SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Drake Maverick Reflects On Achieving His Dream, Being One Of The “Fortunate Ones”

    Drake Maverick Reflects On Achieving His Dream, Being One Of The “Fortunate Ones”

    Current 24/7 Champion, Drake Maverick, has had a long career in professional wrestling. Before signing with WWE, Maverick wrestled extensively across the British independent circuit before working with Impact Wrestling.

    He recently recounted his journey into WWE to Busted Open Radio. He reflected on chasing his dream, and admitted that he is one of the “fortunate ones” to turn pro wrestling into a full-time job.

    “I really believed in this, and I believed in myself. […] If I ever got to WWE, I’d be just flabbergasted,” he admitted. “[…] But as you get older, and you work for places like the British independents, and you work for Impact, it becomes your livelihood, and then you respect the business so much more when every ticket and every seat counts. […] every time that you’re at the merchandise table and selling something and meeting fans…everything counts. That’s what really changed my mentality when I moved to the United States, when it became my full-time living.”

    At one point, it seemed unlikely he would ever get to live his dream as a WWE Superstar. But then, after a few key signings, it appeared as though the tides had turned.

    “It seemed like there was a thing where TNA talent weren’t really looked at by WWE,”” said Maverick. “But then Samoa Joe left the company and went to NXT, then Bobby Roode left the company and went to NXT, [then] Eric Young. And that’s when you’re like, ‘Okay, well maybe there might be an opportunity down the road.’”

    He admits that he is “[…] one of the fortunate ones in the world because there aren’t many spots to earn a living in this industry full-time. Again, just blessed. Just blessed.”

  • Dalton Castle Comments On ROH Losing “Core” Roster Members

    Dalton Castle Comments On ROH Losing “Core” Roster Members

    The landscape of Ring Of Honor (ROH) is changing. With talent leaving to explore opportunities in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and WWE, ROH’s roster has been losing numerous main event players.

    Former ROH World Champion, Dalton Castle, addressed this in a recent conversation with Wrestlzone’s Kevin Kellam. He claims to be happy for those seeking new challenges and isn’t worried in the slightest for ROH. He believes the promotion will simply move on and evolve as they’ve done in the past.

    “You got to be out of your mind to think Ring Of Honor is at risk right now,” Castle exlaimed. “I’ve only been with the company for about five years, and already I feel like I’ve lived through three of these—where people are like ‘Oh no, they’ve lost those big core members, how ever will they survive?’ We’re gonna be just fine. Ring Of Honor has been around for 16 years and we’ve done this again and again, and we continue turning out the best product we possibly can, the greatest wrestling in the world.”

    Castle admits that, although he is sad to see his friends leave ROH, he loves seeing them succeed.

    But for him, right now, ROH will remain his home:

    “[…] what makes me happy is succeeding and being with Ring Of Honor, I know what makes them happy is a peacock with some muscles putting on a performance of a lifetime. So I’m proud to be here at the moment, and I don’t think I can speak for the entire locker room, but I’ll speak for myself right now: Not worried.””

    Dalton Castle recently competed at ROH’s Best In The World PPV where he defeated Dragon Lee.

  • Enzo Amore & Joey Janela Involved In Altercation At Blink-182 Concert

    Enzo Amore & Joey Janela Involved In Altercation At Blink-182 Concert

    It appears that Enzo Amore and Joey Janela got into a physical confrontation during a concert. Both were in attendance for last night’s blink-182 show at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

    According to their Twitter rendition, Janela attempted to introduce himself before Amore slapped Joey’s hands away, challenging him to a fight.

    The two confirmed the altercation occurred, allowing the confrontation to spill over onto social media.

    The Rock Show

    After the event, Enzo Amore wrote the following to Joey Janela:

    “I’m glad you introduced yourself cause I couldn’t pick you out of a line up. You don’t want no smoke. And now I know it, there’s only two things that smell like fish. Ones fish. @JANELABABY straight p****y.”

    In response, Janela replied, “At least I said hello….”

    This incited Enzo all the more, who warned him not to “try & play that wrestling s**t with me,” promising he would “end up on f*****g world star.”

    “Where was that energy at? We aint friends @JANELABABY Dont introduce urself to me f***boy I thought u were a fan hahaha the second I realized it was u I slapped ya bitchass hands down & walked @ u w/ MY HANDS UP YA F******N RAN BACKWARDS & told my homey to film it ??? soft af”

    Janela addressed the accusation, claiming that they had, what he called, “the s******t fist fight of the year.”

    Amore, however, remembers it differently.

    “Boy we didn’t have the s******t fist fight of the year, I slapped ur f*****n hands down and walked at u with mine up and u walked away and let me know all that S**t u talk IS A WORK… which is fine if I were a wrestler.”

    Janela explained that, with his exclusivity deal starting in October, they won’t have an opportunity to wrestle or fight. All he wanted to do was introduce himself.

    That being said, “The Bad Boy” did throw out one last challenge:

    Past Heat

    The two have had heated Twitter exchanges in the past, with Joey Janela accusing Enzo of making a joke out of the wrestling business.

    Janela would lay down a challenge to face Amore in a shoot match at Josh Barnett’s next Bloodsport event. He even promised to do 4-6 months training so he wouldn’t “make a fool out of his art, the way NZO makes a joke out of the wrestling business…”

    Enzo, in turn, offered to pay for his classes before Janela shot back, claiming he would want him to blow the last of his money.

  • Roman Reigns Says He Is Proud To Be Teaming With “Original Big Dog” The Undertaker

    Roman Reigns Says He Is Proud To Be Teaming With “Original Big Dog” The Undertaker

    Following his victory over Dolph Ziggler on last night’s SmackDown Live, Roman Reigns caught up with Kayla Braxton in a backstage interview.

    Despite his busy week, Reigns stresses how proud he is to be teaming with the “original Big Dog” The Undertaker at Extreme Rules.

    The ESPN ESPYs Awards, the Hobbs & Shaw premiere, and then, finally, WWE’s Extreme Rules on Sunday are all on his agenda. To him though, that’s just the “life of the Big Dog.”

    “The fact that I am teaming up with the original Big Dog, The Dead Man himself, I’m so proud,” he said. “We went to battle in that main event years ago, and I had so much respect, it was hard for me, it was so emotional. I wasn’t even ready for that type of—something that deep at that point…but to be able to come back full circle and team up with him, the legend himself, the locker room leader for decades. It’s really cool, but I got a crazy week [coming up].

    “I’m about to head to LA, I got the ESPYs, I got the ‘Hobbs and Shaw” premiere on Saturday, jumping on a red-eye right back to Philly, into Extreme Rules,” he explains. “That’s the life of the Big Dog right there, man. So, I’m just going to take advantage, live in the moment, enjoy this week and kick a lot of ass on Sunday.”

    Roman Reigns will team up with The Undertaker in a No Holds Barred tag team match. They face off against Shane McMahon and Drew Galloway this Sunday. Extreme Rules takes place from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  • Nikki Bella Speculates On Why WWE Hasn’t Asked Her To Make A Retirement Speech

    Nikki Bella Speculates On Why WWE Hasn’t Asked Her To Make A Retirement Speech

    In the past, WWE Superstars have been given a platform to say goodbye to fans when retiring—especially if they are tragically forced into it. Paige, Edge, and Daniel Bryan were all afforded an in-ring opportunity to say farewell. Nikki Bella, however, has not been given that opportunity.

    On an episode of the twins’ podcast, The Bellas Podcast, Nikki spoke openly about why she believes she hasn’t been invited by WWE to make a formal retirement speech.

    Smart Marks

    “I feel like they haven’t had me come in and do a retirement speech because—guys, it’s crazy. Brie and I have become hated by the ‘Smart Marks’,” Nikki explained.

    “I always looked at it like, well, we did a really good job as heels for so long. But it was like the more successful we would get with the reality shows, and the men that we were dating and married to, and all that, we became more and more hated. For people to go against us in the ring and on the mic, it’s very easy to create promos with Brie and I, or about us. And I look at Paige, and Bryan, and Edge, and the list goes on of people who got to have that [retirement speech] moment.”

    “I Gave Thirteen Years Of My Life”

    Becoming emotional, Nikki added:

    “It’s going to make me cry because, you know, I love wrestling. I gave thirteen years of my life. I beat my body up. I mean, it was my world. It’s so sad sometimes when I see the lack of respect or, like, not the appreciation. You know how badly I wish I could go out there and wrestle again, and do it for the fans, and do it for us? I mean, I’ve risked my life. And you know what? I’m a human being; sometimes we like to be acknowledged or appreciated,” she stated.

    “[…] the fact that I gave so much and I will never get to stand in that ring and have the ‘thank you, Nikki’ chant, or even give my last, final words—I found out the Thursday before WrestleMania and I’m done. That’s it…I pray one day, Brie, we will be appreciated by that crowd.”

    Brie then talked about the possibility of her coming back. She teased that she would love to tag with her husband, Daniel Bryan. The potential rivals in this proposed feud? Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Booker T Explains Starcast III Booking Situation

    Booker T Explains Starcast III Booking Situation

    Booker T has set the record straight over the confusion concerning his former Starcast III appearance.

    Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, The Hall of Fame with Booker T & Brad Gilmore, the Hall Of Famer broke down that the issues arose from a miscommunication between himself and Conrad Thompson. He stressed WWE were not behind the decision.

    “Conrad [Thompson], he texts me a date that he wants me to do an autograph signing on. That autograph signing was August 31st, that day was in Chicago—he told me all of that. What he didn’t tell me is that it was Starrcast, I didn’t know it was Starrcast. I didn’t find out it was Starrcast until you, Brad, texted me and said, ‘Are you doing Starrcast? And I was like, ‘No, I’m not doing Starrcast.’ [You replied], ‘Well, they’re advertising you.’ I immediately tweet out and say that I wasn’t going to be doing Starrcast because I did not know that the Conrad booking was Starrcast, because he did not say that it was Starrcast.”

    He added, “[…] it was never mentioned one time in text or verbally that it was Starrcast, and if he said, ‘Hey Book, would you like to do Starrcast III?’ I would have said, ‘Hey man, I appreciate it but no.’ But it wasn’t framed that way, so I just want the people to know that I did not pull out of Starrcast… I was never in Starrcast; I was booked for a date, for an autograph signing, not knowing that it was Starrcast.”

    “They Did Not Pull Me”

    Booker explained that “WWE had zero to do with me not doing that booking, they did not pull me from it. […] WWE is not scrambling to find somebody else because it was never a WWE booking. I was never supposed to be at Starrcast from the beginning.”

    Starrcast III takes place between August 29-September 1st 2019 from the Hyatt Regency Chicago in Schaumburg, Illinois.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Becky Lynch To Become First WWE Superstar To Feature On The Cover Of ESPN The Magazine

    Becky Lynch To Become First WWE Superstar To Feature On The Cover Of ESPN The Magazine

    Becky Lynch is set to make history once again.

    “The Man” will grace the cover of the new issue of ESPN the Magazine’s “Blockbuster” issue. She is joined by star of the Netflix series, GLOW, Alison Brie. The issue will be available for purchase from this Friday.

    As reported by WWE.com, the new issue “focuses on the intersection between Hollywood and sports.”

    It will feature an interview with Lynch and Brie—whose Netflix show revolves around the 1980s Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling promotion. The interview apparently broaches the obstacles they have faced in their respective industries, the resilience and toughness of women, and much more.

    Becky Lynch will be the first WWE Superstar to ever appear on the cover of ESPN the Magazine.

    https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1148631055764578305

    Making History

    Becky Lynch made history earlier this year, participating in the main event of WrestleMania 35. She joined “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair in a Triple Threat match—the first time WrestleMania has been headlined by women.

    Lynch would emerge victorious, pinning Rousey and claiming both RAW and SmackDown Women’s Championships.

    She is scheduled for action this Sunday at WWE’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Lynch will tag with real-life boyfriend, Seth Rollins in a mixed tag team match against Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin.

  • Details On Paul Heyman’s Approach To Being RAW’s Executive Director

    Details On Paul Heyman’s Approach To Being RAW’s Executive Director

    Many of the WWE Universe are excited over Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff being appointed Executive Directors.

    The hope is that, with their creative input, WWE will be able to present more engaging and entertaining content on their flagship shows. This new initiative is an active attempt at recapturing WWE’s 18-34 year old demographic.

    New details have been revealed regarding how Heyman has embraced his role. Fightful.com reports that, although Vince McMahon naturally has the final say, Heyman remains confident that things will change over time.

    Apparently, Heyman sits in the middle of production meetings amongst the writing team. He has spoken openly with creative, telling them that Vince McMahon is aware WWE programming needs to be changed. They are hoping to alter their product to recapture its creative edge as well as their lost demographic.

    Vince McMahon has, allegedly, conceeded that things need to improve. Because of this, it is believed true change could be on the horizon. The hiring of Heyman and Bischoff in these new roles seems to be the first step towards that transformation.

    Many backstage have adopted a “wait and see” approach on the matter. It’s worth nothing that there was more optimism backstage coming off of last week’s Monday Night RAW, which was the first under Heyman’s watch.

  • Braun Strowman Primed For Another Monster Push

    Braun Strowman Primed For Another Monster Push

    It’s been reported that Strowman is being primed for a renewed push into the main event. Paul Heyman is said to be a contributing factor behind this decision. The idea is to bring Braun back to his monstrous, brute character in an effort to relegitimize him as a top Superstar.

    Tom Colohue of Sportskeeda.com wrote the following, stating one source informed him that “The idea is to get Strowman back to his roots as a monster, just destroying everything in his path. He hasn’t been used as effectively as he could be.”

    Another source told him that “Heyman’s still the same guy who brought you ECW. He likes the technical style, but he also likes big, destructive forces of nature. Braun is perfect for that.”

    Monster Light Show

    Last week featured a major spot with Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley. During the early moments of Monday Night RAW, the two men would see their 2 Out Of 3 Falls matchup come to a sudden end after they ploughed through the LED wall at the top of the entrance ramp.

    After the spot, WWE would report that both men required medical attention and speculated on the seriousness of their injuries.

    Bobby Lashley appeared on last night’s episode of RAW, squashing a returning Rey Mysterio. Braun Strowman, however, was not featured.

    The two Superstars will clash this Sunday at Extreme Rules in a Last Man Standing matchup.

  • Kevin Owens Admits He Didn’t Enjoy His Universal Championship Reign

    Kevin Owens Admits He Didn’t Enjoy His Universal Championship Reign

    Kevin Owens was the second ever WWE Universal Champion. He would win the title after Finn Balor was forced to relinquish it due to injury. Unfortunately, despite being at the top of the RAW roster, Owens revealed he doesn’t have fond memores of his reign.

    Speaking with Lilian Garcia on her podcast, Chasing Glory, Kevin Owens opened up and shared his frustrations on his time as champion.

    “My wife would tell me, ‘You are the Universal Champion, and I’ve never seen you more stressed.’ I look back and think, ‘I would have done things different as Universal Champion if it were up to me.’ But ultimately, I was still the Universal Champion. But I honestly don’t remember enjoying it, which sucks.”

    “I Want To Be Doing More And Contributing More”

    His title reign would be relatively short-lived. After a feud with Chris Jericho, Owens would drop the Universal Championship to a returning Goldberg at Fastlane.

    Despite his current frustrations, Owens shares that he is still determined to climb back up the ranks into the main event:

    “I’m still featured on every show and in main events more often than not, but right now, I’m not where I want to be. I want to be doing more and contributing more. I just think I could be…I don’t want to say a bigger part of the show because I’m already a big part of the show. I just want more.”

    Kevin Owens will supposedly begin a feud with “The Showoff” Dolph Ziggler. He is not currently scheduled to compete on this Sunday’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view, but tonight’s SmackDown Live could change that.

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Vince McMahon Rejected Idea For R-Truth To Wear Wedding Dress During 24/7 Championship Segment

    Vince McMahon Rejected Idea For R-Truth To Wear Wedding Dress During 24/7 Championship Segment

    R-Truth has been entertaining the WWE Universe with his relentless attempts to win (and retain) the 24/7 Championship. One of his most notable victories saw him defeat Drake Maverick for the title at Maverick’s wedding ceremony.

    Many correctly guessed that Truth would crash Maverick’s special day. Knowing the Superstar’s penchant for comedy, however, the question became: if he did crash the wedding, would it be out of the realms of possibility for him appear in a wedding dress to get the surprise drop on Drake?

    Turns out the idea was pitched to Vince McMahon, but was shot down.

    Wedding Crasher

    R-Truth recalls being told about it when he appeared recently on the E&C Pod Of Awesomeness.

    “Let me tell you about that day: That was Sarah’s idea. Oh my God, that was so funny. Sarah Stock, she was there, and she was like, ‘Well…’ because at first, I was gonna do a wedding dress and Vince said, ‘No. No wedding dress. That sounds like he’s trying to be funny and tell Truth just be funny, be himself’ and when he said that, I said, ‘Oh okay, cool. I see the point. No wedding dress,’ and, Sarah was like, ‘So what do you have on?’”

    He continued, “I got on some black jeans.’ She said, ‘Well I have a suit coat. We ordered a suit coat for you’, and she [asked] what if I go with no shirt on, and I laughed, and I said, ‘You know what? I didn’t think about that because I laughed and you said that…’ I said it’s kinda crazy because everybody else is dressed at the wedding, right? And she said, ‘Yeah, but R-Truth would probably do it with no shirt on’. She said, ‘I have a purple tie’. I said, ‘Just because you said that, I’m gonna wear it’ and she picked all that out. That was all her.”

    The end result created a popular segment in the on-going feud between R-Truth and Drake Maverick for the 24/7 Championship.

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Batista Recalls Declining WrestleMania 32 Role

    Batista Recalls Declining WrestleMania 32 Role

    Back in 2016 during WrestleMania 32, The New Day were able to share the ring with notable WWE Legends “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and Mick Foley.

    Turns out that one of those spots was initially intended for Dave Batista.

    Batista revealed the news during a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho. He discussed that he was offered a place within that segment, but declined involvement as it simply didn’t interest him. Instead, “The Animal” was more interested in getting back into in-ring action. It was during this time that he began pushing for a comeback with Triple H.

    “Then there was another time where they had Stone Cold, Mick Foley, and Shawn Michaels and they did something with the New Day. I was supposed to play the part of Mick, and I said that was something I didn’t want. Hunter was there, and I said, ‘When are we going to start talking about Hunter at ‘Mania?’ They just never really showed any interest in it.”

    Three years later, Batista would finally get his matchup against “The Game” Triple H at WrestleMania 35. The two would compete in a No Holds Barred matchup, with Triple H coming away the victor. Batista would announce his retirement from pro wrestling hours after WrestleMania concluded.

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.

  • Lance Archer Discusses Jon Moxley’s Popularity, Potential NJPW/AEW Partnership

    Lance Archer Discusses Jon Moxley’s Popularity, Potential NJPW/AEW Partnership

    Lance Archer is already hoping for a future matchup against New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) United States Champion, Jon Moxley.

    Despite being in opposite G1 blocks, Archer relishes the thought of competing against the man formerly known as Dean Ambrose.

    Speaking with the WINCLY podcast, Archer addressed Moxley’s current popularity since leaving WWE, as well as the possibility of NJPW and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) potentially partnering up in the future.

    “He’s got the hype going, and this business is the entertainment business, and it’s all about the hype,” Archer said. “He’s got that going and coming off that it was very well known he was leaving the other company [WWE]. Some people were interested in seeing what was gonna happen as soon as that was over. Then he made an immediate impact at AEW and right after that he was announced for New Japan.”

    NJPW/AEW Partnership Potential

    When the conversation turned towards AEW, Archer confesses that he believes a working partnership would be “good for the business as a whole.”

    “AEW is creating more eyes and more opportunities and more chances for the business to grow. For fans, it’s a great time for the business because you have so many amazing choices,” he said.

    “I think it would be good for the business, but right now New Japan’s relationship is with ROH, so that’s our focus. Obviously, Moxley and Jericho have worked with us, and they are both AEW guys. So, you never know what the future holds for cross-promotional situations. I think it would only benefit everybody if and when that situation happens. But, right now, New Japan’s relationship is with ROH, and that’s the focus and direction we’re going.”

    Lance Archer is currently competing as a participant in Block A of NJPW’s G1 Climax.

  • Dolph Ziggler Addresses Time Away From WWE, His Rekindled Love For Wrestling

    Dolph Ziggler Addresses Time Away From WWE, His Rekindled Love For Wrestling

    Dolph Ziggler returned to in-ring action after taking three months away to reassess his options and career. People were surprised when he returned, as rumors were rife that Ziggler would not return at all, especially given his vested interest in his budding stand-up career.

    Speaking with Jason Agnew on the Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast, Ziggler spoke about why he took time away from WWE, as well as his comeback and his rekindled love for wrestling.

    Ziggler asked for a specific time away to be away from television, believing his character had “done the same thing over and over, and maybe lost eight or nine and a half times out of 10.”

    He knew that he needed to do something original and different, so he asked for 90 days away from the ring to formulate a plan.

    During this time away, he would embrace his interest in comedy, performing at many comedy and improv clubs.

    “I also got to do some stand-up sets and do some other different things, and work with my brother on writing some other stuff, sketches, and improv stuff. I just needed to be away from television, character wise. I’ve been very lucky for 14 and a half years only missing a month, a month and a half off. The cool part was I have this other job where I can get better at that, while I’m refreshing my character.”

    “I Am There For It”

    Since returning, Ziggler claims to be reinvigorated with his work. Once again a full-time pro wrestler, Ziggler exclaims that “[…] on the weekends, live events, TV, pay-per-views, everything they ask me to do, I am there for it.”

    “You know what I really love doing?” he asked. “Is those weeks where I don’t go home. It’s a Saturday live event for WWE. Sunday live event for WWE. Monday live event for WWE. Tuesday SmackDown TV, and Wednesday when everyone goes home, and I know everyone is going home, I love catching that early flight out, hitting a workout, and like what I’ll be doing in Appleton, Wisconsin on July 10 and 11th Wednesday and Thursday two stand-up comedy shows. Friday I go home for half a day to go pack and wash my clothes and go right back out to a WWE live event.

    Ziggler states that as long as WWE wants him to be apart of their roster, especially if it’s in the main event against calibre talent like Kofi Kingston, that’s his idea of the “perfect life” for the next 20 years.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • R-Truth Talks About How TNA Prepared Him For WWE Return

    R-Truth Talks About How TNA Prepared Him For WWE Return

    R-Truth, and his feud with Drake Maverick, has helped to generate interest in the 24/7 Championship that most wouldn’t have seen coming when the belt was first unveiled by hardcore legend, Mick Foley.

    But prior to his time in WWE, R-Truth used to call Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling) home.

    Truth was a recent guest on E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness. Together they talked about his initial run in WWE (when he was named K-Kwik), and how his time spent in TNA helped to prepare him for an eventual return to WWE.

    “[TNA] pretty much groomed me for what I had to face coming up. I needed that. My second run back [in WWE], I was more than happy that I had that time away. I felt like a grown man when I came back, and I actually told Vince that. He looked at me like I had two heads. ‘I had time to grow up Vince, I had time to prepare for this.’”

    He reflected on his time in TNA, saying that it gave him time to evolve as a performer. This extended to the creation of his ‘What’s Up’ theme.

    “That’s where ‘What’s Up’ originated from,” he recalled. “I remember when I played it for Jeff [Jarrett], and I said that I produced the song in my trailer. I think the people will like it. Jeff was so open to “Hey, if you think it will work, let’s do it.” He was taking a lot of my ideas and putting them forward. Being in a smaller pond, I was able to pitch my own stuff, and they gave you the chance.”

    R-Truth would eventually return to WWE in 2008. He would hit a career-high feuding with John Cena, and has become known for being a good worker willing to do anything to entertain the fans.

    H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription.

  • Rob Van Dam Opens Up About Concussions In Documentary, Headstrong

    Rob Van Dam Opens Up About Concussions In Documentary, Headstrong

    Years of research has helped to illuminate how headshots and impact to the head can be destructive to an individual.

    On a recent episode of The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling, Rob Van Dam addressed the dangers of concussions. He joined them in order to promote his documentary, Headstrong. He claims that the lessons he learned over the course of filming helped to change his life.

    “I showed up on day one with symptoms of a concussion that I got two-three days before the tour started, and at first I thought the concussion symptoms would go away and they always, always, always did before, so I wasn’t as concerned but let’s just go ahead forward with what we were going to do,” RVD said.

    “The symptoms stayed so long that the documentary takes a major turn and becomes about something else, and we have to go into that. I’m getting my brain checked out with the camera, and I’m talking to the viewers as I’m learning they are learning with me, so I take them on the roller coaster with me to check out what is going on in my head.”

    “I’ll Recover From It”

    RVD admits he used to have a different stance regarding impactful shots to the head. He used to staunchly believe it showcased how tough he was:

    “Throughout my whole career, I had the other view. I thought I am showing how tough I am and I’m showing what a chair shot I can take to my head, and I’ll recover from it. I knew every night when Balls Mahoney was going to whack me with that chair for instance, I knew my bell was going to get rung. I knew it was going to be something and everything was like slow motion for a few seconds, and the sound would go out or sometimes it would just feel like I am sleeping and there were all kinds of different aspects to having your bells rung.”

    “What I didn’t realize at the time was that was my brain bouncing against my skull, knocking my senses loose, and that is a concussion. There is minor concussions, and there is major concussions, and I’ve really only had one that I would consider a major concussion—maybe two where I couldn’t remember anything afterwards.”

    When he watched the whole documentary, Rob Van Dam became fully aware of how he had mishandled his concussions.

    He realized that “[…] I did everything wrong. Your brain needs to rest, and you need to go someplace dark and close your eyes, not stimulate your brain. I did the exact opposite.”

    Headstrong is out now, and is available to buy or rent from iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and other streaming services.

    H/T to Chad and JP of The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling Podcast for the transcription.

  • WWE Continues To Tease Undertaker vs. Sting Match

    WWE Continues To Tease Undertaker vs. Sting Match

    Over the past few days, WWE has been teasing fans with images featuring The Undertaker and Sting.

    The two have famously never competed against each other, and a clash between the two often tops many dream match lists.

    Sting has previously stated that a matchup with The Undertaker is the only match he would come out retirement for. Despite speculation that the images may be hinting the match could finally be happening, it turns out the images were to promote WWE’s new YouTube series, WWE Reimagined.

    Sting vs The Undertaker: What If…

    The series addresses a ‘What If’ scenario that both past and present Superstars then analyse and discuss. The debut episode revolves around what would have happened if The Undertaker had gone to WCW during the ’90s.

    The video features names such as Universal Champion Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Bruce Prichard, Natalya, Sting, and more.

    When hypothesizing about what would have happened during a match between himself and ‘Taker, Sting claimed:

    “There is no way The Stinger is gonna get tombstoned by The ‘Taker. That ain’t happening. Not on my watch. What would have happened is a few Stinger Splashes, a Death Drop, and probably the Deathlock.”

    He continued, saying “To have ‘Taker at that time [in WCW], I don’t think there would have been a chance for any kind of comeback with WWE at the time.”

  • WWE Had Plans For The Bella Twins To Feud With The IIconics For The Women’s Tag Team Championships After WrestleMania 35

    WWE Had Plans For The Bella Twins To Feud With The IIconics For The Women’s Tag Team Championships After WrestleMania 35

    Sasha Banks hasn’t been seen in WWE since she and Bayley lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 35. The women who would walk away victorious that night were Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, The IIconics.

    This win surprised the WWE Universe, as many believed that Banks and Bayley were primed for a long run with the championships.

    It appears the reason for the change was to set up a feud between The IIconics and The Bella Twins.

    The news was revealed on a recent episode of The Bella Twins podcast.

    “Bella Twins Were Coming Back In A Big Way”

    During the show, Nikki divulged more information about her neck issues. She also spoke about the plans that had been put in place for a Bella return, post-WrestleMania.

    “Brie and I, we were gonna come back and fight for the tag titles after WrestleMania and we were gonna go against The IIconics for a few months,” Nikki said.

    She explained that “Deep down inside, I kept having this weird feeling that I needed to get an x-ray on my neck because, for a while, I wasn’t feeling okay. Brie knows that in December after Evolution, I just kept telling her that I feel off and my head doesn’t feel right…”

    Brie added that they had gear ready, and the two of them were fully prepared for their return to in-ring action—despite only having retired weeks prior.

    “We were ready,” Nikki said. “Bella Twins were coming back in a big way.”

    They were meant to start the feud on the SmackDown Live after WrestleMania. Nikki Bella’s MRI results would scupper those plans after doctors informed her her neck was fully herniated. She was also told they had discovered a benign cyst on her brain. They warned her that one bad landing could lead to paralysis.

    The IIconics haven’t had a notable feud since winning the championships. Though they have been competing against Asuka and Kairi Sane at Live Events, the duo have yet to defend them on a pay-per-view.

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.

  • Booker T Discusses Paul Heyman And Eric Bischoff’s Executive Director Roles

    Booker T Discusses Paul Heyman And Eric Bischoff’s Executive Director Roles

    With Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff once again returning to notable creative positions within WWE, the pro wrestling landscape seems to be on a precipice of change as WWE continues to gear up against All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

    WWE Hall Of Famer, Booker T, spoke about these changes on his podcast, The Hall Of Fame.

    He claims that with Heyman and Bischoff respectively directing RAW and SmackDown, they will be going back to the “blueprint of what wrestling always was” which is “giving the fans some great wrestling, great entertainment.”

    “[…] Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff, they both have an agenda now, and that agenda is to do well,” he said. “I was reading today that Eric Bischoff is moving his family to Connecticut. To do that, that’s a huge, huge commitment. That means I want to get close to my work, and I really want to throw myself into it and try to create something.”

    “Time Is Running Out”

    Booker believes that Bischoff is fully aware of the magnitude of this opportunity, claiming that he is “never going to get another chance like this ever.”

    “One thing Eric Bischoff knows: time is running out. He’s never going to get another chance like this ever in a lifetime. I mean, he slipped on a banana peel and became the President of WCW, and then to get this dropped in his hand? […] Paul Heyman, he made ECW a legitimate company by doing the right things and then taking that company in the right direction. They gave the fans what they wanted to see, they had it all. The war could be over before it even starts.”

    With WWE doing all it can to hold onto talent as it redefines itself in the face of new competition, it appears that having RAW and SmackDown become creatively different is the first step in their attempts—a decision that Vince McMahon is already reportedly very pleased with.

  • Randy Orton Returning Soon From Neck Injury

    Randy Orton Returning Soon From Neck Injury

    If you’ve been wondering where Randy Orton has been since WWE’s Super ShowDown event, it turns out that the veteran Superstar has been sidelined with an injury.

    Thankfully, however, it doesn’t appear to be serious.

    It has been reported by Fightful that Orton has been dealing with a neck injury. The injury was evaluated last week after Orton supposedly aggravated his neck in a Live Event matchup on June 10th. He was competing against SmackDown’s Aleister Black.

    Turns out that he already had some vacation time scheduled. Given that WWE had no immediate plans for Orton on TV, he was given an additional two weeks to fully heal and rest up.

    Orton has dealt with neck injuries in the past, having missed time back in 2015 due to neck problems.

    Extreme Rules

    “The Apex Predator” last appeared on WWE programming competing against Triple H in Saudi Arabia during Super ShowDown. He would emerge from his lengthy match with a victory over “The Game.”

    Orton would go on to compete in a series of WWE Live Events afterwards. This culminated in his match, and unfortunate injury, against Aleister Black.

    Given their recent Live Event matches, it appears that Randy Orton could be returning to face Black. Could Orton be the one to answer his challenge at Extreme Rules?

  • Sasha Banks’ Supposed Return Date Revealed

    Sasha Banks’ Supposed Return Date Revealed

    Sasha Banks may be in Japan, meeting with notable Japanese pro wrestlers and once again sporting her trademark purple hair, but it seems that she will be imminently returning to WWE programming.

    The Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida recently updated their website and currently list Banks as one of the Superstars scheduled to appear when they host RAW on July 22nd.

    It’s worth noting that the site has the standard “Card is Subject to Change” caveat. So, although the arena is advertising her appearance, things may change between now and the 22nd.

    Time Off

    Sasha Banks hasn’t featured on WWE television since WrestleMania 35, where she and Bayley lost their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.

    The two were allegedly deeply unhappy with WWE’s decision as they believed they would have a long run with the titles.

    It’s been reported that she has had meetings with Vince McMahon, where she was able to air some of her grievances. Her relationship with the company is said to have improved because of these discussions.

    Despite this, she was still given some time away due to her creative frustrations.

    For what it’s worth, Banks was also recently in Orlando, Florida. She was working with WWE on the upcoming video game, WWE 2K20.

  • PJ Black Talks About Choosing ROH Over Returning To NXT

    PJ Black Talks About Choosing ROH Over Returning To NXT

    After spending time in WWE’s developmental system, PJ Black would burst onto the WWE main roster in a big way. After first taking part in NXT, he would debut alongside other NXT rookies as the Nexus stable.

    He would eventually leave WWE in 2015, wrestling around the world and for several companies before signing a deal with Ring Of Honor (ROH).

    Formerly known as Justin Gabriel, PJ Black recently sat down with Joey G. from Wrestling Inc. to talk about his past, as well as his future in ROH.

    One of the topics of discussion revolved around Black’s decision to not return to NXT, choosing instead to sign with ROH.

    “I had an opportunity to go back to NXT. It was the same money for 200 shows more, so really that was a no-brainer for me,” Black said. “I have creative freedom and freedom outside because I do a lot of things outside of wrestling that they let me do whenever. And with creative freedom in wrestling – just to be yourself [is important].”

    He points at ROH’s storytelling and the promotion’s Code of Honor as factors that helped his choice.

    “I love the storytelling of ROH and the old-school Code of Honor of shaking hands before and after matches. I feel like fans appreciate wrestling different now than they did years ago. …As NXT shows, in-ring performance is very important right now, and that’s what I like about wrestling: it keeps on evolving.”

    PJ Black recently aligned himself ROH’s newest stable. This came in the wake of a personal journey, where he decided he didn’t like the person he had become and wanted to make a conscious effort to change, ultimately siding with LifeBlood.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

  • Information On Vince McMahon Changing WWE TV Show Formatting

    Information On Vince McMahon Changing WWE TV Show Formatting

    WWE is making some changes to how their shows will be broadcast, thanks to a recent decision by Vince McMahon.

    The company will no longer be showcasing matches during RAW or SmackDown advert breaks. A match can, apparently, continue throughout the commercial break, but no wrestling will actually occur.

    It is reported that this has been done in order to align their product with legitimate sports events, as those don’t continue showcasing their shows during breaks in the way WWE has been doing.

    Additionally, it’s been reported that all televised matches will be timed to end within the same allotted segment.

    PWInsider has noted that the specific exception to this new formatting is for 2 out of 3 Falls matchups. The mindset is to allow each fall to occur within each concurrent segment. The promotion is allegedly also interested in trialling matches with multiple rounds, though there is no confirmation on whether they will pursue this at this point in time.

    This new formatting decision went into effect last Monday. It’s speculated that pressure to change the current formatting came from Fox network officials. Fox is apparently driving for WWE to become more sports-oriented when they debut for the network on October 4th.

  • Firefly Fun House Characters Creep Into This Week’s WWE RAW

    Firefly Fun House Characters Creep Into This Week’s WWE RAW

    There were some interesting Easter Eggs present in this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW for eagle-eyed fans.

    A few segments featuring WWE Superstars also snuck in overt references to Bray Wyatt and his Firefly Fun House. Both Abby the Witch and Mercy the Buzzard making their RAW debuts.

    Abby the Witch appeared in the background as The Miz made his way to the ring in order to begin MizTV. There was no distinct focusing on the puppet, allowing her to simply be present as The Miz drew the eye of the audience.

    The same thing happened as Kofi Kingston obsessed with a platter of pancakes, placing them behind his WWE Championship. This once again drew the audience’s attention to the action in the foreground, ignoring Mercy the Buzzard being strategically placed in the background.

    There was no pretaped Firefly Fun House segment on this week’s episode of RAW, with speculation rife that Wyatt will be imminently returning to live in-ring action.

    Bray was backstage for last week’s Monday Night RAW as well as this past Sunday’s Stomping Grounds pay-per-view. Despite this, he was not utilized on either show.

    With his Firefly Fun House friends beginning to break out onto WWE TV, it’s probably only a matter of time until Wyatt returns.

  • Alexa Bliss Talks About Her Favorite Feud To Date

    Alexa Bliss Talks About Her Favorite Feud To Date

    The WWE Network aired a new 365 episode this past Sunday after their Stomping Grounds pay-per-view had concluded. This episode followed Superstar Alexa Bliss over 365 days, documenting his journey from WrestleMania 34 up to WrestleMania 35.

    During the documentary, Bliss opened up about her favorite WWE feud, singling out her rivalry with Nia Jax which culminated with the two competing at WrestleMania.

    She explained that the issues addressed within their feud were problems both Superstars had experienced in their life, making it that much more emotionally resonant as they brought their rivalry to life.

    For Nia, it was body shaming, while Bliss suffered from eating serious disorders growing up.

    “The storyline with Nia Jax is my favorite one because we touched on real issues,” Bliss revealed. “We both are really big on body positivity. Nia had had a past of getting bullied and body shamed. I had struggled with eating disorders that almost took my life. It was a great story because it was real.”

    Bliss had no issue with dropping the RAW Women’s Championship to Nia Jax at WrestleMania 34, saying that she couldn’t have been happier because she got to share a WrestleMania moment with her best friend.

    “It’s no secret that Nia and I are best friends,” Bliss said. “To see Nia holding the title up and knowing that my best friend is having her Wrestlemania moment and I was able to share that with her was awesome. We did the best job at our abilities to make the payoff and show that bullies never win and the good guy will prevail because of the story we had told leading up to it.”

    Alexa recently competed in a losing effort to SmackDown Wonen’s Champion, Bayley, at Stomping Grounds.

    H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.