SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Tetsuya Naito Discusses Jon Moxley’s Impact In NJPW And G1 Climax 29

    Tetsuya Naito Discusses Jon Moxley’s Impact In NJPW And G1 Climax 29

    Jon Moxley is currently tearing his way through the B Block in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 Climax 29 tournament.

    One current NJPW wrestler, however, hasn’t been too impressed with the former WWE Superstar: the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Tetsuya Naito.

    The Los Ingobernables de Japon leader sat down with njpw1972.com for an interview to discuss the G1 Climax and a few of his opponents, including Moxley.

    It’s worth noting that the second part of this interview was only recently uploaded, and was conducted before the G1 matchup between Naito and Moxley on July 28th.

    Commenting on the matchup between Moxley and Juice Robinson, Naito stated that the match, which saw Moxley claim the IWGP US Championship, didn’t move him.

    “That Moxley match didn’t really move me. I know it was a hot crowd in Ryogoku, that came through on the TV even, but I was left thinking, ‘Why are the people making that kind of noise?’ I couldn’t put my finger on it, myself.”

    When discussing Moxley specifically, he claimed to prefer technical wrestlers over Moxley’s current brawling style.

    “I prefer technical wrestlers. Plus, with his new gear, he seems more subdued, less showy than how I imagine a WWE wrestler is. Then again, that’s just going off one match. Maybe he has something I haven’t seen just yet,” Naito said.

    He continued, “You don’t hold all the championships he has, or get as popular as he’s got purely on luck. Maybe I’ll see something in him after we actually meet in the ring, but for now, he’s an unknown quantity.”

    The two clashed a few days ago on July 28th. Jon Moxley defeated Naito, continuing his undefeated streak in the G1 Climax.

  • Cody Talks About AEW Appealing To Core Fanbase, Unintersted In “Casual Fans”

    Cody Talks About AEW Appealing To Core Fanbase, Unintersted In “Casual Fans”

    Cody Rhodes isn’t interested in attracting casual fans to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) when they debut on TNT this October 2nd.

    Speaking with SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Cody spoke openly about the idea of the ‘casual fan’ and the kind of demographic AEW are specifically targeting.

    “You guys have heard the term ‘casual fan,’ right?” he asked. “‘Oh, how are you going to get the casual fan?’ The term ‘casual fan,’ honestly I just threw up a little in my mouth every time I hear it because it’s this vernacular to describe wrestling and it’s based on the Monday Night Wars.”

    He argued that with the Monday Night Wars long over, the idea of the casual fan is no longer a thing in modern pro wrestling. This mindset has allowed him to instead focus solely on appealing to AEW’s core audience.

    “My focus is always the base that built AEW,” Cody added. “And that base, if you’ve seen it, you get it. And if you haven’t seen it, it’s just something that you have to see and feel. Bully [Ray] knows what I’m talking about. Because there’s a lot of confidence that sometimes can get misplaced for arrogance on my half or on The Elite’s behalf, but I’ve seen the power. I’ve seen it. And that’s why I want to focus on them first and foremost.”

    “There’s people who are plenty critical of what AEW does and instead of signal boosting that, I’d rather a hundred of the fans that we have in that base than that one sulky son of a bitch that’s not coming on-board anyways. You guys know that first way to fail is to try and please everybody, but I gotta take care of the people who brought us to the dance in the first place… and I think that will be appealing on a global level. I genuinely do.”

    Cody will face Shawn Spears in a grudge match at AEW’s next event, All Out, which takes place on August 31st from the Sears Center Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

  • WWE Will Reportedly Give SmackDown A Cinematic Quality On Fox

    WWE Will Reportedly Give SmackDown A Cinematic Quality On Fox

    WWE is aiming to implement a more “cinematic” aesthetic to their programming when SmackDown Live debuts on Fox on Friday, October 4th.

    According to WrestleVotes and later corroborated by our own source with WWE, the goal is to give SmackDown Live the cinematic sheen we’ve seen from WWE Network programming such as the WWE 24 and 365 specials.

    They will achieve this new look thanks to a range of new cameras that WWE has invested in. The promotion will reportedly shoot the blue brand with this new equipment when they debut on Fox. WWE are said to be very happy with the results.

    Star-Studded

    WWE and Fox are hoping to make an immediate impact upon their October arrival. Many celebrities and marquee former WWE Superstars having been invited to the show, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

    The hope is to give the debut a glitzy sense of importance, making it feel like a major sporting event. This could be a contributing factor behind using the Staples Center in Los Angeles to host the night’s show.

    The move to Fox comes only two days after All Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut their show on TNT.

    WWE’s efforts not only allow them to put their best foot forward in terms of presentation but also acts as a means to try and make AEW seem less impressive by comparison.

  • Hulk Hogan Opens Up About Altercation With “Macho Man” Randy Savage Over Miss Elizabeth

    Hulk Hogan Opens Up About Altercation With “Macho Man” Randy Savage Over Miss Elizabeth

    The “Macho Man” Randy Savage was famously intense, often blending the lines between his real-life and pro wrestling personalities. One common denominator existed between the two facets that comprised Savage and his well-documented jealousy: Miss Elizabeth. 

    Speaking with Steve Austin on his podcast, The Steve Austin Show, Hulk Hogan recounted an incident in Paris between himself and the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage.

    “When I first met Randy, man, he was the best at everything. I loved working with him. The only really b***h we had was in Paris, France one night,” Hogan said. “Elizabeth was my manager, and we went to the ring in Paris. There were no steps. Elizabeth was probably 95 or 100 pounds soaking wet. So I reached over the top rope, reached all the way over where she’s standing next to me, and grabbed her by the armpits. I picked her all the way up, she had a dress on, and put her in the ring.”

    Randy Savage took issue with this, claiming that Hogan had inappropriately touched Elizabeth whilst lifting her into the ring.

    He remembered Randy saying “‘You son of a b*tch you grabbed her boobs’… We walk up and he grabs a headlock on me, but he puts that side headlock on me. I’m hanging in—I’m hanging in there—and I didn’t want my eyeball to pop out, so I grab his waist and I squeezed. ‘Randy, if you don’t let go, I’m going to dump you on your head.’”

    “He was so pissed at me,” Hogan recalled. “The match sucked; we had a horrible match… We went back to the dressing room in Paris, and I walked in. I said, ‘Randy, we need to talk right now.’ I reached to open the door, and when I pulled the door I ripped it off the hinges. The door was so old and so rotted by termites… So, me and Randy went in the back and [he said] ‘Hey, man, I’m sorry I got mad.’ I said, ‘Randy, I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to touch her inappropriately – there were no steps.’ But I think the door is the thing that kind of cooled everything down, it was hanging on by a thread.”

    Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage would ultimately feud after their Mega Powers tag team split because of Savage’s increasing paranoia and jealousy over Hogan and Elizabeth. The two would clash in the main event of WrestleMania V, with Hogan walking away victorious.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Freddie Prinze Jr. Recalls Not Getting Along With John Cena While Working For WWE

    Freddie Prinze Jr. Recalls Not Getting Along With John Cena While Working For WWE

    In any business or line of work, it’s unlikely that you’ll get on with every one of your co-workers.

    Turns out that was the case between former WWE creative member and actor, Freddie Prinze Jr., and WWE Superstar John Cena.

    Prinze Jr. was hired as a part of WWE’s creative team in 2008. He would be one of the people responsible for WWE’s promo classes at the time.

    During an interview with Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, he revealed how Cena took issue with him being there.

    “John Cena and I were the only ones who didn’t really get along,” he admitted. “I respect what John brought to WWE. He had to hold the company on his shoulders during the PG Era when no one else wanted to. That could have been [Triple H], but he wanted to be more Rated R and do the stuff he liked to do. John took that upon himself. For that, wrestling fans should be grateful. But we did not get along. He did not like that I was there.”

    Freddie recalled how Cena would refer to him as Ashton Kutcher for his first three months with the company, and, at one point, even interrupted one of his promo classes.

    “He walked in, in the middle of acting class, and sat down in between the two wrestlers. We go outside, and I go, ‘You’re not in this class because you know how to do this. But you don’t want to teach these guys or girls shit. So let me do my job. Let me do what Vince wants me to do. And just stay out of here.’ To his credit, he goes, ‘I know approach this stuff in a barbaric sort of way, but you either got it, or you don’t.’ I said, ‘You’re right about that. But you can get better or worse, depending on the type of instruction you have. Do you want them to have instruction from Vince in the promo class or from me?’”

    Prinze Jr. left WWE in early 2009 to start a family with his wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar. He was last seen on WWE television in an on-screen role during a segment in 2010.

    H/T: Fightful for the transcribed quotes

  • Bully Ray Comments On Brock Lesnar’s Destruction Of Seth Rollins

    Bully Ray Comments On Brock Lesnar’s Destruction Of Seth Rollins

    Brock Lesnar decimated Seth Rollins during this past Monday’s episode of Monday Night RAW.

    “The Beast Incarnate” interrupted Rollins’ match against Dolph Ziggler, leaving Rollins needing medical attention. However, while strapped to a stretcher inside an ambulance, Lesnar would reappear and continue his vicious assault.

    On an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray argued that the segment would have been better if Rollins had someone by his side. Namely his girlfriend, Becky Lynch.

    “Where was Becky?” he asked. “If we take a look at this in a quote-unquote real life and how real people react, if they would have just had Becky go in the ambulance with Seth—she didn’t have to get in, but she should have been the last person that Seth saw before the doors closed, and then Becky walks off out of the shot…Now, as a viewer, when Brock stops the ambulance and continues to destroy Seth, now in my mind I’m like, ‘Alright, well Becky thinks he’s okay, cause she thinks the ambulance left already.’”

    Bully Ray continued, “That’s not the case, Becky would have saw everything. So, not only am I confused as to why she wasn’t there for her man when he was getting loaded in the ambulance, I wanna know why she wasn’t there for her man when he was getting his ass annihilated. Even the most non-confrontational people in the world will put their body on the line and sacrifice themselves to help a loved one, right?”

    He stated that either Becky Lynch or Roman Reigns should have been involved in the segment, given their personal relationships with the former WWE Universal Champion.

  • Flip Gordon Discusses ROH’s Locker Room Optimism, ROH/NWA Relationship Ending

    Flip Gordon Discusses ROH’s Locker Room Optimism, ROH/NWA Relationship Ending

    Ring Of Honor (ROH) wrestler and “The Mercenary” of Villain Enterprises, Flip Gordon, has opened up about ROH’s roster changes and the promotion’s working relationship with NWA coming to an end.

    Speaking with the WINCLY podcast, Gordon commented that, though things have changed in ROH’s locker room, they haven’t changed in a bad way.

    He explained that, with top stars including The Elite having left, “Everybody’s motivated and excited because a bunch of top spots just opened up and are for grabs. Everybody is competing for them. It’s friendly competition, but everybody wants that top spot, me included. So it’s a really good atmosphere because everybody’s busting their ass right now.”

    Flip isn’t the first ROH wrestler to comment on ROH’s locker room flux in recent months, with both Dalton Castle and Jeff Cobb expressing similar sentiments.

    ROH/NWA Split

    Turning to ROH’s relationship with NWA, Gordon admitted that he was initially surprised the two ended their partnership.

    “I was a bit surprised, but with wrestling being so popular now, I’m not surprised. Business is thriving right now, so if the NWA wants to go out on their own, I wish them the best of luck. Sometimes you gotta go out on your own, and I think ROH wants to do their own thing anyway, so I’m excited.”

    Despite recently turning heel and aligning with Marty Scurll’s Villain Enterprises, Flip Gordon has yet to fully recover from injury, though it is expected he will be returning to in-ring action sooner rather than later.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Taz Grants Dominik Dijakovic Permission To Use The Tazmission

    Taz Grants Dominik Dijakovic Permission To Use The Tazmission

    We previously reported on NXT Superstar Dominik Dijakovic seeking permission to use the Tazmission as a new finisher.

    At the time, Taz rejected the idea, even agreeing with a fan on Twitter who claimed that big men shouldn’t use submissions to finish matches.

    In an update to this story, the ECW Original has now confirmed he communicated privately with Dijakovic and has subsequently given him the “nod” to begin using the maneuver, calling Dominik a talented Superstar with a bright future.

    “Just to wrap up yesterday topic. I DID reach out to @DijakovicWWE via DM and we communicated several times privately yesterday…I DID give him the nod with him using the Tazmission. He is a talented guy with a bright future, best of luck to him!”

    https://twitter.com/OfficialTAZ/status/1156232116738449408

    Dijakovic uploaded another tweet, this one accompanied with a gif of him performing the Tazmission during an NXT show.

    “Nobody will beat me. Nobody will survive.
    Feast Your Eyes on the Tazmission.”

    https://twitter.com/DijakovicWWE/status/1155946719902756864

    His initial tweet, requesting Taz’s permission read:

    “Hello @OfficialTAZ, do you mind if I start using your Tazmission hold on WWE programming and events to defeat my opponents? I have found it to be a very effective maneuver. Thank you.”

    The NXT Superstar eventually deleted the tweet, but not before Taz responded. He explained that, although he appreciated Dominik’s request, he did care, and that using a public forum like Twitter wasn’t the “right way for this discussion to happen.”

    https://twitter.com/OfficialTAZ/status/1155877196700897281
  • Becky Lynch Admits She Was “Apprehensive” Over Storylines With Seth Rollins

    Becky Lynch Admits She Was “Apprehensive” Over Storylines With Seth Rollins

    Becky Lynch recently featured in a storyline that saw reality and fiction blend as WWE put her real-life relationship with Seth Rollins on screens for the WWE Universe.

    In an interview with TalkSport.com, “The Man” admitted she was “apprehensive” over WWE’s decision to do so. She was worried that fans would simply focus on the relationship, and not the Superstars involved in the storyline.

    “Honestly, I was very apprehensive,” Lynch stated. “What I didn’t want was everybody talking about the relationship. What I wanted was two bad asses, two people at the top of their game fighting side-by-side. Not for the world to be reminded every five minutes that this is Becky Lynch’s boyfriend or that’s Seth Rollins’ girlfriend. Which, of course, they didn’t do. They were the masters of subtlety…”

    She continued, “So, for that reason, I was apprehensive. But when I thought about it, I was like OK. One, we’re going to make this a badass fight, it’s going to be a great fight. No matter what, you know when you put me and Seth Rollins in a fight you’re going to get pure passion and we’re going to pull out all the stops. But in terms of having my relationship be the freaking front and centre, that’s not what I’m about. That’s not what I’ve worked towards. That’s not what I wanted.”

    Lynch explained that she wanted to work with Seth not because they’re dating, but because “he’s the best in the business—you know, besides me.”

    The two paired up to take on Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans during WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Although Lynch and Rollins would win this match, Rollins would ultimately lose the WWE Universal Championship to Brock Lesnar, who chose that night to cash in his Money In The Bank briefcase.

  • Chavo Guerrero Calls Randy Orton “One Of The Best Wrestlers Of All Time”

    Chavo Guerrero Calls Randy Orton “One Of The Best Wrestlers Of All Time”

    A 9-time WWE Champion, and 4-time World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton currently places 4th in WWE’s list of most championship victories. He has left an indelible mark on WWE during his time with the promotion.

    One person who considers Orton to be one of the best of all time is another multi-generational wrestler: Chavo Guerrero.

    Speaking with the WINCLY podcast, the former WWE Superstar discussed working on Netflix’s show, GLOW, before turning the conversation to Orton’s in-ring skills—skills Chavo believes makes Randy “one of the best” that has ever performed.

    “He’s so good; his timing is impeccable. His presence in the ring is so good. He’s got you from his entrance to his exit, and he commands the audience,” Guerrero observed. “I remember the first time I saw him do that Viper thing…I thought to myself, ‘Man, why didn’t I think of that? That’s so cool!’

    He continued, “You can really feel it; he just connects with the fans so well. He’s special for sure.”

    Dissecting Orton’s talent, Chavo commented that although he may only have a limited arsenal of moves, it’s the way he executes them so flawlessly that elevates “The Viper.”

    “Randy does what he does; he does maybe 10 moves. But he does them really good and at the perfect time and with great presence…That makes him one of the best wrestlers, arguably, of all time.”

    Randy Orton recently rekindled a long-running feud with rival, and current WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston. The two are scheduled to compete for the WWE Championship on August 11th at SummerSlam.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

    https://youtu.be/cQhlp9XY3u0
  • Chris Sabin Guest Coaching At WWE Performance Center

    Chris Sabin Guest Coaching At WWE Performance Center

    It appears as though former Impact Wrestling and Ring of Honor (ROH) star, Chris Sabin, is currently at WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

    Sabin teased that he was in Florida a few days ago, tweeting “Such a strange, almost nostalgic feeling it is to be in Orlando again.”

    He followed this cryptic message with another upload of a heavily cropped image of the WWE Performance Center logo.

    Pro Wrestling Sheet confirms Chris Sabin is at the WWE PC offering his services as a guest coach to the current crop of WWE rookies.

    Sabin, unfortunately, suffered a torn ACL injury back in January, sidelining him from the push he was receiving in ROH. It was projected he would be out of action for approximately 8-12 months. He departed the promotion in March 2019.

    Last year, he participated in New Japan Pro Wrestlings Best of Super Juniors tournament. He finished the BoSJ with three wins and four losses.
    In October 2018, he teamed with current NXT Superstar Kushida for the Super Junior Tag League. Their team didn’t fare much better, once again earning three wins and four losses.

    The former Motor City Machine Gun member isn’t the only guest coach the Performance Center has hosted. Others include Danny Cage from the Monster Factory, Pat Buck from Creat a Pro Wrestling, and Mike Mondo from the Spirit Squad.

  • Kofi Kingston Calls Executive Director Roles “Intriguing,” Says He’s Looking Forward To Working With Eric Bischoff

    Kofi Kingston Calls Executive Director Roles “Intriguing,” Says He’s Looking Forward To Working With Eric Bischoff

    WWE Champion Kofi Kingston sat down for an interview with ComicBook.com during the recent Comic-Con International event.

    During their conversation, Kingston commented on Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff’s new roles as Executive Directors for RAW and SmackDown, respectively.

    He called their new positions “intriguing” as he considers them to be some of the best minds in pro wrestling history. Kofi also mentioned how, although he has never met him, he is looking forward to working with Eric Bischoff going forward.

    “It is very intriguing because those guys are some of the best minds in the wrestling business, in the history of the wrestling business,” Kofi said.

    “It’s always good to be always switching things up,” he continued, “and those are guys who not only think outside the box, but they live outside the box. So to have them behind the creative of RAW and Smackdown is very intriguing. I’m really looking forward to working with Eric Bischoff, he’s actually one guy that I have not met. So hopefully we get to work closely as time goes by.”

    Kofi Kingston is scheduled to defend his WWE Championship against “The Viper” Randy Orton on August 11th at WWE’s SummerSlam event. Their recent rivalry has reignited a long-standing feud between the two Superstars.

    SummerSlam takes place in the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

  • Lacey Evans Lashes Back At Alundra Blayze

    Lacey Evans Lashes Back At Alundra Blayze

    The online feud between Lacey Evans and Alundra Blayze doesn’t seem to be calming down any time soon.

    After sniping at one another via Twitter following Blayze’s appearance on last week’s RAW Reunion special, things have only gotten more personal, with Blayze seemingly lobbying for a match between the two of them at SummerSlam.

    Writing to her followers, Blayze claimed that SummerSlam needed another “legend vs current talent match” before asking who they would like to see.

    Evans responded:

    “I volunteer to rip you out of your retirement home and make you choke on your words.

    Legend or not..you’re disrespectful, swollen headed nasty that has it coming.

    Talk about my family again….. I’ll lose this career gladly waving goodbye with your blood on my hands. #Shoot”

    Blayze replied:

    “And then we have this… disgruntled Youngin wanting to continue to ride on the coattails of a Hall of Famer. #letsfight PS how is that wonderful family of yours”

    “Yesterday’s Nasties”

    This all began Evans’ initial tweet that read “Legends = Yesterday’s nasties.”

    Taking issue with this, Blayze brought Lacey’s family into their argument.

    She wrote about how Evans “failed in the military” before targeting her for living in a trailer and dragging her husband and kid around.

    This prompted Evans to respond:

    “Shootin’ the real shots? I musta got under your wrinkly skin. Bless her heart. I’m typing this 8 years honorably discharged from serving our country while in said trailer, over looking lots of land, and $$ in the bank. As far as my family goes hubby gets it every night & baby is happy.”

  • TJP Discusses How The Cruiserweight Division And X-Division Have Impacted Pro Wrestling

    TJP Discusses How The Cruiserweight Division And X-Division Have Impacted Pro Wrestling

    Former WWE 205 Live Superstar, and current Impact Wrestling star, TJP has experience competing for WWE’s Cruiserweight Division as well as Impact’s X-Division.

    Speaking with the WINCLY podcast, TJP opened up about his time in these divisions, and what they each offered pro wrestling.

    “I always thought that the X-Division affected the social culture of wrestling in the 2000s the same way the WCW Cruiserweight Division did when it was first starting,” TJP explained.

    “I meet young fans who grew up on the X-Division, and during that time TNA was the hot, trendy thing. The generation is so far removed from it now that people forget that the type of trendiness AEW has now TNA once had.”

    Reflecting on his time in WWE’s Cruiserweight Division, TJP highlighted how the division gave wrestlers his size opportunities that previously wouldn’t have existed.

    “It opened the doors for a generation of guys who didn’t have a certain stature and didn’t have an opportunity for maybe 10 years. There was a time I was homeless,” he shared, “and went down to FCW in 2008 and 2009, and it was unheard of someone of my size trying to get in.”

    TJP then spoke about how 2016’s Cruiserweight Classic helped open doors for smaller Superstars to establish themselves, naming Cedric Alexander and The Lucha House Party as prime examples.

    TJP has a busy schedule ahead of him. In between his Impact wrestling and independent commitments, he was recently announced as being a participant in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Super J-Cup.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

    https://youtu.be/fCb04M1yTR8
  • Scott Hall Reflects On Favorite Backstage Moment During RAW Reunion

    Scott Hall Reflects On Favorite Backstage Moment During RAW Reunion

    Scott Hall recently joined friend, and former nWo stablemate, Sean Waltman on the latter’s podcast, X-Pac 12360.

    The two discussed last week’s RAW Reunion special as Hall reflected on his favorite backstage moment.

    “My favorite part of the whole experience was sitting in what they call ‘the legends lounge and just hearing the guys talk and laugh,” Hall said.

    “I feel that the wrestling business today is so politically correct that even when the performers talk to each other, they’re real guarded with what they say. […] But in the Legend’s Lounge, a bunch of old-timers like us that came up in a different era when you could talk to a guy using colorful language. It didn’t mean you didn’t like them, it’s just how guys communicated. It’s really fun to hear,” he explained.

    One of the former Superstars in attendance was “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Hall commented on how, since Flair’s multiple health scares, it appears as though Ric looks at life differently.

    “Being around Ric Flair these days—it’s always enjoyable, but these last few days—I am not putting words in his mouth but just my take on it: since he had that major health scare, he looks at life differently now.”

    “It’s not like he didn’t enjoy life before, but he is completely cool with the point that it might end tomorrow, so I am going to enjoy every moment of every day. And when you’re around somebody like that, it’s kinda fun.”

    Hall and Waltman also discussed wanting to put over younger WWE Superstars during their RAW Reunion segment—a wish that was supposedly overruled.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • The OC Claims To Be “The Only Club That Matters”

    The OC Claims To Be “The Only Club That Matters”

    Last night, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows once again became RAW Tag Team Champions. Alongside their OC stablemate, AJ Styles, they now hold some of RAW’s top gold.

    Post-match, The OC addressed their victory in a backstage exclusive.

    When asked if they expected championship gold so quickly after their reformation, Karl Anderson took the mic and asserted they did what they set out to do: dominate.

    “Just like AJ would say: when the OC got back together, we told the world we were going to dominate,” Anderson declared. “US Champion, Tag Team Champions, we told the world we were going to do this.”

    His partner, Luke Gallows added:

    “You cannot defeat this trio. AJ Styles, the Phenomenal One, the best wrestler in the entire world, bar none, but what have we been saying for years now? It’s that same old recipe. It’s a Magic Killer, a one, two, three, and a just too sweet.”

    Their leader, and the current WWE United States Champion, AJ Styles, then stated that they were the only club in professional wrestling that matters.

    “If I’ve told you once, I’ve kind of said this…well, we’re getting close to a thousand times here. We are the official, we are the original, we are the only club that matters. The OC.”

    Styles realigned himself with his former Club members a few weeks ago and has been feuding with Ricochet over the US Championship. The two are scheduled to compete for the title on August 11th at WWE’s SummerSlam event.

  • Cody Reveals He Will Wrestle In AEW’s First-Ever TNT Match

    Cody Reveals He Will Wrestle In AEW’s First-Ever TNT Match

    With their debut set for October 2nd, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has continued to ramp up interest in their product through deft usage of YouTube and social media.

    Taking to Twitter, Cody revealed that the promotion will announce information today at 12 EST regarding their first-ever televised TNT matchup.

    Not only that, but he will be one of the competitors involved.

    He wrote the following, accompanied by a gif of flames:

    “Honored to be part of the 1st match announced for @AEWonTNT

    Announcement TOMORROW at 12et”

    AEW will debut on TNT on Wednesday, October 2nd at 8PM EST. The show will take place at the Capital One Arena, Washington D.C.

    The promotion recently released ticket information for fans eager to attend.

    Tickets go on sale from 12PM EST on August 2nd at AEWTix.com and Ticketmaster.com. They will range from $250, $90, $75, $50, $35, and $20.

    If you were interested in the $250 option, know that it will place you within the first three rows ringside. You’ll also be issued an “AEW-designed commemorative collector’s take-home chair.”

    All Out

    Before their television debut, AEW will be putting on another major show—one that will set the landscape for the promotion upon their arrival on TNT.

    All Out takes place on August 31st at the Sears Centre in Chicago, IL. The show’s main event will see Adam Page and Chris Jericho wrestle to determine the inaugural AEW World Champion.

  • Dana Brooke Wants A Chance To Face Becky Lynch

    Dana Brooke Wants A Chance To Face Becky Lynch

    Dana Brooke has been more vocal in recent months about wanting a shot on WWE television.

    Taking to her Twitter account, Brooke has once again declared her frustrations and intentions after WWE announced Alexa Bliss will wrestle Becky Lynch this Monday on RAW.

    She made it clear that she wants a shot a Becky Lynch, adding that she doesn’t understand why Bliss is consistently afforded opportunities when there’s “a locker room full of women!”

    “I want a chance at @BeckyLynchWWE ! Not sure why it’s always “the goddess”.. give someone else a chance there is a locker room full of women! Let me show I’ve improved and I belong!”

    The current RAW Women’s Champion saw Brooke’s exasperated message and responded with three words, loaded with recognition and praise: “You’ve earned it.”

    https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1154840742252224517

    At one point, Brooke shared a promo segment with former WWE RAW Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey. This led to a match where Brooke would suffer an injury, forcing her away from in-ring competition.

    Although she has since featured in a few matches, Brooke has yet to enter into a long-term feud with another Superstar. She competed against Nikki Cross in a Beat the Clock challenge a few weeks ago and also competed in the Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match.

    Perhaps getting the acknowledgement and approval of “The Man” will help Dana get the opportunity she craves.

  • WWE Officials Recently Met With Two Japanese Promotions

    WWE Officials Recently Met With Two Japanese Promotions

    WWE seems to have continued their attempts at global expansion during their recent tour of Japan.

    The promotion reportedly met with officials from both Dragon Gate and Stardom, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

    At the time of writing, there is no indication as to what these meetings involved. But with Triple H representing WWE during the sessions, it’s possible that WWE is interested in developing a working relationship with either, or both, Japanese promotions. This would likely work in a similar fashion to their ties with PROGRESS in the United Kingdom.

    Global TakeOver

    WWE branched out with NXT UK back in 2016. This was the first step of their long-term plans to launch brands alongside their main NXT offering.
    NXT UK would have its first tapings during July 2018, debuting on the WWE Network on October 2018.

    NXT UK is the first step in WWE’s grander plans to launch Performance Centers in different countries, further extending their international reach and talent feeder system.

    Rumors have circulated Japan, Australia, and Canada may receive their own NXT shows and Performance Centers.

    The company were also recently in China, hosting an international WWE tryout that was led by the WWE Performance Center staff and coaches.

    With Triple H’s belief that talent will be able to jump between brands in the future, this would lead to unique opportunities for NXT Superstars to tour the world, and engage in fresh rivalries.

  • Natalya Claims Becky Lynch Wouldn’t Be “The Man” Without Her

    Natalya Claims Becky Lynch Wouldn’t Be “The Man” Without Her

    Natalya has responded to a video uploaded by Becky Lynch that documented their friendship in Japan and rivalry in WWE. The video featured numerous moments of betrayal, with Natalya attacking an unsuspecting Lynch from behind.

    She has since responded to Lynch’s post, claiming that she gave Becky a lesson in how things work in WWE. Natalya called her a “spoon fed NXT darling” and believes she should be thanked for “smartening” her up.

    “Becky, I gave you a lesson. How things work in WWE. You were a spoon fed NXT darling. You should thank me for smartening you up. In fact, there probably isn’t “The Man” without this beating. So, you are welcome. Get ready to pay me back with the Raw Women’s title. #SummerSlam”

    The original video that Lynch uploaded, accompanied by the song ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down), featured the same pictures Natalya had previously shared online.

    The RAW Women’s Champion accompanied the video with the caption: “Nearly time to pay your debts, Nattie, you snake. #TheManNeverForgets”

    Natalya won the right to compete against Becky Lynch after winning a Fatal Four Way to determine a new number one contender. She defeated Namoi, Alexa Bliss, and Carmella to earn her opportunity.

    The women are scheduled to face off for Lynch’s RAW Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place on August 11th from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

  • Latest Details On AEW’s Live Event Plans

    Latest Details On AEW’s Live Event Plans

    All Elite Wrestling (AEW) recently announced they will be debuting their new TV show on TNT come October 2nd. The show itself takes place in the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.

    With their TV debut approaching, YouTube shows to schedule, and pay-per-view events such as All Out on the horizon, AEW seems to have no intention of slowing down. You can add AEW house shows to their ever-growing list of events.

    According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the promotion aims to run 100-120 live events each year, including Saturday night house shows. That’s alongside the 51 TV show days and scheduled pay-per-view events. With at least one house show planned each week, top AEW talent will likely work approximately 75 matches a year.

    AEW will be booking arenas based off demand, with some holding 6,000 and others up to 11,000.

    All Out

    AEW World Championship Match
    Adam Page vs Chris Jericho

    Jon Moxley vs Kenny Omega

    Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent Berette) vs The Dark Order (Evil Uno and Stu Grayson)

    AAA World Tag Team Championship Match
    Lucha Brothers (Pentago Jr. and Rey Fenix) vs The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)

    Cody vs Shawn Spears

    Darby Allin vs Joey Janela vs Jimmy Havoc

  • Carmella Isn’t Impressed With Lacey Evans’ Recent Accomplishment

    Carmella Isn’t Impressed With Lacey Evans’ Recent Accomplishment

    Carmella isn’t impressed with Lacey Evans’ recent Instagram post.

    In the post, Evans shared an image of herself showing off that she was named Best Breakout Superstar via WWE fan votes. It was accompanied with the caption: “Looooorrrddd look at me.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ZaxZWnolS/?utm_source=ig_embed

    This prompted Carmella to reply “To be fair, you’re the only new female talent that they’ve actually used all year.”

    Evans, seemingly trying to take the high road, responded that her big hats help to protect her from the shade that Carmella was throwing her way. She commented she was simply minding her own business before it began to reek of “jealousy, discontent & classlessness.”

    “Future’s so bright my big hats help with shade yall ??
    #BlessHerHeart

    Yall smell that? I’m over here at a spa minding my own business & it starts reeking of jealousy, discontent & classlessness. swallow it, ya Nasty. #NothingButANasty #HardPillToSwallow”

    SummerSlam

    Neither Lacey Evans nor Carmella are currently scheduled for a matchup during WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view.

    Lacey featured in the main event of last month’s Extreme Rules show alongside partner, Baron Corbin. The two would lose to Seth Rollins and RAW Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch.

    Carmella, who has been partnered with R-Truth, has been in several popular comedy segments revolving around R-Truth’s neverending pursuit for, and protection of, the 24/7 Championship.

  • Mandy Rose Addresses Sonya Deville Storyline Rumors

    Mandy Rose Addresses Sonya Deville Storyline Rumors

    Mandy Rose has addressed speculation that WWE is pursuing a romantic angle between herself and her tag team partner, Sonya Deville.

    Speaking with Uproxx, Rose stated she didn’t have “many insights to offer on that.”

    “I think there’s definitely rumors and stuff like that,” she continued, “but it’s also hard to say because my character is pretty sexual and pretty sassy, the way I am. So anything I do, it doesn’t really matter if it’s to Sonya or to anyone else. It’s just who my character is, so it’s hard to judge. But I guess you’re just going to have to stay tuned, right? You never know.”

    When the interviewer pushed back, replying “that’s always the answer,” Rose commented, “Yeah, right?”

    “Obviously, if there was ever to be a type of relationship with us, I’m super supportive and WWE is super supportive of inclusion and the LGBTQ community, so I think it would be awesome.”

    “A Great Feud Can Also Lead To A Great Getting Back Together”

    Mandy discussed the possibility of the two breaking up as a tag team, despite being best friends in real life, and whether it was inevitable that all tag teams in WWE eventually split.

    “I feel like it is kind of inevitable,” she admitted. “But of course we don’t ever want to break up. We want to always stay cool, and stay as a team, even on TV. But of course I think the best feuds always come from the best friendships and the best relationships. So it’s kind of inevitable. It’ll probably happen, and I think it’ll be great. I think it will only boost our career, and a great feud can also lead to a great getting back together as well.”

    Despite her current push, Mandy Rose has already put plans in place for the day she is no longer with WWE.

  • Maria Kanellis Missed 205 Live Due To Hospitalization

    Maria Kanellis Missed 205 Live Due To Hospitalization

    Maria Kanellis has revealed that she, unfortunately, spent Tuesday in the emergency room of Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida.

    The Superstar shared that she had been having difficulty with her second pregnancy, resulting in her confinement to the hospital.

    In an Instagram post featuring the hospital, Maria wrote that “Baby number 2 is giving me a run for my money.” She divulged she had been suffering from acute vomiting, a headache, and dehydration, with bouts of throwing up between 6am to 3pm.

    “I have never missed a day at WWE that wasn’t planned for in advance. But yesterday I was forced to stay away. It was a wild day! I received fluids, nausea meds, and Tylenol. They think I had a flu bug but I am feeling much better today.”

    “Baby 2 is doing good and that is what matters most. I am blessed to be pregnant and to have a beautiful 15 month old. Plus, women get pregnant all the time, work jobs, have other children, keep house, go to school, travel, have a second job, no paid maternity leave, are single, adopt, and so many other things. So, I keep things in perspective even when I have a tough day or 6 weeks…. I am still incredibly BLESSED!!!”

    Maria featured in a segment belittling her husband, Mike Kanellis, in front of WWE Legends on Monday night for the RAW Reunion special.

    Her full post can be read below:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0Uz49jBbgI/?utm_source=ig_embed
  • WWE Network: Details & Pricing For New Tier Options

    WWE Network: Details & Pricing For New Tier Options

    WWE recently announced that user interface changes were coming to their WWE Network streaming service this week. Now information has come out regarding their proposed tier payment plan.

    The news comes off the back of WWE’s investor conference call. At the time of writing, the tiered payment plan was said to be rolling out sometime within the next 12 months.

    According to WrestlingNews.co, alongside their $9.99 price tag, which will include limited adverts, WWE will be introducing a Free plan as well as a $4.99 and top tier $14.99 option.

    This $14.99 option is said to include access to alternative promotions. WWE has had previous discussions with notable independent companies like EVOLVE, PROGRESS and ICW, so the WWE Universe may be able to access their content within this tier, depending on final negotiations.

    WWE Network Pricing Options

    The breakdown of each payment plan is as follows:

    Plan 1 (Free)

    • Watch video clips (less than 5 minutes each)
    • Video archive (5 hours per month)
    • Access to 24/7 stream
    • Watch on all devices
    • Full commercials

    Plan 2 ($4.99)

    • Watch all video clips (less than 5 minutes each)
    • Watch “Big 4” Pay-Per-View events
    • NXT TV (pre-recorded)
    • Access to the video archive
    • Access to 24/7 live stream
    • Watch on phone and tablet only
    • Limited commercials

    Plan 3 ($9.99)

    • Watch all video clips (less than 5 minutes each)
    • Watch all pay-per-view events
    • Watch live NXT TakeOver events
    • Weekly NXT TV (live)
    • Cruiserweight Classic episodes
    • Access to the video archive
    • Access to 24/7 live stream
    • Watch on all devices
    • Limited commercials

    Plan 4 ($14.99)

    • Watch all video clips (less than 5 minutes each)
    • Watch all pay-per-view events
    • Watch live NXT TakeOver events
    • Weekly NXT TV (live)
    • Cruiserweight Classic episodes
    • Access to the video archive
    • Access to 24/7 live stream
    • Access to independent wrestling content
    • Watch on all devices
    • No commercials
    • Fan Perks
    • Deluxe Fan Perks

    WWE released the following video showing off the latest changes to the Network’s overhauled interface, which is going live this week across digital platforms: