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Punk vs. McIntyre Strap Match Set For WWE Bash in Berlin

WWE Bash in Berlin will feature the next chapter in the Drew McIntyre and CM Punk blood feud. Punk and McIntyre have been butting heads ever since the Scottish Warrior injured the Second City Saint at the WWE Royal Rumble at the beginning of the year. McIntyre later told Punk that he prayed for him to get injured, then slid into his spot against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania XL, where he captured the world heavyweight championship.

However, that world title reign was short-lived after Punk attacked McIntyre, leading to Damian Priest cashing-in his Money In The Bank and stealing the title after a five-minute reign. After months of attacks and receipts, McIntyre and Punk finally met at WWE SummerSlam in Cleveland. On that night, McIntyre defeated Punk thanks to some faulty refereeing by Seth Rollins.

Now Punk has a chance at revenge. On the August 19th WWE Raw, saw Punk challenge: McIntyre to a strap match at Bash in Berlin. McIntyre immediately accepted and the match was confirmed.

Updated lineup for Bash in Berlin

CM Punk

Here’s the updated match card for WWE Bash in Berlin, scheduled for Saturday, August 31st from the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany:

  • Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship
  • GUNTHER (c) vs. Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
  • CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre in a strap match
  • Rhea Ripley & Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan

Coffin Match Added to AEW All In (Updated Card)

The August 14th episode of AEW Dynamite featured Darby Allin cutting a promo on the TNT Champion Jack Perry, who he will be facing for the title at the All In event at Wembley Stadium on August 25th. Allin then entered the arena for a matchup but was jumped by Perry, who viciously beat Allin into the backstage area and crushed him with a heavy metal door. Perry then aimed to smash Allin’s skull with a giant rolling crate, but security stopped him before he could cause any serious damage to his fellow AEW pillar.

Things didn’t end there. Perry then screamed into the camera, declaring that he wanted his matchup with Allin to be a Coffin Match. Moments later, Excalibur and Taz revealed on commentary that AEW President Tony Khan had approved the idea, making the match official.

Allin is no stranger to Coffin Matches. In fact, he and Sting competed in a tag team Coffin Match against Christian Cage and Swerve Strickland one year ago at the 2023 AEW All In pay-per-view event, a match the former tag champions ended up winning. At the same event, Perry lost the FTW Championship to HOOK, then got into a real-life scuffle with CM Punk backstage.

Perry and Allin have been butting heads for months. The two crossed paths many times since AEW launched, most recently at AEW Blood & Guts, which is when the TNT title match was made official for All In.

Updated Lineup for All In 2024

Here’s the updated card for next weekend’s AEW All In: London pay-per-view from London’s historic Wembley Stadium:

  • Title vs. Career: AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson
  • Mariah May vs. Toni Storm (c) for the AEW Women’s Championship
  • CEO vs. DMD: Dr. Britt Baker challenges Mercedes Moné for the AEW TBS Championship
  • Coffin Match: Darby Allin vs. Jack Perry (c) for the AEW TNT Championship
  • The Patriarchy vs. House of Black or The Bang Bang Gang for the AEW Trios Championship
  • Casino Gauntlet Match: Winner receives a future AEW World title shot

The AEW All In 2024 Buy-In kickoff show will also feature a mixed tag match:

  • Stokley Hathaway & Kris Statlander vs. Willow Nightingale & Tomohiro Ishii

SEScoops is your source for continued coverage of AEW All In 2024.

WWE Announces Mixed Tag Team Matchup for Bash in Berlin

WWE has announced a huge matchup for the August 31st Bash in Berlin premium live event.

The Judgment Day splitting up was one of the biggest stories at WWE SummerSlam, with Dominik Mysterio shockingly betraying Rhea Ripley to align with Liv Morgan, and Finn Balor stabbing Damian Priest in the back and costing him the WWE Heavyweight Championship in the process. Ripley and Priest have since made it their mission to get revenge on their former comrades turned enemies, and now they’ll have a chance to do it together at Bash in Berlin.

That’s because WWE has announced that “Dirty” Dom and the WWE Women’s World Champion will be teaming up to face Ripley and Priest in a mixed tag team matchup at the marquee event, which takes place from the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany.

The matchup was made after the events of the August 12th WWE Raw, where Dominik revealed why he turned his back on Ripley, stating that she was trying to change the man he was becoming. Meanwhile, Priest nearly got his hands on Balor, but Judgment Day stopped the moment from happening.

Updated lineup for WWE Bash in Berlin:

-Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship

-GUNTHER (c) vs. Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

-Rhea Ripley & Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan

WWE Raw Results (08/12)

The August 12th episode of WWE Raw takes place from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas and is being broadcast on the USA Network. Follow along with our coverage and enjoy the show!

-A video package airs showing the events of the August 5th WWE Raw, specifically the ongoing saga between the Judgment Day following Domini Mysterio’s betrayal of Rhea Ripley and Finn Balor’s betrayal of Damian Priest at SummerSlam.

-Michael Cole welcomes us to the show, saying that the event has sold out. Rhea Ripley enters to a huge pop. Ripley says that she’s finally had time to process what Dominik did to her at SummerSlam, and despite feeling heartbroken, is ready to take some revenge. She pokes fun at Dom and says that he may have stabbed her in the back, but “it wasn’t quite deep enough.”

-Liv Morgan interrupts from the rafters. She hands the microphone to Dom, who tells Ripley that he was sick of her changing him and that now he has someone to call him daddy. He says he was also able to finally beat his dad, Rey Mysterio, thanks to Liv’s help. Morgan chimes in next and says that she took everything that Ripley loves, including the women’s world championship.

-Ripley pipes back in, promising that she will take everything back. Damian Priest pops up behind Dominik and begins beating him up. Ripley runs up and chases Morgan off-camera. Priest brings Dominik back into the arena and lands a few shots before he is jumped by Carlito. Priest gets the upper-hand as we go to our first break.

Match 1: Damian Priest defeated Carlito with the South of Heaven Chokeslam. As soon as the match was over Priest gets jumped by the rest of Judgment Day, including Finn Balor, but Rhea Ripley runs out to make the save. Priest attempts a superkick on Balor but JD McDonagh pushes him out of the way and takes the move. Balor escapes, but Priest rocks McDonagh with another chokeslam. Dom tries to dive on them but Priest catches him and passes him off to Ripley. She goes for the Rip-Tide but Dom escapes thanks to Liv Morgan.

-Backstage Maxxine Dupri and Ivy Nile have a conversation. Nile tells Dupri not to be at ringside, but she refuses to not be with her Alpha Academy family.

-Back from break a new Wyatt Sicks video featuring Bo Dallas is played. He is feeling emotional after the group won their debut match one week ago. Dallas believes something big is on the horizon, but refuses to say what it is. He stares at a TV that plays cryptic messages, forcing Dallas to scream, “My life for you” repeatedly.

-Michael Cole shows a video of Odyssey Jones’ debut from the August 5th Raw. Backstage Kofi Kingston tells Xavier Woods that he is going to accompany Jones in the ring the same way Jones did for them. Woods still doesn’t look too happy to have Jones there, but smiles regardless.

Match 2: Odyssey Jones defeated Vincent Winey with a spinning sidewalk slam. Karrion Kross and the rest of the Final Testament come out for a promo, where Kross states that he believes Kingston is using Jones to replace Woods, and that Woods should do something about it. This leads to Kingston demanding that the Final Testament face them next week in a six-man tag team match.

-Backstage Adam Pearce and Drew McIntyre are talking. Pearce tells McIntyre that CM Punk is not here and doesn’t have time for him. McIntyre tells Pearce that he doesn’t care about Punk anymore, and wonders why Randy Orton from SmackDown is challenging for the world title, adding that he has been screwed out of the title countless times and he never received anything. He calls Orton a snake in the grass, then tells Pearce he’s going to take care of this himself. Pearce tells him to not pull a Bronson Reed and go rogue, something McIntyre gives his “scout’s honor” that he won’t.

Match 3: American Made defeated Alpha Academy in a Tornado Tag. Ivy Nile attacked Maxxine Dupri at ringside, causing a distraction and allowing The Creeds to get the win.

-An interview with Pete Dunne is played from earlier in the day. The Bruiserweight is enraged at the fact that he was in Sheamus’s shadow, and was forced to compete under the name Butch, which he always hated. He plans on reminding the WWE Universe who he is.

-Footage from Bronson Reed’s attack on Seth Rollins from the August 5th episode of WWE Raw is played. Commentary reveals that Rollins received over 10,000 lbs of impact due to the six Tsunamis he endured by Reed. Backstage, Reed tells Adam Pearce that he had to do what he did because Pearce was not giving him opportunities. He tells Pearce to find him an opponent tonight, or he’ll find himself another victim.

-A pre-taped promo from Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and Kairi Sane airs. SKY says that Damage CTRL is still one of the most dominant factions in WWE, and that they will prove their dominance tonight by winning the #1 contender’s matchup for the women’s tag team titles. Kairi threatens to take away Shayna Baszler’s dreams.

-Sonya Deville, Zoey Stark, and Shayna Baszler then cut a backstage promo saying that Damage CTRL’s time is over. Baszler reminds the WWE Universe that she caused Jade Cargill to tap out, and they’ll continue to place beatings on the women’s division. The champs, Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre make their entrance to watch the #1 contender’s match.

Match 4: Kairi Sane & IYO SKY vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark #1 contender’s match for the WWE women’s tag team titles ends in a no-contest after Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre interfere. The champs lay out both teams to end the segment.

-Backstage R-Truth is talking with The Miz, who is clearly frustrated from the weeks of losing he’s endured tagging with Truth. Truth tells him to cheer up as he got him a title match against “Bron.” Miz is ecstatic, but later realizes that Truth messed up and it’s a singles matchup against Bronson Reed. Randy Orton approaches both men and tells Miz that he believes he can beat Reed, which hypes him up. As Miz walks away Orton tells Truth that there’s no way Miz is winning.

-Randy Orton comes to the ring. He says that 20 years ago he became the youngest world champion in WWE history. He tells the crowd that at Bash in Berlin he will defeat GUNTHER and become a 15-time world champion. This brings GUNTHER to the ring. Before he can talk Orton tells GUNTHER that he will be a mainstay on Raw after he dethrones him. GUNTHER says that Orton will no longer be a member of WWE’s future after he is done with him, adding that this is the era of the Ring General. Orton fires back, telling GUNTHER that he is one of the most successful WWE superstars ever, has a smoking hot wife, five kids, and has done pretty good for himself. GUNTHER later makes several predictions: He will get the beating of a lifetime in Berlin, he will be some battered that he’ll never win the world title again, and that Orton will mess it all up just like his father and grandfather.

-Drew McIntyre interrupts. He walks to the ring, which distracts GUNTHER and allows Orton to hit an RKO. Suddenly, CM Punk jumps out of the crowd and attacks McIntyre. The two trade shots until McIntyre flees.

-Sheamus is interviewed backstage and gets asked to respond to Pete Dunne’s earlier comments. The Celtic Warrior says that Dunne blames him, but is making himself relevant again after constantly going after him. He says he fought hard to recover from a near-career ending neck injury, but managed to make it back. Ludwig Kaiser confronts Sheamus, stating that he wasn’t done with him either. Dunne comes out of nowhere and attacks Sheamus with the shillelagh.

-WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry, and his son, Jacob Henry, are shown sitting in the crowd.

-Backstage CM Punk explains that he lied about running late because he knew Drew McIntyre would run away otherwise. He tells the WWE Universe that McIntyre can’t stop thinking of him, nor can he keep Larry or AJ’s name out of his mouth. He has an idea of how they can settle things once and for all.

Match 5: Bronson Reed defeated The Miz after hitting a Tsunami. Afterwards, R-Truth stops Reed from attacking Miz further, but instead eats several Tsunami’s himself. Adam Pearce and security scream at Reed to stop, but he continues to smash Truth with Tsunamis, claiming he can do whatever he wants.

-A promo from Judgment Day. Dominik calls Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley a joke, while Finn Balor warns Priest that he’s got him in his crosshairs. WWE then announces that a mixed-tag team matchup will take place at Bash in Berlin.

-Sheamus vs. Pete Dunne, New Day/Odyssey Jones vs. Final Testament, and a triple-threat for the women’s tag team titles are matches announced for the August 19th WWE Raw.

Match 6: Bron Breakker defeated Sami Zayn to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Zayn won the first fall with the Helluva Kick, but Breakker battled back and hit two massive spears to pick up the next two falls.

That concludes the August 12th episode of WWE Raw. Thanks for following along.

Major Championship Match Confirmed For WWE Bash in Berlin

The WWE Bash in Berlin event has just been given another major title matchup.

The August 9th WWE SmackDown opened up with Cody Rhodes once again getting confronted by Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline, with Solo demanding another title shot after he lost to the American Nightmare at SummerSlam. The group approached the ring to beat down the champ, but Kevin Owens ran out and helped chase The Bloodline off.

The excitement didn’t end there. Before Owens could leave Cody told the Prizefighter that he wanted to reward him for helping him fight The Bloodline off for the last year, and offered him a title shot at Bash in Berlin. However, Owens said no, as he felt he didn’t deserve it, even though the WWE Universe disagreed.

Cody and Owens then went backstage to speak with SmackDown General Manger Nick Aldis, who told the duo that he was planning to offer the Bash in Berlin title shot to Roman Reigns. This angered Owens, who said that so many people were more deserving than Reigns, and if Aldis needed proof, he need to just look in the locker room. Aldis, impressed by KO’s fire, agreed and offered him the shot instead. This time, KO said yes.

This will be the first time Kevin Owens has challenged for the Undisputed Universal Championship since it was held by Roman Reigns during his epic run. In 2024, Owens was mainly targeting Logan Paul and the United States Championship but was unsuccessful at the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania XL.

Updated lineup for WWE Bash in Berlin:

-Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship

-GUNTHER (c) vs. Randy Orton for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

WWE SmackDown Results (08/09)

The August 9th episode of WWE SmackDown takes place from the Bok Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is being broadcast on FOX. Follow along with our coverage and enjoy the show!

-Cody Rhodes is out first and begins to cut a promo about what happened at WWE SummerSlam. Before he can get another word out Solo Sikoa, Tanga Loa, and Tama Tonga interrupt, with Solo demanding he get another crack at the title, stating that the only reason he wasn’t champion was Roman Reigns. The Bloodline approaches the ring but Kevin Owens runs out with a chair and stands next to Cody. Solo and company depart.

-Cody then tells Kevin Owens that he wants to defend the title against him at Bash at Berlin. KO is initially reluctant, stating that he doesn’t deserve an opportunity due to his win/loss record over the last year. However, Cody says that KO is deserving for helping him out in his war against The Bloodline, adding that he will speak to Nick Aldis about making the match official.

Match 1: Street Profits defeated A-Town-Down Under in a #1 contender’s qualifier. Dawkins scored the pinfall after the team hit their top-rope blockbuster. They will now face the winner of DIY and Pretty Deadly, who wrestle later tonight.

-Backstage Nick Aldis, Cody Rhodes, and Kevin Owens are chatting. Owens tells Aldis the same thing he told Cody, that he doesn’t deserve a shot at the title at Bash at Berlin. Aldis states that he was considering offering the shot to Roman Reigns, which sets Owens off. He goes on a rant stating that Reigns is not deserving, and that if Aldis really needed to find a challenger he need only look in the locker room. Aldis, impressive with KO’s fight, officially gives him the title opportunity for Bash at Berlin.

-After a commercial break, we see Tiffany Stratton planning Nia Jax’s title celebration, which happens next week. Pretty Deadly pops up and ask Stratton if she’ll plan their celebration after they win the tag titles. Stratton walks away, but Chelsea Green and Piper Niven approach Stratton and tell her that they see right through her act, and know that she wants to cash-in on Jax at some point.

Match 2: Jade Cargill defeated Alba Fyre after hitting the Jaded. Blair Davenport and Isla Dawn attacked Cargill after, but Naomi and Bianca Belair evened the odds and the babyfaces stood tall to end the segment.

-Footage is played of LA Knight’s huge victory at SummerSlam, where he dethroned Logan Paul to become the new WWE United States Champion. Knight then comes for his title celebration and receives a huge ovation from the WWE Universe, who chant “You deserve it” to the Megastar. The new champ says that now that he has gold he’s a marked man, but that he’s always been a marked man since he joined WWE.

-Santos Escobar interrupts the champ’s celebration and tells him that he deserves to hold the title and has ever since he joined WWE. Knight puts him in his place, then tells Escobar to earn the shot tonight. This brings out Andrade for the #1 contender’s match.

Match 3: Santos Escobar defeated Andrade via roll-up thanks to an assist from Carmelo Hayes. This means that Escobar will now face LA Knight for the WWE U.S. title at a future date.

-Footage shows The Bloodline (Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga) winning the tag team titles one week ago from DIY. We cut back to the live show, where DIY makes their entrance for their matchup against Pretty Deadly.

-WWE airs a video package honoring Kevin Sullivan, who recently passed away.

-After a commercial break WWE announces that Blair Davenport will face Naomi and that Nia Jax will have her women’s title celebration. A-Town-Down Under approach Nick Aldis and ask him when are they going to get some respect. Aldis then books Grayson Waller in a singles matchup against Kevin Owens.

Match 4: DIY defeated Pretty Deadly in a #1 contender’s qualifier. DIY will next face the Street Profits, with the winner of that match becoming the new official #1 contender’s for the tag team titles.

-Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa are backstage. Solo says “he will be here,” then makes his entrance into the arena.

-Commentary says that Jacob Fatu is still not there due to the minor injury he suffered at SummerSlam. Solo asks the fans in Tusla to acknowledge him, which prompts tremendous boos. He then calls out Roman Reigns, saying that he is the Tribal Chief now. He invites Reigns out to come and take the back his spot as the head of The Bloodline. Reigns is HERE.

-Solo sends Tama and Tanga out to fight Reigns, but he takes them both out with ease. He and Solo have an intense staredown, with Reigns slowly getting into the ring and circling Solo. Reigns opens up with vicious right hands, then connects with a Superman Punch. The O.T.C. goes for a spear, but Tanga pulls Solo out of the ring. Tama and Tanga then gain the advantage on Reigns and beat him down, but he fights them off, hitting two Superman Punches and a Spear. He then puts Tama through the barricade with a vicious spear. The show ends with Reigns beating Tanga down with a chair as Solo watches from the entrance patch, screaming that he is still The Tribal Chief.

AEW Announces #1 Contender’s Matchup Will Occur at All In PPV

AEW has added one of its marquee matchups to the All In pay-per-view.

Head play-by-play man Excalibur announced on the August 7th episode of AEW Dynamite that the Casino Gauntlet matchup will be taking place at the historic event, which happens on August 25th from legendary Wembley Stadium in London, England. The winner of the match will receive a future opportunity at the AEW World Championship.

The Casino Gauntlet match blends AEW’s Casino Battle Royale concept with Lucha Underground’s Aztec Warfare. Wrestlers will continue to enter the bout until someone gets pinned or submitted. The first two incarnations were both won by former AEW International Champion, Will Ospreay.

Who will the winner face? Well that will also be determined at AEW All In as Swerve Strickland defends the world title against Bryan Danielson, who is putting his career on the line.

The August 7th episode of AEW Dynamite featured a ton of great action, including Bryan Danielson vs. Jeff Jarrett and MJF vs. Kyle Fletcher. Several AEW wrestlers were unable to make tonight’s episode, which was in North Carolina, due to severe weather storms canceling flights all around the east coast.

WWE Raw Results (08/05)

The August 5th episode of WWE Raw takes place from the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, and is being broadcast on the SyFy Channel. Follow along with our coverage and enjoy the show!

-The show begins with Ludwig Kaiser introducing the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, GUNTHER. The Ring General comes out to the ring dressed in a suit and cuts a promo claiming that he can finally bring prestige back to professional wrestling now that he is at the top of the mountain. GUNTHER doesn’t speak for long as he is interrupted by, RANDY ORTON!

-Orton tells GUNTHER that he looks good with the title around his waist, but that the only reason he’s champion is because he scored a controversial victory over him at King of the Ring. The Viper reminds the WWE Universe that the referee’s decision is final, but now he wants his rematch, and he wants it at Bash at Berlin. GUNTHER thinks for a moment and accepts the challenge. The two men shake hands and Michael Cole confirms on commentary that the match is set.

-Michael Cole and Pat McAfee remind us that the first hour of tonight’s Raw is commercial-free. We cut backstage where Sheamus is being interviewed. He asks the good people of Baltimore if they’re ready for a BANGER! They all cheer and he enters the arena for his matchup against Kaiser.

Match 1: Sheamus defeated Ludwig Kaiser with The Brogue Kick. Pete Dunne interfered and tried to cost Sheamus but the Celtic Warrior overcame the odds. Dunne and Sheamus had an epic staredown afterward.

-A video package aired hyping the Wyatt Sicks first official matchup since debuting. They will be battling Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers. We cut to another video showing Gable and The Creeds entering the arena, looking confident.

-Damian Priest is out next. He is ENRAGED with Finn Balor, telling his former Judgment Day comrade that he will cause him a great amount of pain for betraying him at SummerSlam. Priest later tells Balor that his family grew (referencing the WWE Universe) at SummerSlam, and that he will not disappoint them again.

-Balor pops up on the screen. He tells Priest that he didn’t betray him, but that Priest betrayed Judgment Day. He pulls up a photo from 2023 SummerSlam, when Balor challenged for the world title against Seth Rollins, but lost due to the teased cash-in from Priest that distracted him. He tells Priest that he will happily make his life a living hell along with the rest of Judgment Day. The camera pulls back and reveals that Liv Morgan and Carlito are now official members, alongside JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio.

-Backstage Adam Pearce gets approached by Bronson Reed. Reed is unhappy and tells Pearce that he plans to stop following the rules because that’s the only way anyone gets what they want in WWE.

Match 2: Lyra Valkyria defeated Shayna Baszler by DQ after Sonya Deville and Zoey Stark attacked Valkyria. This led to Damage CTRL coming up and clearing the ring.

-Karrion Kross cuts a backstage promo alongside The Final Testament. He says the clock is running out on The New Day. He reminds Xavier Woods that he was given ample opportunities to join the Final Testament, but promises instead to allow him to be a part of the death of the New Day.

-Back from commercial. Chad Gable reveals that he and The Creeds will face the Wyatt Sicks in the main event of tonight’s Raw. He also tells Maxxine Dupri that he’s officially done with her, Otis, and Akira Tozawa, and that they can keep the Alpha Academy name.

-A smiling CM Punk is out next for a promo. He tells the fans in Baltimore that he should be angry or upset that he lost at SummerSlam to Drew McIntyre, but the truth is that he was told by WWE that he would need 9 months to recover from his injury and he did it in five. He claims that his road to WrestleMania 41 begins now and that he will once again battle his way to the top.

He then calls out Drew McIntyre for round two, but McIntyre doesn’t answer, Seth Rollins does. Rollins tells Punk that he is ready to fight and the two prepare to square off. Before they fight McIntyre interrupts them from the crowd and touts his victory from SummerSlam. He teases Punk by showing off the bracelet with AJ and Larry’s name on it. Punk darts out of the ring and chases McIntyre, leaving Rollins all alone in the ring.

However, Rollins doesn’t remain alone for long. Bronson Reed attacks and lays Rollins out! He hits six Tsunamis before security escorts him out. Rollins is spitting up blood.

Back from break, Adam Pearce says that Rollins is not doing good at all after Reed’s attack. CM Punk runs up to him looking for Drew McIntyre. Pearce says he walked McIntyre out of the arena and that they’re not touching each other tonight.

Match 3: The New Day defeated Authors of Pain (w/Karrion Kross, Scarlett & Paul Ellering) after Woods catches Akam with an inside cradle. Odyssey Jones debuts and helps the New Day fight the Final Testament off. Jones looked great, and hit both members of the AoP with a slam at the same time.

-A video airs showing JD McDonagh cutting a fiery promo on Damian Priest. The footage shows JD’s history with Priest in Judgment Day and how the two never trusted each other. The two are set to clash later in the show, where JD promises to unleash his full ‘Irish Ace’ persona and put a beating on Priest.

-Back from break, we see Odyssey Jones’ debut played once again. We then cut backstage, where Kofi Kingston formally introduced Jones to Xavier Woods. Kofi says that he asked Jones to help provide some muscle for their fight against the Final Testament. Woods who does not seem too crazy that Jones is there. The Alpha Academy comes in after to celebrate with them.

Match 4: A-Town Down Under defeated The Awesome Truth. Miz looks really unhappy on the outside of the ring after.

-A video airs showing a Damian Priest promo. He confirms all of the things JD McDonagh said earlier, how he never trusted him, and how he plans on starting his tour of revenge by smashing his dopey big head. Priest promises that he will have plenty in the tank for Balor whenever he gets his hands on them.

-Back from break, we cut to a backstage interview with new WWE Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker. He says that even though he’s the champ, he remains the hunter. He aggressively looks into the camera and declares that no man can take the title from him.

Match 5: Damian Priest defeated JD McDonagh by DQ after Finn Balor attacked him. Priest had to be held back by every member of Judgment Day but he was unable to overpower them all. Rhea Ripley runs out to a huge pop and places a beating on Liv Morgan. She goes to powerbomb Morgan through a table but Dominik pulls her away. Ripley and Priest stand tall to end the segment.

-Footage plays of Roman Reigns’ return at WWE SummerSlam. If you missed it, the Original Tribal Chief attacked Solo Sikoa and helped Cody Rhodes retain the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.

-Damage CTRL gets jumped backstage by Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler, and Zoey Stark. They target Dakota Kai’s knee, and claim that Kai will no longer wrestle tonight.

Match 6: IYO SKY defeated Sonya Deville after hitting her signature moonsault. Zoey Stark tried to interfere but SKY overcame and scored a win.

-Backstage we see Sami Zayn talking to Ilja Dragunov. Jey Uso walks in and hypes up Zayn with a bunch of Yeets. Zayn reveals that he will get his rematch against Bron Breakker on next Monday’s Raw, with the I.C. title on the line.

-Another Wyatt Sicks video plays. After it plays, Chad Gable reveals that he and The Creeds will now be known as American Made.

Match 7: Wyatt Sicks (Joe Gacy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis) defeated American Made. Lumis scored the winning pinfall after hitting Gable with a top rope splash. The faction stands tall with the lantern in the center of the ring to end the show.

Bryan Danielson Putting His Career On The Line Against Swerve Strickland at AEW All In

Bryan Danielson is putting his pro wrestling career on the line at the AEW All-In pay-per-view later this month.

The American Dragon was cutting a promo on the July 31st AEW Dynamite, where he told the fans that his contract with the company was officially up tomorrow. He then reminded everyone of the promise he made when he first joined AEW back in 2021, which was to ‘Kick Some Heads In,’ and win the AEW World Championship. Danielson stated that at All In, he would finish that promise.

That brought out the AEW World Champion, Swerve Strickland. Swerve told Danielson that he also said he would win the company’s top prize, managed to do it in less time, and even beat opponents that Danielson had previously lost to. He called Danielson one of the best of all time, but that he was “one of a kind.” Swerve’s rant ended after whispering to Danielson that he wouldn’t be walking out of All In because of the beating he was about to endure.

Danielson refused to let Swerve walk away that easy. He then declared that he would retire from the sport forever if he didn’t win the world title at AEW All In.

Danielson earned the opportunity against Swerve by winning the 2024 Owen Hart Memorial tournament. He’s unsuccessfully challenged for the world title multiple times, including against MJF, Adam Page, and Jon Moxley.

AEW All In takes place on August 25th from Wembley Stadium in London, England. Bryan Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland: AEW World Title vs. Career is set to be the main event.

Seth Rollins Will Enforce Any Rules He Wants for Punk-McIntyre at SummerSlam

Seth Rollins has revealed the official rules for the WWE SummerSlam showdown between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre. Rollins opens the July 29th episode of WWE Raw by explaining his role as the special guest referee for the highly anticipated matchup, which has been building up since the Royal Rumble.

The Visionary invited Punk and McIntyre into the ring, then broke down exactly how he will be calling the action at the premium live event this Saturday in Cleveland. Rollins states that there is only one rule: both men must listen to everything that he says.

There is only one regulation. You two will listen to EVERYTHING I have to say. I call the shots. I’m the boss. I’m the law. I count to three when I want to count to three. You tap out, when I say you tap out. If there’s a count-out to be had, maybe there won’t be any count-outs I don’t know. I might count to ten, I might count to twenty, I might count to a million. Disqualifications? Referee’s discretion.

Rollins continued, telling his rivals that if either man disputes what he says, or gets in his way, there will be consequences.

I’m not some little referee you can just push around. I’m a spiteful little bastard and I will put your head in the dirt.

Punk was the first person to respond, telling Rollins that he better stay out of his way and let him finish his business with McIntyre. The segment ended with the Scottish Warrior holding Punk’s bracelet that has AJ Lee and his dog Larry’s name on it, a taunt that Punk was unable to do anything about.

Rollins officially got tangled up in this heated feud between McIntyre and Punk after Punk cost him the world heavyweight championship at Money In The Bank. He was initially supposed to defend the title against Punk at WrestleMania XL before the Second City Saint tore his triceps during the 2024 Royal Rumble, an injury that McIntyre proudly takes credit for.

The Bloodline Become #1 Contenders After Winning Tag Team Gauntlet On SmackDown

The next challengers for the WWE tag team titles have been determined.

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown included a massive tag team gauntlet, a matchup that featured Apollo Crews & Baron Corbin, Legado del Fantasma, The Street Profits, Pretty Deadly, The OC, and The Bloodline. Whoever emerged victorious would earn a shot at DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) at a future date, perhaps even at SummerSlam on August 3rd.

The action began with Corbin & Crews scoring a victory over Legado De Fantasma. Unfortunately, the unlikely duo’s run didn’t last long as The Street Profits would knock them off, with the former tag champs then running through Pretty Deadly and The OC. However, The Bloodline, represented by Tama Tonga and the Samoan Werewolf Jacob Fatu, was the final team in the gauntlet and put on a dominant display on their way to victory. Fatu scored the win after hitting a pop-up Samoan drop, followed by his signature top rope moonsault.

Fatu has quickly risen as one of the WWE’s biggest threats ever since he debuted on the June 21st episode of SmackDown. He led The Bloodline to victory over Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens at Money In The Bank, and now has a change to capture his first gold since signing with the company earlier this year.

WWE later confirmed The Bloodline will get their opportunity at the tag team on the August 2nd SmackDown.

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WWE released this video of the champions reacting to the news that The Bloodline will be their opponents next week.

Meanwhile, The Bloodline’s new leader, Solo Sikoa, has his own chance for glory when he challenges Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam next weekend.

No, AEW Did Not Snub Kenny Omega on His Birthday

One month out and fans are still talking about the backstage brawl that occurred in AEW following their ALL OUT 2022 pay-per-view event. The incident, which is still under investigation, involved CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Ace Steel, and the Young Bucks, all who are still suspended from action aside from Steel, who was released by AEW this morning.

Some fans were speculating on Omega’s status with the company as the AEW social media team did not post anything about the Cleaner on his birthday on October 16th. However, AEW did make a birthday post for Fuego Del Sol, who shares a birthday with Omega. He just turned 27. This led to some controversy as some fans started taking unnecessary shots at Del Sol for doing nothing.

Fuego Del Sol Fires Back At The Trolls

Fuego is not the type of talent to just let silliness fly. He took to Twitter and revealed that Omega specifically told the AEW social media team not to post about his birthday, a request he made as early as a year ago. Del Sol’s full tweet reads:

“Only commenting on this because there are still articles and comments that are using me and my birthday to comment on Omega. I love Omega as much as the next fan. He told socials not to post about his birthday last year. Learn how to UNTAG me before you spew your hate and B.S.!”

This isn’t the first time Del Sol has tried to clear the air regarding a misconception about him. He went on Twitter recently and explained that his angle with Malakai Black was something that Black pushed for, and was not forced upon the House of Black faction.

We here at Sescoops would like to wish Del Sol a happy belated birthday.

Positive Update on Cody Rhodes’ WWE Return Timeframe

Cody Rhodes triumphantly returned to WWE back at WrestleMania 38 earlier this year, where the American Nightmare was quickly featured as one of the company’s biggest stars and top babyfaces. He went on a miraculous win streak in that time, including victories over Kevin Owens and an insane trilogy with new United States champion, Seth Rollins.

Unfortunately for Rhodes he would hit a roadblock. Prior to his Hell in a Cell showdown with Rollins at the beginning of June he tore his pectoral muscle while weight training, leaving him with a bruise that the entire WWE Universe would see as he still competed at Hell in a Cell in a critically acclaimed matchup. Once the injury occurred several reports surfaced stating that he would be on the shelf anywhere from 6-8 months.

Ahead of Schedule

Rhodes is recovering from his injury well, and is even slightly ahead of schedule from his original timetable, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It is mentioned in the report that he has been working alongside WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page during this time, and has been taking it easy with upper body weights.

As for a return…the Royal Rumble is said to be “looking good,” but there is also some speculation on him returning in time for Day 1 as that event is in his childhood hometown of Atlanta. Either way WWE will be attempting to keep it a secret so there can be a surprise pop whenever it does happen.

Rhodes told the WWE Universe when he returned that his goal is to do what his father, the great Dusty Rhodes couldn’t do in WWE, which was hold a world title.

Brandi Rhodes Joining WWE?

Aliyah Reveals She Was Injured During Recent WWE Tag Team Title Match

Aliyah wants to clear the air regarding her noticeable absence from WWE programming.

The 27-year old star released a new post on her personal Instagram revealing that she suffered an injury during her tag team title matchup against Damage CTRL (Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai) from an episode of Raw last month, where her and her partner Raquel Rodriguez lost the titles after a short reign as champions.

When talking about the match Aliyah calls it one of her personal favorites because the injury she suffered caused her to push forward, adding that she unleashed a side of herself that she never knew existed.

“It’s been a month so here I go straight from the horses mouth. I have to say my last match was probably one of my most favorite. And I would like to thank my tag partner Raquel and Damage CTRL And everyone involved. Yes I got injured mid match, however I have this overwhelming gratitude towards the incident because I felt like it pulled out a version of me that I never even knew existed. “Keep going!” I remember thinking. “I never get opportunities like this one” another voice in my head screamed.

So idc I’m going to keep going and keep showing out. The emotions and energy I was feeling in the moment truly lit me up inside and I felt INDESTRUCTIBLE in that moment (yes, with an elevated first rib and ac sprain and all.)”

Aliyah ends her passage by saying she is very grateful to be a professional wrestler, and is looking forward to getting back into the ring.

“I am very grateful to get to do what I do and I hope my passion and efforts transcended thru your television screen. I don’t know what the future holds or when I’ll be back. But I just want to say thank you for everyone that has reached out. I really can’t wait to get back in the ring. “

Aliyah and Rodriguez were the first champions following the walkout of Sasha Banks and Naomi, where the duo won an eight team tournament to capture the belts. Neither WWE or Aliyah has confirmed how long she will be out of action.

Stay tuned.

Former ROH Stars Backstage For WWE Raw Season Premiere

Tonight WWE presents their season premiere of their flagship program Raw, which is taking place from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York, and will be featuring the reunion of the legendary Degeneration-X faction, as well as a number of matches from your favorite WWE superstars.

However, aside from their normal talent and staff there are two unusual presences. According to PW Insider, former ROH stars Vincent and Dutch (aka Bill Carr) are backstage ahead of tonight’s show. The report does not mention whether the two men will be used on programming or if they are just visiting friends backstage.

Vincent and Dutch were both members of the group known a The Righteous, and held ROH Six-man tag team gold together. While that was Dutch’s only title reign in ROH Vincent held the six-man title on four separate occasions.

Dutch was actually signed to a WWE development contract back in 2010, and worked for the company’s FCW brand, which would eventually morph into NXT. He would be released in 2011 and began working steadily on the indies before making his way to Ring of Honor.

Vincent just finished up a run in IMPACT Wrestling as a member of the Honor No More group.

Stay tuned for more backstage updates.

Hikaru Shida Is Currently The Top Female Merchandise Seller For AEW

AEW’s women’s division continues to grow.

The promotion most recently added Saraya (formerly known as Paige) to their talented roster, one that already includes Britt Baker, Athena, Jade Cargill, Serena Deeb, Madison Rayne, Riho, Nyla Rose, Kris Statlander, Penelope Ford, Anna Jay, and a ton of rising stars like Willow Nightingale, Red Velvet, Leyla Hirsch, Jamie Hayter, and Skye Blue.

When looking at the top merchandise sellers for AEW the most common names, like CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Adam Page, MJF, and Orange Cassidy sit at the top, with some hotter acts like Danhausen and The Acclaimed working their way up. However, the top selling female star is not who you may think it is.

Former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida Is The Best Female Merch Seller For AEW

According to the ShopAEW numbers (thanks to a report by WrestleNomics), Hikaru Shida currently sits among the top sellers for AEW, and is even outselling Saraya, who debuted a few weeks ago, and Britt Baker, arguably the company’s most featured star. Shida’s appearances in AEW have been scattered since she lost the title to Baker at Double or Nothing 2021, but she is set to compete this Wednesday in tag team action, which will be AEW’s debut show in Canada.

Shida defeated Nyla Rose at Double or Nothing 2020 to become the third-ever AEW women’s champion. Unfortunately, the entirety of her title reign was in front of a few fans due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite her scattered use Shida continues to remain one of AEW’s most popular stars.

A photo of the merch numbers can be seen below.

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Dwight Howard Reveals What Triple H and Stephanie McMahon Told Him At WWE Tryouts

NBA star Dwight Howard may have a future inside the squared circle. The 8-time All Star and 2020 NBA Champion attended WWE’s latest round of open tryouts, which took place this summer in Nashville during SummerSlam weekend.

Howard’s work at the tryouts garnered both him and WWE some great attention, as the promos Howard cut circulated online and had fanbases in wrestling and basketball talking about his potential as a WWE superstar.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque raved about Howard’s performance in Nashville. As the head of WWE’s talent relations division, Triple H said Howard could follow in the footsteps of Logan Paul and Bad Bunny if he’s really serious about making the jump into the world of pro wrestling.

Howard Thinks He’d Excel In WWE

Howard recently appeared on the “All The Smoke” program to discuss his work at the WWE tryouts, where he tells the show hosts that he’s always had an affinity for professional wrestling.

“My whole life growing up as a kid, me and my brother wrestled,” he said. “I played around acting like I was the Hulk, you know what I’m saying? And then, my nickname is Randy Savage so that’ll tell right there how much I love wrestling. Randy Savage, that was my sh*t so, why not? I really enjoy the crowd, I enjoy entertaining people, I enjoy the fans and stuff like that and the atmosphere is crazy.”

“I would definitely enjoy being a real wrestler like that.”

– Dwight Howard

He later reveals that Triple H and his wife, co-CEO Stephanie McMahon, were very complimentary of the promos he was cutting in Nashville.

“I went to SummerSlam this summer and I got a chance to do some promos for wrestling and Triple H and Stephanie McMahon was there. She had just became the new CEO of WWE and I did my promo and they was like, ‘Man, that was the best promo of the whole tryout and do you really wanna wrestle?’

Triple H Says WWE Would Sign Dwight Howard

Konosuke Takeshita Expected Back In AEW Very Soon

A fan-favorite is expected to be returning to AEW very soon.

Japanese star Konosuke Takeshita, who had been building up his reputation at DDT-Pro, began regularly competing for AEW earlier this year and quickly won over the hearts of the AEW Universe with his in-ring performances. The 27-year old had marquee matchups against Adam Page, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, and nearly won the ROH championship from Claudio Castagnoli at their encounter at Battle of the Belts III.

While Takeshita came up short in all of the aforementioned matchups his stock grew heavily within the company. He picked up a series of wins on their weekly Youtube shows (Dark: Elevation, Dark), as well as a victory over Ryan Nemeth on an edition of their TNT program, Rampage. Takeshita’s run with the company ended over the summer as he had to return to Japan.

A New Report Says Takeshita Will Be Back In AEW In Two Weeks

According to Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer, AEW is hoping to have Takeshita return in the next couple of weeks. While this is exciting Meltzer does note that there don’t seem to be any plans for Takeshita at the moment, but that could obviously change very quickly due to the nature of booking these shows.

The return couldn’t come at a better time for AEW, who have a number of top stars currently on the sideline either due to injury, suspension, or a mixture of both. This includes CM Punk, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Adam Cole, Malakai Black, and now…Andrade El Idolo.

Are you excited to see Takeshita back in AEW?

Andrade El Idolo Thinks AAA Is Treating Hijo del Vikingo Unjustly, Says CMLL Talent Makes More Money

Andrade El Idolo is sick of talents being treated unjustly, and has called out a certain promotion for doing it.

The AEW superstar, who had already made headlines this week due to his online dispute with Sammy Guevara, is criticizing Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide for not paying their talents well during an interview with Más Lucha, specifically mentioning AAA’s current Mega Champion, Hijo del Vikingo. Andrade even suggests that Vikingo, who has become one of AAA’s most popular stars, needs to get out of that situation.

Andrade Claims CMLL Pays Opening Match Talents Better Than AAA Main Eventers

While is isn’t sure of their exact payments Andrade speculates that Vikingo is making $100-$200 per match, later adding that the other major Mexico based lucha-libre promotion CMLL pays their opening match talents more than AAA main eventers.

A clip of this portion of Andrade’s interview has circulated online. (Special thanks to LuchaBlog for the translation)

Cinta De Oro, formerly known as Sin Cara in WWE, responded to Andrade’s recent tirade with Guevara to support and thank him for calling out certain injustices in wrestling. You can see that exchange below.

Andrade is set to face Preston “10” Vance on this Friday’s AEW Rampage, which has major implications for both men. If Vance loses he must give up his mask that was given to him by the late Brodie Lee, but if Andrade loses his AEW career is over.

Big Title Match Confirmed For Anniversary Edition Of AEW Dynamite

This Wednesday AEW will be celebrating its three-year anniversary for their flagship program of Dynamite, which began its run on TNT and has since moved to TBS. While the lineup was already pretty stacked a major title matchup has since been added.

Wardlow took to Twitter this evening to issue an open challenge for Dynamite, with Mr. Mayhem adding that he will be putting his coveted TNT championship on the line. The champ writes, “I dare someone to challenge me for the TNT title this Wednesday at the anniversary show. Someone remotely close to my level. Just show up, I’ll be waiting.”

It wouldn’t take long for someone to respond Wardlow…and that person was Brian Cage. The Machine has been noticeably absent from weekly AEW programming for some time aside from a few appearances on the company’s Youtube shows Dark: Elevation and Dark. Cage did join forces with Tully Blanchard at ROH Supercard of Honor, but Blanchard has since departed from the company.

Tony Khan would later confirm the matchup for AEW fans, one that many have been asking for due to each man’s impressive athleticism and build.

Below is an updated lineup for the three-year anniversary edition of Dynamite:

-Wardlow defends the TNT championship against Brian Cage

-Adam “Hangman” Page vs. RUSH

-Sammy Guevara & Chris Jericho vs. Daniel Garcia & Bryan Danielson

-Wheeler Yuta vs. MJF

-Jay Lethal vs. Darby Allin

-A celebration of National Scissoring Day from The Acclaimed

-Luchasaurus will be in aciton

-Willow Nightingale, Toni Storm, & Athena vs. Serena Deeb, Jamie Hayter, & Penelope Ford

WWE Very Happy to Re-Sign Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae

WWE higher ups are quite pleased about the return of two top free agents.

This past week’s Monday Night Raw saw the return of Candice LeRae, who wrestled her first matchup since July of 2021 after temporarily stepping away from the sport to have a child. She defeated Nikki ASH in quick fashion.

LeRae’s husband, former triple-crown NXT champion Johnny Gargano, had made his return on Raw a few weeks prior, and has regularly appeared on programming since.

Gargano & LaRae’s Returns to WWE

WWE were very impressed at how professional Gargano and LeRae acted towards the end of their first tenure with the company, according to a new report by Fightful. It is noted in the report that the duo were considering offers from other companies, with IMPACT being the only promotion they didn’t seem interested in.

LeRae and Gargano were two of NXT’s top acts, where they would eventually form the heel faction The Way. The couple was lauded for helping put over a fresh batch of talent at that time, especially Gargano, who worked heavily with Austin Theory, Indi Hartwell, and Dexter Lumis prior to his exit. Gargano had publicly stated how much he loved working for NXT under Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

It’s believed that Vince McMahon’s retirement and Triple H taking over as the Chief Content creator for WWE it made Gargano and LeRae’s decision much easier.

More on Johnny Gargano:

NJPW and WWE Share Touching Memoriam For Antonio Inoki

Yesterday, the pro-wrestling world learned that Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling, a former 12-time world champion, and respected Japanese politician, had passed away at the age of 79. Inoki’s legacy will forever be remembered, including in WWE, where he was an unrecognized world champion and entered their Hall of Fame in 2010.

Today both WWE and NJPW each shared their own touching memoriam to celebrate the life of Inoki, with each pointing out marquee moments in his prestigious career.

Statement From WWE

“WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki.

One of the key figures in the history of Japanese wrestling, Antonio Inoki was among the most respected men in sports-entertainment and a bona fide legend in his homeland.

Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1943, Inoki grew into a natural in-ring competitor. The incredible squared circle figure found his greatest success in New Japan Pro Wrestling, a promotion he founded in 1972. Over the course of the next two decades, Inoki built NJPW into the most successful wrestling company in Asia. Utilizing talented Japanese competitors like Tatsumi Fujinami and Riki Choshu, innovative high-flyers like Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid and American Superstars like Bob Backlund and Vader, the young promoter created a product that was unique, influential and far ahead of its time. In addition to running the company, Inoki himself was one of the top stars in NJPW, carrying the championship and battling the likes of Stan Hansen, Tiger Jeet Singh and Hulk Hogan.

In his most-famous match, Inoki fought boxing legend Muhammad Ali in a rare wrestler vs. boxer match in June 26, 1976 – a contest that paved the way for the advent of Mixed Martial Arts, which would explode in popularity decades later. The bout also exemplified Inoki’s undying love and respect for professional wrestling. This passion for competition earned him the nickname “Moeru Toukon” amongst his peers, which translates to “The fighting spirit that burns.”

Inoki was also a tremendous ambassador for professional wrestling, bringing major events to places like Russia and China. And in 2010, WWE did the same by welcoming Antonio Inoki into the WWE Hall of Fame Class.

WWE offers it’s heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of the squared circle legend and the wrestling world as a whole.

Statement From New Japan Pro Wrestling

“Antonio Inoki, founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, wrestler, promoter, politician and social activist, has died after a battle with amyloidosis. He was 79.

Inoki was born in Yokohama in 1943. Relocating with his family to Brazil at age 13, the promising athlete had been working on a coffee plantation when he was scouted by Rikidozan on excursion to the region and recruited into professional wrestling.

After making his debut on September 30 1960 under his birth name Kanji, his teenage years in Brazil would lead to him being renamed Antonio, with a legend being born in 1962.

In the wake of discord within the Japanese Wrestling Association following Rikidozan’s death, Inoki would depart the promotion, forming New Japan Pro-Wrestling in January 1972 before staging NJPW’s first event in Ota on March 6 that year.

As NJPW’s status grew, Inoki’s early career rival and former tag team partner Giant Baba would also become a promoter. In the face of his competition in All Japan Pro-Wrestling, Inoki would brand NJPW around the ideas of ‘Strong Style’ and ‘Fighting Spirit’. The rivalry sparked a boom in pro-wrestling that Inoki would be at the forefront of.

June 26, 1976 would see Inoki break new ground when he battled Muhammad Ali in the Nippon Budokan, a match credited with being the birth of what became mixed martial arts. From his martial arts fights, to bloody brawls with the likes of Tiger Jeet Singh, and an indomitable underdog spirit opposite the hulking Andre the Giant, Inoki blended an in ring versatility with an explosive charisma that made him the image of professional wrestling to generations both in Japan and worldwide.

Though Inoki would be active in ring until his Tokyo Dome retirement on April 4 1998, 1989 would see Inoki transition to the political arena, establishing the Sports and Peace Party and winning election into the Japanese House of Councillors on his first attempt. He would serve two terms in the Japanese Diet and was the first ever wrestler to serve in such a capacity.

Inoki would start NJPW’s 50th year celebrations on January 4 2022 with a special video message in the Tokyo Dome at the start of Wrestle Kingdom 16.

The thoughts and deepest sympathies of all at New Japan Pro-Wrestling go out to Inoki’s family, friends and fans.”

You can read our initial report on Inoki here.

Chris Jericho Hoping For Major AEW Match Against Wrestling Legend

Chris Jericho is eyeballing a marquee matchup in AEW with one of the company’s biggest legends.

The Demo God and current Ring of Honor world champion was the latest guest to join the AEW Unrestricted podcast, where he spoke about his desire to face off against the Icon Sting, a star that he’s never stood across from inside the squared circle. Sting has been one of the most dominant talents on the AEW roster, but has only competed alongside Darby Allin (and others) in tag team action.

Jericho Is Willing To Bring Out The Painmaker For Sting

When the topic came up in the interview Jericho wasn’t shy of calling out the Stinger as a dream opponent.

“Whenever there’s a Sting-Jericho match which there has to be because Sting and I have never been in the ring together ever, except for when Keith Mitchell retired and we had that after-ceremony. Never been in the same ring ever. Ever, ever, ever. “

That’s not all…Jericho is already drumming up ideas about a potential scenario with Sting. He’s even willing to resurrect his Painmaker gimmick, an act that Jericho created during his NJPW run between 2019-2020.

“There has to be a Sting and Jericho match in whatever way we decide it and that would be a great time for ‘Painmaker.'”

Jericho recently defeated Bandido on Dynamite, his first successful defense of the ROH title since winning it from Claudio Castagnoli. He has since challenged Bryan Danielson to a showdown at the AEW debut in Canada, where the ROH title will once again be on the line.

(Quotes via Post Wrestling)

WWE Hall Of Famer Thinks CM Punk’s Media Scrum Rant Was Disastrous and Counterproductive

As the month of September comes to an end the pro-wrestling community is still reeling from the events of the AEW ALL OUT media scrum, and the tirade from former two-time world champion CM Punk, who called out the wrestling media for their “mishandling” of the Colt Cabana situation. The Second City Saint also took aim at the AEW EVPs Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.

The situation only became worse when a backstage melee occurred between Punk and the Elite, one that got multiple names suspended and threw a wrench into several ongoing storylines that cause Tony Khan to alter his plans once again. At this point an investigation is still going on, with Punk’s status the biggest question mark up in the air. A number of top legends, analysts, and current superstars have weighed in on this monumental moment, and now we can add one more to the list.

Mick Foley Calls Punk’s tirade a disaster for AEW President Tony Khan

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley spoke about the ALL OUT media scrum and the ensuing backstage altercation on the latest edition of his Foley Is Pod program. The Hardcore legend begins by stating the obvious, which is that Punk’s comments at the scrum were counterproductive to his world title win earlier in the evening, and put AEW President Tony Khan in a terrible position.

“I think anything that takes away from the majesty of that moment is counterproductive. By that standard, everything Phil did, Punk did, was disastrous because it put Tony Khan in a bad position. Anything that ends up with, Punk I believe was hurt and would have probably been out. But it put a lot of eyeballs on the product the next night, that’s a given. It was just really unfortunate. You don’t want to see that side of your superstars.”

That’s not all. Foley further elaborated on the situation by comparing Punk’s victory over Jon Moxley to his victory over The Rock, his first world title win in WWE.

“You know, I know when I held that title aloft when I beat [The Rock] for the WWE Title, and I never thought I was a WWE Title guy, so I never based my career on it the way that a lot of people have. But I remember that feeling of just utter joy. I moved pretty good for a big guy when I ran my two or three laps around there and then gave the impromptu promo, Big Daddio did it. I can’t imagine going backstage and being angry or bitter, or taking the joy out of the experience for our fans. So I didn’t see Punk’s promo in its entirety, but it put Tony Khan in a bad position, and there’s a time and a place, maybe, to play with emotions. If you have something substantial that can make people feel strange in their gut, but not after a title win.”

Aside from just the incident Punk was also injured during his matchup with Moxley, which has put him on the shelf once again. At this time it is unknown if he will return when he is all healed up.

CM Punk is Probably Not Returning to AEW

Buddy Matthews On Recent Reports Of His AEW Status: “Fake, Fake, Fake, Fake”

Buddy Matthews is denying recent reports made about his status with All Elite Wrestling.

The House of Black member was trending yesterday after a promo he cut at Saturday’s Fight Life Pro Wrestling event surfaced, where the former NXT cruiserweight champion said he was stepping away from pro-wrestling to figure some things out. Matthews added that the things had been weird since the AEW release of Malakai Black, but that he appreciated the fans support since the group was formed earlier this year.

However, that would not be the end of the story. A report would emerge later in the day revealing that Matthews, like Malakai, was also unhappy with how his run with AEW was going, and that he could potentially be on his way out. It was not specified whether Matthews was trying to get out of his AEW contract, or if the company was attempting to get ride of him since the group’s plans fell through. His stablemate Brody King confirmed on Twitter that he wasn’t planning on leaving AEW anytime soon.

Matthews Has Denied The Reports

This would all spell disaster if not for one thing…Matthews calling all the recent reports lies. He took to Twitter late last night and released a GIF from the all time classic sitcom Seinfeld, which shows Elaine shouting out “Fake, Fake, Fake, Fake.”

To add fuel to the fire the AEW Twitter account shared a happy birthday post for Matthews, who just turned 34.

Stay tuned for more updates on the situation.