s authentic. I don’t have like an answer to that question. I don’t know if anybody does. But if that journey brought me to where I am today, I’m very happy and extremely grateful to have been on that journey.
“And I’m very happy, very grateful to be here today.”
The Decision To Join AEW
(via AEW)
At AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door, Claudio Castagnoli made his promotional debut against Zack Sabre Jr. He replaced Bryan Danielson in the match as Zack’s mystery opponent. He was also named Bryan’s replacement for the Blood & Guts match.
He received one of the biggest pops at Forbidden Door and lit the wrestling world ablaze with his debut. Claudio was also announced as the newest member of the Blackpool Combat Club.
Claudio also talked about his decision to join AEW after his departure from WWE.
The Blackpool Combat Club member said:
“Obviously [I’ve been] following AEW for a while. And when it came to making time for me to just kind of take a step back and look, and I felt that I was a better fit at AEW. There was a lot more for me to do with AEW when it comes to challenges when it came to, you know, people I want to work with.
“They’re just, there’s so much, so many people that I haven’t wrestled either at all or in a very, very long time.
Claudio on signing with AEW
Taking The Next Step In His Career
Image: @JJWilliamsWON
“So I was just kind of like that’s what I want to do. That’s what I’ll have fun doing. And that’s always for me, I always kind of felt that whenever it was time to move on, I moved on.
“It was the same when I was in, you know, before when I was in Ring of Honor and I felt like now it’s time to make the step to WWE. And that’s what they did. Now, I was like, ‘Okay, I feel now is the time to make the next step.’ And I did and I’m very happy I did.”
Watch Steve Fall’s full conversation with Claudio Castagnoli right here:
SEScoops recently got to speak with Wheeler Yuta. Jaychele Nicole spoke to him about Claudio Castagnoli making his debut and joining the Blackpool Combat Club. You can read about that here.
AEW and Ring of Honor breakout star Wheeler Yuta recently spoke with Jaychele Nicole for SEScoops this past week to discuss all the recent happenings with the Blackpool Combat Club ahead of his Death Before Dishonor match with Daniel Garcia.
Watch the full interview here, with highlights below:
Claudio Castagnoli Joining BCC
At AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door, Claudio Castagnoli made his debut against Zack Sabre Jr. He replaced Bryan Danielson in the match as Zack’s mystery opponent.
He was also named Bryan’s replacement for the Blood & Guts match. He received one of the biggest pops at Forbidden Door and lit the wrestling world ablaze with his debut.
Claudio was also announced as the newest member of the Blackpool Combat Club.
(via AEW)
The youngest member of the Blackpool Combat Club, Wheeler Yuta, spoke with Jaychele Nicole for SEScoops to talk about his reaction to BCC gaining a new member.
Yuta had the following to say:
“Yeah, Claudio was someone that I’ve always really had a lot of respect for as a wrestler. He’s, he’s incredible. Yeah, he, he’s someone that I’ve really, really appreciated and knowing that he ended Regal’s career and it only made sense that he would be someone that could fit in with our club, he does our style.”
Wheeler Yuta on Claudio Castagnoli joining BCC
“He can do so many things. He’s absolutely incredible. So, it’s really great to have him now as a mentor as someone that I can talk to on my team and hopefully learn from and it’s been just great to have him here so far.”
Career-Defining Match With Moxley
Yuta also talked about his career-defining match with the now Interim AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.
Moxley inducted Yuta into the Blackpool Combat Club following their match on the April 8 episode of AEW Rampage in Boston, Massachusetts. For ROH Death Before Dishonor, AEW will be returning to Massachusetts but this time heading to Lowell.
Yuta reflected on the match and how he feels about returning to the area.
“Yeah, I’m really excited to be back in that area. Massachusetts will be in Lowell for Death Before Dishonor. And then right after that, we’ll be in Worcester for Dynamite. So I’m really excited for both of those.
“Before I got to AEW, I made a lot of my mark on the independents around that area. So it was really cool to have that match with Moxley in that crowd. Seeing a lot of familiar faces was really, it was really nice.
“And yeah, that was really the career-defining match. For me. It’s what sort of kick-started where we’re going now and I’m really excited for what the future holds, but it wouldn’t happen without that match,” the ROH Pure Champion said.
Yuta on his match with Jon Moxley
He continued to talk about working with Moxley and being in the ring with him, “Yeah, there’s something different when Moxley comes out. It’s kind of a surreal experience. And I felt that both from being in the ring watching it happening and then also as him as my teammate, so it’s very, it’s very comforting to have him on my side now instead of against me, but no, Moxley just brings things to another level. And he did that for me. He did that for me.
“And that match you mentioned before and I think he’s done that for a lot of people. He just had a match with Takeshita recently, that was awesome. And Moxley just, he’s got another gear that he’s trying to sort of impart that wisdom on me now.
“So I think that’s my next thing is to find that next step that next level and guys like Moxley, Danielson, Castagnoli they all have. So that’s what I need to find.”
Training With The Blackpool Combat Club
(via AEW)
He also was able to pull back the curtain and talk about what it is like to train with the Blackpool Combat Club.
He said, “Yeah, those training classes are a weekly occurrence. So we’re there every week. It’s Regal, it’s Bryan, it’s the BCC and we’re running class, we’re training, we’re learning.
“And yeah, that’s something they really instill is you have to prepare. So every little piece of information they can give me I try to get and we do that every week.”
Yuta continued and shared some lessons he’s learned from the group so far:
“Yeah, there’s, there’s countless like little techniques that they’ve shown me and I could go on for days about that. But I think the main thing that we’ve we’ve talked about is just the mindset of knowing that when you’re in the ring, you’re trying to hurt that guy.
“For us in the Blackpool Combat Club, our thing’s we’re trying to leave a mark on you, trying to leave a scar.
“So whether it’s, you know, a literal scar that you see on your forehead, or maybe it’s a limp, maybe it’s something that you get up every day and you go, ‘Oh, wow, I wish those guys hadn’t done that.’ That’s the mindset. So that’s what we really try to focus on. And that’s, that’s been the biggest lesson they’ve taught me.”
Participating In Blood & Guts
Lastly, Yuta reflected on participating in Blood & Guts a few weeks back. He talked about preparing for and recovering from the brutal match.
He said, “Yeah, the recovery was definitely hard, just a lot of kind of waiting for things to heal. But getting prepared for that match was just knowing that you’re going into a fight, knowing that you’re gonna have to, you’re gonna have to hurt people, you’re gonna get hurt, it’s not going to be fun. You’re just going to have to go in there and give it all you got. So just having that mentality going in, I think was the biggest thing.
“We’ve done all the physical preparation, we’ve done everything we can do. So going into that match, it was just the mental preparation of knowing not to be scared by the structure, just knowing you’re gonna get hurt, but you’re going to hurt people. And I think that’s how we want.”
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Madcap Moss talked about wearing suspenders when he was introduced to the WWE audience as a new character.
Madcap Moss & Happy Corbin
On the September 24, 2021 episode of SmackDown, Riddick Moss made his televised return from injury. He attacked Kevin Owens and aligned himself with Happy Corbin. The following week, his ring name was changed to Madcap Moss. Alongside Corbin, they feud with Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rick Boogs, and Drew McIntyre.
On the April 1, 2022 edition of SmackDown, Moss won the 2022 André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. On the April 8 episode of SmackDown, Happy Corbin blamed Madcap Moss for his loss at Wrestlemania 38 against Drew McIntyre.
Corbin and Moss attacked each other and the alliance came to an end. Madcap turned face and defeated Corbin at Backlash, Hell In A Cell, and on the June 17 SmackDown. Madcap Moss competed in the men’s Money In The Bank match by snagging the last spot in the match.
Prior to their split, Corbin and Moss were two peas in a pod. Corbin and Moss both displayed outlandish fashion choices and unique outfits.
Madcap Moss Wins The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal Wearing His Suspenders (Credit: WWE)
The Suspenders Were Corbin’s Idea
Madcap talked with Steve Fall about how the decision came about to wear his suspenders when he was teaming with Corbin.
Moss said, “It was his call. He had the signature fedoras. He wanted me to have my own signature thing, and he gave me a choice of a few different things.
I thought the suspenders have some function to them too. You know they hold the pants up, and I decided to double up with a belt still, a lot of people gave me grief for that. I just really did not want my pants coming down during any matches.
And you know, it was unique. So, I thought it was a unique, different, and also functional look, so that’s kinda how the suspenders came about. I am happy to say at this point that I have officially ditched the suspenders though.”
Since his split from Corbin, Moss has displayed a more serious persona with new entrance music and in-ring attire.
SummerSlam 2022
Madcap’s former associate Happy Corbin is scheduled to face off with Pat McAffe at WWE SummerSlam 2022.
WWE has confirmed the following matches for SummerSlam:
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. This is a Last Man Standing match, and has been billed as their final confrontation.
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Killer Kross talked about his feelings and emotions around competing on the pay-per-view centered around Ric Flair’s Last Match.
Ric Flair’s Last Match PPV
Killer Kross will compete against Harry Smith, the British Bulldog’s son, on the Ric Flair’s Last Match card. Ric Flair’s Last Match takes place on Sunday, July 31th at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. This is just one of the live wrestling shows scheduled for Starrcast V during WWE SummerSlam weekend. However, it is set to headline the whole convention.
As of right now, the card is as follows:
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Faty
Rachael Ellering vs Deonna Purrazzo vs Jordynne Grace
Clark Connors vs Ren Narita
Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) vs Harry Smith
The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
Rey Fenix vs Taurus vs Laredo Kid vs Bandido
The Von Erich (Marshall & Ross) vs The Briscoes
Kross Is Grateful
Killer Kross spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston prior to competing on the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view. Kross spoke about what it’s like to be a part of such a legendary event.
He said:
“It’s pretty crazy man. You know when you’re a kid, you grow up watching these people on TV and to you they’re like the TV people. There’s all these people that you can run into when you’re a little kid at the park or toy store or school or something like that. You never see people in the TV, and then suddenly you grow up and you’re on their last show. You’re not really sure if you’re in the TV or if they’re out of the TV.
So, it’s a really cool, surreal, type of thing. It’s very hard to put into words, but I am very flattered and grateful to be a part of this event. I’m looking forward to putting my best work forward as always.”
Is It Really Ric Flair’s Last Match?
Kross was then asked to speculate if he really believes that this will be Ric Flair’s last match or not.
“Yeah, I mean it’s hard to believe and I don’t know he’s going to have to figure out what that is [an off day], unless he’s known this whole time and he’s working us. I hope he does, I hope he does some sort of podcast or some sort of television series or something because I think that he would still be incredibly entertaining especially as a television figure or something like a reality show. If that’s too invasive for the guy or too labourus or too much work or just not his cup of tea I think him doing a podcast would be awesome just to hear perhaps some of the stories that he’s never told.
There’s no way he could have told all the stories of going up and down the roads with all these guys. So, I would be personally interested in listening to something like that or watching something like that. Something episodic would be cool, something of that nature,” the former two-time NXT Champion said.
If you would like to know how and when to watch this pay-per-view, or any of the other Starrcast V events, you can click here.
One of WWE’s NIL, or Next In Line, recruits has been dismissed from their college wrestling team due to a report of sexual assault made against them.
Back in December 2021, AJ Ferrari was announced as part of the Inaugural NIL Class. AJ Ferrari was a member of the Oklahoma State wrestling team.
Report Filed & Athlete Dismissed
On Monday, according to The O’Colly, AJ Ferrari was dismissed from the Oklahoma State wrestling team. Oklahoma State University also confirmed the report to Pistols Firing.
On July 5, a woman from Stillwater, Oklahoma filed a restraining order against the former collegiate athlete. The investigation is still ongoing, and official records from the report have not been released.
The Stillwater Police Department announced that its Criminal Investigations Department is investigating a report of sexual assault made against the former Oklahoma State wrestling team member.
National Champion Let Go
Ferrari was 30-1 in his career at Oklahoma State. During his freshman season, he went 20-1 and won a national championship at 197 pounds. He was 10-0 as a sophomore before a car accident ended his season. As a result of the accident, he suffered internal damage to his shoulder.
In April, AJ said he was going to win more National Championships before getting the WWE Championship.
WWE is set to hold its next round of collegiate tryouts during SummerSlam week
SEScoops will keep a running list of the current members of the full AEW roster. This list will include confirmed signings, as well as people working without a full-time contract.
We plan to keep this page regularly maintained. If you notice anything that is outdated, please drop us a message by filling out our Contact Us form.
*: indicates that the wrestler has not been announced as ‘All Elite’
SEScoops will keep a running list of the current members of the full WWE roster. This list includes superstars from RAW, SmackDown, NXT, NXT UK, and free agents.
We plan to keep this page regularly maintained. If you notice anything that is outdated, please drop us a message by filling out our Contact Us form.
Wrestling isn’t ballet, as they say. Pro wrestlers put their bodies on the line for our entertainment and injuries are an unfortunate part of the process.
This article is our official Injury Tracker.
We will keep this page updated with the latest information regarding wrestling injuries.
As always, you can reach our team by filling out the Contact Us form with news tips if there are any injury updates that are not reflected here.
WWE RAW
Cody Rhodes
Torn right pectoral tendon
Had surgery on June 8, 2022
Almost hemorrhaged in the surgery
“They are not going to give me a timeline just yet for when I’m going to be back because they are afraid that if they give me that timeline, I’m going to try & jump it by a month or 2.”
Gable Steveson
Drafted to Raw
Still in college
Randy Orton
Injured following Undisputed Tag Title loss
Set to undergo surgery
Zelina Vega
Out of action since April 11
Edge
Off TV since early June
WWE SmackDown
Big E
Broken neck on March 11
Says they’ll do more scans at one year mark
Charlotte Flair
Fractured radius on May 8 (storyline injury)
Naomi
Suspension announced during May 20 SmackDown
Sasha Banks
Suspension announced during May 20 SmackDown
Rick Boogs
Suffered tear in his quadriceps and a patellar tendon injury on April 2
Underwent successful surgery to repair a torn quadriceps the next week
Sami Zayn
Wore a sling on the July 15 SmackDown
Last competed in the Men’s Money In The Bank match on July 2
The injury is “legit, but it’s not major, and they are hopeful of him being able to wrestle in a few weeks.”
WWE Unassigned
Titus O’Neil
Hasn’t wrestled since November 2020
Says he’s not retired and healing from knee injury
NXT
Oddysey Jones
Sprained knee
Ilja Dragunov (NXT UK)
Vacated the NXT United Kingdom Championship on July 7 NXT UK TV
Suffered a stinger on the July 13, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite
“Matt described it as like bad whiplash. He’s had no loss of strength, and his mobility and range of motion is already back to normal. He passed a strength test right after the injury.”
Expected to be out of in-ring action for “a few weeks”
Kip Sabian
Underwent successful surgery on May 17, 2021
Set for July indie match
Kenny Omega
Shoulder injury in November 2021
Surgeries on hernia, shoulder, knee
Hopeful for All Out
Darius Martin
Several injuries from ‘nasty car accident’ in April 2022
Six to nine months of recovery time
Hopeful for late 2022 return
Leyla Hirsch
Suffered a torn ACL on April 6, 2022
Underwent surgery on May 26, 2022
Six to nine months of recovery time
CM Punk
Broken foot on June 1, 2022
Requires surgery
Announced on June 3 AEW Rampage
Hopeful for All Out
Described his foot as “feeling on fire every day”
Penelope Ford
Hasn’t wrestled since January 15, 2022
Adam Cole
Dealing with a torn labrum (shoulder) since March 2022
Concussion in June 2022
Lee Johnson
Knee injury in May 2022
At least out for summer 2022
Red Velvet
Undisclosed injury on June 8, 2022
The Bunny
Undisclosed injury announced on June 22, 2022
Kyle O’Reilly
Undisclosed injury in June 2022
Buddy Matthews
Shoulder injury
Still wrestling
Paul Wight
Had hip surgery in late 2021
MJF
Inactive since late May
Jungle Boy
Shoulder injury in June 2022
Back on TV, hasn’t wrestled
Santana
Leg injury on June 29, 2022 in the Blood & Guts match
According to Chris Jericho, Santana is looking at being out for 8 months
Had reconstructive knee surgery
IMPACT Wrestling
Su Yung
Maternity leave
Rhino
Announced on June 9 IMPACT TV that he is having surgery
In an interview with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, former WWE star Killer Kross, who wrestled as Karrion Kross for the promotion, opened up about an infamous segment between himself and Adam Cole that took place in June 2021.
The segment was set up to have Adam Cole, who is now in AEW, run down and tear apart Killer Kross in a worked shoot-style promo. Cole would later repeat statements similar on other WWE programming. At the time, Kross was the undefeated NXT Champion, but he didn’t even address Cole’s comments.
According to Kross, the whole segment was scripted by WWE and was intended to help get Cole where he needed to be for their upcoming matchup.
Kross On The Infamous Promo
Killer Kross spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston before competing on the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view. Kross spoke about how the segment came together and his reaction to all of the blowback.
The former two-time NXT Champion said (Edited for clarity):
“No. In his [Adam Cole’s} defense, because I’ve been asked this a lot, that was scripted. He was told to say that. It wasn’t him having a meltdown to be a d*ck. It wasn’t like that at all. He was told to say that.
This has become a very popular discussion amongst fans and stuff like that because our job is to make that stuff, it’s the intention. We’re told by producers and writers, ‘We want this to feel as real as possible so this is the direction we can go in.’ But, very much like you said, and a lot of people have said to me afterward, it seemed really counterproductive to have a fourth wall promo where only one guy was breaking the fourth wall. It’s like, it’s just one of those weird, weird days.
Some matches are constructed for one guy to get over, and that’s just the way it is. Then, sometimes, some promos are constructed for one guy to get over. At the time, I was told that they felt like he needed that, and I was not one to really fight anybody on that. I’ve always been very easy to deal with and get along with.
They put me on a course to just absolutely ruin everybody. So, the way I saw it at the time was like, ‘He’s gonna be doing the job for me at the end of the month on the pay-per-view. Everyone else has exchanged equity, their own equity, in putting me over for a year and a half. I think I can handle the promo where this is going to be happening.’
Functionally, as an investment, the construction of that promo did not make any sense at all. I thought it was weird that they wanted to go in that direction because– I’ve even said this previously before, it’s their money to get people to believe and invest in this type of thing. This is the time and energy they’re putting into character presentation and they kind of shot in the head, which I thought was just so unusual. It was very weird.
NXT Didn’t Want Kross To Rebuttal
Like, even Adam [Cole] was asking like, he’s like, ‘Are you okay with me saying all this to you?’ Yeah, of course, dude. He’s always been very cool. It was odd, and then there was like follow-up stuff the weeks after too. They kept writing the character into this place where they didn’t want me to rebuttal.
And I, prior to that promo and interview, I’d always have some flexibility to kind of like, ‘Here’s the endgame of the promo, you can say whatever you want. Whatever you think your character would say on the way there to get us from point A to B.’ They didn’t want that. And then after that, I kept getting chopped off in promos later on. They were just kind of, in a manner, putting me under in the promos, which I thought was weird. But also, in all fairness man, it’s not advantageous of the talent that’s going under to have me run them over for four weeks in promos and then for them to get killed clean on the match.
But, to your point, I think that there’s so many– in a universe full of fiction, an unlimited amount of possibilities, there are many different ways to make talents look strong and get over. I’ve always thought, me personally, it’s why I haven’t really practiced it, tearing a talent down and not letting them get anything back, and hoping they’re gonna keep their momentum and their equity in the eyes of the audience when they go over in the match is not the best way to do things. But again, I’m just a wrestler.”
Kross On The Online Reaction To The Promo
Kross went on to speak about the reaction online and how it’s influenced his career.
He said, “Yeah, it is unfortunate. It’s a weird twilight zone type of thing. I wanted to, until that angle was totally dead and gone, I wanted to protect the legitimacy of that [promo] even though it was kind of working against me. Like I even told Adam, when I see him at media events, ‘Don’t f*cking talk to anybody. Sorry. Like, don’t tell anybody.’ I’m not gonna tell anybody either. My friends are asking me about it. Only the people that I trust, I’ll let them know that it’s a work because the conflict and the heat is what’s going to create the interest in seeing the match.
It got very toxic, very negative, and very weird. That’s social media for you. Some people want to drum things up and make them. They want to put them in another context then they actually really are in. So, you just do the best you can with what you have.”
Ric Flair’s Last Match
Killer Kross will be competing against Harry Smith on the Ric Flair’s Last Match card. Ric Flair’s Last Match takes place on Sunday, July 31th at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. This is just one of the live wrestling shows scheduled for Starrcast V during WWE SummerSlam weekend. However, it is set to headline the whole convention.
As of right now, the card is as follows:
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Faty
Rachael Ellering vs Deonna Purrazzo vs Jordynne Grace
Clark Connors vs Ren Narita
Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) vs Harry Smith
The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
Rey Fenix vs Taurus vs Laredo Kid vs Bandido
The Von Erich (Marshall & Ross) vs The Briscoes
If you use the quotes above, please credit the original course with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
During a recent discussion with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston, Killer Kross talked about his experience being in the NXT locker room during the period where NXT and AEW went head to head.
Kross, NXT & Wednesday Night Wars
(Credit: WWE)
Killer Kross, as Karrion Kross, made his NXT debut in April of 2020 with Scarlett Bordeaux by his side. Later that year, at NXT TakeOver: XXX in August, he defeated Keith Lee to win the NXT Championship for the first time. The following day, WWE announced that Kross had suffered a separated shoulder during the match, and on the next episode of NXT, he vacated the title.
Kross would return in December 2020 by attacking Damian Priest. In April, Kross would defeat Finn Balor at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver to win the NXT Championship for the second time. Kross only took one loss in NXT, and that was when he lost the NXT Championship to Samoa Joe at NXT TakeOver 36 before moving up to Raw.
WWE’s NXT and AEW’s Dynamite went head to head in the ‘Wednesday Night Wars’ from October 2, 2019, to April 7, 2021. They were both live on air at the same time, on different stations, competing for Nielsen ratings each week. Most weeks, AEW would win the battle for rankings. On April 13, 2021, NXT moved to Tuesday nights, ending the Wednesday Night Wars. During this time, Kross had 14 matches under the NXT banner.
Competition Between NXT & AEW Wrestlers
Killer Kross spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston prior to competing on the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view. Kross spoke about how the locker room viewed the ‘Wednesday Night Wars’ and his perception of the discourse.
When Kross was asked if there were any feelings of being in competition with AEW between NXT Superstars, he initially responded:
“If there was little pockets of people that really thought that or felt that way, I wasn’t really engaging with them.”
When Steve Fall asked if that feeling of competition truly existed, Kross had more to say.
The former two-time NXT Champion said, “Probably. I don’t think anyone would’ve come to me with that though. The reason being is I’m pretty even keel. My focus is always on producing the best of the time that’s given to me for the show. So, to give an example, I was just most interested in being as entertaining as possible with the time that was given in the show, in the vignettes, and stuff like that. I would get with teams of people and I would just focus on that.
I do know that there are some people who focus way too much on what other people are being paid, and their quartelys, and what the demographics are, and stuff like that. At the end of the day, I hate to say it, it’s true though, as a wrestler, you can only be accountable for so much. So, if you’re going to concern yourself with details that are completely out of your control, you’re not going to enjoy this anymore. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen people drive themselves insane.
Kross: You’re Stressing Yourself Out Like You’re The Chairman of the Company
It’s like, ‘You don’t write your own stuff. You do what you’re told, you only had so many options for music; you only had so many options for your entrance. You don’t control who’s going over in your matches.’ The way people are reacting to the overall arch of this has very little to do with you and you’re stressing yourself out like you’re the chairman of the company. It’s like, if you just focus your energy on the things that you can control versus the things that you can’t, I think your work will come off better. That energy will be more enthusiastic, it’ll be better there.
I just see people dragging themselves over things that– they’re burning their own energy off in the wrong direction that’s not gonna provide a healthy return. That’s just always been something that’s been clear to me even before I got into wrestling. Just being careful what direction you’re putting your energy to. You always wanna make sure if you put your energy into something you get a healthy return. That doesn’t necessarily mean monetarily. Just means, do you feel good doing this? Are you gonna feel good about it afterward? If not, why are you doing it? If you can’t answer that question, don’t do it.”
Ric Flair’s Last Match
Killer Kross will be competing against Harry Smith, the son of the British Bulldog, on the Ric Flair’s Last Match pay-per-view. Ric Flair’s Last Match takes place on Sunday, July 31th at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. This is just one of the live wrestling shows scheduled for Starrcast V during WWE SummerSlam weekend, but it is set to headline the whole convention.
As of right now, the card is as follows:
Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Faty
Rachael Ellering vs Deonna Purrazzo vs Jordynne Grace
Clark Connors vs Ren Narita
Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) vs Harry Smith
The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
Rey Fenix vs Taurus vs Laredo Kid vs Bandido
The Von Erich (Marshall & Ross) vs The Briscoes
If you use the quotes above, please credit the original course with a h/t and link back to SEScoops for the transcription.
Charlotte Flair has announced a new venture and joins other superstars in exploring opportunities outside of WWE.
Charlotte’s New Partnership
On July 11, Charlotte Flair announced a new collaboration with Rockford introducing a collection of unisex rings. The collection is titled ‘Rockford x Ashley Fliehr.’ There are six rings ranging from $1,840 to $3,510. The collection focuses on ‘Eminence’ and gives the example of Ashley Fliehr, or Charlotte, on the collection’s page.
Eminence
noun
Description: Fame or acknowledged superiority within a particular sphere
Example: Ashley Fliehr..
Rockford are proud to introduce something special we have been cooking up in our furnaces with 13x Times Women’s Wrestling Champion Ashley Fliehr...
Months of collaboration, dozens of designs, proud of this collection. Presenting :
Flair hasn’t been on WWE television since losing an “I Quit” match to Ronda Rousey at WWE WrestleMania Backlash. At the event, it was announced that Charlotte suffered a storyline “fractured radius” during the bout. It is unknown when Charlotte will return to television. Charlotte is currently off WWE TV due to her officially getting married to AEW’s Andrade El Idolo.
Other Wrestlers Fashion/Beauty Collaborations
Charlotte is not the only WWE Superstar to explore ventures outside of WWE. Back in February, the Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair began her partnership with Fenty Beauty. Five days ago, Bianca last promoted Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty cosmetic brand.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfrV7LMDf2B/
Bianca Belair is not the only pro wrestling personality affiliated with Fenty. AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill has also been promoting the brand on social media. Cargill has promoted the SAVAGE x FENTY lingerie line for a long time now with her last promotion post being on May 22.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd4cdgXrKfj/
The Bellas have created an empire in the fashion world with their brand called BirdieBee. Through the brand, they have had their merchandise at WrestleMania Axxess and have an extremely successful online shop. Their shop features transitional intimates, activewear, and loungewear apparel.
A new foundation has been launched in honor of the legend, The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes.
The family of Dusty Rhodes has announced a new foundation named after the WWE Hall of Famer. The mission of the foundation is to honor and pay homage to Dusty Rhodes, who passed away in 2015, and his dedication to sports and young athletes.
Dusty Rhodes Foundation Mission
The foundation, via The Rhodes family, shared its mission statement on Instagram:
Our foundation was started in loving memory of one of the greatest and most influential professional wrestlers of all time: “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Long before he entered the squared circle, Dusty’s dreams began on the playing fields of his youth. He was a gifted athlete in many sports and his baseball & football abilities earned him a full athletic scholarship which made him the first in his family to attend college.
Throughout Dusty’s storied career, he reached through the television and entertained millions, but a lesser-known passion was his role with youth athletics. Dusty gave this time, talent, and treasure to helping children play sports. He was a coach and mentor to many young athletes, some of whom went on to attend college on athletic scholarships themselves.
Dusty was an inspiration to all those who knew him. For his dreams to live on, we must inspire and support the next generation of athletes. Many children today do not have the opportunity to play sports because of the yearly rising costs associated with organized leagues & travel ball. Additionally, many underserved communities simply don’t have the ability to offer sports programs for children.
By supporting the Dusty Rhodes Foundation, you can help carry out Dusty’s legacy and dreams by helping children play sports who couldn’t otherwise. Together we can inspire and support youth athletics in disadvantaged and underserved communities and make a big difference in the lives of these amazing children.
Michelle & The Rhodes Family
Starrcast V Involvement
The Dusty Rhodes Foundation will be involved in the Starrcast V festivities on SummerSlam weekend. Ricky Starks, Preston ‘10’ Vance, Aaron Solo, QT Marshall, and Buttercup will be doing meet and greets in support of the Foundation. Starrcast V will be headlined by the final match of arguably, Dusty Rhodes’ greatest rival, Ric Flair.
My Mom & Sister will be bringing something special to @StarrcastEvents w/The Dusty Rhodes Foundation! (More info coming this week)
A part of what makes Bianca Belair such a once-in-a-lifetime star is the fact that she makes her own amazing gear for special events. Unfortunately, one of them has been stolen.
Survivor Series 2021
The Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair has quickly become one of the top stars in the company over the past two years due to her Royal Rumble victory, WrestleMania matches, and title reigns.
Last year at Survivor Series, Bianca was the sole survivor for Team Raw. She led her brand to victory over Team SmackDown’s Sasha Banks, Shotzi, Shayna Baszler, Natalya, and Toni Storm.
The Custom Gear
Bianca wore and created custom gear for the show with the Raw logo on it. While many wrestlers auction off old ring gear, that’s not the case for this one, even if you see it on sale.
Bianca Belair at Survivor Series 2021 (Credit: WWE)
Raw Women’s Champion Speaks Out
Bianca took to her Instagrams story to reveal that her special, custom Team Raw gear had been stolen.
She wrote:
“If y’all ever see my RAW Survivor Series gear being sold online… Just know it’s stolen…”
Belair recently had another bad fan interaction when she told a story last month about a fan following her and The Street Profits out of an arena.
AEW wrestler Bryan Danielson has been out of action for over a month after sustaining a concussion. There is now another update on his status and recovery.
Danielson’s Injury History
Last week, Dave Meltzer described Danielson’s concussion as “very concerning” considering his history of head injuries.
As many remember, the former four-time WWE Champion was forced into early retirement in 2016 as a result of his injuries. However, was cleared to wrestle again in 2018.
The Update
Dave Meltzer provided an update on his original report. Luckily, this time he has more positive things to say about Danielson’s condition.
There is a new update regarding Kevin Owen’s WWE absence over the last two weeks.
Owens strikingly missed the go-home episode of RAW for Money in the Bank. He was supposed to participate in a qualifying match for the Money in the Bank ladder match between him and Ezekiel.
Owens wasn’t on last week’s Raw, and now it seems like we may have to wait a bit longer for his return.
This week, a video of Owens saying it’s “in their hands right now” circulated. The video led fans to believe that he’s personally ready to return, it’s just a case of WWE making it happen.
Owens Update
Dave Meltzer, on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, reported that Kevin is “fine,” but he’ll likely be back in a few more weeks.
It was previously reported that the former WWE Universal Champion had been out of action due to a minor injury.
NHL Draft Appearance
Kevin Owens recently made an appearance at the NHL Draft to surprise a high-profile fan, Bruce Boudreau, the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
Various wrestling promotions hosted Friday, Saturday & Sunday night shows this weekend. West Coast Pro Wrestling, On Point Wrestling, STARDOM, National Wrestling Alliance, Wrestling REVOLVER, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, NJPW STRONG, Pro Wrestling NOAH, Game Changer Wrestling, Revolution Pro Wrestling, and Jersey Championship Wrestling all presented events from 7/8-7/10.
We have compiled results for the independent shows below along with ways to stream them, if possible.
7/8
West Coast Pro Wrestling
West Coast Pro Wrestling hosted its Cruel Summer event in San Fransisco, California. The event took place on July 8 at the United Irish Cultural Center. The event aired on IWTV.
WCPW Cruel Summer Results (7/8)
The Conglomerate (D-Rouge, Alpha Zo & Midas Kreed) def. Manders, Levi Shapiro & Michael Hopkins
Masha Slamovich def. Zeda Zheng
Vinnie Massaro def. Alan Angels
Nick Wayne def. ACH
Kevin Blackwood def. Jordan Cruz
Titus Alexander def. Jack Cartwheel
Speedball Mike Bailey def. Starboy Charlie
West Coast Pro Wrestling Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) def. Tom Lawlor
Motor City Machine Guns def. West Coast Wrecking Crew
On Point Wrestling hosted its Nightmare in Westville event in Westville, New Jersey. The event took place on July 8 at the Skidrow Academy. The event aired on IWTV.
OPW Nightmare in Westville Results (7/8)
On Point Wrestling Championship: Kit Osbourne (c) def. BLK Jeez
AKIRA def. Blanco Loco (w/ Dream Girl Ellie)
Fantastic Four Way: Steve Scott def. Jay Curcio, Azrieal, & Billy Tipton
Jordan Oliver def. Jason Kincaid
TSF (Rosario Grillo & Hunter Knott) def. YDNB (Ellis Taylor & Charlie Tiger)
Axton Ray def. Action Andretti
Matt Tremont def. Mike Law
Dog Collar Match: Marcus Mathers def. Brandon Kirk by Referee Stoppage
STARDOM hosted its New Blood 3 event on July 8. The event took place at the Shinagawa Intercity Hall in Tokyo, Japan. The pay-per-view can be ordered here.
STARDOM New Blood 3 Results (7/8)
Mai Sakurai def. YuuRI
Ami Sourei def. Nanami
STARS (Hanan, Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo) def. JUST TAP OUT (Tomoka Inaba, Aoi & Misa Kagura)
MIRAI vs. Suzu Suzuki ended in a 15-minute draw
After the physical draw between these two, Suzuki called out Giulia. Giulia challenged Suzuki to a tag team Hardcore Match. Mai Sakurai will team with Giulia while Risa Sera will team with Suzuki for the match.
Ram Kaichow def. Waka Tsukiyama
Oedo Tai’s Rina will team with Kaichow at the new NEW BLOOD show to face Waka Tsukiyama and a partner of her choosing.
Young OED (Starlight Kid, Ruaka & Rina) & Haruka Umesaki def. Cosmic Angels (Unagi Sayaka & Mina Shirakawa) & COLOR’S (Rina Amikura & Yuko Sakurai)
Giulia def. Miyu Amasaki
7/9
National Wrestling Alliance
The most recent episode of NWA USA debuted on July 9. The episode is available on their YouTube here.
NWA USA Stream And Results (7/9)
NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion Homicide def. VSK
Jennacide def. Angelina Love
NWA National Champion Jax Dane def. Anthony Andrews
Wrestling REVOLVER
Wrestling REVOLVER hosted its Cage of Horrors event in Clive, Iowa. The event took place on July 9 at the Horizon Events Center. The event aired on FITE.
Wrestling REVOLVER Cage of Horrors Results (7/9)
IMPACT X-Division Championship: ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey (c) def. Steve Manders
STARDOM hosted their MidSummer Champions event on July 9. The event took place at the Tachikawa Stage Garden in Tokyo, Japan. The pay-per-view can be ordered here.
STARDOM MidSummer Champions Results (7/9)
Lady C def. Hina and Yuko Sakurai
Future of Stardom Championship: Hanan (c) def. Waka Tsukiyama
This was V8 in Hanan’s Future of Stardom Championship reign, extending her record.
This was V5 in AZM’s High-Speed Championship reign.
After the match ended, Rina attacked AZM to make a challenge for the championship.
Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Unagi Sayaka & Mina Shirakawa) & COLOR’S (SAKI & Hikari Shimizu) def. Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Mai Sakurai, Himeka, Maika & Natsupoi) in an Elimination Match
Mai Sakurai eliminated Himeka and Mina Shirakawa via over-the-top-rope
Hikari Shimizu eliminated Mai Sakurai via Spinning Buzzsaw Kick
Maika eliminated Unagi Sayaka via Michinoku Driver II
Maika eliminated Hikari Shimizu via Michinoku Driver II
SAKI eliminated Maika via flash pin
Giulia eliminated SAKI over-the-top-rope
Natsupoi turns on Giulia, eliminating her via German Suplex on the Apron, forcing her over-the-top-rope
Natsupoi rolls off the apron and joins Cosmic Angels after the match
Wonder of Stardom Championship: Saya Kamitani (c) def. Starlight Kid
This was V7 in Kamitani’s Wonder of Stardom Championship reign.
SAKI challenged Kamitani to a Wonder of Stardom Championship match.
Nanae Takahashi revealed she would be KAIRI’s partner against Saya Kamitani. Lady C stepped up as Kamitani’s partner.
World of Stardom Championship: Syuri (c) def. Momo Watanabe
This was V6 in Syuri’s World of Stardom Championship reign.
Tam Nakano challenged Syuri to a World of Stardom Championship match.
Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling
Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling hosted its Summer Sun Princess event in Tokyo, Japan. The event occurred on July 9 at the Ota City General Gymnasium. The event aired on Wrestle Universe.
TJPW Summer Sun Princess Results (7/9)
Moka Miyamoto def. Juria Nagano
Aja Kong, Pom Harajuku, Raku & Yuki Aino def. Hyper Misao, Kaya Toribami, Haruna Neko & Nao Kakuta
International Princess Championship: Alex Windsor def. Maki Itoh (c) to become the new champion
Miyu Yamashita def. Thunder Rosa
After the match, Rosa said Yamashita has an AEW Women’s World Championship match waiting for her when she wants it.
Princess Tag Team Championship: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai def. Magical Sugar Rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki) (c) to become the new champions
Princess of Princess Championship: Shoko Nakajima (c) def. Rika Tatsumi
NJPW STRONG
NJPW aired their newest episode of NJPW Strong on July 9 on NJPW World. The tapings took place on June 19 at the Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.
NJPW STRONG Results (7/9)
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: Christopher Daniels & Yuya Uemura def. The Factory (Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto)
JONAH def. Taylor Rust
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Title Tournament First Round: TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) def. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)
After @Mr_Freakbeast puts @Im_YuyaUemura down with a neck breaker, @AaronSoloAEW hits Uemura with a double stomp. Will this be enough to earn The Factory the victory?
6-Man Tag: Kaito Kiyomiya, Yuya Susumu & Yoshinari Ogawa def. Los Perros Del Mal de Japon (Katoro Suzuki, Super Crazy & NOSAWA Rongai)
8-Man Tag: Timothy Thatcher, Hideki Suzuki, El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. & Takashi Sugiura def. Daiki Inaba, Yoshiki Inamura, Masa Kitamiya & Shuhei Taniguchi
Kongo (Hajime Ohara & Kenoh) def. Satoshi Kojima & Atsushi Kotoge
Game Change Wrestling hosted the first part of their Settlement Series events in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. The event took place on July 10 at the Knights of Columbus. The event aired on IWTV.
GCW Settlement Series Part 1 Results (7/10)
Nick Wayne def. Dyln McKay
Big Vin def. Austin Luke
Ellis Taylor def. Charlie Tiger
2 Hot Steve Scott def. Brandon Kirk
Alec Price def. Marcus Mathers
Axton Ray def. Azrieal
Akira def. Janai Kai
Best of 7 Series: Griff Reefer (4) def. Deklan Grant (2)
Yoya def. Charles Mason after BUSSYPREMECOURT reversed the decision.
Jersey Championship Wrestling hosted their Great American Birthday Bash event in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. The event took place on July 10 at the Phil Sheridan Building. The event aired on their YouTube channel.
