SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Britt Baker Opens Up About Her Relationship With Adam Cole, Finding Balance As A Couple

    Britt Baker Opens Up About Her Relationship With Adam Cole, Finding Balance As A Couple

    All Elite Wrestling’s Dr. Britt Baker was a recent guest on Women’s Wrestling Weekly. During the interview, Baker opened up about her relationship with current NXT Champion Adam Cole. She addressed how they managed their time as a couple, given that the two are wrestling for competing promotions. 

    “Well, so for his NXT schedule it actually works out because they are running on Wednesdays when we run on Wednesdays,” she said. “It’s sad, it sucks that we don’t get to watch each other live. We don’t get to be there for each other but as far as travelling wise it kind of works; we at least have the time at home together.”

    “He’s been having a lot of last-minute, crazy opportunities come up where he literally got called to Smackdown the day of Smackdown… He was on the plane at 5:30 for an 8 o’clock show… So right now it’s been crazy. I’ve seen him very minimally the last few days but it always works and we always make it work even if he’s, you know, flying here to meet me or if I’m flying there to meet him… We always, always, always make it work.”

    When asked if the two provide feedback to one another, Baker confessed that they do—though she gets more than Cole does at this point, given his 11 years of experience in the business. She stressed how his feedback has helped her more than anyone else, whether that’s in-ring, promos, or for locker room advice. 

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Cesaro Discusses If He’d Want to Reform The Bar When Sheamus Returns

    Cesaro Discusses If He’d Want to Reform The Bar When Sheamus Returns

    WWE Superstar Cesaro recently spoke with Sportskeeda. During the interview, Cesaro addressed whether he had any desire to reform The Bar with Sheamus once his former partner returns to in-ring action. 

    “I was lucky to be in some very great tag teams with people I’ve gotten along with tremendously well: Jack Swagger, Tyson Kidd and Sheamus. ‘We The People’, by the way… That was our idea and it’s still over!”

    He continued, “It’s great, being part of a tag team is a different challenge than obviously having success as a singles. I’m really stubborn about trying to be successful as a singles wrestler, so that’s what I’m focusing on right now. I still talk to Sheamus pretty much every day, giving each other c**p! Just like you saw on television.”

    Cesaro recently shared how he had no interest in returning to WWE’s black-and-gold brand. He told Corey Graves during WWE’s After the Bell podcast that he wants to succeed on RAW and SmackDown rather than succeed on NXT.

    His former partner, Sheamus, has been away from in-ring competition since this past April. He last competed in a six-man tag team match with Cesaro and Drew McIntyre. They lost to the New Day.

  • DDP Names Who He Thinks Will Be AEW’s Top Star In 2020

    DDP Names Who He Thinks Will Be AEW’s Top Star In 2020

    WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) has made sporadic appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). In an interview with SportsKeeda, DDP named who he believes will become a top star within the promotion during 2020: Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

    “[MJF is] my pick for the hottest up-and-coming guy in 2020,” he stated. “You know, I think that he’s got a lot of natural ability. You can tell he loves being a heel but there is going to come a time – and when he went out there to save Cody, it lit the place up, and the crowd popped bigger than they have for anybody.”

    He continued, “Being able to do the moves and the high spots, and the big oohs and ahhs, that’s definitely what wrestling is about today but who can grab and captivate the people with their charisma, a la Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Steve Austin, the Rock… DDP! You know, whatever, to grab the people and make them react. That’s what MJF has. He’s just another guy that I put under my wing a little bit because when I see someone who wants it as bad as he does, but is willing to put the work in, that’s the part that’s pivotal to me.”

    DDP added that there aren’t enough good things he can say about MJF. He noted that as long as he can keep his feet on the ground, “the world is his oyster, literally.”

    MJF turned on his best friend Cody Rhodes after throwing in the towel during Rhodes’ AEW World Championship matchup at Full Gear this past Saturday night.

  • “Hangman” Page On His Full Gear Victory Over PAC

    “Hangman” Page On His Full Gear Victory Over PAC

    Following All Elite Wrestling’s recent Full Gear pay-per-view, “Hangman” Adam Page took part in a media scrum where he addressed his victory over PAC. He also spoke about being a member of The Elite alongside Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.

    “It’s weird being in The Elite, right, and being me. And my teammates are the ‘Best Bout Machine’ and the greatest tag team of all time, ‘Mr. AEW’ Cody, and it’s hard, man. It’s big shoes to fill, as far as partners. And I felt like, this year, I have not done it, you know? And I beat PAC tonight and I’m happy about it, I really am. But we’re 1 and 1, so I haven’t really beat him in the way that I need to, I think. So I’d like to have a rubber match, to be honest with you, between the two of us and I’d like to probably have it as soon as possible.”

    Given that AEW has previously stressed the importance of wins and losses, Page’s Full Gear win sees him climb their ranking system. When asked the rankings system, Page said: “It’s good man, yeah. Shoot. What was I on the rankings? Was it 3? 4? I think PAC was 2. I don’t know how that changes tonight. I don’t know how that changes Wednesday, so we’ll see about that. But it’s cool, man, you know, to really have a legitimate sense of where you are, you know what I mean? It puts things in perspective.”

    Page doesn’t have to wait long for his rubber match against PAC. Post-Full Gear, Tony Khan revealed that the two will face off again this coming Wednesday night on AEW: Dynamite.

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

  • Edge Has High Praise For NWA Powerrr

    Edge Has High Praise For NWA Powerrr

    The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) has been receiving praise for their show, Powerrr, since it first premiered on YouTube. Many people have pointed to its old-school aesthetic as providing something different compared to other options. Now WWE Hall of Famer Edge has praised the show.

    Taking to Twitter, Edge wrote “I love #NWAPowerrr it’s a love letter to 70’s and particularly 80’s wrestling, which is when I fell head over heels in love with this colorfully insane beast. The promos, the action, the lack of dives. Ahhhhh. Good job @Billy Good job @Lagana Good job everyone else involved.”

    Powerrr has received positive feedback from other wrestlers including Mickie James and NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER. WWE commentator Corey Graves has previously said it was a “Really fun throwback presentation. Old school in a good way” while Bully Ray praised the talent, adding that NWA Powerrr had “Good character development and storytelling.”

    Even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has given the show a chance, enjoying what he saw. He congratulated the team behind it, reflecting on his time growing up within the territory system as he pinpointed the show’s “cool vintage feel.”

    “Congrats Jim, the boys, crew etc. Stumbled across this show last night and enjoyed it. I grew up in territories and started my career at channel 5 in Memphis so I have a lot of love/respect for small scale, crowd tv shows. Cool vintage feel. Keep working hard boys. Rock”

    NWA Powerrr is available to watch every Tuesday via their official YouTube page. You can watch their most recent episode below:

    https://youtu.be/wRM1P8cJ8FA
  • AJ Styles Reportedly Pitched For The O.C. To Face The Undisputed Era At Survivor Series

    AJ Styles Reportedly Pitched For The O.C. To Face The Undisputed Era At Survivor Series

    WWE United States Champion AJ Styles reportedly pitched for a matchup between The O.C. and NXT’s Undisputed Era to take place at Survivor Series.

    According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, this proposed match will most likely take place on an episode of NXT television.

    “[…] it looks right now that if the match will take place on NXT television down the line, or on television somewhere since they shot the angle for it on NXT.”

    It is believed that Styles will end up in a triple threat match at Survivor Series against Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong.

    NXT Invasion

    Styles and his O.C. teammates, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, invaded the black-and-gold brand on this week’s episode of NXT.

    They assaulted the Undisputed Era before NXT started and competed in the main event against Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle and Kieth Lee. Their match ended in a no-contest after both Finn Balor and Undisputed Era’s Adam Cole became involved in the clash.

    The Undisputed Era has a busy Survivor Series weekend. On Saturday, the stable competes in a WarGames matchup against Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle, Kieth Lee and a final member who is yet to be announced.

    The next day at Survivor Series, Undisputed Era members Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly compete in a Tag Team Championship triple threat match. They take on RAW’s Viking Raiders and SmackDown’s The Revival.

  • Sasha Banks Cleared To Return, Will Wrestle On SmackDown

    Sasha Banks Cleared To Return, Will Wrestle On SmackDown

    Sasha Banks has been officially cleared to return to in-ring action. “The Boss” responded to a tweet from WWE’s Twitter account, writing “HunTAH check finally cleared!” She accompanied her words with emojis of a money bag, cash, and an emoji with dollar signs for eyes.

    WWE’s statement confirmed that Banks would be competing on this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown in Manchester, England. She’ll be taking on Nikki Cross, who is seeking revenge against Banks for her involvement in her recent match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.

    “The Boss” had been out of action thanks to a back injury. She suffered the injury during her matchup against Becky Lynch during WWE’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October. Despite having been advertised at previous shows in recent weeks, her match against Cross will see her finally get back into the ring.

    This is great news for Sasha Banks and her passionate fanbase. She was recently moved to SmackDown during the WWE Draft and is expected to be a key player on the blue brand in the months ahead.

    Friday Night SmackDown, 11/8

    This week’s episode of SmackDown also features:

    • Roman Reigns vs King Corbin
    • SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
      The Revival vs The New Day
    • Tyson Fury returning to SmackDown
  • Rhea Ripley On Her Attitude, Her Look And WWE’s Dress Code

    Rhea Ripley On Her Attitude, Her Look And WWE’s Dress Code

    NXT UK Superstar Rhea Ripley has been appearing in recent weeks on WWE’s black-and-gold brand NXT. This past week’s episode saw her complete her team heading into NXT TakeOver: WarGames.

    Speaking with Lilian Garcia on her podcast, Chasing Glory, Ripley talked about her “tough” attitude and how she achieves her unique look. 

    When asked where her abrasive attitude comes from, Ripley confessed she wasn’t entirely sure. If she had to point at anything, however, she would credit her love of heavy metal and rock.

    “I don’t know really, I think if I really I have to put something, it’d be like probably the music I listen to cause I love like the heavy metal and the rock and all that stuff and it really does get me fired up,” she said. “That’s why I like to say that I have to have a really good theme song before I go out because I need that to like get into that mentality of ‘I’m gonna kill someone! Let’s go!’”

    Dress Code

    Regarding her specific look, Ripley said “I decided to wet my hair beforehand because it was just too hot because I was actually dying backstage and then I went out there, wrestled, came back I was like, ‘That was the best thing I ever done.’ So now I just do it from now on.”

    Ripley joked how she’s unable to adhere to WWE’s business casual dress code, “I’m like, ‘Guys, I don’t do business casual.’ Like, if I can wear a leather jacket with studs and chains on it, that’s my business casual. I don’t even want to wear heels!”

    Ultimately, however, she feels that by being true to herself, she’s been able to genuinely connect with the fans. 

    Ripley leads her team, consisting of herself, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox and Mia Yim against the team of Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bionca Belair and a final, unannounced member.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Bully Ray Believes Cody’s Dynamite Promo Was Near Perfect

    Bully Ray Believes Cody’s Dynamite Promo Was Near Perfect

    Former WWE Superstar Bully Ray has shared his thoughts on Cody Rhodes’ recent promo on Dynamite. The promo has been well received by the wrestling industry, with people like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson giving Rhodes props for his passion. 

    Speaking on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray explained how Rhodes’ promo was as “close to perfect as you can get for that fanbase.” 

    He continued, “You listen to the crowd, he said all the right things, he took all the right shots at Jericho. He described AEW as Ellis Island for pro wrestlers where they can experience freedom. I thought that was a phenomenal line. He laid out the stipulation, he said what this match meaned to him. He talked about his mom, he talked about his family. He had all of the perfect points.”

    “When a pro wrestler does something or says something that makes a fan want to buy anything, spend money on anything, you know you’re doing your job the right way. Because, at the end of the day, we’re in the selling business. We don’t just sell in the ring, we sell our product, we sell our merchandise. And Dusty 101 says sell, sell, sell. Not just in the ring but on the microphone. […] that’s what Cody did last night.”

    Rhodes challenges for Chris Jericho’s AEW World Championship at Full Gear on November 9th. In his promo, Rhodes promised that if he fails in winning the belt, he will never challenge for the championship again. 

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

  • Shayna Baszler On Differences Between Herself And Ronda Rousey

    Shayna Baszler On Differences Between Herself And Ronda Rousey

    NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler is set for a busy weekend during Survivor Series weekend. Not only will she be leading her team in a WarGames match on Saturday for NXT TakeOver, the next day sees her compete against both RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley at Survivor Series.

    In an interview with Newsweek, Baszler addressed her Survivor Series triple threat match. She stressed that although Lynch has experience facing off against Ronda Rousey and her MMA experience, she is a “different animal” to her friend.

    “I’ve always wanted to make it very clear that she [Rousey] does her thing I do mine. I just want to make it clear from day one that we’re friends, but you’re dealing with a whole different animal,” Baszler stated. “Just because you’re prepared for one doesn’t mean you’re prepared [for the other]. And I don’t just mean Becky, I mean the audience. Just because they know [Ronda] doesn’t mean they are prepared for me.”

    She went on to compare her in-ring style compared to Rousey’s. Baszler highlighted how she likes to pick her opponents apart “piece by piece” before stressing that she is a “different type of dangerous.”

    “[…] in a pro wrestling sense I have a different pace to how methodical and strategic I am. I think Ronda, and if you follow her MMA career she’s the same way, but she goes for the quick kill and does as much damage at once. And I’m going to pick you apart piece by piece and get enjoyment out of solving the puzzle that is a human. You’re just going to see a different pacing and a different form of viciousness.”

    SmackDown Invasion

    Turning her attention to her recent appearance on Friday Night SmackDown, where she assaulted Bayley, Baszler shared how it felt like accomplishing a dream.

    “It’s what every athlete in any sport dreams about. Us getting called and showing up on SmackDown is the equivalent in our world of the pinch hitter getting called in the ninth inning with a 3-2 count with two outs and is asked to deliver. This is everything that you dream about when you’re doing sports. It was pretty wild.”

    Survivor Series takes place on November 24th from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

  • Cesaro Has No Interest In Returning To NXT

    Cesaro Has No Interest In Returning To NXT

    WWE Superstar Cesaro has stated he has no interest in returning to NXT. Speaking with Corey Graves on the After The Bell podcast, the “Swiss Superman” explained that he would rather succeed on either RAW or SmackDown. 

    “To me, I want to succeed on RAW and SmackDown. Would I succeed on NXT? Yes. I just want to be successful, and I want to do what I do best. You said about me being the best bell to bell. I think I’m pretty good at everything, a pretty good all-rounder,” he said.

    “I know people hate the way I talk or whatever, but you only get better with practice, and at the end of the day, I feel, even if you watch NXT, those days where someone has a 15-20 minute monologue are hopefully gone. Because there needs to be conflict big enough that you don’t just talk about it for fifteen minutes, that you actually go do something or somebody else is coming to do something about it. That’s what’s interesting to me.”

    When Graves countered Cesaro’s point, explaining that some fans enjoy WWE’s opening monologues, Cesaro stated:

    “If they do, I really encourage them to go watch stand-up comedy or something. I feel like it needs to drive the action, it needs to drive the product, and some people can do that and some people, y’know, let’s move on, let’s have some action.”

    In August, Cesaro appeared on NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff. He competed against NXT UK Superstar Ilja Dragunov.  

  • Chris Jericho States That AEW Is No Longer Hiring New Talent

    Chris Jericho States That AEW Is No Longer Hiring New Talent

    All Elite Wrestling World Champion Chris Jericho has stated that the promotion is no longer hiring new talent at this point in time. “Le Champion” divulged the information during an interview with ScreenGeek.

    “We’re not looking to hire anybody else right now,” Jericho shared. “If someone comes along that makes sense, we will, but we have so much talent that people don’t even know, they don’t even know the Young Bucks yet! That’s what I’m saying, you have to understand, this is our first show, you can’t assume that everyone knows who these guys are.”

    He continued, “I haven’t been on TV for two years. What’s the first line I ever said on AEW TV? ‘My name is Chris Jericho, and I am the champion of AEW’. That pretty much tells the tale. ‘Oh, who is that guy? Oh, he’s the champion?’ Boom. Done. It’s like a good movie poster that tells you what it is.”

    Rather than inflate their roster with every available free agent, Jericho believes it’s more important to establish those who already a part of the promotion.

    “[…] it’s really important to establish who these guys are, so that when people see them they’ll freak out as to why they’ve never heard of them before and just how good they are because they’ve been doing this for years and chose NOT to go to WWE. The secret to AEW is that we all have passion to be here because we want to be.”

    Jericho defends his AEW World Championship against Cody Rhodes at AEW’s next pay-per-view Full Gear on November 9th.

  • Natalya Details Her Crown Jewel Experience, Calls It An Almost Out Of Body Experience”

    Natalya Details Her Crown Jewel Experience, Calls It An Almost Out Of Body Experience”

    Natalya made history last week, competing in the first-ever women’s wrestling match in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She defeated her rival, Lacey Evans. 

    In an interview with Busted Open Radio, Natalya recounted her experience wrestling in front of the Saudi Arabian crowd and what it would mean to her to be an inspiration to young girls. 

    “I was crying before I even left Gorilla [position],” Natalya admitted. “I almost felt like I was just so overwhelmed with emotion because I knew this match was bigger than me, I knew it was bigger than Lacey [Evans], I knew it was bigger than WWE.”

    She continued, “There was nothing like this that the women in WWE have ever done before, and like Mark [Henry] said, the magnitude of being the first – the experience was just transcending. It was for little girls and women everywhere that have had a dream, and that we got to open doors that had never been opened before. That was just overflowing in my heart.”

    “It’s About The Moments”

    She shared how she would feel incredibly inspired if any young girls in the crowd chose to now pursue professional wrestling. Natalya then stressed that creating moments and memories that last forever can be more important than being a champion.

    “This is more than just wrestling, it’s about moments – creating moments,” Nattie explained. “The moments are what last forever, not all the championships, not all the goals. I mean, granted, listen, I’ll take a couple of championships if I can get ’em. But it’s about the moments. It’s about the way people make you feel and to be able to inspire little girls. I was so inspired walking down that ramp, and I was almost so overwhelmed with emotion I almost felt like I couldn’t feel my legs when I was walking down to the ring. It was just a surreal, almost out-of-body experience.”

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Randy Orton Teases Interest In WrestleMania 36 Match Against John Cena

    Randy Orton Teases Interest In WrestleMania 36 Match Against John Cena

    RAW Superstar Randy Orton has openly teased his interest in a high-profile matchup at WrestleMania 36. In an upload to his social media, Orton shared an image of a magazine featuring John Cena on the cover. The cover reads “Up for a challenge.”

    Orton accompanied the image with the following caption: “I’m on a flight to London and see this striking young man asking me a question. Why yes @johncena I am up for a challenge, are you? Let’s say ohhhh I dunno, #Wrestlemania36 maybe? Or does Hollywood have you booked solid? #WM36”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B4jKik6A_M6/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Elite Tease To A Five-Year Contract

    ‘The Viper’ recently teased his interest in All Elite Wrestling, uploading a picture of himself next to a sign that clearly read “Elite.” His former allies on SmackDown, The Revival, added further speculation to his post by suggesting they were also interest in jumping to AEW. Despite this, however, it was revealed that Orton had signed a new five-year deal with WWE.

    Orton and Cena are familiar with one another as opponents, having feuded numerous times over the years. This suggested challenge, however, would see them clash on the grandest stage of them all at WrestleMania 36.

    WrestleMania 36 is set to take place on April 5th, 2020 from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

  • Scott D’Amore Discusses WWE’s Recent Booking Decisions

    Scott D’Amore Discusses WWE’s Recent Booking Decisions

    Impact Wrestling co-executive vice president Scott D’Amore has shared his thoughts on WWE’s recent story choices. In an interview with Forbes, D’Amore referenced the main event from October’s pay-per-view, Hell in a Cell, as a key example of WWE’s disconnection from their fanbase. The match between Seth Rollins and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt ended in a controversial referee stoppage, leading to fans in attendance to chant “AEW” and “Refund.”

    “You’ve gotta know when to lead and when to follow as that goes, and just try to do things that don’t insult the fan’s intelligence,” said D’Amore. “I think this company [Impact Wrestling], unfortunately in regimes past, had a tendency to do that and it is easy to sort of fall off the track as you saw [at WWE Hell in a Cell]. You know, it’s easy to have an old man that’s out of touch go ‘Yeah, yeah it’ll be fine, it’ll be fine…’ because it’s always fine. That’s how it works there. It’s like, ‘It’ll be fine—yeah, they complain, but they’ll never stop watching.’”

    Impact Wrestling recently premiered on AXS TV. The main event featured a steel cage match between Brian Cage and Sami Callihan. Callihan would defeat the Cage, becoming the new Impact World Champion in the process.

  • Cody Rhodes On WWE’s Production Rules: “It’s Nonsense”

    Cody Rhodes On WWE’s Production Rules: “It’s Nonsense”

    During a conversation with Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, Cody Rhodes spoke openly about WWE’s production rules. The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star would refer to them as “nonsense.”

    “The way Kevin Dunn shoots WWE, not so much the booking of it, it’s set the ball up for us. We wanted to be an alternative,” Cody said. “When you’re counter programmed on your night, you are competing. You’re no longer just an alternative. But what we’re doing is completely different. The only thing you’ll recognize is the ring. Everything else we’re doing is different wrestling.”

    He continued, “That’s why it’s fun to poke fun at it, not in a mean spirited way. All of these rules that have been in place for 20 years, they’re not wrestling rules. They’re WWE rules. ‘It’s a contract signing, there has to be a fight.’ ‘The person can’t just look at the monitor, they have to stand to the side because that’s how Kevin likes to shoot it. It’s nonsense. It worked for them until it stopped working for them. We’re happy to do wrestling the way we want to do it.”” 

    AEW hosted a contract signing on a recent episode of their TNT show, Dynamite, between Chris Jericho and Cody. This segment purposely teased falling into WWE’s formula before veering away from what fans might have expected. It ended with Jericho’s Inner Circle assaulting Dustin Rhodes in the parking lot, drawing Cody’s attention away from the AEW Champion.

    Cody is set to challenge for Jericho’s AEW World Championship on November 9th at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Full Gear. 

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription. 

  • Ken Shamrock Opens Up About Participating In Infamous Joey Ryan Spot

    Ken Shamrock Opens Up About Participating In Infamous Joey Ryan Spot

    Ken Shamrock has opened up about how he was convinced into taking Joey Ryan’s infamous flipping spot. He took the flip during a recent episode of Impact Wrestling.

    Speaking with WINCLY, Shamrock recounted the conversations leading up to his gradual agreement to participate.

    “At first, I was like, ‘no’. Then I started thinking about it and thought it would be a great match,” he said. “It was something that most people didn’t think would happen. So, I jumped in with both feet and it would be something fun for the fans. I even ran it by my kids to see what they thought and they were thumbs up.”

    He added, “I wanted to kick it around [in my head] because anytime I do something that might be controversial, I wanna run it by my family. I wanna make sure they are gonna be understanding and it’s not gonna be anything that will hurt them.”

    Shamrock added how he was “pleasantly surprised” working with Ryan, noting that he’s a great person with a unique gimmick that people are loving. He considered it an exciting opportunity to wrestle Ryan, stressing that the most important thing to him is that people appreciate what he’s doing in the ring.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

  • NXT Superstar Joaquin Wilde Cleared To Return To In-Ring Action

    NXT Superstar Joaquin Wilde Cleared To Return To In-Ring Action

    NXT Superstar Joaquin Wilde has been cleared to return to in-ring action. He revealed the news himself via social media in an Instagram story. In the story, he holds up a note that reads “Patient has been cleared for wrestling. Full contact is okay.”

    Wilde underwent surgery last month due to a broken eye socket. The Superstar now has a steel plate in his face, thanks to the injury which occurred earlier this year in July. The incident took place during training. Doctors initially delayed signing off on surgery to see if the injury would heal on its own accord.

    He originally connected with fans via Twitter, informing them of his successful surgery back in October:

    “My eye is swollen shut but i just wanted to let yall know that surgery was a success and im officially on the road to recovery. I have a steel plate in my face now. Surgeon said 4 weeks til i can start doing stuff again. So ill be back at it real soon!”

    Wilde, who has wrestled all around the world prior to signing with WWE, made his NXT debut during their NXT Breakout Tournament. He would be eliminated in the first round by Angel Garza. Formerly known in Impact Wrestling as DJZ, Wilde has held several titles including the Impact World Tag Team Championship and the X-Division Championship.

  • Adam Cole Is “Adamant” To Remain On NXT

    Adam Cole Is “Adamant” To Remain On NXT

    NXT Champion Adam Cole has revealed that, although there may eventually be an opportunity for Undisputed Era to move to either RAW or SmackDown, he’d prefer to remain a part of NXT.

    Speaking with Metro, Cole shared how “Eventually there’s the thought process of maybe the Undisputed Era would like to take our body of work and go to RAW or SmackDown. I don’t wanna speak for them, but personally I’ve never been more adamant about wanting to stay part of NXT than I am right now.”

    He explained how there’s something special about being a part of the black-and-gold brand as it continues to grow, adding that “[…] I hope so badly that me and the rest of the guys are here for a long time.”

    “We generally get the vibe that they [WWE officials] love that we’re so passionate about this place. One of the coolest things about this place is everyone who works here is so pumped to be part of NXT. I think WWE really appreciates that.”

    In the run-up to WWE’s Survivor Series pay-per-view, it was reported that Cole has been competing despite suffering from an injury.

    This is the first time that NXT will be featured on the Survivor Series event, competing against RAW and SmackDown Superstars. It is not known at this time whether Cole will take time away from the ring to heal before the show on November 24th.

  • Io Shirai Opens Up About Her Heel Turn, Finding New Confidence

    Io Shirai Opens Up About Her Heel Turn, Finding New Confidence

    WWE NXT Superstar Io Shirai recently spoke with The Hindunstan Times. During the interview, Shirai opened up about her heel turn on the black-and-gold brand. She also shared who her current dream opponents would be.

    “To the fans, my character changed suddenly. But I took a long time to think about it and it was a gradual process for me. When I came to WWE, I wanted to try out something different. They already had Asuka and Kairi [Sane]. So, I wanted to show something new,” Shirai explained. “I wanted to show a new side of Japanese woman wrestlers. I have mainly been a babyface in my career but I wanted to make a big change.”

    This change has allowed her a new sense of confidence, one she credits directly to her heel turn.

    “This has given me more confidence. The heel turn has added a lot of new things to my character and that has certainly boosted my confidence. I came with a different role but this change has been a boost for me.”

    When it comes to potential dream opponents on WWE’s main roster shows RAW and SmackDown, Shirai was quick to list a few top names. For her, she would love the opportunity to compete against “The Boss” Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair and Asuka.

  • Natalya On Crown Jewel: “It Was One Of The Most Impactful Moments Of My Life”

    Natalya On Crown Jewel: “It Was One Of The Most Impactful Moments Of My Life”

    Natalya made history last week, competing in the first-ever women’s wrestling match to take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, the Superstar recounted how it came together. She also shared just how much the match meant to her, calling it “one of the most meaningful things that I’ve ever done.”

    “We had been hearing rumblings that we were going to get the match, but we still weren’t sure, it was up in the air,” she said. “About two days before we went to Saudi Arabia this time, we were told, ‘Hey, there’s a good chance that you guys get a match. We can’t guarantee it, but it’s looking good.’ For us, we were cautiously optimistic because we didn’t want to get our hopes up and then have them dashed.”

    She recalled that, when WWE made the match official with less than 36 hours to go before Crown Jewel began, the first thing she did was call her mom.

    “[…] it was three or four o’clock in the morning, but I called her and I just wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Of course my mom was up — she said she was changing the kitty litter — but my mom was so excited, my whole family was so excited.”

    When it comes to the impact that the match has had on her, Natalya couldn’t be prouder of being involved:

    “This was being the change that we have all been waiting for. Being part of this incredible change that we were able to implement with our work, our body of work, our women’s evolution. It was one of the most impactful moments of my life. It was one of the most meaningful things that I’ve ever done. Knowing that I’m helping change the world.”

  • Adam Cole Currently Wrestling With An Injury

    Adam Cole Currently Wrestling With An Injury

    Despite recently wrestling in two main event matches against high-caliber opponents, it turns out that NXT Champion Adam Cole is competing while injured.

    According to PWInsider, Cole has been dealing with a fractured wrist. He recently wrestled against SmackDown’s Daniel Bryan last week on SmackDown. Cole also competed this Monday on RAW against former-Universal Champion Seth Rollins.

    Cole was reportedly injured in September and had subsequently missed several NXT Live Events because of it. WWE revealed that Cole had a right arm fracture during an NXT storyline with Matt Riddle. He was featured in their NXT Injury Report, which is usually used for storyline purposes. It turns out, however, that he has unfortunately been suffering from a legitimate injury.

    Survivor Series

    WWE’s November pay-per-view, Survivor Series, will see NXT compete against Superstars from RAW and SmackDown. This is the first time that the black-and-gold brand has been involved with the event.

    Although he has competed against top talent, Cole has yet to be scheduled for a match at Survivor Series. It is not known at the time of writing whether he will be taking any time away from the ring in order to allow the fracture to heal.

    His Undisputed Era stablemates, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly, are scheduled to compete in a Triple Threat Tag Team match. They face off against fellow tag team champions, RAW’s Viking Raiders and SmackDown’s The Revival.

  • Corey Graves Reveals Which Superstars He Thinks Are Currently Underutilized

    Corey Graves Reveals Which Superstars He Thinks Are Currently Underutilized

    During the premiere episode of WWE’s official podcast, After The Bell, host Corey Graves opened up about two current Superstars he feels are being underutilized by the company.

    “In my opinion, Cesaro is the single-most underrated superstar, most underutilized superstar, not only in WWE but in the entire wrestling industry,” Graves stated. “[…] There was something about him; everything about Cesaro is this business. We always say it about Randy Orton – if you were to design a sports entertainer from the ground up, to me, Cesaro is kind of that same ilk.”

    He described Cesaro’s physicality and technical ability in the ring, highlighting how he has dedicated his life to the craft of pro wrestling. 

    “[…] there is literally no one you can put into a ring in WWE with Cesaro that won’t tear it down,” Graves claimed. “Cesaro is incapable of having a bad match; I mean, he may tell you otherwise. I’m telling you from my perspective as a guy that’s watched every second of WWE for the last three-and-a-half, four years. Cesaro is the guy.”

    The Real Deal

    The second Superstar Graves mentions is WWE’s former Cruiserweight Champion, Drew Gulak. Whereas he believes Cesaro is let down by his skills on the mic, Graves stresses that Gulak doesn’t suffer from that same problem. For him, Gulak is as good on the mic as he is in the ring.

    “His presentation, the way he goes about things in the ring, [he’s] another one that if given the right stage and not getting killed by Braun Strowman, or the Lucha House Party, or whoever else that week, Gulak can talk,” he said. “I don’t know if the PowerPoint presentations are going to be his keys to the kingdom. But if you’ve gotten to see anything he’s capable of on 205 Live or during his reign as cruiserweight champion – remember the match where he won the Cruiserweight Title and it was a triple threat match? Gulak is the real deal. And I’m glad, at least, that he caught the attention of somebody to earn a roster spot on SmackDown.”

    Graves then noted how the idea of Gulak wrestling against Cesaro gave him “goosebumps.” He stressed that if fans wanted to see two guys “manipulate the hell out of one another’s bodies and hurt one another in the most unique, interesting ways” then Cesaro and Gulak were the Superstars to do it.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Sami Callihan Talks Making Impact “The Place To Be,” Reveals When His Contract Expires

    Sami Callihan Talks Making Impact “The Place To Be,” Reveals When His Contract Expires

    Sami Callihan successfully defeated Brian Cage during Impact Wrestling’s recent premiere on AXS TV. This win saw him become the new Impact Wrestling World Champion. In an interview with the WINCLY podcast, he talked about his victory. He also divulged when his contract with the company is set to expire.

    “I’m signed with Impact Wrestling until next December [2020] but that’s not on my mind right now,” Callihan said. “My mind is being one of the full forces behind saving Impact Wrestling and I think they’ve done that.”

    Callihan continued, explaining “I think everyone’s coined this term that Impact Wrestling is hard to kill. We’re not gonna insult anyone’s intelligence by looking back at the past and saying the past was good. No, there was a lot in the past and this company was in sh*t shape. I think over the past few years between management and the roster that has a chip on their shoulder, we went out there and kicked the door down and showed Impact is a true alternative in pro wrestling.”

    He noted how he wanted to be a name forever associated with Impact Wrestling, helping it to become one for the “most successful companies on the planet.” Callihan added how he will wave the Impact flag harder than anyone else and has proven that Impact Wrestling is “the place to be.”

    Next Challenger

    Now that he’s the champion, Callihan finds himself with a target on his back from the rest of the Impact roster. For him, however, one of the first people who should get a chance at the belt is the former champion, Brian Cage.

    “I think Brian Cage has to get the automatic because he’s a champion. Even though he only defended the championship twice and he broke down more than a McDonald’s ice cream machine, I’d love to beat Brian Cage’s ass again,” said Callihan. “If you look back at history, I’m the only man that’s pinned Brian Cage twice in the middle of the ring clean.”

    With the episode ending with Callihan being confronted by Tessa Blanchard, however, it appears that Impact Wrestling is interested in exploring a feud between the two for their top prize.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

  • Becky Lynch Still Wants To Wrestle Ronda Rousey One-On-One

    Becky Lynch Still Wants To Wrestle Ronda Rousey One-On-One

    WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch is still lobbying for a one-on-one confrontation with “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Lynch reiterated her interest in facing off against the former UFC Bantamweight Champion.

    “I’m exactly where I want to be, but there’s always more work to be done,” Lynch said. “The world still needs that one-on-match with Ronda Rousey. Whenever she’s ready, I’ll be here, still holding down the fort in WWE.”

    Until that time, however, Lynch is eagerly awaiting her next major rival to step up and make a name for themselves. She’s hoping that people will stop complaining, and actually start pushing themselves in new, unique ways.

    “In our locker room, there are two types of people,” explained Lynch. “Those who are bitching about how I got to the top and those who are trying to copy what I did. But you have to go outside of that. You have to be completely different.

    She continued, “Step up. Make a name for yourself. Do it without doing it the way I did. I see what everyone else is doing, and then I try to do the opposite. Be original. Create the interest I have, put together the matches I’ve had. No one can do what I do. If you can, please step up to the plate.”

    Lynch made history earlier this year at WrestleMania 35. Alongside Rousey and Charlotte Flair, she would main event WWE’s biggest event—the first time women have ever done so. Lynch walked away the winner of their Triple Threat match, claiming both the RAW Women’s Championship and the SmackDown Women’s Championship in the process.