Former WWE NXT Superstar ACH will make his return to the ring this month, close to two years after his previous wrestling match.

ACH, who competed as Jordan Myles in WWE NXT, will compete for SCW Pro Wrestling on Saturday, July 13, at the company’s Red, White, and Bruised event. SCW Pro’s Twitter account shared the news and the match will mark ACH’s debut for the company and he will face Shain Boucher. Boucher is a graduate of the Black & Brave Academy run by WWE’s Seth Rollins and has competed for SCW Pro for years.

SCW Pro Red, White, and Bruised will take place at the Blue Grass Community in Blue Grass, Iowa. Doors will open at 6:30 pm local time with the show set to begin at 7pm. Tickets for the show begin at $10.

ACH

ACH, full name Albert Christian Hardie Jr. joined WWE NXT in February 2019 and expectations were high for his time with the company. In the finals of that year’s Breakout Tournament, Jordan Myles defeated Cameron Crimes, earning himself a future championship opportunity. Myles chose to challenge then-WWE NXT Champion Adam Cole but was defeated in September of that year.

The following month, controversy spawned when WWE released Myles’ first t-shirt which showed his name surrounded by the shape of a mouth. Though it was said to be inspired by The Rollins Stones logo, many, including Myles, said it resembled blackface and the NXT Superstar accused WWE of racism. He would also accuse ROH (where he had previously worked) of racism and claimed former ROH World Champion Jay Lethal was an ‘Uncle Tom.’ ACH released a video in November saying he’d quit WWE as he “refused to work for racists” and his release was confirmed by WWE that same month.

Booker T On Jordan Myles’ Quitting Video: “He’s Doing Himself An Injustice”

Outside of WWE, ACH has competed for Impact Wrestling, Lucha Libre AAA, Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling, NOAH, and other promotions. This week’s match will be his first match since September 2022, when he, Mark Andrews, and Jah-C defeated Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis, and Zachary Wentz.

AJ Styles may not be the only WWE Superstar competing in NOAH this year if the promotion’s very own Naomichi Marufuji has anything to say about it.

The Phenomenal former WWE Champion will wrestle at NOAH’s Destination 2024 on July 13 against Marufuji. Despite a lofty career in Japan, this match will be Styles’ first time competing for NOAH. Marufuji on the other hand, has spent close to a quarter of a century with NOAH after debuting in 2000. He is a four-time GHC Heavyweight Champion and was appointed NOAH’s Vice President in 2009.

Marufuji Wants More WWE Talent

Sitting down with Planeta Wrestling, Marufuji discussed the upcoming match with Styles. The NOAH President was excited to step into the ring with the former WWE World Champion (h/t Fightful.)

“He (Styles) is a great fighter in every way and one of the best in the world. I want the fans to really enjoy my exchanges during the match with him, and I think we can achieve that.”

Marufuji added that he is interested in all WWE Superstars as potential names for NOAH events, but isn’t sure he’s ready to one day work a WWE show.

“I am interested in all WWE wrestlers. I want to invite several wrestlers to compete in the NOAH ring. To compete in the WWE ring, I think I need more training before that, so I can’t say I want to do it right now.”

Marufuji is certainly interested in doing much more with WWE which would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. The company’s new administration has been more open to working with other promotions including Rossy Ogawa’s Marigold, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport, and TNA Wrestling. These crossovers have left fans very excited to see what’s to come and fans can expect much more to come in the future.

The iconic No Mercy pay-per-view will be returning this September as an upcoming Premium Live Event for WWE NXT.

NXT No Mercy 2024 will take place on September 1, from Denver, Colorado, PW Insider reports. At this time, no matches have been confirmed for the event. Before that show, WWE NXT will play host to its Great American Bash event that will take place on August 6, on SyFy. The show has been moved from the USA Network, which will instead be covering the Summer Olympic Games.

WWE NXT No Mercy

WWE’s first No Mercy event took place in the UK in May 1999 and the U.S. version of the event took place in October that same year. The show ran each year from then on until 2009 before returning as PLE in 2016 and 2017.

In 2023, WWE once again revived the No Mercy show, this time as an event exclusive to NXT. In the main event, then-NXT Women’s Champion Becky Lynch retained her title against Tiffany Stratton in a brutal Extreme Rules match.

NXT No Mercy is one of several events from the gold brand to make use of a historic name. WWE Battleground was a staple of the main roster for years before being reintroduced as an NXT event, with the most recent show of its kind taking place last month.

WWE NXT also uses the ‘In Your House’ brand from time to time. The name was used in the 1990s to promote WWE pay-per-views that were not as significant as the ‘Big 4’ and therefore had a cheaper price tag. WWE even brought back former broadcaster Todd Pettengil to promote NXT In Your House, as seen in the clip below.

WWE NXT’s most recent PLE, Heatwave, also comes from wrestling’s past. From 1994 to 2000, the name was used by ECW and fittingly took place during the summer. Each October, fans can expect to see NXT Halloween Havoc, a name that stems from World Championship Wrestling.

With these shows, and the return of NXT No Mercy, WWE has shown its willingness to embrace the past. And with WWE recently filing trademarks for the name of WCW events, fans may not have seen the last of old shows being given a new spotlight in WWE’s gold brand.

Those tuning into this week’s WWE NXT will have no choice but to believe in Joe Hendry after he emerged victorious in the show’s main event.

In the main event of the show, Hendry teamed with Trick Williams to face Shawn Spears and new WWE NXT Champion ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page. Hendry got one of the loudest pops of the night as he was introduced as Trick’s mystery opponent.

Not only did Hendry compete in the main event of the post-Heatwave edition of NXT, but he also got the win for his team. Hendry pinned Shawn Spears and celebrated with Trick Williams to close out the show.

On Twitter, WWE NXT General Manager Ava was pleased that the fans were happy that she had been able to book the popular TNA Wrestling star for the show.

Hendry’s appearance at the show was not entirely a surprise. In the closing moments of WWE NXT Heatwave, Hendry was shown on the broadcast, teasing his return to NXT. A promo video for this week’s episode of WWE NXT also featured Hendry, implying that his return would be happening very soon.

This week’s show marks Hendry’s second time competing in WWE NXT after previously being part of a battle royal to determine the number one contender for the NXT Championship. Fans should get used to seeing him in WWE’s gold brand as Hendry will be a focal point of the TNA-NXT crossover moving forward.

The Rascalz In WWE NXT

This week’s WWE NXT also saw Wes Lee address his loss to North American Champion Oba Femi at Heatwave. As the popular Lee waxed about his career and his shortcomings, it appeared that Wes was ready to leave NXT. If so, his farewell speech was interrupted by TNA’s The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel.) Lee was part of the group before joining WWE NXT and the two remaining members were able to convince Lee not to leave NXT behind.

Not only did The Rascalz reunite, but the group will be in action as a trio next week. Lee, Wentz, and Miguel will ride once more to take on Gallus during the July 16, episode of WWE NXT.

Rock legend and WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne will make his presence known in the WWE Champions mobile game for the upcoming ‘Summer of Darkness’ event.

The 75-year-old English music legend will feature prominently in the event which will feature a brand-new character of Osbourne. Players will also have the chance to chase four new Superstars throughout the month. Players can collect Ozzy-themed items to progress in the Madman Collection Contest, including a poster of the rock star. Players who obtain his Poster can use him in his weekly 24-hour Tour and Showdown to earn additional rewards and progress toward unlocking the new Superstars.

WWE Champions is a puzzle game released in January 2017 that features RPG elements. The game was developed by Kung Fu Factory and published by Scopely for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Ozzy Osbourne And WWE

The Prince of Rock’s tenure with WWE dates back to 1986 when he appeared in the corner of The British Bulldogs. The duo of Davey Boy Smith and Davey Boy Smith defeated The Dream Team (Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake) to capture the WWF World Tag Team Championships. Osbourne appeared several times for WWE in the 2000s, including as a guest host of Monday Night Raw in 2009 alongside his wife Sharon.

Osbourne’s tracks have also been used for WWE events, including War Pigs which has been used for events featuring the iconic WarGames match. For his efforts in entertainment and WWE, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2021 as that year’s celebrity inductee.

Hulk Hogan did not fire an ambassador for Real American Beer for being black, a spokesperson for the beverage range has stated.

Recently, Essence Jenai made the accusation against the two-time WWE Hall of Famer that he had fired her after learning she is a black woman. Jenai shared images of herself with Hogan and Real American Beer, proving that she had been connected to the Hulkster at one time.

Hogan has not commented publicly on the accusation against him. Similarly, WWE has not made a public statement on the accusation. A spokesperson for Real American Beer said the following:

“We are deeply troubled by the false rumor circulating on social media that a brand ambassador hired by a third-party marketing agency was terminated by Hulk Hogan for racial reasons. Real American Beer simply terminated its short-term relationship with the third-party marketing agency. Hulk Hogan was not involved in that decision, and race was not a factor. We are in communication with the agency in an attempt to clear the misunderstanding and incorrect information, and believe that this false statement will be withdrawn.”

In 2015, Hogan was fired from WWE after racist remarks made in 2007 were shared online. In that video, Hogan disapproved of the idea of his daughter Brooke dating a black man and used the N-word during his rant. Hogan added that he is “a racist, to a point.” In addition to being fired from WWE, Hogan was removed from the promotion’s Hall of Fame and gave an apology to People Magazine. He was re-added to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and has made sporadic appearances for the company ever since.

MJF: Hulk Hogan Is A Lying Racist, But Changed Wrestling

Fightful’s very own Sean Ross Sapp will be stepping in the ring later this month to take on Effy as part of Game Changer Wrestling’s Believe Me event.

The match was made official on Twitter and will take place on July 18, from Louisville, Kentucky. The show will begin at 7:30 PM local time and will be available to watch live on FITE TV+. Tickets for the show can be found here.

Sean Ross Sapp In The Ring

Though best known for being a leading voice in professional wrestling journalism, Sapp already has a number of matches under his belt. Sapp competed in the Clusterf**k Battle Royal at GCW Joey Janela’s Spring Break in April 2022 but came up short. His first singles match saw him lose to Shazza McKenzie in December 2023 for Black Label Pro and Sapp’s return to the promotion in March 2024 saw him lose a battle royal.

The Card

Sapp Vs. Effy is just one match announced for GCW Believe Me. The current card is as follows:

• Sean Ross Sapp Vs. Effy
• Mance Warner (c) Vs. Myron Reed (GCW World Heavyweight Championship)
• Billie Starkz Vs. Rachel Armstrong
• Nick Gage & 2 Tuff Tony Vs. The Rejects (John Wayne Murdoch & Reed Bentley)
• Brosky Jimmy Vs. Hoodfoot

Masha Slamovich had been scheduled to face Jordan Oliver at the event. However, Oliver recently shared that he has suffered a torn ACL that could keep him out of action for up to a year. An update regarding Slamovich’s match at the event has not been made public yet.

Jordan Oliver, a promising talent in Game Changer Wrestling, could be out of action for as much as 12 months after suffering a serious injury.

At the GCW Worst Behavior event on July 5, Oliver defeated Charles Mason in the seventh match of the show, but things weren’t over just yet. After the match, Mason attacked the already-weakened knee of Oliver and attacked the joint with a steel chair. As Oliver was tended to by officials, Mason bragged about hearing Jordan’s knee ‘pop’ and suggested he’s ended Jordan’s career.

On Twitter, Oliver, in his sixth attempt to record his message, shared the unfortunate news of his injury. The 25-year-old shared that in June he suffered a knee injury and doctors told him the injury was serious. An MRI revealed that Oliver had a torn ACL though that didn’t stop him from wrestling.

“Over the past weekend in Toronto, Charles Mason took it upon himself to turn my 6-9 [month out recovery window] into a 9-12. And I will definitely be on the shelf for some time. I’ve been wrestling for a long time and wrestling is all that I know so this is going to be very tough for me. If there’s anyone that can get through this and overcome it, I think it’s me.”

Though acknowledging its cheesy, Oliver delivered the cliche ‘It’s not goodbye, it’s see you down the road’ line and vowed to be back. In the meantime, Mason will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in GCW, and talent on the roster will have to be careful or fall victim to a similar attack.

AEW/ROH’s Maria Kanellis-Bennett is urging fans to listen to their bodies after discovering a recent cancer scare on her adrenal gland.

In a tweet, Maria shared that she got her adrenal glands checked earlier this year after experiencing some symptoms that had her concerned. Maria added that insurance would not cover the tests, but she got them anyway to be safe. This week, the scans showed that she is dealing with a mass that has been found on her adrenal gland.

Kanellis-Bennett noted that she is set to meet with an endocrinologist surgeon and at this time, it is too early to tell if this is cancer or not. Maria did treat herself to some French fries and a concrete mixer milkshake and told fans “Moral of the story… listen to your body.”

This is a concerning situation for Maria and shows the importance of people making sure they’re okay if they sense something is wrong. In February of this year, WWE alum Maryse shared that she had been diagnosed with pre-cancer of the ovaries. Thankfully, the issue was spotted early on and the two-time Divas Champion underwent surgery. In March, Maryse shared that she was tumor-free and encouraged women to advocate for their own health and trust their instincts.

In May, Brandi Rhodes discovered that she was battling Endometriosis after years of living in pain. Rhodes was inspired by Maryse’s openness about her own health issues which gave her the courage to deal with the matter head-on. Rhodes has since undergone surgery and is said to be feeling much better. On her Instagram Stories, Maryse said she was touched that her story had inspired Brandi to seek out help.

We here at SE Scoops would like to send our absolute best wishes to Maria, her husband Mike, and their family at this unfortunate time.

Liv Morgan may be more pleased to see Rhea Ripley return to WWE TV than she let on during the July 8, 2024, edition of WWE Monday Night Raw.

In the show’s main event, Morgan and Dominik Mysterio teamed to defeat the LWO’s Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega. After the match, it appeared Dominik was going to give in to Morgan’s advances until Ripley made her return after months off of TV. Her comeback saw Morgan scurry to the back while Raw went off the air with a tense face-off between Ripley and Dirty Dom.

Liv Morgan Reacts to Rhea Ripley’s Return

The WWE Women’s World Champion was able to avoid a run-in with Ripley and seemed somewhat pleased to see her nemesis back on TV after Raw went off the air. In a backstage clip, Morgan was seen smiling as she watched Ripley verbally lay into ‘Dirty Dom.’

Could Morgan be grinning at the tensions between Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley that fans saw at the end of the show? Morgan has hardly been subtle in her efforts to woo Dominik and these tensions could see Mysterio fall closer in line with the Champ. The question, however, remains as to whether Liv genuinely cares for Mysterio, or if her affections are merely a plot to take even more from Rhea Ripley.

Ripley’s return comes after suffering a shoulder injury in April during a backstage attack by Liv that also ended Ripley’s tenure as WWE Women’s World Champion. Ironically, Morgan herself missed months of action due to an attack by Ripley and has therefore shown no remorse for causing the Australian’s injury. All we know for certain now is that this unlikely love triangle will be a focal point going forward on WWE Raw.

Rey Mysterio has another historic accolade to his legendary career after competing during the July 8, edition of WWE Monday Night Raw.

The show from Ottawa, Canada saw Mysterio team with LWO ally Zelina Vega to face his son ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio and WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan. Despite Dominik being hesitant to team with Liv, the pair would work well together. The finish saw Morgan knock Rey from the top rope, giving Dom the chance to hit the frog splash and get his first-ever win over his father.

The match may not have gone Rey’s way, but Mysterio did make history in the process. This bout marked Rey’s 33rd match on WWE TV since being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2023. Mysterio now holds the record for the most WWE TV matches of any Hall of Famer after being inducted.

The previous was held by Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler who competed 32 times on WWE TV following his induction on the eve of WrestleMania 23 in March 2007. Lawler’s 32nd match would come on the September 10, 2012, Raw, mere hours before Lawler would suffer a heart attack while sat at the commentary table.

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

Rey Mysterio: Hall of Famer

Mysterio’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame is just one of the many elite clubs that the Master of the 619 is a part of. In 2007, Rey was the inaugural inductee into the AAA Hall of Fame alongside the posthumous induction of AAA founder Antonio Peña. In 2010, wrestling fans voted for Rey to be inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. That year’s class included Rey, Chris Jericho, and the posthumously inducted Wladek Zbyszko.

The Future Of Rey Mysterio

The WWE Hall of Famer may have another record to his name, but time is running out for Rey to add highlights to his legendary career. Mysterio has spoken openly in recent years that his time in the ring is coming to an end. In 2023, Mysterio, who is 49, said that he does not intend to wrestle past 50, suggesting that his career will end very soon.

Though Rey’s career in the ring will be ending in the relatively near future, his time in WWE won’t be over after he hangs up his boots. Rey signed a five-year deal with WWE in 2023 that should keep him around until he is 54 years old. It is possible that Mysterio could wrestle past 50 and if not, WWE would no doubt benefit from keeping Mysterio around in some kind of backstage role, possibly as a trainer in WWE NXT. 

Rey Mysterio Will Retire When His Best Is Not Enough

Chelsea Green may not have left Money in the Bank 2024 with a briefcase, but the WWE Superstar certainly made an impression on those working backstage.

Green was one of six women in this year’s Money in the Bank Ladder match. The former Women’s Tag Team Champion was joined by Tiffany Stratton, Lyra Valkyria, Naomi, IYO SKY, and Zoey Stark. Despite having the home-field advantage, the Canadian Green came up short in Toronto as Tiffany Stratton instead became the eighth woman to capture the coveted briefcase and earn herself a title shot.

More On Tiffany Stratton’s Money in the Bank Victory

While Stratton left with the briefcase, the spot many are remembering from the match involves Chelsea Green. During the bout, Green was sent sailing out of the ring on a ladder and crashed through a series of tables at ringside.

This violent spot was quite the change from what fans normally see from Green on WWE TV as she has fallen into a comedic heel role ever since her January 2023 return to the company. Those in WWE were “very happy” with Green’s performance in the match, Fightful Select reports, and that Green herself treated the all-important bump as if it was “no big deal.”

WWE was also very happy about Green’s work before she stepped in the ring at WWE Money in the Bank 2024. Praise was given for Green promoting the show on local media and traveling to Toronto mid-week to do so. Green also heavily promoted the event and the Women’s Ladder match on social media, which WWE also took notice of. Even TNA Wrestling’s Jordynne Grace couldn’t help but be impressed by Green’s work in the match.

Green is impressing all the right people backstage which certainly bodes well for her future with WWE. While Green may not have won the coveted contract in Toronto, the future remains bright for the Canadian even after this massive bump through the tables.

Jordynne Grace has proven herself for years as one of the top names in TNA Wrestling, but her time with the 22-year-old promotion could be coming to an end.

The reigning TNA Knockouts World has had the attention of the wrestling world this year, thanks in part to her appearances for WWE. Grace was part of this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble match in only the second time a contracted TNA talent has been in the contest (following Mickie James in 2022.) More recently, Grace has been appearing in WWE NXT and unsuccessfully challenged Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez at Battleground.

Given Grace’s appearances in WWE NXT, there has been plenty of speculation about whether Grace could one day join the promotion full-time. Speaking to TNA alum Matt Morgan on his Gigantic Pop podcast, Grace spoke about her current contract situation in TNA Wrestling.

“I am under [TNA] contract until January of this upcoming year. It’s coming up.”

Grace has been with TNA Wrestling since 2018 and is one of the promotion’s most successful Knockouts. The Juggernaut is a three-time (and current) Knockouts World Champion, a former Knockouts Tag Team Champion, and a former TNA Digital Media Champion. Grace is also recognized as the first TNA Knockouts Triple Crown Champion, having held the three titles obtainable by women in the promotion.

Jordynne Grace: WWE Superstar?

Grace has spoken highly of her WWE experience so far, and has also been well-received by those in the company. A move to WWE would also allow Grace a new roster to face, in addition to some familiar faces. Grace competed against both Naomi and Chelsea Green in TNA, both of whom have since returned to WWE.

With that said, Grace has also spoken highly of her time with TNA Wrestling where she has already established herself as one of the company’s top talents. Ultimately, the Juggernaut has a difficult decision to make in the coming months and fans of both promotions are interested to see in which direction she goes.

How Did WWE Keep Jordynne Grace’s NXT Involvement A Secret?

John Cena has shared his reasons for why he’s chosen to don jean shorts (aka Jorts) for much of his career as a WWE Superstar.

Cena infamously debuted on a June 2002 edition of WWE SmackDown by answering Kurt Angle’s open challenge wearing plain-looking trunks. It wouldn’t be until his ‘white rapper’ gimmick that Cena would begin wearing jorts, a look he continues to wear for matches to this day.

Triple H: ‘On Every Metric, John Cena Is The Greatest Of All Time’

John Cena On His Jorts

With Cena’s career in WWE winding down, the 16-time WWE World Champion has been in a reflective mood. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Cena shared his reasoning for sticking with his jorts for over two decades.

“The reason I wear jorts is because I’ve tried everything. Denim is really durable—it doesn’t rip a lot as long as you can find a good fit. I don’t need any families attending a WWE event looking at my ugly bits All you need to do is find something that fits around the butt and the thigh, because I always wear a drawstring belt. A belt buckle, you can really get messed up on. I’ve learned this through failure. It can stab you, it can scratch you, it can scrape you and it can also cause damage to opponents and referees. This is not a good piece of equipment.”

While Cena can be seen wearing suits in public appearances outside WWE, odds are he’ll be rocking the jorts for what will be his final year as an in-ring talent. At WWE Money in the Bank 2024, Cena shared that he will retire from wrestling next year and is set to embark on a retirement tour. At this time, several details about this tour are unknown though fans can expect John to receive a fitting send-off by WWE.

Wrestling World Reacts To John Cena Announcing 2025 In-Ring Retirement

Fans can expect to see much more of Joe Hendry in WWE NXT after the popular TNA Wrestling star was teased in the final seconds of NXT Heatwave.

In the main event, Ethan Page captured the WWE NXT Championship just 40 days after debuting for the gold brand. In the final moments of the show, however, a clip of Hendry from his entrance video played, leaving fans to speculate what this means.

Latest On Joe Hendry

Hendry will play a major role in NXT’s crossover with TNA Wrestling going forward, Corey Brennan of Fightful Select reports. This crossover will play out over the next several weeks and months and WWE is keen to make use of Hendry’s viral appeal. The belief is that even brief teases, such as what was seen at Heatwave, are enough to keep him on the minds of fans.

Despite being teased at Heatwave, Hendry was nowhere near the show. While the NXT roster brought it in Toronto, Hendry was over 3,000 miles away, competing at a show in Glasgow, Scotland.

It’ll be interesting to see how Hendry fits into the NXT picture, as he is also making waves in TNA Wrestling. On last week’s episode of iMPACT!, Hendry defeated Jake Something to earn himself a spot in a TNA World Championship six-man match. The Scottish star will join champion Moose, Josh Alexander, Steve Maclin, Nic Nemeth, and Frankie Kazarian in the match at Slammiversary on July 20.

Joe Hendry in WWE NXT

Hendry debuted last month in WWE NXT as part of a battle royal that also featured fellow TNA wrestler Frankie Kazarian. Despite earning the loudest pop of the night and delivering a pre-match promo, Hendry was the first talent eliminated. A post-match backstage face-to-face with Shawn Michaels suggested that there’d be more for Hendry in NXT and that certainly appears to be the case now.

Hendry is set to make more appearances for WWE NXT, but there are some speculating on whether a full-time move could happen when the time is right. When Brennan asked if WWE would be interested in Hendry after his current TNA deal expires, sources within WWE said “Who wouldn’t?!” Time will tell what’s next for Hendry but expect to see plenty of the Scottish star in both TNA and WWE NXT.

TNA’s Joe Hendry Plans On Going Further After Hitting WWE Twitter Milestone

The WWE Universe may see women’s Intercontinental and U.S. titles introduced to the main roster, though an official decision has yet to be made.

Last week, reports circulated that WWE had women’s versions of the Intercontinental and United States Championships in the works. These titles would serve a similar role to their male equivalents and be mid-card titles on Monday Night Raw and SmackDown.

While Fightful Select could not confirm that these titles are in the works, they have been discussed within WWE. The initial report included images of championships (as seen in the image for this article,) though these are examples AI art and not real championship belts. Talent who spoke to Fightful said they’ve not heard news of any upcoming mid-card championships, but it is something that a number of talent have pushed for over several years.

The Case for Women’s Mid-Card Championships

WWE introduced its first Women’s mid-card championship at WWE NXT Battleground when Kelani Jordan won the NXT Women’s North American Title. Since her six-woman ladder match victory, Jordan has retained against Michin, Izzi Dame, and most recently Sol Ruca.

Several notable names have gone on record pushing for women’s mid-card championships to be introduced in WWE. Before her September 2023 release, Dana Brooke (now TNA’s Ash By Elegance) said she hoped her reigns as 24/7 Champion would see the title become a mid-card belt for the women’s roster. Raquel Rodriguez, who has held gold in both WWE NXT and the main roster, said in 2022 that she was pushing for a mid-card title for women.

Bayley Wants to See WWE Introduce a Women’s Mid-Card Championship

It’s not just the women of WWE who believe in more mid-card titles on the main roster. WWE NXT commentator Booker T has thrown his support to such a title. Fellow WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker has said such titles would benefit the increasingly deep Women’s division on Raw and SmackDown. It remains to be seen whether these titles ever see the light of day, but it seems the idea isn’t off the table in WWE.

Stephanie Vaquer may have come up short at AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door, but the future looks bright for the now-former NJPW Strong Women’s Champion.

At the June 30, event, Vaquer lost the gold to Mercedes Mone who put her AEW TBS Championship on the line in the match. This title win was a long time coming for Mone, as the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship had been created in 2023 with the CEO in mind. Vaquer had held the title since March after upsetting Giulia, who is expected to join WWE NXT very soon.

Interest In Stephanie Vaquer

Despite the loss, Vaquer’s performance at Forbidden Door has sparked a ton of interest in the Chilean wrestler. Mexican news outlet Record notes that Vaquer is set to leave CMLL, where she has competed since 2019. Vaquer is a former CMLL World Women’s Tag Team Champion and is currently in her first reign as CMLL World Women’s Champion.

After Forbidden Door WWE and AEW executives approached Stephanie Vaquer to let her know they were interested in hiring her. Record says that Vaquer will make a decision “in the next few days” as to which company she plans on joining on a multi-year deal.

It’s hardly a surprise that Vaquer’s efforts have caught the attention of both AEW and WWE. Following Forbidden Door, PW Insider noted that there had been praise backstage for the match, with special praise on Vaquer. Despite being less known to the New York City crowd than Mone, Vaquer was able to win over the fans at Forbidden Door in a testament to her skills.

What’s to Come?

Should Vaquer choose AEW, odds are a rematch with Mone won’t be in her immediate future, despite making it clear she wants said match after Forbidden Door. The AEW/NJPW crossover event also saw Britt Baker make her long-awaited return to TV and confronted Mone. On the most recent Dynamite, the two continued to tease a feud that’ll ultimately see Baker challenge for the gold.

The WWE NXT Great American Bash will return this August though the popular event will take place on SyFy instead of the gold brand’s usual home on the USA Network.

During WWE NXT Heatwave, it was confirmed that the show will take place on August 6. Unlike previous years, the show will not take place on USA, which will instead be covering the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.

The Great American Bash’s history dates back to 1985 with the first six annual events being held under the NWA banner. After WCW split from the NWA in 1991, the show became a WCW exclusive and would remain so until the promotion’s demise in 2000. The show was revived by WWE in 2004 and has been used as an NXT-brand event since 2020. Last year’s event was opened by Cody Rhodes, which was fitting given that it was his father Dusty who headlined the very first Great American Bash in a war for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

WWE’s WCW Terms

The announcement of the NXT Great American Bash 2024 comes at an interesting time as there’s been plenty of talk about WWE reviving other WCW events. Recently, the company filed trademarks for SuperBrawl and New Blood Rising, both of which were once terms for WCW pay-per-views. WWE also filed to trademark ‘The Match Beyond’ a term used in WCW to describe the portion of a WarGames match where all participants have entered the cage.

WWE already used several WCW terms for its programming, including the Night Of Champions pay-per-view coming from the name of the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro. WWE has also used Starrcade in the past with that term coming from WCW’s biggest annual event. Each October, WWE NXT hosts an annual Halloween Havoc show which like the WCW show of the same name, has a spooky theme.

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Ethan Page is riding high after capturing the WWE NXT Championship mere weeks into his debut as part of the gold brand.

At WWE NXT Heatwave, Page captured the title in a fatal four-way that included former champion Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans, and fellow AEW alum Shawn Spears. This win comes just 40 days after Page made his debut in WWE NXT, where he attacked Williams and made his goal to become NXT Champion crystal clear.

Ethan Page On His Title Win

Page was understandably pleased with his title win, especially considering what many feel was an underwhelming run in All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor. In his first post-match comments, Page spoke of how sure he was that the NXT Title would be his.

“Most people would say it feels amazing, it feels great. But to be honest with you, I mean, I knew this was gonna happen. [Laughs] Six weeks. I walked in the first night, and I attacked who? Oh, that’s right, this bum’s name is still in this belt, and as soon I’m done with this interview, I’m gonna be getting these things changed.”

Page won the title in unusual fashion, as he fell onto Je’Von Evans to get the pinfall. While many would argue this was a lucky break for the Canadian, Page would disagree.

“You’re gonna say I got lucky? I earned everything I have in the last 17 years of my career. Tonight is no different… I’m going to be a fighting champion. I’m going to be the man in NXT, but not to prove it to you, people doubting me, saying things like, ‘Oh, you got lucky.’ No, ‘All Ego’ was born to be champion. Now, I finally have the hardware to prove it.”

What’s to Come?

Page has rapidly reached the top of WWE NXT, but his next challenger may come from outside of the promotion. In the final second of NXT Heatwave, TNA Wrestling’s Joe Hendry was shown. The Scottish wrestler has proven immensely popular and this tease has left many believing that Hendry will have a role in NXT going forward.

Hendry appeared during a May 2024 battle royal for a shot at the NXT title, and both WWE NXT and TNA Wrestling were pleased with his performance on the night. Could the ‘prohibited portal’ see an AEW alum and a TNA star fight for WWE NXT’s richest prize? Only time will tell but right now, the gold brand is all about All-Ego Ethan Page.

One wrestling fan’s efforts to propose to his beloved proved to be in vain after the potential bride decided to turn the proposal into an impromptu wrestling match.

On Twitter, user Lord A Drean, who describes himself as the “HOTTEST INDI WRESTLER RAPPER RIGHT NOW” shared his planned proposal. After popping the question in a mall, Drean’s partner Malicious China popped him with a Canadian Destroyer and an RKO. The pair were joined by a referee. A big boot would seal Drean’s fate and the referee would count the pinfall, leaving it uncertain if the couple actually got engaged.

Engagement or not, this attempted proposal has gone viral online. At the time of writing, the video has been viewed over 5.6 million times on Twitter and has reached 90,000 likes, in addition to 8,600 retweets and 13,000 bookmarks.

When Wrestling Goes Viral

This couple’s wrestling moves may have gone viral, but it’s hardly the first time something like this has happened. In April of this year, a gender-reveal match went viral that included Tables, Ladders, Chairs, and a nod to WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker. That same month, a video went viral showing playground wrestling in New York City which received the seal of approval from AEW talent.

In March, a WWE fan arrived at his own wedding with a Bloodline-inspired entrance, in which they served as the Roman Reigns of the group. Reigns would even react on Twitter to say that the union had been “acknowledged.” During a wedding a few years ago, the bride arrived to Becky Lynch’s music and set the tone for the ceremony with some kendo stick shots.

You can never be certain what will go viral in wrestling, but Drean and Malicious China certainly did that this week. It remains to be seen if the couple ever tie the knot, but if so, Drean should keep an eye out for an RKO (outta nowhere of course!) on their wedding day.

Drew McIntyre has been ‘indefinitely suspended’ from WWE competition due to his highly unprofessional conduct at Saturday’s Money in the Bank premium live event.

The night started strong for McIntyre as the Scottish Warrior captured the Men’s Money in the Bank briefcase. Drew had previously vowed to cash in on the night and true to his word, entered the World Heavyweight Championship match later in the show. CM Punk would once again prove to be a thorn in McIntyre’s side and would for the third time this year, cost the Scottish Warrior the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Drew McIntyre Suspended

On the post-show, McIntyre let loose with a verbal tirade which saw him warn Punk that he knows where his family lives. Several officials tried to hold McIntyre back including Raw General Manager Adam Pearce who received an elbow from the former World Champion for his troubles.

The Fallout

Pearce released a breaking news video on Sunday to address the fallout from McIntyre’s conduct, which he called the ‘elephant in the room.’ He announced McIntyre has been indefinitely suspended. He’s also levied financial penalties on Punk and McIntyre (amounts undisclosed).

GM Pearce will address the matter in further detail this coming Monday when WWE Raw takes place from Ottawa, the capital city of Canada.

With McIntyre banished from programming, questions have been raised as to what’s next in his war with CM Punk. The Best in the World has not been advertised for the upcoming episode of Raw. Some have predicted that Punk Vs. McIntyre will at long last take place at SummerSlam 2024 but with McIntyre suspended, that remains to be seen mere weeks ahead of the show.

• Drew McIntyre: CM Punk Has Brought Out The Worst In Me

A former brand ambassador for Hulk Hogan’s new alcoholic beverage line has claimed the wrestling legend fired her after learning she is a black woman.

On TikTok, Essence Jenai made the accusation against the two-time WWE Hall of Famer. In her video, Jenai shared a series of images with Hogan, proving that the two were working together. Jenai also shared images of stacks of Hogan’s new ‘Real American Beer’ beverage.

Hogan has not commented publicly on the accusation against him. Similarly, WWE has not made a public statement on the accusation. The Hulkster’s most recent appearance for WWE came during an episode of Raw earlier this year that celebrated 40 years of Hulkamania.

Real American Beer has given a statement refuting this claim. Click here for more.

Hulk Hogan’s Controversy

In 2015, Hogan was fired from WWE after racist remarks made in 2007 were shared online. In that video, Hogan disapproved of the idea of his daughter Brooke dating a black man and used the N-word during his rant. Hogan added that he is “a racist, to a point.” In addition to being fired from WWE, Hogan was removed from the promotion’s Hall of Fame and gave an apology to People Magazine:

“Eight years ago I used offensive language during a conversation. It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it.”

Hogan’s comments were widely condemned though he did receive some support in the wrestling community. Virgil, Dennis Rodman, and Kamala, all of whom Hogan had worked with at some point or another, gave individual statements suggesting Hogan was not a racist and did not mean harm with his comments.

Hogan was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 and made an appearance at the Extreme Rules kick-off event that same year. Hogan would return in a more prominent role to lead a team of Superstars against Ric Flair’s team at that year’s Crown Jewel event. Hogan has been used sporadically since then and often received mixed responses from crowds, including as the co-host of WrestleMania 37 (alongside Titus O’Neil) in 2021.

The wrestling world has reacted to John Cena’s announcement that his final match will come at WWE WrestleMania 41 in April of next year.

At WWE Money in the Bank 2024, Cena surprised the fans in Toronto with an unannounced appearance at the event. The 16-time WWE World Champion spoke openly about his career before sharing the news that he plans to retire from in-ring competition next year. The topic of Cena’s retirement has been broached several times in recent years, as John has been well aware that his days in the ring have been numbered for some time.

Reaction To John Cena’s Announcement

Cena’s announcement understandably had the wrestling world abuzz with many taking to social media to share their reactions. On Twitter, Baron Corbin made his claim to face Cena in what will be John’s final match.

Corbin isn’t the only Superstar with their eyes on John Cena. Former Raw Tag Team Champion Omos also wants a piece of Big Match John.

‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor reacted to Cena’s retirement by using the same verbiage that John used to announce the death of Osama Bin Laden after WWE Extreme Rules 2011.

WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, who spoke highly of John after Money in the Bank, shared a video of the pair backstage following Cena’s announcement.

Cena’s announcement has surpassed the realm of professional wrestling. On Twitter, the Orlando Magic wished John a happy retirement.

The MLB also praised Cena and thanked John alongside an image of the 16-time World Champion throwing a pitch.

John Cena Reveals Details Of 2021 Wrestling Retirement

Marko Stunt made a surprise return to All Elite Wrestling this week as the unlikely challenger to AEW TNT Champion Jack Perry.

On the July 6, edition of AEW Collision, Perry put his title on the line in an open challenge. The Elite member certainly didn’t expect his challenge to be answered by Stunt, who previously teamed with Perry (who competed as Jungle Boy) and Killswitch (then known as Luchasaurus) in Jurassic Express.

Despite the loud reaction, Stunt was unable to dethrone Perry, who captured the TNT Championship at the recent AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event. In a backstage interview later in the show, Stunt’s segment was interrupted by former ally Killswitch.

This match was Stunt’s first bout for AEW since September 2021. He would later be released from the company in June 2022. It remains to be seen if he’ll appear again in AEW but the interactions between himself, Perry, and Killswitch make clear that the past has not been forgotten.

Marko Stunt in All Elite Wrestling

Stunt made his AEW debut as part of a battle royal during the promotion’s inaugural pay-per-view, AEW Double or Nothing, back in May 2019. It wouldn’t be until December of that year that Stunt first tasted victory in an AEW ring when he and Luchasaurus defeated The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds and John Silver) on AEW Dark. Throughout his AEW run, Stunt competed in 49 matches and boasts a somewhat unfortunate 17-32 win/loss record

WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has lavished praise on John Cena as the WWE Icon-turned-Hollywood A-Lister prepares for his life after the ring.

The 16-time WWE World Champion made a surprise appearance at Money In The Bank 2024 with some sobering news. In front of the rabid Toronto crowd, John confirmed that he will retire from competition in 2025 and his final match will take place at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

John Cena Announces 2025 Retirement At WWE Money in the Bank

Triple H On John Cena

At the WWE Money in the Bank post-show, Levesque was asked for his thoughts on Cena’s impending retirement from the ring. Levesque, who retired due to health issues in 2022, had nothing but good words for his friend and former rival.

“A lot of people talk about legends and icons and [there’s] so much speculation about who would be on wrestling’s Mt. Rushmore. I don’t care what metric you use, John is on the top of all of them. He’s had an unbelievable career.”

After speaking about Cena being able to call his ‘shot’ given his immense success, Levesque concluded with his personal views on the 16-time WWE World Champion.

“For me personally, I want to say thank you to John for everything he’s done. Everything he’s done for WWE, for all of the Superstars here, and for what he’s done just for sports entertainment and pro wrestling, for all of it in general. Against his will, a while ago he was being called the greatest of all time. But he truly is, I believe that. So thank you to John.”

Little is currently known about John Cena’s final match, though it obviously won’t be in London, England as he previously suggested. Nevertheless, fans can expect a fitting send-off by WWE to a talent whose name is etched in history as one of the all-time greats.