SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Scott Steiner Belittles WWE Hall Of Fame, Says It Only Exists In “Vince’s Mind”

    Scott Steiner Belittles WWE Hall Of Fame, Says It Only Exists In “Vince’s Mind”

    Scott Steiner has claimed that he doesn’t care whether he is ever inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame as the concept is a “fantasy.”

    Speaking with Noelle Foley, who interviewed Steiner for Ringside Collectibles during San Diego Comic-Con, the two discussed his extensive in-ring career before the idea of a Hall Of Fame induction came up.

    When asked about his favorite wrestling moment, Steiner responded that he didn’t really have one moment specifically.

    “There’s a bunch of times that were really special, especially when you wrestle in front of 190,000 people in North Korea. I mean, that’s a special moment. But any time you win a World Title, World Tag Team Titles, it’s always something to think back on. So I don’t really have one, but there’s a bunch of special moments.”

    The conversation then turned to the Hall Of Fame and, if he were to be inducted, if he like to be inducted with his brother, Rick Steiner.

    “Well, I don’t deal in fantasy,” he stated. “I don’t deal in hypotheticals. Like, where’s the Hall of Fame at? It’s f*****g nowhere. It’s in Vince’s mind. So it’s just all b******t. So, f*** that.”

    Pressed for an answer over who he would like to induct him if the situation were to ever come about, Scott named his brother, Rick, as the man for the job.

  • Eve Torres Talks About RAW Reunion, Teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

    Eve Torres Talks About RAW Reunion, Teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

    RAW Reunion saw former Superstars, Hall of Famers, and Legends return to WWE for a one night special episode.

    One such former Superstar was the former Diva’s Champion, Eve Torres.

    Speaking backstage with Josiah Williams, Torres discussed what it felt like to revisit WWE after all these years, meeting new Superstars, and what her life as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor.

    “Imagine if you went back to high school and all of the classrooms are the same, and your locker was in the same place, and the same people were there kinda-sort of. That’s kind of how it feels,” she explained.

    “It’s weird, you get back in, and you’re like ‘Alright, do I need to put the gear on, am I ready for a match?’ and then I remember ‘No, I’m just visiting, okay, I’m good. I’m not working today.’ It’s really fun, it’s so great to connect to a lot of lifelong friends I met in WWE.”

    When asked if she had spoken with any of the newer Superstars, Torres explained that she had met a few of them thanks to the WWE Performance Center, where she has taught Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and women’s self-defense.

    Since leaving WWE, Torres has become a passionate practitioner of BJJ alongside her husband, Rener Gracie.

    “A lot of people say ‘Oh, that makes sense. You were a wrestler, and now you teach jiu-jitsu,’” she said. “But they’re obviously different in many ways. However, they do kind of translate. I would say that the one thing I miss obviously is the in-ring action. The closest I get to that is being able to teach big groups of women and leading them down the path towards empowerment towards self-defense and jiu-jitsu.”

    Eve Torres won the Diva Search competition back in 2007 and is a former 3 time WWE Divas Champion.

  • Kurt Angle Discusses Why He Didn’t Wrestle John Cena At WrestleMania 35

    Kurt Angle Discusses Why He Didn’t Wrestle John Cena At WrestleMania 35

    Kurt Angle wrestled his final match this past April at WrestleMania 35. His opponent was Baron Corbin, much to the chagrin of the WWE Universe, several superstars and former backstage personel.

    Many had expected John Cena to face Angle in his retirement match, given that the two competed during Cena’s debut.

    Speaking with Collider Live, Angle discussed his WrestleMania retirement match, and why Vince McMahon elected for Corbin over Cena.

    “I decided to retire at ‘Mania,” Angle said. “Vince didn’t tell me ‘Listen you’re done after ‘Mania.’ I went to him and said ‘Listen, I want to retire. I’m not able to do what I used to, and if I can’t be the old Kurt Angle, I want to be done now,’” he explained.

    “I was hearing a lot of feedback from people that Kurt looks like he’s in pain in the ring and he’s slower then he used to be, and it’s like ‘Guys, I’m 50 years old, of course I’m slower.”

    “I’m Not Throwing It Away”

    Kurt thought that WWE was hoping he would be able to face Cena next year at WrestleMania 36. When he asked to retire at WrestleMania 35, Vince infortmed him he was already involved in a feud.

    He recalled being told by Vince McMahon that “You have a program that you’ve been doing for a year; I’m not throwing it away. It’s with Baron Corbin, so whether you want to retire now or whenever, you’re going to wrestle Baron at WrestleMania.”

    Angle agreed, saying “‘You know what, that’s fair. You’re right.’ I can’t just change the whole thing and what they had planned and say ‘Hey, add Cena in.’ So I think that if it was next WrestleMania [36], it would have been John and I.”

    Kurt Angle recently appeared in a backstage segment during this past Monday’s RAW Reunion special. He helped set up a matchup between Rey Mysterio and Sami Zayn.

  • Kofi Kingston Talks About How Winning The WWE Championship Has Changed His Life

    Kofi Kingston Talks About How Winning The WWE Championship Has Changed His Life

    Kofi Kingston was in attendance during Comic-Con International in San Diego. While there, the WWE Champion was interviewed by Noelle Foley for Ringside Collectibles.

    During their conversation, Kingston reflected on how becoming the WWE Champion has changed his life.

    “Things are a lot more busy, and I say this a lot, but busy in the best way possible,” he said. “A lot more interviews, a lot more signings, just a lot more things to do. But this is what we wanted.”

    He said it was an honor to represent the “highest level of wrestling,” reflecting that becoming champion had always been a dream of his before highlighting how much he loves providing inspiration for people who didn’t believe such an accomplishment was possible.

    “Everybody is going through things in life that they don’t know if they can do it or not, y’know? And I’m living, breathing proof that you can do it if you’re willing to work hard. Work as hard as you can. It might take you a little while to do it, but it can happen. So I take a lot of pride in being that dude.”

    Kofi Kingston’s journey to the championship famously took him 11 years. He won the WWE Champion from Daniel Bryan back in April at WrestleMania 35.

  • Bully Ray Explains How AEW Is Creating New Stars

    Bully Ray Explains How AEW Is Creating New Stars

    Bully Ray had issues with this past Monday’s RAW Reunion special. He claimed that WWE didn’t utilize the returning Legends in order to help their younger, current roster. The only exception was Mick Foley’s segment with Bray Wyatt.

    On a recent episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray spoke about what All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has done to develop its crop of new talent into stars, highlighting Shawn Spears’ heel turn.

    “One chair shot, all of a sudden Shawn Spears is on the tip of our tongues, right?” he said. “What do I always say is the most important? The follow-up. What was the follow-up with Spears? It was [the interview with] J.R. Tully [Blanchard] was the icing on the cake. The physicality with the chair shot gets everyone talking about Spears.”

    “That, my friends, is called the rub. He got the rub by being in there with Cody, because Cody is the Dusty of AEW. He got the rub from J.R. because sitting down with J.R. in a one-on-one interview is prestigious,” he explained.

    “If J.R. is giving you that time—and if you notice, J.R. laid out a lot. He didn’t really challenge Shawn Spears, he took him at face value. Then at the end, just when you thought it was all over, wham, Tully freakin’ Blanchard. How do you not look at Shawn Spears as a star right now?”

    Shawn Spears (formerly known as WWE’s Tye Dillinger) is scheduled to face off against Cody at AEW’s All Out event on August 31st.

  • Mandy Rose Already Planning For Life After WWE

    Mandy Rose Already Planning For Life After WWE

    Mandy Rose may still be learning her craft and climbing the ranks of SmackDown Live alongside Fire & Desire teammate Sonya Deville, but it appears she already has an eye set on her future outside of WWE.

    “Being a WWE Superstar, you have– I don’t want to say a short shelf life, but it’s more like sometimes you’ve got to look to the future and you’ve gotta plan ahead,” Rose told TheWrap. “It’s not gonna last forever.”

    When asked if she is concerned WWE may focus too heavily on her looks instead of her in-ring ability and Superstar talent, Rose replied “No, I love it. It’s part of my character. It makes me who I am.”

    She explained “I always said, even in Developmental, ‘Yeah, I’m the beauty and all that. I’m the hot one, the sexy one — but I also have the brains and the strength to back it up.’ So, that was my biggest thing.”

    Rose, who is aware she is building a ‘brand,’ has already launched a fitness app ‘Fit With Mandy’ that is available on iOS devices.
    She plans to debut a new launch of beauty products called ‘Amarose’ this Fall and also hosts a YouTube series with Deville entitled Damandyz Donutz.

    Her and Deville are not currently scheduled for a matchup at WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view on August 11th.

  • Sean Waltman And Scott Hall Discuss RAW Reunion, Claim They Were “Overruled”

    Sean Waltman And Scott Hall Discuss RAW Reunion, Claim They Were “Overruled”

    It was recently reported that Ricochet was meant to be included during a key segment from this past Monday’s RAW Reunion featuring D-Generation X and nWo. Seth Rollins replaced Ricochet after it was revealed Ricochet was suffering from an elbow infection.

    On an episode of Sean Waltman’s podcast, X-Pac 12360, the former Superstar discussed the segment with his nWo stablemate, Scott Hall.

    Overruled

    They addressed the issues some people have had off the back of the reunion show, as the Legends weren’t put into positions to help give current talent a chance to shine.

    According to Waltman and Hall, that was the original purpose of their segment with Ricochet. The topic of “burying” the current roster was brought up, and they were, apparently, overruled.

    “It was the perfect spot for him because we could’ve given the rub to him,” Scott said. “Yeah, you bunch of haters, it was gonna be Ricochet, and we were trying to elevate him!”

    He explained that “What people don’t realize is that everybody in that room when it was presented to us said, ‘Well, geez. Kinda burying those guys.’ It was addressed and it was overruled.”

    “We said it,” Waltman added. “It’s just like … what’re we gonna do? Say ‘No, we’re not gonna do it?’”

    D-Generation X would come out to assist an outnumbered Seth Rollins against The OC. They would then be further supported by the arrival of nWo members Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

    H/T to Pro Wrestling Sheet for the transcription.

  • Mark Henry Reveals What It Was Like Backstage At RAW Reunion

    Mark Henry Reveals What It Was Like Backstage At RAW Reunion

    Former WWE Superstars, Hall of Famers, and Legends came together this past Monday on a special RAW Reunion episode.

    In an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry shared information on the backstage atmosphere during the event, comparing it to WrestleMania.

    “It was a really, really good experience. It was like a family reunion,” Henry said. “There was a couple of people that didn’t agree, it didn’t break out into a fight or nothing, or an argument, but there was a couple of times where there were stories, and people said, ‘No, no, that’s not how it went.’ And you know, that kind of thing, but I got to see so many people that I hadn’t seen in a long time.”

    Henry described how WWE’s setup for the event actually rivaled WrestleMania, mentioning the number of celebrities, musicians, and MMA fighters that were also present.

    “There were a lot of celebrities in the back. Musicians, and MMA fighters. It was just like WrestleMania. The biggest thing – the setup. They had a lounge set up with all these big comfortable chairs, and fruit and drinks, and all kinds of stuff set up in a lounge for the Legends, and it was called the Legends Lounge. And they ain’t never done nothing like that at WrestleMania before. It rivaled WrestleMania as far as the presentation and the setup.

    The treatment they experienced was said to be genuinely VIP, something Henry claimed he had never experienced. He added that WWE did a great job at making them all feel at home.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • WWE Announces Changes To WWE Network

    WWE Announces Changes To WWE Network

    WWE has announced that they will be bringing some changes to their WWE Network streaming service this week.

    The changes are said to be mostly related to the user interface. Apparently, it will feature a new design with simpler navigation and smarter search tools.

    Network Changes

    In WWE’s statement, they highlighted that subscribers will need to log in with their email addresses and passwords the first time they use the updated WWE Network. They will have to do this with every device they intend to use with their WWE Network account.

    The promotion stressed that you do not need to set up a new account to use the updated network. Fans should continue using their current WWE Network email address and password.

    They then highlighted that the update will apparently be done in stages. It will take effect on different devices at different times during the week.

    Network Originals

    The WWE Network originally launched in February 2014. In between its archival content, live broadcast, and pay-per-views, it has also hosted a plethora of Network-specific events.

    One such event is this Saturday’s Smackville show which takes place from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

    This show is headlined with a triple threat for the WWE Championship. Defending champion Kofi Kingston will be challenged by both Samoa Joe and Dolph Ziggler.

  • Seth Rollins Talks About Being A Locker Room Leader, Standing Up To Critics

    Seth Rollins Talks About Being A Locker Room Leader, Standing Up To Critics

    Seth Rollins has been a vocal advocate for WWE in recent weeks. In between Twitter feuds with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) talent like Will Ospreay, Rollins has spoken with multiple news outlets about his love of WWE and his take on their critics.

    In an interview with TVInsider.com, Rollins spoke once more about WWE’s critics and the idea that WWE is simply ‘phoning in’ their shows.

    “I have always been proud to work for the company,” he stated. “I just think it got to where it became cool to criticize WWE because we are so big and popular. It just sucks that this is the society we live in now, where it’s much easier to point out all the things you think is bad as opposed to pointing out all the awesome stuff that is going on in the world.”

    He explained that it felt that nobody in the locker room was standing up for WWE when he claims they have so much to be proud of.

    “If taking on a leadership role is what you want to call it, it’s certainly something where I stepped forward and put my foot down…The fact I had people from different departments shoot me texts to let me know they had my back because they felt I had their back. That was cool and validating. I felt really good I was representing many people who felt the way I felt.”

    In regards to phoning in shows, Rollins argued that everyone is giving “a thousand per cent effort all the time” whether it’s t-shirt designs to two-minute matches.

    “We try to put out the best show possible every single time. And I’m not just talking about Monday Night Raw or PPVs. I’m talking about every live event. I’m talking about every department,” Rollins said.

    “Fact is everyone loves what they’re doing and wants to be the best. That’s where all the negativity I think stems from. The fact everybody wants to be so good at it and the product to be as great as it possibly can be that it’s easy to point fingers and say, ‘Well, I can do better.’ Or say things like, ‘They’re not trying hard enough.’”

    He claimed that until you put yourself into their shoes, “you can’t throw stones” as, without experiencing it, there’s no way a person could understand the type of work that goes into what they do.

  • Jon Moxley vs Caz XL Announced For Indie Show

    Jon Moxley vs Caz XL Announced For Indie Show

    Jon Moxley is currently wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in the G1 Climax 29 tournament, but his schedule is filled with bookings for other promotions.

    It was recently announced he would be wrestling against Josh Barnett at GCW’s Bloodsport II show.

    Now it’s been confirmed that Moxley will be facing former WWE Superstar Big Cass, now known as Caz XL.

    Northeast Wrestling announced Moxley versus Caz XL will be the main event for their Wrestling Under The Stars show in August.

    nZo (fka WWE’s Enzo Amore) will be in Caz XL’s corner.

    This announcement actually sees the payoff for a feud established last month in NEW.

    nZo and Caz XL issued an open challenge—one that Moxley answered.

    The Norwich Wrestling Under The Stars event features a number of names including Dustin Rhodes, Rhyno, Teddy Long, and Jerry Lawler, as well as WWE Japanese announcers Funaki and Shun Yamaguchi. Renee Young, who is married to Jon Moxley, will also be in attendance for an autograph session.

    NEW’s Wrestling Under The Stars takes place on August 17th from Dodd Stadium in Norwich, CT.

    It is part of a long weekend’s worth of NEW shows beginning on Friday 16th with their Prison Break event. Prison Break will see Jon Moxley face off against fellow AEW wrestler Pentagon Jr.

  • Jeff Cobb Considers ROH To Be In “A Good Spot”

    Jeff Cobb Considers ROH To Be In “A Good Spot”

    Jeff Cobb has shared his belief that Ring Of Honor (ROH) is “in a good spot” during an interview with CBS Local.

    Despite losing a few core roster members to different promotions, Cobb seems confident that ROH will continue and grow. He isn’t the only ROH wrestler to have this sentiment.

    “I think we’re in a good spot,” Cobb stated. “A lot of people kind of have their naysayers, as when we had a core group of guys leave, and that’s totally fine. Every major sport has had that. Every major wrestling company has had that. Like LeBron left, “What we going to do?” So you start rebuilding. When they got Kyrie [Irving] and Kevin Love and all this.”

    He admitted that, for the short term, losing members isn’t good for the promotion, but having to replace stars has long-term benefits, allowing ROH to develop new talent.

    “[…] now we have a new influx of talent coming in, like myself included, guys like Bandido, and RUSH, and Dragon Lee, and Brody King, and PCO, and all those guys. Now they’re stepping up into more prominent roles. And now, we’re giving our ring a modern audience, a brand new roster to play with and see new guys, and new wrestlers, and new matches, and just new everything.”

    He continued, “[…] now we get to showcase some more people who may have not had a chance before because we had star-studded lineup prior and we have a star-studded lineup now.”

    Jeff Cobb is currently competing in NJPW’s G1 Climax 29 tournament as a Block B participant.

  • Ryback Discusses The Chances Of CM Punk Wrestling For AEW

    Ryback Discusses The Chances Of CM Punk Wrestling For AEW

    With CM Punk in attendance for Starrcast III, speculation has sparked once again over Punk returning to professional wrestling.

    During an episode of Conversation With The Big Guy, Ryback addressed Punk’s Starrcast booking. He also spoke about the possibility that Punk could one day wrestle for All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

    “I’m sure that those guys [AEW] have made it known that they are open to signing him. In pro wrestling, guys can wrestle well in their older age, but he has been out of it for a while, and I don’t know. I think it’s just him taking a signing,” Ryback observed.

    He added that, if Punk were interested in coming back to in-ring action, he would have to “do it at an upper level, and he has to have that hunger to do it again. […] only he will know that.”

    Open Arms

    “I have heard The Young Bucks talk about it to welcome him with open arms, and maybe they believe if he comes around it that itch will come back, which is very possible. If anywhere he is going to go, I think AEW with that schedule is the most welcoming of all the situations for him.”

    He continued, “I would personally think it would be a great move if he was able to go back and maybe he does do a surprise appearance there and hits the GTS and cuts a promo and to see how the reception is, but obviously being in Chicago he is going to have a great reception there regardless.”

    AEW has now revealed details over their anticipated TNT TV show, which will debut on the network on October 2nd. Their next pay-per-view event is All Out, which takes place on August 31st.

    Starrcast III takes place between August 29-September 1st in the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Schaumburg, Illinois.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

    https://youtu.be/QYI7ykTKZq4
  • Bully Ray Critical Of RAW Reunion Ending

    Bully Ray Critical Of RAW Reunion Ending

    This Monday’s episode of RAW saw former WWE Superstars, Legends, and Hall of Famers return to WWE for a special RAW Reunion.

    The episode ended with a promo starting with Hulk Hogan and ending with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin drinking beers with the Legends in the ring.

    Former WWE Superstar Bully Ray has shared his thoughts on the closing moments, believing that Austin should have been surrounded by current Superstars instead.

    Speaking on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray said:

    “Tell me why we couldn’t get RAW going off the air with Steve Austin and all of the current RAW roster in the ring with Steve Austin, and all of the veterans on the floor drinking with them,” he asked.

    “Why couldn’t we get Steve Austin saying ‘It’s great to have my Attitude Era family out here. The WWE slogan is then, now, and forever. We represent the ‘then,’ I wanna drink with the ‘now’ so we can all live forever.’ Why couldn’t Steve invite the entire locker room out? Because that would have been an immense passing of the torch or at least a massive rub. Steve drinking with Seth, Steve drinking with Roman, Steve drinking with all of the current roster while the veterans hung out on the floor. The world’s biggest beer bash on Monday Night RAW.”

    Bully Ray, who declined WWE’s offer to appear on the Reunion show, also claimed that WWE only made one modern Superstar look strong that night: Bray Wyatt.

    He explained that everyone else was simply partnered with WWE Legends in segments that did nothing to get them over in the way Mick Foley did for Wyatt.

  • Trish Stratus Reportedly In Talks To Wrestle At SummerSlam

    Trish Stratus Reportedly In Talks To Wrestle At SummerSlam

    It appears as though Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus will be returning to in-ring action at SummerSlam.

    Stratus is reportedly in talks with WWE to wrestle a singles match at WWE’s major summer pay-per-view, according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.

    At the time of writing, there is no indication as to when she would be returning or whom she would be wrestling against. Speculation, however, points towards Charlotte Flair.

    “Queen Of All Eras”

    Flair, who appeared on last night’s episode of SmackDown Live, was incredibly vocal about not being featured at SummerSlam.

    During a backstage segment, “The Queen,” insulted that Bayley will be facing Ember Moon, demanded a matchup at “The Biggest Event of The Summer.”

    “Being off of SummerSlam is a slap to the face. […] How do you leave the woman solely responsible for the women’s revolution off of SummerSlam? How do you leave the Queen of all Eras of sports entertainment off of SummerSlam? How?” she asked.

    “Mark my words, I will be at SummerSlam. Actually, no. I demand to be at SummerSlam. And my opponent will be better than Ember Moon, and I’m going to prove why I am the greatest female Superstar of all time.”

    Trish Stratus last wrestled for WWE at their Evolution event on October 2018. She and Lita would defeat the team of Mickie James and Alicia Fox.

    SummerSlam takes place on August 11th from the Scotiabank Arena in Stratus’ hometown, Toronto, Canada.

  • Alundra Blayze Appears To Have Issues With Lacey Evans

    Alundra Blayze Appears To Have Issues With Lacey Evans

    Alundra Blayze has snapped back at RAW Superstar Lacey Evans’ recent tweet insulting the WWE Legends that attended Monday’s RAW Reunion special.

    In the original tweet, Evans wrote “Legends = Yesterday’s nasties.”

    The Hall Of Famer took issue with this. She lashed back at Evans, claiming that she had “failed in the military” and now lives in a portable trailer as she drags her kid and husband around the country.

    She then claimed that Lacey’s husband “looked at me” before giving her a compliment and said “honey maybe you could be more like Alundra … your yesterday regurgitated garbage.”

    Her full tweet read:

    “You’ll be lucky to be considered a legend… you failed in the military. you live in a portable trailer, drag your kid and husband around. Ur hubby looked at me… gave me a complement and said “honey maybe you could be more like Alundra … your yesterday regurgitated garbage”

    When a fan shared they would love to see a staredown between herself and Blayze, Evans replied that “She wouldn’t be able to handle it. Just like she couldn’t handle holding the 24/7 title.”

    Alundra Blayze won the 24/7 Championship this past Monday on RAW. She then sold it to the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase after threatening to throw it into the trash in homage to her return to WCW in ’95.

  • Speculation Over Alicia Fox’s WWE Status

    Speculation Over Alicia Fox’s WWE Status

    It appears as though WWE Superstar Alicia Fox may have retired from active in-ring competition.

    Fox, who has been a long-serving member of WWE’s Women’s division since 2006, featured in backstage segments with WWE Legends during last night’s RAW Reunion.

    Most notably, she was on stage with the Legends during the final segment of the show. She was stood between Eric Bischoff and Jerry “The King” Lawler as Hulk Hogan spoke to the WWE Universe.

    Commenting on Fox’s inclusion amongst the WWE Legends, Dave Meltzer said the following on Wrestling Observer Radio:

    “Evidently, Alicia Fox is no longer an active wrestler. She was in every segment. I mean, she hasn’t wrestled in months but they never formally released her. So, maybe the idea is, like, because they never release anyone, so I guess the idea, maybe, is that she’s not going to wrestle anymore but she’s still under contract. She was very clearly not a member of the active roster. She was out there at the end of the show on the ramp with only the legends. She was a legend here on this show.”

    At the time of writing, nothing has been confirmed by WWE or Alicia Fox, though her inclusion amongst the Legends certainly indicates she may be done wrestling in WWE.

  • Davey Boy Smith Jr. Opens Up About Leaving NJPW

    Davey Boy Smith Jr. Opens Up About Leaving NJPW

    At one point, Davey Boy Smith Jr. was enjoying tag team success with his partner, Lance Archer, in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The team, named Killer Elite Squad and aligned with Suzuki-Gun, tore up the heavyweight tag division.

    Then, last month, Davey Boy Smith Jr. announced that would be leaving NJPW.

    In an interview with The Hannibal TV, Smith Jr. opened up about why he decided to leave.

    Unwinnable Situation

    After having received fewer and fewer dates from the promotion, Smith Jr. admitted that he was “in a situation where I couldn’t win.”

    He explained that “New Japan, towards the end, were only giving me four tours a year. What they had told me or expressed to me was that there was no way they could increase the workload of KES, Lance Archer and myself as a tag team.”

    Ultimately, the difficult choice to leave had to treated as a business decision. One that he admitted had to be made for his future.

    “I felt that the tag team with Lance Archer and myself had expired, and we did all that we could in Japan and in the USA, because we are just not that very well known over here or Canada as a tag team.”

    “That’s News To Me”

    Smith Jr. pointed to an incident with NJPW booker, Gedo, playing an unfortunate contributing factor.

    He explained that when they came to NJPW, circa 2017, Lance Archer would get injured and needed emergency back surgery. Despite this, he was assured that would be booked for the remainder of the tour. However, things didn’t transpire that way.

    “I was told that I was going to be on the rest of the remainder of that tour, and I was told by the new person in the office named Saito that I was going to be on the next tour. That was a little over four weeks,” Smith Jr. explained.

    “He gave me a schedule and I wasn’t on the Super Juniors tour. I think I was on something in June. So, when I went home, they had owed me merchandise money from that tour, and they said ‘okay you’re coming back next month?’ I said yeah I’ll be back there. I went home and was waiting for my flight, and no one gave me any flight information. I sent the office lady and email and said where’s my flight, and she said well did you talk to Gedo? You’re not on the tour. I said well, that’s news to me.”

    He shared that he wished NJPW had just been honest with him. If they had, he simply would have been able to seek bookings elsewhere—something he would have been okay with doing.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • AJ Styles Discusses Giving Feedback To Younger Talent, Reforming The Club

    AJ Styles Discusses Giving Feedback To Younger Talent, Reforming The Club

    Current WWE United States Champion AJ Styles has shared the methods he uses in helping younger talent to grow and improve in the ring.

    In an interview with Sporting News, Styles, who has over 20 years worth of in-ring experience, commented on his feedback style when approaching and guiding Superstars. He also discussed the reformation of The Club—now known as The O.C.— with his Good Brothers, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

    Phenomenal Feedback

    When it comes to feedback, Styles likes to hone his observations to one or two key things, rather than overloading the Superstars he is trying to help.

    “If you just give them one or two things and, most importantly, encourage them and make sure they know all that they’re doing right too—you can’t just blast them in the face with negativity. Build them up, let them know what you think, what your opinion is—it’s not a fact—of how they can get better and give them the opportunity to work on it the next time. That’s how I got better. I didn’t learn it all at once.”

    Turning his attention towards the reformation of The O.C., Styles confessed it was something he had been actively lobbying for:

    “I’ve been seeking that for a while now,” Styles admitted. “It’s just one of those things where I know how talented these guys are and the chemistry we have together. It’s unbelievable. That’s why we did so well in Japan because you have six guys—more than that, by the time I was out of there that enjoyed being together. We hung out. We’re actually friends and to this very day we hang out. We don’t have to ride with each other, but we do. We enjoy being together. You can’t teach chemistry and to have us together again, man, it’s awesome. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”

    Missing Member

    With The O.C. having reformed, people have pointed to one member of the original Japanese crew that has yet to join them in WWE: Finn Balor.

    AJ hoped that it wouldn’t be out of the question that Balor might eventually join them in WWE’s version of Bullet Club. When asked if he would like to have Balor join, Styles replied:

    “Of course, but with Finn Balor being on “SmackDown” and we’re on “Raw” and on top of that, he’s a babyface. We’re not exactly likable right now. Maybe that’s not something that’s going to work. There’s a time and a place, and, hopefully, that will work out in the end.”

  • Jon Moxley Announced For GCW’s Bloodsport II

    Jon Moxley Announced For GCW’s Bloodsport II

    Jon Moxley continues to explore his options throughout the world of pro wrestling. The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) wrestler is currently competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s G1 Climax 29 tournament, but already has another monumental date set in his calendar.

    On Saturday, September 14th, Jon Moxley will compete against former UFC Heavyweight champion, Josh Barnett.

    The two will clash in the main event of Game Changer Wrestling’s Bloodsport II event, which takes place at The Showboat in Atlantic City.

    This marks the second former UFC Heavyweight champion that Moxley will have competed against in a pro wrestling match, the first being Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 32 in 2016.

    Advertised as “the ultimate hybrid,” Bloodsport II promises an experience where MMA meets pro wrestling in the most “intense, physical, and groundbreaking event in years.”

    A video accompanied the announcement, with Moxley winding his way through streets armed with a molotov cocktail as Barnett trains in a gym.

    In a voiceover, Moxley tells fans to “forget what you heard. Forget what you read. If you’re looking to the past to try to predict the future, you won’t be ready. Because what happens next has never been done before.”

    The video ends with a face-off between the two of them in front of a wall set ablaze, fists raised.

    Bloodsport I took place this April in Jersey City, NJ, and featured a main event between Barnett and NJPW wrestler, Minoru Suzuki. The two would battle to a time limit draw.

  • Seth Rollins Shares What He Believes Paul Heyman Will Bring To RAW As Executive Director

    Seth Rollins Shares What He Believes Paul Heyman Will Bring To RAW As Executive Director

    The WWE Universe and WWE Superstars alike are eager to see what kind of change will come about now WWE has hired Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff as Executive Directors.

    In an interview with Newsweek, former WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins commented on what he believes Paul Heyman will bring to RAW in his new role.

    He stated that it’s nice having people like Heyman and Bischoff in creative roles, calling them both “super influential.”

    “[…] if you want to look to the future, you’ll want to look at the past and find good examples,” Rollins claimed. “We have done a great job of collecting a lot of great minds over the last several years. Especially this past year, we have Bruce Prichard back there, Jeff Jarrett back there as well. We’re adding Paul and Eric to the mix. There’s a lot of information and brainpower in the creative department so it’ll be cool to see where things go from here.”

    Risk-Taker

    When it comes down to his home brand RAW, and its specific Executive Director, however, Rollins was quick to praise Heyman’s influence, creativity, and willingness to take risks.

    “One thing about Paul, and it’s still true to this day, is that he’s not afraid to take risks. He’s good at taking a lot of things about the talent that people may see as weakness and turn them into strengths,” Rollins explained.

    “The way he sees talent is different than other people in the creative side. So you combine that with the ability, and willingness, to take risks that other people aren’t it adds for an exciting and unpredictable three hours of RAW. And so I’m looking to see the crazy left and right turns that he’ll take us moving forward.”

    Rollins recently won a Battle Royal on Monday Night RAW, earning him the chance to claim back his WWE Universal Championship from the current champion, Brock Lesnar. The two will clash once more on August 11th at SummerSlam.

  • WWE Network To Air Documentary On The Big Show

    WWE Network To Air Documentary On The Big Show

    WWE will be airing a new documentary focused on The Big Show this Saturday titled ‘Rebuilding Big Show.’

    The one-hour documentary will air on the WWE Network at 10PM ET, once WWE’s Smackville special has concluded. It will supposedly detail the long career, recent surgery, and subsequent rehabilitation process undertaken by The Big Show.

    The official synopsis invites the WWE Universe to “Join Big Show as he reflects on his 25-year career in sports-entertainment while he recovers from a serious surgery and rehabilitation.”

    The Big Show In 2019

    Big Show has been missing from WWE TV for months now because of the aforementioned injury.

    He was last on screens during a November episode of SmackDown Live. That episode saw the end of his short-lived alliance with The Bar, Sheamus and Cesaro. He hasn’t wrestled a match since the November 20th episode of SmackDown. It was at this time that reports came out that The Big Show had suffered a hamstring injury; he was subsequently pulled from any sort of in-ring action.

    With a documentary charting his entire injury and recovery process, this could be an indicator that The Big Show may be returning to the ring sooner rather than later.
    If that’s the case, the question then becomes: how does WWE utilize him going forward, and in what capacity?

  • Finn Balor’s ‘Demon’ Apparently Not Appearing At SummerSlam

    Finn Balor’s ‘Demon’ Apparently Not Appearing At SummerSlam

    Last week’s episode of Monday Night RAW finally saw the return of Bray Wyatt to live TV. He debuted his new ‘Fiend’ character, assaulting Finn Balor in the process.

    This attack seems to be setting up Wyatt’s return feud and, notably, Balor’s exit feud. Finn reportedly requested time off from WWE, and the promotion will probably use the bout between the two as a means of giving it to him. Their match will most likely take place at SummerSlam.

    If you thought we might be getting a matchup featuring The Fiend versus The Demon, however, prepare to be disappointed.

    A fan asked Dave Meltzer on Twitter whether the Demon will be appearing at SummerSlam. Meltzer’s two-letter response was to the point: No.

    At one point we were on the cusp of a match featuring The Demon vs Bray Wyatt’s Sister Abigail persona, but this never came to fruition. It appears that the WWE Universe will simply have to wait a little longer if they want to see the Demon take on a more psychotic Bray Wyatt.

    There is a good chance that the matchup will be made official during tonight’s RAW Reunion special.

    SummerSlam takes place on August 11th from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

  • Becky Lynch Shuts Down Hulk Hogan Suggesting Legends Should Take Over WWE At Raw Reunion

    Becky Lynch Shuts Down Hulk Hogan Suggesting Legends Should Take Over WWE At Raw Reunion

    The WWE RAW Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch, isn’t impressed with a tweet recently uploaded by Hulk Hogan.

    In the original tweet, Hogan admired the colors of the the sunset. He commented on the blend of yellow, red, and black.

    It was then that he apparently had the “crazy thought” that all of the RAW Reunion Superstars in attendance for tonight’s RAW special should get together, say ‘enough is enough,’ and just take over the whole WWE. Their intention? To rule it for life.

    Her response was curt and to the point, as she replied: “Yeah, that doesn’t work for me, Brother.”

    https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1153132818370875393

    Take Over 4 Life

    “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan’s original message read:

    “For some reason, I saw this last night I thought of the #RawReunion,brother ,the red/yellow/black color scheme made my mind kick start with a crazy thought,what if the Reunion Superstars got together and said enough is enough and just took over the whole WWE and Ruled4 Life. HH”

    With a cavalcade of former legends and Superstars in attendance for tonight’s Reunion special, it’s not out of the question that Hogan and Lynch might cross paths.

    Becky Lynch is scheduled to defend her WWE RAW Women’s Championship against Natalya at SummerSlam, which takes place on August 11th from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

  • Latest Details On WWE’s Plans To Counter-Program AEW

    Latest Details On WWE’s Plans To Counter-Program AEW

    During a FOX meeting last week, the concept of moving WWE’s popular black-and-gold brand, NXT, to TV was reportedly discussed.

    There is apparent interest in bringing the show, which currently airs on the WWE Network, onto Fox Sports 1. Most notably, they would want to air it on Wednesday nights.

    This proposal comes off the rumor that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) will apparently debut their flagship TNT show on Wednesdays.

    AEW has not yet officially announced which day they will air their show on, but the promotion has filed a trademark for ‘Wednesday Night Dynamite,’ making it the most likely contender.

    Dave Meltzer, of Wrestling Observer Radio, noted that Vince McMahon would be undeniably upset if NXT competed against AEW and lost to the growing promotion in the ratings. To try and ensure victory, WWE will apparently be using every trick they can to secure NXT comes out ahead.

    One part of their plan is to use main roster Superstars from both RAW and SmackDown on NXT—though whether that means for one-off appearances or long-term feuds is undetermined at this point in time.

    During the Fight For The Fallen post-show media scrum, Tony Khan mentioned that AEW intends to announce further details of their TNT debut in October at All Out.