The ROH World Tag Team Championships found new owners this week as Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara now hold the gold. The pair captured the title from The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) during the latest episode of AEW Collision with Guevara delivering a Swanton Bomb on Bennett, allowing Rhodes to secure the pinfall.
The match saw plenty of action in and out of the ring. Roderick Strong, The Beast Mortos, Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, Marshall Von Erich, Ross Von Erich, Tomohiro Ishii, Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona all ran in, sparking a brawl on the outside. Of this group, only Strong directly influenced the match by hitting Rhodes with a running kick.
#ANDNEW#ROH World Tag Team Champions Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara!
This victory marks the first ROH Tag Team Championship reign for both Guevara and Rhodes and makes the latter a double champion. Rhodes is also currently one-third of the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions alongside The Von Erichs.
The Undisputed Kingdom’s reign as champions lasted 234 days and began at Dynamite: New Year’s Smash in December 2023. The pair won the titles as The Devil’s Masked Men and their identities were revealed at AEW Worlds End days later. As champions, Taven and Bennet had five successful title defenses. Their final successful defense came during the July 28 taping of ROH on Honor Club and saw them retain against Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean.
Former WWE star SCRYPTS (now known as Sidney Akeem) has arrived in Ring of Honor. He made his debut during the ROH tapings on August 11.
Ring of Honor held a couple of ROH television tapings at Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas. Fans have revealed that Sidney Akeem, formerly known as SCRYPTS/ Reggie in WWE, made his debut at the ROH tapings. He squared off against Johnny TV in a singles match.
Sidney Akeem (fka Reggie/SCRYPTS) made his ROH debut at tonight’s tapings going up against Johnny TV!
Akeem recently spoke to Fightful and said that he was aiming to carve out his own path and avoid being remembered as a gimmick performer. Here is what he said:
“You know, everything that I did in my WWE career has been four years, four incredible years, and every opportunity is an opportunity. But like you said, I was presented in such a unique way.
I do sometimes think that if I never got the opportunity to do the whole sommelier thing, how different would my career have been? I don’t know. I don’t know if I would be this popular because it did give me a platform to showcase my skills. But I know that that’s not all that I have to offer. So I’m very much so trying to carve out a career and not just be known as a gimmick act, a gimmick performer and whatnot.
Akeem became a free agent on June 1 after WWE decided not to renew his contract. He had signed with the company back in 2020. At the time, he portrayed the gimmick of Carmella’s sommelier, Reginald. He soon got involved in the WWE 24/7 title picture and held the title four times. Eventually, he was reintroduced under a new gimmick, SCRYPTS on NXT in November 2022. He performed wearing a mask but dropped it after his storyline with Axiom. He then formed OTM alongside Bronco Nima, Lucien Price, and Jaida Parker before departing the company.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett will go under the knife later this year to deal with a concerning matter regarding her adrenal gland. Earlier this month, Kanellis-Bennett shared that she had visited a doctor after showing symptoms that had her concerned. The ROH performer learned that a mass had been found on her adrenal gland and urged fans to listen to their bodies if they suspect something is wrong.
In an update, Maria shared that she has had blood work done and is expected to undergo surgery this September. The former WWE 24/7 Champion will undergo a retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy and doctors will biopsy the mass after.
A retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy typically requires the potential to lie face down on the operating table. The surgeon then places a small lighted camera into the back through a series of small incisions so they can view and access the adrenal glands. Small surgical tools are used to remove the entire adrenal gland if it is wholly infected or if possible, only a portion of it.
Maria’s announcement comes days after she appeared at ROH Death Before Dishonor where Mike Bennett and Matt Taven retained the ROH World Tag Team Championships against The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii.) Maria also appeared at AEW Battle of the Belts XI where the Undisputed Kingdom (Mike, Taven, and Roderick Strong) lost to the Von Erichs and Dustin Rhodes in a match for the vacant ROH World Six-Man Tag-Team Championships.
We here at SE Scoops are continuing to send our very best to Maria at this difficult time.
Shane Taylor will be on the sidelines for the foreseeable future after suffering an injury at ROH Death Before Dishonor 2024. The unfortunate news was shared by Tony Schiavone and came after Taylor competed in a Survival of the Fittest match for the ROH TV Championship. The match saw Atlantis retain the title against Taylor, Brian Cage, Lee Johnson, Johnny TV, and Lio Rush.
Despite this injury, Lee’s tag-team partner Brian Cage was still in action during the latest AEW Collision. The Machine teamed with Lee Moriarty, who won the ROH Pure Championship at Death Before Dishonor.
With Shane Taylor injured after #DBD2024, “The Machine” Brian Cage teams with the NEW #ROH Pure Champion “Taiga Style” Lee Moriarty in this Three Way Tag Team Match!
This November will mark a decade since Taylor debuted for Ring of Honor. In December 2022, Taylor returned to the promotion, now under the ownership of Tony Khan. Over his time with the company, he has held the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Titles (with Kaun and Moses) and the ROH World Television Championship.
We here at SE Scoops would like to wish Taylor a speedy recovery. Keep tuned in to SE Scoops for all the goings on in the world of Ring of Honor.
Step aside Roux, King Maxel, and Liberty, cause a new king of cuteness is in town.
ROH presented the 21st annual Death Before Dishonor PPV last night from the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas featuring 7 different title matches.
The main event of the show saw Mark Briscoe defending the ROH World Heavyweight Championship against Roderick Strong. The Kingdom tried to interfere in the bout but Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii helped make the numbers even, and Briscoe came out victorious at the end.
The retaining champion commented on his win in a new backstage video, which was made even special by the on-screen debut of baby Jay Briscoe:
The legacy of Jay Briscoe
Jay Briscoe was one of the longest-tenured talents of ROH. He was part of the company for 19 of its 22 year history.
Along with his brother Mark, Jay helped put the company on the map in many ways and the brothers won the ROH tag team championship a record 13 times during his career.
The wrestling veteran unfortunately passed away in a car crash in January 2023, at the age of 38. The whole wrestling world came together to pay tribute to the deceased star.
Mark Briscoe has continued to honor his brother’s legacy in many ways. He introduced the world to his youngest son Matthew Jamin Pugh in April this year, named after the late Jay Briscoe.
AEW: Ring of Honor?
The struggling ROH brand has found new life under Tony Khan’s leadership since he bought the company in 2022. Death Before Dishonor was another good example of it.
They have been steadily regrowing the interest in the brand by adding names such as Athena, The Von Erichs and Mark Briscoe to the list of talents regularly competing under the Ring of Honor banner.
One thing that has evaded the company still despite best efforts from Khan, however, is a TV deal. Despite featuring ROH talents and championships prominently on AEW TV, Tony has so far failed to convince a TV station to pick up the show.
Though the ROH President floated a very interesting idea for the brand during the post-Death Before Dishonor media scrum last night. He suggested that the show could be brought under the AEW banner to increase its value and finally find a TV partner. You can check out TK’s comments here.
A name change could be in store for Ring of Honor to benefit the brand, according to AEW President Tony Khan. Speaking on the post-Death Before Dishonor 2024 press conference, Khan was asked about the possibility of cohesion between the two entities. Khan said that AEW is “the very top of pro wrestling” and that ROH would benefit from being associated with the All-Elite company.
“I don’t think it’s out of the question to say or sacrilegious to say. I think it would only help grow the ROH brand if I were to license it, sublicense, if it were AEW ROH. I don’t think that’s a crazy thing or sacrilegious or bad. I think it would be good for everybody.”
Later on, Khan discussed the possibility of Ring of Honor being aired on a WBD network channel. Khan reiterated that ROH would “frankly have a lot more value” if a branding change took place.
Tony Khan and Ring of Honor
Khan was among those who launched AEW in 2019 while his acquisition of Ring of Honor was publicly confirmed on the March 2, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite. Khan’s efforts successfully relaunched Ring of Honor which had gone on hiatus in late 2021 after its Final Battle pay-per-view.
Unlike AEW Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision, Ring of Honor does not have a presence on syndicated television. Instead, it was announced in late 2022 that ROH shows would air on the relaunched Honor Club streaming platform.
If people are unhappy with Khan’s handling of ROH so far, the stance that the company would do better by being known as an AEW division may do little to win back favor. Stay tuned to SE Scoops for the latest on AEW, Ring of Honor, and potential synergy between the two sides.
Tony Khan’s Ring of Honor will be hosting Death Before Dishonor this weekend, but how can you watch the PPV on streaming?
How to Watch ROH Death Before Dishonor 2024 Live Stream
U.S. Live Stream
In the United States, ROH premium events, including Death Before Dishonor 2024, are streamed exclusively on HonorClub.
You can access the live stream by subscribing to HonorClub at WatchROH.com for $9.99 per month.
This subscription not only gives you access to live events but also a vast library of past ROH events, including the weekly Ring of Honor Wrestling series and select shows from previous years.
International Streams
For fans outside the U.S., HonorClub is also available through various platforms such as smart TVs, Roku, and Apple TV. However, availability might vary by region.
Fuego Del Sol will make his Ring Of Honor debut on the July 25 taping.
Former All Elite Wrestling talent Fuego Del Sol will return to the company to compete on a taped Ring Of Honor episode on July 25. The episode will stream live on ROH Honor Club at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT.
Sol teamed with Top Flight (Darius & Dante Martin), Action Andretti, and Komander to go against Iron Savages (Boulder, Bronson & Jacked Jameson), Anthony Henry & Nick Comoroto in a Ten Man Tag Team match. Although the match has occurred already, Thursday’s episode will mark Sol’s debut in ROH.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 24, 2024
AEW fired the masked competitor last year after nearly three years with the company. Since then, Sol has competed in various independent wrestling promotions, including Game Changer Wrestling and Revolution Pro Wrestling. He recently lost to KC Navarro at a Battleground Championship Wrestling event on July 6.
Although his debut occurred on July 20, the Thursday episode of ROH does have fans curious if he’ll be making more appearances for the company. Sol spoke about his return to the company for the tag team match on X. a
He mentioned that his debut occurred a year and a half after his last match with AEW. Sol also openly shared how grateful he is to have his first match in ROH.
“…This ROH Debut is so much more than just a match to me! Proud, excited, and overall I’m grateful to get to show this audience how hard I’ve been working this past year! Let’s go,” wrote Sol.
What’s Next For Fuego Del Sol?
Despite the ROH appearance, Sol still plans to stay busy on the independent wrestling scene. He is advertised to team with Sam Stackhouse against Rich and Powerful (Charles Mason & Richard Holliday) at GCW: Can I Trust You on August 4. Another notable match he is set to compete in will be against Ichiban at a WrestlePro event on September 28.
Besides staying busy facing other talented wrestlers for different promotions, Sol is also continuing to change his physique. He shared a photo of himself looking in a mirror in incredible shape compared to when he was in AEW.
Life seems to be going well for Sol as he continues to grow as a performer. His debut in ROH could also lead to more opportunities for the brand moving forward. Regardless, fans have Sol should look forward to his tag team match this Thursday.
Shibata may be adding another move to his repertoire and it came courtesy of the legendary Kevin Von Erich.
Marshall and Ross Von Erich reunited with Dustin Rhodes on the latest episode of AEW Collision as the company finds itself deep in the heart of Texas which means their father was not far off. The family was backstage with Rhodes who made clear that he had his generational good brothers’ backs.
They may soon have another ally as it was caught by fan footage during Ring Of Honor tapings that Kevin Von Erich was showing Shibata the proper way to administer the treachorous Claw, a move that has put many a many down at the notorious Sportatorium.
Shibata was clearly excited and honored for the moment as the Japanese star was in the ring with Kevin, the brothers and Dustin.
There could be a good trio feud forthcoming as Chris Jericho and The Learning Tree recently had an angle where they took out Shibata, Samoa Joe and HOOK one by one.
Marshall & Ross Von Erich have always been an ultimate babyface tag team as they cut a great deal of their pro wrestling teeth in Major League Wrestling and Japan. The brothers even became the MLW World Tag Champions by defeating MJF and Richard Holliday years back.
Dustin Rhodes continues to wrestle for AEW as he’s been in a select bit of high-profile matches, even competing in a World Title eliminator match. He also recently made clear he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Dalton Castle will not be wrestling at Death Before Dishonor next week and will not be wrestling for quite some time.
Tony Khan announced on social media that Castle will not compete at the upcoming ROH PPV, stating that the former ROH World Champion was injured during his match on AEW Collision against Roderick Strong. What’s even worse is ‘The Peacock’ won’t be strutting in the squared circle for the remainder of 2024.
Some injury news that's forced changes to the plans for this Friday's #ROHDBD Death Before Dishonor@theDALTONcastle was injured in his Saturday Night #AEWCollision bout last week vs @roderickstrong. Sadly Dalton will be out of action for the remainder of 2024. Get well soon DC
Dalton quote-posted Tony Khan, stating he’ll “See y’all baby chickens in 2025.”
Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer claims that Castle was knocked out during his match with Strong after being connected with a flying knee. There was a clear edit in the broadcast of Collision as Castle didn’t kick out, who was out for several minutes after the spot. Up until this unfortunate injury, Castle has been a regular presence on Collision programming.
Currently on the card for Death Before Dishonor is Diamante taking on Leyla Hirsch in a Texas Deathmatch, Billie Starkz defending her ROH Women’s TV Championship against Red Velvet, Athena putting her ROH Women’s World Championship on the line against Queen Aminata and Mark Briscoe putting his ROH World Title up against the aforementioned Strong.
We at SEScoops want to wish Dalton Castle a healthy and speedy recovery.
Ring of Honor will receive special interest from those working behind the scenes moving forward, it has been reported.
Tony Khan announced on the March 2, 2022, edition of AEW Dynamite that he had purchased Ring of Honor. Since then, several pay-per-views have aired and weekly ROH shows can be found on the Honor Club streaming service. Tony Khan had intended for ROH to have its own show on TV but that hasn’t been the case so far.
While Khan’s acquisition of ROH has kept the company in business, many feel that his handling of the 22-year-old promotion has been underwhelming. The consensus among some is that the show is often little more than an AEW feeder show and that without a national TV deal, ROH doesn’t receive anywhere close to the level of focus backstage than AEW’s three weekly episodes.
ROH is set to receive more attention and care moving forward, Fightful Select reports. The upcoming tapings in Arlington, Texas are being viewed internally as a potential turning point for the brand with plans for dedicated taping sessions. Instead of being taped around AEW shows (which galvanized the belief that ROH is simply an extension of AEW), ROH will see multiple shows recorded in a single day, separate from AEW tapings.
This is expected to see a more consisted creative output, another criticism fans have had of ROH in the Tony Khan era. When asked whether champions are expected to be more regular at these tapings, a source said it’s very likely to occur. The promotion is currently home to seven different championships though the ROH Six-Man-Tag Titles (which are part of AEW’s Unified Trios Championships) are current vacated.
MXM in Ring of Honor
Two names fans can expect to see in Ring Of Honor is Mason Madden and Mansoor who were teased during a recent episode. Sources indicated that the former WWE tag team has specifically signed with ROH, rather than signing with AEW and being assigned to ROH.
Ring of Honor founder Cary Silkin has spoken against Tony Khan’s handling of the promotion which he believes falls well below expectations.
On the Madison Square Gardenpodcast, Silkin shared his thoughts on Khan’s handling of the promotion that Silkin and others founded in 2022.
“Ring of Honor of that era tried to show some respect to professional wrestling. Sure we had some wacky stuff. Sure we had the the flippy dippy do was coming into fashion. The flippy dippy do was going on with Édouard Carpentier too…Ring of Honor, there was some good pro wrestling going on in that segment of it. Right now, Ring of Honor it’s like no one cares at all. I don’t care how much money Tony Khan has. It’s not being treated very well.”
Tony Khan and Ring of Honor
Khan announced in March 2022 that he had purchased ROH, mere months after the promotion went on an indefinite hiatus following the Final Battle pay-per-view. In April, ROH held its first event of the Khan era as Supercard of Honor XV saw Johnathan Gresham become the Undisputed ROH World Champion.
Unlike AEW Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision, Ring of Honor does not have a presence on syndicated television. Instead, it was announced in late 2022 that ROH shows would air on the relaunched Honor Club streaming platform.
Criticism Of Khan’s ROH
While Khan is to credit for allowing ROH to not finish for good in 2021, many feel that his handling of the promotion has been sub-par. On an episode of his K100 podcast, Konnan said in November 2023 that Khan was not appealing to a wider fanbase outside of “hardcore marks” who were always going to watch ROH anyway. Eric Bischoff said on his Strictly Business podcast in 2022 that buying ROH was a bad investment for Khan and that the company was “insignificant” in the eyes of the vast majority of fans.
AEW/ROH’s Maria Kanellis-Bennett is urging fans to listen to their bodies after discovering a recent cancer scare on her adrenal gland.
In a tweet, Maria shared that she got her adrenal glands checked earlier this year after experiencing some symptoms that had her concerned. Maria added that insurance would not cover the tests, but she got them anyway to be safe. This week, the scans showed that she is dealing with a mass that has been found on her adrenal gland.
Kanellis-Bennett noted that she is set to meet with an endocrinologist surgeon and at this time, it is too early to tell if this is cancer or not. Maria did treat herself to some French fries and a concrete mixer milkshake and told fans “Moral of the story… listen to your body.”
This is a concerning situation for Maria and shows the importance of people making sure they’re okay if they sense something is wrong. In February of this year, WWE alum Maryse shared that she had been diagnosed with pre-cancer of the ovaries. Thankfully, the issue was spotted early on and the two-time Divas Champion underwent surgery. In March, Maryse shared that she was tumor-free and encouraged women to advocate for their own health and trust their instincts.
In May, Brandi Rhodes discovered that she was battling Endometriosis after years of living in pain. Rhodes was inspired by Maryse’s openness about her own health issues which gave her the courage to deal with the matter head-on. Rhodes has since undergone surgery and is said to be feeling much better. On her Instagram Stories, Maryse said she was touched that her story had inspired Brandi to seek out help.
We here at SE Scoops would like to send our absolute best wishes to Maria, her husband Mike, and their family at this unfortunate time.
MXM, the team of Mason Madden and Mansoor are set to join Ring of Honor Wrestling, in the duo’s highest profile since their WWE release.
On the latest episode of ROH Wrestling, a video aired highlighting the impending arrival of the duo. Madden was described as the “mahogany hunk” and the “height of fashion.” Meanwhile, Mansoor was deemed the “sultan of suave” and “the man who will make you sore.” You can check out the video below.
MxM Collection Mason Madden & Mansoor have arrived in Ring of Honor!
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 4, 2024
Madden and Mansoor, collectively known as the Maximum Male Models in WWE, were released from the promotion on September 21, 2023. The pair had began teaming as models in the summer of 2022 and their comedic antics proved popular with fans. The pair’s first post-WWE event saw them appear for Deadlock Pro Wrestling in December 2023.
The arrival of MXM should not come as a huge surprise to fans. It was only recently that Fightful Select reported there had been talks of the pair joining and it was believed (though not confirmed) at the time that they had signed a contract. Mansoor joins ROH with nine years of experience under his belt after beginning his career in 2015 while Madden, a former football player, joins with eight years to his name.
WWE Talent In ROH
MXM are just the latest names associated with WWE to arrive in Ring of Honor. Mike Bennett, Tony Nese, and Claudio Castagnoli are all on the official roster as is reigning ROH Women’s World Champion Athena. The former Ember Moon has held the title since December 2022 and her reign is the longest of any ROH Women’s Champion and the longest of any champion working for a Tony Khan-owned company. It remains to be seen if MXM can match that success now they are associated with ROH.
MxM could be making an appearance for ROH in the near future.
MxM(Mansoor & Mason Madden) is trying to take the wrestling world by storm after becoming free agents earlier this year. After WWE released the team on September 21, 2023, they have been on a mission to find success on the independent wrestling scene.
Both superstars have thrived, working for several promotions from around the world. A new report shares that MxM could also have their eyes set on competing for Ring of Honor.
Fightful Select reported on June 12 that Mansoor and Madden would be in attendance for the June 15 episode of AEW Collision. Mansoor had also visited backstage for an AEW Dynamite the prior month. Although the report believed they would compete on the show, it ultimately didn’t happen for unclear reasons.
However, a new Fightful Select report gave another update on the team’s potential involvement with the company.
An AEW source shared with Sean Ross Sapp that the charismatic tag team has been in discussion for appearances for ROH. He also noted that nothing is definitive, and it’s unclear if a deal is in place yet. However, there is movement in place that makes their ROH possible in the near future.
Ring of Honor Owner Tony Khan having MxM compete on ROH TV could be a great addition to the tag team division. Mansoor and Madden have shown the Indies they could be competitive on any roster. The move to work for different promotions has allowed them to wrestle more as a team than in WWE.
MxM could be a fun duo on the ROH roster. For now, they are still focused on continuing their success in the Indies.
Madden shared on X that the tag team will appear at three live events in July. MxM’s first appearance will be at Hoodslam on July 5, where they will take on the Stoner Brothers(Rick Scott Stoner & Scott Rick Stoner). Two days later, the popular free agents will compete at Deadlock Pro Wrestling against Sinner & Saints (Judas Icarus & Travis Williams) in the first round of the 2024 Tag Festival Tournament.
Their last scheduled appearance next month will be at Prestige Wrestling on July 12. MxM will be involved in a Four Way Match against C4 (Cody Chhun & Guillermo Rosas), Midnight Heat (Eddie Pearl & Ricky Gibson), and Sinner and Saints for the Prestige Tag Team Championship.
MxM could still be booked for more appearances next month, including with ROH. Regardless, they are making the most of their opportunities as free agents and showing that former WWE superstars can thrive in the indies.
Will Ospreay loves the passion of Scott D’Amore and he thinks that incorporating him into the AEW product would be extremely valuable to the company.
Speaking with Adrian Hernandez ahead of AEW Double Or Nothing, Ospreay expressed how much he respects the former TNA President and praises D’Amore for being the catalyst for the continued success of TNA despite no longer being with the promotion.
“I can’t tell you enough how much respect I have for Scott D’Amore. If there was anything that I want to put out there; if there was a way that AEW could hire Scott D’Amore in any type of fashion.”
Ospreay had one idea in mind as to how Tony Khan could utilize the talent and mind of Scott D’Amore.
“Have that guy run Ring of Honor or something. The passion that he had for TNA, and just how he completely single handily transformed that company.”
Tony Khan purchased Ring Of Honor years back and made the brand its own entity. Much to the chagrin of many, all the new programming resides on the ROH Honor Club. Khan has been criticized as to how he has handled the brand as a great deal of the product flies under the radar due to it solely being on Honor Club.
D’Amore was let go by TNA after he was the primary proponent for rebranding the company and since then, D’Amore has trademarkedd “Maple Leaf Wrestling” and is putting on a Border City Wrestling event later this year. Ospreay spent a “cup of coffee” in TNA as a free agent before signing on full-time with All Elite Wrestling.
Maria Kanellis has cleared the air regarding her role at Ring of Honor.
Taking to Twitter, the former WWE Diva said that she’s not a backstage manager at ROH, but she mentors the girls at her own time when she can. She added that she tried to get her old job of being the booker of ROH’s women’s division, but that fell flat.
Kanellis concluded by stating that she’s focused on family, finding a home for the promotion Women’s Wrestling Army, and managing Griff Garrison and Cole Karter in ROH.
“Just saw some news about being a backstage agent at @ringofhonor. I’m not. I mentor the girls on my own time when I can. I tried to get my old job back in ROH booking the women’s division but it didn’t work. So, I’m focused on family, finding a home for @WWrestlingArmy, and managing @griffgarrison1 and @realcolekarter”
The First Lady of Wrestling also spoke about not being happy about the “minor role” she has at ROH. she wrote on social media:
“I’m not happy about it. I’ve tried to fight it. I can only do my job and look for opportunities,” she wrote to a fan who said that she’s happy with her role at ROH with “about 2 minutes of TV time.”
She also agreed with a fan who pointed out that they were surprised Kanellis wasn’t used as part of the Undisputed Kingdom. Kanellis served as the manager of the stable at one point. However, she was given the role of managing Griff Garrison and Cole Karter in the Tony Khan-owned promotion. It seems like Kanellis wants to be part of the faction with Mike Bennett, but for whatever reason, that hasn’t come to fruition.
She said that she was “released” by WWE in 2010 when her contract was up, and she didn’t want to renew the contract only to make “one third what my male contemporaries were making.” Here’s what she further added:
“When I went back, I was told by many people I trusted that WWE had changed. WWE knew we were planning on adding to our family when we resigned. Mike asked for his release, I did not. Mike never went to WWE rehab. Nor did they pay for any rehab. We were lied to many times about our storyline and what direction it was going. I fought back against it to no avail. We were never paid millions of dollars in WWE. We had the average contract for WWE for 6 months. We are not millionaires and we don’t live in a mansion. I hope this helps people separate fact from fiction.”
Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion seemingly suffered an injury during a match that could have dire implications for her historic title reign.
The incident in question took place during Athena’s match with Viva Van which took place as part of the recent AEW Collision taping. Athena charged at Van who ducked the attack and pulled down the middle rope with Athena taking a bump between the ropes and landing on the outside.
When Athena returned to the ring, she was limping but had enough in her to drill Van with a forearm smash and pin her opponent. Van kicked out the first time but stayed down the second time so it appears that Athena relayed to the referee that she had been hurt.
There’s questions over what the future holds for the ROH Women’s World Champion.
This situation share some similarities with what transpired in late 2023 between Jon Moxley and Rey Fenix. During their AEW International Title match, Moxley suffered an injury and called for the match to be ended early. Unfortunately, the referee Rick Knox did not quite understand and stopped a pinfall attempt by Fenix even when Moxley had not kicked out. Knox later counted the pinfall and reportedly earned heat backstage for not ending the match early.
This situation will of course raise questions about Athena’s immediate future and the future of the Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion. The War Goddess has held the title for over 525 days after capturing the title at ROH Final Battle in December 2022. She holds the record for the most days as champions and has held the title for more days than all other champions put together.
Multiple names from Ring of Honor were commended backstage for their conduct during an unfortunate incident at the most recent tapings. ROH tapings took place after the May 8, episode of Dynamite and saw a ‘fan’ act inappropriately during a match between Skye Blue and Rachel Ellering. The man, who had a child with him, made a series of sexual comments at Blue and focused on her appearance. Blue would later tell the man to “not be such a pervert” and later told the man to “f*** off” when the action spilled to the outside, according to one live report from PWInsider.
Skye Blue
While Blue and Ellering were battling on the floor, referee Aubrey Edwards spoke with security who confronted the man who grew increasingly angry. The man was ejected from the show.
Skye Blue was said to be visibly upset as she headed to the backstage area immediately after the match according to a different fan’s account of the situation shared to Reddit. AEW officials praised Skye and Ellering for keeping the match together despite the obvious distraction at ringside.
Support for Skye Blue
The clearly-inappropriate conduct from the fan has spawned a lot of responses on social media. On Twitter, Rachel Ellering said she’d never heard such vulgar comments said about a wrestler and made clear this went beyond mere heckling.
The speed in which @RefAubrey and I got out of the ring last night post match to get this creep kicked out was remarkable. Olympic medalist speeds.
I’ve NEVER in my career heard such vulgar things being said to talent during a match.
Aubrey Edwards made clear she wouldn’t tolerate such comments made at anyone, stating that inappropriate conduct has no place in professional wrestling.
If you yell disgusting, vile, hateful things at my coworkers, I will make sure your ass gets kicked out.
There is no place for that in wrestling.
Heckling is fine, but when you’ve made the performers (me included) feel uncomfortable in their place of work, you’ve gone too far. https://t.co/gvIbH3dV6I
— Aubrey Edwards – AEW Referee (@RefAubrey) May 9, 2024
Skye Blue Reacts
Skye Blue herself was appreciative of the support she received and hopes that there’ll be a time when women in wrestling aren’t treated this way.
I’m beyond overwhelmed with all the love and support. Thank you everyone you have no idea how much it’s appreciated ? Let’s make sure the future generations of women wrestlers don’t have to deal with this shit.
This unfortunately wasn’t the only time lines were crossed at the taping. During the AEW Dynamite match between Harley Cameron and Mariah May, fans in the front row were heard making vulgar comments at the pair. This was pointed out on the show by Saraya. While it’s unclear if this incident was caused by the same person in Blue’s situation, Saraya made her views clear on social media.
The comments aimed at Blue and others at the taping were highly inappropriate and do not reflect the vast majority of people who attended the tapings of AEW Dynamtie and ROH. Hopefully, this will be the last time Blue, Cameron, Saraya, May, and others have to deal with this individual as his harassment was certainly not wanted at the show.
Billie Starkz’ ROH Women’s TV World Championship win was quite the shock to the reigning titleholder, who didn’t learn of the win until the day it happened.
Starkz captured the title at ROH Supercard of Honor in April 2024 by defeating Queen Aminata in the finals of a tournament. Starkz’s win was not without controversy as she faked a serious neck injury which led to the commentators and crowd being concerned for her future in the ring.
Starkz’s win was truly historic but it was one she had little time to prepare for. Speaking during a recent RDP Promotions virtual signing, Starkz admitted that she didn’t learn who’d be winning the match until shortly before she faced Aminata.
“I didn’t know until day of (that I was winning ROH Women’s World TV Title). It wasn’t like there was any lead-up. It was just like, hey, you know your match now. Have fun.”
Starkz went on to say that the aftermath of the match was more fun to her than the match itself, as she was able to see people she doesn’t typically get to see.
“I see the people I work with at AEW all the time but then, all of my indie friends that I kind of disappeared from, I got to show off and be like, ‘Look, I won this cool, pretty thing. Take pictures with me.’”
Starkz won the title at Supercard of Honor in April 2024.
More Championship Gold?
Starkz is the first-ever ROH Women’s World TV Champion but now has her eye on more gold for her waist. When a fan suggested Women’s Tag Titles for AEW and Ring of Honor, Starkz was in favor of the idea.
“I agree with that statement (that AEW & ROH need Women’s Tag Titles) but, if we’re being honest here, we already know who would have the belts. The current champs. Come on now.”
The current champs Starkz is referring to is herself and Athena. The former WWE Superstar is in her first reign as ROH Women’s World Champion, a title she has held for over 500 days. It remains to be seen if either AEW or ROH introduce women’s tag gold, but Starkz is clearly confident in her own abilities to be a champion.
Ring of Honor World Champion Mark Briscoe is celebrating the birth of his son who has been named in tribute to Mark’s late brother Jay.
Taking to Twitter, Mark shared some photos of Matthew Jamin Pugh and declared that ‘God is Good.’ The Jamin name comes from Jay Briscoe, whose real name was Jamin Pugh.
Jay Briscoe passed away in January 2023 after being involved in a car accident mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. Jay’s two daughters were seriously injured in the collision but have been making strides in their recovery. The driver of the other vehicle was also killed in the crash.
It is a tragedy that young Matthew Jamin Pugh will never meet the uncle who he is named after. Despite this, Jay Briscoe’s legacy continues to live on, both in the wrestling world and in the Pugh household.
More on Mark Briscoe:
Here are some articles about Mark Briscoe and what he has accomplished as of late in the world of professional wrestling:
Mark Briscoe has secured the ROH World Championship after grinding in the promotion for more than two decades.
In the headlining clash of Friday’s ROH Supercard of Honor, Briscoe dethroned Eddie Kingston and secured his first major singles title. As expected, it was a bloody affair on Friday night.
During the brutal match, Briscoe’s head was slammed into the announcer’s table and it busted him open. In the final moments of the match, Mark Briscoe hit his finisher Jay Driller for the three count to win the title.
After his triumph, his family and some members of the locker room included ROH veterans such as Jay Lethal, Christopher Daniels, Dalton Castle, and others entered the ring to celebrate his memorable victory.
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) April 6, 2024
It’s quite a special moment for Mark Briscoe, not only for the title win but also because it marks the same day when his brother Jay won the title eleven years back at the same event. That night, Jay Briscoe defeated Kevin Steen (now Kevin Owens) in the main event.
Mark Briscoe sends a message to Jay Briscoe
During the post-show media scrum, Mark Briscoe was asked to share what he would tell his brother Mark Briscoe, who tragically passed away last year. He said:
“I love you, dog. There’s no words, man. It’s just too many coincidences for it to be a coincidence. I wear my faith on my sleeve, and God is good, man.”
He added that memorable nights like those help him keep going but it’s not an easy task. With his efforts, Mark Briscoe is trying to make his brother proud:
“Stuff like this, the tragedy that happened, you don’t want to go on, you don’t want to get out of bed…and then nights like tonight…this is what helps you move on. It’s not easy. But nights like tonight make it a whole hell of a lot easier. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but there are no words. I love you dog, be with me. Until we meet again, just trying to do him proud, man.”
Back in the day, Jay Briscoe held the title for 89 days before relinquishing it due to a storyline injury. Now, we will have to wait and see how Mark’s championship reign pans out.
Billie Starkz has entered the history books as the first Ring of Honor Women’s World Television Champion but used some underhanded tactics to get the win.
At ROH Supercard of Honor 2024, Starkz met Queen Aminata in the finals of a 16-woman tournament that began in February. During the match, Starkz went for a Senton Bomb but Aminata countered by putting her knees up.
Starkz immediately crumpled in the ring and called for the referee and medical personnel to help her. Aminata was kept away while the commentary team spoke about the injury which they hoped was not a career-ender.
Aminata held the ropes open for Starkz in a sign of sportsmanship. Starkz grabbed Aminata and hit a suplex before locking in a sleeper, revealing that the neck injury had been a ruse. The referee stopped the match and awarded Starkz the win and the title.
FULL ANGLE:
Billie Starkz pretends to break her neck, the entire arena is in shock and dead silent, the doctor comes and stabilizes her neck
This is certainly an underhanded tactic by Starkz as the crowd were left in a stunned silence when they believed they had seen the end of her wrestling career. Starkz’s first match in the tournament saw her defeat Robyn Renegade by submission before defeating Diamante in the quarterfinals. A win over Mercedes Martinez (a former ROH Women’s World Champion) saw her advance to the finals.
Aminata also had a tough road to Supercard of Honor. After defeating J-Rod in her first-round match, she bested the veteran Taya Valkyrie in the quarterfinals. She advanced to the finals with a win last month over Red Velvet.
Two wrestlers recently cut from All Elite Wrestling have themselves to blame for being cut from the company after they no-showed multiple events.
AEW released several names from its roster earlier this week, including Brent and Brandon Tate, better known as ‘The Boys.’ Their releases came as a surprise to fans as they have been integral to the ongoing storyline between Dalton Castle and Johnny TV.
During the ROH Supercard of Honor press event, Tony Khan explained how the Tates had failed to show up to work on multiple occasions. This led to Khan deciding to cut them but made clear it was a difficult decision.
Khan explained that these releases were made with AEW carefully monitoring their budget, ensuring they have resources available to compete for top talent in the industry. The promotion recently reached high-budget deals with new signings including Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone, and Kazuchika Okada.
Who Else Was Let Go?
In total, ten stars were released from All Elite Wrestling. In addition to the Tate brothers, Stu Grayson, Parker Boudreaux, Slim J, Gravity, Anthony Henry, Jora Johl, Jose The Assistant, and broadcaster Dasha Kuret were also cut from the promotion.
While Anthony Henry has been released, fans can expect him back with ROH and AEW very soon. On the media call, Khan said that Henry got injured during an independent show and said his situation is a “challenging grey area.” He added that Henry will come back to AEW and Ring of Honor once he is cleared to wrestle again.
Mark Briscoe was sure his days in the ring were over when his brother Jay died, though has been motivated to carry on for Jay’s sake.
Jay Briscoe passed away in January 2023 after being involved in a car accident mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware. Jay’s two daughters were seriously injured in the collision but have been making strides in their recovery. The driver of the other vehicle was also killed in the crash.
Mark Briscoe was Ready to Retire
Jay’s death was of course a massive blow to Mark, who lost both his brother and his tag team partner. Speaking to Under the Ring recently, Mark shared that for a brief moment, he was ready to retire.
“That was my first thought. My very first thought was, I’m not ever wrestling again… My initial reaction was, I’m never wrestling again, I don’t ever wanna wrestle again.”
Mark clarified that it didn’t take long for him to change his stance, as continuing in the ring is what his brother would’ve wanted.
“It really didn’t take long at all for me to reconsider and change my mind there once I got thinking about what he’d want me to do… I gotta carry on for him.”
