SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Kurt Angle Opens Up About New WWE Role, Shares Advice For Indie Wrestlers

    Kurt Angle Opens Up About New WWE Role, Shares Advice For Indie Wrestlers

    Former WWE Superstar Kurt Angle recently attended New Jersey Horror Con. During his time at the convention, the Hall of Famer was interviewed by ThePopBreak.com.

    Angle was asked how his transition away from being an in-ring talent has been. He was also asked what kind of advice he would give to indie wrestlers. Angle even spoke about the man who defeated him in his farewell match at WrestleMania 35, Baron Corbin.

    He admitted that leaving in-ring competition behind has been a little difficult. His love of wrestling makes the shows a tough watch for him, despite now being a WWE Producer.

    “Right now it’s a little hard to watch,” Angle confessed. “I mean when you make the transition from wrestling to retirement, you still want to be out there. So it’s a little difficult, but I’ve been handling it pretty well. It keeps me busy.”

    When asked for advice for indie wrestlers, Angle recommended that they learn how to bump and sell properly. He explained that “Those two things will give you a lot of success and they will help you make money, and help make the business money. If you sell really well, you’re going to be a great wrestler.

    His final opponent, Baron Corbin, recently won the King of the Ring tournament. Despite beating him in his farewell match in April, Angle has nothing but praise for King Corbin.

    “Baron’s a good kid. I think he’s gonna have a great future. He’s obviously King of the Ring now. I always knew he was would be really good, and I know Vince McMahon really likes him a lot. And I’m happy to see him having the success that he’s been having.”

  • Chris Jericho On His Worst WWE Storylines, Getting Feedback From Ric Flair

    Chris Jericho On His Worst WWE Storylines, Getting Feedback From Ric Flair

    All Elite Wrestling World Champion Chris Jericho was a recent guest on Barstool Breakfast. During the interview, Jericho opened up about whether he ever received advice from WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. He also divulged what he feels are the worst WWE storylines he was a part of. 

    Recalling his experiences with Flair, Jericho shared that ‘The Nature Boy’ never really gave him any advice or feedback on his matches. Even when asked directly for his thoughts, Jericho stated that Flair would just lie about seeing the match.

    “Either he didn’t really say much, he’s a great guy, or he would just lie and say he saw the match and wouldn’t give you much feedback,” Jericho explained. “There were other guys who were worse than that.”

    When it comes to his least favorite WWE storylines, Jericho admitted that there were plenty to choose from. He settled on his time co-sharing the Intercontinental Championship with the late Chyna as well as when he was managed by Stephanie McMahon:

    “There have been some bad storylines,” he said. “I remember with Chyna, they had us be the co-Intercontinental Champions, where we shared the one title, which is ridiculous. That was a stupid story. There was another one when I was actually the World Champion, where it was Jericho vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon was my manager, I guess, and they were playing the thing like I was [expletive]-whipped by her but I wasn’t banging her, so it was kinda like just being a bitch.”

    Chris Jericho is scheduled to defend his AEW World Championship against Cody at AEW Full Gear on November 9th. 

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription. 

  • Jon Moxley Recalls Being “Mentally Checked Out” In WWE

    Jon Moxley Recalls Being “Mentally Checked Out” In WWE

    Jon Moxley has been establishing himself within the world of pro wrestling ever since leaving WWE. The former Dean Ambrose has wrestled in numerous promotions worldwide, including New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling.

    In an interview with Screen Geek, Moxley recalled his feelings during his final days with WWE. He also addressed his first post-WWE matches, confessing he almost worried he’d forgotten how to wrestle.

    When asked if he had any form of freedom in his matches in WWE, Moxley stated he had no control, which made him feel as though he was asleep during his time there. At one point, he asked if he could incorporate more hardcore stuff in his WWE work.

    He recalled that their answer was, “Literally, like ‘No!’ I mean [WWE] is literally telling me what to do, barking orders at me. [McMahon voice] ‘Sell! ‘Lay down!’ It really, truly feels like I was asleep, mentally checked out, for like years.”

    “I became a lapsed fan,” Moxley admitted. “I’d be watching the product that I’m a part of in the locker room and going, ‘This show sucks.’ I became a lapsed fan, so I know they exist and it really was like there was this completely separate guy that existed who got outta prison and it’s just like I woke up and it was crazy. I just feel like a better person all around – just back to being me, in and out of the ring, not necessarily just the character.”

    His first match following his WWE departure was against NJPW’s Juice Robinson. Moxley would win the IWGP United States Championship in his debut for the promotion. For him, it was a wake-up call that reminded him what wrestling could be.

    “I just basically walked right into AEW, you know, right into the G1. The thing is, I didn’t really need any time to figure anything out, cause almost as soon as I had my first match in Japan, and just kinda emptied my brain of all preconceived notions I was like, ‘Just rely on instincts and see what happens.’”

    He continued, “I felt like I forgot how to wrestle, then two minutes later I’m beating the holy ever-loving s**t outta Juice Robinson, just beating the f**k outta him, and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is what I used to do all the time! This is what feels natural!’ Just being a mean, aggressive, antagonist. That version of me was something WWE was never interested in so they missed out. But, who cares? Timing is everything.”

    Jon Moxley is scheduled to compete against Kenny Omega at AEW’s next event, Full Gear on November 9th.

  • Enzo Amore Responds To Joey Janela’s Version Of Altercation With Big Cass

    Enzo Amore Responds To Joey Janela’s Version Of Altercation With Big Cass

    Joey Janela recently recounted his experience with Big Cass during a WrestlePro event. He shared his story during an episode of Wrestlers On The Road Ordering Room Service. The end result of his altercation saw Cass removed from the event in an ambulance.

    Now, Cass’ tag team partner, Enzo Amore, has addressed Janela’s side of the story. He also suggested that the AEW wrestler is using the incident for attention. Amore stated that Janela has zero class or credibility because of it. 

    Taking to Twitter, Amore wrote:

    “I addressed the drunk fantasy portrayal of an atercation already, no one laid a hand on anyone. We saw the tape, but when you speak about a man who’s currently in a rehab in an effort to gain more views, notoriety, & attention. You have 0 class or credibility. I’m disgusted.”

    Janela explained how the whole exchange with Cass was like a “horror movie.” He added that he did not press charges as “He [Big Cass] just didn’t know what he was doing and I felt bad…. Get him to a hospital because you know he’s dealing with something crazy.”

    Amore recently thanked both WWE and Diamond Dallas Page for helping his friend during this difficult time. 

  • Kenny Omega Promises To Bring AAA’s Mega Championship To AEW

    Kenny Omega Promises To Bring AAA’s Mega Championship To AEW

    All Elite Wrestling’s Kenny Omega recently won the AAA Mega Championship. He defeated the former champion, Fenix, during AAA’s Heroes Immortales event in Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico.

    After the match, Omega was interviewed by Lucha Libre AAA’s Hugo Savinovich.

    “I’ve always been a man who said to make history everywhere I go,” Omega said. “I never said it would be easy. Does it look like it was easy? Fenix, you’re still one of the best. I’m just better. You were a great champion, but I will be better. From here on in, that title, the Mega Championship is now the Omega Championship. You might see it back in Mexico, but you will, I promise you, you will see it in AEW.”

    As he thanked the fans for helping AEW become a success, Omega added that he wouldn’t be surprised if he defended his Mega Championship on the promotion at some point.

    AAA and AEW formed a working partnership earlier this year in February. This wouldn’t be the first time that AAA championships would be fought over in AEW. Just recently at AEW’s All Out event, The Lucha Brothers defeated The Young Bucks in an Escalera De La Muerte match for the AAA World Tag Team Championships.

    If you use any of the quotes in this article, please SEScoops with a H/T for the transcription.

    https://youtu.be/adI8Cgo-IdY
  • Baron Corbin Explains How He Deals With Negative Fans

    Baron Corbin Explains How He Deals With Negative Fans

    Baron Corbin recently sat down with Sam Roberts for a video interview on Roberts’ YouTube channel, I’m Notsam.

    During their conversation, the recent King of the Ring winner spoke about dealing with the kind of heat he generally receives from the WWE Universe.

    King Corbin explained that, because fans aren’t the ones paying his bills, he generally disregards their opinion of him:

    “A lot of people have these opinions and elaborate thoughts and why things work or don’t work, well, if your opinion was good, you’d probably get paid for it,” Corbin stated. “You’d be a famous writer, you would be some sort of influential voice, but they’re not. They’re on Twitter, they’re tweeting, and they have 71 followers.”

    He added how internet troll opinions don’t matter to him, highlighting how easy it is for these people to hide behind a keyboard. Despite their vocal negativity, Corbin believes these same fans will still be at the shows every time.

    “Their opinions never really mattered to me. I’ve been used to critics…. It’s not wrestling fans, it’s internet fans. Especially here and the internet because, for anything, they can’t be held accountable for what they say, it’s very easy to hide behind a keyboard and comment how you hate everything but, you know what, they’re still at the shows, they’re still coming out. But a majority of the wrestling fans, the WWE fans, that are in the building, are women, kids, families, and people just wanna have fun.”

    Baron Corbin is scheduled to compete later this month as a part of Team Flair. They will face off against Team Hogan at WWE Crown Jewel on October 31st. The event takes place at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    H/T to Wrestlzone for the transcription.

  • Jim Ross Discusses Eric Bischoff’s WWE Firing

    Jim Ross Discusses Eric Bischoff’s WWE Firing

    All Elite Wrestling commentator Jim Ross has shared his thoughts on former WWE Executive Director, Eric Bischoff. He spoke about Bischoff’s recent dismissal from the company during a recent episode of his podcast, Grilling JR.

    Ross confessed that he wasn’t surprised that Bischoff was replaced. He added, however, he wasn’t expecting it to happen within the time frame it occurred in. 

    “I was not surprised. The only thing I would consider being surprised by was the timeframe,” Ross said. “This whole scenario is set up for a succession process. Do you think that Bruce [Prichard] is safe? You think Bruce got a job, like a Supreme Court Justice, for life? Are you kidding? He don’t think that. I guarantee you don’t think that he knows that his time will come. It’s like football coaches. They get hired to be fired.” 

    He continued, “The bottom line was somebody took the fall. I didn’t think Vince put a bullet in Eric that quick, but all those guys that are in those top positions, none of them are gonna need to buy houses. They should be renting.”

    Ross noted that he believes Bischoff would have walked away with a nice severance package, explaining that “Vince [McMahon] will take good care of you when he’s kicking you out the door.”

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Triple H “Blown Away” By Tyson Fury’s Pro Wrestling Progress

    Triple H “Blown Away” By Tyson Fury’s Pro Wrestling Progress

    Tyson Fury has impressed some key WWE figures as he prepares for his in-ring debut against Braun Strowman at WWE Crown Jewel. Speaking with Bleacher Report, WWE’s Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative, Triple H, shared his thoughts on Fury’s progression in the squared circle. 

    “I was blown away,” Triple H admitted. “I sent Vince [McMahon] a video of him about 45 minutes after the first day he was at the Performance Center, and I said, ‘You’re not going to believe this, look at what he’s already doing.’”

    He reflected on how Fury is a fast learner, adding that he is “laser-focused” on succeeding in-ring. Triple H has previously shared that he believes Fury is a custom made fit for WWE. 

    “He picks it up so quickly because he’s so laser-focused on it. He wants to put on this epic show,” he said. “He has the desire for it to be great. He’s asking for more; he wants more; he’s jumping in with both feet. It’s almost like having to pull the reins back a little bit to get him to slow down and say, ‘maybe we don’t want to do that quite yet.’ It’s amazing to see that level of dedication.”

    Fury faces off against Braun Strowman later this month at WWE Crown Jewel on October 31st. The event takes place at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

  • NJPW Announces Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger’s Last Ever US Match

    NJPW Announces Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger’s Last Ever US Match

    Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger is currently on his retirement run heading into next year’s two-day Wrestle Kingdom 14 event. Since announcing his intentions to leave the ring, Liger has been touring the world facing off against a plethora of talent.

    Now, the legendary Liger’s last US date has been announced. New Japan Pro-Wrestling officially revealed that Liger’s last ever US matchup will take place on November 9th.

    He will be wrestling on their New Japan Showdown event, which takes place in the San Jose Civic. At the time of writing, there is no indication as to whom Liger may be competing against.

    Wrestle Kingdom 14

    It was announced that Liger would be wrestling his final matches across Wrestle Kingdom 14. On day one, he will team up with Tiger Mask, Tatsumi Fujinami and The Great Sasuke. They will face the team of Ryusuke Taguchi, Tatushito Takaiwa, Shinjiro Otani and Naomi Sano. Liger will also have a second retirement match on night two of Wrestle Kingdom 14 on January 5th.

    His retirement tour will come to an end on January 6th at NJPW’s New Year Dash event. The promotion will host a special retirement ceremony for Liger inside the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

    Liger recently wrestled in a losing effort against Suzuki-gun leader, Minoru Suzuki. They competed at NJPW’s recent King of Pro Wrestling event in a heated grudge match.

    https://youtu.be/i9sFHbRdO10
  • Tyson Fury Discusses His WWE Performance Center Experiences

    Tyson Fury Discusses His WWE Performance Center Experiences

    Tyson Fury will make his in-ring professional wrestling debut later this month at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. The boxing lineal heavyweight champion has been adjusting to the squared circle in preparation for his matchup against Braun Strowman. He has been making full use of the WWE Performance Center in the run up to their confrontation.

    Speaking with Bleacher Report, Fury commented on his experiences with the WWE Performance Center. He also shared what it’s been like running the ropes.

    “It’s just like a boxing ring, the same. How tough them ropes are,” Fury shared. “Running into them ropes is like running into barb wire for me. I came off; I was cut to pieces the next day. I was sore; I was battered, and you thought, you know what, I can’t wait to go back to the gym tomorrow and keep practicing.”

    Commenting on his time learning how to wrestle, Fury explained how there was a lot of theorizing of movement. For him, he just wanted to jump in and do it.

    “Down at the Performance Center we do a lot of talking about the stuff, the moves, and stuff, and I’m like, ‘Nah, let’s just do it. Let’s just practice it.’ Because in my game, the more you practice something, the better you become at it. And I’m all in for jumping in, flipping, getting smashed to the floor, whatever it takes to learn, I am all for it.”

    Tyson Fury faces off against Braun Strowman on October 31 at WWE Crown Jewel. The event takes place at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

  • Kurt Angle On His First Pick For The Draft, Roman Reigns As A Locker Room Leader

    Kurt Angle On His First Pick For The Draft, Roman Reigns As A Locker Room Leader

    Former WWE Superstar Kurt Angle recently took part in a Facebook Q+A session with fans. He was asked whether he considered himself a RAW or SmackDown guy, who his first pick for the WWE Draft would have been, and why a lot of current Superstars don’t participate in Q+As.

    For him, he’ll always be a SmackDown guy despite being a producer on RAW. He explained that when he was wrestling full-time in his prime, he was a fundamental part of SmackDown, adding that it was a great time for wrestling.

    His first pick for the WWE Draft would have been Chad Gable. He admitted that the likelihood of Gable being picked first wasn’t going to happen, and so made a more tactical choice in ‘The Big Dog’ Roman Reigns. Angle explained that “For those that don’t like him, he’s pretty damn good. He has respect from the other Superstars as a leader. He’s gold.”

    Angle then explained that most WWE Superstars don’t have the time to host Q+A sessions with fans as they’re traveling so much for WWE.

    “These guys are traveling 300 days a year. They are working their butts off, give them a break. When they retire, I’m sure they’ll answer many questions.”

    Kurt Angle wrestled his farewell match against Baron Corbin at this year’s WrestleMania 35.

  • Chris Jericho Defends Marko Stunt Following Dynamite Debut

    Chris Jericho Defends Marko Stunt Following Dynamite Debut

    All Elite Wrestling World Champion Chris Jericho has seen the negative response some fans have had regarding Marko Stunt. Stunt made his in-ring debut this week, replacing an injured Luchasaurus.

    Taking to Twitter, Jericho addressed the criticisms lobbied at Stunt. He defended the AEW wrestler, comparing him to stalwart talents such as Rey Mysterio, Ultimo Dragon and Dean Malenko.

    “Laughing at ppl complaining that @MarkoStunt is too small & a “disgrace to pro wrestling!” Funny thing is I thought the same thing about @reymysterio the first time I met him in 93. I also saw @TheUltimoDragon get REAMED out by his boss when he first brought Rey to Japan in 95.”

    He followed up by explaining how Dean Malenko was once laughed out the WCW locker room for standing up for Mysterio in 1996. Both Malenko and Mysterio were then congratulated afterwards once they had an opportunity to show what Mysterio was capable of in the ring.

    “Times have changed & Marko IS small,” Jericho explained. “But most of the workers on the roster are smaller in 2019 then the 90s.

    For Jericho, the only thing that matters is whether you can connect with the crowd. He believes Stunt has accomplished this adding that, at one point in time, he was told he was too small to succeed in pro wrestling. “Over is over,” he stated. “I was once told I was “too small” to be a wrestler too…& I did ok!”

  • Jim Ross Responds To Negative Reaction Over AEW Commentary, Blasts Social Media “Bookers”

    Jim Ross Responds To Negative Reaction Over AEW Commentary, Blasts Social Media “Bookers”

    All Elite Wrestling (AEW) commentator Jim Ross has responded to fans who have been critical of his commentary. Ross addressed the negative social media output on an episode of Grilling JR. He admits that he’s seen their opinions, but doesn’t agree that there’s an issue. This week on AEW: Dynamite, Ross referred to Jungle Boy as “Jungle Boy Jack Perry,” explaining that he’s doing it to help Jungly Boy get over. 

    “It shows you how misguided some fans are,” Ross stated. “They say they love wrestling, but those of us who have dedicated our lives to the business get no breaks and a lot of this is over—I’m a big fan of Jungle Boy—big time. I think he’s gonna be a big star for us.” 

    He added, “He’s a great kid, very athletic and I’ve been calling him Jungle Boy Jack Perry since day one. That’s like I call Steve Austin ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’ or The Rock ‘The Brahma Bull,’ ‘The Great One,’ whatever. They’re just nicknames that come to my head and sometimes they stick and sometimes they don’t, but for God’s sake, Conrad, is it a peaceful offense to say ‘Jungle Boy’ Jack Perry?”

    Ross encouraged disgruntled fans to voice their opinions. All he wants to do is focus on doing the best job he can, adding that he believes AEW’s three-man commentary team is becoming one of the best teams in the business.

    When it comes to fans usage of social media, Ross begrudges its ability to provide everyone with a platform, especially when people believe they’re experts.

    “Everybody’s a booker, man. Everybody’s a creative genius, everybody’s a booker,” he said. “They got enough knowledge to be dangerous, and this is a very sensitive time in our business for all the information flow on social media gives people the right, in their view, to profess to be somewhat experts. You’re not! You’re a fan! So, differentiate the two things.”

    He continued, “You’re not an expert, I’m an expert. You’re not an expert, Conrad’s an expert. I’m trying to give ‘Jungle Boy’ Jack even more personality, he’s gonna be a player, man. What is he gonna do when he’s 35? Is he still gonna be ‘Jungle Boy’ or ‘Jungle Man?’ Or ‘Jungle Boy Jack?’ I don’t know what he’s gonna be, but right now in my mind’s eye, I’m giving you all I can because I wanted to get him over and that’s what we did Wednesday night. Our goal is to create new stars and to get these guys over.”

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription. 

  • Dr. Britt Baker Discusses Adam Cole Supporting AEW

    All Elite Wrestling’s Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. has revealed that she and her boyfriend, NXT Champion Adam Cole, spend their Thursday night’s catching up with each other’s shows.

    Speaking with Bleacher Report, Baker talked about how the two would text and call each other right up until AEW: Dynamite and NXT go live.

    “We are texting and calling each other for encouragement right up until the moment we go out the curtain,” Baker revealed. “It can be a little heartbreaking when it’s the biggest night of his career or the biggest night of my career and we can’t be there. Because we’re each other’s biggest fans and, as a fan, you want to be there and feel the energy. You want to experience it. So, it’s a little discouraging.”

    She explained how Cole is supportive of AEW and maintains close friendships with AEW Executive Vice Presidents Matt and Nick Jackson.

    “[…] we sit at home and watch each other’s matches,” she said. “We actually watch each other’s whole show. We support each other’s company. My boyfriend is basically best friends with The Young Bucks, so he’s very supportive of All Elite Wrestling.”

    Baker competed this week on Dynamite. She lost to reigning AEW Women’s Champion Riho in a championship match.

  • PCO Opens Up About His ROH Contract Expiring Soon

    PCO Opens Up About His ROH Contract Expiring Soon

    PCO debuted for Ring of Honor (ROH) last December as a member of Marty Scurll’s Villain Enterprises. Since then he has captured the ROH tag team championships with Brody King, as well as the ROH Six-Man championships with King and Scurll.

    During an interview with Wrestling Epicenter, PCO looked back on his time with ROH. He also addressed the fact his contract will soon be expiring.

    “It’s been an awesome journey! It has been almost a year now… Wow, what a year, huh?” PCO said. “ROH World Tag Team Champions, ROH World Six-Man Champions, NWA World Tag Team Champions, NWA Crockett Cup, challenging Matt Taven for the Ring of Honor World Championship. Now, I’m a part of the Ring of Honor tournament coming up this weekend in New Orleans—just incredible buzzing. I’ve got to write it up on my calendar as one of the best years of my life and of my entire career.”

    He confessed that his contract was set to expire before teasing that ROH has a bright future, promising that the promotion will have an amazing 2020.

    “Yeah, my contract is coming up soon. But, I just think they’re going to do everything… You know, they’ve got great wrestlers here. Sinclair Broadcasting is huge. They’ve got all kinds of resources and talent in legal and marketing. I think there is a bright, bright future ahead for Ring of Honor,” said PCO. “It is going to be very interesting going into 2020. There has been a lot of big moves that have been made lately. I can’t really say too much. I can’t predict the future that much. But, I can tell you that they are going to be amazing in 2020!”

    Rebuild

    PCO added that he knows what it’s like to have to rebuild, referring to ROH losing members of its roster to other promotions. He shared how, at one point, no one believed in him and what he could do, forcing him to rebuild himself from scratch.

    “I think I did pretty good. […] It would be a dream come true if ROH could pop off with PCO all together and the amazing talent and team that we’ve got. I know they’re working on some things. It is going to be very, very interesting. Keep Ring of Honor on your radar.”

    PCO recently defeated Marty Scurll in the finals of the number one contender tournament at Glory by Honor. This victory earned him the opportunity to face current ROH World Champion, RUSH, for the title at Final Battle in December.

  • Bully Ray Believes It’s Time For Cody To Be His Own Person

    Bully Ray Believes It’s Time For Cody To Be His Own Person

    During an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray addressed Cody’s vignette that aired on this week’s episode of AEW: Dynamite. Bully Ray commented on the strength of the package. He explained how it made him want to see Cody defeat Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship. 

    “When I hear Cody’s mom talking about Cody, now I am sucked in. This is everything to Cody. […] At the end of the promo, I felt myself going ‘Wow, I want to see Cody beat Chris.’ And, here’s the big difference: at All In, I wanted to see Cody win for Dusty. At Full Gear, and because of that vignette I saw last night, I want to see Cody win for Cody. And this is why I believe Cody no longer uses the Rhodes name, despite the fact that he’s allowed to use the Rhodes name.”

    He added, “As long as he is still called Cody Rhodes, we will always think of Dusty first. Cody wants to just be Cody. He’s trying very hard to get out of Dusty’s shadow. Not because he doesn’t want to be there, but it’s his time to be his own person. Cody wants to be known 20, 30, 40 years from now as just Cody, the way Dusty is just known as Dusty.”

    Cody is scheduled to face Chris Jericho for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear. The event takes place on November 9th at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. 

  • John Cena Shares His Views On Parenting, Becoming Less Active In Pro Wrestling

    John Cena Shares His Views On Parenting, Becoming Less Active In Pro Wrestling

    During an interview with Good Housekeeping, WWE Superstar John Cena discussed why he has become less active in pro wrestling. He addressed his age, admitting that he is aware he is a little slower and less strong than even a few years ago. 

    “As a 42-year-old, going to be 43 in April … I already know that I’m a little lighter, I’m a little slower, I’m not as strong, so all of the physical signs are like, ‘I’m here, I’m here, I’m here,’” Cena said. “I can’t lie to myself and say those things aren’t happening. They are. And either I accommodate my performance, or just say, ‘Hey, it’s time to do something different.’”

    When asked about his views on parenting, Cena confessed he doesn’t have a negative view and has grown to enjoy about around kids more as he has gotten older.

    “I don’t have a negative view towards parenting… If anything, I’ve grown to enjoy being around children more and more. I’ve always enjoyed it, but it used to only be in like a performance aspect,” he said. “It’s cool because of how much kids want to learn and how excited they are to learn about the questions that they have, no matter how ridiculous… I just don’t know if I could do it. Or, I’m not sure I’m ready to do it full-time right now.”

    Cena was promoting his next movie, Playing with Fire, which releases in theatres nationwide on November 8th.

  • Velveteen Dream Dealing With Back Injury

    Velveteen Dream Dealing With Back Injury

    This week’s episode of NXT on USA Network has set up a new angle for Roderick Strong’s North American Championship. He was originally slated to defend against Velveteen Dream on next week’s episode of the black-and-gold brand. Instead, Dream has been pulled from the matchup after falling victim to a backstage assault at the hands of the Undisputed Era. 

    According to Dave Meltzer via the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the reason behind this decision is due to a back injury that Dream has been dealing with. He noted that Dream has been suffering from this injury for some time. It has since gotten severe enough that a decision had to be made to give him time to heal. 

    During this week’s episode of NXT, Dominik Dijakovic and Kieth Lee faced each other in a tie-breaker matchup. NXT General Manager William Regal added further stakes to their clash by announcing the winner would become the new number one contender for Roderick Strong’s North American Championship. Strong would eventually run out and cause a disqualification. Regal then informed him he would now be forced to defend his championship against both men in a Triple Threat match. This match takes place next week on NXT.

  • Bayley Addresses Tantrum Rumors From WrestleMania 35

    Bayley Addresses Tantrum Rumors From WrestleMania 35

    Current WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley was a recent guest on the Sky Sports Lock Up podcast. She spoke about her evolution as a character, having recently turned heel with a new look and attitude that saw her recapture the championship. 

    During the interview, Bayley commented on the rumors and speculation that she and former tag team partner Sasha Banks had a “tantrum” backstage at this year’s WrestleMania. 

    “We read all the stupid rumors and it’s ridiculous,” she stated. “There’s no proof of it and it’s people just spreading these rumors because they want to talk, they want something to start up. We literally watched the main event in person by the hard cam and enjoyed the women stealing the show.”

    She added, “We’re professionals and we love this more than anyone can imagine, more than anyone else in that locker room,” Bayley said.

    Rumors had been rife that both women were deeply unhappy with WWE’s decision for them to drop the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. They were allegedly promised a long title run to legitimize the belts, but this did not happen. They held the championships for 49 days, losing them to The IIconics during a Fatal Four-Way tag team match at WrestleMania 35.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Cody Rhodes Opens Up About AEW’s Rankings System

    Cody Rhodes Opens Up About AEW’s Rankings System

    All Elite Wrestling’s Cody Rhodes has opened up about how the promotion intends to utilize their rankings system. It has previously been stressed how wins and losses will matter in AEW.

    Speaking with Wrestlezone, Cody Rhodes shared that AEW intends to introduce a Top Five that will be updated every week. He added that fully intend to commit to a “sports-centric” wrestling alternative.

    “On the Friday before Full Gear, I think we’re going to put our first-ever ‘Top Fives’ and [that] should become a weekly thing,” Cody said. “This isn’t just broadcast this is also social, just like with college football and the AP Poll, you get your Top 20. Sometimes a guy who is 5-0 is not ranked in the top three because the quality of wins, the softness of the schedule and it’s fun because in college football people argue over—especially when we get near the playoffs—people ‘should, should they not’ [get in]. PAC right now has these great wins over Hangman Page and Kenny Omega, he’s essentially Ohio State for us at this point. There’s gotta be a title shot in his future, and there is if he keeps winning and keeps going, but I believe before Full Gear we’ll have our Top Five for women, for tags and for singles and now that we have more and more every week it helps us so much from data.

    He continued, “I’ve expanded—to be fair, Kevin Sullivan’s expanded the lower thirds on talent so you can see their records. We want their records to be more present because Jim Ross is talking about them, Tony Schiavone is talking about them.” Cody said. “Once we get a few more wins, a few more losses, a few more draws, whatever they may be, it really helps create that tapestry for us which is something we promised and it wasn’t just a campaign promise. Sports-centric, the guys winning the matches are the guys getting the title matches.”

    Cody Rhodes is scheduled to compete against AEW World Champion Chris Jericho at their next big event, Full Gear. The show takes place on November 9th from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

  • CM Punk Discusses AEW’s Success, Life As An Actor

    CM Punk Discusses AEW’s Success, Life As An Actor

    Former WWE Superstar CM Punk was recently interviewed by WGN News. He appeared to promote his new horror movie, Girl on the Third Floor. During the interview, he was asked about his life as an actor now and how he feels about All Elite Wrestling’s current run of success against WWE.

    When asked if he liked being an actor, Punk replied “I loved it. Working for WWE and doing live TV every day of your life is a lot,” Punk said. “It’s high pressure, so having the ability to do multiple takes, to do multiple, different angles of things and stuff… I’m not going to say it made it easier because there is definitely challenges to it, but it made it fun.”

    Inevitably, the hosts asked Punk about pro wrestling. He stressed that he no longer watches wrestling, but that he is still happy for AEW’s success.

    “I think it’s great. Yeah, I wish those guys nothing but success. You know, if they’re successful, it will force WWE to be more creative, and it’s always better when there’s not just one place to work, you know. It’s better for the wrestlers, it’s better for the fans. I think competition drives industry, so if there’s only one place in town to work, I think the creatives will be lazy. So, hopefully, y’ know, both companies will push each other and make the product better for the fans.”

    Girl on the Third Floor is released in theaters nationwide on Friday, October 25th.

  • Luke Harper Comments On Rowan Being Drafted To RAW

    Luke Harper Comments On Rowan Being Drafted To RAW

    WWE Superstar Luke Harper has taken to his Instagram account to share his feelings regarding Rowan being drafted to RAW. The two have been associated together through numerous tag team iterations over the years, holding both the NXT Tag Team Championships and the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

    He accompanied a picture of the two of them as the Bludgeon Brothers with the following caption:

    “Leave the memories alone, Larry. Until next time Big Red. Erick Rowan deserves all the success that he achieves and for some reason no one is willing to give him the credit or believe in him. Well I think he’s made you all believers now,” Harper wrote.

    He continued, “He never needed me but somehow for the last 8 years we’ve always found our way into each other’s corners. I know he’s gonna tear it up on Monday Night Rowan. Let him talk, let him kill and let him be happy. I cherish you as a friend big man despite the rough start, ha ha. I’ll see you down the road .”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B3sPSqEJZYr/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=dlfix

    Harper was recently brought back to WWE programming. He made a surprise appearance during their Clash of Champions pay-per-view in September. Despite this, WWE allegedly had no real plans for him past his tag team loss with Rowan at Hell in a Cell. The pair lost to Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns.

  • Dalton Castle Discusses Why He’s Comfortable In ROH, Isn’t Concerned With Competition

    Dalton Castle Discusses Why He’s Comfortable In ROH, Isn’t Concerned With Competition

    Former Ring of Honor (ROH) World Champion Dalton Castle recently spoke with WWL.Radio.com. During their discussion, Castle explained why ROH is the right promotion for him as they allow him to grow and evolve as a performer.

    “They let me grow on my own,” Castle shared. “There’s a good group of men and women in the locker room. I seem to get along with just about every one of them. I feel comfortable there. And it’s the size of the promotion that allows me to connect really one-on-one with every individual fan. If they choose to come to the meet-and-greets before the show, there’s a moment for me to touch base with them there. I’m attainable. All the wrestlers in Ring of Honor are attainable and are just as big of fans of this as anybody sitting in the seats.”

    When it comes to the next steps ROH needs to take to continue to expand, Castle believes the promotion needs to “stay the course.”

    “We have been in existence for over 16 years,” Castle stated. “We continue to produce the best wrestling in the world. We never lose track of what Ring of Honor is, and that is being the best wrestling in the world and connecting with the fans that stick with us.”

    “It’s Just A Cycle”

    Regarding competition from other promotions, Castle admitted that he doesn’t consider them to be a big issue. He highlighted that every time ROH lost wrestlers to other companies, the promotion simply rebuilt itself and developed new stars.

    “I was sad to lose a lot of people,” he confessed. “A lot of friends of mine moved on. But we’ve been through this before. I’ve lost really talented friends in the Ring of Honor locker room, then we’ve built it back up. We’ve done it again and again. It’s just a cycle. But the one thing that remains constant is that Ring of Honor continues to succeed.”

    Dalton Castle recently lost to PCO in an ROH World Championship #1 Contendership tournament match at ROH’s Glory By Honor event.

  • Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch & Other WWE Superstars Offer Advice To Unhappy Fans

    Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch & Other WWE Superstars Offer Advice To Unhappy Fans

    Several WWE Superstars including Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, Luke Gallows and Drew McIntyre recently spoke with Forbes‘ Brian Mazique. They were asked to share their thoughts about fan opinions, and how they feel regarding the backlash a lot of WWE programming has been receiving.

    Roman Reigns addressed the negative reaction to the main event of WWE’s recent Hell in a Cell pay-per-view between WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins and ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt. The match ended in a referee stoppage.

    “I think you should express your opinions, but it doesn’t hurt anybody if you have a shred of respect,” Reigns said. “Have a little respect for the performers who were out there killing themselves for you. I didn’t like the Hell in a Cell finish either, but I wasn’t about to cuss some guys out who got hit in the head over and over. Bray Wyatt put his health on the line to entertain some fans to the best of his ability. I didn’t like it, but I respect Bray’s effort and willingness to go out there and do what you have to do. So, if you can, just a little bit of respect.”

    RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch added, “It’s hard being a wrestling fan sometimes. We’re all just going out there doing our best to entertain you guys. We care about you guys. We want you to enjoy yourselves and it hurts when you don’t like it. We feel your pain. We’re all in this together. I’ll do all I can. Just tune into my Twitter. I’ll be entertaining there.”

    “If You Love Wrestling, Just Let It Play Out”

    O.C. member, Luke Gallows, also spoke about the Hell in a Cell main event. He recommended that fans try to just enjoy the product and that they should trust that Vince McMahon knows what he’s doing.

    “There are 52 weeks of episodic television,” Gallows stated. “There was controversy over the pay-per-view (HIAC) the other night. Guys, the story continues on Monday. It continues on Wednesday, Friday, and then on and on. My advice would be to enjoy it. In a movie, there has to be an antagonist. There has to be a negative to turn into a positive. So, in my opinion, if you like what we do, it’ll turn out the way you want it to. We’re in a culture of complainers.”

    He continued, “[…] I think you just have to let the story play out. WWE has been in business for how long? The company has been master storytellers. Vince [McMahon] obviously knows what he’s doing. There’s got be a reason for certain things that happen. If you love wrestling, just let it play out.”

    Drew McIntyre offered that society seems to be obsessed with living in a negative culture. He pointed to social media as a tool that allows people to wallow in their negativity.

    “It’s like every aspect of life, people are very negative,” McIntyre said. “You see them complain on social media. When I was younger, I became complacent and deserved to get fired. Because I forgot I was living a dream. You have to realize, you can’t always be in the lead. If you work hard, you’ll get your opportunity. Look at Chad Gable. He’s getting his opportunity. I don’t remember seeing him on social media every minute saying, ‘I’m not getting the opportunity I deserve, brother.’ He just worked hard until he got it.”

  • Lance Archer Reflects On Winning The IWGP US Championship

    Lance Archer Reflects On Winning The IWGP US Championship

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Lance Archer recently claimed his first major singles championship. Archer wrestled against Juice Robinson for the vacant IWGP United States Championship, eventually defeating Robinson to become the new champion. Taking to Twitter, Archer reflected on his big win and uploaded a photo of himself holding the title:

    “19+ yrs in wrestling. 3 major companies. (TNA,WWE,NJPW) 8+ yrs with @njpw1972 and on Oct 14th 2019 I was put in a unique position when an opportunity arose and won my first major singles title and became the 7th IWGP United States Champion! NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM! KMSSL”

    The Suzuki-gun member stepped in at the last minute to compete for the IWGP United States Championship this past Monday at NJPW’s King of Pro Wrestling event. He replaced former champion, Jon Moxley. Moxley was stripped of the title after he was unable to attend the event due to Typhoon Hagibis. Moxley wasn’t the only member of the NJPW roster unable to travel due to unsafe conditions. Archer’s Suzuki-gun stablemate, Zack Sabre Jr., was also unable to make the show.

    The Typhoon has also forced NJPW to cancel an upcoming Road To Power Struggle event that was due to take place on October 18th in Nagano.