SEScoops

Author: Rayan Sayyed

  • MJF Asked to Sign a Female Fan’s Chest – Hilarity Ensues (Watch)

    MJF Asked to Sign a Female Fan’s Chest – Hilarity Ensues (Watch)

    All Elite Wrestling World Champion MJF recently had a hilarious encounter with a female fan in El Paso, Texas. After winning against Konosuke Takeshita in this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, a female fan approached MJF and asked him to sign her chest.  

    MJF recounted this interaction in a tweet, where he called the female fan a “skank” and said that he was close to signing the female fan’s chest. However, she did not have a sharpie on hand. MJF said “You were this close to getting your t*****s signed you stupid b***h!” to the female fan and began to walk away. 

    The other fans with her came to the rescue and yelled that they have a marker. Hearing this, MJF returned to do the autograph signing. However, the AEW World Champion noticed that someone was recording the whole interaction, and he decided against signing the female fan’s chest and simply walked away.  

    In his tweet, MJF wrote, “Some skank in El Paso tried to get me to sign her breasts outside the arena. Multiple people recorded it. Still hasn’t made its way to twitter. Prob cuz people in El Paso don’t know how to use technology.” 

    You can check out the video interaction as well, but it contains partial nudity so NSFW warning: 

    MJF is known for being one of the best heels in the professional wrestling industry today. His interactions with fans go viral as he always stays in character even when outside the ring.  

    When it comes to the ring, MJF will face off against Bryan Danielson in the first sixty-minute Iron Man match for the AEW World Championship on March 5 at Revolution 2023.  

  • Brock Lesnar Scheduled to Work This Month’s Elimination Chamber PPV

    Brock Lesnar Scheduled to Work This Month’s Elimination Chamber PPV

    WrestleMania 39 is quickly approaching and fans are eagerly anticipating the highly-anticipated matches that will be taking place at the event. One match in particular that was in the rumor mills was the potential match-up between Brock Lesnar and Gunther.

    However, according to a new report from Dave Meltzer at The Wrestling Observer, any talk of a match between Lesnar and Gunther is completely false.

    Lesnar made his return as the 12th entrant in the Royal Rumble this year. He performed impressively, by quickly eliminating a number of participants in the match. However, his momentum ended after he came face-to-face with Gunther. Then Bobby Lashley came to eliminate The Beast Incarnate in a shocking manner.

    While Lesnar’s post-elimination performance at the Royal Rumble was planned, some parts of it caught those around him by surprise. Lesnar’s unplanned attack on referee Eddie Orengo, which involved throwing him over the barricade, was a particular highlight that earned the Beast Incarnate some heat backstage. Despite this, sources within WWE have indicated that Lesnar is unlikely to face any serious consequences for his actions, as he is still held in high regard and is unlikely to face any real repercussions.

    While there has been a lot of speculation about Lesnar’s next move, many fans were hoping for a match between Lesnar and Gunther after their intense stare-down during the Royal Rumble. However, the report from The Wrestling Observer confirms that this match is not in the cards and that the focus will instead be on Lesnar’s ongoing rivalry with Bobby Lashley.

    Lesnar has been confirmed to be working both Montreal and WrestleMania, with the potential for another match against Lashley. While rumors of Lesnar’s match with Gunther have been debunked, it was also noted that Steve Austin, who had been contacted for Lesnar, has declined to participate in the show.

    Montreal, Quebec will be an interesting location for Lesnar to perform at Elimination Chamber, as the former WWE Champion is now a Canadian citizen. Fans can expect a raucous reaction for Lesnar as he steps into the ring in front of his home country. According to The Wrestling Observer, “While not confirmed, one would expect Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar on the show because otherwise, Lashley should be in the men’s Chamber match.”

  • John Cena & Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Opponents ‘Locked In’

    John Cena & Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Opponents ‘Locked In’

    WrestleMania 39 is coming soon, and it is shaping up to be a massive event this year. There could be several big matches taking place in the event, and a recent report only adds to this excitement.

    Several more matches have been decided on for WWE’s biggest event of the year. The following matches are now “locked in” according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

    • Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the Universal title
    • Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women’s title
    • John Cena vs. Austin Theory
    • Rousey & Shayna Baszler challenging Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai for Women’s Tag Team titles
    • Bianca Belair vs. the Elimination Chamber winner for the Raw Women’s title

    Additional matches rumored for the event include Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul.

    Cena and Rousey’s Road to WrestleMania

    John Cena returned to the ring in 2022 on the final SmackDown episode of the year. He competed in a match with Kevin Owens against The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn, and he is rumored to be competing at WrestleMania 39 in April 2023.

    Cena fueled these rumors by making a post on Instagram which had Logan Paul holding the WWE Championship, but WWE is going in a different direction for the 16-time World Champion’s big match.

    Additionally, Cena is set to start filming for the upcoming R-Rated comedy “Ricky Stanicky” alongside Zac Efron next month. Still, the filming schedule won’t prevent him from working at WrestleMania. Whether Cena will face off against United States Champion Austin Theory remains to be seen, but Theory has been pushing for a match with Cena for years and recently filmed a backstage segment with him in Tampa, FL.

    As for Ronda Rousey, recent reports about her suggested that she was supposed to face Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 39, but plans for that were scrapped. Ronda dropped the SmackDown Women’s Championship to a returning Charlotte Flair on the December 30th episode of SmackDown.

  • Details on MLW Hitting WWE With a Cease and Desist Letter

    Details on MLW Hitting WWE With a Cease and Desist Letter

    Major League Wrestling (MLW) has reportedly sent a Cease and Desist legal letter to WWE over the company’s attempt to use MLW talent on the Raw is XXX anniversary special.

    This is not the first time MLW has accused WWE of predatory behavior (more on that below). According to MLW sources (via the Wrestling Observer), WWE attempted to contact MLW’s contracted talent to be part of the Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony.

    MLW stars who are part of the Anoa’i family include Jacob Fatu (son of Samu Fatu, nephew of Rikishi) and his brother, Lance Anoa’i.

    The Acknowledgement Ceremony was reportedly canceled due to The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) being unable to attend. The segment was replaced by The Trial of Sami Zayn.

    It’s believed that MLW CEO Court Bauer would have been open to the idea of his talent working a WWE show, but such arrangements would have to run through MLW offices, instead of ‘feelers’ being sent to talent directly. Per the Observer, WWE not replied to the C&D letter.

    WWE vs. MLW

    The legal battle between the two has been heating up in recent months. MLW filed a lawsuit against the wrestling giant for interfering with their business prospects and contracts.

    According to previous reports, the lawsuit specifically accuses the WWE of attempting to prevent Vice TV from working with MLW in early 2021. It also alleges that a former WWE executive named Susan Levinson even called Vice TV to let them know that Vince McMahon is not exactly happy about its partnership with MLW.

    WWE also reportedly stopped MLW from getting a deal with the streaming service Tubi. MLW claims that failure to secure a deal with Tubi caused substantial losses, including event cancellations and a 40% drop in ticket sales. The company’s CEO, Court Bauer, has spoken out against WWE in a press release.

    “WWE has been wrongfully depriving its competitors of critical opportunities for many years, but its latest conduct has been even more unconscionable,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer. “I think we speak for the rest of the professional wrestling world when we say that this anti-competitive behavior has to stop.”

  • Freddie Prinze on What He’d Need to Accept a Writing Job with AEW

    Freddie Prinze on What He’d Need to Accept a Writing Job with AEW

    Actor, former WWE writer and wrestling podcaster Freddie Prinze Jr. discussed the hypothetical scenario of working for All Elite Wrestling on the latest episode of his Wrestling with Freddie podcast.

    Prinze prefaced his thoughts by stating he doesn’t think Tony Khan is looking to hire any writers, he doesn’t think he’d have the time to commit to a full-time writing gig and he still plans on launching his own wrestling promotion. All that aside, he does have an idea of what an ideal gig working for AEW would look like.

    Instead of spreading himself too thin and writing for the entire roster, Prinze says he’d prefer focusing on one or a select few performers. He envisions working with somebody the company doesn’t believe in, getting them over and rubbing it the company’s face. He cited Jeff Hardy as an example of someone he did this with during his stint as a WWE writer.

    Also read: Freddie Prinze is Glad AEW’s “Most Ridiculous Storyline” is Finished

    AEW vs. WWE

    Triple H and Tony Khan
    Triple H and Tony Khan

    Prinze says the creative writing process is very different in WWE vs. AEW. In WWE, the writing process is more streamlined with an army of writers on staff and a lot of scripting. He recalls having to earn the respect of other writers in WWE and joked that he didn’t win everybody over by the time he left the company.

    In AEW, the talent has more freedom and he’d need to respect that format. He sees working with talent to find some middle ground. Tony Khan is the booker, so he’d find out what match was planned for the next pay-per-view three months away, then get started on ‘how we get there.’ He’d then go to the talent, give them his ideas and still allow them the freedom to write their own promos and add their own flavor to his ideas.

    It sounds like a structure that could yield positive results, but again, don’t get your hopes up on this happening. Prinze emphasized that he’s got a movie that begins filming early next year and is still very serious about starting his own wrestling federation.

    You can listen to the latest episode of Wrestling with Freddie here:

  • WWE Hyping ‘Pitch Black Match’ for the Royal Rumble

    WWE Hyping ‘Pitch Black Match’ for the Royal Rumble

    WWE fans are looking forward to the Royal Rumble, as the event will take place on January 28, 2023, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

    However, the most interesting part apart from the battle royale is the anticipation over a new and unique match type called the “Pitch Black” match. While details about the match remain scarce, a recently released commercial has only added to the excitement.

    The 15-second ad for the Royal Rumble shows the arena going dark, accompanied by the tag line “When It’s The Pitch Black Match” and the promise that “Anything can happen.”

    The mysterious stipulation match appears to be a cross-promotional tie-in with Mountain Dew and their Pitch Black soft drink.

    WrestlingNews.co was first to report the details about creative pitching a ‘Pitch Black match’ for the Royal Rumble. One source within the company believed that the match could potentially be for Bray Wyatt. The company is taking care to not overexpose Bray Wyatt in the ring, as they want his appearances to feel extra special. This strategy has previously been employed by WWE in regard to Wyatt’s portrayal of the character The Fiend, as he wrestled on a limited schedule. WWE likely wants Wyatt to appear as a strong and formidable opponent via this strategy.

    In addition to the Pitch Black match, Royal Rumble will also feature a Hell in a Cell match between “Demon” Finn Balor and “Brood” Edge, as well as the return of a fan-favourite persona.

    Apart from that, WWE’s Royal Rumble event will also feature the traditional Royal Rumble matches for both male and female wrestlers. But that’s not all – the Royal Rumble will also feature a defence of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship by Roman Reigns.

  • WWE Reflects on 20 Years of Shelton Benjamin’s Career

    WWE Reflects on 20 Years of Shelton Benjamin’s Career

    Shelton Benjamin is known for his athleticism and is a wrestler who performs impressively every time he is in the ring. Today marks the 20-year anniversary of his WWE debut. His first television appearance took place on December 26, 2002.

    The company released a video to commemorate this moment, featuring some of the biggest names in the industry talking about The Gold Standard’s career and impact.

    “Shelton, I mean, I can remember him coming in the door. It doesn’t seem like that long ago,” WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels said in the video. “And now it’s 20 years.” Michaels even called his match with Benjamin from Raw in May 2005 “one of the best matches” of his career.

    “20 years, that’s almost impossible,” said Kurt Angle about Benjamin’s debut. “I didn’t make it 20 years. Shelton Benjamin did, and I give him a lot of credit for that. He is a tough dude to be able to do what he does.”

    “I used to watch Shelton when I wanted to be here,” said Kofi Kingston. “When I was growing up, Shelton Benjamin was the guy that was like, ‘Man, look at all these athletic moves, look at all these manoeuvres, man.’ I think I can do maybe some of those.” Kingston added that it was Benjamin that made him believe that it was possible for him to be in WWE and bring his athleticism to the ring in a similar way.

    20 Years of Shelton Benjamin

    Even Matt Hardy recently said that things would be different if Benjamin had debuted today.

    Shelton Benjamin debuted in WWE in 2002, after signing a contract in 2000 and getting placed in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). His first televised match on the SmackDown brand took place in 2003.

    Benjamin made a name for himself as soon as he started performing in WWE. His skills as an athlete and performer were quickly recognised, and he became known for his sharp moveset in the ring.

    Benjamin joined forces with Charlie Haas to be known together as “The World’s Greatest Tag Team.” They won the WWE Tag Team Championship on two occasions and put on some of the most entertaining tag team matches in WWE.

    Benjamin also shined as a solo act, as he won the Intercontinental Championship thrice and was a mainstay in the upper midcard for many years. He was also the 24/7 Championship three times and the United States Championship once. Benjamin returned to the tag team division and won the Raw Tag Team Championship with Cedric Alexander.

    “The Gold Standard” has put on some great matches in the WWE, and it doesn’t look like there’s any stopping him. Benjamin has clearly left a significant impact on the wrestling industry as one of the all-time greats, thanks in large part to his natural talent, dedication to improving his craft, and willingness to mentor and assist fellow wrestlers.

    You can check out the video commemorating Shelton Benjamin’s career below:

  • Sports Business Journal Predicts NBCUniversal Will Purchase WWE

    Sports Business Journal Predicts NBCUniversal Will Purchase WWE

    Sports Business Journal predicted in a recent article that NBCUniversal will purchase WWE in the near future. This would come around next year as WWE is set to begin negotiations for new TV deals in April, as its current deals are set to expire at the end of 2024.

    According to the prediction by SBJ journalist John Ourand, WWE will reach a deal with NBCUniversal that will keep Raw and NXT on the USA Network and move SmackDown from Fox to one of NBC’s channels. While this deal may seem significant in and of itself, the “real significance” comes in two years when the two companies negotiate their Peacock deal. The deals for the red and blue brands “will lay the foundation for NBCUniversal to eventually purchase WWE outright.”

    As a well-known and successful entity in the realm of professional wrestling, WWE has garnered a fervent global following and hosts highly regarded events such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and SummerSlam. The organization has also diversified into various other industries, including film, video gaming, and merchandising.

    In October, a report suggested that NBCUniversal’s attitude towards NXT was “very positive.” Read more of that about here.

    The acquisition of WWE by NBCUniversal would be a momentous development for both corporations. For WWE, it would grant a reliable financial foundation and access to the resources of a major media conglomerate, enabling further growth and expansion of the brand.

    On the other hand, NBCUniversal would acquire a valuable asset in the form of WWE, complete with a devoted and faithful fan base, as well as the chance to generate new content and exploit cross-promotional opportunities.

    It remains to be seen if such an acquisition could unfold in the coming years. If it really does, it would be worth seeing what effect it could have on the future of WWE and professional wrestling as a whole.

  • Mandy Rose’s FanTime Generates a Fortune After WWE Release

    Mandy Rose’s FanTime Generates a Fortune After WWE Release

    Mandy Rose’s agent says the former NXT Women’s Champion has made a whopping $500,000 on the subscription-based platform FanTime in just one week after WWE released her.

    Rose’s agent, Malki Kawa, tells TMZ Sports that the 32-year-old is on track to become a self-made millionaire by Christmas, thanks to her successful content on FanTime. They expect Rose’s income on the platform will only continue to grow in the coming months.

    Prior to her release, Rose had a successful career on NXT’s roster, holding the Women’s Championship for over 400 days. She lost the title to Roxanne Perez on December 13 and WWE released her from her contract the next day.

    The controversy surrounding Rose’s firing comes from WWE’s policies regarding third-party platforms. In 2020, Vince McMahon, then-CEO and chairman of WWE sent a letter to all wrestlers stating they must stop using any platforms that could potentially harm the company’s image.

    Rose’s firing has sparked debate among wrestling fans. Some believe that WWE made the right decision in upholding its strict policies, while others argue that wrestlers should have the freedom to pursue income outside the company.

    Her success on FanTime has proven that she has a dedicated fan base and the talent to attract new followers. It’s possible that her time with WWE may have helped her build a strong foundation for her personal brand, and now she can take that success and run with it on her terms.

    Regardless of where one stands on the issue, it’s undeniable that Rose’s earning power has not diminished since her departure from WWE. In fact, it appears that her firing has only served to boost her income and visibility.

    Despite her release, Mandy Rose has received support from fans and fellow wrestlers, including AEW star Saraya. Rose’s success on FanTime suggests she has a bright future ahead of her, even without a WWE paycheck.

  • Tay Conti To Take Legal Action Against Person Sending Threatening Messages

    Tay Conti To Take Legal Action Against Person Sending Threatening Messages

    AEW star Tay Conti has shared screenshots of threats that she’s received by a person on Instagram direct messages and Twitter.

    The man continues to threaten Conti and her boyfriend Sammy Guevara.

    Conti stated that the man has been sending her messages every day since January. According to the messages, the man plans on “doing something” to the couple next month.

    Conti said that she will take legal precautions against the person. She even informed fans that if something happens to her and Guevara, they know who to look for.

    She wrote the following on Twitter:

    “This is absurd. His name is DUSTIN DOLEZAL and he’s been threatening Sammy and I since January. He writes us EVERY SINGLE DAY and apparently planning to do something with us in June. I’m taking legally precautions but if something happens to us y’all know who to look for [sic].”

    The situation is certainly scary and after receiving threats every single day for almost five months, anyone would get worried. Unfortunately, Conti had to reveal publicly on social media that she is facing such harassment and receiving threatening messages.

    Toxicity and negativity on social media have become prevalent. Recently, Britt Baker got flak online from fans for simply naming Sasha Banks her dream opponent in an interview. Ironically, in that same interview, Baker talked about the toxic environment on social media and how it can have serious real-life consequences.

    Tay Conti will be teaming up with Guevara and Frankie Kazarian in a mixed-gender, trios match where they will face TNT Champion Scorpio Sky, Paige VanZant, and Ethan Page on AEW Double Or Nothing event on Sunday.

    You can check out the tweet below:

  • WWE Expected To Reach Live Gate Record For Non-WrestleMania Events With Clash at the Castle

    WWE Expected To Reach Live Gate Record For Non-WrestleMania Events With Clash at the Castle

    WWE Clash at the Castle is the first major stadium event to take place in the United Kingdom since SummerSlam 1992. It will also be the first major event by the company, in general, to take place in the European nation since Insurrextion 2003.

    24 hours after Clash at the Castle was announced on April 12, 59,000 people had pre-registered for tickets. This number was even more than WrestleMania, breaking company records.

    Now, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that during the first week, over 40,000 tickets were sold. The company reportedly sold 30,000 in the pre-sales and the rest of the 10,000 were sold on the first day when the public sale began on Friday, May 20.

    The report goes on to state that WWE is very happy with these numbers. Clash at the Castle didn’t sell out instantly, but the event will do the largest non-WrestleMania gate in the history of pro-wrestling. The event reportedly even beat most WrestleMania events.

    There are no matches announced for Clash at the Castle as of now. Drew McIntyre, who is featured prominently on the event’s promotional poster, said in a recent interview that he is looking forward to winning the WWE title by defeating Roman Reigns in front of British fans. More on that here.

    Clash at the Castle will take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on September 3. Keep up to date with SEScoops’ coverage of the event.

  • Brian Cage Was Present Backstage At AEW Dynamite

    Brian Cage Was Present Backstage At AEW Dynamite

    Brian Cage hasn’t been seen in some time on AEW TV. His last appearance was back in the October 6 edition of Rampage where he lost an FTW Title Philadelphia Street Fight against Ricky Starks.

    Fightful Select reported that Cage was present backstage at AEW Dynamite this past Wednesday. He hadn’t been seen backstage recently. There is no information regarding his return to the company or if there are any plans for him.

    While Cage was not used by AEW, he continued wrestling on the independent scene. The company picked up his contract option despite not using him for months.

    Cage also made an appearance at the ROH Supercard of Honor event on April 1. He defeated Ninja Mack with Tully Blanchard on his side.

    Cage’s wife Melissa Santas made public statements in September about Cage not being utilized properly by AEW. In November, she alleged that those comments ended up getting Cage heat backstage in AEW.

    Cage did tease a “shocking re-debut” recently when the official AEW Twitter account made a throwback “on this day” post, highlighting Cage’s debut at Double or Nothing 2020.

    “About time to make a shocking return/ re-debut and do it again,” Cage wrote.

    Considering AEW mentioned Brian Cage’s debut and he was also present backstage, it wouldn’t be surprising if we see him return to AEW programming soon.

  • Britt Baker Gets Flak For Naming Sasha Banks Her Dream Opponent

    Britt Baker Gets Flak For Naming Sasha Banks Her Dream Opponent

    Britt Baker got slammed by fans online when she said that Sasha Banks is her dream opponent.

    In a recent interview, Baker was asked who she would like to face in the ring. Since Banks has been trending, Baker said she would love to face her.

    “Since it’s a pretty hot topic right now, I’m going to say Sasha Banks.… I think she is one of the top draws in all of WWE. She’s such a superstar, she’s such a good wrestler. She’s definitely somebody that I would love to wrestle,” Baker said.

    Speaking to KXST-AM The Playmakers, Baker revealed that she got a lot of criticism from fans for wanting to face Banks (as transcribed by SEScoops):

    “I literally answered an interview question. I didn’t call Sasha Banks out, I didn’t say, ‘Hey, this match needs to happen.’ I was just asked a question and I gave an answer,” Baker explained.

    “They said what’s a cool dream match that you would like to have and Sasha is one of my favorite wrestlers. It wasn’t me challenging her, or challenging WWE. All I did was just say ‘Hey this is a cool dream match.’

    “Her fans and the WWE fans and even just some wrestling fans, in general, did not like that and I don’t even think they read the whole interview. They read the clickbait and they run with it. They create such a nasty narrative when they don’t even know what they’re talking about and it is so frustrating.

    “Because in my position, I am not going to respond to @John515 that has 19 followers. But I want to respond to John with 19 followers and tell him to shut the hell up, you don’t even know what you’re talking about!” Baker clarified.

    Ironically, in that same interview, Britt Baker talked about the rampant toxic negativity on social media. She spoke about the cyberbullying that celebrities have to face online, to the point where she believes that some people just go to Twitter so that they can say something nasty and mean.

    “I think people just go on to Twitter just to be heard in a negative way. They just want to say something nasty and hateful and mean, so they will go on to Twitter for literally no [other] reason and they just say it and make sure they tag you in it, too,” Baker said.

    Baker also talked about the impact this has on celebs and how it can have serious real-world consequences, like someone taking their life. You can read the excerpt here.

  • AEW Dark Spoilers From May 27

    AEW Dark Spoilers From May 27

    AEW Dark was taped at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada before and after the live AEW Rampage episode.

    SEScoops correspondent Mike Chin was in attendance during AEW Dark and provided spoilers for the show.

    Here are the spoilers for the AEW Dark taping from May 27:

    • Dark Order (John Silver, Evil Uno, 10) beat The Pretty Picture (Peter Avalon, Ryan Nemeth, and Serpentico) in a six-man tag team match, John Silver got the pin for the victory.
    • Darby Allin beat Brandon Cutler by submission with a Scorpion Deathlock.
    • Anna Jay won a squash by KO in sleeper; after the match, Jade Cargill came out and confronted Jay with a staredown.
    • The House of Black won a trios squash with Buddy Murphy picking up the pin.
    • Riho, Skye Blue, and Yuka Sazaki beat Nyla Rose, Diamante, and Emi Sakura. Riho led the team to victory by picking up the pin.
    • Death Triangle (PAC, Rey Fénix, and Penta El Zero Miedo) beat The Factory (QT Marshall, Nick Comoroto, and Aaron Solo).
    • Mercedes Martinez won a squash via submission.
    • The Butcher and The Blade beat Hunter Gray and Paul Titan with The Blade picking up the pin.
    • Anthony Ogogo beat Carlie Bravo by KO.
    • Jamie Hayter won a squash by pin.
    • Johnny Elite beat Marq Quen.

    On the May 27 episode of Rampage, the opening match featured Matt Sydal taking on Bryan Danielson. Also, the semifinals of the women’s Owen Hart Cup took place. You can check out our full coverage of the episode.

    After Rampage went off the air, an intense “Rock Paper Scissors Match” took place at the show. You can get the scoop here.

  • Charlotte Flair Advertised For WWE TV This Summer

    Charlotte Flair Advertised For WWE TV This Summer

    Charlotte Flair has been taking time off of WWE TV since she is preparing for her wedding with AEW star Andrade El Idolo. Her last appearance was at WrestleMania Backlash, where she lost her SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey in an “I Quit” Match.

    The company then announced that Flair is out of action indefinitely as she got injured.

    Now, it seems like WWE already has a return planned for Flair according to an advertisement for the July 15 episode of SmackDown. The show will take place in Orlando, Florida, and Flair is featured in the promotional graphic.

    The advertisement promotes an Intercontinental Championship between Ricochet and Sami Zayn. Drew McIntyre, The New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are also featured in the advertisement.

    It’s worth noting that Charlotte Flair’s name is not featured on the graphic, only her image is used.

    The advertisement also uses The Usos’ and Shayna Baszler’s images without mentioning their names.

    As mentioned, Flair and El Idolo are gearing up for their wedding. Flair recently posted photos on her Instagram account which show a gathering of her family and friends. Names such as Finn Balor, Nia Jax, and Apollo Crews are also in the pictures.

    The location added for one of the photos is a wedding venue in Mexico. More on that scoop here.

  • Charlotte Flair And Andrade El Idolo Gearing Up For Wedding

    Charlotte Flair And Andrade El Idolo Gearing Up For Wedding

    Charlotte Flair has been out of action indefinitely since WrestleMania Backlash. The company announced that she sustained injuries and she needs time off to recover.

    At the event, Flair defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey in an “I Quit” Match in a losing effort.

    Flair is actually taking time off of WWE to prepare for her wedding with AEW star Andrade El Idolo. The two have been dating since February 2019 when they were both with WWE. They announced their engagement a year later on January 1, 2020.

    Looks like the couple is gearing up for the wedding as Flair posted photos on Instagram which show a gathering of family and friends. Fellow wrestlers such as Finn Balor, Nia Jax, and Apollo Crews are also seen. She also shared a picture with popular Mexican makeup artist Pepe Gutierrez.

    Interestingly, the location added for the photo is Hacienda Mi Ranchito, which is a wedding venue in Ciudad Lerdo, Mexico.

    Last month, Flair confirmed in an interview with Ariel Helwani that she is getting married to her fiancé this summer in Mexico.

    It wouldn’t be too surprising if Charlotte Flair and Andrade announce something about a wedding soon.

    As for her goals inside the wrestling ring, Flair recently said that she wants to surpass her father’s record for most world title reigns. More on that here.

    You can check out the pictures below:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CeDIzkDMRvQ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CeC3P1HMz7M/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CeDHLKaMW-0/
  • Update On Kenny Omega’s Double Or Nothing Status

    Update On Kenny Omega’s Double Or Nothing Status

    Former AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega hasn’t been seen on AEW TV for months.

    On May 18, it was reported that Omega was present backstage at AEW TV tapings for some weeks, and even produced some women’s matches.

    Some took this as a sign that Omega could be making his return to the ring soon. A further report stated that Omega’s return date is nowhere near close to being set.

    Now, Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has provided an update on his health.

    According to the report, the travel to the tapings was too early for the healing needed for Omega’s injuries.

    Omega has said that he is able to train parts of his body that are healthy and is pushing himself hard every week.

    As for the other parts of his body, the healing is said to be “slow.”

    Furthermore, Omega has resigned to the fact that physically, he will never be 100%.

    Owing to all of this, Omega will not be able to recover in time to appear at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas. He is okay with missing the May 29 event.

    Kenny Omega’s last appearance on AEW programming was at Dynamite after Full Gear, where he had just lost his world title to Hangman Page. He also informed The Young Bucks and Adam Cole of The Elite that he will take some time off, asking The Young Bucks to “hold down the fort”.

  • Cody Rhodes Optimistic About WWE 2K22 Addition

    Cody Rhodes Optimistic About WWE 2K22 Addition

    Cody Rhodes returned to the WWE after leaving AEW as Seth Rollins’ surprise opponent at WrestleMania 38. After six long years away from the company, the American Nightmare signed a multi-year deal with WWE.

    A month earlier on March 11, WWE 2K22 was released. Fans never expected Rhodes to be part of the game’s roster, and he wasn’t featured in it. None of the downloadable content (DLC) announced for the game so far includes Rhodes.

    A recent report, however, suggests that WWE actually wanted Rhodes in the game but it never materialized.

    According to Sports Gamers Online, since WWE knew about Rhodes’ return since February, they wanted him in the game but it was “too short of a notice for the developers at 2K.”

    A source close to the development team said, “WWE tried, but it was quickly shot down.”

    “They knew it was unlikely, but you don’t know for sure unless you ask,” the source added.

    Rhodes responded to the story, saying that he can bet the folks at 2K are at it to present something special for fans.

    “I don’t know the talented folks at @WWEgames but I’m a pretty decent gambler and I would bet they’re working very hard on something special for pro wrestling fans,” Rhodes wrote.

    In a statement released on May 19, 2K announced that they were removing Nash Carter from the Stand Back Pack DLC after he was released from the company back in April. The statement said that they were removing him so that fans get “the most authentic representation of the WWE Universe.”

    Cody Rhodes is currently in a program with Seth Rollins and the two men will face each other for the third time at Hell In A Cell on Sunday, June 5. Click here for all news coverage of the event by SEScoops.

  • Kurt Angle Feeling Great After Double Knee Replacement Surgery

    Kurt Angle Feeling Great After Double Knee Replacement Surgery

    Kurt Angle had two knee replacement surgeries today, as he posted a video on Twitter updating fans.

    “Thank you all for your prayers and best wishes for my 2 knee replacement surgeries today. So far so good. I realize rehab is going to be a bitch, but I’m ready for it.

    “If I won a gold medal with a broken freakin’ neck, I can handle this! Lol. It’s true!!!! Thank you all!!!!” Angle captioned the post with the usual positive demeanor.

    “Hey, this is your Olympic hero Kurt Angle, and I’m in the hospital right now because I just had knee replacements done this morning.

    “And I’m feeling pretty good right now, but my legs are not because of the epidural. [laughs] So, I know I have a long road ahead of me, and I’m willing to work very hard to get back to where I was before,” Angle said in the video (as transcribed by SEScoops).

    “I wanna thank all of you for all your support and your wishes and prayers for my surgery. I really do appreciate it. God bless you all,” Angle concluded, as he was lying on a hospital bed in the video wearing a nasal cannula.

    Wrestlers Anthony Bowens and Mike Magnum wished Angle a speedy recovery.

    Fans too showered Angle with support in the replies to the video, wishing him the best for his recovery.

    “You’re the greatest — and my hero for a reason. You’re going to make the tribulations after the surgery tap out — just like you have every other time previously. You’re just going to get stronger every single day,” wrote user @KeeganRW.

    User @StephenBarry68 wrote, “As You Said You won an Olympic gold medal with a broken freakin’ neck, You can handle this!. You’re just going to get stronger every single day. Prayers for speedy recovery Kurt! God Bless!”

    Recently, Angle said that he wishes Chad Gable get pushed a little more. The Olympic gold medalist said that he sees similarities between him and Gable.

    Angle also hopes to manage a stable of Olympians one day, if he ever returned to the WWE. Get that scoop here.

  • Will Ospreay on Kenny Omega: ‘We’re Not on Good Terms’

    Will Ospreay on Kenny Omega: ‘We’re Not on Good Terms’

    Will Ospreay says that he is on bad terms with Kenny Omega.

    As the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door approaches June 26, there has been talk of Ospreay vs. Omega happening.

    The two butt heads on social media regularly, and trade shots at each other in interviews too. This time, in an interview with Wresthings, Ospreay has decided to call out Omega for cutting him off online.

    Ospreay stated that Omega “buried” him to his “sh*tty” fans and wants Omega to stay away from him (transcription by Fightful):

    “Obviously, people want Kenny Omega, we’re not on good terms right now. When you leave the building and leave New Japan and pull me aside and say, ‘You need to step up for this company, I believe in you,’ and gas you up and gas you up hard, and you put your heart and fucking soul in trying to make this…the bar was high.

    “For both myself and [Jay White], the bar was high. I actually care and want the fans who watch New Japan to be like, ‘this is professional wrestling.’ I’m doing it and destroying my body to do it, and then you cut me off online? What type of a cunt is that? I look at you and actually hold you in high regard, actual high regard, and I respect everything you’ve done.”

    Ospreay then added that he does not get along with Omega because he buries him to his fans. At this point, the current RevPro British Heavyweight Champion prefers Omega to stay away from him.

    “Even when you did the barbed wire exploding match that went to fucking shit, I actually was the type of guy that was like, ‘I hope they’re alright.’ The bombardment of tweets, I was probably the only guy that did that, and instead, you retaliate by burying me to your shitty fans. I’m literally doing my fucking best.

    “That’s why me and Kenny don’t get along. I’m sure he has something else to say, but it’s one of those things where I prefer him to stay away from me at this point. It’s not even funny. You can destroy guys like that. You’re saying this and you’re saying that, I don’t like two-faced people. Be real, just be real, that’s all I ask for,” Ospreay said.

    Interestingly, Ospreay alluded to wanting Omega in the ring with him at the AEW-NJPW collaborative event Forbidden Door last month. When Ospreay tweeted about his upcoming match with Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestling Dontaku, he wrote that he will “pay homage to a wrestler that largely impacted my career, to show my appreciation for his contribution & sacrifice.”

    Omega responded to the tweet, assuming Ospreay is talking about him. Omega seemed embarrassed by Ospreay, writing, “You’re making it way too obvious, but thanks, I guess.”

    To this, Ospreay asked if he was going to be alright for June, which is when Forbidden Door will take place.

    Omega hasn’t been wrestling since late 2021. His last match was at AEW Full Gear where he lost the AEW World Title to Adam Page. During his time off, he went through multiple surgeries. It remains to be seen if the match between the two can actually take place at the supershow.

  • Corey Graves Speaks Out On Sasha Banks & Naomi Walking Out Of WWE Raw

    Corey Graves Speaks Out On Sasha Banks & Naomi Walking Out Of WWE Raw

    Corey Graves says he does not know enough about the Sasha Banks and Naomi situation from WWE Raw.

    The current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions walked out on WWE after having disagreements with management backstage. They even left the titles with the company.

    WWE issued a statement saying that the women left the building after talking about their issues with booking.

    On the episode, Corey Graves on commentary called Banks and Naomi “unprofessional.” He said, ”Sasha Banks and Naomi summarily and unprofessionally walked out.” This did not sit well with fans online and he received flak for it. Graves’ wife, Carmella came to his defense saying that he was just doing his job.

    Now, Graves has revealed that he only knew what he was told and he has no further information.

    Speaking on his After The Bell podcast, Graves said that he’s going to avoid speaking about the situation as WWE hasn’t provided him any more information (as transcribed by WrestlingNews.co):

    “There’s a particular set of circumstances that went down this past Monday at RAW. There are speculations and rumors all over the place. I was on the air when it went down. I only know the information that was provided to me. In the days since then, while everybody continues to speculate, I don’t have any more information.”

    “I don’t know enough about the circumstance or the situation or which side did what. So I’m just going to avoid it. I’m being perfectly honest and transparent with everybody,” Graves said.

    Graves also noted that he got updates about the situation during Raw. But he does not know any additional facts apart from what is already public knowledge for now.

    “I would love to dive into this conversation because it set the internet on fire. Everybody’s got an opinion. Everybody has a point of view. I don’t know enough facts about what actually went down to speak on it with any confidence. All I know is what you guys know. I was getting updates throughout the show on Monday as needed because we were doing a show.”

    So if there comes a point in time where it becomes something we know facts about, I will happily dive into that for our listeners’ pleasure, but until then, we’re just going to stick with what we know to be true,” Graves explained.

  • Kota Ibushi Could Be Leaving NJPW, Waiting For Release (Report)

    Kota Ibushi Could Be Leaving NJPW, Waiting For Release (Report)

    Kota Ibushi may very well be out of New Japan Pro Wrestling soon after expressing dissatisfaction with the promotion in a series of tweets recently on May 10.

    Ibushi has cited reasons such as unfair treatment and other issues with booking and management with NJPW.

    His tweets seemed to target NJPW workers such as Kikuchi, Taichi, and TAKA. He alleged that there’s backstage politics at play involving these names. Ibushi even mentioned Yakuza having links with the promotion.

    Now, The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported that NJPW’s parent company, Bushiroad, plummeted when links with the crime syndicate were alleged by Ibushi (as transcribed by WrestlePurists):

    “Nothing major has changed on the Kota Ibushi front. The only major stuff is that there is the belief that Ibushi’s statements and bringing up the Yakuza have hurt the stock price of Bushiroad, so that has become a serious company issue. Because Ibushi went after Takami Ohbari, the President of New Japan, this may take Bushiroad President Takaani Kidani to intervene.”

    Apart from that, a wrestler familiar with the situation said that Ibushi is just waiting to be released from NJPW.

    “Another wrestler very close to the situation who knows Ibushi said that he is just waiting to be released and isn’t going to say any more right now. But he said Ibushi has a lot more he could say but doesn’t want to hurt the wrestling industry in Japan by doing so. There is a basic feeling in New Japan that the wrestlers care about the other wrestlers and people like Gedo in management do, and the doctors there very much do, but a lot of management treats them like pieces of meat. They believe they don’t care about the wrestlers themselves and that leads to problems.”

    A fan asked Ibushi if he would return to DDT Pro Wrestling, to which the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion replied, “I don’t have even 1% intention of going back. Sorry.”

    In his tweets, Ibushi complained about being pressured by Kikuchi to return to Wrestle Kingdom even before he recovered from the injuries he suffered in the G1 Climax final last October.

    He also called NJPW a “black” company (burakku kigyou), which is a Japanese term for an employment system that is considered sweatshop-like. A black company often forces employees to do large amounts of overtime without appropriate overtime pay. Working conditions are also poor in such places, with bullying by seniors being common.

  • Don’t Expect Chris Jericho To Change His Theme Song Anytime Soon

    Don’t Expect Chris Jericho To Change His Theme Song Anytime Soon

    Chris Jericho making his entrance to the ring has a tradition associated with it – fans singing along to the Fozzy song “Judas.” The song from Jericho’s rock band is from their 2017 album of the same name. He’s used this song as his entrance theme ever since he started appearing in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2017.

    But even after turning heel, Jericho hasn’t changed the song as most wrestlers do. Since fans sing along to his entrance song and that is considered a positive interaction between the wrestler and fans, most wrestlers in place of Jericho would opt to change the theme.

    But Jericho says that fans singing along to “Judas” during his entrance is too special to be taken away. According to him, it transcends being a good or a bad guy.

    Speaking to Spin, Jericho said that “Judas” became a hit as soon as it came out. Jericho admitted that he has no idea why people liked the song so much. He decided to use the song for his entrance in NJPW and realized it makes for a pretty mean theme song.

    “Well, the thing about ‘Judas’ is, it was a hit before I started using it [as entrance music], right out of the gate,” Jericho said. “We did the video, it did 1 million views in a week. Why? I don’t know. Whatever reason, people gravitated toward that song. That’s why I started using it as my ring music.

    “I needed a new song because I had switched from WWE to New Japan [Pro Wrestling],” Jericho continued. “I thought, well, let me use “Judas,” and maybe there’ll be a promoter who hears the song and brings us over to Japan. Then I realized, this is a great entrance song!”

    When he turned heel in AEW, Jericho thought about changing the song. But even Tony Khan agreed that this would be taking away a cool moment that they consider part of their presentation, and decided against it.

    “So, when AEW started, I brought “Judas” over there, and then it became part of the show,” Jericho noted. “For whatever reason, people just felt a real inspiration from that song and wanted to sing it as I came to the ring. Now, I did just change my character, I went from being a good guy to being a bad guy. We thought about not using “Judas” anymore. But then I thought, why? Why change it? And my boss [AEW president Tony Khan] agreed because we have a very unique, very cool moment in our AEW presentation, in that people love singing this song.”

    “As a bad guy I could take it away, but then you’re losing this really special moment. People singing “Judas” transcends being a good guy or a bad guy in AEW, it’s just something cool that’s part of the show. It’s like going to a KISS concert and they don’t play “Rock and Roll All Nite” because they’re trying to be creative. It’s like, f*ck, we don’t care, that’s the song we want to hear!”

    Chris Jericho wanted to form a stable with Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. Read about that scoop here.

  • Freddie Prinze Jr. Sought Cody Rhodes’ Advice For New Wrestling Promotion

    Freddie Prinze Jr. Sought Cody Rhodes’ Advice For New Wrestling Promotion

    Freddie Prinze Jr. seems to be going ahead with his plans for starting his new wrestling promotion.

    Prinze has experience in the pro wrestling industry. He entered the WWE from the world of Hollywood and worked behind the scenes at the company in the creative department. He even had a confrontation with John Cena.

    Earlier this month, Prinze revealed his plans for his new promotion. He wants to have it up and running in 18 months and wants a two-hour show for it.

    Now, Freddie Prinze Jr. went into detail about his process in starting the promotion while appearing on the Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw podcast. Prinze revealed that he’s not looking for a TV deal for his wrestling company in the initial years (as transcribed by WrestlingNews.co):

    “My philosophy is this. There’s over 200 dramas on television. There’s over 150 comedies on television, there’s over 400 reality TV shows on television, and there’s three wrestling shows. So there’s tons more room but my plan is a little different. I’m not looking for a TV deal, at first. I want to have a couple of years where we’re still filming everything. But I need time to fail.”

    Prinze noted that he’s a year and a half away from his promotion being fully ready. He wants to take his time with it. He even wants his show to be associated with the Screen Actors Guild, with his wrestlers getting all the benefits from it like insurance and retirement.

    “I’m about a year and a half away from being fully ready to go. But I want to take my time with it. And then once we’re ready to go, I want to have a fully SAG show. And that year and a half gives me a time for all my wrestlers in my roster to get vouchered so that when we do go, it can be a SAG show. My wrestlers are gonna have insurance, retirement, and everything that comes with the Screen Actors Guild.

    “I assure you, it’s not all good [because] there’s a lot of BS with our union as well. But it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It’s been a goal of mine for a long time. I don’t know how far down the goal line I’ll get. But I’m going as far as I can go. And if I fail, I don’t care, man, I’m still going all the way,” Prinze explained.

    Since running your own promotion and having its own TV show is no small task, Prinze is seeking advice from his contacts in Hollywood. Prinze said that he’s been asking a lot of questions to people relevant in Hollywood and also in the wrestling business.

    Prinze revealed that he even asked Cody Rhodes for advice, who served as the executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling as well as a wrestler:

    “I asked a lot of questions to a lot of people and I’ve been asking a lot of wrestlers as well and people who have built things you know, I spoke to Cody. And I’ve spoken to Cody multiple times. So it’s a lot to learn, but I feel like I’m going slow and steady and I’m learning it the right way.”

    Freddie Prinze Jr. has said before that he is not looking for his promotion to be in competition with WWE or AEW. He has also asked for input on a name for the promotion.

  • Fan Headbutts Wrestler During An Indie Show, Chaos Ensues (Video)

    Fan Headbutts Wrestler During An Indie Show, Chaos Ensues (Video)

    Pro-wrestling fans show constant support and allegiance to what they love and hate. One of the best things about wrestling is the interaction between fans and wrestlers. Unlike any other sport, wrestlers directly address the crowd for not only their support, but their hate too, and heels diss their audience and fans which is considered entertaining.

    However, some fans can get too excited, and in some cases, end up doing things like getting into a verbal altercation with wrestlers.

    But in a recent Third Anniversary show by Intense Wrestling Entertainment (IWE Pro-Wrestling) on Saturday, May 14, in Augusta, Georgia, a fan got physical with independent wrestler Joe Black.

    Black, who was defending his IWE Championship against Anthony Henry, appears to flip off a hat from a fan’s head, who is sitting behind the barricade. The fan then gets up and headbutts Black, to which Black responds with multiple punches on the fan’s head and back.

    Referees and security try to break up the fight as attendees yell to throw the fan out of the building.

    Fans attending the show say that the man who attacked Black is not part of a work. He was not involved in any story with Black, sitting in the audience and waiting for the wrestler to come out so he can play his part. This was a real attack on a heel wrestler, who was just playing the role of a bad guy.

    It is not known if any legal action was taken or if the problem escalated.

    IWE said that the promotion’s personnel will address what happened at their show.

    “An unfortunate event happened at the show tonight which will be addressed by IWE personnel. We want to thank everyone for coming out tonight and apologize for any inconveniences that may have occurred,” IWE posted on their Twitter.

    Video taken of the incident by an attendee is doing the rounds on social media, and it’s frightening to see how quickly everything took place.

    Many people online were defending Black, saying that he was just playing up his heel persona and there was no need for a fan to put his hands on a wrestler for doing his job. Some were of the opposite opinion, believing that Black shouldn’t have incited the man.

    You can check out the footage below:

    https://twitter.com/CanBeOnly1Leage/status/1525696901911289856?s=20&t=uHLafRUA0e3lbo49PTL-iw