SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Shawn Michaels On Coaching NXT Talent: “This Is All About Them”

    Shawn Michaels On Coaching NXT Talent: “This Is All About Them”

    WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has spent the last few years coaching at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. His role has also seen him positioned as an instrumental part of the black-and-gold brand, helping to train up and coming NXT talent into true Superstars.

    Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Michaels reflected on his role within WWE, stating how his time in the ring has come to an end. For him, it’s all about cultivating the next generation of stars.

    “I’d rather stay behind the scenes and let the stars of tomorrow take their rightful place,” Michaels said. “My time has come and gone. This is all about them. NXT is wrestling at its best. We’re going to continue on that track, and that’s showing people the best talent in WWE, which is in NXT.”

    Some of NXT’s most notable names include Adam Cole, Shayna Baszler and Keith Lee. To Michaels, they all deliver in every match he has seen them in.

    “They deliver every single time they’re out there,” said Michaels. “All three of them all embrace and adapt to big situations. I’ve never seen one of them not look cool, calm or collected when they go out into high impact, highly visible matches. There hasn’t been a time for any of them where the situation was too big or got the better of them, and that gives us a great deal of confidence moving forward. These are all big-time performers.”

    He noted how, when he first accepted the role in 2016, he wasn’t sure about what the job might entail. Once he began interacting with the Superstars, however, the role simply got a hold of him. Their hunger to prove themselves helped reinvigorate his passion and desire to be involved in the pro wrestling industry.

  • The Undertaker Reflects On Living His Gimmick, Drawing Inspiration From Horror Icons

    The Undertaker Reflects On Living His Gimmick, Drawing Inspiration From Horror Icons

    The Undertaker was the first guest on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s new WWE Network show, The Broken Skull Sessions. During their interview, The Undertaker reflected on drawing influence from horror icons as well as having to live his gimmick at all times.

    ‘Taker pointed to slasher icons Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, of Halloween and Friday the 13th, respectively, as inspirations. He explained how they never moved fast, but always appeared to be in the right place to make the kill. Their slow pace only added to their vicious nature.

    “The character lent itself to being the boogeyman,” he said. “The boogeyman just shows up, so I would lull people into a false sense and all the sudden, ‘Bang!’ Quick, something fast. Boom! And then I’d throttle it back down.”

    He then broached how he went the extra mile to inhabit his character at all times. Austin commented on how ‘Taker was known for living his gimmick and not wanting to break character or kayfabe.

    “I lived it because I knew I couldn’t be different than what they saw on TV. I never stopped working. I never—you go in my house back then, open up my closet. I dare you to find something that wasn’t black. I lived it. I never tried to put myself in situations,” Undertaker said, “where I had to be anything other than what people saw on TV. They got a slight variation because I was in street clothes, but they never got much more than that. I think it worked.”

    The Broken Skull Sessions is available to stream on the WWE Network. 

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Jon Moxley Believes He And Darby Allin Are “Destined” To Clash Again

    Jon Moxley Believes He And Darby Allin Are “Destined” To Clash Again

    All Elite Wrestling’s Jon Moxley believes it’s only a matter of time before he and Darby Allin clash once more. Speaking with 101WKQX to promote tonight’s AEW Dynamite show in Chicago, Moxley shared how he felt another match is “destined” to happen.

    “Darby Allin. I wrestled him the other week, I’m a big fan of him. I think he’s just cool. I love that he just doesn’t give a damn what anybody thinks about anything,” Moxley said. “I love that. I think me and him are destined to have a few more clashes down the line. The whole roster of AEW is just so impressive just the athletes they are, some of the things they can do physically. I was watching Rey Fenix and Nick Jackson the other night and after the fifth jaw-dropping, amazing thing they do, you just go ‘OK, come on! F—k you, I’ve got to follow that dude!’”

    When it was mentioned that AEW Champion Chris Jericho would be a guest on the show, Moxley praised Le Champion. He noted Jericho’s business acumen before adding it’s this intelligence that guarantees he won’t go after Moxley.

    “Chris Jericho is a very, very smart man, one of the smartest guys in the business. That’s why he’s been at the top of this industry for so long. He’s drifting towards being the legitimate Greatest Of All Time. So what I mean by that is Jericho ain’t dumb. He ain’t going to f—k with me.”

    Moxley recently defeated Kenny Omega in an Unsanctioned Lights Out match at AEW’s last pay-per-view, Full Gear.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Eric Bischoff Discusses Jim Cornette’s Controversial Comments On NWA Powerrr

    Eric Bischoff Discusses Jim Cornette’s Controversial Comments On NWA Powerrr

    Former SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff has addressed the controversial comments recently made by Jim Cornette. On a recent episode of NWA Powerrr, Cornette remarked how “Trevor Murdoch is the only person who can strap a bucket of fried chicken to his back and ride a motor scooter across Ethiopia. Trevor Murdoch can take care of himself!”

    Speaking on the post-show of his 83 Weeks podcast, After 83 Weeks with Christy Olson, Bischoff addressed Cornette’s statement. He highlighted Cornette’s unwillingness to adapt, and that this refusal to change with the times will ultimately put him “out to pasture.”

    “Jim is a guy that is reluctant to adapt, and it’s really unfortunate because he’s a talented guy, he’s an entertaining guy, and he’s a very knowledgeable guy,” Bischoff said. “But if you’re not willing to grow and evolve and to understand the implications of some of the things that you do and say and how it affects other people adversely, then you’re going to get put out to pasture. I hope that doesn’t happen with Jim. But apparently that’s kind of what it appears to be. I don’t know where he goes from here… Who’s going to hire him? At this point, probably nobody.”

    In the wake of Cornette’s statement, NWA took down the episode from YouTube to remove his statement. He is no longer a part of the promotion. 

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

  • More Information On New Character Joining Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House

    More Information On New Character Joining Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House

    In an update to the news there could be a new member joining Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House, it appears as though Erica Gimbel, a wardrobe stylist and designer for WWE, has revealed the character will be female.

    Gimbel shared a video via her Twitter account of dress design, accompanied with the caption “Let Her In.” The Firefly Fun House themes song plays over the video as she adds details to the cuffs. She also tagged Bray Wyatt in the post. A few hours later, she posted a follow-up tweet, writing “Friday is going to be fun.”

    https://twitter.com/EricaGimbel/status/1199488908800778243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1199488908800778243&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F576835008.shtml
    https://twitter.com/EricaGimbel/status/1199521104982876161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1199521104982876161&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F576835008.shtml

    This new Fun House member will join the current lineup, currenntly comprised of Ramblin’ Rabbit, Abby the Witch, Mercy the Buzzard and Huskus the Pig Boy. Wyatt recently used his show to debut the new, blue strapped version of the WWE Universal Championship.

    “The Fiend” competed at this past Sunday’s WWE pay-per-view, Survivor Series. He faced off against Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship. Wyatt eventually defeated Bryan, ending the match with the Mandible Claw.

    This week’s episode of SmackDown will take place in the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. It airs live on FOX every Friday at 8/7 C.

  • Mauro Ranallo Will Not Return For This Week’s NXT (Report)

    Mauro Ranallo Will Not Return For This Week’s NXT (Report)

    NXT commentator Mauro Ranallo will not be present to call the action for this week’s episode of NXT on USA Network, according to John Pollock of POST Wrestling.

    Ranallo was originally set to return to announcing duties following his time away from this Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. Ranallo was missing from the show following comments made by Corey Graves. The SmackDown announcer had taken to Twitter to criticize Ranallo’s commentary during NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Announcer Michael Cole replaced Ranallo for NXT’s feature matchups. He explained how Ranallo had been too passionate the night before and had blown out his voice.

    In the wake of Graves’ criticisms, Ranallo deleted his Twitter account. It was reported that WWE and Ranallo believed he would be returning to work this Wednesday night. There has allegedly been communication between them over the past few days, with a decision ultimately being made to allow Ranallo time away from the desk. At the time of writing, there is no word on if he will return for next week’s episode.

    In case you missed it, Graves lobbied some critical feedback towards Ranallo, suggesting he was talking all over his NXT teammates. He wrote on Twitter:

    “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer. #NXTTakeoverWarGames” He also noted how he had made “Far, far too many” references to the Chicago hip-hop scene.

    Ranallo is an open, active mental health advocate. He has previously documented his own personal battles in his well-received documentary, Bi-Polar Rock’ N’ Roller.

  • Adam Cole Reflects On Survivor Series Win, Promises The Era Of Adam Cole Is Just Getting Started

    Adam Cole Reflects On Survivor Series Win, Promises The Era Of Adam Cole Is Just Getting Started

    NXT Champion Adam Cole has reflected on his past month in WWE. Cole has not only recently been featured on RAW and SmackDown, he also competed on both Saturday and Sunday for TakeOver: WarGames and Survivor Series, respectively.

    Cole wrote the following on Twitter, “This past month, I have proved over and over again that my @WWENXT championship is going nowhere. It’s where it belongs…and the #ERA of #AdamColeBayBay is just getting started.”

    The Undisputed Era lost the WarGames match at TakeOver after Tommaso Ciampa sent Cole crashing from the top of the cage through multiple tables, courtesy of an Air Raid Crash. Despite this considerable bump, Cole would subsequently defend his NXT Championship the next night against “The Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne. Despite stiff competition, he successfully retained.

    “I Am Undisputed”

    Following his victory over Dunne, Cole was interviewed backstage. He stressed that not only is the NXT Championship the most prestigious title in the industry, but he is the best pro wrestler on the planet.

    “Yeah, it’s not new to me being questioned. My entire career, people have said ‘No, no, Adam Cole can’t be a World Champion,’ ‘Adam Cole won’t be a World Champion,’ and I knew deep down that I was gonna prove everybody wrong and spit their face while doing it.”

    He continued, “This past month, not 24 hours, but month I have show the world that I am the best pro wrestler on the planet. Nobody is better than me. No championship is more prestigious. I proved that at Survivor Series, and I will continue over and over and over again to prove it. Hurt or not, banged up or not, nobody can stop me ‘cause I am the freaking man. I am the freaking show, and most notably, I am undisputed.”

    If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

  • Triple H Praises Shayna Baszler For Her Survivor Series Victory

    Triple H Praises Shayna Baszler For Her Survivor Series Victory

    Triple H has spoken highly of NXT Champion Adam Cole’s stellar week leading into this past Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. He referred to the Undisputed Era leader as “NXT’s Iron Man.” Now he has praised for NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler for her major main event victory.

    “The Game” wrote the following on Twitter, responding to WWE’s own message highlighting Survivor Series’ final scores:

    “.@QoSBaszler: The Queen of Spades, the #WWENXT Women’s Champion and the Standard Bearer of the @WWENXT Women’s division. The exclamation point of this #SurvivorSeries in her victory over two of the VERY best in this business. #NXT 4#Smackdown 2#WWERaw 1”

    Prior to her Sunday night main event opportunity, “The Queen of Spades” wrestled in a hellacious WarGames at NXT TakeOver. Despite her team’s best efforts, Team Ripley would walk away successfully from the cage.

    At Survivor Series, Baszler defeated both WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. They competed in a non-title Triple Threat matchup. This win helped NXT comfortably take the point advantage over RAW and SmackDown. The black-and-gold brand ended their night with 4 victories.

    With NXT coming out on top, WWE has firmly established them as their third brand, further distancing themselves from the developmental system they once were.

  • Kenny Omega Addresses Criticisms Leveled At AEW Women’s Roster

    Kenny Omega Addresses Criticisms Leveled At AEW Women’s Roster

    All Elite Wrestling’s Kenny Omega has addressed criticisms lobbied at the promotion’s utilization of women’s division. Omega, who is also one of the promotion’s Executive Vice Presidents, helps to oversee their women’s division and has been key in hiring Joshi talent.

    Speaking on Wrestler Observer Radio, Omega explained how one of his main focuses in AEW was to showcase Japanese talent who haven’t had the opportunity be seen on a global scale.

    “There hasn’t been much exposure of Stardom on a worldwide scale, but people know who they are, mainly due to Kairi Sane and Io Shirai,” he said. “Since their NXT debuts, people have dug a little deeper and gone back to the roots and seen what Stardom is all about. I’m sure they’ve gained fans through that, but there are other styles of Joshi wrestling and other talent that people haven’t seen, that don’t wrestle for Stardom. These are the people I want to introduce to the world.” 

    He continued, “But it’s not the be-all, end-all because there are all sorts of flavors of wrestling. I want to be the one, as best as I can, to show the variety in that.”

    Division Criticisms

    Omega explained that he is fighting for the AEW women’s roster to be featured more prominently on Dynamite and Dark. He shouldered some of the blame for this, noting how his angle with Jon Moxley took a lot of time on the show away from female talent. 

    “At the end of the day, there’s only so much time in an episode. It’s almost amazing how fast it gets eaten up. We haven’t been able to focus on women as much as I’d like. Some of it has been availability. We have girls signed and hopping on board. I hate to say ‘wait til 2020,’ but I can safely say in 2020 there are going to be interesting and exciting signings that will shake up the division. As soon as we have a women’s tag division, that will balance (things) more and give the women more of a stage. Once there’s that ‘thing’ for them to fight for, you’re going to see more time devoted per episode for the women.”

    Omega recently lost to Moxley in an Unsanctioned Lights Out match at AEW’s last pay-per-view, Full Gear. 

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Triple H Discusses Other Countries Hosting NXT TakeOver Events

    Triple H Discusses Other Countries Hosting NXT TakeOver Events

    Following this past Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event, Triple H took part in a media conference call. One subject “The Game” spoke about was the possibility of WWE’s black-and-gold brand hosting TakeOver events worldwide.

    “I think that’s a little bit of a work in progress,” Triple H confessed. “It’s a big world, a lot of really cool places to go work. As much as I can look at the UK and say, going back to Blackpool, I think they’d do spectacularly in London. I also think we can go to Glasgow. We went to Cardiff, it was amazing. There’s so many places, and that’s just picking the places we already go to on a regular basis, I think when we get outside of those, start going to different countries and regions, oh my gosh.”

    He continued, “And then you start talking about NXT here, like this NXT U.S. brand, any one of those places could kill it. You could go to Japan, you could go to Australia, it’s a big world. I’d love to look at all of it, I’d love to bring them to all of it. Trying to figure how to make that happen with live TV and everything else, that’s the trick.”

    In recent years, WWE has branched out its NXT brand, starting with NXT UK. NXT UK has since hosted their own TakeOver events, but these were roster and brand-specific events. There have been discussions in the past regarding further brand extensions in different countries.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Seth Rollins On Tommaso Ciampa: “Our Paths Will Cross Again”

    Seth Rollins On Tommaso Ciampa: “Our Paths Will Cross Again”

    Seth Rollins believes that it’s only a matter of time before he and NXT’s Tommaso Ciampa cross paths again. Speaking with 101WKQX Chicago before this past Sunday’s Survivor Series, Rollins talked about NXT being WWE’s third brand and how it has earned its spot alongside RAW and SmackDown.

    “They’ve got a ton of really talented guys and girls down there and they’ve been making waves and earned their spot,” Rollins said. “They got the television show on USA Network on Wednesday nights basically on their own, building it from the grassroots from where we were seven years ago at this point—but they’re doing well. It’s certainly added an element of chaos and there’s a lot more bodies to go around, so it feels like every show is unpredictable. You never know when something’s going to happen. Is it overkill? Maybe, but it’s been a fun couple of weeks at the very least.”

    High-Calibre Match

    Last week’s episode of the black-and-gold brand ended with Rollins and Ciampa brawling in the ring. Reflecting on his NXT homecoming, Rollins confessed he has a lot of respect for the former NXT Champion, sharing how he has been admired him for a long time. 

    “Ciampa’s a guy that I’ve admired for a long time from afar. He and I never really crossed paths in the ring, so that was really the first interaction that I can recall and sort of the first interaction where we’re both at different levels.”

    Rollins then shared that he assumes their paths will cross again in the future. For him, he’d prefer a one-on-one matchup so they can give the WWE Universe a matchup to be remembered.

    “I can only assume at some point down the line our paths will cross again,” Rollins stated. “Hopefully in a one-on-one contest and we can give fans who are clamoring for a match of that caliber the one that they deserve.”

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Keith Lee Responds To Roman Reigns’ Praise

    Keith Lee Responds To Roman Reigns’ Praise

    NXT Superstar Keith Lee received significant praise from his fellow Superstars following his Survivor Series performance. Lee participated as a member of Team NXT during the 5-on-5-on-5 Elimination Match.

    One notable Superstar who had high words for Lee was “The Big Dog” himself, Roman Reigns. Taking to Twitter, Reigns wrote: “Well, damn. That was fun, Chicago. Respect to #Raw and #WWENXT. @RealKeithLee, I’ll see you again big man. #SurvivorSeries”

    Lee has since responded to Reigns’ comment, admitting that it was an honor for him to compete in the ring with the calibre of Superstars that were a part of that match. He stated that, although Team NXT came close to winning, they just weren’t close enough before adding that he looks forward to meeting Reigns in the ring again in the future.

    “If I’m being honest…..it was an absolute honor just to compete with everyone in that ring, from my own squad to the competition. Came close….but not close enough. I look forward to the next meeting…”

    Team SmackDown would walk away the winners of their Elimination Match with both Team RAW and Team NXT. Reigns would lead SmackDown to victory, eventually putting away Lee for the final, decisive fall.

  • The Undertaker Recalls Incident Between Himself And Kurt Angle During The Plane Ride From Hell

    The Undertaker Recalls Incident Between Himself And Kurt Angle During The Plane Ride From Hell

    During the premiere episode of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s new WWE Network show, Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions, The Undertaker recalled a story about the infamous Plane Ride From Hell. This journey took place following WWE’s Insurrextion pay-per-view in London back in 2002. Several incidents occurred on the flight, including some that led to Scott Hall and Curt Hennig receiving their future endeavors from the company.

    Turns out that The Undertaker had an incident of his own that led to him choking WWE’s resident Olympic Hero at the time, Kurt Angle.

    ‘Taker shared how they were all on a chartered plane with huge first-class seating, allowing him to get comfortable before their trip devolved into the “flight from hell.” Having fallen asleep, the WWE Legend remembered being woken up because Angle and Vince McMahon were by his feet, wrestling.

    “So I come to and I see Kurt on Vince and I went, ‘Oh hell no!’ So I locked [Kurt] and I was in tight. Finally, Kurt was like, ‘Take…Take’ He could barely get it out. ‘You’re choking me.’ Then somebody by that time said they were just playing and I let go, sat back down in my seat and went back out.”

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

  • Nakamura Calls Roderick Strong Lucky, Says He’s “Not Done Yet” With AJ Styles

    Nakamura Calls Roderick Strong Lucky, Says He’s “Not Done Yet” With AJ Styles

    It appears as though things are far from over between Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles and Roderick Strong. Following their Triple Threat match at this past Sunday’s Survivor Series, the Superstars have been lashing out at each other via social media.

    Strong would emerge victorious from their hard-fought clash, stealing the win at the last moment from Styles. WWE soon posted a video interview with Strong where he addressed that night’s success. Styles responded to Strong’s words, writing “Enjoy it, Roddy. You know where I’ll be every Monday night. #WWERaw #SurvivorSeries”

    If Styles’ challenge wasn’t enough, Nakamura then got involved, claiming that Strong’s win was simply “lucky” and that he’ll end up paying for it. The current Intercontinental Champion then promised that he and Styles weren’t done yet, alluding that all three men have unfinished business with each other despite all representing different WWE brands.

    “Congrats @roderickstrong.but it was just lucky. You’ll pay for this soon maybe. @AJStylesOrg, we’re not done yet. Anyway I was standing tall in the ring…. tallest. #SurvivorSeries #RAW #SmackDown #NXT #AnStupidEra”

    Strong would see Nakamura’s insult, responding to the “King of Strong Style” that he was open to a 1-on-1 matchup any time.

    His victory on Sunday wasn’t the only win for the Undisputed Era. NXT Champion Adam Cole would also successfully defend his gold against “The Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne, subsequently being referred to as NXT’s “Iron Man” by Triple H.

  • Bray Wyatt Set To Introduce New Member On Firefly Fun House This Friday

    Bray Wyatt Set To Introduce New Member On Firefly Fun House This Friday

    WWE has announced that another episode of Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House is set to air this Friday night on SmackDown. This latest episode will see Wyatt introduce a brand new member to the cast of the popular show.

    This new Fun House member will join the current lineup, comprised of Ramblin’ Rabbit, Abby the Witch, Mercy the Buzzard and Huskus the Pig Boy. Wyatt recently used his show to debut the brand new, blue strapped version of the WWE Universal Championship.

    Wyatt has used the Firefly Fun House to great effect since its debut, often utilizing his cast of cuddly characters as a means to provide commentary on not only his opponents but WWE and its fanbase. In the past, the show has also featured a puppet version of Vince McMahon, specifically designed to make him look like the devil.

    “The Fiend” competed at this past Sunday’s WWE pay-per-view, Survivor Series. He faced off against a game Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship. Wyatt eventually defeated Bryan, ending the match with the Mandible Claw.

    This week’s episode of SmackDown will take place in the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. It airs live on FOX every Friday at 8/7 C.

  • Booker T Believes Kevin Owens Belongs “At The Top Of The Card”

    Booker T Believes Kevin Owens Belongs “At The Top Of The Card”


    WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared his thoughts on former Universal Champion Kevin Owens. In a recent episode of his podcast, The Hall of Fame, Booker T was effusive with his praise for Owens, highlighting his journey from the indie scene through to the main event in WWE. Booker T noted how, for him, Owens belongs at the top of the card.

    “Kevin Owens is the real deal. He’s a guy who goes out and performs at a very, very high level. And to see his rise from the indie scene, working so hard out there on that scene for so many years. You know, the squeaky wheel, the good guy finally getting the break. Rising in the company, becoming champion, falling off for a minute—I’m not sure why—coming back and going out there and having an awesome, awesome match with Drew McIntyre on Monday night. I’m just glad to see Kevin Owens back in the saddle and hopefully ascend back to that position where I think he belongs, and that’s at the top of the card.”

    He continued, “Because the guy…you can put a mic in his hand, he’s going to go out and deliver. You put him in the ring with anybody, Kevin Owens is going to go out there and deliver, and I just love seeing a guy like that win. […] So Kevin, go get your money, man. Get paid.”

    Fight Owens Fight

    Owens made a surprise return to NXT this past weekend. He would be revealed to be the last member of Team Ciampa for their WarGames matchup against the Undisputed Era. Owens also competed on Sunday’s Survivor Series pay-per-view as a member of Team RAW. He was eliminated from the matchup courtesy of NXT’s Tommaso Ciampa. Team SmackDown would end up the winners of the match. 

    If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

  • Rhea Ripley On Women’s Survivor Series Match: “We Are The Main Roster”

    Rhea Ripley On Women’s Survivor Series Match: “We Are The Main Roster”

    The women’s NXT team emerged victorious from their 5-on-5-on-5 elimination match during last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. The team, comprised of captain Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai, Candice LeRae and Toni Storm defeated Superstars from both RAW and SmackDown to secure another victory for NXT.

    Speaking backstage following their win, team captain Ripley stressed how people don’t consider NXT on the same level as Superstars on the ‘main roster.’ She noted how NXT is the main roster compared to WWE’s red and blue brands.

    “It feels absolutely amazing. To go out there and do what we just did…people have been underestimating NXT as a whole for so long now. Saying that we are not ‘the main roster.’ Well, we just proved to every single human out there today that we are the main roster.”

    She continued, “Yes, we might not get along from time to time. Yes, we’ve been to war with each other multiple times. But I think we can put that aside for today and give RAW and SmackDown exactly what they deserve.”

    NXT would end up coming away last night with the most victories. The final score had NXT with 4 victories. SmackDown followed with 2. RAW only secured 1 win.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

  • Lio Rush Reflects On His Survivor Series Victory

    Lio Rush Reflects On His Survivor Series Victory

    During the Survivor Series Kickoff show, Lio Rush managed to successfully defend his Cruiserweight Championship. “The Man of the Hour” defeated both Kalisto and Akira Tozawa in order to keep his purple title.

    Afterwards, Rush caught up with WWE for an exclusive backstage interview. It was highlighted how the triple threat championship match was sprung on him at the last moment but, despite this, Rush was confident he would leave as champ.

    “I’m feeling good. I’m feeling as better as ever. I went out there in a horrible mood. Horrible mood. Away from my family, away from my kids. On the road for a week plus: RAW, SmackDown, NXT, 205 Live, you name it, The Man of the Hour’s there.”

    He continued, “On top of that, Angel Garza is running his mouth, talking crap, and this got sprung on me last minute. But you know what? I got the first win for NXT tonight. You put the Man of the Hour—The Champ of the Hour—at the front of the line, every time, and I deliver. And that’s exactly what I did tonight.”

    Rush attacked Garza following Garza’s victory over Isiah “Swerve” Scott during Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames preshow. The two recently fought for the Cruiserweight Championship on an episode of NXT, with Rush coming away the winner. This recent attack, however, suggests that their feud is far from over.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

  • Mauro Ranallo Deletes Twitter Account After Corey Graves Jab

    Mauro Ranallo Deletes Twitter Account After Corey Graves Jab

    Following this past Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event, passionate NXT commentator Mauro Ranallo deleted his Twitter account. This came in the wake of comments made by SmackDown announcer Corey Graves.

    Graves shared some critical observations over Ranallo’s commentary during the broadcast of TakeOver: WarGames. Taking to Twitter, Graves suggested that Ranallo wasn’t giving his fellow commentators, Beth Phoenix and Nigel McGuinness, an opportunity to provide their thoughts on the action.

    He wrote, “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer.”

    https://twitter.com/WWEGraves/status/1198414519556562944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1198414519556562944&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wrestlinginc.com%2Fnews%2F2019%2F11%2Fnxt-lead-announcer-mauro-ranallo-deletes-twitter-account-662652%2F

    Replying to a fan’s question over how many Chicago rap references Ranallo had made, Graves stated: “Far, far too many.”

    At the time of writing, Ranallo’s account is still deleted. His close friend and manager, Frank Shamrock, actually responded to Graves’ comment. He uploaded a picture that read “Social media has made too many of you comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the mouth for it.”

    Lost Voice

    During last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, Ranallo was noticeably missing during the show. He was replaced during the NXT matchups by Michael Cole.

    In case you missed it: during the NXT Championship matchup between Adam Cole and Pete Dunne, Cole explained to the WWE Universe why Ranallo wasn’t present.

    Acording to Cole, Ranallo was so passionate during the previous night’s TakeOver event that he blew his voice out and was therefore unable to provide the kind of commentary NXT has become known for. It was noted that Ranallo would be back on commentary duties for this week’s episode of NXT.

    Ranallo is an open, active mental health advocate. He has previously documented his own personal battles in his well-received documentary, Bi-Polar Rock ‘N’ Roller.

  • DDP Set To Present The Dynamite Diamond Ring This Week On AEW: Dynamite

    DDP Set To Present The Dynamite Diamond Ring This Week On AEW: Dynamite

    WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) will be on hand for this Wednesday night’s episode of AEW: Dynamite. DDP will present the Dynamite Diamond Ring to the winner of Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) versus “Hangman” Adam Page. MJF and Page were the last two wrestlers in last week’s Dynamite Dozen Battle Royal. This earned them the opportunity at the ring.

    Despite not officially being a part of the All Elite roster, DDP has made frequent appearances for the promotion. He is often associated with or accompanying Cody Rhodes. DDP recently explained his working relationship to AEW, stressing how he is happy at the current opportunities available to wrestlers across the industry.

    “I’m happy for all the guys,” DDP stated. “It’s a great way, great to have more guys be a part and someone like Cody Rhodes to be at the helm of this thing. I don’t charge them anything. I don’t have a contract with AEW. I don’t.”

    He has confessed that, despite feeling physically great, he doesn’t want to risk injury or to set himself back due to a physical appearance at one of their shows. Because of this, he doesn’t believe another match is on the horizon for him. He did add, however, that he has plenty of Diamond Cutters left in him.

  • Ryback Talks About WWE Talent Requesting Their Releases

    Ryback Talks About WWE Talent Requesting Their Releases

    Former WWE Superstar Ryback has discussed the rise of WWE talent requesting their releases from the company. Speaking on an episode of his podcast, Conversations with the Big Guy, Ryback highlighted Sin Cara’s recent request to leave the promotion. Like several Superstars before him, including Luke Harper and Mike Kanellis, Sin Cara took to Twitter and shared the news with his fanbase. 

    “The lack of respect they [WWE] give to so many of the guys,” Ryback said. “Especially guys that have tenure there who have helped you make the guys that you are investing in, even more, that is the part of wrestling that really upsets me, they treat you like you are not a winner if you are not winning, but it’s fake. It’s the most ass backward community I have ever seen in my life.”

    He continued, “That is the system that they [WWE] try. They want you to feel insecure and to not speak, they want you to do whatever, so I believe, and he is a man who I have no doubt in my mind that he has had conversations with Vince McMahon and Triple H, for him, if he is going on social media and doing it, this was his way of saying f–k you to you guys, you’re not listening I’m just going to put it out in public now you are going to acknowledge it one way or another and he gets to go home.”

    Ryback then claimed that WWE has “walked all over pro wrestlers.” He noted how, now that talent have more than one company to make a living with, they need to “man up more than ever.” Ryback juxtaposed their requests his own WWE exit, explaining that he waited until he had saved enough money. Only then was he confident that he could leave and be comfortable as he pursued other opportunities.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

  • Triple H Praises Adam Cole Vs. Pete Dunne, Name’s Cole “NXT’s Iron Man”

    Triple H Praises Adam Cole Vs. Pete Dunne, Name’s Cole “NXT’s Iron Man”

    Triple H, has shared some high praise for both “The Bruiserweight” Pete Dunne and the current NXT Champion, Adam Cole.

    Taking to Twitter following their clash at last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, Triple H called their matchup “AMAZING.” He also highlighted Cole’s performance, labelling the Undisputed Era leader as NXT’s Iron Man.

    “.@PeteDunneYxB. @AdamColePro. AMAZING. Adam Cole = #WWENXT’s iron man. #WeAreNXT #SurvivorSeries”

    Given the hectic, physically demanding nature of Cole’s week leading up to Survivor Series, Triple H’s comment is more than justified. During Wednesday night’s episode of NXT, Cole faced off against Dominik Dijakovic in a ladder match. The winner of this match would determine which team received the advantage for their WarGames matchup on Saturday. Cole was able to emerge victorious, granting Undisputed Era that much needed edge.

    Saturday saw the stable compete in the WarGames matchup. They clashed against the team of Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic and a returning Kevin Owens. Cole took a serious bump from the top of the cage through a couple of tables, courtesy of Ciampa’s Air Raid Crash. This move saw Team Ciampa able to secure the win.

    Cole’s weekend was then capped off with an NXT Championship matchup against Dunne. “The Bruiserwight” had won the right at the belt during his triple threat match against Killian Dain and Damian Priest on TakeOver: WarGames. Cole successfully defended his precious NXT Championship.

  • Alberto Del Rio Offers Thunder Rosa Advice As She Transitions To MMA

    Alberto Del Rio Offers Thunder Rosa Advice As She Transitions To MMA

    Former WWE Superstar Alberto Del Rio is set to compete against Tito Ortiz in a mixed martial arts competition in December. During a recent media event, Del Rio offered advice to a fellow pro wrestler who is transitioning into MMA: Thunder Rosa.

    “You have to turn off the pro wrestling switch and start throwing punches 100 percent,” Del Rio told Wrestling Inc. “I give her a lot of credit. She’s been wanting to do this for quite some time. And it’s not easy for someone that was in the pro wrestling business, and just from one day to the other make the transition to MMA…it’s really difficult.”

    He continued, “Some people know this, some others don’t, but for me it wasn’t that way. I started in amateur wrestling and I competed for many years in tournaments all over the world, and then I became a pro wrestler. Pro wrestler to MMA, MMA back to pro wrestler. I know she’s going to be doing fantastic in San Antonio, my hometown. She’s been training for this for many months. We have been supporting her as athletes in the company with Campbell and everyone else. I’m pretty sure she completely turned off the pro wrestling switch and started training because this is MMA and everything goes.”

    Rosa has previously performed for both Lucha Underground and Ring of Honor (ROH) and recently had her first MMA fight. This was held under Combate Americas. She lost via unanimous decision to Nadine Mandiau.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Dolph Ziggler Opens Up About Tagging With Robert Roode, Time Away From WWE

    Dolph Ziggler Opens Up About Tagging With Robert Roode, Time Away From WWE

    Dolph Ziggler helped SmackDown earn one of their only victories during last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. Alongside his tag partner, Robert Roode, the two emerged victorious from a 10-team Interbrand Battle Royal during the Kickoff show.

    In a recent interview with The Mirror UK, Ziggler reflected on teaming with Roode as well as what he learned during his time away from the ring.

    “I can’t say we’re the greatest of all time because we’ve only really had a couple of weeks of working together. […] When Bobby Roode shows up from NXT, of course he fought me because that’s what you do when you show up from NXT, which I get. But immediately I recognized, he understands our style and what’s happening, he’s really smart and has a brain for this, I think this is going to be a blast, and it was. We became friends and started texting, and there’s only a handful of those people that on a regular basis I text.”

    Time Away

    Regarding his relatively recent time away from WWE, Ziggler confessed he learned how much he needed a vacation after 14 years in the company. He hinted at how, after about 11/12 years non-stop, working 5 days a week, WWE’s demanding schedule had become exhausting.

    “[…] being one of the people like Kofi and Sheamus and Miz that did five days a week, every week for a couple of years in a row, and then were doing the rallies and PR. Miz gets a break to do a crappy movie. So I go ‘I have to go away’. For a year or two I kept getting told ‘sure’ and then right as I was getting ready to go, they said ‘we need you’. I’ve never heard ‘we need you’ more than anything from any other company my whole entire life, but it’s so great to hear, to know that I’ve made an entire career out of them needing me to be here.”

    When it comes to his longevity within pro wrestling, Ziggler credits his ability to adjust at all times. He stressed having to be willing to commit to your role, no matter what it asks of you. He pointed at how The Miz is excellent at being a multi-talented talent and representative for WWE, adding “I can do that, plus the good wrestling.”

  • Tommy Dreamer On CM Punk’s Role On WWE Backstage

    Tommy Dreamer On CM Punk’s Role On WWE Backstage

    Tommy Dreamer recently talked about CM Punk’s hiring as an analyst on FS1’s WWE Backstage show. The former ECW Champion addressed Punk’s role and relationship to WWE during an episode of Busted Open Radio.

    Dreamer stressed how because Punk is signed to FOX, there’s no real need for him to deal with Triple H or Vince McMahon. He contrasted the possibility of a Punk return to how, at one point, there seemed to be no chance at reconciliation between Bret Hart and WWE.

    “Does CM Punk need to have a sit down with Vince McMahon and Triple H? No, he never has to see them ever again,” Dreamer said. “I was part of the company where Bret Hart was inducted, and he said he didn’t want to be in eyesight of Shawn Michaels. That was a thing that he said. Then they went on TV and hugged it out.”

    He continued, “If CM Punk is OK with his status, great. If Vince McMahon and Triple H are cool with CM Punk’s status—‘cause I’m sure they had to sign off on it. I’m sure they’re saying ‘Hey, this guy’s going to keep on knocking us every week,” you know, there has to be something like that.”

    Dreamer isn’t the only one speculating about a potential in-ring return. Several within the pro wrestling industry have shared their belief that, eventually, this role may lead Punk to compete again.

    CM Punk began his duties on WWE Backstage on this past Tuesday’s episode. He will be making “periodic” appearances on the show going forward. 

    If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.