SEScoops

Author: Rayan Sayyed

  • Legendary Promoter Jim Crockett Jr. Passes Away Aged 76

    Legendary Promoter Jim Crockett Jr. Passes Away Aged 76

    Jim Crockett Jr., legendary wrestling promoter and part owner of Jim Crockett Promotions passed away on Wednesday because of organ failure, at the age of 76. The news of his passing was confirmed by WWE Hall of Famer and one-half of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express Robert Gibson via his Facebook page. “Rest In Peace Jim Crockett, Jr. You will be missed by so many,” says the caption of the post.

    Jim Crockett Jr. was reported to be in grave condition this week and was housed in hospice care. The 76-year-old’s failing liver and kidneys were cited to be the cause. According to the report, he had taken himself off dialysis.

    Jim Crockett Jr. took over his father’s company in 1973 and would grow the southern-based wrestling promotion to the national level. In 1980, he went on to be elected as the NWA President. He would serve two subsequent terms in 1985 and 1987 too.

    As Crockett Promotions was not doing well financially and was near bankruptcy, he sold his company to Ted Turner through promoter Jim Barnett by November 1988. It was renamed as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) by Turner and would continue until 2001. Crockett would go on to stay as NWA President until 1991.

    Reactions to Jim Crockett Jr. Passing

    The wrestling world mourned his death and everyone came forward to offer their condolences. Here are some reactions:

    https://twitter.com/courtbauer/status/1367328844034707468?s=20
    https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/1367312529496580096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1367312529496580096%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fwwe%2Fnews%2Fwwe-jim-crockett-jr-death-fans-wrestlers-mourn-wcw-aew%2F

  • NWA Power Return Confirmed By Billy Corgan

    NWA Power Return Confirmed By Billy Corgan

    NWA owner Billy Corgan has confirmed that NWA Power is making a return. As reported earlier, the NWA will be returning to PPV with the show “Back for the Attack” in less than 3 weeks. The show was spotted in a listing on FITE TV. Now, Corgan has said in a recent interview that NWA is in a deal with FITE TV but NWA Power is also making a return as the show starts taping episodes soon.

    The first episode of NWA Power will take place on March 23, two days after Back for the Attack. The episodes are set to air at 6:05 PM on Thursday nights. Back for the Attack is listen on FITE TV for a cost of $19.99 USD.

    In a bizzare turn of events concerning fans of the promotion, NWA took down all their content from YouTube, leaving the entire channel blank. Power was previously hosted on NWA’s YouTube channel so fans were left wondering about the future of the company at the time.

    “What I didn’t anticipate was how much people would love the format and want more of it and not less of it,” Billy Corgan told Associated Press in an interview. “In our downtime, we did a fan survey and the No. 1 thing was, don’t get rid of ‘Power.’”

    Corgan said that NWA is now taking the steps that they intended to take a year ago. “I feel like we’re finally taking the steps we were hoping to take a year ago. We were never in any financial peril,” Corgan added. “We were totally on a growth pattern. The plan for last year before things kind of hit the skids was to start pivoting. We were in discussions with Live Nation about running live events to help bring in revenue and expand who was watching the product. It was more about growing pains stuff, but we didn’t have any problems internally with the product.”

    It was reported this week that NWA would resume TV tapings this month. The last set of tapings for Power took place in January 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the promotion had to cancel its planned Crockett Cup 2020 PPV.

  • The Rock On How Influential Vince McMahon Is To Him

    The Rock On How Influential Vince McMahon Is To Him

    The Rock is singing praises for Vince McMahon. During the airing of Young Rock’s episode 3 on NBC, The Rock fielded some questions about the episode from fans on Twitter. During the Q&A, a fan asked Rock about how influential Vince McMahon has been to him. Rock had high praise for the CEO of WWE, who said that he has been one of his greatest business mentors and like a father figure to him.

    The Rock wrote, “@VinceMcMahon was one of my greatest business mentors and a father figure. Not always the relationship one would want with their boss but the convergence of our lives made it to be. We laugh when we get together because we always pick right back up where we left off. #YoungRock.”

    The Rock has shared many instances from his WWE career of Vince McMahon giving him advice that helped him to be the star he is today. The Rock once revealed that during the early days of his career the WWE Chairman advised him to smile. “I was told by Vince McMahon, who was a very close friend of mine still today, is a mentor in the world of business, he would tell me, ‘You gotta go out there, you gotta smile, you just gotta… you just gotta smile!’”

    The Rock added, “This was my rookie year, so you can imagine. Smile! So, I said OK, and again, you’re pissing vinegar… you’re ready to get out there and bang, man. And he said, ‘I want you to be… you’re grateful that you’re here, so you gotta smile.’ And then I would go out and I would hear these fans, they just knew that I wasn’t being authentic. You know, and they would be like… ‘You f–king suck!’ And I would smile, ‘Hey, thank you, man! I know I do, right?’ I gotta smile.”

    The Rock also revealed how Vince McMahon gave him an opportunity to speak his mind on live TV during Raw, when he had little experience. Rock had promised McMahon that if he bombed, then he would never have to give him mic time again. The promo was about Rock joining The Nation of Domination where he said that him being part of the faction is not a black or white thing — it’s a respect thing and he’s gonna earn it every night by kicking ass. This very promo helped Rock cement the direction his character would later take.

    On this week’s episode of Young Rock, Adam Ray debuted as a younger version of Vince McMahon. In the beginning of the episode, we see Ray calling one of Rocky Johnson’s matches on the commentary booth — this was before he took over WWF from his father Vince Sr. We also see him share a phone call with Maivia later. He offers some advice on how to deal with the competition and delivers the news that he needs all his wrestlers back for a show in the Madison Square Garden besides Rocky and the Wild Samoans. Coupled with the fact that Andre the Giant was the only wrestler to get his own action figure, this creates a little hostility between him and the other wrestlers. The episode also showed a rival promoter trying to recruit Rocky to his promotion.

  • NXT Likely Moving To Tuesdays After WrestleMania

    NXT Likely Moving To Tuesdays After WrestleMania

    NXT is reportedly making a move to Tuesday nights on the USA Network starting April 13.

    It was reported on Tuesday by the Mat Men Pro Wrestling podcast that WWE would move the broadcast of NXT to Tuesday nights according to their source. This will end the ongoing weekly Wednesday Night Wars for the Nielsen ratings that began on October 2, 2019 when AEW debuted Dynamite on TNT.

    April 13 would be the first NXT show after WrestleMania 37. Dave Meltzer also confirmed the report regarding talks of the move, but wasn’t able to confirm if it is a done deal. At the very least, according to Meltzer, the talks may be in the last stages as it has been heavily discussed over the past week. Particularly, the topic was discussed in WWE on February 24.

    Mat Men also added that they heard the same about the discussions on February 24, noting that NBC staff were told about the move this week. It was also mentioned in the Meltzer report that pretty much all key NXT staff haven’t been informed about the supposed move.

    It was believed that when NBC announced the shutdown of NBC Sports Network later this year and the decision to move some of their content to USA, the National Hockey League could affect WWE programming on the USA Network as it also airs on Wednesdays. WWE president Nick Khan cleared any doubts about this as he revealed that the shutdown would not affect Raw or NXT.

    NXT vs Dynamite is the first direct competition among two major wrestling promotion shows in 10 years when TNA moved Impact to Monday nights to compete with Raw back in 2010. It has been over 20 years since the original Monday Night Wars between Raw and WCW’s Monday Nitro that lasted from September 1995 to March 2001.

  • Sami Zayn Achieves Major Wrestling Career Milestone

    Sami Zayn Achieves Major Wrestling Career Milestone

    Sami Zayn has reached a major milestone in his career as a pro wrestler. Zayn is currently celebrating 19 years since he had his first wrestling match. Zayn said that he had his first wrestling match almost two decades ago, and that he has done well.

    He acknowledged the milestone on Twitter to his followers, thanking everyone who has been part of his journey. Zayn wrote, “I had my first wrestling match 19 years ago today. I’ve done well. Thanks to everyone along the way.”

    Sami Zayn’s Career

    Prior to joining WWE, Sami Zayn worked for Ring of Honor famously under the ring name El Generico. His gimmick was that of a masked Mexican luchador with the “Olé!” catchphrase. Zayn wrestled as El Generico masked from his debut in 2002 until 2013.

    He only started performing unmasked until he joined WWE. His first match however was at the FLQ promotion in Quebec back in his home country of Canada. He would wrestle as Stevie McFly in March 2002 in his debut. Zayn would debut the El Generico character a few months later in July 2002 at a IWS Scarred For Life event.

    Sami Zayn has achieved much success in the indies in different territories. In Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Zayn won the PWG World Championship two times as well the PWG World Tag Team Championship five times.

    Sami Zayn as El Generico

    In WWE, Zayn debuted on the main roster on the May 4, 2015 episode of Raw. He was introduced by Bret Hart in Canada during John Cena’s “US Open Challenge”. Since then, Zayn has seen moderate success in his career and went on to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship two times.

    Sami Zayn is currently working at the SmackDown brand and has been involved in the Intercontinental Championship scene. He teamed with King Corbin against the Street Profits in a losing attempt during last week’s Friday Night SmackDown.

  • Christian Shows Off Transformation He Went Through Before WWE Return

    Christian Shows Off Transformation He Went Through Before WWE Return

    Christian shocked the wrestling world by making his surprise return last month at the Royal Rumble, with the former World Heavyweight Champion stepping foot in the ring to wrestle for the first time in seven years.

    Fans noticed how Christian’s physique was in top shape. His body looked as good as any other actively competing wrestler. A fitness company by the name of Nutrition Solutions shared transformation photos of the “Captain Charisma” on Instagram showcasing his transformation when he started preparing for his in-ring return.

    “Everyone loves a ‘success story’… But what’s far compelling and relatable, is a story about someone who got to a dark place… decided enough was enough… drew a line in the sand… and then fought their way out of the darkness, back into the light,” the account wrote.

    “That’s what Jay Reso, aka @christian4peeps did after going through a character building year, where he eventually found himself somewhere in a place that he refused to stay! Being a pro athlete his entire life who is well known for his work ethic and competitiveness, Jay committed not just to getting himself back in shape, but getting himself in the best shape of his life at 47 years young! And as you can see, in just 5 months time he’s made some remarkable progress! Thank you Jay for doing the work, kicking ass and giving us opportunity to serve you!”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CLu6NefF60C/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Christian’s Return to WWE

    It is without a doubt that Christian’s hard work on his body paid off as his physique appeared in top condition and he performed decently in the ring. Christian has said that being part of the action for so long felt surreal to him and he didn’t know what to expect.

    “It was surreal to be honest with you, I didn’t know what to expect. You know it’s funny, everybody has a plan until you get hit. And that’s exactly what happened to me.” said Christian, “I got hit once and I was like, ‘ok, it’s on.’ This is what I was born to do, so I felt like I was home. I was playing coy all day in the locker room since nobody knew what was going on. It was a fun surprise.”

    When Christian was asked what’s next for him after his return, he said, “What’s next for me? All I ever promised was one more match. That could be it.”

    It has been reported that Christian would be making future appearances, and it is believed that he would be working a part-time schedule. Christian has said that it was a long process for him to get himself in the physical condition to step inside the ring again. He said that seeing his friend Edge return at the Royal Rumble made him think that there’s a possibility for him to make a return to action too. He then hired a nutritionist company and built a gym in his garage to get ready for a potential return.

  • Shinsuke Nakamura On WWE Role: “Who Said I Am Happy?”

    Shinsuke Nakamura On WWE Role: “Who Said I Am Happy?”

    Shinsuke Nakamura has had a pretty uneventful stint in 2021 so far on Friday Night SmackDown. Back in January, it seemed like Nakamura was going to get involved in the championship picture. He had a very impressive run in the No. 1 contender’s gauntlet match — only for his momentum to be disrupted by Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. This would have been his first involvement in the main event scene since his feud with AJ Styles back in 2018. While the former NXT Champion gained the upper hand on Uso the following week, nothing really came out of it.

    Shinsuke Nakamura was then moved back to the mid-card. He is currently involved as a third wheel in the feud between Big E and Apollo Crews. Crews, who just went through a character change and turned heel, took out his frustrations on Nakamura too. They’ve faced one another two weeks in a row on SmackDown.

    In a video uploaded to his Instagram, The King of Strong Style cut a promo saying that he’s going to take revenge on Crews.

    “Apollo, you’ve changed. Yeah, I respect that, because I’ve changed too. But I don’t respect what you did to Big E; what you did to me tonight,” Shinsuke Nakamura said in the video. “You changed the outfit, you changed the attitude, but you cannot change who you really are and what you’ve done. You like to live in the past, but I am the future. Last week wasn’t personal. I want to be the world champion, you were my opponent. But now, you’ve started something that I will finish. You should remember who I am.”

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLzG-O6BFsy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Nakamura Unhappy?

    A fan commented on this message and told Nakamura he should stop wasting his talent in WWE. Another fan, replying to this comment, argued, “he’s happy. He gets to surf and work a safer style. Yeah it’d be great to see him go all out again somewhere else… but that’s not what he wants. (sic)”

    Shinsuke Nakamura saw the reply suggesting that he’s happy with his position in WWE and replied: “Who said I’m happy? Don’t believe anything other than what I said.”

    You can see a screenshot of his comment here:

    There are many fans who think that Shinsuke Nakamura isn’t given enough opportunity to shine in WWE, especially after seeing how he performed back in his home country Japan. There has been an assumption amongst fans that Nakamura gets to collect paychecks while showing up to work in the midcard while getting to live in Florida and surf all he wants.

    That being said, Shinsuke Nakamura’s run in WWE hasn’t been all bad. On the main roster, he has held the Intercontinental Championship, the United States Championship, the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with Cesaro and has even gone on to win the 2018 Royal Rumble. We also saw him gain momentum back in January as noted before, and while that fizzled out it wouldn’t be unlikely to see him get back in the scene once again.

  • Roman Reigns Ridicules Daniel Bryan’s Fastlane Title Match Attempts

    Roman Reigns Ridicules Daniel Bryan’s Fastlane Title Match Attempts

    Roman Reigns would go against Daniel Bryan to defend his WWE Universal Championship at Fastlane, on a condition. As it was revealed on Talking Smack this weekend, the condition that Bryan is given is that he has to first beat Jey Uso in a Steel Cage Match at this week’s Friday Night SmackDown. Daniel Bryan had to go through five other competitors in an Elimination Chamber match for an immediate WWE Universal Championship match at the same night. Reigns was able to quickly defeat Bryan by technical submission and retain the title.

    On last week’s SmackDown, Daniel Bryan and Jey Uso faced off each other to decide if Bryan would get a title shot against Roman Reigns at Fastlane. However, the match ended in a double count out, so there was no clear outcome on if Bryan would get the title opportunity or not. However, with this new development, Bryan has another chance at Reigns.

    Daniel Bryan Cuts Promo On Part-Time Wrestlers, Namedrops CM Punk

    Roman Reigns took to Instagram on Saturday where he ridiculed Daniel Bryan’s attempts at getting a rematch. According to Reigns, Bryan’s efforts are wasted as he would end up in the same spot, anyway. He wrote, “Putting yourself through a whole bunch of a trouble just to end up in the same place. On the ground. Knocked out.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CLzgXRKpI0a/?utm_source=ig_embed

    On Talking Smack, Paul Heyman said that he had been authorised by Roman Reigns to offer Daniel Bryan a rematch against Jey Uso. If Bryan wins, he would get the title shot at Fastlane but if Uso wins, then Bryan has to admit that Reigns is the tribal chief, the head of the table, the best wrestler on the planet, the undisputed Universal Champion, and the main eventer of WrestleMania. It would be interesting to see how things go into Fastlane, a month away from WrestleMania.

    Fastlane will take place on Sunday, March 21 from the WWE ThunderDome hosted at the Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all updates and results.

  • The Rock Reminisces Toasting With Steve Austin In Different Cities

    The Rock Reminisces Toasting With Steve Austin In Different Cities

    The Rock has often fondly reminisced back on the times he spent feuding with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin which fans consider to be the most iconic rivalries in wrestling. Recently, Rock made a throwback post on Twitter, quote retweeting a picture of him and Austin together in the ring toasting with beers. Pretty much every time they would do this, Austin would hit Rock with a Stunner, much to the delight of fans.

    The Rock recalled that him and Steve Austin would recreate the iconic moment of them sharing beers in multiple cities every night. “Many of you know what’s about to happen in roughly 3 seconds after this beer Clinking beer mugs smash…. And @steveaustinBSR and I did this in a different city EVERY NIGHT. Much less was scripted back then and these were BRILLIANT times!!! What an era as all things ebb and flow in @wwe,” Rock wrote.

    The Rock also shared that much of what we saw in the ring was not scripted and they had a great time together. “The Brahma Bull” also alluded to how he would be hit by a Stunner each time during the iconic moment. One of the more entertaining aspects to their rivalry was how Rock would over-sell the Stunner. Sometimes he would flip and bounce off the ropes, nearly perform a cartwheel, or wiggle around like he’s suffering a seizure.

    The Rock once revealed that he and Steve Austin would bet cases of beer to see how crazy he could get while selling the Stunner. Austin has said that Rock and him had swift chemistry with each other and they hit it off well. “The Texas Rattlesnake” explained that the both of them got along like gangbusters inside and outside of the ring. Rock has also recalled that whenever they met in the ring, they would know the finish of the match but they had to call everything out in the ring. They were so tight that the night before their match at WrestleMania X-Seven they went out for a steak dinner to discuss the match.

  • Bobby Lashley On Who He Wants To Face At WrestleMania 37

    Bobby Lashley On Who He Wants To Face At WrestleMania 37

    Bobby Lashley is all set to face The Miz for the WWE Championship on this week’s Monday Night Raw, after helping Miz to cash in his Money in the Bank contract by beating down former Champion Drew McIntyre at Elimination Chamber. Lashley is super confident that he’s going to win the match and become the next WWE Champion. In fact, he has already named who he is going to defend his title against at WrestleMania 37, while also talking about his dream match at “The Grandest Stage Of Them All”.

    Speaking to Inside the Ropes, Bobby Lashley said that while his dream match at WrestleMania would be against Brock Lesnar, he has set his sights on former Champion Drew McIntyre simply because of the fact that McIntyre beat Lesnar in quick fashion at last year’s WrestleMania.

    “As far as Brock, Brock is one person but how I look at it is Drew beat Brock in, like, no time. So, of course, my sights were set on Brock for some time but, like I said, Drew is the man, Drew is the one that beat him, Drew beat Goldberg,” Bobby Lashley said.

    While Bobby Lashley acknowledged that the dream match fans want is between him and Brock Lesnar, he considers Drew McIntyre the top guy right now. And therefore, beating McIntyre comes first for him. “Of course Brock is that kind of mystery match, dream match that everybody has wanted us to have for some time now but right now, I’m looking to be the best and right now the best is Drew. Drew is the top guy. If I beat Miz, or when I beat Miz, I think Drew is the guy,” Lashley explained.

    As noted before, Bobby Lashley viciously assaulted Drew McIntyre after he survived and successfully defended his WWE Championship in the Elimination Chamber match. This gave The Miz the perfect opening to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase, making him a two-time WWE Champion. The following night on Raw, it was revealed that Miz had struck a deal with the Hurt Business, according to which the Miz would give Lashley a title shot if he helped him cash in his contract.

    Bobby Lashley stated that Drew McIntyre’s “the man” and that to be the man you’ve got to beat the man and therefore all his focus is on McIntyre. McIntyre meanwhile was not present at last week’s Raw but he is set to return to the show this week.

  • Drew McIntyre To Return To WWE Raw Next Week

    Drew McIntyre To Return To WWE Raw Next Week

    Drew McIntyre defended his WWE Championship successfully against five former world champions at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event on Sunday. He was unable to walk out of the arena with the title around his waist, however, as Bobby Lashley unleashed an attack on him after the Chamber match. This was all part of “business”, as Lashley’s attack on McIntyre was to help The Miz successfully cash in his Money in the Bank contract and win the WWE Championship himself.

    Drew McIntyre was not present on this week’s Monday Night Raw, and Bobby Lashley earned the opportunity to face Miz one-on-one in a title match on the March 1 episode of Raw. On this week’s episode of SmackDown, WWE made the announcement that “The King of Claymore Country” will appear on the same episode of Raw. It would be interesting to see the former WWE Champion address The Miz after his title was taken away from him by the “A-Lister”, as well as Bobby Lashley for the surprise attack which was the main reason why McIntyre lost his Championship.

    It’s also highly likely that Drew McIntyre could interfere in the title match and stop Bobby Lashley from winning the title. The Miz on the other hand, has expressed no signs of slowing down since becoming champion. He has made his plans clear: that he has no plans to be a transitional champion. The idea that fans think his reign after a strong champion like McIntyre is going to be just a one-off fuels his fire.

    “It makes me think back to when I cashed in the Money in the Bank contract and won the belt in 2010. People thought I would lose, but I didn’t. Instead, I won the WWE Championship,” The Miz said. He recalled how he was told he would just be a transitional champion but he went on to main event WrestleMania. The Miz said that this time too, he is going to exceed expectations and prove everyone wrong.

  • Conor McGregor Teases Match With Finn Balor, Triple H Comments

    Conor McGregor Teases Match With Finn Balor, Triple H Comments

    Conor McGregor, the former UFC Champion has expressed interest in pro wrestling and working with WWE over the years, with many wrestlers offering their takes on whether he would be a good fit at the company or how he would fare as a champion with some even expressing their desire to work with him in the squared circle. While it doesn’t appear that McGregor has any plans of walking away from MMA for pro wrestling yet, he teased another possible link-up with WWE involving none other than current NXT Champion Finn Balor.

    On Friday, Finn Balor uploaded a photo on Twitter of action figures of himself with the NXT Championship, Conor McGregor with the UFC titles, and Triple H in the center of both inside a toy WWE ring. McGregor took notice of the post, and retweeted it with the quote, “No more mr. nice guy!”

    This caught the attention of Triple H, who responded by saying, “Just say when.” Triple H has talked about Conor McGregor working with the company many times before.

    Triple H has always been interested with the idea of Conor McGregor working with WWE. Speaking on how he would be a good fit with the company, Triple H said: “I think Conor McGregor versus Vince McMahon with the billion-dollar walk on the line, I think that’s a match made in heaven.” Triple H joked. “I think the nature of what we do — even being entertainment — it lends itself to combat sports. It lends itself to people like Conor McGregor or Ronda [Rousey], as it does with Tyson Fury. It did in the past with Mike Tyson and Floyd [Mayweather]. Entertaining people are what makes those fights, a lot of times.”

    Back in 2016, Triple H said Conor McGregor could come to the WWE anytime he wants to, stating that one doesn’t need to be huge to be a big star anymore. “He could come over, he’s got it all, man — he’s got the personality, the skills, the talk. He’s an entertainer, for sure. What does he walk around at? 180lbs? I have smaller guys now in the WWE. We have 200lb guys who are stars. You don’t need to be 300lbs anymore,” The Game said of McGregor.

    WWE has seen many MMA stars join the company in the past — namely Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler and Matt Riddle. Conor McGregor could also have a good stint at the company with someone like Finn Balor who has expressed interest in working with him before too.

  • Apollo Crews Debuts New “Nigerian Royalty” Character

    Apollo Crews Debuts New “Nigerian Royalty” Character

    Apollo Crews has gone through a significant change over the past few weeks on SmackDown. He has gotten a bit more aggressive and finally turned heel a week ago. Crews’ full heel turn was definitely around the corner, as he showed us glimpses of his destructive side over the weeks.

    After embracing that side and going through it by attacking Big E and Shinsuke Nakamura last week, Crews debuted a new character with new attire and all. On Friday Night SmackDown, Crews came out and declared that he is proud of what he did and he talked about his ancestors that we had no knowledge of before this.

    Apollo Crews said that he’s a “real African American” and that his ancestors were “real Nigerian royalty.” Apparently, Crews’ grandfather was ruler of large swathes of land in Nigeria, going to bed with his five wives draped in gold, if we are to go by his words. “My grandfather — he ruled, and he commanded some of the richest lands in Nigeria. He spent his days draped in gold and his nights with his five wives. His word was law and he was feared,” Crews declared during a promo on SmackDown.

    Apollo Crews’ new attire consisted of a scarf and new white and green color on his gear. Crews explained that the colors signify wealth, dominance, and power. He said that he would make a point of anyone who challenged him, and Shinsuke Nakamura came out to take revenge for what happened during last week’s SmackDown.

    Apollo Crews didn’t let Shinsuke Nakamura get in the ring though, as he assaulted him again and used the steel steps outside of the ring before the match even began. However, as the match began, Crews was able to be dominant throughout the bout and interestingly used an Olympic slam — also known as the Angle slam popularised by Kurt Angle — as his finisher to pick up the victory over Nakamura.

  • Karrion Kross Wants NXT Champion Finn Balor At WrestleMania 37

    Karrion Kross Wants NXT Champion Finn Balor At WrestleMania 37

    Karrion Kross says he wants to fight WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor at WrestleMania 37 for the title. This was in response to Balor saying in an interview that Kross deserves a title shot.

    Finn Balor proposed the idea of defending the NXT Championship against Karrion Kross while appearing on After The Bell. He said that a dream scenario for him would be to defend the title one night on TakeOver and the next night at WrestleMania.

    “The Prince” empathized with Kross and said that he really feels for him, in regards to Kross having to relinquish his title. Balor said that Kross deserves a title shot, whether it’s at TakeOver or at WrestleMania. Karrion Kross was asked about Finn Balor’s comments and if he would be down to have this hypothetical match.

    “100 percent. Yes, I would,” Karrion Kross told FOX Sports. “I don’t know where that began — whether it was online or if it was Finn’s suggestion through another interview — but people have been creating these pictures where they post the both of us with the WrestleMania background for weeks now. I hope the company is listening to that because there seems to be an interest and a demand for that.”

    Karrion Kross added that he hoped fans get what they’re looking for as he would be more than happy to step up on “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”

    Karrion Kross In NXT

    Karrion Kross joined NXT last year where he quickly rose to the top of the scene and defeated Keith Lee for the NXT Championship during just four months of his stint at the company. Unfortunately, Kross suffered a separated shoulder, forcing him to relinquish the title, making his championship reign the shortest at just 4 days.

    Returning from injury in December, Karrion Kross would then go on to feud with Damian Priest and Santos Escobar. Meanwhile, the NXT Championship has been wrapped around Finn Balor’s waist who has defended the title against the likes of Kyle O’Reilly and Pete Dunne. When Kross was asked if Balor has been a worthy champion, he vehemently agreed.

    “Absolutely. Yes, he has. He’s gone through virtually every single major name in NXT. He’s had killer matches. And that’s what this company is all about. When someone is not able to carry the ball for one reason or another, we’ve got the best guys in the world ready to step up, and he did that. If the situation were reversed, I would have done it as well, and I’m looking forward to eventually stepping into the ring to compete with him,” Karrion Kross said of Finn Balor.

  • Hikaru Shida Beats Jon Moxley AEW Championship Record

    Hikaru Shida Beats Jon Moxley AEW Championship Record

    Hikaru Shida, the current AEW Women’s World Champion, has beaten an impressive record that was previously set by former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley. The record in question, is of holding a championship for the longest duration in the company. Moxley won the title back in February 2020 at the Revolution 2020 event by defeating Chris Jericho. He held the title for a notable 277 days, but this record has been beaten by Shida’s reign which has surpassed a total of 278+ days.

    Hikaru Shida won the AEW Women’s World Championship in a No Disqualification and No Countout match at the promotion’s Double or Nothing event by defeating Nyla Rode back in May 2020. She has successfully defended the title six times against the likes of Penelope Ford, Thunder Rosa, Big Swole, Nyla Rose, Anna Jay and most recently Abadon during the January 6, 2021 edition of Dynamite. She will be defending the title for the seventh time against the winner of the ongoing AEW Women’s Eliminator tournament at the upcoming Revolution PPV on March 7. Rose, Yuka Sakazaki, Ryo Mizunami have already emerged as the semifinalists and a fourth competitor among Rosa and Riho will be determined in a special airing on Sunday, February 28.

    Meanwhile, Jon Moxley as the AEW World Champion defended the title a total of nine times. Starting with Jake Hager back in April 2020, Moxley successfully defended against Brodie Lee, Brian Cage, Darby Allin, MJF, Eddie Kingston, The Butcher, Lance Archer and Kingston again at Full Gear in November. He lost the title to Kenny Omega on the December 2, 2020 episode of Dynamite. Moxley will try to capture the title again from Omega at Revolution in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch, no less.

    Related: Bully Ray Talks How Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega Need To Approach Revolution Match

  • The Miz Says He Doubted He’d Be WWE Champion Again

    The Miz Says He Doubted He’d Be WWE Champion Again

    The Miz became WWE Champion during Sunday’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract against Drew McIntyre and entered into his second reign as champion. He also became the only 2-time Grand Slam Champion in the company by capturing the title.

    His first reign a decade ago in 2010 wasn’t as significant though, as he appeared merely as a secondary character in the main story between John Cena and The Rock. After losing the title to Cena in 2011, Miz was moved from the main event scene to the midcard, where he slowly climbed up the ranks and was even lauded as a champion who bought importance and prestige to the Intercontinental Championship which was treated as a somewhat unimportant title with throwaway reigns.

    Entering into the main event scene again and becoming the top champion seemed like a long shot for The Miz again, with even him admitting that he himself wasn’t sure a successful Money in the Bank cash-in against a strong competitor like Drew McIntyre was possible. In fact, it wasn’t until the day of the Elimination Chamber event that he found out that he could be cashing in his briefcase.

    Speaking to the Bleacher Report, The Miz said: “To be completely honest with you, I thought, ‘I’m never going to cash in until these two get rid of the titles because they’re such strong champions. I can’t remember the last time we had such strong champions in WWE. To be able to go in there, beat Drew McIntyre, who has been on fire as of late, and win my second WWE Championship… I wasn’t sure it was ever going to happen.

    “Ten years ago, I was WWE champion, and I’ve had opportunities here and there but sometimes you just wait and you see and you push and you make sure you’re always evolving, always getting better, always doing the right things,” The Miz said regarding his rise.

    The Miz expressed confidence on his comeback to the top spot, stating earlier that he does not plan to be just a transitional champion. He is set to face Bobby Lashley on next week’s Monday Night Raw as part of the deal he stuck with The Hurt Business. Miz expressed confidence and said that his second reign will be better than the first because this time he’s ready.

    “It feels better because I feel that I’m ready and I’m worthy,” The Miz said. “When I first won the WWE Championship, I was still gaining my confidence in WWE. I was pretty new to the main event scene.

    “As a matter of fact, I think that was my first main event,” he continued. “I wasn’t in the main event picture. To be able to work with Randy Orton and John Cena, who literally took me from his lower-level midcard Superstar into a main eventer… This is how good they are, that when you’re in the ring with them, you have to elevate yourself and get to that level. If you don’t, they’ll swallow you up and spit you out, and so many Superstars have done that,” The Miz concluded.

  • Jon Moxley On WWE Legend He’d Like To See In AEW

    Jon Moxley On WWE Legend He’d Like To See In AEW

    Jon Moxley has one WWE legend that he wants in AEW.

    All Elite Wrestling has seen a few former WWE stars jumping ship to the rival promotion since its launch. Most recently, the company was able to bag in Big Show. He just signed a multi-year deal with AEW to work as a broadcaster and wrestler.

    Jon Moxley recently spoke with Inside The Ropes and was asked who else he’d like to see join AEW. Moxley said that he’d like to see Christian on AEW’s roster.

    Christian, a World Champion in multiple promotions, made a surprise appearance at last month’s WWE Royal Rumble. He has also signed a part-time contract with WWE, reportedly.

    Jon Moxley said, “I’ll tell you, a guy I’d like to see here is Christian. I don’t know if that was a one-off for him in the Royal Rumble but he looked frigging good to me. He looked like he was in great shape, he looked sharp, man.”

    Jon Moxley on Christian

    Moxley continued, “I tell you, he’s one of the guys that’s — the wrestlers know it more so than anybody — Christian is so good. Like, his brain and his execution, and his mind for wrestling is just like next-level.

    “First time we worked with him, you know, we’d come in and we’re doing these six-mans with The Shield, really pushing the pace and trying to make the most exciting matches. We’re pushing these guys to like, all these dream team guys. We’re pushing them to be like, ‘No, let’s do another thing and another thing, let’s add more to do another save and another thing, and let’s do a triple this,’ or whatever,” he later added. “And we’re really pushing the pace, you know, and like thinking, like, ‘All right. Yeah, nobody can keep up with us. This is awesome.’”

    Christian’s return to the WWE was kept quiet from everyone backstage. Only a select few knew about his involvement ahead of time. Edge was one of them, who even said that they drew to the Rumble in his car together. Christian reportedly signed to appear with WWE on a part-time basis.

    Christian had to hang up his boots in 2014 after a history of suffering concussions. In a similar case to Daniel Bryan, Christian was medically cleared years after he was told that he couldn’t wrestle again.

  • Kyle O’Reilly Out For At Least A Month, WWE Announces

    Kyle O’Reilly Out For At Least A Month, WWE Announces

    Kyle O’Reilly felt the brunt of the attack by his former teammate Adam Cole on last week’s NXT, where Cole kicked O’Reilly in the face and threw him onto the steel steps. After the show, fans got concerned as photos of O’Reilly being stretchered out of the arena came out online. However, WWE clarified the situation, and we now know that O’Reilly is okay and is not seriously hurt.

    On tonight’s episode of NXT, it was revealed during a report how long O’Reilly will be out of action. The company announced that he will not be medically cleared to return for 4 to 6 weeks, that at least a month from now or month-and-a-half due to the injuries suffered by Cole’s brainbuster on the steel steps.

    Thankfully, it was nothing serious as what fans were initially believing, and it’s relieving to know that he’s doing okay and will be back to action soon. This is to add to the storyline between Adam Cole betraying The Undisputed Era. It would be interesting to see how Kyle O’Reilly would exact revenge on Cole for his actions, as the given timeframe is around WrestleMania so we could probably see him back to start a new program with Cole after Cole possibly wins the title at the event.

    WWE NXT Results (2/24): Kross vs. Escobar, Adam Cole Speaks, Io Shirai In Action

    Adam Cole apologized for his actions during the final moments of NXT, and addressed his questionable actions from TakeOver and last week. He admitted that what he did to Kyle O’Reilly was wrong and vowed to fix things any he can. Roderick Strong came out and asked him why he feels sorry now, and not during the ten days since he turned on them. Finn Balor also got involved, who attacked Cole. He was superkicked away by Cole with him and Strong remaining in the ring. Cole apologised and said he loved Strong like a brother, and hugged him. Only to hit him with a low blow and betraying Undisputed Era and making his stance clear for good. It seems like the faction is gone now, with Bobby Fish out with an injury and O’Reilly gone for a good month.

  • Undisputed Era No More After Adam Cole Turns On Roderick Strong

    Undisputed Era No More After Adam Cole Turns On Roderick Strong

    Adam Cole knew that it was time to finally explain his contentious actions at NXT TakeOver and the following week. At TakeOver, Cole attacked both Finn Balor and fellow Undisputed Era member, Kyle O’Reilly, and last week he went one step further and threw O’Reilly onto the steel steps so hard that fans got concerned for his health. Read more on O’Reilly’s health status here.

    In the closing moments of this week’s episode of NXT, Adam Cole finally decided to explain himself. He said that he wanted to disclose what his intentions were, and he feels sick to his stomach with it. Cole said that he was upset with Kyle O’Reilly getting title shots, but it doesn’t excuse his actions. The NXT title means a lot to him, but he knows what he did was wrong.

    WWE NXT Results (2/24): Kross vs. Escobar, Adam Cole Speaks, Io Shirai In Action

    Adam Cole said he was wrong for taking O’Reilly out he should be in the ring with him, but that isn’t possible because of what he did. He apologised for the “stupid mistake”. Cole said that he’s sorry to Kyle and he would do anything in his power to fix this, or at least try if he can’t.

    Hearing this, Roderick Strong came out and asked Adam Cole if he really feels bad about his actions. Strong said that everything’s changed because of his actions. “This Undisputed ERA. This was built on trust. Love, a brotherhood. We would do whatever it took to have each other’s back no matter what it was, and just like that you shattered that trust,” Strong said.

    Finn Balor came out and pushed aside Roderick Strong, to beat down Adam Cole. Strong tried to make the save but he got attacked as well. Cole eventually superkicked Balor, knocking him out. Strong punched Cole but it seemed like he felt hurt inside from this. Cole started apologising and said that it was his fault, and called Strong his brother that he loved.

    Adam Cole and Roderick Strong then hugged, with what looked like them making up at last. Unfortunately, Cole hit him with a low blow, ripping off his Undisputed Era necklace and hit Strong with a superkick to seal the deal.

    This segment pretty much signified the apparent end of The Undisputed Era, with Bobby Fish out with an injury, and Kyle O’Reilly out of action too, it would be interesting to see how things go from here.

  • Asuka Loses Tooth During WWE Raw Match

    Asuka Loses Tooth During WWE Raw Match

    Asuka, who competed in a losing match during this week’s Monday Night Raw, also ended up losing a tooth with a swift kick to the face. The reigning Raw Women’s Champion was teaming up with Charlotte Flair to take on the team of Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax in a non-title match.

    During the match, Shayna Baszler landed a hard shot to Asuka’s face while The Empress was performing an armbar on Nia Jax. Asuka had no way to block her face from Baszler’s kick. You can check out the brutal shot in the GIF from the match below:

    After the match, Asuka pushed Charlotte Flair away, and Flair seemed to have walked out on her. Asuka still had her mouth covered with her hand, selling the injury:

    It was later confirmed by Charly Caruso on Raw Talk that Asuka had indeed suffered a broken tooth during the match. According to PW Insider, Asuka was checked by WWE medical when she returned backstage, however it’s not certain if she’s diagnosed with an injury and if it will affect her appearance next week.

    The Empress of Tomorrow was set to defend her Raw Women’s Championship initially against Lacey Evans at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event, that match was however nixed due to Evans’ real life pregnancy. The match was not officially called off from the card, however — as Asuka was even advertised to appear in a match for the event — finally being pulled from the event without any notice.

  • John Cena Wasn’t Too Keen On Losing To The Rock At WrestleMania 28

    John Cena Wasn’t Too Keen On Losing To The Rock At WrestleMania 28

    John Cena and The Rock first faced each other in the ring back at WrestleMania 28 which ended with Rock winning over Cena. The 16-time world champion had made comments at the time about part-timers in the industry who would leave WWE for endeavors in Hollywood, which provided as seeds to the feud.

    Even though John Cena would lose this match, he would go on to beat Rock a year later at WrestleMania 29. Some interesting behind-the-scene details have emerged thanks to former WWE referee Mike Chioda who has claimed that Cena was exactly happy with putting over The People’s Champ.

    “Had this match, you know, Rock wanted me to do it and everything, and I think John Cena had a little bit of a problem doing the job. Here is Cena, carrying the torch for the last ten years I think at that time, and he was busting him a** day in, day out. And here comes The Rock, back after so many years of being in Hollywood, and he’s got to job out to The Rock?” Chioda said on his appearance at the Monday Mailbag.

    “Well, of course, the show is in Miami. The Rock is a big Hollywood superstar now, and I think there was a little heat there. I think there was a little dissension. But, you’ve got to go where the money goes. I mean, they put Rock over, and I was happy about that.”

    Chioda added that both Rock and John Cena were big moneymakers and already, so it wasn’t like one of them would settle with the outcome just for the money. Chioda suggests that the issue involved ego and pride of both the wrestlers. “Like, ‘I’ve been carrying this business for the last ten years, I should go around him first, then he’ll go around me.’ ‘No, no, Rock’s going to go around you first.’ I’m sure John was pissed at Vince,” Chioda explained.

    Interestingly, John Cena would later go back on his words and thank The Rock for “changing the game” for wrestlers in Hollywood. John Cena now believes that since The Rock, Hollywood has been pretty accepting of wrestlers now.

    “It definitely has changed, and I think that rests on the already broad shoulders of Dwayne Johnson,” Cena said regarding Hollywood’s attitude to wrestlers in an interview last year. “He just made it acceptable to be something other than your wrestling persona. If you look at the correlation of wrestlers or WWE personalities in movies, they essentially played extensions of their WWE personality. I think Dwayne was one of the first ones to break that mold, and do it on such a grand scale that he couldn’t be ignored.”

    H/T to Cultaholic for the transcription

  • Jimmy Uso Training To Prepare For In-Ring Return

    Jimmy Uso Training To Prepare For In-Ring Return

    Jimmy Uso hasn’t been seen competing in the ring since his last match back at WrestleMania 36 where he participated in the Triple Threat Ladder match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. During that match, he suffered a serious knee injury which put him on the shelf for months. The injured star revealed in later interviews that he suffered the injury early in the bout and tore his ACL while jumping off a ladder during the opening minutes of the match.

    Unable to compete, The Usos as a tag team are on hiatus with brother Jey Uso having to perform as a singles competitor.

    This would lead to Jey Uso to enter into the title scene and earn the first singles championship opportunity of his career, challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at Clash of Champions. Jey was given another shot at the title at Hell in a Cell in an I Quit match, where Reigns attacked Jimmy Uso to make his brother surrender.

    However, it looks like The Usos could be back together in the ring soon as Jey Uso took to Instagram on Monday night to share videos of Jimmy Uso training at the WWE Performance Center. While Jimmy was wearing a knee brace, he appeared pretty agile. You can check out the video below:

    https://twitter.com/kamisha8906/status/1363957087039086599

    Jimmy Uso was expected to make a return in late 2020 after undergoing reconstructive surgery, however it was revealed in a later update that he is slotted to make a return in January/February of this year.

    With Jimmy Uso being gone from performing in the ring, his brother Jey Uso had to transition as a singles wrestler. Jey said he was happy with the shift but would be ready to go back to the tag-team scene when his brother is back.

    “It’s a dope transition, I think it’s a good transition to make at this point cause I’ll always revert back to the tag-team game, that’s my ish right there. I do like this singles competition, it’s really making me find out something about myself, uce, that I didn’t know that I could do.”

  • The Miz: “Do Not Plan On Being Transitional Champion”

    The Miz: “Do Not Plan On Being Transitional Champion”

    The Miz has said that he does not intend to be just a transitional champion.

    The WWE Champion said that the idea of people thinking he can’t be a stable long-lasting champion only motivates him more.

    “I do not plan on being a transitional champion,” Miz told Sports Illustrated. “That idea only fuels my fire, and hearing it is nothing new. That idea only fuels my fire, and hearing it is nothing new. It makes me think back to when I cashed in the Money in the Bank contract and won the belt in 2010. People thought I would lose, but I didn’t. Instead, I won the WWE Championship.

    When I won, I heard I was only going to be a transitional champion, but I went on to main-event WrestleMania and I won, as a bad guy, in the main event, which never happens. Ten years later, I heard the same thing: I’d never win the title. So this is another opportunity for me to prove people wrong, which is what I plan on doing.”

    The Miz also talked about how grateful he is when Vince McMahon trusted him to become WWE Champion when no one else would. He trusted him enough to let him go up against John Cena at WrestleMania 27 and Miz says this helped him learn a lot from the top stars.

    “Vince trusted me when no one else did,” Miz said. “He trusted me to go up against John Cena at WrestleMania 27 and to be in that story with the Rock, who had just come back to WWE. I got lost in that story. They were made men by then, and I still needed to make myself. Working live shows with Cena and Randy Orton, that taught me what it takes to be a main-eventer. And I’ve never stopped listening or learning,” The Miz said.

    The Miz also recalled facing AJ Styles when The Phenomenal One came to the WWE. For Miz, AJ’s wrestling style was very different than he was used to, and that’s when he knew he needed he had to elevate his work.

    Miz also thanked his wife Maryse for giving him confidence that brought him to a new level. The Awesome One declared that he is ready to be the face of WWE with his title and carry it with the prestige and honor it deserves.

    Also read: The Miz Makes History By Becoming First 2-Time Grand Slam Champion

  • Samoa Joe “Not Putting A Timetable” On In-Ring Return

    Samoa Joe “Not Putting A Timetable” On In-Ring Return

    Samoa Joe has been absent from in-ring action due to being injured. Since then, he transitioned as a color commentator on Raw, and debuted on the commentary table in November 2019.

    With fans wondering when we can see Samoa Joe back in the ring, the Destroyer recently commented on his condition in a recent interview.

    While not committing to a timeframe, Samoa Joe assured fans that he will be back in the ring soon, as soon as he recovers and is cleared to compete again. Speaking to Sportskeeda about his in-ring return, Joe said, “As far as the timetable, no. But I just want to reassure people that you know this point, WWE medical is doing the best for my health and my well-being, and I’m appreciative of it, so we’re taking our time.”

    Joe continued, “We’re making sure that I’m as healthy as I can be. And we are… Yeah, I think that’s essentially it, you know, I’m not putting a timetable on it because the type of injury is not something that I want to rush, obviously, for obvious reasons. So, yeah, I mean, that’s essentially the update.”

    Samoa Joe also gave some more details, saying that there have been some holdups from a technical standpoint when it comes to his return due to the current pandemic situation as medical personnel are not readily available. He added that a careful approach is being taken and he appreciates the recovery time.

    News of Samoa Joe being injured first came out in October 2019 when he injured his thumb and was sidelined for months due to it. Joe couldn’t catch a break from injuries though, as he returned in early 2020 and suffered a concussion. Then, he got injured again in February during a commercial shoot. This put him on the shelf for an extended period of time than expected. Hopefully Joe is able to make a successful recovery soon but in the meantime, we can enjoy him on the commentary booth.

  • Rhea Ripley Officially Joining WWE Raw Brand

    Rhea Ripley Officially Joining WWE Raw Brand

    Rhea Ripley is officially headed for WWE’s main roster. A vignette aired on Monday’s WWE Raw announcing she is headed to the red brand soon.

    Fans last saw Rhea Ripley in January at NXT New Year’s Evil. She lost to Raquel Gonzalez on the show in a Last Woman Standing Match.

    WWE has not announced exactly when Rhea Ripley will join Raw, but you can see the promo video below:

    Rhea Ripley In WWE

    Rhea Ripley is a former NXT Women’s Champion and NXT UK Women’s Champion. She competed in the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble. She eliminated the most competitors (7) and lasted an impressive 39 minutes in the match.

    Ripley appeared on WWE Raw last year when she was NXT Women’s Champion. She feuded with Charlotte Flair and is the first woman to defend the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. She wrestled on Raw last February and defeated Sarah Logan in singles action.

    Rhea Ripley participated in 2017 in the Mae Young Classic and was later signed to a contract for NXT. She appeared on the second Mae Young Classic, as well. She was later moved to NXT UK where she became the inaugural NXT UK Women’s Champion.

    She then moved to NXT where she won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Shayna Baszler in December 2019. Ripley has been a woman of many firsts in WWE. It will be interesting to see how she makes her name known WWE’s main roster.

    Mick Foley on Rhea Ripley

    WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley commented on the news, pleading the WWE to “not mess around” in regards to pushing Ripley.

    “It’s vital that @WWE not mess around when it comes to pushing @RheaRipley_WWE. PLEASE don’t allow her to suffer a 50/50 fate. Strap that rocket to her back, and see how far she can fly.”

    https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1364067284831059972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1364067284831059972%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ewrestlingnews.com%2Fnews%2Fmick-foley-comments-on-rhea-ripleys-wwe-main-roster-debut