SEScoops

Category: WWE

  • Bray Wyatt Assigned to Specific WWE Brand Following Return

    Bray Wyatt Assigned to Specific WWE Brand Following Return

    Bray Wyatt made his expected return to WWE this past Saturday at the Extreme Rules premium live event, and now he is moving forward to what’s next. 

    Wyatt is reportedly set to work on the WWE SmackDown brand moving forward, according to Pwinsider.com. The outlet noted that as of last word, Wyatt is only scheduled for appearances on SmackDown, although it’s possible that this could change. 

    Bray Wyatt Part of SmackDown

    Bray Wyatt
    (WWE)

    It should be noted that the official WWE roster still has Wyatt listed as an Alumni Superstar, but that should change soon. As of this writing, WWE has yet to add him to Raw or SmackDown on the official WWE website roster. 

    WWE has already announced him for Friday’s SmackDown from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. The teaser video for SmackDown sks what Wyatt has in store for his return to the blue brand, which will mark his SmackDown appearance since The Fiend defeated Kevin Owens in the main event of the October 9, 2020, Draft edition of SmackDown. 

    Wyatt didn’t appear in front of the live fans on Monday Night Raw in Brooklyn. It’s unclear whether he will appear live in front of the crowd at SmackDown, but the WWE Events website has Wyatt listed along with other Superstars booked to appear live, indicating that he will be there in the ring.

  • WWE Star: ‘I Am Done Waiting in Line for My Number to Get Called’

    WWE Star: ‘I Am Done Waiting in Line for My Number to Get Called’

    Mustafa Ali shared an interesting video on Youtube where he declared that he is “done” and expressed his frustrations. Ali stated he is not going to allow anyone to keep him down. 

    On Twitter, Ali tagged Joey Maloney, who is the Director of WWE Network documentaries. It’s possible that he did the video with WWE’s approval and it’s part of a push he is getting from the company. Ali said the following in the video:

    Mustafa Ali’s Declaration

    Mustafa Ali
    (via WWE)

    “I heard something the other day and it really hit me and it goes. ‘if I always do what I’ve always done then I’ll always be where I’ve always been.’ And the reason that hit me is because I’m done. I’m done being here. I’m done being where I’ve always been. Everyone keeps asking me why did I pick a fight with Bobby Lashley? Why don’t I just stay down? And listen, as complicated as it gets up over here I promise you the answer is simple. it’s just done. I am done standing in line and waiting for my number to get called. A number that we all know was never gonna get called in the first place. I’m done being the victim.” 

    Ali continued, “I’m done blaming other people. I am done complaining about what I don’t have. I’m done not fighting. I’m done with it. I got a fight, it is on me! This is World War me. And yes, sure there might be someone in front of me. Someone slamming the door in my face but it’s on me to kick that door down. It’s always been on me. Every night I used to pray to God. I used to pray to God to please calm my mind and heal my heart and to please please let my dreams come true. But now I realize even that’s too much I’m asking. You see for my dreams to come true I gotta be a little insane. I have to go through the pain. Now the only thing that I ask from God is to wake me up because I gotta handle the rest. I’m gonna handle the rest. So to everyone in that locker room, the next time you lock eyes with me, brother – It is not just an opponent that you are staring at. You are staring at a problem! Realize that you are facing a man that is willing to die before he lets his own dreams die. Go ahead. Knock me down. I promise you. I promise you you’re not going to keep me down.”

    Ali was off TV for several months late last year and in early 2022 after a dispute with Vince McMahon over creative for his character. He returned to television in April, but the company hasn’t done much with him besides working Main Event episodes. 

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

  • The Rock Claims He Is The ‘Head Of The Table’

    The Rock Claims He Is The ‘Head Of The Table’

    It looks like The Rock doesn’t acknowledge Roman Reigns after all.

    The Rock is currently making the media rounds to promote his upcoming “Black Adam” film. During a recent interview with E! News’ The Rundown, “The Great One” was asked who The Head Of The Table is.

    Obviously this is a jab at WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who is regarded as The Head Of The Table for The Bloodline in WWE. Rock responded by saying there’s only one Head Of The Table, and you’re looking at him.

    “Who is head of the table? Without saying any names, you’re looking into his eyes right now.”

    When asked if he was seemingly confirming a WrestleMania match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 next year, The Rock said he is not.

    The Rock

    However, he did double down on how much he loves the world of professional wrestling, and he knows he’s going to receive a text from Reigns as soon as he sees this interview.

    “I am not confirming that at all. No, I am not. I know I’m going to get a text from him after he watches this. I love the idea of a WrestleMania. I’m close to a lot of people there, but I’m very close to one in particular, who we’ve talked about this.

    “There are so many variables that come into play. I’m a fan because I’m a promoter at heart. I’m a fan of promoting an event and what that could be. I love WrestleMania, and I love that word.”

    Currently, Reigns is slated to put his World Title up for grabs against Logan Paul at WWE Crown Jewel on November 5.

  • Nate Diaz Posts Photo With Triple H & Stephanie McMahon (Photo)

    Nate Diaz Posts Photo With Triple H & Stephanie McMahon (Photo)

    UFC megastar Nate Diaz recently posted a photo with WWE’s Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

    Diaz took to his Instagram and shared a photo of himself, “The Game,” and Stephanie McMahon, captioning the photo with “We’ll see what’s bout to happen next.” Check it out below:

    Diaz is certainly free to pursue a career in WWE should he decide to do so. He recently wrapped up his UFC contract in September when he picked up a submission victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279.

    The longtime UFC veteran then declared his intentions to forgo re-signing with the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotional juggernaut, instead opting to go out and “take over” another sport.

    While he did not specify as to what sport he was referring to, most believe he’s hinting at a move to boxing – something Nate Diaz has been suggesting as a dream of his for the past several years.

    Diaz could potentially be in line to face YouTube star Jake Paul next after his upcoming fight with Anderson Silva later this month. However, perhaps the sport Diaz was hinting at “taking over” next is actually WWE.

    WWE and the UFC have been intertwined with one another for some time now. Diaz would be following in the footsteps of the likes of Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, and Shayna Baszler – all former UFC stars who have gone on to have great runs in WWE after their MMA careers.

  • Corey Graves References Billy Gunn On WWE RAW (Video)

    Corey Graves References Billy Gunn On WWE RAW (Video)

    Corey Graves mentioned Billy Gunn during last night’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW.

    D-Generation X celebrated their 25 year anniversary on the season debut of RAW last night, but were missing one notable member. While Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, and the Road Dogg were all in attendance – Billy Gunn was not present.

    Gunn is currently employed by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). DX didn’t make any direct references to Gunn during their promos, but commentator Corey Graves certainly did.

    X-Pac kicked things off by shouting out the late Chyna, who he called the “magic ingredient” to DX. Road Dogg followed up by doing his signature intro for The New Age Outlaws, letting the crowd do Gunn’s parts.

    DX WWE RAW
    (WWE)

    Just after the crowd said Gunn’s lines for him, Graves said “the other guy is doing something with office equipment these days, I’m not sure.” This was a play on Gunn’s current scissoring gimmick with The Acclaimed.

    The segment wrapped up with Triple H doing the “Are You Ready?” line for the crowd, and Shawn Michaels saying “We Got Two Words For Ya!” RAW went off-air with DX celebrating and posing for the crowd.

    Check out the segment, along with Graves comments on Gunn, here below:

  • Bobby Lashley Wants To Reunite The Hurt Business

    Bobby Lashley Wants To Reunite The Hurt Business

    Bobby Lashley apparently has his eye on reuniting The Hurt Business in WWE at some point.

    Lashley was recently interviewed by Busted Open Radio, and was asked about being positioned as one of the top stars on Monday Night RAW.

    “The Almighty” discussed his excitement about his U.S. Title run, and also put over a few other talents.

    He then mentioned that he’d like to reunite The Hurt Business alongside MVP, Cedric Alexander, and Shelton Benjamin.

    “Some of my closest friends, even favorites, the Hurt Business. MVP is there with Omos. Shelton Benjamin is still doing his stuff. Cedric is there. I’d like to bring that group back together at some point in time.”

    Bobby Lashley
    (WWE)

    The Hurt Business slowly fizzled out shortly before WrestleMania earlier this year. Lashley and MVP were kept together as the latter managed him into a WWE Title run. However, the pair split up after WrestleMania, as MVP instead aligned with Omos.

    On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, Lashley was attacked by Brock Lesnar before his United States Title defense against Seth Rollins.

    Rollins would take advantage of the attack, curb stomping Bobby Lashley twice for the win and the United States Title.

    Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

  • Aliyah Confirms Rib and Shoulder Injuries

    Aliyah Confirms Rib and Shoulder Injuries

    Aliyah has confirmed that she suffered rib and shoulder injuries last month. 

    The former  WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion posted an injury update on Tuesday via Instagram. She revealed she suffered rib and shoulder injuries last month. The injuries are an elevated first rib and AC sprain on the September 12 episode of Raw, where she and Raquel Rodriguez lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles to Damage CTRL’s Dakota Kai & IYO SKY. 

    Aliyah mentioned she doesn’t know when she will return to action, but she can’t wait to get back in the ring. 

    Aliyah’s Statement

    “It’s been a month so here I go straight from the horses mouth: I have to say my last match was probably one of my most favorite. And I would like to thank my tag partner Raquel and Damage CTRL And everyone involved. Yes I got injured mid match, however I have this overwhelming gratitude towards the incident because I felt like it pulled out a version of me that I never even knew existed. ‘Keep going!’ I remember thinking. ‘I never get opportunities like this one’ another voice in my head screamed. So idc I’m going to keep going and keep showing out. The emotions and energy I was feeling in the moment truly lit me up inside and I felt INDESTRUCTIBLE in that moment (yes, with an elevated first rib and ac sprain and all.) I am very grateful to get to do what I do and I hope my passion and efforts transcended thru your television screen.

    I don’t know what the future holds or when I’ll be back. But I just want to say thank you for everyone that has reached out. I really can’t wait to get back in the ring.”

    Aliyah and Rodriguez became the Women’s Tag Team Champions when they won the tournament to crown new champs after Sasha Banks and Naomi were stripped of the titles when they walked out. Aliyah & Rodriguez held the titles for 14 days before losing them. 

  • Aliyah Reveals She Was Injured During Recent WWE Tag Team Title Match

    Aliyah Reveals She Was Injured During Recent WWE Tag Team Title Match

    Aliyah wants to clear the air regarding her noticeable absence from WWE programming.

    The 27-year old star released a new post on her personal Instagram revealing that she suffered an injury during her tag team title matchup against Damage CTRL (Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai) from an episode of Raw last month, where her and her partner Raquel Rodriguez lost the titles after a short reign as champions.

    When talking about the match Aliyah calls it one of her personal favorites because the injury she suffered caused her to push forward, adding that she unleashed a side of herself that she never knew existed.

    “It’s been a month so here I go straight from the horses mouth. I have to say my last match was probably one of my most favorite. And I would like to thank my tag partner Raquel and Damage CTRL And everyone involved. Yes I got injured mid match, however I have this overwhelming gratitude towards the incident because I felt like it pulled out a version of me that I never even knew existed. “Keep going!” I remember thinking. “I never get opportunities like this one” another voice in my head screamed.

    So idc I’m going to keep going and keep showing out. The emotions and energy I was feeling in the moment truly lit me up inside and I felt INDESTRUCTIBLE in that moment (yes, with an elevated first rib and ac sprain and all.)”

    Aliyah ends her passage by saying she is very grateful to be a professional wrestler, and is looking forward to getting back into the ring.

    “I am very grateful to get to do what I do and I hope my passion and efforts transcended thru your television screen. I don’t know what the future holds or when I’ll be back. But I just want to say thank you for everyone that has reached out. I really can’t wait to get back in the ring. “

    Aliyah and Rodriguez were the first champions following the walkout of Sasha Banks and Naomi, where the duo won an eight team tournament to capture the belts. Neither WWE or Aliyah has confirmed how long she will be out of action.

    Stay tuned.

  • WWE Interested in Star Who Recently Left Impact Wrestling

    WWE Interested in Star Who Recently Left Impact Wrestling

    Matt Taven may be the next wrestler to ink a contract with WWE, at least if the promotion gets its way.

    Taven joined Impact Wrestling earlier this year, appearing at January’s ‘Hard to Kill’ event as part of Honor No More.

    Last weekend, it was reported that Taven, alongside Maria Bennett, Maria Kanellis-Bennett, and Vincent have left the promotion.

    WWE’s Interest

    Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that WWE has a great deal of interest in Taven.

    “I know WWE has [an] interest in Taven.”

    Dave Meltzer.

    Meltzer added that while WWE is interested in Matt Taven, Stephanie McMahon’s company isn’t his only option.

    “I would think that also Taven, Bennett, and Maria could go to New Japan [Pro Wrestling] because they have history there. I don’t know about AEW. If there’s something going on at Ring of Honor they could go there, because they were Ring of Honor people.”

    Matt Taven

    While Taven recently left Impact Wrestling, the majority of his success has come in Ring of Honor.

    A former World Champion, Tag Champion and Television, Taven is the promotion’s fifth Triple Crown winner.

    Also being a former six-man Tag Team Champion, Taven is the company’s second-ever ROH Grand Slam winner, behind Christopher Daniels.

    Taven has also competed in CMLL, and New Japan, and he is the second person to hold gold in both those companies as well as Ring of Honor (behind Rocky Romero.)

    Since 2016, he and Bennett have operated a wrestling school located in West Warwick, Rhode Island.

    Matt Taven Shares When He Found Out About ROH Hiatus
  • AEW & Others Sent Feelers to Bray Wyatt Before WWE Return

    AEW & Others Sent Feelers to Bray Wyatt Before WWE Return

    Bray Wyatt made his return to WWE at last weekend’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event, but only after some efforts from other promotions.

    Wyatt’s return came after weeks of ‘White Rabbit’ teases, and the former Universal Champion earned a thunderous response in Philadelphia.

    Bray had been controversially released from WWE, which was reportedly over creative differences with then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

    Feelers

    Wyatt’s return is yet another victory for WWE’s Head of Talent Relations Triple H, who has brought back several released talents since being appointed in July.

    Sports Illustrated reports that while WWE was negotiating with Wyatt, AEW had sent ‘feelers’ to gauge Bray’s interest in joining.

    Impact Wrestling and AAA also sent feelers, trying to determine if Wyatt would consider signing with them instead.

    It had been previously reported that Wyatt’s asking price had left all but the biggest promotions unable to afford appearances from the former Universal Champion.

    What’s Next?

    With Wyatt now back with WWE, the biggest question is what is next for him?

    Some have suggested that Wyatt is set to start a new Wyatt family, with many pointing to the characters featured at Extreme Rules.

    As part of his return, individuals dressed as Huskus the Pig, Ramblin’ Rabbit, Abby the Witch, Mercy the Buzzard and The Fiend made appearances.

    Grayson Waller, who many believe played Mercy the Buzzard, teased involvement in Wyatt, having a Bray Wyatt head lantern in the background of a recent tweet.

    Wyatt’s next appearance has been confirmed for this Friday’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.

    Backstage Reaction To Bray Wyatt’s Return At WWE Extreme Rules
  • Jake Roberts to “A**hole” Bret Hart: You Got What you Deserved in Montreal

    Jake Roberts to “A**hole” Bret Hart: You Got What you Deserved in Montreal

    Did Bret screw Bret as Vince McMahon once infamously claimed? Certainly so, according to Jake ‘The Snake Roberts.

    In 1997, Hart was infamously ‘screwed’ out of the WWF Championship at the Survivor Series, after refusing to lose to real-life rival Shawn Michaels.

    An agreement was made that Bret would retain at Survivor Series and vacate the title the next night on Raw, while not under contract with the WWF.

    Instead, Hart and Michaels ‘screwed’ Bret of the title, giving Shawn a submission win without Bret tapping out.

    You Deserve It

    Bret being screwed is the most infamous example of a champion not losing the title, but hardly the only one.

    When Rick Rude left the NWA to join the WWF, he did so as one-half of the NWA World Tag Champions.

    Speaking on this week’s DDP Snake Pit podcast about Rude made his thoughts clear on champions and on Montreal.

    “I don’t agree with that [leaving as Champion] at all. You know, there’s been so many guys who get away with it too. Holding up promoters because they don’t want to lose the title in a certain area. Maybe Canada, has that ever happened? Oh wait, it did. Shawn and Bret. He didn’t want to drop it in Canada, so they [Vince McMahon and others] screwed him.

    “You didn’t get screwed a**hole! You got what you deserved. How do you have the right, not to drop that title? That title, that was given to you. You did not beat up anybody to get that.

    “You didn’t get screwed a**hole! You got what you deserved.”

    Jake Roberts on Bret Hart.

    “The reason you have that title is because some other schmuck was a good enough guy to lose to you [The Undertaker at Summerslam 1997.] So you not dropping that title tells me you don’t give a flying f*ck about anybody else but yourself, and that’s very selfish. It’s wrong and if you are contemplating doing it, that’s for you.”

    Working with Rick

    While Rude would be part of DX at the time of the Montreal Screwjob, the act left a deep impression on the Ravishing One.

    Rude would leave for WCW immediately after the Screwjob, and would bash Shawn Michaels and DX.

    Speaking about Rude, Roberts said it was great working with him.

    “It was very easy for me. I always play up to whatever they have. And Rick had a lot, so I could play up to a lot of things with him. So I was very comfortable with him and I was very fortunate that he listened to me.”

    Rude sadly passed in 1999 and would be posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.

    For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

    Jake Roberts Names the Huge Mistake Braun Strowman is Making
  • “Who Doesn’t Love Me?” – MJF Reacts To Chris Jericho Saying He Will Be One Of The Top Babyfaces In AEW

    “Who Doesn’t Love Me?” – MJF Reacts To Chris Jericho Saying He Will Be One Of The Top Babyfaces In AEW

    Popular AEW star MJF recently discussed Chris Jericho with Sam Roberts on the Notsam Wrestling show.

    Chris Jericho defeated Claudio Castagnoli to win the ROH Championship but cheated to do so. Chris is set to defend the ROH Championship in Toronto tomorrow night on Dynamite against another Blackpool Combat Club member.

    Bryan Danielson will look to avenge his loss to Jericho at Dynamite: Grand Slam this Wednesday night and become the ROH Champion once again. Jericho challenged Danielson to the match after defeating Bandido on Dynamite on September 28th.

    MJF On Possibly Becoming A Good Guy In AEW

    During the conversation on Notsam Wrestling, Roberts brought up Chris Jericho’s comments about MJF during the media scrum where he said MJF is going to wind up being one of the top babyfaces in the company.

    @_denisesalcedo

    Chris Jericho on MJF’s return to AEW from the All Out 2022 media scrum #chrisjericho #mjfaew #allout2022

    ? original sound – Denise Salcedo

    MJF jokingly agreed with Chris and said that he’s already a great guy and is salt of the earth. Maxwell compared his reaction to that of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and noted that he gets the loudest pop in the company.

    I think I’m a great guy. I think I’m salt of the earth. You kidding me? So I totally agree with Chris. Who doesn’t love me? And that’s the thing, like I said, you’ll find the biggest stars in our industry today are all going through the exact same thing.

    This is just true, when I come through the curtain when Roman comes through the curtain, this is a good example. You will hear the crowd and it’s deafening. There’s cheers going on and there’s boos going on. But the most important thing is, it is the loudest it will be all night.

    Now, do I feel that there will come a time in my career where I will entire lean into the cheering, I don’t know. What I do know is what I care about the most and that is money. I’m not changing a damn thing.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Notsam Wrestling and give a H/T to SEScoops

  • What Happened With DX After Raw Went Off Air

    What Happened With DX After Raw Went Off Air

    Degeneration X reunited at the conclusion of tonight’s episode of RAW to celebrate 25 years in WWE and the celebration continued after the red brand went off the air.

    The group arrived in a mini tank and drove down the entrance ramp as the crowd in Barclay’s Center erupted. X-Pac paid tribute to Chyna to begin the celebration.

    Road Dogg had the crowd chant Billy Gunn’s name and sent out a message to him after RAW went off the air. Shawn Michaels thanked the crowd and joked that they should put DX out of their misery if they are back in the ring 25 years from now. The Game asked “are you ready?” and ended RAW with a “let’s get ready to suck it!”.

    What Happened with DX After WWE RAW?

    After the promo, Degeneration X celebrated with the crowd before X-Pac and Road Dogg exited the ring. Triple H and Shawn Michaels stood with each other in the ring and posed as the crowd in Brooklyn cheered.

    The two legends shared a hug in the ring and raised each other’s hands for another pop from the audience at Barclays. Triple H and Shawn Michaels posed on the turnbuckles and on the entrance ramp before heading backstage. You can check out the full celebration in the video below.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcoc1nDtNzc

    In addition to Degeneration X reuniting to celebrate 25 years in WWE, The Beast Brock Lesnar returned during this week’s RAW. Seth Rollins also captured a championship this week on the red brand. You can check out the full results from this week’s RAW in the takeaways below.

    12 Takeaways From WWE RAW (10/10): Brock Lesnar Attacks, New Champion, DX, Extreme Rules Fallout
  • “We Missed You” – Road Dogg Sends Message To Billy Gunn After DX Reunites On WWE RAW

    “We Missed You” – Road Dogg Sends Message To Billy Gunn After DX Reunites On WWE RAW

    Degeneration X reunited tonight on RAW and celebrated 25 years in WWE. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, and X-Pac were on tonight’s show but AEW star Billy Gunn was not.

    The group drove down the entrance ramp on a mini-tank at the end of the show. X-Pac gave a shoutout to Chyna to begin the promo. Road Dogg grabbed the microphone and had the crowd chant Billy Gunn’s name.

    Corey Graves joked on commentary that Billy Gunn is doing something with “office supplies” now, a reference to The Acclaimed scissoring catchphrase.

    Shawn Michaels joked that if we are out here again in 25 years, please put DX out of their misery. Triple H fired up the crowd one final time as RAW went off the air.

    Road Dogg Sends Message To Billy Gunn After WWE RAW

    After WWE RAW went off the air, Road Dogg took to Twitter to send a message to the member of Degeneration X who couldn’t make it to RAW tonight. Road Dogg said that he survived the promo tonight and joked that it was touch and go for a minute. He then tagged Billy Gunn in the post and said that they missed him tonight on RAW.

    I survived…… and for a minute it was touch and go!! We missed you@RealBillyGunn#WWERaw#DX25 @youdidntknowpod

    The Acclaimed captured the AEW Tag Team Championships at Dynamite: Grand Slam from former WWE stars Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee. Billy Gunn hit Swerve with a Fameasser after the match. The Acclaimed celebrated “National Scissoring Day” on last week’s edition of Dynamite but Swerve interrupted, likely leading to The Acclaimed versus Swerve In Our Glory III in the weeks ahead.

    “Scissor Away, My Friend” – Road Dogg Praises Billy Gunn’s Work With The Acclaimed In AEW
  • Seth Rollins Wins WWE United States Title

    Seth Rollins Wins WWE United States Title

    Seth Rollins has dethroned Bobby Lashley as the WWE United States Champion. 

    On Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, Rollins was supposed to challenge Lashley for the title. However, before he did, Brock Lesnar made his return and attacked Lashley by hitting him with a few F5s and locking in the kimura submission hold. 

    Lashley was being helped from ringside by some referees when Rollins walked out, got into the ring to cut a promo in typical heel fashion, and talked down to Lashley as a way to try to fire him up and accept the match despite being injured. 

    Seth Rollins is a Champion Again

    Lashley bit on the bait and accepted the match. Rollins managed to get some near falls with a pedigree and a frog splash off the top rope. WWE kept Lashley strong and had him connect with a few moves before Rollins laid him out with the stomp to become the new champion. 

    Rollins just lost to Matt Riddle in the Fight Pit Match at Saturday’s Extreme Rules, with UFC Legend Daniel Cormier serving as the special guest referee.

    Brock Lesnar Attacks Bobby Lashley During WWE Raw Return
  • Brock Lesnar Attacks Bobby Lashley During WWE Raw Return

    Brock Lesnar Attacks Bobby Lashley During WWE Raw Return

    Brock Lesnar didn’t stay away from WWE television for long as he returned on the season premiere edition of Monday Night Raw. 

    It happened when Lesnar came out and hit a few F5s to United States Champion Bobby Lashley, who was slated to defend the title against Seth Rollins. Lashley also put him in the kimura. It appears this may have been done to set up a rematch between them at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia next month. 

    https://twitter.com/btsportwwe/status/1579655545266413568

    Brock is Back

    Lesnar was last seen on WWE programming when he wrestled Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in a last man standing match in the main event of the SummerSlam event. Lesnar came up short in that match that was supposed to put an “end” to their rivalry but went out in style when he lifted up the ring with a tractor that sent Reigns tumbling out of the ring. 

    As of this writing, Lesnar is advertised for the WWE Day 1 premium event on January 1, 2023, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, the Royal Rumble next January in San Antonio, TX, and WrestleMania 39 next April in Los Angeles, CA.  

    WWE will likely add him to more shows in the coming days. 

  • Backstage News on Who is Training Logan Paul for WWE Crown Jewel Match

    Backstage News on Who is Training Logan Paul for WWE Crown Jewel Match

    WWE has selected two agents to be in charge of training Logan Paul for his upcoming Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel. 

    This match is expected to headline the Crown Jewel event on November 5 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. PWInsider reports that former WWE Cruiserweight Champions Shane Helms and Drew Gulak are training Paul. 

    Logan Paul Putting in The Work

    Logan Paul SummerSlam
    (WWE)

    The bout was made official during a press conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite only working a handful of matches so far in his pro wrestling career, this will mark Paul’s first championship match and main event. 

    Reigns is undefeated in his previous two matches at Crown Jewel events as at last year’s Crown Jewel, Reigns defeated his longtime rival Brock Lesnar to retain the Universal Championship.

    Paul called out Reigns after having him on his podcast. Paul speculated that he’d win in a match against Roman back in June, noting that his second-ever boxing opponent was Floyd Mayweather. He confronted Reigns on this past Friday’s SmackDown, where he had a promo segment that involved Reigns, flanked by Paul Heyman and The Usos. Paul promised to smash Paul worse than he’s ever been.

  • The Good Brothers Return to WWE on Raw

    The Good Brothers Return to WWE on Raw

    The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) are back in WWE as they returned during Monday Night Raw. 

    There was a segment in the second hour where Finn Balor was doing a promo in the ring with Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, and Rhea Ripley. He bragged about his win over Edge at Extreme Rules. 

    Balor gave AJ Styles a choice to side with Judgment Day or be against them. AJ came out and said he was not out there to argue with Balor, but everything he ever needed was standing in front of him. 

    Good Brothers Are Back

    AJ Styles with The Good Brothers
    AJ Styles with The Good Brothers

    He said he needed friends and hugged Balor, acting like he was going to join the group. Styles told him that he wasn’t talking about Balor. However, Gallows and Anderson walked out instead, leading to a brawl where Gallows and Anderson stood tall in the ring with Styles. 

    This was expected as the Good Brothers return was previously reported by PWinsider.com, where they were seen spotted filming content with Styles as they reunited The OC. 

    For what it’s worth, Anderson is the current NJPW NEVER Openweight Champion. Gallows and Anderson finished up with Impact Wrestling in August.

    WWE made overtures over the summer about having the Good Brother return when Vince McMahon was still with the company. However, a deal wasn’t reached because Gallows and Anderson wouldn’t come back for a cheap price. In 2019, they felt like they were burnt by WWE when they opted to re-sign instead of taking a deal with AEW, and WWE released them several months later.

  • Former ROH Stars Backstage For WWE Raw Season Premiere

    Former ROH Stars Backstage For WWE Raw Season Premiere

    Tonight WWE presents their season premiere of their flagship program Raw, which is taking place from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York, and will be featuring the reunion of the legendary Degeneration-X faction, as well as a number of matches from your favorite WWE superstars.

    However, aside from their normal talent and staff there are two unusual presences. According to PW Insider, former ROH stars Vincent and Dutch (aka Bill Carr) are backstage ahead of tonight’s show. The report does not mention whether the two men will be used on programming or if they are just visiting friends backstage.

    Vincent and Dutch were both members of the group known a The Righteous, and held ROH Six-man tag team gold together. While that was Dutch’s only title reign in ROH Vincent held the six-man title on four separate occasions.

    Dutch was actually signed to a WWE development contract back in 2010, and worked for the company’s FCW brand, which would eventually morph into NXT. He would be released in 2011 and began working steadily on the indies before making his way to Ring of Honor.

    Vincent just finished up a run in IMPACT Wrestling as a member of the Honor No More group.

    Stay tuned for more backstage updates.

  • Two WWE NXT Stars Worked Main Event Before Monday’s Raw

    Two WWE NXT Stars Worked Main Event Before Monday’s Raw

    Two WWE NXT stars got the chance to work in front of a large crowd for the first time in their careers at Monday’s Raw for the Main Event taping. 

    On WWE Main Event, Carmelo Hayes and Von Wagner will appear on this week’s episode.  R-Truth shared the ring with Wagner while Hayes wrestled Cedric Alexander. Before the Hayes vs. Alexander match, Hayes got to do some promo work. 

    More NXT Stars Work Main Event

    Carmelo Hayes

    Just last week, WWE brought in Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen, and Fallon Henley to work the Main Event taping at Monday Night Raw. It appears that WWE is going back to the trend of looking at its developmental talent on a bigger stage than NXT to see if they’re ready for the main roster. 

    At the October 22nd Halloween Havoc special, Hayes will work a Ladder match for the NXT North American Championship alongside Oro Mensah, Wes Lee, Wagner and the winner of Nathan Frazer vs. Axiom on Tuesday’s episode of NXT.

    Hayes lost the North American Title to Solo Sikoa on NXT TV last month before Sikoa was stripped of the title because he wasn’t authorized to participate. 

  • The Rock Officially Acknowledges Roman Reigns As The Tribal Chief

    The Rock Officially Acknowledges Roman Reigns As The Tribal Chief

    The Rock was interviewed by Chris Van Vliet recently to promote his new film BLACK ADAM. The Warner Bros. film is scheduled to be released on October 21st.

    Chris told The Rock that his super power is being kind to people and noted that The Great One has always been respectful towards him.

    Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson noted that being kind is one of the easiest things to do and it takes effort to be an ass****. The Brahma Bull revealed that his weakness was tequila during the interview. The Rock recently launched his Teremana tequila company.

    During the conversation, Chris asked The Rock how he would define success. The 50-year-old explained that he defines success by how he makes people feel.

    The number one anchoring element is to always make sure that people walk away feeling good. That’s important. They walk out of the theaters feeling good watching a movie, if they are watching it at home, they feel good when the credits are rolling.

    There’s a product that I’ve created and delivered, they feel good with that as well. I define success by how it makes people feel. I would also define success by raising some good babies if you are fortunate enough to have some kids.

    The Rock Acknowledges Roman Reigns

    CVV brought up WWE and asked The Great One if he was still keeping up with what is going on in the company. The Rock admitted that he did and acknowledge Roman Reigns as his Tribal Chief because that is his family.

    I do (acknowledge The Tribal Chief), it’s my family. I think they are doing a great job (The Bloodline). I think, what an interesting shift that the company has gone through this year, unexpected in many ways.

    But when unexpected things happen in that kind of way, especially in that business, you’ve got to have the ability and agility to pivot. Which they have, so with Roman, I think he’s doing a pretty good job. The boys too, The Usos too as well.

    Triple H recently spoke with Ariel Helwani of BT Sport and revealed that the window is closing for the dream match between The Rock and Roman Reigns. Roman has held the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship for 769 days. The Rock has become massively successful in Hollywood since exiting WWE.

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

  • Finn Balor Thinks it’s Time to Address ‘Unspoken Rivalry’ With Top WWE Star

    Finn Balor Thinks it’s Time to Address ‘Unspoken Rivalry’ With Top WWE Star

    Finn Balor believes that his and AJ Styles’ unspoken competitive rivalry needs addressing in the ring on WWE programming. 

    Their pre-WWE careers have some similarities as both stars arrived in WWE with over a decade of experience under their belts in the business and after stints as the leader of the Bullet Club faction in NJPW.

    They’ve only faced off in singles action once on WWE TV, which came in 2017 at the TLC pay-per-view event. Balor was victorious in this bout. Styles had accepted with less than two days’ notice after Balor’s original opponent Bray Wyatt was medically unable to compete.

    Finn Balor on Potential AJ Styles Feud

    While speaking with the New York Post, Balor noted that he feels there’s potential for a big rivalry with his and Styles’ pasts.

    “I feel like for 20-plus years, myself and AJ.’s careers ran side by side and never really overlapped with each other. The one match we did have (at TLC 2017) was by pure happenstance. I was scheduled to wrestle Bray Wyatt, but I think Bray came down with an illness and was pulled by WWE medical from the event and then we had the match with AJ.

    “That’s really the only interaction we’ve had up until very recently. I feel like me and AJ. have a big story to tell and a lot to prove to each other as well. I feel like we have an unspoken competitive rivalry, and I feel like that need to be addressed in the ring. I respect everything that AJ.’s done in his career. I’m very excited that the opportunity of the next couple months could lead us to that singles match with AJ.”

    As previously reported, Balor is set to receive a major push under the Triple H regime. At last Saturday’s Extreme Rules, he beat Edge in an I Quit Match.

  • Renee Paquette to Sign with AEW

    Renee Paquette to Sign with AEW

    Renee Paquette – a popular and critically acclaimed interviewer and commentator with World Wrestling Entertainment for nearly a decade – is expected to sign with All-Elite Wrestling, according to several sources.

    Paquette, who worked as Renee Young for WWE from 2012 to 2020 and was the first woman to announce an entire episode of WWE Raw, “could possibly debut … this week,” according to one source. Dynamite is in Toronto, Paquette’s home town.

    AEW has been working to find women to fill some of its TV announcing roles since the company started in 2019. Paquette – who worked with The Score in Canada prior to joining WWE – is a veteran broadcaster with experience conducting interviews, commentating, and hosting pre and post-shows. She would be the company’s biggest announcing signing since Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone. AEW recently signed Saraya Jade Bevis, who is expected to bolster AEW’s women’s division and fill in on announcing duties.

    Paquette left WWE in 2020. She began hosting her own podcast, The Sessions, in 2021 and video interviews on her own YouTube channel.

    She interviewed several players for the Cincinnati Bengals YouTube channel and website prior to the start of the NFL season. The Bengals announced on Oct. 6 she would begin hosting her own show, Renee All-Dey for the team.

    She released a cookbook in May 2021. She co-hosts Throwing Down with Renee and Miesha on Sirius XM with former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miehsa Tate.

    Fightful reported WWE had reached out to Paquette about returning to the company recently, but believed she would begin working with AEW.

    Paquette is married to Jon Moxley, AEW World Champion and company mainstay. AEW announced over the weekend it had signed Moxley to a 5-year contract which would include a role as a mentor/coach with the company. Moxley and AEW president Tony Khan were working on a handshake deal prior to the signing. Moxley and Paquette had their first child in June 2021. They live in the Cincinnati area.

  • Sean Waltman Hopes Chyna Is Honored On RAW Tonight

    Sean Waltman Hopes Chyna Is Honored On RAW Tonight

    Sean Waltman hopes that the late Chyna is honored during tonight’s WWE Monday Night RAW.

    As noted, we have some idea of what’s in store for tonight’s season premiere episode of Monday Night RAW on the USA Network.

    One of the planned segments includes four members of D-Generation X appearing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the group being formed. 

    WWE Hall Of Famer Sean Waltman is expected to be one of those members. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Waltman was asked about what he expects from the reunion tonight. Waltman noted that all members of the group are still around – except one.

    Sean-Waltman-and-and-DX-hall-of-fame
    Sean Waltman and DX at Hall Of Fame

    That being the late former Intercontinental and WWE Women’s Champion Chyna. Waltman hopes there is some mention of or honor for Chyna on tonight’s episode.

    “The only person that’s not with us obviously is Joanie (Laurer) [Chyna]. I hope that tonight, we don’t forget to honor her or we don’t just brush past that.

    “As far as the rest of us go, everyone is in a really good place right now. I’m pretty grateful for that.”

    Chyna has not been mentioned much on WWE TV in the past several years since her passing, and is also surprisingly not yet a member of the WWE Hall Of Fame.

    It will be interesting to see if that cycle is broken tonight – especially with Triple H now seated in a more authoritative position within creative.

    Quotes via Fightful

  • Vince McMahon VICE TV Documentary Air Date Changed

    Vince McMahon VICE TV Documentary Air Date Changed

    Vince McMahon will be featured in a VICE TV documentary soon, but fans will need to wait a bit longer before seeing it.

    Initially, the project was expected to be aired in October. It’s currently titled “The Nine Lives of Vince McMahon.” The expected air date was planned for October 18 from 8-10 PM ET.

    However, F4WOnline reports that VICE is now listing repeats of the first two episodes of “Tales from the Territories” for that slot instead.

    It’s unknown when the McMahon documentary will now air, but it’s also expected to be on a Tuesday as well.

    The documentary couldn’t come at a more perfect time. McMahon was forced to retire from his position with WWE amidst the ongoing sexual misconduct scandal surrounding him.

    Vince McMahon
    (via WWE)

    McMahon initially stepped down as CEO of WWE amidst the allegations, with Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan stepping in as co-CEOs to fill the void.

    Soon after, McMahon retired as head of creative with WWE, passing the reigns to Triple H. Now, McMahon is fully retired from involvement with WWE, ending a legendary run that resulted in the creation of the largest professional wrestling promotion the world has ever seen.

    The VICE TV documentary on McMahon is expected to cover his exit from the company as well.