SEScoops

Author: Jon Fuentes

  • Former WWE Superstar Reacts To Lashley Sister Segment, Daniel Bryan Threatens Samoa Joe (Video)

    Former WWE Superstar Reacts To Lashley Sister Segment, Daniel Bryan Threatens Samoa Joe (Video)

    Former WWE Superstar Reacts To Bobby Lashley’s “Sister” Segment On RAW

    This past Monday’s segment on RAW featuring Bobby Lashley, his three “sisters,” and Sami Zayn was very poorly received by fans. Many in the crowd were booing during the segment, and a lot of people disliked it because they interpreted it as Lashley attacking transgenders.

    Former WWE Superstar Ken Shamrock recently took to Twitter to offer his thoughts on the segment. Here’s what he had to say:

    Daniel Bryan Threatens Samoe Joe

    Renee Young recently interviewed Daniel Bryan after picking up a win over Jeff Hardy on SmackDown Live. As a result of his win, he’ll challenge Samoa Joe in a Money In The Bank (MITB) qualifying match next week.

    Joe recently said in an interview with Young that he’d put Bryan to sleep. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion said that Joe only says that to people who are afraid of being put to sleep – and he’s not. He then threatened to put Joe out-of-action for 6-9 months by tearing his ACL with the same heel hook he took Big Cass out with:

  • The Miz Defends Roman Reigns Against Fan Criticism

    The Miz Defends Roman Reigns Against Fan Criticism

    Former WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz was recently a guest on the Gorilla Position podcast to talk about several professional wrestling topics. During the appearance, The Miz discussed the fan criticism that Roman Reigns has been under in recent years. Interestingly enough, Miz defended his former foe against the naysayers.

    Here’s what he had to say:

    “He’s selling the most merch out of anybody. People are going to sit there and go ‘well, he should be here; he shouldn’t be doing this.’ Nobody knows. Nobody has a scientific formula to being the most ‘over’ superstar in all the WWE. The hardcore fans will sit there and go ‘oh well, you know, they’re shoving him down our throats.

    “How dare you do that? Blah, blah, blah.’ But I guarantee there are kids out there that sit down and look at him — there are women out there that go ‘oh my God.’ Nobody likes the good ‘ol fashioned Superman, you know? Nobody wants that anymore. Everyone wants that blend of grey”

    You can listen to The Miz’s interview on The Gorilla Position podcast by clicking this link here.

    H/T Pro Wrestling Sheet for the transcriptions 

  • Producers Behind RAW’s Matches, Kenny Omega & Xavier Woods Exchange Words On Twitter

    Producers Behind RAW’s Matches, Kenny Omega & Xavier Woods Exchange Words On Twitter

    Who Produced RAW’s Matches?

    Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful reports the producers behind the matches of this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. Here is the list below:

    • Sarah Stock (formerly of TNA) – Fatal 4-Way match: Liv Morgan vs. Sarah Logan vs. Natalya vs. Dana Brooke
    • Dean Malenko – No Way Jose vs. Baron Corbin
    • D-Von Dudley – Breezango vs. The B Team
    • Jamie Noble – Dolph Ziggler vs. Chad Gable & Finn Balor vs Braun Strowman
    • Arn Anderson – Elias vs. Bobby Roode
    • Tyson Kidd & Michael Hayes – Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens & Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens and Jinder Mahal

    Xavier Woods and Kenny Omega Exchange Words On Twitter

    A fan recently asked Kenny Omega on Twitter which member of The New Day he’d have a better match with – Xavier Woods or Kofi Kingston? Omega turned the question into a video game question, which led to a brief exchange between himself and Woods:

    https://twitter.com/untuneduke/status/999155195039789056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F957541-kenny-omega-fantasy-books-himself-versus-the-new-day

  • Why The Sami Zayn & Bobby Lashley RAW Segment Was So Bad

    Why The Sami Zayn & Bobby Lashley RAW Segment Was So Bad

    Earlier this week on Monday Night RAW, Sami Zayn “exposed” former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Lashely by interviewing his three sisters. Instead, Zayn brought out three indy wrestlers dressed as females, who mimicked Lashley’s sisters based on his stories about them.

    Lashley later came out to interrupt things and wound up beating down Zayn and the three men dressed up as his sisters. The segment was received very poorly and fans were booing during the whole thing. It also faced some controversy as many interpreted it as Lashely beating up transgenders.

    During a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez discussed this segment and all the heat it received. Alvarez said the segment was designed to be bad and WWE hoped for all the heat it’s currently receiving. WWE was apparently hoping the “train wreck television” would boost viewership a bit.

    Alvarez also noted that Lashely beating down the three men dressed as women was not designed to be a transgender thing. WWE simply wanted Lashely to beat down a few indy guys, as the company doesn’t allow man on woman violence.

    Discussion: What were your thoughts on the Lashley-Zayn segment on RAW?

  • Nikki Bella Fires Back At News Outlet’s “Sources,” Update On Jason Jordan

    Nikki Bella Fires Back At News Outlet’s “Sources,” Update On Jason Jordan

    Nikki Bella On News Outlet’s “Sources”

    As we’ve recently noted, PEOPLE reports that John Cena and Nikki Bella are “basically back together.” A source had this to say about the situation to PEOPLE:

    “They’re basically back together. This was never really about ending their relationship— it was about calling off a wedding because something didn’t feel right,” the source says. “It was a wedding that was entered into under false pretenses.

    “She was pretending she was okay with not having a kid, he was pretending he absolutely couldn’t and wouldn’t budge on that point. They both got a wake-up call once they canceled the wedding, and they both realized they could fix what was broken.

    “He has poured his heart out to her, and she was more than ready to take him back once she heard what she needed to hear. He’s been saying and doing all the right things.”

    Nikki took to Twitter in what seems like a response to the report, saying she’d like to meet these “sources” one day:

    Update On Jason Jordan

    Former RAW and SmackDown Live Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan has been out-of-action since February after undergoing “a minimally invasive operation to decompress the nerve,” in his neck.

    PWInsider‘s Mike Johnson is now reporting that Jordan is scheduled to be backstage for next weeks episode of Monday Night RAW in Richmond, Virginia. Perhaps Jordan could be making his return to TV on this episode.

    It should be noted that Jordan’s former Tag Team partner, Chad Gable, is now on RAW and is having issues with Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler. Jordan could perhaps return to assist Gable in a feud against McIntyre and Ziggler.

  • The Amazing Record Eddie Guerrero Holds On Brock Lesnar, Carmella Reacts To Salary Rumor

    The Amazing Record Eddie Guerrero Holds On Brock Lesnar, Carmella Reacts To Salary Rumor

    Eddie Guerrero Holds A Great Record Over Brock Lesnar

    Brock Lesnar is undoubtably the most dominant man in WWE today. Since winning the Universal Championship from Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 last year in Orlando, Lesnar has successfully defended his title against the most elite RAW has to offer.

    According to PWStream on Twitter, Lesnar hasn’t been pinned in a championship match in 14 years. The last man to do it? Eddie Guerrero back in 2004 at the No Way Out pay-per-view (PPV):

    Even at that, Goldberg assisted Latino Heat in taking the WWE Title off The Beast, but nonetheless, he’s the only man in 14 years to have pinned Lesnar in a WWE Title match. Lesnar went on to lose to Goldberg at WrestleMania 20, while Guerrero successfully defended his title against Kurt Angle.

    Carmella On Salary Rumors

    SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Carmella recently responded to a fan on Twitter who mentioned a rumor that she makes only 120k a year. Here’s how the Princess Of Statan Island responded:

    https://twitter.com/JoeSlaterIWA/status/998685901512462336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • Chris Jericho’s Expletive-Filled Promo For Naito

    Chris Jericho’s Expletive-Filled Promo For Naito

    Earlier today at Night Four of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) BOTSJ), Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI defeated Tiger Mask and Toa Henare in Tag Team action.

    After the match the lights went out and Chris Jericho appeared on the screen and cut an expletive-filled promo on Naito ahead of their clash at Dominion for the Intercontinental Title.

    “Naito, I read all of the things you’re saying about me,” Jericho said. “I know how you really feel and listen, you are one of the greatest performers in the world today. One of the biggest stars in NJPW, but to me you mean as much as this turtle.

    “Naito, I’m gonna f— you up! I’m going to take your Intercontinental Championship from you, not because you wanted it, you don’t want it, you’re too tranquilo. I’m not tranquilo,” Jericho scoffed. “I’m f—— crazy! I’m gonna show you just how crazy I can be at Dominion on June 9. I’ve been waiting for six months to get my hands on your stupid filthy head. Yeah, Los Ingobernables de Japon. Kiss my f—– ass!

    “You’re the best New Japan has to offer, but I’ve seen pieces of s— like you come and go, year after year, and guess what? Chris Jericho is still here,” Jericho continued. “The Alpha is still here. … I’m gonna make your famous Naito, when I beat your f—– ass at Dominion, take the Intercontinental Championship away from you, away from those filthy animals in Japan and take it back to the United States where it belongs. Be careful what you wish for junior because it’s going to come true. I’ll see you on June 9th at Dominion, f— face!”

    Afterwards the camera went back to Naito, who was seemingly taking a nap on the mat before cutting a promo in Japanese. A fan on Twitter translated Naito’s promo:

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Corey Graves Praises Eric Bischoff’s Podcast, Bobby Lashley Reacts To RAW Segment

    Corey Graves Praises Eric Bischoff’s Podcast, Bobby Lashley Reacts To RAW Segment

    Corey Graves Praises Bischoff’s New Podcast

    Recently, former WCW President Eric Bischoff has released a new podcast, 83 Weeks, with Conrad Thompson to talk about his run with WCW. The podcast has received great reviews from wrestling fans and personalities alike.

    Add Graves to the list of people who enjoy this show, as he recently took to Twitter to praise the show:

    Bobby Lashley Reacts To RAW Segment

    On last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Bobby Lashley had a segment with Sami Zayn after Zayn interviewed Lashley’s three “sisters” (who were actually three male indy wrestlers dressed as women).

    The segment was very poorly received and got a lot of boos from the crowd throughout. Lashley took to Twitter shortly after the segment aired and had this to say:

    Discussion: What were your thoughts on the segment with Lashley, Zayn, and the three sisters? Is it the worst in RAW history?

  • Ronda Rousey Has Strong Words For Nia Jax, Curtis Axel & Matt Hardy Exchange Words On Twitter

    Ronda Rousey Has Strong Words For Nia Jax, Curtis Axel & Matt Hardy Exchange Words On Twitter

    Ronda Rousey’s Message For Nia Jax

    Ronda Rousey is set to challenge for her first title in WWE, when she takes on Nia Jax for the RAW Women’s Title at the Money In The Bank (MITB) pay-per-view (PPV) later next month. Last night on RAW, Commissioner Stephanie McMahon hosted the contract signing between the two.

    McMahon was able to manipulate Jax and Rousey into turning on each other and getting a bit hostile. Both women exchanged some heated words before shaking hands and starring down.

    On Instagram earlier today, The Rowdy One had some strong words for the RAW Women’s Champ ahead of their match:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BjFLUcbBLOq/?hl=en&taken-by=rondarousey

    Curtis Axel & Matt Hardy Exchange Words

    The B-Team has been causing quite the stir on Monday Night RAW. They seem to have caught the attention of one-half of the Monday Night RAW Tag Team Champions, Matt Hardy. They got into the following exchange on Twitter last night:

    https://twitter.com/RealCurtisAxel/status/998768634330836992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F957117-curtis-axel-matt-hardy-wage-a-war-of-words-online

  • More On If “All In” Will Be Broadcasted, Braun Strowman Praises Finn Balor

    More On If “All In” Will Be Broadcasted, Braun Strowman Praises Finn Balor

    More Information On If “All In” Is Going To Be Broadcasted

    Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks’ self-funded “All In” event sold out in under 30 minutes. There’s obviously a huge demand from fans to witness the Chicago-based event, and many have been wondering whether or not it will be broadcasted for fans to watch from home.

    A fan recently asked Cody Rhodes on Twitter about this, and he provided a brief update on the situation. Rhodes said that there are currently on plans to broadcast “All In,” but teased some upcoming meetings in which they’re exploring their options:

    https://twitter.com/ihateyanks27/status/998714284850008069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwnerd.com%2Fthe-latest-on-if-the-all-in-event-will-be-streamed%2F&tfw_creator=innern3rd&tfw_site=innern3rd

    Strowman Has High Praise For Balor

    In the main event of last night’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Braun Strowman defeated Finn Balor in a solid main event. Despite the size difference, the pair actually showed great chemistry and put on a tremendous bout.

    Strowman took to Twitter this morning to offer some praise for the former Universal Champion:

    https://twitter.com/BraunStrowman/status/998939159841705984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • Rusev Day Reportedly Won’t Last Much Longer

    Rusev Day Reportedly Won’t Last Much Longer

    Several months ago when WWE paired up Rusev and Aiden English, they had no idea that they’d be creating one of the biggest fan-favorite gimmicks on the roster today.

    Rusev and English have developed “Rusev Day” together and the WWE Universe has been eating it up ever since. Despite the love Rusev Day has been receiving, WWE has been reluctant to push it to its full potential.

    WrestlingNews.co is reporting that WWE likely won’t ever give Rusev Day a push, as it’s expected that Rusev is set to turn on Aiden English very soon and end the Rusev Day references. Instead, the Bulgarian Brute will return to playing a more “ruthless” character.

    It will be a sad day when Rusev decides to end Rusev Day, but WWE just doesn’t seem to want anything to do with pushing it any further.

    Discussion: How do you feel about WWE refusing to push Rusev Day?

  • Ex-WCW Ring Announcer’s Reaction To Reigns vs. Lesnar At WM 34

    Ex-WCW Ring Announcer’s Reaction To Reigns vs. Lesnar At WM 34

    Former WCW and WWE ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta recently did an interview with The Wrestling Estate to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Cappetta first discussed professional wrestlers today, such as Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks, succeeding outside of WWE:

    “Yeah, and it’s healthy for everybody. When I see the success of Cody, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, I call it the democratization of wrestling. That’s a group of guys who have gained power, mostly independent from a major corporate organization. If WWE ever seeks them out or if they ever want to go to WWE, there’s an even playing field that didn’t exist in the past.

    “I would compare them to Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher, who didn’t need American promoters in order to have a successful wrestling career. They were able to call their own shots. And now they’re All In promotion in Chicago. I wish them well. They’re really sharp. It was more difficult to do in the past because today there are free marketing tools available online, but they’re very savvy in how they use them.”

    Cappetta then discussed Roman Reigns and his current position in WWE. In regards to his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34, Cappetta thoroughly enjoyed it and called it a ‘brutal’ match he’d show to anyone who thinks wrestlers aren’t athletes:

    “I like Roman Reigns. I don’t understand what exactly they’re doing with him, and I don’t really understand why the fans boo him, other than they’re following what somebody else said they should be doing.

    “Anybody that saw the WrestleMania match between him and Lesnar, you’ve got to have respect for these guys. What a brutal match. That would be a match I’d show someone who says these guys aren’t athletes.”

    In regards to the late-WWE Hall Of Famer Bruno Sammartino, Cappetta says he ranks him in the top five all-time greats:

    “Top five. There would not have been a healthy WWF to purchase and take forward and expand if it wasn’t for Bruno. I kind of chuckle when I hear Mr. Today Wrestler is seven-times world heavyweight champion. But how long did he hold that title for?

    “Sammartino was a two-time champion, but he held it for a long stretch of time and carried the promotion on his back. There’s a big difference and it sort of diminishes the title. That kind of phraseology is meant to build up the personality for the here and now, but it shuts out the historic importance.”

    You can check out Cappetta’s full interview with The Wrestling Estate by clicking this link here.

  • Samoa Joe On If WWE Talents Can Mention Other Promotions By Name In Interviews

    Samoa Joe On If WWE Talents Can Mention Other Promotions By Name In Interviews

    Former NXT Champion Samoa Joe recently did an interview with Sky Sports to promote the WWE’s European tour. During the interview, Joe was asked about some of the feuds he has been a part of before he joined WWE.

    This was in reference to the work that Joe has done with other promotions such as IMPACT Wrestling and Ring Of Honor (ROH). The interviewer joked that they couldn’t mention the names of the other companies.

    Joe revealed that he is allowed to name other companies while with WWE, but he chooses not to in order to anger some wrestling fans:

    “Yeah, I worked with him at a bunch of other companies other than here. No, we can, we can totally say the name, I chose not to. Everybody says ‘Oh, you can’t say the name’ no, I don’t because I know at home you’re going to get on your message board and you’re gonna be like, ‘He didn’t say it! He didn’t say it!

    “Just say it for me!’ I’m not saying it because you’re reacting that way and you’re a grown human being, it’s ridiculous. … You know! You already have the information, you just want me to say it again? It’s just so redundant.”

    You can read Joe’s full interview with Sky Sports by clicking this link here.

  • Kevin Sullivan Thinks Roman Reigns Should Turn Heel

    Kevin Sullivan Thinks Roman Reigns Should Turn Heel

    Roman Reigns is a hot topic of conversation in the professional wrestling world. Much of that discussion has to do with whether or not The Big Dog should turn heel or not.

    Reigns is continuously pushed as the top babyface of the company, but the WWE Universe has been denying him for the past several years by booing him relentlessly.

    Many WWE legends, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, believe the time is now to turn Reigns heel. Add former WCW star Kevin Sullivan to that list.

    He recently joined Interactive Wrestling Radio (IWR) and offered his thoughts on the Reigns situation. Here’s what he had to say:

    “It is so easy. I think I could get him (Reigns) up and running in 8 weeks. To me, it doesn’t matter if they cheer him or boo him as long as it gets asses in seats. I used to think you could get a guy over just by pushing him. You can’t do that anymore. This is now. Wrestling fans are conasaursnow.

    “Like the cigar days or the wine craze where everybody was a conasaur of wine. Now everybody is a conasaurs of wrestling and they’re not going to take you shoving people down their throat. I think this is a challenge that they think they’re going to win. I think they should cut their losses and turn him.” 

    You can listen to Sullivan on Interactive Wrestling Radio by clicking this link here.

  • CM Punk & WWE Lawsuit Delayed, Maria Kanellis Goes Off On Critics

    CM Punk & WWE Lawsuit Delayed, Maria Kanellis Goes Off On Critics

    CM Punk & WWE Lawsuit Apparently Delayed

    According to a report from Austin Kellerman, the trial for CM Punk and Colt Cabana against WWE doctor Chris Amann has been delayed. It was set to take place this morning but apparently the case was reassigned to a new judge, Judge Elizabeth Budzinski, thus the reason for the delay:

    https://twitter.com/AKonWrestling/status/998568650943750146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F956679-cm-punk-dr-amann-trial-delayed

    https://twitter.com/AKonWrestling/status/998568985229656065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mandatory.com%2Fwrestlezone%2Fnews%2F956679-cm-punk-dr-amann-trial-delayed

    https://twitter.com/AKonWrestling/status/998597987071913986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ringsidenews.com%2F2018%2F05%2F21%2Freason-cm-punk-dr-ammans-trial-delayed%2F&tfw_creator=RingsideNewscom&tfw_site=RingsideNewscom

    Maria Kanellis Has A Message For Her Critics

    WWE Superstar Maria Kanellis recently took to Instagram to post a lengthy comment to her critics. Here’s what she had to say:

    “Tell me again how I don’t belong, how I don’t deserve it, how I am talentless… thanks for the inspiration a-holes. I worked in WWE for 5 and a half years before working on the Indy’s. I could have quit after WWE. Married some rich dude ‘to take care of me.’ I didn’t. I worked my ass off. My house was foreclosed on in 2012. My reality show got dropped. I kept working.

    “So, I graduated with honors with a bachelors degree. My husband had a drug addiction. So, I fought for my marriage. I got pregnant. So, I started a business. I had a baby… so, now I’m working my way back. I’m not done. ‘Fans’ keep running your mouths. And I’ll say thank you because one of my favorite things to do is prove people wrong. ‘Fans’ forget I love this business. I love wrestling. I love managing. And I’m not done.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BjBdvjzgPLC/?utm_source=ig_embed

  • Former WWE Star Badly Beaten Outside His Home (Photo)

    A former WWE Superstar was very badly beaten outside of his Los Angeles home this week after a dispute over a parking spot.

    The former WWE Superstar is none other than Tom Magee, who went under the ring name “MegaMan” during his WWE run from 1986 to 1990. He was trained by Stu Hart in the Hart Family Dungeon but his wrestling career never really took off.

    CBS News reports that Magee got into a dispute with a man in another car over a parking spot. Six men got out of the opposing car and jumped Magee, punching him and kicking him on the ground. When neighbors came out to investigate the commotion, the six men fled from the scene.

    Magee suffered a broken jaw, eye socket, and concussion. A photo of Magee after the attack can be seen here below, but WARNING, it is very graphic and the injuries may be disturbing to some:

  • Jim Cornette Reacts To Vince Russo Being Banned From “All In”

    Jim Cornette Reacts To Vince Russo Being Banned From “All In”

    Professional wrestling legend Jim Cornette recently took to his podcast, The Jim Cornette Experience, to offer up his thoughts on Cody Rhodes telling Vince Russo to “stay away” from All In this September.

    Russo has been mentioning the event quite frequently lately, and seems very interested in making an appearance. Cornette had this to say about Rhodes banning Russo from the Chicago event:

    “He knocks them all the time, so why would he want to, if he believes he has any credibility, why would he want to associate himself with that where then people would have to say ‘well, look. Russo knocks them,” said Cornette.

    “Same thing I thought immediately. Russo knocks them, but he’s not above a payoff to come up here and be a part of the thing. That was my main consideration for not being involved, because I don’t want people to think that I’m a f***ing hypocrite. But he has no problem with that.

    “But then, to not know enough to take the booking and not realize that a bunch of the people on the show that are running the show because it’s the boys running the show, I believe we’ve mentioned that, that the boys wouldn’t want you on [the show] because… dealing with him is like picking up a turd from the clean end. There’s absolutely no way to do it where you can please the majority of the people involved in the situation, because nobody wants him around.”

    You can listen to The Jim Cornette Experience by clicking this link here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka2L7rsqUug

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Finn Balor On How Sister Abigail Match Cancellation Was A Turning Point

    Finn Balor On How Sister Abigail Match Cancellation Was A Turning Point

    Former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor recently did an interview with What Culture to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Balor was first asked to name the three toughest wrestlers he has had the pleasure of sharing the squared circle with thus far:

    “Let me think. Samoa Joe. Huge man but moves like a cruiserweight, hits like a heavyweight and has stamina for days. Bray Wyatt. He has size that just doesn’t translate on TV, like in person he’s much bigger than he looks. I had to use a lot of the lessons I learned from fighting Samoa Joe and apply them to Bray Wyatt.

    “The third most toughest person I’ve ever faced in the ring would be Zack Sabre Jr, who despite his size and unique frame has deceptive toughness and uses your own movements against you. He’s someone who’s very economical with his movement and someone who can counteract someone’s strength with his technique.”

    In regards to Bray Wyatt, he and Balor were initially supposed to wrestle at the Tables Ladders and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view (PPV) last year. Unfortunately Wyatt fell victim to a viral illness backstage and was forced off the card. Balor explained what fans could’ve expected from his match against Wyatt at the event:

    “I don’t know [laughs]. It’ll always be that great unknown question. I think that it could have really went either way. What were we going to see with Sister Abigail, I don’t even know what we were going to see but I think it worked out well for me in the end.

    “Obviously Bray was struck down with illness, was it fate or not I don’t know – maybe it was Sister Abigail that stuck him down [laughs]. But obviously Bray had to step out, AJ (Styles) stepped in and I believe that was definitely a turning point in the year for me and helped me get a little bit of steam to where I am now. So, thank God we didn’t see that Sister Abigail!”

    You can read Balor’s full interview with What Culture by clicking this link here.

  • Roman Reigns Reveals If Vince McMahon Has Ever Wronged Him

    Roman Reigns Reveals If Vince McMahon Has Ever Wronged Him

    WWE Superstar Roman Reigns recently did an interview with The Express where he talked about several professional wrestling topics. One of these topics included Reigns’ relationship with Vince McMahon.

    Reigns said Vince has never steered him wrong, and also noted that the entire McMahon family are great people:

    “All the McMahons are great people and if you know them you get to talk to them on that level. It’s very easy to see them, they’re very personal and that’s key – you have to build a relationship,” Reigns revealed. “It’s not just with the McMahons, it’s everybody. It’s just about getting to know people and a lot of people getting to know you.”

    “I can’t say Vince has ever done me wrong. Regardless of all the fantasy bookers out there, at the end of the day life’s been pretty good for me in the wrestling business so I have to attribute a lot of that to the relationship that I do have with Vince and the way that he has always taken care of me. He takes care of all of us. To have that responsibility and that role is not easy – to be a provider and a protector and that’s what he is. I think along with everybody else, I can say that we are all very grateful,” Reigns said.

    You can read Reigns’ full interview with The Express by clicking this link here.

  • The Young Bucks Explain Why They Wouldn’t Sign With WWE Now

    The Young Bucks Explain Why They Wouldn’t Sign With WWE Now

    The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, recently joined Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast to talk about several professional wrestling topics. Matt Jackson revealed that when AJ Styles first departed to WWE, he wanted to bring The Young Bucks with him:

    “We had just signed a contract with ROH at the time in November because AJ pulled us aside and was like, ‘tell me you guys don’t have any contracts now please,’ and we were like, ‘we just signed.’ And he was like, ‘argh!’ because he wanted to bring us over too. And I don’t know if that would’ve happened, but that was his idea. And we were like, ‘naw, man. We just signed for two years’ or whatever it was.”

    “It would be kind of dumb of us because they couldn’t pay us what we’re making right now.”

    Matt then explained why they wouldn’t go to WWE right now, as it would be a “dumb” decision to do so:

    “If we left right now [for WWE], it would be kind of dumb of us because they couldn’t pay us what we’re making right now, not with the schedule we’re on too. There’s no way.” Matt clarified, “of course they could [afford the pay]! Do you know what I mean? I just don’t think they would!”

    He also discussed if he and his brother would ever sign with WWE, and while he admits it will always be a big question in their careers, they won’t have any regrets if their careers ended tomorrow:

    “It’s always going to be a question. No matter how big we get, it will always be a question that lingers on in our career, I think, as well as Kenny because the three of us, well, he went to [WWE] developmental for a little bit, but people don’t remember that. I don’t even know if that counts as a WWE run, but it will always be a question.

    “The way we’re going, we could probably quit in five years.” Nick said, “at this point, [WWE]’s not a goal. We don’t need it. It was [a goal] for sure. For our first eight years, that was the goal.

    “We could literally quit tomorrow and do something else. And we would be fine though because we have enough saved now at this point. Like, we’re in a good spot!” Matt reflected, “we’ve built this empire, man, The Young Bucks brand. What else could I want? That would be literally the last missing piece, going there and doing a run.”

    You can listen to The Young Bucks’ interview on Talk Is Jericho by clicking this link here.

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Daniel Bryan On How He Convinced Vince McMahon To Let Him Wrestle Again

    Daniel Bryan On How He Convinced Vince McMahon To Let Him Wrestle Again

    WWE Superstar Daniel Bryan recently did an interview on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk Is Jericho, where they discussed his return to the squared circle in WWE. Bryan first discussed working as the SmackDown Live General Manager when he was unable to compete, and how he grew to hate the job:

    “Then they brought me back as GM, and I still have to do a bunch of traveling with that. I have to sit around for a bunch of matches It hurt and it also was like, ‘What am I doing?’ This is the part of me where I’m like, ‘What a sissy I am!’ Lots of people go to their jobs that they don’t like and make way less money than me being the GM of SmackDown, but I could not get out of this mental state where I hate being here,” Bryan said.

    “I really disliked going to work every week, and there would be times where I would fly in and get the script to the show, I would try to get as many people as I could to get in the shoot so I can leave that night and just get out of there. That was when I really started to say that I wouldn’t accept this anymore, I’m going to come back.”

    Bryan then had a serious conversation with Vince McMahon about coming back to the ring. It was there that he presented an interesting idea to The Chairman Of The Board that would allow him to wrestle again:

    “I had a conversation with Vince McMahon. He was pushing the hard questions about what would happen if I would get another concussion? I had answers for him and laid it out. I would have different concussion protocols than everyone else, and one of my pitches to him is that this happens in every sport, when guys get a concussion and a trainer goes over to him and they are asked if they are okay, and the guy would say that he is fine.

    “They would ask if he has a concussion, and the guy would say no, he’s fine. Myself included would say that. So, stop that because that has been an issue with me before. In the past, when I would have a concussion I would just walk it off,” Bryan said. “My proposal would be that after every match I have to go to the trainer’s room and they have to do their checks, and if I don’t do it maybe I get a fine, or something like that. After every match now I get checked.

    “Not even thanking my opponents, after WrestleMania, I walked to Gorilla. No thank you’s to anybody, just walked straight to the Doctor’s and then I get checked. They do basic neurological stuff, and we are revising that as we go because it is new to them too.”

    McMahon then told him to send his proposal to WWE’s medical director Dr. Maroon, and the rest is history:

    “He told me to type it up and put it in an email to Doctor Maroon and say this. I give Doctor Maroon a lot of credit because it is hard to reverse your decision regarding clearing me. I have a lot of respect for him because he said, okay, my opinion might not be right for this. He sent me to three Neurologists that he thought were the best Neurologists. He could have easily sent me to Neurologists that backed his opinion.

    “He sent me to people that had the latest, up to date research on concussion,” he said. “He wanted to get to the right answer. I have a lot of respect to him for that. If I get hurt, it goes to Doctor Maroon because he is the Head of Medical in WWE. That was the beginning of the process.

    “He said that if we do clear you, what is your schedule going to look like? Turns out, we haven’t talked about the schedule much because they pretty much have thrown me in live events, so now, I am on that full European tour, so it’s back to the full-time stuff.”

    You can listen to Bryan’s full interview on Talk Is Jericho by clicking this link here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWfIz6doP_E

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Natalya Reacts To Women Being Left Off Greatest Royal Rumble

    Natalya Reacts To Women Being Left Off Greatest Royal Rumble

    At the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia this past April, no female WWE competitors performed on the card due to the culture of the country.

    Many fans were up in arms about this due to the Women’s Revolution currently being pushed by the company. There have been rumors going around that the women could get paid for missing out on the show, however, that has not happened as of this writing.

    WWE Superstar Natalya recently did an interview with Joe.ie and discussed women being left off the Greatest Royal Rumble. Here’s what she had to say on the matter:

    “It was an awesome show. And I was thinking ‘Wow this is so cool, I really want to be a part of this one day’ and it goes back to everybody evolving. It takes time to grow and move forward. I believe everything is going in a positive direction.

    “Rome wasn’t built in a day, as they say, but I think definitely we’ll get there, I’m excited about it. I was talking with several of the male talents that were over in Saudi Arabia, and Roman Reigns said it was just so incredible, and that he can’t wait to go back. So it’s exciting for us to think about going there. I think one day I’ll be there for sure.”

    You can read Natalya’s full interview with Joe.ie by clicking this link here.

  • Why All In Might Not Be On PPV

    Why All In Might Not Be On PPV

    Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks’ self-funded “All In” event has sold out in less than 30 minutes. The action all goes down from the Sears Centre in Chicago, Illinois on September 1st.

    Rhodes recently joined Wrestling Observer Radio to talk about All In and also discussed the possibility of offering the event on pay-per-view (PPV). It turns out there may be a key issue getting the program broadcasted.

    While Rhodes noted that making the event available on PPV is accessible, and those conversations have been had, there’s also the issue that several talents on the card are under contract with other promotions.

    Some of the competitors’ contracts with their respective promotions could pose issues with the event being broadcasted. Okada is under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), Rhodes and The Young Bucks are under deals with Ring Of Honor (ROH), and other stars such as Pentagon Jr. who is under contract with Lucha Underground.

  • Randy Orton Reportedly Undergoes Minor Surgery, Kenny Omega Knocks WWE

    Randy Orton Reportedly Undergoes Minor Surgery, Kenny Omega Knocks WWE

    Randy Orton Undergoes Minor Knee Surgery

    It turns out that former WWE Champion Randy Orton is, in fact, dealing with a minor injury. Orton hasn’t been seen since losing his United States Title match to Jeff Hardy at the WWE’s Backlash pay-per-view (PPV).

    WrestlingNews.co is reporting that Randy Orton had a minor surgery on his knee this past Tuesday. It was not specified which knee Orton had the operation on, but it was noted he could be out until July. Orton’s wife recently posted a video on Instagram in which The Viper’s left knee is wrapped up. You can check that out here:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi0V2R1lzyi/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Omega Pokes Fun At WWE’s Roster Age

    A fan recently shared a picture of an old Playstation WWE game “SmackDown Shut Your Mouth” from 2002. The cover features Superstars such as Triple H, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle – all who are still affiliated with the company today.

    Kenny Omega responded to the photo and joked that it could be a poster for the WWE’s upcoming PPV:

  • Chris Jericho Names Four WWE Stars He’d Love To Work With

    Chris Jericho Names Four WWE Stars He’d Love To Work With

    Former WWE Champion Chris Jericho recently did an interview with The Mirror to help promote his upcoming one-man shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London next week. Here are a few highlights:

    Making sporadic appearances and people not knowing when you may turn up or what shows you might be on, gives you a ‘marquee attraction’ feel as a performer, similar to what Brock Lesnar has in WWE. It keeps an appearance by you a special event, in of itself.

    “Well, Brock Lesnar has what Chris Jericho has in WWE, you know what I mean? I come and go when I feel it’s right. I’m there more than Brock is when I’m there, but as far as being there/not being there, I’m not under contract to WWE. Everyone always thinks that, they’re always like ‘oh is WWE cool with you working in New Japan?’

    “It doesn’t matter if they’re cool or not because I’m not under contract. My contract with them ended in May of last year. So I have the right to do whatever I want to do, I don’t have to ask permission from anybody. I tell them what I’m doing out of courtesy because I respect the company and respect Vince McMahon, but I don’t have a contract with anybody, other than the match I have with Tetsuya Naito coming up.”

    You made a dramatic return to NJPW on May 4, ambushing NJPW icon Tetsuya Naito. The seeds had been sown for that back in January, when you first attacked him the day after Wrestle Kingdom. You have long been the master of keeping people guessing, spreading misinformation, and down the years you have kept a lot of big surprises secret, such as your appearance at the Royal Rumble in 2013. This time there were a few rumours and the cat got out the bag – why do you think that was?

    “I don’t know man. It’s one of those things, the cat got out of the bag, but everyone was convinced I was going to be in Long Beach too [NJPW held a show titled Strong Style Evolved in California on March 25]. You can’t tell me that you really knew for sure because no one knew for sure. I have found out that fans have a way to track your flight patterns now… which really makes me feel safe.

    “Maybe that’s how, they found out that Chris Jericho was flying into Tokyo or whatever it was, but once again, I don’t feel bad because we were very specific, very secret about it. I flew into Haneda Airport, stayed a night there, then secretly flew into Fukuoka and stayed at a different hotel, so if people say they knew I was there that’s wrong, because there might have been some rumors, but it’s not like I was busted or caught red-handed or anything along those lines. If I hadn’t have been there, people would have just said ‘oh that’s Jericho, we thought he was going to be at Long Beach too’.”

    Are there opponents still in WWE that you would love to work, a long program with [Daniel] Bryan for example?

    “It’s all about the story. If it’s a good story I will work with anybody. I enjoy wrestling still but I enjoy the storyline behind it. I liked the idea of a surprise attack on Naito, I like all these type of things that you don’t really expect to see. That’s why I still enjoy wrestling.

    “Yeah sure, working with [Braun] Strowman would be great, working with Daniel Bryan would be great, working with any of those guys would be great, I love Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins and all of those dudes. But what’s the story behind it? If we can come up with a good story, then I’m all in. If not, then I will just continue doing what I’m doing right now and having a lot of fun doing it.”

    You can read Jericho’s full interview with The Mirror by clicking this link here.