SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Arn Anderson Believes Luke Harper “Has Got The Goods”

    Arn Anderson Believes Luke Harper “Has Got The Goods”

    On a recent episode of his podcast, Arn Show, Arn Anderson praised frustrated WWE Superstar Luke Harper.  

    Anderson shared how he has watched Harper since he first started in WWE. He broke down how he has evolved as an in-ring competitor since his days in the Wyatt family. He noted that Harper can make every match exciting, even if he’s taking a beating.

    “I doubt very seriously if anybody could show me a match that Luke Harper was in that they say ‘that wasn’t very good.’ He’s just that good and he’s just that valuable,” Anderson stated. “[…] the guy is intelligent and the guy could talk and to be honest with you, if I had my options of where to put that guy right now and what his character would be, Luke Harper would become the Unabomber. I say that in a fictitious sense. I can see that guy sitting in the third floor of an old house with just a single lightbulb hanging above his head as the camera zooms head [and] you see he’s on the computer.”

    He continued, “[…] there’s a character just sitting there waiting for somebody to groom and manufacture and turn into a prize and a very valuable piece of the company. I hope somebody sees it, spots it, recognizes it and makes it happen because the guy has got the goods.”

    Harper’s contract is set to expire in a few months. Given his open frustrations, it is speculated that he will leave WWE to explore other opportunities. 

    H/T to WrestlingNews for the transcription.

  • Randy Orton Personally Pitched Vince McMahon To Form A Stable With Himself And The Revival

    Randy Orton Personally Pitched Vince McMahon To Form A Stable With Himself And The Revival

    Randy Orton reportedly approached Vince McMahon in order to push for a stable to be officially formed between himself and The Revival, according to Fightful.

    Orton and Revival members, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder, were partnered together earlier this year. Dawson and Wilder would attempt to assist Orton in his attempts to become WWE Champion. Despite gaining some traction, however, Orton’s pitch apparently fell on deaf ears.

    During the most recent version of the WWE Draft, The Revival would be moved to SmackDown. ‘The Viper’ would end up on WWE’s red brand, Monday Night RAW, bringing an end to their short alliance.

    Elite Tease

    Orton recently created a stir online after uploading a photo of himself teasing interest in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The Superstar shared an image of him next to a sign that clearly read “Elite.”

    His friends, Dawson and Wilder, added to the speculation by uploading their own teases to social media. Dawson shared a photo of three of them accompanied by the caption “What SHOULD’VE been! Thank you, Randy. We’ll see ya down the road. #FTRKO #TopGuys @RandyOrton @DashWilderWWE”

    Wilder responded, writing “What WILL be. Eventually.”

    Earlier this year, The Revival requested their release from WWE. Since that time, they have had three tag team championship reigns. At the time of writing, their contracts will expire around the spring of 2020.

    Orton, meanwhile, is approaching the end of his ten-year-long contract with the company. Assuming he hasn’t signed a new deal, he will become a free agent next summer.

  • Pat McAfee Recalls His “Last Minute” Rush To Get To SmackDown

    Pat McAfee Recalls His “Last Minute” Rush To Get To SmackDown

    Pat McAfee ended up stepping into a commentary role last week following WWE’s travel issues following Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Several Superstars and WWE personnel were stranded after a mechanical issue with their plane. They would be grounded for hours, missing that Friday’s episode of SmackDown Live in Buffalo, New York.

    McAfee recalled discovering his opportunity during his DAZN show, reflecting on the “last minute” nature of the situation.

    “I get a text from Triple H. ‘You home?’ I had heard the news with what happened with their planes breaking down in Saudi Arabia and all of the talent, commentators, and producers being stuck in the Middle East due to a plane malfunction. I look at it and go, ‘Oh damn. Yes, I am home.’ I get a phone call immediately and he goes, ‘Hey, have you heard about what happened?’ ‘I absolutely have.’ He said, ‘I haven’t pitched this to Vince McMahon yet, but if you were to come in and do some commentary and do your thing, would you be up for it? Can you get to Buffalo?’ I said, ‘ABSOLUTELY!’ He said, ‘I’ll get back to you.’”

    “You Got A Plane”

    McAfee had no easy way to get to Buffalo and ended up pulling in a major favor to get him to New York on time. McAfee would contact Indianapolis Colts COO, Pete Ward. He explained the entire situation and his desperate need to get to New York.

    “At this point, I did not know if it was 100% that [I would be calling SmackDown]. I go, ‘Is there any way (Colts owner) Jim Irsay would lend me a plane to get there?’ He calls me back and goes, ‘Jim says pack your bags, brother. You got a plane.’ I get a text from Hunter and he goes, ‘Let’s go.’

    He continued, “I land an hour and 45 minutes before the show starts. Nobody there. Everybody is stuck in transit. I see [Triple H], he’s talking to Brock Lesnar. I go over to Brock, shake his [hand]. I go, ‘Nice to meet you, sir. You’re a legend.’ He goes, ‘You too.’ I talk to Mr. H and go, ‘What’s the plan?’ He goes, ‘We got a good one for you.’”

    McAfee shared that he had the time of his life joining the SmackDown announce team that night. He admitted that both Vince and Stephanie McMahon were in his ear a few times, but noted that he thought he heard them laugh at least one, something he considers a success.

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Young Bucks Discuss Learning From Dean Malenko & Chris Jericho

    Matt and Nick Jackson, collectively known as The Young Bucks, have opened up about how instrumental Dean Malenko and All Elite Wrestling World Champion Chris Jericho have been backstage during their shows. 

    “Let’s Try To Give Them Something Different”

    “It’s a team effort, but I would say Chris Jericho has definitely given the most pointers to us, individually, I would say” Nick Jackson shared during an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. “Because he’s been doing it for so long and he’s given us tips on how to make things work perfectly. He knows what he’s talking about. He’s so smart. I feel like he’s taught us the most with timing things.”

    His brother, Matt Jackson, added “[…] I think the way to stay on top in wrestling is you never stop learning. So to have a guy like a Dean Malenko there, it’s so great to have these minds to just pick. Not even just that. Sometimes we’ll sit at the go position, and I’ll watch a guy like Dean, and I’ll watch the way that he produces the segment and I” ll listen to him. […] You just mentioned with the timing; he knows exactly when to time things.”

    He continued, “Chris Jericho is the master at these things. He told Nick the other day, like, if you’ve got a 13-minute match, plan a kickass 13-minute match. Don’t worry too much about the break spots tonight. Let’s try to give them something different. […] We don’t want to fall into doing the same thing every week and fall into these patterns. We’re trying to be unpredictable still, and trying to find our sweet spot.”

    The Young Bucks are scheduled to compete against Inner Circle members Santana and Ortiz at AEW’s next pay-per-view, Full Gear, on November 9.

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

  • Natalya: WWE Evolution 2 Is “Right Around The Corner”

    Natalya: WWE Evolution 2 Is “Right Around The Corner”

    Natalya has shared her belief that it’s only a matter of time before WWE puts on another Evolution pay-per-view.

    Speaking with Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT, Natalya said: “I think there are some incredible opportunities coming up for the girls and I absolutely, 100% know for a fact that there will be an Evolution 2 – right around the corner.”

    Reflecting on her recent, history-making match against Lacey Evans in Saudi Arabia, Natalya pointed to Fit Finlay for his help in producing the match. Finlay produced their contest alongside Natalya’s husband, Tyson Kidd.

    “He’s truly the unsung hero of the women’s division,” she said of Finlay. “He’s been one of the main men behind so much change for the girls. He fought for us when it wasn’t cool to fight for the girls of the women’s division.”

    When asked what it has been like getting to work with her husband, Natalya stated that “He absolutely loves working with the girls. I’m biased because he’s my husband, but he’s an incredible producer.”

    Natalya defeated Evans during their match at WWE Crown Jewel last week. Their bout made history, becoming the first-ever women’s wrestling match to take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the quotes

  • Taya Valkyrie Discusses John Morrison Possibly Returning To WWE

    Taya Valkyrie Discusses John Morrison Possibly Returning To WWE

    Impact Wrestling star Taya Valkyrie was recently asked about the chances that her husband, John Hennigan, will return to WWE.

    Speaking with Forbes, Valkyrie stated “[…] we don’t really talk [about potentially working for two different promotions]. We’re together all the time and I’ve never—in the almost four years that we’ve been together—there’s never been an argument or problem or like a lack of finding time for each other.”

    She continued,” Even though we’ve worked together a lot of that time, part of that time—when we first started for example—I was living in Mexico. We were traveling back and forth and we made it work and no matter where he goes on his next step of his journey and his professional wrestling career, it’s going to be okay because we love each other, support each other and I know he’s got my back, I’ve got his back and it’s just part of life.”

    Hennigan has wrestled under numerous pseudonyms including John Morrison, Johnny Impact and Johnny Mundo. He has reportedly signed a new deal with WWE.

    At the time of writing, neither WWE nor Hennigan have confirmed the signing. Hennigan previously wrestled for WWE from 2002 to 2011. He is a former WWE Intercontinental Champion and multiple-time WWE Tag Team Champion.

  • Booker T Speculates On What’s Next For “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt

    Booker T Speculates On What’s Next For “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt

    WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has addressed “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt’s recent Universal Championship victory. Wyatt defeated former champion Seth Rollins in the main event of WWE’s recent event Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia.

    Speaking on the Reality of Wrestling podcast, Booker T spoke about what comes next for “The Fiend.”

    “I said it on the kickoff show as we’re getting ready to go into a new era. Bray Wyatt is going to be not only the conqueror of the WWE, going from The Undertaker and then moving onto John Cena, and now The Fiend has arrived,” Booker said.

    He continued, “Where does The Fiend go? He can’t just keep popping up and cutting the lights on and off. We need to put the rocket on him and send him straight to the moon and let everyone else chase. We need to find someone who can beat The Fiend.”

    “You’re The Guy”

    Booker T shared how anybody in the locker room could become “the guy” to step up next now that “The Fiend” has become established at the top of SmackDown’s roster. For him, however, he believes the next logical choice is Daniel Bryan.

    “Everybody in the locker room is now in a position to put themselves in a place where anything can happen for them,” he stated. “They can get a phone call that says, ‘You’re the guy.’ Humberto Carrillo, he might be the guy. Somebody right now is in prime position to step up and have the fans look at them in a totally different way.”

    “[Bryan] would have been the guy to actually been a fiend right now just because the fans would believe in him so much. We need somebody that the fans are gonna believe in 100 percent to get behind. There’s not a whole lot of guys I can think of that I could go to right now to put against The Fiend. I might have to bring The Undertaker back to make this thing work. You never know.”

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

  • Ricochet Comments On His Position In WWE

    Ricochet Comments On His Position In WWE

    RAW Superstar Ricochet has defended how WWE has been utilizing him since his move up to the main roster from NXT. He was responding to several fans via Twitter who highlighted how often he loses on shows and, in their opinion, has no push.

    Ricochet shared how he has the most wins on RAW to date. He also pointed to how he won a championship within a few months of arriving on WWE’s main roster. “I love being a portrayed as a superhero to hopefully millions of children and people around the world,” he added. “The entire @WWEUniverse pushes me to be better everyday.”

    He denied that he was bothered by the comments, explaining that he just loves to engage with his fans worldwide.

    “Whether they agree with me or not. They have a right to express how they feel. I simply just give my thoughts back and hopefully they understand where I’m coming from. Nothing but love here.”

    When another fan commented on the “hate” he receives on social media regarding a win/loss record, Ricochet noted how he doesn’t believe their opinions stem from hatred. He thinks they come from the point of passion from fans who want to see him perform to the best of his abilities and be given a bigger spotlight to do so.

  • Renee Young Talks About Her “Disastrous” Time As A Commentator

    Renee Young Talks About Her “Disastrous” Time As A Commentator

    Former RAW commentary Renee Young has opened up about her time as a member of the announce team. During an interview with the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, Young referred to her time commentating as “disastrous.”

    She confessed that she never felt truly comfortable in the role, which led her to have a stressful year as she attempted to learn and adjust. 

    Reflecting on how the opportunity first came around, Young said “I needed something different to chew on. Cole and HHH pulled me aside and told me I was going to do commentary on RAW. I was like ‘What? Why? Who approved this?’ I was going to try and figure it out.”

    Young explained that three hours of live television turned out to be quite an obstacle. She struggled to maintain her naturally bubbly personality throughout RAW’s runtime.

    “Corey Graves is great at that,” she said. “I was used to being the ‘A’ person. It was odd trying to jump and talk about something that had already been said. I tried to come at it from a fan standpoint but that does not always work. I felt some misdirection about what my purpose was out there.”

    She noted how it can be difficult to accept when you aren’t good at something, but knew it was important to realise that “It just wasn’t really working.” She has previously commented on receiving hate from people over her work and has addressed those who have been critical of her. 

    WWE Backstage

    Following the most recent WWE Draft, Young has been removed from the RAW announce team. She has been moved into a new position, hosting the Fs1 Studio show, WWE Backstage.

    Young recently returned to commentary during last week’s Friday Night SmackDown. This was due to WWE’s travel issues leading to talent being stuck in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, Young would end up being hit in the face by a boot during her time covering announcing duties.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription. 

  • Karl Anderson’s Wife States WWE Roster Were “Held Hostage”

    Karl Anderson’s Wife States WWE Roster Were “Held Hostage”

    Numerous WWE Superstars are reportedly deeply unhappy with the company. This comes in the wake of recent events following WWE’s Crown Jewel show in Saudi Arabia. Superstars and WWE personnel were left stranded, their flights grounded for hours after they were meant to leave the country. WWE subsequently released an official statement attributing these issues to mechanical problems.

    One of the Superstars affected by these severe delays and confusion was O.C. member Karl Anderson. He recently tweeted that WWE couldn’t pay him enough to go back to Saudi Arabia. His wife then responded to the tweet, expressing how his “being held hostage” had the entire family “worried to death.”

    “2nd house!! Not a pool..but don’t ever go back AGAIN! We don’t need our daddy/papi/motherlover/absanderson/besttagteam etc. being held hostage while we’re at home worried to death”

    https://twitter.com/Strawtini/status/1190757223145918464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1190757223145918464&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwrestlingnews.co%2Fwwe-news%2Fkarl-andersons-wife-says-wwe-roster-was-held-hostage-dont-ever-go-back-again%2F

    Her response will no doubt add fuel to the fire that the hold up was perhaps deeper than a mechanical issue. Many Superstars have reportedly claimed they will refuse to travel to Saudi Arabia in the future. Others have stated that they can’t wait to leave WWE altogether.

    WWE is allegedly attempting to get affected talent to record videos explaining the incident was entirely related to the purported mechanical issues. AJ Styles recently appeared on his Mixer account. In his video, he shared that he had spoken with the pilot who confirmed to him there was a technical fault at play.

    https://youtu.be/lc2VBdH35Uw
  • Jack Hager Recalls Creative Frustrations In WWE

    Jack Hager Recalls Creative Frustrations In WWE

    All Elite Wrestling’s Jake Hager has opened up about what he considers key differences between AEW and WWE. Speaking with Busted Open Radio, Hager talked about the creative freedoms in AEW compared to his time in WWE. He noted how Superstars would often begin a new storyline or angle, only for it be stopped dead.

    “If it makes sense up there [in WWE], they are not going to do it. It has to not make sense for them to want to go forward with it,” Hager explained. “That part gets frustrating because you see so many times that I had really cool moments in my career and then the next day it gets stopped for no reason and who knows why.”

    “Maybe I did something or maybe it’s the powers that be that chose it but it is really frustrating because you put your body on the line; you put your back on the line and your neck on the line and give your body to these people and you go out there and give your heart to these people and all of a sudden it is taken away. You don’t even have an explanation for it and then you are back at the bottom of the pile again. I don’t think you can sustain, that is not a good business model.”

    He continued,” They say that talent is the biggest asset of the company but they don’t treat it as that, so it is so frustrating that you get storylines canceled day of, hours before the show is about to go on. That is one thing we know about AEW. We know the script a week out, even before we go out to TV so we are already thinking about what to do and how to entertain our great fans.”

    Night And Day

    When asked about the differences between AEW and WWE locker rooms, Hager said they are “night and day.” Part of that is the approachability of AEW President, Tony Khan. Hager noted that Khan’s friendly attitude has trickled down across the entire company. He explained that this has created a better working environment for everybody involved. He added that AEW is comprised of a bunch of hungry young talent, all of whom are trying to build a future “outside of the WWE.”

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

  • Jordan Myles Waiting For Response From WWE, Promises His Voice Will Be Heard

    Jordan Myles Waiting For Response From WWE, Promises His Voice Will Be Heard

    WWE NXT Superstar Jordan Myles has promised that if WWE doesn’t reach out to him, he will make sure his voice and movement will be heard. He made his proclamation via Twitter, ending his tweet with the hashtag “#ForTheCulture.”

    https://twitter.com/GoGoMyles/status/1191174913295605762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1191174913295605762&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wrestlinginc.com%2Fnews%2F2019%2F11%2Fjordan-myles-tells-wwe-he-waiting-for-them-to-reach-out-661701%2F

    Myles recently publicly called out WWE for a controversial t-shirt design the company had created for him. In his original tweet, Myles explained how representation is important. He added how “If this is @VinceMcMahon & @TripleH “vision” of me then this is a slap in the face to EVERY African American performer, fan, and supporter.”

    The Superstar has received advice from several Superstars including Titus O’Neil and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. Both WWE and Jordan Myles released subsequent statements addressing the t-shirt design and the controversy it created.

    WWE Statement

    WWE stressed that Myles approved the t-shirt before they went forward with production. They highlighted how they always work collaboratively with Superstars and that this process for Jordan Myles’ shirt was no different.

    “Albert Hardie Jr. (aka Jordan Myles) approved this t-shirt for sale. As always, we work collaboratively with all of our performers to develop logos and merchandise designs and get their input and approval before proceeding. This was the same process with Albert, and we responded swiftly once he later requested that the logo/t-shirt be redesigned. No t-shirts were sold.”

    Myles would go on to release a new t-shirt of his own. All proceeds for that shirt go towards the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) foundation.

  • Scott Hall On Crown Jewel, Brock Lesnar Opening The Show

    Scott Hall On Crown Jewel, Brock Lesnar Opening The Show

    WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall has shared his thoughts on WWE’s recent Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia. 

    Speaking with the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast, Hall addressed the show itself, as well as his feelings on Lesnar opening the show.

    “I think everything is great and I love the way that I study what goes on not just what happens in all aspects of our industry and not just in the ring but I like to watch behind the scenes and just the way that WWE has educated the fans in Saudi Arabia.”

    He continued, “Like at first they notoriously came late to the show. The show started and nobody was there, because they are not conditioned for that and not really responding to the matches and cheering and booing they do customarily in the US but after this as about the third or fourth time over there now the fans are getting educated how to enjoy the show to the maximum.”

    “To cheer, to boo and to just have fun with it and it is great to see and how later in the night they have the first ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia. So you can say what they want, I know WWE took a lot of heat for continuing to do business with Saudi after the one reporter was killed and stuff. But in their defense you can’t change anything about standing in their way, so they don’t agree with the guy being assassinated and they can’t change by sitting in Stamford, Connecticut and all the can do is come and show the American way up close and personal. I think it is a good thing.”

    Lesnar/Velasquez

    Hall shared that he agreed with Lesnar opening the event, especially with his opponent being the debuting Cain Velasquez. He explained how WWE would want to start the show off in a major way. To him, a WWE Championship match does just that. He also noted that it was a better choice for Velasquez. It allowed him to just “get it over with” rather than sitting around backstage and worrying about it throughout the night. 

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the quotes. 

  • Cody Rhodes Discusses Being A Mentor To MJF

    Cody Rhodes Discusses Being A Mentor To MJF

    All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has spoken out about his best friend MJF. He addressed his role as a mentor to his often brash protege, stating that he sees MJF as a talent he wants to help cultivate.

    In an interview with Wrestlezone, Cody reflected on how he has been a “bad guy” on numerous occasions, having turned on tag team partners himself in the past. It’s something he is well aware of when fans speculate that, one day, MJF will turn on him.

    “I’m not oblivious to the fact that MJF is an ass,” he said. “I’m aware. I’ve done signings with him too and I’ve asked never to do signings with him again because he is fully committed to you hating him. However—he was my handpicked project before All In.”

    He continued, “Whether it’s because he’s in your face asking questions, whether it’s because he’s literally growing—his body’s growing, knowing that he’s putting work in in the gym—his matches. He’s able to mix the modern style with a new style, creating his own style, or it’s just the X factor, whatever it was. I sold him to Matt and Nick for All In, and then after that, I never had to sell him again.”

    Project MJF

    When it comes to their friendship, Cody wants to take responsibility for MJF as a talent, referring to his friend as a “project.”

    “He’s entertaining, and I feel like he’s mine. I want to cultivate that,” Rhodes admitted. “My Dad had so many projects through the years, so many projects. So, this is my project. And maybe I don’t have that many, but this is one of my first projects as a leader and as a mentor.”

    “I’ve never been a mentor before, or at least I didn’t know I was until now. Some of those guys—‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry, Kip Sabian, Max—a bunch of projects that we have that we’ve homegrown and developed. I want Max to have the best chance to succeed and win. I know he’s not friendly and I know he’s not sociable, but in the ring he can get it done. If you watch last week’s Dynamite, he will make the right decision from time to time.”

    Cody faces AEW World Champion Chris Jericho for the title at AEW Full Gear on November 9th.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Nick Jackson States There Is “Zero Chance” Of A Partnership Between AEW And NJPW

    Nick Jackson States There Is “Zero Chance” Of A Partnership Between AEW And NJPW

    All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Nick Jackson has stressed that is “zero chance” of a partnership between AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

    When asked by a fan via Twitter what his thoughts were on a potential partnership between the companies, Jackson replied with a succinct, “Not happening.”

    His response was challenged by another fan, who stated that Jackson wouldn’t admit to it over social media, even if a deal was in the works. This prompted him to reiterate his point, stressing that “It’s really not happening. Been asked this thousands of times and telling the truth is always best. Don’t want fans holding onto something that has zero chance of happening.”

    Several AEW talents have appeared on NJPW shows in the past. Jon Moxley won the IWGP United States Championship in his debut match for the company. He also competed during their summer-long G1 Climax tournament.

    Kenny Omega also featured a recent reference to Kota Ibushi during a recent video promo on AEW: Dynamite.

    Just yesterday during NJPW’s Power Struggle event, AEW World Champion Chris Jericho announced his return. He challenged New Japan’s Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi to a match at next year’s Wrestle Kingdom 14 show.

    Nick Jackson explained that Jericho’s appearance and clash with Tanahashi is “in his contract” and doesn’t reflect on any sort of speculated relationship between AEW and NJPW.

  • Details On Cain Velasquez Needing Knee Surgery, Crown Jewel Match

    Details On Cain Velasquez Needing Knee Surgery, Crown Jewel Match

    During yesterday’s WWE Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez made his WWE in-ring debut. He faced off current WWE Champion Brock Lesnar with the title on the line.

    The match itself, however, was a short-lived affair, ending in Lesnar submitting Velasquez via kimura in two minutes and three seconds. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE always intended to have their clash be a quick encounter.

    The reason behind this decision is due to Velasquez’s knee being in poor condition. It’s believed he requires knee surgery in order to remedy the issues. At the time of writing, there is no indication as to when he might receive the operation, or how long he may be healing for afterwards.

    WWE was aware of his knee problems, as well as the possibility of surgery, when they initially signed him. Prior to signing with WWE, Velasquez had been in talks with All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

    Cain Velasquez is signed to a three-year contract, though it is not known whether WWE intended to use him as a regular talent or as more irregular featured Superstar.

    He is apparently still scheduled to team with Rey Mysterio in a tag team match against Andrade and Drew McIntyre. This bout is set to take place at a WWE Live Event in Mexico City on Saturday, November 30th.

  • The O.C. Comments On Their Tag Team Turmoil Victory At Crown Jewel

    The O.C. Comments On Their Tag Team Turmoil Victory At Crown Jewel

    O.C. members Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows emerged victorious from yesterday’s Tag Team Turmoil match at Crown Jewel. This victory has earned them the title of “The Best Tag Team In The World.” To them, however, the win just proves what they already knew.

    “Brother, we’ve known since our days in Japan when we used to climb to Mount Fuji and talk to the souls of all the pro wrestlers and Superstars around the world,” Anderson said. “They used to tell us that we were the best tag team in the world. We acted like the best tag team in the world, and right here tonight, we showed the world that we were the best tag team in the world.”

    His tag team partner, Gallows added, “Over a hundred countries, almost a decade together, all fifty states together. It’s not just hype anymore, we claim the cup as the best tag team in the world, WWE or anywhere else on the map. They don’t make two other brothers quite like us. And like we’ve said for years, it was that same old recipe with a cramp in our hand: a Magic Killer, a 1, 2, 3, and a just too sweet.”

    The two beat out competition from Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, Lucha House Party, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, Heavy Machinery, The New Day, The B-Team, The Revival and The Viking Raiders to earn themselves the win.

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

  • Paige Responds To In-Ring Return Rumors

    Paige Responds To In-Ring Return Rumors

    Paige has responded to rumors that she is being primed for an in-ring return. Speculation began following this week’s Monday Night RAW. The team that she managed, The Kabuki Warriors — comprised of Asuka and Kairi Sane — turned on her during a brief segment on the show. Paige was on the receiving end of Asuka’s green mist attack. This turn would see RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch run out to make the save, beating down the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

    Taking to Twitter, Paige quashed the rumors, sarcastically writing:

    “Yep this is obviously true. Now if someone could lend me their neck that would be great..”

    The former Superstar’s in-ring career came to an unfortunate sudden end in December 2017. She was involved in a six-woman tag team match during a WWE Live Event. The match was called off by the referee after Paige received a kick to her neck from ‘The Boss’ Sasha Banks, injuring her. It was soon determined that Paige would not be cleared for an in-ring return by WWE’s medical team.

    Since that time, Paige has accompanied former stable Absolution and helped helm SmackDown as the brand’s General Manager. She was removed from this role in December 2018. It wouldn’t be until April 2019 that she would return as the manager for the Kabuki Warriors.

  • Joey Mercury Reportedly Done With Ring Of Honor

    Joey Mercury Reportedly Done With Ring Of Honor

    Joey Mercury is reportedly done with Ring of Honor (ROH) according to PWInsider. He has been working backstage for the promotion in a creative and producer role since May 2018. He also oversaw ROH’s training dojo.

    Mercury has allegedly been removed from both roles following the company’s recent tour in the United Kingdom, Honor United. His departure is described as being a “mutually agreed upon decision” by both parties.

    He is still technically contracted to ROH due to the non-compete clause coming into effect. At the time of writing, there is no further information as to when this non-compete clause expires or whether Mercury has aspirations to return to in-ring action or continue his creative/backstage work.

    Prior to his time with ROH, Mercury had been a part of WWE both as a Superstar and backstage producer. He was released in 2017, working as a trainer on the independent scene until his hiring by ROH in 2018.

    As a WWE Superstar, he was a part of CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society stable. During Seth Rollins’ heel run, Mercury was one half of J&J security alongside Jamie Noble, aligning with The Authority. He is also a three-time WWE Tag Team Champion, having won the belts with his partner, Johnny Nitro.

  • WWE Co-President Comments On Eric Bischoff’s Recent Firing

    WWE Co-President Comments On Eric Bischoff’s Recent Firing

    During WWE’s 2019 Q3 investors call, WWE Co-President George Barrios was asked about Eric Bischoff’s short stay as SmackDown’s Executive Director.

    Although Barrios wouldn’t name any specific person, he stressed that WWE is committed to putting the right people into the roles.

    “I think Vince has mentioned it before on the call that one of the internal projects we’ve had is just like every part of the organization,” Barrios said. “And it’s how you continually strengthen the structure and the process to accomplish the goal of that particular function. In the case of the writing there’s a lot of work done early in the year around that. One of the manifestations of that was the creation of these roles Executive Directors of each of the brands. And as Vince mentioned it allowed him to be more targeted and how he involved himself in the creative process.”

    He continued, “So we’re really, really happy about the structure and continue to invest in that and strengthen it internally. I’m not going to talk about one — a particular individual. Ultimately the structure, the process loops you to create around that, if you do that really, really well over time we try to recruit the best talent possible to put into the roles and that’s what we do everywhere.”

    Barrios avoided naming individuals but noted that WWE’s creative writing process hasn’t changed. He stressed that “[…] we feel really good about the changes we made to the structure in process.”

    Eric Bischoff only served a short term as SmackDown’s Executive Director. He was replaced by Bruce Prichard.

    H/T to Fool.com for the transcription.

  • Scott D’Amore Discusses Impact’s AXS TV Premiere, How They Stand Out

    Scott D’Amore Discusses Impact’s AXS TV Premiere, How They Stand Out

    Impact Wrestling Vice President Scott D’Amore has opened up about the show’s premiere on AXS TV earlier this week. The show was headlined by Brian Cage versus Sami Callihan in a steel cage match for the Impact World Championship. Callihan defeated Cage to claim the title.

    In an interview with Wrestling Inc. before the premiere, D’Amore spoke about how they ended up on AXS TV. He also addressed why Pursuit and Pop wasn’t the right home for the promotion.

    “As people probably can understand, this isn’t the type of thing that comes together overnight,” D’Amore said. “It’s been a very long process and it goes back many months. It’s been in the works and one of the hardest things to do is just keep telling people, ‘don’t worry, we have a plan’ but not being able to say what that plan was. So, it was a pretty exciting day when we finally got to get that announcement out about AXS TV.”

    He explained that “Ultimately, Pursuit was a stopgap for where we knew we were going. We were still on Pop TV when we knew that AXS was going to be our new home. But without us committing to Pop, Pop couldn’t commit to us. If we would have stayed on Pop, we would have been bounced all over the late night time slots.”

    D’Amore shared that he believes Impact’s strength lies in the way they try to tell dynamic, compelling storylines in different ways. He added that this new deal with Anthem (who acquired majority ownership of AXS) gives them a firm home, claiming that “Impact is here and it’s not going anywhere.”

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Wrestlers React To First-Ever Women’s Match In Saudi Arabia

    Wrestlers React To First-Ever Women’s Match In Saudi Arabia

    Following their historic matchup during last night’s WWE Crown Jewel event, several WWE Hall of Famers and wrestlers have shared their thoughts on Lacey Evans vs Natalya. The two competed in the first-ever women’s wrestling match in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    Hardcore legend Mick Foley shared that it was one of the most beautiful, impactful moments he has ever witnessed in his 34 years in the wrestling industry. He thanked both women for giving him the privilege of watching. Foley included a photo of the two embracing in the ring.

    https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1189988249126735874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1189988249126735874&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F574564650.shtml

    WWE Hall of Famer Edge wrote, “Keep smashin em down ladies. Seeing the joy on little girls faces in that crowd said it all. Be proud @LaceyEvansWWE your daughter will know the difference you helped make. And @NatbyNature you are the true Iron Woman of @WWE The Gatekeeper. Words cannot express how proud I am.”

    Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston stated how proud he was of Natalya. He reflected how she is one of his longest friends in wrestling and stressed that “there’s no one better suited to rep the wrestling industry in this monumental moment.”

    Even AEW World Champion Chris Jericho shared his thoughts on the historic moment. He shared his congratulations, calling their match “monumental.”

  • Update On WWE Talent Stuck In Saudi Arabia After Crown Jewel

    Update On WWE Talent Stuck In Saudi Arabia After Crown Jewel

    Several WWE Superstars and staff have reportedly been having issues returning back to the U.S. following yesterday’s Crown Jewel event. They apparently were told of delays, which grounded their planes.

    According to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, the flight from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to the location of tonight’s Friday Night SmackDown in Buffalo, New York is approximately 14 hours. At the time initial reports broke out, SmackDown was set to start in 17 hours.

    Given the problems they were facing, there has been concern that several SmackDown Superstars wouldn’t be able to make it back in time for the show. If that’s the case, SmackDown would be forced into a rewrite, hours before showtime and have a thin roster to utilize.

    Update: WWE Statement On Saudi Fight Delays Impacting SmackDown, Teases Surprises

    Meltzer wrote on Twitter, “Some notes since nobody can say anything. WWE had a problem in Saudi Arabia. Talent was not allowed to leave on their flight and most are still there. 20 people, 12 of which were talent, have left but the rest are still there.”

    He followed up, adding, “It’s a 14 hour flight, Smackdown starts in 17 hours. The last we heard the rest of the talent wasn’t going to be able to leave for a lot longer than three hours.”

    Vince McMahon, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Hulk Hogan are already flying back as they had their own flights scheduled. Other Superstars who are still in the States include The Miz, Charlotte Flair and Daniel Bryan.

    SmackDown Card 11/01 Buffalo, New York

    Please note: this information was correct at time of writing.

    • SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
      The Revival (c) vs The New Day
    • Roman Reigns vs King Corbin
    • Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley vs Nikki Cross, Dana Brooke and Carmella
    • New WWE Universal Champion’ The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt to appear on MizTV.
  • Bobby Lashley Opens Up About Return To WWE, Lana Storyline

    Bobby Lashley Opens Up About Return To WWE, Lana Storyline

    Bobby Lashley has spoken out about his return to WWE, as well as his current storyline with Lana, in an interview with TV Insider.

    The Superstar, whose first run with the company saw him as a silent but dominant competitor, addressed the more light-hearted run he’s been enjoying since his return.

    He admitted, “I’m still trying. It’s hard for me. I came from a world of amateur wrestling. It was always shut up and train. The last thing you would want to do is anything else. Everything else was shut up and train. When I first came into this world, it was more hardcore. That fighting style was real, and I fit right in. Coming back this time, there are so many different characters, and people are talking about entrances and costumes.”

    Lashley continued, “I was like, ‘Where is Brock? Sign us up. Let’s do this. Let’s fight.’ They were like, ‘No, we need you to dance on Instagram. We need you to tell a joke. We need you to look sloppy and do some different things. Sing on TV. Make out with this lady.’ All these things they want that are different. I didn’t understand it for a long time, but I do now. Just to see me open up where people can relate to you and get behind you. People can get behind you or against you, but they know who you are. I don’t think they know who I really am. They know what I’m capable of doing, but they don’t know who I am. I think that is what we are trying to do. Just crack the shell and show a little bit more of me.”

    “I Might Be The Next Val Venis”

    His most current storyline has seen him paired up with Lana. The two have coupled together on-screen against Rusev. Recent weeks have seen them enjoying massages and spa days. Lashley confessed he still finds these segments challenging, adding that he is still working on adding layers to his character.

    “It was one of those things where no matter what you do, you have to sit back and say, ‘Is that me? Can I do that?’ I didn’t know if I could do it, but that’s the challenge of being a WWE superstar today,” Lashley said.

    “In order to be a performer and maybe take on that next role in acting, you have to have different layers. My layer was one-dimensional. I put some gloves on and kick anybody’s ass. So there is a part I need to work at. Doing a role that is so dramatic, love scenes. It’s taking some getting used to… I might be the next Val Venis. It is a different style for me. I am who I am. I think this will show a little more who I am after.”

    Lashley recently revealed that he has received death threats over this storyline with Lana and Rusev.

  • Rey Mysterio Reveals Dominick Will Be Training At The WWE Performance Center Next Year

    Rey Mysterio Reveals Dominick Will Be Training At The WWE Performance Center Next Year

    Rey Mysterio has revealed that his son, Dominick, will be training at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida next year.

    In an interview with Marca.com (translated from Spanish), Mysterio explained that his son has been learning new in-ring skills. He noted that his training at the PC will focus on learning WWE’s specific style.

    “He’s coming along and learning as time passes. He’ll start next year to train at the Performance Center in Orlando to learn the company’s style and then we’ll see [what happens],” Mysterio said.

    Mysterio continued, “He’s had more than two years to prepare and the truth is, he’s been learning pretty quickly. You can tell that it’s in his blood. I am loving being able to share the ring with him before I retire. I think he will enjoy it. He’s commented to me that he wants to continue the Mysterio dynasty.”

    Dominick has been involved in a storyline between his father, the debuting Cain Velasquez, and the current WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. He has previously teased that he wants his debut match to be a tag team bout, where he gets to partner with his dad.

    Mysterio has previously trademarked the name ‘Principe Mysterio‘ which translates to Prince Mysterio. If Dominick does continue the Mysterio tradition, it seems that it may be under that name.