Drew McIntyre has shown off some of the wounds from his latest collision with CM Punk that unfolded during this week’s Monday Night RAW. During the show, McIntyre was told that Punk had travel issues and was not at the venue. Later on, McIntyre interrupted a segment between GUNTHER and Randy Orton and teased a feud with the Viper. During this segment, Punk, who later admitted to lying about his travel issues, ambushed his nemesis from behind.

On social media, McIntyre shared the consequences of his latest showdown with the Best in the World. Despite his scars, McIntyre remains in possession of the bracelet featuring the names of CM Punk’s wife AJ Lee and their dog Larry.

This latest attack has led fans to speculate on a potential strap match between McIntyre and CM Punk, possibly at the upcoming WWE Bash In Berlin Premium Live Event on August 31. The event will mark WWE’s first PLE in Germany and take place from the Uber Arena. A WWE SmackDown taping will take place from the Uber Arena on the Friday before Bash In Berlin.

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre have been adversaries throughout 2024 ever since McIntyre took credit for injuring Punk in the Men’s Royal Rumble match. Since then, the two have delivered beatdowns upon one another and Punk has cost McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship a number of times. McIntyre may have won at SummerSlam, but their feud is clearly far from over. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for the latest on this deeply personal rivalry unfolding on WWE RAW.

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry made his return to programming on this week’s RAW alongside his Next-In-Line athlete son Jacob. The father/son duo were highlighted in the crowd during this week’s show that took place in Austin, Texas.

As mentioned by Pat McAfee and Michael Cole, Jacob Henry recently signed with the NIL program. The younger Henry will be paid by WWE while he continues his studies and will compete at a heavyweight for the University of Oklahoma wrestling team. Jacob also intends to try out for the University’s football team, a highly successful team that includes ex-wrestler Dr. Death Steve Williams among its alum.

For Mark Henry, this week’s Raw marked his return to WWE programming after a three-year absence. Henry’s previous appearance on RAW was as part of the Legends Night special of the red brand in January 2021. In May of that year, he debuted for All Elite Wrestling where he served as a commentator and coach. His time with Tony Khan’s first promotion ended in May of this year.

Jacob Henry in WWE

Expectations are high for Jacob Henry and his potential future in WWE could see more appearances by his legendary father. As for Mark, he recently shared that he has become a booker and ‘director’ for the All Caribbean Wrestling promotion. The promotion is set to work with Major League Wrestling soon, Henry told TMZ Sports last month.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Mark and Jacob Henry and their potential futures with WWE.

More has come to light about AJ Styles after the Phenomenal One did not appear as expected during the August 9, edition of SmackDown. In the days before the show, it was reported that Styles would be appearing. The two-time former WWE Champion hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since his loss to Cody Rhodes at WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland in June.

The August 9, SmackDown came and went without an appearance by AJ Styles. PW Insider reports that despite his absence from the show, Styles is still slated to return to WWE storylines before the Bash in Berlin Premium Live Event on August 31.

As for not returning last week, the final decision was that with creative plans locked in, last week was not the right week to bring him back. The decision to keep Styles from the show was made on Wednesday or Thursday, the report adds. It is noted that Styles will “be back shortly.”

Styles Off of WWE TV

While AJ Styles hasn’t competed on WWE programming since June, he’s not been entirely absent from the ring. The former World Champion competed at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Destination event where he defeated Naomichi Marufuji. This match marked Styles’ return to Japan after years away and his in-ring debut for NAOH.

Styles was also part of WWE’s recent tour of Japan, the company’s first since 2019. After the tour, AJ teased that it could be his final time competing in Japan, as he said that fans may have seen the last time he wore a mask, something he always does for his entrances in Japan.

Damage CTRL’s Dakota Kai will be out for a number of weeks after suffering a torn meniscus, WWE confirmed on this week’s RAW. Not only is the former Women’s Tag Team Champion set to miss between eight to ten weeks of action, but she is also set to undergo surgery.

On the August 5, edition of Monday Night RAW, Kai was scheduled to face Sonya Deville in singles competition but was attacked backstage by Deville, Zoey Stark, and Shayna Baszler. Kai was seen clutching her leg and it was later reported that she was dealing with an injury and had been written off TV. Instead of Kai, an irate IYO SKY replaced her in the match and defeated Deville.

This is the latest setback for Dakota Kai, who had more than her fair share of injuries since coming to WWE. In 2018, Kai suffered a knee injury at a NXT live event during a six-woman tag-team match. Her injury was believed to be a torn ACL and it would be over six months until fans next saw her back in the ring.

In May 2023, Kai suffered another torn ACL in a tag-team match that also saw Liv Morgan injure her shoulder. The Kiwi Superstar wouldn’t appear again until SummerSlam in July and wouldn’t wrestle again until March of this year. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on Dakota Kai and the various injuries that have kept a number of top WWE Superstars on the shelf.

Bobby Steveson is ready to make an impact outside of WWE after parting ways with the Sports Entertainment juggernaut earlier this year. As he explained on social media, Steveson is eager to wrestle anywhere and everywhere now that he is no longer contracted with WWE.

Steveson wrestled as Damon Kemp as part of WWE NXT and was a member of the Diamond Mine before joining the No Quarter Catch Crew. His time with WWE ended in July 2024 after the promotion reportedly informed him that his contract would not be renewed. Steveson’s release came mere months after his brother Gable Steveson was released alongside others on the WWE NXT roster.

Bobby Steveson Outside WWE

Much like his brother, Bobby Steveson made himself known in the world of amateur wrestling before joining WWE. The former folkstyle wrestler competed at the University of Minnesota and won gold medals in the 2015 Cobber Open and the 2015 Buena Vista Open. He took home silver in the UNI Open that same year.

With his time in WWE NXT a thing of the past, there’s no shortage of places that could benefit froM Steveson’s technical style including AEW, TNA Wrestling, GCW or somewhere else entirely. Steveson could perhaps take his skills to Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport which mixed professional wrestling and styled shoot fighting into a highly entertaining combination.

Stay tuned to SEScoops later this week for exclusive comments coming from Bobby Steveson.

Randy Orton will be sticking with WWE for a long time to come after signing a new deal with the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. Speaking with MARCA, Orton confirmed previous reports that he had inked a new deal.

“I’m going to keep doing this for a long time. I just signed a five-year contract extension and I don’t have to rush it . I’ve got all the time in the world as far as I’m concerned. I feel great. I feel healthy.”

Fightful Select was the first to report that Orton has signed a new five-year deal that will keep the former World Champion with the promotion until late 2029. This news comes less than a year after Orton returned to WWE action last November after 18 months on the shelf due to a severe back injury.

A higher-up was asked by Fightful why WWE signed Orton to a new deal instead of extend his precious contract due to injury time. The source said that “the guaranteed money associated with contracts now is a drastic shift from what it was in 2019. There have been changes to our live event schedule, touring, international dates, media obligations, merchandise and social media that would be much more fair to just reach a new deal in many situations.”

Orton’s previous five-year contract was signed in 2019 and was set to expire later this year, the report states. Although Orton flirted with joining AEW before signing his previous contract, it is reported that this time, the former World Champion did not explore opportunities with WWE’s chief rival.

Re-signing Randy Orton is a huge win for WWE and marks another major name locked into a contract. Drew McIntyre signed a new contract with WWE earlier this year despite speculation that he’d be joining AEW. Orton will challenge World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER at WWE Bash in Berlin and will be part of tonight’s edition of WWE RAW from Austin, Texas. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on Randy Orton.

An unfortunate streak of Randy Orton’s may finally come to an end at WWE’s first PLE in Germany if the Legend Killer has his way this month. At WWE Bash In Berlin, Orton will challenge World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER in the Austrian’s first title defense since winning the gold at SummerSlam.

Should Orton win, he’ll do much more than capture a WWE World Championship (his 15th in total.) A victory will also see Orton win his first singles match at a WWE PLE in 40 months. Orton’s last taste of singles gold saw him defeat ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt in the opening contest of WrestleMania 37: Sunday in April 2021. That match proved to be Wyatt’s last match before his controversial WWE release that same year, and his penultimate match on WWE programming before passing away in August 2023.

GUNTHER Vs. Randy Orton

The Austrian and the Viper have met once before in singles competition at a WWE PLE, that being at WWE King And Queen of the Ring earlier this year. GUNTHER would defeat Orton in controversial fashion as the veteran’s shoulders were off the mat during the decisive pinfall, though this was not spotted by the referee.

The controversy stemming from the result saw Triple H confirm that the result was final, though he believed that Orton deserved a rematch. This controversial win would earn GUNTHER his title match at SummerSlam which also saw controversy thanks to the involvement of Finn Balor.

GUNTHER and Orton came face-to-face on last week’s RAW, and the Legend Killer has been confirmed for tonight’s show. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on their feud and all the happenings from tonight’s RAW from Austin Texas.

TNA Wrestling considered hosting its Bound for Glory event outside of North America for the first time ever this year, it has been reported. Fightful Select notes that the United Kingdom was considered a possible location for the annual pay-per-view. Instead, the show will take place on October 26, from the Wayne State University Fieldhouse in Detroit, Michigan.

Though these considerations did not come to fruition, the report adds that TNA returning to the UK remains a possibility. Speaking to Cultaholic last year, then-TNA President Scott D’Amore said the promotion will “definitely be back” in the United Kingdom in 2024.

TNA (then Impact Wrestling) returned to the UK last year for its first tour in years. The four-night tour was covered extensively on social media and the event in Newcastle was the promotion’s Turning Point event. The show was headlined by Will Ospreay retaining his IWGP United Kingdom Heavyweight title against Eddie Edwards.

TNA Wrestling and the UK

TNA has a long history with the United Kingdom with several tours overseas throughout the promotion’s 22-year history. In 2009, a house show in London’s Wembley Arena (not to be confused with Wembley Stadium next door) broke the TNA attendance record with 9,000 fans filling the venue.

TNA airs weekly in the United Kingdom and has hosted two seasons of ‘British Boot Camp’ a reality show in which UK-based talent compete for a contract with TNA. Notable names from the show include Rockstar Spud, Grado, Kris Travis, Noam Dar, Alba Fyre, Nikki Cross, and Piper Niven.

Fans in the UK are known for being a passionate bunch, as we’ve seen in recent years with WWE events and AEW All In. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on TNA and the potential return of the promotion to the United Kingdom.

AEW American Champion MJF thinks it’s fine that he doesn’t like all of his coworkers after an altercation between himself and Britt Baker. Speaking to Cultaholic, MJF addressed the matter which resulted in Britt Baker briefly being suspended.

“Everybody has co-workers at work they may not get along with… I don’t have to like all my coworkers and that’s fine. But yeah, dude, that sh*t was wild to read.”

The incident in question reportedly took place on Wednesday, July 17, and included MJF’s girlfriend and AEW broadcaster Alicia Atout. It’s claimed that after Baker ‘buried’ MJF’s hour-long match with Will Ospreay, she called Atout a “stupid f***ing b**ch” and claimed she’d have the interviewer kicked out of the locker room.

MJF, it is alleged, confronted Baker in a common area and reportedly punched a wall at some point. In the interview, MJF questioned the accuracy of this claim.

“Tell me if this passes the smell test. I barge into a woman’s locker room. I scream in the face of an 110-pound woman, and then I physically threaten her by punching a wall in her vicinity…and I don’t get suspended?”

On-screen, Baker’s suspension was explained with a kayfabe suspension delivered by the Young Bucks at the request of Mercedes Mone. Baker and Mone had a (planned) altercation at San Diego Comic-Con. The actual situation has sparked talk among fans as to whether AEW can ever move on from backstage issues dominating the headlines. Deonna Purrazzo has called the Baker-MJF issue an isolated incident that does not reflect her experience since joining the promotion earlier this year.

What’s to Come?

Despite these issues, both MJF and Baker will compete at AEW All In: London later this week. MJF will defend the AEW American Championship against Ospreay. Baker will challenge TBS Champion Mercedes Mone in a match that, despite their differences, MJF is excited to see.

“Wrestling is a very competitive sport. It breeds a level of insecurity like no other. However, I can easily put over any talent, regardless of whether or not I like them as a human being. I can sit here and I can tell you that Britt Baker vs. Mercedes Moné at Wembley on August 25th is going to be an epic match and we should all be excited to watch it.”

AEW All In: London 2024 will take place from Wembley Stadium in London, England on August 25, and will be the second All-Elite event hosted in the venue. AEW will host its first international Dynamite taping from Cardiff, Wales that same week.

Tonight’s edition of WWE RAW takes place from Austin, Texas at the Moody Center. After a handful of weeks on SyFy due to the Paris Summer Olympic Games, RAW returns to the USA Network with tonight’s show.

WWE Monday Night RAW Tonight

Here is what has been announced for tonight’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW

• Bron Breakker (c) Vs. Sami Zayn – Two Out of Three Falls (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
• Kairi Sane & IYO SKY vs. Zoey Stark & Shayna Baszler (Number One Contenders for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships)
• American Made vs. Alpha Academy
• Carlito vs. Damian Priest
• Odyssey Jones to appear
• Randy Orton to appear
• Rhea Ripley to kick off the show

The Judgment Day Saga

After being betrayed at SummerSlam, Rhea Ripley & Damian Priest are hungry for revenge on the new Judgment Day. One can only imagine what the former WWE Women’s World Champion will have to say when she opens up RAW.

Two Out of Three Falls

SummerSlam 2024 proved to be a turning point in the year of Bron Breakker but the new Intercontinental Champion will face his toughest challenge tonight. With Bron and Sami Zayn owning one win each at PLEs, who will emerge triumphant in tonight’s two-out-of-three falls title match?

Odyssey Jones Arrives

After making an impactful debut last week aiding the New Day, expectations are high for Odyssey Jones tonight. Will the powerhouse sink or swim when RAW comes to Texas and the spotlight is on him?

Orton’s Road to Berlin

Randy Orton will challenge GUNTHER at WWE Bash in Berlin for the World Heavyweight Championship in the Austrian’s first title defense. What will the Apex Predator say and do tonight as he sets his sight on becoming a 15-time WWE World Champion?

What happened Last Week?

Catch up on the Top 10 Moments from last week’s WWE RAW:

MARVEL Comics’ resident Merc With A Mouth Deadpool has made it into WWE 2K24 with a viral dance straight from his new blockbuster movie. The unique entrance in WWE’s latest video game comes from the opening credits to Deadpool & Wolverine and sees the popular character bust a move to N-Sync’s Bye Bye Bye. His titantron includes footage of the opening credits in question.

Deadpool & Wolverine sees two of MARVEL’s most popular characters team up in an effort to save their reality from the sinister and powerful Cassandra Nova.

Deadpool & Wolverine (And Wrestling)

The connection between pro wrestling and Deadpool & Wolverine goes deeper than one creative user of WWE 2K24. The film features several actors from past MARVEL movies reprise their roles, including Tyler Mane as Wolverine adversary Sabretooth. Before entering Hollywood, Mane competed in WCW and teamed with Vinnie Vegas (the future Kevin Nash) as Big Sky. The film also sees Aaron Reed replace Vinnie Jones as the Juggernaut. Reed was in FCW as a developmental talent under the name Lift Sawyer but never made it to the main roster.

One wrestler the film doesn’t feature is Kevin Nash, despite The Russian being a part of the hit movie. The Russian is an enemy of The Punisher that Nash played in 2004’s The Punisher, but is portrayed in Deadpool & Wolverine by Billy Clements. On a recent edition of his Kliq This podcast, Nash addressed the role being recast.

“That doesn’t even … that looks nothing like the character I played. That looks nothing like the Russian. It looks like they gave somebody a favor.”

Want all the latest from the world of WWE 2K24 and other wrestling video games? Check out our Gaming hub for the biggest stories from the world of video games.

Anticipation is growing towards AEW All Out 2024 as the All-Elite roster prepares to return to the state of Illinois for its annual pay-per-view. All Out is one of AEW’s biggest annual events and is part of the core four pay-per-view from the promotion, alongside Revolution, Double or Nothing, and Full Gear.

Date & Location

AEW All Out 2024 will take place on September 7, from the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The show will be the sixth-annual All In and the fourth event of its kind from the Now Arena (which was called the Sears Center Arena at the time of All Out 2019.)

When All Out 2024 was announced this past April, it was revealed that the show would be taking place on September 1. In May, it was shared that the show would take place six days later, becoming the first All Out not to take place over Labor Day weekend. AEW President Tony Khan stated that the reason for the change was to give more time between All In: London and All Out to give more time for storylines to develop.

Matches

Currently, no matches have been publicly confirmed for AEW All Out 2024, but its likely that the card will be shaped by the events of AEW All In: London 2024. A Casino Gauntlet Match has been announced for All In with the winner earning a future World Championship opportunity.

How to Watch

In the United States, All Out will be available to stream on Bleacher Report. The event can be purchased and streamed directly through the Bleacher Report Live platform. All Out can also be ordered through local cable or satellite providers. Check with your provider on how to purchase the pay-per-view. For international viewers, the event will be accessible on FITE TV. A pre-show will begin at 7pm ET with the main card beginning at 8pm ET.

More has come to light about AEW hosting a stadium-sized event in the United States, mere days ahead of their second All In pay-per-view. Fightful Select reports that GlobeLife Field Stadium is the likely contender for a stadium show in the United States. The Arlington, Texas-based venue has a capacity of over 40,000 with a retractable roof and is the home of MLB’s Texas Rangers. Building of the venue began in September 2017 and hosted its first events in May 2020.

AEW Stadium Events

Fans have been eager for a stadium-sized event in the United States for some time. So far, AEW’s only stadium show was All In: London 2023 which saw a massive, albeit contested, number of people attend London, England’s Wembley Stadium last year. AEW will return to London for All In 2024 on August 25. The first-ever international AEW Dynamite taping will take place in Cardiff, Wales that same week.

Hosting a stadium event in the U.S. presents both significant opportunities and challenges for AEW. While such an event would generate substantial revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, and pay-per-view buys, there would be questions about whether AEW would be able to fill a stadium in the U.S. Although the company has had no issue doing that in the UK, that is helped by the fact that events of such size are exceptionally rare across the pond. AEW attendance and viewership have both seen a dip in recent years, and it remains to be seen whether a stadium show will be a runaway success or an unfortunate hiccup in the United States.

An incredible statistic has put into perspective just how dominant GUNTHER has been as a champion since arriving in WWE back in 2019. At WWE SummerSlam, GUNTHER captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, his first world title on the main roster of his career.

This is GUNTHER’s latest title reign after previously holding the NXT United Kingdom Title for 870 days and the WWE Intercontinental Title for 666 days. Since arriving in WWE, GUNTHER has spent over 75% of his run with the company with a championship. It’s an accolade very few, if any, other Superstars have reached and shows the dominance of the Ring General.

H/T to @WrestleLamia for uncovering this stat. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more interesting wrestling facts and statistics.

What’s Next?

GUNTHER’s first title defense as World Heavyweight Champion will see him face Randy Orton at Bash In Berlin on August 31. The two competed earlier this year in the King of the Ring finals in a match that ended in controversy. That victory for GUNTHER earned him his World Heavyweight Title opportunity at SummerSlam.

If history is any indicator, fans should expect GUNTHER to hold the gold for a very, very long time. Taking the average based on his previous two title reigns, GUNTHER will hold the World Heavyweight Championship for 768 days before he loses the gold on September 10, 2026.

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is confident that his nephews will enter the family business, potentially as future WWE Superstars. Speaking to Justin Barrasso for SI, Rhodes addressed his family’s legacy in wrestling and looked towards the future.

“Behind the curtain are my nephews, Dalton and Dylan. They’re close with Dustin, and to see them go from playing around to the point where now I can see it–it’s one of those things where, once you start, you can’t stop…. They’re not ready to wrestle Jacob Fatu just yet, but they’ll get there.”

Cody went on to say that the Rhodes family legacy in wrestling will not end with him, such is his confidence that a new generation of Rhodes’ will wrestle. In a nod to his WWE adversaries, the Undisputed Champion added that “We have our own Bloodline.”

The Rhodes Family

Cody is, as he’s served to remind fans multiple times, the son of Dusty Rhodes and Cody’s relationship with his father has played heavily into his WWE return and his storylines since coming back at WrestleMania 38. Cody’s half-brother Dustin is still wrestling in AEW/Ring of Honor and currently holds the ROH World Six Man Tag-Team Championships with Ross & Marshall Von Erich.

As for Dalton and Dylan, they are both currently studying at the University of Texas. Their mother is eager for the boys to finish their studies, Cody added in his interview with SI. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for the latest on Cody Rhodes and the potential next generation of Rhodes’ in the ring.

The second-ever AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view will take place at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington on October 12. Fans who are official AEW Insiders will get first access to purchase VIP experiences and presale tickets will go on sale on August 12.

The first AEW WrestleDream event took place in October 2023 after first being announced following the inaugural AEW All In: London event. Taking place one year to the day after the passing of Antonio Inoki, WrestleDream 2023 served to honor the Japanese wrestling legend and featured talent from AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling. The event also saw the AEW debut of Adam Copeland, mere weeks after his tenure as Edge in WWE came to an end.

AEW Pay-Per-Views in 2024

AEW WrestleDream will be one of five pay-per-view events set to take place in the remainder of 2024. AEW’s next pay-per-view will be All In: London and see the All-Elite roster once again take over Wembley Stadium in London on August 25. AEW All Out will take place on September 7 from the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

After WrestleDream, AEW will host its sixth annual Full Gear on November 23, from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. AEW’s final major show of the year will be the second-ever Worlds End show and will take place on December 28 from the Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida.

WWE RAW Superstar Zoey Stark has delivered a perfect tribute to ‘Mr Perfect’ Curt Hennig, over two decades after the passing of the WWE Hall of Famer. On social media, Stark shared clips of herself performing several impressive feats accompanied by Hennig’s WWE theme song.

Fans will recognize this video as a tribute to Hennig, who was introduced in the World Wrestling Federation with a series of vignettes highlighting his skills in various fields. Whether it was basketball, baseball, bowling, or something else entirely, Hennig was able to accomplish feats to perfection.

Hennig’s perfect skill set in WWE would see him capture the Intercontinental Championship on two occasions and hold the gold for a combined 404 days. After joining WCW, Hennig would become WCW United States Heavyweight Champion and also held the World Tag Team Titles with Barry Windham.

Hennig sadly passed away in February 2003 at the age of 44 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. That same year, his son Joe would sign with WWE and compete as Curtis Axel before his 2020 release. He would later return to WWE as a producer.

Zoey Stark in WWE

Stark’s tribute to Mr. Perfect comes at an interesting time in the career of the former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion. Stark has aligned with Shayna Baszler and Sonya Deville as a dominant group on RAW that has been feuding with Damage CTRL. Stark was called to WWE’s main roster last year as an ally of Trish Stratus though their partnership ended at Payback 2023.

WWE Hall of Famer & former Governor of Minnesota Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura recently sat down with Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC to talk politics and the U.S. presidential election. Voters will go to the polls this November to elect either Vice President Kamala Harris or Former President Donald Trump as the next President of the United States.

On Tim Walz

Tim Walz is the current Governor of Minnesota and the running mate of Harris. In the interview, Ventura recalled Walz seeking his advice following his first victory in the race to be governor.

“He called me and set up a being with me to pick my brain. No other Governor has ever done that, Republican or Democrat but Tim Walz did. And what that showed me, Tim Walz is the kind of guy who’s out for success and he will reach across the aisle.”

Ventura also spoke about JD Vance’s attacks on Walz, as the running mate of Trump has accused Walz of ‘stolen valor’ despite Walz’s twenty years as an officer in the U.S. Army. Ventura explained that after twenty years, an officer can retire when they want to. Ventura added that, as a former Marine, he knows what it means to show respect to those who have served and that Vance should behave like a Marine.

On Hulk Hogan Endorsing Donald Trump

At the Republican National Convention, Hulk Hogan publicly endorsed Donald Trump and called the former President his hero. Ventura chuckled to himself as Sharpton reminded him of Hogan’s endorsement and recalled Hogan’s attempts to block Ventura’s effort to form a union in pro wrestling.

“It doesn’t surprise me to see Hogan with the Republicans because Hogan’s as anti-union as you can get… It was Hulk Hogan who ratted me out to Vince McMahon and I was fired and lost my job.”

On Donald Trump

Years before he dominated the Republican Party, Trump was part of the ‘Reform Party’ after being recruited by Ventura himself. The WWE Hall of Famer said that Trump is not the same man who came to him years ago and believes the billionaire’s politics are solely based on what benefits himself.

“Donald Trump is for Donald Trump. And Donald Trump is going to do whatever it is that supports Donald Trump… He saw that he could take over the Republican Party so he changed his views. He want from pro-choice to no rights for women’s reproductive. He’s gone far right.”

Ventura added that Trump’s claims of being a Christian man, one that is echoed by many of his supporters, are hollow.

“He’s trying to say he’s now a religious person. Well to me, if you’re going to be a religious person, you have to live it. And Donald Trump hardly lives it…. I’m an agnostic athiest and I think that I’m more religious than he is.”

Ventura suggested that Republicans would have had a far harsher response if Barack Obama had had multiple affairs while they “embrace” Trump.

AEW Rampage has reached a milestone in its programming by eclipsing WCW Thunder for the most number of episodes. The August 9, edition of Rampage marked the show’s 157th episode, exceeding the 156 episodes of Thunder that aired before WCW closed its doors for good in March 2001.

H/T to @DrainBamager for uncovering this stat. Stay tuned to SEScoops for more interesting wrestling facts and statistics.

Rampage launched in the summer of 2021 as the AEW’s second Television show, following on from AEW Dynamite which launched in October 2019. At the second episode of Rampage, ironically titled ‘The First Dance’ CM Punk made his debut for AEW in his return to the world of wrestling after a seven-year absence. The show also served as the first, and only time, that Rampage would surpass 1 million viewers.

WCW Thunder debuted in January 1998, mere weeks after the promotion’s highest-rated pay-per-view, Starrcade 1997. The show originally aired on Thursday evenings, but as the Monday Night Wars turned, moved to Wednesdays in January 2000 to avoid competing with WWF SmackDown which had premiered on UPN in August 1999.

AEW Dynamite Vs. WCW Monday Nitro

With Thunder being surpassed, AEW’s next goal would be to surpass the number of episodes of WCW Monday Nitro. After launching in September 1995, Nitro lasted 288 episodes before the final episode, a simulcast with Monday Night RAW on March 26, 2001.

As of the August 7, episode, AEW Dynamite has reached 253 episodes. For Dynamite to surpass Nitro, the show will need to remain on the air for another 36 episodes, equivalent to just over eight months. Dynamite will reach that feat with the April 15, 2025, episode of Tony Khan’s flagship show.

Kennedy Blades, a competitor for Team USA, hit a suplex at this year’s Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France that would make Kurt Angle proud. During her recent match with Catalina Axente of Romania, Blades hit an impressive wrestling move.

In the comments of the above video, one fan was impressed by Blades’ “wicked German suplex” and encouraged WWE to hire her to NXT. Another fan agreed that “she needs to join WWE.” Blades won her quarter-final match with Axente and has since advanced to the finals. She will face Yuka Kagami of Japan in the finals later today.

Team USA In Wrestling

Kennedy Blades hopes to add another medal to Team USA’s already impressive collection at the Paris Summer Olympics. In wrestling, Team USA already has two gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals. In the history of wrestling at the Olympics, Team USA has accumulated 55 gold, 44 silver, and 39 bronze, the most of any nation in the history of the Games.

Kennedy Blades

Regardless of whether she wins gold later today, the future looks immensely bright for Kennedy Blades. Last month, Blades shared that she has committed to competing for the Iowa Wrestling team, stating that it’ll prove to be a fun chapter of her life.

Kennedy Blades has been one of the wrestlers to watch at this year’s Summer Olympic Games. Check out our Pro Wrestling Fan’s Guide to the Summer Olympics for all you need to know on the events in Paris, France.

All Elite Wrestling will see some of the promotion’s most important announcements in the near future, according to AEW President Tony Khan. In a statement, Khan made his bold claim while discussing the upcoming AEW All In: London pay-per-view from Wembley Stadium. AEW’s return to the United Kingdom will take place on August 25 from Wembley and will be preceded by an AEW Dynamite taping in Cardiff, Wales.

One announcement AEW fans are awaiting is news about a new media deal for the All-Elite promotion, which is expected to come this year. Last month, it was reported that Khan and Warner Bros. Discovery had reached an agreement “in principle” regarding the future of AEW content on the media giant’s platforms. This agreement was said to be on “the middle to high side” of what the two groups were negotiating. AEW’s exclusive negotiation window with WBD ended on July 21.

Tony Khan’s Announcements

Khan has never shied away from teasing blockbuster announcements, often to mixed responses by wrestling fans. Some announcements such as the 2022 acquisition of Ring of Honor or the announcement of the first AEW All In: London event were unsurprisingly huge and delivered on the hype that’d been built in the days and weeks prior.

Other teased announcements have failed to reach expectations. In the run-up to the November 1, 2023, edition of Dynamite, a massive announcement was teased that had fans expecting a return or debuting talent. Instead, the announcement was the date that AEW All In: London 2024 tickets would go on sale, which many felt was underwhelming considering the buzz. Khan’s announcements have become something of a meme with fans, especially after AEW announced that Khan would make an announcement in June 2023.

Masai Russell, an athlete who is part of WWE’s NIL program, has captured Olympic Gold at the ongoing Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. Russell won the medal in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 12.34 seconds, just 0.01 seconds faster than Cyréna Samba-Mayela of France who took silver. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico took the bronze with a time of 12.36 seconds. This year’s games is Russell’s first time competing at the Summer Olympics.

On Twitter, WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque congratulated Russell on her gold medal-earning performance in her first Olympic Games.

This isn’t the first time that Russell has impressed on the track. Back in January 2023, the 24-year-old set a new collegiate record for the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.75 seconds. This historic victory also gained the attention of WWE’s Chief Content Officer.

WWE NIL Program

The Next-In-Line program was launched in December 2021 with Russell being a part of the inaugural class of signings. The program aims at recruiting and developing college athletes into potential WWE Superstars. Those who join receive access to the WWE Performance Center as well as guidance on how to present themselves as athletes in the media and beyond. Upon graduation, athletes in the NIL program may have the opportunity to sign with WWE as full-time talent, though that is not guaranteed.

WWE’s Olympic Gold Medalists

Should Russell join WWE full-time, she will be the latest Gold Medalist under contract. Three years after winning gold (with a broken freakin’ neck!) in Atlanta, Kurt Angle made his in-ring debut at Survivor Series 1999. Gable Steveson signed with WWE in 2021 mere months after his gold medal win in Tokyo, though he has since been released. Tamyra Mensah-Stock, who also won gold in Tokyo, signed with WWE in 2023 and has reportedly been impressive in her training. Stock made her in-ring debut as Tyra Mae Steele last month at a WWE NXT live event.

Bryan Danielson will require neck surgery before the end of the year, the American Dragon confirmed on the latest episode of AEW Collision. In a sit-down interview with Jim Ross, Danielson spoke about his career and the toll his style has had on his health.

“Odds are I’m going to have to get neck surgery before the end of this year. That’s the reality of it. And that’s kind of something that I’ve accepted is coming down the pipe relatively soon.”

Danielson’s history of neck injuries is well-documented at this stage of his career. It was these issues that resulted in Bryan being stripped of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2014 and vacating the Intercontinental Title the next year. In early 2016, Danielson was forced to retire from wrestling due to such issues though he was cleared to wrestle again two years later.

Before Danielson goes under the knife, he will compete at AEW All In in two weeks time, where he will challenge for the AEW World Championship. This match with Swerve Strickland will also see Bryan put his career on the line. Whether he wins or loses, Danielson has said this year will be his last as a full-time talent in wrestling to fulfill a promise to his family to be there for them more.

Bryan Danielson is one of the top talents in AEW, but a reign as World Champion may unfortunately be cut short if this surgery goes ahead. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on the American Dragon and his road to All In on August 25.

WWE World Tag Team Champions Finn Balor & JD McDonagh will be part of Over The Top Wrestling’s 10th anniversary show this October. During the most recent event from OTT Wrestling, it was confirmed that the Judgment Day allies will be part of the October 26 show.

The upcoming event will mark Balor’s debut for the Irish-based promotion. McDonagh, as Jordan Devlin, debuted for OTT in 2014 and is a former OTT World Champion. His reign began in December 2017 and would see McDonagh retain against notable names like ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey, Timothy Thatcher, Angelico, Tyler Bate, and Zack Sabre Jr. McDonagh’s 253-day reign came to an end in August 2018 when he lost the gold to current WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER.

WWE And Other Promotions

The October 26, show is WWE’s latest example of working with other promotions which has become a trend for the company in 2024. Deals with Marigold, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport, All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH has seen WWE talent compete outside their usual stomping ground. TNA Wrestling has reached an agreement with WWE NXT that has seen talent from both promotions step through the ‘prohibited portal.’

Having WWE talent at OTT’s 10th Anniversary event is a huge get for the Irish promotion and will increase interest in the show. After decades of Vince McMahon’s ‘don’t play well with others’ mentality, WWE’s willingness to collaborate with other has proven to be a breath of fresh air to fans. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for the latest on WWE working with other promotions.

Japanese sensation Giulia was blown away by the reaction she received at NXT Stand & Deliver, which she thought must’ve been for someone else. Speaking to Creators, Giulia recalled the ovation at the NXT event over WrestleMania weekend.

 “I didn’t think they were cheering for me. When I stood up, the whole venue was like, ‘Whoaaaaaa!’ so I thought, ‘Maybe some amazing celebrity has come?’… I was like, ‘There’s no way people would cheer for me this much!’ The scale is different from Japan, and I was just like, ‘Did someone come? Dwayne Johnson?'”

Giulia’s appearance at the event came after months of reports indicating that she would be joining WWE. On the same day of Stand & Deliver, it was reported that the former STARDOM attraction had indeed signed with WWE. Before she makes the move though, Giulia has been competing in Rossy Ogawa’s Marigold promotion and will finish her time competing in Japan later this month.

Giulia In WWE

WWE reportedly intends to bring Giulia in via NXT with plans to push her strong from the very start as “the female face of the brand.” One source has claimed that Giulia’s role in NXT will surpass what Asuka achieved during her tenure which saw the Empress hold the NXT Women’s Title for 510 days.

Aside from her NXT Stand & Deliver appearance, Giulia has been referenced in WWE a handful of times already. This includes NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez claiming that she, not Giulia, is the best in the world after retaining her title over Thea Hail at Great American Bash (Week One.)

WWE’s Female Signings

Should she compete for WWE, Giulia will be part of something of a renaissance with the hiring of female talent. Stephanie Vaquer, who dethroned Giulia as NJPW Strong Women’s Champion, has signed with WWE mere days after appearing at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door. It has also been reported that DELTA has signed with WWE. The Australian wrestler reportedly impressed during tryouts in Perth over Elimination Chamber weekend in February of this year.