The Kansas City Chiefs are once again back on top of the world of Football with their third Super Bowl Championship win.
In a close-fought game, the Chiefs bested the Philadelphia Eagles 35 to 38 to win another Championship ring, following Super Bowl victories in 2020 and 1970.
The two teams tied in the first quarter, before the Eagles pulled ahead in the second, and the Chiefs were able to pull back in the second half of the all-important game.
After the game, Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes received a custom WWE Championship which was waiting for the team in their locker room.
Patrick Mahomes opens the WWE championship that was waiting for him at his locker after the Super Bowl and presents it to his teammates. pic.twitter.com/vopIdT7sH4
The Championship belt was not the only wrestling-themed part of this year’s Super Bowl, as Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce celebrated early into the game with John Cena’s iconic ‘You Can’t See Me’ hand gesture.
WWE has given out numerous custom belts to winning sports teams in recent years, including the Super Bowl 2022 winners the Los Angeles Rams last year.
WWE’s efforts extend far beyond the gridiron, as the team gifted a championship to Chelsea FC for their Premier League win in 2017.
In 2021, Drew McIntyre personally gifted a WWE Championship to Rangers F.C. following their victory in the Scottish Premiership.
After winning the Australian Open men’s doubles last year, Tennis stars Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis (known affectionately as the Special Ks) were awarded a title with custom side plates.
WWE has also produced custom titles for victors in golf, the WNBA, various motorsports, and more.
The Usos may be making an appearance at WWE Elimination Chamber after all, despite previous travel restrictions due to legal issues.
This weekend’s event will be WWE’s first Premium Live Event in the Great White North since Breaking Point 2009 and will be headlined by Roman Reigns Vs. Sami Zayn.
The event will take place in Zayn’s hometown of Montreal, Quebec, and will also feature two Elimination Chamber matches for the U.S. title, and for a shot at the Raw Women’s Championship.
The Usos
During the latest episode of SmackDown, Paul Heyman said that the Usos will be watching next week’s SmackDown and Elimination Chamber from home.
Many saw this as WWE’s way to write off the brothers, who have faced travel restrictions for years due to a series of DUIs.
During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that the pair will be allowed to travel to Canada.
“I was told they’re okay. I will check again, but when it first came up, I asked if they’re cleared for Canada, and I was told they’re both cleared. I’m not sure if it’s a swerve, or a storyline, but they’re cleared to show up.”
Dave Meltzer.
It remains unclear if The Usos will appear at WWE Elimination Chamber, only that they are able to.
Legal Troubles
The Usos have both experienced legal issues over DUIs which have affected their wrestling careers.
In September 2011, Jimmy was arrested and charged with a DUI after he blew twice the legal limit in the state of Florida.
In March 2013, he was arrested again for arrested for violating his probation by driving with a suspended license.
It was in January 2018 that Jey was arrested for DWI in Texas, after driving from a WWE live event, and was released the same day after posting a $500 personal recognizance bond.
In February 2019, Jimmy was arrested in Detroit after a dispute with police officers, who claimed they could smell alcohol from the inside.
In July 2019, Jimmy was arrested yet again near Pensacola, Florida and was charged with a DUI, but found not guilty by an Escambia country judge that December.
Two years later, Jimmy was arrested again in July 2021, blew close to triple the legal limit, and was booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge.
AEW President Tony Khan has claimed that WWE is partaking in contract tampering by speaking to several stars under All-Elite deals.
Since being founded in 2019, AEW and WWE have been at odds, as seen with the Wednesday Night Wars which saw Khan’s promotion emerge victorious.
The two promotions have occasionally aligned, with Khan allowing AEW talent to appear via video to celebrate John Cena’s 20th anniversary on WWE’s main roster last June.
Contract Tampering
Multiple names from AEW once called WWE home, though Vince McMahon was able to bring back AEW EVP Cody Rhodes in April 2022.
Speaking on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Tony Khan said he’s consistently approached by talent who claim WWE are speaking to them. Here’s what he said, courtesy of POST Wrestling:
“I can’t really comment on what their (WWE) internal struggles, internal strife’s are because I don’t work there and I’m not there. I can only speak to the challenges we’ve had.
“I got a lot of wrestlers come to me and allege that WWE reached out to them to tamper with their contracts and ask them to break their contracts. I can’t confirm that specifically. I can only tell you what the wrestlers have come to me and said.”
Tony Khan.
Khan didn’t name who WWE has allegedly contacted, but called the action “very disturbing.”
On WWE’s Radar
There’s no shortage of prominent names that WWE would love to snatch away from AEW and use to draw viewers to their own product.
In January 2022, it was reported that WWE had shown interest in Wardlow, and have also reportedly shown interest in Brian Cage.
The biggest name WWE has reportedly shown interest in is AEW World Champion MJF, who has teased leaving to join WWE when his AEW deal expires on January 1, 2024.
The Undertaker understands why fans compare Bray Wyatt to his WWE character, but he doesn’t think that comparison does Wyatt any favors.
The Hall of Fame legend appeared on Tim and Friends this week to promote his upcoming stage show that’s taking place in Montreal during Elimination Chamber weekend.
Last month at the Raw 30th Anniversary special, Undertaker and Wyatt got fans buzzing with a brief-yet-surreal in-ring interaction that saw Taker whisper something into Wyatt’s ear.
Everybody wants to know what he said to Wyatt that night. The Undertaker would not spill the beans, but did acknowledge, “it was a cool moment” that “did exactly what I thought it would do.”
The Undertaker is considered the greatest ‘gimmick’ in pro wrestling history. There have been countless supernatural characters throughout the years, but nobody has made an impact like him.
Undertaker says there’s obviously a huge amount of comparisons between Wyatt’s character and his, but Wyatt is his own man and his own character.
In the big scheme of things, obviously it’s kind of in that same supernatural genre, but it’s 2023, and he’s doing his own thing. I can appreciate, I can see what he’s trying to do.
– The Undertaker on Bray Wyatt
Undertaker says he’s told Bray Wyatt that “his phone is always on” and he’s happy to guide Wyatt, if he ever wants to run creative ideas by him. He’s got a wealth of experience and could help shine a lot on some of the questions Wyatt may have.
If you’re in the Montreal area next weekend, catch UNDERTAKER: 1 deadMAN SHOW on Thursday, February 16 at L’Olympia. For more information, visit WWE.com.
Update (2/12/23): Several other news outlets misinterpreted The Undertaker’s comments about what he said to Bray Wyatt at Raw 30. The Undertaker did not reveal what he whispered to Wyatt that night and is keeping it a secret.
As stated during his Tim & Friends interview, The Undertaker told Wyatt “my phone is always on, if you ever want to run ideas by me” in a separate interaction. He set the record straight on Instagram:
Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts comes from a very different era of wrestling. Fans took wrestling more seriously during his prime and things used to be wilder. This includes being attacked by people outside of shows and in at least one instance, being shot at by a fan in the arena.
The wrestling legend recently had an interview with Derricks Reptiles. He talked about things such as bulls**ting his way into his WWE role and more.
When asked to share a crazy fan story from his time, Roberts recalled the one show in Dallas Texas where he was wrestling with Sting:
“Craziest one would have been in Dallas, Texas. I was wrestling Sting. A guy stood up in the ninth row, reached in his jacket. [He] pulled out a pistol and started shooting at me. He got three shots off. Missed me. That’s about as crazy as it gets. I jumped my ass out of that ring, got underneath the ring and hid.”
– Jake Roberts
Jake Roberts was also asked what is the one thing he would tell Vince McMahon that he never did. The former WWE star replied with ‘Go f**k yourself.”
Apart from this, Roberts told a crazy road story from the time he was travelling with The Undertaker and they went to a bar.
You can check out his full interview in the video below:
WWE made the call to end the pairing of Baron Corbin and John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield this week, but that wasn’t always the plan.
In late 2022, the former WWE Champion was introduced as Corbin’s manager, something that Layfield had openly spoken in favor of doing for years.
Despite a four-match winning streak with JBL in his corner, Corbin has been win-less on TV and at WWE live events since the November 21, 2022, edition of Raw.
Wasn’t The Plan
During this week’s Raw, the pairing of JBL and Corbin ended via backstage segment, after the latter suffered another loss, this time to Dexter Lumis.
During the latest Wrestling ObserverRadio show, Dave Meltzer said that this wasn’t what WWE intended when they began the pairing.
“They gave up on it… this wasn’t the plan. The guy in charge, that’s Paul (Levesque), felt it wasn’t working and that was it.”
Dave Meltzer.
The End of Corbin’s Push
It was in 2016 that Corbin made an impactful main roster debut, winning the Andre the Giant WrestleMania battle royal.
A year later, Corbin was seemingly on the cusp of a World Championship reign when he captured the Money in the Bank briefcase, but his cash-in was unsuccessful.
On his show, Meltzer stated that despite multiple opportunities, the Lone Wolf just hasn’t reached the status WWE hoped for him.
“There’s nothing wrong or right with him but in the pantheon of stars, he’s just not at that top star level. I think they wanted him to be at that level and they gave him every chance to be at that level. He’s just a guy. A tall guy but he’s just a guy.”
Two WWE Superstars are to be referred to as some of the “all-time greats” in an edict from WWE’s Head of Creative and Head of Talent Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque.
The Game entered both roles in July 2022, replacing his father-in-law Vince McMahon in Creative, and WWE veteran John Lauriniatis in the Talent Relations department.
Triple H’s work thus far has been widely praised by fans, who have appreciated the rehiring of big names and talent being given more opportunities to showcase their characters.
All-Time Greats
WWE’s current roster is home to legends in the making, but two names have already reached the status of being ‘all-time greats.’
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Becky Lynch and Bayley will be referred to by the monikers going forward.
The Man and the Role Model have been feuding ever since the Raw after Summerslam 2022, when Damage CTRL attacked Lynch.
Returning to in-ring competition at Survivor Series: WarGames, the pair have continued feuding for months.
After Bayley and Damage CTRL once again got the upper hand at Raw is 30, Lynch bested her nemesis in a Steel Cage match this week, with an assist by the returning Lita.
Great Careers
Though some may find the label as ‘all-time great’ a tad premature for talent still wrestling today, Bayley and Lynch have some impressive claims to the moniker.
Lynch is a six-time Women’s Champion (two Raw, four SmackDown,) the winner of the 2019 Women’s Rumble match, and won the first-ever Women’s main event at WrestleMania.
Bayley is a four-time Women’s Champion (one Raw, one NXT, two SmackDown,) a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Champion, a Miss Money in the Bank winner, and was the first-ever WWE Women’s Triple Crown winner and WWE Women’s Grand Slam.
Former WWE star Dave Bautista has landed another interesting role. This time he will be featured in the movie adaptation of a George R.R. Martin story.
Per Deadline, In The Lost Lands is an upcoming movie based on a short story written by the Game of Thrones creator. The former world champion will be starring alongside Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich in this fantasy adventure film:
“The movie will follow a queen, desperate to obtain the gift of shape-shifting, who makes a daring play: She hires the sorceress Gray Alys (Jovovich), a woman as feared as she is powerful.
Sent to the ghostly wilderness of the “Lost Lands,” Alys and her guide, the drifter Boyce (Bautista), must outwit and outfight man and demon in a fable that explores the nature of good and evil, debt and fulfilment, love and loss.”
Paul W.S. Anderson will be directing the movie starring the retired wrestling star. Anderson has also written the script for the upcoming project.
Dave Bautista has made a point to distinguish his characters from one another. In his own words, the Hollywood star does not care about being a star and he ‘just wants to be a better actor.’
The MCU star has received praise recently for his work in movies such as Glass Onion and Knock at the Cabin. The upcoming adaptation is only expected to add to his reputation.
Last year, Cody Rhodes shocked the wrestling world when he jumped ship from AEW to WWE. He made his return after 7 years at WrestleMania 38.
He famously wrestled with a torn pectoral at the 2022 Hell in A Cell before having surgery. Rhodes returned at this year’s Royal Rumble to enter the Rumble match at #30. He battled with Gunther to win the Rumble and become the #1 contender for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.
Matt Hardy’s Comments
(via AEW)
On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy said he was “very proud of him.” He reflected on their time together during in Jacksonville during the Pandemic Era. Due to spending so much time at Daily’s Place and “filming Dark until 2 AM”, Hardy and Rhodes spent a lot of time together.
“It was cool, man. I thought Cody killed it when we first came into WWE. I think him leaving AEW and going to WWE — the first major jump from an AEW to WWE deal — I think it’s good for business. I think it’s good for interest, I think it’s good for wrestling fans, I think it’s good for the entire biz, just in general.”
“So I was very happy for him to come back and I was happy that he won the Royal Rumble. And I think he’s the guy that should have won the Royal Rumble. I like that direction. And I’m really interested to see what him and Roman are going to do at Mania.”
WrestleMania 39 takes place in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2.
Last Saturday, Dijak challenged Wes Lee for the NXT North American Championship at NXT Vengeance Day.
While he came up short in his quest to get the title and suffered a gruesome looking injury, he is doing something really cool. Dijak wore a custom entrance jacket that read “Reach for the Sky” in red font.
He tweeted “At Vengeance Day I was very proud to honor the legacy of my friend Jay Briscoe.” Dijak announced that he will be auctioning off the jacket with 100% of the funds going to the Pugh (Briscoe) family.
At Vengeance Day I was very proud to honor the legacy of my friend Jay Briscoe. I am auctioning my ring worn jacket to raise money for his family. Visit https://t.co/krSvzZ7ard for more details or submit a bid to maniaclubauctions@gmail.com. Silent auction ends 2/14 @ 10pm EST. pic.twitter.com/v1vYBXxR7s
In addition to the entrance-worn ring jacket, the auction winner will also be followed by Dijak on a “social media platform.” The silent auction is open until 10 PM ET on February 14.
To place a bid, go to this Facebook page for details. You can also submit your bid at maniaclubauctions@gmail.com.
Dijak tweeted on February 15 that $3000 was donated directly to the Pugh family. He also thanked Triple H, Shawn Michaels, WWE, and NXT for allowing him to honor his friend.
And a special thanks to @ShawnMichaels, @TripleH, and everyone else involved in @WWE and @WWENXT for allowing me this platform to pay tribute to my friend. Also @MANIACLUBWWE for helping me to organize the fundraiser. Eternally grateful.
Randy Orton remains optimistic about a possible return to the ring, despite the injury that has cost him nearly a year of his career.
Orton hasn’t wrestled since May of 2022 due to a debilitating back injury and there have been questions as to whether he’ll ever wrestle again.
The Viper’s most recent match saw himself and Matt Riddle lose the Raw Tag Team Championships to SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, who unified the two titles.
Taking Steps
This ongoing hiatus is the longest injury in Orton’s 20+ year career as part of the main roster.
Pro wrestling bootmaker Jose G Sanz posted an Instagram story where he stated that Orton recently contacted him about making boots for his return.
“I haven’t made them yet but Randy Orton contacted me via email for his return. Currently, Drew McIntyre and Bray Wyatt are some of the biggest superstars. Today I received an order for boots for Cody for Wrestlemania.”
Before knowing the severity of Orton’s condition, WWE had planned on the Viper challenging Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2022.
Feud with Riddle
There’s still no confirmed date for Orton’s in-ring return (if it ever happens,) but WWE may already have a plan.
When RK-Bro formed in 2021, the initial plan was for Orton to betray Riddle and have a match at SummerSlam 2021.
Given the team’s popularity with fans, WWE held off on the turn, with the match postponed until WrestleMania 38, but the break up was again postponed.
Riddle hasn’t appeared for WWE since last December after suspending the promotion’s wellness policy.
Oney Lorcan has officially retired from in-ring competition and transitioned into a coaching role within WWE.
Former WWE star and Performance Center Head Coach Matt Bloom broke some news during a recent media appearance. The former Intercontinental Champion was a guest on an episode of the Monsters In The Morning show and confirmed that now-former NXT talent Oney Lorcan has retired from active competition and is now a full-time coach at the company’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
“My position now as a head coach, I oversee my coaches. I have an amazing staff, so I gotta give props to those guys. Terry Taylor, Fit Finlay, Robbie Brookside, Norman Smiley, Steve Corino, Alexander Winkler. As well as ‘Oney Lorcan’ Chris Girard, who just recently retired from being in the ring. Johnny Moss, and we have a few UK coaches that are on the cusp of being full-time coaches as well.”
Oney Lorcan Recently Returned to WWE
Oney Lorcan. Photo Credit: WWE.com
Oney Lorcan signed with WWE in September 2015 where he’d make his in-ring debut during a Halloween battle royal during an NXT house show. Lorcan wouldn’t make his on-screen debut until January 2016, in a losing effort against Rich Swann. Oney Lorcan would become a mainstay of NXT programming throughout his WWE tenure. Lorcan won the NXT Tag Team Titles alongside Danny Burch on the October 21, 2020 episode of NXT. WWE NXT General Manager William Regal would strip Lorcan and Burch of their titles during the March 23, 2021 episode of NXT after Burch went down with a shoulder injury.
Oney Lorcan requested and was granted his release from WWE in November 2021. Lorcan spent about a year outside of the company where he returned to the ring under his Biff Busick moniker and last competed in June 2022. Lorcan would return to WWE in October 2022 where he began reporting to the WWE Performance Center in a coaching role.
SEScoops has live coverage of WWE NXT every Tuesday night beginning at 8:00 p.m. EDT/5:00 p.m. PDT.
It would be an understatement to say that the storyline with The Bloodline and Sami Zayn is one of the most encapsulating stories of today. The many layers of this feud are intriguing to all sections of the wrestling audience. There aren’t many people who haven’t praised this saga. Per Zayn himself, every character of this tale understands that it will be remembered for a long time to come.
The Honorary Uce recently joined The Sick Podcast to talk about his feud with Roman Reigns and the story surrounding it. When asked how he feels being part of such an epic story, Zayn explained that it doesn’t seem so crazy when you’re in it:
“When you’re in it, it doesn’t seem that crazy. I think it’s one of those things where, because I’m in the middle of it. I’m so close to it that [it doesn’t seem crazy]. I realize that people are enjoying it.” said Sami Zayn, “I even see the reaction of like, people that are mildly into wrestling seem to be more drawn into wrestling as of late because of this story. I think it’s that kind of story that it’s actually brought some people even back which is amazing.
I can hear fans say, ‘Oh, I checked out of wrestling for a few years but then your feud with Kevin Owens brought me back or this story with The Bloodline brought me back.’ That’s a really rewarding thing to hear. For sure, I do realize that this is a very special story. I think everybody who’s performing in it at this point realizes, ‘Oh, yeah, this one will be remembered.’”
‘It Will Be Remembered’: Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn went on to explain how there are a lot of good wrestlers today and everyone can put on a good match. What’s harder is to create something that people will remember for a long time:
“What’s harder than doing something good is doing something memorable. If you can do something memorable in 2023, and I don’t even care what it is like, if it’s a podcast, if it’s a song, if it’s a viral thing [it doesn’t matter].
A lot of that stuff just comes and goes with the wind. Every day there’s a new one, every week there’s a new one. If you can do something with some lasting impact that people will talk about in 10-15 years, that’s huge. That’s huge nowadays. I think we stumbled onto something with this one. I think it will be remembered.”
You can check out Sami Zayn’s full interview below:
WrestleMania is going Hollywood once again, and the WWE is bringing back one of its most popular promotional ideas from years gone by.
WrestleMania 39 will be the first event of its name hosted in Los Angeles since WrestleMania 21 in 2005, which leaned heavily into the fact that the show was airing from Hollywood.
In the lead-up to the 2005 event, WWE aired several parody trailers featuring WWE talent don roles from some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
According to Wrestle Votes, WWE is in the process of filming similar parody trailers for this year’s event, with names like The Miz, Drew McIntyre, the Street Profits, and others attached.
I’m hearing WWE has begun filming brand new “movie parody” promos similar to those from WrestleMania 21. Miz, McIntyre, Sheamus, Brutes & Street Profits all expected to be included in the promotion for “WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.”
There’s no word on which movies WWE plans on parodying as part of their latest promotional campaign for WrestleMania 39.
WrestleMania 39
The card for WWE’s biggest two nights of the year is coming together, and will be headlined by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes.
Rhodes earned the title match by winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match, while Women’s Rumble winner Rhea Ripley will challenge SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.
Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will take on the winner of next week’s Women’s Elimination Chamber match.
Matches rumored for WrestleMania 39 include Logan Paul Vs. Seth Rollins and United States Champion Austin Theory Vs. John Cena.
WWE WrestleMania 39 will take place on April 1 and April 2, making the fourth WrestleMania in a row to take place over two nights.
This week’s episode of SmackDown featured not one but three different dark matches, including one with Bray Wyatt.
The very first dark match took place even before the show went on air. It saw Butch taking on Imperium’s Giovanni Vinci. The Brawling Brute won this bout.
The second dark match after the show was over featured the New Day. The duo of Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston shared a moment with Michael Cole and Wade Barrett before making their way to the ring.
Post-#SmackDown dark match: New Day beat Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest. Dom’s mom Angie is ringside, but there was no interaction. pic.twitter.com/8CpOEVELZY
The former tag team champions faced Judgement Day’s Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest. The team of Kingston and Woods won this bout.
Bray Wyatt Wrestles After SmackDown
The final dark match of the night saw Bray Wyatt going up against LA Knight. The two SmackDown stars competed in a No Disqualification match.
The match was won by the Fiend after he put Knight through a table. The ending was very similar to their dark match last week.
Second post-#SmackDown dark match: Bray Wyatt beats LA Knight in a No Disqualification match. Miles better than their Lights Out match. pic.twitter.com/6pZ4VJ55fm
Wyatt did not make an appearance on this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show. LA Knight was part of a backstage segment.
Apart from this, the SmackDown episode featured a #1 contender’s match in the main event and more. You can check out the full results of the show here.
This week’s episode of WWE Raw featured a heavily praised segment between Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman that saw them both get emotional.
The promo segment was done to promote further Cody Rhodes challenging Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.
Fightful Select had details on the backstage reaction to the promo that was said to have benefitted from looser scripting under Triple H compared to what he had been under Vince McMahon.
Those close to Heyman stated that he was surprised by Rhodes mentioning Dusty Rhodes getting booked by ECW in 2000 and that the family needed those bookings. People close to Cody stated they weren’t sure whether Heyman had been told how important the ECW bookings were to the Rhodes family in general.
The Reaction
Heyman wrote his part of the promo, while Cody wrote his. Those involved with the segment were very pleased with it, and WWE officials were thrilled with the content and the reactions from fans.
One WWE higher-up source told Fightful: “Cody Rhodes is a star, and Paul Heyman is a starmaker. They were in a difficult position, and made something that seemed like a manufactured booking decision become a personal, WrestleMania main event if it ends up going that direction.”
This week on Top Rope Nation, the crew discusses a wild week in both WWE and AEW. Primary topics on the show include Cody Rhodes’ much-talked about promo from WWE Raw, a spectacular edition of AEW Dynamite (with one major flaw), and a mailbag segment to close things out.
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.
On episode 284 this week, Ryan and Justin get into talking about Cody Rhodes’ prospects as a possible long-term babyface champion following WrestleMania. Plus, a discussion on what worked and didn’t work on Dynamite, as well as the plans for AEW Revolution. The mailbag segment includes questions on the best wrestling stage designs in history, guilty pleasures as a wrestling fan, AEW house shows, and much more.
You can watch the show via the embedded YouTube video at the top of this page. Additionally, you can listen to the audio-only podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are found. You will also find an embedded audio player below.
Seth Rollins has doubled down on his recent comments about All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star and ex-WWE Champion CM Punk.
Prior to the Royal Rumble, Rollins was asked in an interview about his thoughts on Punk potentially returning to WWE. Rollins was completely against the idea, calling Punk a “cancer” and telling him to stay away.
He also went as far as saying he flat out doesn’t like Punk, calling him a “jerk.” Recently, Rollins was a guest on Covino & Rich to discuss several professional wrestling topics. During the conversation, Rollins was asked about his comments on Punk.
Rollins explained that his dislike for Punk is similar to Logan Paul, labelling both as selfish in their intentions.
“Look, the bottom line is it’s the same thing as with Logan Paul. Punk and Logan Paul are two different personalities, but they’re both as selfish as it comes. If you’re not going to help, then I don’t want you to be part of our industry. I don’t want you to be part of our company, and that’s all that there is to that.”
(WWE)
“The Architect” did give Punk credit, however, for what he has done for the industry in the past. He explained that it pains him to speak ill of Punk, especially after how nice he was to him early on in his career. However, the past several years Punk has been in a different headspace.
“Here’s the thing, I will say one thing about Punk, I’ll end it on a positive note with him. That guy has given my career so much that it pains me to have to say bad things about him because he helped me out. He really did.
“He’s been a good guy to me for a lot of my career, but for whatever reason, the past maybe six, seven years, he’s in a different headspace, and we’re not on the same page and to see kind of what he’s done and taken and taken, it’s always been about him.
“I’m not a fan. I’m just not a fan of it. There’s a place for him, man. He’s got a lot to give. I just wish his head was in the right spot.”
Rollins is currently gearing up to challenge for the United States Championship inside the Elimination Chamber. The action goes down at the Elimination Chamber PLE on February 18 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The trailer for Fast X, the tenth film in the Fast & Furious Saga, has been released.
The franchise regulars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang and Scott Eastwood are back for the film.
Returning cast members include Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, John Cena’s Jakob Toretto, Helen Mirren’s Magdalene “Queenie” Ellmanson-Shaw, and Charlize Theron’s Cipher.
New cast members include Jason Momoa and Brie Larson. Momoa portrays a villain named Dante, while Larson plays a new character named Tess. Michael Rooker, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, and Rita Moreno have also joined the cast.
The film is directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans and The Incredible Hulk) while it’s produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Jeff Kirschenbaum, and Samantha Vincent. The executive producers are Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr., David Cain, Chris Morgan, Amanda Lewis and Mark Bomback.
The Synopsis
The synopsis of the film reads like, “Dante’s plot will scatter Dom’s family from Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London and from Portugal to Antarctica. New allies will be forged and old enemies will resurface. But everything changes when Dom discovers that his own 8-year-old son is the ultimate target of Dante’s vengeance.”
WWE announced the following on Friday, February 10:
UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW ADDS STOPS IN LAS VEGAS AND LOS ANGELES AHEAD OF WRESTLEMANIA 39
Tickets For Both Events Go On Sale Tuesday, February 14
STAMFORD, Conn., Feb. 10, 2023 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that the critically acclaimed UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW will add stops in Las Vegas and Los Angeles ahead of WrestleMania 39. The one-man show featuring WWE Legend The Undertaker will take center stage at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Friday, March 24 and The Novo at LA Live on Friday, March 31.
UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW will feature “The Phenom” in an intimate setting, sharing never-before-heard stories from his Hall of Fame career and taking questions from the WWE Universe in attendance. The show has sold out venues in Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston and San Antonio since debuting last summer.
Tickets for UNDERTAKER 1 deadMAN SHOW go on sale this Tuesday, February 14 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets can be purchased via ticketmaster.com for the March 24 show in Las Vegas and via axs.com for the March 31 show in Los Angeles. A limited number of VIP tickets, which includes premier seating and a meet-and-greet with The Undertaker, will also be available for each show.
WrestleMania goes Hollywood during a special two-night Premium Live Event on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Limited tickets are still available for the biggest WWE event of the year via Ticketmaster.com and the two-day premium live event will stream live exclusively on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.
Kamille will be the first to tell you that she isn’t the same pro wrestler she was more than 600 days ago when she first won the NWA women’s championship. “The Brickhouse” has evolved and taken from every experience in the ring.
With every defense, confidence grows for the impressive athlete. Chelsea Green, KiLynn King, Taya Valkyrie, Max The Impaler, Jennacide, and the list goes on and on. Coming up is one of the former softball standout’s biggest tests to date in the form of veteran and multi-time women’s champion Angelina Love at Nuff Said on pay-per-view.
Despite a long travel day to Tampa a few days before the show, Kamille made the drive to WWE superstar couple Natalya and TJ Wilson’s training space for a last-minute session.
“It was great,” she said. “Me and Nattie, it’s one of those things where we have been friends on Instagram but never really gotten the chance to sit down and talk. Being able to get in the ring with someone like her. First off, her family lineage with the Hart family. To learn from her not only in the ring but hear what she thinks about the business side of things. I’m very grateful they let me join in.”
Kamille’s Road to Greatness
Kamille certainly came in with a tremendous look, but she knew early she’d have to put in the work to succeed. She really entered pro wrestling seven years ago. Cutting her teeth on the independent scene and joining the NWA at the end of 2018 as Nick Aldis’ insurance policy.
“I didn’t start wrestling matches until 2020 and then COVID. Then really getting into it at the beginning of 2021,” she contends.
It has been an on-the-job training experience for Kamille. NWA head Billy Corgan had given her the ball in the form of the women’s championship, and she has been running with it ever since. Momentum continues to build as Kamille continues to put in the work to be her very best.
“I went from having four squash matches in NWA to now having these championship-worthy matches,” she said. “I won [the championship] from Serena Deeb. Getting in there with someone who had been in the business for so long. Not only is she an amazing wrestler but an amazing person.
“I actually texted her to just say thank you for setting me up for my entire run. Every match I’m learning something new. I’m working with someone different. And different styles. It is on-the-job training. There are going to be hiccups but you learn from them and keep going. I definitely think now I can go in there with anyone in the world.”
She cites facing Leyla Hirsch at EmPowerrr and Taya Valkyrie at NWA 74 in the main event as benchmarks. The latter made her feel, “You can do this. You were meant for this.” Speaking of EmPowerrr, Kamille wants to see a sequel but also believes absence makes the heart grow fonder.
“I think the fact it didn’t happen last year will make the next one more special because people want it now,” she explained. “I can’t wait to see what sorts of talent are out there. You have talent from all different companies coming together. I hope we have that same dynamic of everyone working together and seeing matches you wouldn’t normally see.”
Kamille on Charlotte Flair being a Dream Opponent
And if that proverbial “forbidden door” opened, Kamille has one particular opponent in mind. A WWE queen.
“Businesswise and putting butts in seats and people wanting to see it, it would have to be Charlotte Flair,” she responded when asked who she would face if she had her way down the line. “She is the best in the world. I think we would have a good backstory and story that could lead into it. Getting in there with someone who is so talented could help me learn and grow. And it’s something people would want to see. I believe we are around the same size, so I think the dynamic of that would be very interesting.”
Angelina Love and NWA Nuff Said
Despite having that dream match in mind, Kamille remains focused on her next big defense against Angelina Love. Respect remains for the challenger.
“The fact is Angelina is a veteran. She has been doing this for a long time. When she was part of TNA, she was a needle mover. She got people watching,” she said. “I think she surprises a lot of people because not only is she beautiful but so talented as well and intense. Her as my opponent, I know I’m bigger and have the advantage in that way. But she has that veteran status. I’ve never been in a no-DQ match. I’m sure she has been in a few scuffles here and there. She might have that advantage over me. I think it will come down to who wants it more. It is going to be a fight.”
NWA Nuff Said is available exclusively through FITE TV. It is available for preorder now for $24.99.
WWE’s next Hell in a Cell match may be a matter of weeks away according to the latest report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
In late 2022, it was reported that WWE was planning a Cell match between Edge and Finn Balor, that was scheduled to take place at the Royal Rumble PLE.
That match didn’t happen, and both men competed in the Men’s Royal Rumble match which was won by Cody Rhodes.
In the Observer, it is explained that WWE did plan on the Hell in a Cell match last month, but Edge’s acting commitments kept it from happening.
It is added that the match is a “possibility” for WWE WrestleMania 39 in April.
Edge and Balor will be on opposite teams for next week’s Elimination Chamber event, where they will team with Beth Phoenix and Rhea Ripley respectively.
Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania
While the Hell in a Cell match has been a WWE staple for over 25 years, the match has only happened three times at WrestleMania.
At WrestleMania 15, The Undertaker defeated the Big Boss Man, extending the Phenom’s WrestleMania winning streak to 8-0.
It wouldn’t be until WrestleMania 28 that the Cell returned to WWE’s biggest event, when The Undertaker defeated Triple H.
At WrestleMania 32 in 2016, The Undertaker once again emerged victorious inside the Cell, this time against Shane McMahon.
The Future of Hell in a Cell
The Hell in a Cell match is one of the more graphic stipulations WWE uses, though matches over the past decade have been somewhat lacking.
Fans have taken issue with the Hell in a Cell match having a PLE, believing it has lessened the significance of the structure.
Last year, it was reported that the Hell in a Cell PLE is “completely dead” in an edict by WWE’s Head of Creative Triple H.
A veteran of nine Cell matches, the Game believes that match should be used when it makes sense, rather than WWE forcing a Cell match “just because it’s October.”
Bronson Reed is back with WWE after being released in 2021, but for a long time accepted that he would never be a WWE Superstar.
The Australian’s exit from the promotion in August of that year was certainly a shock to fans, given how he had been pushed as a future top star of the brand.
Reed had even received a couple of WWE Main Event appearances, which traditionally is how WWE tests the waters for a main roster call-up.
The Release
Reed was one of many WWE Superstars released by the company that year, all of which were explained at the time as down to ‘budget cuts.’
Speaking on After the Bell, Reed said he had mixed emotions over his release.
“To be honest, I think everyone that’s been through something like that takes it differently. I was surprised in the way that I did take it. I was more angry than anything. I wasn’t so much sad or anything like that. I just thought that I had so much potential because things were going my way.
I was the North American Champion, only just lost that championship [before my release] so to me I was just angry that I didn’t get to do more with the WWE, which then put a chip on my shoulder and I went out there and did whatever I could to be the best that I could be which obviously got me seen to come back. So in the end, I think it was a little gutwrenching at the time but it might have been beneficial for my career.”
Outside of WWE, Reed would work as JONAH in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he’d hold his own against established stars, including getting a victory over Kazuchika Okada.
Making it to WWE
For Reed, the journey to WWE would take him across the globe from his native Australia, where he gold as part of Melbourne Championship Wrestling.
On the show, Reed said that he came to terms with the idea that he would never make it to WWE not long into his wrestling career.
“I never even dreamt I could be in WWE. When I started training in Australia in 2007, there was no one from Australia in WWE. So my intention was to be as good a pro wrestler as I could be in my home country. In my hometown, then travel around the country, then hopefully get to Japan.”
“I never even dreamt I could be in WWE.”
Bronson Reed.
Not only is Reed in WWE, but he could be the next United States Champion, as he will be part of the U.S. Title Elimination Chamber match next week.
Fans eager to see a new United States Champion crowned at WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 may be in for a disappointing night in Montreal.
WWE Elimination Chamber will be the promotion’s next stop on the road to WrestleMania 39, and the first Montreal PLE since Breaking Point 2009.
The show will be headlined by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defending against Sami Zayn.
United States Championship
For the first time in history, the WWE U.S. Title will be decided inside an Elimination Chamber match.
Current and two-time champion Austin Theory will defend against Seth Rollins, Johnny Gargano, Montez Ford, Damian Priest and Bronson Reed.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Theory has filmed content for WWE that is due to air in March and is holding the U.S. Title in the footage, making a title change unlikely.
Meltzer said that while the footage does not rule out a title change entirely, the line-up in the chamber does not suggest a title change will happen. He adds:
“Gargano and Ford are unlikely to win unless the plan is to split up the Street Profits, which has been talked about but unless they have a major plan for Ford there is no reason to do so. Reed is a longshot but they could and probably will try to portray him in a manner to become a bigger star. Priest could win at this stage and would probably be the favorite aside from Theory.”
WrestleMania 39
Theory may be leaving the Elimination Chamber as United States Champion, but there will be no rest for the wicked.
Current plans for WrestleMania will see Theory face John Cena, in a match that was teased throughout 2022.
Meltzer noted in his report that Cena Vs. Theory does not need the United States title, though it was John’s first title he won in 2004.
WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon will be an incredibly wealthy (or rather, wealthier) man in the event of the promotion being sold.
The billionaire’s return to WWE in January 2023, came less than six months after his shocking retirement in July of last year in the hush-money
McMahon reportedly strong-armed his way back into WWE, threatening to vote down any sales offers of negotiated TV deals if he was not brought back to the company.
Show Me the Money!
McMahon has made it clear that his sole reason for returning to WWE is to facilitate a sale of the promotion.
While WWE is optimistic that the promotion will be sold for $8.5 billion, it has been estimated that the company will go for $8 billion.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer broke down how much key players will make in the event of a sale based on their current financial interests and investment.
Vince McMahon $2,552,969,558
Stephanie McMahon $170,842,415
Linda McMahon $50,320,030
Kevin Dunn $24,205,410
Nick Khan $13,837,200
Frank Riddick $10,931,948
Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque $8,323,822
Finding a Buyer
For McMahon to add over $2.5 billion to his account, a sale first needs to take place.
Companies reported as interested include FOX, Disney, Amazon, and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, among others.
Comcast, considered by many to be the favorite to buy, is reportedly not interested, though that claim has been disputed by WWE CEO Nick Khan.
Khan has said that he estimates that the process will take approximately three months, meaning a deal should be finalized by the end of Spring this year.
