SEScoops

Author: Steve Russell

  • Nikki Bella & John Cena Seem To No Longer Be Friends

    Nikki Bella & John Cena Seem To No Longer Be Friends

    Although both claiming that they want the best for each other, maintaining that they will continue to be friends, it appears that John Cena and Nikki Bella’s attempts to do so have ended.

    Taking to her social media, Nikki Bella sent out a message that seemed to have a rather obvious target in mind:

    “When you don’t give him what he wants, he will delete you, silence you, manipulate you, do what he can to destroy you, but turn that hurt into strength. Take the high road and prevail! Happiness can’t be bought, it is priceless. It’s your true secret weapon. N.”

    https://twitter.com/BellaTwins/status/1125808447960768512

    She would send this tweet a day after Cena wrote the following on his own account:

    “Beware those who think you owe them happiness at the expense of your own well being.”

    For what it’s worth, adding to the speculation of a definitive rift between their attempts at friendship, the two have stopped following each other on Twitter.

    This comes after Nikki’s insistence that she is happy for John Cena. During an episode of her podcast, she playfully promised she would Rack Attack anyone who hurt him.

    The couple broke up last year after first getting together in 2012. They were engaged for a year after Cena famously proposed to her in the middle of the ring during WrestleMania 33 in 2017.

    Nikki Bella is currently dating her former Dancing With The Stars partner, Artem Chigvintsev. Cena, meanwhile, is now reportedly seeing Shay Shariatzadeh.

  • Lana Attempts To Get WWE’s Attention With Risqué Tweet

    Lana Attempts To Get WWE’s Attention With Risqué Tweet

    The Queen of Salt, Lana, is still disgruntled with her position within WWE. In recent weeks, the SmackDown Live Superstar has been uploading videos to her personal YouTube channel. In these videos she candidly admits she is “salty” over her booking with the company. She usually does so whilst pouring copious amounts of salt everywhere.

    Despite appearing at recent WWE Live Events accompanying Rusev, WWE hasn’t had much for the duo on the SmackDown Live for the past few weeks. This fact is probably a major contributing factor as to why she continues to do anything and everything within her power to try and grab management’s attention. Social media, YouTube, fan engagement, Lana is doing it all to try and bolster herself in WWE’s eyes.

    In a recent post to Twitter, “The Ravishing Russian” uploaded a risqué, not particularly PG, video of her. She accompanied it with a bold claim, stating:

    “#SDLIVE call me when you want ratings….. because no one will make #SDLIVE, #RAW or #MITB ladder match #RAVISHING like I can”

    Lana hasn’t featured in an in-ring capacity since the Women’s Battle Royal during WrestleMania 36. She has also not been booked to participate in the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match at the promotion’s upcoming PPV on Sunday, May 19th.

  • Chris Jericho Discusses Incorporating MMA Training For His Match Against Kenny Omega

    Chris Jericho Discusses Incorporating MMA Training For His Match Against Kenny Omega

    With All Elite Wrestling’s next event, Double Or Nothing, now under a month away, wrestlers are busy training for their scheduled bouts.

    One AEW grappler, in particular, has undertaken a different training regimen than he might generally be used to.

    In an interview with Cheddar, Chris Jericho discussed his reasons for signing with the upcoming promotion, as well as incorporating Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training into his routine.

    When asked about the crossover that exists between MMA and pro wrestling, Jericho revealed he has been “doing MMA training” to get ready for Double or Nothing.

    “It’s so cool to do a different type of training, and when I’m in there, I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna fight Conor McGregor. I can do this!’” he joked. “Obviously you can’t, but just to be in there doing something different, it’s a lot of fun.”

    “It Was Just The Right Move”

    On the subject of signing with AEW, Jericho added that he believes the moment was right, claiming that the promotions formation, coupled with fans wanting a different product to WWE, is “something that I don’t think can ever happen again.”

    He continued, “It’s a company starting from scratch that consists of a bunch of guys who have traveled around the world, who have become very good and popular, but not in mainstream America. Combine that with a family who has a lot of money and a lot of passion for wrestling, combined with a great TV deal. I think it was just the right move from me knowing that I would be doing something that I never did before.”

    Double Or Nothing takes place on May 25th from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • NXT’s KUSHIDA Addresses Moving To The States, Adjusting To NXT

    NXT’s KUSHIDA Addresses Moving To The States, Adjusting To NXT

    NXT’s newest Japanese Superstar, KUSHIDA, began his time with NXT earlier in the month and continues to adjust to his new life in the United States.

    Taking to Twitter, KUSHIDA shared his experiences in America so far, and what it has been like wrestling for a new company—one drastically different from his former employee, New Japan Pro Wrestling.

    https://twitter.com/KUSHIDA_0904/status/1122365977260433408

    He comments that, although a month or so has passed since his move to Florida, it feels as though it has been more like a year to him.

    “I was in a state where I didn’t understand the new practice environment, food, housing, English, Matches…but I feel that a little more open time has been created recently.”

    KUSHIDA shares that on weekdays “practice picked up at the performance center” and also reveals that he has been taking one-on-one English classes in an attempt to better understand and speak the language.

    His weekends are dedicated to house shows, and he states that he is “desperate every day to get through a day.” He breaks down his routine as “Driving to the venue yourself, setting the ring, wrestle, and clear the ring. Then drive back to home again … it is the life in NXT.”

    These new experiences have allowed him a “series of fresh discovers”, and he feels as though he is becoming more experienced as a performer and person.

    With his new life in America starting to settle, he promises that he can “finally put my feet on the pedal and 100% power on my engine. Bring all of this into the ring.”

    The former 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion will be making his NXT TV debut next on next week’s episode. He will compete against Kassius Ohno.

  • Meiko Satomura To Guest Train At WWE Performance Center

    Meiko Satomura To Guest Train At WWE Performance Center

    Mae Young classic competitor, Meiko Satomura, will soon be joining the WWE Performance Centre in Orlando, Florida.

    According to Squared Circle Sirens, Satomura will be joining the company as a guest trainer.

    Satomura has earned international popularity since she began training back in 1994 at the age of 14. She has gone on to wrestle worldwide for promotions including Gaea Japan, World Championship Wrestling, Chikara, and Senai Girls’ Pro Wrestling. She has even competed for Britain’s Fight Club Pro, where she wrestled against then-WWE United Kingdom champion, Pete Dunne.

    Meiko has also competed for WWE, wrestling in the second Mae Young classic tournament in 2018.

    Her participation in the tournament saw her defeat Killer Kelly, Mercedes Martinez, and Lacey Lane. She would be knocked out of the competition in the semifinals by NXT UK Women’s Champion, Toni Storm.

    WWE Superstar, Natalya, retweeted the article, adding her thoughts on the subject with a succinct, “Wow.”

    Given that Satomura is a disciple of the stiff, impactful style associated with Japanese female wrestlers known Joshi Strong Style, it will be interesting to see if Joshi will be taught to the current crop of NXT talent. If it is, what kind of matchups can we expect from the next generation of female WWE Superstars?

  • Brian Cage Hospitalized After Rebellion PPV

    Brian Cage Hospitalized After Rebellion PPV

    Unfortunately, it seems that new Impact Wrestling world champion, Brian Cage, suffered an injury during his matchup at the promotion’s Rebellion PPV.

    Cage suffered the injury approximately three minutes into his match against defending champion, Johnny Impact. The spot occured as Johnny Impact delivered a Spanish Fly to Cage from off the ramp to the floor.

    Despite this obvious setback, Cage was still able to to finish the match. He would then come face-to-face with a debuting Michael Elgin before being attacked post-match. Elgin would eventually hold the championship over his head, setting up a new contender for Cage going forward.

    It’s reported that Cage had trouble walking backstage and was subsequently taken to the emergency room. There is no further update on his condition or the severity of the injury at this point in time.

    Impact Wrestling addressed the situation on Twitter, announcing that Cage was rushed to the emergency room after his match with Johnny Impact. “More updates to come.”

    We here at SEScoops hope the injury isn’t serious, and that the new Impact Wrestling world champion can get back to in-ring action as soon as possible.

  • Reason Why Goldust Could Leave WWE But Luke Harper’s Release Was Denied

    Reason Why Goldust Could Leave WWE But Luke Harper’s Release Was Denied

    It was recently revealed that Cody’s opponent at All Elite Wrestling’s Double Or Nothing, would be his brother, Dustin Rhodes. Dustin initially denied the possibility, claiming to still be under WWE contract.

    It turns out that he was granted his release back in January and has been under a 90-day non-compete clause.

    Not everyone who requested their release has been granted it, however, as Luke Harper recently discovered.

    Harper, who shared that he had requested his release via social media, was denied his release by WWE. He isn’t the first Superstar to ask for their release, with Hideo Itami and Tye Dillinger doing the same in recent months.

    According to Dave Meltzer via Wrestling Observer Radio, Triple H is the man behind Dustin being granted his release.

    Meltzer stressed that Vince McMahon doesn’t want to release anyone right now, especially with AEW on the horizon, but Triple H reportedly convinced Vince to permit Dustin Rhodes his release.

    The same, ultimately, can’t be said for Luke Harper.

    Instead, WWE has chosen to trigger a clause in Harper’s contract. They have added the time that he missed due to surgery onto the end of his contract. This has apparently extended it by an additional six months. He was supposedly meant to be entering into a feud with Sami Zayn, but those plans have changed.

  • Mortal Kombat Fans Aren’t Impressed With Ronda Rousey’s Vocal Performance

    Mortal Kombat Fans Aren’t Impressed With Ronda Rousey’s Vocal Performance

    NetherRealm Studios made a big deal over Ronda Rousey’s inclusion in their recent release, Mortal Kombat 11.

    Months ago, Rousey was introduced during a NetherRealm press event as the new voice of Sonya Blade. Ronda shared her excitement, describing the experience playing a character in a franchise she grew up playing was a “dream come true”.

    Now the game is out, NetherRealm may regret her highly publicized inclusion with her vocal performance receiving almost universally negative feedback from gamers.

    Fatality

    Fans of pro wrestling already know that Rousey’s mic skills were a little…underwhelming, when she first started appearing for WWE.

    Over her time with the company, however, her abilities steadily improved. Unfortunately for NetherRealm, her skills clearly didn’t develop in time for her role as Sonya Blade.

    Fans of the game have been quick to lambast the Superstar. Many have highlighted her vocal inadequacies, especially juxtaposed with Johnny Cage—a character Sonya Blade apparently shares many scenes with. One even liked her to The Room’s (in)famous Tommy Wiseau.

    https://twitter.com/haydencd/status/1120825449276268544

    If you’re a fan of the Mortal Kombat series, or want to buy the game just to experience Rousey’s vocal talents, the game is available now on all major platforms. Alternatively, you can listen to her performance in the videos above.

  • Dean Malenko’s First Post-WWE Appearance Announced

    Dean Malenko’s First Post-WWE Appearance Announced

    Ex-WWE producer, Dean Malenko, who recently parted ways with the company, has already booked his first non-WWE appearance.

    Malenko, known as “The Man Of 1000 Holds” during his time as an in-ring competitor, will officially be in attendance during Starrcast II.

    The Starrcast Twitter account sent out the following tweet, accompanied by an image of Malenko:

    “This Superstarr is known as The Man of a 1000 holds!! He’s held championships all over the world… #Starrcast II is proud to welcome DEAN MALENKO to Las Vegas, Memorial Day Weekend!

    Appearing Friday 1-4pm at Caesars Palace

    Meet & Greets on sale now: Starrcast.com”

    Starrcast II Superstarrs

    Dean Malenko joins a star-studded convention, with legendary names and current ‘Superstarrs’ set to appear. Wrestlers like Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Cody, The Young Bucks, Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, and many more will all be in attendance.

    Unfortunately, two names will no longer be present during Starrcast: The Undertaker and Kurt Angle.

    Although initially advertised, WWE has since locked down ‘Taker and Angle to new contracts. These contracts allow the company to withhold talent from attending events considered to not be in WWE’s best interests.

    Starrcast II, apparently, falls into that criteria.

    Starrcast II takes place from May 23-26th from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

  • Andrade Has Challenged Finn Balor For A Championship Match

    Andrade Has Challenged Finn Balor For A Championship Match

    Andrade has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging Finn Balor to an Intercontinental championship matchup.

    The Superstar defeated Finn during his RAW debut after the Superstar Shake-Up. This victory surprised many, considering Balor’s recent triumph at WrestleMania 35, and would have helped Andrade quickly establish himself on the RAW roster.

    Things didn’t turn out that way, however, as Andrade would quickly return to SmackDown Live the following Tuesday. Upon his sudden, retconned return to the blue brand, he would subsequently lose to Finn Balor, who was making his blue brand debut. Balor’s move also brought the Intercontinental championship to SmackDown Live.

    With the tally now at a win each, a rubber match makes sense to determine the final victor. Making it for the Intercontinental championship certainly ups the stakes involved for each man.

    “El Idolo” would call out Finn via Twitter, writing:

    “@FinnBalor I got you once, you got me once. Let’s make it more interesting next time…put that #IntercontinentalChampionship on the line! Que tú piensas ???”

    Balor would reply the next day, more than happy to accept:

    “¡Órale guey!! Step Up and Get Busy AMIGO!”

    With the challenge having been accepted, it seems likely that the two will clash for the gold at WWE’s upcoming Money In The Bank event, which takes place on May 19th.

  • Possible Spoiler For The Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

    Possible Spoiler For The Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

    If you’re looking forward to finding out who will be involved in the men’s Money In The Bank ladder match, look away. It seems as though a new graphic has spoiled the entrants for this year’s briefcase.

    The image, supposedly locally advertised from Connecticut, depicts Superstars from both Monday Night RAW and SmackDown Live including Drew McIntyre, Cesaro, Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, Aleister Black, Andrade, and the debuting Lars Sullivan.

    A Moment Of Bliss

    This week’s episode of RAW is scheduled to feature a special MITB edition of “A Moment of Bliss,” hosted by Alexa Bliss. This segment was expected to reveal the competitors in both the men’s and women’s Money In The Bank matchups.

    Although the graphic itself is not full confirmation, it does appear likely that Bliss will be announcing these names this coming Monday. Though highly unlikely, WWE may elect to change certain Superstars now that the information has leaked.

    Money In The Bank 2019

    Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

    Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

    Roman Reigns vs Elias

    WWE Universal Championship Match

    AJ Styles vs WWE Universal Champion, Seth Rollins.

    RAW Women’s Championship Match

    Becky Lynch vs Lacey Evans

    SmackDown Women’s Championship Match

    Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair

    WWE’s Money In The Bank PPV takes place on May 19th from Hartford, Connecticut.

  • Backstage News On WWE’s Plans For Luke Harper

    Backstage News On WWE’s Plans For Luke Harper

    It appears as though, at least at one point, WWE had a feud in mind for Luke Harper.

    According to Dave Meltzer on Westling Observer Radio, the former Wyatt Family member was scheduled to feud with Sami Zayn.

    The details of the feud are unknown, but it’s clear that the proposed program has since been cancelled entirely.

    “This Decision, As Difficult As It Was, Feels Right”

    Harper received double ligament reconstruction surgery last October. Despite being cleared to return since February 6th, he has yet to be given a new televised feud or storyline.

    He recently wrestled Dominik Dijakovic at WWE’s Worlds Collide event. He was also a participant in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania 35.

    Luke has been transparent about his frustrations within the company, highlighting that his goal going forward is to “continue to grow as a performer and person” outside of the remits of WWE.

    WWE, however, declined his release request. Instead, the company has enforced a six-month extension, adding the time he missed working due to his initial injury. This means that, unless anything changes, Harper will be with WWE until roughly next year’s WrestleMania in April 2020.

    This could be a tactical decision on WWE’s part—much in the same way as they handled Neville’s contract. Given the upcoming All Elite Wrestling and the surge of other independent promotions, it seems WWE are content with keeping Harper close for the time being.

  • Billy Gunn Talks About Triple H’s AEW Comments During Hall Of Fame

    Billy Gunn Talks About Triple H’s AEW Comments During Hall Of Fame

    During the Hall Of Fame event that took place over WrestleMania weekend, Triple H would make several jokes at the expense of Degeneration-X stablemate, Billy Gunn, and his new company, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The two were inducted into the HOF as a part of DX, alongside Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Chyna.

    Triple H would tease Gunn, thanking him for being “all in” in an obvious reference to AEW’s event of the same name. He went on to joke that “Vince will buy that pissant company just to fire you again.”

    Speaking with 411 Wrestling Interviews Podcast, Billy Gunn discussed Triple H’s comments about his new employer AEW.

    “I thought it was done very tastefully, so it was some good, funny stuff that was — yeah, you were right. It’s typical DX stuff. You shoot at something and then you try to knock it down. So yeah, it was good.”

    He was asked if any of the AEW jabs were planned backstage prior to their speech. Gunn denied this, claiming that, although they had an initial plan, that quickly went out the window. Their entire HOF speech would then unfold live without any preparation.

    “We had some stuff we were gonna go to…we had a couple of calls before the Hall of Fame just to kinda figure stuff out. But none of it came true. Because it doesn’t work like that for us. It never has worked like that for us. We’ve always just been, ‘Hey. You point us in the direction, we’re gonna go there. We have no idea what we’re gonna do,’” he said.

    “So when you start planning stuff out, it takes away from what we are. Because I feel like that’s what a lot of things are doing right now, you’re planning a bunch of stuff out, so when something organic happens, you don’t react to it, because it’s not in the script. And we’ve never ever been ones to go by the script.”

    Despite his appearance for WWE, Billy Gunn is currently signed to AEW where he is working as a producer for the company.

    Thanks to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.

  • Sean Waltman Believes CM Punk Will Wrestle For AEW

    Sean Waltman Believes CM Punk Will Wrestle For AEW

    Sean Waltman recently made a bold prediction on his podcast, X-Pac 1, 2, 360. He revealed that he believes it’s only a matter of time until former WWE Superstar, CM Punk, returns to pro wrestling. Not only that, but it won’t be WWE that he returns to.

    Instead, Walkman points to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as the most likely promotion that Punk will end up calling home.

    “I promise you at some point, CM Punk will be back involved in wrestling”

    – Sean Waltman

    “I haven’t said it in a while because the subject hasn’t come up really as much, because he’s doubled down on, ‘I am never coming back to wrestling.’ I mean, he’s said that over and over again. And I just — history tells me that eventually he will return to wrestling. A lot of people in entertainment that mean it just as much as he does eventually come back. I’m talking about, look at musical acts for instance: The Eagles, ‘When hell freezes over,’ right? Legit. They meant it just as much as he does,” he explained.

    “The Misfits, Glenn Danzig’s war […] Never gonna happen, never gonna reunite with Jerry Only and the rest of the Misfits. They’ve had several shows. It just goes to show you. And trust me, I know Glenn Danzig and like, no one is as stubborn as that guy. So, trust me. He will be back. I promise you at some point, CM Punk will be back involved in wrestling. And no one should go, ‘Oh, see, we told you!’ because it’s his life. And at the time, he means it. When he says, ‘I’m never coming back,’ he means it. It’s just that history shows that everyone else that meant it too ends up coming back. And I can honestly see him showing up in AEW. That could be like this huge surprise they’re waiting to drop with the announcement of a TV deal.”

    CM Punk was once again on the minds of wrestling fans worldwide after he made a surprise appearance at an independent show. He would sneak into the ring under a mask and deliver a GTS during a match for an MKE event in Wisconsin last Friday.

    Thanks to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.

  • Matt Taven Reflects On Winning ROH World Championship

    Matt Taven Reflects On Winning ROH World Championship

    At the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring Of Honor (ROH) co-promoted event, G1 Supercard, Matt Taven delivered on his promise to all the ‘melvins’ out there by becoming the new ROH World Champion.

    He would uncrown Jay Lethal in a triple threat ladder match that also featured “The Villain” Marty Scurll.

    Speaking with the WINCLY podcast, Taven has reflected on the title win that ended Lethal’s 280-day reign. He admits that he enjoys that people are upset he is the current champion, and reflects on winning the big one in New York’s historic Madison Square Garden.

    “Making people upset seems to put a really bizarre smile on my face, and I seem to make a lot of people upset being the ROH World Heavyweight Champion,” Taven confessed.

    “It’s probably the greatest moment of my life. I’m not gonna lie—it was unbelievable,” he said. “All my life I’ve wanted to wrestle in MSG, and here I am not only looking up at that historic feeling, but winning the ROH World Championship. Having ‘FU Taven’ echo through the halls of MSG—I really couldn’t ask for a better moment in my mind to hold onto forever.”

    Matt Taven will soon be defending his newly one ROH championship against Villain Enterprises’ PCO. Their matchup will be taking place during ROH’s War Of The Worlds tour, with the two competing in Toronto on May 9th.

  • Daniel Bryan Discusses Suffering Depression In Cities

    Daniel Bryan Discusses Suffering Depression In Cities

    Jimmy Jacobs, who is a former writer for WWE and current Impact Wrestling talent, is the latest wrestler to produce a podcast.

    Entitled, “Jimmy Jacobs Doesn’t Know,” the first guest on his show will be none other than the former WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan.

    “I’m Having A Mental Breakdown”

    Jacobs has released a preview clip of the episode in which Daniel Bryan openly recounts his struggle with depression—something that becomes more acute for him when he has to be in cities.

    “When I’m in cities around a lot of non-living things, I am more likely to be depressed than I am when I’m in Washington when I’m around trees,” he admitted.

    “When I finally accepted, after I was forced to retire, that, like, I’m having a mental breakdown, I went to…this wasn’t the right thing to do, to leave,” Bryan said. “I said to Brie, I said, like…’I have to go to Washington.’”

    “She still had other things that she had to do, I said, ‘I have to go.’ And she met me there like a month later, but I spent a month in Washington, just with my mom, with a couple of my friends, and just like, walking in the woods, like, just this really…like, being. I believe in the healing nature of trees, like, it’s a weird thing, but then I’ve also read a book about it, so it’s like, it makes me a little more justified as opposed to me being some weird mystic or something, you know?”

    Former WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan, hasn’t been on WWE programming since his loss to Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania 35. WWE’s decision to do so, keeping the nature of his potential injury a closely guarded secret in the process, has sparked speculation over the extent of Bryan’s current injury.

  • New Day Members React To Kevin Owens Betrayal

    New Day Members React To Kevin Owens Betrayal

    This past Tuesday on SmackDown Live, honorary New Day member, Kevin Owens, would turn on both Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston.

    Owens, who has a long history of turning on friends and tag team partners, showed his true colors once again. The attack would begin after the former Universal Champion nailed Kofi Kingston with a superkick. He would then deliver an impactful powerbomb to the apron onto Xavier Woods, who Owens had been performing commentary moments earlier during Kingston’s matchup against Shinsuke Nakamura.

    Now the entirety of the New Day, including currently injured member, Big E, have reacted to the situation. Taking to Twitter, each member shared their thoughts and opinions on Kevin Owens and his actions.

    “There Will Be Hell To Pay”

    Woods would describe Owens as a “complete garbage human”:

    His stablemate, Big E, described him as a “parasite,” adding that his “greatest joy” will be coming back to dole out a beating on KO.

    “KO is the parasite in the system that desperately clings on to its host for life. Once its sucked all of the nutrients it can out of its host, it seeks another. I only take pleasure in knowing the virus has been detected & @TrueKofi & @XavierWoodsPhD will stomp out the organism.”

    “My greatest joy will be returning in time to stomp the life out of the already lifeless roach myself.”

    Current WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston, took a more thoughtful approach. He addressed the New Day giving Owens a chance, even when no one else would. He then promises that there will be hell to pay because of his most recent betrayal.

    “Sometimes you feel compelled believe in someone and give them a chance, even when no one else will. As unpopular a decision as it may seem at the time, you give them the benefit of the doubt…And Then that person proves everyone right. Mark my words, there will be Hell to pay.”

  • Reason Behind The Viking Experience Name Change

    Reason Behind The Viking Experience Name Change

    This past Monday night, NXT’s War Raiders, made their RAW debut under a new name…The Viking Experience.

    The former Hansen and Rowe—now named Ivar and Erik, respectively—competed in an eight-man tag team match, teaming with The Revival. They took on the team of Aleister Black, Ricochet, and current RAW tag team champions Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins.

    But, given that popular team are just coming off the back of defending their NXT tag team championships at NXT TakeOver: New York, what prompted the sudden name change?

    Unsurprisingly, the answer is probably the first one you thought of: Vince McMahon.

    “That’s All There Is To It”

    According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the justification doesn’t lie in WWE attempting to avoid the word ‘war’ in an attempt to placate advertisers. Instead, as to be expected, Vince McMahon simply didn’t like the name War Raiders and wanted it changed. This change would happen on the day of the show, no less.

    “There’s nothing to do with ‘war,’ Vince just wanted to change the name, that’s all,” Meltzer explained. “He didn’t like ‘War Raiders’ and he wanted to change the name. That’s all there is to it. There’s no other reason. Vince just on the day of the show, on Monday, decided he didn’t like the name and told them to come up with a new one.”

    And so The Viking Experience was born.

    In that time, the name has been met with mixed opinions from the WWE Universe. It’s even received attention from the Jorvik Viking Center, who was more than happy to ride the sudden wave of interest in people looking for a Viking experience.

  • Cody’s Double Or Nothing Opponent To Be Revealed In Bonus Video Later Today

    Cody’s Double Or Nothing Opponent To Be Revealed In Bonus Video Later Today

    For months, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has been hyping up their next show through a series of videos on YouTube. Entitled ‘The Road To Double Or Nothing,’ these videos have chronicled the company’s journey towards Double Or Nothing.

    One of the major storylines unfolding throughout these videos was who the Executive Vice President of the company, Cody Rhodes, would be facing.

    Well, it turns out that AEW fans don’t have to wait too much longer to find out.

    The AEW Twitter account uploaded a post not only promising a bonus episode of the popular show, but also the official reveal of who Cody’s opponent will be. That video is scheduled to drop later today at 7PM EST.

    “Tomorrow @ 7pm Eastern @CodyRhodes opponent for #AEWDON will be revealed on a bonus episode of #AEW – The Road to #DoubleOrNothing”

    Many names of been speculated to be standing across from Cody come May 25th—most notably his brother, Dustin Runnels. This particular theory was nixed, however, after it was revealed Dustin is still under contract with WWE.

    Double Or Nothing takes place on May 25th 2019 from the MCM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    With the final countdown now underway to the reveal, who do you think it could be? Is it somebody already announced for All Elite Wrestling, or perhaps somebody new coming in looking to make an impact?

  • Enzo And Big Cass Apparently Have No Future ROH Appearences Scheduled

    Enzo And Big Cass Apparently Have No Future ROH Appearences Scheduled

    One of the major talking points coming out of the G1 Supercard show from April 6th surrounded the supposed ‘invasion’ by Enzo and Big Cass.

    The show, co-promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Ring Of Honor (ROH), was interrupted during the conclusion of a four-way tag team championship match as a brawl broke out between the former WWE Superstars and ROH talent.

    Now it seems that the duo may be done with the company before ever really starting.

    According to Dave Meltzer via F4WOnline.com, neither Enzo nor Cass were present for ROH’s shows this past weekend. Additionally, they have not been scheduled for anything going forward.

    Apparently, “key people were very upset” with the entire Enzo and Cass segment, with the whole angle being divisive.

    The original plan would have been isolated by the barrier, with Enzo grabbing or shoving Mark Briscoe. This obviously didn’t happen, and things quickly escalated.

    Presented as a shoot, it saw confusion spread throughout the crowd as people were unsure of what they were witnessing. ROH also refused to show the action on TV. Instead, they focused on their commentary team who also did their best to ignore it.

    It’s been reported that NJPW talent weren’t informed this angle would take place. Recently, PCO, who was a participant, also claimed he had no idea Enzo and Big Cass would ‘invade.’

  • Has Nikki Cross Revealed Which Brand She Will Be On?

    Has Nikki Cross Revealed Which Brand She Will Be On?

    SaNITy has been seemingly disbanded with Eric Young’s move to Monday Night RAW. There is, however, one former member of the group that has been lost on the main roster for some time, long before the group’s breakup—Nikki Cross.

    With WWE’s Superstar Shake-Up having taken place earlier in the week, many Superstars now have a different brand to call home. That includes a number of NXT Superstars who were called up months ago in December.

    These NXT call-ups were utilized on both shows, appearing backstage and performing on both RAW and SmackDown for months before finally being signed a specific brand. Nikki Cross, however, is the only NXT call-up to still be unaffiliated.

    Until now it seems, as it appears as though Cross can finally call Monday Night RAW her home going forward.

    At the time of writing, the WWE website itself still lists Cross as having no official brand affiliation, but she has revealed her upcoming schedule via Instagram—a schedule that factors in working RAW Live Events that would see her in the vicinity of next Monday’s RAW in Des Moines, Iowa.

    She has invited the WWE Universe to “come and play” as she will be appearing for the company on Friday in St. Louis, Saturday in Springfield, and Sunday in Moline.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BwcVfyunp6r/?utm_source=ig_embed
  • Dana Brooke Lashes Back At Sam Roberts’ Vocal Criticisms Of Her

    Dana Brooke Lashes Back At Sam Roberts’ Vocal Criticisms Of Her

    This week’s episode of WWE’s Main Event featured a matchup between Tamina and Dana Brooke. During the course of the match, commentator Sam Roberts levelled some sharp criticism towards Dana Brooke.

    His fellow Main Event commentators, Renee Young and Bryon Saxton, would attempt to defend Brooke, but Roberts was persistent with his negative opinion—frequently insulting and belittling the Superstar throughout the match.

    Naturally, it didn’t take long for word of this to get back to Dana Brooke. She has since lashed back at Roberts via her Twitter account, calling him out for burying people and questioning what he has accomplished. She goes on to say that, unlike him, she doesn’t quit, stating that she simply pushes through and never gives up.

    “Sam – always thought we were cool, but Damn, wondering why @WWE doesn’t have u on a lot, you burry people!! what have u accomplished.. prob gave up at it, unlike me I push through never giving up!Maybe @ReneeYoungWWE Will be right when I block you & 1 day make U eat your words!”

    Dana Brooke recently returned to in-ring competition after a short storyline injury, which she suffered at the hands of former RAW Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey. In the run-up to the injury angle, she was able to get promo time with Rousey before the matchup took place the week after. Brooke returned during WrestleMania 35 as a participant in the Women’s Battle Royal.

  • WWE Lists WrestleMania 36 Dream Matches

    WWE Lists WrestleMania 36 Dream Matches

    WrestleMania 35 may still be fresh in the minds of the WWE Universe, but it hasn’t stopped the company from beginning to tease and hint towards next year’s event.

    The promotion’s YouTube channel has uploaded an episode of their “List This!” show, hosted by Vic Joseph. In this particular episode, Joseph lists 5 “suggestions” they want to take place on the “Grandest Stage Of Them All” next year in Tampa, Florida.

    His list included:

    • Roman Reigns vs The Rock
    • John Cena vs WWE NXT North American Champion, The Velveteen Dream
    • Matt Riddle vs Brock Lesnar
    • Horsewomen vs Horsewomen in an 8-women tag team matchup
    • Finn Balor in a WWE Universal Title match

    The majority of these matches, bar the Cena/Dream match, are already seemingly rooted in previous encounters or real-life situations—as with Riddle’s vocal wishes to face Brock Lesnar.

    Some, like the Horsewomen vs Horsewomen affair, have been long hinted at, with a feud between the two factions speculated about for numerous months.

    WrestleMania 36 takes place on April 5th 2020. It will go down in the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

    What do you think of their list? What would you like to see take place in a year’s time at WrestleMania 36?

  • Eric Young Reacts To Being Moved To RAW

    Eric Young Reacts To Being Moved To RAW

    The Superstar Shake-Up has seemingly brought about the end of WWE’s oft-overlooked and forgotten SaNITy stable. Its members were separated across both RAW and SmackDown, with the group’s former leader, Eric Young, ending up as one of the newest members of the red brand.

    Posting on his Instagram account, Eric Young addressed his move to Monday Night RAW, claiming he has “never been one of the chosen,” before promising that this move will allow him the opportunity to show the WWE Universe what he’s capable of.

    “I have never been one of the chosen! My path has never been easy! History will show you I ALWAYS END UP ON TOP! I have done it all and will DO WHAT I WANT WHEN I WANT! Time to show the world AGAIN! #worldclassmaniac”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BwaCM1OH7RB/

    Finding Sanity

    Since the Shake-Up took place earlier this week, his fellow SaNITy members have also commented on the situation.

    Both Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe took to their social media accounts to express their feelings on the matter.

    https://twitter.com/KillianDain/status/1118117597881483264

    Despite not being officially disbanded, the way that all three Superstars address the situation gives the unmistakable impression that SaNITy is done.

    During their time on NXT, the group would not only win the NXT tag team championships but also be recognised as the NXT Tag Team of the year in 2017. The initial impact the group enjoyed during their tenure in NXT was never replicated during their main roster run.

  • Cody Discuses AEW Signing WWE Talent

    Cody Discuses AEW Signing WWE Talent

    Despite the wealth of new talent being signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), it’s become a running joke that any unhappy members of WWE’s roster will simply make the jump to the new, upstart promotion.

    With the days ticking down to AEW’s next show, Double Or Nothing, Cody appeared on Jim Ross’ podcast, The Jim Ross Report. During the interview, the AEW Executive Vice President would comment on AEW’s hiring practices, as well as signing talent from WWE.

    “I’ve jokingly said it’s currently at about 5%—Chris Jericho, Jim Ross, Cody Rhodes. A few others, maybe,” he said. “It’s not the same. Having that equity with WWE is wonderful but you’ve got to be able to cut it and meet the standards that people have for their actual bell-to-bell contest.”

    “That number might increase,” he continued. “There being the opportunity to exist for the boys and girls to make more money, here or there. Just to have options. If they can play, they’re gonna play. But right now, the recruitment is more about ‘freshmen.’ I want to build a new class of guys. I don’t them to feel like they were set up and that was it. I want them to feel like they were set up to win and succeed. Right now, it’s a lot of faces you’ve never seen and people you’ll be surprised when you do see them.”

    Notable ex-WWE signings aside, AEW has been filling its roster with top independent talent from across the world. Their ‘freshmen’ mentality, however, hasn’t stopped fan speculation over wrestlers like Dean Ambrose and Tye Dillinger from eventually appearing for the promotion.

    Double Or Nothing takes place on May 25th 2019 from the MCM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Thanks to Fightful.com for the transcription.