Following Jon Moxley’s victory over Tomohiro Ishii during their G1 Climax 29 matchup, Moxley took to the mic to thank New Japan Pro Wrestling and the Japanese fans for allowing him to use their canvas to “paint ugly, gruesome works of art.”

He also compared the last few months of his WWE career as being “pretty much in a toilet bowl.”

“Thank you, Tomohiro Ishii, for sharing the ring with me tonight, you sick bastard,” Moxley began. “Let me tell you guys something: a few months ago, my career was pretty much in a toilet bowl, and then you guys welcome me over here to Japan, made me feel like part of the family, gave me this canvas on which to paint ugly, gruesome works of art. So I thank you for that.”

He continued, “Let me tell you this: nobody on this planet, nobody on this Earth, in this world, in this universe can tell me what I’m capable of, or what I can and can’t do, what I can or can’t accomplish, only I can say that! Let me tell you this, and you better damn sure believe it, because I’m gonna do it or I’m gonna die trying, get used to it. Jon Moxley is going to win the G1!”

Moxley will next face off against Los Ingobernables de Japon member Shingo Takagi. He is also scheduled to face off against Kenny Omega for All Elite Wrestling’s event, All Out, on August 31st.

Bayley recently attended the Ace Comic-Con, where she and Charlotte Flair took part in Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Chasing Glory.

During their conversation, Bayley revealed information about how Dusty Rhodes helped to inspire her character in NXT and his overall vision for the brand and its Superstars.

“We try to hide our true self because we don’t think that is good enough for our fans. We’re like, ‘no, they’re not really going to like me,’ but Dusty Rhodes would be like, ‘no, that is what makes you special.’ “

She talked about how Dusty compared her and Charlotte, helping her to embrace the differences that would help her not only stand out, but also connect with the WWE Universe.

“You are athletic; Charlotte is wrestling royalty. Bayley, you’re a fan, make it larger than life. We really are who we are, and he made us confident in ourselves, and that is when everything blew up. That is when NXT blew up, and it was because Dusty Rhodes made us. He believed in all of us, and believed in who we were and who we were afraid to show who we were.”

Bayley is scheduled to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ember Moon. Their match takes place at SummerSlam on August 11th from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

RAW Superstar Lacey Evans has shared a personal story detailing issues she went through prior to her WWE career.

Having suffered from gestational diabetes, and at one point weighing 210 pounds, Lacey wrote that she wants to ensure she remains healthy and happy going forward, setting the best example for her daughter.

She wrote the following:

“I had gestational diabetes and was 210lbs after I had my daughter. I wanted so badly to make sure I was healthy, happy and set the example as a mother. I wanted to be sober. Mentally strong and a motivator. I got what I wanted and continue to work for it evey single day.”

Before sharing her story, Evans uploaded an image that said “I don’t hide my scars. They are proof that I showed up for life. And fought.”

She accompanied that post with a quote from British author Chris Cleave’s book, Little Bee:

“In a few breaths’ time I will speak some sad words to you. But you must hear them the same way we have agreed to see scars now. Sad words are just another beauty. A sad story means, this storyteller is alive.”

Lacey Evans has been a frequent challenger for Becky Lynch’s RAW Women’s Championship. She recently competed in a losing effort, teaming with Baron Corbin against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch at Extreme Rules.

Former WWE Superstar Batista was a recent guest on Live With Kelly and Ryan this past week. He appeared in order to discuss the blockbusters he is starring in this summer including the recently released Stuber.

During the interview, Batista admitted to obsessing over his interests. This character trait is what would eventually tempt him from pro wrestling into the world of acting.

“I become obsessed with things, and then I just pursue them until I become obsessed with other things,” Batista confessed. “I actually wasn’t [into wrestling] at first. I actually got into it because I was broke and I was looking for a way to make money.

“And so I went to a tryout, and they told me that I was horrible, and to leave, and never come back, and I’d never be a professional wrestler. I needed that. That just made me mad, so it made me want to pursue it, and then I just became obsessed with it.”

Batista returned for one last match against Triple H at this year’s WrestleMania 35 event in New Jersey, where he lost to his long-time friend and rival. The next night, Batista would announce his retirement from the world of pro wrestling.

BOOM! Studios has announced that they will be releasing a new graphic novel charting the career journey of The New Day.

Entitled WWE: The New Day, the story will follow the trio from their initial WWE debut through to their stratospheric rise to popularity amongst the WWE Universe.

Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods were originally featured in a BOOM! Studios WWE story in 2016. This new graphic novel, however, will be a much more detailed accounting of their story.

The news was revealed during Comic-Con International in San Diego after WWE Champion Kofi Kingston made a surprise appearance at the ‘BOOM! Studios: Discover Yours’ panel to announce it.

Editor of BOOM! Studios, Chris Rosa, said the following on the upcoming project:

“There are few modern WWE Superstars with a greater legacy than The New Day—and as they’ve shown this year, there’s no ceiling to what Kofi, Xavier and Big E can accomplish.”

He continued, “WWE: The New Day is the first time fans will get an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at their journey to the top of the proverbial mountain and we can’t wait to share more news with fans soon!”

WWE: The New Day will be able for sale, both in comic book stores and digitally, in 2020.

Not everyone is a fan of WWE’s Wild Card rule.

One Superstar who hasn’t been a fan of the ruling is former WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins.

Rollins spoke with Newsweek.com and talked openly about his critical opinion of the rule.

“The Wild Card really muddled things up, to be honest with you,” Rollins admitted. “Now you’re seeing those guys every single week. It used to feel special when I see the New Day, but now they’re eating pancakes backstage every chance they get on Monday, and I’m not a fan of that.”

“[…] I think once you see the move to Fox, it’s really going to tighten down as far as best Wild Card options and stuff like. It’s really cool to see things come together now and get these cool match-ups you might not get in October or November.”

Despite the Wild Card ruling, Rollins has remained firmly on Monday Night RAW.
Seth explains that “RAW is my gig, man” before adding that, due to SmackDown’s two hour run time, he has no intention of appearing on the show to take over segments. He also mentioned that he has no desire to deal with Shane McMahon more than he has to.

The Wild Card rule went into effect only weeks after WWE held their Superstar Shake-Up—done to freshen up their rosters in order to provide the WWE Universe with new feuds and stories.

nstead, the Wild Card rule was introduced, nullifying a lot of what the Superstar Shake-Up had accomplished.

No Way Jose has been lost on the main roster ever since leaving WWE NXT.
Since coming to RAW, the dancing Superstar has been unable to get the TV time he longs for.

He has plans to change that.

Speaking with Sports Illustrated, No Way Jose detailed his plans to make things happen for himself this summer—plans he hopes will help him get higher on the card.

SummerSlam

Looking towards SummerSlam, Jose states that he is looking to build momentum as WWE heads towards their big summer PPV.

“I’m looking forward to wrestling in different cities. SummerSlam is right around the corner, and that’s one of the most exciting weekends of the year. That’s what I am focused on most, building to this big event. That’s my priority for the summer. I’m looking forward to making some big things happen.”

Wanting to leverage this match time, he intends to work hard so that WWE can realize the value he can bring to the table. He also wants to be involved in more WWE community projects, proving himself to be an asset to the promotion.

“Staying involved in the community is a big part of it. I’ve watched Titus O’Neil, and that’s the main name that comes into my focus. People might remember him for sliding into the ring, but he is really a person who has made an incredible impact here.”

“Titus is a very valuable asset, and that goes beyond wrestling,” Jose said. “I’ve learned that type of perspective. There is always something out there bigger than yourself. There are different ways you can make yourself valuable, and that goes deeper than just titles. Every one of us wants to main event WrestleMania, but not all of us will do it. Staying patient is important, and working so hard that the company has to realize your value.”

WWE Superstar Oney Lorcan has revealed that he was once banned from the promotion he now calls home.

The WWE NXT and 205 Live star shared the news via his Twitter account, writing that it was Fandango who would contact him to let him know the ban had been lifted.

According to Lorcan, the initial ban went into effect in 2011 as he “was out of control.” This led to Vince McMahon actually banning him for life before having him escorted out of the arena by police.

Four years later, on Christmas Eve 2015, he would receive a phone call from Fandango letting him know that the ban had finally been lifted.

He ends the tweet telling the WWE Universe to “ask Fandango about it” in case they don’t believe his tale.

After initially feuding with Danny Burch, Oney Lorcan would eventually find success in NXT teaming with his rival.
The two have been working together as a tag team for some time now, and have been involved in a number of matches for the NXT Tag Team Championships. They have yet to claim the gold as their own.

Despite still wrestling for the black-and-gold brand, he also features on 205 Live, working as a singles wrestler.

Although undeniably stacked with legends, Hall of Famers, and notable names from the past, there will be one person not in attendance at this Monday’s RAW Reunion special: Bret “Hitman “Hart.

WWEE Hall of Famer, Bret Hart, has reportedly turned down an invitation to appear during Monday’s episode that will feature names such as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to list just a few.

According to Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com, Hart declined the offer but noted that there was no given reason as to why.

Hart isn’t the only former WWE employee to reject WWE’s offer. Both Jim Ross and Bully Ray also turned down the opportunity to return for one night.

His last televised appearance took place in May for All Elite Wrestling’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view. He would debut the promotion’s World Heavyweight Championship.
It’s worth noting that he has not signed anything with WWE that would prevent him from working with AEW. He has shared that remains open to working with either company, as long as they could come up with a fun idea in how to utilize him.

WWE Superstars from across numerous decades are scheduled to feature on Monday’s RAW Reunion, guaranteeing the WWE Universe an opportunity to see some old favorites they may not have watched in a while.

WWE didn’t take long to pair up Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch into their storylines after it was revealed the two were dating in real life.

Following Extreme Rules, however, it appears that WWE may not be sending the two of them in different directions.

Speaking with Newsweek, Seth Rollins addressed their storyline pairing, claiming that they only came together on TV because of Baron Corbin.

“The stories aligned only because of Baron Corbin aligned them,” Rollins said. “It was circumstantial. It wasn’t like Becky and I thought “hey, we’re dating now, let’s be on TV together and have matches together.” So now we’re back being supportive boyfriend and girlfriend for each other.
I’m looking forward to her match with Natalya at SummerSlam, and, hopefully, she’s looking forward to me beating Brock Lesnar and winning back the Universal title.”

Seth Rollins lost the WWE Universal Championship to Brock Lesnar after Lesnar cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase at Extreme Rules. The cash in took place after Rollins and Lynch defeated Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans.

He would subsequently earn the right to face Lesnar at SummerSlam after winning a Battle Royal on this past week’s episode of Monday Night RAW.

Kip Sabian had the honor of competing in the first-ever All Elite Wrestling (AEW) singles match.

He competed against Sammy Guevara at Double or Nothing, emerging with an important win to kickstart his AEW career.

Sabian recently joined Chris Van Vliet for a sit down interview. During their conversation, Kip would talk about how he ended up in AEW, moving to the United States and, importantly, who was the person that scouted him for the promotion.

He admits that he didn’t know that his match with Guevara would be closing the Buy-In pre-show. When Sabian found out, he realized that he was now at the “next level” and that, no matter what, he will always be the first person to win a singles match in AEW.

But the man who helped him get into this position in the first place? “The Fallen Angel” Christopher Daniels.

He credits Daniels as “instrumental” in everything that has happened to him over the last few years, remembering the amount of advice he imparted to him during car rides they shared. According to him, Daniels put in a good word for him on his behalf. That word would lead him to sign with the burgeoning AEW, giving him the break he dreamed of.

Kip Sabian performed at AEW’s recent Fight For The Fallen event. He would lose to “Hangman” Adam Page.

WWE Superstar Ali has been releasing a series of promos recently that have had a distinctly different aesthetic—especially when compared to WWE’s typical output.

Ali may be in front of the camera, but the man behind the lens is Craig Mitchell.

Mitchell recently spoke with the WINCLY podcast. They discussed their series of vignettes as well as the creative freedom WWE has allowed them.

He said that Ali came to him, explaining “‘Hey, they’re not giving me this, they’re not giving me the screen time to develop my character.’ And what we were able to do was – fine, we’ll film it, we’ll put it on your Instagram, they’re self-produced,” Mitchell explained.

“If they’re giving you the ability to use your social media how you want to do it, let’s do it,” he continued. “And we joked like, ‘Wouldn’t it be kind of funny if these videos get a lot of eyes on them and you can end up getting them on SmackDown and stuff. And that ended up working out, so I think that’s one of the coolest things that we were able to accomplish.”

Creative Freedom

Mitchell confesses that WWE naturally has influence over their videos, from vocabulary to ensuring their intended content is WWE suitable.

“I would say that it’s a vocabulary thing, for sure. We want to make sure that the words we’re saying—we don’t want to use any offensive words or anything like that,” Mitchell said.

“I think that was something we always wanted to make sure that was very clean and appealing to all. But I think the other influence would be now, with this, I think we would also want to make sure that the subject matter [of the videos] is approved. So we wouldn’t want to talk about anything that [WWE] would deem something that they wouldn’t want to have on TV. So I wouldn’t say it’s very vague, but it has to be more inclusive, especially because Ali right now is representing something for a lot of people and he’s in a very positive light. To keep that rolling, I would say that the subject matter needs to be very inclusive.”

Mitchell praised Ali’s promo ability, saying that he finds a way to connect with the audience due to his relatability. He adds that Ali has a way of taking an idea and running with it, allowing his words and actions to put him “into the light.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Rusev has divulged Vince McMahon’s reasoning behind shortening his original ring name.

Initially named Alexander Rusev, the Superstar would find his name halved after a conversation with Vince McMahon.

In a conversation with At Cafe, Rusev explained that WWE has an option to submit names that you might want to use. He would eventually submit Alexander Rusev for consideration, with Rusev being an homage to a friend’s surname.

“[WWE] gives you an option to submit names you like,” Rusev explained. “And I was thinking about it. Then to make a joke with my friend Vasil, Vasil Rusev, who I used to share a rowing boat with, I chose Rusev. And I was Alexander Rusev with Alexander later being dropped. I liked Alexander because it sounded [mighty] and Bulgarian. But then it got dropped because Vince Mcmahon said ‘Ugh, Alexander, they’ll start calling you Alex as a nickname, and you have to be a Russian/Bulgarian villain. We’re dropping it’.”

Rusev Udrya, Rusev Machka

In defining the character and catchphrase of the “Bulgarian Brute”, Rusev turned to cinematic inspiration. Namely, Rocky IV.

“I made [the catchphrase ‘Rusev udrya, Rusev machka’] myself. Our character, mine and Lana’s, that we present in the ring was very [inspired] by Rocky IV, we took a lot from there. And I remember a scene where Rocky’s trainer says that whatever Drago hits, he destroys. And I was thinking how something similar can work for me. And one day we had to record it in studio, and that’s when ‘Rusev udrya, Rusev machka’ was born.”

Rusev isn’t the first Superstar to lose a name. Cesaro, Ali, Apollo, Andrade, and Elias are just a few others to have had their first name culled.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Roman Reigns returned from a second bout of leukemia earlier this year. He initially left the company to deal with his unfortunate illness in October 2018.

Since then, he has firmly re-established himself as one of WWE’s main event Superstars.

Speaking with Pensacola News Journal, Reigns reflected on his journey back into the ring and how he is feeling physically since coming back to in-ring action.

“I feel really good,” Reigns shared. “It’s nice to just have a greater perspective of everything and not just necessarily worrying about getting everything done. When you’re in a position like I’ve been in for a while, you’re just trying to look out for everybody and make sure your family’s all good. Sometimes you can lose track of yourself, sometimes you can put yourself on the back burner.”

He admits that he couldn’t have asked for a better reception from the WWE Universe upon his return. Reigns confesses that he was struggling at the time, and commented “that type of love, those type of positive vibes being sent my way” had an effect on him.

Training Wheels

Although he has since found his feet once again, Reigns said that his return saw him with “training wheels” attached.

“I feel really good right now, but, yeah man, there was definitely that transition getting back, just before [WrestleMania]. And I think that’s why you saw me kind of leaning on The Shield at the time, in that very first match back. I mean, it’s live out there, anything can happen, so they just wanted to make sure to kind of keep the training wheels on me for that match, and I was gliding in there. I felt really good with the role I was playing.”

By the time he faced Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 35, Reigns says that he felt like his old self again. He added that, over the past few months, he’s been able to hone and take his time in getting rooted with his routine. A routine that has seen him once again ascend the ranks of WWE’s roster into the main event.

Reigns recently tagged with The Undertaker at Extreme Rules. The two defeated the team of Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre.

Former WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins has speculated as to why fans find it so easy to “hate” WWE.

Speaking with Yahoo! Sports, Rollins would compare WWE to mainstream sports teams such as the New York Yankees and the New England Patriots. He argues that their popularity leaves them open to easy hate and criticism from fans.

“We’re the New York Yankees. It’s easy to hate the New England Patriots. We’re those teams, we’re the dynasty,” Rollins stated. “It’s easy to hate us, but we’re still the most popular company in the world at what we do.”

“We’re so far beyond being a wrestling company that it’s very easy to point the finger and hate on us,” he continued. “That’s the cool thing to do, it makes perfect sense to me, it’s how it’s always been in sports and entertainment, you always hate the big guy. It’s fine, I’m not upset about it at all.”

He adds that he just wants “people to understand and appreciate the things we go through and the fact that we’re always trying to do our best. Nobody is taking it easy, nobody is just getting by. Everybody from top to bottom, every department in the entire company is putting in as much work as they possibly can to make this the best.”

Rollins lost the Universal Championship this past Sunday at WWE’s Extreme Rules event after Brock Lesnar cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase. This came after Rollins’ main event victory with Becky Lynch over Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans.

Drake Maverick has officially invaded San Diego Comic-Con International in his quest to reclaim the WWE 24/7 Championship from R-Truth.

After convincing a Mattel cameraman to document his efforts, Maverick proceeds to explore Comic-Con, handing out flyers and asking people if they have seen R-Truth.

Breaking up his journey into multiple parts, which he shared via his Twitter account, Drake Maverick discovered a Mattel/WWE panel was taking place.

He determined that if “he’s [R-Truth] going to show up anywhere, he’s going to show up there. I need a disguise.”

This would lead him to eventually ‘steal’ a person’s bag. Inside he would find a “Macho Man” Randy Savage mask and a banana costume. Something he called a “perfect” disguise.

It was this point that he would infiltrate the panel, hosted by several WWE Superstars. Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, and Rey Mysterio were all on stage.

“If any of you have seen him, please let me know,” Maverick asked. “This is a very serious situation. I haven’t yet consummated my marriage, this is ruining my life.”

With the audience laughing, Maverick would leave but not without a final insult thrown their way:

“What are you laughing at? Hey, don’t laugh at me, I’m closer to it than any of you are, you nerds.”

With Comic-Con still underway, this is probably just the beginning of Maverick and R-Truth continuing their feud over the 24/7 Championship at the convention.

Lex Luger recently spoke about his wrestling career with The Hannibal TV. During their discussion, Hulk Hogan was brought up. This prompted an anecdote from Luger, who recalled a tense moment between himself and Hogan when he first started in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

When asked what it was like to meet Hulk, Luger admitted that he hardly knew him and that their first night working together didn’t go too well.

He said that “[…] the first night didn’t go well because, when we got nose-to-nose on Nitro, we went to commercial break, and to come back out of it we would still be nose-to-nose.”

Luger explained that he was informed by the cameramen that they were off the air. When they told him, he did something that Hogan took issue with.

“I broke character a little bit. When you’re nose-to-nose, and there’s a live crowd there, and Hulkster’s all business, about his business, and I had never been around him…so I kind of smirked at him, and I’ll never forget, he looked at me, and he goes ‘Hey brother, take that smile off your face or I’ll knock it off.’ And I tried to walk up to him afterwards, and he kind of blew me off, and I said ‘I’m sorry Mr. Hogan sir, I didn’t mean it,’ and he goes ‘That’s okay man, but don’t ever break character out there, because that’s taking money out of my pocket.'”

The following week on Nitro, Luger tracked down Hogan to apologize once more, adding that from that moment on they got along great.

Seth Rollins has addressed the critics of his relationship with RAW Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch.

Speaking with Tampa Bay Times, Rollins discussed his relationship with “The Man” and how their relationship has impacted them.

“It’s great. We spend all of our time together anyway. So might as well add the on-screen stuff to it as well,” Rollins said.

He admitted to learning a lot from her in-ring and promo ability, adding that “Just from a performer’s perspective, I get a lot out being near her on-screen and off-screen I get a lot as well, so it works out in both places.”

When it comes to the critics, however, Rollins states that they may simply “be a little jealous.”

“I think that’s where a lot of that stems from,” he said. “I mean, if I’m a dude and I’m watching television, and I have a crush on Becky Lynch, I’m probably not going to be too fond of the guy who’s dating her either, so I get that. We have such great chemistry; I think it’s funny that people think we don’t. Either way, it amuses me.”

Becky Lynch recently trolled fans after seeing criticism, suggesting that she and Rollins have no chemistry together.

Eric Bischoff was reportedly meant to start his first day as SmackDown’s Executive Director this past Tuesday. It was later revealed later that he was not present for that show.

On the latest edition of After 83 Weeks with Christy Olsen, the former WCW President discussed the preparation he has undertaken for his new role. It’s worth noting that the episode was recorded on Tuesday night.

“I’m actually watching SmackDown as we speak. I’m boning up; I’m doing my research and getting familiar,” Bischoff said.

“I’m kinda getting oriented [on Wednesday] and starting the process and getting familiar,” he continued, before adding, “I’m kicking it off on Monday and Tuesday next week.”

RAW Reunion

Before he comes to SmackDown, Bischoff will be taking part in next week’s special Monday Night RAW.

RAW Reunion will be bringing several former WWE Superstars, legends, and Hall of Famers for the episode. Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will be in attendance.

Bischoff, who fired Austin from WCW in 1995, shared that he’s looking forward to catching up with The Rattlesnake.

Despite the firing in ’95, Bischoff claims that the two have crossed paths and are on good terms. That being said, he admits they haven’t spoken in about 3 or 4 years, and so he highlights looking forward to seeing “Stone Cold” once again.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Despite being on the dawn of a new era, ushered in with Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff as Executive Directors of RAW and Smackdown, not everything has changed. WWE still expects the majority of Superstars to adhere to scripted promos.

But not everyone.

One of those Superstars that has been granted more freedom when it comes to their promo work is Kevin Owens.

According to SI.com, Owens is instead allowed to work off of bullet points. He is then given creative freedom to link these points together. This decision alone goes to show the amount of faith WWE has in Owens as a performer and talker, despite his previous frustrations with his output.

This trust has already paid off. Last week, Owens unleashed a scathing promo towards Shane McMahon. His words would see him become a spokesperson for not only the WWE Universe but other frustrated members of the locker room.

Primed for a major push, Owens is on course to becoming WWE’s modern equivalent of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. This intentional homage is made all the more apparent thanks to his adoption of the Stone Cold Stunner as a finishing move.

He recently defeated Dolph Ziggler in 17 seconds at WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Owens would earn the quick victory after a Stunner.

It appears as though the WWE Universe can expect more segments featuring the 24/7 Championship in the future.

Vince McMahon is reportedly incredibly happy with the results that these segments have generated.

Not only does he find them entertaining, but the minute-by-minute data from Nielsen Media Research indicates that, importantly, people are tuning in for them.

Every week, WWE gets information from Nielson with detailed information regarding viewership numbers. Turns out that segments featuring Drake Maverick, R-Truth, and the 24/Championship have become some of the most consistently watched parts of Monday Night RAW.

When originally debuted, people were dubious over the 24/7 Championship. In that time, WWE has allowed the title to become integral to the comedy between Truth and Maverick.

This has led the title to change hands in unexpected ways and places—including Drake Maverick’s wedding.

It’s been noted that both Maverick and R-Truth are well-regarded backstage. Both men are said to be unafraid of being the butt of a joke, and are willing to do what’s needed to entertain the fans.

This trust in both Superstars has seen their feud spillover from RAW and SmackDown to social media. There are apparently plans in place for the two at this week’s San Diego Comic-Con.

Wrestling can be a subjective form of entertainment. What some love, others might not enjoy; who some revere, others consider overrated.

Recently, WWE Hall of Famer, Mark Henry, revealed his personal list of top ten African-American wrestlers.

It was a list featuring luminary names such as Ernie Ladd, Ron Simmons, and Booker T. His list was topped by The Rock.

Turns out that Booker T had some issues with Henry’s list. He addressed Henry’s choices on an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast.

“Mark Henry is like 78 years old,” Booker joked. “Mark Henry is like a wrestling historian. Carlos Colon is not even black, he is a man of color, [Puerto Rican], but I don’t think he is black. Ernie Ladd, Ron Simmons, Bobo Brazil, JYD [Junkyard Dog], those are made men.”

You Just Made The List

Booker then went on to provide his own list.

“I feel like I’m on the list,” Booker admitted. “I have done a lot, I have been around. For me, number one is Bobo Brazil. He put the African-American wrestler on the map, it was like we had arrived. Bobo Brazil was a made man for many years and paved the way for wrestlers such as myself.”

He continued, “Number two is Ernie Ladd. Number three would be Ron Simmons. I will go with those three. Following those three, The Rock, me, JYD, Mark Henry is on that list. Mr. Hughes, Bad New Brown, that list could go on,” he admitted. “But those top three, Bobo, Ladd, Simmons. You have so many Black, African-American wrestlers that have paved the way.”

Booker T placed seventh on Mark Henry’s list—a position Booker felt was too low.

“Nah, I’m top 5 anywhere in the world,” Booker said. “As far as the business goes, I try not to toot my own horn, but I was good.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Bray Wyatt finally returned to Monday Night RAW this past week. He appeared after a match between Samoa Joe and Finn Balor. Wyatt proceeded to attack Balor, nailing him with his Sister Abigail finisher.

He returned in the creepy mask that has become so popular thanks to the Firefly Fun House segments.

Speaking on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray offered some advice to help Wyatt’s latest iteration achieve longevity in WWE.

“The key to this working and having longevity is going to be Bray Wyatt and his willingness to protect the character and every last thing the character does,” he said. “The same way the Undertaker protected the Undertaker. You have to. This is a special character that cannot be overexposed, it can not be allowed to get burnt out. If you pick and choose your spots with Bray Wyatt, just like they did on Monday night, you will have something special.”

Bully Ray continued this juxtaposition between The Fiend character and The Undertaker:

“If I’m Bray Wyatt, I’m looking at a couple of the hurdles that the Undertaker had to get over with that character, that is very similar to the Fiend character, and I’m going to try and avoid those hurdles and pitfalls right now. I want to keep myself special at every turn, that’s what Bray needs to do with his entire act. Nothing can be prostituted, nothing can be given away, nothing should be done with the Fiend that is a throwaway and really didn’t matter. Everything has to mean something, and that’s how you protect it and get longevity out of that.”

Bray Is The Key

Bully Ray compared the Fiend to Doink The Clown if he had been turned up to the “millionth level.”

He then stated that the key to the Fiend’s success is in not allowing it to become stale.

Ray argued the way to combat that risk is to use the character sparingly, and that WWE needs to trust Bray to make the right decisions for the character.

Ricochet may have lost his WWE United States Championship to AJ Styles at Sunday’s Extreme Rules event, but that hasn’t affected his popularity amongst the WWE Universe.

Speaking with 969 The Game, Ricochet discussed his move to Orlando, his connection with the fans, and if backstage feels any different now Paul Heyman is Monday Night RAW’s Executive Director.

Addressing his connection with the WWE Universe, Ricochet said that “The very first thing is my in-ring ability that I give to fans. The acrobatics and the style that I have is what catches everyone’s eyes. I’m hoping since people see that I’m just a normal dude, a kid from Kentucky living his dream. I think people can see that and understand that. That helps them connect with me a little bit more. Obviously, at first it’s the visual aspect, but then it’s more…which is awesome.”

“Everyone Has Started To up Our Game”

He confesses that not much has changed backstage since Heyman stepped into his new role, though it’s still early days. That hasn’t stopped himself and other Superstars from pushing themselves, performing to their best ability.

“I feel like all the boys in the locker room, everyone has started to up our game and make the most of what we can get. To do our roles the best we can and make the show the best it can be. Nothing crazy dramatic, but a little bit over time since I’ve been here … slowly we have all tried to do everything we can to the best of our abilities.”

This past Monday night on RAW, Ricochet teamed up with the Usos, defeating The Revival and Robert Roode.

H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

The WWE Universe may not be entirely behind Baron Corbin, but one of his Superstar colleagues appears to be.

Former Universal Champion, Seth Rollins, spoke with the Tampa Bay Times and had some high praise for his rival, Corbin.

“You know what, he’s come a long way,” Rollins stated. “For a guy who came into the developmental system with no clout, he wasn’t from the indies, and he never wrestled a match before, he stepped into the doors in Tampa, and he learned very quickly from some of the best guys we have in our industry.”

Rollins explained that Corbin wasn’t given much of a chance by people, including himself.

“He comes from a different world and sometimes you can be ostracized for that. He’s a guy who took a bit of the hazing, but he pushed through, persevered, and he grew really love the industry, and he has dedicated the last four years of his life to being on the road nonstop.”

Seth argued that Baron Corbin works just as hard as anyone else on the WWE roster. He went on to call him a “huge contributor to our roster and the product we put out every week.”