The current era of WWE is proving to be better than the much-acclaimed Attitude Era, at least according to WWE Tag Team Champion Austin Theory.
WWE officially launched its ‘new era’ at WrestleMania 40, though this came months after Vince McMahon’s second resignation from the promotion in January 2024. With the 78-year-old billionaire no longer around, production changes have been well-received by fans as have the storylines we see on TV.
Speaking to the Battleground Podcast, Austin Theory had plenty of praise for the current era which he believes has surpassed the Attitude Era.
“We do all these things, and every show is packed. Even when I’m just doing meet-and-greets, like in Australia, I did one where 300 people came to see me in the middle of a mall. WWE is at an all-time high now, and you can’t deny it. I think we’ve surpassed the Attitude Era. This era has solidified a new world of professional wrestling.”
Theory went on to describe Triple H as “The Man” and appreciates the “innovative” ideas of WWE’s Chief Content Officer. The former U.S. Champion also praised the passion of everyone in WWE today and believes that with Triple H ‘”in the pilot seat” that there’s no stopping WWE.
It’s hard to ignore the success of the current era of WWE. In November 2023, it was reported that the average attendance of WWE events have now matched the Attitude Era attendance. WWE is certainly making far more money now than it did during the era of the late 1990s and early 2000s, thanks in part to its lucrative TV deals and relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Wrestling fans and moviegoers alike have been granted their first look at Dwayne Johnson in the upcoming The Smashing Machine biopic.
The new film is based on Mark Kerr, a former wrestler and MMA fighter who in addition to his fights in the ring, fought personal demons as well. Johnson will play Kerr in the film while his Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt will portray Keers’ wife Dawn Staples. The film is being produced by Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions and will be distributed by A24. Benny Safdie (Oppenheimer, Uncut Gems) is directing, writing and co-producing.
Kerr (Johnson) in the ring while Dawn (Blunt) watches him from ring-side.
The film marks quite the shift for Johnson who is more commonly associated with family-friendly projects such as Moana or action-packed blockbusters like the Fast and the Furious franchise. In January 2024, Johnson told Variety of his desire to stretch his acting chops further.
“I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity, and explore struggle [and] pain.”
Johnson will have the chance to do just that in the role of Kerr. The MMA fighter, now 55 years old, has faced addiction to painkillers, brought on in part due to the ‘no holds barred’ style of early mixed martial arts competition. The Smashing Machine was released as a documentary in 2002 and expectations are high for the new film that is currently without a release date.
The Undertaker moved at a cat-like pace to ensure his spot at WrestleMania 40 went off without a hitch, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has revealed.
In the emotional main event of WrestleMania 40: Sunday, Rhodes ended the 1,316-day run of Roman Reigns, who has not been seen since the event. Both men had help with The Undertaker appearing to chokeslam The Rock after the Final Boss tried to assist his cousin.
The Undertaker dealt with The Rock at WrestleMania 40 before Cody’s story was finished.
Though not decked in his usual Undertaker regalia, the WWE Hall of Famer did appear in the ring in an instant when the lights went dark. On the Babyfaces podcast, Rhodes shared some new information about the Phenom’s infamous appearance.
“When the blackout happens in the arena, your eyes are adjusted to where you actually can see kind of what’s going on in the ring… I saw out of the corner of my eye, The Undertaker roll in the ring at a speed that was like a Ricochet would roll in the ring. A Chad Gable would roll in the ring.
“A speed that if anyone’s wondering, ‘Oh, I wonder if it’s still there.’ Oh my gosh. It was like a lion, legit like watching a lion who’d been sleeping on the rock all day and then he just went out and did it.”
Rhodes then recalled a ‘moment’ that he likes to believe he shared with his fellow WWE World Champion
“When he chokeslams The Rock, I got to make eye contact with him ever so briefly. And I think he maybe wanted to have a moment, maybe not. I could be overestimating my importance to The Undertaker here, but he winked at me. He winked at me and then the lights went out.”
With the Phenom clearing the field, Rhodes was able to defeat Reigns and finally ‘finish the story.’ He has since retained against AJ Styles at WWE Backlash France. His next title defense will come against Logan Paul at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring.
Giulia was injured week while wrestling on the inaugural card for Rossy Ogawa’s new Marigold promotion. On Monday, May 20, Giulia teamed with Utami Hayashashita at the Marigold Fields Forever event against NXT alum Sareee and Bozilla. Giulia’s team took the loss but the real story is that Giulia fractured her right wrist.
The injury will force her to cancer her upcoming matches, including the upcoming Hana Kimura tribute show. She’s still scheduled to face Sareee at Marigold’s Summer Destiny event on July 13, but we’ll see how her recovery goes. A statement by Marigold reads:
“Giulia’s right wrist was injured in yesterday’s inaugural match. Today, her doctor examined her and diagnosed her with a fracture. Unfortunately she will miss the Hana Kimura show on the 23rd, and upcoming shows for the time being. We apologize and thank you for understanding.”
Giulia Update
Giulia appeared at Japanese fighting sports memorabilia store Toudoukan and delivered the following message (translated):
“Today was Giulia’s first event at Todoukan! I’m really happy that there were so many people, and it seems like it sold out in the fastest time in Weekly Pro history. I also came to Todoukan for the first time… it’s amazing! I hope that Giulia’s prize that was won in the lottery today will be lined up here someday! Yes, I would like to visit again! Thank you! Arrivederci! See you!”
This injury is a significant setback for Giulia, who was poised to help get Marigold off the ground before testing her skills in WWE. The Japanese sensation appeared at NXT Stand & Deliver 2024 alongside Ogawa, her first appearance for the company.
Giulia out with a fractured arm
Giulia is (or potentially was) expected to make her in-ring debut for WWE at the upcoming NXT Heatwave event held on July 7. Not only that, but she is expected to compete in a championship match at the show, either the NXT Women’s Championship or the NXT Women’s North American Championship. All of these plans, however, now hinge on her condition and it remains to be seen whether her arrival in WWE will have to be delayed.
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T wishes that there was a system akin to WWE NXT when he was taking his first steps into the world of professional wrestling.
Since October 2022, the five-time WCW World Champion has served as a commentator for the gold brand, bringing decades of experience to the developmental show. Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker reflected on being able to watch talent grow as part of WWE NXT.
“It’s something special to watch these young guys grow up that way. I can only wish that I would’ve/could’ve had that kind of experience growing up in the business. It’s a great system for these young guys to actually be able to springboard.”
Booker went even further with his assessment of WWE NXT as he stated that he’s “living my best life” as part of the NXT “crew.”
It’s not hard to see why Booker wished WWE NXT was around during his early days. While many names established in wrestling join NXT upon signing with WWE, there are plenty who start their wrestling journey in the gold brand. Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Braun Strowman all had little to no wrestling training before coming to WWE.
The Future of WWE NXT
Later in the show, Booker shared his excitement for the future, namely the upcoming move to The CW. In October 2024, WWE NXT will make the move as part of what’s reported to be the biggest deal in the history of the gold brand. The move will also mark the end of WWE NXT’s five-year tenure as part of the USA Network.
WWE NXT will join a growing roster of live sports on The CW Network including ACC football, LIV Golf, and basketball. Wrestling fans can also catch NWA Powerrr episodes on The CW app.
Independent wrestler Dani Mo is hoping to go down in history as a wrestler who competed in the highest-elevated match in history.
If all goes according to plan, the match will take place on May 23, from the base camp at Kala Patthar in the Nepali Himalayas. The camp is situated at 18,519 feet (5644.6 meters) above sea level and is close proximity to Mount Everest.
Mo has been in Nepal for the week leading up to the match and the BBC is documenting her bout against Bhagawati Khadka (Unika). The Nepalese pro wrestler is described by Tribune Live in Pittsburgh as “a beloved national celebrity in her country” who has appeared on that country’s version of Dancing with the Stars.
Dani Mo intends to become a world record holder this week.
Who is Dani Mo?
Mo made her professional debut in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic that led to several wrestling promotions closing their doors. She has competed for various independent promotions including Game Changer Wrestling, WrestleRex, and Ohio Valley Wrestling.
Mo has also had some experience in big-time promotions. From October 2021 to November 2022, she made a handful of appearances for AEW where she lost to Tay Melo, Thunder Rosa, Serena Deeb, and Athena. Mo would compete for Ring of Honor in 2023 where she lost to Madison Rayne and Billie Starkz.
WWE fans with a good memory may remember Dani Mo’s sole appearance for the promotion in August 2022. During an episode of Raw, Mo teamed with Katie Arquette and future AEW star Kayla Sparks in a loss to Alexa Bliss, Asuka, and Bianca Belair.
Fans have not seen Melo return to AEW since she became a mom. Taking to Twitter, the Brazilian wrestler shared that she is happy to be back in the ring and with a lot of patience, she will be ready to return in the future. Melo added that she has a new body post-pregnancy but she is working every day to get stronger.
So happy to be able to be in the ring again. With a lot of patience I’ll get ready to be back, it’s a whole new body & I still feel so week inside.. I got frustrated a couple times, had to hold my tears and keep going. My body was my baby’s home for 40 weeks and now I’ll get…
Melo hasn’t wrestled since March of 2023 with her most recent match being a tag team match for NEW Wrestling that saw herself and Guevara defeat Encore and Tiara James. Her most recent match for AEW was back in January 2023. This AEW Rampage bout saw herself and Annaj J-A-S lose to Ruby Soho and Willow Nightingale.
It remains unclear when AEW fans will next see Keith Lee in the ring, but the former World Tag Team Champion is appreciative of the report he has received.
The Limitless One hasn’t competed since the Holiday Bash edition of AEW Collision in December 2023, where he defeated Brian Cage. Taking to Twitter, Lee shared his thanks to those who have wished him well either publicly or in private.
I don't spend a lot of time with social media these days.
But I wanted to make sure I popped on here to give thanks to many of you…
The ones who reach out privately. The ones who tweet publicly. The ones who share positive things.
Lee joined AEW in 2022, mere months after he was released from WWE following an impressive NXT run and mixed tenure on the main roster. That same year, Lee and Swerve Strickland captured the AEW World Tag Team Championships. Their 70-day title reign ended at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam in September 2022 at the hands of The Acclaimed. Lee would briefly feud with Strickland who has since gone on to become AEW World Champion.
Much like his final days in WWE, Lee’s AEW tenure has seen him miss plenty of in-ring time due to health issues. Lee was set to face Strickland at AEW Worlds End but these issues forced the Limitless One to be pulled from the show.
In January 2024, Lee disclosed that he had undergone a double surgery that has kept him out of the ring ever since. There’s currently no timeframe on when Lee will be expected to return. We here at SE Scoops are wishing him all the best in his recovery.
Liv Morgan is seemingly getting closer and closer to ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio and The Judgment Day, according to the latest clue in this ongoing mystery.
In recent weeks, wrestling fans have noticed that Morgan and Mysterio have been linked together, despite their apparent on-screen differences. These teases come after Rhea Ripley suffered an injury at the hands of Morgan during a backstage attack. This injury led to Ripley vacating the WWE Women’s World Championship, a fact that Morgan (the last woman to pin Ripley) has relished in.
During the May 6, episode of WWE Raw, Mysterio was seen wearing a purple bandana that was suspiciously missing from his neck later in the show. In a photo shared to social media by Morgan herself, the bandana can be seen in her pocket, seemingly a gift from the self-professed hardened criminal.
The Latest Clue
The latest tease of something going on took place before the May 20, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. In footage shared on Raw from earlier in the day, Morgan can be seen exiting a black vehicle. Later in the show, it was revealed that Finn Balor, an ally of Dominik Mysterio, was exiting the same vehicle.
Morgan seems to be growing ever closer to The Judgment Day at a time when the faction is without its sole female member. Could Morgan’s ‘revenge’ tour see her try and replace Rhea Ripley, not just as Mysterio’s partner but also as a member of The Judgment Day? Time will tell…
Mark Henry’s time with All Elite Wrestling could be over within a matter of days unless a new contract between the two parties is reached.
Henry’s contract with AEW is set to expire this month, Fightful Select reports. The WWE Hall of Famer and former World Heavyweight Champion signed with AEW in 2021 and made his debut as part of that year’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view. Since joining, Henry has worked as an analyst, coach, scout, and mentor for AEW. On-screen, the bulk of Henry’s work has been as an interview/personality as part of AEW Rampage.
Neither Henry nor AEW President Tony Khan have openly discussed what the future holds for Henry at this time. When not appearing for AEW, Henry can be found hosting the Busted Open Radio podcast alongside fellow WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray and a cast of other names from the industry.
Henry hasn’t competed since WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 Premium Live Event where he was part of the titular match won by Braun Strowman. His most recent singles match came on the February 13, 2017, edition of Monday Night Raw, where he was also defeated by Strowman. While the World’s Strongest Man has teased a return to the ring for one last match, he has said he doesn’t know what it’d take to make such a match a reality.
As a veteran of the industry, Henry brings plenty to AEW even if he never has this proposed final match. It remains to be seen if the World’s Strongest Man will remain All-Elite or if his three-year tenure with AEW will end later this month.
The blockbuster move will see Raw leave traditional broadcast television in favor of streaming in perhaps the biggest change to WWE content since the launch of the WWE Network in 2014. Speaking at the JPMorgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference Monday, TKO COO Mark Shapiro revealed that WWE has already tested a major PLE on the streaming giant.
“We did a test in April in New Zealand, for WrestleMania. We aired WrestleMania on Netflix in New Zealand. No promotion, no marketing whatsoever. No press release. Nobody knew it was happening because we were all nervous that it wouldn’t necessarily work so well. [It was] kind of the guinea pig trial.
“Well it went off without a hitch, that’s the good news. But secondly, the gravy on top of that was we were the highest-rated program that night on all of streaming and linear. So a great story for us.”
Mark Shapiro, President & COO, Endeavor Group Holdings Inc, talks airing this year's Wrestlemania on Netflix in New Zealand.https://t.co/NXPWX6Xhqb
Fans outside the United States will have an even sweeter deal when the Netflix deal comes into effect this coming January. In addition to receiving Raw, they will also receive SmackDown, WWE NXT, and Premium Live Events as part of the ten-year deal.
WWE’s Netflix deal marks a serious step for the company that has previously dominated the airwaves in more traditional formats of broadcasting. It’s not just the Netflix deal that reflects a change from the norm. WWE recently began hosting its new WWE Speed show exclusively on Twitter. A filing for WWE Vault, perhaps another new show, has recently been filed.
Cody Rhodes made history by winning the Royal Rumble for a second consecutive year back in January. However, what should have been a monumental day had a dark cloud looming over it that we’re just now learning about.
During a Monday appearance on Busted Open Radio, Rhodes reveals that he learned about The Rock interjecting himself into the road to WrestleMania just hours before punching his ticket to Philadelphia.
“I found out the possibility of the Rock versus Roman Reigns the day of the Royal Rumble, and I had to leave that room, head up and make sure no one knew what could possibly happen and probably on one of the more difficult days I’ve ever had in the wrestling business. But also, how can you complain when you’re winning the Royal Rumble, when you’re pointing at the sign, when over 20,000 people in Tampa? It was such a high, such a low.”
Jan 27, 2024; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Cody Rhodes eliminates CM Punk during the Men s Royal Rumble match at Tropicana Field.
Rhodes’ victory in the 30-man match made him the fourth Superstar in history to win back-to-back Rumbles. After the match, he wasted no time in making clear that he planned on challenging Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. However, WWE and The Rock and other plans.
Despite literally pointing at Reigns as his desired WrestleMania opponent, things were much different on the post-Royal Rumble edition of WWE SmackDown. Rhodes handed over his WrestleMania main event to The Rock in a now-infamous segment that ignited the ‘We Want Cody’ movement. Had it not been for that movement, Cody may not have finished his story at WrestleMania. As it turns out, that movement was totally organic and WWE really did want to go with Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania.
In the end, the Great One aligned with the Tribal Chief, joined The Bloodline, evolved into the Final Boss and took the fans on a ride that will be talked about for a long time. Rhodes dethroned Reigns at WrestleMania, is the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion and an eventual match with The Rock is expected.
Here’s Cody Rhodes’ full appearance on Busted Open Radio:
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has shared what The Rock gifted him in the most recent face-to-face confrontation between the two megastars.
The two met during the post-WrestleMania 40 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw, 24 hours removed from Rhodes capturing his title and ending the 1,316-day run of Roman Reigns. As part of the tense segment, The Rock placed an item in Cody’s hand that was evidently significant to the American Nightmare.
Fans never got the chance to see exactly what The Rock gave Rhodes during that fateful episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Rhodes shared what the Final Boss gave him.
“I tried to make a positive overture, an olive branch to The Rock and the Seven Bucks team because I have an immense respect for what they’ve done. They set the table so that I can eat at it. He did not feel that that was a positive overture and handed it back to me. That’s the best I can give you.”
Cody was pretty “heart-stricken” by The Rock rejecting what he had previously gifted him. The Undisputed WWE Champion then shared some words of wisdom from Triple H who reminded Rhodes that it’s not all ‘fun and games’ as WWE’s top star.
The Rock & Cody Rhodes came face-to-face on the post-WrestleMania Raw.
What’s Next?
During the very same segment, The Rock vowed that he would return to WWE programming down the line and that he is coming back for Cody Rhodes. A match is expected between the two with the reported current plan for Rock Vs. Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 41.
Rhodes’ more immediate future will see him put the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line at the upcoming WWE King And Queen of the Ring PLE. Rhodes will defend against Logan Paul whose United States title won’t be on the line.
WWE will get closer to crowning a new King and Queen of the Ring on the May 20 edition of WWE RAW. Tonight’s edition of Raw from North Carolina’s historic Greensboro Coliseum will see a continuation of the men’s and women’s tournaments. If you’re in the area, tickets for the show are still available at Ticketmaster.
The King and Queen of the Ring Tournaments tournaments began on May 6 and will conclude this Saturday at at the Jeddah Dome in Saudi Arabia. This will be the first Premium Live Event to be named after the tournaments since WWE King of the Ring 2002.
On the men’s side of things, GUNTHER will take on Jey Uso for a place in the finals in Jeddah. GUNTHER reached this spot with victories over his old rival Sheamus as well as Kofi Kingston. Jey reached the semi-finals with wins over Finn Balor and Ilja Dragunov.
Jey Uso vs. Gunther in the King of the Ring Semifinals
For the Queen of the Ring Tournament semi-finals, Lyra Valkyria will take on IYO SKY. The recently called-up Valkyria reached this spot in the tournament with wins over Dakota Kai and Zoey Stark. SKY has rebounded from her loss at WrestleMania 40 by advancing with wins over Natalya and Shayna Baszler.
In non-tournament action, we’ll see Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn battle Chad Gable in a non-title match. These two and Bronson Reed will compete for Zayn’s title this weekend.
Other top feuds headed into the PLE include Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes vs. United States Champion Logan Paul and Liv Morgan challenging Becky Lynch for the Women’s World Championship.
Keep checking back to SEScoops for more coverage of tonight’s WWE Raw, including all the news coming out of the show afterwards.
Catch up on the Top 10 moments from last week’s show:
Chris Jericho may be one of wrestling’s most popular stars, but he wasn’t surprised by the hostile response he received at the AEW Dynasty pay-per-view.
While Jericho, a heel, was supposed to receive a negative response, the chants from the crowd in St. Louis went much further than a typical reaction. Throughout the match, the crowd hurled “Please retire!” and “Go home, Jericho, go home!” chants at the veteran who has been with AEW since the very start. The St. Louis crowd also loudly booed when he defeated HOOK to capture the FTW Championship.
Many fans watching at home were taken aback by the negative response to Jericho’s presence at the show, but Chris himself wasn’t shocked, Fightful Select reports. According to those close to the current FTW Champion, the crowd reaction during the match was almost identical to the way he described it to them ahead of time.
Chris Jericho predicted the highly hostile reaction.
Since capturing the FTW Championship, Jericho has formed an alliance with Big Bill that has ended Bill’s previous tag team with Ricky Starks. On the most recent AEW Collision, HOOK defeated Johnny TV in an FTW Title Contenders Series match.
WWE Superstars were wary of keeping their distance from Valhalla as the Riott Squad alum has been known to pass wind in the ring.
Before she was Valhalla, the Viking competed as Sarah Logan and was part of the Riott Squad alongside Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott (now Soho.) The group made its main roster debut in November 2017 and all three members would have the date of their call-up tattooed on their bodies.
In a recent interview with Open Thoughts, Morgan was asked if she’s ever passed wind in the ring. While Liv has been flatulence-free during matches, she revealed that the same can’t be said for Sarah ‘Valhalla’ Logan.
“No, but oh my gosh! Sarah, sorry I love you. I had this tag team partner Sarah, right? I was in a tag team called The Riott Squad and she would fart in the ring all the time and, you know, it like stinks but you have to kind of just like not react to it. But it’s like disgusting, you know, but you just keep it moving. I’ve not farted in the ring but I’ve been, like, farted on.”
What’s Next?
Valhalla won’t be competing (or farting) in the ring for some time, as she and Erik are currently expecting their second child. The couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy named Raymond Cash Rowe into the world. Erik has been out of action for some time after undergoing neck fusion surgery.
Bryan Danielson’s love for AEW has led the American Dragon into a war with the company’s EVPs The Elite that will culminate with Anarchy in the Arena.
Danielson will join FTR and the recently returned Darby Allin to face the Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks, Jack Perry and Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. Speaking after this week’s AEW Collision, Danielson shared his reasoning for aligning with ‘Team AEW.’
“I’m watching Dynamite, and I see the Young Bucks and the Elite piledrive Tony Khan. A guy who started this company. The guy who if he wasn’t here, this company wouldn’t even exist. And I watched that and I was angry, mad as hell.
“And then I watch the next week, as they took out Kenny Omega and hospitalized him. When he’s already sick, when he’s already hurt! You were supposed to change the world together. And that’s how I know, you guys say you’re good Christian boys but you guys are evil. Because who turns their back on their best friend like that?
“And that’s when I realized, I can’t stay at home anymore. I can’t rehab anymore. I have to come back and I have to fight! I have to fight for AEW because I love this place! You guys say you want to change the world! You won’t even show up on a Saturday!”
EXCLUSIVE: Bryan Danielson will FIGHT with all of the strength that he has left with Team AEW to take out The Elite at Anarchy in the Arena at #AEWDoN NEXT SUNDAY!@BryanDanielsonpic.twitter.com/x2INeVymZQ
Danielson has been a part of AEW since 2021 after a highly successful run in WWE as Daniel Bryan. The upcoming Anarchy in the Arena match will be Danielson’s second time competing in such a match after the BCC beat The Elite last year.
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
WCW alum Buff Bagwell proved he still has the ‘stuff’ by winning championship gold in his first match in close to two years.
Bagwell was a part of the Memphis Wrestling event this week and teamed with ‘Big’ John Dalton to take on Memphis Tag Team Champions Sir Matthew & Lord Gaston. Bagwell and Dalton won the gold after a big splash from the 300 lb Dalton.
Bagwell hit a series of elbows and clotheslines in the match as well as a ‘noggin-knocker’ to his opponents. The victory with Dalton was Bagwell’s first match in any promotion since 2022 (according to Profight.) It was his first tag team championship victory since Buff and Rikki Nelson won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion in May 2009.
Buff Bagwell
With his exuberant personality and various high-profile angles, Buff Bagwell is one of the most recognizable names to come from WCW. During his ten-year run with the promotion, Bagwell became a five-time WCW World Tag Team Champion across four different partners. He would be brought into the WWF in 2001 but was let go after an infamous match with Booker T. It’s also reported that Bagwell’s mother Judy (another former WCW Tag Champion) called up WWF offices to demand better work for her son.
In more recent years, Bagwell has struggled with a series of health issues, some of which have stemmed from his days abusing substances. Like many legends of the ring, Bagwell has been receiving help from WWE Hall of Famer ‘Diamond’ Dallas Page and celebrated eleven months of sobriety in July 2023. Bagwell’s life and struggle was documented during a recent episode of VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring.
More has come to light about the recent wave of releases from the NXT roster and why exactly these cuts happened when they did.
WWE cut several names from its NXT roster on May 3. This marked the first wave of cuts to WWE NXT as part of the promotion’s ‘new era.’ The Performance Center was closed on that Friday, Fightful Select reports, with talent being made before the Friday that cuts were coming. It was also noted that it was “no accident” that the releases took place during WWE SmackDown.
Valentina Feroz and Boa were two surprising names cut as they had both been receiving TV time. With that said, both had been struggling with injuries in recent months which had obviously impacted their careers. NXT talent told Fightful that they believe the two didn’t get consistent shots to show what they are capable of.
Trey Bearhill
The release of Trey Bearhill was another that caught WWE NXT talent off guard as he had been regularly appearing at WWE NXT live events and had made a handful of TV appearances. Despite speculation by some online that Bearhill was released due to his similarities with fellow Native American Eddy Thorpe, NXT talent refuted the notion.
Valentina Feroz and Boa were among those released from WWE NXT.
WWE Next Gen
Some names cut had been appearing on the WWE Next Gen series on Roku which shines a spotlight onto the stars of tomorrow. Some fans were confused to see these young athletes cut as none had even revealed that they were under contract. It is reported that the recruits’ deals with WWE began following the taping of the show, but were not allowed to announce their signings till the show aired.
New Japan had no other alternative but to let go of Kazuchika Okada, according to parent company Busihiroad’s President Takaaki Kidani.
Despite being one of New Japan’s top stars for years, it was in January 2024 that the company announced it would not be renewing the contract of the ‘Rainmaker.’ This ended the 18-year tenure of Okada under contract and was met with a backlash at the time.
In an interview with Proresu-TODAY, Kidani was asked for his thoughts on Okada’s departure.
“I can only say that I had no choice. As I have said many times, if I were in the same position, I would have done the same thing. So I can only say that it can’t be helped and that I wish them all the best, and I may sound like a customer, but all I can say is, please spread the word of Japan’s greatness to the world.”
Okada benefitted greatly from Bushiroad’s influence during his NJPW run as the company scored him media appearances and commercials that elevated his star power. With that said, Kidani made clear that Okada’s in-ring success was all his own doing.
“He became what he is because he worked hard, but I think it was also due to the cooperation of those around him and good rivalry between them.”
NJPW felt they had no choice but to let Okada’s contract expire.
Since leaving New Japan, Okada has signed with AEW and wasted no time in March by siding himself with The Elite. The Rainmaker is currently in his first reign as AEW Continental Champion. He will team with his Elite allies at AEW Double or Nothing 2024 to face FTR, Darby Allin, and Bryan Danielson in the Anarchy in the Arena match.
Gable Steveson’s release from WWE may have been a shock to some, but reportedly not to those working with him in WWE NXT.
Steveson’s exit came less than three years after his high-profile signing to WWE in 2021. That same year, Steveson won Olympic Gold in freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo Summer Games, making him the second-ever gold medalist to sign with WWE (after Kurt Angle over two decades earlier.) Shortly after his signing, Steveson was selected by Raw in that year’s Draft, becoming the first draft pick chosen without a single match to his name.
Despite his high-profile standing outside of WWE, Steveson’s departure wasn’t a surprise to those in the company. One NXT talent who spoke to Fightful Select noted the difference in development between Steveson and his brother Damon Kemp. The two brothers joined WWE around the same time and in stark contrast to his Olympian sibling, Kemp has quickly found a place for himself on TV.
Steveson’s progression in WWE was slow with reports coming out in 2022 that he was nowhere close to showing the skill set WWE had hoped to see by that point in time. NXT talent believe it was his lack of progression and not his previous trouble with the law that factored into his WWE release.
Steveson and a university teammate were arrested on suspicion of criminal sexual misconduct in 2019 but they did not face criminal charges due to a lack of adequate evidence. At the time though, the county attorney pointed to a lack of a law in Minnesota (where the alleged incident happened) that would’ve given them a broader discretion in charging sexual assaults against intoxicated victims.
Steveson competed just one time on WWE TV.
What’s Next for Gable Steveson?
Steveson’s days in WWE are over but his days competing are far from finished. The ex-Superstar recently had a tryout for the Buffalo Bills and is expected to meet several NFL teams. There had been speculation that Steveson would go to the NFL after his victory in Tokyo before he signed with WWE.
AEW’s Ruby Soho and Angelo Parker have gotten married in a ceremony ahead of becoming parents. The two tied the knot over the weekend, with Dark Order member John Silver posting a photo from the wedding on social media. They’re been romantically linked other since 2023.
The photo above shows that Soho’s ‘baby bump’ is starting to show. The Outcasts alum revealed after the April 17 edition of AEW Dynamite that she is pregnant with her and Parker’s first child.
Ruby Soho will soon join an elite club of wrestlers who prove themselves in the ring while also being moms. In December 2020, Becky Lynch gave birth to her and Seth Rollins’ first child Roux, and returned to TV at SummerSlam 2021 as a heel. The same year that Lynch returned, her former rival Ronda Rousey had a daughter with Travis Browne. Wanting to be a mom was part of Rousey’s decision to step away from WWE in 2019.
WWE Women’s Champion Bayley hopes the success of the ongoing Queen of the Ring tournament will lead to the second-ever Evolution PLE.
It’s been over five years since WWE hosted its first (and to date, only) all-female Premium Live Event. Since that October 2018 night, WWE has continued to highlight women’s wrestling with WrestleMania 35 in 2019 seeing the first (but not the last) time that a women’s match headlined a night of the Showcase of the Immortals.
Right now, the women of WWE are embarking in a tournament to crown the next Queen of the Ring. Taking to Twitter, Bayley suggested that the tournament proves that Evolution 2 would be viable.
While there may be a calling for Evolution 2, getting the event green-lit is proving easier said than done. After the initial event, it was reported that WWE Evolution had fallen below expectations in terms of ticket sales despite the considerable push it had received compared to other events of its size that year.
WWE Queen Of The Ring
The ongoing tournament is down to its final four Superstars. On the upcoming episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Lyra Valkyria will face IYO SKY for a place in the finals. On SmackDown, Nia Jax will face Bianca Belair. The winners of these two matches will face off for the crown at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring on May 25, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion seemingly suffered an injury during a match that could have dire implications for her historic title reign.
The incident in question took place during Athena’s match with Viva Van which took place as part of the recent AEW Collision taping. Athena charged at Van who ducked the attack and pulled down the middle rope with Athena taking a bump between the ropes and landing on the outside.
When Athena returned to the ring, she was limping but had enough in her to drill Van with a forearm smash and pin her opponent. Van kicked out the first time but stayed down the second time so it appears that Athena relayed to the referee that she had been hurt.
There’s questions over what the future holds for the ROH Women’s World Champion.
This situation share some similarities with what transpired in late 2023 between Jon Moxley and Rey Fenix. During their AEW International Title match, Moxley suffered an injury and called for the match to be ended early. Unfortunately, the referee Rick Knox did not quite understand and stopped a pinfall attempt by Fenix even when Moxley had not kicked out. Knox later counted the pinfall and reportedly earned heat backstage for not ending the match early.
This situation will of course raise questions about Athena’s immediate future and the future of the Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion. The War Goddess has held the title for over 525 days after capturing the title at ROH Final Battle in December 2022. She holds the record for the most days as champions and has held the title for more days than all other champions put together.
WWE’s ongoing QR code mystery made a subtle reference to the Bo-lieve gimmick as many await the return of the character Bo Dallas played: Uncle Howdy.
Since the Raw after WrestleMania 40, several QR codes have appeared on WWE programming and scanning them has led fans to cryptic videos with clues to decipher. More recently, WWE’s Twitch channel shared an hour-long video inundated with clues and hidden meanings.
It is believed that these videos and clues are building to the return of Uncle Howdy, as portrayed in 2022 and 2023 by Bo Dallas. On the May 17, episode of WWE SmackDown, this continued as a QR code appeared during the match between DIY and Legado Del Fantasma’s Angel and Berto.
When scanned, a video filled with ominous symbols played which includes a young boy with creepy Joker-esque facepaint. A voiceover states “He is nobody. He is all of us,” before concluding with, “Do you want to meet him?” before showing a sketch similar to what fans recently saw on Twitch.
It’s unclear who the boy is in this video, perhaps a young Bo Dallas himself. At the end of the video, the number 4714 was briefly shown, leaving fans to wonder what this number means. As some have pointed out on social media, April 7, 2014, was the date of the initial Bo-lieve gimmick that led to Dallas being called up to the main roster.
Dallas isn’t expected to return as Uncle Howdy alone. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, and the recently rehired Erick Rowan are set to be part of a faction, an idea that had at one time reportedly been the plan for Bray Wyatt. There’s no word on when fans should expect Uncle Howdy on TV but the current signs on TV seem to indicate that his return is not far away.
