SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • Hulk Hogan Calls for Next WWE Hall of Fame Inductees After Rey Mysterio’s Induction

    Hulk Hogan Calls for Next WWE Hall of Fame Inductees After Rey Mysterio’s Induction

    WWE announced its first inductee into the 2023 Hall of Fame on March 10. In a video package on SmackDown, the company revealed that Rey Mysterio is going to be part of the class.

    Fans and the wrestling industry alike were delighted, as they all believe Mysterio deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. Among these is Hulk Hogan, who is a HOFer himself.

    In a video released on his channel, Hogan reacted to Mysterio’s induction, and congratulated the 48-year-old wrestler.

    “You know Maniacs, I was watching WWE the other night and I was real curious who the first inductee to the 2023 Hall of Fame was. Oh my gosh, it’s Rey Mysterio! No one is more deserving! A champion, a great man, a great father, and a great husband! He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame! For years and years and years he’s carried the torch.”

    Related: Who Will Induct Rey Mysterio Into the WWE Hall of Fame?

    However, Hogan did not just stop there. He went on to request something from the company in regard to the Hall of Fame.

    “But then I thought, you know… who could be next? Who could be just as deserving?”

    Hogan said that the next inductees should be The Rougeau Brothers, a former WWE tag team who were known as The Fabulous Rougeaus. Hogan spoke highly of Jacques Rougeau and Raymond Rougeau, describing them as one of the greatest tag teams of all time.

    “My first thought was, one of the greatest tag teams of all times, The Rougeau Brothers! Jacques Rougeau, brother, and his brother Raymond Rougeau! Those two guys need to be in the Hall of Fame. I’m voting for them! Hopefully, they’ll be the next inductees in the Hall of Fame, man! I just think it might happen, I’ve got a really good feeling about that one brother!”

    You can check out the full video from Hulk Hogan below:

  • Kelly Kelly Talks About What She Misses Most From Her Wrestling Career

    Kelly Kelly Talks About What She Misses Most From Her Wrestling Career

    Former WWE Divas Champion Kelly Kelly recently opened up about the things that she misses (and doesn’t) from her professional wrestling career.

    Speaking on GAW TV, Kelly gave her opinions on the wrestling industry as well as her time as a wrestler.

    Kelly said that one thing she misses the most from her time as a wrestler is the camaraderie and the “family atmosphere.” As wrestlers travel with each other to different locations every week, they end up spending a lot of time together. This fosters a sense of close friendship among many of them.

    “I definitely miss all the girls, all the friendships, the traveling with your friends, renting the cars, and doing the travel. All that stuff I just loved. I loved the camaraderie. I loved the family aspect,” Kelly said.

    – Kelly Kelly

    Kelly also said that she loved to perform in front of the world every night and even called it “just the best feeling in the world.”

    What Kelly Kelly Does Not Miss About Wrestling  

    There are also some things that Kelly Kelly does not miss from her time in wrestling. One of them is taking bumps. “I really was like, ‘Just beat the s*** out of me.’ Now, I’m like, ‘Please, God, don’t touch me,’” she confessed.

    Taking bumps is an essential part of wrestling, wrestlers have to do it regularly when they are competing. It is absolutely necessary, but it can take a toll on the body. It is completely understandable why Kelly would not miss taking bumps, as it can even lead to long-term injuries and chronic pain over time.

    Kelly has since then been a model, reality TV star, and influencer. She also made a few appearances here and there in wrestling, particularly in the women’s Royal Rumble.

    H/T to WrestlingInc. for the quotes used in this article.

  • Raven Says He Plans to Wrestle Again

    Raven Says He Plans to Wrestle Again

    Former WWE star Raven has a lot in the tank before he hangs up his boots. Raven has contributed immensely to the business, working in different promotions. His career has spanned for over 30 years across WWE, ECW, WCW and TNA/IMPACT Wrestling. It seems that he is not planning to stop anytime soon.

    Raven comments on possible retirement

    Raven made several appearances on IMPACT Wrestling including at this year’s Hard To Kill pay-per-view. The former ECW World Champion is now gearing up for his return to Major League Wrestling(MLW). We also reported an update on MLW’s Relationship With Reelz.

    Meanwhile, speaking with Fightful, Raven stated that he’s open to working as a producer for Major League Wrestling and elsewhere. He also noted that he is on a shortlist for potential producers in IMPACT.

    In addition to this, the 58-year-old star revealed that he is actually producing for NWA now. He has actually been producing there for a while but went on a hiatus to recuperate from his knee surgery.

    Furthermore, Raven also stated that he has not officially retired from in-ring action. He told Fightful that he plans on getting back inside the squared circle for some more matches after he gets his second shoulder taken care of. The former WWE Hardcore Champion said he is likely to work tag team matches in order to minimize bumps. He emphasized that he is definitely planning on wrestling again down the road.

    Raven was inducted into the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame at last October’s Bound For Glory pay-per-view.

  • WWE Has WrestleMania Weekend Plans for SmackDown Stable

    WWE Has WrestleMania Weekend Plans for SmackDown Stable

    WrestleMania 39 is now just 20 days away, and one SmackDown stable is expected to make their presence felt at the show.

    WrestleMania 39 will mark WWE’s fourth two-night WrestleMania, which was introduced in 2020 due to restrictions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Matches confirmed for the show include Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair Vs. Rhea Ripley, and Seth Rollins Vs. Logan Paul.

    WrestleMania Plans

    One stable that hasn’t been confirmed for WrestleMania 39 is Legado Del Fantasma, but that is expected to change in due time.

    Fightful Select reports that while details are still scarce, there are “plans” for the factions over WrestleMania weekend.

    In recent weeks, the group has turned face, aiding Rey Mysterio in his issues with Dominik Mysterio and the Judgment Day.

    On the most recent episode of SmackDown, it was confirmed that until their battle with the Judgement Day is over it was official that Rey is an associate of the group.

    Legado Del Fantasma

    In June 2020, El Hijo del Fantasma, fresh off his NXT Cruiserweight Championship win, aligned himself with Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza.

    This heel turn saw Fantasma demask and rebrand himself as Santos Escobar, and the group would be dubbed Legado Del Fantasma.

    As part of the gold brand, Escobar would later challenge for the NXT and NXT North American Championships, but would be unsuccessful in both pursuits.

    In mid-2022, the group began a subtle face turn as part of their feud with Tony D’Angelo, which resulted in Escobar losing a loser-leaves-NXT match to the Don.

    In October 2022, the group was called up to WWE’s main roster as heels, but with Zelina Vega replacing Elektra Cruz in the faction.

    “Hit Row Is Wack” – Legado del Fantasma Brag About Successful Debut On WWE SmackDown
  • Who Will Induct Rey Mysterio Into the WWE Hall of Fame?

    Who Will Induct Rey Mysterio Into the WWE Hall of Fame?

    One of the biggest names in Mexican wrestling will make his return to WWE to induct Rey Mysterio into the WWE Hall of Fame.

    It was confirmed this week that Mysterio will be the first inductee into this year’s class, after a celebrated career both in and out of WWE.

    The three-time former World Champion is also a WWE Grand Slam winner, Royal Rumble winner and has held various accolades outside of WWE.

    Inductor

    With such a lengthy and celebrated career, there is no shortage of wrestlers who’d make sense to induct Rey into the Hall of Fame.

    The Los Angeles Times reported this week that Konnan will be doing the honors, and in a tweet, Dave Meltzer confirmed that report.

    Meltzer explained that Rey personally asked for Konnan and the company approved it, adding that it was “the only choice.

    In the early 90s, Konnan was brought into the WWF to play the Max Moon character but would leave the promotion after three televised matches.

    In interviews, Konnan has said the cost of the costume ($13,000, equivalent to $27,000 today) immediately caused friction with the company’s higher-ups.

    Konnan and the Mysterios

    In WCW and in Mexico, Rey and Konnan worked together, but the latter has kept a close eye on the Mysterio family.

    It has been reported that Konnan has been helping Dominik Mysterio throughout his career, but especially since his heel turn last September in Cardiff.

    Konnan is a godfather to Dominik, and many have said that Dom’s ex-con attire and character have been influenced by Konnan.

    Reason Why Rey Mysterio Missed WWE’s Royal Rumble
  • Booker T Names WWE NXT Tag Team That Could Make a Splash on Main Roster

    Booker T Names WWE NXT Tag Team That Could Make a Splash on Main Roster

    WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has been able to have an up close and personal look at the NXT brand as a color commentator when he replaced Wade Barrett in the color commentator role last year when Barrett was moved to SmackDown to replace Pat McAfee. 

    Since then, Booker T has called several episodes and Peacock specials. The wrestling legend recently gave praise to an NXT tag team. Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker praised Indus Sher (Veer and Sanga).

    Old School

    “I love those guys, Indus Sher. Those guys are so old school. They take me back to, Sanga and Veer, they take me back to what tag team wrestling once upon a time was and it was all about going out there and creating havoc.”

    Booker T thinks they have a bright future on the main roster and could make a splash on the main roster should Triple H give them the opportunity. 

    “I think Sanga and Veer could really make a splash on the main roster. Together that’s, that’s two big gears. I don’t need to have more than that.”

    After returning to NXT last year after a main roster stint, he reunited with Sanga before being joined by Jinder Mahal. The faction just beat Bron Breakker and the Creed Brothers on last week’s NXT Roadblock show. 

    Transcription via Wrestling Inc.

  • Madusa Pitches Retirement Match With Top WWE Star

    Madusa Pitches Retirement Match With Top WWE Star

    Madusa, also known as Alundra Blayze during her WWE run, is still looking to have one more match. 

    Madusa found success in WCW and WWE during her pro wrestling career. She is a former WCW Cruiserweight Champion and three-time WWE Women’s Champion.

    While speaking with TV Insider to promote her forthcoming book, ‘The Woman Who Would Be King: The MADUSA Story,’ Madusa was asked about having one final match. 

    The Match

    “I would love to have a retirement match. I’m not dissing any era, but there are other eras before the Attitude Era. There is still a woman under WWE legend’s contract that they can do something with. But they chose not to. A retirement match would be wonderful. We see Trish Stratus and Lita all the time. I think those girls are great. But that’s all we see. I’m not sick of them. I’m just sick of seeing just them. I have high respect for those two women. But damn it, if it was them at 60, they would be pounding the pavement just as hard as I am.”

    Regarding a potential opponent, Madusa thinks a match against Charlotte Flair would be phenomenal. 

    “It would have to be somebody I can have a great match with. That if I bump my head and forgot something they can carry the match. Anything can happen. It could be a Nattie, Beth Phoenix, a Rhea Ripley. Everyone wants to see Charlotte Flair and Madusa. I still think that would be phenomenal.”

    The new book was written by Greg Oliver and published by ECW Press. You can order it here. 

  • WWE Panel at SXSW Featuring Triple H, Superstars

    WWE Panel at SXSW Featuring Triple H, Superstars

    The annual SXSW Festival is underway in Austin, TX. While many people think of music and movies when they think of SXSW, they also have panels focusing on a variety of media.

    Today, WWE will host a panel hosted by Sportico. “Reigniting Fan Engagement at Live Events” is being moderated by Sara Fischer of Axios. WWE COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque will be joined on the panel by Rhea Ripley, Kofi Kingston, and Undertaker.

    WWE topic at SXSW

    Triple H

    According to the SXSW website, the panel description is:

    “The importance of community and human connection was more prevalent than ever when WWE returned with its biggest event of the year, WrestleMania, in April 2021. This historic event featured the first Black female Superstars to main event WrestleMania, celebrity appearances, live music performances and the unveiling of WWE’s new signature, “Then. Now. Forever. Together.” to recognize and celebrate WWE fans, our community and the message of inclusivity.This coming April, WWE will host WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles where the WWE Universe will come together for another monumental event. WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque along with WWE Superstars will discuss the road to WrestleMania, the importance of the WWE Universe and how this community has evolved.”

    WWE has been involved with SXSW in the past. Last year, Stephanie McMahon introduced WWE Moonsault, the company’s NFT platform. In 2013, John Cena was a panelist. Four years later, Xavier Woods hosted the 2017 SXSW Gaming Awards.

  • Big E Opens Up on Wanting to Make The ‘Best Decision’ About Wrestling Future

    Big E Opens Up on Wanting to Make The ‘Best Decision’ About Wrestling Future

    Big E has been on the sidelines for exactly a year while away from in-ring action after suffering a career-threatening injury. 

    On March 11, 2022, Big E suffered a broken neck when taking a belly-to-belly suplex from Ridge Holland and landing on his head during a tag team match on an episode of WWE SmackDown. 

    Big E fractured his C1 vertebrae and C6 vertebrae. The positive news was that he didn’t suffer spinal cord damage or need surgery. He decided to wait a year before getting another check-up to see how his recovery was going. 

    The Decision

    Speaking to TMZ, Big E commented on how he feels as he prepares for the tests this month. 

    “I just want to make the best decision. I have to see what the scans say, talk to doctors, go from there. Right now, before I know anything, I’m not going to make any rush to judgments. Just see how everything looks. No anxiety. Everything is in permanent. If it comes to an end, cool, if it doesn’t, cool. What will be, will be. I’m good with whatever,” he said.

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription. 

  • Bobby Lashley Pitches Tag Team Idea With Brock Lesnar

    Bobby Lashley Pitches Tag Team Idea With Brock Lesnar

    Like Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley has mostly been used as a singles star for most of his wrestling career. There are some things that the two WWE stars have in common such as their backgrounds in the world of MMA. 

    For years, Lashley pushed for a match with Lesnar and he had to wait for it. However, Lashley not only got a match with Lesnar but also three of them. They recently faced off once again at the Elimination Chamber premium live event.

    Although they’ve made for good opponents for each other, Lashley is interested in potentially teaming up with Lesnar. 

    The Idea

    While speaking on Sony Sports Network’s show Next Stop Hollywood, Lashley proposed teaming with “The Beast Incarnate.” 

    “This is completely far-fetched from a whole different angle. I thought me and Brock we fought a lot against each other. What if we were on the same team? We’ll be like the modern-day Road Warriors. It’ll probably be fun,” Lashley stated. “The crowd will probably get off on watching us go through dismantling people together. That would be pretty interesting.”

    Lesnar will be wrestling Omos at WrestleMania 39, while Lashley is expected to wrestle Bray Wyatt. 

  • Hulk Hogan Recalls Backstage Disagreement With Vince McMahon

    Hulk Hogan Recalls Backstage Disagreement With Vince McMahon

    WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has had a glorious pro wrestling career. Vince McMahon played a major role to give a major push to ‘The Hulkster’ in the 80s and 90s. That doesn’t mean they never had a backstage disagreement during that time.

    Hulk Hogan has faced some biggest names in the business. We witnessed one of the most iconic moments at WrestleMania 6 in 1990, when Hulk Hogan lost the WWE Championship to The Ultimate Warrior in a main event match in front of a record-breaking crowd of 67,678 fans.

    This match was labeled as a “passing of the torch” moment, as The Ultimate Warrior was an up-and-coming star back in the day. The match holds massive significance in wrestling history as it cemented the legacies of both Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior. It has come to light that Hogan and Vince McMahon had a disagreement when the latter asked him to put over ‘The Ultimate Warrior.’

    Hulk Hogan opens up on the matter

    While speaking on Corey Graves’ After The Bell podcast, Hulk Hogan talked about the iconic match. ‘The Hulkster’ revealed that he had no problem putting over The Ultimate Warrior when Vince McMahon asked him to but they also had a disagreement prior to that.

    “Vince and I had a disagreement. Vince had an opinion that Hulkamania had his run. And it actually went back to WrestleMania 6. When he asked me to put the Warrior over, I said, ‘That’s no problem at all, brother!’ but my question always is, if I’m putting somebody over, what are we doing after that? And, you know, there wasn’t really a clear-cut answer for that.

    “I said, ‘Well, how about this. When I put him over and hand him the belt and everybody’s cheering for him, I get halfway down the aisle. How about I just… turn around and just grind him? Just drop him and just drag him around the ring. And I want to be ‘Hollywood’ Hulk Hogan!’ I said, ‘I want to be HHH: Hollywood Hulk Hogan. The ultimate bad guy.’”

    Hogan and Warrior remain to be two of the most notable names in WWE history.

  • Update On Roxanne Perez After Hospitalization

    Update On Roxanne Perez After Hospitalization

    We have an update on the health status of current NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez.

    At Tuesday night’s NXT Roadblock, Perez had an intense match with the legendary Meiko Satomura that lasted nearly 14 minutes. Perez was successful in retaining her title against the former NXT UK Women’s Champion.

    However, fans were scared of what went down following the bout. As soon as Satomura handed her the championship, Perez suddenly collapsed to the mat from apparent exhaustion.

    Several medical officials, referees, Shawn Michaels, and even NXT commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T rushed to the ring in order to check on her. The fans got a backstage sneak peek as Perez was taken away on a stretcher to an ambulance.

    Medical update on Roxanne Perez

    A medical update on Roxanne Perez has now emerged. According to a tweet from the official NXT account, Roxanne Perez was stable enough for discharge from the “medical facility”.

    Writing on the official NXT account:

    “Update: Roxanne Perez has been discharged from a local medical facility and is now at home resting.”

    A short time later the Tweet was deleted and replaced with another, reading:

    “Update: Roxanne Perez has been discharged from the hospital and is now at home resting.”

    Perez has been NXT Women’s Champion since December 13, when she defeated Mandy Rose, ending her 500-plus day reign. She became the brand’s youngest-ever women’s champion with the win. Perez has successfully defended it five times since, including Tuesday’s contest against Satomura.

    With NXT Stand & Deliver scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 1, we hope Roxanne Perez will be able to recover and make her return to the ring.

  • WWE Veteran Outlines Why Austin Theory Should Win at WrestleMania 39

    WWE Veteran Outlines Why Austin Theory Should Win at WrestleMania 39

    WWE United States Champion Austin Theory is set to face John Cena at WrestleMania 39. The clash is nothing less than a dream match for the fans. Theory has been arguably compared with Cena for a long time now. Austin Theory even revealed that he grew up idolizing Cena. He’s been also very vocal about wanting a dream match with the Cenation Leader. Finally, they will collide inside the ring.

    On Monday night’s RAW, the 16-time WWE Champion made a huge return as the Boston crowd welcomed him with a massive ovation. He was engaged in a heated promo battle with Theory, who challenged him to a title match at WrestleMania 39.

    Though Cena initially turned down Theory’s challenge, he agreed after the crowd urged him to accept it. To some, John Cena roasted Austin Theory, saying nobody in the crowd cared about the US Champion and his matches.

    Now, WWE veteran Jim Cornette has weighed in on Austin Theory confronting John Cena on RAW and who he thinks should win at WrestleMania 39.

    Jim Cornette believes Austin Theory must beat John Cena

    On the latest edition of Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru, the former wrestling manager commented on John Cena’s promo and stated that he could see it being the former WWE Champion’s way of motivating Austin Theory.

    “Unless that this complete dressing down by Cena motivates Theory to change something, to do something that is demonstrably visible to the fans he’s going to come out and lay him out physically or he’s going to change his attitude in a way that he’s got a killer instinct or he suddenly does something even Cena remarks on, ‘that’s what I was looking for’ or something like that, I can see that,” said Cornette.

    Jim Cornette added that Theory has to beat John Cena to live up to his words:

    “If they start this way it would be a big swerve then or unexpected if Theory does win the match, which I still think would be possible without people setting the seats on fire and it’ll probably help Theory. But if they’re not gonna do anything like that between now and WrestleMania, I don’t know. They’ve got to, because they just left this guy flatter than a f**king turd in a punch bowl,” he added. 

    If Theory manages to defeat Cena, it will certainly be a huge milestone boost the youngster’s career. Only time will what the future holds for the Theory.

  • Japanese Wrestling Legend to be Inducted Into WWE 2023 Hall of Fame (Report)

    Japanese Wrestling Legend to be Inducted Into WWE 2023 Hall of Fame (Report)

    One of the biggest names in the history of Japanese wrestling will be part of this year’s class of WWE Hall of Famers, it has been claimed.

    Contrary to previous years, which have seen WWE announce inductees in the months prior to WrestleMania, the promotion has waited very late this year.

    Yesterday, WWE confirmed that Rey Mysterio will be part of this year’s class, making him the third active Superstar to be inducted (behind Ric Flair in 2008, and Bill Goldberg in 2018.)

    The Great Muta

    Japanese wrestling legend The Great Muta will be joining Rey as part of this year’s Hall of Fame, according to PW Insider.

    Muta, aka Keiji Muto, recently finished his wrestling career, losing to Masahiro Chono at a Pro Wrestling NOAH event last month.

    Despite Muto’s success across various promotions both in his native Japan and internationally, the four-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion never competed in WWE.

    For his retirement tour, WWE allowed Shinsuke Nakamura to compete in a match against Muta, which at the time was reported as part of a “trade-off” between WWE & NOAH.

    There is no word on who will be inducting the legendary wrestler into the Hall of Fame.

    Who Else Is In?

    More inductees are expected to be announced in due time, though details are scarce as to who will be going into the Hall of Fame.

    Trish Stratus who was inducted in 2013, said last month that Victoria and Impact Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Mickie James both deserve the nod this year.

    It is believed that Batista will also be inducted this year, after withdrawing from the 2020 class due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Mick Foley has said he has been contacted about inducting someone into the Hall of Fame this year, but has not said who.

    WWE Hall of Fame: Latest Update on Plans for This Year’s Ceremony

  • Edge Names Former WWE Universal Champion the “Rated-R Superstar of Now”

    Edge Names Former WWE Universal Champion the “Rated-R Superstar of Now”

    Edge may have established himself as the ‘Rated-R Superstar’ but he now believes that a current WWE Superstar is deserving of the moniker.

    In late 2005, Edge debuted his nickname as the Rated-R Superstar, and alongside Lita would perform more and more headline-grabbing actions on TV.

    Perhaps the most infamous came in January 2006, when Edge and Lita had a ‘live-sex celebration’ that was interrupted by both Ric Flair and John Cena

    The Rated-R Superstar of Now

    In 2021, Edge, just over a year after his return from retirement, began a feud with Seth Rollins, with the two men trading victories.

    That feud saw Edge win at that year’s Summerslam, while Rollins would get his win back during an episode of SmackDown.

    In the rubber match, Edge would return to Hell in a Cell, besting Rollins inside the barbaric structure at Crown Jewel 2021.

    Speaking on the latest episode of the After The Bell podcast, Edge heaped praise on Rollins, calling him worthy of the Rated R moniker.

    “we’re so damn similar. We look at things in a very similar way. You know, he’s carved his own path.

    “To me if I look at it, and if I make the comparisons to rosters of yesteryear, like he is the Rated-R Superstar of now, he is firmly his own thing.”

    Edge.

    Continuing the Feud

    Edge and Seth Rollins haven’t faced off in years but that doesn’t mean that a fourth match between the pair could not happen.

    On the show, Edge explained that he remains open to a match against the former Universal Champion.

    “Seth Rollins is a guy that we’ll never fully be through with each other.

    “I just you know, to be honest anytime I can get in there with him I know what it feels like we both know what feels like the minute we touched I was like ‘Ooh okay, all right, we got something here. So hell yeah, I mean I do that in a heartbeat,’ you know, we had a trilogy that doesn’t mean can’t be more.”

    Edge.

    If Edge is planning a rematch, then the window of time is running out, as the Hall of Famer teased last year that he will be retiring the next time WWE comes to Canada in 2023.

    Edge Reflects On The Generations Of Legends He’s Worked With Throughout His WWE Career

    h/t – Inside the Ropes

  • Bayley Proves She’s Been “Studying” Lita’s Strengths & Weaknesses for Decades

    Bayley Proves She’s Been “Studying” Lita’s Strengths & Weaknesses for Decades

    Damage CTRL’s Bayley will achieve a lifelong dream when she faces Lita at WrestleMania 39, and this is a match the Role Model has been preparing for decades.

    On this week’s Raw, a six-woman tag-team match was made official for WrestleMania 39, pitting new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Lita and Becky Lynch, as well as Trish Stratus, against Damage CTRL.

    During an edition of the Broken Skull Sessions, Bayley named Lita as her dream opponent from any era of wrestling.

    Studying

    Before becoming the heel Role Model we know today, Bayley was WWE’s premiere Super-Fan, and this wasn’t just her character.

    A lifelong WWE fan, Bayley grew up watching Lita, and (according to the former SmackDown Women’s Champion) knows her weaknesses.

    Taking to Twitter, Bayley shared an essay she wrote in her youth, showing that she has been studying the WWE Hall of Famer for decades.

    Instead of returning from a career-threatening neck injury in March 2003 as young Bayley had hoped, Lita would return to action that September.

    WrestleMania 39

    This year’s WrestleMania will be an especially special one for Bayley, and now just because she’s facing her hero on the card.

    Bayley hasn’t competed at WrestleMania since 2020, as she missed last year’s event due to an ACL injury that forced her to miss over a year of action.

    For 2021, Bayley was simply not used for a match, which angered fans given how much work she’d done during the crowd-less Pandemic era.

    Instead, Bayley had an on-stage segment where she was attacked by the Bella Twins.

    Given that WrestleMania 36 in 2020 took place without live fans, Bayley’s most recent match at WrestleMania with a crowd was back in 2019.

    Bayley Reveals Additional Stars She Wanted In Damage CTRL
  • The Usos Reach New Milestone in WWE Tag Team History

    The Usos Reach New Milestone in WWE Tag Team History

    Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos are back on the same page and have reached another milestone in the annals of tag-team history.

    At WWE Royal Rumble 2023, Jey refused to attack Sami Zayn, seemingly leaving the Bloodline and raising questions about the future of The Usos.

    During this week’s Raw, Jey reunited with Jimmy and the rest of the Bloodline by attacking Sami Zayn.

    New Milestone

    Since WWE Money in the Bank in July 2021, The Usos have dominated as the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

    Last May, the brothers defeated then-Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro to unify the titles, though WWE has since allowed the titles to be defended separately.

    This week, The Usos (already the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in history) reached 600 days of this latest reign as SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

    If you count the combined number of days The Usos have held tag gold in WWE, the brothers have dominated for 1,527 days.

    The End?

    The Usos may have held the SmackDown Tag Team titles for 600 days (and counting) in their latest reign with the Championships, but will they reach 700?

    It has been reported (though not confirmed by WWE) that the plan is for the brothers to defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 39 against Zayn and Kevin Owens.

    There have been calls by some for the match to headline Night One of the event, given the popularity of the storyline featuring Zayn and the Bloodline.

    Jimmy Uso Praises Ava Raine & Says She is Ready to Represent The Bloodline
  • WWE to Meet with Potential Buyers Soon for First-Round Bids (Report)

    WWE to Meet with Potential Buyers Soon for First-Round Bids (Report)

    April will be an important month for WWE, with the company holding WrestleMania 39 and meeting with potential buyers. 

    In February, WWE CEO Nick Khan stated that if a sale were to happen, it could be quick and threw out, “maybe three months.”

    When Vince McMahon returned to the company in January as the Executive Chairman of WWE’s Board of Directors, exploring a possible sale and helping with the negotiations for the next round of TV rights were his reasons given as to why he forced his way back into the company. 

    The Meeting

    CNBC reports WWE is set to meet with potential buyers for the company next month in preparation for first-round bids. However, there is no guarantee that a sale will happen.

    Also, in February, it was reported that McMahon was seeking as much as $9 billion in a sale. As of this writing, WWE has a market value of about $6 billion.

    WWE announced on January 12 that they had “engaged with outside advisors to review strategic alternatives in relation to upcoming media rights negotiations.”

    One of their strategic alternatives is a potential sale of the company ahead of their TV rights talks for WWE Raw and WWE SmackDow. FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch said this week that they’re ready to talk with WWE about the media rights, but the talks have yet to take place.

    FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch: ‘We’re Ready to Engage in TV Rights Talks With WWE’
  • Rey Mysterio Announced as First Inductee Into 2023 WWE Hall of Fame

    Rey Mysterio Announced as First Inductee Into 2023 WWE Hall of Fame

    Rey Mysterio has been officially announced as the first inductee into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame. 

    The SmackDown star was confirmed to be part of the class during Friday’s episode of SmackDown with a video package. Rey came out to the ring for a promo, but before he could make a statement, Dominik Mysterio came out with Judgment Day where he questioned WWE inducting a washed-up man into the Hall of Fame. 

    He reminded Rey of all the things he missed while Dom was growing up. Dominik said he was ashamed to be his son. Legado Del Fansasmo then came out for a six-man tag team match. 

    Career

    Rey began his professional wrestling career in 1989 at age 14. Throughout that successful career, he has worked for promotions such as CMLL, NJPW AAA, WCW, ECW, and WWE. 

    While in WCW, he won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship five times and the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times. In WWE, he’s won the Cruiserweight Championship three times,  World Heavyweight Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the United States Championship twice for each title, the WWE Championship once, and the Tag Team Championship four times. 

    The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place after SmackDown goes off the air from the Crypto.com Arena on March 31.

    Many expected to see Batista, real name Dave Bautista, be confirmed as the first inductee. Pwinsider.com reported earlier in the day that Great Muta (Keiji Muto) would be among the names inducted this year.

  • Alexa Bliss Reacts to Reports of her Hiatus From WWE

    Alexa Bliss Reacts to Reports of her Hiatus From WWE

    While WWE stars prepare for WrestleMania 39 in a few weeks, Alexa Bliss will seemingly not be part of the show while she is reportedly away from television. 

    Bliss was last seen on WWE programming at the Royal Rumble this past January when she lost to Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. After the match, WWE aired a video of a playground and Uncle Howdy, indicating that Bliss would once again be aligned with Bray Wyatt in the near future. 

    Coming out of the show, it was reported that Bliss was on hiatus from the company, something WWE knew going into the match with Belair. She later refuted that. 

    Fast forward to today, a new report by Dave Meltzer noted that Bliss is on another hiatus and will be gone for a while. 

    The Tweet

    Bliss took to Twitter to make it clear that she is not on hiatus because they know where she is. She wrote the following: 

    “Tired of seeing these tweets. I am not on a hiatus. They know where to find me.”

    If that is the case then Bliss could return to WWE at any time. Perhaps, she will be figured into the build-up in the feud between Wyatt and Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 39 next month. 

  • John Cena’s WWE Raw Return Draws Criticism. Justified or Not?

    John Cena’s WWE Raw Return Draws Criticism. Justified or Not?

    This week on Top Rope Nation, SEScoops Site Manager Ryan Droste and Justin Joynt discuss John Cena’s big return to WWE Raw this past Monday night (and some of the criticism it prompted online).

    Each week, the video version of Top Rope Nation streams live to the SEScoops YouTube channel. You can join the live streams by subscribing to the channel and turning on notifications so you never miss a live broadcast. This will include a regular weekly edition of Top Rope Nation (typically Thursday nights), as well as reviews of all major WWE and AEW PLE/PPV shows.

    Also on this week’s show, Ryan and Justin discuss Jey Uso’s turn on Sami Zayn, the WrestleMania card, AEW Dynamite this week, a question and answer segment and much more!

    You can subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are found. You can listen to the podcast via the player below as well.

  • Former WWE & ECW Star Involved in Tragic Fire Incident

    Former WWE & ECW Star Involved in Tragic Fire Incident

    ECW Legend Justin Credible (Peter “PJ” Polaco), along with his family, recently experienced a horrific incident. It has come to light that they were displaced from their apartment following a fire incident earlier this week.

    Justin Credible had multiple stints in WWE and ECW, where he accrued several championships. During his time in WWE, Credible won the Hardcore Championship eight times.

    In ECW, Credible gained massive success after forming a team with Lance Storm. The duo won the ECW Tag Team Championships on two occasions before Credible got a six-month run as the ECW World Heavyweight Champion.

    Justin Credible and family self-evacuated

    On Monday, March 6, NBC Connecticut had reported that the fire department rushed to the scene of an apartment building fire after receiving a call around 3:40 p.m. The fire swept through the Bradley Avenue apartments in Waterbury as four families self-evacuated. However, no one was harmed. Due to the damage, seven people were displaced, including Justin Credible and his family.

    PWInsider identified Credible (real name Peter “PJ” Polaco) as one of the residents displaced from their apartments. The fire department traced the source of the fire to the second floor of the complex. The blazes spread to the third and fourth floors, in addition to the attic, before responders arrived to put it out and prevent further damage.

    In addition to this, PWInsider revealed that Credible and his family resided on the third floor of the building, and evacuated with no injuries. As they await clearance to return to their apartment, they are receiving assistance from the Red Cross. No additional information has been released at this time.

  • WWE To Begin Announcing 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees Today (Report)

    WWE To Begin Announcing 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees Today (Report)

    Fans won’t have to wait much longer to learn who will be inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame, it has been claimed.

    Since 1993, WWE has celebrated wrestlers and icons of the industry with their Hall of Fame, with the first recipient being Andre the Giant.

    WWE also has a celebrity wing of their Hall of Fame as well as the Warrior Award which was introduced in 2015.

    2023 Hall of Fame

    Unlike previous years, WWE has been in no hurry to announce inductees into this year’s Hall of Fame.

    At this point in the calendar, WWE would typically have most, if not all, inductees announced, but so far, nobody has been confirmed for this year’s class.

    According to Wrestle Votes, inductees will be announced later today, given that we are now three weeks away from the ceremony.

    Who’s In This Year?

    While nobody has been publicly confirmed by WWE, there’s no shortage of names rumored to be going into the Hall of Fame this year.

    It has been reported that former World Champion Dave Batista will be headlining this year’s class, after withdrawing from the 2020 class.

    The Animal withdrew given the Covid-19 pandemic, as 2020’s class were bundled with the 2021 class two years ago.

    While some felt that 2022 would be the Animal’s time, the ceremony was (rightly) headlined by The Undertaker.

    Last month, Ric Flair shared his belief that the Midnight Express should be inducted, calling the iconic faction a “great team.”

    Trish Stratus who was inducted in 2013, said last month that Victoria and Impact Wrestling Knockouts World Champion Mickie James both deserve the nod this year.

    John Morrison Thinks Hall of Fame Is ‘Political And Made Up’
  • WWE’s Planning for Becky Lynch to face a Legend at SummerSlam

    WWE’s Planning for Becky Lynch to face a Legend at SummerSlam

    We’re just weeks away from WrestleMania 39, but WWE officials are already looking ahead to the top programs for SummerSlam.

    Becky Lynch is one of the top female performers in WWE. She has been working closely with the trailblazers of the women’s division and WWE Hall of Famers, Lita and Trish Stratus. ‘Big Time Becks’ had been in a feud with Lita in the past. Now, if the latest reports are to be believed, she could have a storyline with a WWE legend.

    SummerSlam is one of the biggest events of WWE’s calendar each year. With this year’s installment taking place from Ford Field stadium in Detroit, Michigan, the company will want to line up some blockbuster attractions suitable for the occasion.

    A new report indicates a major storyline is brewing between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus.

    Becky Lynch could face Trish Stratus

    According to a scoop from WRKD Wrestling on Twitter, there might be a legendary future feud coming Becky’s way:

    “The long term plan, as of this moment, is that Trish Stratus will turn heel and work a program with Becky Lynch through SummerSlam.”

    – WRKD Wrestling

    WWE often shuffles up the plans late before showtime and that could also happen in this case. However, the WRKD account has been accurate regarding the rest of their Trish Stratus scoops. We will have to see how much truth lies in this report.

    Becky Lynch and Lita recently defeated IYO SKY and Dakota Kai, winning the Women’s Tag-Team Championships. Damage CTRL leader Bayley had been interfering in the title match and tried to assist her team in retaining the gold. However, in the closing moments, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus made a shocking return. Stratus, Lita and Lynch celebrated together after the match

    Becky Lynch already has some WrestleMania 39 plans as she would team up with Trish and her fellow WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Lita to take on Damage CTRL.

  • WWE In Talks to Host Australia Stadium Supershow (Report)

    WWE In Talks to Host Australia Stadium Supershow (Report)

    The Superstars of WWE could be heading down under in due time for a stadium event in Australia.

    In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that the state government of Western Australia is “negotiating” with WWE to run a major stadium show.

    Dave Meltzer writes that if successful, the likely city for the event would be Perth, which recently hosted a UFC show.

    UFC shows outside the U.S. are, in essence, local governments bringing in UFC for tourism or other reasons, and WWE would bring a ton of attraction to Perth.

    WWE in Australia

    While Sydney may be approximately 10,000 miles from WWE’s headquarters in Stamford, the promotion has a solid history with Australia.

    In 2002, over 56,000 fans filled Colonial Stadium for WWE’s Global Warning event, which saw The Rock defeat Triple H and Brock Lesnar to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event.

    It would be over 14 years later that WWE would have taped content in Australia, filming matches for NXT in December 2016 that would air the next month.

    70,000 fans packed the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2018 for Super ShowDown, and WWE has done several untelevised tours of Australia, the most recent being in 2019.

    Homecoming

    If this show goes ahead, it will be a homecoming for many of the Superstars in NXT and on the main roster.

    On the main roster, recently returned Superstars Emma and Bronson Reed call Australia home, as does 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley.

    NXT is also home to some exceptional Australian talent, including Duke Hudson, Xyon Quinn, Indi Hartwell, and Grayson Waller.

    WWE Secures New Television and Streaming Deal in Australia