SEScoops

Author: Thomas Lowson

  • Bray Wyatt’s WWE Release Just Got Even Weirder

    Bray Wyatt’s WWE Release Just Got Even Weirder

    Bray Wyatt remains a free agent nearly one year after his WWE release last summer. The 3-time WWE Champion has kept a low profile in recent months, despite expectations that a star of his caliber would resurface somewhere by now.

    On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer hinted that there’s good reason that WWE has not re-signed the third generation Superstar.

    During a discussion about plans to incorporate supernatural elements into Judgment Day faction, Meltzer dropped some cryptic information about Wyatt’s status.

    “He was fired having to do with things that I probably shouldn’t talk about.”

    Dave Meltzer on Bray Wyatt.

    Why did WWE release Bray Wyatt?

    “[Wyatt] was fired for reasons having nothing to do with being over or not over and he was not fired having to do with his gimmick,” said Meltzer (via Wrestling News).

    “He was fired having to do with things that I probably shouldn’t talk about, so I’m not going to start a can of worms. It’s got nothing to do with that. He also had health issues, as far as being kept out of action and everything like that.”

    Bray Wyatt was one of WWE’s highest-paid performers at the time of his release. Meltzer added that Wyatt was making nearly $4 million per year, behind only Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. This type of money explains why he hasn’t turned up elsewhere, such as AEW. It also shows how much WWE valued his services.

    Wyatt’s Next Move

    Earlier this month, there was speculation that Wyatt could return at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. That event came and went with no signs of the man behind The Fiend mask.

    Bray Wyatt has been teasing a return to pro wrestling. You can read more about that story below:

    Bray Wyatt Teases He’s Ready To Return To Wrestling
  • MJF Having Meetings About Pursuing a Career in Acting

    MJF Having Meetings About Pursuing a Career in Acting

    AEW’s MJF has taken more steps to distance himself from the promotion, by having meetings about a possible career in acting.

    On last week’s Dynamite, MJF cut a scathing promo about AEW and Tony Khan, claiming that he is being underappreciated and undervalued by the company President.

    Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reports that many are under the impression that the “Salt of the Earth” is actively pursuing a career outside the ring.

    “MJF has had a growing interest in pursuing Hollywood opportunities. According to his friends, as well as other consistent sources, MJF has been speaking more about the possibility of getting into acting. He’d mentioned this in an interview with Ariel Helwani, the same one that helped start the issues between him and AEW. He also claimed to have recorded a voiceover for an animated role that comes out next year. People within AEW have heard that MJF had meetings set up last week in LA later in the week to possibly explore that route. Many have heard this mentioned as far back as March.”

    “According to his friends, as well as other consistent sources, MJF has been speaking more about the possibility of getting into acting.”

    Sean Ross Sapp.

    MJF no-showed a meet and greet with fans prior to AEW Double or Nothing and was destroyed by Wardlow at the Pay Per View.

    While MJF was on last week’s Dynamite where he cut the now-infamous promo, there was no mention of him on last night’s episode.

    MJF has also had his profile removed from the AEW roster and his merchandise pulled from AEWShop.com.

    Thanks to Body Slam for the transcription.

  • AEW Stars Leave Handwritten Notes for Fans at Latest Dynamite

    AEW Stars Leave Handwritten Notes for Fans at Latest Dynamite

    Some lucky AEW fans got an extra special souvenir during last night’s taping of Dynamite and Rampage.

    Last night’s taping took place at the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri and saw the promotion continue on the road to AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door on June 26.

    Prior to the show going live, Austin Gunn said that he and the Gunn Club had written notes which had been left under the seats throughout the arena.

    Shortly after Anthony Bowens of The Acclaimed shared a similar message, saying he and Max Caster had joined the Gunn Club with this idea.

    The Gunn Club and The Acclaimed

    Since The Acclaimed and the Gunns aligned, both groups have seen a rise in popularity, despite Anthony Bowens being unable to wrestle due to a knee injury.

    The group has been riling up fans with their entrance, in which Caster performs his rap and the Gunn Club gets the name of the city wrong.

    Bowens corrects them before doing his signature scissor taunt.

    While neither team has captured the AEW World Tag Team Championships yet, both teams are quickly proving themselves to be all-rounders in Tony Khan’s promotion.

    Both members of the Gunn Club and Max Caster competed in last night’s Casino Battle Royal, which was won by Kyle O’Reilly.

  • Jeff Hardy Felt “Ashamed” Chasing the WWE 24/7 Championship

    Jeff Hardy Felt “Ashamed” Chasing the WWE 24/7 Championship

    AEW’s Jeff Hardy has opened up about his experiences with WWE prior to his release last year.

    In December 2021, Hardy was cut from the company after refusing to enter rehab following a concerning performance at a WWE Live event.

    The event saw Hardy flee through the crowd after being tagged into his match and he did not return for the rest of the show.

    All tests carried out later determined that Hardy had no substances in his body that caused this behavior.

    Three months prior to his release, Jeff was involved in a segment chasing the 24/7 Championship which led to a backlash among fans who thought he deserved better.

    Speaking on Talk Is Jericho, Jeff discussed feeling “ashamed” when he was added to the chase for the 24/7 Championship.

    “I was pretty crushed that day, I was like, ‘Okay, this is it, I don’t know why I am here, they’re really doing this to me,’” Jeff said. “That’s not an arrogant thing to say … I shouldn’t be doing that, but I did it and I was like, ‘Man, what does this mean?’”

    Jeff Hardy

    Jeff did not win the 24/7 Championship during his time in the division which only made fans angrier about the situation.

    Despite feeling ashamed to be involved in the 24/7 title hunt, Jeff said that he still believes he is “easy to work with” and will “do pretty much whatever.”

    Jeff joined AEW in March 2022 despite WWE’s best efforts to lure him back once his drug tests came back negative.

    Hardy turned down an offer to return and WWE Hall of Fame induction, believing he should be inducted alongside his brother Matt.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.

  • Cody Rhodes Shares Photos of the Bruising Progression of his Torn Pectoral

    Cody Rhodes Shares Photos of the Bruising Progression of his Torn Pectoral

    WWE Raw Superstar Cody Rhodes has kept fans informed about his torn pectoral muscle which will require surgery.

    Hours before last weekend’s WWE Hell in a Cell 2022 Premium Live Event, Rhodes tore the muscle off the bone during a training session.

    Despite the injury, Rhodes fought through the pain to compete at the show, defeating Seth Rollins in the main event.

    WWE allowed Cody to wrestle despite his injury, believing he could not do more damage to the torn muscle.

    Rhodes has taken to Instagram stories to share several photos of the bruising progression of the injury prior to Hell in a Cell.

    The Road to Recovery

    After defeating Rollins in a match that WWE was “thrilled” with, Rhodes was attacked by the former Universal Champion on this week’s Raw.

    It was initially reported that an injury like the one Cody suffered could take six months to a year to recover from.

    Cody is expected to make a full recovery if the surgery on his pectoral goes well.

    Former WWE medic Dr. Chao has said that Cody should be healed up within four to six months, and could even do some stuff within just over three months if it was carefully scripted.

    Rhodes’ injury has forced WWE to change plans given that he was being established as the top babyface in the company.

    On Raw, “The American Nightmare” expressed a desire to compete at Money in the Bank on July 2, but that seems highly unlikely now.

  • John Cena Flies to the Netherlands to Meet Ukrainian Superfan Fleeing Invasion

    John Cena Flies to the Netherlands to Meet Ukrainian Superfan Fleeing Invasion

    John Cena has proven why he is considered one of the all-time greats by going the (literal) extra mile to meet with a fan.

    The 16-time WWE World Champion and Hollywood actor traveled to the Netherlands to meet 19-year-old fan Misha Rohozhyn who fled Mariupol in March due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Misha, who has Down Syndrome and is non-verbal was encouraged by his mother to keep going, promising that Cena would be there to greet them when they were safe.

    After seeing the family’s story in the Wall Street Journal, Cena made the trip to keep the mother’s promise.

    “When I read about Misha’s story it reached out to me – not just Misha‘s story but his mom’s as well.”

    John Cena to the Wall Street Journal.

    Cena met with Misha and his family in Amsterdam and presented the young fan with a championship, t-shirt, and hat.

    The Peacemaker star compared muscles with Misha and thanked the superfan for giving him strength before sharing one of several embraces.

     “I think Misha’s a great example and Misha’s mom, there’s two great examples about how persistence can lead to joy, even through the toughest of times.”

    John Cena.

    WWE’s camera crew was on hand to catch the heartfelt meet-up.

    Return to the ring

    Cena has been confirmed for the June 27, 2022 Raw, which will mark 20 years since his debut on WWE’s main roster.

    WWE hasn’t confirmed what Cena will do on the show, though a Summerslam match with United States Champion Theory has been teased on social media.

    Thanks to Metro UK for the transcription.

  • Nick Aldis Defends Being Pulled from NWA’s Crockett Cup Tournament

    Nick Aldis Defends Being Pulled from NWA’s Crockett Cup Tournament

    Nick Aldis has said it was necessary for him to be pulled from the NWA Crockett Cup Tournament and put in the main event with Matt Cardona.

    The fifth-annual NWA Crockett Cup event took place in March this year and the original plan was for Aldis to reunite with his British Invasion tag-team partner Doug Williams.

    Instead, Williams teamed with Harry Smith while Aldis headlined the second night by challenging NWA World Heavyweight Champion Matt Cardona.

    Speaking exclusively to SEScoops correspondent Ella Jay, Aldis explained the decision.

    “There was no main event”

    “The prevailing thought was that, while the British Invasion reunion had been well-received, the main event, in my opinion, is the most important thing on the show. There was no main event. There was no marquee match, there was no anchor to this event.

    “A few weeks out, I got a phone call that said, ‘we need you back in the main event pictures.’ That’s wrestling, sometimes things have to change. I took a lot of pride in the fact that I was needed to kick that event into fifth gear. I’m glad that it worked. It’s hard to sell tickets to two shows back-to-back.”

    The main event saw Cardona retain his title by disqualification, setting up a rematch between the two at NWA Alwayz Ready.

    That match is now under question as Cardona has suffered a bicep injury that will require surgery.

    Cardona has promised to show up to NWA Alwayz Ready which will take place on June 11.

  • Kairi Sane Explains her Decision to go to WWE & her Decision to Leave

    Kairi Sane Explains her Decision to go to WWE & her Decision to Leave

    Former WWE Superstar KAIRI (Kairi Sane) has opened up about joining and leaving Vince McMahon’s promotion.

    KAIRI began wrestling for WWE in 2017 and captured the NXT Women’s Championship and WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, the latter with Asuka.

    In an interview with ENTAME Next, KAIRI recalled her reasons for leaving Japan and signing with WWE.

    “I decided to go to WWE because I wanted to experience the top level and grow… I often traveled to the United States and Europe with Mayu (Iwatani) and Io (Shirai). When I saw how excited the audience was there, it made me want to compete overseas. I also had a fundamental sense of urgency that I could not just maintain the status quo.”

    Speaking about her formative years in NXT, KAIRI said she struggled with promo class which was done entirely in English, but appreciated the language classes given twice a week to her by WWE.

    In 2020, KAIRI requested to return to Japan and WWE granted her request, writing her off TV with a backstage attack by Bayley.

    The former Superstar explained that a promise made upon her departure from Japan fueled her reason to return.

    “When I left Japan in 2017, I promised my fans that I would go on a long journey, but that I would come back grown up. I told that to President Rossy Ogawa (now Executive Producer). In the first place, my goal was to learn first-class professional wrestling, and I didn’t really intend to live permanently in the US.”

    The COVID-19 Pandemic also proved to be a pivotal point in KAIRI’s decision.

    “[When the Pandemic hit] I thought, “Where am I going to go from here? I had a sense of accomplishment that I had fulfilled my promise to my best friend and that I had done everything I could in my three years with WWE, and after several consultations with WWE, I decided to leave.”

    KAIRI remained with WWE, serving as an ambassador for the company in Japan until her contract expired in December 2021.

    Thanks to Reddit User DamieN62 for the transcription and translation from Japanese into English.

  • Toni Storm Says WWE Didn’t “Give a Sh*t” About Her Before Quitting

    Toni Storm Says WWE Didn’t “Give a Sh*t” About Her Before Quitting

    Toni Storm is speaking out about her departure from WWE, claiming that the company did not “give a sh*t” about her prior to her decision to leave.

    Storm debuted for WWE in 2017 and in January 2019, won the NXT UK Women’s Championship from Rhea Ripley.

    After being called up to SmackDown in 2021, Storm requested her release last December which was granted immediately.

    “I’m not going to succeed here”

    Toni Storm Pie Face
    Toni Storm did not last long in WWE after getting called up to the main roster

    Speaking on The Sessions, Storm told Renee Paquette on her thought-process the day she decided to leave.

    “It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. A lot of people don’t enjoy it at all. For some people it just works out and for others, it just makes them miserable, and I guess I just fell into that category. I guess it just wasn’t for me at that point.

    Storm continued, “They don’t give a shit, so why should I? This isn’t going to work. I know what’s going to happen here. I’m just going to be sent back to catering again. I’m not going to succeed here. I can just see.”

    Storm debuted for AEW in March 2022, defeating The Bunny to qualify for the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament.

    Immediately after, Tony Khan confirmed that the former Superstar was All-Elite in a tweet.

    The New Zealand-born wrestler defeated Jamie Hayter in the quarter-finals but lost to eventual winner Dr. Britt Baker in the semi-finals.

    Watch Toni Storm on The Sessions with Renee Paquette:

    Quotes via WrestlingNews

  • Vince McMahon once Yelled at Bray Wyatt for Not Doing Spider Walk

    Vince McMahon once Yelled at Bray Wyatt for Not Doing Spider Walk

    WWE CEO Vince McMahon was left furious at Bray Wyatt for not doing a spider walk during a match, Matt Hardy has claimed.

    Wyatt was with WWE until 2021 when he was released in July, shocking fans who had enjoyed the last two years of his tenure as part of the Firefly Funhouse.

    Before Wyatt’s transformation in 2019, he teamed with Matt Hardy, with the pair capturing the RAW Tag Team Championships at the 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble event.

    Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, the AEW star recalled McMahon’s irate reaction after a match.

    ”He [Vince McMahon] said ’Bray, why didn’t you do that spider walk. What’s wrong with you. You’re not in shape, can you not do it anymore?’ He really laid into him and then he said, ‘you’re not even playing the gimmick’. It was just like reaming.”

    This is just the latest example of the strange relationship McMahon had with the former two-time Universal Champion.

    During an earlier episode of his podcast, Matt said that Bray often seemed like a son to the WWE Chairman.

    “When he would do things that he liked, he would love him and he would really give him everything that he could possibly give him. He would bend over backward to try and accommodate him. But then when he did something he didn’t like, he hated, like he was going to lock him away for good.”

    Wyatt hasn’t wrestled since his release from WWE and has been focussing on a movie project with Jason Baker.

    Thanks to ITR Wrestling for the transcription.

  • Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch Trade Verbal Barbs After WWE Hell in a Cell 2022 loss

    Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch Trade Verbal Barbs After WWE Hell in a Cell 2022 loss

    WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus has said that Becky Lynch seems a “bit off” following the latter’s defeat at Hell in a Cell 2022.

    At last Sunday’s Premium Live Event, Lynch lost a triple threat match to Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair which also included Asuka.

    On Twitter, Stratus responded to a fan who said they’d love to see Stratus have a role as a WWE authority figure which would lead to a match with Lynch,

    While Trish said the match would be a “SPECTACLE” and that Becky Lynch is a “great asset” to the Women’s division, the Canadian legend said that Lynch is a “bit off.”

    Responding, the WWE Raw Superstar said that the only ‘off’ she is is “off the charts.”

    Stratus’ last match came at Summerslam 2019 when she lost to Charlotte Flair.

    The deconstruction of Becky Lynch

    Becky Lynch was for years WWE’s unquestionable top female Superstar, holding her own against every opponent.

    Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Natalya, and Sasha Banks are just some who fell to Lynch’s time on top, but things are much different now.

    Since losing the Raw Women’s Title to Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 38, Lynch has become increasingly more chaotic and desperate to regain the championship, something that she’s failed to do so far.

    On this week’s Raw, Lynch lost to 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke in the latest setback for “Big Time Becks.”

    While the match saw interference by Asuka, the fact that Lynch lost to Brooke (an opponent of far lower standing than her) is telling.

    Lynch’s failure to capture the WWE 24/7 Championship also serves as the deconstruction of her character, from confident headliner to paranoid challenger.

  • Joe Gacy Addresses Comparisons to Bray Wyatt

    Joe Gacy Addresses Comparisons to Bray Wyatt

    WWE NXT 2.0 Superstar Joe Gacy has said his character is completely different to two-time former Universal Champion Bray Wyatt.

    Wyatt was released in July 2021, over two years after introducing his ‘Firefly Funhouse’ character as well as The Fiend.

    Like Wyatt, Gacy’s character has proven to be unnerving with his promos and mannerisms, but the young Superstar explained to Fightful.com how they are different.

    “For me, it’s completely something else. I would say that, what I’m doing, it’s always been there for me, I just have never had a platform like this to display it. I tried to go about it one way before I came to WWE and, very quickly, you have to introduce yourself and explain yourself while also having matches in other areas.

    “Coming to WWE, weekly, you have the opportunity to introduce yourself a little bit at a time every Tuesday night. For me, it’s always been there and always been in here [points to head], it’s just coming out slowly.”

    Gacy debuted in NXT 2.0 as part of the show’s relaunch in September 2021 and has been a main eventer as part of the brand.

    At WWE NXT In Your House, Gacy lost in the main event to NXT Champion Bron Breakker.

    Per the stipulation, Gacy would have won the title had Breakker been disqualified.

    Thanks to eWrestlingNews for the transcription.

  • AEW Gives Warner Media Discovery New Edict About MJF

    AEW Gives Warner Media Discovery New Edict About MJF

    Fans of MJF will be seeing far less of “The Salt of the Earth” following his explosive promo last week.

    On the June 1, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite, MJF laid into AEW and Tony Khan, claiming that he is underappreciated by the company President.

    MJF even begged Khan to fire him, believing that he would be of more value to AEW if he was a former WWE Superstar.

    A source within Warner Media Discovery told PW Insider this week that an edict handed down from AEW is for MJF to be removed from all promotional materials.

    MJF is to be removed from any videos that air on TNT or TBS and replaced by other footage from AEW programming.

    The source added that MJF may still appear in some promotional materials until they are fully fazed out.

    This is the latest big move by AEW to distance themselves from the three-time Dynamite Diamond Ring winner.

    After his promo, MJF’s profile was removed from AEW’s roster website and his merchandise has been pulled from AEWShop.com.

    MJF has also been removed from the opening video packages for both AEW Dynamite and Rampage.

    The 26-year-old wrestler has openly teased leaving AEW and joining WWE when his current contract expires in January 2024.

    MJF’s most recent match to date saw him be destroyed by Wardlow at Double or Nothing 2022.

    Per the stipulation of the match, Wardlow is now free of MJF’s contract and was confirmed to be All-Elite shortly after on Twitter.

  • Renee Paquette says AEW Needs to Spread Out which Female Wrestlers they Push

    Renee Paquette says AEW Needs to Spread Out which Female Wrestlers they Push

    Renee Paquette has said that AEW needs to “spread some of that love” among the women’s division following Double or Nothing 2022.

    At the event, Dr. Britt Baker won the first Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament, defeating Ruby Soho in the finals.

    After the match, Baker was presented with a championship by Owen’s widow Dr. Martha Hart.

    Many have criticized AEW’s decision to have Baker win, saying that the former AEW Women’s World Champion (who has the second-longest reign with the title) didn’t need the win.

    Speaking on the latest episode of The Sessions, Paquette named some other stars who would benefit from AEW’s focus other than Baker.

    “When Toni Storm didn’t go over Britt on their way to the tournament, and then to have Ruby also lose, it would be nice to have one of those women in that spot. Like I’m saying, Britt is f***ing great, there’s no denying that. I think she’s fantastic, I think she is head and shoulders at the top of that division, but to spread some of that love around as they’re bulking up that division, these women are stars. Toni Storm is a star, Ruby Soho is a star… she’s amazing. Kris Stantlander is on her way up as well.”

    Soho and Storm teamed up to defeat Baker and Jamie Hayter on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.

  • Rhea Ripley Explains New Attire at WWE Hell in a Cell 2022

    Rhea Ripley Explains New Attire at WWE Hell in a Cell 2022

    The Judgement Day’s Rhea Ripley showed up to fight at last night’s WWE Hell in a Cell Premium Live Event but rocked a unique look for the six-person tag-team match.

    In the fourth match of the night, The Judgement Day defeated Finn Balor, AJ Styles, and Liv Morgan with Edge pinning Balor after a spear to get the win.

    For the match, Ripley ditched her usual tights in favor of some trunks and wore a purple and black top that matched her The Judgement Day teammates.

    On Twitter, the former Women’s Champion explained that her ring attire hadn’t arrived in time for the show and she was forced to improvise.

    Ripley also said the fans are welcome for the unique look at last night’s Premium Live Event.

    This isn’t the first time Rhea Ripley has had an issue with her ring attire.

    In October 2021, the Australian Superstar tweeted that her in-ring gear and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Title she held at the time had gone missing along with the rest of her luggage.

    Ripley would go on to borrow a pair of tights, ironically from her future The Judgement Day teammate Damian Priest, and would compete later that day in El Paso, Texas.

    On the night, Ripley challenged then-Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks in a match “The Queen” won.

    https://twitter.com/RheaRipley_WWE/status/1450130957822877703
  • King Xavier Woods Takes Aim at WWE’s Repetitive Booking

    King Xavier Woods Takes Aim at WWE’s Repetitive Booking

    Xavier Woods can be found each week competing on WWE SmackDown and each month at Premium Live Events, but he’s getting tired of facing Sheamus, Ridge Holland, and Butch.

    The feud between Woods and Kofi Kingston against Sheamus, Holland and Butch has been going on for months now and is showing no signs of slowing down.

    Recently, the two New Day members have recruited Drew McIntyre into the feud and gave the former WWE Champion a special ‘Big D’ kilt on this week’s SmackDown.

    Sharing a clip of the segment on Instagram, Woods took aim at WWE’s repetitive booking.

    “King’s log: Yesterday counted the 14th week that we have fought Sheamus, Ridge, and Butch. That’s more than a quarter of this year. Once we are rid of them I can focus on Ricochet and the IC title. But for now we walk for miles inside this pit of danger….”

    That last line is in reference to the theme song of Batista, who Woods is a huge fan of.

    Woods has had his hands full with Butch, Sheamus, and Holland for most of this year.

    The last time Woods faced an opponent in a televised match that wasn’t one of these three men, was on the January 7, 2022 edition of SmackDown on Fox.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CeY6H5WDGWz/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=7d52560a-134e-48c9-ad2b-515ec626d1f2
  • Booker T Names Possibly his “Only Regret” in Wrestling

    Booker T Names Possibly his “Only Regret” in Wrestling

    Booker T may be one of the most decorated wrestlers ever, boasting two WWE Hall of Fame rings, but the former World Champion regrets never holding a pair of iconic tag titles with his brother Stevie Ray.

    Before becoming a singles wrestler, Booker worked as one-half of Harlem Heat with his brother Stevie Ray and won ten WCW World Tag Team titles as a unit.

    Speaking on the latest episode of The Hall of Fame Podcast. Booker said he wishes he could’ve won New Japan’s IWGP World Tag Team Titles with Ray before retiring.

    “I can’t speak for my brother but I can speak for myself, that may be the only regret in my career that my brother and I did not win the IWGP World Tag Team Championships. That right there for me would’ve been icing on the cake really for the career. I know those guys, I know what wrestling means to those guys in Japan. It’s huge, it’s their bloodline, and to be a part of something like that [would’ve been great].”

    After splitting with Ray in 1997, Booker would win several singles titles in both WCW and WWE.

    Booker would not leave tag team wrestling behind entirely though and would later hold tag gold with the likes of Rob Van Dam, Test, Scott Steiner, and Goldust.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.

  • Joe Gacy Names Main Roster WWE Superstars He Plans on Facing

    Joe Gacy Names Main Roster WWE Superstars He Plans on Facing

    WWE NXT 2.0 Superstar Joe Gacy has set his sights on some of the promotion’s biggest names on the main roster.

    Gacy was introduced as part of last September’s revamp of NXT into NXT 2.0 and has been prominently featured ever since.

    The 34-year-old wrestler had been teaming with Parker Boudreaux, aka Harland, but he was released in April this year.

    Speaking to The Wrestling Inc Daily, Gacy discussed his career so far and was asked who he’d like to face when called up to the main roster.

    “Everyone can say they want a shot at Roman Reigns, right? That’s an easy answer. I would have to pick somebody like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Matt Riddle, I mean, any of these guys. I’ve never actually had an opportunity in the past, so for me, it would be pretty big to be able to do that.”

    Prior to coming to WWE, Gacy worked for CZW, where he is a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, and Evolve where he is a one-time Tag Team Champion with AEW’s Eddie Kingston.

    At last night’s NXT: In Your House, Gacy came up short in the main event against NXT Champion Bron Breakker.

    Per the stipulation, Gacy would have won the title had Breakker been disqualified.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.

  • Tyrus Says John Cena Faked Bathroom Break To Guarantee Him WWE WrestleMania 28 Moment

    Tyrus Says John Cena Faked Bathroom Break To Guarantee Him WWE WrestleMania 28 Moment

    Former WWE Superstar Tyrus has said he got the chance to perform at WrestleMania 28 because John Cena faked an urgent bathroom break.

    For the April 2012 show, Tyrus, then known as Brodus Clay, danced on stage with several women dressed as his ‘momma’ as part of his Funkasaurus Rex character.

    The segment preceded the main event between John Cena and The Rock: a match that had been announced a year in advance.

    During a recent interview with Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Tyrus said that due to earlier matches going long, there were talks about cutting the segment.

    “They were heavy on time, they had gone over and he’s [Vince McMahon] like, he was shaking his head, and I think he was talking to Michael Hayes and another one of the producers and he was like, ‘I think we’re gonna have to we have to cut it.’ Then all of a sudden, Cena was getting ready, he’s right behind me and he looks at me and goes, ‘I have to go to the bathroom.’

    “I went, ‘What?’ He’s like, ‘I have to go to the bathroom. I don’t know, usually I go the bathroom I don’t know, what, eight minutes? Six minutes?’ I was like, ‘Six. I can get in six.’ He’s like, ‘Alright,’ and he just walked out of Gorilla. So now I had to go. So I went and I got my WrestleMania moment because Cena had to go to the bathroom.”

    Cena would lose to The Rock in the main event but got his win back a year later at WrestleMania 39.

    Tyrus was released from WWE in 2014 and after stints in Impact, won the NWA World Television Championship in August 2021.

    Thanks to Westling Inc for the transcription.

  • Former WWE Star Was Turned Down By AEW

    Former WWE Star Was Turned Down By AEW

    Former WWE and World Tag Team Champion Paul London has said he was turned down by AEW when he offered his services in a behind-the-scenes role.

    London is best known for his time in WWE from 2003 to 2008, where he won the WWE Tag Team Titles twice, the World Tag Titles once, and had a brief reign as WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

    Speaking on Cafe De Rene With Rene Dupree London recalled trying to get a role with AEW and being quickly turned down.

    “Last year, there had been very loose discussions between myself and [AEW], and it was more so like, ‘Hey, I would like to help. If there is a way for me to help from like a coaching standpoint or producer standpoint’,” London explained. “Was shot down like, immediately. Like, ‘No, no, no, no, no. We’ve got enough coaches, got enough agents.”

    After leaving WWE, London would later join Lucha Underground and both appeared as a character and worked as a writer for the show.

    London’s long-time tag-team partner Brian Kendrick was set to make his AEW debut earlier this year and was scheduled to face Jon Moxley on the February 2, 2022, episode of Dynamite.

    Kendrick was pulled from the match due to controversial comments from his past resurfacing, including spreading conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook school shooting, the Illuminati, 9/11, and more.

    Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.

  • AEW’s “Top Stars” are Reportedly Open to Signing with WWE

    AEW’s “Top Stars” are Reportedly Open to Signing with WWE

    Some of the “top stars” of All Elite Wrestling could be working for Vince McMahon in the WWE when the time is right.

    In February, Cody Rhodes left AEW after a three-year tenure with the promotion and returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38: Night One.

    To date, Cody is the only AEW star to make the jump but his booking may cause others to follow in his footsteps.

    According to a new report from The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the impressive booking Rhodes has received has led many “top stars” in AEW to consider joining WWE when their contracts expire.

    These top stars include names who had shown no interest in WWE and had made it clear that they would forever be loyal to AEW, before Cody’s return this past April.

    While no names were given in the report, it’s known that MJF has teased joining WWE when his current contract with Tony Khan expires in January 2024.

    On this week’s Dynamite, MJF cut a scathing promo against AEW and Khan and begged to be fired from the company he feels underappreciated in.

    MJF has since been pulled from the company’s roster page and has had his merchandise removed from AEWShop.com.

    As for Cody, he will face Seth Rollins at tomorrow night’s WWE Hell in a Cell Premium Live Event inside the titular structure.

    This will mark the pair’s third PLE match with Cody winning at both WrestleMania 38: Night One and WrestleMania Backlash.

  • William Regal Recalls Telling Hall of Famer to Jump from WCW to WWE

    William Regal Recalls Telling Hall of Famer to Jump from WCW to WWE

    William Regal has said he encouraged Triple H to jump from WCW to WWE, helping to kickstart a lengthy, successful career with the company for the “King of Kings.”

    Speaking on the very first episode of the Gentleman Villian podcast, Regal said that while he was locked into a deal with the Atlanta-based promotion, he knew the future WWE World Champion would do better elsewhere:

    “There was an offer for me to go at the time but I had a guaranteed contract with WCW and they were very good to me… I said no [to WWE], but what [Triple H] needed to do is go to WWE. Because what he needed is what I had had for the last 10 years, he needed to work 200+ days a year.

    “He had all the skills there, but you get better at wrestling [when you find] what you’re good at, what you’re bad at. You make mistakes and rectify those problems and you try and work on them, and the experience makes you a better talent. He went [to WWE]. We always kept in touch.”

    ” I said no [to WWE], but what [Triple H] needed to do is go to WWE.”

    William Regal on encouraging Triple H to go to WWE.

    Triple H signed with WWE in 1995, turning down an offer to have his WCW contract renewed.

    In his biography ‘Making the Game’ Triple H claims that then-WCW talent head Eric Bischoff could not understand the decision to join WWE where he’d have to work more dates.

    Regal would join the promotion in 1998 but was released due to his substance abuse problems.

    He would later be rehired in 2000 where he remained until his release earlier this year.

    Thanks to WrestlingInc for the transcription.

  • CM Punk is a “Sellout & a Fake-A**” Claims Former WWE Superstar

    CM Punk is a “Sellout & a Fake-A**” Claims Former WWE Superstar

    Former WWE Superstar, valet, and manager Shelly Martinez has branded CM Punk a “sellout” and a “fake-a**” in recent comments made aimed at the AEW World Champion.

    Martinez competed as Ariel in WWE’s rebranded ECW and later worked as Salinas in TNA Wrestling.

    Last year, Punk told the Wrestling Perspective Podcast that Kelly Kelly once found blood all over her hotel bathroom and that he and Sabu allowed Kelly and then-boyfriend Andrew ‘Test’ Martin, to share their room.

    Martinez told WSI’s James Romero that she was also involved, and had been sharing a room with Kelly at the time, and found it disrespectful that Punk didn’t mention her.

    Punk, I put on a huge pedestal and that’s my fault. You shouldn’t put anyone on a pedestal. And now, fast forward to today, I think he’s a sellout and a fake a**.”

    Shelly Martinez.

    Martinez added that she was friends with Punk during her time with WWE, and wore his shirts after leaving the promotion for modeling gigs.

    She later said that she found it ironic that the bloody bathroom would be in her room given that she was playing a vampire at the time.

    “Punk doesn’t say I was there at all. It’s just like… b**ch, you knew. And so I was like, you know what, you’re just like the rest.”

    Shelly Martinez.

    Punk captured the AEW World Championship, his first title win in over a decade, by defeating ‘Hangman’ Adam Page at Double or Nothing 2022.

    There’s no confirmation yet on who Punk’s first challenger will be.

    Thanks to Sportskeeda for the transcription.

  • Chris Jericho Blasts MJF in Tweet After Promo on AEW Dynamite

    Chris Jericho Blasts MJF in Tweet After Promo on AEW Dynamite

    Chris Jericho has made it clear that he’s sticking with AEW and the company’s President Tony Khan following comments made by MJF during this week’s Dynamite.

    Appearing on the show, MJF blasted Khan and AEW, claiming that is being taken for granted by the promotion.

    MJF begged Tony Khan to fire him and has teased joining WWE when his current contract expires in January 2024.

    While Jericho didn’t reference MJF by name, he did speak about “certain talents” who feel they’re under-compensated” and said that someone like this may not be as good as they think.

    The former AEW World Champion also praised Tony Khan as the best boss he’s worked for and said a talent who leaves AEW will be begging to come back.

    MJF and AEW: Work or Shoot?

    Part of MJF’s appeal is that he refuses to break character, even during interviews or meet & greets with fans.

    This has led many to question whether MJF is genuinely angry at AEW, or if this is just part of his character to rile up the company’s loyal fanbase.

    It has been reported that while MJF did receive a pay rise from his initial AEW contract, he is still earning far less than signings made over the past year.

    MJF may be a ratings draw for AEW, but it’s said he’s earning less than CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, and other ex-WWE talents.

    On the other hand, some have suggested that allowing MJF to cut this promo this week is a sign that the situation is a work, or at the very least that what was a real problem has now been resolved but turned into a work.

  • Theory on Possible John Cena Match: “I See It Happening for Sure”

    Theory on Possible John Cena Match: “I See It Happening for Sure”

    WWE United States Champion Theory is confident he’ll one-day face-off with John Cena after having a back-and-forth over social media earlier this year.

    After winning the U.S. Title in April 2022, Theory quickly declared himself a better champion than John Cena, a five-time holder of the star-spangled strap.

    Cena responded by issuing Theory with a warning that the young Superstar will have to apologize years from now if what he achieves doesn’t live up to his potential.

    The WWE United States Champion has even gone so far as to tease a match with Cena at this year’s Summerslam.

    While speaking with The New York Post, Theory was asked about a match with the 16-time WWE World Champion and explained what it would mean to him.

    “When that moment happens and I’m in the ring with John Cena, man, I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what I’m gonna say. I don’t know. I have no idea just because like you’re saying and the way you spoke about it, I clearly know what it was like for me growing up watching John, just the story there and how much we’d actually have for a story. Man, that’s just so crazy to me. I see it happening for sure.”

    No matches have been confirmed by WWE for this year’s Summerslam, which will take place on July 30, at the Nissan Stadium, in Nashville.

    Thanks to Wrestling News for the transcription.