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Category: WWE

  • Several WWE NXT Stars Expected to be Called Up Soon (Report)

    Several WWE NXT Stars Expected to be Called Up Soon (Report)

    Legado del Fantasma could be making their WWE main roster debut soon. 

    According to a report by Pwinsider.com today, the plan is for Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro & Elektra Lopez) to be part of the SmackDown roster when they make their main roster debut. It was added that they might appear as soon as this Friday’s episode of SmackDown.

    Their NXT Exit

    In August, Escobar was banished from NXT as part of a stipulation of losing to Tony D’Angelo at NXT Heatwave. A week after this show, there was a segment where Escobar picked up the rest of Legado del Fantasma in the parking lot because he wasn’t going to leave NXT without them. Dave Meltzer previously confirmed that Legado del Fantasma was slated for a main roster call-up.

    WWE holds this season’s premiere edition of SmackDown on Friday night from the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. 

    The show will feature a face-to-face confrontation between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and his next challenger Logan Paul ahead of their clash at Crown Jewel in November. Also, Gunther will defend the Intercontinental Title against Sheamus in a rematch from Clash at the Castle.

  • Who Convinced Daniel Cormier to Make WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Debut?

    Who Convinced Daniel Cormier to Make WWE Extreme Rules 2022 Debut?

    Daniel Cormier’s impending WWE debut would likely not have transpired if not for the actions of Seth Rollins.

    Cormier will be at this Saturday’s Extreme Rules Premium Live Event and officiate the Fight Pit match between Rollins and Matt Riddle.

    A former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Cormier retired from the Octagon in August 2020 at the UFC 252 event.

    Talking to Rollins

    Cormier had teased joining WWE in 2018, when he had a confrontation with Brock Lesnar, but nothing came of it at the time.

    Speaking with ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi, Cormier said that it was Rollins who began talks about him making an appearance (via Fightful.)

    “It wasn’t really from the people in charge. It was Seth Rollins, he texted me goes, ‘Real life-fighting in the fight pit and we may be in the market for a special guest referee, would you have any interest in it?’

    “So I said, Yeah, I’d be interested in doing it. I think that it’s fun. I think that what you guys have done has been a pleasure to watch.”

    Rollins Vs. Riddle will be the first Fight Pit match on WWE’s main roster, after the stipulation was used twice in NXT.

    Daniel Cormier: WWE Superstar?

    While Cormier is set to be the special guest referee at Extreme Rules, many expect that this is a stepping stone into an in-ring career.

    Fans have pointed out that Ken Shamrock, a fellow legend of UFC, also debuted in the WWE (then WWF) in 1997 as a guest referee.

    Shamrock officiated the Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart vs. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin I-Quit match from WrestleMania 13, before transitioning into a role as a wrestler.

  • “She’s Still Low-Key Honorable” – WWE SmackDown Star Praises Bayley For Being A Locker Room Leader

    “She’s Still Low-Key Honorable” – WWE SmackDown Star Praises Bayley For Being A Locker Room Leader

    Bayley returned to WWE at SummerSlam after spending a year away with a torn ACL. She arrived with IYO SKY & Dakota Kai in a group now known as Damage CTRL.

    The Role Model confronted Bianca Belair but Becky Lynch surprisingly stood by The EST’s side after losing her RAW Women’s Championship match against her. Damage CTRL retreated but has since gotten the better of Bianca on numerous occasions. Bayley pinned Bianca in a 6-woman tag team match at Clash at the Castle to pick up the win for Damage CTRL at the PLE earlier this month.

    On this past Monday’s edition of RAW, Damage CTRL beat Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, and Asuka down to close the show. Bianca Belair will defend the RAW Women’s Championship against Bayley in a Ladder Match this Saturday night at WWE Extreme Rules.

    Liv Morgan On What She Admires About Bayley

    WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan recently was a guest on Cageside Seats’ Bleav in Pro Wrestling show. The 28-year-old was asked if there was somebody that she watched while they were on top that had an influence on her and the champion answered Bayley.

    Before her turn (heel), I think Bayley. She is someone that I’ve had my entire WWE journey with. She was the locker room leader when I started in NXT. She always wants what is best for like, the betterment of the Women’s Division and women’s wrestling in general.

    It’s not just about her, or her being on top, or her looking fantastic. It’s about who you are in there with and everyone else.

    Host Rick Ucchino noted that Bayley is now associated with IYO SKY and Dakota Kai in Damage CTRL and The Role Model has helped elevate them in the group. IYO and Dakota recently captured the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Liv noted that Bayley wants her partners to shine just as much as she does, even when she’s portraying a heel.

    She wants her partners to shine. She wants to establish her partners, even when she’s being a bad guy. She’s still low-key honorable.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Bleav in Pro Wrestling and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Liv Morgan On Her Match Against Ronda Rousey At WWE Extreme Rules: “She’s Going To Have To Kill Me”

    Liv Morgan On Her Match Against Ronda Rousey At WWE Extreme Rules: “She’s Going To Have To Kill Me”

    Liv Morgan will be defending her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey once again this Saturday night at Extreme Rules.

    It will be an Extreme Rules match at the Premium Live Event this Saturday night. The Baddest Woman on the Planet has been playing mind games with the SmackDown Women’s Champion by claiming she is not capable of getting extreme.

    Morgan proved that wasn’t the case when she put Lacey Evans through a table outside the ring on a recent episode of the blue brand.

    Liv Morgan Says Ronda Rousey Will Have To Kill Her At WWE Extreme Rules

    The SmackDown Women’s Champion recently spoke with Rick Ucchino on the Bleav in Pro Wrestling show. Rick asked what Liv is willing to go through this Saturday night at Extreme Rules to keep her championship. The 28-year-old revealed that there are no lengths she won’t go to in order to win the match.

    There’s no lengths. Literally, there is nothing that I won’t do and I mean so very genuinely. There’s absolutely nothing that I wouldn’t do and there’s especially nothing that I wouldn’t do to keep this championship.

    Ronda (Rousey) is going to have to kill me. I’ve said it before, but I just mean that so quite literally like, you’re going to have to get creative if you think anything is going to keep me down from winning my championship or keeping my championship.

    It’s also, a part of me kind of thinks it’s like funny that people think that I’m crazy for challenging Ronda, who is not from this world (WWE), to a match that literally captured my heart into wrestling.

    Extreme Rules, the tables, the ladders, the chairs. That is why I fell in love with WWE. And you guys think that I am crazy for challenging a woman that is not from this sport to a match that made me fall in love with the business? It’s like, I think you’re crazy.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Bleav in Pro Wrestling show and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • Liv Morgan On Getting Booed By Fans After WWE SummerSlam: “It Was What I Needed”

    Liv Morgan On Getting Booed By Fans After WWE SummerSlam: “It Was What I Needed”

    Liv Morgan was a fan-favorite heading into WWE Money in the Bank and fans were elated when she captured the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Ronda Rousey at the Premium Live Event.

    However, fans started to cool on the 28-year-old and even began to boo her following WWE SummerSlam. Liv defended the title against Ronda at this year’s SummerSlam and retained in a match that ended in controversy. Ronda appeared to have the match won via submission but her shoulders were down at the same time.

    The referee counted to three while Liv was tapping out but still awarded her the victory. Ronda lost it following the match and attacked the champion. She also beat down the official before WWE security rushed the ring.

    Liv Morgan On WWE Fans Booing Her After SummerSlam

    Speaking on Cageside Seats’ Bleav in Pro Wrestling show, the SmackDown Women’s Champion spoke about the fans booing her during a promo following SummerSlam. Rick Ucchino asked when Liv felt like it was time to get work as champion and she named her promo after SummerSlam.

    It was the week after SummerSlam actually. It was cutting that promo in the ring, it was having fans pissed at me. It was such a reality dose to me that I’ll never forget, but was so grateful and appreciative to have that experience in a weird way.

    Which I know sounds weird because I was getting booed. But it was just like, what I needed I feel like, to kind of really like, this is real. You are the champion, you are representing the company. You are representing this title. Everything that you do matters.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Bleav in Pro Wrestling with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • “I Am The Best Woman For The Job” – Liv Morgan On Her Run As SmackDown Women’s Champion In WWE

    “I Am The Best Woman For The Job” – Liv Morgan On Her Run As SmackDown Women’s Champion In WWE

    Liv Morgan is scheduled to put her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Ronda Rousey this Saturday night at WWE Extreme Rules.

    The 28-year-old captured the title from the Baddest Woman on the Planet at Money in the Bank. She won the women’s ladder match and cashed in on the same night after Ronda defeated Natalya to retain the title. Liv defended the title against Ronda at SummerSlam but was able to escape with a victory following a controversial finish.

    Rousey won a Fatal 5-Way on a recent edition of the blue brand to once again earn a shot at the title at the Premium Live Event on Saturday night.

    Liv Morgan On Being Confident As SmackDown Women’s Champion

    WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan recently spoke with Rick Ucchino on the Bleav in Pro Wrestling show. Rick asked Liv if anything has changed for her as champion, whether it be nervousness or anything along those lines. The champion responded with the following:

    I think it went from like disbelief ‘oh my gosh I can’t believe I’m the champion, am I really the champion?’ to like ‘I’m the champion.’ It’s been a process, it has been a journey.

    I think in the beginning I was in such disbelief that I’d made my dreams come true that it took a couple of weeks for this to settle in and feel real.

    It didn’t feel real for what feels like forever. I remember people asking me ‘does it feel real yet?’ and it had been like a month and a half later and I’m still like ‘no’.

    But I feel like over the past couple of weeks, the last month or so, it’s really settled.

    It doesn’t feel like, ‘yes thank you, I’m grateful to be champion.’ It feel like I’m the SmackDown Women’s Champion.

    I am the rightful SmackDown Women’s Champion and I am perhaps the best woman for the job right now.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Bleav in Pro Wrestling and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • “I Have Been Incredibly Blessed” – Big E Thanks WWE Fans For Supporting Him During His Injury

    “I Have Been Incredibly Blessed” – Big E Thanks WWE Fans For Supporting Him During His Injury

    Big E fractured his C1 and C6 vertebrae in his neck on the March 11th edition of SmackDown. Ridge Holland went for an overhead throw outside the ring and Big E landed on his neck on the floor.

    He recently disclosed on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast that he will be re-evaluated in March of next year to how his neck is progressing, but doctors are not worried about his ability to live a normal life.

    “I’m just really grateful. Honestly, it feels like a bullet whizzed by my face. I felt the wind of the bullet go by my head and I’m very grateful to still be here, to have use of my limbs, to still feel good. That’s really my biggest takeaway, is just gratitude. I try to be grateful that I’m still here. I’m still kicking.”

    Big E Thanks The WWE Universe For Their Support

    Former WWE Champion Big E appeared on The Bump today and delivered a message to fans. While his arm was wrapped around former WWE Superstar Tyler Breeze, he thanked the fans for supporting him and added that he’s incredibly blessed. The 36-year-old told fans to not worry about him and to hug their loved ones.

    I am here to send a message of love and zen. I am thankful now in my older years. I’m very thankful for the beautiful friendships that I have and it is a pleasure to make all of you laugh.

    For everyone who has supported me, for everyone that has asked about my neck, thank you so much. I’m doing well, life is good. I have been incredibly blessed and it’s been a great year for me. So don’t worry about your boy, I am doing well. And hug your friends, hug the people you love.

  • The Big Red Machine: WWE to Celebrate 25th Anniversary of Kane

    The Big Red Machine: WWE to Celebrate 25th Anniversary of Kane

    The WWE Universe will once again walk through hell, fire, and brimstone as they prepare to celebrate a quarter-century of the Hall of Famer Kane. 

    This month marks 25 years since Kane’s debut in WWE, infamously appearing at the 1997 In Your House: Bad Blood event, during the inaugural Hell in a Cell match. 

    Prior to this, Glenn Jacobs, the man under the mask, had competed on WWF programming as evil dentist Isaac Yankem, as well as the fake Diesel. 

    Celebration

    With today marking 25 years exactly since Kane’s debut, it was fitting that WWE made their announcement today. 

    In a statement, the promotion addressed Kane’s first appearance, costing his brother The Undertaker, and his feuds with stars such as ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Triple H. 

    WWE will be celebrating the legacy of the Devil’s Favorite Demon in the coming weeks with Kane-themed Top 10 videos and WWE PLaylist. 

    Throwback videos featuring classic Kane moments will also be shared, and fans are encouraged to join in using the hashtag #Kane25.

    Kane: A Retrospective

    Possibly WWE’s most successful example of a ‘monster’ Kane has been one of the company’s most successful stars. 

    Less than a year into his run, Kane won the WWF Title (admittedly for one day) but would have longer reigns as ECW and World Heavyweight Champion. 

    In 2001’s Royal Rumble match, Kane set a record with eleven eliminations, a record that would last until 2014 when Roman Reigns broke this streak.

    In 2021, Kane, now the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

    Kane Praises Vince McMahon For Perfecting PPV Model
  • Bayley Teases Potential Return To NXT

    Bayley Teases Potential Return To NXT

    Former WWE NXT Women’s Champion Bayley has teased potentially returning to the NXT brand.

    Currently, Bayley is involved in the RAW Women’s Title picture over on Monday Nights, but she appears to have some interest in making a return to NXT soon after this week’s episode.

    During a Grayson Waller Effect segment involving Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez, it was announced that the pair will pick the other’s opponents over the next two weeks.

    The guidelines for the ordeal indicated that ‘the entire WWE roster is fair game.’ Perez and Jade are slated to face off at the NXT Halloween Havoc pay-per-view (PPV) on October 22.

    With the possibility of one of these ladies facing off against a main roster star looming, Bayley took to Twitter to seemingly throw her name in the hat.

    It’s not unusual for main roster stars to appear on NXT; with several having done so already this year such as AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Natalya, and Dolph Ziggler.

    On this week’s show, Butch & Ridge Holland of the Brawling Brutes made an appearance, wrestling NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly. Holland and Butch were defeated thanks to some interference from Imperium.

    Bayley
    Bayley

    As for Bayley, her last appearance on WWE NXT was back in June of 2020 when she and Sasha Banks defended the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against Shotzi & Tegan Nox.

  • Update on Montez Ford’s Injury from Latest WWE Raw

    Update on Montez Ford’s Injury from Latest WWE Raw

    Montez Ford’s injury as seen on the latest episode of Monday Night Raw may not be as legitimate as first believed.

    On Raw, Ford and Angelo Dawkins appeared in a segment with The Usos and revealed Ford’s injury.

    Jey Uso warned Ford that saying something disrespectful would result in his other foot in a boot, and the camera panned down to show Ford right foot in a walking boot.

    The Street Profits last competed on the September 24, WWE Live event in Vancouver, where the former Tag Team Champions defeated Alpha Academy.

    The Boot

    WWE has not publicly confirmed what kind of injury Ford is dealing with.

    In an update from Fightful Select, it was reported that it is unclear backstage whether this injury is legitimate or for the show.

    It was noted that WWE’s props department was tasked with sourcing a walking boot for Ford, instead of the company’s medical team.

    If legitimate, no report has come out regarding when Ford suffered this alleged injury or how long he will be out of action for.

    What’s next?

    If this injury to Ford is for programming and nothing else, then it does beg the question: what’s next for the Street Profits?

    On Raw, Angelo Dawkins had a rare singles outing, with the former SmackDown Tag Team Champion losing to the Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa.

    Next week’s Monday Night Raw will be the season premiere of the red brand, and feature the entire Bloodline, including Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

    The Street Profits want a Former WWE Champion in Their Stable
  • MJF Calls New WWE Hiring the “Salt of the Earth”

    MJF Calls New WWE Hiring the “Salt of the Earth”

    AEW’s MJF has shown a slightly less nasty side, calling WWE’s new hiring Rob Fee the ‘Salt of the Earth.’

    Fee was hired by WWE this month and has already been working hard, producing content for the promotion’s White Rabbit videos.

    On Twitter, MJF showed his appreciation to Fee.

    Rob Fee

    Fee has had a prolific career outside of the wrestling industry.

    On his official LinkedIn, Fee touts his experience as a horror writer for Marvel, having worked with the comic giant with some of their most popular characters.

    Fee has written for Spider-Man, Daredevil, and the Avengers just to name a few.

    He also was a head writer on multiple Disney shows, including 100 episodes of Disney XD’s top-rated series PLAYER SELECT.

    Fee also produced content for Will Smith’s ‘The Fresh Prince Reunion’ and was a producer on The Ellen Show.

    He has also served as a creative consultant for Netflix.

    His new role in WWE will see him report to Bruce Prichard and maintain consistency across all WWE brands for long-term storytelling.

    The White Rabbit?

    Fee’s hiring to WWE comes at a very interesting time given his connection to Bray Wyatt.

    Fightful Select reports that Fee pitched a movie related to The Fiend last year, which is said to have resonated well with WWE’s higher-ups.

    The project had the possibility of being green-lit, before Wyatt’s release in July 2021 ended any plans for a ‘The Fiend’ film.

    Fee is known for being a longtime fan of pro wrestling and sources within WWE said that he is very familiar with the product.

    MJF Vows To Never Wrestle ‘Slob’ Eddie Kingston
  • Mick Foley on Sheamus’ Recent Run: “Banger After Banger After Banger”

    Mick Foley on Sheamus’ Recent Run: “Banger After Banger After Banger”

    WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has become the latest person to acknowledge the role that Sheamus has been on as of late.

    The veteran WWE Superstar has received praise for his work in recent years, especially after being a key player during the company’s pandemic era of programming.

    On Twitter, Mick Foley acknowledged the year Sheamus has been having, calling it “banger after banger after banger.

    This got a response from Sheamus himself, who added one more ‘banger’ for good measure.

    Banger After Banger

    Sheamus certainly has been on a role as of late, feuding with his best friend Drew McIntyre last year.

    Not long after, Sheamus would have a lengthy run as U.S. Champion, and has had criticially praised work with Ridge Holland and Butch this year.

    At WrestleMania: Sunday, Sheamus and Holland defeated the New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.

    Sheamus’ match at Clash at the Castle against Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER has also been praised, earning five stars from Dave Meltzer for his match at Clash at the Castle.

    The match marks the first five-star match of Sheamus’ career.

    Sheamus: Grand Slam Champion?

    In his 13 years since joining the main-roster, Sheamus has accomplished ALMOST everything there is.

    Mere months after his debut, the Celtic Warrior became WWE Champion, the third-quickest rise from debut to World Champion (behind Ric Flair and Brock Lesnar.)

    Sheamus would capture the United States Champion in 2011, and would win his first of several tag titles in 2016.

    Right now, the Intercontinental Championship is the only title alluding the Celtic Warrior.

    After unsuccessfully challenging at WWE Clash at the Castle, Sheamus will challenge GUNTHER on this Friday’s SmackDown.

    Sheamus Reveals Storyline That Helped Reignite His Passion For Wrestling
  • Former WWE Superstar Lana Reveals How She Impressed Dusty Rhodes In NXT & How She Got Into Acting

    Former WWE Superstar Lana Reveals How She Impressed Dusty Rhodes In NXT & How She Got Into Acting

    Former WWE Superstar Lana, known in the real world as CJ Perry, was recently interviewed on The Man Cave Chronicles to promote her new film and the reality TV series ‘The Surreal Life’.

    Lana spent 8 years in WWE before being released in June 2021. The 37-year-old is married to All Elite Wrestling star Miro, who wrestled as Rusev in WWE. CJ Perry is in the recently released movie ‘WIFELIKE’ and you can check out the trailer below.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRUixPv9Bro

    Lana On How Acting Helped Her WWE Career & How She Impressed Dusty Rhodes

    CJ Perry explained on The Man Cave Chronicles that she actually started off as an actor and as a dancer in her career before signing with WWE in 2013.

    “I actually started off in acting. I started off in Hollywood. So, I think I have a different journey than 99% of people in wrestling. I started off as a professional dancer as a ballerina in Russia. I moved to Los Angeles when I was like 18 years old, coming back from Florida State and then Hollywood, I was just diving into it. Dancing on a lot of different shows and movies, like Pitch Perfect.”

    CJ noted that acting helped her accelerate a lot quicker in WWE and shared how she was able to impressive Dusty Rhodes in NXT.

    Acting really helped me accelerate a lot quicker in WWE because I was basically able to build characters with words. That is what acting taught me, and I got signed in 2013, started in July.

    I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Glow, but one of the characters who plays the Russian, she would come in with like five different character pitches. That was literally what I was doing in developmental.

    I would come to Dusty Rhodes and I’m like ‘here I have seven different character pitches, this is one poster with all the different ideas and catchphrases and costumes’.

    In promo class, I would come with like five different people, we would have this huge elaborate scene that they had really never seen before.

    Because most people in developmental come up there and just do a promo, you know? I’m like directing five people and just kind of doing the most. Dusty Rhodes was always really impressed with my creativity, ambition, and work ethic.

    I was really lucky, a month later I was paired with my husband (Miro) at the time he was going by Rusev. And we got paired as ‘the big bad Russians’.

    If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Man Cave Chronicles with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

  • John Cena Shares Heartwarming Story About Record-Breaking WWE Fan

    John Cena Shares Heartwarming Story About Record-Breaking WWE Fan

    16-time World Champion John Cena has shared a heartwarming story about a WWE fan who breaks records while dressed as him.

    Matthew Akpan was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome later in life at the age of 24. He grew up in Leeds and attended Manchester Metropolitan University but wasn’t succeeding. Matt thought something was holding him back and was diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2013.

    His father passed away the same year and Matthew decided to pay tribute to him in a unique way. He dressed up as John Cena and started running marathons. Matt told Leeds-Live that he watched wrestling for twenty years with his father and wanted to pay tribute to him.

    Unfortunately, my father died in 2013, we watched wrestling for like 20 years and I thought that as a tribute to him and victim support, so I wanted to become a superhero, so I chose John Cena as he has done a lot for children.I thought he would be the best one to do, even though it wasn’t easy it was easy in his style, I ended up with a lot of blisters, scars and rash burns.

    Matt participated in the York Marathon in 2021 in an attempt to achieve a world record. Guinness gave him a target time of three hours and thirty minutes to complete the race and Matt finished in less than three hours. He now holds the record as the first person to complete a marathon dressed as a professional wrestler.

    John Cena took to Twitter to share the story and complimented Matthew on running for a cause and with purpose. Cena ended the tweet with his “never give up” catchphrase as an acronym.

    A fun record worth celebrating for it’s substance and message (and maybe it’s style). Thanks to @GWR for recognizing a young man who is running for a cause and with purpose. #NGU

  • WWE Legend On The Booking Of Austin Theory: “What Have They Done To My Boy?”

    WWE Legend On The Booking Of Austin Theory: “What Have They Done To My Boy?”

    Austin Theory was a surprise addition to the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match at the Premium Live Event in July and emerged victorious.

    The 25-year-old had previously spent months conversing with former WWE CEO Vince McMahon in backstage segments. It seemed like he was destined to be the next big thing in the company but that doesn’t appear to the be the case anymore, at least at the moment.

    Since winning the Money in the Bank contract, Theory has been an afterthought on WWE television. He attempted to cash in the MITB contract during the main event of Clash at the Castle but got leveled by boxer Tyson Fury in the front row.

    According to his match listing on Pro Fight Database, he hasn’t even won a match at a live event since August 21st when he defeated Dolph Ziggler at Sunday Stunner. Austin Theory has gone 0-15 since picking up a win over the showoff. Theory is scheduled to face Johnny Gargano next week on RAW at the Barclays Center in New York.

    Jim Cornette Criticizes WWE’s Booking of Austin Theory

    The legendary manager spoke about Theory’s downfall in the company on the latest edition of the Jim Cornette Experience. Jim noted that Austin Theory used to be the chosen one and has all the tools needed to be a star in the industry.

    He claimed that Theory is nothing but a “flunky” now and is clinging to the Money in the Bank briefcase to remain relevant. Cornette criticized how WWE talent won’t look at the camera during backstage interviews as well.

    Austin Theory, what have they done to my boy?,” said Cornette. “He did a backstage interview and it was more noticeable here because he’s a guy that wants to look at people he’s talking to, and wants to as a cocky heel.

    You could tell he’s trying not to look at the camera because they’re still telling, for whatever reason that Vince [McMahon] had in his demented mind, the talent still in a pre-tape backstage with an interview will not look at the camera because Vince didn’t like that.

    This guy was going to be the chosen one, he got the Money in the Bank briefcase, he was Vince’s [McMahon] protege. He’s a tremendous worker. He’s got the physical tools, everything. And now just, whatever he did to piss whoever off since Vince has been gone he’s a flunky.

    He’s clinging to that Money in the Bank briefcase by a thread and that is the only thing he’s got in his back pocket. And he had that before they started this tear-down project.

    H/T: Sportskeeda Wrestling

  • WWE Extreme Rules: Match Card, Date & Time, How to Watch

    WWE Extreme Rules: Match Card, Date & Time, How to Watch

    WWE Extreme Rules is the company’s next premium live event.

    This year marks the 14th installment of Extreme Rules as a standalone show. It was established in 2009. This year’s event takes place in Philadelphia, PA.

    Extreme Rules follows last month’s Clash at the Castle and before next month’s Crown Jewel and Survivor Series premium live events.

    WWE Extreme Rules Match Card

    The following matches are confirmed for WWE Extreme Rules 2022:

    • WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey (Extreme Rules Match)
    • Matt Riddle vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins (Fight Pit Match with Daniel Cormier as guest referee)
    • Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross (Strap Match)
    • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair vs. Bayley (Ladder Match)
    • Edge vs. Finn Balor (I Quit Match)
    • The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Ridge Holland, and Butch) vs. Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vince) (Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook Match)

    Check out:

    When is WWE Extreme Rules?

    WWE Extreme Rules takes place Saturday, October 8th from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center. The main card of this premium live event starts at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.

    How to Watch

    WWE Extreme Rules streams live on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network internationally.

  • Former WWE Star Alicia Fox Gets Engaged (Photos)

    Former WWE Star Alicia Fox Gets Engaged (Photos)

    Alicia Fox has been away from the public eye for the last few years, but she was back on the radar today with some wonderful news.

    The former WWE star is now engaged to be married. Her fiance revealed on Instagram that the couple is engaged. 

    The Engagement

    alicia-fox
    Alicia Fox

    “Yesterday was a perfect day,” he wrote in the caption. “She said Yes!!!” A series of photos were included of the couple celebrating their engagement. 

    The photos also show off Fox’s new engagement ring, which put her extensive arm tattoos on display she appears to have added since leaving WWE. Fox’s fiance is a musician and surfer. Fox was congratulated by WWE stars such as Mickie James and Natalya in the comments.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CjSqcKir_qh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Over the years, Fox has been open about her battles with alcoholism and the incident involving then-WWE producer Arn Anderson, who allowed her to wrestle while intoxicated. 

    WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross noted on social media earlier this year that Fox has been clean and sober for three years. Fox was quietly moved to the alumni section of WWE’s roster in October 2019, having been with the company since her pro wrestling debut in 2006. 

    Her most recent WWE appearance was this past January by working the Women’s Royal Rumble match as a surprise participant. Congratulations to the happy couple.

  • WWE Planning to Debut a New NXT Set

    WWE Planning to Debut a New NXT Set

    After taking two weeks off from live shows in favor of taping episodes last month, WWE NXT returns to the USA Network and will look different than it has in the past year.

    Bryan Alvarez noted on today’s Wrestling Observer Live that he has heard that a new set will debut tonight, which is why the last couple of weeks of shows were taped.

    “As I talked about a couple of days ago, there’s gonna be a new set of some sort,” Alvarez said. “But I was told it was not gonna be as dramatic as the switch from NXT 1.0 to NXT 2.0.”

    Although Alvarez indicated that the set will debut tonight, it will not be as elaborate as the previous set. The colors will likely match the new NXT logo that has gone away from the bright colors to the black, yellow, and white fans are high on. 

    WWE NXT Card

    Grayson Waller
    WWE
    • Qualifying match for the North American title ladder match at Halloween Havoc: Andre Chase vs. Von Wagner
    • Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne vs. Alba Fyre, Nikkita Lyons & Zoey Stark
    • Pretty Deadly’s State of the Commonwealth address
    • The Grayson Waller Effect with Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade
    • The Brawling Brutes to appear

    H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

  • WWE Hires Former Marvel & Disney Writer

    WWE Hires Former Marvel & Disney Writer

    WWE has filled a new position with an interesting name. 

    Fightful Select reported today that WWE has hired horror writer Rob Fee, starting full-time work in October and officially signing this week for the spot of Director of Longtime creative. 

    Prior to joining the company, he once pitched a Fiend-related movie that resonated well with WWE higher-ups and had the possibility of getting produced, but that all changed when WWE released Bray Wyatt in 2021.

    Fee’s experience includes working as a horror writer for Marvel in the past, and he has been well regarded for his work. He has written comics for Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Avengers and was head writer on several Disney shows. 

    He’s Behind The QR Codes

    WWE logo

    One of Fee’s early projects with WWE has been directing and producing the QR code-related cryptic messages that fans have seen on television in recent weeks. These vignettes have been getting a lot of buzz among fans on social media with the speculation that WWE is doing this for the return of Bray Wyatt.

    Fee is said to be a longtime follower of wrestling, and those within the company said he was very familiar with the product.

  • Original Plans for WWE Raw Main Event

    Original Plans for WWE Raw Main Event

    WWE didn’t always have IYO SKY vs. Alexa Bliss planned as the main event of this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. 

    The former NXT Women’s Champion went over Bliss in the headliner of Raw’s Extreme Rules go-home edition. Fightful Select reported today that at one point, the plan was to close the show with AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio vs. The Judgment Day.

    However, plans changed with Finn Balor and Damian Priest’s win over Styles and Mysterio being booked as the show opener. There’s no word yet on why the plans were changed.

    WWE Raw Producers

    Alexa Bliss

    Here is a list of the producers for the matches and segments featured on the show: 

    • Judgment Day vs. Rey Mysterio & AJ Styles: Jamie Noble
    • Bobby Lashley vs. Mustafa Ali: Shane Helms
    • Matt Riddle, Seth Rollins face off: Jason Jordan
    • Candice LeRae vs. Dakota Kai: Molly Holly
    • Johnny Gargano vs. Otis: Shawn Daivari
    • Braun Strowman vs. Chad Gable: Shawn Daivari
    • Raw Women’s Title contract signing: Petey Williams
    • Angelo Dawkins vs. Solo Sikoa: Michael Hayes
    • Alexa Bliss vs. IYO SKY: Petey Williams

    At Extreme Rules, Balor will wrestle Edge in an I Quit Match, while Bayley of Damage CTRL will challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Title in a Ladder Match.

  • Drew McIntyre Is Not A Fan Of Logan Paul Getting A World Title Shot

    Drew McIntyre Is Not A Fan Of Logan Paul Getting A World Title Shot

    WWE’s decision to put Logan Paul in a world title match at Crown Jewel has divided fan opinion. Drew McIntyre seems to be opposed to the idea of the YouTube star getting a world title shot without working his way up the card.

    The former WWE champion recently had an interview with MySanantonio.com. He talked about things such as his match against Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle.

    Speaking about the upcoming match between Paul and Roman Reigns, McIntyre said that he understands the celebrity involvement. However, he then explained that the title should be reserved for people who have put in the time:

    “Logan Paul has done a great job, but I don’t know about fighting for the titles. I think the titles should be reserved for people who worked up the card and put the time in.

    It will be a spectacle and Roman will smash him and people will talk about it.” said Drew McIntyre, “That is what it is all about, I guess.”

    The Scottish Warrior then claimed that he will do exactly the same and work his way up to get another chance to win the WWE Universal championship. He will beat the entire Bloodline to get his hands on the world title again.

    Apart from this, Drew McIntyre talked about things such as Vince McMahon retiring from WWE and more. You can check out his full interview here.

  • Watch: Top Stars Brawl After Raw Goes Off Air

    Watch: Top Stars Brawl After Raw Goes Off Air

    Seth Rollins and Riddle continued their very personal rivalry on this week’s episode of Raw and the build-up for their match continued even after the show went off air.

    The main event of this week’s episode of the brand saw Io Sky defeating Alexa Bliss in a one-on-one match with help from her Damage CTRL partners. An injured Asuka tried to save both Bliss and Bianca Belair from a post-match beatdown.

    The WWE faction, however, managed to get the upper hand. The show ended with a shot of Bayley, IO Sky and Dakota Kai all holding championship gold on top of a ladder.

    What Happened After Raw Went Off Air

    Both Riddle and Seth Rollins were featured in a very personal promo segment on the show. Daniel Cormier also made an appearance on the Titan Tron and said that he’ll see them both in Philadelphia.

    The on-air segment ended with Rollins knocking Riddle’s hat and heading to the back. Though this wasn’t the end of the night for these stars and they were involved in a brawl after the cameras stopped rolling:

    https://twitter.com/AnthroIgnitex/status/1577135759102185473

    Seth Rollins and Riddle will face each other in a Fight Pit at Extreme Rules this Saturday. Daniel Cormier will serve as the special guest referee for this bout.

  • Breakdown of WWE’s Latest White Rabbit Clues

    Breakdown of WWE’s Latest White Rabbit Clues

    WWE dropped some more clues for the White Rabbit mystery during the October 3rd edition of RAW.

    For the past several weeks, the 1967 song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane has been played randomly at live events or during commercial breaks on RAW or SmackDown.

    A QR code originally appeared behind Austin Theory before his singles match against Kevin Owens on a recent episode of RAW. The code took fans to a secret WWE website with a game of Hang Man. The question posed was “Who killed the world?” and the answer provided was “YOU DID”.

    Additional codes have been provided recently, including one of this past Friday’s edition of SmackDown that featured a cartoon pig and a big bad wolf. You can check out our deep dive on WWE’s White Rabbit here.

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1ZcN74CSDJo

    More White Rabbit Clues Appear Tonight On WWE RAW

    During this week’s edition of RAW, another QR code briefly appeared on the screen. When scanned, the code takes fans to a painting of Samson and Deliah. There is a number on the image that when googled takes you to White Rabbit milk.

    WWE fans are already hard at work to try and solve the latest clues. Fox’s Ryan Satin has posted several images from the new clues dropped tonight on RAW. A code provided in the latest set of clues reveals the date of WWE Extreme Rules (October 8th).

    Many fans pointed out that the QR code appeared shortly after Alexa Bliss appeared on RAW.

    Bray Wyatt tweeted out the following image last year and the latest code reminded some fans of the post.

    What do you make of the new clues? Let us know in the comments section below.

  • WWE Teasing Heel Turn for Top Star

    WWE Teasing Heel Turn for Top Star

    It looks like a heel turn is coming for a top WWE star, and that’s AJ Styles, following this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw. 

    Styles and Rey Mysterio lost a tag team match to Damian Priest and Finn Balor on the show. The finish happened when Mysterio was preoccupied with Dominik at ringside, and this distraction allowed Rhea Ripley to take out Rey at ringside Styles fought the final moments of the match by himself.

    The Angle

    AJ Styles
    (via WWE)

    Post-match, Styles was upset with Mysterio and shoved him. Styles was then attacked by The Judgment Day. Balor could be heard yelling at Styles to listen to him and join his group, which is similar to what he did during the weeks before Dominik joined them.

    This would imply that the company is hinting that Styles will eventually turn on Mysterio and join The Judgment Day in the near future.

    As previously reported, WWE is planning to give Balor a big push shortly, which makes his I Quit match more interesting against Edge at this Saturday’s Extreme Rules event in Philadelphia, PA. 

  • Montez Ford Dealing With an Injury

    Montez Ford Dealing With an Injury

    Former WWE Tag Team Champion Montez Ford is injured. The news was kept quiet until this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.

    In a backstage segment, The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Sami Zayn bumped into The Street Profits. Zayn gave a “warning” to Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins to let them know that they would need to acknowledge Roman Reigns next week.

    The Reveal

    Jey Uso told Ford to go ahead and say something disrespectful; he’d put his other foot in a boot. The camera panned down to show Ford’s right foot in a tall walking boot. A match ended up being set between Sikoa and Dawkins was set up for Raw. 

    The last time Ford and Dawkins wrestled was on the September 24 house show against Alpha Academy. Although not confirmed, that could be when he suffered the injury, or it may have been something the fan favorite star has been dealing with for a while.

    There is no word on the severity of the injury or how long he might be out of action. We wish him a speedy recovery. It will be interesting to see if WWE keeps Dawkins on television while Ford is on the sidelines.