SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • WWE Sources Trying to Claim Mandy Rose Requested her Release

    WWE Sources Trying to Claim Mandy Rose Requested her Release

    Why was Mandy Rose released from WWE NXT this week? Well, it depends on who you ask.

    Rose was released from the company on Wednesday, a day after losing the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez.

    The former champion was released after WWE learned of the NXFW content she has been sharing with subscribers of her website.

    Request?

    All signs have pointed to Rose being released against her wishes, but that’s not what some in WWE are trying to claim.

    Some sources in the company are trying to put the story out that Rose requested her release two weeks ago, Fightful Select report.

    Fightful added that they have not been given any indication that this claim is true.

    Those close to Mandy Rose claim she was in good spirits at the NXT show Tuesday night, as well as immediately following the release.

    It is believed that Rose will be just fine from a financial standpoint, given that she is earning more with her online content than as a WWE Superstar.

    Toxic Attraction

    Prior to her release, Rose had spent over a year as the leader of Toxic Attraction, aligning herself with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne.

    In their report, Fightful adds that the group had been considered several times for the main roster, and had impressed a lot of people of influence.

    With that said, there were no active plans for the group to be called up to the main roster at the time of Rose’s release from the company.

    Toxic Attraction Reacts to Mandy Rose’s Release from WWE
  • Matt Hardy Confirms Jeff Hardy Was Going to Win MITB Match at WrestleMania

    Matt Hardy Confirms Jeff Hardy Was Going to Win MITB Match at WrestleMania

    December 14 was the 14th anniversary of Jeff Hardy winning his first and only WWE Championship. In route to becoming champion, Hardy was rumored to win the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 24.

    On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, it focuses on the road to the WWE Championship for Jeff. On the March 3 episode of RAW, Jeff is a guest on Chris Jericho’s “Highlight Reel” when Jericho attacked him from behind. Shortly thereafter, Jeff dropped the Intercontinental Championship to Jericho. This was due to a failed drug test and 60-day suspension as it was his second violation.

    Matt Explains What Happened

    Jeff Hardy
    Jeff Hardy

    Matt confirmed the rumor that his brother was scheduled to win the ladder match and they had decided to make him champion. Freddie Prinze, Jr. was part of creative at this time and had been tasked with making Jeff the WWE Champion.

    “I know Freddie Prinze had been given this edict to get Jeff ready for the championship. This was around the time too that he had started to paint his face again. I think they started to lean into some stuff that was very Jeff Hardy-ish.”

    “Jeff was in Mexico on an international tour and its at some point there he ended up taking something, some sort of pill or substance — I don’t know if it was for his back or whatever it was — but he ended up getting popped in a drug test. One of the things I remember from the story is that Michael Hayes called him at home and was like, ‘what is going on here? I can’t believe you did all this. Vince is going to call you in a few minutes, so be ready to answer the phone.’ Vince called and was like, ‘what the fuck have you done?’ I guess they taiked it through and Jeff said they spoke for a while and they seemed to be kosher. Jeff just apologized and regretted taking it.”

    Matt Speaks on Jeff Hardy Plane Incident

    Jeff Hardy SmackDown

    Matt also discussed the “Nashville incident” where Jeff was removed from a plane by police. The brothers and Shane Helms had been celebrating someone’s birthday the night before and stayed up too late. The next day, Jeff managed to get either liquor or beer and was “buzzed.”

    Matt tried to get his brother to eat and Jeff smashed the sausage biscuit into the ground while laughing. Matt & Helms told him to “be cool.” Jeff talked to everyone that was boarding and someone with the airline realized he might be drunk. They asked him to leave and he said no, he’d just sleep on the flight. He was the escorted off the plane by police. This incident upset some of the locker room and Jeff lost some support.

    Jeff eventually beat Edge and the WWE Champion Triple H at Armageddon, even though Triple H didn’t think Jeff was reliable enough to be champion. Matt says seeing his brother become WWE Champion was one of the highlights of his career.

  • Jim Cornette on Vince McMahon Trying to Return to WWE: “He Thought It Was Going to Blow Over”

    Jim Cornette on Vince McMahon Trying to Return to WWE: “He Thought It Was Going to Blow Over”

    Wrestling veteran Jim Cornette recently discussed Vince McMahon trying to return to WWE and noted that it might not be the best thing for the company.

    Vince McMahon resigned from the company in July on Twitter. The 77-year-old cited his age as the reason for him stepping away while news of alleged hush money payments to former female employees came to light.

    Former EVP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis was dismissed during the scandal. Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon have been named co-CEOs of the company and Triple H has gained more power than ever since Vince stepped away.

    Speaking on episode 273 of Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru, the legendary promoter and manager spoke about Vince possibly attempting to return to the company. Cornette noted that Vince has likely been working on a way to get himself back in WWE for some time now.

    Vince wasn’t gonna not work. Vince has been working on something, he’s probably been working on figuring out how to get back to work. But he has been working on something. He has been occupying his time with something.

    Jim Cornette

    He added that Vince probably thought this whole thing was going to blow over and always planned to come back when he announced his retirement on social media.

    He thought it was going to blow over. He wasn’t going to put it over, and then someone got to him with how serious it was, that this is going to be bad if something doesn’t happen.

    And he acquiesced to it, and then he started getting bored, and now he wants something to f***ing do. And you cannot stop Vince McMahon from either working or working on a way to start working again.

    Jim Cornette

    Jim Cornette on if Vince McMahon Returning to WWE Would Benefit the Company

    Co-host Brian Last asked if Vince McMahon coming back to WWE would be good for the company and Cornette pointed out how many people have wanted to come back to WWE now that Triple H has gained power.

    Cornette added that Triple H is trying to get WWE out of the “goofy funk” they were in during Vince’s final stretch as CEO of the company.

    All we’ve been talking about for a couple of months now or more, guys want to go back and work for Triple H. I think he’s brought back some that he probably has buyer’s remorse on some that he’s brought back, but they want to come back and work for him.

    And some more will follow. You know, Regal, etc. They didn’t want to work for Vince because he had gone out of his mind and Max Dupree was an example, and Ezekiel.

    It’s bad creatively because RAW or SmackDown is not setting the world on fire with the ratings either, but at least they are trying to do something to get out of that goofy funk they were in the last little while with Vince.

    The old guys that made a ton of money with Vince and worked with him before he lost his mind apparently, they love him. So no, I think Vince for PR, for creative, and potentially just for hiring, he needs to be separated from that situation.

    But it’s his. How can you separate him if he don’t want to be separated?

    Jim Cornette

    Please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru with a H/T to SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.

    Vince McMahon Planning WWE Comeback, Regrets Retiring
  • Bayley on Botch During WWE RAW: “We Were So Flustered by It”

    Bayley on Botch During WWE RAW: “We Were So Flustered by It”

    Bayley squared off against Alexa Bliss this past Monday on RAW in a #1 contender’s match. During the match, Alexa Bliss went for a Hurricanrana but it didn’t go well and both superstars crashed to the canvas in an awkward fashion.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yrCG78NdGU

    The Role Model spoke about the incident during a recent Instagram Live and explained how the move went wrong.

    I was taking a move from the girl [Bliss] I was wrestling, and it just kind of got wonky. It got wonky to the point where I lost my footing, and we both landed on our heads. We weren’t knocked out or anything, but we were like, ‘ oh that sucked and didn’t look good.’ 

    We just tried to get back on the same page, but we didn’t know where we were going. We were so flustered by it – she and I literally went for the same move, which made us collide heads again.

    I just had to give her a clothesline and just had to stop. I just said, ‘alright, let’s just stop and slow down a little bit.’

    Bayley

    H/T: Wrestling Inc

    Bianca Belair on Alexa Bliss Almost Attacking Her on RAW

    Alexa Bliss won the #1 contenders match after Becky Lynch attacked Damage CTRL ringside. Becky battled with IYO SKY and Dakota Kai through the crowd and it distracted Bayley. Alexa capitalized and hit Twisted Bliss for the pinfall victory.

    RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair congratulated Alexa after the match but Bliss almost hit her with Sister Abigail out of nowhere before stopping herself.

    Bianca was interviewed after RAW and stated that she was reminded that Alexa Bliss is still a competitor and that she won’t be caught off guard again.

    She showed me a side of her that… I have no words for it.

    I’m still trying to figure out what that was, is this what is going to be, is this a phase?

    We’ll have to see. But at the end of the day, we are competitors. So once we step into the ring there are no friends and I have to remember that.

    Next time we step in the ring, I have to show her that I’m the EST of WWE, and we are going to compete, but that is not going to happen again.

    Bianca Belair
  • Roman Reigns Sends Message to WWE Universe Ahead of His Return on SmackDown

    Roman Reigns Sends Message to WWE Universe Ahead of His Return on SmackDown

    Roman Reigns will be returning to WWE SmackDown tomorrow night and has sent a message to fans ahead of the show.

    The Tribal Chief has not appeared since WWE Survivor Series WarGames. At the premium live event, Sami Zayn proved his worth to The Bloodline and hit Kevin Owens with a low blow. The Honorary Uce followed it up with a Helluva Kick and then stepped aside to allow Jey Uso to have the moment. Jey connected with a Frog Splash on KO to pick up the victory for The Bloodline.

    Ahead of tomorrow’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns took to Twitter to send a message to the WWE Universe. Reigns claimed he and The Bloodline are the best in the world and it isn’t even close.

    Chicago!!!! Get ready to acknowledge your Tribal Chief and the greatness of The #Bloodline. The undeniable best in the world and it’s not even close.@HeymanHustle @WWEUsos @WWESoloSikoa @SamiZayn

    Sami Zayn Set for a Big Night This Week on SmackDown

    The Usos defended their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes on last Friday’s edition of SmackDown. Sami Zayn was ringside and once again was crucial to the success of The Bloodline.

    Jimmy and Jey isolated Butch in the ring and planted him with the 1D. Sheamus attempted to break up the cover but couldn’t get there in time because Sami was holding The Celtic Warrior back and the referee didn’t catch it.

    After the match, Sami had a conversation with Jey Uso backstage. Jey has warmed up to The Honorary Uce following his actions at WarGames and told him that he should shave and get a haircut. Jey added that Sami is in for a big night on this week’s SmackDown and Zayn looked overjoyed to end the segment.

  • Braun Strowman Says He is “Carrying on a Tradition” That is Fading in Wrestling

    Braun Strowman Says He is “Carrying on a Tradition” That is Fading in Wrestling

    Braun Strowman is a freak of nature and proves that on a weekly basis on WWE television. He lifted The Nigerian Giant Omos up with ease at Crown Jewel and regularly displays athleticism that is not common for a man of his size. The 39-year-old is one of the last giants in wrestling and believes he is carrying on a fading tradition.

    Giants will always have their place in wrestling but superstars are required to be more than just tall to get over with the crowd nowadays.

    Strowman told Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports that he is one of the last few of a “dying breed” and is carrying on the tradition of giants in wrestling in his mind.

    Andre the Giant is sports entertainment. He is the reason why this industry is what it is. It’s world-renowned as a global entity. When you talk about WWE, you cannot mention this company without saying Andre the Giant.

    So from him to the Big Show to Kane to Undertaker to Mark Henry to all these other giant men that have come and gone in this business, I’m one of the very last few of a dying breed of these dinosaurs, as I like to call it. So in my mind, I’m carrying on a tradition and a legacy that is fading.

    Braun Strowman

    Braun Strowman on Wanting to Show More of His Personality

    The Monster of All Monsters drew the ire of fellow wrestlers after he poked fun at “flippy floppy” wrestlers following his impressive win at WWE Crown Jewel. Now, Braun himself has told CBS Sports that he can do a Moonsault but only if it is the right time.

    I can do one, not a problem. It’s not a matter of being able to do one, it’s a matter of doing it at the right time.

    Braun Strowman

    Strowman added that even though he looks imposing, he’s a loving an articulate human in real life.

    I look like this big, imposing, scary monster, but at the end of the day, I’m a passionate, caring, loving, outspoken human being. I’m not only able to portray I want to be able to be the monster side of things, but I want to show the world that there is more than it meets the eye. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

    Braun Strowman

    H/T: CBS Sports

    Baron Corbin: ‘Braun Strowman is Full Of Crap for Calling Himself The Greatest Big Man’

  • Backstage Update on Sasha Banks’ Exit from WWE (Report)

    Backstage Update on Sasha Banks’ Exit from WWE (Report)

    New details have emerged regarding Sasha Banks’ (Mercedes Varnado) reported exit from WWE and her potential deal with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

    According to Fightful Select, WWE and Sasha Banks negotiated her exit from the company several months ago, around the time Wrestling Inc’s Raj Giri tweeted that he was hearing she had been released.

    It should be noted that WWE has not confirmed Sasha’s release and she is still listed on the roster on the company’s website.

    Fightful added that Sasha can take wrestling-related bookings starting on January 1st, and several conventions considered rebranding as “entertainment” conventions rather than pro wrestling in an effort to try and book her before the start of 2023.

    Her deal with New Japan Wrestling is a “go” and was reportedly agreed upon in November. Sources told Fightful that they hadn’t heard anything regarding Mercedes and All Elite Wrestling, but that does not mean the 30-year-old won’t appear in the promotion.

    Saraya Won’t Confirm or Deny Whether Sasha Banks is her AEW Mystery Partner

    Sasha Banks Teases Fans That “Something Crazy is Coming”

    The Boss sent out a video ahead of Crown Jewel that led fans to speculate that she would be making an appearance at the premium live event. Sasha did not appear at Crown Jewel or at WWE Survivor Series in her hometown on November 26th.

    She stated that she was taking November to prepare for making all her dreams happen and that the date she has been waiting for is approaching. Banks added that there will be something “so f***ing crazy coming”.

    And I can’t wait, but I’m really going to make the most of this November to make all my dreams happen in preparation for this date that I’ve been waiting for.

    I’m very excited and I hope you guys come along for this journey, which I know a lot of you have been with me for so long. So thank you.

    But I just want to let you know that there is going to be something so f***ing crazy coming!

    Sasha Banks Chants Censored at WWE Survivor Series
  • WWE Star Dealing With a Legitimate Injury

    WWE Star Dealing With a Legitimate Injury

    Over the last month, Shotzi has been in a feud with Ronda Rousey on WWE television.

    Shotzi challenged for Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship at Survivor Series WarGames, but came up short.

    WWE shot an angle recently before an episode of SmackDown where Shotzi was shown lying in the parking lot while holding her hand and screaming in pain as Rousey and Shayna Bazsler walked away., implying that Rousey and Shayna slammed Shotzi’s arm in a car door, injuring it in the process. Rousey and Baszler injured Raquel Rodriguez’s arm a couple of weeks prior.

    Reality

    Shotzi Broken Hand

    Shotzi was pulled from television and later shared an X-ray of her hand to show the broken bones. While at first, it looked like the injury was just part of the storyline, that’s not the case. 

    According to a report by Pwinsider.com, the injury is legit and led to the angle in the first place. The extent of her injury and how she got injured is not known at this time.

    The injury came at a bad time as she was being pushed on the main roster with her tank along for the ride. 

    We wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her back in the ring soon. 

  • WWE’s Main Roster Call-Up System Under Triple H Detailed

    WWE’s Main Roster Call-Up System Under Triple H Detailed

    The way that WWE does its call-up system from the NXT developmental brand to the main roster has been an unknown process, as it seems like every wrestler called up is in a different situation. 

    A few times throughout 2022, fans thought NXT stars may be called up. Typically, WWE does NXT call-ups the night after WrestleMania and on the nights of the annual WWE Draft. Up until this year, it was always up to the whims of Vince McMahon. With Triple H overseeing the main roster creative, some fans have wondered if the call-up system will also change. 

    The Process

    Triple H

    Brian “Road Dogg” James, who works as the Senior Vice President of Live events, discussed that on his latest, Oh…You Didn’t Know podcast. 

    “Yeah. So all of the above to be quite honest with you because there’s not a strict streamlined process, especially now that Hunter is in charge of the creative. He understands much more about giving fair warning so you can write the person out or write the person off or however you’re going to do it. It gives you time to prepare creatively for that. I like a heads-up. 

    So sometimes we got those and sometimes we didn’t. I think going forward, you’ll always, I’m speaking now from NXT creative experience, that we had time to prepare to send people off, but sometimes we got, ‘Hey, we’re taking this person because we got an idea for this and this’, and you could be in the middle of something with them or not, and there they went.”

    Road Dogg doesn’t think it’ll be that way anymore because everybody understands the star needs to get beat on the way out or finish up a feud. He thinks giving NXT time to finish a program will happen much more now because Triple H knows what that is like to not have much notice.

    WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels is now overseeing NXT creative. It was recently reported that just because an NXT talent works a Main Event taping doesn’t mean they’re being called up. Instead, they view it as a reward and WWE officials simply want to take a look at them on a bigger stage. 

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

  • Shawn Michaels Wanted NXT Women’s Title Off Mandy Rose Immediately After Learning of Online Content (Report)

    Shawn Michaels Wanted NXT Women’s Title Off Mandy Rose Immediately After Learning of Online Content (Report)

    NXT head Shawn Michaels decided on Mandy Rose’s title loss this week immediately after learning of her exclusive online content.

    Rose lost the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez on this week’s NXT, who earned the match by winning the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline.

    A day after her title loss, WWE released Rose over the exclusive photos and videos shared on her website.

    Title Change

    During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer reports that this week’s WWE NXT faced significant rewrites after WWE learned of Rose’s website.

    “They switched the whole show around. What happened was, there was a meeting and Matt Bloom brought to Shawn Michaels, told him what some of the stuff that she’s been putting on her subscription service is.”

    Dave Meltzer.

    Meltzer added that Michaels immediately made the call for Rose to lose the title.

    “Shawn’s immediate thing was, ‘We’ve got to get the title off of her immediately’. Switched around the whole show, got the title off of.”

    Dave Meltzer.

    Mandy Rose Today

    While Rose is gone from WWE, it is believed that the promotion could welcome her back down the line.

    As a main roster talent (albeit one who spent the last year in NXT) Mandy Rose is subject to a 90-day non-compete clause.

    Rose has given a statement on her website, thanking her subscribers for their support and promising that the site is not going anywhere.

    It has been reported that Rose is earning more with her online content than she did under contract as a WWE Superstar.

    Toxic Attraction Reacts to Mandy Rose’s Release from WWE
  • Mandy Rose Addresses Her Fans Following WWE Release

    Mandy Rose Addresses Her Fans Following WWE Release

    Mandy Rose is grateful for all the love and support she’s received following her unexpected release from WWE on December 14, 2022.

    WWE has yet to publicly address the situation, but Fightful was first to report that she was let go after the company determined ‘adult content’ posted on her FanTime page violated the terms of her independent contractor agreement.

    There’s been speculation that Rose may be welcomed back at some point in the future, but for now, she’s gone. Wrestling fans rallied behind Rose on social media. #JuticeForMandy and #ThankYouMandy were both trending on Twitter in the hours following the news.

    Mandy Rose’s Statement

    On Thursday, December 15, Rose broke her silence and addressed her followers on FanTime.

    Rose thanked everybody for being in her corner during this difficult time and made sure to let them know the FanTime page isn’t going anywhere.

    “Hey guys, thank you for all the messages. I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from you guys. And don’t worry the page is still up! ;)”

    – Mandy Rose

    Rose wrestled with WWE from 2015-2022. She was (ironically) portrayed as a sex symbol for the majority of her run there, but became a more well-rounded performer in recent years. Services that allow celebrities to keep in touch with their fans on a subscription basis can be incredibly lucrative, but you can be sure we haven’t seen the last of her in the ring.

    Former WWE Superstar Tino Sabbatelli, Rose’s fiancé, showed his support with this post on his Instagram story:

    More on Mandy Rose’s Release

    Here are some videos breaking down Mandy Rose’s WWE release from our friends at F4WOnline and POST Wrestling:

  • Spoilers: WWE NXT TV Tapings Results (12/14/22)

    Spoilers: WWE NXT TV Tapings Results (12/14/22)

    On Wednesday night, WWE taped the next two weeks of NXT television from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. 

    With Christmas and the New Year on the horizon, NXT taped its final two episodes of the year as the company gave talent time off. Here are the spoilers, courtesy of F4Wonline.com:

    (December 20 Results)

    Carmelo Hayes defeated Axiom after Trick Williams interfered. Axiom hit an Asai moonsault on Williams after the match.

    Zoey Stark defeated Nikkita Lyons once Stark grabbed the ropes.

    Kayden Carter & Katana Chance defeated Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley and Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin to retain the NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles. 

    Apollo Crews called out Carmelo Hayes. The two had a back-and-forth promo.

    Elektra Lopez defeated Indi Hartwell

    Sol Ruca and Alba Fyre ended when Isla Dawn attacked Fyre, smashing her hand on the ring steps with a baseball bat.

    The New Day defeated Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen to retain the NXT Tag Team Titles. 

    Grayson Waller called out Bron Breakker, who exited his car in the parking lot and went straight to the ring, spearing Waller, who had a metal plate under his jacket.

    (December 27 Results)

    Julius Creed defeated JD McDonagh after a sliding lariat. Indus Sher confronted The Creed Brothers after the match.

    Wendy Choo defeated Cora Jade after a top rope splash.

    Scrypts defeated Ikemen Jiro

    Lyra Valkyria defeated Lash Legend

    Scisim defeated Odyssey Jones, Edris Enofe, and Malik Blade

    Fallon Henley defeated Kiana James

    Drew Gulak came out for a training segment and was accompanied by Hank Walker. He showed other NXT wrestlers the proper way to apply holds. Charlie Dempsey came to the ring and set up a match for a future episode.

    Wes Lee defeated Tony D’Angelo. Stacks attempted to interfere, but Dijak took him to the back, allowing Lee to score the win.

  • Apollo Crews Explains Why He Went Back To NXT

    Apollo Crews Explains Why He Went Back To NXT

    Apollo Crews is one of the stars who seemed to have huge potential when he started with WWE but his career didn’t go as planned. The former IC champion was called up to the main roster in April 2016, less than a year after his NXT debut in August 2015. A lot of people believed that he wasn’t ready for the main roster run and this was the primary reason why he got lost in the shuffle. This is why Crews took the opportunity to go back to the development territory with open arms earlier this year.

    The WWE star recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast. Speaking about his NXT return in June, Apollo discussed how he had been stuck wrestling on Main Event and hadn’t made a PLE appearance in over a year. So he decided to take a chance and ask about a potential opportunity in NXT:

    “It was weird that nothing was happening [in my career]. It got to the point where it was just like ‘man, I don’t want to be coming here and doing Main Event anymore. I want to be on the main shows. I want to be one of the guys here that’s a household name, right? I want to be one of those guys.

    So like, it wasn’t coming. So I made an approach and asked if there was any spot down here essentially for me at NXT and the opportunity came about and it happened. There happened to be a spot available. I was like, ‘Man, I’m 100% for it.’”

    ‘I’m Gonna Control What I Can’: Apollo Crews

    Apollo Crews revealed that the officials asked what kind of run he wanted to have. But for him, it was about taking the full advantage of the opportunity:

    “It was one of those things where it’s like, ‘Is it long term or it’s gonna be short term?’ and I was like ‘For me honestly. It doesn’t matter.’ I’m gonna control what I can control. You give me this opportunity. I’m gonna come out here and kill it.

    If they bring me back to Raw or Smackdown two weeks later so be it. If they bring me back [in] two months, so be it. But in my head, I wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity that I was being presented with because essentially, I was presented with the opportunity to kind of change the trajectory of my career and kind of really start over which not a lot of people get to do.”

    You can check out Apollo Crews’ full interview below:

  • Kevin Owens Has Pitched for Match with Shawn Michaels

    Kevin Owens Has Pitched for Match with Shawn Michaels

    After facing ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin at WrestleMania 38 this year, Kevin Owens has set his sights on another legendary Texan: Shawn Michaels.

    In April, Owens faced Austin in the main event of Night One, losing to the Rattlesnake in Austin’s first match in 19 years.

    Austin and WWE were said to be extremely pleased with how the match went and there have been discussions of another match at WrestleMania 39 next year.

    Owens Vs. Michaels

    Appearing on Kevin Raphael’s podcast this week, Owens revealed that he recently pitched a match between himself and Shawn Michaels.

    Owens figured that after the Austin match happened, nothing was impossible and he and Michaels discussed the match when Owens came to NXT to host the KO Show in October.

    Michaels told Owens that he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t considered getting back in the ring, especially after seeing the match with Austin in April.

    However, he also said that he doesn’t think he should wrestle again.

    Owens said on the podcast that the goal is to wrestle two of his all-time favorite wrestlers (Austin and Michaels) a goal that he’s already half-completed.

    Michaels Back in the Ring

    Owens Vs. Michaels would be a huge match, but he’s hardly the first person to set his sights on Mr. WrestleMania.

    AJ Styles previously pitched a match with Michaels, one that the two-time WWE Hall of Famer turned down.

    Michaels retired from in-ring competition in 2010, but competed at Crown Jewel 2018, teaming with Triple H to defeat the Brothers of Destruction.

    The match was the biggest payday in Michaels’ career, and it is believed he earned around $3 million, equivalent to $1,800 per second of the nearly 28-minute match.

    Kevin Owens Feels Return to the Indies is Possible Under WWE’s New Regime
  • WWE Hasn’t Closed the Door on Mandy Rose Possibly Returning

    WWE Hasn’t Closed the Door on Mandy Rose Possibly Returning

     Mandy Rose’s time with WWE has come to an end, but the former NXT Women’s Champion may be back with the promotion soon enough.

    Rose was released this week due to the NSFW content found on her ‘FanTime’ account, which allows fans to pay for exclusive photos and videos of their favorite celebrities.

    The Toxic Attraction member’s release comes 24 hours after her NXT Women’s Championship loss to Roxanne Perez on this week’s WWE NXT, who ended Rose’s reign at 413 days.

    The Return

    Rose’s release from WWE has come as a shock to fans, many of whom expected her to return to the main roster after losing the NXT Women’s Championship.

    While speaking on Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez noted that WWE hasn’t exactly closed the door on a possible return.

    “I was given the impression that it’s not like she can never come back, and there is a possibility down the road she will come back, but for now she is gone.”

    Bryan Alvarez.

    With her departure, many fans have lashed out at WWE over her release, with the hashtags #JuticeForMandy and #ThankYouMandy both trending on Twitter.

    Rose After WWE

    Perhaps Mandy Rose could return to WWE one day, but for now, she’s gone from the company.

    Given that she was a main-roster performer, Rose is subject to a 90-day non-compete clause, despite having worked in NXT, where talent are subject to a 30-day clause.

    On social media, some fans have suggested that Rose sign with All Elite Wrestling when she has the chance.

    Rose’s FanTime account remains active at this time.

    Toxic Attraction Reacts to Mandy Rose’s Release from WWE
  • Toxic Attraction Reacts to Mandy Rose’s Release from WWE

    Toxic Attraction Reacts to Mandy Rose’s Release from WWE

    The wrestling world is still processing the news that Mandy Rose is no longer with WWE.

    The release comes less than 24 hours after Rose dropped the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez. The title change was a last-minute booking decision and not part of WWE’s original plans for this week’s NXT broadcast.

    According to the initial report by Fightful, WWE made the call to fire Rose due to ‘adult’ content on her FanTime account that they felt violated the terms of her independent contractor agreement.

    Rose was said to be blindsided by the release and did not expect WWE to take such drastic action in response to content that began circulating online over the past several days.

    Wrestling fans have rallied behind Rose during this difficult time. Many have accused WWE of hypocrisy. She was fired for producing ‘adult content’ for her followers, but she’s been portrayed as a sex symbol throughout the entirety of her run.

    Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jane React to Mandy Rose’s Release

    Mandy Rose has yet to publicly address this situation, but some of her closest friends have.

    Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, Rose’s partners in the Toxic Attraction faction, expressed their heartache regarding the situation on social media. They each tweeted ‘broken heart’ emojis.

    AEW star Saraya also provided some support to Rose:

  • MLW’s Lawsuit Against WWE Expected To Move Forward

    MLW’s Lawsuit Against WWE Expected To Move Forward

    MLW is moving forward with its lawsuit against WWE after initially filing it in January. 

    Judge Edward J. Davila scheduled a conference yesterday to discuss a trial date for the case between the two sides, according to Pwinsider.com. The conference is scheduled for September 7, 2023, in San Jose, California. 

    Davila also ruled that all amended pleadings in the lawsuit are due on February 13, 2023. MLW laid out the materials they were seeking in discovery on December 7th. 

    The Latest

    Court Bauer on WWE
    Court Bauer on WWE

    The court documents note that the Plaintiff anticipates taking discovery concerning its claims, including:

    “(1) the relevant antitrust market; (2) documents related to VICE, Tubi and FITE; (3) WWE’s employment agreements, event venue agreements and distribution agreements; (4) WWE’s poaching of talent from MLW, AEW and other competitors; (5) WWE’s interference with booking arenas; (6) the impact of WWE’s conduct on entry into the market for broadcasting of professional wrestling programming and related consumer harm; (7) documents related to Jerry S. McDevitt’s appearance in the Dark Side of the Ring program; and (8) damages.”

    Defendant anticipates taking discovery with respect to its defenses in the case, including “Plaintiff’s attempts to obtain broadcasting rights from the hundreds if not thousands of other potential buyers, Plaintiff’s efforts to start its own streaming service (which it acknowledges that WWE and Impact have started), and Plaintiff’s recent successes in obtaining broadcast agreement(s), such as its agreement with Pro Wrestling TV, which demonstrate the frivolous nature of its antitrust claims. The Parties are not proposing to conduct discovery in phases or to limit discovery to particular issues.”

    Sources tell SEScoops WWE’s motion will be formally dismissed shortly. The judge found there is merit and a case for the court to examine.

    In January, MLW filed a lawsuit against WWE, alleging that WWE attempted to undermine their competition by preventing Major League Wrestling from finalizing multiple media distribution deals. It also accused WWE of attempting to sign MLW talent while they were still under contract with the wrestling company. 

  • Mandy Rose Released By WWE

    Mandy Rose Released By WWE

    Mandy Rose is no longer under contract with WWE. 

    In a surprising move for fans (and likely Rose), Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports that she’s been released effective immediately. She had been with the company since 2015.

    WWE felt they were put in a position where she was not fit to be part of the organization due to the explicit nature of the content Rose shared on her FanTime page. The content was believed to be outside the parameters of what is permitted in wrestlers’ contracts.

    FanTime, a service similar to OnlyFans, allows celebrities and content creators to communicate with their fans on a subscription basis. The content is often ‘adult’ in nature.

    Some of the content from Rose’s FanTime page circulated on social media over the weekend, which may have been a factor in her being disciplined.

    Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline tweeted that Rose was “very much caught off guard” by the firing. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer added, “the title change last night was a last minute decision based on the fact she was getting fired and not the original plan.”

    Farewell to Mandy Rose

    Mandy Rose NXT Womens Champion

    Mandy Rose’s final match for WWE took place at Tuesday’s NXT broadcast, when she lost the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez. The bout was originally slated to happen on January 10 at New Year’s Evil, but after an angle shot in the opening segment, the match was moved to this show in a headlining spot. 

    Rose won the NXT women’s title from Raquel Gonzalez last October at Halloween Havoc. Her reign lasted 413 days and successfully defended the title 10 times.

    Rose signed with WWE back in 2015 after appearing on Tough Enough. While on the main roster, she was paired with Sonya Deville before going back to NXT in 2021. 

    We’ll be following this story and will provide further details as they become available.

  • Triple H ‘Underwhelmed’ by Some Recent WWE Returns (Report)

    Triple H ‘Underwhelmed’ by Some Recent WWE Returns (Report)

    Triple H has brought back a lot of WWE stars who the company had previously released under the Vince McMahon regime. 

    Some of the signings were praised by fans as they thought the wrestlers shouldn’t have been released from the beginning, while others have been criticized as they hadn’t been big stars or seen with a high upside during their first runs with the company. 

    WrestleVotes reported today that there are several stars who were brought back that have underwhelmed Triple H since coming back. 

    The Report

    Braun Strowman
    (WWE)

    “I’m told a handful of talent brought back in the ‘rehiring wave’ over the summer have underperformed and severely underwhelmed Triple H & others since returning to the company.”

    Triple H has brought back names such as Johnny Gargano, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae, Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, Scarlett, and perhaps most notably, Bray Wyatt.

    Triple H attempted to bring back Naomi and Sasha Banks after they walked out of the company earlier this year due to creative differences. Naomi is still under contract with WWE while Banks is headed to NJPW in January as her contract expires this month. 

    As previously reported, former Impact Wrestling stars Chelsea Green and Eric Young are on their way back to the company. Matt Cardona is rumored to be another possible star to make a return. 

  • Karl Anderson’s Never Openweight Title Match Confirmed for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

    Karl Anderson’s Never Openweight Title Match Confirmed for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

    WWE’s Karl Anderson will step through the Forbidden Door next month to defend his NJPW Never Openweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 17.

    Anderson returned to WWE alongside Luke Gallows in October of this year after being released from the promotion in April 2020.

    The Machine Gun had been scheduled to defend his title at NJPW Battle Autumn in November but instead competed at WWE Crown Jewel that same night.

    Tama Tonga

    This week, Anderson made his way to Japan for NJPW’s World Tag/Super Junior Tag League finals.

    Competing against Hikuleo, his planned opponent for Battle Autumn, Anderson retained his title and sent a message to the locker room after the bell.

    “I ain’t coming over here to drop no titles. You think I’m coming back to New Japan Pro-Wrestling to do a jiz-zob?”

    Karl Anderson.

    Tama Tonga came out to confront Anderson but took a Stun Gun from the Never Openweight Champion.

    Anderson told Tonga that he will see him again at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4.

    Wrestle Kingdom 17

    Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be the first time in years that the show will take place on one day, but the event has a stacked card.

    IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI will defend her title against Tam Nakano, while Zack Sabre Jr. and Ren Narita will determine the first NJPW World Television Champion.

    IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will defend against AEW’s Kenny Omega, and FTR will put their IWGP World Tag Titles on the line against opponents yet to be announced.

    IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori vs. Master Wato vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado has been announced, and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White will take on Kazukchika Okada.

    Sasha Banks Reportedly Appearing at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom
  • ‘President Helmsley’ – Kevin Nash Says Triple H Would Make a Great Leader of the United States

    ‘President Helmsley’ – Kevin Nash Says Triple H Would Make a Great Leader of the United States

    Washington. Lincoln. Kennedy. Obama. Helmsley?

    Could Triple H  one-day trade in his throne on top of WWE for a seat in the Oval Office? Kevin Nash isn’t against the idea.

    Speaking during the latest Kliq This, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer said he believes Triple H would make a fine President of the United States one day and explained why.

    “You can p*ss him off, but he doesn’t get p*ssed off like a normal dude. Especially once he got where he was a Senior Vice President, he just couldn’t. He always had control where the rest of us didn’t. Paul’s very level-headed.”

    Triple H

    Triple H in 2022

    Triple H could make an excellent President (at least according to Nash,) but the former World Heavyweight Champion is kept plenty busy in WWE.

    After losing control of NXT last year and suffering a cardiac event, the Game announced his in-ring retirement earlier this year and left his boots in the ring at WrestleMania 38.

    In July, Triple H was appointed WWE’s Head of Creative, replacing his father-in-law Vince McMahon, and would later replace John Laurinaitis as Head of Talent Relations.

    The McMahon Family and Politics

    While Triple H likely isn’t making plans for the oval office, the McMahon family has never been far from politics.

    In September 2009, Linda McMahon announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate, seeking to be the representative for Connecticut.

    While WWE never publicly endorsed McMahon on-screen, the promotion did launch the political ‘Stand Up for WWE’ campaign, alleging that fans had been turned away from polling centers for wearing wrestling merchandise.

    After earning the Republican nomination, McMahon lost to Democrat Richard Blumenthal in the 2010 election.

    Linda hinted immediately after her loss that she would run again in 2012, and did just that, but lost to Democrat Chris Murphy that year.

    The Rock Leaves The Door Open For Future Presidential Run

    h/t – WrestlingInc

  • “I Love Vince McMahon” – Ric Flair Weighs in on Ex-CEO’s Possible Return to WWE

    “I Love Vince McMahon” – Ric Flair Weighs in on Ex-CEO’s Possible Return to WWE

    Vince McMahon has plans to make his shocking return to WWE, and Ric Flair isn’t against the idea.

    McMahon retired from all roles with the company in July of this year, due to the allegations of misconduct with female employees, and the millions paid in hush money.

    In his absence, Stephanie McMahon has been appointed Chairwoman of WWE and serves as co-CEO with Nick Khan.

    Ric Flair

    This week, it was reported that McMahon is seeking a comeback to the promotion and regrets retiring in July.

    McMahon believes that he was given bad advice to retire at the time and that the allegations against him would have “blown over” had he stayed in his role as CEO and Chairman.

    Speaking on his To Be the Man podcast, Ric Flair was asked by co-host Conrad Thompson for his thoughts on a possible McMahon return.

    “You’re not going to get a negative word out of me. I love Vince McMahon. And I think that he should. He is entitled to whatever he wants. I’m telling you, shame on the people that don’t think so. He built it. Nobody else built it. Nobody helped him. He fought every war.”

    Ric Flair.

    It remains unclear how exactly McMahon will plan to return to WWE or when he plans on being in the board room once more.

    Not Welcome

    Flair may have nothing but good things to say about McMahon, but this attitude isn’t shared by those in the company.

    It has been reported that the consensus in WWE is that it’d be extremely bad for McMahon to return, with one source saying he’d be “selfish” to do so.

    In the months since McMahon’s retirement, it has been reported that backstage morale has improved significantly among both on-screen talent and staff under the new regime.

    Vince McMahon Facing Fresh Demands Over Alleged Sexual Assault
  • Fans Signing Petition to Prevent Vince McMahon’s Return to WWE

    Fans Signing Petition to Prevent Vince McMahon’s Return to WWE

    Will Vince McMahon return to WWE? Not if the WWE Universe can help it.

    McMahon retired from the promotion in July of this year after over four decades in charge, due to allegations of misconduct with female employees.

    An investigation into McMahon determined that $12 million had been paid in Non-Disclosure Agreements over 16 years that should have been listed on the promotion’s expenses.

    The Comeback

    McMahon’s departure in July was a shocking moment many fans thought they’d never see, but the 77-year-old is reportedly eyeing up a return.

    The Wall Street Journal reports that McMahon regrets retiring earlier this year, and believes that the allegations against him would have “blown over” had he stayed in the role.

    McMahon also believes he was given bad advice to retire by those closest to him, though the report does not name any specific persons who advised him to go.

    The Petition

    While fans will ultimately have no say on if McMahon does make the mother of all comebacks, some fans are letting their voices be heard.

    On Change.org, a petition has been started that is hoping to prevent the billionaire’s return to the company.

    The petition notes that in the post-Vince McMahon era “employment has increased, revenue has increased and overall enjoyment and become a watchable product again in grand scale.”

    It adds that keeping McMahon away is “best for business.”

    The petition currently has over 300 signatures with a goal of 500.

    You can check out the petition and sign it yourself by clicking here.

  • Roxanne Perez Wins WWE NXT Women’s Title (Video)

    Roxanne Perez Wins WWE NXT Women’s Title (Video)

    Roxanne Perez was the person to dethrone Mandy Rose as the WWE NXT Women’s Champion. 

    Perez defeated Zoey Stark, Cora Jade, Kiana James and Indi Hartwell in the first-ever Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge match at Saturday’s WWE NXT Deadline. As a result of winning the match, Perez earned the right to challenge Rose for the championship at a later date, which was supposed to be on January 10th at New Year’s Evil. 

    The Match

    At the start of Tuesday’s NXT episode, Rose attacked Perez from behind. This led to Perez challenging her to a title match on this show instead in the main event with Rose accepting. 

    The back-and-forth match ended after Perez kicked out of Rose’s finisher and rolled up Rose for the win. 

    Rose defeated Gonzalez to win the NXT Women’s Championship at Halloween Havoc last year with the help of Dakota Kai.  Rose became the unified champion at NXT Worlds Collide when she beat NXT UK Champion Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport in a triple threat match. 

    Rose held the title for 413 days, making her the third-longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion.

  • Backstage Reaction to Vince McMahon Planning a WWE Comeback

    Backstage Reaction to Vince McMahon Planning a WWE Comeback

    The Wall Street Journal published an article on Tuesday titled, WWE’s Vince McMahon Faces Fresh Demands From Women Alleging Sexual Abuse.

    In addition to McMahon facing new legal challenges stemming from alleged sexual misconduct, WSJ also reports that the former WWE boss is planning a comeback to the organization he stepped away from in July 2022 after running it for 40 years.

    The internal reaction to the news of McMahon wanting back in WWE has been quite negative, according to Fightful Select. One source in WWE told Fightful that the news was “exhausting.” This person is hopeful that McMahon’s run with the company is in the rearview despite having a positive relationship with their former boss before he left in the summer.

    Another star said they were concerned for the wrestlers that have been re-hired if McMahon did return as it was WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H who brought back numerous wrestlers that were cut by the McMahon regime.

    A high-ranking WWE official isn’t concerned about a McMahon comeback, despite Vince still having final control over the company due to his stock holdings. The company has been in great shape since Vince left, with the stock price, television viewership and overall morale improving in the second half of this year.

    “It would be a really selfish move for Vince to come back under any circumstances. The reason he left, how business has done since then — it’d be really selfish. But selfish activities are what led to him leaving in the first place.”

    – Anonymous WWE source on Vince McMahon wanting to return

    WWE Morale

    One staff member stated that morale had increased tenfold since McMahon resigned and didn’t believe he would be back, whether he wanted to be or not. 

    A longtime employee said they also believe McMahon’s family will actively encourage him to remain retired, and they think McMahon’s return would do irreparable damage to the WWE brand. The same source said that the few doubters that thought WWE would collapse internally have been proven wrong, with one notable name even admitting as much.

    The unanimous reaction among numerous WWE staffers, talent, and employees was that McMahon was not wanted back in his previous roles.