The first playable demo for the AEW Fight Forever video game will be featured at this week’s Gamescom convention from Cologne, Germany.
This will be the first time that AEW’s in-development console video game can be played by the general public. The game is due out this year, although the release date has yet to be confirmed.
Amazon.com lists December 31st, 2022 as the release date for AEW Fight for the Fallen, but that is a placeholder until the actual date is announced.
In addition to the AEW Fight Forever playable demo, All Elite Wrestling is also sending talent to the convention for a series of live exhibition matches.
From Thursday to Sunday, THQ Nordic will host the first-ever AEW matches from Cologne, Germany. A press release sent in from THQ Nordic reads:
“Watch famous AEW talents fighting forever (well, maybe not forever) in our very own ring and bring incredible wrestling action right to you.”
If you can’t make it to Cologne, Germany, don’t sweat it. THQ Nordic will be streaming live from the convention center from Wednesday through Sunday live at Twitch.tv/thqnordic.
Roman Reigns portrays the most dominant villain in WWE, but the Tribal Chief still goes out of his way to create special moments for young fans.
Reigns was back in action this past weekend during WWE’s weekend tour of Canada. He does not appear at many non-televised live events these days. However, he did compete at Saturday Night’s Main Event from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Canada.
Reigns successfully retained the Undisputed Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus in a triple threat match.
After the match, he was making his way backstage when a fan got his attention.
Reigns Breaks Character for a Good Cause
As seen below, a father told Roman Reigns that his son loves him and it’s his birthday. Reigns stopped in his tracks, embraced the child, shook his hand and wished him a happy birthday. The father couldn’t contain himself and screamed, “holy sh*t” in excitement.
The Reigns vs. McIntyre vs. Sheamus bout was a tune-up for Reigns’ upcoming showdown with McIntyre at WWE Clash at the Castle.
The heavyweight Superstars are scheduled to headline the upcoming Clash At The Castle premium live event from Cardiff, Wales on September 3rd. This will be WWE’s first UK stadium show in thirty years.
WWE Saturday Night Slam Results
August 20, 2022, Ottawa, Canada, Canadian Tire Centre
Los Lotharios defeated Butch & Ridge Holland
Natalya defeated Shotzi
Gunther retained the Intercontinental championship against Shinsuke Nakamura
Ricochet defeated Happy Corbin in a No DQ Match
Sami Zayn defeated Madcap Moss
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler defeated Smackdown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan & Aliyah
Roman Reigns defended the Undisputed Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus
Big E has provided an update on his health five months after breaking his neck.
The former WWE Champion was Ryan Satin’s latest guest on the Out of Character podcast for Fox Sports. During their discussion, he spoke about his health over the last few months and what the road to recovery looks like.
At this stage, he’s feeling good. More than anything, he’s grateful. When he fractured the C1 and C4 vertebrae in his neck, he could have been paralyzed. He could have died. He’s not experiencing any pain or weakness, which is nothing short of a miracle.
He’s unsure if he’ll ever be cleared to wrestle again. The next big update will come in March 2023, one year after the injury. His C1 is not completely ossifying (the bone is not reforming), which could prevent him from getting back in the ring.
Big E is says his neck is ‘good enough’ that doctors aren’t worried about his ability to live a normal life. Here’s the word straight from Big E:
“For right now, I’m cleared to live a normal life and I do live a normal life. But, I’m not cleared to be taking off and hitting suicide spears and be to be taking back bumps. The nature of what we do is very physical, it involves your neck and your spine, and I’d like to keep that as in tact as possible.
So, for me right now, kind of the next step, is they want to take a look at it again after a year, get some more scans, so we’re talking about March 2023 to see whats doing. We might also along the way, at the 6 and 9 month mark, look it again. But, the upside is that right now, I have no nerve issues, there’s no tingling, no weakness.”
I’ve been in the gym since 2 weeks after breaking my neck. They told me, ‘As long as your neck is in the brace, as long as you stay in the brace, you’re good for that.’
So, yeah i’ve been working out, I feel great, I’m just really grateful. Honestly, it feels like a bullet whizzed by my face. I felt the wind of the bullet go by my head and I’m very grateful to still be here, to have use of my limbs, to still feel good. That’s really my biggest takeaway, is just gratitude. I try to be grateful that I’m still here. I’m still kicking.”
Being an Introvert, Dating
Elsewhere in the conversation, Big E spoke about being introverted. On television, he’s gyrating his hips and riling up the crowd. Some fans might be surprised to learn that when the cameras stop rolling, he likes to relax and have quiet time.
Big E was asked about his dating life. He joked, “It’s a mess out here” and said, “It’s a mine field, don’t do it man!” He tends to be interested in women that don’t live anywhere near him. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” he said. “I don’t have it figured out.”
He’s open to sharing his life with someone, but never felt the drive to settle down and start a family. He loves working, loves traveling and fears a partner would have a problem with his lifestyle.
Catch Big E’s chat with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast:
Posted August 22nd, 2022 in WWE, News. Tagged: Big E.
Hit Row made a “smash return” to WWE on the August 12th edition of Friday Night SmackDown. However, they are missing a key component of the original act.
The group, which was comprised of Swerve Strickland, Top Dolla, Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab, were broken up and released from WWE at different points throughout 2021.
Strickland later signed with All Elite Wrestling. Along with Keith Lee, he’s one half of the reigning AEW World tag team champions.
The three remaining members now look to reestablish themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the SmackDown brand.
During a recent appearance on the Jobbing Out podcast, Top Dolla spoke about how their WWE return came about and his thoughts about the group continuing without Swerve.
Hit Row’s Road Back to WWE
Hit Row member Top Dolla appeared on the Jobbing Out podcast this week and spoke about their road back to WWE. He never stopped talking to Triple H after his release. They kept in regular touch and said they have a strong relationship.
He kept in touch with other members of WWE management, as well. The day after he was released from WWE, John Laurinaitis (former head of talent relations) called him and said Hit Row would be waned back in WW when the company resumes hiring.
Top Dolla said the group knows they created something special. They never stopped plotting their return and were eager to get back to work. When Triple H came into power at WWE, Top Dolla was waiting for “the call” to return. That call came and he told Triple H the crew is ready to come back. Within a week or so, they were back on television.
Hit Row Without Swerve Strickland
Of course, Top Dolla was asked about the absence of Swerve Strickland, the group’s breakout star during their initial run in NXT.
The former NFL star said it’s not really a big deal, because the three remaining members have been working together for over two years and were a unit before Swerve was added to the group.
“Swerve was added to the crew two weeks before we debuted. And – when we got released, he told us he wanted to do his own thing. We didn’t tell him he couldn’t be in Hit Row… He said he wanted to do his own thing. So, he’s doing his own thing.”
– Top Dolla
Top Dolla said he, Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab are the “OG-3.” The group was his creation and were just fine before Swerve was added. The three original members feed off of each other creatively and will be just fine on SmackDown.
Listen to Top Dola’s appearance on the Jobbing Out podcast:
Social media can be a toxic place. This rings especially true for female celebrities, who are often the subject of targeted harassment.
This weekend, WWE Superstar Shotzi deactivated her Twitter account (again) to get away from online negativity.
The controversy began when Shotzi had a tense exchange with on-screen rival, SmackDown Women’s champion Liv Morgan. Morgan referenced Shotzi deactivating her Twitter account earlier this year, which led to the green-haired grappler firing back with an allegation that caused a lot of commotion on Wrestling Twitter.
Shotzi Claims Liv Morgan Got Ruby Soho Fired
Shotzi claims that Morgan is responsible for getting Ruby Soho released by WWE in June 2011.She told Morgan that she won’t be the next “green haired tattooed girl” to get run over. In fact, she’s the one that typically does the running over.
Shotzi Deactivates Twitter Again
Shotzi was attempting to stand up for her friend, but was inundated with messages calling her a bully towards Morgan.
Things spiraled out of control when some fans sent death threats. Shotzi saw this as the right time to unplug.
She said “Bye!” to her followers and sarcastically wrote that she’ll be back when she’s in the mood to “bully another one of her coworkers” again.
As noted, this is the second time this year that Shotzi decided Twitter wasn’t for her. Just last month, she took a break from social media after fans mocked her for botching spots during the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
After this latest exchange, it will be interesting to watch how Liv Morgan and Shotzi interact on WWE television. The two wrestled just days ago, on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. You can see footage from that match below.
Morgan defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship against #1 contender Shayna Baszler at the upcoming Clash at the Castle premium live event on September 3.
Charlotte Flair is Steve Austin’s latest guest on The Broken Skull Sessions.
The two wrestling legends covered a lot of ground during the 90+ minute discussion. Topics discussed included breaking into the business, how her brother’s death changed the course of her life, coming up with the Four Horsewomen and much more.
The following are the main takeaways of what we learned from Charlotte Flair on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions.
They started off talking about her recent wedding to Andrade, which was held in his hometown in Mexico. They honeymooned in Costa Rica and were grateful to have a full 7-day break from wrestling, which is rare these days.
Charlotte said it can be difficult being married to someone in the business, especially someone who works for a different company. At the end of the day, they’re best friends. It can be tough being married in the business, but it would be even harder being a woman in the business being married to someone on the outside. Few people can understand what a woman goes through as a pro wrestler and spouses who are not in the business would have a very tough time understanding that life.
Breaking into the Business
Charlotte Flair on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions (via WWE)
She’s done it all at this stage of her career, but becoming a pro wrestler was not a childhood dream of hers. Even at 25 years old, she had no aspirations of being a wrestler. She got emotional talking about her brother Reid’s passing and carrying out his dream.
Before she got into wrestling, she remembers going backstage at WWE shows with her father and being intimidated by how beautiful all the Divas were.
She attended the Four Horsemen’s WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2012, along with her father and brother. They were sitting at dinner and a WWE producer came up to them and asked her, “Why aren’t you doing this?”
Got to FCW, didn’t know what she was doing, felt resentment because she didn’t need to do a tryout. Her brother passing away put her on a completely different path. It propelled her to the highest heights, but she still hasn’t fully processed it.
The Four Horsewomen vs. WWE Divas
Charlotte said she learned the most from the women who she came up with, Sasha Banks, Bayley and Becky Lynch. Together, they were dubbed the Four Horsewomen, an homage to her father and the legendary Four Horsemen faction. That was her group, that’s who she learned from and that’s who she felt the need to keep up with. She looked up the other women and they all got better by competing with each other.
During the time that the Four Horsewomen were getting buzz in NXT, WWE’s Divas division took notice. There was a sense of competition between the two rosters. She doesn’t know if they were making the women on the main roster nervous, but it definitely bred competition.
She remembers the Divas being fired up as the Four Horsewomen were getting called up. Charlotte, Sasha, Becky and Bayley were getting time in NXT, while the WWE Divas were not.
“We were getting the time in NXT, they weren’t, so it was like, being territorial,” she said. “We were hungry, they were hungry, but its not like the four of us [the Four Horsewomen] sat in a room and were like, ‘We’re going to change the game.’ We just didnt know how to look at it any different. We thought we were just as good.”
When she got to the main roster, she feuded with Nikki Bella. She remembers Nikki being very hungry to prove herself, which she saw as a good thing overall. She was still pretty green at the time, but felt confident in what they had been doing in NXT.
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was a turning point for her career. She was Divas Champion at the time and competed against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch in a match to crown the new WWE Women’s Champion.
She admits, “I still at this point don’t know what I’m doing.” Charlotte carries herself with an aura of confidence, which has helped her during times when she wasn’t so confident.
They felt a lot of pressure going into this match. After the reputation they had built for themselves, they absolutely had to deliver. They were nervous, but knew they had to knock it out of the park to get more opportunities. “If they trust us, they’ll give us more.”
Anyone could have won that night, but in the end, she was the victor. She said, when she won the Divas Championship at Hell in Cell 2015, she didn’t feel ready. When she won the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 32, she felt ready.
Ric Flair
Steve Austin asked about Charlotte’s father, Ric, and how consistent their views about the business are. How often are they on the same page?
“It’s up and down,” she said. Sometimes she thinks he’s spot on, sometimes, she thinks he’s way off. She has a stronger athletic background than her father did. Sometimes, he encourages her to show off more of her athletic abilities, like moonsaults, but she understands and knows he’s just proud of her abilities
Austin asked what she learned about life on the road, having grown up with a father who was always making towns. She said, she learned what not to do. Ric Flair had so much fun during his wrestling career, she’s found herself on the opposite side of the spectrum, encouraging herself to loosen up more. She joked that she’s kept all her robes, laughed and left it at that.
Charlotte admits that she craves approval, but still feels like she’s a natural heel. Her father is Ric Flair, which is not exactly a relatable trait. Over time, she learned that heel heat is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than babyface pops.
She credits her match against Natalya at the first NXT Takeover (2014) as the moment she truly arrived. It put her on the map and established her in the eyes of the fans. She attained great success on the main roster, but it wasn’t until her match with Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series 2018 that she felt that she could perform 100% on instinct.
Charlotte Flair also played the “Word Association” game, a regular feature on Broken Skull Sessions. Here’s the first thing that came to mind for Charlotte when presented with the following topics:
Bayley: Role model
Ronda Rousey: Legit
Becky Lynch: Character
Trish Stratus: Queen
Lita: Teacher
Nikki Bella: Star
Asuka: Iron
Liv Morgan: Future
Rhea Ripley: Unfinished business
Watch Charlotte Flair’s appearance on Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions on Peacock.
WWE has a busy weekend ahead, with the Raw and SmackDown crews touring Canada, while NXT has two shows in Florida.
Here are a few interesting notes for what’s ahead:
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will be making a rare live event appearance at Saturday’s SmackDown house show from Ottawa. He’ll be wrestling in the main event against his Clash at the Castle opponent, Drew McIntyre.
Reigns has been working a greatly reduced schedule over the past several months. He’s been kept off a few premium live events and does not work many non-televised shows.
Ronda Rousey, who is currently serving ‘suspended’ due to her attacking a referee at SummerSlam, is also back on the road for SmackDown She’ll be competing in 3-way matches with SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan and Natalya.
On the Raw side, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus will be hosting the events from Kingston, Ontario and London, Ontario. This weekend’s Raw brand main events will see Theory vs. Dolph Ziggler in a Street Fight. Rollins vs. Riddle is also advertised.
WWE Weekend Schedule
Friday, August 19
Friday Night SmackDown (Montreal, QC)
NXT Live (Lakeland, FL)
Saturday, August 20
NXT Live (Venice, FL)
Saturday Night’s Main Event – SmackDown (Ottowa, ON)
Shawn Michaels, WWE’s Vice President of Talent Development Creative, was quoted in a press release saying, “Given the success of NXT UK, we felt like it was time to expand beyond that.”
WWE recently canceled upcoming NXT UK TV tapings, which understandably created an aura of uneasiness amongst the roster.
As of today I am no longer under contract with WWE. It’s been a wild experience and I’m thankful for everything it’s afforded me – I am excited for what’s next and I am BUZZING to get back in that ring and GO!
L’équipe, je sais que c’est pré enregistré et que des spoilers sont déjà sortis mais malgré l’annonce de la fin d’NXTUK: je vous invite à regarder jusqu’au bout et à donner de la force. On a tous bossé très dur pour vous divertir. RDV ce soir dès 21h sur le WWE Network. ?
Very thankful to @WWE for allowing me to entertain thousands every week. This is just a road bump for me and I solely believe that. I have a chip to prove and I'm going to do everything I can so I can get back to where I belong. I'll be back! ?? pic.twitter.com/mGpPXup97G
Kenny Omega made a not-so-surprising return on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. After a week of speculation, Omega was revealed to be the Young Bucks partner in their first round match of the Trios World Championship tournament.
The reunited Elite defeated Andrade El Idolo, Rush, Dragon Lee to advance to the second round. Following their loss, Andrade and Rush turned on Dragon Lee, effectively ending that short-lived alliance.
After AEW Dynamite went off the air, Kenny Omega addressed the live crowd. He broke character and discussed his long road to recovery, doubting himself along the way, what keeps him motivated and what the future holds for him and The Elite.
After Dynamite Ended
Kenny Omega has been healing from a slew of injuries and procedures over the past 9 months. However long its been, it’s been pretty grueling. Many times, he questioned himself. He questioned if he’d be able to come back to AEW and perform at the highest level.
He admits it will take him a while to catch up to the Young Bucks and what they can do in the ring. It may be a while before he can challenge for a singles title again, but this is a work in progress and he’s very glad that everyone is joining him on this journey.
Omega told the audience, “Don’t get it confused I’m not a good guy. I might even cheat to win every now and then. But one thing that I will say, is when we’re in this ring, you’re getting a genuine Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Elite performance from the genuine Young Bucks and Kenny Omega.”
“We’re not pretending to be something we’re not. We’re not a tribute act. We’re not a parody. We’re not selfish and we’re not in this for selfish means or for selfish gains.”
Omega said The Elite is here to leave a legacy. That legacy is not about titles or match ratings or money. The Elite is here to change the world by changing wrestling.
They’re going to give fans the best wrestling in the world. That’s always been their mission statement. As long as The Elite are in AEW, they vow to give fans variety every time they perform. Win lose or draw, you’ll always get their best effort.
The Best is Yet to Come
Early Thursday morning, the Best Bout Machine provided additional commentary on his long road to recovery.
Omega admits he isn’t 100% just yet, stating, “the pieces aren’t all there yet.”
He does not want to be the weak link on his trios team, but is certain that he and the Young Bucks have a real chance at becoming the first AEW World Trios Champions.
Omega also teased that we haven’t seen him at his best, which is quite a statement, considering the success he’s attained in his career.
“I’ll surpass where I was at,” he wrote. “I’ll surpass everyone.”
The pieces aren’t all there yet but I refuse to burden the Bucks with my limitations.
We have a real chance at this. I’ll be even stronger in round 2. I’ll surpass where I was at.
New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to New York City this October.
On Monday, NJPW announced Rumble on 44th Street will take place on Friday, October 28th from the Palladium in Times Square.
This will be a live pay-per-view event that will feature talent from the Stardom women’s promotion. It will be New Japan’s first big show from the Big Apple since 2019.
Friday October 28 sees NJPW’s biggest event in the US since Capital Collision this past May, as Rumble on 44th Street hits the Palladium in Times Square. The stars will be out for the fall’s most significant American card, which will include the best of STARDOM for the very first time as part of an NJPW card in America!
Rumble on 44th Street tickets go on sale next Thursday, August 25th. There will be a pre-sale held on August 22nd, which cans can sign up for here.
Another former WWE Superstar is hoping to become All Elite in the near future.
The AEW roster features a healthy mix of homegrown talent, former WWE stars and legends. Competitors such as PAC, Malakai Black, Andrade, Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland are just some of the names who joined Tony Khan’s promotion hoping to show fans their true potential.
Miro is a great example of a former WWE star who has taken advantage of the creative freedom offered by AEW. Having reinvented himself as The Redeemer, Miro has done a commendable job establishing a new character that is completely different from his former persona, Rusev.
God’s Favorite Champion has long spoken about his hot, flexible wife. After countless references to his better half, it sounds like former WWE Superstar CJ Perry (Lana) is itching to get back to business.
Lana Wants to Join AEW
CJ Perry appeared on Wednesday’s edition of Busted Open Radio and spoke about Miro’s success in AEW.
Miro was courted by Julia Hart to join the House of Black faction last week on Dynamite. He rejected the offer, but the interaction caught Perry’s attention.
According to Perry, she didn’t like seeing Hart proposition her man. She was so enraged by the interaction that she was ready to retaliate with violence.
“I’m not a jealous type of person, but I was furious. I wanted to literally show up and slap the shit out of her.”
– CJ Perry on Julia Hart
She wasn’t done venting about what she wants to do to Julia Hart. Perry continued, “She does all these cute pictures on Instagram and her vibe is very House of Black, then she shows up in a blazer. I will literally dropkick her in the face.”
CJ Perry was asked if she’d be interested in working with Miro in AEW. As we saw in WWE, the married couple has undeniable on-screen chemistry.
“Hopefully, I get a chance to do that,” she said. “I’d love to do something with Miro in AEW. We’ll see what happens.”
Watch CJ Perry’s comments about wanting to join AEW:
Miro spoke with WhatCulture last month and had this to say about his wife possibly joining AEW:
“You never know. She’s really focused on CJPerry.com, her website, and everything it has to do with. She’s doing movies, she’s producing movies, so she’s really, really busy. But like I said in my interview, it’s about my god, my gold and my gorgeous wife.”
He says he and his wife have always been “money” wherever they’ve gone, whether it’s pro wrestling, reality television or online digital content.
“In my mind, in The Redeemer’s mind, his wife is always there, so it’s a no-brainer for my gorgeous wife to join my team eventually and walk through fools together.”
All Elite Wrestling returns tonight with a special “House of the Dragon” themed edition of AEW Dynamite from Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia.
The show is being presented as a promotional tie-in to the Game of Thrones spinoff series premiering this Sunday on HBO Max.
Dynamite will feature a huge 2 out of 3 falls main event, a Trios Tournament first round match, a special appearance by Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and more.
Daniel Garcia shocked the world when he defeated Bryan Danielson last month. Can the Jericho Appreciation Society member do it again?
The Young Bucks need a partner for the AEW World Trios Championship tournament. “Hangman” Adam Page turned them down last week. Will they be able to find a suitable third man?
AEW Dynamite Preview (8/17)
AEW has announced the following for tonight’s AEW Dynamite:
Best-of-3 Falls Match: “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia
Trios Tournament (First Round): Andrade El Idolo, Rush and Dragon Lee vs. The Young Bucks and a Mystery Partner
Toni Storm vs. KiLynn King
The Gunn Club vs. The Varsity Blondes
Plus, wrestling legend Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat will serve as the special guest time keeper for tonight’s matches.
Check back later tonight for our AEW Dynamite Results and news coming out of the show.
AEW Control Center
AEW has produced this special “control center” preview for tonight’s House of the Dragon episode of Dynamite:
Triple H posted a Twitter thread on Tuesday afternoon to hype tonight’s NXT Heatwave special on the USA Network.
WWE’s head of talent relations and creative ran down the full card and explained why fans should invest in the performers and rivalries.
The following has been lightly edited for clarity:
“There has been a lot of excitement around the WWE Universe on Raw and SmackDown, but wanted to share thoughts on the great work the talent and coaches [in] NXT have been doing and the matches at NXT Heatwave tonight on the USA Network.”
Carmelo Hayes vs. Giovanni Vinci
“Consistency is a characteristic of any great performer. Carmelo Hayes has been just that. As NXT North American champion, he’s been equal parts entertaining and impressive in the ring.
He also complimented Hayes’ opponent, Giovanni Vinci, stating that the challenger knows what it takes to win.
Santos Escobar vs. Tony D’Angelo (Street Fight)
“No matter how experienced you are, leading a group of your peers is difficult. You have to be equal parts teammate and visionary. BOTH Santos Escobar and Tony D’Angelo have thrived in that role and have discovered a lot about themselves in this process.”
Cora Jade vs. Roxanne Perez
“You don’t fight with anyone harder than your best friend. (Right, Shawn Michaels?) For both Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez, the sky is the limit and while this match may seem a personal vendetta, I think it is just the beginning of another fabled tale of the NXT Women’s Division.”
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Zoey Stark
“Zoey Stark’s week is packed. Not only does she tag with Nikkita Lyons in the Women’s tag title tournament on SmackDown, but tonight she faces Mandy Rose for the NXT Women’s Championship.
Another massive step in her growth and development, but since coming to NXT, Mandy Rose has demonstrated to everyone the kind of dedication she has always brought to her career. In what is now a record reign, she has solidified her position at the top of women’s division and for good reason.”
NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. JD McDonagh
“The list of NXT Champions features competitors throughout the entirety of our industry’s landscape. Bron Breakker, to many, was thrust into his role as ‘top dog’ but has grown immensely as not only the person with the title, but a student of the game.
All the while, Jordan Devlin continues to level up. The audience is familiar with his skill in the ring, his journey through NXT UK and the passion and guts he brings to each performance. He’s entered into a new landscape & embraced it. I’m excited to see these two tonight.”
Major League Wrestling has announced another international promotion will be participating in the upcoming MLW Super Series event.
Super Series ’22 takes place Sunday, September 18th at the Space Event Center in Norcross, Georgia. This is MLW’s debut event in the greater Atlanta area.
The card will feature talent from multiple companies from around the world.
On Tuesday, MLW announced DRAGONGATE will also be represented on the card.
MLW x AAA x DRAGONGATE
The first competitor from the DRAGONGATE envoy competing at MLW Super Series will be none other than Shun Skywalker. Skywalker is a former Open The Dream Gate Champio and is regarded as one of the best wrestlers in Japan.
MLW CEO Court Bauer had this to say about Skywalker’s involvement:
“Skywalker has been the most requested wrestler MLW fans have hoped to see in an MLW ring since we began a strategic alliance with DRAGONGATE,” said Bauer. “Now the day has arrived when Skywalker will walk down that aisle and fight in Major League Wrestling. I want to thank the entire DRAGONGATE organization, as well as Mr. Kido being a part of this historic card in Atlanta.”
For more information on this show, including the current card and talent signed to appear, visit: MLW Super Series ’22.
Paul Wight recently spoke with CricketNext about his role with AEW, what it’s like working for Tony Khan and the importance of wrestling fans having an alternative to WWE.
Since joining AEW in March 2021, Paul Wight has appeared as himself, not the Big Show character wrestling fans have known since 1999. WWE owns the intellectual property rights to the Big Show character. Wight likened himself to an actor playing Captain America, a character owned by Marvel.
When he was first approached about joining AEW, he was concerned about leaving the Big Show behind. He spent over 20 years building that identity and it was a big step to leave that behind.
Establishing His Own Identity
At the end of the day, Paul Wight felt it was the right move to chart a new path as himself. Despite the Big Show’s global notoriety, he’s always more comfortable being in his own skin.
After considering Tony Khan’ss offer to join AEW, he couldn’t say no to the chance to be himself on television, do commentary and occasionally compete.
Wight says he likes the challenge of establishing his true identity. Behind the scenes, he’s also mentoring AEW’s young talent. One of the big lessons he’s tried to instill is that talent has to believe in themselves. “If you don’t believe in it, the fans won’t believe in it.”
On television, he’s a larger than life figure. When the cameras stop rolling, he says, “I’m just a regular dude. He’s got 12 cats and goes to the grocery store like everyone else.
Wight had glowing things to say about Tony Khan, who he believes is a die-hard wrestling fan who truly cares about the business.
He also emphasized the importance of having a viable alternative to WWE. Not everybody wants ‘soap opera’ sports entertainment and AEW tries to offer a more sports-based product for wrestling fans.
The next themed episode of NXT 2.0 is NXT Heatwave. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, August 16th and will air live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida.
Five big matches are signed for NXT Heatwave, including three championship bouts.
The following is a preview for the event:
NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. JD McDonagh
NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose vs. Zoey Stark
NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes vs. Giovanni Vinci
Street Fight: Santos Escobar vs. Tony D’Angelo (If Escobar wins, Legado is free; if D’Angelo wins, Santos must leave NXT)
Cora Jade vs. Roxanne Perez
Main Event Preview
The main event of NXT Heatwave will see JD McDonagh challenge Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship.
WWE has produced the following video recapping this feud:
The match card for WWE Clash at the Castle is starting to take shape.
WWE’s first UK stadium event in 30 years takes place Saturday, September 3rd from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
Approximately 63,000 tickets have been sold for the event, as of last week (via WrestleTix). The venue is configured to accommodate nearly 72,000 people and this show might just sell out as we get closer to bell time.
SEScoops will be covering WWE Clash at the Castle from all angles. Stay tuned for more news, our expert staff predictions, betting odds and more.
Clash at the Castle Matches
Monday’s edition of WWE Raw saw the return of Riddle. The Original Bro called out the man he was supposed to face at SummerSlam, Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins.
Later in the show, Rollins was in the ring cutting a promo when he was attacked by Riddle. This ignited an intense brawl that spilled over into the crowd.
WWE has since confirmed Riddle vs. Rollins is signed. With that match set, here’s the updated card for WWE Clash at the Castle:
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler
Riddle vs. Seth Rollins
Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss and Asuka vs. Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky
Stay tuned to SEScoops as more matches are announced for WWE Clash at the Castle.
How to Watch
WWE Clash at the Castle takes place Saturday, September 3rd. The show begins at 1pm ET.
Clash at the Castle will stream live on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network internationally.
Clash at the Castle is gearing up to be one of WWE’s biggest events of 2022.
WWE runs premium live events every month, but Clash at the Castle will be the company’s first stadium event from the United Kingdom in 30 years. It all goes down Saturday, September 3rd from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
WWE has promised a big card for Clash and so far, we’re on course. Announced matches include:
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler
Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss and Asuka vs. Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky
More matches are sure to be announced in the coming days, but one former WWE Champion has confirmed he will not be there.
AJ Styles Won’t Be There
The Phenomenal didn’t compete at Money in the Bank or SummerSlam. Unfortunately, he won’t be wrestling at Clash of the Castle, either.
Styles broke the news during a recent interview with Inside the Ropes.
“I would love to put on a show,” said Styles. “I don’t know that I have a story or anything, and it’s a shame. There are plenty of other performers that have great stories, so I’m not saddened by the fact that I won’t be there because I know you guys are going to have such a great night with so many great matches.”
Based on Styles comments, it’s a bit unclear as to why he’s miss missing three conjecture premium live events. He’s been competing on television, so it’s not an injury.
Watch AJ Styles’ recent interview with Inside The Ropes, featuring Styles’ thoughts on AEW, Triple H taking over WWE creative and much more:
AEW has been criticized for signing too many former WWE performers, but that trend does not appear to be slowing down.
Ariya Daivari is the latest wrestler to sign a full-time deal with AEW, according to Fightful.
Daivari has been featured on AEW programming over the past several weeks. The former 205 Live star has been throwing his not-so-hard earned money around in AEW. He leads the Trustbusters faction, a group that has been making noise on AEW Dark.
Ariya Daivari in AEW
(AEW)
Since joining AEW, Ariya Daivari has received a fair degree of creative direction. He’s positioned as a “trust fund kid” who has a lot of not-so-hard-earned money to throw around.
The Trustbusters faction includes Daivari, Slim J, fellow WWE castoff Parker Bordeoux and Sonny Kiss is the latest addition.
Aside from his work on-screen, Daivari has also worked as a producer behind-the-scenes for AEW. He recently helped put together the Thunderstorm vs Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter match from AEW Dynamite. The bout got rave reviews, which only helped Daivari’s standings behind the scenes.
In addition to some critics feeling that Tony Khan is signing too many former WWE wrestlers, certain AEW performers have publicly expressed frustration with the company. Last week, company president Tony Khan addressed the chatter that underutilized performers are growing frustrated. You can read his reaction at the link below:
There is a case to be made that AEW should focus on the talent already under contract. However, someone like Ariya Daivari is extremely talented. At 33 years old, he’s in his athletic prime and has a lot to offer the business on and off screen. As noted earlier, he’s starting off on the right foot. Daivari’s character is being developed and a faction is being built around him, so it does appear that AEW has the creative ‘bandwidth’ for him.
We’ll wait and see how Ariya Daivari does in the months ahead.
WWE rolls into Washington, D.C. tonight with a live edition of Monday Night Raw from the Capital One Arena.
We’re on the road to WWE’s next premium live event, Clash at the Castle, which takes place in less than three weeks (Sep. 4).
As of this writing, WWE is advertising three main items for Raw.
Lashley vs. Styles
Bobby Lashley defends the United States Championship against AJ Styles. Lashley has promised to be a fighting champion and he is backing up his words week after week.
Interestingly, this will be the first clash between Lashley and Styles inside a WWE ring. Lashley and Styles are two of WWE’s most talented performers, so we recommend fans go out of their way to watch this match.
Women’s Tag Tournament Continues
Alexa Bliss and Asuka will face Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop in a first round match for the tournament to crown new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. The winners of this opening round contest will advance to face Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky next week.
Riddle Returns
Riddle returns to Raw. WWE’s resident ‘Bro’ will provide an update on his status after his altercation with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.
Also Appearing
The Capital One Arena website is also hyping appearances by Bianca Belair, Bayley, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, Kevin Owens, Theory, Alpha Academy, and The Street Profits.
Join us here tonight for our weekly WWE Raw Results and Live Discussion. After the show, SEScoops corespondent Steve Fall checks in with his reactions.
Longtime WWE photographer Tom Buchanan says he was shocked and offended at an idea Vince Russo had for a 1998 WWF Magazine cover shoot featuring DeGeneration-X (DX).
DX was at the forefront of the Attitude Era, a chapter in WWE history that was all about pushing the limits, testing boundaries and often times, crossing the line. WWE programming featured antics that were “edgy” to say the least and would no longer be socially acceptable.
According to Buchanan, Vince Russo came up with an idea for DX’s WWF Magazine cover shoot that he refused to carry out. In the end, Russo’s “out there” concept never saw the light of day, but we now know what he intended to do.
If you know anything about the Attitude Era and the type of humor that was popular at the time, you probably won’t be shocked to learn the proposed ‘punchline’ relates to the late WWE Hall of Famer Chyna’s gender identity.
DX, The American Flag & Chyna’s…
Here’s the full story Buchanan posted on Facebook:
“In life there are battles you win, battles you lose, and battles that are negotiated to an uncomfortable settlement.
In the late 1990’s WWF was getting very edgy, and that was especially so in the magazine division under the direction of Vince Russo. We started publishing RAW Magazine in 1996 with the general concept that it would be a “shoot” oriented publication for a mature audience seeking the edge of edginess, and the legacy WWF Magazine would be a “work” publication for a family-type readership.
So I was troubled, really troubled, when Russo said we would celebrate United States Independence Day by putting Degeneration-X (DX) on the cover of the July 1998 WWF Magazine, and then presented his creative vision for the image. In his mind the five members of DX would be positioned behind a big American Flag with Chyna dead center. The American flag would cover their midsections but leave their bare shoulders exposed, and they’d be wearing old style white judicial wigs. At the bottom we’d see their bare legs in goofy slippers. The center of the American Flag would be right bellow Chyna’s belly button, and we’d position a piece of wood poking against it from behind, giving the impression that Chyna was sporting a giant erection while surrounded by naked men.
I found the entire concept offensive, and told Russo straight up that I wouldn’t shoot it, which was an almost unheard of flat-refusal. That turned into an ugly shouting match in the second floor hallway of Titan Tower, and we both had to back off and let the temperature cool for a bit. Within a day or so I had calmed down and could articulate specific concerns about desecration of the American Flag and the grotesque insinuation that Chyna had a penis. Plus, this photo was planned as the cover of a family magazine that lived or died with newsstand sales, which required that big distributors be willing to carry the magazine, and that shopkeepers in the American heartland be willing to display it openly on their magazine racks.
We fought hard. Eventually Russo agreed that we didn’t need to use a current American Flag, and could substitute the Betsy Ross flag. That helped, but he still insisted on the simulated nudity and the erection gimmick. That was a no-go for me, but I agreed to ask freelancer Rich Freeda if he would be willing to shoot the picture.
I checked in with Rich and gave him a no-penalty option of refusal, with a commitment that I’d take the heat. Rich was also uncomfortable, but he was willing to do the shoot as long as I was there to negotiate with Russo and the talent. I quietly worked with our art directors to come up with softer alternatives in case the whole shebang blew up on set, and then we scheduled the shoot backstage at a TV event. My recollection is that none of the talent were bothered by the flag, but Chyna balked at the simulated nudity and the insinuation that she had a penis.
I grabbed Russo, and after talking it over with me and Chyna, and Rich Freeda, he reluctantly agreed that Chyna could be in front of the flag, dead center, looking tough, while the seemingly naked guys were being smug and goofy behind the flag. And that’s the way Rich shot the photo, as I looked on, still not happy with the image, but knowing I had at least softened it from the original plan and brought us to an uncomfortable settlement.”
The Final WWF Magazine Cover
Here is the WWF Magazine cover in question, which was a toned-down version from what Vince Russo originally envisioned:
Posted August 14th, 2022 in WWE, News. Tagged: DX.
WWE’s creative reshuffling continues, as a pair of former tag team champions are going their separate ways.
This week’s edition of WWE Main Event, taped Monday before Monday Night Raw, featured former tag team champions squaring off against one another.
Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander competed against one another on the show. This is the latest sign that their team, and the Hurt Business faction, are dead and buried.
Alexander got the victory in this battle of former partners. After the match, they embraced one another in a mutual sign of respect.
Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander
Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander were formerly part of the Hurt Business faction, along with Bobby Lahley and MVP.
The faction achieved a great deal of success during its limited run. Benjamin and Alexander were a big part of that success, capturing the Raw tag team championships from the New Day back in 2020 at the Tables, Ladders and Chairs (TLC) premium live event.
The Hurt Business has dissolved, with each member going its separate way. MVP turned on Bobby Lashley and sided with Omos, while Benjamin and Alexander are no longer teaming up together. Omos and MVP have since broken up, as well.
The Hurt Business
Despite the group breaking up, Bobby Lashley recently expressed interest in a Hurt Business reunion. During a recent appearance on WWE’s Out of Character podcast, Lashley said he might call on Alexander, Benjamin or MVP to help take down Omos.
When asked about a potential Hurt Business reunion, Lashley said, “You know what, I was thinking about what could happen to actually bring us together, and I thought about this the other day. I was like, if [MVP] made Omos too dangerous where he couldn’t contain him anymore, and Omos turned on him, he would need somebody to help him. There’s only one person that can beat Omos. I may need some help. You’ve got Cedric, you’ve got Shelton, you have MVP. We could take him down and we’re babyfaces again. [Fans] would love us.”
Lashley is the reigning WWE United States Champion. As part of his quest to find worthy challengers, he recently named Benjamin and Alexander as men he’d like to see step up and take a shot at him.
Watch the Top 10 Beset Moments of the Hurt Business:
Charlotte Flair is the next guest appearing on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions.
Broken Skull Sessions features WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin having candid conversations with some of the industry’s biggest stars. Recent guests have included Sami Zayn, Jeff Jarrett, Cody Rhodes and Bubba Ray Dudley.
Episode 30 with Charlotte Flair premieres on Peacock next Friday, August 19th.
WWE has curated this playlist of “unforgettable” stories from Broken Skull Sessions:
Charlotte Flair’s Hiatus from WWE
Charlotte Flair has been out of action since May. Her last match took place at WrestleMania Backlash, when she dropped the SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey.
After the match, WWE announced that Charlotte Flair would be “out of action indefinitely” due to “injuries” she sustained during the match at WrestleMania Backlash.
“Judo” Gene LeBell has passed away at the age of 89.
Nicknamed “The Godfather of Grappling,” LaBell is an icon in the worlds of martial arts and pro wrestling. He was also an actor, stuntman and so much more.
LeBell earned a 10th degree red belt in Judo and a 9th degree black belt in Ju-jitsu. He also trained some of combat sports most famous names including Chuck Norris, the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey.
For more on Gene LaBell’s storied life and professional career, check out his Wikipedia page.
In December 1963, perhaps the first televised MMA fight took place as Gene LeBell representing the Japanese martial arts (Judo) took on Milo Savage representing modern Western Boxing.
Here are some reactions to the passing of the great Gene LeBell:
Everyone here at the CAC is saddened to hear the legendary "Judo" Gene LeBell has passed away at the age of 89. A long time supporter & lifetime member of the CAC. He was an actor, pro wrestler, martial artist, stuntman and more. Our sincerest condolences to his family & friends pic.twitter.com/cRZsD8PCWn
Gene LeBell remained a towering figure in the history and expansion of mixed martial arts and sports entertainment. A teacher to many of the sport’s greats, his influence is felt throughout @WWE to this day. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time.
AEW joins the wrestling world in mourning the passing of “Judo” Gene Lebell. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans. pic.twitter.com/epDTGpY16q
Sad to hear about the death of Gene LeBell, unique life, judo champion, enforcer, announcer, wrestler, stunt man, coach (including Ronda Rousey & Roddy Piper) and self promoter, lots of write about in this one.
“I won every R-E-A-L fight I ever had & was penniless. I LOST every R-E-E-L fight I ever had and made millions” — Judo Gene trying to convince me to quit fighting and go into Hollywood stunt work.
Unfortunately we never met but I’ve read and heard lots of stories and eye witness accounts and we shared a lot of mutual friends. Rest well “Judo” Gene LeBell.
Tony Khan is setting the record straight about AEW possibly expanding its pay-per-views to be two-night events.
During a Wednesday appearance on Busted Open Radio, Khan squashed the rumor that AEW will be shifting to 2-night pay-per-view weekends.
AEW currently runs four big pay-per-view events per year: Revolution, Double or Nothing, All Out, and Full Gear. The shows typically run for four or five hours, which many fans find excessive.
AEW star Dustin Rhodes recently stated that AEW will address this issue by expanding pay-per-view events to 2 nights, similar to what WWE does with WrestleMania.
According to Tony Khan, Rhodes is mistaken and this is not the case.
AEW Not Shifting to 2-Day Pay-Per-Views
Dustin Rhodes appeared at the “Terrificon” convention Fandom Spotlite and said:
“I think we’re going to go to two-day events now, for pay-per-views. I believe. I’ve heard that down the pike. It’ll be like a WrestleMania experience, you have two days of Double or Nothing or two-days of All Out or Revolution.”
Tony Khan says he’s not sure what Dustin Rhodes is talking about here, because it’s not something that has been seriously discussed internally. He made it very clear: AEW is definitely not shifting to 2-day PPV events in the foreseeable future.
“I love Dustin so much and I was surprised that he said it because it’s not something we seriously internally discussed.”
– Tony Khan
All Elite Wrestling’s next pay-per-view event is AEW All Out,. The show takes place Sunday, September 4th at the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois (outside Chicago).
