Rey Mysterio is one of the most beloved babyfaces in the history of wrestling business. A story from Natalya only further proves that he is as good of a guy behind the scenes as he is on screen.
The Hart Dynasty member recently had an interview with McKenzie Mitchell. They talked about the different aspects of the WWE star’s ring gears including her iconic jackets and more.
When the topic of wrestling boots came up, Natalya recalled the time Rey Mysterio gifted her a custom made pair of wrestling boots:
“It’s funny. Rey Mysterio. He is somebody that inspired me with wrestling boots. I saw a pair of boots that he was wearing and I said ‘Rey, I love those boots.’ The next week, he showed up with a pair of boots for me.
Actually, he gave me a pair of his own boots. Then he had a special pair custom made for me, which are the silver ones that are on the floor over there. That’s the kind of guy that Rey Mysterio is. He’ll literally take the shoes off of his feet and give them to you.”
One of My Most Special Treasures: Natalya
Natalya mentioned how she has worn the boots on many occasions. This includes WrestleMania 38 when she teamed up with Shayna Baszler to challenge for the Women’s Tag Team Championships:
“I wore these at WrestleMania when I tag teamed with Shayna. They’re so light that you almost don’t even feel [them], they’re just light as a feather. They’re so beautiful. I love them so much. The boots that Rey Mysterio gave me are like, one of my most special treasures.”
Natalya also talked about her early career and named Beth Phoenix as someone who inspired her when she first joined WWE. You can check out what Natalya had to say about her tag team with Phoenix here.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest missed last night’s SmackDown due to a flight delay.
Last night’s Smackdown emanated from the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City. However, he was forced to miss his scheduled appearance due to some travel issues. Though he is part of the Raw roster, ‘The Archer of Infamy’ was slated to put his title on the line against Jey Uso in a dark match after SmackDown.
However, he informed his fans that there were some flight issues and that he was “trying my best to make it.” Damian Priest couldn’t reach the venue in time for the show as his flight got delayed. Ahead of the show, he took to his X account, he revealed that his flight didn’t take off and was stuck on the runway. He apologized to his fans as he wrote:
“Unfortunately the honor of main eventing The Garden is not possible tonight. Still haven’t taken off. Stuck on a plane in a runway. Very disappointed and apologies to my people. This one hurts. Enjoy the show! #SmackDown I’m sure will be awesome”
Unfortunately the honor of main eventing The Garden is not possible tonight. Still haven't taken off. Stuck on a plane in a runway. Very disappointed and apologies to my people. This one hurts. Enjoy the show! #SmackDown I'm sure will be awesome https://t.co/YpVemY2wsZ
The dark match main event was then changed to a Street Fight between Jey Uso and Finn Balor. The former emerged victorious over The Judgment Day member. There was another dark match in which the former WWE World Tag Team Champions The Miz & R-Truth defeated The Pretty Deadly.
Damian Priest is set to put his World Heavyweight Title on the line against Seth Rollins at Money In The Bank Premium Live Event on Saturday, July 6. The winner of the match will defend the title against Gunther at SummerSlam in August.
On this week’s Raw, Priest and Rollins raised the stakes for their match. The pair agreed to a stipulation that states that should Priest retain, Rollins will be barred from challenging for the title as long as Priest is the Champion. However, if Priest loses, he will have to part ways with The Judgment Day.
Kayla Braxton received a special farewell after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Madison Square Garden went off air.
The WWE broadcaster worked her final show at the world’s most famous arena after announcing her departure from the company last week.
After the show went off air, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes made an appearance to honor his dad, Dusty Rhodes, in the same arena where Dusty briefly held the WWWF title before it was taken away from him.
Before his promo, however, Cody mentioned how one member of the WWE family was leaving them after tonight, and brought her out for a final acknowledgment.
Kayla got emotional on receiving a huge applause from the audience. She cut a short promo, thanking the fans for accepting an outsider like her into the business 8 years ago when she first joined the promotion:
What’s Next For Kayla Braxton
Kayla Braxton posted a photo on her Twitter from the arena after the show. She said that she is overwhelmed with emotions and will miss everyone:
I love my WWE family. Thank you guys so much. I’m overwhelmed. I will miss you all but we will see eachother again. ?? pic.twitter.com/41gQipSLsi
It’s been reported that the company was in talks with the female star for a contract renewal but she ultimately chose not to renew her deal.
While Kayla has not revealed plans for her post-WWE career, she did confirm that she will be leaving the wrestling business altogether, instead of joining a rival promotion like AEW.
The experience of working in a live TV environment in a global brand like WWE would surely help Braxton in her next adventure. We wish that she will find success in whatever she chooses to do next.
Cody Rhodes honored his father Dusty Rhodes in a unique way after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Madison Square Garden went off air.
This was an emotional night for The American Nightmare. It was his first appearance as a World Champion, in the same arena where his father briefly held the WWWF Heavyweight Championship before it was taken away from him.
The SmackDown star addressed the crowd after the show went off the air. He mentioned how MSG is where it all began when Dusty Rhodes first traveled to New York from Texas.
The Undisputed WWE Champion went on to cut a short promo about his family’s history before he surprised the fans by bringing out the belt that his father had failed to capture all the decades prior:
Dusty Rhodes challenged Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF Championship on September 27, 1977. He defeated Graham via a count out and celebrated with the title for a while. It was then announced, however, that the belt could only change hands via pinfall or submission, and the title was returned to Graham.
What Happened On SmackDown
Cody Rhodes was involved in the broadcast of the show. He along with Kevin Owens and Randy Orton attacked The Bloodline led by Solo Sikoa in the opening segment of the night. This came after Jacob Fatu made his debut and took out all three during last week’s SmackDown.
The babyface trio was escorted out of the arena by security and police so they could not interfere in the Bloodline Acknowledgement ceremony in the main event.
During the ceremony, Paul Heyman was brutally attacked by Solo and his cousins after the wiseman refused to acknowledge him as the new Tribal Chief. You can check out what happened with Paul Heyman after this segment here.
WWE returned to their home turf in Madison Square Garden, NYC for the latest episode of SmackDown with the new Bloodline being in front and center of the show.
The opening segment of tonight’s show saw Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens and Randy Orton attacking The Bloodline after Jacob Fatu took them out in his debut last week. Nick Aldis had to bring in a lot of security to break things up and the babyface trio were then escorted out of the arena.
The main event of the show was the announced Bloodline Acknowledgement ceremony, where Solo Sikoa first introduced his enforcer Jacob Fatu and then demanded that the MSG crowd acknowledge him.
Sikoa then asked each member of the group to acknowledge him separately and they all obliged. Finally, he placed a lei in Heyman’s hands to officially declare him the new Tribal Chief.
However, Heyman was attacked brutally when he refused to do so. The show ended with Fatu putting the lei on Sikoa and the Bloodline standing tall.
WWE has since released a video of Heyman being escorted out of the arena in a stretcher after this week’s SmackDown went off air:
Apart from the Bloodline chaos, tonight’s show only featured three triple-threat matches in which, Naomi, LA Knight, and Tiffany Stratton all qualified for their respective Money In The Bank matches.
WWE also paid tribute to Hall of Famer Sika Anoa’i, who passed away earlier this week. You can check out more details on it here.
Joe Hendry has revealed how Cody Rhodes stuck his neck out to get him a job which was an important stop in the journey to his current popularity.
The TNA star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as his song going viral, how well TNA management has treated him, and more.
During the interview, he was asked about Cody Rhodes and Hendry mentioned that the two met at What Culture Pro Wrestling. He revealed that it was around the same time as the inception of AEW.
At the time Joe Hendry may not have been ready for a spot in AEW but the American Nightmare still helped him get in touch with ROH officials:
“We were on the same tour right around the time that he was starting AEW. Obviously, at the time, that might not be the right fit, but rather than just be like, ‘No,’ Cody came to me, he says, ‘Listen, I think Ring of Honor is Interested in you’ I was like ‘Really?’
He’s like, ‘ but you’re not under contract?’ Because I’d done stuff with TNA when it was Impact back in 2018. I think there was the assumption that I was under contract, but I’d just done a handful of shows.”
Joe Hendry mentioned that the deal with ROH was done within 5 minutes. According to him, the experience he gained at the company was very valuable to his journey:
“So Cody set up that call with me and Ring of Honor. Honestly, it was like, deal was done in five minutes. So all of this happened because of that call, because I wouldn’t have got to TNA if I didn’t have…I did the first Ring of Honor show back with the new ownership.
So if I hadn’t have my time at Ring of Honor, I learned so much, that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now. So I definitely owe Cody Rhodes a cigar, for sure.”
Joe Hendry returned to ROH in 2018 after a brief stint in 2016 and he was officially signed to a contract in 2019. He was featured regularly on the promotion until the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cease operations.
Hendry was also part of Supercard of Honor XV in April 2022, the first ROH show under the leadership of Tony Khan. He then signed a contract with Impact Wrestling in September that year and has been a part of the promotion ever since.
Natalya has been a part of WWE for more than 17 years. She has had a very successful career in WWE and it’s no surprise that the former Women’s Champion is a role model for many young female fans who aspire to become a wrestler one day.
The Hart family member recently had an interview with McKenzie Mitchell. She talked about things such as her start in wrestling, getting to compete in the first-ever women’s match in Saudi Arabia and more.
When asked if there were any female talents, she herself idolized while climbing the WWE ladder, Natalya took the name of Beth Phoenix without hesitation:
“Beth Phoenix. I had never met her prior to working in WWE. I remember like she debuted and I was just getting hired, I was like, ‘I like that she’s different. I like that she’s not your typical Barbie doll, she’s beautiful, and she’s strong, and she loves wrestling.’ It’s funny because she messaged me when I got hired by WWE on MySpace.
Beth Phoenix messaged me on MySpace and she’s like, ‘Hey I’m Beth. My whole childhood I grew up idolizing your family and I just had heard that there was a female Hart getting into the business. I wanted to reach out and just introduce myself.’ Long story short. We’ve been best friends ever since.”
There’s Only So Many Colors In The Rainbow
Natalya would later get the chance to share the ring with her idol and the two even formed a tag team named Divas of Doom. The Canadian star recalled how the two had a lot of fun working together including working on their gear:
“Beth always wanted to pay homage to my family with pink and black. You know, we got these little sparkly study-like spikes made for one of our costumes. We always wanted to match each other.
I remember Beth coming up to me and going ‘Would you mind if I got pink and black in my gear,’ and I was like ‘Oh my gosh Beth, I will be honored and also I don’t own pink and black.’ There’s only so many colors in the rainbow for us to use.”
While the tag team came to an end after Phoenix retired from active competition in 2012, Natalya has continued being a featured superstar in the women’s division. She most recently competed in the Queen of the Ring tournament, being eliminated by IYO SKY.
WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura will have quite the role to play at the upcoming UFC 303 event, in the latest sign of synergy between the two companies.
In an interview with Mizugaki Takeya, fighter Tsuruya Rei spoke of his debut match for UFC at this week’s event. Rei revealed during the interview that WWE’s resident King of Strong Style will be in his corner for the upcoming fight with Carlos Hernandez The fight will be a part of the early preliminary card and broadcast on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.
More has come to light about the WWE exit of Dijak which has come as a surprise to fans and those within the company alike.
This week, it was confirmed by Dijak that he will be leaving the promotion once his contract expires on June 28. The 37-year-old wrestler called up to the main roster this year made clear that WWE ‘stonewalled’ any attempts to discuss a new deal. He also claimed that he was set to feud for the WWE NXT Championship before his call-up to Raw as part of the 2024 WWE Draft.
Dijak learned that WWE would not be re-signing him at some point following his WWE Spped match with Xavier Woods, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports. This match aired on the June 19, edition of WWE’s exclusive show on Twitter/X but it is unclear when exactly the decision was made by higher-ups. Dijak himself told Fightful that he had theories that WWE had planned to let his deal expire for a while.
Dijak was wary that something was ‘up’ after he was not used for weeks following his call-up to the main roster. There were several weeks where Dijak was not brought to tapings. When he was, plans were often shifted around between WWE Main Event and WWE Speed tapings. It’s noted that there were no creative plans in place for when he was called up.
Roster Response to Dijak
Dijak was well-liked within WWE and NXT and was praised by officials in the company, Corey Brennan of Fighful Select reports. Shawn Michaels was said to be a big supporter of Dijak despite the two having minor disagreements about creative differences in the past. The NXT head personally called Dijak to welcome him back to WWE NXT following his run as T-Bar on the main roster. Talent were also surprised that Dijak wasn’t featured as a regular on Raw after being called up.
What’s Next?
There is interest in and outside wrestling in Dijak, with two promotions in Europe set to reach out to him for possible appearances. Major companies have been in contact with Dijak’s management to gauge things, Sapp reports. During the conference call for AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door, AEW President Tony Khan was asked about Dijak but opted not to discuss the matter given that Dijak remained with WWE at the time of the call.
Since joining the Raw brand, Breakker has been on a path to becoming a threat to the division. He has yet to lose a match ‘Clean’ on the main roster and has wins over Ricochet and Ilja Dragunov. In addition to his performances, the fans have gotten behind the former NXT Champion and have started to do his signature bark whenever he does it in his matches.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has also taken notice of Breakker’s rise on the main roster and sees an incredible future for the former NXT Champion. In an interview with Bill Apter for Wrestlebinge, Hogan praised Breakker’s run thus far and believes he could be the company’s next big superstar.
“He’s something else. He’s wise beyond his years. Number one, to be that intense and to know the red lights on, and to be able to stay in that zone. It’s very impressive, so if they do the right thing with him, that could be your next Stone Cole, Rock, or Hulk Hogan. He can be the guy,” said Hogan.
The wrestling legend shared that he also sees Goldberg’s superstar potential in Breakker. Hogan hopes Breakker continues to grow as a performer and seeks wisdom from other wrestlers who have been in the business longer than he has.
What’s Next For Bron Breakker?
On the June 24 episode of Raw, Breakker had another strong performance in a disqualification loss to Ludwig Kaiser. The finish came when Sheamus interfered to cost the former NXT Champion the win. Although he didn’t win, he confronted Raw General Manager Adam Pierce to get an opportunity to challenge WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn.
The champion would overhear the conversation and allow Breakker to challenge him anytime. Breakker would call his shot to take on Zayn for the title at the Money In The Bank on July 6, which Pierce made official.
It’s unclear if WWE intends to have Breakker win the WWE Intercontinental Championship this soon into his main roster career. However, the matchup will be another milestone in his career and a promising start to becoming WWE’s next big superstar.
WWE and Manchester City have announced an exclusive merchandise collaboration, featuring six T-shirts that blend Manchester City and WWE designs, including shirts inspired by CM Punk, Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. It also introduces a new name and number style for Manchester City players, incorporating the WWE logo, to be worn during their preseason tour in the U.S.
WWE Superstars Bayley and Baron Corbin will be on hand at CityStore in New York City on this Friday, June 28 to celebrate the launch.
The WWE x Manchester City collection is now available at WWE Shop:
Here’s the full press release sent in to SEScoops:
MANCHESTER CITY AND WWE ® LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE COLLABORATION
Manchester City and WWE®, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), have today announced details of an exclusive merchandise collaboration, that will see the two globally recognised brands featured together across a range of new products.
The new collection will include six T-shirts featuring Manchester City and WWE detailing, such as a CM Punk best team in the land and all the world T-shirt and other tee’s featuring Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin design inspiration.
As part of the collaboration, Manchester City and WWE have jointly designed a new name and number style that our players will wear in all of our games that we play during our preseason tour of America this summer. The design features the WWE logo within the number and a red outline.
Fans will be able to access the new range of t-shirts by visiting shop.mancity.com, WWEShop.com and Fanatics.com. Additionally, it will be available in the recently opened pop-up CityStore at Rockefeller Center, New York.
To celebrate the launch and ahead of WWE Friday Night SmackDown taking place at Madison Square Garden, WWE Women’s Champion Bayley and WWE Superstar Baron Corbin will be visiting the CityStore on 6th Avenue in New York on Friday 28th June between 10am and 11am for an exclusive meet and greet with fans. The Premier league trophy will also be in store on Friday and over the weekend.
Serena Gosling, Director of Integrated Fan Experience and Retail & Licensing at Manchester City, said: “We are excited to announce the launch of our exclusive retail collaboration with WWE today. As a club, we’re always exploring new ways to enhance our retail offering for our fans across the globe and collaborations like this with WWE are part of that ongoing strategy.
“In addition, today’s announcement offers a further touchpoint for our fans within the US and beyond to engage with the club, ahead of men’s first team visit this summer.”
WWE Superstar Dijak has announced he is leaving WWE. His last day with the company will be tomorrow, Friday June 28, 2024.
The former NXT Champion released a note on social media detailing his painstaking final months with the company. To his dismay, Dijak says WWE had no interest in negotiating a new deal with him and “stonewalled” his attempts to discuss doing so.
According to Dijak, his performance, dedication and positive attitude only got him so far. He’d get commented for putting on show-stealing performances and constantly pitch creative ideas for his character. He was generally feeling pretty good about things, until it came time to talk business and the chance to continue working together for years to come.
“Here’s the truth, WWE never negotiated with me. We attempted to negotiate and they stonewalled us.” he wrote. “They never made me a single offer, then they informed me they would not renew my contract at the eleventh hour. 2 months ago I was in one of the best matches in NXT history, and a top match of Wrestlemania weekend. On that day, a top executive in WWE told me I was ‘crushing it.’
I was slated to feud for the NXT title but I got called up to RAW instead. I consistently outperformed everyone’s expectations, especially throughout 2023 and early 2024. I never complained about anything or was difficult to work with. I tirelessly pitched ideas to anyone who would listen, as recently as the day before I was notified. I never once missed a booking, and I was injured 1 time in 7 years for 3 months. “
What’s next for Donovan Dijak?
The 6-foot-7 wrestler is understandably disappointed at how his WWE career turned out, but he’s thankful for the experience and excited about what lies ahead. He tagged Tony Khan, AEW, TNA and NJPW in the social media post, letting it be known that we could see him turn up elsewhere very soon.
“I’m thankful, disappointed, but also excited. This has lit a fire under me to relentlessly prove myself to the world. All I ever wanted was a fair shot and now I have the opportunity to go out and take it. That’s enough talk, now it’s time to Do or Dijak.”
Dijak signed with WWE in 2017 and wrestled primarily in NXT during his run, although he did wrestle on the main roster for several years. He’s currently taking bookings at BookDijak@gmail.com.
Wrestling World Shocked By Dijak’s Departure
The surprising announcement from the former NXT star has left the wrestling world perplexed. Many people have taken social media, expressing that it’s a rare misstep from the Triple H management.
This includes Dijak’s former sparring partner Keith Lee. The two put on some of the most memorable fights in the history of the Black and Gold era of NXT. Lee warned the wrestling world to be ready for Dijak to showcase what he is truly capable of:
This is quite unfortunate…. but it won't stop that engine. The professional wrestling world should consider tightening its collective seatbelt. https://t.co/vndejbpii9
The 37-year-old is the fourth member of the ill-fated Retribution stable to depart the company. Their former leader Mustafa Ali referenced their past together saying that they should reunite for a match:
— 'UnBreakable' Terry Thatcher (@deThatched) June 27, 2024
With the outpouring support from the fans, Dijak will have no trouble getting booked. Following the footsteps of his Retribution teammate Mustafa Ali, the 6-foot-7 star will be hungry to prove his worth to any company that brings him in.
The combination of it all means fans should get ready for Dijak to hit the ground running and prove his worth as one of the best in-ring talents of the current generation.
WWE’s Rhea Ripley and AEW’s Buddy Matthews have officially tied the knot after marrying in an all-black ceremony this month. Ripley shared a photo of herself and her new husband on social media, announcing they tied the knot on Sunday, June 23. Forgoing tradition, Mami wore a black wedding dress for the ceremony while Matthews’ garb matched this macabre theme. Ripley posted this photo on Instagram with a caption that reads,
This huge news unsurprisingly had the wrestling world talking with several wrestlers offering their best wishes. Matt Cardona offered his congrats in the comments section, as did Samantha Irvin. The WWE Raw ring announcer called the situation, “‘perfect”.
Staying on theme, WWE veteran Natalya shared several black heart emojis. The couple’s Instagram post also spawned over 130,000 likes in the first 30 minutes of it being uploaded to the platform. Meanwhile, Ripley’s close friend Dominik Mysterio dropped a few ‘black heart’ emojis to express his approval.
Rhea Ripley & Buddy Matthews
Ripley and Matthews began dating in 2022, which came after the latter’s exit from WWE. In August 2023, the couple shared that they had gotten engaged. This real-life relationship, however, did not stop WWE’s storyline from tying Ripley to her ‘Dom Dom’ Dominik Mysterio.
Ripley is currently out of action after suffering an injury that forced her to relinquish the WWE Women’s World Champion. Interestingly, Buddy Matthews was recently written off TV with an attack by The Patriarchy, and there have been questions as to whether reports of an injury were real or for the storyline. Either way, the couple will have plenty of time to enjoy their honeymoon period after marrying this month.
McIntyre explains the reasoning behind his attack on Punk.
The ongoing feud between WWE superstars Drew McIntyre and CM Punk continues to get more intense. ‘The Scottish Warrior’ came close to defeating WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Preist at Clash At The Castle on June 15. Unfortunately, Punk returned to low-blow McIntyre at the premium live event, allowing the champion to retain his championship.
McIntyre went on X to explain why he felt he needed to assault the fan-favorite superstar. He also warned anyone else on the roster that they could face the same consequences if they cross him.
“…Newton’s third law, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Drew’s law, for every action, there will be a violent reaction like you’ve never seen if you deserve it,” said McIntyre.
‘The Scottish Warrior’ referenced Punk’s comments at the post-show and shared that he could’ve taken the breath out of him.
“…What I did to him on Smackdown, I could’ve made it a reality. It would’ve been so easy. I could have squeezed all the air out of his stupid, fragile body,” said McIntyre
He believes Punk’s punishment should be watching McIntyre succeed while remaining inactive. However, he sent another threat to the beloved superstar if he interfered in McIntyre’s matches again.
Drew McIntyre Curses Out And Sends Warning To CM Punk
McIntyre continued the video by justifying his actions to attack Punk on the June 21 episode. He also warned Punk that he’s a dangerous man to mess with again.
“…What have I ever deserved in this life for a dumb-headed f*ck like CM Punk to go into business for himself? Now Punk can pretend to push that he is Satan himself. When I’m pushed to this level, I’m a justified monster. Satan’s my b*tch, just like Phil,” said McIntyre. He continued, “…Phil, you took my dreams. Now I’m the nightmare you’re gonna see every time you close those soulless eyes of yours. You might think you’re Satan when pushed. I’m a f*cking psychopath.”
The former WWE Champion ended the video by sharing that he’s never hated someone more than Punk. McIntyre’s comments certainly add more tension to his rivalry with the ‘Straight Edge Superstar.’ Hopefully, Punk can heal soon so fans can finally see both settle their differences in the ring.
It’s been ten years since Becky Lynch made her WWE in-ring debut, and an unfortunate start would lay the foundations for one of the biggest stars in all of professional wrestling.
Lynch’s infamous in-ring debut on WWE programming came on the June 26, 2014, edition of WWE NXT where she faced Summer Rae. Lynch’s arrival in WWE played heavily into her Irish roots, complete with green attire and Irish jig during her entrance.
“Turns out, I really do have no shame… My God was it awful. It was possibly the most shameful debut in the history of wrestling, with all due respect to the 1993 WCW debut of The Shockmaster. If mine wasn’t the all-time most humiliating debut, it was at least a contender for top three. And yet, the crowd seemed to like this silly buffoon.”
Despite her character, Lynch would win over the fans and would reach new heights after ditching her shamrock-inspired persona for a heel role with Team BAE (Best At Everything.) From there, Lynch would rise up the ranks and within a year, was moved to the main roster as part of the Women’s Revolution. The rest, as they say, is history, with Lynch becoming one of wrestling’s top stars of her time (regardless of sex) and capturing gold on Raw and SmackDown.
What’s Next for Becky Lynch?
Earlier this year, Lynch’s contract with WWE expired and she opted not to re-sign, making her a free agent for the first time in eleven years. Lynch’s final match with WWE saw her lose a steel cage match to Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan, who is glad to have “retired” The Man, according to a recent tweet.
Despite Morgan’s claim, Lynch is expected to return to WWE when the time is right, according to those within the company. While there are fans who would love to see Lynch join AEW, The Man has told those in WWE she doesn’t plan on becoming All-Elite anytime soon.
Penta El Zero Miedo has an AEW contract reported expire this summer, but would The Lucha Brother go to WWE?
Lucha Libre Online reported this month that Penta’s current AEW deal is done sometime in August or September and that WWE is interested in scooping the luchador up.
Penta was a guest on COMIENDO CARNITAS, and addressed the matter, stating that the WWE interest was only a rumor. Miedo confirmed that his contract did indeed end in August or September (noting his agent had to remind him). Penta makes clear that AEW is currently where his alliegance stands and prefers to focus on the present.
“There isn’t anything tangible. If there was to be anything tangible, we would need to evaluate it, check what is more convenient both financially and in-ring. Someone told me that it was like playing for Barcelona while you should play for Real Madrid. I can see that perspective, but I am not that young and it would be my last big contract.”
Penta makes clear he has no problems with either company and was asked if he’d be interested in going to WWE.
“It would be a good episode in my career, but I do not like to fantasy book. If it happens, it happens. I am focused on AEW and I am happy where I am at right now. Of course there is some complaints like more focus on the projection and rivalries, like it happens with every wrestler and company.”
Penta signed with AEW back in 2019 wrestled on AEW television earlier this month against The Butcher, but hasn’t been in a prominent television storyline in quite some time.
The Tag Team Championships of Monday Night Raw are once again in the hands of the Judgment Day after the faction won the titles on this week’s episode.
The June 24, edition of Raw saw Liv Morgan once again meddle in the Judgment Day’s affairs, but this time it paid off for the group. Morgan began by manipulating Truth into getting RAW GM Adam Pearce to make an official tag team title match between Truth & The Miz and Finn Balor and JD McDonagh. Morgan was also at ringside for the match.
Chaos ensued in the closing moments of the match with other members of the Judgment Day and Braun Strowman making their presence felt. The final moments saw Morgan attack Truth, giving Balor and McDonagh an opening to win the titles.
As the pair celebrated on the stage, Morgan posed with the duo with her Women’s World Championship. Neither Balor nor McDonagh seemed pleased that Liv was inserting herself into their moment, despite Morgan’s crucial role in their victory in Raw’s main event.
This is the third tag team championship reign for Finn Balor, who captured the Raw Tag Team Titles twice before with Damian Priest. This is the first title victory for McDonagh on WWE’s main roster. The Irish Ace is also a former NXT Cruiserweight Champion.
It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold from here. While The Judgment Day may not care for Morgan, she certainly paid off on this week’s Raw. And with the WWE Women’s World Champion deep into her ‘revenge’ tour, it’s likely she’s not finished with The Judgment Day just yet.
Backstage after Raw went off the air, Balor and JD cut their first promo as the new champions of WWE’s Raw brand.
The new champions also got a ceremonial photo with Triple H pointing at them.
Another bizarre incident on The Pat McAfee Show, seemingly committed by the Wyatt Sicks, has continued to raise anticipation for the Uncle Howdy-led faction.
During the latest show from the Raw commentator, WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque was in the studio. As the two men discussed all things WWE, an image with the phrase ‘You Lied’ appeared on the screen before promptly cutting to black. McAfee and others in the studio were perplexed with Pat blaming producer Evan ‘Foxy’ Fox.
Pat was quick to dismiss the notion that the Wyatt Sicks was behind this, despite the group’s past proclivity for hijacking broadcasts with cryptic images. Levesque humorously added that after meeting Pat’s production crew, he wouldn’t rule out a mistake being made by one of McAfee’s staff. The Game did admit though that this incident on McAfee’s show is quite the coincidence given the Wyatt Sicks’ tactics.
This isn’t the first time that the Wyatt Sicks has seemingly struck McAfee’s show. During the June 20, 2024, broadcast, McAfee’s broadcast ended with something off-camera spooking those on the show. The episode then cut to the ‘You Lied’ image that fans saw on the latest episode.
Whether this footage is legitimate or not is up for fans to decide, but this latest show certainly has fans interested in what’s next. With McAfee set to be on tonight’s Raw, one week removed from the Wyatt Sicks’ debut, the commentator may have to watch his back or face being introduced to Uncle Howdy.
Many considered this past Friday’s SmackDown episode to be one of the brand’s strongest episodes of some time. The event featured significant moments such as Drew McIntyre’s vicious beatdown of CM Punk in his hometown, Chelsea Green receiving a massive ovation from the WWE Universe as she qualified for Money In the Bank, and the shocking debut of Jacob Fatu as a new member of The Bloodline.
Fans may have credited the episode’s quality to WWE putting in extra work this week to deliver strong content, especially following highly praised episodes of RAW and NXT. However, there might be more to it than just that.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, the blue brand has a new head writer at the helm. The outlet reports that John Swikata has been promoted to the lead writer position, replacing Ryan Callahan who Fightful Select noted has conversely parted ways with the company.
Some may remember Callahan after he was named in Britney Abrahams’ wrongful termination lawsuit last year. Abrahams claimed that she was let go from the company as retaliation for her objection to “several offensive creative pitches.” In the lawsuit, Abrahams alleged that Ryan Callahan had once suggested a storyline where then WWE Superstar Mansoor, who is Saudi Arabian, would have been revealed as the culprit behind 9/11. Abrahams Voluntarily Dismissed the suit in August of 2023.
Fightful Select reports that Swikata has been with the company for “years”, with sources close to WWE stating that he has already made a “huge impact” on the SmacDown product.
It was recently reported that those within WWE had considered the June 21st edition of SmackDown to be one of the “biggest” SmackDown since WrestleMania season, and it is certainly hard to argue with that.
Cody Rhodes reveals injury after SmackDown
During a WWE live event in Bloomington, Illinois, WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes revealed to the WWE Universe in attendance that he suffered “two broken ribs” at the hands of The Bloodline and Jacob Fatu on SmackDown.
“A little scoop for you Bloomington, last night I did break two of my ribs. And the thought [backstage] was ‘Well, you can take off Bloomington, you can take off Kalamazoo. You can even take off next Friday where the story began in 1978, New York City’ And my answer to that was emphatically, 100% ‘Hell No!’”
Cody Rhodes and the new self-proclaimed Tribal Chief Solo Sikoa seem to be set on a collision course, as fans should expect an epic showdown between the two men this summer. Whether WWE books the match for next month’s Money In The Bank PLE in Toronto or for Summer Slam in August is yet to be determined.
It is the opinion of this writer that WWE may look to use both events as part of this Cody Rhodes vs The Bloodline 2.0 rivalry. Much like last year, WWE used MITB to host a “Bloodline Civil War” tag team match between The Usos and Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, with a Tribal Combat match between Jey Uso and Roman Reigns set the following month. This time around, we could see a multi-person tag match involving Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens taking on some combination of The Bloodline.
Unlike a Paul Heyman spolier, this is just some fun fan predictions.
Indianapolis is making history in WWE as Triple H made a major announcement regarding WWE tentpole PLE plans in the future.
WWE released a video of Triple H and Pat McAfee revealing that the company will be making stops at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis not just for Royal Rumble this February but they’re on tap down the line for SummerSlam and even WrestleMania
This groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind partnership will bring some of @WWE’s biggest shows – and countless unforgettable moments – to the state of Indiana.
With SummerSlam happening in Cleveland, one could assume that Indianapolis will be on the agenda for that specific PLE to take place in 2025. As for WrestleMania, it’s possible that Indianapolis would host WrestleMania 43 in 2027 as WrestleMania 41 will go down in Las Vegas and WrestleMania 42 will happen in Minneapolis.
Serendipituosly enough, WWE Raw this Monday will take place in Indianapolis and McAfee has already had an interesting week when it comes to his WWE encounters. Not only was McAfee in attendence to witness the debut of The Wyatt Sicks, but the new creepy faction has interrupted the feed of The Pat McAfee Show on numerous occassions.
Raw has some matches in store for Indy as Chad Gable will take on Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed in hopes of qualifying for Money In The Bank and Karrion Kross will face Kofi Kingston as Kross has been needling Kofi for stealing the spotlight in The New Day.
Matt Riddle made sure the wrestling world knows he hasn’t forgot Randy Orton, bro.
Since being released by WWE back in September, Riddle has found his own groove on the independent wrestling scene but has had some stops in other name promotions such as NJPW and Major League Wrestling.
Riddle literally got to cool off his momentum at a Valley Wrestling Connection event over the weekend when he was wrestling The Vegan Superman outside and there so happened to be a swimming pool nearby. Matt made the most of the moment and delivered a beauty of a RKO into the deep end.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8liVrou8zx
With his release from WWE, fans were left wondering as to where Matt Riddle was going to land and he did make his return to MLW after a five-year absence. Riddle also happened to win the NJPW World TV Title for a time, but he’s really been on a roll with MLW. The Super King Of Bros has been undefeated since coming back to the league and earlier this month, he won Battle Riot VI earning him a World Title shot at the time of his choosing.
The current MLW World Champion happens to be the promotion’s first ever champion, Satoshi Kojima. Kojima beat Alex Kane for the championship and is the first person in the league to hold multiple championships at the same time.
Former WWE star 2 Cold Scorpio (Charles Scaggs) was recently apprehended after he allegedly stabbed a man at a gas station.
TMZ broke the news of his arrest and the incident took place at a Love’s Travel Stop in Kansas City, Missouri. The 58-year-old got involved in a heated argument with a customer at the gas station around 3:40 am.n
The former WWE star stated that he was working as a security guard at the store and he told the man to stop smoking inside. Reports suggest that it didn’t sit well with the customer. They moved outside while arguing and Scaggs pulled out a knife.nThe customer later denied having lit a cigarette inside the store.n
2 Cold Scorpio told the cops that he acted in self-defense and stabbed the man as he allegedly tried to attack Scaggs in the parking lot. Per reports, cops stated that they discovered a man bleeding from his head, chest, legs, stomach, and buttocks when they arrived on the scene. He was then rushed to a hospital due to his injuries. The man was reportedly been going in and out of consciousness when they found him. The victim went on to accuse 2 Cold Scorpio being the aggressor during their scuffle.
2 Cold Scorpio faces multiple charges
TMZ reported that the former 2 Cold Scorpio was arrested on June 15 and slapped with a first-degree assault charge as well as one count of armed criminal action. Scaggs pleaded not guilty to these charges and it has come to light that he is due in court next month.
2 Cold Scorpio entered the pro wrestling world in 1985 and tasted success in the 90s. During his time in WCW, he won the WCW Tag Team Championship. He went on to compete in WWE as well. He has captured major championships such as the ECW World Tag Team Championship and he is a 4-time ECW World Television Champion.
WWE NXT’s Shawn Spears and his wife Cassie Lee are once again new parents following the birth of the couple’s second child.
On Instagram, Lee shared the birth of their child Harley Dean who arrived into the world on June 21, 2024 and shared the message “you complete us.” Within hours of the news being shared, the post had gathered tens of thousands of likes as fans and those in the industry relished in the news. Natalya, Kelani Jordan, Matt Cardona, Carmella, and Renee Paquette all shared their congratulations. Lee’s long-time tag-team partner in WWE & TNA Jessica McKay said that Harley is a “sweet boy.”
Lee and Spears shared on December 24, 2023, that they were expecting Harley. This is the couple’s second child as they previously shared in August 2022 that they were expecting. Their first child, another boy named Austin Jay, was born on January 17, 2023.
It’s been five years since WWE’s worst-attended Premium Live Event, and in that time, the promotion has done incredibly well.
June 2019 saw WWE host its first (and to date, only) Stomping Grounds PLE which took place from the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. Including the pre-show, the event saw two title changes as the Cruiserweight and United States Championships were won by Drew Gulak and Ricochet respectively.
Stomping Grounds’ Record
WWE Stomping Grounds has gone down in history for having the lowest attendance of a WWE Premium Live Event. The show saw just 3,500 fans pay to watch the show. WWE did what it could to hide this embarrassing fact, including putting large black clothes over thousands of empty seats.
n n nCountless seats were left empty and covered to avoid being seen on TV. n
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For context, the Tacoma Dome can seat 21,000 people at max capacity, making this 3,500 figure all the more unfortunate. The venue has hosted WWE TV tapings in the past, with many of them outperforming this PLE.
Five Years Later
Plenty has changed since Stomping Ground 2019 and WWE’s business has arguably never been better. With PLEs today, WWE can issue a report about the record-breaking success of the show, a testament to the company’s good business. WWE attendances have improved with this year seeing a run of sold-out TV tapings, in addition to well-attended PLEs.
Changes backstage can also be credited for an improved product that naturally has led to high-attendance figures. The exile of Vince McMahon in January 2024 paved the way for Triple H to be unquestionably in charge of WWE’s creative team, which fans on the whole believe is for the best. Storylines are now tighter and feel more sensible than before, instead of the past which saw unnecessary twists and ideas being dropped out of nowhere.
The irony of this is that this success has come while WWE’s main rival, AEW has continued to get bigger. In 2019, AEW was still an upstart company that by the time of Stomping Grounds, had hosted just one PPV. In spite of AEW now being a bigger company since then, support for WWE and its product has only strengthened in recent years.
What’s Next?
WWE’s next PLE will be the Money in the Bank show next month, which is expected to perform very well. Between this show, SummerSlam, and the upcoming Bash In Berlin marking WWE’s first PLE in Germany, expect the company to continue to thrive and for WWE Stomping Grounds to be resigned to the annals of history.
Cheslea Green has found herself as one of the competitor’s in the women’s Money In The Bank Ladder match and she has long-term goals for the WWE Women’s Championship.
Green defeated Bianca Belair and Michin to punch her ticket to Money In The Bank on the 6/21 SmackDown, but it was an opportunistic victory. Belair happened to hit her KOD finisher on Michin, but it was Green who shoved Belair out of the way to get the 1-2-3.
Bayley saw how Green got that victory and took to social media to patronize her method of swooping in. She said she’s had her eyes on Green for months as Bayley got a little confrontational with Green during her match against Piper Niven. Green tried to interfere in the bout, but she was banned from ringside. She tried to return under a luchadora mask and Bayley threw her into the barricade before defeating Niven, which Bayley makes mention of after wishing her luck in Toronto.
“If you didn’t get a glimpse of what I’m capable of when I beat your friend Piper Niven last weekend, well, you’re really going to see a different side of me, sister. So enjoy your night for now.”
If Green does grab the briefcase and becomes the Money In The Bank winner, she does have plans for Bayley’s WWE Women’s Championship if she cashes in on the former hugger.
“When I win I’m starting a petition to change the WWE Women’s Championship back to the Divas Championship.”
When I win I’m starting a petition to change the @WWE Womens Championship back to the Divas Championship. pic.twitter.com/aOCSyTcFPG
