Melanie Pillman, widow of Brian Pillman and mother to AEW star Brian Pillman Jr., passed away on Wednesday.
Melanie Pillman appeared on WWE television a few times during the Attitude Era, including the infamous Steve Austin “home invasion” storyline that saw Brian Pillman pull a handgun on Austin (1996). She also appeared on Raw after Brian Pillman’s untimely passing the following year.
More recently, she appeared on the Dark Side of the Ring episode about her late husband.
On behalf of everyone at SEScoops, we extend deepest condolences to the family and friends of Melanie Pillman.
Brian Pillman Jr. posted the following statement on social media about his mother’s passing:
Yesterday at approximately 1:00pm my mother, Melanie Pillman, was pronounced dead.
Those of you who know our family story understand that I didn’t have the best relationship with my mother, though my sister and I had recently been in touch with her, working to improve that relationship.
While I didn’t spend too much time with her, she would ALWAYS tune into my twitch streams and interact with my fans, often times sharing with them old stories about my father and the wrestling business. She had been helping out my sister with her son Asher by purchasing him baby clothes, and was on relatively good terms with everyone as of late.
Her death, while unexpected, was not surprising. Her lifestyle choices that dominated the better part of the last 25 years of her life had ultimately caught up with her.
She was as intelligent as she was beautiful and her dark sense of humor could make even the biggest prude burst out in laughter.
Although I had my built up resentment towards her, I was very proud of her for taking part in the DSOTR documentary and sharing the truth about our family story. That was the beginning of us mending our relationship.
I do have regrets. I regret not giving her the time of day when she was trying so hard to be in our lives again. I regret not texting her back even though I had the time to. I regret not trying harder to break her of her bad habits and help her get the help she needed.
A couple weeks ago she had been tuning into my twitch stream when she told me in chat that she was coming over to Linda’s house to drop off some trading cards. I didn’t see it in chat so I was annoyed at her for showing up un-announced. I met her outside and accepted the gift and gave her a hug and she went on her way. I truly regret not sitting down with her for a little bit or going to grab lunch with her. I regret being upset with her simply because she wanted to see her son. She actually looked really healthy and sober. That was the last time I saw her.
Thank you mom for bringing me into this world and for trying your absolute best. You were my number 1 fan in wrestling and on Twitch.
WWE Hell in a Cell takes place Sunday, June 5th from Rosemont, Illinois at the Allstate Arena. The main card of this premium live event starts at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
How to Watch
WWE Hell in a Cell streams live on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network internationally.
Brett Lauderdale of Game Changer Wrestling was our guest on the latest episode of Business of the Business podcast, the official business podcast of SEScoops.
During the hour-long conversation with hosts John Poz and Lavie Margolin, Lauderdale spoke about a wide range of topics including last year’s The WRLD on GCW pay-per-view from the the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC, as well as a possible return to thee venue.
Here are some highlights of what Lauderdale said about:
The WRLD on GCW PPV Buys
January’s The WLRD on GCW event from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City was a special milestone for the company. Lauderdale has already said this was the biggest PPV in GCW history, but we now have a better idea of just how big it was.
Lauderdale says The WRLD on GCW crushed the company’s previous records.
“It was about, well, I don’t want to say average, but let me put to you like this.. it was about 5x higher than our previous high, we’ll put it like that.”
– Brett Lauderdale on The WRLD on GCW PPV Buys
Lauderdale says the company’s previous best-selling shows include Cardona-Gage, Moxley-Gage (“both way up there”) and Spring Break 3 (2019).
Return to Hammerstein
As for a return to the Hammerstein Ballroom, Lauderdale says there’s a good chance it happens. When asked when we could see another GCW Hammerstein show, he replied, “January, maybe.”
He says GCW wants it, Hammerstein wants them back and he’d love for it to become an annual special event. He doesn’t want to run the Hammerstein unless they can go ‘all out’ and do it big, but they’re hoping for a return.
Listen to our full interview with Brett Lauderdale of GCW:
Darby Allin says CM Punk is a locker room leader who is still hungry to be the best and fights for the top spot.
Allin recently spoke with ESPN to promote Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view from Las Vegas.
Allin battles Kyle O’Reilly on the show, while Punk battles “Hangman” Adam Page for the AEW World title in the main event. It’s Punk’s first title shot since joining AEW in August 2021.
Darby Allin Praises CM Punk
CM Punk ahead of his dog collar match with MJF
Darby Allin says Punk deserves to be headlining PPV’s because he leads by example.
“Everyone wants the top spot, but not everyone wants to work for it,” said Allin. “But he works for it. He’ll go out there randomly on a Wednesday with a match announced like an hour before the show and kill it. He’s not a prima donna. He’s ready to rock. He’s ready to be put to work.”
“Lead by example, and he’s the best at it.”
Darby Allin describing CM Punk (ESPN)
“That’s all I want everyone to do, is to be put to work. You’ve got guys saying, ‘I don’t feel like wrestling this week.’ Get the f— out of here. With him, it’s like, ‘Let’s go. I want to show people what I can do. I want to be put to work.’ Lead by example, and he’s the best at it.”
CM Punk wrestled Darby Allin at AEW All Out 2021 in his first match in over seven years. Punk got the win, but the feud and match were career highlights for Allin. They’d later team together along with Sting in a memorable match on AEW Dynamite.
Visit ESPN to read the full interview with Darby Allin.
All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Double or Nothing live on pay-per-view this Sunday from Las Vegas, Nevada.
SEScoops staff members Andrew Ravens, Tyriece Simon and I got together to discuss our predictions for the top matches of this weekend’s big event.
Check out our AEW Double or Nothing 2022 predictions:
Buy In: Hook & Danhausen vs. Tony Nese & Mark Sterling
Andrew Ravens: This has been a fun build, but I would be shocked to see Hook lose a pre-show match just for Tony Nese. Yes, they have the out with Danhausen taking the pinfall loss, but what’s the point of giving Hook a loss? He can’t turn on a fellow babyface as the fans are too invested in him and everyone loves Danhausen. (Prediction: Hookhausen)
Tyriece Simon: The match should be a fun pre-show match. I expect Hookhausen to get the win. I think Sterling takes the pinfall, which helps protect Tony Nese. It’ll be interesting if Hook and Danhausen will remain a tag team and have more matches against other established AEW tag teams. (Prediction: Hookhousen)
Michael Reichlin: This is the most predictable match on the card. AEW wants to start the show off on a good note, and will do so with the lovable pairing of Danhausen and Hook. I’ve heard people talk about Hook being ‘wasted’ in this position, but he’s a rookie and benefits from the association with AEW’s most evil competitor. Hookhausen gets the win in a fun match. (Prediction: Hookhausen)
Consensus: Hookhausen
House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews) vs. Death Triangle (Pac, Penta, and Rey Fenix)
Andrew Ravens: Although these two teams have received plenty of TV time to build to the match, I haven’t been intrigued enough to care. That’s not to say they won’t work hard and have a good match, but let’s move on to something else. House of Black goes over as they have more upside with Black leading the charge. (Prediction: House of Black)
Michael Reichlin: I’m just happy to see Death Triangle back together, and two legit trios teams squaring off. Everybody in this match is talented, despite both factions seemingly being stuck in first gear. This one has sleeper ‘match of the night’ potential. (Prediction: House of Black)
Tyriece Simon: Death Triangle is long overdue getting a win over House of Black. Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Mathews have looked dominant in AEW. They can afford to lose a match. The Death Triangle needs to win. It will be interesting to see if the feud ends at Double or Nothing. The two factions could benefit from working with other people.
House of Black has other potential rivalries they could have, like the Blackpool Combat Club. Lucha Bros. could get back into the AEW tag team title picture, and Pac could have a singles feud. (Prediction: Death Triangle)
Consensus: House of Black
AEW Women’s World Championship: Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Serena Deeb
Michael Reichlin: Thunder Rosa needs a big win here. For whatever reason, it seems that her title reign has gotten off to a slow start. Britt Baker was the face of the Women’s division, while Rosa just seems to be there. That’s not a knock on her, but more because of the way she’s been presented. Pairing her against the veteran Deeb is a smart move, because they’re almost guaranteed to have a competitive match. I see Rosa getting the win, as AEW looks to build her some momentum and establish her as a fighting champion (Prediction: Thunder Rosa)
Tyriece Simon: Rosa should get the win, and this should be a good match. The fans are behind the Champion, so it doesn’t seem AEW will take the title off of her. It’s also Rosa’s second title defense. Deeb will have good moments in the match, but it should be about Rosa looking strong and overcoming the challenger. It’s also possible that the match ends so that it could lead to a rematch between the two. (Prediction: Thunder Rosa)
Andrew Ravens: Deeb is a really good wrestler, but no one expects her to dethrone Rosa for the title. Rosa hasn’t had that long as champion and AEW wouldn’t build up her title win for a short reign. (Prediction: Thunder Rosa)
Consensus: Thunder Rosa
AEW World Tag Team Championship: Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus (c) vs. Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland vs. Ricky Starks & Powerhouse Hobbs
Michael Reichlin: Like Thunder Rosa, Jurassic Express have also had a “sleepy” title reign. It doesnt help that FTR, who were left off the PPV, are arguably the best tag team in the world, at least over the past few months. I smell a title change here and I think Lee and Swerve have the right combination of size and agility to take the titles of Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. (Prediction: Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland)
Andrew Ravens: I can see Lee and Strickland picking up the win here, but if Tony Khan wants heels as his Tag Team Champions then Starks and Hobbs could go over. I think it’s time for new champions and it really comes down to a pick ’em in this bout. (Prediction: Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland)
Tyriece Simon: I think this match has the chance to steal the show. It had an interesting dynamic with every team balancing strength and speed. I expect every team in the match to have a great showing, but I think the Champions retain the titles. It didn’t seem like the time to have the Jurassic Express lose. They are still hitting their stride, and it doesn’t seem likely that AEW will make a change. (Prediction: Jurassic Express)
Consensus: Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland win the AEW tag titles
Anarchy in the Arena: Jericho Appreciation Society vs. Moxley & Bryan Danielson, Santana & Ortiz and Eddie Kingston
Andrew Ravens: This is a coin flip kind of match as it makes sense for the babyfaces to go over, but I think the Jericho Appreciation Society wins here in order to set up a Blood & Guts match on an upcoming episode of Dynamite. (Prediction: Jericho Appreciation Society)
Tyriece Simon: This should be a victory for Kingston, Santana, Ortiz, and the Blackpool Combat Club. The Jericho Appreciation Society has gotten the advantage over Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz several times. The Blackpool Combat Club helps even the odds to go against the heels.
I think the feud could end here, unless AEW has more plans for Jericho Appreciation Society and Kingston, Santana, and Ortiz. It feels like Double or Nothing is the final culmination of the rivalry. (Prediction: Blackpool Combat Club, Santana & Ortiz, Eddie Kingston)
Michael Reichlin: (Prediction: Jericho Appreciation Society)
Consensus: Jericho Appreciation Society
AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs Anna Jay
Andrew Ravens: There’s no doubt who will win this match and that’s Jade. She will be pushed strongly until she meets a top star that will defeat her. It’s that simple. This should be kept short and to the point. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)
Tyriece Simon: This title match seems like it’s just to have the TBS Championship match on the card. That’s fine, but I wish Cargill and Jay had more time to make the feud personal. Cargill should get the win and could continue her dominant reign as TBS Champion. I wonder what long-term plan the company has for Cargill. She’s almost beaten most of the faces in the AEW women’s division. Jay will have some moments to shine in the match, but Cargill will overcome and defeat her. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)
Michael Reichlin: Jade Cargill has gotten over working short, dominant matches. I don’t expect AEW to mess with this formula just yet. This is probably the most predictable match on the main card. Cargill gets another decisive win. (Prediction: Jade Cargill)
Consensus: Jade Cargill
The Young Bucks vs. The Hardys
Michael Reichlin: Yes, this match is happening on the big stage about 5 years too late. Sure, the Hardys are past their prime – they’re even acknowledging this on television. But it’s still the Young Bucks and the Hardys. Both teams will bring their A-Game, because this is a match that you know means a lot to both teams. It’s going to be a trip seeing them in the ring together and I expect this to be the best match of the Hardys’ AEW run. (Prediction: Young Bucks)
Andrew Ravens: This should be one of the better matches on the card. It’s a coinflip in my eyes as to who goes over. I think we get at least one more match between these two tag teams. I think The Young Bucks go over here to lead to another match and it will likely be done in cheap fashion. (Prediction: Young Bucks)
Tyriece Simon: It’s almost unbelievable that this match is happening in 2022. This is a dream match for fans who haven’t seen them compete in Ring of Honor. However, it is unfortunate that the build to the match has been lackluster. This match is a toss-up because both teams could use the win.
The Hardys are still a new team in AEW and could use a win over an established team. The Young Bucks feel like they took a backseat to other teams and could benefit from a win over the Hardys. I think the Hardys defeat The Young Bucks, but it won’t be the end of their feud. The Hardys winning could also lead to a future AEW tag-team Championship match. (Prediction: The Hardys)
Consensus: Young Bucks
Owen Hart Men’s Tournament Finals: Samoa Joe vs. Adam Cole
Tyriece Simon: Adam Cole needs a big win at Double or Nothing. He’s lost two AEW World Championship matches against Hangman Adam Page previously. A win over Samoa Joe helps establish him as a credible threat and someone that can challenge for the World Championship again. Joe is already the Ring of Honor Television Champion, so he doesn’t need to win the Owen Hart Cup. It’s also possible that Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh could interfere in the match to help Cole. (Prediction: Adam Cole)
Michael Reichlin: Adam Cole has more to gain from a win here, and has the brighter future in AEW. These two have history in NXT and traveled similar paths to AEW. It’s a match worthy of the finals, but I’d be really surprised if Cole doesn’t get the win. (Prediction: Adam Cole)
Andrew Ravens: This could be one of the best matches of the night. I’m siding with Adam Cole here as he needs a big win after dropping back-to-back losses to Adam Page for the World Title. Joe has booked strong as the ROH Champion so he doesn’t need the win as much as Cole. (Prediction: Adam Cole)
Consensus: Adam Cole
Owen Hart Women’s Tournament Finals: Britt Baker vs. Ruby Soho
Tyriece Simon: Dr. Baker doesn’t need to win the Owen Hart Cup. She is a former dominant AEW women’s Champion and has defeated many challengers, including her opponent at Double or Nothing. However, it’s unclear if AEW believes she doesn’t need to win. She is still one of the most popular stars in AEW, and the company could still want to protect her from taking losses. Soho needs a win and could benefit tremendously from defeating Dr. Baker. I am picking Soho, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the former AEW champion wins. (Prediction: Ruby Soho)
Andrew Ravens: Ruby Soho should win here as Baker is still the biggest women’s star that AEW has despite not holding the title anymore. Soho needs something to get her over a little bit more and a win here over Baker would do just that. We could also get a double turn with Soho going heel and Baker being a babyface based on the way Soho got here. (Prediction: Ruby Soho)
Michael Reichlin: Ruby Soho’s AEW run has been disappointing so far, and this will be a token achievement she can hang her hat on. Baker will almost certainly hold the AEW Women’s world championship again, while I’m not sure Ruby Soho will ever reach that level. (Prediction: Britt Baker)
Consensus: Ruby Soho
MJF vs. Wardlow
Tyriece Simon: Wardlow should win his long-awaited match with MJF. His former employer has put him through so much trouble that the logical conclusion is for Wardlow to win. The feud has also been brewing for over a year, and it is time to end. Interestingly, MJF will possibly lose his second Pay Per View match. It’s unclear what AEW’s long-term plans are for him. (Prediction: Wardlow)
Andrew Ravens: Wardlow should over here based on everything that is on the line. He’s a future main eventer and MJF is already there despite not challenging for the World Title yet. That will come. This has been a really good feud and now it’s just time to top it off with Wardlow winning. (Prediction: Wardlow)
Michael Reichlin: This has been one of the best feuds in AEW history, bar none. The slow burn has been tremendous. It’s AEW’s longest running storyline and it’s finally coming to fruition. MJF is the best heel in all of pro wrestling, which means he doesn’t need to win to stay popular. Wardlow is a rising babyface star that will gain a lot by finally pinning the man he was hired to protect. Wardlow gets the win here, is relieved of his contract to MJF. It’s only a matter of time before Wardlow is All Elite. (Prediction: Wardlow)
Consensus: Wardlow
AEW World Championship: Hangman Page (c) vs. CM Punk
“Hangman” Adam Page vs. CM Punk
Andrew Ravens: I think a title change happens here. Page has had a notable run as champion, maybe not the best in the history of the title, but it was fun and now it’s time to move on. Fans have been waiting to see Punk as a main event player again. Punk could only put over the young guys in his promos for so long and now in the last few months, it’s been building to this point. Give Punk the title and turn Page heel since they’ve already hinted at it. (Prediction: CM Punk)
Tyriece Simon: Double or Nothing could be the end of Hangman Adam Page’s title reign. We are getting close to the anniversary of CM Punk AEW debut, and he has slowly been built up to have his first AEW World Championship match. Page has had a remarkable title reign, but it feels like this is the time to take the championship off him. It should be a good physical match, but I expect CM Punk to get the better of Page. The question is will Page shake CM Punk’s hand after the match? (Prediction: CM Punk)
Michael Reichlin: I love Hangman Page and he’s had some banger matches during since winning the AEW World title from Kenny Omega. However, he’s not exactly setting the world on fire as champion. I think CM Punk turns heel and gets the win to jumpstart the next Summer of Punk. There are so many high-profile matches waiting for a heel CM Punk. And just wait until MJF gets to gloat, “I told you so” about Punk being a bad guy all along. Hangman can be proud of this title reign, but I it’s time to turn the page and start a new chapter for AEW. (Prediction: CM Punk)
Consensus: CM Punk
There you have it, our AEW Double or Nothing 2022 predictions. Comment and let us know who you think will have their had raised this Sunday night in Las Vegas!
Stephanie McMahon is not expected back with WWE after announcing an indefinite leave of absence earlier this month.
Last week, McMahon tweeted that she is stepping away from the majority of her duties with the company. She cited the need to spend more time with her family as the reason for her hiatus.
The news was kept secret from other high-ranking WWE executives who did not know anything until her tweet was sent out. PWInsider reported:
“There were lots of high-up executives who had no inkling this was coming until it very quickly spread across the company after she tweeted.”
– Mike Johnson, PWInsider
Despite the secrecy surrounding Stephanie McMahon stepping away, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that she had been planning the move for several months.
She is not expected back any time soon as evidenced by the company’s decision to swiftly seek a replacement.
Triple H recently returned to work at the WWE office, but industry observers are in disbelief how much the expected “line of succession” for WWE’s future has changed. At point, it was considered a foregone conclusion that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon would be running WWE for decades to come once Vince McMahon steps down.
We’ve seen WWE President Nick Khan’s power grow year after year and the chances of an eventual sale are more likely than ever.
Stephanie McMahon’s Replacement
It’s been speculated that Nick Khan will take on a lot of Stephanie McMahon’s duties. WWE posted a job listing for one of McMahon’s roles, ‘Director of Brand and Marketing.’
The ideal candidate will be “an important contributor to the growth and success of the WWE Premium Live Events” according to their listing.
Stephanie McMahon has worked for decades in multiple roles for WWE, starting off as a model in WWF Merchandise catalogs.
In 1999, Stephanie became an on-screen character and joined forces with Triple H that December.
The McMahon-Hemsley regime dominated the WWE for much of 2003 and the couple married for real in late 2003.
SEScoops correspondent Mike Chin was on hand for Dynamite and sent in these videos of what happened after the show went off the air.
First, Samoa Joe continued celebrating after defeating Kyle O’Reilly to advance to the Owen Hart Men’s Tournament finals. He’ll battle Adam Cole for the Owen Hart Cup this weekend at Double or Nothing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CeBQxJCD_rX/
AEW President Tony Khan then came out to address the live crowd.
Khan spoke about this being the anniversary of the first AEW event, as well as the huge show they have planned for the fans on Sunday.
All Elite Wrestling presents Double or Nothing this weekend live from Las Vegas, Nevada.
It’s the 4th installment of Double or Nothing and the third anniversary of AEW’s first pay-per-view event.
The card features four title matches, the finals of the Owen Hart Cup men’s and women’s tournaments, Wardlow finally getting his hands on MJF and more.
The lineup will be finalized after Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, which will feature the remaining Owen Hart tournament semi-final matches.
Stay tuned for our AEW Double or Nothing Predictions coming later this week.
The Young Bucks are gearing up for action against The Hardys this Sunday at AEW Double or Nothing.
The match is a clash between two teams of brothers known for their high-flying and high-risk arsenal of moves.
Ahead of the match this Sunday, the Young Bucks are using their social media bio to sling mud at the Hardys, as well as the Hardys’ contemporaries from the WWE Attitude Era
Early Tuesday morning, the Bucks let people know to check out their “New bio!” for their latest provocative “hot take.”
New bio!
— Matthew & Nicholas Jackson (@youngbucks) May 24, 2022
All Super Talented Tho!
The Young Bucks are very confident in their abilities. How confident are they?
They’re so confident that they believe the Attitude Era’s best tag teams would have been “fodder” for them, had they been active back in the day.
“If we were around during Attitude Era, The Hardyz, Edge/Christian & Dudleyz would’ve been tag team fodder for us,” they wrote on Twitter.
They concluded this bold claim with a disingenuous compliment about those teams. They added,” All super talented tho!,” they wrote.
Talking trash is a big part of pro wrestling, so you can’t fault the Young Bucks for believing they’re better than the Attitude Era’s best team.
Bully Ray, a target of the Young Buck’s latest Twitter bio, didn’t take offense. He replied to the Bucks’s claim by writing, “Huge pop!!”
Roman Reigns says he does not expect to be working many more live events moving forward.
As we’ve been covering, Reigns will be working a lighter schedule for WWE in the months ahead. He’s also been talking about a future when he’s not a full-time WWE Superstar.
At Sunday’s live event from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Reigns defended the Undisputed Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre in the main event. Reigns was victorious.
After the match, he broke character and showed appreciation to the fans for supporting him.
Roman Reigns’ WWE Future
Once again, Reigns let people know he does not plan on being a full-time WWE Superstar for much longer.
“I honestly don’t know if I’m going to be doing too many more live events like this, on a Sunday, going forward.”
– Roman Reigns
The fans began jeering when Reigns spoke about his career wining down. He continued, but Reigns added, “So, this could be my last one and I want y’all to know that it was very special for me and I had an incredible time.”
You can see footage of Reigns’ comments below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd5rN4Vj7P1/
Reigns is expected to wrestle far fewer dates in the months ahead. He’s not retiring, but he will be cutting back on live events and even premium live events.
The Tribal Chief is not scheduled to compete at the upcoming WWE Hell in a Cell show. He is, however, scheduled to work Money in the Bank, SummerSlam and Clash at the Castle.
Sasha Banks is currently suspended from WWE indefinitely due to her decision to walk out of Monday’s Raw in protest of her character’s creative direction.
However, that didn’t stop her from having a fun Friday night out. The Boss was not in attendance for this week’s SmackDown.
WWE broadcaster Michael Cole addressed her absence on camera. In addition to being suspended indefinitely, Banks and Naomi have been stripped of the WWE Women’s tag team championships.
WWE also pulled all of their merchandise from WWE Shop, as well as their official Facebook pages. This should tell you where things stand between the two sides.
While all this was going down, Banks was in Minneapolis, Minnesota attending a concert by DJ Steve Aoki at The Armory.
Earlier this week, AEW filed a trademark for a new show called, Blood Moon Rising.
According to the USPTO database, All Elite Wrestling, LLC applied to trademark the name on May 17th. The Goods and Services usage description for Blood Moon Rising reads:
“G & S: Educational and entertainment services, namely, a continuing program about wrestling accessible by radio, television, satellite, audio, video and computer networks; Entertainment services in the nature of live wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of wrestling programs and events; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing multimedia program featuring wrestling distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing series featuring wrestling provided through a global computer network; Entertainment services, namely, production and distribution of ongoing television programs in the field of wrestling; Entertainment services, namely, providing ongoing webisodes featuring wrestling via a global computer network; Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network.”
What is Blood Moon Rising?
Interestingly, the day before the Blood Moon Rising trademark application filing, Tony Khan tweeted the following photo of a blood moon on Instagram.
He included the caption, “@AllEliteWrestling presents Blood Moon Monday, live on pay-per-view. (No, not a real pay-per-view show, just a caption.)”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdmvmC1tKzE/
AEW also recently sent out a survey to fans discussing a new reality show coming soon to TBS.
A description for the new show reads, “AEW’s top performers are ushering in a new behind-the-scenes wrestling series like no other… Every episode will track our core cast on the road at AEW events as they try to hold onto the titles they have or win back the ones they’ve lost, with everything culminating at the biggest Pay-Per-View event of the year.”
More on the new AEW reality show is available right here:
No matter how you feel about the situation, this is not a work and there are major issues between the involved parties.
We’ve got an update on Sasha Banks and Naomi’s WWE contracts, as well as their status for tonight’s SmackDown broadcast.
Contracts Expiring
Sasha Banks and Naomi’s fallout with WWE comes at a time when both women’s contracts are expiring soon.
It’s believed that Sasha Banks signed a 3-year contract extension with WWE in August 2019.
According to former WWE writer Kazeem Famuyide, the reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions have been in contract negotiations with the company.
On the latest episode of The Masked Man podcast, Famuyide stated that both contracts are set to expire within the next two months.
Based on conversations we’ve had with people in the industry, we believe WWE will make a great effort to keep Sasha Banks under contract.
Status for SmackDown
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown takes place from Grand Rapids, Michigan. It’s the first main-roster broadcast since Sasha Banks and Naomi’s walkout at Raw.
It does not appear either woman will be on hand for SmackDown. According to PWInsider, WWE sources have confirmed that Noami did not travel with husband Jimmy Uso for the show. The Usos will battle RK-Bro in a tag team championship unification match.
As for Sasha Banks, she was spotted on a Thursday night flight from Orlando to Minneapolis. While it’s entirely possible to make it from Minneapolis to Grand Rapids in 24 hours, she’s not expected at SmackDown.
SEScoops will keep you posted as more details become available.
Earlier this week, SEScoops spoke with Ariane Andrew, Naomi’s former tag team partner in WWE. During her discussion with Steve Fall, Andrew revealed she believes Naomi is being “manipulated” and would not have walked out of WWE on her own.
WWE President Nick Khan will be taking over most of Stephanie’s duties.
Triple H Update
Triple H has been on his own leave since September 2021, when he suffered a ‘cardiac vent’ that almost took his life.
Back in March, Triple H announced his retirement from active competition. During an interview with Stephen A. Smith for ESPN, he revealed he’s had a defibrillator pacemaker installed in his chest.
It was rumored that Steamboat, 69, would be Flair’s opponent in some sort of tag match possibly involving FTR. However, Steamboat set the record straight and explained that he turned down the offer to wrestle Flair after giving it serious consideration.
“There’s no way for me to have that conversation with you and not be negative, or hurtful or rude and I am not going to comment on it, because I think a lot of Mr. Steamboat and hold him in high regard,” said Thompson.
“I know what really happened and he knows what really happened and I am disappointed that he put a statement out before we had an opportunity to put a bow on things. But, that’s not the whole story and what the whole story is, is nobody’s business I suppose.”
Thompson added that he’s not upset with Steamboat and he never advertised ‘Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat.’
“So, we have had conversations, but ultimately that’s not the match you’re going to see, but I have never said what the match was going to be. So, when people are saying, ‘what’s the match now?’ Well, what was it ever?”
He continue, “There’s a lot of hypotheticals, we could say hypothetically right now next year’s WrestleMania is The Rock vs. Roman, everyone has said that hypothetically, but when has WWE announced that? When has Rock said that? It’s all just conjecture at this point.”
Visit Starrcast.com for full details on how you can attend and watch the upcoming fan fest.
WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash is joining the podcast world.
The 6-time World Champion and nWo original is teaming up with Sean Oliver (Kayfabe Commentaries) and Podcast Heat to bring you “Kliq This: The Kevin Nash Podcast.”
The show, which will featured uncensored and unfiltered conversations, premieres July 11th. Kliq This will be available on major audio and video platforms.
Kevin Nas had this to say in a press release sent in to SEScoops:
“Kliq This listeners will get a magical mystery tour into all aspect of life,” said Nash. “No topic is off limits or out of bounds. We will be pop culture driven, but not too timid to attack today’s current cancel culture.”
“Kliq This will be the best of what fans loved about our shoot interviews together, just on a much broader scale,” added Oliver. “Fans will slide up to the bar next to Kevin and me for banter and guests ranging from the stars of wrestling, to entertainment, to music and Lord knows what else.”
Nash and Oliver have worked together extensively for a series of shoot interviews.
Follow @KliqThisPodcast on Twitter for more information on this upcoming show.
John Cena says he’s been gone from WWE for too long and hopes to return sometime in the near future.
The 16-time world champion was in NYC on Wednesday for Warner Bros. Discovery’s upfronts event, where TV networks pitch their upcoming lineups to prospective advertisers. Cena was on hand to promote the new season of his game show Wipeout that airs on TBS.
John Cena Talks WWE Return
Street journalist Adam Glyn caught up with Cena on Wednesday and addressed the upcoming 20th anniversary of John Cena’s WWE television debut.
Cena’s WWE debut took place on the June 27, 2022 edition of SmackDown, when he answered an open challenge by Kurt Angle. Even though he came up short that night, he earned the respect of The Undertaker, who greeted him backstage and shook his hand in a sign of respect.
Cena says he knows the 20th anniversary milestone is fast approaching.
“I know in WWE years I turn 20 pretty soon, so that’s a pretty big thing, and from a pretty storied class of folks: Batista, Randy Orton, Brock who kind of all turned 20 this year,” said Cena I’m aware that that’s coming around the corner — and who knows?”
Cena still loves wrestling, but he’s got a lot of projects going on and it’s hard to turn down opportunities that present themselves.
That said, Cena admits he’s been gone for “too long” and hopes to be back in the mix with WWE sooner than later.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back but hopefully it’s soon. I’ve been gone for too long.”
– John Cena
Cena’s most recent televised match occurred last year at SummerSlam, when he lost to Roman Reigns. Back in September, as last year’s ‘Summer of Cena’ was winding down, he competed in a 6-man tag match at Madison Square Garden house show. Cena and the Mysterios defeated The Bloodline.
What’s Next for Cena?
If and when John Cena does return to WWE, he’s got a high-profile feud waiting for him. Theory, the reigning United States Champion, has been talking about Cena a lot lately.
Below, you can check out some of our recent coverage of Theory calling out Cena:
The hot topic of the day remains Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out during Monday’s WWE Raw broadcast due to unhappiness with the creative direction of their characters.
As details emerge about what transpired behind the scenes at Raw, fans and wrestlers alike are sounding off about who they feel is right and wrong.
On Tuesday afternoon, former Matt Cardona (former WWE Superstar Zack Ryder) posted a tweet mocking Sasha Banks and Naomi’s decision to forfeit their tag titles at Raw.
Cardona referenced his infamous 2012 WWE storyline that saw Kane push him (and his wheelchair) off the Raw stage. He wrote, “If I could go back in time…the night I was pushed off the stage in a wheelchair on Raw, I should have walked into Johnny Ace’s office…placed my neck brace on the table and walked out because I wasn’t being respected enough as Internet champion.
Talent Supports Sasha Banks
AEW stars CM Punk and Dax Harwood of FTR expressed their support for Sasha Banks and Naomi.
CM Punk replied to Matt Cardona and told him, “If you’d go back in time to stand up for yourself, you should stand up [for] the workers now.”
If you’d go back in time to stand up for yourself, you should stand up the workers now. https://t.co/Hh0zA7nsid
We have an updated look at two new Ring of Honor logos.
ROH Acquisition Co., LLC, an entity based out of AEW headquarters at 1 TIAA Bank Field Drive in Jacksonville, Florida, submitted a trademark application with the US Patent & Trademark office on May 6.
The “word mark” usage for this logo includes:
Entertainment services in the nature of live wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of television shows and multimedia entertainment content featuring wrestling programs and events; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing multimedia program featuring wrestling distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media over a Global Computer Network.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cda07M-uY6T/
Update: ROH Acquisition Co., LLC filed another trademark application on May 12th or the following alternate logo:
Here's another new #ROH logo, as listed with the US Patent & Trademark Office database.
The entity also filed to trademark the phrase, “Ring of Honor.” The Goods and Services description includes the following:
“Entertainment services in the nature of live wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of television shows and multimedia entertainment content featuring wrestling programs and events; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing multimedia program featuring wrestling distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; over a global computer network or via a global computer.“
Prior to being acquired by Tony Khan, Ring of Honor’s previous owners had a new logo designed and a total rebranding in the works that would represent the company’s “new chapter” after Supercard of Honor.
ROH had a new company logo set to debut at Supercard of Honor. The logo was used on digital assets, ring skirts and turnbuckle pads. However, none of those were used at the event.
The new ROH regime, leg by Tony Khan, wanted to use the “classic” logo at Supercard of Honor, to represent the final chapter of the previous era of ROH.
It’s unknown if this new ROH logo is the one that was going to be used at Supercard of Honor, or if Khan’s team created this entirely new logo for the company’s new direction.
Becky Lynch attempted a physical attack on Cody Rhodes after Monday’s WWE Raw went off the air.
Rhodes is currently embroiled in a heated feud with Lynch’s husband, Seth Rollins. When the American Nightmare came out for his dark match main event, Big Time Becks couldn’t contain herself.
Lynch competed against Asuka in the main event of Raw. The winner would become the #1 contender to Bianca Belair’s Raw Women’s Championship. Asuka got the victory and Lynch was left with a face full of green mist.
During Rhodes’ ring entrance, he was confronted by Lynch, who attacked him with a flurry of punches and kicks – none of which landed.
You can see footage of the incident here:
Becky Lynch after Raw just before the Dark match not being able to see anything swinging at Cody is absolutely hilarious! She’s so funny. Also fist bump for Bianca from Cody. pic.twitter.com/q7vcwb4ODB
— Grace ?????????????? (@Baby_Face_Grace) May 17, 2022
Cody went on to defeat Seth Rollins in the dark match main event of the evening. The third (and likely final) televised match between these two will take place at Hell in a Cell on Sunday, June 5th.
After Becky Lynch made it backstage, she was interviewed by WWE’s digital team. As seen below, she wasn’t in the best mood about how things transpired on Raw:
Seth Rollins is taking issue with Booker T’s remarks about him on Monday’s edition of the Raw Talk post-show.
On Raw, WWE announced that Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins will “run it back” with another match at the upcoming Hell in a Cell premium live event.
Booker T believes Rollins needs the win more than Rhodes does. He argue that Rhodes never had it easy in his career, unlike Rollins, who made it to the top “relatively easy” and “had a lot of help” along the way.
“Seth Rollins is a guy that made it to the top relatively easy, but I must say, he had a lot of help. Cody had to break himself down and rebuild himself, and that’s the Cody Rhodes we see today.”
– Booker T
Seth Rollins Fires Back
Rollins was caught off guard by Booker T’s interpretation of his career path. He said, “this narrative is false” and touted the dues he paid en route to joining WWE.
“I started wrestling at 18 years old in back rooms of bars, in pole barns, at UAW Halls, the occasional parking lot.” said Rollins. “Lost money. Broke bones. Drove countless hours alone just to build a name that got erased the second I walked in the WWE door.”
Rollins did, in fact, have a lengthy career before making it to WWE in 2010. Prior to landing at Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE’s former developmental territory, Rollins competed for many independent promotions across the United States.
As Tyler Black, Rollins worked for IWA Mid-South, NWA Midwest, Full Impact Pro, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor, where he won the ROH World Championship.
You can see Booker T’s original comments and Seth Rollins’ reply here:
This narrative is false. I started wrestling at 18 years old in back rooms of bars, in pole barns, at UAW Halls, the occasional parking lot. Lost money. Broke bones. Drove countless hours alone just to build a name that got erased the second I walked in the WWE door. https://t.co/whmlH2nHNs
“No words can truly describe how ashamed and apologetic I am for my conduct in the photograph. There is no excuse for such behavior and I take full responsibility for my actions and ask for forgiveness. This picture was taken in 2015, a time where I was uneducated on the topic and therefore didn’t understand the magnitude of how hurtful it was. In 2020 someone was trying to extort me by threatening to post it on social media. sent it to my wife to discuss the situation. Apparently, she kept it and then decided in retaliation for the filing of the divorce to post it to social media. Regardless how the photograph came to light, there is still no excuse for my actions.
“Over the past month I have taken time to reflect on my conduct to which I express my utmost remorse and regret. I have spent time off social media to refresh and re-educate myself about of the horrors of the Holocaust. I truly do hope that this situation will teach and bring awareness to the horrific tragedy that took place so that something like this will never happen again. I can assure you that this is not who I am or what I represent as a human being, and I feel it is never too late to educate and better yourself.
“If you are ever in the Orlando/Maitland area, take some time to visit the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida where you can learn about the history and depth of what took place. It was an incredibly eye-opening, and impactful experience that teaches the importance of this history.”
Cody Rhodes surprised top people in WWE haven’t mentioned his neck tattoo
‘American Nightmare’ temporary tattoos will soon be on sale at WWE Shop
“People now see it as an extension of me. That’s what it is.”
Wrestling fans will soon be able to show their love for Cody Rhodes with an official WWE ‘American Nightmare’ temporary tattoo.
Rhodes shocked the world in February 2020 when he appeared at AEW Revolution looking a bit different than fans were used to. As he made his way to the ring, we got a first glimpse at the ink in all its red, white & blue glory.
Some people ridiculed the neck tattoo, while others embraced Cody’s latest bold act of self expression. It was a controversial decision by Cody, to say the least. However, he didn’t get this far by playing by the rules and doing what people expect of him.
Cody Rhodes’ neck tattoo
Cody Rhodes brought the neck tattoo and his American Nightmare branding along with him when he returned to WWE last month at WrestleMania 38. His ring entrance features a giant CGI American Nightmare logo, while his merchandise is all based around the signature American winged skull.
During a new interview with Sports Illustrated, Cody revealed to Justin Barrasso that the backstage reaction to his neck tattoo has been surprisingly silent.
“Vince hasn’t said anything about the tattoo,” said Cody. I’ve been waiting for some of these guys who knew me back in the day to say something, specifically Bruce [Prichard] and Michael Hayes. Even Randy [Orton] hasn’t said anything, and that was a shock to me because I wasn’t a tattoo guy and he was covered. But it’s a good thing to have.”
“Temporary tattoos are going to be released by WWE Shop, and people now see it as an extension of me. That’s what it is.”
– Cody Rhodes on his neck tattoo
Cody said he is a different person today than he was during his previous WWE run, which ended in May 2016. He knows he was undeveloped back then and was searching for himself.
“Now, I’m reaching my final form,” said Rhodes. “That’s why I am sticking to my guns about my character, keeping it as close as possible to who I am. But I’ll promise you this: I’m not getting another one.”
Head over to Sports Illustrated to read Justin Barrasso’s complete interview with WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes.
We’ll provide an update when the American Nightmare temporary tattoo is available at WWE Shop.
Maki Itoh is teasing that her next match will take place in the United States.
The self-proclaimed Cutest Wrestler in the World is the reigning International Princess Champion for Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling. She tweeted on Sunday that she’s returning to the US soon.
Itoh wrestled a handful of matches for All Elite Wrestling in 2021. At AEW Revolution 2021, Maki Itoh teamed with Dr. Britt Baker against the team Thunder Rosa and Riho.
This Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, Britt Baker will battle a mystery opponent in the quarterfinals of the Owen Hart Foundation women’s tournament.
The timing of Maki Itoh’s announcement about returning to the US has some fans speculating that she will be revealed as Baker’s opponent at ‘Wild Card Wednesday.’
Back in January, Maki Itoh vowed to return to AEW. After winning the International Princess Championship, she said, “With this belt, Ito will definitely go to AEW! And I’ll fight Thunder Rosa one more time. And Ito will definitely win!”
She added, “There are many, many more attractive people in the world. So Ito wants to beat them one by one with this belt.”
Thunder Rosa, who currently holds the AEW Women’s World Championship, welcomed another opportunity to share the ring with Maki Itoh.
I was actually thinking the opposite. FOR THE RECORD, I BEAT YOU FOR THAT CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE and I will again! 2. @maki_itoh you must be out of your freaking mind if you think you can defeat me. Bitch is open season!Ass whippings are giving for free at @AEW get in line…???? https://t.co/w2Kdq5yNns
Since then, Hardy left WWE and joined AEW, where he’d have more creative freedom to explore Willow in a new environment.
Jeff Hardy Bringing Willow to AEW?
On the latest episode of the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Jeff Hardy was asked if we could see Willow in All Elite Wrestling.
The Charismatic Enigma says, “Yes, of course there is” a chance Willow could appear in AEW. He scoffed at the idea of Willow being aligned with the House of Black, but assured fans that Willow is a part of him.
“When he comes out to play, he comes out and it’s going to be exciting.”
– Jeff Hardy on Willow in AEW
Jeff Hardy joined AEW back in March. Since then, he’s reunited with his brother and the Hardys are now gearing up for a feud with the Young Bucks. The teams are expected to square off at the upcoming AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view later this month.
You can listen to Jeff Hardy on the AEW Unrestricted podcast:
