WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long seemingly went on a blocking spree this weekend that included some of today’s most popular wrestlers.
It went viral, with AEW and WWE stars tweeting out images of being blocked by the 75-year-old. Today, the former SmackDown GM let everyone know that his account was hacked and he did not go on a blocking spree on Twitter.
Teddy stated that his account may have been hacked by someone he actually did block recently. The WWE legend added that he will be appearing on a couple of podcasts in the near future to discuss what happened in more detail.
Here are Teddy’s comments and you can check them out in the video below.
“Hey what’s up playas, It is WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long. I just wanted to get on here this morning and let everybody know, I’m right here at LA Fitness, my second home. Somebody hacked my Twitter account and I have no idea who it was.
I think it was somebody that I blocked that was mad that I blocked them. And then they wanted to hack my sh*t and block everybody else. Well I want to thank them because the first thing they did was to get me trending.
This is like the third time I’ve ever been trending so that tells me ‘Teddy Long, you still got it.’ But let me explain this to you playas, I didn’t block anybody. That person that hacked me, I might have blocked him and you can see why I blocked him.
My Twitter is verified, I didn’t block anybody. So I don’t want you all mad at me and maybe next week we will talk further about this. I’ll be doing maybe a couple of podcasts and we will be talking more about it. But I didn’t block anybody, just letting you all know my Twitter was hacked. Playas, I love all of y’all.”
WWE’s Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns has shared some strong words for wrestlers who aren’t pleased with celebrities taking spots on the card.
Celebrity involvement in wrestling matches is nothing new, with WWE, AEW, WCW and other promotions bringing in big names to attract mainstream attention.
At Crown Jewel, Reigns will defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Logan Paul, who while technically a signed WWE Superstar, is best known for his career outside the ring.
Be So Good
Celebrity matches have often been criticized by wrestling fans and those in the industry alike. With so many stars trying to appear on a wrestling card and only a select few places, many feel these celebrities are taking away from a more deserving talent.
Speaking to Seconds Out, Reigns addressed this complaint and said that its up to a wrestler to make themselves irreplaceable.
“Be so good that nobody can take your spot. I don’t care who they bring in, you can bring in anyone, and they ain’t going to take the Tribal Chief’s spot.”
Roman Reigns on celebrity involvement in matches.
Reigns certainly doesn’t face the risk of being replaced, as he has become WWE’s biggest star in years, with today marking day 756 of his reign.
Logan Paul
Paul may still be seen as a celebrity first and a wrestler second, but his matches have impressed fans.
The YouTuber’s in-ring debut came at WrestleMania 38, where he teamed with The Miz to defeat the Mysterios.
At Summerslam, Paul defeated The Miz, who had turned on him following the WrestleMania victory.
Teddy Long has apparently gone on a blocking spree on Twitter that involves some of today’s most popular stars in WWE & AEW.
Teddy Long debuted in WWF in 1998 as a referee before becoming a manager for the promotion. In 2004, Teddy replaced Kurt Angle as the general manager of SmackDown and held that role until 2012. Long was made “senior advisor” to SmackDown GM Booker T before being released from the company in 2014. He has made occasion cameos for the company and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.
Former WWE personality Renee Young (Renee Paquette) posted a screen shot of her being blocked on social media and a bunch of other stars noticed they suffered the same on Twitter.
One-half of AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed, Anthony Bowens, also revealed that he’s no longer welcome on the former SmackDown GM’s profile. His teammate, Max Caster, is not blocked by Teddy.
Former WWE and Impact referee Brian Hebner responded to Brandi Lauren and said that the 75-year-old was indeed hacked because he is blocked despite being his “homie”.
Guys relax. His shot got hacked. I’m blocked too. And he is my Homie.
Guys relax. His shot got hacked. I’m blocked too. And he is my Homie. https://t.co/F5OeBRw4Kr
Cody Rhodes is ready to get back into the ring for WWE.
The American Nightmare has been on the shelf since June with a torn pec, with his last match being the classic Hell in a Cell encounter against Seth Rollins where his injury was present for the whole world to see. Rhodes was heavily applauded by fans, colleagues, and analysts for his gutsy performance on that night, but it came at a time when he was the hottest act in WWE.
However, Rhodes remains optimistic. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports the former three-time AEW TNT champion is ready to get back into the squared circle, and even hints that his run this time will be even more epic than the first. He does add that doctors are refusing to give him a return timetable due to a fear that he will test its limits.
“You know they haven’t really given me one because they know I’m stupid, and I’d try to test it. I got in my mind where I want to be, and I think a lot of fans have in their mind where I’d like to be, and that’s hopefully where it’s at.
Right now, I do actually agree with what’s going on because I think what happens next hopefully and what we do, and this is all speculative up in the air. Hopefully, it’s a run that people remember, and I got to be healthy for it.”
“Best Three Months Of My Life”
Rhodes was also asked about how he feels WWE has handled his return.
“No complaints. They’ve treated me like the house that built me, which they were. And honestly, it was amazing. We were back, and everything was rolling so fast, and then I tore my pec. It was like the best three months of my life. Hopefully, get back to that soon. I was told I have the strength of an 11-year-old, but I was pretty strong at 11. Hopefully soon.”
Speculation is that Rhodes will be back in time for the Royal Rumble, which many fans believe he will win and go on to challenge for the world title at WrestleMania 39.
Sheamus battled Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at WWE Clash at the Castle in a match that received rave reviews from critics and fans. The Celtic Warrior came up short but still got a standing ovation from the crowd in Cardiff.
On this week’s edition of SmackDown, The Brawling Brutes competed in the main event against The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships. Sheamus, Sami Zayn, and Solo Sikoa were ringside for the match. It appeared that Ridge Holland and Butch were about to win the match but Imperium interfered.
Intercontinental Champion Gunther attacked Sheamus outside the ring and beat him down. The Usos capitalized on Imperium’s interference and hit the 1D for the pinfall victory to retain the titles. It was announced that Sheamus will battle Gunther once again for the Intercontinental Championship in two weeks on WWE SmackDown.
Sheamus Reveals Why He Wants The Intercontinental Championship
He joined WWE announcer Corey Graves on his After the Bell podcast and discussed why he wants to become Intercontinental Champion. The 44-year-old has never held the IC Title in his incredible career.
“My mentality is if you go in there and you’ve achieved X amount of stuff, there’s no doubt that your passion and drive is going to drop. And the idea is to zone that out and go in there like I’ve won nothing and today is the first day, and I want to achieve this, this, and this.
That is why I’ve been so adamant and so vocal about the Intercontinental Championship because it is the one title that is not sitting on this shelf right here. It is the one I want more than anything and that is what has been driving me. You have to have goals. You have to have targets and you have to know what is next.”
If you use quotes from this article, please credit After the Bell with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
After the main event match between The Usos and Brawling Brutes on this week’s episode of SmackDown, fans in attendance got to witness another big dream confrontation.
The off air dark match after this week’s SmackDown saw Gunther coming face to face with Shinsuke Nakamura as they competed in a six-man tag team match.
The bout saw The Street Profits joining the Japanese legend in his fight against the current IC Champion and his subordinates Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.
Gunther teased a confrontation with Nakamura early in the bout but he ultimately decided to tag himself out and send in Vinci instead.
He attacked Shinsuke towards the ending of the match but the former champion managed to get the upper hand over the Ring General.
The SmackDown dark match concluded with Shinsuke Nakamura delivering a Kinshasa to Ludwig Kaiser and pinning him for the victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4mS7wPzlpI
Shinsuke Nakamura was part of a backstage segment on this week’s SmackDown alongside Hit Row and The Street Profits.
Gunther has been feuding with Sheamus recently over the Intercontinental championship. The two delivered an impressive match at Clash At The Castle.
WWE has since announced a rematch between these two for the season premiere episode of SmackDown on October 7.
WWE’s White Rabbit teases continued on Friday’s edition of SmackDown. During a backstage segment featuring Hit Row and Street Profits, a new QR code could be seen.
When scanned, it takes fans to another hidden section of the WWE website.
It is another game where you control the White Rabbit through a maze. After you’ve completed the game, the coordinates to next week’s edition of WWE RAW are revealed. The location for Monday’s edition of the red brand is Rodgers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The word “patricide” is seen at the end of the video and it means “killing your father”. Several WWE fans have pointed out that Bray Wyatt has referenced murdering his father in a previous promo. The white rabbit hops through the red door and the coordinates and the word are revealed.
This was on the QR code that was on the tv in that hit row backstage segment. Along with the co-ordinates for Edmonton, Alberta, which is where RAW is this Monday.
Patricide: the killing of one's father. a person who kills their father.
The Bray Wyatt promo where he said “Come with me” is the same promo where he admitted to killing his father. Patricide is one of the words which come up on the latest QR Code. Patricide meaning to kill your own father. pic.twitter.com/dMtYRvaK4F
WWE’s “White Rabbit” cryptic teaser campaign has been a big success for the company as fans are really enjoying trying to solve the mystery.
Most fans are convinced that Bray Wyatt is the White Rabbit. Alexa Bliss recently referenced White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane during her promo on RAW. Bliss was aligned with Bray before his release from the company last year.
Other fans seem to believe that Karrion Kross is the White Rabbit due to his stint in Lucha Underground. You can check out our full breakdown of WWE’s White Rabbit here.
Shawn Michaels is very fond of his days in one of the most popular wrestling factions of all time, Degeneration-X.
The WWE Hall of Famer recently spoke with the New York Post about the group’s legacy ahead of their 25th Anniversary reunion at the October 10th edition of Monday Night Raw, which will take place from the Barclay’s Center in New York.
One of DX’s most famous signature taunts was the crotch chop, a move the Heartbreak Kid credits fellow Hall of Famer Sean Waltman for originating.
“The first place I remember seeing it was Sean Waltman, who was then known as 1-2-3 Kid and later X-Pac, doing it over in the UK. Then all of a sudden, we were doing it as a group, to each other, kind of thinking it was funny.”
Everything In DX Felt Natural
Michaels would later discuss how comfortable the group felt while on television together, explaining that a lot of their on-screen chemistry stemmed from their friendships off-screen.
“From a television standpoint, as we started to do DX, it just felt kind of natural. A lot of things that we did on TV as DX were things we were doing as friends behind the scenes long before we ever brought it to TV.”
Despite being a heel faction DX became super over with the WWE Universe. When asked why he thought they were being cheered Michaels states that their amusing antics and occasional truth bombs probably resonated with fans.
“At first, they felt like we were doing it to them — and their favorite superstars — and they booed us. But after awhile they found it amusing because some of the things we said were true and resonated. Nothing seemed to bother us. We always had a witty comment for someone else.”
DX would not have been the group it was without the presence of the Ninth Wonder of the World, Chyna. Michaels acknowledges this, adding that not only was Chyna a trailblazer for women’s wrestling, but that her impact probably would not have been the same if she was wrestling today.
“From a performer standpoint she would clearly fit in and be phenomenal. I think what makes her the awe-inspiring, innovative and transforming woman that she was was that she did it earlier than all of them. It would be a bit more commonplace today. She would certainly have an incredible career — but I don’t know that she’d be the trail blazer today that she is if she were currently doing it today.”
Michaels is now one of the main heads of NXT since Triple H took over for the now retired Vince McMahon.
WWE Superstar Sheamus has said that becoming World Champion or winning the Royal Rumble can’t compare to his match with Gunther at Clash at the Castle.
At the event earlier this month in Cardiff, Wales, Sheamus challenged the Austrian for the Intercontinental Championship in a losing effort.
The match has been praised by fans and those in the industry alike, earning five stars by Dave Meltzer.
The Biggest Moment
Sheamus’ match in Cardiff came during something of a career renaissance for the Irish Superstar.
Speaking on the latest After the Bell, Sheamus explained the importance of the match, after a 13-year career on the main roster.
“Going into that match, I knew there was a lot of hype about it. I knew that people really wanted to see it… First of all, the reception when I went out. I didn’t know what way it was going to go. Gunther obviously has a cult following from being NXT UK Champion for so many years. I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s a moment I’ll never forget. It’s probably the biggest moment I’ve had up until this point in WWE.”
Speaking about Gunther who retained against Sheamus, the Celtic Warrior had nothing but praise.
Gunther. Great wrestler. Very aggressive. Knows his role. A great heel and a great opponent
Sheamus’ praise for the reigning Intercontinental Champion.
Outshining Drew
While Gunther and Sheamus had the arguable match of the night, the show’s main event saw Drew McIntyre face Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Speaking about McIntyre, his real-life best friend, Sheamus said how he had no problem outshining the Scottish Warrior.
“That’s the goal for everybody. If that’s not your goal in this business then what the hell are you doing here? Listen, me and Drew are best mates but I was going out there to bleeding steal the show no matter what. That was the goal from day one. Once I knew that this match was going to happen, I’m like ‘I’m stealing the show here.’ There’s no doubt about it.
“Give me 15-20 minutes in that ring against a formidable opponent and I will give you a match of the night every single time.”
Sheamus made it clear he still plans on becoming Intercontinental Champion, the only men’s main-roster title he’s yet to capture.
For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.
Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin appear to be on the cusp of being called up to the WWE main roster.
The two WWE NXT superstars and Mandy Rose, the NXT Women’s Champion, are allies in the Toxic Attraction faction.
Dolin and Jayne have recently been briefly put on the main roster. They made their SmackDown debuts on August 19, when they defeated Natalya and Sonya Deville to win a WWE Women’s Tag Team Tournament match. They replaced Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark in the competition.
Dolin and Jayne Headed to the Main Roster?
According to Dave Meltzer’s report in the most recent Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there has been talk about Dolin and Jayne joining the main roster for a while.
It’s unclear when they would make their official main roster debuts, which brand they would be on – Raw or SmackDown – and if Rose would join them.
The former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions most recently wrestled on this week’s episode of NXT by defeating Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley.
Many fans believe that Dolin and Jayne have done everything there is to do in NXT so now is a good time to move them to the main roster and be in contention for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.
Boxing star Tyson Fury defeated Braun Strowman by count-out at WWE Crown Jewel 2019 to make his pro-wrestling debut. He hasn’t wrestled since, but Triple H has shared some insight into Fury’s future.
When Theory attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract during the main event of the Clash at the Castle event in the UK, he was punched by Fury and Following Drew McIntyre’s loss to Roman Reigns, Fury also spoke with Reigns and sang with McIntyre in the ring.
Triple H is Waiting on Tyson Fury’s Decision
(via WWE)
In an interview with The Sporting News, Triple H spoke about the possibility of celebrities like Fury and Dwight Howard wrestling for the WWE.
“I think Tyson Fury is chomping at the bit to get in the ring. The question is, which ring will he get into? Is it going to be the boxing ring? Is it going to be the WWE ring? We were just together in Cardiff. We had a long talk about it. He’s as enamored as ever in wanting to do this with us. I think he knows he’s got a few big fights left in him in the boxing world. I think he’s going to capitalize on those fights as you are hearing. You know, talks about [Oleksandr] Usyk, talks about Anthony Joshua. Selfishly I want him to come work with us, also, selfishly, I want to see those fights. So I hope he knocks those out and I hope he stays interested because I do think with the dedication and the drive that he had to do what we do I think he could do something special with us as well.”
Shawn Michaels wowed fans for decades with his in-ring ability, but was a better heel than a babyface, according to Jim Ross.
Michaels played both roles until 1998, when a back injury would force the multi-time World Champion into retirement.
After four years away and personal development, Michaels would return in 2002, and other than one brief stint in 2005, would spend the rest of his career as a babyface.
Better Heel
Jim Ross worked closely with Shawn Michaels throughout both men’s tenures in WWE, and called some of the Showstopper’s most iconic matches.
Speaking on the most recent episode of his ‘Grilling JR’ podcast, Ross and co-host Conrad Thompson recalled Michaels’ heel work from 1997 and the formation of DX.
“[He’s better as a] Heel. Absolutely. He felt more natural and more organic in his own skin being a heel. It fit him. It did not seem like he was trying to be a bad guy. He was a pr*ck. His character was a pr*ck. He was cocky and undersized in the eyes of some, but his skill set was [incredible.]”
“Shawn was a natural heel. He’s best suited for that role… he enjoyed his booking.”
Jim Ross on Shawn Michaels being a heel in 1997.
“When you’re an athlete like Shawn Michaels and you’re constantly compared to one guy, Ric Flair, you’ve done a pretty good body of work. Shawn was a natural heel. He’s best suited for that role, and I think like any other talent. he enjoyed his booking.
“Him being a babyface, was a little stretch, because people didn’t trust him. He had been so unpredictable and so forth. But as a heel, that fit him perfectly.”
D-Generation X
Part of Michaels’ 1997 heel run came as the leader of D-Generation X, which initially consisted of himself, Triple H, Chyna, and Rick Rude.
Speaking about Rude, who would leave the group for WCW not long after, Ross questioned the defunct promotion’s decision to bring him in.
“When Rick left, walk-out in the middle of the night kind deal, and showed up on Nitro, I thought it was creative booking. I thought it was bold. But I also thought it was a ‘one-take Jake.’
“How much mileage can you get out of a guy who can’t take bumps? How can you have a top heel, manager, bodyguard, whatever, who can’t take bumps? I haven’t figured that out yet. 25 years later and I still don’t get it.”
Rude had previously told the WWF that he was unable to take bumps, citing a back injury.
For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.
John Cena has become a leading man in Hollywood, but that has come at the expense of his WWE schedule.
In 2016, Cena transitioned into a part-time role for the promotion, after a decade of being the company’s top star and 14 years on the main roster.
Since transitioning into a part-time role, Cena has worked with blockbuster franchises including Fast and Furious and The Suicide Squad, with his Peacemaker character from the latter having their own HBO Max series.
Breaking the Streak
It’s been over a year since John Cena’s last match, where he competed against Roman Reigns at Summerslam 2021. The 16-time WWE World Champion was unable to dethrone the Tribal Chief last year, and hasn’t competed since.
Unless he competes some time in the next three months, then 2022 will have come and gone without a John Cena wrestling a match. If so, it’ll be the first time since 2000 that Cena has not had a sanctioned match for WWE.
While he would not debut on the main roster until 2022, he had matches for the company in 2001 as part of Ohio Valley Wrestling.
(Credit to Sean Ross Sapp for noticing this incredible statistic.)
What’s next for John Cena?
John Cena hasn’t wrestled this year, despite belief that he was set for a match at Summerslam.
In June, Cena celebrated the 20th anniversary of his main roster debut, which came after weeks of Austin Theory taking shots at the former WWE Champion online.
Some have speculated that Cena could face Theory at WrestleMania 39 in April 2023.
WWE has been playing the 1967 song “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane during live events and occasionally during a commercial break.
On Monday’s edition of RAW, a mysterious QR code appeared on the screen while Austin Theory was making his way to the ring for a singles match against Kevin Owens. When the code is scanned, it takes fans to a hidden WWE website.
A video appears and it is a game of ‘Hang Man’. The question is “Who killed the world?” and the answer is “YOU DID”. The date 9/23 also appears in the video, which is this week’s episode of SmackDown.
Bray Wyatt was released from WWE on July 31, 2021. He spent nearly ten years with the promotion and is a three-time world champion. Many fans have speculated that the “White Rabbit” is Bray Wyatt, while others believe it is Karrion Kross. You can check out our deep dive into WWE’s cryptic teaser campaign here.
Bray Wyatt Likes Interesting Tweet From Brodie Lee
Brodie Lee (John Huber), formerly known as Luke Harper in WWE, sadly passed away on December 26, 2020. He captured the TNT Championship in All Elite Wrestling and the Intercontinental Championship in WWE. He was also a two-time SmackDown Tag Team Champion with the Wyatt Family.
As spotted by Sportskeeda Wrestling, Bray Wyatt liked a tweet today from Brodie Lee that was posted on April 9th, 2019. The tweet simply reads “Tomorrow there will be more of us”, which is interesting because tomorrow is the date teased in the video.
WWE held a press conference for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Logan Paul at Crown Jewel.
After the conference, Triple H was interviewed by Sporting News about several topics. The Game revealed that he has discussed signing Tyson Fury but the world-class boxer knows he has a few big fights left in the boxing ring.
Triple H stated that he hopes Tyson is still interested in joining the WWE after he’s finished boxing. Tyson knocked out Austin Theory when he tried to cash in his Money in the Bank contract at Clash at the Castle.
WWE’s Chief Content Officer spoke about NBA star Dwight Howard showing up at a recent tryout and claimed that he is open to signing the 2020 NBA champion.
“I think the ball is in his court. It’s a funny thing, Dwight in the conversations we had was like ‘you know I really want to do this, I’m serious, I really want to do this.’ But we hear that a lot and there’s a difference between saying I want to do this and putting in the grind and doing the work to get there.
He came by our tryouts in Nashville. He was incredibly entertaining, jumping in promos by himself and then with others, incredibly entertaining. Really driven to want to do this, it is just a matter of him, he’s got a lot of things going on right?
So when he says ‘hey I want to give this a shot’ he’s got my phone number and all he’s got to do is call me and we will see what can happen. If he’s willing to put in the grind and the drive that guys like Logan Paul, Bad Bunny, and Tyson Fury are willing to put in then let’s go.”
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Sporting News & give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Triple H joined LADbible TV today for an interview and discussed several topics, including what his role is in WWE. There has been a seismic shift at the top of the company and it has resulted in more power than ever afforded to The Game.
He was recently given the title of “Chief Brand Officer” and explained what that entailed during the interview. The 53-year-old stated that he oversees everything when it comes to the promotion’s creative, as well as run talent development and the recruitment process.
“I do a little bit of everything for WWE. If you want the exact title, I’m the Chief Content Officer for WWE. I oversee everything that has to do with creative of everything we do from top to bottom.
Run our talent, run our talent development, our recruiting process, sort of the life cycle of the talent from the moment we identify them in college, or wherever they’re going to start from. All the way through to the end of their careers.”
The Game was asked where WWE goes to try and find talent. He brought up Gable Steveson as an example of collegiate athletics being difficult to recruit from and described WWE’s strategy for finding new talent.
“They changed the rules for what’s called NIL (name, image, likeness) that college athletes can use their name, image, and likeness to create a business for themselves. So they can be paid for those things, they can do endorsements, all these other things.
It opened up a world for us. We don’t see it as paying somebody a small amount of money to say ‘hey I watched WWE and isn’t that great’.
For us, it’s a recruiting tool. For us, it’s long-term recruiting. We look at college athletes in almost any sport and we try to work with them on what WWE is, what we are as an entertainment property, but what we are also behind the scenes.
Some of those we will offer deals to under the NIL program. We’ll pay them a sum of money, they will be WWE athletes. We help them build their brand, we help them with media training, with life skills, anything that WWE does that they can have access to.
“They can come to our performance center, they can do all those things. Meanwhile, they’re out there for us sort of talking about WWE to every sporting event they go to.
Athletes around the country they’re talking about WWE and for most of them when they graduate college, WWE is the opportunity they are looking at to become a WWE Superstar.
For ones that don’t, that promotion the entire time is phenomenal for us.”
Please credit LADBible and give a H/T to SEScoops if you use quotes from this article.
WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H was interviewed recently by LADBible TV and spoke about his plans for the future of NXT.
Triple H has gained a significant amount of power in WWE recently since Vince McMahon resigned from the company. He replaced John Laurinaitis as EVP of Talent Relations and has also taken over creative responsibility for the promotion. The 53-year-old has brought back several released talents and is seemingly about to bring NXT back to its Black & Gold days.
During the interview, The Game discussed his vision for NXT Europe moving forward and suggested that it would be “almost a World Cup scenario”. He stated that “the World Cup finals” for NXT could happen in any city in the world and that you’ve got to think big.
The King of Kings compared NXT to college football and noted that they are trying to build a fanbase for the talent before sending them to the main roster to become WWE Superstars.
“The intent will be to take NXT Europe and bring that around the world. So NXT Europe, NXT Australia, NXT South Africa, South America, and Mexico. All those things and eventually build it into a global system that will lead to almost a World Cup scenario.
The World Cup finals for NXT will one year be in London, the next year maybe Mexico City, you’ve got to think big. And all the while, really what you are doing is you are building a fanbase for college football, while you are building stars for the major leagues.”
What do you think of Triple H’s vision for the future of NXT and NXT Europe? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit LADBible and give a H/T to SEScoops if you use quotes from this article.
White Rabbit is at the center of WWE’s latest mystery. The classic rock song by Jefferson Airplane has played at several live events in recent weeks, leaving wrestling fans to wonder who (or what) is behind this viral campaign.
We’ve seen several other clues dropped on WWE television in recent weeks, which we’ll break down below. WWE has hyped debuting/returning Superstars using cryptic vignettes, flickering lights and other techniques. WWE’s TV productions are carefully orchestrated and (almost) nothing happens by accident.
The following is a breakdown of what we know about WWE’s White Rabbit. We’ll use this article as a master resource to track everything in the lead-up to the big reveal.
The Song by Jefferson Airplane
The White Rabbit mystery began when WWE began playing Jefferson Airplane’s 1967 song at live events. It first happened during a commercial break at a recent Friday Night SmackDown taping.
It occurred once again over the weekend, prior to the WWE live event from Oakland, CA.
The September 19th edition of WWE Raw brought more clues about the White Rabbit.
Just before a match between Austin Theory and Kevin Owens, a QR code appeared on screen. When the code is scanned, it sends fans to a hidden section at the WWE website.
That URL displays a video showing a game of ‘Hang Man’ with the question, “Who killed the world?” The answer to the puzzle is, “YOU DID”.
A white rabbit then hops around an alarm clock that reads 9:23, an indication that a reveal may be coming on 9/23, which coincides with the September 23rd edition of SmackDown.
“Go ask Alice, when she’s ten feet tall.”
Lyric from White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane
Later in the show, Alexa Bliss dropped a White Rabbit clue that some fans may have missed. She told Bayley, “You act like you’re 10 feet tall.” In passing, there doesn’t seem to be anything unusual here. It just so happens, “like you’re 10 feet tall” are lyrics taken from “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane.
I didn't even catch that @AlexaBliss_WWE referenced White Rabbit during the segment. #WWERaw
There are two prevailing theories about the identity of WWE’s White Rabbit.
One Possibility: Karrion Kross
SmackDown Superstar Karrion Kross portrayed a character called White Rabbit during his time wrestling for Lucha Underground, the defunct promotion that ran from 2015-2018.
Lucha Underground’s White Rabbit, as well as the Jefferson Airplane song, are references to the White Rabbit in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” which represents following your curiosities.
We’ve seen Kross portray several gimmicks during his short time with WWE. If WWE is laying the groundwork for Kross as the White Rabbit, this could be the vehicle he needs to finally make a meaningful impact on the main roster.
Ever since Triple H took over as the head of creative and talent relations, fans have understandably compared his approach to that of his predecessor, Vince McMahon. We saw how McMahon presented acts that were dark, mysterious and even supernatural. It would be interesting to see how a similar approach would be handled in 2022 under Triple H.
More Likely: Bray Wyatt
Whenever anything remotely mysterious or spooky happens in the WWE Universe, some fans are convinced it’s a sign that Bray Wyatt is returning home.
WWE has had many supernatural characters over the years, but few have resonated like the Eater of Worlds. This time, there’s actually a lot of substance behind the wishful thinking.
WWE has given us a lot of dots to connect and breadcrumbs to follow. There is a theory going around that Bray Wyatt is WWE’s White Rabbit. We were skeptical at first, but it’s actually very convincing. In fact, there are so many coincidences here that we’d be legitimately surprised if Bray Wyatt is not revealed as the White Rabbit.
Check out the theory below and decide for yourself.
John Cena has set a new record for the most wishes granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation with 650. The Make-A-Wish Foundation announced the news today and the milestone has been recognized by Guiness World Records.
Since becoming a top star in WWE after his rise in 2005, he was portrayed as a babyface who was a hero for fans and the face of WWE’s “Be a Star” anti-bullying campaign.
Cena made his first wish come true in 2002 and granted Make-A-Wish’s 1000th wish to a fan named Cardon in 2012.
John Cena’s Inspiring Work
John Cena
The non-profit organization helps fulfill the wishes of children who have been diagnosed with a critical illness. Children between the age of 2 and 18 can choose to meet a celebrity, go to an event, or even give a gift to someone else.
When children meet the former WWE Champion, they can take photos with him and hang out.
He told Reuters: “If you ever need me for this ever, I don’t care what I’m doing, I will drop what I’m doing and be involved because I think that’s the coolest thing.”
“I just drop everything,” Cena said when he was honored for granting 500 wishes. “If I can offer a fantastic experience, I’ll be first in line to do my part.”
Cena is the most requested celebrity, and nobody else has ever granted more than 200 wishes in the 42-year existence of the foundation.
WWE’s recruits will be on the clock to improve or face being released, a Senior Vice President of the promotion has confirmed.
The promotion has drastically changed their hiring process in recent years, once scouting established stars from other promotions such as AJ Styles.
After that, WWE sought the top names from the independent scene, before introducing their Next in Line program last year.
Up or Out
WWE SVP James Kimball recently spoke with Wrestle Rant about the company’s process of recruiting talent (via Wrestling Inc.)
Kimball explained how new recruits are expected to ‘survive’ at least two years, after which they’re moved upwards to the next level in WWE, or let go.
“It literally is six-month intervals, two-year mark, you’re up or out. Obviously, there’s constant evaluation down the Performance Center in Orlando.
“Coaching staff, our staff, on-site, all the time constantly evaluating, but formal, deliberate evaluations occur in six-month periods.
“At that time, and again these all kind of flow in and around the same kind of entry points, we’ll do a tryout, and then we’ll do a set of releases.”
Kimball added that the policy was introduced unofficially around the time of the Next In Line program was announced last year.
He also noted that this policy affects recruits who are expected to move up to NXT as well as NXT superstars expected to move to the main roster.
Next in Line
WWE introduced the Next in Line program in 2021 with the signing of Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson.
WWE’s focus is now on signing collegiate athletes and training them in their own style of wrestling.
Despite being the face of the NIL program, Steveson hasn’t been the hit WWE had hoped, with reports that his main roster call-up has been delayed for not showing significant in-ring improvement in training.
Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE, made her shocking debut tonight for All Elite Wrestling.
Toni Storm put the AEW Interim Women’s Championship on the line against Britt Baker, Athena, and Serena Deeb. Britt Baker somehow got nose busted open again during the match but appeared to have the match won. The D.M.D. set up for for the Lockjaw but Storm countered into a roll-up to retain the AEW Interim Women’s Championship.
After the match, Britt Baker attacked Toni from behind. Serena Deeb joined in on the attack as well as Athena went for the same. Jamie Hayter made her way to the ring and argued with Britt before revealing that their alliance was still strong. Hayter, Deeb, and Britt all attacked Athena and Toni as the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium booed.
Saraya then arrived and the crowd went crazy. She came down to the ring and the heels retreated. Saraya, Toni Storm, and Athena stood tall in the ring to end the segment.
WWE Hall of Famers Nikki and Brie Bella took to Twitter to react to Saraya’s shocking debut in All Elite Wrestling. The Bella Twins were cast-mates with Paige on the Total Divas reality show on the E! Network.
Paige also battled Nikki & Brie in WWE during her career, once spraying The Anti-Diva with tanning spray like the nWo. The Bella Twins posted that they got “massive chills” when Saraya arrived in AEW.
Two weeks after the attacks on Sept. 11, a then 12-year-old Jacob Grondy was on his way to the airport – and he was scared.
Not only was this his first flight, but he was dealing with what many in the country were feeling – fear of flying due to the recent attacks. But a surreptitious introduction with a few pro wrestling passengers – thanks to the just-released Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 issue – assuaged his fears.
Grondy’s flight out of the Raleigh, N.C. airport was shared by the Hardy Boys, Amy Dumas – who wrestled for the WWF at the time as Lita – and Shane Helms on board. They were four of the hottest acts in the WWF at the time and were heroes to a 12-year-old Grondy, especially after they turned what could have been a traumatic experience into one of his favorite childhood memories.
“I was honestly trying to act tough,” Grondy said. “But as we were getting closer to the airport, I was visibly scared. I wasn’t talking at all, which was extremely rare (for me) as a kid.”
On the way to the airport, his dad gave him a copy of the PWI 500 issue to read and keep his mind off the recent attacks. Growing up in North Carolina, Grondy said he was immersed in pro wrestling. As a kid he watched WCW and the WWF religiously and was excited when ECW made its TNN television debut. He’s continued to be a fan well into adulthood. He hosts a podcast called Curtain Jerkin’ on Spotify.
The issue provided a bit of a distraction, but it was who he saw in the airport that relieved his fears.
“I don’t remember anything other than getting to the terminal, sitting down and looking up – and there was Jeff Hardy,” Grondy said. “He was dressed exactly how you would see him on TV. I leapt up in excitement. My dad had a pen on him and gave it to me so I could ask to get my PWI signed.”
Jeff walked Grondy over to his brother Matt Hardy to get his autograph. Matt then said they should get him Lita’s as well. As he walked back to his dad, his dad was smiling with relief, that he wasn’t as scared as he had been when he got to the airport. As he sat back down, he was approached by Shane Helms – who had just joined the WWF after the WCW sale and was beginning his Hurricane Helms gimmick. He said Helms asked to sign the issue, then asked if he could read it on the plane.
“As I let him read it, that’s when I realized that no terrorist was going to take down this plane, Team Extreme wasn’t going to let that happen,” Grondy said.
Grondy shared this story with Jeff at a meet-and-greet a year ago.
“He thought it was pretty cool.”
Grondy and his dad were flying to the United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis. It was the final race of the Formula 1 season, and was the first international sporting event to take place after the Sept. 11 attacks.
“(I) couldn’t tell you who won the race we went to, but every year the PWI 500 comes out I look back at that moment fondly. It was definitely a childhood highlight.”
Nobody can hold a candle to what Seth Rollins is doing in the ring right now, at least according to WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page.
Rollins has certainly proven to be a success, having become a WWE Grand Slam winner, holding a World Championship, Intercontinental and United States Championship and Tag Team titles.
Outside of championship titles, Rollins is a Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble winner.
Nobody Does it Better
On this week’s Raw, Rollins challenged United States Champion Bobby Lashley, but was unsuccessful in winning his first championship in over three years.
Speaking on his Snake Pit podcast, Diamond Dallas Page praised the bout and referenced WWE’s change in creative direction.
“They put on a barnburner. When you go to three commercials and they’re still watching the show… You see the show changing, with more wrestling-orientated, storytelling in the ring. I don’t think there’s a better guy out there doing it than Seth Rollins. I mean Bobby [Lashley] is a beast, he did a hell of a job. I thought they were going to drop it [make Seth the Champion.] By no means do I think Seth Rollins needs a title unless it’s the world title or the Universal title.
“You see the show changing, more wrestling orientated. I don’t think there’s a better guy out there doing it than Seth Rollins.”
Diamond Dallas Page.
“I thought they were going to put him over. There were some great false finishes, some great false finishes during that match. That was my favorite thing of all during the show, and opening up with it. It lets you know that you’re watching a different Raw.”
NXT
Rollins’ success on the main roster came after he became a top name as part of WWE’s developmental ground: NXT.
In 2012, after the then-reality show was relaunched into its own brand, Rollins was crowned the first-ever NXT Champion.
Speaking about the developmental brand, which is now run by Shawn Michaels, DDP explained why in many ways, its better to come straight to WWE.
“A lot of these kids get trained in independent places by guys who really never made it! Never even got to the show, never mind top guy. A lot of these guys get trained by guys who weren’t top guys. And there’s no bigger top guy than Shawn Michaels.”
Braun Strowman should get more serious now that he’s back in WWE, at least according to Hall of Famer Jake Roberts.
Strowman returned to WWE earlier this month, over a year after his surprising release from the promotion in June 2021.
The former Universal Champion has been feuding with the Alpha Academy so far, and will compete in his first match back this Friday against Otis.
The Smiling Monster
Strowman is back with WWE, and according to reports, will be the top babyface moving forward on SmackDown.
While the Monster Among Men will be a good guy, that doesn’t mean he has to play to the crowd.
Speaking on the latest DDP Snake Pit, Jake Roberts named the mistake that Braun, and other babyfaces, are making.
“Braun, listen to me. Nobody wants to see a friendly monster. Quit smiling. You’re not that guy. So many guys make that mistake when they turn babyface, they completely change themselves. No! The only things that have changed are your opponents. You’re still the beast. The beast is what they love. They just want to see it pointed in the direction of someone they don’t like.
“Nobody wants to see a friendly monster. Quit smiling. You’re not that guy.”
Jake Roberts’ advice to Braun Strowman.
“So many guys make that mistake and for Braun to be such a beast man, to see him out there smiling and asking the crowd what they would like for him to do, oh my God! If I was big enough I’d punch you right in your box. You are a beast and my god! Use what you’ve got son. Show us what you’ve got.”
Diamond Dallas Page added that isn’t new in wrestling, saying that stars who turned on the New World Order in WCW or even join the faction would completely change their characters.
Bron Breakker
Jake Roberts may not be the biggest fan of what Strowman has done so far, but he gave special praise to reigning NXT Champion Bron Breakker.
Speaking about the two-time champion, Roberts said that he and Tyler Bate have been doing a lot of good work in NXT as of late.
“I was glad to see our buddy, the Steiner boy [Breakker.] Him and his tag team partner Tyler Bate they did some stuff. Really enjoyed seeing him.”
DDP also had praise for Breakker, as well as the NXT developmental system that has honed the second-generation Superstar.
“Bron Breakker, or Bronson or Steiner as I call him, because he is a Steiner, with his dad and his uncle. That kid’s got such natural skills. They’ve got some great talent down there in NXT.”
For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.
Kurt Angle could be walking down the aisle at WrestleMania one last time as part of next year’s two-night event.
Angle recently returned to WWE TV during the August 29, 2022 edition of Monday Night Raw, and was involved in a segment with the Alpha Academy and the Street Profits.
The Olympic Gold Medalist celebrated with the Profits after their match, where the stipulation being that Kurt would have had to join the Academy if Chad Gable and Otis won.
WrestleMania
Angle was able to keep clear of joining the Alpha Academy, but he could be appearing at WWE’s biggest event of next year.
Speaking to the Wrassingh Show, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion revealed that there have been talks about him doing something for next year’s event (via 411 Mania.)
They’re talking about maybe me doing something at WrestleMania.”
Kurt Angle on possibly appearing at WrestleMania 39 next year.
Angle went on to clarify that nothing is set in stone yet, calling his possible WrestleMania 39 “just an idea.”
The WWE Hall of Famer did confirm that if he does appear at WrestleMania he will not be wrestling.
“It won’t be in a wrestling capacity at all. I don’t mind because I can’t wrestle anymore.”
Kurt Angle on appearing for WWE without competing.
WWE WrestleMania 39 will take place on April 1 and April 2, 2023, from the SoFi Stadium, in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California.
AEW
Despite being released from WWE in April 2020, Kurt Angle hasn’t ever appeared for All Elite Wrestling, a promotion many fans believe he would be a perfect fit for.
Angle explained on the show that his loyalty to WWE has kept him from Tony Khan’s company.
“I have a contract with WWE, it’s a nostalgia contract. It’s more of a merchandise contract with them right now. And I’ve always try to keep a good relationship with them, ever since I left them for TNA and came back to WWE.
“I don’t want to do that again, I don’t want to jump ship because WWE has always been good to me.”
