Drew McIntyre has continued to hype a showdown with CM Punk in the Scottish Warrior’s home country as part of WWE Clash At The Castle.
During this week’s Raw, Punk once again had plenty to say about McIntyre, albeit after his nemesis had already left the arena. Teasing a showdown at the June 15, event, Punk said:
“I’m gonna find you. If you make me go to Glasgow, Scottland, I’m gonna be hiding in a bowl of haggis, and I’m gonna pop out, and I’m gonna break your face.”
Now McIntyre has also teased confronting Punk in Scotland. In a lengthy Twitter video, the three-time WWE World Champion ends by saying he’d be ready if Punk does indeed come to Glasgow.
“I heard what you said. If you actually turn up to Glasgow, you’re not going to leave in one piece.”
Because I’m sick and tired of these childish games.
Because I need to vent.
Because I didn’t get the chance to say this at #WWERaw
Should Punk appear in Glasgow, he may not receive a warm welcome from the UK crowd. Not only will McIntyre receive a hero’s welcome in his home country but the fans at AEW All In gave a mixed-at-best response to Punk for what would eventually be his final All-Elite match.
Will CM Punk and Drew McIntyre come to blows in Glasgow?
WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland
The June 15, event will be WWE’s second Clash At The Castle event and will follow on from the 2022 show in Cardiff, Wales. The name is somewhat inaccurate this time around, as while Cardiff and the surrounding area is home to several castles, there is no actual castle in Glasgow. Clash At The Castle: Scotland will take place at the OVO Hydro which will also host a SmackDown taping the night before.
Something is going on between WWE Superstars Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan. Wrestling fans have noticed a series of subtle hints linking the Judgment Day member and the former Women’s World Champion. With Rhea Ripley off TV due to injury, it seems there’s another woman stealing Dirty Dom’s attention as of late.
The latest ‘blink you and you miss it’ clue was shown on this Monday’s 5/6 WWE Raw. Mysterio appeared in-ring with his signature purple bandana, but was not wearing it later in the show during a backstage segment with The Judgment Day and Carlito.
Mysterio didn’t address his missing bandana on Raw, but we may have found it. Morgan posed for a photo backstage at Raw and if you look closely at her front left pocket, there’s a purple bandana poking out.
Oh, there it is!
Could Liv Morgan’s efforts to ruin Rhea Ripley’s life lead to her stealing Dominik away from her? Or is there another reason why the two have been getting closer in recent weeks? All we know is that something appears to be brewing between the former SmackDown Women’s Champion and ‘Dirty Dom.’
Dominik isn’t the only goal in Morgan’s sights, however. The young Superstar will challenge Becky Lynch for the WWE Women’s World Championship (a title Ripley once held) at WWE King and Queen of the Ring.
WWE NXT Superstar Jacy Jayne is on the shelf for the time being after undergoing surgery for a facial injury.
During the May 7, episode of WWE NXT, Jazmyn Nyx revealed that Jayne suffered a broken nose during her match against Thea Hail that took place at NXT Spring Breakin (Night Two). Photos of Jayne showed how bad the injury was and Nyx confirmed that Jayne had undergone surgery. Nyx vowed that she would do everything she could to get revenge on Hail for what happened.
— Sonya Bayley – WWE Fan ?? (@SDevilleLive) May 8, 2024
Jayne and Hail faced off on the April 30, episode of WWE NXT. During the match, Hail kicked out of a cover and smacked Jayne’s face in the process, causing the injury. Jayne, a former WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion, could be seen bleeding before she lost the match via submission. After that match, Jayne teased that she’d been injured by sharing a 2015 photo of John Cena after his nose was broken by Seth Rollins.
It’s currently unclear when Jayne will be back given the nature of her injury. In Cena’s case, he returned within weeks of his broken nose to face Rollins at SummerSlam. With that said, the 16-time WWE World Champion has always demonstrated a freakishly quick recovery time from injuries.
Whatever the timeframe for Jayne’s recovery is, it’s enough to keep her from plans for the NXT Women’s North American Championship. On this week’s NXT, the 12 names who will compete in qualifying matches were revealed, with neither Jayne nor Nyx making the list. Hail did make the top 12 rankings as the #2 seed.
We at SE Scoops are wishing Jacy Jayne a speedy recovery from this setback.
Mia Yim just took a big towards becoming NXT’s first North American Women’s Champion and she snapped a 477-day losing streak in the process.
WWE announced 12 women will compete in qualifying matches on NXT TV, with the six winners advancing to a ladder match at NXT Battleground to crown the inaugural Women’s North American Champion. Battleground takes place Sunday, June 9 from Las Vegas at the UFC Apex facility.
The new NXT Women’s North American Championship belt
On this week’s 5/7 edition of NXT TV, Yim defeated Arianna Grace to advance to the championship ladder match at Battleground. This win has been a long time coming for Yim, who returned to television last week . Prior to defeating Grace, Yim’s most recent televised win hadn’t taken place since WWE Raw on January 16, 2023 when she faced Iyo Sky.
Yim was brought back to WWE in late 2022 after being let go the previous year. While fans had high expectations for her, especially after she joined The O.C., her 477-day streak shows that not everyone brought back to WWE has been used effectively.
Backstage after her win, the former O.C. member spoke about how much it would mean to hear to be the first woman to hold this new championship.
Since returning, Yim has had just one singles title opportunity, which ironically saw her be beaten by SKY in January 2024. With her first TV win in a long time, it remains to be seen whether Yim can capitalize on this and become the first NXT Women’s North American Champion.
Keep checking into SE Scoops for all the latest from WWE NXT as the gold brand continues forward on the road to NXT Battleground.
Kenny Omega will share something very important with the fans during the upcoming May 8, episode of AEW Dynamite.
On Twitter, news of Omega’s importance announcement was shared by the official AEW account. Whatever the EVP has to say will happen inside the Rogers Place Arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
It’s unknown what Omega will have to say on Dynamite, though it will likely refer to the actions of The Elite. The group (which now includes Jack Perry), attacked Tony Khan recently and ambushed Omega during last week’s episode of Dynamite.
AEW Announcements
AEW is no stranger to announcements but these have often been met with mixed reviews from fans. Some announcements have certainly been massive, such as the reveal of AEW All In in April 2023, or the announcement of AEW Collision the following month.
Some announcements, however, have fallen flat with fans who expected much bigger revelations from the company. In November 2023, a much-hyped announcement revealed that tickets for All In 2024 would be going on sale the following week. Many fans found this news to be a dud and hardly needed teasing as an announcement first.
AEW Dynamite – 5/8/2024
Dynamite will see much more than an announcement from Kenny Omega. Orange Cassidy will face off against Trent Beretta in the latest chapter of their deeply personal rivalry.
Mariah May will look to continue proving herself to AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm when she takes on Harley Cameron. The Australian will likely have Saraya in her corner.
Mere days after defending his TNT title against Buddy Matthews, Adam Copeland will put his gold on the line again. This time it’ll be the House of Black’s Brody King who gets a shot at the gold.
Keep checking in to SE Scoops for all the latest from AEW Dynamite as the company builds towards their Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
Paul Bearer would’ve loved being in one final WWE storyline after his passing, according to his long-term ally The Undertaker.
The legendary manager’s passing rocked the wrestling world in 2013, as did WWE’s decision to incorporate it into a storyline. Bearer’s passing was repeatedly poked fun of by CM Punk as part of the Best in the World’s ‘mind games’ with The Undertaker ahead of their clash at WrestleMania 29.
At the time, many felt that WWE crossed a line and that more respect should have been shown to Bearer after his passing. On his Six Feet Under podcast, however, The Undertaker argued that being in the story is what his late manager would’ve wanted.
“Everybody was a little uptight about bringing that to me, thinking it might be disrespectful. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ Paul would love the fact that even after he’s gone… I don’t think he would have felt like it was disrespectful.”
The Undertaker isn’t the only one who feels this way. Speaking to TMZ at the time, Bearer’s son Michael Moody made clear WWE had the family’s permission.
“We felt that dad would have wanted us at RAW last week and agreed to the angle… We knew Dad wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
The storyline ultimately saw The Undertaker defeat CM Punk at WrestleMania, giving the Phenom his 21st win at the event; the final win of his legendary undefeated streak. As for Paul Bearer, he’d be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame that same year, and would have relished one last time in the spotlight.
WWE took its first steps towards crowning a new King and Queen of the Ring this week with a total of six first-round matches on the May 6, episode of Raw.
Both tournaments will culminate at the WWE King and Queen of the Ring PLE later this month which will take place in Saudi Arabia. WWE had initially planned on hosting the event last year but nixed the idea in favor of WWE Night of Champions. That event saw Roman Reigns reach 1,000 days as Universal Champion and Seth Rollins crowned World Heavyweight Champion.
King of the Ring Results
On Raw, the recently called-up Ilja Dragunov defeated new WWE Speed Champion Ricochet to advance to the next round. Meanwhile, Jey Uso got payback on The Judgment Day with a tournament victory over 2021 runner-up Finn Balor. Originally, Drew McIntyre was supposed to be in Jey’s spot but his injury forced changes to be made. Dragunov and Jey will face each other in the quarter-finals next week.
Queen Of The Ring Results
Raw also saw Zoey Stark advance with a win over Ivy Nile, while Lyra Valkyria defeated Dakota Kai. Like Jey Uso, Kai was a last-minute replacement for Asuka, who Damage CTRL confirmed is out with an injury. Stark and Valkyria will face each other in the next round on the May 13, episode of Raw.
What’s To Come?
While WWE promoted four matches from each tournament for Raw, only three took place. At a WWE live event this week, Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio will face off in a first-round match. This was supposed to be Rey Vs. Xavier Woods but the latter has been replaced due to not being medically cleared. The winner will face GUNTHER next week.
Shayna Baszler and Zelina Vega will also do battle at a WWE live event, despite being previously promoted for the Raw taping. The winner will face IYO SKY on next week’s Raw with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.
First-round matches will continue on the May 10, episode of WWE SmackDown. Carmelo Hayes, LA Knight, and Santos Escobar have all announced their participation.
Morgan has made it clear that she believes she deserves to be called WWE Women’s World Champion. After all, it was Morgan who injured Rhea Ripley in an assault that forced Ripley to vacate the title in the first place. Morgan is also the last woman to hold a pinfall victory over the ‘Mami’ of The Judgment Day.
Intercontinental Title Match Announced
Morgan’s title opportunity wasn’t the only match confirmed on the May 6, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. On the show, ‘Big’ Bronson Reed faced Gad Gable in a match that saw interference from Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn. This would ultimately backfire for the underdog, as Reed would lay out Sami and Gable.
In a backstage interview with Jackie Redmond, Zayn said the only way to settle things is a triple threat match for his Intercontinental Championship. This will mark the first Intercontinental title opportunity at a PLE for both Gable and Reed.
SE Scoops will have full coverage of the King & Queen of the Ring event, as well as tournament matches. Keep checking in ahead of WWE’s next Saudi Arabia event.
The corporate shake-up of WWE continues forward with the appointment of Chris Legentil as the new Head of Talent Relations.
Legentil is set to replace Dan Ventrelle who parted ways with WWE in April 2024. Ventrelle had worked closely with WWE President Nick Khan and WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque during his run and worked with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders before making the move to the squared circle.
A memo sent out by Khan, obtained by PW Insider, reads as follows:
“WWE has begun the process of reorganizing its Talent Relations group. Moving forward, Chris Legentil, in addition to his new role in Comms, will help us in leading this new group. Matt Altman, in addition to his role in Marketing, will be working closely with Chris to help in this endeavor.
“Talent Development and Recruiting will now report into Shawn Michaels.
“All of Talent, which includes Talent Relations, Development and Recruiting, will continue to ultimately report into Paul Levesque.
As of today, Dan Ventrelle will be moving on from WWE.
We thank Dan for his tremendous contributions.
Sincerely,
Nick Khan
Legentil joined WWE at Khan’s behest in 2021 and had previously been a part of sports broadcaster DAZN. In WWE, Legentil had previously been a part of the Communications department before adding Head of Talent Relations to his resume.
As the role’s name suggests, Legentil will oversee all manner of talent-related matters ranging from handling of in-house stars to recruitment of wrestlers outside the promotion. This new role will mean he’ll continue to work closely with Levesque and Khan.
Chris Legentil is WWE’s new Head of Talent Relations.
Legentil will be hoping to distance himself from the efforts of John Laurinaitis, a former Head of Talent Relations who was removed in the wake of Vince McMahon’s resignation in 2022. Laurinaitis has also been tied to Janel Grant’s lawsuit and recently came out supporting McMahon’s efforts to compel arbitration.
Ultimately, WWE is seeking to move on from the controversial names of its past, and hope that Legentil will be part of the team to do just that. With WWE boasting a massive roster across its three brands and with plenty of non-WWE names on the company’s radar, Legentil will be kept plenty busy in his new role.
More WWE Exits
Ventrelle isn’t the only long-standing WWE name to go. Here are some recent articles regarding others who have left WWE offices.
WWE has filed a response to a bizarre lawsuit against them in which the claimant alleges that the promotion partook in plagiarism.
The lawsuit in question was filed by Anthony Duane Wilson who is seeking damages from both WWE and AEW. Wilson alleges that WWE has repeatedly stolen his ideas without being paid for his work. He did not give a specific example of an idea that was used by WWE without his blessing.
Wilson also alleges that he and the Bullet Club had plans to start a wrestling promotion, known today as AEW. It is claimed that the wrestling faction stole plans Wilson devised to create the promotion.
In a response filed on May 3, WWE requested that the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, Youngstown dismiss the case. WWE argues that Wilson lacks a legitimate basis under Ohio State law. All allegations against WWE are denied in this filing. WWE’s filing does not make reference to Wilson being incarcerated after throwing urine on a corrections officer. The filing also ignores Wilson’s demand for the return of “all ships and plunder.”
Should Wilson somehow win the case against WWE and AEW, he is seeking $250 million in damages as well as control of AEW in addition to a public apology. From WWE, Wilson is seeking stock for his freelance work as well as a WWE board chair. While the case was dismissed in November 2023, it was dismissed without prejudice, giving him the chance to re-file and attempt to move the case forward.
It’s highly unlikely that Wilson will see a penny from WWE or AEW, never mind a seat at the board of the former and ownership of the latter. Nevertheless, SE Scoops will continue to follow this unlikely trial for further updates.
Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler has parted ways with WWE after decades with the Sports Entertainment promotion, it has been reported. Lawler is no longer with WWE after the company opted not to renew his contract, according to PWInsider. Their report states Lawler’s deal expired in early 2024.
One WWE source told PWInsider that Lawler’s departure was emblematic of the monumental changes happening backstage. “The old company is dead. People can say they hate Vince [McMahon] and Kevin [Dunn] all they want, and they’d be right to do so, but certain people would have been taken care of. Lawler would have been one, but this isn’t the old WWE. Howard Finkel, God bless him, wouldn’t have had a job for life here anymore, either.”
While Lawler is no longer under a broadcaster contract, he’s not entirely gone from WWE. The King is still under a ‘Legends’ deal, which allows WWE to use his name and likeness in all variety of projects. Other all-time greats signed to Legends contracts include The Undertaker, Mick Foley, and Kurt Angle.
A staple of the territories that ruled Memphis, Lawler debuted for the World Wrestling Federation in 1992. The King served as a commentator and wrestler for years in the company and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007. Lawler’s final WWE match was in September 2012 during the same Raw at which he would suffer a heart attack.
Lawler’s exit from WWE underlines the new approach to business the company is making under TKO. Lawler is the latest staple to part WWE, following the likes of Kevin Dunn in late 2023 and Vince McMahon himself that same January.
AEW’s Rey Fenix is dealing with yet another setback after being pulled from an event shortly after returning from a lengthy hiatus from the ring.
Fenix was scheduled to compete at House of Glory Wrestling’s Cinco de Mayo event on May 5 in Jamaica, New York. Fenix has been set to face Pentagon Jr. in a brother vs. brother showdown.
Unfortunately for fans excited to see the pair face off, that match didn’t happen. During the show, Pentagon Jr. shared that Fenix was not medically cleared to wrestle.
Instead of Fenix, Pentagon faced Laredo Kid. In the show’s main event, Penta defeated the TNA Wrestling Digital Media Champion in non-title action. No more information was given at the show as to why Fenix was not cleared to wrestle.
Fenix not being medically cleared is the latest setback for the talented former AEW International Champion. Fenix made his return to the ring on the April 27, edition of AEW Collision with a victory over The Beast Mortos. Prior to this, Fenix had missed six months of action due to injuries in his back and/or hip which caused great discomfort to the AEW star.
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler has provided some good news about his health which has suffered several setbacks in recent years.
In February 2023, Lawler suffered a stroke that forced him to miss several pre-booked events. The King was also unable to travel to that year’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony and instead inducted his friend and legendary rival Andy Kaufman via satellite. This stroke came just over a decade after his infamous 2012 stroke during an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw.
“My health is great. I just [went] over to the doctors to get back on the road from my knee replacement and then of course, still some minor difficulties from the stroke. But all of that stuff is coming around fast.”
Lawler’s health issues did not stop him from appearing at a Memphis Grizzlies game earlier this year. At the event, Lawler was presented with a lifetime achievement championship title in recognition of his career and his tenure as a representative of Memphis, TN. Unfortunately for the King, Memphis’ less-favored son Jeff Jarrett arrived with his AEW allies and stole the gold from Lawler.
Billie Starkz’ ROH Women’s TV World Championship win was quite the shock to the reigning titleholder, who didn’t learn of the win until the day it happened.
Starkz captured the title at ROH Supercard of Honor in April 2024 by defeating Queen Aminata in the finals of a tournament. Starkz’s win was not without controversy as she faked a serious neck injury which led to the commentators and crowd being concerned for her future in the ring.
Starkz’s win was truly historic but it was one she had little time to prepare for. Speaking during a recent RDP Promotions virtual signing, Starkz admitted that she didn’t learn who’d be winning the match until shortly before she faced Aminata.
“I didn’t know until day of (that I was winning ROH Women’s World TV Title). It wasn’t like there was any lead-up. It was just like, hey, you know your match now. Have fun.”
Starkz went on to say that the aftermath of the match was more fun to her than the match itself, as she was able to see people she doesn’t typically get to see.
“I see the people I work with at AEW all the time but then, all of my indie friends that I kind of disappeared from, I got to show off and be like, ‘Look, I won this cool, pretty thing. Take pictures with me.’”
Starkz won the title at Supercard of Honor in April 2024.
More Championship Gold?
Starkz is the first-ever ROH Women’s World TV Champion but now has her eye on more gold for her waist. When a fan suggested Women’s Tag Titles for AEW and Ring of Honor, Starkz was in favor of the idea.
“I agree with that statement (that AEW & ROH need Women’s Tag Titles) but, if we’re being honest here, we already know who would have the belts. The current champs. Come on now.”
The current champs Starkz is referring to is herself and Athena. The former WWE Superstar is in her first reign as ROH Women’s World Champion, a title she has held for over 500 days. It remains to be seen if either AEW or ROH introduce women’s tag gold, but Starkz is clearly confident in her own abilities to be a champion.
It may be some time before Ric Flair dines at the Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza again after an issue with the kitchen manager allegedly led to the wrestling legend’s exit.
Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), the two-time WWE Hall of Famer shared that he’d spent $1,500 at the establishment and took photos with the staff. Flair claims that he was then asked to leave due to an issue with the kitchen manager who Flair states was taking too long in the kitchen. The Nature Boy added that anyone in Gainesville, Georgia looking for a relaxing dining experience should eat elsewhere.
I Spent $1500 At @PiesanosSFP To Be Disrespected More Than I Ever Have In My Entire Life. After Taking 20 Pictures With Customers And Staff, I Was Asked To Leave Because Of An Issue I Had With The Kitchen Manager Taking Too Long In The Bathroom. I Would Highly Recommend That…
As of this time, there’s been no public response to Flair by the company’s social media accounts. The 16-time World Champion had been in Gainesville to visit family for a school graduation.
Flair’s tweet comes after he lambasted the upcoming ‘Who Killed WCW’ docuseries that it set to release later this year. The new series will be produced by The Rock’s Seven Bucks Productions studios. Flair has claimed that he was not consulted for the show despite his significance in World Championship Wrestling.
With his time at Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza in Gainesville proving to be a disaster, Flair may turn to another staple of fast food. Ahead of his final match in 2022, Flair opened the Wooooo! Wings virtual restaurant. The online establishment that offered wings in Nashville saw Flair team with KitchPartner restaurants and ran for four days, ending on July 31 (the date of Flair’s last match.)
More from Ric Flair
Here are some recent articles regarding Ric Flair as the two-time WWE Hall of Famer continues to make headlines:
The latest European tour of WWE saw events held in three different countries as the promotion continues to embraces its appeal outside of the U.S.
The tour, which came mere weeks after a recent tour of the United Kingdom, was part of the promotion’s buzz surrounding WWE Backlash: France, the first Premium Live Event in the country’s history.
WWE in Bologna, Italy
The first night of the tour saw the Superstars travel to Italy. The show saw several highlights, including Solo Sikoa break a 41-match losing streak. The former NXT North American Champion teamed with Tama Tonga to defeat Randy Orton & Kevin Owens in what was also Tonga’s WWE in-ring debut. After the show’s main event, Undisputed WWE Cody Rhodes said he hopes to bring a WWE TV taping to the country.
The results for the show were as follows:
Sami Zayn (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser (Intercontinental Championship)
Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga def. LA Knight & Randy Orton
Damian Priest (c) def. Chad Gable and Gunther and Jey Uso (World Heavyweight Championship)
Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) (c) def. Judgment Day (Finn Balor & JD McDonagh) (World Tag Team Championships)
Becky Lynch (c) def. Nia Jax (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE in Vienna, Austria
WWE’s next stop on the tour saw the promotion come to Vienna, Austria. This was WWE’s first event in the nation since 2019 and unsurprisingly, GUNTHER received a hero’s welcome in his homeland.
The results for the show were as follows:
Sami Zayn (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser (Intercontinental Championship)
Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga def. LA Knight & Randy Orton
GUNTHER def. Chad Gable
Jey Uso & Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) def. Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh)
Becky Lynch (c) def. Nia Jax (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE SmackDown in France
The penultimate stop on the tour saw WWE finally arrive in Lyon, France for the May 3, episode of WWE SmackDown. This was WWE’s first TV taping in the nation’s history and saw the Superstars seek to build momentum towards WWE Backlash.
The results for the show were as follows:
Bayley, Naomi, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill def. Tiffany Stratton and Damage CTRL
AOP (with Karrion Kross and Scarlett) def. New Catch Republic
LA Knight def. Angel
Austin Theory and Grayson Waller (c) def. The Street Profits (WWE Tag Team Championship)
WWE Backlash France
WWE’s tour culminated with Backlash France, the first PLE of its kind in the country. Given the raucous ovation the night prior, expectations were high for the show and once again the WWE Universe inside the LDLC Arena delivered. The show saw surprises and title matches with the WWE Women’s Tag Titles changing hands.
The results of the show were as follows:
The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga) (with Paul Heyman) def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton
Bayley (c) defeated Naomi and Tiffany Stratton (WWE Women’s Championship)
Damian Priest (c) defeated Jey Uso (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeated The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) defeated AJ Styles (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE’s recent tour has proven to be a hit with audiences as the promotion continues to lean into the ‘World’ aspect of its name. With Triple H teasing a broadcast event in Italy during the post-Backlash press conference and with PLEs in Europe already announced, expect much more from WWE outside North America.
WWE Backlash France and the preceding SmackDown proved to be huge successes for the promotion and also marked the return of a former Superstar.
The promotion’s latest PLE saw several top stars including Undisputed WWE Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, and Jade Cargill. The crowd in the LDLC Arena was electric throughout the show in addition to being worryingly loud during the May 3, edition of WWE SmackDown.
During the opening match of Backlash France, Tanga Loa aided the Bloodline in their Street Fight but he wasn’t the only former Superstar to get involved. Earlier in the show, security tried to keep the Bloodline and the team of Randy Orton & Kevin Owens apart, albeit to no avail. It has since come out that former WWE NXT Superstar Sylvester Lefort was part of that team of security.
This wasn’t Lefort’s only time getting physical during WWE’s time in France. The 40-year-old wrestler was also part of the security during the previous night’s edition of SmackDown and was slammed onto the commentary table by Randy Orton.
Lefort was on the NXT roster from 2013 to 2015. During this period of time, he was involved in storylines with Enzo Amore, Dax Harwood (then Scott Dawson), and Miro (then Alexander Rusev). After his WWE NXT tenure ended, Lefort joined TNA Wrestling and worked as Basile Baraka.
Getting to appear for WWE one more time (albeit not as a Superstar) likely felt good for Lefort, despite the beating he took at the hands of Orton. Not only did he appear at Backlash, by Lefort (under his real name Tom LaRuffa) competed at an event for BZW in Lyon, where he was on the losing end of an eight-man tag-team match.
More From WWE Backlash France
Here are some recent articles about WWE Backlash France as the promotion’s first PLE in the country continues to prove to be quite the talking point:
New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Jade Cargill was obviously pleased with her victory at WWE Backlash France, but wishes her mom could’ve been there.
At WWE’s first French PLE, Cargill and Bianca Belair captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships; the first title for Cargill since her groundbreaking WWE signing last September. The win also marks the first tag title reign for Belair, who is a former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, Jade paid tribute to her mom and said she wishes she could have seen her win in Lyon.
”I really wish I could have had my mom there last night. But I know God has a reason for it all. I know she’s proud of me.”
Cargill’s tribute to her late mother.
Cargill’s quick ascent through the WWE ranks demonstrate the promotion’s lofty faith in her to be a top woman in the company. It’s hard to ignore the similarities to AEW where Jade quickly became the first AEW TBS Champion, a title she held for over 500 days. If the past is any indicator, expect a lengthy title run for the Storm and more gold in her future.
More From Jade Cargill
Here are some recent articles regarding Jade Cargill as the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion continues to take WWE by ‘Storm’
Now, more has come to light about Gulak’s behavior leading up to his WWE release. Gulak would often target the genuine injuries that NXT talent were trying to recover from, Fightful Select reports. This earned him a reputation as a bully, which was only galvanized when he pressured talent to keep quiet about what he was doing.
At least one WWE NXT talent spoke up which led to Gulak being verbially reprimanded by NXT head Shawn Michaels and other coaches with the gold brand. This was after Gulak intentially ‘spiked’ an opponent during a match. It is not stated who this oopponent was or when the match took place.
Gulak had a repuation as a bully in WWE NXT.
One WWE NXT talent who spoke to Fightful said that Gulak was “odd” and often tested wrestlers to see if his bullying got a reaction. Another talent said that Gulak deliberately re-dislocated a finger that that had previously been dislocated but had been healing.
Drew Gulak Still With WWE
While it has been reported that Gulak was released, Fightful now notes that Drew is still with the company, but has been told that his deal will not be renewed when it expires. Gulak will also not receive a new offer once his existing deal expires next month.
On the WWE Backlash France post-show press conference, WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque responded to questions about Gulak’s WWE status. Levesque stated that Gulak was not fired over the Rousey allegations but rather that his contract was not renewed.
It will be a battle of the musicians this July when TNA Wrestling’s Joe Hendry takes on former WWE Superstar Elijah for the UK’s North Wrestling promotion.
On Twitter, the promotion confirmed that the two will face off at the THUNDERSTRUCK 2 event on July 13. The event will kick-off at 6pm GMT with fans of all ages welcome. The announcement also included a video from Elijah who had some choice words for his upcoming opponent.
Both men have incorporated music into their wrestling personas. During his WWE tenure as Elias, Elijah often performed before matches and encouraged the fans to recognize that WWE stood for Walk With Elias. The former 24/7 Champion’s music proved so popular that he released two EPs during this run: WWE: Walk with Elias in 2018 and WWE: Universal Truth two years later. A performance of the latter during the October 19, 2020 Raw, also scored Elias a Slammy Award.
Over in TNA Wrestling, Joe Hendry’s musical performances have quickly made him one of the most popular stars with the promotion. The Scottish Wrestler has used his musical skills to mock Matt Cardona and Curt Hawkins in the past and more recently has taken aim at AJ Francis (formerly Top Dolla in WWE.)
When not mocking his opponents through the power of song, Hendry’s theme song I Believe in Joe Hendry has also proven to be a hit. The track recently hit #1 on the iTunes charts in several countires, an achievement that saw Hendry dethrone 14-time Grammy Award-winning artist Taylor Swift.
We’ll take the first steps towards crowning a new King and Queen of the Ring tonight on the May 5 edition of WWE RAW.
WWE King and Queen of the Ring will take place this May and see the Superstars return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The show had originally been set for 2023 before being changed to WWE Night of Champions. The change was linked to Roman Reigns reaching 1,000 days as WWE Universal Champion and saw the introduction of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Tonight, we will see EIGHT first-round matches for the men’s and women’s tournaments.
WWE RAW fans are in for a PPV-caliber lineup
Men’s Matches on Raw
Four men’s division matches will take place on Raw with royal stakes on the line:
New WWE Speed Champion Ricochet will face the recently-called up Ilja Dragunov.
In a rematch from WWE Clash At The Castle 2022, Sheamus (2010’s King of the Ring) will face his long-time rival Ricochet in what will no-doubt be a ‘banger.’
The overseas action will continue as Drew McIntyre hopes to take a step closer to the crown when he faces 2021 King of the Ring runner-up Finn Balor.
Kofi Kingston will hope to follow Xavier Woods as the next King of the Ring, but to do so, he’ll need to defeat fellow former WWE World Champion Rey Mysterio.
Women’s Matches on Raw
After last week’s call-up, Lyra Valkyria hopes to advance in the Queen of the Ring tournament, but that’ll be easier said than done when she faces the ‘Empress’ Asuka.
Shayna Baszler calls herself the Queen of Spades but to become WWE’s official Queen, she’ll need to advance with a win over 2021 Queen Zelina Vega.
Zoey Stark will face Ivy Nile in a Queen of the Ring battle in what will be arguably the most physical match of the Women’s tournament’s first round.
IYO SKY looks to bounce back from her loss at WrestleMania when she faces the self-professed Queen of Harts Natalya in her first round match.
Reaching the throne has proven to be a launching point for careers in WWE with Bret Hart, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, and Edge all being crowned over the years. Keep checking in with SE Scoops for full coverage of the King & Queen of the Ring tournaments.
Who will seize their destiny and becoming the 2024 KING and QUEEN of the RING in WWE?
Jessika Carr made history at Saturday’s WWE Backlash France premium live event by becoming the first female referee to work a World title main event.
Cody Rhodes acknowledged the milestone on social media. WWE’s first full-time female referee says she’s honored and grateful to make history once again.
Carr officiated the match between Rhodes and AJ Styles which headlined the night inside the LDLC Arena. The show saw Rhodes get the win in his first Undisputed WWE Championship defense to play out on TV. Rhodes dispatched of the Phenomenal One with a series of signature moves before hitting his Cross Rhodes finisher.
This is hardly the first time Carr has made history for the women of WWE who don the black and white stripes. In 2021, Carr became the first woman to referee a WWE event in Saudi Arabia at that year’s Crown Jewel event. Carr officiated that year’s King of the Ring finals won by Xavier Woods as well as a Hell in a Cell match (another first for her!) between Edge and Seth Rollins. This milestone came two years after Carr became the first female referee to be called-up to the main roster.
Carr’s success in the striped shirt continues to show WWE’s change from how things have been done in the past. Not too long ago, WWE would shy away from a female referee, with the only exception being Rita Chatterton. These days, however, fans can expect Carr and other women to hold the Superstars to account, whether it be at live events, WWE TV, or at PLEs.
WWE has parted ways with Olympian Gable Steveson, three years after the Gold Medalist signed with the promotion.
Steveson, who captured gold at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games, signed with WWE that same year and was drafted to Raw near the end of the year. His release was first reported by F4WOnline and is said to be part of the recent cuts to the WWE NXT roster.
Steveson’s career in WWE had a shaky start after initial reports stated that he had not shown the level of improvement at the Performance Center that higher-ups hoped to see. His debut match came at NXT Great American Bash 2023 and saw the Olympian have a count-out draw with Baron Corbin. Following this, he completed at WWE NXT live events as well as in dark matches before SmackDown.
With Steveson’s WWE career over, questions remain as to his future in the Olympics. Steveson recently qualified for Team USA but it was reported that he wouldn’t be competing due to his WWE commitments. It remains to be seen if Steveson will pursue the upcoming games in Paris, France now he has been released.
SE Scoops will provide more information on Steveson’s release as it becomes available.
The WWE Universe in Lyon, France certainly delivered at the May 3, episode of SmackDown as the event received a warning due to the noise being made.
The first SmackDown taping in the history of France saw several top Superstars appear including Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Jade Cargill, and Tag Team Champions A-Town Down Under. There was also a tease for the return of Bo Dallas in the most direct reference to the former NXT Champion to date.
The crowd was electric throughout the night, so much so that there was a concern over hearing loss. On Twitter, WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque shared a warning he received due to the “absolutely insane” atmosphere inside the LDLC Arena. The translated warning reads:
Noisy environment
The sound level has reached 100 dB.
Exposure of just a few minutes at this level can cause temporary hearing loss.
WWE fans in France were so loud that it set of the “Loud Environment” safety warning on some mobile devices
Historic SmackDown
The trend of shattering company records is showing no signs of slowing down. Friday’s WWE SmackDown from Greater Lyon, France was the highest-grossing episode in the show’s 25-year history. The prior record was set just last month for the SmackDown that was held the night before WrestleMania 40. When you’re packing arenas around the world like WWE is these days, you can expect it to get pretty loud inside.
Here’s the warning message that went out to some iOS devices during the show, letting fans know that the noise level exceeded 100 decibels.
Jey Uso gets some of the loudest reactions from WWE fans during his ring entrance. This video from the dark match that took place after the SmackDown tapings concluded show what the atmosphere was like inside the LDLC Arena.
This response certainly bodes well for Saturday’s WWE Backlash: France Premium Live Event. WWE’s audiences in Europe are often known for being especially loud as fans saw at WWE Clash At the Castle 2022 in Cardiff and WWE Money In The Bank 2023 in London. WWE’s next PLE across the pond will be WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland this June with WWE Bash In Berlin scheduled for August.
WWE’s QR code mystery continued during the May 3, episode of SmackDown and featured a direct reference to the man behind Uncle Howdy.
The code appeared during the entrance for the LWO ahead of Angel’s match with LA Knight. Scanning the code brings fans to what seems to be an error page on WWE.com, as well as a video. The video, at first, appears to be nothing but a promotional video for the SmackDown before WWE Backlash: France before things take a macabre turn.
NEW Uncle Howdy Teaser for tonight’s #SmackDown QR Code!
— The Movement – Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) May 3, 2024
The video contains the message ‘He opened his arms. Our pain became his. We were reborn. Because we believed.’ The final word then glitches and reads ‘BOlieved.’ Fans familiar with the early career of Bo Dallas will remember the former NXT Champion’s ‘BOlieve’ gimmick as an obnoxious motivational guru.
Dallas returned to WWE as Uncle Howdy in 2022, though has yet to be revealed as the man behind the mask on TV. It is believed (or rather, bolieved) that these QR codes are leading to the return of Uncle Howdy, potentially with a stable. Dallas/Howdy was pulled from programming after his brother Bray Wyatt was pulled due to health issues that ultimately claimed Wyatt’s life in August 2023.
The video also features what appears to be a woman standing alone in a room. Some fans have speculated that this is Alexa Bliss, who has ties to Bray Wyatt dating back to 2020. Bliss has been missing from WWE TV since January 2023 and gave birth to her daughter Hendrix last November. Bliss’ most recent TV appearance saw her be confronted by Uncle Howdy (albeit via Titantron) at the 2023 Royal Rumble PLE.
With the rehiring of Erick Rowan, it certainly appears that WWE is building quite the collection of talent associated with Bray Wyatt. For now, though, fans will just have to keep deciphering clues as these QR code videos continue to have fans hooked.
More On WWE’s QR Code Mystery
Here are some recent articles regarding WWE’s QR code mystery as fans await the likely return of Uncle Howdy and others: