AEW President Tony Khan had been teasing all day that next week’s Dynamite would have a tie-in to a major IP that was owned by Warner Bros, causing fans to speculate what crossover they could see featured with their favorite superstars.
That tie-in is the House of the Dragon, the soon to be released HBO Original series that is an extension of the hit Game of Thrones show that wowed audiences for years.
AEW has since announced an early lineup for the episode, which includes Bryan Danielson in action and the start of the highly-anticipated trios tournament (full brackets here). Matchups are below.
-La Faccion Ingobernable vs. The Young Bucks & Mystery Partner
-Daniel Garcia vs. Bryan Danielson (two out of three falls)
This evening AEW held their Quake By The Lake edition of Dynamite from Minneapolis Minnesota, which saw the promotion announce details for the upcoming trios tournament that will crown the first-ever trios champions.
AEW teams that will be competing: House of Black, Dark Order, Trustbusters, Best Friends, Death Triangle, Young Bucks w/mystery man, and La Faccion Ingobernable.
The final spot will be taken by NJPW’s Will Ospreary & Aussie Open, who previously competed on AEW programming in the build-up to Forbidden Door. Ospreay has since taken to Twitter to hype his participation.
AEW Trios Tournament Brackets
You can see the first round matchups below:
Death Triangle vs. Will Ospreay & Aussie Open
La Faccion Ingobernable vs. Young Bucks & Mystery Man
House of Black vs. Dark Order
Best Friends vs. Trustbusters
The finals for the trios tournament will take place at the September 4th ALL OUT pay-per-view from the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
AEW star Anthony Ogogo recently appeared on Insight With Chris Van Vilet to discuss a number of pro-wrestling topics, which included the former Olympian’s thoughts on his feud with Cody Rhodes in 2021.
The two were set to meet at that year’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view from Daily’s Place in Florida, AEW’s first major event with a packed house since the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020. Prior to the match the hard-hitting Brit and the American Nightmare had several segments to build their feud on Dynamite, with one being memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Ogogo and Rhodes met for a weigh-in segment hosted by Paul Wight, but things went horrendously wrong. Wight had issues reading the scale and fireworks from a local baseball game went off that caused a great distraction. The segment seemed never ending, and since there was no physicality it left everyone with a bad taste in their mouth going into Double or Nothing.
When talking about the weigh-in…Ogogo could not think of one nice thing to say.
“Fucking dogshit mate, fucking dogshit!”
He later reveals that he thought the idea was lame even before the fiascos occurred inside of the ring.
“So Cody said to me that we were going to do a weigh-in. I’m like ‘Cool, so what’s going to happen?’ And Cody is brilliant, he is brilliant at what he does and he has got a great mind for it. [Cody] was like ‘We are going to do a weigh-in.’ I’m like ‘Cool, who is getting knocked out? What are we going to do.’ [Cody responds] ‘It’s a weigh-in, we are not going to touch.’ I’m like oh, I have watched enough wrestling to know that that’s a bit drab, a bit of shit.”
Ogogo doesn’t just call the whole segment a disaster, but believes he was the biggest victim of its failure.
“Mate the whole thing was disastrous, but I feel like I’m the victim. It was my first kind of entry, and I am in this really weird segment that wasn’t my idea. I would have rather knocked out Goldust, knocked out Dustin.”
Rhodes would go on to defeat Ogogo at Double or Nothing. Ogogo has been largely absent from AEW’s main programming (Dynamite & Rampage) ever since.
(Special thanks to Chris Van Vilet for sending over quotes)
The great Mike “Rocky Jones” Masters has passed away.
The former pro-wrestling star was battling throat cancer and had been admitted to the hospital prior to his passing. He was 68.
Masters worked for WWE (WWWF) back in the late 70s and early 80s, but made a name for himself working in several territories throughout his career. He wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling, was very popular in the Portland area, as well as East Coast Pro Wrestling which he co-founded with Gino Caruso.
One of Masters most famous matchups was against Ken Patera for the Intercontinental title in the fall of 1979. He also clashed with Hulk Hogan in 1980 for All Star Wrestling. You can watch that match below.
Aside from competing Masters worked as a trainer, with one of his students being Little Guido, better known as Nunzio.
Sescoops would like to send our condolences to the friends, family, and loved ones of Masters. May he rest in peace.
Malakai Black released a pair of videos on his personal TikTok account disclosing some very telling information about his health.
The AEW star revealed in the post that he’s been battling a pretty severe back injury for quite some time, and that he was quite sure he was going to have to retire from the sport of pro-wrestling. Fortunately the former NXT champion finally hit a breakthrough while getting dry needling treatment.
“Till about 3 months ago I was dealing with a back injury I was convinced was going to force me into retirement, but after a literal year of treatment that went from working to complete failure on several occasions we all of a sudden hit the correct vertebrae during a dry needling session and everything released. From there we were able to rehab and strengthen.”
One of the videos shows Black’s intense reaction to the dry needling, but the second shows him deadlifting a pretty heavy weight amount in the gym, an indication that he is feeling much healthier than originally described.
“You can check video 2 for this horrendous view and my personal reaction to it. However, allowing me now a few months later to slowly move back into deadlifting and a few more compound moves.”
The House of Black have been one of the more dominant trios in AEW since they formed. Black has not missed any time since he debuted with the company back in July of 2021, but his in-ring time has been noticeably less than one would expect. However, this confession explains why. One of his faction mates, Buddy Matthews, is also dealing with his own injury that has kept him on the shelf. See Black’s post below.
Over the weekend NXT star Tatum Paxley suffered an injury at the promotion’s house show in Gainesville Florida, where she got busted open badly and potentially even broke her nose. The referee at ringside quickly called the match off. You can read the full original report here.
Paxley provided an update on Twitter last night letting the WWE Universe know that she will be okay. Her message reads, “Thank you everyone for reaching out and checking in! I’ll be ok! Accidents like these happen all the time in what we do. Plus getting blood everywhere is super heavy metal.”
Thank you everyone for reaching out and checking in!? I’ll be ok! Accidents like these happen all the time in what we do. Plus getting blood everywhere is super heavy metal ???
Paxley made her debut for NXT on the February 18th episode of Level Up after signing with WWE back in 2021.
WWE had a bad weekend of scares as former SmackDown women’s champion Carmella sustained a head injury at the the company’s house show on Saturday night.
Rob Van Dam has had a prestigious and award filled career.
The high-flying legend was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2021, and is a previous world champion for WWE, ECW, and TNA. Along with that he’s also been a six-time Intercontinental champion, a multi-time tag team champion, won the 2006 Money In the Bank briefcase, and wowed audiences for decades with his impressive arsenal of signature maneuvers.
Now RVD will add another accolade to his already impressive resume. On Saturday December 17th he will be inducted into the 2300 Arena’s Hardcore Hall of Fame, making him the 22nd entry of all time since its inception in 2002. The venue was a home-base for ECW, and is still used to this day by multiple promotions, including GCW and MLW.
The ceremony will take place at the Battleground Championship Wrestling Event.
WWE had a string of bad luck with injuries last night.
We previously reported how former SmackDown women’s champion Carmella banged her head pretty badly at the company’s house show in Charleston South Carolina. The Queen of Staten Island was able to make it to the back on her own, but did have officials shielding her eyes from the lights.
Elsewhere NXT held a house show in Gainesville Florida, where rising star Tatum Paxley took on Sloane Jacobs in singles-action. Unfortunately for Tatum, she got busted open pretty badly on a ring post spot, with the belief being that she broke her nose. The referee immediately called the match off once he saw Tatum’s condition.
#NXTGainesville Unfortunately we didn't get to see much of @TatumPaxley in action due to an injury. Hopefully it's not too serious. Special thanks to the official for quickly calling off the match. pic.twitter.com/5FmOiN7XHu
As of right now WWE has yet to provide an update on Tatum, nor is it known if she will miss any time. AEW’s Jamie Hayter similarly broke her nose during her women’s title matchup against Thunder Rosa at last night’s Battle of the Belts 3 television special.
The former multi-company world champion will be competing at the August 27th NWA 74th Anniversary show from the Khorassan Ballroom in St. Louis Missouri, where he will be choosing his own opponent. The National Wrestling Alliance later confirmed the news on Twitter.
Cardona has been out of action since early June with a torn bicep, an injury that required surgery and forced him to relinquish the NWA world championship. Despite not being cleared to compete Cardona still remained active with appearances and signings, including most recently at Ric Flair’s Last Match with Jim Crockett Promotions.
Cardona would write the following on Twitter hyping up his return: “I’M BACK! I will make my return to the ring at #NWA74 on August 27. I will handpick my opponent from the incredibly talented @nwa roster. Who’s it gonna be?!”
I’M BACK!
I will make my return to the ring at #NWA74 on August 27.
I will handpick my opponent from the incredibly talented @nwa roster.
This Monday WWE will be invading the Rocket Mortage Fieldhouse in Cleveland Ohio for another edition of their weekly episodic, Raw, and fans in attendance can expect to see a big name at the show.
WWE Hall of Famer Edge is set to appear for the red-brand, his first television appearance since he was kicked out of the Judgement Day faction on June 6th.
In fact, Edge is now scheduled to appear at every RAW in the lead-up to Clash at the Castle. While not officially announced, a showdown with Finn Balor at the Cardiff stadium show seems likely.
The R-Rated superstar returned at last Saturday’s SummerSlam to confront his former group, with the report stating that he will continue to feud with them moving forward.
Edge has been a prominent player for WWE since coming out of retirement at the 2020 Royal Rumble. In that time he has won another Royal Rumble, headlined WrestleMania 37, challenged for the world title on several occasions, and been involved in some blood feuds with Seth Rollins and AJ Styles.
Impact Wrestling recently announced the locations for two of their biggest shows of the year, Bound For Glory and Victory Road.
Bound For Glory will be taking place in Albany New York on Friday October 7th, the very first time the promotion has run a major pay-per-view on a Friday in their long history. However, this was not the show’s original setting. Originally Bound For Glory was set for the next night, October 8th, in Danbury Connecticut.
According to Fightful, the change occurred due to WWE holding their Extreme Rules premium live event on Saturday the 8th, and Impact didn’t want to run against them on the same night so they changed dates. The venue in Danbury was not available on Friday though, so Albany became the show’s location.
Meanwhile…Victory Road will be taking place on September 23rd from Skyway Studios in Nashville Tennessee, which was Impact’s home-base during the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak. Fightful also has a report regarding this show, as Nashville was not the original host city.
According to this second report Victory Road was originally going to take place in Philadelphia. At this time…it is unknown why Impact decided to change this show’s location and venue.
You can find full ticket details for both shows here.
Thunder Rosa isn’t afraid to have a sense of humor regarding past criticisms.
The AEW women’s champion wore a “sandbagging” t-shirt on this past Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite, a behind-the-scenes term that means a wrestler makes themselves heavier during a lifting spot so their opponent looks weaker or inept. Rosa got accused of “sandbagging” Marina Shafir in a TV matchup earlier this year.
Rosa talked in-depth about the decision to make a shirt on the latest edition of Busted Open Radio.
“So using the sandbagging t-shirt is a way for me to say keep bullying me because I’m gonna make money out of it. All right, straight up. You’re gonna call me fat. Well, guess what? I’ll be the biggest fat bitch in the world. Boom.”
La Mera Mera adds that people will have their opinions, especially critics, but there is no denying that when the women’s division is given a chance in AEW they can truly shine, much like they did on Wednesday. On that night Rosa teamed up with Toni Storm (ThunderStorm) to battle Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker, a bout that got over huge with the crowd in Columbus.
“I’m gonna do it because I’m gonna own it. I’m not a sandbagger. Let’s be honest; people are gonna have their opinions, fine. Have your opinions. Right there on Wednesday, the four of us, we showed up, showed off, and we have the people chanting; this is awesome. Why? Because they don’t get to see this all the time.”
Rosa and Storm were on the losing end of the match, with Hayter picking up the deciding pinfall for her team. Tony Khan has since booked Hayter to challenge Rosa for the women’s title at tomorrow’s Battle of the Belts III television special.
The wrestling world is still reeling from the shocking retirement of Vince McMahon, who decided to call it quits at 76 while he deals with the fallout from multiple allegations that surfaced in the mainstream media. In his absence WWE is now being run by Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon as co-CEOs, and Triple H taking charge as head of the company’s creative.
ESPN conducted an interview with several top superstars giving their thoughts on McMahon’s retirement, which included some input from one of the most respected WWE legends of all time, The Undertaker. The Deadman began by discussing what he foresees for the WWE now that there’s some new blood in charge.
“They’re loosening the reins a little bit as far as what guys can say and do. I think the product will probably be a little more aggressive. I think that’s going to come through in the creative.”
Taker already sees WWE attempting to make improvements, citing some recent action where commentators took notice of Montez Ford getting busted open and how little things like that help tell a bigger story.
“Those things are going to help because WWE is going to do it better than anybody else, and they don’t throw things away. Hopefully, a lot of people there know how to rein things in and make things like that mean something instead of just doing it to do it.”
The Hall of Famer would then discuss his longtime friend/rival Triple H running the creative side of WWE. Taker calls The Game brilliant, someone who he believes doesn’t get enough credit for his “wrestling acument.”
“I mean, he’s brilliant, he really is. I don’t think he gets enough credit for his wrestling acumen. I think he’ll be a huge asset to the development of a lot of guys. And he’s a no bulls— kind of guy too. He’s going to let you know what you’re doing that’s right and what you’re doing that’s wrong.”
When asked about his faith in Triple H’s leadership, Taker was quick to respond.
“I think it’s going to be a step in the right direction with Hunter.”
WWE is coming off a well-received SummerSlam, and a strong showing on Monday Night Raw. Can the momentum continue on this Friday’s SmackDown?
CM Punk feels more connected to the pro-wrestling audience than ever before.
The AEW world champion returned nearly one year ago (August 20th) after being absent from the business since 2014, with his departure and fallout with WWE becoming a national story. Punk coming back was never a guarantee, but the fans never forgot him, and chanted his name as often as they could.
The champ spoke about this bond during a recent interview with Screenrant, calling the love a currency that he will not take advantage of.
“I think I have a currency with the audience just having been around for so long, coming from the Indies, going to the old WWF, and you know being around the block. Leaving, coming back after seven years, there’s a connection that I have.”
Punk adds that being a top babyface is always hard work, but feels like turning heel while the audience still loves him is a move he is not prepared to make just yet.
“I don’t necessarily enjoy being a good guy. I feel like it’s hard work. It’s a lot easier to get people to dislike you. But I feel it would be wasteful to, as I said, discard this currency that I have with the audience because it is, I feel, a special connection.”
He also plans on treating every appearance as special.
“You know, they’re chanting my name for seven years. I came back. They’re still stoked about it. So I feel like every time I’m in the ring is special to me and I don’t want to squander that, and I feel like it’s just a giant party with a bunch of your friends, you know? I just want to have a good time with them.”
Punk has been absent from in-ring action since May due to a broken foot. This occurred only days after he defeated Hangman Page to capture the world title.
Former WWE Superstar Saraya (Paige) would be honored to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame one day.
Saraya has been out of action since 2017 after suffering a severe neck injury that put a halt on her career, one that forced the multi-time women’s champion to retire from in-ring action. Despite not wrestling in five years, her impact on women’s wrestling is still felt today and will probably earn her a spot in the Hall of Fame one day.
In fact the 29-year old Brit spoke about that very subject during her latest interview on The Bellas podcast. When Nikki and Brie asked Saraya her thoughts on potentially being in the running for a 2023 inductee spot she responded with the following statement:
“Oh my God, that would be amazing,’ but then I looked at it and I was like, I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a long time. I’m only just going to be 30.”
– Saraya on a WWE Hall of Fame Induction
Even though Saraya thinks it would be too early for a spot in the Hall of Fame that doesn’t mean it’s not one of her ultimate goals. In fact the current free agent admits that it was a goal she set for herself from the very beginning.
“I set goals for myself when I got to WWE and I’ve done pretty much everything I’ve wanted to do, but I wanted to be in the Hall of Fame so bad. That was my end goal, to be in the Hall of Fame, that would be such a big deal because not everyone gets to be in it.”
Saraya may be retired now but the thought of wrestling another match is also still on her mind, especially if it occurs on a big stage like WrestleMania.
“I could see myself in the ring one day, but it would have to be something really special and a big moment. Even if it was a WrestleMania thing, if they ever want to do something, it would be like a WrestleMania moment, something like that.”
This past Saturday WWE held their annual SummerSlam premium live event from the Nissan Stadium in Nashville Tennessee, a show that was headlined by an epic Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar Last Man Standing match for the Undisputed Universal championship.
Prior to the bout starting Lesnar came down to the ring with a tractor, and launched himself off the top of it to gain the early upper-hand on the Tribal Chief.
Later in the contest the Beast used the tractor to lift one corner of the ring, an insane spot that not only sent Reigns tumbling out the other side, but instantly went viral on social media.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgqbvNVu_j7/
Pre-Show Rehearsal
The ring lift spot was rehearsed at least once before the show began by a member of the WWE production team, according to a report at PWInsider.
Brock Lesnar did not rehearse the spot in advance and performed it for the first time live during Summerslam. When Lesnar drove the tractor into the ring (just prior to the lift), the ring shifted farther than the production team had originally planned.
Reigns would go on to defeat Lesnar for the third-straight time this year thanks to an assist from the Usos, and continue his impressive title reign, which recently surpassed 700-plus days.
Bryan Danielson isn’t shy of sharing the conversations that are had in a pro-wrestling locker room.
The AEW superstar appeared on a live recording of Renee Paquette’s The Sessions at this past weekend’s Starrcast V event in Nashville to give details on the subject, which included Paquette asking the American Dragon about the rumors that he enjoys messing with people backstage.
“I’m not fucking with people,” Danielson jokingly states before admitting that he does enjoy the occasional rib. He continues his rant by exclaiming that he spent too much time in WWE with guys who were just staring at their phones all day.
“Everybody was on their phones in the locker room. That’s not what I want. The last three years of my career, I don’t want to spend in the locker room with a bunch of young guys looking at their phone.”
It was here that the former world champion detailed the types of conversations that are had, including an in-depth chat about a topic Danielson seems to really enjoy.
“So, we start….we talk about flaccid penises, asexually. We are not talking about anything that would be considered perverted. It’s just amongst the boys. It’s the boys talking about flaccid penises. It is a blast.”
Danielson’s spirit to ignite fun into locker rooms continues to live on. The Dragon only returned to in-ring action on last week’s AEW Fight for the Fallen, his first match since May’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view, where he sustained a minor concussion.
This past weekend WWE invaded the Nissan Stadium in Nashville Tennessee for their annual SummerSlam extravaganza.
The event, which is one of the biggest shows of the year in the wrestling industry, already had a lot of buzz as it was the first premium live event in WWE history that was not run by Vince McMahon following the former Chairman’s unexpected retirement a few weeks ago.
The new head of creative, WWE legend and multi-time world champion Triple H, issued a short statement this morning on his personal Twitter account shouting out the success of SummerSlam and thanking the WWE Universe for kickstarting his era with a bang.
He adds that the weekend was a wonderful demonstration of teamwork across the board before making a special mention for those who participated in the company’s tryouts.
#SummerSlam week was a great demonstration of teamwork across @WWE. Thank you to all who participated in the #WWETryouts and to the greatest talent in the world who put on an unbelievable show @NissanStadium!
SummerSlam saw Roman Reigns retain the Undisputed Universal championship in the main event against Brock Lesnar, The Usos retain the tag team titles over the Street Profits, Bianca Belair retain the Raw women’s championship over Becky Lynch, and Liv Morgan retain the SmackDown women’s championship over Ronda Rousey.
On top of the title matches the WWE Universe saw the return of Bayley, who formed a new faction with Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.
New Japan Pro Wrestling and STARDOM continue to make history.
The two promotions had announced earlier in the week that they would be introducing the first-ever IWGP women’s championship, a title that would be defended mainly on NJPW cards by STARDOM athletes, including shows that occur in the United States. This will not be replacing the World of STARDOM title or the Wonder of STARDOM title, which serve as the company’s top prizes.
That’s not all.
Today NJPW and STARDOM revealed their first ever cross-over event entitled, “X-Over,” which will take place from the brand new Ariake Arena on November 20th. Full details can be found below.
“On November 20, a new chapter will be written in the history of both NJPW and STARDOM, as the brand new Ariake Arena in Tokyo will play host to the first ever crossover event between both companies. With mixed tag matches, championship action and more besides, the top flight in both male and female wrestling will meet in Ariake, and the event title reflects just that.
November 20, it will be a Historic X(Cross)-Over!”
Fan club members of both NJPW and STARDOM will be given early access to ticket sales on August 18, with general on sale September 23. Premium tickets will also be available along the front three rows with special one of a kind bonuses to be announced at a later date.
Stay tuned for information on how to watch this monumental event live and on demand!
WWE held open tryouts earlier today in Nashville Tennessee, and one surprise attendee is making a large presence due to his accomplishments professional basketball.
That man is NBA [superstar Dwight Howard, a one-time NBA champion, three-time defensive player of the year, and eight-time All-NBA team honoree. Video of the current Los Angeles Laker cutting a promo at the tryout has surfaced online, which you can watch below courtesy of ESPN’s Arash Markazi. Along with the footage Markazi says he has spoke to Howard, and he legit is interested in a run with WWE.
Dwight Howard was a surprise participant at the WWE Tryout in Nashville today. He told me he legit wants to join the WWE one day. pic.twitter.com/LiUnNqPsdv
Howard’s fun didn’t end there. Markazi has footage of him sticking around at the tryout for hours and cutting promos with the other attendees.
Dwight Howard didn’t just cut this one promo and leave. He’s been here for hours. He’s now cutting promos with the other attendees at the WWE Tryout in Nashville. pic.twitter.com/J9HQQq23cN
The crossover between pro-wrestling and the NBA has been present for years. Few fans will forget the impact made by Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone during the late 90s era of WCW, as both men were marquee players in the NBA at that very same time. The great Shaquille O’Neal was a surprise entrant in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32, then wrestled a tag match in AEW in 2021 to critical acclaim.
Bobby Lashley is eyeing a huge matchup with a rising WWE superstar.
The Almighty one and current United States champion sat-down with BT Sport ahead of his title defense against Theory at this Saturday’s SummerSlam, which takes place from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. It was during this interview that Lashley discussed WWE’s Intercontinental champion Gunther, and what an interesting opponent he thinks the Imperium leader would serve as.
“I think an interesting matchup that I heard a couple of times is Gunther. I think just him being my counter on the other show. I think it’s something that is kind of intriguing. He’s a tough, tough, tough competitor. I mean, he’s been doing some big stuff and he just went right up to the top right away.”
Lashley isn’t wrong. Since joining the main roster and sharpening his physical appearance Gunther has been one of the most dominant acts in WWE aside from Undisputed Universal champion Roman Reigns. This is no surprise as Gunther, formerly known as WALTER, held the NXT U.K. championship for 870 days.
When asked about how he sees a feud with Gunther going Lashley states that he believes Survivor Series would be a fitting setting, but hopes that the bout can be built into something the fans get invested in.
“It’s a matchup that I think that we can kind of build towards. Maybe we can do that at Survivor Series or we can do that a little later on in the year, but it’s something definitely that I’m interested in.”
Lashley is in his third reign with the U.S. title. He captured it from Theory at last month’s Money In Bank premium live event.
WWE Summerslam takes place this Saturday night from Nashville, TN at Nissan Stadium. Nearly 40,000 fans will be on hand to witness WWE’s first premium live event without Vince McMahon at the helm.
Note: SEScoops will be on hand for this year’s Summerslam weekend. Follow the SEScoops Instagram account so you can follow along with our coverage in the lead-up to SummerSlam, and during SummerSlam/Starrcast weekend.
SEScoops correspondents Andrew Ravens, Jaychele Nicole and Joey G have assembled to provide our official WWE SummerSlam predictions.
Updated WWE SummerSlam Preview & Betting Odds
The Mysterios vs. Finn Balor & Damian Priest
Jaychele Nicole: I could see The Mysterios getting their revenge for the beatdown they were subjected to on Monday Night RAW. I could also see The Judgment Day losing after Edge returns and interferes in the matchup. With Edge’s travel to Raw being canceled, I believe he’ll likely show up at SummerSlam. However, I could also see The Judgment Day getting the win because I just believe they are due for a win on a big stage. (Prediction: The Mysterios)
Andrew Ravens: Balor and Priest probably need to go over here to continue their momentum, but booking 101 calls for the father-son duo to go over as they get their revenge, especially since Rey was put through a table on Monday’s Raw. However, Rey does have a storyline injury so he may be the one pinned. I’m siding with the heels here to go over, but I can see it going the other way. (Prediction: Finn Balor & Damian Priest)
Joey G: This match would be harder to pick if they didn’t just run it on monday. Since the Mysterios had their big moment then I believe Balor and Priest get the victory here. Whether this feud continues after this contest is the real question. (Prediction Balor & Priest)
Consensus: Split
Happy Corbin vs. Pat McAfee
Jaychele Nicole: Like Logan Paul, this is another match that was booked to spotlight the newcomer. I always really enjoy Pat McAfee’s matches and I think that he is another natural talent. This match will be another win for Pat, which I believe he is deserving of. Pat is a natural babyface, just like how Corbin is a natural heel. I think that the crowd will react as intended and Pat will once again overdeliver. (Prediction: Pat McAfee)
Joey G: Pat McAfee remains one of WWE’s best signings in the last few years. His charisma is unmatched, and his dedication to wrestling is admirable. Corbin serves as the perfect opponent, because a loss doesn’t hurt. (Prediction: Pat McAfee)
Andrew Ravens: Pat should go over. Corbin, a heel, doesn’t lose any moment with a defeat, and the crowd loves Pat, so it’s a win-win situation. It should be a fun match, and fans will have high expectations for McAfee’s performance in this one following his WrestleMania 38 match. (Prediction: Pat McAfee)
Consensus: Pat McAfee
Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch
Jaychele Nicole: I’m hoping that this match is less than 25 seconds. I know that sounds so incredibly petty, but it would be so memorable and a great callback. I am not expecting that at all, as I think the match will be comparable to their WrestleMania match, but it would be an interesting addition to their long storied history. I don’t see Bianca Belair losing her title here, or at least until the Royal Rumble for that matter. (Prediction: Bianca Belair)
Andrew Ravens: Honestly, this feud is starting to get tiring. It’s a good story, but WWE has gone back to this feud so many times this year, and it’s time for something different. I don’t see Lynch winning because Belair is so over right now with the fans. A great match ending with Belair retaining the title. (Prediction: Bianca Belair)
Joey G: The feud that started one-year ago. Belair may have gotten the title back from Lynch at Mania but the shadow of the 26-second loss at last year’s SummerSlam still hovers above her. This seems like a fitting setting to end this epic feud, and open up a new path for both women. Belair retains and moves on to Ripley. Lynch perhaps gets ready for a returning Bayley or a showdown with Rousey. (Prediction: Bianca Belair)
Consensus: Bianca Belair
United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Theory
Andrew Ravens: It doesn’t make much sense for Theory to win the title back just a few weeks after losing it, but crazier things have happened in WWE before, so you can’t rule anything out. Keep Lashley strong with him retaining the title. (Prediction: Bobby Lashley)
Jaychele Nicole: While Theory has the Money In The Bank briefcase, I can’t see him also holding the United States Championship. I also think that there are too many people against Theory that would try to interfere before he could get the win. I think that Theory will be cashing in later on in the night, so this match won’t even really be remembered after that moment. (Prediction; Theory)
Joey G: Don’t know what they have planned for Theory, but ain’t no way he’s sneaking one over the Almighty One. Lashley has gained momentum as a babyface, and a lengthy U.S. title run seems like a safe bet. (Prediction: Bobby Lashley)
Consensus: Bobby Lashley
Logan Paul vs. The Miz
Andrew Ravens: I would be shocked if Paul doesn’t win here. He gets his revenge on Miz for laying him out at WrestleMania, and they move on. It will be interesting to see whether Paul can follow up on his performance from Mania in this match. It also sets the tone for what his future singles matches will look like. (Prediction: Logan Paul)
Jaychele Nicole: I think that this is an easy win for Logan Paul. The Miz is the perfect first singles opponent for Logan Paul as he can take a loss with no problem. I think this will be another good showing for Logan because he is just a natural. I’m most interested in seeing how he works the match as a babyface since his first match was tag team match where he was the heel. (Prediction: Logan Paul)
Consensus: Logan Paul
Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The Street Profits (with Jeff Jarrett as the special guest referee)
Andrew Ravens: It appears WWE is going in the direction of splitting up The Street Profits and strapping a rocket to the back of Montez Ford. They did the cheap finish at Money in the Bank to keep this feud alive, which doesn’t give me any confidence in a title change. (Prediction: The Usos)
Joey G: Usos are one of the best tag teams in WWE’s long history, but the lack of fresh matchups they’ve had over the last two years is starting to weigh their reign down. With me choosing Reigns to retain in the main event it seems like a safe pick to think that the the Usos continue carrying gold as well. (Prediction: The Usos)
Jaychele Nicole: I believe that this is another victory for The Usos. As much as I wish that The Street Profits were winning, this is The Usos match. I don’t see anything changing with the structure of The Bloodline. I would be interested to see the spiral of Roman and The Bloodline if The Usos were to lose the titles here. I think that the match will be good, but I think it’s more likely that Montez Ford will win singles gold before The Street Profits win another tag team championship. (Prediction: The Usos)
Consensus: The Usos
SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey
Andrew Ravens: Honestly, this is a pick ’em. The fans were strongly behind Morgan, and WWE went with her because they needed a new top babyface on SmackDown. Rousey will always be booked strongly, so it could go either way if they feel like Rousey needs to be champion again. I think they keep the title on Morgan. (Prediction: Liv Morgan)
Jaychele Nicole: This should is a must win for Liv Morgan. After the way she won the SmackDown Women’s Championship, Liv is in need of a high-profile win Defeating Ronda at SummerSlam would definitely fill that void. Liv really needs this win to add some legitimacy to her title reign. Ronda can take a loss because her character and star power don’t really depend on this match, but for Liv, I think it does. (Prediction: Liv Morgan)
Joey G: Liv got her big moment at Money In The Bank, and has since had a few successful defense on television. However, my guess would be a fresh Rousey takes her title back and holds it until another showdown with Becky Lynch comes up. I hope I’m wrong. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
Consensus: Liv Morgan
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar – Last Man Standing Match
Andrew Ravens: WWE needed a big main event, and they returned to this feud. I don’t see a reason for Lesnar going over here, but I do see it as a placeholder for Drew McIntyre to beat Reigns at Clash at the Castle for one of the titles. Lesnar stays strong but loses in the end. Another question is what WWE does with Lesnar next if he’s not in the title picture. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Joey G: Reigns and Lesnar do have chemistry together, but the two have never produced a match as good as their original clash at Mania 31. It also feels super unnecessary to run this back after the two just met at this year’s Mania, but alas plans changed and WWE felt this was their best headliner. Doesn’t feel like the Beast ends the Tribal Chief’s reign. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Jaychele Nicole: I don’t think this match will be any different than their last three or four matches with Reigns coming out as the victor. I feel like Reigns’ “Tribal Chief” character has gotten stale quickly due to the lack of character progression. Since I believe this will be Roman’s match, I hope that they are saving his eventual defeat for a young star who could be sent to the moon by their victory. I also believe that this is Brock’s last match in WWE, which is ironic because he’s likely losing a Last Man Standing match. (Prediction: Roman Reigns)
Ahead of this weekend’s SummerSlam premium live event WWE superstar and current Undisputed Universal champion Roman Reigns appeared on the TODAY show to hype his title showdown with longtime rival, Brock Lesnar.
The Beast and the Tribal Chief have clashed multiple times over the past seven years, including three WrestleMania main events, and numerous showdowns at SummerSlam and other marquee WWE shows.
Reigns has been on the winning end of the last two bouts with Lesnar, but he is now hoping to make it three in a row. “Anytime you can beat Brock Lesnar three times in a row, that’s a pretty good — that’s a feather in the cap.”
Despite his confidence being at an all-time high Reigns does admit that battling the Beast is always tough, and hopes that this will be their final chapter at least for a little while.
“I hope it’s the last time. It hurts. It’s brutal being in the ring with Brock.”
– Roman Reigns on Brock Lesnar
Reigns continued, “He’s a big ole country boy and has such a great, legitimate background. I mean, he started as an amateur wrestler, all the way through the collegiate ranks, into the UFC as everybody knows, heavyweight champion. He’s dominated WWE for a long time. The only problem he has is that Roman Reigns showed up and took over. So, it’s going to be great.”
Ending his rant…the champ discusses his life as a father, and how his new schedule affords him more time to spend with his kids. He does add that when he is in WWE, he’s pushing himself to achieve things that have never been done before.
“We’re really entering that kind of timeframe in my career where I’m really pushing myself to a different level and just trying to achieve things that have never been done before.”
WWE SummerSlam 2022 Preview
Check out a clip of Reigns’ TODAY show appearance below.
Earlier this year, Shane McMahon received backlash for his conduct behind the scenes at the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
Prior to his surprise return at the event (video below), Shane used his influence to make significant changes to the Rumble match, including booking himself stronger over established talent.
Along with that, there were reports that Shane was reportedly acting “unprofessional” at the even, and had even ticked off Brock Lesnar, who went on to win the Rumble.
A new report from Fightful provides new details surrounding the fallout between Shane McMahon and Vince McMahon stemming from the Royal Rumble incident.
Shane McMahon at the Royal Rumble
Brock Lesnar was said to be very displeased with Shane’s adjustments, so much so that it caught the eye of Vince, who called it the end of the for Shane. As expected it was Vince who made the decision to part-ways with his son, with one source telling the publication that Vince even went as far to say that “Shane would never get another pop in WWE” as long as he was still in charge.
The belief is that Vince was just angry in the moment when he made that declaration and that things could eventually be patched up, but those close to the situation believe that Vince was justified due to Shane’s aforementioned behavior and “unjust” decision making.
Vince McMahon retired just a few days ago, but already, there is a feeling that talent is feeling more comfortable to share information like this Shane McMahon story.
Tonight’s Ring of Honor Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view opened with Jonathan Gresham defending the world championship against Claudio Castagnoli, a competitive back and forth contest that saw Castanoli get the win and capture his first singles world title.
Shortly after the bout’s conclusion Gresham deactivated his Twitter account. The Octopus had been a topic of conversation on social media over the weekend, with some toxic fans taking shots at his height or on-screen character. It is not confirmed that this is why Gresham deactivated, but it will be something to keep an eye on.
Gresham won the ROH world title at last December’s Final Battle by defeating Jay Lethal, who had replaced the champion at the time, Bandido. Gresham and Bandido would eventually meet at SuperCard of Honor to determine the promotion’s undisputed champion, which was won by Gresham in the show’s main event.
You can see a screenshot of Gresham’s Twitter below.
Sescoops will keep you updated as this is an ongoing story.
