WWE Superstar Aleister Black has addressed his recent heel turn and new theme music. Speaking with Sportskeeda, Black admitted he loved his new theme as it goes “hand in hand with the new change.”

He confessed how the “bells and whistles” of the theme are still coming. Black noted that the WWE Universe hasn’t “heard it in a complete setting” yet and what debuted was a “rough version.” 

Regarding his character change, Black shared that fans only witnessed 20 percent of what had been planned. He stressed that people need to “give it some time,” hinting that further depths and layers will be revealed in the future.

Black then turned his attention to his feud with former “Monday Night Messiah,” Seth Rollins. He stressed how he’s not one to complain or see the negatives in a situation. That being said, Black acknowledged he had come to a point where change needed to occur:

  “[…] obviously, you know, it was time for a change. And then obviously when my, I got pushed into the stairs, that was the change that I needed … We’ll see where that takes me.” 

Aleister Black will face off against Kevin Owens tonight on Monday Night Raw. The two clash in a No Disqualification matchup.

Kevin Owens has shared his thoughts on WWE hosting live shows with fans during the coronavirus pandemic. Owens previously took a hiatus from WWE due to coronavirus concerns. He explained how his previous honesty with WWE and Vince McMahon made him feel “comfortable” about the idea of touring.

“I think I would be comfortable [touring in front of fans again] because I’ve been very vocal and very honest with WWE management as far as the virus goes and the measures we’re taking to try and keep it safe and stuff like that,” Owens told Bleacher Report.

“When I wasn’t comfortable with the way things were, I voiced my concerns and they took it seriously and immediately tried to remedy the situation to make sure everyone felt comfortable, including myself. I feel good about how they try to handle everything.”

Owens explained how if the decision to tour is made and fans are allowed to once again attend, he would have to “assess the situation.” He admitted if he didn’t feel comfortable about any aspect of it, he would seek out the right person to talk to.

Right now, however, Kevin Owens confessed he is happy with how WWE is handling everything. He believes WWE would take the same safety measures on the road with them if they resumed touring. If they did, he shared he would happily be there to perform.

Hurt Business member Bobby Lashley has opened up about participating in uncomfortable storylines since he returned to WWE.

Joining Corey Graves for his WWE podcast After the Bell, Lashley explained that he had to figure out “why” he was being chosen for these storylines. He believed it came down to two things.

According to him, WWE wanted people to hate him and also wanted to loosen him up as a performer.

“For me, I had to figure out the why. A lot of times people don’t want to figure out the why,” Lashley explained. “I think part of the why for me is when I came back, they wanted people to hate me. But also, I think it’s just getting me to loosen up a little bit.”

He explained how he had been wrestling for so long and that he had always been a “[…] shut up and train type of person.” He typically wanted his hard work and actions to speak for him.

According to Lashley, he was always happy being a workhouse and was a naturally quiet person. However, when he came back to WWE, he believed the promotion wanted to “[…] embarrass him enough to break out of his shell.”

Prior to joining The Hurt Business, Bobby Lashley was involved in a controversial storyline including Lana and former WWE Superstar Rusev. The storyline would unfortunately see Lashley receive online hate to the point he received death threats. 

Since suffering an unfortunate concussion, Samoa Joe has further established himself as a voice of Monday Night Raw. In a recent interview with Taylor Wilde’s Wilde On podcast, Joe addressed the status of his in-ring future.

Samoa Joe confessed he is enjoying his commentary duties on Raw, calling it a “fun challenge.”

He then stressed that he’s not finished with his in-ring ambitions but is currently exploring other things.

“Obviously, I’m not done in the ring by no means. I think right now I’m exploring things,” Joe said. “Aside from that, I’m doing voice acting which is fun and very cool. It’s a very enjoyable thing. I have a project coming up with Warner Brothers. I’m very fortunate and I’m very happy that I’m doing the things I’m doing right now.”

Samoa Joe is providing the voice to DC fan-favorite King Shark in Rocksteady Studios’ next game, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

His commentary role on Raw was intended to be a temporary role. However, his natural ability in the role, coupled with recent injuries, made keeping him on the announce team a smarter goal for Samoa Joe for the time being.

Samoa Joe hasn’t competed in in-ring action since suffering a concussion earlier this year during a commercial shoot. Prior to taking over on the Raw team from Jerry “The King” Lawler, Joe had been involved in infrequent on-air skirmishes. One included a confrontation with “The Monday Night Messiah” Seth Rollins, indicating an in-ring return may be a matter of time.

The Hurt Business’ newest member, Cedric Alexander, has revealed he is excited Mustafa Ali was revealed to be the leader of RETRIBUTION.

Speaking on Table Talk w/DVon, Alexander shared how he was surprised Ali was the leader of the faction. He then explained why he’s excited at the revelation despite currently being embroiled in a feud with the anti-WWE stable:

“Honestly, in a weird way, it made me excited because I’ve been waiting to get a hold of Ali again ever since we had our match at WrestleMania [34]. Now that Ali decided to make better business decisions than hanging out with Apollo [Crews] and Ricochet, I’m interested to see what he’s really going to do.

Alexander explained how he’s always thought Ali “had a bit of a mean streak.”

He noted how Ali was one of the nicer guys in the locker room. According to him, Ali “didn’t really cause a lot of trouble.”

Cedric Alexander then stressed that Ali has never beaten him in “any way, shape, or form.”

Whether it was a singles match, tag team bout, or otherwise, Cedric Alexander claimed Ali had never bested him.

“So, that’s part of why I’m so excited that he decided to join RETRIBUTION. Now, I get to get my hands on Ali again and see if he actually learned something from me the last few years we’ve been apart.”

Mustafa Ali unveiled himself to be RETRIBUTION’s leader earlier this week on Monday Night Raw. You can see the reveal below:

WWE has provided an injury update on NXT Superstar Ridge Holland. In a video uploaded to its YouTube account, Matt Camp reported that Holland required surgery following an incident on this week’s NXT.

Holland has already undergone the necessary surgery and is not medically cleared to compete. He injured his ankle when he caught Oney Lorcan, who had dived to the outside.

When he caught Lorcan, Holland unfortunately dislocated and fractured his left ankle. He also suffered a right knee patella dislocation and patellar tendon rupture. The knee dislocation was reportedly put back into place while Holland was ringside. The ankle dislocation was put back in the emergency room.

Holland’s injury came after his victory over Danny Burch on this week’s episode of NXT. He continued his beatdown after the match, drawing out Burch’s tag partner, Lorcan. During their brawl, Lorcan would sling himself over the top rope, unfortunately leading to Holland’s injury.

Ridge Holland had been seemingly set for a significant push within NXT. He came out during the end of NXT TakeOver: 31 after Finn Balor successfully defeated Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly. He carried a badly beaten Adam Cole before dropping him at ringside.

The show ended with O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish all checking on the Undisputed Era leader. The stable promised payback against Holland on this week’s show. Given Holland’s injury, however, it may be some time before they get it.

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley believes the late Vader is a “glaring” omission from the WWE Hall of Fame.

Foley shared his thoughts during an exchange with Vader’s son on Twitter. Vader’s son was asked if he had any thoughts on his father’s Texas Deathmatch with Foley at Halloween Havoc in 1993. This prompted him to share how his father loved working with Foley and that their Deathmatch was “easily one of his favorites.”

Foley would see this interaction. He jumped in to share how much he enjoyed working with Vader. He admitted he “[…] geared up for every match with @itsvadertime like it was #AliVsFrasier.”

Foley then stated how he believes “[…] Vader’s absence is the most glaring and obvious omission from the #WWEHOF.”

Vader In The WWE Hall Of Fame

There was a swell of support for Vader to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 earlier this year.

Foley was a major name who championed for Vader’s inclusion. Despite his best efforts, however, the former WWE Superstar was not one of those announced to be joining the Hall of Fame this year.

The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 includes the nWo, Dave “The Animal” Batista, Nikki and Brie Bella, Jushin Thunder Liger, “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, and JBL.

The WWE Hall of Fame did not take place this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. WWE reportedly intends to induct the 2020 Class alongside the 2021 Class leading up to WrestleMania 37.

WWE Superstar Bianca Belair has opened up about how her real-life passions inform and influence her onscreen character.

In an interview with Digital Spy, Belair spoke about her YouTube channel. She explained how she utilizes it to pursue personal interests for herself and help benefit her WWE career:

“It shows different elements of myself aside from my character. My character is very multi-faceted, very powerful, she can get in the ring and do an array of things but I like to use my YouTube channel to show other elements of myself that I feel I many not be able to show in the ring.”

Bianca Belair noted how she can use her YouTube channel to show off what she loves outside of the ring. One of these activities includes conceptualizing and sewing her own ring gear.

She explained how, when it comes to her WWE persona, “[Belair] knows nobody can do it like her, nobody can do it better than her, and that also includes making my gear. I can never get my ideas across to people where they totally understand it completely, so I’m just like: ‘I’m going to do it myself, cause nobody can do it like me.'”

Bianca Belair was brought to Monday Night Raw earlier in the year. She is reportedly in line for a major push in the near future.

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has opened up about his new attitude since his return at SummerSlam in August.

Reigns explained to ComicBook.com where he drew inspiration for his new gimmick and attitude. He admitted he didn’t develop it from anyone within the wrestling industry, instead pointing to a more cinematic influence.

“If anything, more [from] movies. It’s hard because in a weird way, I’m sure you guys have seen Gangs of New York, The Butcher. In his mind, there is a bad element to him. but he’s the native, he’s the one that’s from America,” Reigns explained. “I like those type of characters to where there’s a justification, in their own mind at least, to what they’re doing.”

“The Big Dog” noted how he wants to portray his character from a certain perspective going forward. Reigns stressed that not everybody on the WWE roster will “understand” where he’s coming from because they’re not in the same position as he is.

“They’re not in that boss role, that top-of-the card role, and if they are they haven’t been there as long as I have. So of course they’re not going to be able to understand, Reigns siad. “But there are some justifications and a lot of rationalizing that this character is going to go through to convince himself that he’s right, even when he is wrong. I’ll have conviction going forward.”

Roman Reigns recently defeated his cousin Jey Uso at WWE Clash of Champions.

All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Kenny Omega has provided an update on the promotion’s highly-anticipated video game.

Speaking with Gamespot, Omega shared that the video game is “currently in development.”

He noted that he couldn’t say much more but admitted he is “working very closely creatively with a team.”

According to Kenny Omega, the game’s development team provides AEW with “exciting’ updates every few weeks. He believes they are on the right track, highlighting how they have a “good team backing us.”

Omega added how those involved with the AEW video game are very “capable.” He stated that when he can share more, he won’t hesitate to do so as he’s “[…] really excited to show the first little bit of footage that we have.

Kenny Omega then confessed the game is still “a little ways away” at this time. He then joked how it won’t be competing with WWE’s recently released Battlegrounds video game.

He stressed that “[…] when the game is ready, and when it will release, I think it has a very good chance of standing alone is probably the best wrestling product as a video game that you could probably find on the market. That’s the hope anyway.”

Undisputed Era leader Adam Cole faced off against Austin Theory during last night’s episode of NXT in a bout that reportedly signified the beginning of a major babyface push for Cole.

According to PWInsider, Cole is now being positioned into a babyface position within the black-and-gold brand. WWE began to drop hints it may be turning him after his significant NXT Championship loss to Finn Balor. The two clashed at NXT Super Tuesday II in early September. Last night’s victory over Theory was Cole’s first in-ring appearance since that notable loss.

Cole isn’t the only member of the Undisputed Era to be primed for a babyface push. Kyle O’Reilly has also been positioned recently for a positive turn. He recently won the opportunity to face off against Balor for the NXT Championship. O’Reilly called his upcoming bout the “biggest moment” of his life. He will face off against Balor at NXT TakeOver: 31.

The other members of Undisputed Era, Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong, are reportedly not in line for a character turn.

The two are scheduled to face Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch in a matchup to decide the number one contenders to Breezango’s NXT Tag Team Championships.

NXT TakeOver: 31 takes place on October 4 from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy has revealed he may not transition into a trainer or agent role when he eventually retires from in-ring competition.

Speaking with the Daily Star, Hardy shared how he hopes there will be a “creative place” for him when he decides he can’t wrestle anymore.

“I still don’t feel like I’m a trainer, a coach or a leader. I just feel like somebody who would never really be seen but has these unique ideas that might be cool for a show or a storyline.”

Hardy then revealed the only circumstances that would convince him to become a trainer. He confessed he would embrace the role only if his daughters wanted to become pro wrestlers:

“[…] If my two daughters ever want to wrestle and they’re serious about it, that’s when I’ll get a ring and a building, and get my training boots on. Other than that, I don’t know what it is…”

Jeff Hardy then spoke about how invested he is in his musical career. He shared how he’s been writing a lot and attempting to improve despite being such an “intimidating industry.” He also pointed to his love of art and painting before once again stating how “[…] I don’t think like I’ll ever be a wrestling trainer, an agent, a coach or anything like that.”

Jeff Hardy is set to defend his Intercontinental Championship this Sunday at Clash of Champions. He competes in a Triple Threat Ladder Match against AJ Styles and Sami Zayn.

Ahead of his Triple Threat Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship this Sunday, AJ Styles has revealed which is his favorite Ladder Match of all time. “The Phenomenal One” shared his thoughts during a recent Twitch stream.

Styles believes everyone can agree the best Ladder Match is the first tag team Ladder Match between The Hardy Boyz and Hedge and Christian, which took place back at No Mercy in 1999.

“I think we can all agree that the first one between Matt and Jeff Hardy against Edge and Christian changed it all,” Styles said. “That has to be the favorite. That was so incredibly done that you’ll never forget it. These guys changed it; they changed the way ladder matches were done. You want to know what the hardest thing about a ladder match is? It’s to not disappoint.”

Styles then stressed how much using ladders in a match hurts. He noted how “there’s a lot of pain involved” in any Ladder Match.

“You’ve seen some accidents. People get hurt – A lot of people get hurt. Hopefully I’ll come out safe on Sunday,” Styles said. “I really just believe that first tag team ladder match was the best. The standing ovation those guys got the next night was incredible. It still gives me cold chills.”

AJ Styles competes against Jeff Hardy and Sami Zayn in a Triple Threat Ladder Match at this Sunday’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view.

Undisputed Era’s Kyle O’Reilly has commented on his momentous win from last night’s episode of NXT. O’Reilly bested Cameron Grimes, Timothy Thatcher, Bronson Reed, and Kushida to win the first-ever NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match. This victory has propelled O’Reilly into an NXT Championship match against Finn Balor at NXT TakeOver: 31.

Speaking with Sarah Schreiber backstage in a WWE Network Exclusive, O’Reilly reflected on his win calling his championship match the “biggest moment” of his life.

“[…] I came into this match on relatively short notice, but we make the most of these opportunities. TakeOver isn’t just the biggest match for Kyle O’Reilly’s career, which it is, it’s not just a huge match for The Undisputed Era as a whole, which it is, this is the biggest moment of my life.”

When asked if he was nervous about facing off against Finn Balor, O’Reilly confessed he has been experiencing some “butterflies.” He opened up, admitting how the idea of competing at TakeOver against Balor gives him “goosebumps” before stressing how this opportunity is “huge for me.”

“I thrive under high presser situations. I mean, it really drives me, Sarah. Can you think of a higher pressure situation than the main event of TakeOver for the NXT Championship? Please, tell me if there is one, because I don’t think there is. So, Finn Balor, NXT, the world, is gonna see just what Kyle O’Reilly can do when he’s under pressure.”

O’Reilly Praised by Hall of Famers

Following his main event win, both Triple H and Shawn Michaels commented on O’Reilly’s achievement.

Triple H stressed how O’Reilly’s success “shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone” before praising his dedication to pro wrestling. He noted how O’Reilly versus Balor “has the ability to steal the show.”

Shawn Michaels, unable to hide his excitement, was a lot more succinct with his message: “SIGN. ME. UP!!! #NXTTakeOver #WWENXT“

Kyle O’Reilly versus Finn Balor takes place at NXT TakeOver: 31 on October 4, 2020 from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has shared his thoughts on the recent passing of Joe “Animal” Laurinaitis.

Taking to Instagram, The Rock reflected on the news, sharing how he has been saddened and impacted by Animal’s passing. He highlighted how both Animal and his Road Warrior partner, Hawk, were the most “intense, legit tough bad asses tag team in the history of the wild world of pro wrestling.”

He then opened up about the team helped him when he first began his in-ring career. The Rock shared how both Hawk and Animal always took care of him. He revealed how the pair always ensured he learned as much as he could:

“When I was making my bones, still learning the business in the WWE as a very young “The Rock” – I wrestled these guys so many times on the road and they always took good care of me and made sure I learned.”

The Rock stressed that both Road Warriors were “Tough as nails” and, ultimately, “Good men.” He then labeled them the “Greatest tag team of all time.” He signed off his heartfelt message by sharing how he will always be grateful to both men for all they did to help him.

In the wake of the sad news, many within the industry took to social media to pay their respects to Joe “Animal” Laurinaitis.

Retribution member T-BAR, formerly NXT Superstar Dominik Dijakovic, has responded to CM Punk’s recent mocking of his stablemate, Slapjack.

Punk shared a screenshot of Slapjack in his mask following the group’s unveiling on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. He accompanied it with a jab reading: “When you’re bored in catering and there’s an abundance of paper plates.”

T-BAR replied directly to Punk, calling him out for making fun of his “brother” Slapjack before labeling the former WWE Superstar a “coward.”

“[…] you are a coward like every current and former @WWE Superstar. You tease leading RETRIBUTION but we will not follow you to failure like your New Nexus. We will destroy this place piece by piece, including you if you ever show up.”

The Retribution member later uploaded another tweet, detailing that his name is actually an acronym. According to him, T-BAR stands for Terrorize, Brutalize, Annihilation and Retribution.

Retribution has been making its presence known on WWE programming in recent weeks. Its key members finally unhooded themselves this past Monday only to reveal they all wore masks.

Slapjack wasn’t the only member that had members of the WWE Universe poke fun at them. T-BAR was also likened to a knockoff version of Bane from the 2012 Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.

Ken Shamrock has shared his thoughts on Raw Underground while appearing on an episode of The Dropkick podcast.

Shamrock confessed he is now a fan of the concept of Raw Underground. He juxtaposed the segments intentions with MMA promotion Pancrase: 

“[…] what we wanted to find out is what wrestling would look like if it was real, and that’s what you have in the Pancrase organization where I fought over there. That’s what it looks like when you take wrestling and you turn it into a real fight, and it’s sharp.”

The former WWE Superstar promised that Raw Underground will engage fans on a different level by providing a harder-hitting alternative to its typical in-ring offerings. According to Shamrock, WWE will soon discover the same lessons Pancrase learned in how to present its product.

“When you think about what WWE is doing with [RAW] Underground, they’re going, ‘Hey, let’s find out what it’s like if we can start doing these predetermined outcomes, but yet let’s make it more physical and let’s make it more real.’ They’re gonna find out the same thing we did over in Japan: that it’s much more exciting when you’re watching a movie that you can’t tell whether it’s real or it’s not real.”

Ken Shamrock has previously shared negative comments on Raw Underground. When the segment first began airing, he invited WWE to bring him on board to help its worked shoots actually “look good.”

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has opened up about WWE’s ThunderDome, believing the state-of-the-art production setup to be a “difference maker” for the company.

Speaking with PWInsider, McIntyre explained how the ThunderDome provides the kind of “big feel” fans and Superstars expect of WWE:

“When I first came out, on the first Raw in the ThunderDome and I raised the Title and freaking fire started going off around me and pyro going off around me, you know I’m still a wrestling fan at heart, I’m just standing there trying to keep a straight face, but in my head I am marking the hell out, man this is really freaking cool.”

McIntyre then pointed to how the atmosphere for matches has improved as he’s been able to “see faces react” to what’s happening.

“When Randy and I were in that match it was such a difference maker for the emotion and that’s kind of what Randy and I are about, is telling the story, and you really need that feedback from the crowd to kinda dictate where you’re going and feel that emotion.”

He highlighted how the virtual crowd’s input had a significant impact on their bout. McIntyre also acknowledged how his time performing to fans at home has been a learning experience.

“[…] it’s a figuring out process every step we go, you know we progress and our team are so unbelievable and they’re making us look like stars, it feels closer to what you would expect with WWE with the pyro and the lights and those drones flying overhead, so we feel good.”

Drew McIntyre defends his WWE Championship against Randy Orton this Sunday at Clash of Champions. The two will compete in an Ambulance Match.

The Undertaker has divulged that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon did not approve the original ending to his recent WWE Network docuseries, The Last Ride.

According to Undertaker, Vince McMahon was behind the “never say never” line. The intentional addition of this line teased that the door was always open to a potential return for “The Dead Man.”

“I had to send the last 15 minutes of the final episode [The Revelation] to the Chairman [for approval],” The Undertaker informed Barstool Sports. “Needless to say, he did not like the ending. That’s why we had to put the “Never Say Never” line back in there, just to leave the door open.”

When filming first began for the documentary, The Undertaker confessed how he remained conflicted over his career. He admitted how outside influences mixed with his internal thoughts, creating a lot of pressure for his decision. 

“I had a group of people telling me stuff like, ‘You can still go out to the ring and people will go crazy.’ On the inside, I’m thinking, ‘I don’t move the way I used to, and this is a watered down version of The Undertaker.’ I needed to get a point where this documentary will solidify [my retirement] and I wouldn’t have a choice. It was almost like I needed somebody to put the bullet in there and stop it.” 

He admitted that when WWE begins heading towards WrestleMania season, he will start to have an “internal feeling” that he should be preparing for a match. However, he believes once he gets past that time period, he’ll be able to breathe a little easier once more.

Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston has shared his thoughts on Roman Reigns’ recent heel turn. Speaking with ABC6 News, Kingston noted how he always considered Reigns to be “the guy who had all the tools.”

Kingston pointed to how Reigns is not only a movie star but also WWE’s ‘Big Dog.’ He added how Reigns is “the top dog in the entire yard.” With this success, however, Kingston can’t help but ask himself why Reigns has aligned with Paul Heyman, whom he referred to as a “parasite.”

The New Day member explained how he wanted to speak with Reigns about his recent decision. Kingston stressed how he personally believes Reigns didn’t need to “go that route” and partner with Heyman.

“With that said, it is still interesting to see because performers, over a period of time, develop a new sense of personality and a new persona that just draws you in,” Kingston said. “I never expected this from Roman, never thought he’d do this in a million years. But here we are.”

Kofi Kingston acknowledged, however, that Reigns’ new attitude will undeniably make people want to “tune in.”

Reigns made his in-ring return last month at WWE’s SummerSlam event. He soon aligned with Paul Heyman and went on to win the WWE Universal Championship at WWE Payback.

The Undertaker has addressed why he brought back the ‘American Badass’ for his Boneyard Match against AJ Styles. The two clashed in a cinematic matchup at this year’s WrestleMania 36. 

Speaking with Barstool Sports, “The Dead Man” explained how AJ Styles’ promos leading to their ‘Mania bout made their feud far too personal. According to Undertaker, these personal attacks made the ‘American Badass’ a perfect gimmick to bring back. 

As far as he was concerned, one he transitioned away from the ‘American Badass’ character, “everyone was really content with the hybrid version of The Undertaker.” He pointed to his in-ring work and how he fused that version of his gimmick with the origins of The Undertaker.

The Undertaker explained how, prior to the Boneyard Match, there was no backstage discussion about bringing the character back. He noted how it “dawned” on him that with Styles’ personal attacks, “there’s really no way that I can bring the original Undertaker to this.”

This lead to ‘Taker to introduce the WWE Universe to the “American Badass 2.0” at WrestleMania 36. He described this evolved version as “all grown up” but with an undeniably “evil side” still present.

The Undertaker defeated AJ Styles in their Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36. Their match took place during Night One of WrestleMania 36’s two-day event.

Shane McMahon has reflected on his WrestleMania 33 matchup with AJ Styles during an interview with Cory Graves. Speaking with Graves on his WWE podcast After the Bell, Shane shared how he’s “very proud” of what he and AJ accomplished.

“I think that surprised a lot of people actually because I’m not really known to wrestle in the normal sense of collar-and-elbow tie-up or whatever. I’m learned, again, from Dr. Tom [Prichard] and also from many other things. Can I do it? Yes, and that was part of the story that we got to showcase.”

Shane McMahon revealed how he had been excited about their bout. He believed it was a “good showcase” for Styles, who was “ascending” in WWE at the time before sharing he felt “privileged” to have been able to share the ring with him. 

“When whoever you’re in there with is appreciative, and you pull it off and you rock it, you get that adulation from the crowd, and you get, more importantly, the respect from the boys. Collectively, I say boys, but the locker room when you come back through. Those are, as you’re well aware as a performer, there’s no bigger drum than that.”

Shane McMahon lost his matchup to AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33. You can see highlights of their bout below:

Best Friends’ Chuck Taylor has labeled the Wednesday Night Wars between AEW and NXT a “fake, bulls**t rivalry.”

Taylor shared his thoughts during a recent interview with Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards for AEW’s official podcast, AEW Unrestricted. He stressed how there is no animosity between the rosters, pointing to how most of the NXT roster are his friend.

“People talk about this fake, bulls**t rivalry between AEW and NXT. But they [members of the NXT roster] are all my friends. Like, common, I was actually a groomsman in Johnny Gargano’s wedding,” Taylor said. “I want them to succeed, too. Obviously, not at our expense, I hope they lose and die forever, but those are all my friends. Pretty much everyone on NXT TV I know pretty well.”

His words come in the wake of former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho imploring NXT to switch to Tuesday nights. According to the Jericho, if WWE aired on a different night, they would be able to attain extra viewers. He stressed how the current Wednesday Night War is “kind of embarrassing for NXT at this point.”

Chuck Taylor and his Best Friends’ partner, Trent, competed this week on AEW Dynamite. They defeated Inner Circle members Santana and Ortiz in a Parking Lot Fight.

Current NXT Champion Finn Balor has shared why he believes the ‘Demon’ didn’t work on WWE’s main roster. Speaking with Vicente Beltrán of ViBe & Wrestling, Balor explained how the character had been “designed as something special,” but ultimately fell flat due to WWE’s overadvertising.

“The ‘Demon’ was designed as something special. It was one of those things that should have been saved for breathtaking occasions, but it ended up being advertised in the media and that was one of the main reasons why it didn’t work,” Balor stated. “The surprise factor was completely gone and the ‘Demon’ became Finn Balor’s savior, which was also to my detriment because I could not develop my own character separate from the ‘Demon’. I think it hurt both of us, Finn Balor and the ‘Demon’.”

When asked if the ‘Demon’ could be utilized in a cinematic matchup, Balor seemed open to the idea. He stressed how people have to evolve alongside the business, which is something the ‘Demon’ may be able to do within a cinematic feud. However, Balor remains adamant that the ‘Demon’ resonates best with an excited WWE audience and that a live experience is what he and the fans would enjoy most.

Finn Balor recently defeated Adam Cole during NXT Super Tuesday II. His victory saw him become a two time NXT World Champion.

Shane McMahon was Corey Graves’ guest this week on the latest episode of WWE’s After The Bell podcast.

Shane spoke at length about his Raw Underground concept He admitted that WWE is open to trying “different things” as they figure out what clicks. He stressed how the idea is still a “work in progress” as WWE continues to pivot and adapt to its new format. Ultimately, he believes Raw Underground is a great opportunity to showcase new talent and get them more exposure.

Looking back to his return in 2016, Shane McMahon explained how he returned for his kids. He shared how his kids had never seen him perform live. He wanted to take the opportunity to return and become a “real-life superhero” to his kids.

“That was the opportunity that was presented to me at the biggest stage of them all against arguably the most iconic and singular talent ever created, The Undertaker, who is also my longest-running friend in the business. That was tough to pass up.”

He continued, “We didn’t know where it was going to go. We thought it would be one and done. I had my boys come out on stage and that was an amazing moment. I was euphoric watching them and so proud that I had to snap myself out of it.”

Shane McMahon lost to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32 in a Hell in a Cell matchup. As seen below, the match included a signature high-risk Shane McMahon bump off the top of the cell