SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • Roman Reigns, Jon Moxley, and Seth Rollins Reflect on the Formation of The Shield

    Roman Reigns, Jon Moxley, and Seth Rollins Reflect on the Formation of The Shield

    The Shield first appeared at WWE a decade ago at WWE Series 2012. Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Jon Moxley debuted as mercenaries for CM Punk.

    The trio became known as The Shield in WWE and was an incredibly popular faction. The Hounds of Justice dominated the company and battled with legends such as The Undertaker, John Cena, and more along the way.

    All three members of The Shield, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, United States Champion Seth Rollins, and AEW World Champion Jon Moxley recently spoke with Justin Barasso of Sports Illustrated about the formation of The Shield.

    Seth Rollins stated that he noticed he and Roman Reigns had a similar mindset during a training session.

    Roman was on the offense, and I was on the defense, so I knew what was going to happen,” Rollins says. “Roman knew how to bring it, and he got us out of this drill.

    Mox and I were already on the same wavelength, and that was the moment that showed the three of us were of one mind and one goal,” Rollins added. “That allowed us to be The Shield. Without that mindset, there is no Shield, and the last ten years look a lot different.

    Roman Reigns said that WWE was training them like dogs and he beat the hell out Seth in the gym that day.

    That was a time when no one knew who we were,” says Reigns, who has evolved into the industry’s single most compelling star. “They were training us like dogs, training us good, and I turned it up on Seth big time that day.

    I remember it well, and I know Seth remembers it,” Reigns says. “I beat the hell out of him.

    The Tribal Chief added that they knew early on that the company was going to rely on them and The Shield did everything in their power to put themselves in the right position.

    Early on, we found out we were going to be the guys for the company that could pull the wagon as far as we wanted if we worked hard enough,” Reigns says. “If we didn’t step up, someone else would, so we’ve always done everything in our power to put ourselves in the right position.

    AEW World Champion stated that the first few months of The Shield were very intense but before long everyone wanted to work with them.

    Looking back, it was like we were kids,” Moxley says. “The first few months of The Shield were f—ing intense. It was a different time back then. We weren’t necessarily welcomed with open arms by everybody, but we didn’t give a f—. We were going to push the pace and have good f—ing matches. Before long, everybody wanted to start working with us.”

    Moxley added that he still has the work ethic from his days with The Shield and it makes him who he is.

    We created that ‘Shield work ethic,’” Moxley says. “The people we were around have that, too. Claudio [Castagnoli] is an old riding partner of The Shield. Hell, Bryan [Danielson] was our opponent in our first match.

    I still have that. We all do. It makes us who we are.

    H/T: Sports Illustrated

  • JBL Reveals WWE Legend Came up with the Clothesline From Hell: “You Can’t Name Your Own Move”

    JBL Reveals WWE Legend Came up with the Clothesline From Hell: “You Can’t Name Your Own Move”

    JBL recently made his triumphant return to WWE television to manage Baron Corbin.

    He’s referred to Corbin as the “Modern Day Wrestling God” in promos and claimed that Baron is the only reason he’s returned to the company. Corbin was traded from SmackDown to RAW in exchange for Rey Mysterio.

    Corbin picked up another victory this past Monday over Akira Tozawa. However, Tozawa took all of JBL and Baron Corbin’s money in poker earlier in the show, so all things considered it wasn’t a bad day at the office.

    JBL Reveals Stone Cold Steve Austin Named His Finisher

    Baron Corbin and JBL appeared on WWE’s The Bump today. During the conversation, the 55-year-old revealed that Stone Cold Steve Austin came up with the “Clothesline From Hell” finisher name. JBL’s Clothesline was one of the best in the business.

    Stone Cold is the one that named the Clothesline From Hell. You can’t name your own move. You can’t give yourself a nickname. I hit somebody with a Clothesline one time in Europe and I come back, Stone Cold says ‘that’s not a Clothesline, that is a Clothesline From Hell’. And it stuck from that point forward.

    WWE reportedly reached out to Stone Cold Steve Austin about another match recently. The Rattlesnake returned to the ring during Night 1 of WrestleMania 38 and defeated Kevin Owens. Austin looked great in the match and may have another one left in him.

    WWE Has Offered Steve Austin Another Match
  • Logan Paul’s Recovery from Injuries Going “Better Than Expected”

    Logan Paul’s Recovery from Injuries Going “Better Than Expected”

    Jake Paul has provided an injury update on his brother Logan Paul following WWE Crown Jewel where Logan came up short when challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title. 

    After the match on November 5, Logan posted to social media that he had a “torn meniscus, MCL & potentially ACL.” He also noted that the injuries occurred midway through the match. 

    During an interview with DAZN Boxing, Jake revealed the injuries that Logan is dealing with following Crown Jewel are not as bad as first thought. 

    The Good News

    Logan Paul

    “He’s doing better than expected. They thought it was supposed to be ACL but it just turned out to be MCL and meniscus, which is better.” He’s rehabbing it in LA and hoping for the best.”

    Logan also noted on his Impaulsive YouTube show that he is interested in a potential match with John Cena at WrestleMania 39. He thinks he can break the internet again by doing this match and has already texted Triple H about it. 

    Cena hasn’t wrestled at a premium live event since losing to Reigns at SummerSlam 2021 while focusing on his Hollywood career. 

    H/T to F4Wonline.com for the transcription

  • Top Dolla Recalls “Disappointment, Shame” After WWE Release

    Top Dolla Recalls “Disappointment, Shame” After WWE Release

    WWE Superstar Top Dolla (AJ Francis) is getting candid about the disappointment and shame he felt when he was released from the company in 2021.

    Hit Row is back doing their thing on the SmackDown brand, but it was not an easy road getting there. The group was swept up in WWE’s ‘cost cutting’ wave of releases last year and Top Dolla was hit especially hard when he found himself out of work.

    During an appearance on the Fox Sports Out of Character podcast, Dolla told host Ryan Satin that he was caught completely off guard when he lost his dream job. When asked about his initial reaction, he recalled, “Disappointment. Shame.”

    “I’ve worked to get to that point,” he said. “We had the fastest call-up ever in NXT history. To then be released a month later it was like, I felt.. I didn’t know that this would happen. I had no assurances that I’d be back in WWE again. So I felt like maybe the two years that I had spent in NXT, getting to that point was just a waste of my time, because I was gonna have to go do something else now. What ended up happening, which was a blessing, was the fact that, I always stayed in contact with Hunter.”

    He recalls being “genuinely depressed” when his career came to a screeching halt.

    “When we first got released, it was tough. I was genuinely depressed. I had spent my entire life looking for a chance to get an opportunity to be on SmackDown, to be on Raw. Then I got there and then a month later it got taken out from underneath me. So it was one of the worst experiences [and] times of my life.”

    Luckily, hard work pays off. He, Ashante “Thee” Adonis and B-Fab were brought back to WWE as part of Triple H’s initiative to re-hire a slew of talented performers.

    Top Dolla has gotten himself in great physical shape over the past few months. He revealed on Twitter that he was 367 pounds when he re-signed with WWE less than three months ago. On November 9, he weighed in at 303 pounds – the lightest he’s been since his junior year of college.

    You can check out Top Dolla’s full interview below:

  • People in WWE “Absolutely Do Not Want” CM Punk to Return (Report)

    People in WWE “Absolutely Do Not Want” CM Punk to Return (Report)

    Is CM Punk going to return to WWE soon? Not if some in the company can help it.

    Since his explosive comments at AEW All Out and the backstage fight, it has been rumored that Punk could return to WWE despite his infamous 2014 walkout.

    Punk has been suspended from AEW since All Out and there is no sign of his return despite the investigation into the backstage fight recently concluding.

    Do Not Want

    Punk in WWE, despite the frosty relationship between the two sides over the years, would certainly be a huge deal at a time when the company is at war with AEW.

    Triple H has reportedly “softened” his stance on CM Punk but not everyone is wanting to see him return.

    While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that many in WWE do not want Punk back, but they have no say over the creative.

    “I know people in WWE who absolutely do not want him [CM Punk] there, but they are not the people on the creative team.”

    Dave Meltzer.

    Meltzer added that those people in WWE are aware of what happened in AEW, and seriously question why risk the same happening in their promotion.

    This attitude isn’t too different from the feeling in AEW, with reports that talent will refuse to work with Punk if he is brought back by Tony Khan.

    WWVD?

    Many in WWE may be opposed to a CM Punk return, but it will ultimately come down to what WWE co-CEOs Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon, and WWE Head of Creative/Talent Triple H, think is best.

    On his show, Meltzer said that Triple H may be against bringing Punk in, and questioned what Vince McMahon would do if he was still in charge.

    ““Paul may just go in there and go, ‘Look what happened, we don’t need it’. And they don’t. They don’t need it, and he may just do that.

    ““If it was Vince, Vince would do it I think, with that kind of money at stake.”

    Dave Meltzer.

    CM Punk’s status with AEW remains unclear, and Tony Khan has made it clear he will not be addressing the matter in public.

    Fightful have previously reported that there are currently no plans to bring Punk back to AEW.

    “Issues” May Keep AEW From Releasing CM Punk from Contract (Report)
  • WWE had Main Event Plans for Kevin Owens Before Injury (Report)

    WWE had Main Event Plans for Kevin Owens Before Injury (Report)

    Kevin Owens’ return to WWE programming would have seen him thrust into the main event, had he not gone down with a recent injury.

    Owens has been absent from programming as of late, with his most recent televised match seeing him compete in a six-man tag on SmackDown in September of this year.

    At a WWE Live event earlier this month, Owens addressed his absence from TV, saying he is going to “kick everyone’s ass” when he is back.

    The Injury

    Any plans for Owens to kick ass won’t be happening anytime soon, as the Prizefighter suffered an injury at a WWE Live event last week.

    Competing at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, Owens suffered an MCL sprain during his match with Austin Theory, and quickly finished with a Stunner.

    After the match, Owens had to be helped to the back by the referee of the match.

    Plans

    Owens’ injury comes at a time when he hasn’t been featured on TV, but WWE did have plans that were going to start soon.

    Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that Owens was going to be the final man for the face team at Survivor Series WarGames.

    Had he not suffered the injury, Owens would have likely teamed with The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, and Butch,) and Drew McIntyre.

    The four tackled the Bloodline on last week’s SmackDown and while the match hasn’t been confirmed yet, it is expected that the Men’s WarGames match will be made official this Friday.

    Given Roman Reigns’ involvement in the match, the bout is guaranteed to headline Survivor Series WarGames.

    Kevin Owens Names NXT Stars He Would Call If He Needs Backup
  • Latest on Nikki Cross’ Status with Damage CTRL on WWE Raw

    Latest on Nikki Cross’ Status with Damage CTRL on WWE Raw

    Nikki Cross may be aligned with Damage CTRL, but the group isn’t ready to welcome her as a member just yet.

    Cross returned to WWE programming on the October 24, 2022 Raw, reverting to the unhinged persona she had used in NXT.

    The former Raw Women’s Champion has ditched her Superhero character and the Nikki A.S.H. name.

    Damage CTRL

    Despite attacking Bayley during her return, Cross has been on the same side as the Role Model and Damage CTRL since then.

    At WWE Crown Jewel, Cross interfered to help Dakota Kai and IYO SKY recapture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships from Alexa Bliss and Asuka.

    Fightful Select reports that on WWE’s internal listings before this week’s Raw, Cross was not listed as a member of the stable.

    On this week’s Raw, IYO SKY defeated Dana Brooke, while Bayley, Kai, and Cross were ringside, though Cross did not seem interested in what was going on in the ring.

    WarGames

    Cross is not an official member of the Damage CTRL stable, but she will soon be entering WarGames with Bayley, Kai, and SKY.

    On Raw, it was confirmed that Rhea Ripley will be joining the four for WWE’s upcoming Premium Live Event.

    The group will face Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim, and one final teammate yet to be named.

    While it is believed that Candice LeRae will be the final member of the group, that has yet to be confirmed on TV.

    Watch: Nikki Cross Throws Title in the Trash on WWE Raw
  • Bron Breakker Retains WWE NXT Title Over Von Wagner

    Bron Breakker Retains WWE NXT Title Over Von Wagner

    WWE NXT Champion Bron Breakker made his latest title defense against Von Wagner in the opening bout of the November 15th edition of WWE NXT on the USA Network. 

    The match went back and forth in the early going. Von hit a chokeslam on the steel steps outside of the ring. Wanger dominated the match, with Bron fighting from underneath as the babyface. There was a near-fall spot where Wagner caught him with a powerslam. Bron went over with a spear. 

    How we Got Here

    On the November 1st edition of NXT, Pretty Deadly defeated Bron Breakker and Wes Lee to retain NXT Tag Team Titles. The match saw Carmelo Hayes knock Lee off the top rope and Lee was pinned. Post-match, Wagner laid out Breakker while Apollo Crews looked on. 

    The following week, Wagner and Breakker appeared on The Grayson Waller Effect to further build up the match. 

    Breakker won the NXT Title for a second time on the April 4th edition of Raw when he beat Dolph Ziggler. Breakker previously won the NXT Title from Ciampa at New Year’s Evil in January from Tommaso Ciampa.

    Breakker’s recent title defenses have come against Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh at Halloween Havoc, Tyler Bate at Worlds Collide, JD McDonagh in August, and Cameron Grimes on July 5th. 

  • Logan Paul Texted Triple H About Wrestling John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 39

    Logan Paul Texted Triple H About Wrestling John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 39

    Logan Paul earned plenty of praise from fans and wrestlers following his match against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel.

    Paul was not victorious, but his performance stood out, and even John Cena took notice as he shared a photo of Paul on his Instagram account with no caption. Paul noticed that and responded with the eyes emoji on Twitter of a tweet saying Cena was looking for a WrestleMania opponent.

    Paul vs. Cena?

    Logan Paul

    On the latest episode of his ImPAULsive podcast, Paul offered more insight into a potential showdown with Cena.

    “Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. That’d be crazy.”

    – Logan Paul

    “That’s my dream. I’ve proven the model twice now. I’ve proven the model of; headstrong capable internet kid vs. a GOAT, a top-tier industry leader. Floyd (Mayweather). That worked. Generated $65-70 million dollars. Reigns. Crown Jewel became the number one most-viewed international pay-per-view event WWE has ever had. I’ve done it twice. The reason is, when I’m paired with a legend, a top-tier industry leader, the model works.”

    After Crown Jewel, John Cena posted me on his Instagram and then I saw an article saying he’s looking for an opponent at WrestleMania. I favorited it, responded with the eyes. Truthfully, I think me vs. John Cena would break the internet. I texted Triple H right away, ‘Do you want to break the internet again?’ That’s a dream match. WrestleMania, in LA, on my birthday. Triple H, throw me a bone, give me a birthday present, let me take out John Cena. That’d be crazy.”

    Paul stated that when he is put up against legends, he delivers, whether that’s Floyd Mayweather or Reigns, and brings in money. 

    During his bout at Crown Jewel, he suffered a knee injury, although he clarified on the podcast that it could have been worse and planned to give an update on his condition soon.

  • Details on the Lengths of New WWE Contracts

    Details on the Lengths of New WWE Contracts

    Since taking over WWE main roster creative, Triple H has brought back several wrestlers that had been let go. 

    Fightful Select reports that wrestlers who were brought back for the SmackDown brand are on three-year contracts that are set to expire in the Summer of 2025. Hit Row has matching deals that expire around the same time and are on those three-year deals. Some wrestlers brought back had representation and were able to negotiate different contracts.

    Other Talent

    (BT Sport)

    Several stars brought back “were able to negotiate the ability to utilize some outside projects and platforms that they would not have been allowed to do at the time they were released.”

    Many of those rules were relaxed as far back as WrestleMania 38 in April and are even more relaxed. 

    The preparation of some of these returns has ranged from the day before to several days out or in weeks. It was weeks in the making for Johnny Gargano, while Karrion Kross and Scarlett were just days. WWE had plans to bring in Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows for over a month. 

    Triple H has brought back Karrion Kross, Scarlett, Dakota Kai, Dexter Lumis, the three members of Hit Row, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Emma, and Mia Yim.

  • MJF Honored his Late Grandfather After Beating CM Punk

    MJF Honored his Late Grandfather After Beating CM Punk

    Although MJF is arguably one of the best heels in the business, he has been getting more and more cheers as of late from fans following his return to AEW at All Out in September. 

    His latest post on Twitter will also give him more sympathy with fans as he noted that an outfit he wore during a previous edition of AEW Dynamite was, in fact, modeled on his late grandfather.

    The AEW star shared a picture of himself side by side with his late ‘Poppa’ wearing the outfit and then a photo of himself in similar clothes during the February 9 edition of AEW Dynamite. This show was right after MJF beat CM Punk in their first match. He wrote the following in the caption:

    The Photo

    MJF
    (AEW)

    “Two years since your passing. Ik you’ll be watching on Saturday. Thanks for teaching me how to style and strut, Love you Poppa. #Penniesfromheaven.”

    MJF’s character has significantly developed as he toes the line between heel and face. At this Saturday’s Full Gear pay-per-view event, MJF will challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Heavyweight Title. 

    After his post-Double or Nothing absence, MJF returned to AEW by winning the poker chip in the Casino Ladder Match, thanks to Stokely Hathaway, which earned him this championship match. Since then, he cut ties with The Firm and Hathaway after they disobeyed his orders not to attack Moxley.

  • Bianca Belair Aims to be Successful Outside the ‘Wrestling Bubble’

    Bianca Belair Aims to be Successful Outside the ‘Wrestling Bubble’

    Bianca Belair has lofty dreams that extend far beyond the squared circle. The EST of WWE has been the Raw Women’s Champion since defeating Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38 back in April. 7 months later, her career is looking more promising than ever.

    Belair signed William Morris Endeavor (WME) in August. The powerhouse Hollywood agency will help build her brand across podcasting, acting, marketing and more.

    During a recent interview with Metro, she spoke about her desire to always branch out into new areas and challenge herself creatively.

    “I’m super excited for it,” Belair said of the WME partnership. “I don’t like to sit still at all, I like to do everything. I like to utilize all of my talents. At one point in my life, I’d have never thought of being a WWE superstar, and now I am!”

    Belair and husband Montez Ford are working on a new show that will air on Hulu some time in 2023. If she has here way, that’s just the beginning.

    Hollywood Dreams

    Belair wants to see herself on the big screen and would love star in a film opposite WWE legends such as The Rock or John Cena. She credits them both for creating the blueprint for WWE Superstars to transition and do multiple things.

    The Rock and John Cena have both moved on from being full-time Superstars, although there’s hope each of them will get back in the ring one day.

    The allure of Hollywood can be very powerful, but Belair insists that she’s not looking to leave WWE any time soon. She wants the best of both worlds, and thinks it’s possible to become successful outside of WWE and then use her fame to draw new fans to pro wrestling.

    “I can’t think of myself as anything other than a WWE superstar,” she continued. “I’m still in the business. I’m just getting started. I’m still honing my craft.”

    “I have so much more to do, but right now I’m just multitasking and go outside the wrestling bubble and bring more eyes to the product. That’s my goal.”

    – Bianca Belair

    Belair is set compete in the Women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series later this month. As team captain, she’ll lead Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim and one more partner (TBD) into battle against Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky), Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley.

  • Details on Late Changes Made to Monday’s WWE Raw

    Details on Late Changes Made to Monday’s WWE Raw

    Just because Vince McMahon is no longer running the WWE main roster creative and Triple H is in charge doesn’t mean that plans for weekly television don’t change at all anymore. 

    This week’s episode of WWE Raw was not immune to change as Fightful Select reports that WWE switched up plans for Dominik Mysterio on the show as he was not initially listed to wrestle on the show.

    The Changes

    Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio

    The report stated, “There were several revisions to the lineup. Dominik Mysterio was originally not scheduled to wrestle. Rollins vs. Balor was made a United States Title match, and Elias & Riddle vs. Alpha Academy was set for the show.”

    Mysterio is still going strong with the Judgment Day stable, and all signs might point toward a WrestleMania 39 with his father, Rey Mysterio, who is currently out of action with an injury.

    Also on this show, Mia Yim got a new entrance song and nickname. Fightful’s report also noted that “Michin,” her new nickname, which means “crazy’ in Korean, will be used from time to time and the company will also refer to her as Michin, but the working plan is for Mia Yim to still be used moving forward.

    Yim is still finding her footing after returning to WWE recently after being away following her departure alongside several other stars that were released in 2021. 

  • WWE to Introduce a New Match Type

    WWE to Introduce a New Match Type

    Hours after a listing for a new trademark filed by WWE was published for the term Iron Survivor Challenge, the reasoning behind the filing may have been revealed. 

    According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office database, WWE filed for the trademark on November 10th under Entertainment services. 

    A new match type is coming to the NXT brand under this name, according to Fightful.

    What’s The Match?

    WWE Arena
    (via WWE)

    The report stated the Iron Survivor Challenge may have some “scramble” element to it, and other “unique” elements have been pitched for the gimmick bout.

    WWE has been hyping that WWE Hall of Famer & Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels will appear on tonight’s NXT, where he is slated to issue a statement about the NXT Deadline Premium Live Event on Saturday, December 10, that doesn’t have a main event match confirmed for it yet. 

    Sources implied to the media outlet that Michaels’ announcement would be related to the Iron Survivor Challenge, but that was not confirmed. 

    NXT Champion Bron Breakker will defend the title against Von Wagner in the main event of Tuesday’s show. 

  • Kazuchika Okada Interested in Wrestling The Rock, Makes Voice Acting Cameo in Japanese Version of “Black Adam”

    Kazuchika Okada Interested in Wrestling The Rock, Makes Voice Acting Cameo in Japanese Version of “Black Adam”

    Kazuchika Okada is one of the biggest stars in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling but has never wrestled in WWE. In a dream match scenario, it doesn’t get much bigger than a match between Okada and The Rock. 

    At a recent press event for “Black Adam” in Japan, Okada worked on the Japanese dubbed version of the film “Black Adam,” which stars the former WWE Champion. 

    The top NJPW star attended a press event to promote the film that will be released in Japan on December 2nd. During it, the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion was asked if there was any interest in getting in the ring with the film’s leading man.

    Kazuchika Okada vs. The Rock

    “It looks like he can fight. He looks like he can do it [Okada joked about the Black Adam figure]. I think we can have a match… Well, as a fellow pro wrestler, I’d like to have a match with him [Dwayne Johnson].”

    The Rock hasn’t wrestled in 8 years, with the last time being a quick six-second squash win against Erick Rowan). Okada is set to challenge for Jay White’s IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at January’s NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.

    Since opening on October 21, the film has grossed $351,573,563, with $150,573,563 coming domestically and $201,000,000 internationally. 

    H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription

  • Health Update on Randy Orton

    Health Update on Randy Orton

    Randy Orton has been a top star in WWE since 2004 after being paired with Triple H, Batista, and Ric Flair in Evolution, but he has missed the majority of 2022 due to a back issue. 

    Orton has not been on WWE television since May, when The Usos defeated RK-Bro in a unification title match on an episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Orton was attacked by The Bloodline to be written off television following the match.

    Initially, WWE anticipated the back injury would require surgery and force him to miss the rest of the year. It had not been confirmed that Orton underwent the knife.

    Randy Orton Update

    randy orton
    (via WWE)

    Orton was spotted in Birmingham, Alabama this week which is typically where WWE sends its wrestlers to get surgery. As it turns out, Orton was hospitalized for an undisclosed procedure.

    “If y’all only knew why this pic was taken”

    As seen below, Kim wrote a touching message about their relationship.

    “7 wonderful years with the man of my dreams. You’re bat shit crazy (but so am I) I trust you, and you trust me ?? we could conquer the fucking world together (if we feel like it) but for now I just want you to be my daddy and me to be your momma and raise our beautiful children together as one big happy family. FAMILY??LOVE??LOYALTY?? we have that tattooed on our bodies because it’s the most important thing to us. ME, YOU, OUR FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS, that’s all that matters. Thank you for loving me the way you do.”

  • Bobby Lashley Taking Career Advice from a Maniacal Bird

    Bobby Lashley Taking Career Advice from a Maniacal Bird

    Bobby Lashley is having one of the best years of his WWE career. He’s fought Brock Lesnar twice, with each man claiming a victory over the other. He had an impressive run with the United States Championship and elevated that prize through a series of dominant title defenses.

    Unfortunately, Lashley’s US title reign recently came to an end at the hands of Seth Rollins. Since then, Lashley has been hell-bent on reclaiming what he feels is rightfully his. The Almighty is usually known for his calm demeanor, but he wants WWE Superstars to know he won’t hesitate to inflict pain on anybody who stands in his way.

    Lashley spoke with Cathy Kelley backstage after Monday’s Raw and said you can’t be ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ and expect to get ahead. If you do, people will take you for granted and walk all over you. Those days are over. He’s got a new mindset – thanks to a “little birdie” that showed him the light.

    “What I’ve come to understand here is that you have to take what you want around here because if not, you get walked over” said Lashley. “I played ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ for way too long. I started to get to this point a little birdie came and told me in my ear, ‘If you just are hurting people and taking people out, who’s gonna stop you?’ I kind of thought about and it’s true.”

    “The biggest, baddest person around, Brock Lesnar, I threw him around like a little kid. So now after that, I come in with a little different change of heart and a different mind-frame with everything else. [I’m] still a nice guy, but I’ll hurt anybody that steps in the ring with me from now on.”

    Lashley vows to get the United States Championship back from Rollins, one way or another. Ever since Roman Reigns unified the WWE Championship and the Undisputed Championship earlier this year, the US title is the top prize on the Raw Brand. Lashey knows the prestige that comes with holding the gold and is putting Rollins on notice once again.

  • Details on WWE’s New “Iron Survivor Challenge” Trademark

    Details on WWE’s New “Iron Survivor Challenge” Trademark

    WWE recently filed a trademark application that sheds light on a new show in the works.

    On Thursday, November 10, 2022, World Wrestling Entertainment applied to trademark the name Iron Survivor Challenge. According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office database, the ‘Goods and Services’ usage description includes:

    • Entertainment services, namely, a show about professional wrestling;
    • Entertainment services, namely, the production and exhibition of professional wrestling events rendered through broadcast media including television and distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media;
    • Providing wrestling news and information through broadcast media including television and distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media;
    • Providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment through broadcast media including television and distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media;
    • Providing a website in the field of sports entertainment information

    The ‘Goods and Services’ description implies this will be a new show, either on television, the Peacock streaming service (‘WWE Network’) or the company’s online platforms such as YouTube.

    We’ll keep you posted when we’ve got more info on WWE’s Iron Survivor Challenge.

  • WarGames Rules Explained for WWE Survivor Series

    WarGames Rules Explained for WWE Survivor Series

    WarGames returns at WWE’s upcoming Survivor Series premium live event. It will be the first time the infamous double steel cage match takes place at WWE’s fall classic.

    There have been over a dozen WarGames matches since the match was first introduced back in 1987. The number of participants on each team, the intervals that wrestlers enter the match and other rules have varied. Below, we’ll lay out exactly what to expect from WarGames later this month.

    There will be two WarGames matches at Survivor Series (Men’s and Women’s) on Saturday, November 26th. WWE has yet to announce the participants for the men’s match, although you can be sure The Bloodline will be involved.

    The women’s WarGames match is nearly set. It will be Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Mia Yim and one more TBD partner facing Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky), Nikki Cross and Rhea Ripley.

    Women's WarGames Match

    WarGames Rules Explained

    Here are the official rules for the WarGames matches that will be taking place at WWE Survivor Series 2022:

    • Two teams will be contained in separate cages with one member of each team starting the match.
    • After five minutes, a member from the advantaged team will be released to enter the match.
    • After a three-minute period, alternating members from each team will enter the match until all competitors are inside the cage.
    • Once all the competitors have entered, WarGames officially begins.
    • The only way to win the match is by pinfall or submission.

    The Creation of WarGames

    WarGames was created by the late “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

    Here’s a video of Rhodes talking about the creation of The Match Beyond:

  • The Undertaker Recruited Viscera into the Ministry of Darkness to Avoid Wrestling Him

    The Undertaker Recruited Viscera into the Ministry of Darkness to Avoid Wrestling Him

    Viscera was a long-term member of the Ministry of Darkness, but he wasn’t recruited into the group due to his in-ring ability.

    The group was founded in October 1998 and was led by The Undertaker until its end in September 1999, when the Phenom went on a hiatus from WWE programming.

    Members of the group included Paul Bearer, the Acolytes, the Brood, and Mideon, and the group would later unify with the Corporation to form the Corporate Ministry.

    Recruiting Viscera

    Once known as Mabel, Viscera was abducted by the Ministry during the 1999 Royal Rumble, and later reintroduced under his darker persona.

    Speaking in an interview with Monte & The Pharoah, Ministry alum Mideon admitted that Viscera was recruited because The Undertaker didn’t want to face him.

    “He was a giant human being, but he was a little reckless sometimes. When ‘Taker was doing The Ministry, ‘Taker was like, ‘We’re gonna bring Viscera in.’ I’m like, ‘Why?’ He goes, ‘Then we don’t have to work with him.’ I was like, ‘F*cking genius!’”

    Mideon.

    After being released the following year, Viscera would return to WWE in 2004 as the ‘World’s Largest Love Machine.’

    In 2007, his character would change again to ‘Big Daddy V’ before his final release from WWE in 2008.

    Avoiding the Match

    The Undertaker had no interest in facing Viscera, but we can hardly blame the Phenom for avoiding the match.

    In 1995, Mabel attacked The Undertaker, hitting the future WWE Hall of Famer with a series of leg drops.

    Instead of hitting the Undertaker’s chest, Mabel struck the Phenom in the face, resulting in a broken orbital bone.

    This botch earned Mabel significant heat backstage and would go on to lose to The Undertaker in a Casket Match at In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings.

    h/t – Sportskeeda

  • Former WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion Worked Main Event Before Monday’s Raw

    Former WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion Worked Main Event Before Monday’s Raw

    The trend of WWE bringing in NXT stars to work episodes of Main Event at weekly Raw events has continued. 

    Monday’s Raw (November 14) marked the main roster TV debut for former NXT Cruiserweight Champion JD McDonagh as he wrestled Cedric Alexander in a singles match at the taping. Also, 

    McDonagh has been used prominently on NXT TV since he officially moved to the brand from NXT UK in July and given a new name after being known as Jordan Devlin. Once moving to NXT, he has been in the NXT Championship picture with champion Bron Breakker most of the time.

    McDonagh in Action

    Jordan Devlin
    (via WWE)

    McDonagh did work two non-televised main roster UK tour house shows in 2017 and various inter-brand events like Worlds Collide, but this would mark his televised main roster debut.

    The other NXT talent in action on Main Event this week is Kiana James, who wrestled Asuka. James is someone that WWE management seemingly is interested in calling up to the main roster in the near future as this is now her third appearance on Main Event in four weeks.

    Fallon Henley, Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen, Carmelo Hayes, Cameron Grimes, Von Wagner, Duke Hudson, Xyon Quinn, and Wendy Choo are just some of the NXT names that have been put in this spot for WWE officials to get a look at these stars on a bigger stage. 

    JD will wrestle Apollo Crews on Tuesday’s episode of NXT. Main Event is taped right before Raw every Monday and airs on Thursdays on Hulu.

  • Chris Jericho on Heat with Triple H in WWE: “There Were a lot of Issues Between the Two of Us”

    Chris Jericho on Heat with Triple H in WWE: “There Were a lot of Issues Between the Two of Us”

    Chris Jericho spent the majority of his career in WWE but has found a new home in All Elite Wrestling.

    Jericho is currently the Ring of Honor Champion and will be defending the title in a 4-Way against Bryan Danielson, Sammy Guevara, and Claudio Castagnoli at AEW Full Gear on November 19th.

    The 52-year-old recently signed a contract extension with All Elite Wrestling, which reportedly surprised some in WWE that were expecting him to return and go into the company’s Hall of Fame.

    WWE Expected Chris Jericho to Return in 2024 (Report)

    Chris Jericho on His Issues with Triple H

    Jericho discussed his issues with Triple H in the past and claimed that The Game almost got him fired because he had heat with Chyna back in the day.

    Speaking on his Jericho Chronicles Q&A session on his podcast, The Wizard said he called Triple H for directions once and The Game shouted at him to “buy a map!” as his pals laughed in the background. Jericho added that he had heat with Chyna and that furthered his issues with Triple H.

    There were a lot of issues between the two of us. There’s a problem that I had with Chyna that was kind of predicated by him.

    Chris claimed that most of the heat stemmed from WWE guys not wanting WCW guys in the locker room.

    There was a lot of animosity for real, because I had the audacity to come to WWE. People didn’t like it. They didn’t want WCW guys coming to WWE, because they felt we were inferior. So you could do ten things right, but if you did one thing wrong, you were under a microscope and you were in trouble. And those guys had pull, so they’d bury you to Vince.

    Le Champion added that he almost got fired a month in to his WWE career after a meeting with Jim Ross, Blackjack Lanza, and Vince McMahon.

    I almost got fired about a month in, I got called into a meeting with Vince, JR, and Blackjack Lanza and Vince said ‘The problem with you is the drizzling sh*ts. You’re not worth the paper your contract is printed on. You’re green as grass.’ I was like ‘Lighten up dude.’ There was a lot of heat, shall we say.

    H/T: Ringside News

  • Seth Rollins to Defend US Title, Multiple Matches Changed Ahead of Tonight’s WWE Raw

    Seth Rollins to Defend US Title, Multiple Matches Changed Ahead of Tonight’s WWE Raw

    Seth Rollins attempted to have an Open Challenge for the United States Championship last week and Finn Balor accepted.

    However, The OC interrupted and Mia Yim made her return to the company to battle with Rhea Ripley. Rollins retreated out of the ring but issued the Open Challenge once again and it was accepted by Mustafa Ali backstage.

    Bobby Lashley then attacked Seth Rollins and accepted the Open Challenge. Rollins won the US Title from Lashley after The Beast Brock Lesnar attacked The All Mighty. Lashley got his revenge on Rollins last week and attacked him instead of having a match.

    Austin Theory took the opportunity to cash-in his MITB contract on Seth but it backfired. Bobby got Theory in the Hurt Lock and Rollins capitalized with a Stomp for a pinfall victory.

    WWE Raw Results, Takeaways (11/14/22): Road to Survivor Series, Seth Rollins Defends US Title

    US Title Match Added to WWE Raw

    Seth Rollins and Finn Balor were originally supposed to square off in a non-title match against each other tonight on the red brand. RAW correspondent Byron Saxton took to Twitter and announced that the bout tonight was now for the United States Championship.

    Hello everyone, we are just a couple of hours away from Monday Night RAW.

    We have some breaking news, tonight in Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center, Seth “Freakin” Rollins is now going to defend his United States Championship against the Judgment Day’s Finn Balor.

    It is going to be a jam-packed evening tonight on Monday Night Raw.

    Matt Riddle’s Match Changed Before Tonight’s Show

    Matt Riddle was scheduled to team up with Elias tonight but that match has been changed. The duo were supposed to face American Alpha tonight on the red brand but Riddle will battle Chad Gable in a singles match instead.

    WWE posted a preview for the tag team match earlier in the week that read:

    Ever since returning, Elias has had a tough time, most recently suffering a loss to Otis. He has, however, found a fan in Matt Riddle, who keeps insisting they form a band. With Elias’ musical talents and The Original Bro’s superb bongo ripping, the two would light up an audience.

    Now, they get to do just that as they team together for the first time to take on Otis and Chad Gable of Alpha Academy, who will look to make Nov. 14 the day the music died.”

    The preview has since been replaced for the singles match between Riddle and Gable tonight.

    3 Reasons Austin Theory Losing His MITB Cash-In was the Right Call
  • Logan Paul on His Match Against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel: “I’ll be Doing This for a Long Time”

    Logan Paul on His Match Against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel: “I’ll be Doing This for a Long Time”

    Logan Paul wrestled just the third match of his career in the main event of WWE Crown Jewel last weekend.

    The 27-year-old battled Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to close the premium live event in Saudi Arabia. The Usos interfered in the match, which resulted in Logan’s brother, popular YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul, to rush the ring.

    Jake sent Jimmy and Jey to the outside as Solo Sikoa made his way down the entrance ramp. Logan hit Solo with a dive over the top rope but got caught with a Superman Punch when he got back into the ring. The Tribal Chief finished the challenger off with a Spear to retain the title. After the match, Logan took to social media to announce that he suffered a major injury at Crown Jewel.

    Logan Paul Suffers Injury at WWE Crown Jewel

    Logan Paul Reacts to his Match at WWE Crown Jewel

    WWE released behind-the-scenes footage of Logan Paul’s journey to Crown Jewel. Before the match, he claimed that he had no nerves and that performing is what he does best. He noted that he discovered wrestling at 27, but feels comfortable in the ring and claimed that he will be doing it for a long time.

    “No nerves, to be honest,” said Logan Paul. “Like when you prepare as much as I do for events of this magnitude, there’s nothing left to do but to go show up and perform. And honestly, like, this is what I do best. This is what I do best in the world. I discovered it at 27, but I feel so comfortable in the ring. I’ll be doing this for a long time.”

    H/T: Sportskeeda Wrestling

  • Drew McIntyre Praised for Being a Workhorse in WWE

    Drew McIntyre Praised for Being a Workhorse in WWE

    Drew McIntyre has been pushed as a top star in WWE for the last few years because of his passion for the business and putting in the work. Throughout his career with the company, he has won various titles. 

    McIntyre’s hectic schedule has also earned him props from his co-workers as well.  The former WWE Champion beat Karrion Kross in a singles match at the Crown Jewel event and did so after a busy schedule and working with an illness. 

    Mcintyre had to overcome outside interference by Scarlett in the bout to be victorious. 

    Drew McIntyre’s Praise

    Drew McIntyre

    According to PW Insider, there are a few people in WWE praising McIntyre for his commitment to the company as he went from The United States to Germany and Switzerland for house shows, then went to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel before traveling to India to film what was described as a “movie role” the company set up with Sony, then flew right back to the United States to work the SmackDown show and this past weekend’s live events. 

    McIntyre has aligned with The Brawling Brutes and will likely face The Bloodline at the WWE Survivor Series on November 26th.