Former WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey is far from surprised by the allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against ex-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. 

Janel Grant’s daming lawsuit against WWE and its former chairman alleges that she was a sexual slave during her time and was trafficked by McMahon to various men in the company. McMahon has denied all wrongdoing and claims the lawsuit is rife with fabrications.

Ronda Rousey on Vince McMahon

In her new memoir Our Fight, Rousey doesn’t hold back in her feelings about Vince McMahon, even comparing him to Star Wars villain Emperor Palpatine. Rousey has also spoken out against former McMahon-ally John Laurinaitis, who she claims acted like a frat boy in WWE.

Sitting down with News Nation, Rousey was asked about McMahon and his exit from WWE. The former Raw & SmackDown Women’s Champion made clear she wasn’t taken aback by the lawsuit. 

“It’s not surprising… the reason why nobody else is speaking out is because they know that there will be negative repercussions if they say anything about the company that the company doesn’t like. Everybody is being held hostage.”

Rousey added that her situation is different as with no plans to return unless major changes are made to WWE, she can be more expressive about the promotion.

“I don’t really care if they have me back or not. I can wrestle wherever I want to wrestle and the truth should be told.” 

What Have WWE Superstars Said?

After McMahon’s resignation, Triple H said he had not read Janel Grant’s lawsuit when asked about the matter during the WWE Royal Rumble 2024 post-show press event.

At the same Royal Rumble 2024 press conference, Cody Rhodes called the McMahon situation a dark cloud over WWE.

Seth Rollins was disgusted with what was claimed in the lawsuit. The World Heavyweight Champion has said if the claims are true, he hopes everyone gets what they deserve.

John Cena has taken a different approach. Cena has made clear he still loves McMahon, despite what has happened. While Cena did speak of the importance of accountability, his comments did spark controversy for how glowing he was of the ex-chairman.

Becky Lynch has said that she does not recognize the McMahon discussed in the lawsuit. The Man has said her interactions with Vince in WWE were almost all positive. 

Mick Foley has been impressed by The Rock’s return to WWE as it would’ve been easy for him to have stuck with his popular, if not predictable, face persona. 

After the fans rejected The Rock trying to be in the Undisputed WWE Universal title picture over Cody Rhodes, WWE corrected course, turning The Rock heel in the process. On the March 25, episode of WWE Raw, The Rock delivered an emphatic beatdown on Rhodes, leaving him in a pool of blood outside Chicago’s All-State Arena. 

Mick Foley on The Rock

In a video shared on YouTube, Foley watched in amazement as The Rock delivered his beatdown to Cody Rhodes. Speaking after watching the end of Raw, Foley noted how easy it would’ve been for the Final Boss to have avoided the risk of this heel turn. 

“I like that other side of The Rock. It would have been really easy for him to just lean back into what was comfortable. That’s like an EasyChair for The Rock right? Like a great Barcalounger because he knows that character so well.

“To sort of put a twist on it, come out with a harder edge, a little blood in the right place never heard anybody. I think it was really good and only is going to pique interest. It certainly piqued mine.”

Mick Foley & The Rock

Foley certainly knows all about what’s it like to be on the receiving end of a beatdown from The Rock. At the 1999 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, The Rock beat Foley in an I-Quit match, though Foley would not actually utter the two words (a recording was played instead.) The match is infamous for the beatdown Foley took which was documented in the film Beyond The Mat. To this day, questions remain as to whether The Rock (who did not visit Foley in the hospital after the match) went too far. 

What’s Next for The Rock? 

The Rock will make his return to the ring at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday to team with Roman Reigns to face Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes. Those in WWE are of the opinion that this will not be The Rock’s final match and many remain hopeful that a match between The Rock and Reigns will happen one day. 

Endeavor, the parent company of TKO Group Holdings/WWE is to be taken private and will see all shares acquired by private equity firm Silver Lake. 

As part of the deal, Endeavor stockholders will receive $27.50 per share in cash, representing a premium of 55% to the closing price of $17.72. This number was before Silver Lake said in October 2023 that they were working on a proposal to take the company private. 

What This Means for TKO

Endeavor has said that it would not consider a sale of its majority interest in TKO Group Holdings, which consists of both WWE and the UFC. TKO is not party to this transaction and will remain a publicly traded company, the companies said on Tuesday.

While TKO is not expected to be directly involved with this move, the company is seeing a benefit from the change. After news of Endeavor’s privatization was announced, stock in the WWE company rose significantly. It had been trading at $86.66 a share before the news broke and rose to $90.78 a share within 90 minutes of the announcement. 

TKO Group Holdings

TKO was officially launched in September 2023. It was announced back in April 2023 that Endeavor was to acquire WWE as part of a historic $9.3 billion deal. The merger of WWE and UFC into TKO did not come without casualties as over 100 employees were let go last year in efforts to synchronize the two sports promotions. WWE would host its first wave of talent releases post-TKO launch that same month. 

The April 1, episode of WWE Raw served as a compelling go-home show before WrestleMania 40 but also had a segment that TNA fans may have found familiar. 

Raw saw the Superstars of the red brand try and build momentum ahead of WWE WrestleMania 40. The fifth-annual two-night WrestleMania will kick off on April 6 from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. 

Drew McIntyre’s Funeral for CM Punk

On Monday Night Raw, Drew McIntyre was at a funeral home where he gave a eulogy mocking CM Punk’s ‘dead’ dream of headlining WrestleMania. McIntyre ridiculed Punk as an “out of shape has been” whose “fragile” body failed him in the Royal Rumble match (when Punk got injured) worse than when he was in the UFC. Not done there, McIntyre also gave a eulogy for Seth Rollins title reign that McIntyre hopes to finish at WrestleMania 40. 

A Familiar Venue

Funerals in wrestling are not uncommon and fans who watched Raw may have found this segment eerily familiar. As fans on social media pointed out, this funeral home featured on Raw has been used by TNA Wrestling in the past. The same location was used in 2005 when there was a funeral for Team 3-D, known to WWE fans as the Dudley Boyz. 

Years later, the same funeral home would be used for a segment in which the Aces & Eights faction was laid to rest. 

TNA Involvement in WWE

WWE is host to several ex-TNA names, both on-screen and working behind the scenes. In 2018, Jeremy Borash joined WWE and works with the NXT brand. His official role in the company is as Senior Director of Content and Development and he was specifically chosen to help produce the 2020 Boneyard match between AJ Styles and The Undertaker. 

Chris Park also works for WWE after spending years in TNA as Abyss. Park currently serves as a producer and appeared in a segment with fellow TNA alum AJ Styles on SmackDown in August 2020. 

WWE WrestleMania 40 is set to be chock-full of celebrities and fans can add Drew Barrymore’s name to the guest list for the upcoming Premium Live Event. 

Barrymore is expected by WWE to be in attendance at WrestleMania 40, per PWInsider. While most fans may not know about her connections to pro wrestling, she’s hosted several WWE Superstars on her daytime talkshow, including 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena and the New Day (on multiple occasions).

Celebrities at WrestleMania 40

Drew Barrymore won’t be the only notable name from outside the world of pro-wrestling that’ll be at WrestleMania 40. 

Rapper Lil Wayne will be in attendance for the event to debut a new single off his upcoming album The Carter VI.

Wayne made a surprise cameo backstage at the Barclays Center for the final Raw on the road to WM40.

BREAKING: @LilTunechi will be at #WrestleMania XL this weekend! pic.twitter.com/gvpjVgO7PH

— WWE (@WWE) April 2, 2024

Rapper Meek Mill, who is from Philadelphia, will also be involved with WrestleMania. His song “Dreams and Nightmares” has become a Philly anthem. He will voice the opening video for WrestleMania 40. 

Expect to see many more celebrities and surprise appearances this weekend at WWE WrestleMania 40 from Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA. 

Stay tuned to SEScoops all week long for our wall-to-wall coverage of WrestleMania Week.

Questions remain over Big E’s future in the ring but the former WWE Champion has said that he plans on being smart about whatever may come. 

Big E suffered a broken neck injury during a March 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown. The New Day star was able to avoid surgery which at the time led many to believe he would not be out of action for long. Despite being able to avoid going under the knife, Big E has not wrestled since then and questions remains as to whether he will again. 

Hobbled & Crippled

In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Big E discussed what’s to come for him. The triple-crown champion and 2021 Men’s MITB winner reiterated previous points that he wants to do what’s right for his health. 

“I’ve been doing physical things my entire life, and I never wanted to leave sports hobbled and crippled.

“It’s just a matter of listening to the doctors, taking in enough information, looking at my more recent set of scans and deciding if the gamble is worth it.”

Big E has been able to consult not just with doctors but various wrestlers who have suffered similar neck injuries. Big E was grateful that wrestlers and legends have been willing to answer his questions. 

“I’ve been so thankful for so many of the guys I grew up loving and watching as a kid, so many legends who wanted to reach out and share what they went through when they had their neck injuries. I’m so grateful to all of them.”

A Role Outside the Ring

While Big E’s in-ring future remains in question, the charismatic talker was recently part of the WWE WrestleMania 40 kick-off event panel. In the interview, Big E admitted that the role took him by surprise. 

“It wasn’t until I boarded the flight to Vegas that I even knew I was doing the panel. That’s the nature of things in WWE. It’s oftentimes, ‘Hey, show up’ and you get things thrown at you.”

Former WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey has said her role in the company was simply not sustainable for her once the UFC Hall of Famer became a mother.

Rousey and her husband Travis Browne welcomed their daughter La’akea Makalapuaokalanip? Browne into the world in September 2021. Mere months after the birth, Rousey returned to WWE TV following a near-three-year absence to win the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble match. 

Unsustainable 

Rousey finished her time with WWE at SummerSlam 2023 with a loss to Shayna Baszler in the first MMA Rules match. Appearing on Good Morning America, Rousey explained how her duty as a mother played a role in her decision to step away from the ring. 

“It’s just not a lifestyle that I can continue while being a mom, you know? I was on the road 18 months with my baby and it was just nothing that we could sustain forever.”

A Possible Return

Since her exit from WWE, Rousey has been vocal in her criticism of the company and its former chairman Vince McMahon. Despite the billionaire’s resignation in January of this year, Rousey said she doesn’t see her returning to the company. 

“Not unless things drastically change with how things are run there and so I highly doubt it.”

WWE Moms

Ronda Rousey proved to be one of the toughest moms in the world, but she’s not the only Superstar to be a mother. In December 2020, Becky Lynch gave birth to her and Seth Rollins’ first child Roux, and returned to TV at SummerSlam 2021. 

After previously suffering a miscarriage, Carmella gave birth to her and Corey Graves’ son in November 2023 after a 60-hour labor. Alexa Bliss would welcome her and Ryan Cabrera’s daughter Hendrix into the world that same month. 

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops. 

Triple H is okay with changing WWE’s storylines due to the response of fans as he handles the company’s plans differently from Vince McMahon. 

The Game serves as WWE’s Chief Content Officer and oversees the company’s creative plans as well as talent relations. Following Vince McMahon’s resignation from WWE, Triple H has been able to book matters fully in line with his creative vision rather than having to appease his father-in-law

Changing Plans

When The Rock returned to WWE, the promotion’s plan was for the Brahma Bull to challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. Immediately, fans rejected the notion of Cody Rhodes ‘handing over’ the spot many have expected for him since WrestleMania 39. The ‘We Want Cody’ movement would lead to WWE changing plans; putting Cody back in the Undisputed WWE Universal Title picture and turning The Rock heel. 

Triple H Weighs In

The fact that WWE was willing to change its plans marked a considerable change from the company’s past stance of sticking with its plans even in the face of fan backlash. In a recent interview with ESPN about WWE’s changes in the post-McMahon era, Triple H highlighted how he’s more open to other ideas. 

“Now it’s a different time, and the way I do things is slightly different. My career, I learned from being here, but there were things along the way that I always thought I would do differently. In this time now, I get to make those calls and with a large team of people.

“Everything you do is dependent on reactions. That’s what we do as an industry. … The beautiful thing with this group and with Cody and Roman and Rock especially, everybody’s got their ear to the ground. … And then we all just get together and figure the s*** out.”

Cody Rhodes Weighs In

Nobody has benefitted from Triple H willingness to change plans more regarding this situation than Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare is poised to have another shot at Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40. When Rhodes spoke to ESPN, he addressed why The Rock’s return didn’t go as WWE had intended. 

“[Rock] might just have come back at a strange time, which is wild [for] the most popular wrestler of all time and one of the most recognizable faces on Earth… the fact that one person is booing him out there throws me. It means we’re doing something special here.”

Rhodes will team with Seth Rollins to face Roman Reigns and The Rock on WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, the night before Rhodes Vs. Reigns for the title.  

The next WWE Premium Live Event in the United Kingdom will take place this June in Glasgow, Scotland, the promotion has revealed. 

WWE Clash At the Castle: Scotland will happen on June 15, from the OVO Hydro. There will also be an episode of WWE SmackDown in the same venue on June 14. WWE Clash At the Castle: Scotland will mark WWE’s first Premium Live Event in the country. 

BREAKING: Glasgow will host #SmackDown on Friday, June 14, followed by Clash at the Castle: Scotland, the first-ever WWE Premium Live Event to be held in Scotland, on Saturday, June 15 at the @OVOHydro! #WWECastle

Register for presale: https://t.co/gh1tlPCoTZ pic.twitter.com/NwIjwQj0UK

— WWE UK (@WWEUK) April 2, 2024

WWE Clash At the Castle

WWE held its first Clash At The Castle event in September 2022 in Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The event saw Roman Reigns retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre thanks to the interference of Solo Sikoa. This marked Sikoa’s official call-up to the main roster. 

The show also saw Edge & Rey Mysterio defeat The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and Damian Priest. After the match, Dominik Mysterio turned on his father and aligned himself with The Judgment Day, a faction he has remained with ever since. 

WWE PLEs Outside The United States

WWE Clash at the Castle: Scotland is the latest PLE confirmed to be taking place outside of North America. This August, WWE will travel to Germany for their inaugural Bash at Berlin show. WWE recently held Elimination Chamber 2024 in Perth, Australia, the promotion’s first Premium Live Event in the country since 2018. 

WWE Money in the Bank 2024 will take place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, after being held in London, England last year. One day after Money in the Bank on July 6, WWE NXT will host its Heatwave event, also from Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. 

The man who will induct Paul Heyman into the WWE Hall of Fame this Friday was revealed during the April 1, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. 

Heyman was the first name announced for this year’s class of Hall of Fame inductees. The honor is richly deserved given Heyman’s success in multiple roles in the world of wrestling. Heyman has served as a manager, a producer, a promoter, and as a member of WWE’s creative team throughout his lengthy career. 

Paul Heyman’s WWE Hall of Fame Inductor

During a backstage segment on the April 1, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Heyman, The Rock, and Roman Reigns were seen conversing. Reigns had to leave early to work on his ‘speech’ for the Wise Man. Heyman then made clear to anyone who hadn’t figured it out that Reigns would be inducting him into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

BREAKING NEWS: @HeymanHustle will be inducted into the #WWEHOF this Friday night … by @WWERomanReigns! pic.twitter.com/6Yh6UMAFyU

— WWE (@WWE) April 2, 2024

WWE Hall of Fame 2024

Heyman is hardly the only notable name to make up this year’s class of WWE Hall of Famers. The US Express will also be inducted this year, the only tag team as part of the 2024 class. Bull Nakano was announced as a WWE Hall of Fame inductee. The Japanese star is a former WWE Women’s Champion and is currently the commissioner for the all-women’s Sukeban promotion. 

Thunderbolt Patterson has also been confirmed as an inductee. The late Muhammed Ali will be posthumously inducted for his contributions to the world of Sports Entertainment. 

The final inductee is Lia Maivia, one of the first female wrestling promoters and a trailblazer in her own right. Her induction was announced by her grandson The Rock and will come 16 years after her husband ‘High Chief’ Peter Maivia was inducted in 2008. 

WWE Hall of Fame Inductors

Here is the known inductors for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame: 

• Paul Heyman: Inducted by Roman Reigns

• Bull Nakano: Inducted by Madusa

• The US Express: Currently Unknown

• Muhammad Ali: Inducted by his widow Lonnie Ali

• Thunderbolt Patterson: Inducted by Scott Spears

• Lia Maivia: Inducted by The Rock

The Rock once again didn’t hold back with his choice of words regarding Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins after the April 1, episode of Raw went off the air. 

The go-home Raw before WrestleMania 40 saw The Rock opening with some a promo about the beatdown he gave Rhodes the previous week. While The Rock said it broke his heart to see young fans crying when he attacked Rhodes, the American Nightmare had brought the attack upon himself by stepping ‘out of line.’ The segment finished with Roman Reigns, the Bloodline, Cody Rhodes, and Seth Rollins appearing and a Bloodline Rules match being set between Reigns and Solo Sikoa for the main event. 

The Rock’s Message

The main event of Raw saw interference by The Bloodline who ambushed Rollins. While Rhodes tried to help the man he’ll team with at WrestleMania 40: Saturday, the pair of babyfaces were unable to overcome the might of the Bloodline. Raw went off the air with the Bloodline standing tall after whipping their upcoming opponents with belts. 

After Raw, The Bloodline made their way to the back. The Rock was the final man to go backstage and had two words for his WrestleMania 40: Saturday opponents. 

“F*** them.”

Just days before #WrestleMania XL, @TheRock has a message for his opponents @WWERollins & @CodyRhodes! ??? pic.twitter.com/5Rs0yGQFYW

— WWE (@WWE) April 2, 2024

What’s to Come? 

The Rock will make his long-awaited return to the ring at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday. He will team with Roman Reigns to face Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins. The match will decide the stipulation for the next night’s Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match. 

Should Rhodes and Rollins win the tag match, there will be no Bloodline involvement when Rhodes takes on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40: Sunday. If the Bloodline wins on the Saturday, the following night’s title match will be under ‘Bloodline Rules.’

CM Punk’s recent comments on the MMA Hour have had the wrestling world talking, including those in both WWE and All Elite Wrestling. 

Punk’s appearance on the Ariel Helwani-hosted show saw him discuss various topics including his return to WWE, the departure of Vince McMahon, and his time with AEW. Punk, as expected, did not hold back in discussing these matters in great detail. 

AEW Reacts

Following his comments on the show, several AEW stars. posted tweets of support for the company. When Fightful Select asked about this, they were told it was more about supporting the company than anything else. 

A supporter of Punk in AEW said that the interview was bound to happen eventually. They hope that’s the last they hear of Punk’s backstage issue in AEW until hopefully one-day fences are mended.

One veteran AEW talent said: 

“More than anything, what the interview showed was that this was preventable from all sides. Punk is happy, AEW talent moved on, so hopefully everyone just learns from it and makes amends in the future.”

WWE Reactions

One WWE talent said that they figured Punk would answer questions about AEW, despite the NDA is in place. Another WWE name preferred that Punk answered questions this week as they hope his comments will be overshadowed by the stacked week of wrestling content coming up in the next few days. 

Sticking to a trend in recent reports, all news about Punk since his return to WWE has been positive. Executives asked for their comments on the interview said they didn’t believe Punk really wanted to broach the subject of AEW but was expecting it to come up. 

Punk isn’t likely to be subjected to a heavy media schedule this week like some others in the company, as he’s still recovering from an injury.

What’s Next for CM Punk? 

Punk won’t be competing at WWE WrestleMania 40 but he’ll still have a role with the show. The Chicago-Made Superstar will be the guest commentator for the World Heavyweight Championship between Seth Rollins and challenger Drew McIntyre. 

CM Punk may have “nothing to hide” regarding what transpired backstage at AEW All Out 2022 but regrets appearing on the media scrum after the pay-per-view. 

At the September 2022 event, CM Punk captured his second AEW World Championship, besting Jon Moxley in the show’s main event. After the show, Punk would shoot on several members of the AEW roster. Backstage, Punk, Ace Steel, The Elite, and others would participate in a backstage fight that resulted in all parties being suspended.

CM Punk on Brawl Out

On the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Punk was asked for information about the infamous backstage fight. While Punk felt like he couldn’t discuss the matter in detail, he made clear that he has nothing to hide. 

“I don’t think I can [talk about it] but I didn’t have to sign an NDA for anything I did wrong… I have nothing to hide and I don’t give a s***.”

When asked if he regrets how things went down, Punk said he wishes things had gone differently. The two-time former AEW World Champion added that the idea of these press conferences in wrestling is not his style.

“I think you can go back and be like ‘Well I wish I never did the scrum.’ Scrums are stupid anyway. Yeah, those things were really cringe.”

CM Punk on Tony Khan

One year on from being brought into AEW by Tony Khan, Brawl Out would forever change Punk’s relationship with Khan. In the interview, Punk didn’t hold back in his evaluation of the AEW President. 

“He’s not a boss. He’s a nice guy. And I think ultimately that is a detriment to the company. But it’s not my company. I’m an outsider.”

Punk added that the last time he spoke to Khan was at AEW All In following his backstage fight with Jack Perry. After the fight, Punk faced Samoa Joe in the opening match of the main show. Punk said that he walked into the match knowing it’d be his last AEW match and made clear he quit the company.

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.

CM Punk’s first interaction with Vince McMahon after returning to WWE at Survivor Series 2023 would also prove to be his last, the Chicago-Made star has revealed. 

The Best in the World returned in the closing moments of the show, in his first appearance at a WWE Premium Live Event since the 2014 Royal Rumble. Punk was fired from AEW in September 2023 following a week-long investigation into his backstage altercation with Jack Perry at AEW All In.

Meeting With Vince McMahon

Speaking to Ariel Helwani of the MMA Hour, Punk recalled being invited to WWE’s headquarters for a workout and being approached by McMahon’s trainers before the man himself. 

“I was in there, and I was on the phone on the treadmill warming up. And Vince’s trainers [say] ‘Hey, you’ve got to get off the phone. Vince doesn’t like it when people are on the phone in the gym… And then I saw him walking down into the gym. He came in for his daily workout. 

When asked, Punk recalled the brief conversation he shared with McMahon and the plans that neither man was able to follow up on. 

“He gave me a big hug. He said ‘Welcome home. Good to see you. Let’s connect after I work out.’ I said alright. Haven’t seen him since [laughs.]” 

What Came Next? 

McMahon would resign from WWE two months after Punk’s return to the company. The 78-year-old billionaire would step away due to the damning claims in Janel Grant’s lawsuit against himself and WWE. McMahon has denied all wrongdoing. 

Mere days after McMahon’s resignation, Punk would suffer a triceps injury that has kept him on the shelf ever since. Despite this, Punk will be a guest commentator at WrestleMania 40 for the World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre. 

The final WWE Raw before WrestleMania 40 will be a historic night in many ways and is expected to see the highest gate for any TV show in the history of WWE. 

Sources told Ariel Helwani of the MMA Hour that the show is “shaping up” to break the record for WWE programming. The show will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

Another Big Success

The April 1, 2024, Raw is just the latest in a long line of successes for WWE. As Wrestle Tix reports, this show is also completely sold out. 13,345 tickets have been distributed for the Barclays Center with 0 available tickets re

WWE Monday Night RAW
Mon • Apr 01 • 7:30 PM
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Available Tickets: 0
Current Setup: 13,345
Tickets Distributed: 13,345

?SOLD OUT
?200+ since the last update (3 days ago)
?Last visit: Smackdown 12/1/2023: 12,241 pic.twitter.com/TtaVAaLj5c

— WrestleTix (@WrestleTix) March 31, 2024

WWE Monday Night Raw – April 1, 2024

It’s hardly a surprise that tonight’s Raw is in high demand given the stacked show that has already been announced. It has been confirmed that both The Rock and Roman Reigns will be on the show. The duo will team up to face Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday. 

Sami Zayn will hope to build momentum on tonight’s Raw ahead of his Intercontinental Championship match with GUNTHER at WrestleMania. That may be easier said than done as Zayn will take on ‘Big’ Bronson Reed. 

It’ll be eight-man tag-team action on Raw when DIY & the New Day take on The Judgment Day. DIY, the New Day, and Finn Balor & Damian Priest will all be in the WrestleMania six-pack challenge ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championships. 

Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri hope to get revenge on Candice LeRae following weeks of horrific comments by the Poison Pixie. LeRae will team with Indi Hartwell to face Nile and Dupri on Raw. 

This is some of the action from the April 1, WWE Raw. Fans watching at home will have to get comfortable as the first hour will be commercial-free. 

Mark Briscoe was sure his days in the ring were over when his brother Jay died, though has been motivated to carry on for Jay’s sake.

Jay Briscoe passed away in January 2023 after being involved in a car accident mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. Jay’s two daughters were seriously injured in the collision but have been making strides in their recovery. The driver of the other vehicle was also killed in the crash.

Mark Briscoe was Ready to Retire

Jay’s death was of course a massive blow to Mark, who lost both his brother and his tag team partner. Speaking to Under the Ring recently, Mark shared that for a brief moment, he was ready to retire.

“That was my first thought. My very first thought was, I’m not ever wrestling again… My initial reaction was, I’m never wrestling again, I don’t ever wanna wrestle again.”

Mark clarified that it didn’t take long for him to change his stance, as continuing in the ring is what his brother would’ve wanted.

“It really didn’t take long at all for me to reconsider and change my mind there once I got thinking about what he’d want me to do… I gotta carry on for him.”

What’s to Come?

Mark Briscoe will challenge ROH World Champion Eddie Kingston at ROH Supercard of Honor 2024. Not only will this be a huge opportunity for Mark, but it’ll come eleven years to the day that his brother won the title for the first time.

Rhea Ripley has reached a milestone in her WWE career by hitting one whole year as the WWE Women’s World Champion.

The ‘Mami’ of the Judgment Day captured the title on April 1, 2023, at WrestleMania 39. Ripley won the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the event with a victory over Charlotte Flair. Ripley earned the match by winning the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match, though her record-long performance was surpassed by Bayley this year.

Rhea Ripley as Women’s World Champion

Across WWE Premium Live Events, Television shows, and untelevised matches, Ripley has defended her title a total of 46 times since winning the gold. Her most recent title defense was in a dark match following the March 29, 2024, episode of WWE SmackDown. The ‘Mami’ retained against Shayna Baszler. 

Rhea Ripley’s Gold

Ripley’s reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion/Women’s World Champion is just the latest taste of gold for the Australian Superstar. She is also a former Raw Women’s Champion, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, NXT Women’s Champion, and NXT UK Women’s Champion. 

All of these accolades make Ripley the seventh WWE Women’s Triple Crown Champion and the fifth Women’s Grand Slam Champion. She is the only woman to have held all of the titles listed above. 

What’s Next for Rhea Ripley?

Ripley has held the title for one year, but her reign could be over within a matter of days. At WWE WrestleMania 40, Ripley will defend the Women’s World Championship against Becky Lynch. The Man earned the title match by winning the 2024 Women’s Elimination Chamber match. 

Roman Reigns may be a cool customer on WWE TV but the Tribal Chief couldn’t help but feel emotional when hearing from his late brother Matt. 

During the recent WWE and A&E Biography: Legends episode on Roman Reigns, the Tribal Chief was presented with a WWE.com interview with Matt Anoa’i. In the interview in question, Matt speaks about his brother’s dedication to excellence and predicts big things for Reigns. 

“He had something special… That specialty was something to do with athletics. Just his focus in the gym, focus all through high-school and college, he knew. Joe was set for something great. He’s setting the bar for our family that much higher.” 

Reigns was visibly overcome with emotion hearing the words from his brother as seen in the clip below. 

they played an excerpt of Roman Reigns’ brother Matt doing an interview about Roman, and Roman got emotional. He is so proud of you Roman ?? pic.twitter.com/YbZWz3fGtq

— mister j (@brandnewdrip) April 1, 2024

Who Was Matt Anoa’i? 

Matt began his career in 1995 and after a brief stint in the original ECW and the Samoan-owned WXW, would join WWE in 2002. He debuted in July on Raw as Rosey, one-half of 3 Minute Warning alongside Eddie ‘Jamal’ Fatu (later known to WWE fans as Umaga. The duo served as ‘hired guns’ for Raw GM Eric Bischoff but split in June 2003 following Fatu’s release from WWE. 

Rosey would later become the sidekick of The Hurricane who dubbed Rosey his ‘Super Hero In Training (S.H.I.T.) The pair won the World Tag Team Championships in May 2005 but lost the gold to Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch that September. Rosey was released from WWE in March 2006. 

In January 2014, Matt Anoa?i was hospitalized due to congestive heart failure which was related to weight gain as he struggled to keep active due to a chronic knee injury. On April 17, 2017, Matt died due to complications related to CHF, mere days after his 47th birthday.

The end of the Shield may have helped propel Roman Reigns to singles superstardom, but the Tribal Chief was no fan of splitting up the popular faction. 

A year-and-a-half after their debut on the main roster, the Shield imploded during the June 2, 2014, episode of Monday Night Raw. 24 hours removed from the Sheild’s victory over Evolution at WWE Battleground, Seth Rollins betrayed his brothers and aligned himself with Triple H, becoming a part of the Authority. 

Roman Reigns Was Against The Shield’s Split

The end of the Shield was a shocking moment that marked a change for Rollins, Reigns, and Dean Ambrose, but Reigns was not on board at the time. During the A&E Biography: Legends episode about him, Reigns shared his reservations about the split.

“I didn’t wanna break up The Shield. And I definitely didn’t wanna be a good guy. That’s exactly what was happening. I was so young on the rise. It’s not like I had a nest egg built up. It’s not like I had a whole bunch of options that I can just say ‘No I’m not feeling this.’ This doesn’t feel good to me or I wouldn’t say this. It was so hard to do that.”

“When you don’t have that backup, when you don’t have that ‘f**k you’ money. And you can’t just stand on your art and your family is depending on you. Your livelihood is depending on you. You have to just be a good soldier and do what you’re told.”

What Came Next? 

Following the split, Rollins and Ambrose would feud for months with both men receiving new attires and themes for this post-Shield chapter of their careers. Reigns on the other hand continued to use the same theme song and the same attire for years after the Shield broke up. 

Rather than enter the fray with Ambrose and Rollins, Reigns was quickly thrust into feuds with established names. This high-profile move to the main event scene would play a part in the fans’ rejection of Reigns that would continue for years.

Shield Reunions

While The Shield’s proper run ended in 2014, the faction would reunite over the years. The group saw reunions in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The final reunion saw the group go out on top as Ambrose’s final match for WWE saw the Shield defeat Baron Corbin, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre. Ambrose would debut for AEW shortly after as Jon Moxley. 

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops. 

Booker T had no issue with his angle with Triple H in early 2003, despite many believing that the angle leaned too heavily into racial insensitivity. 

The angle in question saw Booker feud with the Game over the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H’s verbiage in promos would raise eyebrows as he said that “people like you” don’t win world titles. Many took this as a nod at Booker being African-American, as there had not been a fully-black WWE World Champion at the time. 

Amid backlash, WWE would try and play off the comment as Triple H making reference to Booker T’s criminal history. The two-time WWE Hall of Famer spent 19 months in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery at Wendy’s restaurants in Houston. This did little to quiet critics of the angle, as similar comments had not been made about white WWE Superstars who had fallen afoul of the law. 

 Booker T on the Storyline

While many still take issue with the angle and the racial undertones, Booker does not have a problem with the storyline. In a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez, Booker discussed some of Triple H’s verbiage during the angle. 

“The one line people remember the most is when Triple H said ‘People like you don’t deserve to be here.’ That’s motivation for all of us to get up off our asses and prove them wrong.”

Booker then discussed how the angle played on his real-life background and said he approved of what was said in the storyline. 

“It was as real as it could possibly be for me from an emotional perspective and a lot of the stuff that went into the angle, I approved all of it.”

What Came Next? 

While the angle was distasteful to many, it did build Booker as a sympathetic babyface. Many assumed that the vile heel Triple H would finally get his comeuppance at WrestleMania 19 by losing the World Heavyweight Championship. 

Instead, The Game retained and the finish of the match also saw controversy. Triple H waited close to a minute after hitting the Pedigree on Booker before getting the decisive pinfall, which many felt was a ‘burial’ of the ex-WCW star. Booker would have to wait over three more years before he won the World Heavyweight Championship from Rey Mysterio in 2006. 

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops. 

John Cena has praised the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns as a Superstar who is without comparison to anybody other than the Tribal Chief. 

Reigns has been one of WWE’s very top Superstars for close to a decade now and has dominated as Universal Champion for over 1,300 days. This title reign has seen him defeat the likes of Bray Wyatt, Bill Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Edge, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, and Cena himself. 

John Cena on Roman Reigns

As part of A&E Biography: Legends episode on Roman Reigns, Cena spoke candidly about his respect for the Head of the Table. In a tweet featuring a clip from the show, Cena went even further, saying that Reigns is, in his opinion, the greatest of all time. 

“It is on the job training, no matter what. We learn the most from failure and Roman had his share of knocks. And finally, he was like ‘F*** it, I’m doing it my own way.’ And it has been a wrap ever since. It has been like [mic] drop, conversation over. There’s nobody like him. He should be compared only to himself.”

Many have “held the title,” but none have elevated the position and have had as much success personally and for the entirety of the @WWE like @WWERomanReigns. A true one of a kind and, in my opinion, the greatest of all time.

Watch his @WWEonAE Bio tonight! pic.twitter.com/5lcb5kJmxj

— John Cena (@JohnCena) March 31, 2024

John Cena Vs. Roman Reigns

Cena and Reigns have shared the ring 15 times in WWE (not including Royal Rumble bouts.) Their first match took place at WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 and saw The Shield defeat Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback. The pair would later headline WWE SummerSlam 2021 in a match Reigns would also win. 

The duo’s most recent match came on the December 30, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown. The match saw Cena and Kevin Owens defeat Reigns and Sami Zayn, who was with the Bloodline at the time. The match also kept Cena’s streak going as the 16-time WWE World Champion has had at least one match on WWE TV since his main-roster debut in 2002. 

The WWE Superstars have weighed in on whether it’ll be The Rock & Roman Reigns or Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes who will be left standing tall at WrestleMania: Saturday. 

In a video shared on WWE’s YouTube channel, the Superstars were asked who they predict will win the much-anticipated tag team match on WrestleMania Saturday. The match will see Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes face Roman Reigns & The Rock to decide the stipulation of the following night’s Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match

Who’s Backing the Bloodline?

CM Punk said it’s hard to bet against the Bloodline (but easy to bet against Seth Rollins) and he expects Rock and Reigns to win the tag-team match. Jimmy Uso, unsurprisingly, was backing is cousin and the Final Boss in the upcoming match. 

The Miz said he wouldn’t be surprised if The Rock & Reigns won and beatdown Cody and Seth to the point that their matches would be called on for WrestleMania 40: Sunday. The A-Lister admitted that these comments will leave fans very angry with him. 

‘Michin’ Mia Yim was also predicting a Bloodline victory, acknowledging the 1,300+ day reign of the Tribal Chief and the legendary status of The Rock. Santos Escobar was immensely confident that The Rock & Roman would win, calling it a “spoiler.” 

Carmelo Hayes is also predicting a Rock-Roman win on WrestleMania: Saturday, as is Shayna Baszler. Otis, The O.C. and Byron Saxton also predicted a Bloodline victory. R-Truth, Zelina Vega, and Trick Williams also expect to see The Bloodline stand tall on WrestleMania 40: Saturday. 

Finishing the Story

While the majority of WWE Superstars expect The Rock & Roman Reigns to win this Saturday, not everyone believes this will be the case. Despite her differences with both Cody & Seth, Rhea Ripley expects the dream team will be standing tall on WrestleMania 40: Saturday.

NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria is also expecting a win for Rhodes and Rollins and believes the American Nightmare will at last ‘finish the story’ the next night. Liv Morgan is also backing Rhodes and Rollins “just because.”

Despite being dressed like 90s Rock for the video, Kofi Kingston expects Rhodes and Rollins to come out on top. Bianca Belair is also expecting the faces to win on WrestleMania 40: Sunday. 

Drew McIntyre Responds

The final response was from Drew McIntyre who made it clear he doesn’t care who wins on WrestleMania 40: Saturday. McIntyre is instead only hoping that Rollins makes it through the match so they can have their World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40: Sunday.  

The WWE Universe could be in store for a Philadelphia Street Fight in a matter of days at WWE WrestleMania 40, it has been claimed. 

WrestleMania 40 will be the promotion’s fifth two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will take place on April 6 and April 7 from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.

WrestleMania Card Schedule

As of writing, 12 matches have been confirmed for WWE WrestleMania 40. Dave Melzer of F4W Online reports that 13 matches will take place at WrestleMania. This will be divided over the two nights with seven matches on WrestleMania 40: Saturday and six matches taking place on WrestleMania 40: Sunday.

A Philadelphia Street Fight

Meltzer adds that the Street Profits & Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross & Authors of Pain was made “obvious” during the March 29, episode of WWE SmackDown but has yet to be announced. It’s also noted that as of last week, it was booked within WWE to be a ‘Philadelphia Street Fight.’

On SmackDown, the Profits faced Grayson Waller & Austin Theory in a tag-team ladder match qualifier. Karrion Kross and Scarlett attacked Lashley and B-Fab backstage with the distraction costing the Profits the match. 

WWE WrestleMania 40

Here is the card as it stands for WWE WrestleMania 40:

WrestleMania 40: Saturday

The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins

WrestleMania 40: Sunday

• Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

• Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)

Night TBA

• Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)

• Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)

• Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)

• The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) (Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships)

• LA Knight vs. AJ Styles

• Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

• Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship)

• Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Naomi vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane)

• Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee) vs. Santos Escobar and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio

Former WWE Superstar Dennis Knight is lucky to be alive after a recent health scare left him hospitalized and in the ICU for days.

On Instagram, Knight noted that he almost died this week after spending eight days in the hospital with two of those days in the ICU. Knight’s issues began with stomach pain that required surgery and things quickly got worse from there for the ex-wrestler. 

 “Hi my name Is Dennis Knight and this week I almost died! Spent 8 days in the hospital and 48 hours in ICU…with everything I’ve done in my life I would have thought. Car accident, OD, or some other result of my my lifestyle! But no my body tried to kill me!

“I don’t like to talk about my personal life but thx I don’t need anything I have the greatest family who takes cares of me ! It started with stomach pain that was supposed to [be] bowel obstruction, then went into surgery and found [a] shredded appendix a hernia and golf size blades stone that tore my entire stomach up which is weird because I had gallbalder removal years ago! My blood sugar should be 90 to 120 mine was over 700. 

“The reason for this is to tell your family and God you love them because It might be the last! I love you all and want you to be happy so take care of yourself and after the worst week of my life I am great full to still be here and I love you all..thank you for your time ”

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C5LaHmzu5LV

Dennis Knight

Knight is best known for his WWF run from that lasted from 1996 to 2001. Knight debuted in the promotion as Phineas I. Godwinn (aka PIG), and was one-half of the Godwinns alongside Henry O. Godwinn (HOG.)

In 1998, Knight was kidnapped by the evil Ministry of Darkness and was brainwashed to join The Undertaker’s cult. This storyline transformed him into Mideon and he would later ‘win’ the European Championship by finding the title in Shane McMahon’s bag. 

Outside of the WWF, Knight worked for WCW from 1992 to 1994 as Tex Slazenger. He also worked for the USWA under the same name and became a two-time USWA Southern Champion. 

AEW’s Ricky Starks has given an update on his condition after a spot on the March 30 episode of Collision had fans fearing something was wrong. 

During the show, Starks and Big Bill teamed up to face Top Flight in the ongoing AEW World Tag Team Championship tournament. The match was the first match for Starks and Bill since losing the titles to Sting and Darby Allin in early February. 

Towards the end of the match, Starks appeared to suffer a legitimate injury. He stayed down on the mat after Top Flight hit a tandem DDT. There had been no indication that this DDT was part of a finishing sequence but Starks did not kick out after taking the move. The AEW commentary team was also noticeably surprised by the finish. 

Ricky Starks Gives Health Update

Fans were left understandably concerned by what transpired on AEW Collision, but Starks has given a positive update. Via his Instagram Stories, the AEW star gave the following report: 

“I’m all good, everything checked out fine. Was being precautious.”

What’s Next? 

AEW Collision also saw FTR face The Infantry, who was in the midst of a Cinderella story after getting the upset win over the House of Black early in the tournament. Unfortunately, their luck ran out on Collision as FTR advanced to the next round. 

FTR and Top Flight will face off in the semi-finals of the tournament. The winning team will advance to the finals of the AEW World Tag Team Championship tournament, which will take place at AEW Dynasty in April.