This weekend’s WWE Worlds Collide premium live event will be a pivotal show for the NXT and NXT UK brands.
Earlier this month, WWE announced NXT Europe, a new brand launching in 2023.
The new NXT Europe brand spells the end of NXT UK, which has operated since December 2016. As part of NXT UK going the way of 205 Live, WWE will be unifying the top championships from the NXT and NXT UK brands.
Worlds Collide 2022 Matches
WWE has confirmed five championship matches for Sunday’s Worlds Collide 2022 premium live event. Here’s the full card:
NXT Champion Bronn Breaker vs. NXT Champion Tyler Bate
The top champions from the two brands will square off to crown the Undisputed NXT Champion. Bronn Breaker puts the NXT Championship on the line against NXT UK Champion, Tyler Bate.
Triple Threat NXT Women’s Championship Unification Match
A new undisputed NXT Women’s Champion will be crowned in a triple threat match. Reigning NXT Women’s champion Mandy Rose puts her gold on the line against NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport.
North American Championship Match
Ricochet made a surprise appearance on this week’s NXT 2.0 to confront Carmelo Hayes, NXT’s reigning North American Champion. Ricochet says he’s back to collect “his” title.
NXT Tag Team Championship: Fatal 4-Way Elimination
NXT Tag Team Champions The Creed Brothers battle NXT UK Tag Team Champions Briggs & Jensen, Pretty Deadly and Gallus.
NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
Champions Katana Chance & Kayden Carter defend against former NXT stars Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop.
Plus, we’ll also see Nathan Frazer vs. Axiom in a best of three rounds match.
How to Watch: WWE Worlds Collide 2022
WWE presents Worlds Collide 2022 this Sunday September 4th from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
WWE Worlds Collide will stream live at 4pm (Eastern) on Peacock in the United States and on the WWE Network internationally.
Since leaving WWE, John Cena has become a leading man in Hollywood, working in huge franchises like the Fast and the Furious.
Last year, Cena became Christopher Smith/Peacemaker for ‘The Suicide Squad,’ and reprised the role for the Peacemaker series on HBO Max.
In February, Peacemaker was renewed for its second season following critical acclaim for the show.
The Marine
Before Cena was sharing the screen with the likes of Margot Robbie and Vin Diesel, his first leading role was in The Marine.
The 2006 action film sees Cena as discharged U.S. Marine John Triton who must rescue his wife Kate (Kelly Carlson) after being kidnapped by gangsters led by Rome (Robert Patrick.)
The film was Cena’s first time as the main star, but the 16-time WWE Champion wasn’t thrilled with the final project.
In his book ‘There’s Just One Problem,’ ex-WWE Head Writer Brian Gewirtz recalls watching the final cut of the film with Cena, weeks before the premiere.
“We sat in silence after it was over, both of us realizing it didn’t really capitalize on John’s strengths and probably wasn’t going to make any year-end ‘Best Picture’ lists. Finally, John broke the tension by simply saying ‘we need to go drink.’”
“We need to go drink.”
John Cena’s less than favorable review to his first watching of ‘The Marine.’
Gewirtz explained that while The Marine is no doubt an action film, it gave little opportunity for Cena to show his range as an actor and prevented him from sharing his funny side.
The Marine Today
Cena’s role as John Triton would be the first and last time he would be in the franchise.
The Marine 2, starring Ted DiBiase Jr. released in 2009 without a theatrical release, as did the rest of the series.
The Marine films 3 to 6 all starred The Miz in the leading role as ‘Jake Carter.’
Since Vince McMahon retired from WWE, the promotion has undergone several changes both on screen and behind the scenes.
With McMahon gone, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has replaced him as Head of Creative and replaced McMahon loyalist John Laurinaitis as Head of Talent Relations.
On-screen, there have been several returns, including Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, Hit Row, Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, and Scarlett.
USA Reacts
For the most part, the changes made to WWE post-Vince McMahon have been met with acclaim from the fans.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, NBC-Universal and those at the USA Network have also been pleased with the changes.
The report states that the Network is pleased that Raw viewership has improved, after a difficult few years.
Noting that the pandemic changed “everything” one source said they never imagined Raw would drop below two million viewers, particularly on a consistent basis.
Since the changes were implemented, Raw has consistently been over two million viewers.
Another source said they expect the ratings at SmackDown on FOX to increase as well.
One person from the USA Network said that Raw feels more natural, and it has become “appointment viewing,” a term for a show that people make plans to see.
Another longtime USA Network employee said that the relationship between the network and WWE has been very easygoing, but has gotten even better as of late.
That source said they would be surprised if USA didn’t try to renew WWE programming when negotiations begin next year.
Roman Reigns has officially been a champion in WWE for two consecutive years.
He defeated The Fiend and Braun Strowman at WWE Payback 2020 to win the Universal Championship. Two years later, he’s not only still the Universal Champion but has captured the WWE Championship as well. Roman defeated Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 to unify the titles and become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. The Tribal Chief will have a celebration with The Bloodline and Honorary Uce Sami Zayn this Friday on SmackDown.
The last wrestler to hold the title for two years was Hulk Hogan in 1986. The 37-year-old took to Twitter to comment on his historic title reign.
“A run like never before. Success in every single measure and in every category. This is what the top of the mountain looks like so Acknowledge and appreciate it.”
A run like never before. Success in every single measure and in every category. This is what the Top of the Mountain looks like so Acknowledge and appreciate it. https://t.co/GDnCGxZOdI
Roman has his hands full this Saturday night when he defends the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre at Clash at the Castle. The show will take place in Cardiff, Wales, and is WWE’s first stadium show in the United Kingdom in over thirty years.
Drew was a guest on Sky Sports to promote the premium live event and spoke about his upcoming match against The Tribal Chief. McIntyre noted that Roman has had an incredible past two years but things are changing.
“He’s had an incredible past two years. An incredible 10 years, multiple WrestleMania Main events, and he is everything he says he is. Things have changed about recently, Drew McIntyre is rising up the card. Roman’s situation has changed where he is not as featured on television shows or weekend shows.”
The two-time WWE Champion vowed to crush Roman this weekend at the premium live event.
So as far as I’m concerned, he’s taking a step back, which has allowed me to take two steps forward. Which is going to allow me to crush him at Clash at The Castle.
Drew McIntyre on his match against Roman Reigns this Saturday
Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah are the new WWE Women’s Tag Team champions, but there’s more to this story beneath the surface.
On Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, Rodriguez and Aliyah defeated Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai in the the finals to crown new Women’s Tag Team champions. Some fans were confused and disappointed by the finish and expected Sky and Kai to win the titles instead.
SEScoops had learned some interesting details regarding WWE’s decision to put the vacant Women’s Tag Team Championships on Rodriguez and Aliyah.
WWE High on Raquel Rodriguez
(via WWE)
WWE has big plans for Raquel Rodriguez and sees her as a breakout star. She’s one half of the new women’s tag team champions, but Rodriguez is already being groomed for bigger things down the road.
The 31-year-old former college basketball star is a former NXT Women’s Champion. This run with the tag titles will help her establish her presence on the main roster ahead of eventually going off on her own once again.
WWE has released a video of the new champions reacting to their win. Rodriguez & Aliyah attempt to describe how special it all is and how hard they have worked for so long through NXT, to the main event of Raw and eventually to the titles.
The new champs are “over the moon” excited about what lies ahead for them.
Former WWE star Velveteen Dream was arrested on multiple charges earlier this month.
As we noted, Dream, real name Patrick Clark, was arrested on August 26 for “possession of drug paraphernalia” in Florida. However, it looks like Clark has been having some trouble quite frequently as of late.
PWInsider reports that, upon checking court records, this wasn’t Clark’s first arrest of the month. Clark was also arrested on the 20th by Orlando Police for First Degree Battery and Trespassing on property after a warning.
Each of those are first degree misdemeanors. He bonded out the following day on the 21st for $1,200 and plead not guilty. Clark had an arraignment hearing scheduled for September 28 at 1pm ET. However, that hearing is now listed as canceled.
The victim in the case has also requested confidentiality. Clark’s only other violation was listed for a March 2021 traffic violation, for which he paid the ticket.
Velveteen Dream
Clark competed in WWE from 2015 to 2021. He was a competitor on the NXT brand where he was a one-time NXT North American Champion. Clark was released from his WWE contract in May of 2021.
This was shortly after some allegations against Clark of sexual harassment against a minor.
WWE and Amazon have filed joint lawsuits against 13 vendors accused of marketing and selling counterfeit WWE Championship belt replicas.
In addition to civil lawsuits, WWE and Amazon worked with the Middlesex County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office to pursue these bad actors which led to felony counterfeiting charges against two connected individuals.
Matthew Winterroth, WWE’s Vice President of Intellectual Property, was quoted:
“Amazon is the benchmark for collaboration with respect to brand infringement online. Official and licensed WWE products, branded by our IP, are trusted by our fans around the world and we go to great lengths to protect consumers from counterfeits and other types of infringements. It’s our hope that other companies look at Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit as a model of how to partner with companies of any size to help combat this relentless threat.”
Amazon teams up with WWE, filing suit to protect customersand the authenticity of WWE’s historic championship title belts
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) (NYSE: WWE) and Amazon today announced joint lawsuits against 13 defendants who attempted to market and sell inauthentic replicas of WWE-branded championship title belts in Amazon’s store including inauthentic replicas of commemorative title belts as well as the historic WWE World Heavyweight, Universal, Intercontinental, United States and NXT Championship title belt designs.
WWE combined its proactive IP monitoring and enforcement program with Amazon’s Project Zero and Brand Registry protection tools to detect infringing listings, and Amazon removed them. Then WWE partnered with Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit to pursue these lawsuits targeting bad actors who attempted to sell counterfeit products and falsely represent their locations and identities.
One of the defendants was found to be operating their fraudulent business out of New Jersey. In addition to the civil lawsuits, Amazon and WWE worked with the Middlesex County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office to pursue these bad actors which led to felony counterfeiting charges against two connected individuals for sale of counterfeit WWE championship title belts.
“Amazon is the benchmark for collaboration with respect to brand infringement online,” said Vice President of Intellectual Property at WWE, Matthew Winterroth. “Official and licensed WWE products, branded by our IP, are trusted by our fans around the world and we go to great lengths to protect consumers from counterfeits and other types of infringements. It’s our hope that other companies look at Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit as a model of how to partner with companies of any size to help combat this relentless threat.”
“Amazon is committed to the authenticity of products in our store and protecting our customers from all forms of counterfeits, including those impacting fans of iconic entertainment brand WWE,” said Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit. “We will continue to work with WWE and Middlesex County law enforcement to bring these bad actors to justice.”
WWE’s robust and aggressive IP enforcement program utilizes both internal and external resources to combat counterfeit and infringing products, piracy, and distribution abuse online as well as in physical points of sale. This includes trained internal staff and third-party vendors who consistently monitor online retailers around the world for IP infringements and counterfeit sellers. Amazon’s Project Zero also empowers WWE to directly remove suspicious listings from Amazon’s stores. Amazon’s latest lawsuit with WWE comes after Amazon in 2021 sued or referred over 600 criminals for investigation in the US, UK, EU, and China, an increase of more than 300% over 2020.
Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit – a team of former federal prosecutors, former law enforcement agents, experienced investigators and data analysts – was formed to work with brands and law enforcement to hold bad actors accountable.
Amazon strictly prohibits the sale of counterfeit products, and won’t stop until there are zero counterfeits in its stores. Amazon’s efforts to stop counterfeit products is part of an investment of $900 million to protect its stores from fraud, counterfeits, and abuse. This includes using industry-leading tools to verify potential sellers’ identities and ensure product listings are authentic. In 2021, Amazon blocked more than 4 billion bad listings before they were listed in our stores. These listings were suspected of potentially being fraudulent, infringing, counterfeit, or engaging in other forms of abuse.
For more information, including the related court filing case numbers, visit Corporate.WWE.com.
WWE and All Elite Wrestling have been in a battle for years to establish which brand of pro wrestling is dominant.
While AEW would win the Wednesday Night Wars, resulting in NXT moving to Tuesdays, the two companies continue to compete for fans and that all-important 18-49 demographic.
Double-Feature
For wrestlers, competing on AEW or WWE programming can be a huge step in their careers, and now Katie Arquette has done both on the same night.
On this week’s Raw, Arquette, working under the name Katie Arks, teamed with Dani Mo and Kay Sparks, in a squash match loss to Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss.
The self-professed ‘Queen of the Silver Screen’ didn’t have much better luck on AEW programming, losing to Serena Deeb on Dark: Elevation.
Arquette is the second person to achieve this impressive feat, after Cameron Stewart competed on Raw and AEW Dark in September 2021.
On the new @WWE RAW: Katie Arquette @TheKtArquette became the 2nd wrestler to compete in both WWE (RAW) & AEW in the same night.
Despite her name, Katie is no relation to former WCW World Heavyweight Champion David Arquette, though the two have appeared in the ring together.
After training, Arquette made her professional wrestling debut at IWC Proving Ground 6 in February 2017, in a losing effort to future AEW star and then-IWC Women’s Champion Dr. Britt Baker.
A year later, Arquette would challenge Baker again for the title, this time getting the win, which she told Daily DDTwas “just incredible.”
Arquette would celebrate with David Arquette, who was also at the show, and would give her a fur coat which she still wears for matches to this day.
The WWE Universe was hoping for the return of former Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi tonight.
It appeared to be the perfect time for them to make their return. Sasha and Naomi walked out of WWE during the May 16th episode of RAW. They left their Women’s Tag Team Championships on former EVP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ desk and left the arena.
Banks and Naomi were the champions at the time but creative wanted to put the tag titles on the back burner so the two could have singles matches against the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champions at the Hell in a Cell premium live event. Sasha and Naomi were scheduled to compete against each other in a Six-Pack Challenge on the night they walked out.
The finals of the women’s tag team tournament took place to crown the new Women’s Tag Team Champions. Many fans expected to see them arrive after the match as the real champions but it did not happen. Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez defeated Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky in the main event of RAW to crown the new champions.
Bayley tried to interfere multiple times but Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss chased her through the crowd. Dakota and Iyo were distraught by Bayley not being ringside and it allowed Aliyah to tag in while they weren’t paying attention. Dakota Kai went to attack Raquel but Aliyah snuck up from behind and rolled her up to win the tournament. Raquel and Aliyah celebrated with Bianca, Asuka, and Alexa to close the show.
During tonight’s show, a sign could be seen several times that read “We want Naomi, not botch Banks”. The disrespectful sign towards The Boss was shown several times on camera before it was eventually removed.
While Asuka, Alexa, and RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair were cutting a promo, a security guard can be seen quickly approaching the fan holding the sign in the crowd. Towards the end of the video below, you can see the security guard walking by the barricade with the sign.
This is so funny to me, the negative Sasha Banks sign in the background, the producer running to snatch the sign and Bianca saying damage control at the same time. Like the coincidence ??. #WWERawpic.twitter.com/dpgN2Jp49t
IYO SKY and Dakota Kai vs. Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah was booked in the finals of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals on Monday’s episode of Raw.
The match served as the main event of the show. The finish saw SKY hit a moonsault to Raquel for a near fall. Bayley argued with the referee until Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Bianca Belair ran her off. Aliyah rolled up Kai for the win.
In the first round, SKY and Kai beat Tamina and Dana Brooke to advance before beating Asuka and Alexa Bliss to make it to the finals. On the other side of the bracket, Rodriguez & Aliyah defeated Xia Li and Shotzi in the opening round then went over Natalya and Sonya Deville in the semi-finals.
Post-match, they celebrated with Bianca, Bliss, and Asuka in the ring. Fireworks were going off as the show went off the air.
Many fans expected to see the return of Sasha Banks and Naomi after this match after they reached an agreement to return to the company. Banks and Naomi walked out of a WWE Raw event in May due to creative differences as WWE wanted Naomi to win a six-pack challenge on the show. WWE suspended them and stripped them of the Women’s Tag Team Titles.
That didn’t happen, and fans will have to wait a little bit longer.
Former WWE star The Velveteen Dream, real name Patrick Clark, was arrested on August 26th in Orange County, Florida.
As of this writing, there are not many details available regarding the arrest, although county records state he was charged on an out-of-county warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia. We hope to have more details shortly.
Downfall Of The Velveteen Dream
Velveteen Dream
In 2020, Clark was accused of having inappropriate contact with a minor. He hasn’t worked a match since December 23, 2020. He was released from WWENXTin May 2021.
There were several reports about the decision made by WWE to let him go ranging from allegations to behavioral issues to problems with fellow wrestlers. Clark previously stated in his statement that the accusations against him from April 2020 were the reason why he was fired.
Last July, he did have his first post-WWE booking lined up until it got canceled.
Clark has been hinting on social media that he was going to make an effort to get back in WWE and added the #BringBackVelveteenDream hashtag to his Instagram account.
Clark has yet to publicly commented on his arrest.
Seth Rollins and Riddle couldn’t wait for Saturday’s Clash at the Castle event to mix it up.
Rollins and Riddle are scheduled to have a face-to-face showdown on tonight’s Raw just five days before their match this weekend.
About two hours before Raw was scheduled to go live on the USA Network, the two competitors were involved in a physical altercation outside the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh PA.
As seen below, WWE officials had to jump in and keep the two men apart. It’s difficult to make out exactly what they are saying, but you can hear them screaming at one another.
You can also hear fans yelling at the sight of the two WWE Superstars needing to be physically kept apart.
This is probably a storyline situation to build anticipation for WWE Clash at the Castle, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.
Check out the video, courtesy of Twitter user @MusicByMaleena:
WWE is not done bringing former Superstars back in to the fold.
According to a new report by Fightful Select, ex-WWE Champion Braun Strowman is among the names discussed about bring brought back to the company.
It’s unclear if the Strowman talk ever got beyond the brainstorming phase, but WWE officials believe The Monster Among Men looks “ring ready” as of late.
— The Monster of all Monsters (@Adamscherr99) August 26, 2022
As we noted last week, there’s also been some interest in bringing back former NXT star Bronson Reed. He’s currently wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling and made a great impression with his performance in the G1 Climax tournament.
Braun Strowman in WWE
Strowman was initially signed by WWE in 2013, where he was later a key member of The Wyatt Family. In 2016 he was called up to the WWE main roster, where he began a singles career.
During that time, Strowman captured the WWE Universal Title, an Intercontinental Title reign, and two RAW Tag Team Title wins. He was also the winner of the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, and followed that up with an Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal the following year in 2019.
Strowman was released from WWE in June of 2021. It was one of the more shocking cuts that the company made, but it’s believed his then-hefty contract was a factor in the decision.
There had been plans for Banks and Naomi, then the WWE Women’s Tag Champions, to enter feuds for the SmackDown and Raw Women’s Championships, but losing both feuds.
The then-Women’s Tag Team Champions felt this was disrespectful to their titles, and haven’t been seen on WWE TV since.
Any Week Now
While there was a time when it seemed Banks and Naomi were gone from WWE for good, that is no longer the case.
With Vince McMahon retired, it has been reported that the pair have agreed to return, as their main issues were with the former Chairman.
On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reports that Banks and Naomi are expected back any week now.
Bryan Alverez added that both women have been re-added to the internal roster, a huge sign that they’ve resolved the issues between them and the company.
Tonight’s Raw will see new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions be crowned after Banks and Naomi were stripped of the gold in May.
Changes
Banks and Naomi are expected to be back soon, but they are returning to a much different WWE.
Reports at the time of the walkout stated that the former champions left their WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles on the desk of then Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis.
Laurinaitis has since been released from WWE over his alleged role in the alleged misconduct between Vince McMahon and WWE employees.
In his place, Triple H is serving as Head of Talent Relations, and reportedly has a good relationship with both women.
Kurt Angle will be on tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW, and we have some indications as to what WWE has planned for him.
The WWE Hall Of Famer is slated to appear on RAW tonight, which will be the go-home show before Clash At The Castle this weekend. Fightful Select reports that early plans have Angle penciled in for a segment with The Alpha Academy and The Street Profits.
One segment will even see Angle drink milk with The Street Profits. Aside from Angle, we have some more indications on what WWE has in store for tonight’s show.
The plan is to continue the Dexter Lumis storyline, having “advanced security guards being planned to enhance the story.”
Both Lumis and The Miz are slated to appear after Miz was kidnapped by Lumis to close out last week’s show. Also, the report suggests there’s a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.
WWE wants to make them seem as important as possible. Several segments and matches have already been confirmed for tonight’s show. Check them out here below:
Seth Rollins and Riddle meet face-to-face
Kurt Angle set to appear
WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Tournament Finals: Dakota Kai & IYO SKY vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Aliyah
The Usos and Sami Zayn will appear
Non-Title Match: United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. The Miz
Nearly three years after getting engaged, WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev got married in Paris, France.
The wedding took place on August 26 and is set to be chronicled in a four-part E! special. Bella confirmed the exciting news in a post on Instagram.
“We said I DO. Can’t wait to share the entire journey with you all when our four-part special event, ‘Nikki Bella Says I Do,’ premieres on E!”
– Nikki Bella
(Photo: Instagram @thenikkibella)
Total Bellas and Total Divas formerly aired on E! Chigvintsev was Bella’s partner on Dancing with the Stars in 2017, and they started dating shortly after the show.
WWE Hall of Famer Nikki @BellaTwins took to Instagram to announce that she and @artemchigvintse have officially tied the knot.
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev got engaged in France in November 2019, but Bella waited until January 2020 to announce the news. The couple has a two-year-old son together.
Bella was previously engaged to fellow WWE star John Cena. The couple announced their separation in 2018 after dating since 2012 and being engaged for a year. Before their split, Cena and Nikki were scheduled to get married in May 2018.
Nikki and Brie were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020.
For the past two years, Roman Reigns has dominated WWE like never before, holding an iron grip on the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Winning the Universal title in August 2020, a week after returning to TV, Reigns unified the title with Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship at WrestleMania 38.
The list of names who have lost to Reigns is a who’s-who of WWE, including Lesnar, John Cena, Edge, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt, and others.
The End is Near?
This Saturday, Reigns will defend the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle against Drew McIntyre.
The two faced off one-on-one at Survivor Series 2020, where Reigns got the win, but the result could be much different this time.
WrestleVotes reports that for the first time in a long time, there have been discussions about Reigns losing at this weekend’s event.
It’s reported that “multiple ideas” have intrigued those who will decide the finish for Reigns Vs. McIntyre, which will headline Clash at the Castle.
For the first time in a long time, there has been some discussions creatively regarding Roman Reigns dropping the title(s). I’m hearing multiple ideas have intrigued those making the final call come Saturday in Cardiff. Should be an interesting week ahead…
Today marks Day 729 since Reigns became Universal Champion.
McIntyre: Why it makes sense
While Reigns has been virtually untouchable since turning heel and becoming the Tribal Chief, a McIntyre win makes sense.
McIntyre is yet to have a World Championship win in front of a live crowd, with his first coming at the empty-arena WrestleMania 36, and his second in the Thunderdome.
McIntyre has also been kept protected in recent years and is arguably the only Superstar active at this time who would make sense as the one to defeat Reigns.
With reports of WWE considering more international stadium shows (depending on whether Clash at the Castle is a success) a World Title change this weekend would go a long way in proving stadium shows outside the U.S. are important.
The WWE Championship belts could be getting a redesign under the new regime.
According to a new report from Dan Beltzer, the word going around is that Triple H is making “numerous” belt design changes. Mr. Beltzer is a very well-known belt maker for professional wrestling companies.
He’s also a collector with a track record of breaking stories related to titles. Some of his past clients include big names such as WWE, 2K Sports, New Japan Pro Wrestling, NWA, The New York Yankees, AEW, and many more.
The report did not specify which titles could be getting redesigned.
Rumor mill says Triple H making numerous belt design changes.
It should be noted that WWE has seemingly been attempting to restore the prestige to their secondary titles such as the Intercontinental and United States Titles in recent weeks. A redesign of the actual titles themselves could certainly be a part of that plan.
WWE United States Championship
Currently, the United States Championship on Monday Night RAW is held by “The Almighty” Bobby Lashley. Also, over on SmackDown Live, Gunther continues to reign as the Intercontinental Champion, as he continues to make waves since jumping up from NXT.
It will be interesting to see if WWE decides to completely redesign the titles yet again as we seemingly enter a new chapter of the company’s journey.
WWE Raw rolls into Pittsburgh PA tonight for a live edition of Monday Night Raw from the PPG Paints Arena. This is the ‘go home’ edition of Raw ahead of Saturday’s Clash at the Castle premium live event.
WWE has momentum after several weeks of strong programming that’s been well-received by critics and fans alike. We are only a month into this new era under the leadership of Triple H, but we’re off to a very strong start.
Tonight, WWE will crown new Women’s tag team champions. We’ll also see a special appearance from a hometown hero, Bobby Lashley defending the United States championship and more.
Raw Preview (8/29)
WWE Women’s Tag Team XChampionships
WWE is advertising the following items for tonight’s Raw from Pittsburgh:
New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions will be crowned. The finals of the Women’s Tag Tournament will see Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah vs. Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.
United States Champion Bobby Lashley puts his gold on the line against The Miz.
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle will appear in front of his hometown crowd.
Seth Rollins and Riddle will face off ahead of their match this Saturday at Clash at the Castle.
Raw and SmackDown tag team champions The Usos will appear, along with Sami Zayn.
The advertised dark match main event will see Seth Rollins facing off against Riddle.
Ahead of tonight’s WWE Raw, check out this video recapping the intense feud between Riddle and Seth Rollins.
Finn Balor would like to have AJ Styles to join his Judgment Day faction.
Balor was the latest guest on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin. This was recorded during SummerSlam weekend in Nashville.
During their discussion, they spoke about a wide range of topics, including his experience living through the pandemic. Balor says the pandemic was the most mentally challenging period of his life, without question.
He was landlocked in the United States and dealing with visa issues that prevented him from going back to Ireland and resolving things. He vented that it was super challenging. His father got sick and he couldn’t be there for him. He also couldn’t see his siblings or their children, who were babies before the pandemic and ‘little humans’ 2 years later.
Judgment Day
Balor said he’s really excited about the Judgment Day faction. He really enjoys working with his partners, Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley.
He thinks Priest has a really cool look and is a total badass. Ripley has big star potential and feels this could be the vehicle to solidify her in that role.
All three of them get along great and he loves that the group is presented as equals. There is no leader and he’s truly excited for what lies ahead. However, he said, “Hopefully we add more members.”
Adding Another Member
This got Ryan Satin’s attention, who pressed Balor on who he’d like to add to the faction. He said this could be talent from Raw, SmackDown or NXT. Balor threw out several names, but focused on one man he’d most like to see in the group.
“I had thought of a couple people, said Balor. “I love Walter (Gunther), but he’s doing his own thing. Tommaso Ciampa is doing his thing with Miz, so that’s kind of off the table.”
“Maybe AJ, you know. We haven’t essentially fallen out, we’re just not on the same page. Maybe AJ, bring AJ in. I think his work as a heel is just, pardon the pun, but phenomenal.
– Finn Balor
“.. or we could go and find someone new, a fresh face from NXT. Given a little more time to think about it, I could have given you a better answer. I’d love Brock in the Judgment Day.”
Listen to Finn Balor’s appearance on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin:
Finn Balor says he craves a mega “cheat meal” powered by McDonald’s once a week.
Balor known for having one of the best physiques in wrestling. However, looks can be deceiving. In previous eras, we’ve seen men with eye-popping physiques who were anything but healthy. Balor says the older he gets, the better he feels.
At 41 years old, he’s never felt better. He’s not sure if that’s because he’s getting better in the ring and learning to work a safer style, or if he’s getting smarter with his training. Back when he was 31, he was wrestling in Japan, which was a much more physical style and may be a factor.
He also credits sleep as the key to feeling good. His worst day of the week is Tuesdays, because he’s traveling late after Raw and doesn’t get the sleep he needs.
Finn Balor’s Ultimate Cheat Meal
Finn Balor considers himself “super OCD” with his diet and it shows. However, he does allow himself a break once a week.
Balor used to never cheat on his diet, but eventually convinced himself that he needs to treat himself once a week. Now, he goes big on cheat days. So big that his wife jokingly telling him to reign it in.
“I’ve got super OCD with everything, including my eating, but now, Tuesdays, I’m just craving McDonald’s. I’ll get home on Tuesdays, it will be 10pm and I’ll be moping around the house. I’ll Uber Eats two double cheeseburgers, a McFlurry, a sundae, large fries and large coke. Now it’s to the point where [my wife is] telling me, ‘We can’t have that today.’ But I will keep everything in line the rest of the week, so it’s just the one cheat meal.”
– Finn Balor
Balor said he loves ice cream so much, he can’t decide whether to order the McFlurry or an ice cream sundae from McDonald’s, so he orders both. His wife taught him to dip french fries into ice cream and “Man, it is just delightful.”
Listen to Finn Balor’s appearance on the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin:
Earlier this year, WWE implemented a rule that resulted in several Superstars having their names changed.
The rule was that Superstars would no longer be allowed to use any part of their real name on WWE TV, which could be later used outside of the company if they left or were released.
This led to several Superstars who used their real names being changed including WALTER (Walter Hahn) to Gunther, Tommaso Ciampa (Tommaso Whitney) to just Ciampa and Pete Dunne (Peter England) to Butch.
Not Just a Theory
One Superstar who had their name changed was Austin Theory, whose name was shortened to just Theory.
Theory’s real name is Austin White, and on WWE TV, it was explained that he wanted nothing to do with the ‘Austin’ name.
This came shortly after WWE WrestleMania 38, where both Theory and his mentor Mr. McMahon received stunners by ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.
Now, Theory may be getting his first name back, as CageSideSeats reports that Theory was advertised under his full name for this weekend’s live events.
On Instagram, Theory’s handle also uses his full moniker and can be followed at ‘austin_theory.’
Doing Away with the Rule
It’s unclear if Theory will receive his first name back or not, but there have been changes made.
During the taping for the episode of SmackDown that’ll air this Friday, Butch competed against Ludwig Kaiser, but worked in his Pete Dunne-era ‘Bruiserweight’ attire.
Recently, Angel teased bringing back the Angel Garza name, while his tag-team partner Humberto is rumored to be returning to being Humberto Carrillo.
In 2005, WWE embarked on one of their most real feuds ever, pitting Matt Hardy against Edge.
While Hardy was out with an injury, Matt’s real-life girlfriend Lita had started a relationship with Edge, a real-life good friend of Hardy.
When Hardy made the affair public, WWE subsequently fired him, citing ‘unprofessional behavior’ on his behalf.
Summerslam
Weeks later, and after over 15,000 signatures on a petition, WWE rehired Hardy, and made his real-life issues with Edge and Lita into a feud.
At Summerslam 2005, the pair were scheduled to face off, with some unique advice from Vince McMahon.
On the latest episode of his ‘Extreme Life’ podcast, Matt recalled the unique way the then-WWE Chairman tried to motivate him (via Fightful.)
“This might sound crazy, but when two animals — the primal instincts kick in and survival kicks in, and it’s their basic primal instincts, and we all have them, even as human beings,” McMahon said, according to Hardy.
“If you see someone weaker than you, you see someone that’s crippled or in a wheelchair, deep down your primal instinct, you want to destroy them, you want to eat them, you want to eat them alive! […] You want to take the person who’s weaker than you, that is below you in the food chain, and you want to f***ing EAT THEM! Do you understand?! That’s what I want to see out of this match.”
“You see someone that’s crippled or in a wheelchair, deep down your primal instinct, you want to destroy them.”
Vince McMahon motivating Matt Hardy before Summerslam 2005.
Rather than the scrappy brawl McMahon was hoping for, the match went under five minutes long and ended via referee stoppage.
When Hardy was busted open on the ring post, he was unable to defend himself and the referee called for the bell, giving Edge the win.
After Summerslam
Despite the underwhelming Summerslam bout, Matt and Edge would continue feuding, with Hardy getting his win back in a Steel Cage match at Unforgiven.
At WWE Homecoming in October, marking Raw’s return to the USA Network, Edge defeated Matt in a Loser Leaves Town Ladder match for Edge’s Money in the Bank contract, and Hardy was moved to SmackDown.
WWE Extreme Rules 2022 is already on the verge of selling out.
The show will take place on October 8th at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of now, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is not advertised for the premium live event.
According to Wrestle Tix’s Patreon, WWE has already sold 10,032 of a possible 11,186 tickets for Extreme Rules. With over a month remaining until Extreme Rules, it is reasonable to assume that the company will be hosting another sold crowd for the show.
WWE Survivor Series will take place on November 26th. The premium live event will air from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
Despite the show being three months away, the show virtually sold out during the pre-sale earlier this week. There is not a match announced for Survivor Series 2022 but WWE fans area clearly every excited about it.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer stated that he hadn’t seen a WWE show sell out as fast as Survivor Series in years.
“Survivor Series in Boston basically sold out during the presale today. Whatever is held back will sellout during the public onsale. I can’t think of a WWE show in years to do that.”
Survivor Series in Boston basically sold out during the presale today. Whatever is held back will sellout during the public onsale. I can't think of a WWE show in years to do that.
The ratings for both RAW and SmackDown have been on the increase since Vince McMahon’s departure from the company. Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan were named the new co-CEOs, and Triple H replaced John Laurinaitis as EVP of Talent Relations. The Game was also named Head of Creative for the promotion and the WWE Universe have had a very positive response to the changes at the top of the company so far.
Johnny Gargano returned to WWE this past Monday on RAW after leaving the promotion nine months ago.
He arrived during the show’s final hour and got a terrific reaction from the crowd in Toronto, Canada. Johnny said he decided to return to WWE because it is the only place he can become Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, WWE Champion, and perform at WrestleMania.
Money in the Bank winner Theory interrupted and mocked Gargano. Theory suggested that Johnny be his errand boy on the main roster. Johnny opted to deliver a Superkick to Theory’s face instead and left him laying in the ring to end the segment.
The former NXT Champion’s return was kept a secret from talent until just a few minutes before his entrance at the Scotiabank Arena. WWE reportedly felt they had a good chance of re-signing Johnny after Triple H took over as Head of Creative.
Jim Cornette on Johnny’s Return to WWE
On the latest edition of Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru, he discussed Johnny’s return to the promotion. Cornette has never been a fan of Gargano’s, often citing his lack of facial expressions in the ring.
He noted that while there are certain fans that will be excited about Johnny’s return because of his in-ring skill, overall the 35-year-old does not represent a game changer for WWE.
“Obviously, this is the furthest thing from a game changer in any wrestling war that Johnny Gargano… has returned to entertain us with his generic build, his diminutive body, his pale complexion, his undemonstrative face, and his general overall silly demeanor.”
Cornette also believes that Theory should be playing a more important role on the show after winning the Money in the Bank contract at the premium live event on July 2nd.
“Theory needs to be in the mix with top guys in order not only to learn the style of working that the top guys there, but also to be brought up in the people’s eyes, the fans’ eyes. As he’s an upper echelon guy to mix with the top talent. Instead of here’s this guy who just came back after his glorious run in NXT a year and after his wife just had a baby.”
