SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • Former WWE Star Teases Return On SmackDown To Align With Bray Wyatt

    Former WWE Star Teases Return On SmackDown To Align With Bray Wyatt

    Bray Wyatt made his shocking return at the conclusion of WWE Extreme Rules this past Saturday night.

    WWE ran a wildly successful ‘White Rabbit’ teaser campaign that dished out clues and kept fans engaged in the mystery up until the Premium Live Event over the weekend.

    After Matt Riddle defeated Seth Rollins in the Fight Pit match, he posed with UFC legend Daniel Cormier on top of the entrance ramp. The lights went out and the Firefly Funhouse set was shown abandoned with cobwebs all around.

    The puppets in the Firefly Funhouse came to life in human form in the crowd as a mysterious door was shown on the ramp. Bray Wyatt emerged and blew out his lantern as the crowd in the Wells Fargo Center lost their collective minds. Bray Wyatt has since been placed on the SmackDown roster since his debut.

    Eva Marie Teases A Return On WWE SmackDown

    Former WWE Superstar Eva Marie took to Twitter to share a video of her launching a Lilly doll toward a trash can. The caption claimed that if she made the shot, she will be returning to WWE tomorrow night on SmackDown. Eva tagged Bray Wyatt, WWE, WWE on Fox, and Peacock in the post. The video ended with Bray Wyatt’s logo before it was revealed whether Eva made the shot or not.

    If I make this, I’m going back to@WWE @Windham6#Smackdown#EvaMarie#SisterAbigail @WWE @WWEonFOX @peacock

    Bray Wyatt recently referenced Eva Marie on social media as well. The 35-year-old responded with a GIF of Eva to comment from a WWE fan.

    Eva Marie signed a contract to return to WWE in October 2020. A vignette aired on the May 3, 2021, edition of RAW in which she said she wanted to help others and promoted the “Eva-Lution. Doudrop, formerly known as Piper Niven joined the main roster as Eva’s protege the following week. Eva’s last appearance in WWE was on September 27th last year. She was attacked by Shayna Baszler in an injury angle and was then released by the company on November 4th.

  • WWE Talent On Renee Paquette Joining AEW: “Wish She Was Back With Us”

    WWE Talent On Renee Paquette Joining AEW: “Wish She Was Back With Us”

    Renee Paquette made her debut last night for All Elite Wrestling and kicked off Dynamite.

    She worked in WWE under the name “Renee Young” from 2012 – 2020. Renee served as a backstage interviewer, host (Talking Smack, WWE Backstage), and briefly as a commentator on RAW.

    After departing WWE, Renee launched her podcast, “The Sessions” on Fox’s Colin Cowherd’s The Volume network. She also recently landed a new gig with the Cincinnati Bengals. Paquette hosts the series “Renee All Dey” for the organizations and interviews a different player every week.

    Paquette got a pop from her hometown crowd in Toronto as she opened this week’s episode of Dynamite. She interviewed Christian Cage before the match between Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus. Cage is also from the area but mocked the crowd as a heel during the interview.

    Kayla Braxton Wishes Renee Paquette Was Still In WWE

    Renee spoke about her debut in AEW on her podcast today and said she was happy to be back in the world of professional wresting.

    “I’m so excited to be back in the world of professional wrestling.”

    WWE personality Kayla Braxton responded to the news and said she wishes Renee was back with us (WWE). Kayla added that she is “super pumped” for Renee and congratulated her on everything she has going on.

    Not gonna lie – wish she was back with us, but super pumped for this woman and all she’s got going on. Congrats @ReneePaquette you bad ass, you!

    Renee’s husband, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, is set to defend the title against Hangman Adam Page on next week’s Dynamite. It will be a special Tuesday night edition of the show airing from Moxley’s hometown of Cincinnati in the Heritage Bank Center. Hangman Adam Page confronted the champion last night ahead of the title match next week.

  • Edge Cast In Upcoming Disney + Series

    Edge Cast In Upcoming Disney + Series

    WWE Superstar Edge has been cast in an upcoming series for Disney+.

    He’s currently involved in a bitter rivalry with the group he created, The Judgment Day. This past Saturday at WWE Extreme Rules, Edge battled Finn Balor in an I Quit match. Judgment Day interfered but Rey Mysterio made the save. Rhea Ripley then attacked Edge’s wife, Beth Phoenix, and threatened to hit her with a con-chair-to if The Rated-R Superstar didn’t quit.

    Edge uttered the words “I quit” to end the match, but Ripley opted to hit Beth with the con-chair-to anyway. Ripley recently took to Twitter and claimed that she’s the person that Edge wanted her to be.

    Adam Copeland Cast In “Percy Jackson and the Olympians“

    It was reported today by Variety that Adam Copeland (Edge), alongside Suzanne Cryer and Jessica Parker Kennedy, has been cast in the upcoming series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” for Disney +.

    Edge will appear in the series as a recurring guest star. The 48-year-old will play “Ares” in the series, a character described to Variety as “handsome in a wicked way and arrogant, despite not being the sharpest tool in the shed. He loves conflict and acts as an agent of chaos wherever he goes.” The series is not scheduled to be released until early 2024.

    Edge Set To Retire In Toronto Next Year

    The Ultimate Opportunist defeated The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest in the main event of RAW in Toronto on August 22nd. After the match, Edge grabbed a microphone and revealed to the crowd that he plans on retiring when WWE returns to Toronto in 2023.

    I can’t wait to hopefully come back one last time here in Toronto. I’m looking at the calendar, we usually come here in August. So next August, I plan on seeing each and every one of you. And in a perfect world, we all say goodbye to each other on that night.

    Hey but that is okay man. This is the place we need to do it, okay? I mean this when I say it, I love all of you. And in case you missed it, I love being Canadian!

  • Triple H Was Shocked WWE Let Saraya’s Contract Expire (Report)

    Triple H Was Shocked WWE Let Saraya’s Contract Expire (Report)

    Former WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and former Talent Relations head John Laurinaitis passed on renewing Saraya’s contract when it expired.

    Fightful Select has a new report regarding the WWE departure of Saraya, formerly known as Paige. When she was informed of the news that WWE wasn’t going to re-sign her, she went public with her statement. Saraya’s WWE contract was surprisingly low, and many of her outside projects were restricted to some degree.

    It was said that while Saraya was on the shelf for the majority of the last five years, there were “some confusing messages sent regarding about her physical status, ability to wrestle, and the way that things went down.”

    WWE’s Offer

    Saraya AEW Debut
    (AEW)

    The new WWE regime did offer her the role of General Manager a month after her deal was not renewed.  When the regime made that offer, she was told that if she ever wanted to return to in-ring action, the company would help make that happen. There had been rumors of WWE getting Saraya multiple doctors to get her medically cleared, but this report dismissed it and said WWE didn’t go to the extent of getting her checked out for an in-ring return. 

    Instead, Saraya went through three extensive health checks herself to gain clearance. WWE reportedly was not interested in bringing Saraya back before the new regime. Also, that regime wouldn’t sign off on X-rays to have her examined. The case of her wrestling again was said to be closed as far as the old regime was concerned.

    When Triple H took over, his regime did make efforts to get Saraya back into the mix, as there is a positive relationship between the two sides. Triple H was reportedly said to be shocked when the old regime did not renew Saraya’s deal.

    Ultimately the freedom to do outside projects without giving up a cut in pay, and other contract terms, led to Saraya going with AEW instead of returning to WWE.

    “Massive Chills! Love You” – WWE Hall of Famers React To Saraya (Paige) Debut At AEW Dynamite Grand Slam
  • The Rock Reacts To Recent Backstage Changes In WWE

    The Rock Reacts To Recent Backstage Changes In WWE

    The Rock has offered up his thoughts on the recent backstage changes that have gone on within WWE.

    During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, The Rock was asked about the recent changes that have gone on within WWE backstage. He called it an “interesting shift” that the company is going through, praising their ability to pivot.

    “What an interesting shift that the company has gone through this year, unexpected in many ways, but when unexpectations happen in that kind of way, that form or fashion, especially in that business, you gotta have the ability and the agility to pivot, which they have.”

    Particularly, The Rock pointed to Roman Reigns and The Usos as being particularly impressive as of late.

    “With Roman, I think he’s doing a pretty good job, and the boys too, the Usos too.”

    Recently, the creative leadership within WWE has taken a major turn. Amidst sexual misconduct allegations against longtime WWE CEO Vince McMahon, “The Chairman Of The Board” was forced to step down from the position, allowing Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan to step up as co-CEOs.

    The Rock
    (@TheRock)

    Shortly after, investigations into the allegations began, and McMahon retired from WWE altogether. This left the creative reigns to former WWE Champion and McMahon’s son-in-law Triple H.

    Since the change, the general reception from fans and backstage talent has been mostly positive.

    Quotes via 411Mania

  • Ronda Rousey Reveals Extreme Rules Finish She Pitched That Was Turned Down

    Ronda Rousey Reveals Extreme Rules Finish She Pitched That Was Turned Down

    Ronda Rousey actually had pitched a finish for her Extreme Rules match with Liv Morgan that was turned down.

    “The Rowdy One” revealed this during a live stream on her YouTube channel. The pitch apparently mimicked that of the finish of their match at SummerSlam, but instead featured thumb tacks for Rousey to be slammed on.

    “I pitched the finish to be on thumbtacks. She would put down the thumbtacks and powerbomb me on the thumbtacks and then as a repeat of our finish before, I would go for the armbar on the thumbtacks and they would start counting the pin.

    “Then I would have to push up to my one shoulder. Like into the thumbtacks to keep the armbar… Liv would be like bite her hand, trying not to tap out and pass out face down into the thumbtacks and have her hand protect the face.

    “They said we can’t use thumbtacks anymore. That legally we can’t like purposefully, like, injure people, like, cut through skin and stuff. I don’t know.”

    Liv Morgan Ronda Rousey
    (via WWE)

    Rousey captured the SmackDown Women’s Title from Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania Backlash in an I Quit match back in May. At Money In The Bank this past July, Rousey successfully defended the title against Natalya.

    However, Liv Morgan, who won the Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase earlier in the night, cashed in on and defeated an already beaten down Rousey to win the SmackDown Women’s Title for the first time in her career.

    After successfully retaining the title against Rousey at SummerSlam in controversial fashion, the pair rematched yet again at Extreme Rules, but this time in an actual Extreme Rules match.

    The ex-UFC champion picked up the win via submission after a grueling match. Now, Ronda Rousey is in the midst of her second-ever reign with the title.

    Quotes via Sportskeeda

  • Drew McIntyre Reacts To 15th Anniversary Since WWE Debut

    Drew McIntyre Reacts To 15th Anniversary Since WWE Debut

    Drew McIntyre has offered his reaction to the 15th anniversary since making his WWE debut.

    McIntyre took to Twitter and reflected on 15 years since making his debut with the company on an October episode of SmackDown in 2007. He noted that he had only been in the United States for two weeks at the time and the titantron had gotten his name wrong.

    Check out what he had to say here:

    “15 years ago this fresh faced kid made his @WWE debut. I had only been in America for about 2 weeks, the titantron got my name wrong, and I didn’t know what a hard-cam was or how to find it. Craziest part is I’m still 37 years younger than @WWESheamus“

    McIntyre’s first run with WWE lasted from 2007 to 2014. After being released from the company, he spent three years on the independent circuit reinventing himself before returning to WWE.

    Drew McIntyre

    Throughout his time with WWE, the Scottish star has racked up two WWE Title wins, an Intercontinental Title run, an NXT Champion, and a two-time RAW Tag Team Champion. McIntyre was also the winner of the 2020 Royal Rumble match.

    Now, Drew McIntyre is one of the top stars over on SmackDown Live on Friday nights, and still very much involved in the World Title picture.

  • Mandy Rose Gives Statement Following the Death of Her Brother

    Mandy Rose Gives Statement Following the Death of Her Brother

    Mandy Rose has thanked fans for their support in a statement confirming the death of her brother.

    Rose, the reigning NXT Women’s Champion, has been missing from the past two weeks of programming.

    On this week’s NXT, Rose’s real-life best friend Sonya Deville filled in for her, aligning with Toxic Attractions Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin.

    Her Statement

    After Rose missed last week’s WWE NXT, some suggested that she was facing a personal tragedy.

    In an Instagram post, Rose spoke of losing someone, which was believed to be her brother Richard.

    During her most recent Instagram Stories post, Rose confirmed reports of her brother’s passing and thanked those who have sent their support.

    “I just wanted to thank everyone who paid their respects for my brother. The last few days weren’t easy but we’re so thankful for all of our family and friends who supported us in this tragic time & celebrated Richie’s life. I know Richie would even be surprised to see how many people cared about him and loved him. Still feels like a bad dream. RIP Richie.. we love you.“

    Richard Saccomanno

    Richard Saccomano is believed to have passed away on October 3, aged 40 and no cause of death has been made public knowledge.

    Services for Saccommano will take place at the Joseph A. Scarano Pines Memorial Chapel, in Peekskill, New York.

    We here at SEScoops would like to offer our deepest condolences to Mandy Rose and her family at this incredibly sad time.

  • “You Know This Is Your Call-Up, Right?” – Solo Sikoa Shares His First Interaction With Triple H

    “You Know This Is Your Call-Up, Right?” – Solo Sikoa Shares His First Interaction With Triple H

    Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline disclosed that the first time he met Triple H was before his debut at Clash at the Castle on the latest episode of the Cheap Heat podcast.

    He discussed watching his father Rikishi in WWE while growing up, being a part of The Bloodline in WWE, why Honorary Uce Sami Zayn is “one and a million“, and the advice he received from Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns ahead of his debut last month at Clash at the Castle.

    Sikoa admitted that he had no idea that he was being called up the main roster the first time he spoke with WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H.

    You know, going to Cardiff, that was my first time meeting him (Triple H). At the time, he was not in NXT. When he signs people at NXT, he takes a picture with them. I think like a week before we were getting ready to take the picture with him, he had some differences and something had happened.

    But that was my first time meeting him man. He brought me to the office and goes ‘hey man, welcome to Cardiff. You know this is your call-up right?’ I was like ‘no, I didn’t.’ He goes ‘yeah this is your call-up man for SmackDown, so welcome’.

    Solo added that Triple H had to explain to him what he was doing at the Premium Live Event. The 29-year-old stated that The Game will talk to him after every match and give him advice.

    He’ll talk to me every time after the match to give me some advice, which I’m really happy I got the chance to meet him.

    Rosenberg asked Sikoa towards the end of the interview what it was like being in the ring with Drew McIntyre. Sikoa cost Drew his shot at the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle. They battled on an episode of SmackDown in a match that ended in a DQ following interference from Karrion Kross.

    He’s a pro. He’s been in the game for over twenty years I think. Me being in there with a guy like him man, I was happy to be in there because I learned so much. You know with guys like that have been around the game and I’m just coming up from NXT.

    It is a whole different pace. It is a whole different ballgame from NXT to the main roster. If you can catch on and switch how you was in NXT to the main roster, I think you will fit in just fine.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Cheap Heat and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Solo Sikoa Reveals The Advice He Got From Roman Reigns Before His Debut At WWE Clash At The Castle

    Solo Sikoa Reveals The Advice He Got From Roman Reigns Before His Debut At WWE Clash At The Castle

    Solo Sikoa made his main roster at WWE Clash at the Castle in the main event.

    The 29-year-old showed up during the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre.

    Drew set up for the Claymore and appeared to have the match one but got distracted by Sikoa. Roman capitalized with a Spear to retain the title and continue his legendary reign. The Tribal Chief has been the champion for 772 days now, and is scheduled to defend against Logan Paul next month at WWE Crown Jewel.

    Solo Sikoa Reveals The Advice He Got From Roman Reigns

    Solo Sikoa chatted with Peter Rosenberg on the latest edition of The Ringer’s Cheap Heat podcast. Sikoa revealed that he hadn’t seen Roman for over 20 years before Clash at the Castle in Cardiff.

    You know, seeing Roman in Cardiff, I hadn’t seen him for like 20 years. We really weren’t close but he was always around at our house playing with my brothers (The Usos). They were the same age and I was way younger than them.

    Now coming into the business, I’m starting to get close with him even though the age gap is there. I’m really starting to get close with him because it’s Big Uce Roman Reigns, you know what I’m saying? He’s been running this game for a while now.

    Rosenberg asked if The Tribal Chief gave Solo any advice before his debut at Clash at the Castle.

    He just said be there. Be there on the timing. If you don’t do this and that during the match, it’s not going to work.

    I remember when we got there, nobody knew I was there in Cardiff. None of the boys, just only certain people.

    I remember that day man, we were just sitting in the locker room. It’s quiet. I was watching them get ready for their match and I didn’t want to say anything.

    He was in his zone and I was in my zone. He was like man ‘I just need you to be here and I need you to execute this at this time’. And I did man, and it blew the roof off the place.

    Solo added that Roman told him that he did a good job following the Premium Live Event last month.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Cheap Heat and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • “One In A Million” – The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa Shares His Thoughts On Sami Zayn

    “One In A Million” – The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa Shares His Thoughts On Sami Zayn

    The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa has made his presence felt on the main roster since arriving at Clash at the Castle.

    He is the younger brother of Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos and the son of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi.

    The 29-year-old has become The Enforcer of The Bloodline and recently demolished Ricochet & Madcap Moss for questioning if Sami Zayn was actually a member of The Bloodline. Solo captured the NXT North American Championship from Carmelo Hayes on the September 13th edition of NXT but was forced to relinquish the title a week later.

    Sikoa defeated Madcap Moss on the September 16th edition of SmackDown to retain the title.

    Solo Sikoa On Sami Zayn Being In The Bloodline

    Solo joined Peter Rosenberg on the latest episode of The Ringer’s Cheap Heat podcast. During the conversation, Rosenberg noted that he sees a lot of Rikishi and Umaga in Sikoa. He asked Solo if there were any wrestlers that influenced him and he listed off several names from his family including Umaga, Yokozuna, The Usos, and Rikishi.

    Solo Sikoa spoke about Sami Zayn and referred to the Honorary Uce as a little bother.

    “Sami’s like that little brother, you know? He’s the loud brother, and he’s dancing all over the place. But when he bumps into trouble, he runs back to his older brothers for help.

    I feel like Sami is like that. But he’s one of those characters man, where it is very one in a million to have him a round. And he’s in The Bloodline, so it doesn’t get no better than that.

    Peter asked if wrestlers backstage pull Solo Sikoa aside and give him advice. Sikoa stated that happens from time to time but his brothers in The Bloodline usually take care of that.

    There are some times when other people pull me aside, but I feel like my brothers, and Roman, and Sami already do that enough.

    I am blessed to have these four guys around me. Sami, Roman, and my brothers are always giving me feedback on everything.

    For me just coming up and just started, I’m very blessed and lucky to have that. Back in the day, or even now, a lot of guys wouldn’t do that.

    I can tell all four of them care about me and want to see me succeed.

    Sami is one of those guys where he’s a student of the game. He really knows his stuff. When he talks to me man, I’m all eyes and ears.

    If you use quotes from this article, please credit Cheap Heat with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • “He Had A Big A**” – Solo Sikoa Reflects On Watching His Father Rikishi In WWE

    “He Had A Big A**” – Solo Sikoa Reflects On Watching His Father Rikishi In WWE

    The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa has made an impact on the main roster since arriving at Clash at the Castle. He interfered in the main event to ensure Roman Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre and retained the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

    The former NXT North American Champion has become the enforcer of The Bloodline and has acknowledged Roman Reigns as his Tribal Chief.

    Speaking with Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, Solo discussed his brothers The Usos, and his legendary father, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi. Rosenberg noted that he’s seven years younger than Jimmy and Jey and wondered at what point Sikoa decided he was going to be a wrestler.

    It’s always there. I feel like it’s always been inside of me. I wanted to give wrestling a try but it’s always been around. It’s in our blood man, you can’t teach this. I feel like no matter what I’ve done growing up, I feel like I always would have come back to wrestling. And look at us now.

    Peter noted that Solo’s dad Rikishi was on top of the world around the year 2000 and asked what his earliest memory was of seeing his dad wrestle.

    I remember on the night before school, I saw my dad debut with his blonde hair. I remember everybody, you know, my uncles, my aunties, my mom, and my brothers, we were all sitting there.

    They were crowding the TV and I’m like ‘man watch out, what is going on?’. And then I see my dad. Not only did I see my dad, I saw him in underwear and with the blonde hair. I’m like ‘I just seen him yesterday and he didn’t look like that’.

    I knew from that point on, man. It just took off. I was like ‘wow, that’s dad, that’s crazy’.

    Solo spoke about it taking a while for Rikishi to find his spot in WWE but became very recognizable once he did.

    It took him a while to find that spot in the WWE. I think when he found himself as Rikishi, he had already been through like five different characters at the time. When Rikishi took off, I knew people were going to recognize him.

    He’s a big Samoan guy with blonde hair. There’s not many big Samoans with blonde hair. And we all know he had a big a**. It’s hard to miss a big a** with blonde hair on a big Samoan guy. Everywhere he went, people knew who he was.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Cheap Heat with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • “I’m Having A Lot Of Fun” – Solo Sikoa On Being A Part Of The Bloodline In WWE

    “I’m Having A Lot Of Fun” – Solo Sikoa On Being A Part Of The Bloodline In WWE

    Solo Sikoa has debuted on the main roster at WWE Clash at the Castle during the main event between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre.

    Sikoa provided a distraction and Roman capitalized by hitting his third Spear of the match to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

    On a recent episode of SmackDown, Solo acknowledged Roman as his Tribal Chief and is now referred to as “The Enforcer” of The Bloodline. He has formed a bond with Honorary Uce Sami Zayn and the two teamed up to defeat Madcap Moss and Ricochet on the September 30th edition of SmackDown.

    Solo beat Ricochet and Madcap down backstage the week prior after they questioned if Sami was actually a member of The Bloodline.

    Solo Sikoa On Being In WWE With His Family

    Speaking with Peter Rosenberg on the Cheap Heat podcast, Solo Sikoa revealed that it was his first interview. Solo added that his debut came out of nowhere at Clash at the Castle.

    It was out of the blue man. It was just one of those things where I got the call, this is what we want to do and this is how we want to bring you in. But I would never expect it this way, in front of 60,000 people man it was crazy.

    Solo spoke about wrestling on the biggest stage with his family and included Sami Zayn in the discussion as he is an Honorary Uce.

    Never did I think I was going to be able to do this with family but you know, I’m on the highest and the biggest stage of them all. And especially where my family is at in the business on top of the mountain with Big Uce Roman Reigns. I’m having a lot of fun.

    And you know, I’m doing it with blood. It doesn’t get any better than that. And when I talk about blood, I also mean Sami Zayn too. Because you know, he’s an Honorary Uce and everything. So yeah man, it’s pretty cool moving in there with my family.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Cheap Heat with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Shawn Michaels Says Vince McMahon Had No Plans to Retire, Would Joke About Dying at The Gorilla Position

    Shawn Michaels Says Vince McMahon Had No Plans to Retire, Would Joke About Dying at The Gorilla Position

    Shawn Michaels had the chance to work for Vince McMahon as both an in-ring wrestler and someone working in creative in WWE. 

    That all changed when McMahon resigned from his duties as Chairman and CEO of WWE amid the WWE Board investigating him for alleged sexual misconduct and hush money. 

    WWE later confirmed that from 2006 through 2022 (including amounts paid and payable in the future totaling $14.6 million), funds were not appropriately recorded as expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.  

    Also, WWE identified two additional payments totaling $5.0 million, unrelated to the alleged misconduct by McMahon that led to the investigation from 2007 and 2009, that were not appropriately recorded as expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements.

    Shawn Michaels on Vince McMahon’s Departure

    While speaking on The MMA Hour about NXT, where he oversees creative for the brand, Michaels was asked if he ever envisioned a day that McMahon would not be running WWE:

    “No. You can talk about it, but I never envisioned the time when Vince wasn’t there running stuff. All of us who have known him and worked with him for as long as we have, everyone knows, and I mean this lovingly, but he wanted to pass at his desk. That’s who he is. That’s how he’s built. I had every reason to believe that’s exactly what he was going to do. He always made jokes that, ‘If I die at Gorilla position, the show has to go on. Don’t move me. We got to get to seg 10 and 11 and finish the show.” You can talk about it, again, there’s lots of big talk in our line of work, but very rarely you see it get delivered on, but he’s always done what he’s felt was best for business.”

    Following Vince’s departure, Triple H took over creative for the main roster while Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan were named co-CEOs.

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

  • Matt Cardona Not Trying For WWE Return, But Would Answer Call

    Matt Cardona Not Trying For WWE Return, But Would Answer Call

    Matt Cardona doesn’t have a WWE return on his radar right now, but would definitely answer the phone if they called.

    Cardona has been doing great on the independent circuit since leaving WWE in 2020, and isn’t necessarily seeking out a return to the company at the moment. However, as he tells Metro, he’d definitely answer the call if it came in.

    “I’m not trying to get back to WWE. But I’d lying if I said I never wanted to have a WrestleMania moment again, or I never wanted to wrestle at Madison Square Garden – of course I would.

    “If Triple H called me right now, if I had that 203 – that’s the area code for Stamford, Connecticut – of course I’d pick up.

    “But right now, I’m focusing on being the best me possible, and having the most fun possible, and making the most money possible.”

    Matt Cardona NWA Champion

    Matt Cardona first ran with WWE from 2005 to 2020. During that time, Cardona earned one run each as Intercontinental and United States Champion. He was also a two-time RAW Tag Team Champion alongside Curt Hawkins.

    However, in 2020, Cardona fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic budget cuts, as he was released from his contract with the company.

    Since, he has gone on to do work for promotions such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW), IMPACT Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

  • Karl Anderson Still Working NJPW Show After WWE Return (Report)

    Karl Anderson Still Working NJPW Show After WWE Return (Report)

    Karl Anderson is still slated to work a show for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) after making his return to WWE.

    As noted, The Good Brothers made their return to WWE on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. The pair flanked AJ Styles against The Judgement Day, seemingly marking the beginning of a feud between the factions.

    However, this is certainly an interesting development for Anderson, in particular, as he’s still the NEVER Openweight Champion in NJPW.

    According to a report from Fightful, Anderson is still slated to work the Wrestle Kingdom 17 show on January 4.

    Gallows Anderson
    Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows

    NJPW is also still advertising a bout between Karl Anderson and Hikuleo at the Battle Autumn show on November 5. With that being said, it’s likely WWE and NJPW have come to some sort of agreement in regards to Anderson’s remaining dates with the latter.

    Given Anderson is slated for NJPW’s November 5 show, it’s unlikely Anderson works the WWE Crown Jewel show in Riyadh, as it’s on the same day.

    Gallows will also be a part of the New Japan Strong episode on Saturday, but that was pre-taped before the pair returned on RAW this week.

    NJPW was said to have been given a heads up about the duo returning to WWE, allowing them to plan around the situation.

    The report adds that WWE has been interested in The Good Brothers for some time now, dating back to when they were still under contract with IMPACT Wrestling.

  • The Rock Leaves The Door Open For Future Presidential Run

    The Rock Leaves The Door Open For Future Presidential Run

    Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson isn’t just rumored to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, The Great One’s name has also been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate.

    The Rock shot down running for president in 2024 and cited that being a father to his children is his number one priority at the moment. His new film Black Adam is set to be released on October 21st.

    In a recent interview with Jake Tapper on CNN, the 50-year-old said that he was humbled by people asking him to run for office.

    In terms of the presidency, I’ll tell you this Jake. It all is a convergence of things that are surreal and inspiring. And what I mean by that is, as we get into the midterms, and even a couple of years ago, this idea and the question continues to pop up on whether or not I would run for president.

    Would I seriously consider it, I have seriously considered it. You have to. When you start looking at some of these polls, and the numbers creep up to 46-50% of people would vote for me should I run. I’ve been really moved by that.

    I have heard now from both sides of the aisle, the most influential people in politics, asking and hoping that I would run. Again, it is so moving and surreal, but I don’t know anything about politics. I will say that I am a patriot, I love our country, and I love everybody in it.

    Jake Tapper then asked The Rock if he would consider running for president down the line, perhaps when his children go off to college. He asked if he was closing the door on a presidential run down the line and The Rock revealed that was not the case.

    No not at all, I wouldn’t do that. Thank you for asking and clarifying that. Right now for my daughters, it is important that I’m home, and that stability is important for me to be there. That is the most important thing to me.

    By the way, that is a tough thing I think to reconcile, I’m blown away by that. The fact that I’m even having this conversation with you.

    The fact that I’ve been approached by the most influential in the world of politics, which I think you (Jake Tapper) know very well. It was really moving but right now the most important job I have is to be their father.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Dakota Kai Reveals Dismay Over Scrapped WWE Plans

    Dakota Kai Reveals Dismay Over Scrapped WWE Plans

    The past 12 months have been a roller coaster ride for Dakota Kai. Making a big return at SummerSlam and joining Bayley and IO Sky was the biggest moment of her career. Though this big moment was preceded by a lot of struggle and many bad days. One such day was when Kai was told that she was gonna be called up to the main roster, only for it to never happen.

    The Damage CTRL star recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast. She talked about things such as her reaction to WWE release and more. Speaking about the time before her release, Kai mentioned how she wrestled a number of dark matches on the main roster towards the end of last year:

    “I was doing the dark matches [at the] end of last year, I think. I started doing the dark matches like November, December or at the tail end of last year. That’s when I was like ‘Okay, maybe something’s gonna happen here.’ But yeah, I just ended up doing about six or seven of them. It was a lot. And they were back to back to back.”

    ‘I Was Told’: Dakota Kai

    Damage CTRL

    The dark matches led many to believe that Dakota Kai’s main roster call up was imminent. Turns out, the former NXT star thought this too. According to the female star, she was actually told she would be called up during the 2021 Draft:

    “I was told that. I was told I was gonna be in the Draft. So it’s funny now that I look back at it. It’s all good. We can laugh at it. But I was sitting at home during the Draft, and I got told that it was going to happen

    And I’m like, ‘Okay, cool. I wonder if they’re gonna tell me. I’ll just…I’ll just watch TV. I’ll watch the show and see what happens.’ Then after the weekend is done and, I didn’t hear anything I was like, ‘oh, maybe they changed their mind. I don’t know.’ Then I kind of just continued to do NXT.”

    You can check out Dakota Kai’s full interview below:

    More Originals From SEScoops:

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

  • Daniel Cormier Says He Forgot Parts Of Fight Pit Match

    Daniel Cormier Says He Forgot Parts Of Fight Pit Match

    Daniel Cormier claims he forgot parts of the Fight Pit match he officiated shortly before the bout.

    Cormier officiated the Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle.

    The match was designed to have an MMA-style feel to it, and certainly played to Riddle’s advantage, being a former UFC fighter.

    With all that being said, it certainly made sense to have the UFC Hall Of Famer Cormier, a longtime professional wrestling fan, officiating the match. Cormier recently spoke on his show, “DC & RC,” to discuss the experience.

    “DC” admits that he was very nervous before the match, even forgetting spots moments before going out for the contest.

    “I was in the back and I was nervous because obviously, you know the outcome. I started forgetting the match. I was like, oh my goodness. So I kept having to ask questions. I was so nervous, bro. But once I walked out there, it was so fun.

    “The energy of the crowd is like second to none. I fought in front of bigger crowds than I was in front of last weekend, but ultimately that’s just, it’s a shoot.

    “I’m going to just fight. It is gonna be what it’s gonna be, but to remember all the points of what you’re supposed to do in the match, dude, it was amazing.

    “Then I got fans heckling me. They’re calling me Carl Winslow in there. They’re messing with me. They said, ‘DC, climb up the cage.’ I’m standing in the bottom like, I’m not going up there with these dudes. They’re up there actually wrestling on that little ledge bro.

    “I was like, this is crazy. Then when Riddle jumped off the top, I was like man, I couldn’t believe that I was actually in that moment.

    “I don’t know how much you pay attention, but then Bray Wyatt returned right after so we were like the closer to a massive moment, but my favorite part was I got to essentially be Herb Dean.”

    Daniel Cormier
    Daniel Cormier

    This was Cormier’s first involvement on WWE TV. He has long expressed an interest in working with WWE, even during his run as UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion.

    Now, Cormier has retired from fighting action, now serving as a UFC commentator and show host. There have been rumblings that Cormier was once considered for a WWE commentary role, but that never came to fruition.

    It remains to be seen if this is only the beginning of Cormier’s dealings with WWE moving forward.

    https://youtu.be/m6Ir9PUwa_I

    Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

  • Shawn Michaels Praises ‘Huge Uplift In Morale’ Within WWE

    Shawn Michaels Praises ‘Huge Uplift In Morale’ Within WWE

    Shawn Michaels has seen a “huge uplift in morale” within WWE recently.

    Recently, “The Heartbreak Kid” was interviewed on “The Ringer Wrestling Show,” where he was asked about the recent changes that have gone on within WWE – particularly, Triple H taking over WWE creative.

    Michaels noted that, from top to bottom, a huge uplift in morale can be felt everywhere throughout the company.

    “There’s certainly, I would say it’s no secret to anybody that there’s a huge uplift in morale, from top to bottom in the WWE, whether it’s RAW, SmackDown, or NXT, everybody’s very excited for the future,” Shawn Michaels said.

    “Look, I’ll say this, the one thing that was always really positive in NXT and again, the positive about all these other former athletes that come in, they were already excited and focused and ready to go.

    “Now we’ve just made sure that we’ve topped that off and everybody from top to bottom, roster-wise, is excited about the future. All of us working there are equally as excited because we all know that we’re pulling the rope in the same direction.”

    Triple H
    (BT Sport)

    Longtime WWE CEO and head of creative Vince McMahon was recently forced to step down from his positions.

    After allegations of sexual misconduct, McMahon stepped down as CEO, forcing Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan to take over as co-CEOs.

    Soon after, once investigations into the allegations began, McMahon officially retired from WWE, stepping down as head of creative, handing the reigns over to his son-in-law and former WWE Champion Triple H.

    Since “The Game” has taken over, the general reviews of the WWE product from fans to those backstage have been generally positive.

    (quotes via Colin Tessier)

  • “I Was Dumbfounded” – Dakota Kai On Triple H Contacting Her For WWE Return

    “I Was Dumbfounded” – Dakota Kai On Triple H Contacting Her For WWE Return

    Dakota Kai returned to WWE at SummerSlam alongside Bayley and IYO SKY. The group became known as Damage CTRL and has already become a key part of the RAW roster.

    Kai was released in April but made her return after WWE had undergone massive changes at the top of the company. Vince McMahon resigned in late July and his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan took over as the new co-CEOs.

    Triple H replaced John Laurinaitis as the EVP of Talent Relations and was recently given the title of Chief Content Officer. Since gaining power in the company, The Game has brought back several released talents and Dakota Kai was one of them.

    Dakota Kai On Triple H Reaching Out To Her For WWE Return

    Dakota Kai joined Ryan Satin on the latest edition of the Out of Character podcast. During the interview, Kai revealed that Bayley pitched the idea to Triple H for Damage CTRL and The Game was in favor of it.

    It was very strange because obviously, I wasn’t taking bookings, I was just chilling and doing my streaming thing. Bayley texted me on Thursday just out of the blue, we talk a lot but this question was out of the blue.

    She was like ‘hey out of curiosity, are you like talking to anyone right now in terms of companies?’. I said ‘well, kind of, why do you ask?’.

    She said that she in a last-ditch attempt for this idea that she had of a group, she said she texted Hunter and kind of gave it like one last push.

    I guess I didn’t know if that would be a thing that he would look to contact me about. But sure enough, she texted him about the idea we had. We had filmed a bunch of videos and took some photos, and she sent him the idea.

    His first thought response after that was ‘what is Dakota doing?’.

    Dakota added that she was dumbfounded that Triple H wanted her to return as she had never viewed herself as a top star in the company.

    I was dumbfounded because I never look at myself as like ‘the guy’. I’ve always been, my role within the company has always been to help elevate, you know, or as someone to just tell a story. I’ve never considered myself a top guy.

    So the fact that I was on his mind in terms of that idea and the fact that I was like the first he called back after he had gotten control of the company. I was shocked.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Out of Character podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Matt Riddle Discusses Moving Past Issues With Seth Rollins

    Matt Riddle Discusses Moving Past Issues With Seth Rollins

    Matt Riddle has opened up about moving past his personal issues with Seth Rollins as they work together inside the ring.

    It’s no secret that Riddle and Rollins aren’t the best of friends backstage. It has been reported that the pair had some issues with one another backstage after some comments made by Riddle’s now-ex-wife.

    However, despite this, the two men have been working a program on WWE TV with one another for the past several weeks, and putting on some great matches with one another.

    matt riddle smackdown

    Speaking to Corey Graves on “After The Bell,” Riddle explained how the pair have worked through their differences in order to do business together.

    “Didn’t get along too well, he wasn’t a fan of me, and I’ll say this, I wasn’t not not a fan of his, but somebody close to me at the time made some comments, this, that, and the other thing, and Seth wouldn’t talk to me.

    “Seth wouldn’t look at me, he wouldn’t talk to me, he wasn’t gonna have anything to do with me. And eventually, it’s kind of like Brock [Lesnar] and everybody else, you don’t have a choice. I’m here, I’m gonna keep working hard.

    “Eventually, you’re gonna have to get in the ring with me and we’re gonna have to do business. And eventually, Seth came to that conclusion.”

    Recently, Matt Riddle picked up a big win over Rollins at Extreme Rules in a Fight Pit match that was officiated by UFC Hall Of Famer Daniel Cormier. It will be interesting to see where their feud goes from here.

    Quotes via 411Mania

  • Dakota Kai Reveals Which WWE Superstars She Wants To Join Damage CTRL

    Dakota Kai Reveals Which WWE Superstars She Wants To Join Damage CTRL

    Dakota Kai named a WWE Superstar she would like to team up with Damage CTRL in a WarGames match.

    The WarGames match will be returning to the main roster at WWE Survivor Series next month at the TD Garden in Boston, MA. In previous years, Survivor Series pitted RAW versus SmackDown in a battle for brand supremacy. In 2019, NXT was a part of Survivor Series and was the victorious brand.

    Speaking with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast, Dakota revealed that she would pick Rhea Ripley to join the group for a WarGames match.

    Obviously, the three of us but I think someone I’d really like to be on our side would be Rhea (Ripley). I know she’s kind of tied up with a lot of other things right now. But we could just be like, ‘Hey, can we just like use you for one day.’

    Because she’s also someone that’s been in the WarGames cage a couple of times too. So I think with her experience and she’s so strong and she’s so like brutal and all the stuff. I think she’d be an awesome person to have on our side, for sure. [To] be the muscle.

    Dakota added that NXT star Alba Fyre would a great addition to the group on a full-time basis.

    “Kay Lee Ray, oh sorry, Alba Fyre. Sorry, my bad. I think Alba would be such a good addition. She is so ruthless and reckless. I’ve known her for a very long time. I think she’d be such a great addition to Damage CTRL. She’d bring a lot to us as a group and help us to evolve a little bit more, and take that next step. I think she’d be awesome.”

    Dakota Kai was released by WWE earlier this year in April. She returned alongside Bayley and IYO SKY at SummerSlam. Dakota and IYO have already established themselves on the main roster and are currently the Women’s Tag Team Champions.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Out of Character podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • WWE Has Significant Interest in Bringing Back Former Star (Report)

    WWE Has Significant Interest in Bringing Back Former Star (Report)

    Triple H isn’t done with bringing back former WWE stars who were released under the Vince McMahon regime. 

    According to a report by WrestleVotes, WWE is interested in bringing back Chelsea Green, who was among the names to be released by the company last year because of “budget cuts.”

    Chelsea Green Returning? 

    Chelsea Green
    Chelsea Green

    Her departure happened shortly after she was moved from the main roster to NXT. Should she return to the company, she will likely re-debuting on the main roster. WrestleVotes tweeted the following about Green:

    “I’m told another name WWE has significant interest in bringing back is Chelsea Green. I would think if a deal is offered, it’s for the main roster. Time will tell.”

    If Green returns to WWE, it will be interesting to see whether WWE would also be interested in her husband, Matt Cardona, also known as Zack Ryder, in WWE. Cardona has been able to draw money for several promotions since his WWE departure as he has reinvented himself with a more serious gimmick, unlike the comedy character he had in WWE.

    While away from WWE, Green made a surprise debut at Ring of Honor’s Best in the World pay-per-view event last July before returning to Impact Wrestling. 

  • WWE to Feature More Crossover Between Brands Going Forward

    WWE to Feature More Crossover Between Brands Going Forward

    The WWE Universe will be seeing Superstars on Raw, SmackDown and NXT make more appearances on other shows moving forward.

    In 2016, WWE reintroduced its brand extension, splitting the WWE’s main roster into distinct brands for Raw and SmackDown once more.

    Crossover

    WWE Superstars appearing on a show they’re not rostered for does happen and is set to increase in the coming weeks.

    Sources who spoke to Fightful Select said that fans can expect more crossover between brands.

    No reason was given as to why there will be more crossover, though it is believed that using Superstars from other brands will help increase viewership.

    This week’s Raw saw appearances by The Bloodline, all of whom are SmackDown rostered Superstars.

    Jade and Perez

    This crossover will be felt next week in WWE NXT as part of the feud between former NXT Women’s Tag Champions Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez.

    On last night’s episode, it was confirmed that Jade and Perez will choose members of the WWE main roster to face each other on next week’s show.

    Jade asked interviewer McKenzie Mitchell if she has the number of Ronda Rousey, while Perez will be on this Friday’s WWE SmackDown on FOX.

    WWE Main Event

    One way NXT Superstars are getting exposure on the main roster is by appearances on WWE Main Event.

    In their report, Fightful adds that more NXT Superstars are expected to be on the show, with WWE watching to see how ready they are for a full-time transition.

    On last week’s WWE Main Event, Fallon Henley made her main roster debut by taking on WWE 24/ Champion Dana Brooke.

    Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen, former NXT UK Tag Team Champions, also appeared on last week’s show, facing Shelton Benjamin and R-Truth.

    More NXT Superstars will appear on this week’s episode of WWE Main Event.

    Bray Wyatt Assigned to Specific WWE Brand Following Return