SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • GUNTHER Reaches New Milestone as WWE Intercontinental Champion

    GUNTHER Reaches New Milestone as WWE Intercontinental Champion

    The leader of Imperium GUNTHER has yet another accolade to his name thanks to his impressive tenure as WWE Intercontinental Champion.

    GUNTHER captured his first title on WWE’s main roster on the June 10, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX, ending the 98-day reign of Ricochet.

    Since then, GUNTHER has retained against Ricochet, Braun Strowman, Rey Mysterio, and Shinsuke Nakamura to name just a few.

    The Austrian’s war with Sheamus at WWE Clash at the Castle was heralded as one of the best matches of 2022 and earned five stars from Dave Meltzer.

    Record Breaker

    Since capturing the title, GUNTHER has kept an iron grip on the Intercontinental gold, and has now surpassed a huge milestone.

    Today marks day-245 of GUNTHER’s reign, meaning he’s surpassed Shelton Benjamin’s 244-day reign from 2004 to 2005.

    With this, GUNTHER has become the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of the 21st century, a fact WWE acknowledged on social media.

    The Austrian’s next hurdle is to make it to 265 days (Thursday, March 2.) If he does, GUNTHER will surpass The Rock to become the longest-reigning champion in 32 years.

    What’s Next?

    It seems nothing can stop GUNTHER’s momentum at this time, but two former WWE World Champions are hoping to do exactly that.

    It has been reported that the plan for WrestleMania 39 calls for GUNTHER to defend against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in a war of three of Europe’s finest stars.

    Both men have previously spoken about being the one to dethrone GUNTHER, and McIntyre is a former WWE Intercontinental Champion in his own right.

    For Sheamus, capturing the gold would see him fulfill his journey to becoming a WWE Grand Slam winner, which began with his WWE Title win over John Cena in December 2009.

    GUNTHER: Brock Lesnar is My End Boss
  • Jerry Lawler Out of ICU, Expected to Leave Hospital on Friday

    Jerry Lawler Out of ICU, Expected to Leave Hospital on Friday

    We have another encouraging update on Jerry Lawler’s health after suffering a “massive” stroke on Monday outside his home in Fort Myers, Florida.

    Lawler’s official Twitter account (@JerryLawler) posted the following update on Thursday, February 9. The King is scheduled to leave the hospital Friday. He’s still experiencing some speech and cognitive issues, but doctors are optimistic that he’ll make a full recovery.

    Dutch Mantell, Lawler’s longtime friend, also provided an update after speaking with Lawler’s son, Kevin.

    “Just talked to Kevin Lawler who said that Jerry is being released from the hospital tomorrow. It was believed he’d be in through this weekend so Jerry is doing well. He will remain in FL until he’s cleared to fly.”

    – Dutch Mantell

    Previously … On Wednesday (February 8), Lawler’s official Twitter account (@JerryLawler) checked in with some great news: he’s expected to make a full recovery.

    His friend and longtime meteorologist Dave Brown had a video call with the King on Tuesday (February 7) and provided this account to Commercial Appeal:

    “Some of the initial reports were just horrible, so I feel much better than I did 18 hours ago when I felt like I got hit in the face with a shovel. I was incredibly encouraged after I did a FaceTime. Jerry was alert. He talked to me. He could only say a couple words at a time, which is pretty normal. But (he) was able to move both legs and both arms.”

    Once again, SEScoops wishes Jerry Lawler a full and speedy recovery.

  • NWA Women’s Champion Trains With WWE Superstars

    NWA Women’s Champion Trains With WWE Superstars

    Kamille is preparing for her next title defense this weekend, but she got to train with two WWE stars before she does. 

    The NWA Women’s Champion recently trained with Natalya and TJ Wilson at Workhorse Fitness in Tampa, FL. She shared a photo with Natalya while in the ring and wrote the following in the caption: 

    “Huge thanks to @NatbyNature @TJWilson for being so welcoming last night! Helping me to get ready for a big weekend of wrestling. So happy to be continuing my journey in training with the best of the best in the world and can’t wait to see where else this year takes me!”

    Next Title Defense

    The NWA will present its Nuff Said pay-per-view event this Saturday night at 7 pm EST on FITE TV. Kamille will defend her title against Angelina Love in a no DQ match at the show.

    Kamille has been the Women’s Champion for over 600 days after winning it from Serena Deeb at When Our Shadows Fall in June 2021.

    Other top matches that will be featured on the card include NWA World Champion Tyrus vs.Matt Cardona, NWA National Champion Cyon vs. Homicide, and Thom Latimer vs. Fodder in a Singapore cane match

  • Madusa on Raw is XXX “It Could Have Been More Than A Poker Game”

    Madusa on Raw is XXX “It Could Have Been More Than A Poker Game”

    WWE Hall of Famer Madusa has shared her experience of appearing at Raw is XXX and if she believes WWE could’ve done more with her.

    The company celebrated its historic 30th anniversary of Monday Night Raw on Jan. 23. While some fans enjoyed the show, others criticized the lack of female legends. Raw is XXX had male legends like Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, and others make appearances and have segments on the show. However, Madusa was the only female legend to appear at Raw is XXX, and the company had her in the background playing poker.

    In an interview with Just ALYX, Madusa talked about how the appearance came together. She has a new book, “Woman Who Would Be King: The Madusa Story,” with a release date to be announced. Amazon has it listed for pre-order for $29.95.

    “It was an honor to be called. They did call me a month or two before that and asked me to go. Then like three weeks before, they said, ‘Oh, schedule change.’ And I’m used to that because they always did that. They change it a month ahead, three weeks, two nights before, and the night of the show. They always change the card,” said Madusa.

    She admitted that she didn’t take it personally. “…Then they called me two nights before and said, ‘Blaze, can you still come?’ I’m like, what? Oh my gosh, let me see. So you don’t know going in, and you kind of negotiate beforehand on what are we doing. They told me they were gonna have me play poker. And I’m like, I don’t know how to play poker. They were like, ‘Blayze, it’s scripted.’ And I’m like, Oh, that’s right,” said Madusa.

    Madusa on If She Agrees With The Bella Twins

    After Raw is XXX ended, The Bella Twins spoke openly about how WWE failed to represent a woman on the show. Neither in video tribute packages nor on-screen segments, they believed it didn’t want to showcase women on the show compared to the men. Madusa spoke about The Bellas Twins’ claims as the only female legend on the show.

    “My thought when I did see a little bit of that was like, what is all of this? And then I started thinking, well, I was the only woman legend there. That was an honor. I thought maybe they’d be praising that, at least. You know, having one of their older peers there. But I didn’t see any of that. If they were so upset, why wouldn’t they say? Why did Blayze not have anything better for her than just a poker game? So it goes both ways. I guess to have one there is great. But then again, it could have been more than a poker game. I’m just saying,” said Madusa.

    WWE hasn’t responded to The Bella Twins’ claims about the lack of female representation on Raw is XXX. The lack of more female Hall of Famer on the show could’ve been a misunderstanding. Hopefully the next major anniversary show, WWE could have an equal tribute for everyone.

  • Paul Wight is Planning In-Ring Return for Next Month

    Paul Wight is Planning In-Ring Return for Next Month

    Paul Wight has provided an update on his current injury status, as he has only worked a handful of matches since signing with AEW.

    The former Big Show has continued to do commentary for the promotion every week on AEW Dark: Elevation but hasn’t wrestled since March 2022, a bout that aired on Dark: Elevation in Wight’s hometown of Columbia, South Carolina.

    While speaking with Alistair McGeorge for Metro UK, Wight talked about the injury setbacks he’s had in recent months. 

    “You know, there’s been some setbacks personally. I mean, I’ve had a couple of injury setbacks, had to get a knee replaced in August. That knee was bad for 12 years, so it could’ve gone any day! It’s like kind of like that tire on your car that you know you should change but keep driving anyway.”

    The Goal

    Wight then shared that he’s hoping to be back in the ring next month. 

    “But we’re good now, and hopefully we’ll be back in the ring in March. Everything’s on schedule, so we’re looking good!”

    Regarding potential opponents, Wight named newly crowned AEW Tag Team Champions The Gunns. He praised them for being athletic and thinks they have a bright future.

  • Johnny Gargano Details His Experience Wrestling In A Prison

    Johnny Gargano Details His Experience Wrestling In A Prison

    Johnny Gargano has been in the professional wrestling industry for a long time, and he has competed in some very interesting places.

    Speaking during an interview with Beat Of Sports, Gargano revealed that he has actually competed in professional wrestling shows several times that took place inside prisons. Gargano explained that it was, as expected, a “wild” experience.

    “I (wrestled in) an actual prison. Before my time in WWE, I was an independent wrestler, so I would wrestle on a bunch of random shows here and there. They had a show booked in a prison. I’ve wrestled multiple times in prisons, which is a wild crowd.

    “Wild environment. They ran a wrestling show in the middle of the yard where they had all their activities and stuff like that. ‘Hey, come watch a wrestling show,’ and we wrestled in a prison. It was wild.“

    Johnny Gargano

    Gargano has been with WWE since 2015 where he was a big part of the company’s developmental NXT brand. Alongside Tommaso Ciampa forming DIY, they became one of the biggest fan-favorites on the program.

    After a tremendous run in NXT, which included an NXT Championship win, three NXT North American Titles, and an NXT Tag Team Title run, Gargano made his WWE main roster debut in August.

    Gargano’s contract with WWE initially ran out, and after nine months of testing free agency, he eventually re-signed with WWE before debuting on the main roster. Now, Gargano is gearing up to challenge for the United States Title inside the Elimination Chamber later this month.

    Quotes via Fightful

  • Seth Rollins: Logan Paul Only Cares About Himself

    Seth Rollins: Logan Paul Only Cares About Himself

    Seth Rollins isn’t buying into Logan Paul’s supposed love for WWE and professional wrestling.

    “The Architect” was recently a guest on The Pat McAfee Show where he was asked about Paul eliminating him during the Royal Rumble match last month. Since, Rollins has been speaking ill on Paul whenever he gets the chance.

    While McAfee was praising Paul for his dedication to his in-ring work, Rollins explained he believes Paul is only using WWE to boost his own brand.

    “He’s in it for himself. He’s in it for his own gain. So, I don’t want you in my business if you’re going to leech off it and you’re going to take from it. Great if you’re going to help out and you’re going to make everything as good as you can, but if you’re going to come and do it for you…look I can only judge what he’s done in the past.

    “His own history, that’s foretelling for the future, and that’s why I don’t like the guy. That’s why I don’t dig the guy and he’s going to go rub it in on social media. He’s going to talk his talk, but he don’t want to say nothing to my face.””

    Paul has certainly been impressive inside the ring since joining WWE. His tag team match alongside The Miz, as they took on The Mysterios, at WrestleMania last year was very well received.

    The YouTube star has received great feedback for his in-ring ability since debuting inside the squared circle. Paul also challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE World Championship at Crown Jewel last year.

    Although his challenge was an unsuccessful one, the match itself received great reviews. Now, after eliminating Rollins at the Royal Rumble, it seems like WWE is angling for a match between the pair at WrestleMania 39 in Las Angeles later this year.

    Currently, Rollins is slated to challenge for the United States Title inside the Elimination Chamber later this month.

    Seth Rollins
    (WWE)

    Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

  • JBL is No Longer Scheduled to Appear on WWE TV Going Forward

    JBL is No Longer Scheduled to Appear on WWE TV Going Forward

    The latest run for JBL (John Bradshaw Layfield) on WWE television has ended. 

    Pwinsider.com reports JBL is not scheduled to appear on WWE programming going forward. This comes after WWE did an angle on Monday Night Raw this week where Baron Corbin lost another match, and JBL wasn’t happy about it. 

    The Split

    After the show went off the air, WWE released a video where JBL stated he didn’t want to be associated with Corbin any longer. The reason for that is due to Corbin making him look bad by losing on television. 

    Corbin has been on a losing streak on TV and at house shows despite the paring. The idea behind putting Corbin and JBL together was to give Corbin a boost, but WWE officials clearly felt like it wasn’t working out. 

    Now, what Corbin’s future holds remains to be seen. Corbin is well-liked among the talent in the locker room and was someone Vince McMahon was high on.

    Before this pairing, Corbin had been with Madcap Moss on SmackDown, where they were a heel duo, only for Moss to turn babyface after Corbin turned on him. 

  • Matt Cardona: “Zack Ryder is Dead” After WWE trademark Dispute

    Matt Cardona: “Zack Ryder is Dead” After WWE trademark Dispute

    Matt Cardona, best known to wrestling fans as Zack Ryder in WWE, is a master of branding and self-promotion. When WWE creative didn’t have anything for him in the early 2010’s, Cardona took it upon himself to create the groundbreaking Z! True Long Island Story digital series. He generated so much organic popularity that the company had no choice but to feature him more prominently on television.

    He’s been wrestling independently since leaving WWE in 2020, with appearances for Game Changer Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling, Impact and more. Throughout his career, Cardona has proven to be creative and innovative.

    Necessity has been one of the main reasons Cardona has been forced to get so creative. When WWE wouldn’t push him, he took matters into his own spray-tanned hands and made them push him. When he saw that WWE let the “Zack Ryder” trademark lapse, he jumped at the chance to secure the name and monetize it himself. According to the Long Island Broski, that was not a smooth process.

    Zack Ryder Trademark Battle

    Cardona recently spoke with Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net for the Pro Wrestling Boom podcast. During his discussion with the veteran journalist, Cardona explained that he had big plans for a “Matt Cardona vs. Zack Ryder” cinematic match. That would have led to all sorts of merchandising opportunities, including a “Ryder & Cardona two-pack” of wrestling figures produced by his very own toy company, Major Bendies.

    Unfortunately, WWE lawyers fought Cardona’s attempt to secure the Zack Ryder Trademark. He knows a legal battle with WWE would be costly, so decided to abandon his effort. As a result, he’s officially closing the book on that portion of his career.

    “I applied for [the Zack Ryder trademark] knowing there’s a chance [WWE] could fight it and they have so that’s it, I’m letting it go,” he said. “… I’m not gonna fight — because at the end of the day, it’s their intellectual property. They would win if we ever went to court over it so I tried, they fought it so that’s it, I’m backing down.”

    “Zack Ryder is dead, in my opinion … It’s over, it’s dead, it was great. I’m grateful for that time but it’s done.”

    – Matt Cardona

    There’s always a chance we could see ‘Zack Ryder’ make another run in WWE, but he’s moving on from ever owning that character himself. Cardona’s wife, Chelsea Green, recently returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble.

    Check out our exclusive interview with Matt Cardona (June 2022):

  • Final SmackDown Before WWE Money in the Bank 2023 to Air from London

    Final SmackDown Before WWE Money in the Bank 2023 to Air from London

    The go-home episode of SmackDown on FOX before July’s Money in the Bank event will take place in London, England.

    This year’s Money in the Bank Premium Live Event will be the 14th event in the show’s history, and the first to take place in London.

    Money in the Bank will follow on the heels of the massively successful WWE Clash at the Castle event from last September in Cardiff, Wales.

    SmackDown

    In a press release, WWE confirmed that SmackDown will be taking place in London, 24 hours before WWE Money in the Bank 2023.

    ‘Due to the incredible early response for Money In The Bank ticket pre-registrations at The O2 in London on Saturday, July 1, WWE today announced that SmackDown will also emanate from The O2 the night before – Friday, June 30.’

    This marks the first time ever that SmackDown will broadcast live and in primetime from the UK at 8 pm local time on BT Sport.

    Like Money in the Bank, WWE SmackDown will air live from London’s O2 Arena.

    Tickets for both WWE Money in the Bank and WWE SmackDown will go on sale via Ticketmaster on February 22nd at noon UK time.

    So far, no matches have been confirmed for Money in the Bank other than the two titular ladder matches.

    Reason WWE is Hosting Money in the Bank in London’s O2 Arena
  • The Miz to Play in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

    The Miz to Play in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

    WWE Raw Superstar The Miz will be trading the ring for the basketball court as part of an NBA All-Star Celebrity game later this month.

    On Twitter, the two-time WWE Champion’s participation was confirmed by the official NBA account, and he will be part of Team Ryan, named for Utah Jazz President Ryan Smith.

    The Game will air on ESPN on February 17.

    Team Ryan

    The Miz’s success in WWE has been well-documented, but he’ll be playing with some heavy hitters.

    While WWE’s resident A-lister will be the only wrestler on his team, other sporting stars include Football wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and baseball player Albert Pujols.

    Singer Kane Brown will be playing on Team Ryan, as will as Puerto Rican sensation Ozuna, and rapper Codae.

    From the world of television, Brazilian presenter Marcus Mion will be playing alongside actor Sinqua Walls and Guillermo Rodriguez of Jimmy Kimmel fame.

    The team will also include some Basketball talent including Phoenix Mercury star Diamond Deshields and the NCAA’s Everett Osborne.

    Team Dwayne

    Team Ryan will face some stiff competition from Team Dwayne, coached by minority owner Dwyane Wade.

    From the world of music, the team will be represented by singer Nicky Jam, Janelle Monáe, and 21 Savage.

    Comedian Hasan Minhaj will align with YouTuber Jesser and Shang Chi star Simu Liu, as well as Indian actor Ranveer Singh.

    Tennis star Frances Tiafoe will give the team some speed, alongside the NFL’s DK Metcalf, basketball star Arike Ogunbowale and Peloton instructor/Puma athlete Alex Toussaint.

    The Miz Compares Sami Zayn To Classic TV Series Lead
  • Eric Bischoff: The Bloodline is a Better Storyline than the New World Order

    Eric Bischoff: The Bloodline is a Better Storyline than the New World Order

    Eric Bischoff has become the latest individual to heap praise on the Bloodline, considering the popular faction to be better than the New World Order.

    The NWO changed the wrestling landscape forever upon the group’s inception in 1996, ushering in the concept of the ‘cool heel.’

    Much like Hogan in 1996, Roman Reigns’ heel turn in 2020 breathed new life into a character that fans had already turned on due to their strong babyface booking.

    Better

    While Bischoff played a large backstage role in the formation of the NWO (and would later be an on-screen member) he has now acknowledged the Tribal Chief.

    Speaking on his 83 Weeks Podcast, Bischoff compared the two factions that have dominated their respective eras.

    “The truth is The Bloodline story, in terms of a storyline in and the ingredients and the elements and the discipline and the structure and the nature of it, is a far better story than the NWO. Will it have the same impact on the industry as the NWO did? Probably not. But, that has a lot to do with timing.”

    “The Bloodline story, in terms of a storyline… is a far better story than the NWO.”

    “There are so many things that made the NWO work, including Hulk Hogan turning heel, by the way. There were so many things that were just a moment in time that helped propel that storyline at that, that time that you can’t replicate that today.”

    While WWE tried to recapture the magic of the NWO upon the return of Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in 2002, the group was gone within months.

    The Bloodline has been suffering some issues themselves as of late, with the exit of Sami Zayn and the seeming departure of Jey Uso.

    The Undertaker on Sami Zayn’s Storyline With Bloodline: “It’s Perfect”

    H/T – Wrestling Inc

  • Carmella to Vince Russo: “Put Some Damn Respect On My Name!!!”

    Carmella to Vince Russo: “Put Some Damn Respect On My Name!!!”

    Vince Russo has been critical of Carmella in the past and recently criticized a booking decision made by WWE involving her, something the WWE star didn’t appreciate so she put him on blast. 

    This past Monday night on Raw, Carmella defeated Piper Niven, “Michin” Mia Yim, and Candice LeRae to win the last Elimination Chamber qualifier. 

    While speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Legion of Raw, Russo noted that he thought Niven should have been the one to qualify for the Elimination Chamber Match. 

    “Listen, we have gone through the well with Carmella a million times. To me, I am going with Piper Niven. Do you know why? At the end of the day, here’s the deal bro. If they get Rhea Ripley if she beats Charlotte Flair. Who do you think would be a better opponent for her? Carmella or Piper Niven? Carmella is not even in the same conversation, why are you going there?”

    Carmella Fires Back

    Carmella responded on Twitter by demanding the former WWE/WCW/TNA creative writer give her the respect she has earned: 

    “Lololol not in that same conversation?? Allow me to list the women I have wins over: Charlotte, Asuka, Becky, Bayley, Sasha, Bianca, Liv, Alexa. The list goes on and on. I have more charisma in my pinky finger than both of these jabronies COMBINED. PUT SOME DAMN RESPECT ON MY NAME!!!”

    Asuka, Carmella, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Natalya, and Nikki Cross will be featured in the Women’s Chamber bout. The winner will earn a shot to challenge Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39.

  • Big E: ‘Montez Ford Has All The Tools, It’s Time to Get This Guy Cooking’

    Big E: ‘Montez Ford Has All The Tools, It’s Time to Get This Guy Cooking’

    Although Montez Ford has mostly been used as a tag team star in WWE alongside Angelo Dawkins as part of The Street Profits, Big E thinks it’s time to see what Ford can do on his own. 

    The Street Profits made their debut in 2016 and rose up the ranks in NXT before capturing the NXT Tag Team Championships. they later went to the main roster on Raw in 2019 and found more success with multiple reigns as Raw and Smackdown Tag Team Champions.

    Many have expected to see Ford break away from Dawkins in pursuit of a singles run. This includes Big E, who praised Ford while appearing on WWE’s The Bump

    Ford qualified for the Elimination Chamber Match with the United States Title on the line this past week on Raw with a win over Elias. 

    Big E’s Praise

    “It’s hard not to be a Montez guy. You talk about someone who has all the tools, charismatic as hell, absurdly athletic. He has everything, so it’s about time for Montez to get his. I’m excited to see his rise and see his run. Talk about a star. Guy has screamed ‘star’ for a long time, so it’s time to get Montez cooking,”

    Ford joins US Champion Austin Theory, Johnny Gargano, Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, and Damien Priest in the Elimination Chamber match.

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription.

  • Cody Rhodes Discusses WWE’s Transition From Vince McMahon To Triple H

    Cody Rhodes Discusses WWE’s Transition From Vince McMahon To Triple H

    Cody Rhodes has offered his thoughts on WWE’s creative control transferring from Vince McMahon to Triple H.

    Rhodes recently took part in an interview with Alex McCarthy of Daily Mail and was asked about the transition of creative power going from McMahon to Triple H.

    The 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble winner was out of action (pectoral injury) from June 2022 through January 2023. A lot happened in WWE during that time, to say the least. Most notably – the exit and return of Vince McMahon. Vince is back as Executive Chairman of WWE’s Board of Directors, but Triple H is very much in control of day-to-day operations.

    Rhodes says both Vince McMahon and Triple H were in touch during his hiatus. He acknowledged they each have very different visions for WWE. At the end of the day, he’s focused on being the best WWE Superstar he can be.

    “At the time when the transition happened, I wasn’t even close to coming back and I was communicated with every step of the way,” he said. “I was communicated with by Vince and by Triple H. That was very nice. I was never left in the dark on anything and obviously, these are different visions, they change.

    “My transaction needs to be simple. I don’t need to be caught up in whatever is happening behind the scenes. Those stories can be fun but I need my story on the screen to be the more important story. For that to happen I need to be at the very best. Best as a superstar, best as a wrestler because then the other stuff will come.”

    – Cody Rhodes

    Rhodes to WrestleMania

    Cody Rhodes returned to WWE in April of last year as Seth Rollins’ surprise opponent at WrestleMania 38. After a tremendous rivalry with Rollins, Rhodes was forced to be sidelined for most of the year with a pectoral injury.

    Upon making his in-ring return at the Royal Rumble last month, winning the match, Rhodes has now punched his ticket to WrestleMania, where he will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Title.

    Quotes via WrestleZone

  • JBL Recalls Backstage Fight Between Eddie Guerrero & Kurt Angle

    JBL Recalls Backstage Fight Between Eddie Guerrero & Kurt Angle

    WWE Hall Of Famer JBL was front row for a legitimate backstage fight between Kurt Angle and Eddie Guerrero.

    He told the story during a recent episode of Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, noting that the fight took place backstage after a match Angle and Guerrero had. Guerrero was under the impression that Angle had stiffed him.

    JBL explained that he was confused because during the fight, Guerrero attempted to take Angle down – Angle being an Olympic gold medalist wrestler.

    “You know a fight’s going on in the locker room … you can tell by the noise, and this was a fight. So finally, [John] Laurinaitis had gotten between Eddie and Kurt. Kurt was outside the dressing room, Eddie was inside it, I was dressing right by Eddie.

    “Laurinaitis shut the door, so that separated Kurt and Eddie. Eddie comes back and sits down, and I could tell by the noise that’s going on that …  Eddie had tried to leg dive [him]. So I’m sitting there looking at Eddie, and he’s not looking at me at all. He’s looking at the door, just mad as mad as he can be, breathing so loud you can hear him breathe. …

    “Finally I said ‘Why would you leg dive a Gold Medalist?’ And without looking at me, he goes ‘Cause I’m stupid!’ That was great. Then he finally started laughing.“

    Eddie Guerrero

    Not only is Angle a former Olympic gold medalist, but he’s also a five-time former WWE World Champion. He has since retired from in-ring competition and was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2017.

    Guerrero was also inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame shortly after his untimely death in 2005. He was a former WWE Champion and one of the most respected in-ring performers of his time.

  • Liv Morgan Clears The Air On Acting Career & WWE Future

    Liv Morgan Clears The Air On Acting Career & WWE Future

    Liv Morgan has been trying her hands at many different things recently. She made an appearance on hit TV series Chucky last year. The WWE star has since been talking about her acting ambitions and auditioning for various other roles. This has made many wonder if she is looking to transition out of wrestling.

    The former SmackDown Women’s Champion cleared her stand during an appearance on Out Of Character podcast. She claimed that her end goal with this is to bring more notoriety to wrestling:

    “I don’t want people to think that I care less for here or that I’m going to try less for here or that my goals aren’t the same because I’m interested in other things. It’s not the case so I just wanted to clear the air.

    I feel as far as WWE is concerned, everything that I do, it’s to bring more star power over. I’m not doing these things so I can be rich and famous and successful and be like ‘Alright, peace!’ It’s like no. I want to bring more fans. I want to bring more just notoriety in any way that I can.”

    ‘Tomorrow Is Never Promised’: Liv Morgan

    Liv Morgan and Chuky

    Liv Morgan made it clear that she wants to wrestle for as long as she can. At the same time, she realizes that tomorrow is never promised. The WWE star wants to use the stage she has in order to branch out and find other things to do:

    “I want to wrestle for as long as I possibly can and I will, but tomorrow is not ever promised, you know? So if I can utilize this platform while I have it to kind of start a transition into acting and other entertainment, I of course want to utilize this platform while I have it.

    WWE has been very gracious. They’ve been very cool and understanding and are like allowing me, letting me [do it] and are happy for me that I’m kind of exploring and trying to dabble into other things. They’ve been so great.”

    You can check out Liv Morgan’s full interview below:

    More Originals From SEScoops:

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

  • Liv Morgan On How the Ronda Rousey Loss Has Affected Her

    Liv Morgan On How the Ronda Rousey Loss Has Affected Her

    Liv Morgan finally achieved her life’s dream and became the SmackDown women’s champion last year. Her title run, however, didn’t last for very long and it ended with a devastating loss against Ronda Rousey. Such a loss would affect anyone else negatively but according to Liv, it has only made her fiercer.

    The former champion was the most recent guest on Out of Character podcast. When asked about the loss to the former UFC champion and how it has affected her, Morgan said that she now has nothing left to lose:

    “I have so much room to play, which I really appreciate. I feel like passing out and losing my title the way that it did. I had worked so hard for that and then for it to be taken away. I have nothing left to lose. I have nothing else to lose and I feel like my back is against the wall. So I’m ready and willing to do anything and everything that I need to do to eventually get my championship back.

    So if that means putting myself through pain, putting others through pain – I’m down and ready for it all. I’m having so much fun with it, and I’m enjoying it. I enjoy kind of seeing how far I can go. How far I can be pushed and how far I can push others. How far they can push me. It’s been really cool.”

    Liv Morgan and Cash

    Liv Morgan with Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan

    While Liv Morgan herself has been focused on her career, many of her friends have made strides in their personal lives. One such friend is Liv’s former tag team partner Sarah Logan, who became a mother in February 2021. She gave birth to a son who they named Raymond Cash Rowe. Speaking about her relationship with Cash, Morgan revealed her funny interactions with him:

    “It’s cool to see Cash every week. He does not let me do anything. He loves the crashpad right. And so we’ll be playing in the crash pad. He’s playing in the crash pad. Then I’ll like go to stand on it and he’ll grab my hand and I’m like ‘Oh, cute’ and then he walks me off of it. He’s like ‘noo.’

    Last week during live events we were playing in the ring. I like barrel rolled in the ring and I like rolled to his feet. He rolled me out. He doesn’t want me involved in anything. I’m like ‘no, I am aunty Livie. I’m the cool aunt.’”

    Liv Morgan’s Out of Character interview premiers on YouTube later today:

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

  • John Morrison On Coolest Thing About Bad Bunny Match At WrestleMania 37

    John Morrison On Coolest Thing About Bad Bunny Match At WrestleMania 37

    Competing in a WrestleMania match is always a special moment for any wrestling talent. John Morrison got to experience one such moment during his most recent WWE run. Morrison teamed up with The Miz to face Bad Bunny and Damian Priest at night 1 of WrestleMania 37. Per the former WWE star, he was actually impressed by the commitment the music star showed to the art of professional wrestling.

    The former IC champion recently had an interview with Denise Salcedo. He was asked what was the coolest thing about sharing the ring with Bunny. Just like The Miz, John also praised the Grammy-winning artist for the work he put in:

    “I think the amount of respect he had for the art of professional wrestling. The amount of passion that he had for doing really well. It was really cool to see someone of his star meter [or] star value. Just the number one recording artist in the world, be a wrestling fan and decide, ‘I want to do this, but if I do do it, I don’t want to do a bad job. I want to do an amazing job and that’s going to take a lot of work.’

    He put that amount of work into the performing well at the match we had at WrestleMania. I got to see that and realize, ‘You know what? This is exactly why this dude is successful. He’s very smart. He knows incremental work leads to incremental improvement. He doesn’t mess around and he takes doing his job very seriously.’ Whether that’s wrestling or music, but he doesn’t necessarily take himself seriously. He’s down to joke around and have a good time. He’s a very nice guy.”

    ‘He Wanted to Do Something Cool’: John Morrison

    One of the pleasant surprises of this match was when Bad Bunny busted out a Canadian destroyer on John Morrison. Speaking about it, the wrestling star remembered how it was raining on the day of the actual show. He revealed that they had to fight to keep that spot in that match:

    “I had to fight for that. A lot of people did not think that we should do that. [They were] worried about my safety. I was like ‘My safety? come on’. He wanted to do something cool. I suggested that. He was a little nervous until we did it a few times. I think then he was stoked about the possibilities. Then when it was raining again on the day, we had to convince people that it’s fine in the rain. The rain actually would make a lot of things more dangerous, but not that probably.”

    You can check out John Morrison’s full interview below:

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  • John Morrison Puts Recent WWE Chaos In Perspective

    John Morrison Puts Recent WWE Chaos In Perspective

    From multiple waves of talent releases to big management changes, the last couple years have been very chaotic for WWE. John Morrison however, seems to think that change is the only constant in the wrestling world. According to him, this is all part of the intrigue of the business.

    The former WWE star recently spoke to Denise Salcedo. He discussed things such as his upcoming boxing debut against Harley Morenstein on April 15 and more. He was also asked about the recent management changes in WWE. Morrison put things in perspective by mentioning how wrestling has been a crazy business all along:

    “First of all, it seems crazy, right? Change is crazy. I can’t believe [it all]. Vince left. Vince is back. Hunter’s in charge.  Without getting into the nitty-gritty of everything, it seems crazy until you think about things historically.” said John Morrison, “In that frame, it’s not that crazy. Because that’s what happens to civilizations, to businesses. Specifically, the wrestling business.

    He continued: “When Vince McMahon started it, basically he put a whole bunch of territories out of business, got a national TV deal and built WWF at the time up to what it is today. That came out of turmoil and turmoil is what happened with WCW and WWF. In the race back then between those two companies WWF won. Now AEW is on the map. Now Vince is back and he might sell the company to Saudi Arabia. It’s chaotic, it’s interesting. I think it’s part of the intrigue of the business.”

    You can check out John Morrison’s full interview below:

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  • Jerry Lawler Expected to Recover from Stroke

    Jerry Lawler Expected to Recover from Stroke

    Jerry Lawler is in a better condition than before and he is expected to recover.

    The WWE Hall of Famer suffered a stroke on Monday. He was rushed to Fort Myers hospital, with fans across the world sending prayers for his recovery.

    Lawler’s friend and WMC-TV chief meteorologist Dave Brown spoke to the wrestling legend on Tuesday. He provided an update on his condition to Commercial Appeal:

    “Some of the initial reports were just horrible, so I feel much better than I did 18 hours ago when I felt like I got hit in the face with a shovel,

    I was incredibly encouraged after I did a FaceTime. Jerry was alert. He talked to me. He could only say a couple words at a time, which is pretty normal. But (he) was able to move both legs and both arms.”

    Brown said that he feels optimistic about Jerry Lawler’s recovery. This sentiment was shared by Dutch Mantell who also posted an update on Twitter:

    The King has been part of the wrestling business since the 70s. Apart from a legendary in-ring career, he also had a lengthy run as a commentator for WWE.

    SEScoops wishes a speedy recovery to Jerry Lawler

    Update: Jim Ross Provides An Update On Jerry Lawler’s Condition

  • Alexa Bliss Taking Time Off From WWE

    Alexa Bliss Taking Time Off From WWE

    Alexa Bliss will be off television as she is on hiatus from the WWE storylines right now.

    Bliss came up short when challenging Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at the Royal Rumble. Post-match, Bliss sat in the ring as a video of highlights from her recent run with Bray Wyatt. The video was shown on the big screen along with scenes of a playground while we could hear Uncle Howdy say, “Do you feel in charge?”

    The Break

    It’s been a few weeks since that show, and Bliss hasn’t been seen on television. Pwinsider.com reports WWE knew going into the match that Bliss would be taking some time off after the loss.

    Bliss hasn’t been seen backstage at WWE shows since the Royal rumble. This is not a typical instance of WWE not using her while she’s at shows. Bliss is away from the company because of a planned temporary exit from the storylines. 

    As of this writing, there’s no word yet on how long the break is. It should be noted that Bliss isn’t injured. 

    It could be a case of WWE putting Bliss on a break to build her back up in storylines with Wyatt and Howdy for WrestleMania 39 or if she asked for time off. 

    The match was designed to make Belair look strong as she moves towards WrestleMania 39. 

  • Trish Stratus Calls for Former WWE Star to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

    Trish Stratus Calls for Former WWE Star to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

    Trish Stratus has shared the ring with some of the best female talent to step foot inside of the squared circle, but she feels one name missing from the WWE Hall of Fame and getting the honor she deserves. 

    Stratus believes Victoria deserves to get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

    Victoria’s career started with WWE in 2002 and feuded with Stratus, leading to several matches, including when she beat Stratus to win the WWE Women’s Championship in a Hardcore Match at Survivor Series 2002. 

    Victoria would depart in 2009 before going to TNA Wrestling and won the Knockouts Championship five times and the Knockouts Tag Team Championship once.

    The Push

    In an interview with Justin Dhillon on Casual Conversations with The Classic, Stratus was asked to name which stars she’d like to see honored by WWE. 

    “The aforementioned Mickie James, that’s for sure. I’d like to Victoria [get inducted]. Soon would be great. I think she’s well deserving. I think she’s underrated. I do so many interviews, and people ask me about different feud and different rivalries. I feel like when we were [competing], women’s wrestling was just turning the corner as far as being taken serious. Those matches with her that people [see] like, ‘Oh, this actually legit, and this is a viable part of the entire show.’ So yeah, Victoria for the Hall of Fame,” Stratus said.

    H/T to Fightful for the transcription

  • Cody Rhodes & Paul Heyman’s WWE Raw Segment Booked for a Good Reason

    Cody Rhodes & Paul Heyman’s WWE Raw Segment Booked for a Good Reason

    WWE had an important objective to achieve in booking Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman’s memorable in-ring segment on Monday’s Raw.

    Rhodes has a one-way ticket to the main event of WrestleMania Goes Hollywood. As of this writing, he’s scheduled to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Of course, Sami Zayn is the X-factor that could change everything when he challenges Reigns for the titles at Elimination Chamber in less than two weeks.

    We’re most likely going to see Reigns vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania, but WWE has to walk a thin line and make sure this long-planned bout is not derailed by Zayn’s surging popularity.

    On the Feb. 7 episode of Monday Night Raw, Rhodes addressed the Orlando, Florida crowd. While he was talking, Heyman came out to continue the build for Rhodes’s match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. Rhodes and Heyman got personal because of Heyman’s history with Cody’s father, Dusty.

    The segment struck a chord with WWE fans and created anticipation for the inevitable confrontation between Rhodes and Reigns. According to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, it’s reported that the segment was made to make the WrestleMania 39 match the primary focus for fans.

    This was done because they were well aware of how hot the Sami Zayn thing is, and it was imperative to not have this WrestleMania main event angle feel secondary. So they knew going in that they had to do something. And they did.

    – Dave Meltzer

    He added, “It’s very important to the entire company that the Cody match is not the secondary match. But it’s also important that people don’t look at it as a competition between the two of them (Rhodes and Zayn), and then the people get behind Sami Zayn, and then that screws up Cody as a babyface.”

    Walking a Fine Line with Rhodes & Zayn

    WrestleMania 39

    WWE is entirely behind Rhodes vs. Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39. However, they will first have Reigns defend the title against Zayn in his home country of Canada at Elimination Chamber on Feb. 18. The WWE fans are behind Zayn. Still, they also support Rhodes and seem to look forward to the WrestleMania match.

    It seems WWE is in a good position with two great babyfaces. WWE may have already figured out a way to get to Rhodes vs. Reigns without the fans complaining about Zayn. However, we will have to wait and see how the story will transpire.

    H/T: Liam Winnard of Wrestletalk for the transcribed quotes

  • Piper Niven’s Eye Banged Up During Backstage Attack on WWE Raw

    Piper Niven’s Eye Banged Up During Backstage Attack on WWE Raw

    Piper Niven came out of this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw battered. 

    WWE booked Niven vs. Candice LeRae vs. Michin vs. Carmella in a women’s Elimination Chamber qualifying match on the show. The finish of the bout saw Carmella superkick Niven and then cover LeRae for the pin to win the bout. 

    Carmella joins Asuka, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Nikki Cross, and Natalya in the Elimination Chamber Match at the PLE next Saturday night. The winner of this bout will earn a title shot against Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39. 

    The Photo

    Niven took to Twitter today to send a message to Michin (Mia Yim) and show off her battered eye. She tweeted, “Things imma not forget” and posted this photo:

    When Niven was called up to the WWE main roster from NXT UK in June 2021, she underwent a name change, Doudrop, and turned heel while being paired with Eva Marie. 

    Before returning at the Royal Rumble, her previous bout happened on the September 6 edition of NXT when she teamed with Nikki ASH to defeat Toxic Attraction, while her last Raw match was the night before. She then disappeared from WWE television for several months.

    Niven made her return by competing in the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match last month and with her old ring name.