RAW Superstar Dolph Ziggler has revealed that he hasn’t watched Edge and Randy Orton’s recent Backlash bout. Advertised as “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever,” Ziggler explained that, although he was backstage for the recording of their matchup, he didn’t actually watch it because he doesn’t “watch wrestling.”

Speaking with Justin Bassasso of Sports Illustrated, Ziggler shared how it was “friggin’ amazing” to be backstage. Despite not watching them perform, Ziggler had high praise for Orton:

“I don’t have any ass to kiss here, I have no horse in the game, but these two are two of my favorites. One, because I know a lot of people hate Randy because he’s so damn good. It’s amazing.”

Dolph Ziggler continued, “I’ll be watching RAW, and say, ‘Dammit, he does this better than anyone.’ It makes me so mad. There are only a handful of true naturals, and he is one, and I hate that.”

Ziggler pointed out how if Orton makes a mistake, he isn’t afraid to call him out on it. He noted how most people are too intimidated to give Orton feedback, but “he won’t hear the end of it from me.” He then stressed how no one is as good as Orton, and that it’s something that really bothers him.

Dolph Ziggler is scheduled to compete against Drew McIntyre at WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. The two will face off in a WWE Championship matchup. 

WWE has suspended NXT UK Superstar and Gallus member Joe Coffey. The decision was made following allegations made about Coffey during the #SpeakingOut movement on Twitter.

Furthermore, WWE also released two NXT UK referees. Both Joel Allen and Chris Roberts have been officially let go by the promotion. “Gentleman” Jack Gallagher, Ligero, and Travis Banks were previously released following #SpeakingOut allegations.

NXT UK Conference Call

A conference call was recently held with NXT UK. Triple H reportedly emphasized WWE’s protocols regarding sexual abuse allegations and stressed that there would be zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior or conduct.

It was also noted that NXT UK tapings would resume once it is safe to do so. At the time of writing, there is no indication as to when WWE intends to kickstart the NXT UK brand post-coronavirus. WWE NXT UK has not filmed content since March.

Amidst the #SpeakingOut movement, rumors began to circulate that WWE may consider shutting down the United Kingdom-based brand. Given its purported plans, that does not appear to be the case. As it stands, the company is reportedly looking to restart recording within the next two months with shows potentially taking place in an empty arena.

NXT UK Landscape

The current United Kingdom Champion is Imperium’s WALTER. Mark Coffey and Wolfgang hold the NXT UK Tag Team Championships. Kay Lee Ray is the current NXT UK Women’s Champion.

Despite #SpeakingOut allegations against him, NXT UK’s Jordan Devlin is still the NXT Cruiserweight Championship, having never been formally stripped of the belt.

Seth Rollins has shared his thoughts on multiple WWE Superstars testing positive for COVID-19. Speaking with NYPost.com, Rollins revealed the confirmed cases led to a lot of quick decisions being made. One of these decisions was added testing and being swabbed “every single time before these tapings.”

Rollins noted how these additional steps “puts you in a little bit of a hole” as Superstars had to accommodate for further travel and testing. He added how “[…] now you are going to have to leave a day early, and when you don’t know you have to leave a day early until it all comes up it becomes a bit of a hassle.” These scheduling changes were “[…] going to force us to go back down again this week to do some more tapings.”

Rollins spoke about how the United States and the world needed to start learning more about coronavirus. Right now, “we are just trying to get a protocol in place that makes sense for everybody in WWE.”

Seth Rollins On WWE’s Reaction To Positive COVID-19 Cases

The “Monday Night Messiah” stressed that he is “extremely happy” that WWE is testing everyone before going into the WWE Performance Center.

He hoped that this process will minimize the risk of people getting sick within the WWE PC. This approach would also affect on Superstars unknowingly passing it around to people outside.

Seth Rollins stated that the extra travel days weren’t a “big deal” before noting how the past week has been “crazy” following the positive results:

“It was a lot of people scrambling to make decisions and to try to figure out what the best order of operations is regarding this situation since we had not had this problem yet.”

He broke down how WWE has some “good stuff” coming up insofar as how WWE will approach testing and its future coronavirus testing procedures.

According to Rollins, WWE’s communication has been a lot better toward the tail end compared to the beginning of the pandemic.

New Day member Big E has addressed how multiple Superstars have recently tested positive for COVID-19. Speaking with The Sports Bubble with Jensen Karp, Big E stated how the results “definitely changed our shooting schedule.” 

He revealed how “when we heard about the positive test with an NXT talent if we were supposed to tape on that day but then I think the day it came out but the next day we actually did tape that day then the next day we found on that evening the next day we had to stop the taping.”

Big E revealed that everyone had to then get tested for COVID-19. WWE administered the nasal swab which he confessed wasn’t as bad as some of the “horror stories” he had heard. 

He shared how, if a Superstar received a negative result, they were allowed to tape again the next day. Big E stated how it’s “caused a shift” in the way WWE does things and record their shows. He revealed how there will probably be more testing going forward, adding how it’s “what we should be doing.”

Big E On Working During Coronavirus Pandemic

With these positive COVID-19 tests, several WWE Superstars have decided to not work the TV tapings. Big E commented on their decision and how he feels continuing to work when others have refused to due to coronavirus concerns.

He shared how it depends on a person’s “individual case” and the people they may be around. Big E understands why Superstars with families would make this choice as one confirmed case could “devastate” a family unit.

“The fact that it could really negatively affect your family’s future is something, it’s just I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” Big E said. “For me, like I said I go home to no one so I kind of think there’s a certain risk with wrestling that I’ve accepted anyways for myself and there’s really no fear that I’m going to get anyone else sick not a family member and like that. So I have really minimal contact with anyone else outside of wrestling at all.

Big E stated he has become more comfortable with going back to work, especially as WWE further ramps up its testing procedures. 

All Elite Wrestling’s Chris Jericho divulged AEW’s original plans for the Dark Order’s Exalted One. Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, Talk is Jericho, alongside his guest Luther, Jericho mentioned Luther’s initial audition.

Jericho noted how AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes was a fan of Luther’s audition. Acknowledging how the Dark Order was “kind of Nick and Matt’s thing,” Jericho confessed he sent the audition to Cody and AEW President Tony Khan for consideration.

“Cody is like, I like his delivery, he’s got that cadence of Jake Roberts,” Jericho said. “And then they said, let’s bring him in for basically a screen test, that’s kind of what it was.”

Chris Jericho shared how Matt and Nick Jackson were lobbying for Ring of Honor’s Marty Scurll to be the Exalted One “right off the bat.”

When it became unlikely that Scurll would be joining AEW, they then wanted Matt Hardy for the role. This then “morphed of course to Luke Harper.”

Jericho shared how Luther was “out of the equation” at this point as The Young Bucks ultimately had other guys in mind for the character. Luther would instead debut as a part of the ill-fated Nightmare Collective.

Chris Jericho is scheduled to compete against Best Friends’ Orange Cassidy during AEW’s upcoming two-week event Fyter Fest. The two clash on July 8.

Dolph Ziggler is now a RAW Superstar having recently been moved to WWE’s red brand. In an interview with SI.com, Ziggler reflected on being traded to Monday nights and his recent COVID-19 test results.

Ziggler revealed that he didn’t pitch to be moved to RAW. He noted how his feud with Otis had “run its course” and left him ready for something new. He shared how he really enjoyed working with Otis, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville for their storyline.

“If this were the old days and we were going five days a week and doing live events, we would have had even more chemistry and a really special thing,” Ziggler explained. “In this day and age, where it’s just a TV show in a closed studio, as young superstars, they came along very quickly. But I don’t know where else we could go with that, so I completely understand the move to Raw.”

Dolph Ziggler On His COVID-19 Testing Experience

Regarding his recent COVID-19 tests, Ziggler mentioned how “you will absolutely see me on Raw.”

He stressed how WWE has been “really cautious” with everything, before detailing the company’s process.

“[WWE has been] washing down the ring and keeping everyone isolated. When we go to work, we’re tested. If we get a negative test, then we go to work. Even several months ago, when we weren’t exactly sure what we were being told to do by the CDC on a day-to-day basis.”

Ziggler shared how he wanted to “play it safe” and so has been wearing a mask whenever he can, whether that’s in the gym, walking into a CVS, or even for a short walk outside.

Multiple WWE Superstars recently tested positive for COVID-19, forcing last-minute changes to their recording schedule.

Dolph Ziggler is scheduled to compete against Drew McIntyre at WWE Extreme Rules. They clash in a WWE Championship match. WWE Extreme Rules takes place on July 19 from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

WWE Superstar Seth Rollins has opened up about Becky Lynch’s pregnancy experience during a recent interview with NYPost.com. He also touched on whether Lynch will eventually return to in-ring action following the birth of their first child.

Rollins mentioned how Lynch “hates” staying at home. He noted, however, how she’s happy to not be around the business whilst pregnant. He shared how his partner does miss having goals and “having something to work toward.”

“It’s hard because I’ve never been a pregnant person, so she’s in a position too where she’s had to just walk away and stop abruptly, her job,” Seth Rollins explained. “It wasn’t like most other women who are pregnant are able to still work their jobs while they’re pregnant and slowly transition out for a short period of time. The nature of our industry, she can’t do that.”

Seth Rollins explained how it’s been an adjustment for her to go from a “million miles an hour” to nothing. He stated how it’s been more difficult as it’s happened during the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, as there isn’t a lot to do in general.

He confirmed that Lynch misses competing and being active for herself and her career, “That’s just how she defined her person over the years. It’s definitely a challenge for her. She’s awesome and she’s getting through it, but it’s different for her for sure.”

When asked if Lynch will eventually return to in-ring action, Seth Rollins was quick to share he believes she will. He stressed how the decision is ultimately hers and that she may feel differently once their baby has been born. Rollins believes she has aspirations to return, and would rather go out “on her own terms […] as opposed to stepping away for a child.”

Former WWE Superstar Stu Bennett has spoken about the possibility of seeing him in All Elite Wrestling. When asked about the chances of Bennett signing with AEW, he explained how returning to a full-time wrestling schedule isn’t “high on my agenda at the moment.”

Bennett acknowledged his friendship with AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes, reflecting on their near decade long friendship. He noted how Cody has done an “amazing job” with AEW. Bennett admitted he was excited about the “explosion of opportunities” that currently exists within pro wrestling.

“I work for NWA currently as a commentator, and there’s Ring of Honor which a friend of mine Marty Scurll is running the moment, obviously IMPACT has done some great stuff recently and grown from the ashes of where they were years ago, and then there’s all the Japanese stuff, and there’s some good stuff going on in the UK too.”

Stu Bennett On A WWE Return

Stu Bennett recently revealed how he had been approached about a NEXUS return at WrestleMania 36. It was an offer he ultimately turned down. He noted how, as long as the pitch and offer are good, he would be open for an in-ring return. Bennett stressed how it wouldn’t necessarily have to be with WWE.

He spoke about how when he left WWE, he felt was “done working there.” Bennett confessed his anger with a few people in management during his tenure with the company.

That being said, he talked about how time is a great healer. Stu Bennett shared how he no longer has that same animosity within him. He then stressed how he doesn’t have an “automatic affiliation” with WWE.

Stu Bennett explained how he would approach any offer as a normal business decision. This would be true whether the offer came from WWE, AEW, Ring of Honor or New Japan Pro Wrestling.

WWE Superstar Cesaro was a special guest on a recent episode of WWE show, The Bump. During his time on the show, Cesaro had high praise for John Cena, labeling him as “one of the top-five Superstars of all time.”

As far as Cesaro is concerned, Cena stands as one of the best Superstars to ever compete. Describing Cena’s work ethic as “second to none,” He then highlighted Cena’s wrestling skills, stating how “His in-ring ability, I think, is absolutely amazing. I think it’s still underrated.”

He revealed how Cena had helped him to learn “so much” when he first came to WWE. According to Cesaro, John Cena is “one of those guys where he was there full time for every event.”

This commitment to his job and the pro wrestling business is something the SmackDown Superstar clearly admires, as “The Swiss Superman” described Cena as an inspiration. 

Reflecting on their shared mentality, Cesaro shared advice Cena had previously shared with him. According to Cena, a Superstar is only as good as their last match. Cesaro confessed he has a similar mindset and embraces that mentality with every single match he has. This approach has led him to try and make every match “special” in some way. 

Former WWE Superstar Maria Kanellis has revealed the conclusion to the dropped storyline that featured herself and her husband, Mike Kanellis. Last September, WWE began a pregnancy storyline that revolved around Maria teasing who the father of her baby was. Several WWE Superstars were teased as being the father including Rusev, Ricochet, and Mike Kanellis.

Turns out that the story was meant to springboard Mike Kanellis into a babyface turn. It would have been an arc of hope and motivation giving strength to overcome addiction and adversity. Maria Kanellis revealed the unused ending via Twitter after a fan asked her about the dropped storyline.

When asked who would eventually be revealed as the father, Maria replied:

“My husband. He was supposed to turn face. And do a story about recovery from addiction and motivation. But… that’s just too good. Too real. Too honest. And of course I was supposed to remain the bad guy. [Winking kiss emoji] until I came back from maternity leave. Baby face momma!!”

While engaging with her fans, Maria Kanellis also suggested that it’s just a matter of time before she and Mike return to WWE.

When another fan shared how much they want to see Maria and Mike Kanellis back in WWE, Maria wrote, “Don’t worry. We will be back. They thought I was quitting after having babies. Hahahaha… that’s just the beginning. Everything I fought for before is nothing compared to those pretty baby eyes. Those browns and blues.”

Both Superstars were released back in April as part of WWE’s attempt to save money due to the coronavirus impacting business.

Roman Reigns has opened up about his time away from the ring. “The Big Dog” refused to compete against then-WWE Universal Champion Goldberg at WrestleMania 36 back in April. This was due to coronavirus concerns and to prepare for the birth of his twins.

Reigns admitted that the past few months have been tough as he adjusted to looking after his newborn twins. He noted how he’s been waking up at 6:30 am, “bright-eyed and ready to go.”

He also spoke about how his kids have been a blessing to him and his family tree.

Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania Choice

Regarding his decision to not compete at WrestleMania 36, Reigns stressed how it was a “choice for my family.”

He noted how WWE has done “everything” to make the workplace as safe as possible:

“The decision was taken mainly because each performer travels so much, and we are all such a diverse group and from all over the place. I’m not convinced, and I can’t trust the fact that everybody is taking it as seriously and locking themselves down at home like I am.”

Roman Reigns continued, “I trust my life with my co-workers every time I step foot in the ring, but I just can’t put the same trust when it has my children, my wife and my family involved. But I don’t want it to come off as I am taking a stand against the company at all, because I love the WWE. I’ve been a part of this company just since I was a little boy. That’s why I always take it so personally when I represent them.”

Reigns is looking forward to eventually returning to in-ring action. He revealed he has continued to train diligently during the pandemic. Although he may be returning to perform in front of no fans, it’s not something that phases him too much.

He knows that wrestling to an empty arena is “tough.” Reigns commended the Superstars who have been doing it since the pandemic forced WWE to perform to no crowd.

He noted how everything he learned revolves around garnering a crowd reaction and to lean into interacting with them. To him, not being able to feed off of them will be “the hardest part.”

Despite declining a championship opportunity, Reigns is hoping to return to one. He spoke about his interest in challenging for the WWE Universal Championship, currently held by his WrestleMania replacement, Braun Strowman. Whether he is able to come back to a title match or not, Reigns is adamant to prove himself as he attempts to re-establish himself as WWE’s biggest star.

WWE Superstar Edge recently joined Busted Open Radio as a guest. During the interview, “The Rated R Superstar” opened up about how much creative freedom he has been afforded since returning to the squared circle. 

Edge shared how he has been given “almost full carte blanche” creatively. He noted how there have been a few instances he tried to push back against, but realized that “the lines were drawn” on those creative choices. He noted that when it comes to his promos, he is in full control. “I’m writing them. The storyline arc, I put it together.” 

Acknowledging his unfortunate triceps injury, Edge stated how you have to sometimes “make chicken salad” out of a bad situation. He stated how everything is a work in progress at this time, but stressed how his return has been “so much fun” because of the freedom he has been trusted with. 

Edge suffered a triceps injury during the recording of “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.” The bout saw him go up against his rival Randy Orton. Though pre-recorded, the match would air during WWE’s Backlash event. Rumors began to circulate shortly before the airing that Edge had suffered the injury. WWE would later confirm the injury, revealing that Edge has already had surgery.

Orton would eventually come out the winner from their Backlash match. With Edge having previously won their Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36, both men have a win apiece. 

All Elite Wrestling’s Executive Vice President and in-ring talent Cody Rhodes has commented on the recent Sammy Guevara controversy that came to light. Guevara has been suspended from AEW without pay and will undergo sensitivity training after he came under fire for comments he made about Sasha Banks on a podcast back in 2016.

Responding to a fan on Twitter, Cody Rhodes addressed the situation after being asked to reinstate Guevara. The AEW TNT Champion stated:

“Sammy will return. And he will be a better professional wrestler, and a better man when he does.”

Sammy Guevara Apologizes

Since the clip of Guevara’s comments surfaced, the Inner Circle member released an apology video addressing his statements. He acknowledged that he has grown as a person over the past four years and would be taking a break from social media:

“I just want to apologize to anybody I let down, to Sasha, to anybody I hurt with my words.”

Guevara continued, “It just sucks cause 2016 me is not me today. 2020 me would never say those kind of hurtful things that I did in 2016. I used to think it was funny to do some kind of shock humor to pop the room I’m in. I thought it would be funny to do that kind of humour, shock humour and it’s not.”

He stated how some people may be dubious over his statement. For them, four years may not be that much time for genuine change. He argued that so much has happened in his life as wrestling allowed him to travel the world and grow as a person. Guevara stressed he now understands the words he says can have an impact on people. He promised to never joke or take sexual assault lightly again.

Sasha Banks would speak with Sammy Guevara about his words. She explained how the two had an open discussion. Banks stressed how “the comments he made, jokingly or not, have absolutely no place in our society!”

All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan was the latest guest on a special edition of the AEW Unrestricted podcast. Khan opened up about the promotion working with a limited roster thanks to COVID-19. He also reflected on the coronavirus pandemic and the creative decisions AEW had to employ.

Khan explained how several of their female talents live outside of the United States. With travel bans and limitations in place, it meant losing some talent they may have had plans for. However, Tony Khan admitted AEW was “fortunate that a lot of the top women ranked in the division at the time were here.” 

Tony Khan added how they had 20 percent of the AEW roster available to them in Atlanta, Georgia as the coronavirus pandemic restricted movement and travel. Although this would have forced changes to planned storylines, Khan is happy with how AEW was able to pivot and change accordingly. This number also meant they had enough wrestlers available to put on the TNT Championship tournament:

“We were able to do this great tournament and tell some great stories,” said Tony Khan. “We were able to do some really good shows and I was proud of some numbers we did on the back end of those shows, especially as we went later in the month on the taped shows. The numbers were going up which proved the stories were compelling.”

AEW is preparing for its next Fyter Fest event. It will be a two-week event and is scheduled to take place on 7/1 and 7/8 on TNT.

This Friday night’s episode of SmackDown Live will now be a special Tribute to The Undertaker episode. This news comes in the wake of multiple confirmed COVID-19 cases within the WWE Performance Center. These cases prompted WWE to re-write this week’s SmackDown, turning it into an impromptu tribute show.

The decision to dedicate the show to The Undertaker follows the success of the WWE Network documentary series, Undertaker: The Last Ride.

This tribute show was not the original plan for this week’s episode of WWE’s blue brand. Instead, it was a late decision based on the positive tests impacting on Superstar availability. The tribute show will see WWE air the popular Boneyard Match from this year’s WrestleMania 36 event.

The pre-recorded match saw The Undertaker take on “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles. It is the first time the match will be aired on regular television.

WWE’s initial plans were to tape tonight’s show last week. However, its COVID-19 tests reportedly arrived late, and so the company was forced to change its plans. An unnamed NXT developmental talent also tested positive for COVID-19 last week prior to the new confirmed cases.

Undertaker: The Last Ride is currently available to stream in its entirety on the WWE Network.

AEW TNT Champion Cody Rhodes has reacted to WWE’s recent announcement that NXT is reviving the Great American Bash to counter-program AEW Fyter Fest.

When a fan stated via Twitter that WWE should be giving Cody Rhodes’ mother a check for using the event name, Cody responded with a crying laughter emoji.  The champ wrote, “it’s all good friend.”

Cody shared that he appreciated where the fan was coming from and noted that The Great American Bash means a lot to himself and his sister. That being said, he explained how he doesn’t own the IP and isn’t “holding much of a grudge on it.” 

Instead, Cody Rhodes’ focus remains on AEW and their roster. He shared how he wants to continue “Making it fun, making it violent, making it memorable.”

Like AEW’s upcoming Fyter Fest, NXT’s Great American Bash is scheduled to be a two-week event. It takes place on 7/1 and 7/8. Both shows will be going head-to-head when they air on Wednesday night. 

Cody Rhodes is scheduled to compete against Inner Circle member Jake Hager during Night One of Fyter Fest. Accompanied by Arn Anderson, Cody will attempt to defend his recently won AEW TNT Championship. 

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) President Tony Khan joined Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards on this week’s episode of the AEW Unrestricted podcast. The episode acted as a preview for AEW’s upcoming two-week special, Fyter Fest, which kicks off on July 1. 

During their conversation, Khan stressed how Fyter Fest will see every single AEW championship defended. He noted how several AEW storylines will be “coming to a head” across those two weeks. Khan also explained how every match will provide a “huge moment” that will see further development to their current stories. Looking to the format of Fyter Fest’s presentation, Tony Khan admitted that “It is the kind of environment we typically have on PPV quarterly.”

As he hyped the event, Tony Khan confirmed that fans can expect the return of Chris Jericho to the commentary table. Speaking on the Private Party versus Santana and Ortiz tag match, Khan shared that “Le Champion” will be providing vocal duties for that episode of Fyter Fest. He juxtaposed Jericho’s ringside presence with Matt Hardy, who will be joining Private Party. 

“[…] both teams are being advised by all time legends. Not just all time legends in the wrestling business, but two of the great tag team wrestlers of all time,” Tony Khan stated. “All the great tag teams Chris Jericho has been and Matt Hardy is a Mount Rushmore tag team wrestler. I think it’s going to be an awesome match. Those are two top teams. There has been a rivalry going on for a while between Private Party and Santana/Ortiz that goes way back.”

Although Jericho may be providing commentary on July 1, he is scheduled to compete on July 8. He will be facing off against Best Friends’ Orange Cassidy.

Bret Hart discussed his legendary rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin during his appearance on this week’s episode of WWE Backstage. Looking back to their initial matches together, Hart shared how he felt Austin was “nervous” during that time. He added how Austin would eventually “find his voice” following their Survivor Series match back in 1996.

Hart recalled how the two had wrestled a few times prior, but never in a big matchup. He considers their Survivor Series clash to be their “first real consequential match.” He had been looking forward to working with Austin before sharing how, “[…] in all fairness to Steve, he would get a little nervous. He was pretty intense. Anxious — I think — about working with me.”

According to Bret Hart, this anxiety showed itself in how Austin was “going to come at me with everything he had.” He shared how their Survivor Series bout remains one of his favorite matches against Austin. Bret Hart believes it is very close to, if not on par with, their matchup at WrestleMania 13.

The WWE on FOX Twitter account would share a clip of Bret Hart’s comments. It wasn’t long until “The Rattlesnake” saw and responded with his thoughts. According to Austin, he wasn’t nervous. Instead, his confidence was “sky high” and called his intensity on point.

Chris Jericho recently sat down with AEW referee Aubrey Edwards on an episode of his podcast, Talk Is Jericho. During their conversation, the two discussed the promotion’s use of disqualifications and the need for an established rulebook. 

Edwards confessed she liked working with Jericho as he’s “super easy to work with.” She noted how Jericho is always interested in telling a story, making her job that much easier. The two then turned their attention to Jericho’s matchup at AEW Revolution against Jon Moxley. 

During that match, Chris Jericho was physically pushing Edwards at points in the match. Turns out he was doing so to hit the right story beats and camera angles. Although he tried to express this to her during the match, Edwards admitted she did not hear him. To fans, however, it appeared as though Jericho was trying to get himself disqualified. 

“There has to be that kind of psychology behind it where it’s like, why wouldn’t she DQ him?” Chris Jericho said. “Well, it’s like a title match or a boxing match. It’s like a knee in the in the groin for example, maybe if it was an earlier fight, a prelim fight, there would be a DQ, but in the main event, that people paid millions to see, you got to let these guys fight.”

Chris Jericho added how he loves that aspect about pro wrestling. He argued how they weren’t “bending the rules” but were instead telling a story and “making things fit into what we need because we have the right to do that.”

Edwards would reveal that she has been given permission by AEW President Tony Khan to scribe an official AEW rulebook. Chris Jericho stressed how it’s “important to establish that.”

She explained how when she first accepted the Project Coordinator Job, she “wanted to have our rules written down.” Edwards recalled how Tony Khan had previously expressed his interest in having their rules public to give AEW a sports company dynamic. 

“So I started writing everything down and realize there’s all these holes of like what happens if the illegal person hits a legal person. How do we treat that at AEW? It was funny. I had like the rules printed out. We’re talking about it. Hangman comes and goes over, ‘oh, are the refs meeting to talk about the rules? Actually, we are, but we talk about things and figure out how do we want to treat this situation? How do we want to treat this? And I got a thumbs-up from boss man. So hopefully that will come out soon.”

Chris Jericho is scheduled to compete against Orange Cassidy during AEW Fyter Fest, which takes place on July 1 and July 8.

All Elite Wrestling and Natural Nightmare member QT Marshall has discussed his on-screen pairing with Allie during a recent interview. Speaking with The Wrestling Inc. Daily podcast, Marshall opened up about his new partnership. He also addressed Diamond Dallas Page giving him permission to begin using the Diamond Cutter.

QT Marshall noted how they may integrate the Diamond Cutter into more a defined angle “just to get it public.” He then shared how he and DDP had a “true, genuine conversation” about his using the finishing move. 

“I asked, ‘Do you really want me to [use the Diamond Cutter]?’ He said I would really do it justice. I said it’s an honor but I’d love to make it part of something entertaining as well,” QT Marshall said. “Of course, the sappy story is really good as well but for the fans, we kinda want them to have fun with it as well. That’s why we filmed those videos.”

Looking to his new relationship with Allie, Marshall reflected on how their pairing came to be. He shared how he was searching for his apple but couldn’t find it. He would look up to see Allie eating it which was “her way of saying that she likes me.” Marshall confessed that his tag team partner Dustin Rhodes and Brandi, however, aren’t fans of Allie. Despite their history, Marshall stressed how “we’re just trying to be one big, happy family. And we’re winning – at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. We’ll see where it goes and I’ve been more successful since she’s been around.”

QT Marshall and Dustin Rhodes competed last night in a losing effort against the AEW Tag Team Champions, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page.

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart was a recent guest on WWE Backstage. During his time on the show, Hart opened up about his regret signing with WCW in late 1997. Reflecting on his time in the promotion, Hart stated how it was clear they had no idea how to utilize him. 

Hart noted how Vince McMahon had previously warned him how WCW wouldn’t know “what to do with a Bret Hart.”

After three or four months with the company, Bret Hart realized how true Vince McMahon’s words were. He stressed how WCW “really didn’t know what to do with me.”

According to Hart, WCW had no appreciation for his in-ring skills and abilities. He shared how he would often go to Eric Bischoff to pitch ideas and feuds. Every time, he would apparently be shot down with “the most lame reason.” 

Bret Hart recalled how he would ask “’how about throwing me with this guy? How about putting me with Booker T? How about I do this?’ They would always come up with the most lame reason why I couldn’t wrestle you [Booker T] because you were wrestling someone else. I remember going, ‘that’s not even a reason.’ They really didn’t know what they were doing, and I’m not sure what the politics of all that [was].”

Hart then stressed how, if he could have the opportunity to reconsider his decision, “I’d think I’d try to figure out a better way to stay in WWE.”

Given his experience in WCW, Bret Hart added how he was sorry he ever signed to the company. 

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has revealed which top Superstars who would like to face off against. Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, McIntyre opened up about his dream opponents. He also revealed how close he was to signing with New Japan Pro-Wrestling prior to a phone call from Triple H.

According to Dreew McIntyre, the Superstar at the top of his list is none other than “The Phenomenal One,” AJ Styles. He noted how the two of them are “ships in the night.” McIntyre explained how when he had left WWE and was heading towards Impact Wrestling, Styles was going in the opposite direction. When both men were competing on the independent circuit, “it never worked out.” Even when both McIntyre and Styles were with WWE and on the same brand, they were both heels at the time and so couldn’t necessarily feud. “I thought it was finally about to happen, and then he went to SmackDown. Eventually, it’s going to happen.”

Other names Drew McIntyre would love to feud with include Sheamus, Jinder Mahal, Kofi Kingston and Big E, Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Randy Orton and Undisputed Era members Adam Cole and Roderick Strong. 

Drew McIntyre’s New Japan Plans

While listing possible opponents, Drew McIntyre expressed his interest in wrestling against NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. He believes that his in-ring style would mesh perfectly with New Japan’s hard-hitting strong style. According to him, he was prepared to sign with NJPW in 2017. A phone call from Triple H changed those plans. 

“Before Hunter called me to come back to WWE, the place I was going next was Japan,” Drew McIntyre stated. “My style would be perfect there and I could learn so much. The two opponents on the top of my list were Tanahashi and Okada. Ospreay would be great, as well. I wrestled him outside of WWE in a couple of my favorite matches. But still, I have to go with Tanahashi and Okada.”

Drew McIntyre recently defended his WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley at this past Sunday’s pay-per-view, Backlash. 

NXT Superstar Shotzi Blackheart has been enjoying success within WWE’s black-and-gold brand as of late. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Blackheart shared her experiences performing on the indies prior to WWE. She also reflected on her in-ring style and what she brings to the ring.

Shotzi Blackheart commented on her time in the indies, admitting she had a lot of time to find herself as a wrestler and performer. It remains something she is thankful for. She believes it gave her a lot of independence and helped her to become a “well-rounded businesswoman.” Shotzi Blackheart confessed her time on the indies was a lot of fun and was even silly at times. One thing it helped show her was how much heart you needed to make it in pro wrestling.

Shotzi Blackheart’s In-Ring Style

When it comes to her in-ring style, Blackheart compares herself to Evil Knievel. She purposeful wants to channel a “daredevil spirit” and bring that into the ring with her. “That’s how I see my character. I kind of have tunnel vision and I just do it. I try not to think about it. It’s more, ‘This sounds crazy! Let’s go!’”

Shotzi Blackheart is in line for her biggest NXT opportunity to date during tonight’s episode of the show. She teams with Tegan Nox to take on the team of Sasha Banks and Bayley for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. 

All Elite Wrestling’s Arn Anderson has reflected on the Nexus invasion angle, which saw them attack John Cena. Speaking on his ARN podcast, Anderson noted how NXT wasn’t a strong brand at that time. Instead, it was viewed as being WWE’s “school.”

According to him, the initial idea was to have NXT’s students “combine forces” and have Wade Barrett act as their spokesperson. He believes this would have led to “as formidable a force as you have in the entire company.”

Although believing the angle to be excellent, Anderson stressed how it “got cut off too short.”

He argued how WWE should have allowed Nexus to go on a tirade and garner as much heat as possible: “They should have been able to slaughter anybody at any time. You’re talking about an invasion.” 

By developing a storyline with John Cena, Anderson noted how it would only be a matter of time before Cena had to get some momentum on his side. Given how the Nexus was a full stable against one Superstar, this posed a problem.

“When you see that you have something, let’s sit down and see what we have for these guys and think our way through this and see how much mileage we can get out of these guys. If they would have got red hot, they could have attacked heels and babyfaces. That’s a what if? I personally thought it was a great gimmick that got cut off too quickly.”

Arn Anderson On Daniel Bryan’s Firing

Following the Nexus invasion, Daniel Bryan would be fired from WWE. This was because Bryan choked Justin Roberts with his tie during the angle. Anderson argued how they were given “carte blanche” to destroy everybody and everything. He believes those involved were instructed to “go out there and get yourself over.”

Arn Anderson described how, when Bryan choked Roberts, “The guy in the big chair saw it and probably went ape sh*t.” This reaction eventually led to Bryan’s release.

He argued that the only reason he was brought back was because letting him go after those instructions was a “lousy thing to do.”

“For him to be held responsible and lose his job when nobody told him not to do it, most guys were not even aware that the rule existed. They were all told but it was not something that was right in their prefrontal lobe every minute of every match. I think the only reason Daniel Bryan was brought back was because of the groundswell of the audience that was pulling for him. They knew he got screwed and they wanted him back. That’s the reason he came back, and the only reason.”

The recently released episode of The Undertaker’s docuseries, The Last Ride, featured footage of ‘Taker interrupting Elias in the ring. He would proceed to deliver a chokeslam and Tombstone Piledriver to Elias. Turns out that this exchange was intended to build into a matchup between the two Superstars at WWE’s 2019 Saudi Arabia event, Super ShowDown.

Taking to his Instagram account, Elias revealed how a clash was “set to happen” in Saudi Arabia after their segment. He reflected on how everything about that night was “electric.”

As can happen, however, plans changed. Instead of Elias, The Undertaker would ultimately face off against Goldberg.

“Myself and The Deadman have crossed paths multiple times since I’ve been here, and I hope it’s not the last,” Elias wrote. “There is a great story to be told both on screen & behind the curtain. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it.”

The fourth episode of Undertaker: The Last Ride was made available this past weekend. The docuseries has provided an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at The Undertaker as he reflects on his legacy and what he still wants to accomplish in pro wrestling. The final episode is scheduled to air on the WWE Network on Sunday, June 21.