Top AEW superstar Chris Jericho has filed another trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The former world champion and current leader of the Jericho Appreciation Society faction is attempting to trademark the term “The Wizard,” which he hopes to use for “Entertainment Services,” specifically wrestling exhibits. He filed for the trademark with the USPTO on May 5th under his real name, Chris Irvine.
Details on the trademark usage can be found below:
“Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibits and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainer; Entertainment services, namely, personal appearances by a professional wrestler and sports entertainment personality.”
Jericho first referred to himself as “The Wizard” after his most recent attack on Eddie Kingston, where he threw a fireball into the Mad King’s face. Aside from this Jericho has also trademarked a number of his nicknames and catchphrases, including “The Demo God,” ” Le Champion,” “A little bit of the bubbly,” “The Influencer” and more.
Since his attack Kingston called Jericho during AEW Rampage promised on his wife that he was going to hurt Jericho badly for nearly blinding him. Jericho responded to the threat on Twitter by filing a restraining order against Kingston.
Pro-wrestling star Rhett Titus recently took to Twitter and announced that he was involved in a car accident over the weekend.
The former ROH television champion says he was driving home from his appearance at the Independent Superstars Of Pro Wrestling event in New Jersey when a car drove head first into him. Fortunately for Titus, he came out of the collision completely unscathed. In his tweet he shares a photo of what the damage was to his vehicle, as well as an update on his condition.
“I AM OK AND NOT INJURED. Driving home from the @ispwwrestling show last night a car drove head on into mine on the Garden State Parkway (which is a one way highway). I am extremely lucky to have been able to walk away from it unscathed.”
I AM OK AND NOT INJURED 🙏🏻
Driving home from the @ispwwrestling show last night a car drove head on into mine on the Garden State Parkway (which is a one way highway)
Titus has been staying busy working the independent circuit, but it is not known if he will be involved in ROH now that it is owned by Tony Khan. His last appearance for the promotion was at Supercard of Honor, where he dropped the ROH TV title to Minor Suzuki.
AEW superstar Kenny Omega has been out of action since his world championship loss to Adam Page at Full Gear 2021, taking some much needed time off to rehab numerous injuries and undergo several surgeries.
However, this didn’t stop the Cleaner from once again trending on Twitter following last night’s WWE WrestleMania Backlash event from Rhode Island, as many WWE and AEW fans went back on forth on comparing Omega to WWE’s top act, Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief led The Bloodline to victory over Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro at Backlash, continuing his dominant run that began back at SummerSlam 2020.
Omega noticed his name floating around the internet ether and decided to chime in, writing that he doesn’t understand why he was trending considering he’s been on the shelf for the entirety of 2022. He also makes it known that does not enjoy the comparison discourse as it tends to happen between the two every so often.
“Umm, why am I trending? I’ve done nothing but get sliced up and struggle through rehab all this year,” says Omega. “Oh, I see. We’re still doing that comparing thing every show…”
Fortunately things took a positive turn after this initial tweet. When one fan speculated that Reigns couldn’t last five minutes in the ring with Omega the former Belt Collector fired back by praising Reigns for being a hard worker, even hyping up the dream showdown as a match that could surprise a lot of people.
“I’m sure he could (whether Reigns could last five minutes with him). He’s their top guy for a reason and works hard to be that guy. I think the match would surprise a lot of people.”
You can see Omega’s tweets below.
Umm, why am I trending? I’ve done nothing but get sliced up and struggle through rehab all this year.
WWE Hall of Famer Jake Roberts spoke in-depth about his past substance abuse issues on the latest edition of his DDP Snakepit podcast.
The Master of the DDT began by discussing his love of marijuana, and how it never got him or any of the boys in trouble. He further elaborates by saying that anytime he got a drop of alcohol, which he considers a gateway drug, bad things would follow.
“I don’t think marijuana is a gateway drug. I think alcohol is. I never got in a fight when I was smoking pot. I never got in trouble when I was smoking pot. I never wanted to do cocaine when I was smoking pot. But you give me a few Jack Daniels, brother, I want to fight and I want some s**t to go down.”
Roberts reveals that he had a regular marijuana routine that would help him relax after wrestling. However, that routine would be compromised as Vince McMahon would at one point ban marijuana for all the WWE talent at the time, a move that led to harder drugs entering the picture.
“My routine, in the beginning, was beer, a little pot, a little sleeping pill. And then Vince came along and cut the pot out. Man, when he cut that pot out, that was tough, because we didn’t have a go-to thing to relax us now. We had to double up on the beer. Then a lot of us started taking different pills and that leads to problems.”
Ending his rant…Roberts believes that banning marijuana was one of the worst things McMahon could have done because it led to many wrestlers not taking as good of care of themselves.
“For Vince, the worst thing he could’ve done was take marijuana away from us. Because that was everybody’s go-to thing, to relax.”
Roberts wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Bret Hart has gone on record in the past stating that marijuana was very beneficial to wrestlers during the grind of the 90s, even going as far as to say that many more would be alive if the substance wasn’t frowned upon.
You can check out the full DDP Snakepit episode here.
WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus discusses what she would do with a potential WWE return.
During a Q&A session with on ‘For the Love of Wrestling‘ the former multi-time women’s world champion speculated on what different roles she could play for the company at this point in her career, which included a question on whether she would ever want to be an on-screen authority figure. Her response:
“Do I want to be GM? I would gladly accept that role. I always think — like I said, to go back, it has to be something challenging, something different, something different for you guys.”
Stratus last wrestled for WWE back at the 2019 edition of SummerSlam, where she lost in her hometown of Toronto to Charlotte Flair. While teases of a return have continued to happen since that defeat, Stratus has remained relatively inactive.
Speaking further on a return Stratus recalled turning heel an aligning with Christian Cage back in the day. She adds that one final run as a heel would be sort of fun, indicating that if she did come back she would lean into her heel persona.
“I always say if I go back, the one thing I’m missing is a heel run so that would be kind of fun, you know?”
One dream match that Stratus has constantly teased is a showdown with Sasha Banks. The two briefly faced-off at the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble matchup back in 2018, but a proper singles-contest between The Boss and The Stratisfaction has yet to occur.
Kurt Angle may be a Hall of Famer for WWE, but the Olympic Hero put on some dominant performances during his run in TNA.
Angle held a ton of TNA gold in those days, including the prestigious X-Division championship that put the promotion on the pro-wrestling map. During the latest edition of the Kurt Angle Show he revealed that he once changed the finish to an X-Division title match without telling anyone.
The match in question was his 2007 showdown with Jay Lethal at that year’s Victory Road pay-per-view. Angle, who dropped the title to Lethal on that night, says that was not the matchup’s original finish.
“The crazy thing about that match is Jay Lethal wasn’t supposed to beat me. He got some heat for that match. Now understand at this particular time they wanted me to hold all the titles. So I was TNA World Heavyweight Champion, I was IWGP Champion, I was TNA Tag Team Champion, I was X Division Champion. They wanted all the gold around me.”
The master of the ankle-lock later explains that his thought process was to give back to the young hungry talent that TNA had at the time. Unfortunately, Lethal would lose the championship shortly afterwards due to management being upset.
“I felt like, ‘You know what, I want to give back to these guys.’ I thought, ‘You know what, why not put Jay Lethal over in the X Division.’ I thought it was a great idea. Of course, we got a little heat for it and Jay Lethal didn’t hold that title very long afterward.”
Angle adds that he had pulled Lethal aside before the match started to change the finish, with both men agreeing not to tell anyone.
“Beforehand I pulled him aside and I said, ‘Let’s just not say anything. Don’t tell anyone, let’s just put you over.’ That’s what I did and I wasn’t supposed to.”
Angle’s instincts may have been right as Lethal became a prominent figure in the industry following his TNA run. He was the longest reigning ROH Television champion of all time, won the ROH world championship, and is now competing for AEW, where he’s engaged in a feud with another TNA alumni, Samoa Joe.
New Japan Pro Wrestling recently revealed the full list of participants in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors, one of the promotion’s most prestigious tournaments that rewards the winner with a future opportunity at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, currently held by Bullet Club’s Taiji Ishimori.
One name who was noticeably absent from that list was KUSHIDA, who became a free agent earlier this year following his release from WWE’s NXT brand on April 18th. While there has been no confirmation or official announcement, speculation is that the former multi-time Junior champion will return to NJPW at some point. However, a new report has surfaced explaining why he KUSHIDA’s name was off the list.
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, KUSHIDA did not want to return to NJPW and compete in the junior division, something he did extensively for the company during his first run between 2010-2019. The full quote from the report reads:
“The tournament looks to be very strong for match quality, but it’s doubtful it can touch years past when Ospreay and Takagi were the top junior stars. It’s also notable no Kushida in the tournament. Kushida didn’t want to return and be classified as a junior heavyweight.”
KUSHIDA hopes to follow the same path as former IWGP world champion’s Shingo Takagi and Will Ospreay, two top stars who worked there way through the juniors and onto the heavyweight division. This year’s tournament is set to begin on May 15th and run through the summer.
MLW sent out a press release announcing that the Blue Meanie will be returning to the promotion.
The ECW alumni is set to appear at the May 13th Kings of Colosseum event, which will also serve as a set of tapings for MLW’s weekly episodic, Fusion. The show takes place from the legendary 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. Full details on the Meanie’s appearance, as well as what the show’s card is looking like, below.
Major League Wrestling (MLW®) today announced the return of The Blue Meanie for Kings of Colosseum ’22 on Friday, May 13 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, featuring an MLW Fusion TV taping.
Major League Wrestling returns to Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena on Friday, May 13. Buy tickets at http://MLW2300.com.
CARD
World Heavyweight Championship Alex Hammerstone (c) vs. Richard Holliday (with Alicia Atout)
Weapons of Mass Destruction Match Jacob Fatu vs. Mads Krugger
Inaugural Women’s World Featherweight Championship Taya Valkyrie vs. Holidead
nZo vs. Lince Dorado
Microman vs. Mini Abismo Negro
World Tag Team Championship 3-Way: Hustle & Power vs. Von Erichs vs. 5150
THE THRILLA IN PHILA National Openweight Championship Alex Kane vs. TBD Victim
Matt Cross vs. ACH
World Middleweight Championship: Myron Reed (c) vs. Arez vs. KC Navarro
The return of Los Maximos!Some of the athletes and talent signed to compete and appear include: Davey RichardsCesar DuranGangrelThe SandmanThe Blue MeanieSavio VegaPlus MORE wrestlers will be announced soon. More athletes and matches will be announced at MLW.com.
Buy tickets at MLW2300.com. Tickets start at $15. Tickets will also be available day of show at the box office unless the event sales out in advance.
DAY OF EVENT INFO The schedule is as follows:
6:00 p.m.: Early entry for First Row Ticket Holders 6:30 p.m.: Doors open for general public (all ticket holders) 7:25 p.m.: Showtime
MORE ABOUT THE VENUE 2300 Arena (previously named Viking Hall, ECW Arena, New Alhambra Arena, Asylum Arena and The Arena) is a multipurpose indoor arena used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events.
A few days ago wrestling fans had noticed that AEW star and Dark Order member Stu Grayson had his profile removed from the company’s official website, with many speculating if that meant he was officially done with his run.
Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. Grayson revealed in a new tweet that his contract expired on April 30th, and that there is no sign he will be getting re-signed. Grayson takes the opportunity to thank his AEW colleagues, which include the production and medical team, as well as his friends in the Dark Order. His full statement reads:
“Update…On April 30th my contract with AEW expired. Best of luck to everyone working for AEW, our great production and medical team and of course every man and women who steps into the ring. And to my Dark Order family, I hope the world will soon see what you are truly capable of.”
Update On April 30th my contract with AEW expired. Best of luck to everyone working for AEW, our great production and medical team and of course every man and women who steps into the ring. And to my Dark Order family, I hope the world will soon see what you are truly capable of.
Grayson debuted for AEW back in 2019 at the promotion’s first ever pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, along with longtime tag team partner, Evil Uno. Grayson was mainly featured as a tag team wrestler, and played a pivotal part on the AEW affiliated Youtube series, Being The Elite.
Grayson was also a factor in the Dark Order and Adam Page storyline arc that saw the Hangman eventually become AEW world champion. Grayson himself never won AEW gold, but did challenge for the tag team titles on multiple occasions.
NJPW superstar Jay White was married earlier today (May 6th) to his partner, whose name we cannot confirm at this time. The new was revealed by pro-wrestling historian Ciarán on Twitter. You can see the image below.
White returned to NJPW at the promotion’s recent Wrestling Dontaku event in Japan after a lengthy run in the United States, which included stints with NJPW STRONG, IMPACT Wrestling, and AEW. He is set to challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight championship at the June 12th Dominion pay-per-view.
White has had an extensive rivalry with the Rainmaker, having defeated him in the G1 Climax tournament, and in a marquee grudge match at WrestleKingdom 13. Okada would get his revenge on White at the G1 Supercard pay-per-view in 2018 from the famous Madison Square Garden arena in New York, where he dethroned the Switchblade to begin another reign as world champion.
White has also played a key part in the Undisputed Elite/Bullet Club rivalry that has been brewing in AEW in the absence of Kenny Omega. Both NJPW and AEW are set to square off against one another at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view this June from Chicago.
Dana White has shared a very interesting story about WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon.
The UFC President appeared on the Pivot Podcast to discuss the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, and how the president at the time, Donald Trump, wanted to hold a conference call with all the heads of the major sports leagues in the United States to determine how they would move forward with events.
When talking about the call…White recalls feeling like everyone one of the league owners were not actually going to achieve the plan they laid out for Trump, noting that he felt only one person would actually push forward.
“So we were on the call with the President one time and I remember I was listening to everybody get on there and talk and I was like, these guys are all full of sht. None of these guys are gonna fcking roll or really wanna do what they’re saying they’re gonna do except for one and when we hung up the phone, he fcking texts me…Vince McMahon.”
That man as mentioned above was McMahon, who later texted White and berated him for not asking enough questions during the conference call. He reveals that McMahon wanted him to back him up on the call, but White remained quiet.
“Vince McMahon starts texting me and basically berating me after the call like, ‘Why didn’t you talk? Why didn’t you back up what I was saying? ‘Because I think everybody’s full of sht, that’s why, except for you. You’re definitely not full of sht Vince,’ you know? Vince is a fcking killer. Vince was putting on his events down in Florida at the time too.”
UFC and WWE both kept events going during the height of the pandemic. WWE specifically were able to run shows from their Performance Center before later landing a deal to launch the ThunderDome at the Amway Center, and later Tropicana Field.
Apparently WWE was very impressed with W. Morrissey’s performance on last Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.
The IMPACT star took on top AEW prospect Wardlow in singles-action as a favor to Wardlow’s current rival, MJF. The two behemoths had a competitive encounter, with Morrissey dominating most of the action early, but would eventually fall victim to a Wardlow powerbomb.
According to Andrew Zarian from the Mat Men podcast, Morrissey caught the eye of his former employer WWE was curious to know when Morrissey’s contract will come to an end with IMPACT, adding that there was no guarantee that they would take him back, but that there was interest.
Morrissey joined WWE in 2011 and joined Florida Championship Wrestling, the company’s former developmental territory. He was paired with Enzo Amore in NXT and the duo eventually made it to the main roster.
Morrissey battled his demons during his run with WWE and was eventually released in 2018.
He signed with IMPACT back in 2021 and wrestled his first matchup at Rebellion 2021.
Morrissey has publicly detailed his battle with substance abuse, depression, and attitude issues in the past, but has done a great job at rebuilding his personal brand, which includes getting into tremendous shape.
The brackets for the men’s side of the first-ever AEW Owen Hart Memorial tournament is complete, with the promotion revealing that there will be one mystery competitor, codenamed “The Joker,” facing Samoa Joe in the opening round.
As accustom for AEW, Joe’s opponent will not be revealed until they square-off in a couple weeks, leaving plenty of room for exciting speculation as to who the mystery man will be. While there is a strong possibility it is a non-AEW talent, there are still a good number of options from the promotion’s already stacked roster. Below, in no particular order, are what I think are the four best possible scenarios.
Johnny Gargano
The former triple-crown NXT champion has been very missed since his departure from the brand last year, and has remained relatively quiet from the wrestling scene as he enjoys life at home as a new dad. However, an appearance for AEW, whether it’s a run just for this tournament or a full-time contract, could ignite this next chapter of his career. Also if there is one person who knows how to wrestle the AEW-style, Gargano is your guy.
Miro
Prior to his minor injury Miro had become one of the company’s hottest acts, whose Amadeus inspired Redeemer gimmick separated him from any memory of his WWE character. While Miro was mainly depicted as a heel the dedicated AEW faithful would certainly welcome him back with open arms, which could help catapult his gimmick into the main event scene. Furthermore, a Joe vs. Miro hoss fight seems like the most fitting war to kickstar this first-ever tournament.
Claudio Castagnoli
AEW on paper is the perfect home for Claudio. His body of work in WWE, especially inside the ring, has stood out for years, and kept him very popular with fans even when his push didn’t match what he could offer. We saw a glimmer of the babyface Swiss-Superman when he was going after the Tribal Chief, but what could that look like without any of the restrictions? Also he befittingly has been doing the sharpshooter for years.
Kenny Omega
If anyone really needed some time off in this industry, it was Omega. His run as the belt collector is even more impressive when you consider the number of lingering injuries, including vertigo, he had to work through during his 11-month reign. A return here not only gives AEW fans one of their all-time favorites back in active competition, but can serve as a layer to the eventual civil war in the undisputed elite. What happens if Omega beats Joe and has to potentially face-off with Kyle O’Reilly, or better yet, Adam Cole?
The Owen Hart Memorial tournament officially begins next week in Long Island, which will see Darby Allin battle Jeff Hardy and Dax Harwood face Adam Cole in the opening round. The other two first round matchups are Kyle O’Reilly against former tag champion Rey Fenix, and of course, Samoa Joe against our mystery man.
Ahead of last night’s Dynamite broadcast on TBS AEW taped several matches for their weekly Youtube episodic Dark: Elevation, which featured a new debut for the men’s division.
That man was indie sensation and former Ring of Honor Television champion Tony Deppen, who wrestled John Silver from the Dark Order. Reports had surfaced earlier in the day that Deppen had been spotted backstage, but it was not certain what his role would be at that time. You can see a photo from his matchup below. (Thanks to @darbygargano for sharing)
Deppen made his debut for ROH in 2020 in their Pure title tournament, where he would eventually be eliminated by PJ Black. This was right in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak so ROH was running taped shows in front of zero fans.
He would unsuccessfully challenge for the ROH TV title several times before finally dethroning Tracy Williams. Aside from ROH Deppen has wrestled for Chikara, CZW, PWG, and has become a regular for the very popular, GCW.
Deppen’s match with Silver will most likely air on next Monday’s AEW Dark: Elevation. As of this writing it is not known whether Deppen will continue appearing for AEW, or if he has possibly signed with ROH now that they are owned by Tony Khan. We will keep you updated on Deppen’s status in the competitive wrestling market.
A WWE Hall of Famer has credited the Undertaker for getting him into the pro-wrestling industry.
During an interview with WWE Now India the Great Khali explained how the Deadman was the sole reason he started watching the sport, later calling him an inspiration.
“I started wrestling after watching The Undertaker. He was my inspiration to get into the business.”
Later when Khali was asked about his most satisfying victories in WWE he once again mentioned Taker, stating that defeating him close to his debut was a moment that remains very close to his heart.
“It was such a memorable moment for me[win over Undertaker]. It was challenging match for me but it was equally momentous.. very close to my heart.”
The match Khali is referring to is Judgement Day 2006. The feud was set up when Khali attacked Undertaker during his bout with Mark Henry at the post-WrestleMania 22 edition of SmackDown. Fans were astonished to see a man towering over the legendary Phenom and manhandle him around the ring with such ease.
The Undertaker wouldn’t be the only thing Khali talked about during the interview. He also mentions his CWE Academy in India, and how hopes to inspire the next generation.
“It was my dream[to start an academy in India]. Since I was a wrestler myself, I did not want to be the last wrestler from India[to join WWE]. I wanted more young wrestlers from India to go to WWE to make India proud.”
Khali was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021.
It appears that there is more controversy surrounding pro-wrestling superstar and former IMPACT World Champion, Tessa Blanchard.
Blanchard signed with WOW (Women of Wrestling) last October and was one of the promotion’s hottest acts, so much so that her signing was announced alongside WOW’s newest syndication deal with ViacomCBS. However, it now appears that Blanchard’s stint with the company is in jeopardy.
According to Fightful Select, several names have come forward to reveal that once again there are allegations against Blanchard, and the two sides had a bit of a falling out after she deactivated all of her social media channels. This news comes only a day before WOW’s scheduled television tapings in Los Angeles.
A source told the publication that Blanchard got heat from the roster after she “tore apart” Samantha Sage during a workshop class this past April. Apparently, it was bad enough that several of the trainees had to speak up.
A different source revealed that Blanchard is no longer in charge of training talent and that Selina Majors now heads that department. This same source later implied that Blanchard may only get work in the Mexico wrestling circuit going forward due to the reputation she has built for herself in the U.S.
One former star of WOW told Fightful that they believe Blanchard is done with the company entirely, although that is not confirmed. However, it was teased that there has been a major shift from WOW’s original plan last fall.
As a reminder, Blanchard had a number of accusations over the last two years for problematic behavior, which included racially charged comments and causing issues with other established talents. This was right around the time that Blanchard had her ugly departure from IMPACT, where the promotion stripped her of their world championship.
SEScoops has reached out to WOW for further comment.
Last week’s AEW Dynamite concluded with Scorpio Sky recapturing the TNT championship from Sammy Guevara in a brutal ladder match that fittingly headlined the promotion’s flagship program.
This began Sky’s second run with the TNT title after his first reign only lasted 31 days. The former SCU member tells Miesha Tate and Renee Paquette on their Throwing Down podcast that his first goal is to get past that previous 31 day length.
“I didn’t get to do too much in my first run, I lost the title in like 31 days and only had one title defense, unfortunately, but I did regain the championship in the shortest period of time in AEW history; 12 days. Now, we have a new start and the first thing I want to do is hold on to it for at least 32 days [laughs].”
Sky later expands on his goals as champion, which he hopes includes some memorable matchups, ones that he remembers loving as a kid.
“If I can run with this title for six months, a year, or longer and really get in the ring with everyone and have some memorable championship matches that I used to like watching when I grew up, that was the goal.”
Sky has not been announced for this evening’s edition of AEW Dynamite, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t appear in some form to cut a promo. He did promise his old tag partner Frankie Kazarian a title shot at some point as the Elite Hunter stepped back as a challenger so Sky could reclaim the gold.
A new report has surfaced regarding the next potential NXT 2.0 premium live event.
According to WrestleVotes, WWE is considering adding a Stand & Deliver special ahead of one of the three big stadium shows that are set to happen this summer/fall. As of right now the preference is for the weekend of the September 3rd Clash at the Castle supershow in Cardiff, which will be WWE’s first major PPV in the U.K. in over 30 years.
However, this year’s SummerSlam in Nashville is reported to be the more likely option, most likely due to the number of venues the city can offer the brand to hold the show. SummerSlam is scheduled for July 30th from Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
WWE has discussed adding another Stand & Deliver event for one of the 3 big stadium shows happening this summer. I’ve heard the preference is UK for Clash at the Castle, but Nashville/SummerSlam seems more likely. All TBD still.
This would be the third Stand & Deliver show in NXT history, as previous incarnations of the special used to be referred to as NXT Takeover. The last Stand & Deliver event took place on April 2nd from the American Airlines Center in Dallas on WrestleMania 38 weekend, and featured Dolph Ziggler defeating Bron Breakker in the main event to retain the NXT championship.
Reports has surfaced last month that WWE was hoping to run more stadium shows going forward following the success of WrestleMania 38.
Tony Khan took to Twitter today and announced a new matchup for this Friday’s edition of AEW Rampage.
The company president revealed that former AEW women’s champion Riho will be taking on Yuka Sakazaki in singles-action, where the winner will officially qualify for the first-ever Owen Hart Memorial tournament.
Don’t miss Friday Rampage at a special start time: 5:30pm ET/4:30pm CT/3:30pm MT/2:30pm PT pic.twitter.com/Q7AnE08KhS— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) May 3, 2022
This will be Riho’s first matchup since her loss to Britt Baker at Battle of the Belts back in January. She had been sidelined with an injury and was back in Japan recovering.
The Owen Hart tournament will begin its opening round on next week’s AEW programming, and will conclude at the May 29th Double or Nothing pay-per-view from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can check out Rampage’s updated lineup below.
-Hook will be in action against an unknown opponent
-Riho vs. Yuka Sakazaki Qualifying Match for the Owen Hart Tournament
-Britt Baker & Jaime Hayter vs. Ruby Soho & Toni Storm
Joey G: Corbin and Moss have been one of the steadier heel acts on the WWE main roster for the last few months so I personally don’t see the benefit of them fighting with each other. However, since the match is happening the person who can benefit the most from a win is Moss as Corbin can always blame some outside force for his failures. The lingering question I have is what’s next for Moss when he does win? (Pick: Madcap Moss)
Andrew Ravens: A feud that no one cares about and a match that doesn’t mean much. I guess you could make the case that a win over Corbin means something for Moss, who is still trying to find his footing here. It makes sense for him to win so I’ll side with the babyface. (Pick: Madcap Moss)
Michael Reichlin: Baron Corbin is a reliable utility player for WWE, but Madcap Moss clearly has more upside. Madcap finds himself flying solo after after Corbin recently turned on him. A loss would set him back considerably. Moss avenges the betrayal and moves on to the next chapter of his career. (Pick: Madcap Moss)
Winner Prediction: Madcap Moss
Bobby Lashley vs. Omos
Michael Reichlin: Lashley got the clean win at WrestleMania 38. Since then, MVP turned on his former client and sided with the giant. Much like the opening match, I think this is a case of the veteran putting over the rising star. Lashley is still going strong at 45, but the 27-year old 7-footer has the brighter future. (Pick: Omos)
Andrew Ravens: I was surprised when Lashley beat Omos at WrestleMania 38 so it only makes sense for Omos to win here and likely thanks to outside interference by MVP to make Lashley stay strong as that is what WWE is attempting to do in this feud, which doing so for both guys at the same time isn’t the easiest thing to do. (Pick: Omos)
Joey G: Like the Edge and Styles matchup there seems to be more to this story than just this bout. Omos will get a big win over a former WWE champion, and MVP, who will most definitely get involved, can claim that he chose the right horse. If it were me I would be grooming Omos for an I.C. title or U.S. title run, but a rubber match with Lashley seems more likely. (Pick: Omos)
Consensus: Omos
AJ Styles vs. Edge
Andrew Ravens: I can see this going either way as Edge already has a win over AJ and it seems we’re going for a trilogy. AJ as the babyface should’ve won their first encounter and really needs to do so here if they want to keep the feud going so Styles wins, but perhaps it’s by DQ thanks to outside interference by Damian Priest. (Pick: AJ Styles)
Michael Reichlin: I keep going back and forth on this one. Both men have interesting programs going on, with Edge being paired with Damian Priest and AJStyles aligning with Bullet Club alum Finn Balor. I say Edge gets the win with help from Priest, to solidify the threat of Edge having backup. (Pick: Edge)
Joey G: Traditional WWE booking tells me that Styles wins this round so they can go for a third time on a bigger show somewhere down the line. My guess would also be that Styles recent alliance with fellow Bullet Club alumni Finn Balor means that a tag team match against Edge and Priest is on the table as well. Regardless of who wins, this won’t be the final chapter. (Pick: AJ Styles)
Consensus: AJ Styles
Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro vs. The Bloodline
Andrew Ravens: A lot of things have changed with everyone involved here from what was originally planned. I don’t see this being the main event so the babyfaces don’t necessarily have to go over if that’s what Vince McMahon doesn’t want. Have McIntyre pin one of The Usos to keep his feud going with Reigns and who knows what WWE does with RK-Bro going forward if they’re not unifying the tag team titles with SmackDown. (Pick: McIntyre and RK-Bro)
Joey G: Really sad we didn’t get a Nakamura and Reigns solo matchup on this card as it seemed to be set up a few weeks ago, and would pay off Nakamura earning that title shot last year. With that said…this six-man tag will be the show-stealer, and will certainly plant the seed for the eventual McIntyre and Reigns ultimate showdown. Considering how dominant the Tribal Chief and the Usos have been, I think the Bloodline go down in this one. (Pick: RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre)
Michael Reichlin: Originally, when this was going to be a tag team title unification match, I had The Usos getting the win. Now that Reigns and McIntyre have joined the fray, I think the babyfaces take this one. Most people are probably looking at Rollins vs. Cody as having the most Match of the Night potential, but dont’ sleep on the 6-man tag. (Pick: Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro)
Consensus: Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey – I Quit Match
Andrew Ravens: Rousey will get the title here. WWE surprised everyone by not having the title change happen at WrestleMania and adding in this stipulation, it’s nearly a lock that Rousey walks out with the title. What’s next is the interesting part as WWE could run back a third match or have them go in their separate ways. Rousey should be the champion and will be and WWE can revisit this match later this year for one of their stadium shows. (Pick: Ronda Rousey)
Michael Reichlin: Quite simply, Rousey is not losing an I Quit match. She’s just not saying those words. I was surprised that she came up short at WrestleMania, but now is the time for her to reach the top of the mountain once again. I think Charlotte Flair will bring her A-game, to soften the impact of her submitting to Rousey, but this one was “new champion” written all over it. (Pick: Ronda Rousey)
Joey G: One of the biggest surprises at WrestleMania 38 was Charlotte squeaking out a win over Rousey, as Rousey’s Royal Rumble triumph seemed to indicate that she was getting the title at the Show of Shows. While Rousey’s fan support has certainly lessened, I think she gets that big moment here, and begins a dominant reign on SmackDown. I don’t think a third match between these two is necessary, but don’t be surprised if one happens. (Pick: Ronda Rousey)
Consensus: Ronda Rousey
Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
Michael Reichlin: This one already has the big fight feel. Rollins has been fantastic as of late. Cody is still riding high since arriving at WrestleMania. I hope this match is the main event of WrestleMania Backlash. I expect a dramatic match, with the American Nightmare coming out on top. Cody’s got a date with destiny (Roman Reigns) and they’re not going to saddle him with a loss and 50/50 booking this early into his run. The storyline winning the title Dusty never did is too good to pass up. They’re keeping him strong for the foreseeable future. (Pick: Cody Rhodes)
Joey G: If there is one guy other than Roman Reigns who should not be losing right now it’s the American Nightmare. Rhodes is more organically over with the WWE Universe than any other star on the roster, and the long-term story of him becoming a world champion is easily laid out in front of them. Rollins has been great, but he can afford to lose again before moving on to something else. (Pick: Cody Rhodes)
Andrew Ravens: Rhodes should go over here as a loss doesn’t hurt Rollins and he can talk his way out of it. Rhodes is clearly the top babyface on the Raw roster and it’s just a matter of time before he’s in the title hunt. Keep Cody strong as he is super over with the fans right now. (Pick: Cody Rhodes)
Consensus: Cody Rhodes
There you have it. Hit up the comments section and let us know what you think about our picks for WrestleMania Backlash.
Last week WWE was overseas for their annual European tour, with events being held in England, France, and Germany.
Former WWE champion Sheamus had been active during the tour, but was noticeably absent from the company’s Saturday show in Paris, as well as their Sunday event from Ludwig. This led to some online speculation that the Celtic Warrior had been injured, but a new report reveals why he was off the card.
According to PW Insider, Sheamus is doing just fine, and was not used over the weekend so that his new stable-mate, Butch, could get more ring-time. The Bruiserweight worked multiple matches with current Intercontinental champion Ricochet on the tour, with former I.C. champion Sami Zayn later being added for some triple-threat action.
It is not know whether Sheamus, Butch, or their third partner, Ridge Holland, will be added to WWE’s upcoming WrestleMania Backlash premium live event. The trio have been making waves on the blue-brand since forming an alliance earlier this year. Sheamus hasn’t wrestled on TV since his victory over Kofi Kingston on the April 22nd taping SmackDown. Meanwhile Butch’s last TV match was a loss to the New Day’s Xavier Woods. Stay tuned.
Pro-wrestling star Sabatino Piscitelli, who fans will remember as Tino Sabbatelli in WWE, was the latest guest on Insight With Chris Van Vilet to discuss his temporary run in AEW back in 2020, which came at the heels of his first release from WWE’s NXT brand.
Sabbatelli began the interview by revealing that he unknowingly burned his bridge with AEW President Tony Khan, stating that he thinks it’s because he decided to return to WWE after his debut match on Dark.
“So here’s the thing. I don’t know what happened or where it went wrong, this is the truth, that bridge was burned, and I don’t know how. Tony Khan knows me from football, and when WWE offered me that contract, I actually texted Billy Gunn about it. They [AEW] hadn’t offered me anything, Triple H was the one who offered me something. I sent a nice text to Billy Gunn to thank me for the opportunity and I thought it was all good. But when I got released again, someone reached out to AEW and said to Tony Khan ‘Tino is a free agent and he’s going to be a star.”
He adds that Andrade El Idolo at one pointed wanted him in a group but Khan said no.
3 months ago, Andrade approaches me and said that he wanted me to be in a group with him. Me and Andrade have always had a good relationship. But he texted me personally and we shot a vignette together. He wanted to bring a group like Evolution to AEW. We shot the video and spent the whole day in Miami. He texted me back and said ‘Tony Khan likes the idea but no Tino.’ I’m like what do you mean? I would love to sit and talk to Tony.”
Shortly after Sabbatelli’s AEW run a rumor had circulated that he was the cause of several AEW spoilers being released to the public, an accusation that the former NFL star now laughs off as he admits that he is an internet dummy and doesn’t even use social media.
“Oh man I had to laugh. If anybody knows me, I don’t know where to begin with this. I am an internet dummy, I don’t know what a dirt sheet is, I am not on Twitter and I don’t use Instagram. So when someone tagged me and said ‘You hear what Chris Jericho said about you.’ What was it, NXT reject? At first I ignored it but people started to bring it up more and more, so I started to look into it. I’m like what is this dude talking about? For me to go on the internet and speak on something that I know nothing about? No disrespect, I don’t care about that much.”
Sabbatelli credits WWE Hall of Famer Billy Gunn for getting him through the AEW door, but it appears his one match on Dark caught the attention of Triple H, who reached out to him after the bout had aired.
“So then AEW comes into play, AEW calls me. Billy Gunn calls me and says ‘Sabby, show up to Jacksonville.’ They don’t tell me anything, I show up and I see my name on the board. I’m like wow, I have a match? I mean OK I will do it. So I had this match on AEW Dark, it was a tag team match, but they didn’t tell me anything. They didn’t offer me anything, it was a vague trip. But that same week coach Bloom texted me and said congratulations. I shot him a text back saying ‘Thank you but I didn’t sign anything.’ The next day Triple H reaches out to me.
Later in the interview Sabbatelli reflects on his time in WWE, and whether he thinks he would ever return if called upon.
