SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Bully Ray Breaks Down Seth Rollins Vs Bray Wyatt From Hell In A Cell

    Bully Ray Breaks Down Seth Rollins Vs Bray Wyatt From Hell In A Cell

    The main event finish between Seth Rollins and ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt continues to be a hot topic amongst fans and wrestlers. The two clashed at this past Sunday’s Hell in a Cell event, with the referee ending the match via stoppage.

    Speaking on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray voiced his thoughts on the controversial ending. He explained how WWE have inadvertently turned Bray Wyatt into a babyface with their decision.

    “In doing what they did last night, Bray Wyatt might be the biggest babyface next to Becky Lynch in the WWE right now,” said Bully Ray. “Just because the fans are so annoyed with how the finish went down. Did you notice that after Seth Rollins got done using the kendo stick on Bray Wyatt, Bray eventually took the kendo stick and […] threw it away. Bray didn’t even want to rely on the weapons. The babyface brings in the weapons, they’re not effective, and the ‘heel’ throws the weapons away. There were so many points in that match that they backed Seth Rollins into a corner where it was almost impossible for him to look good.”

    “The People Wanted To See Bray Wyatt Win”

    Bully Ray addressed how the WWE Universe was in support of Bray Wyatt that night, and that Seth Rollins couldn’t compete with that. To him, it’s because of Rollins’ lack of connection with the audience versus Wyatt’s.

    “The people wanted to see Bray Wyatt win. The people wanted to see Bray Wyatt destroy anybody and everything in his path. No matter what Seth Rollins woulda did last night, I think he would have been up against it,” Ray said. “Yes, Seth is a really great wrestler, but when it comes to the emotional investment, I don’t think it’s there…unless he’s standing across from the right person. And the person that he was standing across from last night is more loved by the WWE audience right now than he is. It’s not even close.”

    Referee Heat

    Turning his attention to the ending of the matchup, Bully Ray explained that if a match ends and heat falls on the referee, then a mistake has been made.

    “If you ever get to a finish where you have to ask this question: ‘Well, where’s the heat?’ If the answer is the heat is on the ref, you know it’s a bad decision. Heat doesn’t go on a ref. A ref is not a wrestler. Heat is designed for a heel.”

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

  • The Big Show To Get Travel Reality Series

    The Big Show To Get Travel Reality Series

    WWE Superstar Big Show will be getting his own travel reality TV show. The series will be entitled ‘Big Show vs. The World: A Giant Abroad’ and will be produced by WWE Studios and ITV America’s Thinkfactory media. This will be the second show developed around the Superstar, including Netflix’s The Big Show Show.

    According to The Wrap, this new show is currently in its development stages. It is being shopped to broadcast and cable TV networks as well as streaming platforms.

    “Big Show brings so many different layers to a project like this; it’s a dream scenario for us as producers,” said Thinkfactory CEO Adam Reed. “He blends his fierce intelligence and curiosity with an unexpected, one-of-a-kind wit, and his intimidating physical stature is offset by his surprisingly disarming personality. We’re ecstatic to be working with him and the WWE Studios team and can’t wait for the journeys ahead.”

    Head of WWE Studios Susan Levison said, “For more than two decades, Big Show’s magnetic personality has inspired fans around the world, and in this new series, he will be able to meet the people and explore the places that have played a pivotal role in his journey as a WWE Superstar. We are thrilled to be bringing this show to life with our partners at Thinkfactory who are proven winners in the unscripted television genre.”

    Big Show added that “I won’t guarantee we’ll solve every mystery, but we’ll explore every strange detail, chase every bizarre lead, and meet the incredible characters involved in pursuit of the truth.”

  • Natalya Reveals Her Dream Opponent And Favorite Rivalry

    Natalya Reveals Her Dream Opponent And Favorite Rivalry

    WWE Superstar Natalya recently participated in a Twitter Q&A session with fans. She revealed who her current dream opponent would be, what her favorite rivalry has been to date, and who she would like to join the cast of Total Divas.

    When it comes to who she’d love to face off against, Natalya named one half of the current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Asuka. She admitted she had a few in mind, but as of right now, it would be the ‘Empress of Tomorrow.’

    Her favorite rivalry to date was against Nikki Bella. Natalya explained that Nikki “brought out a different side of me that I didn’t know I had,” adding that her feud with Nikki helped her grow as a performer “more than I can say.”

    With Total Divas back for its latest season, a fan asked her which female Superstar she would like to join the cast of the show. Natalya shared she’d love to have Tamina Snuka join, describing her as a loving mom and “legit bad ass.”

    “I think @TaminaSnuka would be amazing on the show… she’s a loving mom and a legit bad ass. You’d never want to mess with Tamina. Tough AF.”

    Natalya was also asked who her favorite wrestler of all time is. She wasn’t allowed to name her family members or husband, Tyson Kidd. She replied that despite the tough question, Rey Mysterio would be her choice.

  • Seth Rollins Breaks Silence Following Hell In A Cell Main Event

    Seth Rollins Breaks Silence Following Hell In A Cell Main Event

    WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins has broken his silence following the backlash to his main event matchup at Hell in a Cell. Rollins took to Twitter, writing:

    “Survive and Prevail is bigger than just what happens between the ropes. Question everything, even yourself, and fight your heart out every step of the way. #sethrollinsisnotcool”

    Rollins successfully defended his Universal Championship against ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt at this past Sunday’s WWE pay-per-view. The finish of their match received an immediate negative reaction from fans, including those watching live inside the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Fans vocally expressed their frustration with chants of “AEW,” referencing TNT’s All Elite Wrestling, and “Refunds.”

    The referee would officially call off the match, leading to confusion from fans who initially thought Rollins had been disqualified. Hell in a Cell famously has a no disqualifications rule in effect. The finish came after Rollins use of a sledgehammer. This came after extensive use of weapons including a ladder, chairs, a toolbox and even an oversized mallet.

    After the match, while making his way to the backstage area, Rollins stopped as a fan berated him. His use of the hashtag “sethrollinsisnotcool” is in reference to the sign the fan was holding at the time.

  • Baron Corbin Shares His Future Goal In WWE

    Baron Corbin Shares His Future Goal In WWE

    The winner of WWE’s King of The Ring tournament, Baron Corbin, isn’t content with his recent victory and coronation. Speaking with Digital Spy, Corbin shared his new goal now that he has procured the crown.

    “I want to be in a championship match at WrestleMania,” Corbin stated. “So that’s the goal, and I think being King Corbin I can get that done. I can achieve that, it puts me on a level that I can compete for a title at WrestleMania because I think that’s the next step up. I don’t want to move backwards or laterally, so I want to find a moment whether it’s taking the Intercontinental Title from somebody, the US title or the World Heavyweight. It’s what I want and I want to be in that prime spot and to keep rolling.”

    Embracing New Gimmicks

    Ever since shifting away from his Lone Wolf gimmick, Corbin has been getting more promo opportunities. Fully confident in his skills, Corbin stated that embracing his new gimmick was the “best thing I could have done.”

    “[…] it gave people an opportunity to hear me, it gave me an opportunity to kind of find my own way with the microphone. When I was just that kind of angry metal biker it was something that maybe not everyone could connect to, good or bad. People enjoyed the look and thought I was cool, but when I got the microphone and got to go, I got a chance for people to really hate me and that’s hard to do nowadays.”

    Corbin participated in the opening segment of SmackDown’s FOX premiere episode. He would share the screen with WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and WWE Legend Dwayne’ The Rock’ Johnson, taking finishers from both Superstars.

  • Matt Riddle On His Journey To NXT, Connecting With Fans

    Matt Riddle On His Journey To NXT, Connecting With Fans

    NXT Superstar Matt Riddle has become a staple of WWE’s black-and-gold brand since signing with the company in 2018. In an interview with PWInsider.com, ‘The Original Bro’ looked back on his journey to NXT as well as his relationship with the WWE Universe.

    Riddle explained how, despite his career in UFC and MMA, he wasn’t a big enough star within the sport to get an instant “round of publicity.” Because of that, he committed to travelling the world, honing his craft on the indie scene.

    “[…] you’re still going to have to grind through the Indies and just honestly it was years and years on the Indies where I just kept working,” Riddle explained. “UK shows, Canada, Mexico, America, Ireland, Germany, until the point where it was my goal because I knew I needed to do this is, that’s where I had the trial with WWE earlier, they’re like, ‘we can’t sign you because of your past,’ but then I knew I had to become undeniable. I knew I had to make everybody want me or need me to get a job. And that’s what I did until I worked hard enough for every company under the sun was offering me a contract.”

    Relatable Bro

    When it comes to connecting with fans, Riddle credits the fact that fans knew his story coming into pro wrestling. He believes this helped make him more relatable.

    “I think the connection was made and it was organic, just because they know my story. I know a lot of people like you, they might not know. But if one fan knows, he’s probably going to tell another fan and another fan, and I think people can relate to me,” Riddle said.

    “I think a lot of people have had an opportunity or break and something went wrong or they made a mistake and that’s it for them. And there’s never a rebound, there’s never a comeback, there’s never anything. So I think for me, that part of my story is motivating and people like that. Plus, like you said, I’m the kind of guy that would go in the crowd, hang out with everybody. I’m extremely friendly with people and I also think I’m pretty good at pro wrestling so I think all those things help out.”

    Matt Riddle recently competed in a losing effort against current NXT Champion, Adam Cole.

  • Goldberg Reflects On Wrestling The Undertaker At Super ShowDown

    Goldberg Reflects On Wrestling The Undertaker At Super ShowDown

    In an interview with Metro.co.uk, former WWE Universal Champion Goldberg opened up about his matchup against The Undertaker from WWE Super ShowDown. The two competed back in June in a match that received heavy criticism from fans and professionals alike.

    Speaking candidly, Goldberg confessed that the match took a toll on him, but made sure to contextualize the situation:

    “People were very critical of me, and I’ll be honest, I never really respond to it – I do care what people think,” Goldberg said. “But when I know the whole deal and everything, it’s like, come on guys. Give me a break – I knocked myself out, dude. Now let me see you walk down the street – let alone pick up a 320lbs dude – when you’re knocked out.”

    He then explained how his subsequent match with Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam helped to “reaffirm” his confidence.

    “I think for me, what the Ziggler match did, was reaffirm my own self-confidence, not for anyone else. But I just needed to go out there and go through the motions, and know, man, just ’cause you stumble once, [it] doesn’t define you.”

    He continued,” Unfortunately, I was defining myself by whether it be a move or a night or a match. The fact of the matter is, I’m extremely hyper-critical of myself and that’s what’s made me the person that I am. It’s a blessing and it’s a curse. I’m never happy, but I’m always striving to be better than anybody else… [The Ziggler match] helped me out a lot, it really did.”

    Goldberg and NXT Superstar Matt Riddle have continued their back-and-forth war of words. Despite their interactions, however, Goldberg still claims not to know who Riddle is.

  • Details On How AEW Want To Utilize Jake Hager

    Details On How AEW Want To Utilize Jake Hager

    Jake Hager (formerly known in WWE as Jack Swagger) made his surprise debut for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) last week during the premiere of Dynamite on TNT. He aligned with AEW World Champion Chris Jericho in an attack against members of The Elite and Dustin Rhodes. 

    According to Wade Keller of PWTorch.com, Hager is currently incredibly motivated and has regained the confidence that he lost working for WWE. AEW allegedly has plans to turn him into a star as opposed to a “support player.” 

    “People in AEW are telling me he is super-motivated, he’s regained his confidence that he lost in WWE and there’s some powerful people in that company, influential people, who think he is going to be not a support player, a guy standing behind a star, but be a star,” Keller explained. “And if that’s what they think and he can deliver deliver on that, then that will show itself in the next couple months.”

    As well as being a part of AEW, Hager is also an active mixed martial artist for Bellator. He has a fight scheduled on October 25 at Bellator 231 against Anthony Garrett.

    Dynamite Card (9/10)

    • AEW Women’s Champion Riho and Dr. Britt Baker vs Emi Sakura and Bea Priestly
    • Jon Moxley vs Shawn Spears
    • Darby Allin vs Jimmy Havoc (winner gets an AEW World Championship match next week on Dynamite)
    • The Young Bucks vs Private Party (AEW Tag Team Championship tournament)
    • AEW World Champion Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara vs Dustin Rhodes and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Bret Hart On Goldberg Ending His Career, Getting Chopped By Ric Flair, WWE Hall Of Fame

    Bret Hart On Goldberg Ending His Career, Getting Chopped By Ric Flair, WWE Hall Of Fame

    WWE Hall of Famer Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart was a recent guest on the Prime Time with Sean Mooney podcast. During their conversation, Hart reflected on the tragic career-ending injury he sustained, courtesy of Goldberg. He also spoke about his inclusion into the WWE Hall of Fame, and what it was like to be chopped by Ric Flair.

    “I wish that Bill Goldberg had never kicked me in the head as hard as he could,” Hart said. “I don’t know how you give a guy a Hall of Fame thing for hurting as many wrestlers as Bill Goldberg hurt, and without consequence – he usually got a pat on the back and told how good of job he did out there when you’re scraping the wrestler that worked with him off the mat.”

    He continued, “When Bill Goldberg kicked me in the head I honest to god I lost about $16 million in like one second. I just signed with WCW for $3 million a year for another 3 years on top of the 2 years I had left on my original contract, so it was bad timing and unfortunate.”

    Wooooo

    Looking back at his time in-ring, Hart recalled being chopped “all the time” by ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. He admitted that they all hurt, describing how he would get blisters and a handprint on his chest that would last for three days. 

    “I remember telling him, I said ‘Ric no more chops. ‘But he said ‘it’s part of my thing, I always do a chop, people expect it.’ I said ‘if you do a chop, I got a move I do. You go ahead and chop me, give me a big chop. I’ll sell it, I’ll give you my whole chest and everything. And then I’ll look at you – and I’ll punch you right in the mouth as hard as I can.’ And I remember Ric looked at me and said ‘are you kidding?’ I said ‘no I’m not; I’ll punch you right in the nose as hard as I can.’ We never did chops after that.”

    “It Was Such Bulls**t”

    Bret Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2006. He was inducted once again earlier this year as a part of The Hart Foundation alongside his brother-in-law, the late Jim Neidhart. 

    Looking back on his experience with the HOF, Hart said “So many wrestlers that were up there [in the Hall of Fame] never thanked anybody. They thanked Stephanie, and they thanked Vince, and they thanked Triple H, and I thought it was such bulls**t.”

    He explained how “They should thank the wrestlers that made them, and the wrestlers that worked with them. I was so disappointed at how so many of them never thanked the wrestlers that went to all the trouble to help them. Most of them had no recollection of anyone helping them.”

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription. 

  • Matt Riddle Reflects On His Time In MMA, Learning To Sell In Pro Wrestling

    Matt Riddle Reflects On His Time In MMA, Learning To Sell In Pro Wrestling

    Matt Riddle recently opened up about his time training and competing in mixed martial arts during an episode of Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory. He also shared what he found most difficult when transitioning into pro wrestling.

    Before his time as an NXT Superstar and pro wrestler, Riddle competed in MMA and the UFC. Looking back on his time competing, he admitted he sometimes can’t believe he chose MMA as a career path:

    “I’ll be honest, I watch some of my old fights, and even when I watch fights now, I’m like, ‘I can’t believe I did that.’ It’s—I can probably do it now, I was training before I came over here and I handled myself quite well. But at the same time, it’s very reckless,” Riddle said. “It’s dangerous, there’s reward at the end but there’s also a high level of risk. I watch it, and like you said, it makes me flinch sometimes. I remember when I was younger I was like, ‘Yeah, nobody can hurt me.’ And now I’m like, why was I so stupid? Then again, it helped me but myself in the position I’m in now. I don’t regret it, because I had a good career.”

    Learning To Sell

    Transitioning from MMA to pro wrestling wasn’t seamless for Riddle. He confessed that he had a hard time learning how to sell after having to shrug everything off during a fight.

    “From MMA to pro wrestling it would have to be selling,” Riddle said. “In MMA you get punched in your face and you go, ‘No, didn’t even faze me.’ But in pro wrestling you’ve got to present it to the audience, the world. But that’s the biggest difference. For me, like I said, I’ve always been a fan, even when I would train MMA and stuff like that, I would play around, say if you get hit – I’ve been working on this for a while.”

    Riddle recently competed in a losing effort against NXT World Champion Adam Cole.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • AEW Announces Dustin Rhodes’ Dynamite Debut

    AEW Announces Dustin Rhodes’ Dynamite Debut

    All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has announced that Dustin Rhodes will be in action during next week’s episode of Dynamite. The promotion uploaded a Tweet showcasing a tag team match that will take place on Wednesday. Dustin Rhodes will team with Hangman Page against Sammy Guevara and current AEW World Champion Chris Jericho.

    “Just signed for #AEWDynamite this Wed, Oct 9th LIVE 8/7c on @tntdrama from Boston’s @AgganisArena – @theAdamPage & @dustinrhodes vs #AEW World Champ @IAmJericho & @sammyguevara”

    Dynamite

    During the ending of Dynamite’s premiere on TNT this past Wednesday, Dustin Rhodes ran into the ring to help his brother, Cody, and The Young Bucks. They were being attacked by Jericho, Santina & Ortiz, Sammy Guevara and a debuting Jake Hager (formerly WWE’s Jack Swagger).

    This assault took place after the show’s six-man tag team main event, which The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega lost. Omega had previously been taken out of the match by Jon Moxley, who put him through a glass table.

    With Dustin wanting revenge for the attack against his brother, and Hangman Page having history with Chris Jericho, there’s plenty of emotional stakes heading into this match.

    Sammy Guevara came up short in his efforts against Cody during the first-ever televised match on Dynamite, so he will also have something to prove as he aligns himself with the AEW World Champion.

  • Xavier Woods Says Brock Lesnar Disgusts Him

    Xavier Woods Says Brock Lesnar Disgusts Him

    Kofi Kingston lost his WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar last night on SmackDown’s FOX premiere. Since then, his New Day teammate Xavier Woods has lashed out at Lesnar via Twitter. Woods stated that Lesnar doesn’t care about the people and that he is reckless. He added that they intend to hustle in order to bring the WWE Championship back to the New Day:

    “In my opinion @TrueKofi created the greatest Wrestlemania moment of all time. Tonight his title reign was ended by a man who cares nothing for other people, he is wreckless, and he disgust me. Now begins the hustle to bring that WWE heavyweight championship back to the New Day.”

    Kingston was defeated by Lesnar last night in mere seconds, losing the WWE Championship that he won from Daniel Bryan back in April at WrestleMania 35. Lesnar caught Kingston mid-air, delivering a single F5 to secure the victory and the championship.

    Afterwards, Cain Velasquez made his on-screen WWE debut, accompanying Rey Mysterio. Lesnar had assaulted Rey Mysterio and his son, Dominik, during this past week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. Velasquez then took down the new champion, delivering some strikes before Lesnar was able to get away with both his new championship and his advocate, Paul Heyman.

  • Bully Ray Believes AEW Won The “Perception Battle” Against NXT

    Bully Ray Believes AEW Won The “Perception Battle” Against NXT

    Former WWE Superstar Bully Ray believes that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) won the “perception battle” this past Wednesday night. Their show on TNT, AEW: Dynamite, premiered against WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT. Dynamite would emerge victorious in the ratings against NXT.

    Speaking on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray discussed the shows with co-host Tommy Dreamer. He shared how Dynamite had the look and feel of a “PPV caliber event.”

    “The word that comes to mind that comes to mind for me, […] watching the two shows—and I did flip back and forth—and that word was perception,” Bully Ray said. “Because within the first five minutes of both shows, I thought AEW won the perception battle. Because it’s virtually impossible to flip back and forth and see those two arenas and not think that AEW wasn’t doing the bigger and better job.”

    “The place looked phenomenal. It looked as good as any Monday Night RAW looks or as any Nitro, when Nitro was hitting on all cylinders, from the past. […] So if you were a wrestling fan who was maybe tuning back in for the first time, I think AEW was the show that grabbed you.”

    Tommy Dreamer agreed with Bully Ray’s thoughts. He stated that he hoped Vince McMahon didn’t see NXT, as he believes everything would change for the black-and-gold brand if he did.

    “NXT is special and it needs to stay special,” Dreamer explained. “Nothing against Vince McMahon, his stuff works, but you’re talking to the guy who was told ‘Hey, this ECW rebranding was going to be different,’ and it changed after one show.”

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

  • AEW President Tony Khan Addresses Talent Health Insurance

    AEW President Tony Khan Addresses Talent Health Insurance

    All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan divulged information over how AEW handle health insurance for its talent during a post-AEW: Dynamite media scrum following their successful premiere on Wednesday night.

    “Of the people you saw tonight, a large percentage of them are insured with AEW because they work full-time for AEW,” Khan said. “This is my fifth show I’ve done in 2019, and most people haven’t been on all five shows. Of the people that have been on all five shows, most of them are full-time and have full-time benefits.”

    He then explained that one of AEW’s top stars, Jon Moxley, isn’t covered by AEW. Instead, he receives healthcare from his former employer, WWE. This is because of his wife, Renee Young, who is a full-time WWE employee.

    “Jon Moxley actually does get healthcare, but he gets it through his wife [Renee Young] who is a full-time employee elsewhere,” he stated. “But Kenny [Omega] does get healthcare and is a full-time employee as are a lot of people. Kenny is a part of my office and he works a full-time job. There’s other people like Britt Baker who’s full-time job is a dentist, and she’s come in and wrestle I wanna say four of the five shows.”

    Khan added that there are some people working for AEW who have only done a couple of spots this past year, and so aren’t classified as full-time employees. He confessed it was a “complicated answer.”

    AEW: Dynamite was successful in defeating WWE NXT for ratings this week. The two went head-to-head for the first this past Wednesday night.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Speculation Over Edge Returning To In-Ring Action

    Speculation Over Edge Returning To In-Ring Action

    Edge recently announced he was leaving his podcast, E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion took to Twitter to share his decision, writing:

    “Now on @EandCPod it’s the final episode with E. That’s right I’m retiring…again. Enjoy the velvety tones one last time hosers. @Christian4Peeps fly on sweet bird, fly on. #Cawcaw”

    This announcement, coinciding with Edge’s involvement at this year’s SummerSlam event where he speared Elias, has led to speculation that he may be returning to the ring.

    According to Dave Meltzer via The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Edge successfully negotiated a major new deal with WWE by playing them against All Elite Wrestling. It was noted there had been private talks between WWE and Edge about him wrestling again, though it’s not known at the time of writing if he will be cleared to do so. Those in the WWE creative team are under the impression that Edge will not be cleared.

    In a previous episode of his podcast, Edge shared that he felt healthy enough to wrestle a match. He added that WWE’s medical staff probably wouldn’t allow him to.

    “To be perfectly honest, I think I could do a match tomorrow,” Edge said. “And I might be blown up, but I’d be okay. It’s just from what I know with the WWE medical staff, they won’t allow it.”

    “Stone Cold” Steve Austin recently shared his belief that he could, “in theory,” wrestle one more match. Austin made the statement during an episode of his podcast, The Steve Austin Show.

  • MJF Wants To Face Chris Jericho, Explains Why He’ll Never Wrestle Cody

    MJF Wants To Face Chris Jericho, Explains Why He’ll Never Wrestle Cody

    All Elite Wrestling’s Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) took part in a post-show media scrum following the conclusion of Wednesday’s premiere of AEW: Dynamite. During the scrum, MJF spoke about his victory over Brandon Cutler as well as his future ambitions in competing against Chris Jericho.

    “It felt great [to pick up the victory tonight]. It felt like every single bit of work that I have put into this industry has finally, finally come to fruition. I got to show the world what the future looks like. I got to show the world what the future of what All Elite Wrestling is, and the future of AEW is MJF.”

    He spoke about tapping out Cutler in short order, calling himself a “top tier athlete” because of it. “[…] I proved what I’ve been saying since day one, and yet, people’ boo’ me. What they should be doing is looking in the mirror and wondering, ‘Why do I boo MJF? Is it because I’m jealous? Is it because I can never be MJF?’ Yeah, yeah it is.”

    Future Goals

    When it comes to his next goal in AEW, MJF is quick to mention the current AEW World Champion, Chris Jericho:

    “Chris Jericho [is who I would want to face next] because he decided to do something that was absolutely inhumane and absolutely unnecessary,” Friedman stated.

    He also addressed his friendship with Cody Rhodes, claiming that he would never face off against him as he is a “brother” to him.

    “I would never in a million years put my hands on my big brother. Ever! When I say I’m going to be the future face of this company, it is because the face of this company right now is Cody Rhodes. And once he’s done, then it’s my time to shine. It’s really that simple.”

    AEW: Dynamite defeated NXT in ratings this past Wednesday in their first-ever head-to-head.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Sean Waltman Explains Why Kane Was His Favorite Tag Team Partner

    Sean Waltman Explains Why Kane Was His Favorite Tag Team Partner

    On a recent episode of his podcast, X-Pac 12360, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman opened up about why Kane was his favorite tag team partner. He also addressed their dynamics working together as a team and the money they made via merchandise sales.

    “He’s my favorite partner, of all my partners, the stuff we did, the stuff we created, the moments and you know the matches and all that, I just, it’s my favorite,” Waltman confessed.

    “Just for creative reasons. Really proud of some of those matches we had…Really grateful because as much as Glenn says how good that was for him and his career, same for me. So yeah, it was great for me at the time. You just have that singles program with a guy like Glenn, with that kind of character, I am very proud of it. It’s just my favorite for so many reasons.”

    Team Dynamic

    The two played off their size difference, developing a dynamic that worked for the two of them as Kane played the bigger, stronger partner to X-Pac’s speedier approach. It’s a dyanmic that continues to inspire current wrestlers, including AEW’s Jurrasic Express.

    “I’ve talked about this, and it’s advice I give to a lot of people down in the PC actually, especially because there is a lot of matches these days with disparity in size,” he said. “If you’re a smaller guy that wants to be successful working with bigger guys you have to come up with creative ways for them to stop themselves.”

    He continued, “As opposed to all of a sudden when it’s time to get heat on them you just stop him, when he’s a foot taller than you and outweighs you by 200 pounds it’s much better if you move out of the way and he crashes and burns, and that’s how you shut him down. It makes more sense and it helps, it just makes it more credible. So I always had those creative ways of doing things like that… it was a lot of work.”

    Waltman recalled making a lot of money during their time teaming together thanks to their merchandise. He remembered seeing a list in 2000 that listed him and Kane as numbers 4 and 5 in the company for merch sales, below top Superstars such as The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Christopher Daniels: “AEW Is The Future Of This Business”

    Christopher Daniels: “AEW Is The Future Of This Business”

    So-Cal Uncensored member Christopher Daniels took part in a post-AEW: Dynamite media conference after AEW’s premiere concluded. During this conference, Daniels addressed the rise of All Elite Wrestling, calling the promotion the future of the business.

    “The first night but not the last night of greatness. AEW is the future of this business. It’s already changed the future of the pro wrestling world. It already changed. It’s different now than it was a year ago and we know it. We know it,” Daniels stated.

    “You saw the people out there? That’s just the first full house of many full houses that are to come. And that feels great to me. 26 years in the business, I was fortunate enough to be a part of Ring Of Honor when it started, I was fortunate enough to be a part of TNA when it started, now I’m at the ground floor of something that has 100 times more excitement behind it than either of those companies did at that time. And I’m proud to be a part of it.”

    Daniels explained that everybody on the AEW roster has got something to prove and are putting everybody on notice. “We deserve to be on national television, we’re gonna be on national television. Dynamite is here to stay—first night is not the last night!”

    AEW: Dynamite defeated WWE NXT during their first-ever head-to-head this past Wednesday.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Finn Balor Discusses His NXT Return

    Finn Balor Discusses His NXT Return

    Former WWE Universal Champion Finn Balor made his return to NXT this past Wednesday. He confronted Adam Cole after Cole’s successful NXT Championship defense against Matt Riddle, stating that “As of now, Finn Balor is NXT.”

    In an interview with Newsweek.com, Balor opened up about his return to the black-and-gold brand, calling it a “huge honor.”

    “I’ve been out of the ring for about two months and out of NXT for much longer,” Balor explained. “To get the opportunity to return to Full Sail live on USA is a huge honor for me.”

    Addressing his ambitions in NXT, Balor shared that he intends to “[…] wrestle whenever, [and] whoever I want. That’s something I’ve been chasing for quite some time in my career. I don’t believe in any boundaries be it weight class, country, promotion… And I want to break those boundaries. I’m here at NXT to do that.”

    His return seems to place Balor directly into the NXT Championship picture. If he does chase the gold that Cole currently holds, he will invariably be facing the full force of Cole’s stable, the Undisputed Era. For him, however, that’s no problem.

    “[…] I’ve been part of a group before, I’ve been one of those guys who has been an individual [performer] for a very long time. But maybe you need a group to face Undisputed Era, we’ll see.”

    He admitted that returning to NXT was nerve-wracking as “the game has changed a lot in NXT since I was here.” He pointed to the quality of Cole and Riddle’s matchup as an example of how NXT Superstars have stepped up since he was there.

    Balor shared that his ultimate goal is to continue evolving as a competitor, and he believes returning to NXT will allow him to “redefine and recreate” his WWE legacy.

  • Chris Jericho Comments On AEW’s Ratings Victory Over NXT

    Chris Jericho Comments On AEW’s Ratings Victory Over NXT

    All Elite Wrestling (AEW) World Champion Chris Jericho spoke with Complex Sports about Dynamite’s victory over WWE NXT in this week’s ratings. This Wednesday saw the two promotions go head-to-head for the first time in a battle that AEW won.

    “They started this,” Jericho stated. “Everything that they’ve done has been reactionary to us. We’re not in a war with anybody besides ourselves…all that matters is our show.”

    He extrapolated his point, explaining that “They [WWE] kinda started this war, and the very first night they got destroyed. Big deal, it’s our first debut, but they have to come back and say ‘it’s a marathon and not a one-night sprint.’ Whoever said it’s a one-night sprint? It’s not a war for us. Now, we’re placed in one, and we’re gonna kick ass.”

    His thoughts follow WWE’s statement on Dynamite’s premiere. They congratulated them for their win before adding that fans “can expect Wednesday nights to be a competitive and wild ride as this is a marathon, not a one-night sprint.”

    Jericho and his tag team partners Ortiz & Santana defeated The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega in 6-man tag team action. The fallout of this match saw the debut of Jake Hager in AEW.

    You can see a clip of Jericho’s comments in the embedded tweet below.

  • Triple H Names Which NXT Talent He’d Like To Wrestle

    Triple H Names Which NXT Talent He’d Like To Wrestle

    WWE’s COO Triple H has named which NXT Superstars he would like to compete against if the opportunity ever arose. When asked by FOX which black-and-gold talent he’d want to wrestle, Triple H answered with two former NXT Champions: Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.

    “If I had to pick one, I think in this moment… I’m going to give you two. But I’m giving you two ’cause I think that they’re almost even. It would either be Tommaso Ciampa or Johnny Gargano,” Triple H said.

    He explained that “Johnny Gargano is the Shawn Michaels of the moment to me in some ways. That was one of my favorite opponents to ever step in the ring with. And then Ciampa is…I see a lot of myself there. It would be interesting to step into the ring with him. His style is a little bit more akin to mine, so I think it would work out a little bit better for me.”

    Johnny Gargano responded to this revelation via his Twitter account. He called Triple H’s words “quite the compliment.”

    He added that a match between them had TakeOver “written all over it” and teased a matchup that would see him team up with his former DIY teammate Ciampa:

    “That’s quite the compliment, boss! That match has TakeOver written all over it..How about we split the difference and just give the world #DIY vs DX too while we’re at it..”

    SmackDown premieres on FOX tonight at 7:30 ET / 6:30 CT.

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

  • Cody Rhodes On Proving His Mom Wrong, If He Spoke To Vince McMahon About AEW

    Cody Rhodes On Proving His Mom Wrong, If He Spoke To Vince McMahon About AEW

    All Elite Wrestling’s Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes recently sat down for an interview with the Rich Eisen Show. During their conversation, Rhodes opened up wanting to portray himself in the ring—something he claimed WWE never fully understood. He also addressed whether he spoke about AEW with Vince McMahon. 

    Cody explained that he knew throughout his entire career who he was destined to be regarding an in-ring persona. He acknowledged he never wanted to be something he wasn’t. Instead, he wanted to fold his real life into his character, owning the fact he is Dusty Rhodes’ son. He added that this ambition was something WWE never understood, which acted as motivation for him to leave and start working with other promotions like Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

    “I didn’t want to be another character. I wanted to be this combination of everything that I had built,” Rhodes explained. “I hit the independent scene and the independent scene was thriving. The alternative brands like New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor were doing really well. I linked up with some other non-WWE backed wrestling talent and that’s what ultimately led to having an alternative product [AEW].”

    Betting On AEW

    When he first started planning AEW, Cody was told by an “endless amount of people to forget it.” He added that the one person he loves to consistently prove wrong is his mother. Cody described her as being “terrified” over his betting on himself and AEW not succeeding.

    He admitted that he never spoke with Vince McMahon about AEW and that it wasn’t until Tony Khan became involved that plans solidified:

    “What happened was, there were four major free agents in wrestling,” Rhodes said. “It was myself, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks. Tony Khan, who’s a die-hard wrestling consumer and fan, was the one who said ‘I can get this, I can back you guys fully. You can hold me accountable, I can hold you guys accountable, and I can get this on TNT.’ He wasn’t lying. The day our free agency began, he took us under his wing and everything has gone forward since.”

    He explained that “[Tony] is someone I like talking to because he has a good grip on what wrestling might be good today. ‘[He’d say things like] these guys are getting really popular. I saw this guy in Japan. I saw this girl at an independent event.’ He has a good mind for the future and how things may be.”

    AEW: Dynamite premieres on TNT this Wednesday, October 2nd.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

  • Sean Waltman Reflects On Joining DX

    Sean Waltman Reflects On Joining DX

    WWE Hall of Famer Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman was a member of two legendary wrestling stables in the ’90s: nWo and D-Generation X. In a recent episode of his podcast, X-Pac 12360, Waltman reflected on the different versions of D-Generation X and the time he joined them after leaving WCW in 1998.

    “I am sure there was a lot of doubt without Shawn [Michaels], if [DX] can keep going. But I had a f**k ton of momentum coming off of my nWo run, it was the biggest thing in wrestling,” Waltman said. “That was a big deal, that was a huge part. I mean it still would have been great if I were to have came back in that spot but the fact that I was a huge part of the nWo.”

    The version of DX that Waltman joined was led by Triple H after Shawn Michaels had departed WWE. He became a part of the stable alongside the New Age outlaws, who he credited as being integral to DX’s success.

    “I look back on it and just how everything turned out; obviously they were the perfect addition. And even if I hadn’t come back… the plan was, or the talk was even before I came back; while Shawn was still active to add those guys to the mix,” revealed Waltman. “But they were doing fine on their own at that point. I can’t really stress enough how important those guys were to the whole DX recipe.”

    D-Generation X were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this year during WrestleMania weekend.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. 

  • Cody Recalls Growing Up As A Wrestling Fan

    Cody Recalls Growing Up As A Wrestling Fan

    Ahead of All Elite Wrestling’s premiere this Wednesday, Cody Rhodes sat down for an interview on the Rich Eisen Show. During their conversation, Cody was asked about what it was like to grow up not only as a wrestling fan but as Dusty Rhodes’ son.

    “When I heard the first bump in the ring and the crowd react, I never wanted to be backstage again,” Rhodes stated, remembering the moment he became a fan. “Brad Armstrong match in Savannah, Georgia. After that, I was hooked.”

    He shared how he had discovered his father’s bloodier matches hidden away in a guest bedroom. Cody revealed that, once he found these matches, he dove right in and watched everything.

    “I found, in our guest bedroom, this chest of huge reels. VHS was pretty big at the time, but a lot of the stuff my dad was in was rather violent and bloody. It was hidden from me, but I found it and I dove right in. I watched everything, I was genuinely shocked because I was 8 or 9. I had no clue he was as significant to our industry as a wrestler.”

    Even when Dusty would have his supposed rivals over for dinner, Cody remembered how “He always explained it me in a way that I didn’t mind. I liked being disillusioned by it all. He explained that you couldn’t fight outside the ring or else “the league” would fine you, or there would be these big repercussions. At a young age, I bought it. Never once did I question it. I didn’t want to question it. The show was just too fun.”

    AEW: Dynamite premieres on TNT this Wednesday, October 2nd.

    H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

  • Matt Taven Signs New Deal With ROH

    Matt Taven Signs New Deal With ROH

    It appears as though former Ring of Honor (ROH) World Champion Matt Taven isn’t going anywhere.

    Amidst rumors of interest from WWE, Taven announced that he had no intention of leaving ROH during Saturday night’s TV tapings in Las Vegas. He cut the promo alongside his Kingdom teammates, Vinny Marseglia and TK O’Ryan. Taven lost the ROH World Championship the night prior to RUSH. His contract was reportedly set to expire at the end of the month.

    It was noted by Dave Meltzer via Wrestling Observer Radio that Taven’s new deal starts out as double the money a top NXT Superstar would receive. It can then escalate to triple that amount by the end of it. Meltzer added that, despite WWE’s interest, the difference between the two offers was “ridiculous.”

    Taven had high praise for ROH during his announcement on Saturday and explained that his story as one of their top talents is far from over. With this new contract in place, it probably won’t take long for Taven to pursue a rematch against the new champion, RUSH.

    Matt Taven won the ROH World Championship back in April during the ROH/New Japan Pro-Wrestling co-promoted show, G1 Supercard. He defeated then-champion Jay Lethal and Marty Scurll in a triple-threat ladder match at Madison Square Garden.