SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • Cody Rhodes Walks Back WrestleMania Comment About The Rock

    Cody Rhodes Walks Back WrestleMania Comment About The Rock

    Cody Rhodes is walking back his recent WrestleMania comment about The Rock.

    Earlier this month, Rhodes noted that, in regards to rumors of The Rock coming back to face off against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, the options WWE has at the moment without “The Great One” are even better.

    However, it looks like now Rhodes is walking those comments back a bit. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Rhodes said if The Rock can make it to WrestleMania in any capacity, he’d love for it to happen.

    He added that he has a ton of respect for The Rock and everything he’s done for the industry – allowing them to have a WrestleMania at all.

    “I said the other day, and I said it in a pretty nice way, ‘all respect to the Rock, I like what we have.’ I’m going to walk that one back. WrestleMania is amazing. If Rock decides to come to WrestleMania, please.

    “Simply because, we’re able to have WrestleMania because of someone like The Rock, and Rock was able to have WrestleMania because of somebody like (Hulk) Hogan, and because of the Dustys [Dusty Rhodes], the Flairs [Ric Flair], the Pipers [Roddy Piper].

    “Our industry doesn’t just exist, the content is so important in keeping it healthy and keeping it going and respecting these long-time fans. I hope I didn’t talk out of turn because I absolutely adore The Rock and would love it if he was present in any setting.

    “His family is massively important to what we do and if Rock decides to show up to WrestleMania, Hollywood would love that. I will say, if Rock doesn’t come to WrestleMania, we have an unbelievable card, if not the best ever, at the biggest ever in terms of the financials, the gates, two days in Hollywood. It’s a win-win.”

    WWE

    Rhodes won this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, California. He’ll challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

    Of course, those plans could always change, as Reigns will first defend his titles against Sami Zayn at the upcoming Elimination Chamber PLE. It remains to be seen if the eventual World Title match at WrestleMania could turn into a Triple Threat match given the popularity of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline storyline.

    Quotes via NoDQ.com

  • Vince McMahon Once Called an FTR Match the Worst Thing He’s Ever Seen

    Vince McMahon Once Called an FTR Match the Worst Thing He’s Ever Seen

    FTR may have impressed fans for years with their skills in the ring, but Vince McMahon was far from pleased with their performance in 2018.

    After an impressive run in NXT, FTR (then The Revival) was called up to WWE’s main roster as part of the post-WrestleMania 33 Raw in April 2017.

    Despite reigns as both Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Champions (making the team the first triple-crown tag Champions in WWE) the duo couldn’t match their NXT success on the main roster and were granted their releases in April 2020.

    The Worst Match

    By the 2018 Royal Rumble, The Revival had been feuding with the Good Brothers and had traded wins on TV and at live events with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

    Speaking with Matt Koon on his FTR podcast, Dax Harwood recalled the less than favorable feedback to the match on the Royal Rumble kick-off show.

    “We come to the back and Vince (McMahon) is waiting for us, all four of us. We thought the match was good. it was like an eight-minute match. We came to the back and he said, ‘Welp, that was absolutely the worst wrestling match I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

    Dax Harwood.

    Given that McMahon was closing in on fifty years in the wrestling industry at the time, Harwood joked that he takes having the worst match as a “badge of pride.”

    Harwood added that McMahon was likely unaware that he and Cash Wheeler were employed by WWE for eight years.

    WWE Return

    While McMahon was far from pleased with FTR, WWE today is much different to the one the tag team left nearly three years ago.

    Following McMahon’s retirement last July, Triple H has been appointed Head of Creative and Head of Talent, and FTR thrived under the Game’s watch in WWE NXT.

    McMahon has (so far) kept away from creative meetings and WWE programming since his return to WWE last month.

    It has been reported that FTR’s deals with AEW expire this May, but Harwood claimed in a previous episode of his podcast that McMahon’s return has made them question coming back.

    FTR Was Speaking to Tony Khan The Day WWE Released Them

    h/t – Fightful

  • Cody Rhodes Planning Indie Wrestling Tribute at Future WWE Premium Live Event

    Cody Rhodes Planning Indie Wrestling Tribute at Future WWE Premium Live Event

    Cody Rhodes could be just 45 days away from becoming the next Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, but the American Nightmare hasn’t forgotten where he’s come from.

    After choosing to part ways with WWE in 2016, Rhodes took his talents to various independent promotions and increased his star power outside WWE.

    It was as a much bigger star that Rhodes founded AEW, and the person once considered mid-card for life returned to WWE as a main eventer in April 2022.

    Tribute

    As we’ve seen in his promos about his father and his exceptional segment earlier this month with Paul Heyman, history means everything to Cody Rhodes.

    While speaking to Peter Rosenberg on Hot 97, Cody stated that he hopes to honor all the independent promotions during his WWE absence.

    “Small spoiler, I guess, I was trying to come up with this idea for a weight belt for a very specific P.L.E. or pay-per-view, whatever you wanna call it where I wrote everybody independent promotion I worked at on it, because that was the most important thing I did was this connection with these fans and getting to know them and grassroots and that became really my bread and butter.”

    Cody Rhodes.

    WrestleMania

    While Rhodes didn’t specify which event he planned this tribute on, the most likely guess would be WrestleMania 39.

    On the show, Rhodes will face Roman Reigns and looks to dethrone the Tribal Chief, who is now in his 900th day as WWE Universal Champion.

    If Cody goes ahead with this tribute, it will be interesting to see what WWE allows, as Cody has worked for some pretty big names (and competition to WWE) including AEW and Impact Wrestling.

    Roman Reigns Responds To Emotional Cody Rhodes – Sami Zayn Segment

    h/t – BodySlam

  • WWE 2K23 Soundtrack Revealed, Curated by John Cena

    WWE 2K23 Soundtrack Revealed, Curated by John Cena

    2K has unveiled the official soundtrack for the upcoming WWE 2K23 video game, due out next month.

    The 12-track list is curated by John Cena himself, who has been given the title of Executive Soundtrack Producer for the ‘Even Stronger’ soundtrack.

    Featuring a collection of songs from some of the biggest artists in the world today, fans can check out this Even Stronger soundtrack today on Apple Music.

    Here’s the official track list:

    • Metallica – “Sad But True”
    • Bizarrap & Quevedo – “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52”
    • Doja Cat – “Vegas” 
    • Luciano – “SUVs”
    • Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Can’t Stop”
    • Joyner Lucas & Lil Baby – “Ramen & OJ”
    • HARDY – “JACK”
    • Bullet for My Valentine – “No More Tears To Cry”
    • Dei V ft. Omar Courtz – “Dame Lu”
    • Letdown. – “Shipwreck”
    • IDLES – “Grounds”
    • Post Malone ft. Ozzy Osbourne, Travis Scott – “Take What You Want”

    WWE 2K23 will be released on March 14, 2023 for Playstation, XBox and PC.

  • RVD Explains What Made Iconic John Cena Match Special

    RVD Explains What Made Iconic John Cena Match Special

    RVD had many memorable matches during his WWE career. Perhaps the most memorable outing was when he went up against John Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006. The ECW legend cashed in his Money In The Bank contract for this title shot. He went on to defeat the Cenation Leader to become the new WWE Champion.

    The former WWE star reflected on this iconic match during an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He was asked which is the one match fans ask him the most about. Van Dam said that it has to be the bout with Cena:

    “The one match would probably be when I beat John Cena at ECW One Night Stand and won the championship belts. Which if they asked me, I’d bring it up. If they asked me what my favorite match was, [I’d mention it] because first off, the match itself was in my opinion, great. I loved the match. Obviously Cena is great. He was great with that crowd. The crowd was incredible. One of a kind crowd.

    [It was an] irreplaceable moment, besides all of that, it’s like ‘What was my story, my build up, going into that particular match? Everything since 96.’ Maybe even before that, if you were to add the history. So for those reasons. Me and every fan in that building, we were all fighting for what I believed in, in my heart, and what got me all the way up to that point. That’s why they all wanted to see the match go the way it did and see Cena go down, or they would riot.”

    ‘Holy Crap, This Is Great’: RVD

    One of the things that made the match special was the unique crowd reaction. The event was held at the legendary Hammerstein Ballroom and it was the home crowd for RVD. It was one rare occasion when John Cena was decisively the villain. When asked if they anticipated such strong crowd reaction, Mr. Monday Night admitted that he didn’t:

    “I don’t think anybody could have known exactly how that crowd was gonna be first off, to put that out there. I didn’t. I knew for sure that was my home. I knew that they were with me. That was my building. But I couldn’t have predicted that they were gonna feel so much that way. They’re gonna be like ‘No! Fuck your T-shirt’ and throw it back. You see me laughing when you watch that.

    I thought that was funny and great. What are the chances that a fan that could have a John Cena shirt, because they’re all real fans at heart, will do that? Then boom, second guy does it again, third guy wipes his ass with it. It’s like, ‘Holy crap. This is great,’ But I had no idea it was gonna be like that. John knew that he was in for a rough night, He was gonna get shit on a lot. He knew that. He’s just super cool. I really think he was looking forward to the match. I think that he had fun with it. I know I did.”

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  • RVD Details Promo That Made Him Big Fan Of John Cena

    RVD Details Promo That Made Him Big Fan Of John Cena

    RVD was one of the guys that feuded with John Cena during his rise to superstardom and helped the Cenation Leader get to the next level. The ECW legend was an industry veteran by the time he first shared the ring with Cena. The 16-time world champion, however, still made him a fan with his mic skills.

    The Whole F’n Show recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet. He first reflected on his time with WWE and talked about his infamous One Night Stand encounter with the Hollywood star. Going back further in time, RVD remembered another similar night when John Cena got booed by the crowd, but he managed to turn it around:

    “I did see him get booed by the whole crowd before. That was in Wales. That was early in my WWE days. So I don’t know probably 2003 or 2004 seems like, I don’t know, but I was shocked. Because I hadn’t seen that before at that point. Everyone [was like] ‘boo’ and then he got on the microphone. He cut this promo. He said ‘You can boo me. Yeah, keep it up. Let’s go.’

    RVD continued: “He was like, ‘That’s what we want, man. As long as you’re screaming and you’re voicing your opinion. That means you’re ready to go and that you’re ready for wrestling.’ He was like ‘That’s all we want either way. We wanna make sure you’re having a good time. So keep it up.’ He turned them and made me a much bigger fan of his at that moment. I was like ‘Wow, he knows how to turn the whole crowd that hated him into loving him in two minutes.’”

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  • Watch: Dominik Mysterio Crashes Rey Mysterio’s Valentine’s Day Celebration

    Watch: Dominik Mysterio Crashes Rey Mysterio’s Valentine’s Day Celebration

    Dominik Mysterio has again ruined a celebration for The Mysterio Family, or has he?

    The young WWE star ruined Thanksgiving and Christmas Day for his father and he tried to do the same on Valentine’s Day as well.

    WWE recently posted a video of Prison Dom going to a nice restaurant with Rhea Ripley to celebrate Valentine’s Day. He asked for his reserved table only to learn that his father Rey Mysterio had already taken up the seat.

    This time, however, Rey chose not to make a fuss in public. The wrestling veteran decided to let his son have the table and left quietly with his wife.

    Prison Dom Makes A Run

    Dominik then got to enjoy a nice dinner with his Mami, only for him to learn later that he can no longer use the Mysterio account to pay for it all.

    The WWE star then tried to pay with a credit card. When that got declined as well, Dom did the most prison thing and made a run for it:

    Rhea Ripley Is Not Happy

    Rhea Ripley was not happy with people focusing on the fact that she had to foot the bill. She tweeted in support of Dominik, saying that she understands his trauma:

    The Judgement Day are currently involved in a long-standing feud with Edge and Beth Phoenix. This rivalry was reignited when the Rated R Superstar and The Glamazon made their return at Royal Rumble.

    It’s believed that we will see Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley teaming up against the husband-wife duo at WrestleMania. As for Dominik, it’s possible that he finally has to face his father Rey Mysterio in a match at the show.

  • Roman Reigns Responds To Emotional Cody Rhodes – Sami Zayn Segment

    Roman Reigns Responds To Emotional Cody Rhodes – Sami Zayn Segment

    Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn participated in a highly praised segment on this week’s episode of Raw, but Roman Reigns is not impressed.

    This week’s episode of the Red Branded Show saw Zayn jumping the barricade once again. He called out Rhodes and asked if Cody really believes Sami can beat the Tribal Chief at Elimination Chamber.

    The American Nightmare said that it doesn’t matter what anyone else believes. He said that he is here to finish his story and told Zayn to finish his own.

    Roman Reigns Responds

    This segment between the two title challengers received high praise from the fans but it failed to impress the WWE Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion.

    Roman Reigns posted a message on Twitter saying that everybody thinks they’re the guy until they meet the guy. He targeted Sami Zayn in the video, saying he’ll see the Honorary Uce in Montreal:

    “If you gotta have a pep rally to convince each other that you can beat me? You don’t stand a chance. I’ll see ya in Montreal.”

    Cody Rhodes will be main eventing WrestleMania 39 after winning the Royal Rumble. Sami Zayn on the other hand, is set to challenge Reigns for the Undisputed titles this Saturday, February 18 at Elimination Chamber from Montreal, Canada.

  • Details on WWE’s Plans for WrestleMania Movie Trailers

    Details on WWE’s Plans for WrestleMania Movie Trailers

    WWE is returning to Los Angeles on April 1-2 for WrestleMania 39, and just as they did in 2005, WWE will be doing something special for the show to get the word out. 

    The promotion for the show will include stars parodying classic Hollywood films. WWE has been showing the original clips on social media as of late such as  Braveheart, Dirty Harry, Taxi Driver, A Few Good Men, and Pulp Fiction. 

    Stars featured in these trailers included the likes of John Cena, JBL, Rey Mysterio, Batista, Triple H, and more. 

    The List

    WrestleVotes reported the list of which movies and wrestlers will be involved this year. 

    The Bloodline in Goodfellas, The Miz & Maryse in Top Gun, The Judgement Day in Stranger Things, Drew McIntyre & The Brawling Brutes in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch as Batman & The Joker. 

    Current WWE WrestleMania 39 Card

    • Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
    • SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley
    • Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. the winner of Saturday’s Elimination Chamber Match

    Charlotte and Bianca currently do not have matches booked for this Saturday’s Elimination Chamber PLE while Reigns will defend his title against Sami Zayn at the show. 

  • Jinny Opens Up About Retirement After Suffering Concussion

    Jinny Opens Up About Retirement After Suffering Concussion

    Former WWE NXT UK wrestler Jinny has opened up on her retirement from wrestling, something she announced last month. 

    Before signing with WWE in 2018, Jinny was one of the most prominent women’s wrestlers on the United Kingdom indie scene. She last wrestled for NXT UK in November 2021. Jinny is married to WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther. 

    The Details

    While speaking to Ring The Belle, Jinny confirmed that she retired from wrestling due to concussion issues. 

    “When I was injured, this was the longest time I had been out with any injury. During the time of being injured and having the symptoms, I was like, ‘Wow, this is taking so long for my body to heal.’ The injury that I had, it was a concussion, unfortunately, I took quite a few blows to the head, and it was the worst one I ever had. Halfway through, I was like, ‘If my body is taking this long to heal, if I get hit again, is it going to take even longer?’ I had to be smart about it. I love wrestling. I’m a wrestling fan, I always will be. It was a really hard decision because if it wasn’t for that, would I be wrestling still? Yes, but your health is wealth, and as difficult as it is, and as much as I love this business and as much as I like, ‘maybe I’ll be okay,’ I had to be smart about it and make sure that I look after myself, not just for now, but in the long run as well,” she said.

    The topic of a potential retirement match came up. For now, she’s unsure she wants to take the chance of doing that and getting hurt, but gave the classic never say never answer. She is focusing on her health for now. She called it unfortunate but knows it is what it is and when you get into wrestling, this is a risk you take. 

    Jinny said she is grateful for her time in the business because she went after her dream and had a blast. She met her husband in the business and achieved so much. 

    H/T to Fightful for the transcript

  • Cody Rhodes Reveals The Only ‘Bummer’ About Royal Rumble Win

    Cody Rhodes Reveals The Only ‘Bummer’ About Royal Rumble Win

    Cody Rhodes won the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match, but there was one aspect of it that was a bummer for the former AEW star.

    Rhodes recently spoke to The New York Post about his big win last month. As noted, Rhodes actually popped his eardrum during the match.

    It was especially disappointing given Rhodes just returned from injury, and wanted to avoid getting back on the medical list.

    Thankfully, the injury wasn’t significant enough to sideline him again. However, Rhodes did explain how much of a bummer it was that he couldn’t fully hear the packed Alamodome crowd after his career-highlight victory.

    “So if you’ve ever had your ear drum popped, it’s a ringing sound, it’s unmistakable, there’s air blowing out of it. I was just tickled by it, hilariously, that it happened because I’m finally back, came back two months early.

    “The last thing we need to do is get hurt because you don’t want to be on that medical list. Anyways, I was able to get through it just fine, just a tiny little perforation. The funny thing was on a night that you’re surrounded by 60,000 people in the Alamodome, excited, you’d like to hear them, and I could only hear half of them.

    “That was a little bit of a [worrisome moment]. I could feel them, if that makes any sense, but you’d like to hear them more. That was a night that was a bummer not to fully hear it.”

    Cody Rhodes backstage at Royal Rumble

    Rhodes has already punched his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 39. Currently, he’s slated to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. However, that could all change should Sami Zayn pull off an upset over “The Tribal Chief” at Elimination Chamber.

    Of course, WWE could always opt to make the title bout a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania involving Reigns, Rhodes, and Zayn.

    It will be interesting to see how the World Title picture develops as the Road To WrestleMania continues.

    Quotes via WrestleZone

  • Cody Rhodes Has a Very Different Mentality This Year: “Calm and Cool”

    Cody Rhodes Has a Very Different Mentality This Year: “Calm and Cool”

    Cody Rhodes says he’s got a different mentality this year as he gears up for the crowning moment of his professional wrestling career.

    Rhodes’ WWE return at WrestleMania 38 will go down as one of the most memorable moments of 2022. The American Nightmare sent shockwaves throughout the industry when he walked through the curtain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

    Unfortunately, his feud with Seth Rollins was cut short when he suffered a pectoral tear prior to June’s Hell in Cell PLE. He toughed it out and still wrestled in a HIAC match that night, delivering a performance for the ages. He’d soon undergo surgery and took six months to recover.

    Rhodes returned from injury last month at the Royal Rumble. He won the men’s Rumble match and punched his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 39. During an interview with Peter Rosenberg for Hot 97, Rhodes explained that he is taking a very different approach for this run.

    2022 Cody vs. 2023 Cody

    Rhodes told Rosenberg that he could barely sleep in the month leading up to the Royal Rumble. He tried everything to quiet his mind, but he was just so excited to get back to what he loves doing. He explained his mood as “giddy” in the weeks leading up to his return, but he’s made a conscious effort to tweak his outlook on things.

    “The final month before I came back, I really couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I was trying everything I possibly could just to quiet my mind down and go to sleep, because I was really giddy. Very giddy about returning to wrestling”

    “I don’t know if ‘giddy’ is the most masculine of words, but very giddy, but also at the same time, giddy is what got me into trouble. Lifting and just going nuts because i was so excited and i felt so much responsibility.”

    He may have pushed himself a bit too hard last year. He felt the pressure to perform and that probably got to him. This year, he’s

    “This time i just tried to be calm an cool and come in and do my thing and help in the best way i can. Not that WWE needs help, but it did feel like there was this absense on Raw perhaps, maybe it was just my absense, i’m glad to jump back in and take that responsibility.”

    – Cody Rhodes

  • Cody Rhodes Details His Current Relationship With Triple H

    Cody Rhodes Details His Current Relationship With Triple H

    There are many aspects that make Cody Rhodes’ journey back to WWE very unique. One such aspect is his relationship with Triple H. He took some serious shots at the WWE Executive during the initial days of AEW, only to now find himself working under the guidance of The Game after his return.

    The American Nightmare was asked about his relationship with the Chief Content Officer during an interview with Ariel Helwani. Rhodes claimed that the relationship has been great because neither of them are trying to force a friendship:

    “So far? A plus. In terms of not, I hope this isn’t too divulgent, nothing has been forced. I’m not trying to force my ideas or a friendship. He’s not trying [either]. Everything he has said to me, or we’ve talked about has been very deliberate. Very much I get the sense [that] he’s expecting me to hit a home run every time. [I’m like] ‘Okay,’ I have had great education and great experience. I want to go out there and do that every time.”

    ‘It’s Been A Very Good Relationship’: Cody Rhodes

    Cody Rhodes said that he expects struggles in the future but his relationship with Triple H so far has been good. Addressing his time in AEW, the former TNT champion explained that his actions were aimed at lifting the whole industry up:

    “We’ve yet to really hit a road bump. They’re gonna come. I keep using different sports analogies, but we’re gonna fumble the ball. We’re gonna have these moments. They’re gonna come but right now, it’s been a very good relationship. Because it’s not performative. Right, it’s you call the play, and I’m gonna go out there and try to do the damn thing.

    I’ve really enjoyed that because I don’t think there was necessarily bad blood. But that was a contentious thing on Wednesdays in a way for a while. If anything, I hope he would look at that and respect the hustle. I don’t think I’ve ever said respect the hustle. Respect what I was out there trying to do. Cause what I was out there trying to do then was for everybody.”

    You can check out Cody Rhodes’ full interview below:

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  • Former Tag Champion Teases WWE Return Amid AEW Hiatus

    Former Tag Champion Teases WWE Return Amid AEW Hiatus

    Dax Harwood’s future with AEW remains uncertain at this time, and the FTR member sure wants fans to think that a WWE return is coming.

    Harwood joined AEW in 2020 alongside tag partner Cash Wheeler, after exiting WWE just a month earlier.

    The Revival signed over their downside guarantees to WWE in order to be released without the standard 90-day non-compete clause.

    WWE Return

    December 2022 was hardly a great month for FTR, who lost the ROH World Tag Team Championships to the Briscoes, and the AAA Tag Gold to Dragon Lee and Dralistico.

    At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, FTR lost the IWGP World Tag Team Titles, and are currently taking a break from all wrestling ventures.

    On Instagram, Harwood shared an image from his home, and eagle-eyed followers spotted what appeared to be some WWE paperwork in the bottom-left corner.

    On Twitter, Harwood shared the same image but cropped the WWE logo out.

    FTR has stated that their AEW deals will expire this April, but it remains unclear whether this current hiatus will add time to their contracts.

    The pairing of Harwood and Cash Wheeler certainly benefited under Triple H’s tenure as Head of NXT, leaving some to speculate on a return to WWE’s main roster now that the Game is Head of Talent and Creative.

    What’s next for FTR?

    While a return to AEW or even a return to WWE are two options, FTR’s future may take them outside of the ring, or at least off camera.

    Both Harwood and Wheeler have expressed interest in possibly returning to the indies for a limited run away from TV.

    Harwood has also said that he and Cash are looking at potential locations for a wrestling school, and they are considering a coffee shop project, as well as real estate ventures.

    FTR Was Speaking to Tony Khan The Day WWE Released Them
  • Cody Rhodes Is Open to Possible Triple Threat Match at WWE WrestleMania 39

    Cody Rhodes Is Open to Possible Triple Threat Match at WWE WrestleMania 39

    Cody Rhodes vs. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

    Cody Rhodes Vs. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Sami Zayn.

    Why not both?

    Since winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match last month, it has been known that the American Nightmare will challenge for WWE’s richest prize at WrestleMania 39, but who he’ll face remains uncertain.

    Elimination Chamber

    At this time, the WrestleMania 39 main event will see Rhodes attempt to dethrone Reigns and end his historic reign as WWE’s sole World Champion.

    Before that though, Reigns will defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Sami Zayn at this weekend’s Elimination Chamber event.

    During last week’s Raw, Rhodes said he believes Zayn can defeat Reigns in Montreal, and reiterated that point this week in a face-to-face segment with Sami.

    Triple Threat

    While the Royal Rumble winner has traditionally competed in singles action at WrestleMania, Rhodes is open to the idea of facing both Zayn and Reigns in Los Angeles.

    Speaking on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Rhodes was asked about the possibility of a triple-threat match.

    “I don’t really have a preference [between Reigns and Zayn.] Solely because I want to wrestle the best. People wanted a contender forever. So if two show up, don’t be mad. Don’t make it about A or B, or B or A, or one or two. Enjoy it all. That’s really been kind of the challenge. I can’t begrudge a dude getting super hot. I have no preference in terms of the direction it goes.

    “I have no preference in terms of the direction it goes.”

    Cody Rhodes.

    “I really look forward to the moments when I’m in there, if they happen, Sami, whether that’s just on the road to WrestleMania. I think it’s different than people think. I think he’s doing amazing.”

    Rhodes remained aware that what happens this Saturday at WWE Elimination Chamber could significantly affect his WrestleMania future.

    “I feel like I’ve been able to really do some great stuff too. So bring it all together. Who knows what happens in Montreal? Who knows what happens at WrestleMania?”

    Cody Rhodes.

    If WWE does have a triple-threat match at WrestleMania, it will be the eighth time the stipulation will be used at a WrestleMania for a World Championship (2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015-albeit thanks to Seth Rollins, and 2021.)

    Matt Hardy Comments on Cody Rhodes Winning the Royal Rumble

    h/t – Fightful

  • Cody Rhodes Addresses Criticism Of His Royal Rumble Return

    Cody Rhodes Addresses Criticism Of His Royal Rumble Return

    Cody Rhodes made his big return to WWE at Royal Rumble. After staying away from wrestling for 7 months, the American Nightmare picked things up right where he left off. He won the battle royal to earn a shot at the Undisputed World Championship at WrestleMania 39. His return, however, wasn’t free of criticism. Many fans thought that it would have been better to keep his comeback a surprise.

    The former AEW star addressed this criticism during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. Rhodes explained why he preferred the way things went down, saying that he wanted to call his shots:

    “The Rumble was about, in my opinion, as a character that people like on the show, and I’ve been a character on shows that they don’t like but as someone currently, they like and vibe with and I really love and like them. I wanted to call my shot.

    Calling your shots sometimes makes it obvious. Like ‘oh, hey, they’re making it seem like he’s gonna win the Royal Rumble.’ I wanted to call my shot because I still believe in those type of wrestlers. The type I grew up with, who said something and did it. That doesn’t happen that often in wrestling.”

    ‘It Just Felt Good’: Cody Rhodes

    Cody Rhodes before his surgery

    Cody Rhodes noted how he has been talking about winning the world championship since he returned to the company. He mentioned that many fans wanted his return to be a surprise, but the wrestling veteran explained that he felt good sharing the story of his return with fans:

    “I’ve been telling you since WrestleMania, this is what I want. I want to win this championship that my dad never got his hands on. Then I want to start a whole new chapter. I’m wrapping up something that started in 1978, seven years before I was born. 77 maybe actually, but I want to wrap this up, and then wrap that part up for me. Then start a whole new chapter. I kind of stand by that.

    There was a lot of people like ‘maybe it should have been a surprise.’ [I’m like] ‘Yeah, that might have been really cool.’ But it just felt good about telling them ‘Hey, I’m coming back’ It was really nerve-wracking and anxious. Watching those vignettes, because they’re not vignettes. It’s real surgery footage and real PT footage at my gym. I didn’t want to let anyone down and I felt like I didn’t.”

    You can watch Cody Rhodes’ full interview below:

    More Originals From SEScoops:

    If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

  • Watch What Happened With Seth Rollins After Raw Went Off Air

    Watch What Happened With Seth Rollins After Raw Went Off Air

    Seth Rollins was a busy man during tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw. He took part in a talk show segment during the show, competed in a dark match afterwards and also cut a promo later on.

    The former Universal Champion first appeared on The Miz TV during the broadcast. He opened up about his hatred for Logan Paul during the segment.

    Rollins tried to attack The Miz towards the end of the segment but Austin Theory interfered. The Visionary did manage to deliver a Curb Stomp to the A-Lister but Theory then took him out.

    What Happened After Raw

    The Architect returned to the ring later in the night after the cameras stopped rolling. He first shared a moment with Becky Lynch who competed in the main event of Raw.

    Seth Rollins then wrestled in a street fight with Theory. Rollins won this bout after he put the US champion through a table and then delivered a Curb Stomp for the pin.

    After the match, Seth addressed the Brooklyn crowd. The former champion thanked the fans and led them to sing a tune to end the night:

    Seth Rollins and Austin Theory will meet again this Saturday at the Elimination Chamber PPV. Theory will be defending his US Championship against Rollins and four other competitors inside the steel structure.

  • NXT Champion Competes In Match Before Raw

    NXT Champion Competes In Match Before Raw

    Bron Breakker has been the dominant NXT Champion for over 300 days but it appears that his time with the development brand might be coming to an end.

    WWE has the tradition of calling up development stars right after WrestleMania. They usually start preparing talents for their future by having them compete in trial matches during the Mania season.

    The NXT champion competed in one such match before this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. The second-generation talent competed in a bout against Akira Tozawa that was filmed for Main Event.

    Bron Breakker wasn’t the only NXT name brought in for the tapings from Brooklyn, NY. Wendy Choo was also present in the arena and she had a match with Dana Brooke.

    Choo participated in the 2018 Mae Young Classic before being signed by WWE. She spent a long time on the shelf due to various injuries and went through multiple gimmick changes before settling on her current ring name in November 2021.

    Breakker on the other hand made his in-ring debut for the brand in September 2021. He has been the dominant face of WWE’s Development Territory ever since.

    The 25-year-old has made several appearances on Raw and SmackDown. Now might be the time for him to join the main roster on a more permanent basis.

  • Kofi Kingston Once Talked Cody Rhodes Out of Getting a Regrettable WWE Tattoo

    Kofi Kingston Once Talked Cody Rhodes Out of Getting a Regrettable WWE Tattoo

    Cody Rhodes got made fun of when he decided to get a giant neck tattoo in 2020 ahead of his match against MJF at the AEW Revolution event. Many fans laughed at him for doing so. However, it’s just part of his look now. 

    It turns out that Rhodes had another questionable tattoo idea years ago. He discussed this while making an appearance on ‘My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox.’

    Rhodes revealed that he almost got the faction logo of Legacy tattooed on his hand prior to their Triple Threat showdown at WrestleMania 26 in 2010 when he took on Randy Orton and Ted Debiase. 

    Luckily for Rhodes, Kofi Kingston stepped in and talked him out of it. 

    The Tat

    “I almost got a tattoo on my hand of the Legacy logo before the match. I want to say, and I hope I’m giving credit to the right guy, Kofi Kingston was the one who told me absolutely not to do that.

    Like, yeah, Legacy was cool. Yes, I was excited about having this first real WrestleMania, but it’s not that place on the card that you need this tattoo. I thought, okay. I also liked the L. I thought it was a pretty cool logo, but I didn’t get the tattoo, so Kofi was right.”

    Rhodes is expected to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title at WrestleMania 39. 

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

  • Cody Rhodes & Sami Zayn Raise the Stakes in WWE’s Red Hot Main Event Scene

    Cody Rhodes & Sami Zayn Raise the Stakes in WWE’s Red Hot Main Event Scene

    Sami Zayn called out Cody Rhodes on this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw episode. 

    This was days before Zayn steps into the ring to challenge Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns for his title in the main event of Saturday’s Elimination Chamber PLE event. 

    Some fans have felt that Zayn should be in Rhodes’ spot, as the former AEW star made his return from injury last month by winning the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match to earn the right to challenge Reigns for his title at WrestleMania 39. 

    The Segment

    Zayn said he came to Raw to hear Rhodes say again that it’s looking more like Reigns won’t make it to Mania as champion and Zayn would be in the spot to make it Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn at WrestleMania. 

    Zayn wanted to know that Rhodes believed Zayn could beat Reigns. 

    Rhodes stated he believed Zayn could win this Saturday and asked Zayn if he really believed he can. Zayn said he didn’t know because he’s been in the trenches with The Bloodline, and Reigns somehow finds a way to win. Zayn said he believes he is compatible of winning and worthy of being in the headliner role at WrestleMania 39 but isn’t sure whether he can walk out as champion on Saturday night.

    Rhodes stated there are cracks in The Bloodline because of Sami Zayn and they both need to finish their own stories. Rhodes told him that he didn’t want to see Zayn next week because he wanted to see him at WrestleMania 39. 

    Fan Reactions 

  • ‘Iron Claw’ Von Erich Biopic Wraps Up Filming

    ‘Iron Claw’ Von Erich Biopic Wraps Up Filming

    A24’s “The Iron Claw,” a movie about the rise and fall of the Von Erich family, has wrapped up filming. 

    Zac Efron (Kevin Von Erich), Jeremy Allen White (Kerry), Harris Dickinson (David), Holt McCallany (Fritz Von Erich), Maura Tierney (Doris Von Erich), Aaron Dean Eisenberg (Ric Flair), AEW‘s MJF (Lance Von Erich), and Kevin Anton (Harley Race) make up the rest of the cast.  

    Done Filming

    The Iron Claw began principal photography beginning in Louisiana in October. Pwinsider.com reported today that it recently wrapped up filming. The film will now enter post-production. The release date for it has yet to be made, but it’s looking like late 2023 or early 2024. 

    The film’s synopsis reads, “Based on the true story of the Von Erichs, the film follows the rise and fall of the family dynasty of wrestlers who made a huge impact on the sport from the 1960s to the present day.”

    The film is written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Sean Durkin. A24 and Access Industries are co-financing the film. Producing alongside A24 are Tessa Ross, Derrin Schlesinger, and Harrison Huffman.

  • WWE 2K23: Complete Roster of Playable Characters at Launch

    WWE 2K23: Complete Roster of Playable Characters at Launch

    2K Games has announced the complete roster for the WWE 2K23 video game.

    The game is slated to be released on March 17, 2023. Fans who pre-order the standard edition of the game early will be able to play as Bad Bunn. Those who get the Deluxe or Icon editions will have access to the game on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. 

    John Cena is the game’s cover star and will be featured on the front of each edition of the video game. 

    Legends like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and Macho Man Randy Savage will be part of the roster. Of course, top stars such as Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Brock Lesnar will be featured. 

    The Roster

    • AJ Styles
    • Akira Tozawa
    • Alba Fyre
    • Alexa Bliss
    • Aliyah
    • André the Giant
    • Angel Garza
    • Angelo Dawkins
    • Apollo Crews
    • Asuka
    • Austin Theory
    • Axiom
    • Batista
    • Bayley
    • Becky Lynch
    • Beth Phoenix
    • Bianca Belair
    • Big Boss Man
    • Big E
    • Bobby Lashley
    • Boogeyman
    • Booker T
    • Braun Strowman
    • Bret “The Hit Man” Hart
    • Brie Bella
    • British Bulldog
    • Brock Lesnar
    • Bron Breakker
    • Bruno Sammartino
    • Brutus Creed
    • Butch
    • Cactus Jack
    • Cameron Grimes
    • Carmella
    • Carmelo Hayes
    • Cedric Alexander
    • Chad Gable
    • Charlotte Flair
    • Chyna
    • Cody Rhodes
    • Commander Azeez
    • Cora Jade
    • Cruz Del Toro
    • Dakota Kai
    • Damian Priest
    • Dana Brooke
    • Dexter Lumis
    • Diesel
    • DOINK
    • Dolph Ziggler
    • Dominik Mysterio
    • Doudrop
    • Drew Gulak
    • Drew McIntyre
    • Eddie Guerrero
    • Edge
    • Elias
    • Eric Bischoff
    • Erik
    • Ezekiel
    • Faarooq
    • Giovanni Vinci
    • Finn Bálor
    • Gigi Dolin
    • Goldberg
    • Grayson Waller
    • Happy Corbin
    • Hollywood Hogan
    • Hulk Hogan
    • Humberto Carillo
    • The Hurricane
    • Ilja Dragunov
    • Indi Hartwell
    • IYO SKY
    • Ivar
    • Jacy Jayne
    • Jake “The Snake” Roberts
    • JD McDonagh
    • Jerry “The King” Lawler
    • Jey Uso
    • Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart
    • Jimmy Uso
    • Jinder Mahal
    • Joaquin Wilde
    • JBL
    • John Cena
    • Julius Creed
    • Kane
    • Karrion Kross
    • Katana Chance
    • Kayden Carter
    • Kevin Nash
    • Kevin Owens
    • Kofi Kingston
    • Kurt Angle
    • LA Knight
    • Lacey Evans
    • Liv Morgan
    • Lita
    • Logan Paul
    • Ludwig Kaiser
    • MACE
    • “Macho Man” Randy Savage
    • Madcap Moss
    • Mansoor
    • Matt Riddle
    • Maryse
    • Molly Holly
    • Montez Ford
    • Mr. McMahon
    • Mustafa Ali
    • MVP
    • Natalya
    • Nikki A.S.H.
    • Nikki Bella
    • Nikkita Lyons
    • Noam Dar
    • Omos
    • Otis
    • Queen Zelina
    • Randy Orton
    • Raquel Rodriguez
    • Razor Ramon
    • Reggie
    • Rey Mysterio
    • Rhea Ripley
    • Rick Boogs
    • Ricochet
    • Ridge Holland
    • Rikishi
    • Rob Van Dam
    • Robert Roode
    • Roman Reigns
    • Ronda Rousey
    • Rowdy Roddy Piper
    • Roxanne Perez
    • R-Truth
    • Sami Zayn
    • Santos Escobar
    • Scarlett
    • Scott Hall
    • Seth Rollins
    • Shane McMahon
    • Shanky
    • Shawn Michaels
    • Shayna Bazler
    • Sheamus
    • Shelton Benjamin
    • Shinsuke Nakamura
    • Shotzi
    • Solo Sikoa
    • Sonya Deville
    • Stacy Keibler
    • “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
    • Stephanie McMahon
    • Syxx
    • Tamina
    • T-BAR
    • Ted DiBiase
    • The Miz
    • The Rock
    • Titus O’Neil
    • Tommaso Ciampa
    • Triple H
    • Trish Stratus
    • Tyler Bate
    • The Ultimate Warrior
    • Umaga
    • The Undertaker
    • Vader
    • Veer Mahaan
    • GUNTHER
    • Wes Lee
    • Xavier Woods
    • Xia Li
    • X-Pac
    • Yokozuna
    • Zoey Stark
    • Brock Lesnar ’01 (RUTHLESS AGGRESSION PACK)
    • The Prototype (RUTHLESS AGGRESSION PACK)
    • Randy Orton ’02 (RUTHLESS AGGRESSION PACK)
    • Leviathan (RUTHLESS AGGRESSION PACK)
    • Bad Bunny (BAD BUNNY BONUS PACK)
    New WWE 2K23 Gameplay Trailer features WarGames
  • Kurt Angle Reveals Why He Plans On Attending This Year’s WrestleMania

    Kurt Angle Reveals Why He Plans On Attending This Year’s WrestleMania

    Kurt Angle reveals why this year’s WrestleMania will be the first he plans on attending in a long time.

    Angle recently took to his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show,” and noted that he currently is planning on staying for the first-half of WrestleMania. The Olympic Gold Medalist noted that he really wants to attend in order to see Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes.

    He added that he might even extend his trip to stay for the second night of WrestleMania, as he believes Rhodes is going to win the World Title. Angle will also be in town for an appearance for WrestleCon.

    “Right now, my flight plans leave Sunday morning. I’ll watch the first half of Wrestlemania. I might stay and extend my flight to the next day, but I want to watch Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes because I believe he’s going to win the title.

    “I’m doing an appearance for WrestleCon. I believe I’m going to do some stuff for WWE as well. I plan on going to Wrestlemania for one day. I’m really excited about it. This is the first Wrestlemania I’ve gone to in a while.” 

    Cody Rhodes won the 2023 Royal Rumble

    Cody Rhodes won this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 39 in Las Angeles. Now, he’ll challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.

    Reigns has been on a dominant run as World Champion for the past few years, and Rhodes is looking to bring his family their first WWE World Title, a longtime goal of his that he has been very adamant about achieving since returning to the company last year.

    Quotes via NoDQ.com

  • Seth Rollins ‘Slighted’ He’s Not Involved In WrestleMania Main Event

    Seth Rollins ‘Slighted’ He’s Not Involved In WrestleMania Main Event

    Seth Rollins feels “slighted” that he’s not involved in the WrestleMania 39 main event this year.

    This year’s Royal Rumble match was won by none other than Cody Rhodes. Meaning, Rhodes will go on to headline this year’s “Show Of Shows” against Roman Reigns, challenging for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

    One of the last men eliminated from the Royal Rumble match, just missing out on punching their own ticket to WrestleMania, was Seth Rollins. Rollins was eliminated by Logan Paul from the match, setting up a likely feud between the pair moving forward.

    With that being said, Rollins recently did an interview with Sports Guys Talking Wrestling‘s Stew Myrick at Super Bowl LVIII. During the interview, Rollins was asked about missing out on the main event this year.

    While Rollins admits he wants that spot very badly, he also understands why two superstars as hot as Reigns and Rhodes at the moment have been given the nod. He even acknowledged that someone like Sami Zayn might even be a candidate that should’ve gotten the opportunity as well.

    “I want that match, I want that spot. I want that title and I do not have it. There’s a lot of salt in the wound of having to talk about it. It’s difficult for me to analyze. I will say you’re looking at a rock and a hard place.

    “You’ve got Roman Reigns, who is on an incredible run, but you’ve got Cody Rhodes, who is riding a lot of momentum. When those two guys meet, if that is the match — it could be Sami Zayn in that spot, we’ll see after Elimination Chamber — it’s going to be a generational main event at WrestleMania.”

    Rollins added that it’s hard to feel anything other than “slighted” by being left out of the main event, but will support his fellow WWE Superstars regardless, and suggests the bout will still be one to remember.

    “Again, it’s hard for me to feel anything but slighted by it, so that is what it is. But, I will take a page out of [fellow guest Renee Manfredi’s] book and I will support my family, my brothers regardless of the outcome.

    “It’s not about winning and losing, it’s how you play the game. It’s going to be an incredible main event at WrestleMania no matter what it is.”

    Despite not being involved in the WrestleMania main event this year, Rollins is still undoubtedly one of WWE’s biggest stars. He could very well head into WrestleMania with some gold around his waist.

    Rollins is scheduled to challenge for the WWE United States Title inside the Elimination Chamber on February 18 against defending champion Austin Theory, Johnny Gargano, Bronson Reed, Damian Priest, and Montez Ford.

    Quotes via WrestleZone

  • Latest on Jay White’s NJPW Situation After Loser Leaves Japan Match – WWE Interest

    Latest on Jay White’s NJPW Situation After Loser Leaves Japan Match – WWE Interest

    Jay White came up short in the recent Loser Leaves Japan match, and the New Zealand-born wrestler is keeping true to his word.

    At NJPW New Beginning in Osaka, White lost to Hikuleo, taking a pinfall defeat to his opponent following a chokeslam.

    White had agreed to the stipulation at New Japan’s New Year Sash event the previous month.

    Moving Day

    According to the latest report from Fightful Select, White is looking to make a “move back” over to the United States.

    White joined the NJPW dojo in 2015 and has been with the company ever since, and has held both the IWGP and IWGP World Heavyweight Championships.

    While the stipulation said he must leave Japan, there has been speculation that he could remain with New Japan as part of the America-based New Japan Strong.

    White will compete for New Japan this weekend at Battle in the Valley, where he will take on AEW’s Eddie Kingston.

    WWE Interest

    White has proven himself in New Japan for years, so it is hardly surprising that WWE has shown interest in the wrestler.

    Fightful’s report adds that WWE felt confident that they could get White to join the company, but now “that hardly is guaranteed at this point” in time.

    Different sources in WWE have stated that everything related to the possibility of him coming to WWE is “being kept very quiet.”

    Contrary to what some may believe, White’s name was never discussed for the WWE Men’s Royal Rumble match, despite an official WWE tweet teasing his involvement.

    NJPW told Fightful that they believe White’s contract will expire sometime between Battle in the Valley (February 18) and WrestleMania 39 (April 1.)

    Top NJPW Star Expected to Be Done With Company Soon (Report)