At 2018’s Greatest Royal Royal, the wrestling world was introduced to Mansoor, who’d make history as the promotion’s first Saudi Superstar. While Mansoor would be showcased at WWE’s massive events in Saudi Arabia including wins over Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler, he had his eye on joining AEW while working for the larger promotion.

On AEW Unrestricted, Mansoor admitted that he and Mason Madden had their eyes on joining AEW while with WWE and compared the in-your-face blockbuster dynamic of Hollywood director Michael Bay to the more nuanced style of David Lynch.

“If WWE is like a Michael Bay movie, I see AEW as a David Lynch movie. There was always something so alluring, There was always an element of that outsider intrigue… we were like ‘God I feel like if we were over there [in AEW] we would be doing something really special.'”

It wouldn’t be until this year that Mansoor and Madden finally made their dreams of appearing for AEW a reality by appearing on the July 27, edition of AEW Collision in a losing effort to FTR. Mansoor has since racked up five matches for AEW though boasts a rather unfortunate 1-4 win/loss record.

Though Mansoor isn’t quite in World Championship contention just yet, he and Madden are getting the chance to shine in both AEW and Ring of Honor. His comments reflect the very different nature of WWE and AEW and why some wrestlers prefer one company to the other. While some prefer the larger spectacle that WWE can provide, others prefer the most concentrated efforts on pro wrestling as a craft found in AEW.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on the MxM Collection as they continue to make waves outside of WWE.

Former WWE Superstars Mason Madden and Mansoor will make their All-Elite debut on tonight’s AEW Collision to face FTR. The news was shared on Twitter by AEW President Tony Khan.

The AEW debut of Madden and Mansoor, collectively known as the MxM Collection, comes after the pair debuted for Ring of Honor at Death Before Dishonor 2024. At ROH’s latest pay-per-view, MxM defeated the Spanish Announce Project (Serpentico and Angelico) on the kick-off show.

Earlier this month, the pair’s arrival was teased during an episode of ROH Wrestling. 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.” During their arrival at Death Before Dishonor, Mansoor was also called the ‘Iron Chiq.’

AEW Collision – 7/27/2024

Tonight’s AEW Collision will take place at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as part of a multi-week deal to host AEW events at the venue. Here is what has been confirmed for tonight’s AEW Collision:

• FTR Vs. MxM (Mason Madden & Mansoor)
• Orange Cassidy Vs. Johnny TV
• The Beast Mortos Vs. Hologram

Immediately after AEW Collision, AEW will host its eleventh Battle of the Belts show. Matches announced include

• ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm (c) Vs. Taya Valkyrie (AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminatior Match)
• The Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett) vs. Dustin Rhodes and The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich) (ROH World Six-Man Tag-Team Championship)
• Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo (CMLL Women’s World Championship Eliminator Match)

Keep tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest from tonight’s episode of AEW Collision as well as AEW Battle of the Belts XI.

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.

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.

• Mace Was Released While Driving Daughter to School, Mansoor On Potential.

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. 

What’s Next For MxM?

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. 

Soft Ground Wrestling Uganda will benefit greatly from the money raised by WWE alum Mace and Mansoor, as well as others. 

SGW Uganda has become a hit online in recent months after notable names began sharing the promotion on social media. Both AEW’s Will Ospreay and TNA Wrestling’s Jordynne Grace donated to a GoFundMe fundraiser aimed at providing a standard wrestling ring as well as other operating needs. 

Now Mace and Mansoor have been able to raise more money for SGW Uganda. On Twitter, Mansoor revealed that through a live stream, they had raised over $28,000. This stream included some notable names in wrestling, including AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland, TNA X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali, Maven Huffman, YouTuber Matt McMuscles, and others. 

Incredibly excited to announce we have raised $28,731.89 for @SGWug thanks to all of your generous support!

We couldn’t have done this without all our wonderful friends who joined us for the fundraiser. Thank you to all who participated and donated.

ACHIEVE THE DREAM! S-G-DUB! pic.twitter.com/yQWOzIGnQk

— Mansoor (@suavemansoor) May 8, 2024

In a subsequent tweet, Mansoor explained that this money can be put towards six months of food, beds and mosquito nets, an extension on their lease and a storage unit for a wrestling ring. SGW Uganda has been using a ring made of mud so far, but that will hopefully change given the money raised. 

One thing SGW Uganda won’t have to put this money towards is a van that’ll allow the promotion to take their show on the road. In a follow-up tweet, Mansoor explained that his mother has donated enough to buy a van in memory of her father who gifted them a win when Mansoor’s sister was born. 

My mother, my actual shoot mom, has told us she is donating enough money to purchase a van for @SGWug

She wants to honor my late grandfather, George Vrakas, who gifted us a van when my little sister was born ??

Now, SGW can go on the road and tour in Uganda. Thank you Mama! https://t.co/29l4LFqOuF pic.twitter.com/LU20umF7fE

— Mansoor (@suavemansoor) May 8, 2024

SGW Uganda isn’t just a wrestling promotion but is a school that trains over 180 students. With this money, SGW Uganda will be able to take huge steps to the future with fans excited to see what’s next. 

Does WWE’s current method of paying talent leave Superstars reluctant to the ‘grind’ that Paul Levesque spoke of during WrestleMania week? 

At a WWE World event, the WWE COO spoke of talent choosing other promotions because they don’t want to deal with the ‘grind’ of being a Superstar. While Triple H didn’t mention any names or companies, AEW’s Will Ospreay saw the line as a dig at him which led to a scathing comment about Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

In a recent interview with WWE alum Maven Huffman, Mace and Mansoor discussed how being paid works in the modern-day. Maven explained how when he was under contract, he was paid a percentage of what events made, giving him a reason to try and work events as much as possible. 

Those days are a thing of the past, as Mansoor explained how like Maven, modern talent are paid weekly, but at a fixed rate no matter what.

“So we do get a check in the mail every week, but it’s the same number every time. No matter how many shows you work; no matter how many times you wrestle. Even if you don’t wrestle at all. We get the same payment every week. We get guaranteed money no matter what.”

Mace added that a talent knowing they will receive the same amount each week may be discouraged from working as they’ll make just as much money sat at home. 

“In a way you’re actually not incentivized to work because when you’re working house shows, doing all these dates, you have to pay for your car. You have to pay for your hotel and the only thing we don’t pay for are our flights. If you were just sitting at home hurt, you’re just getting your weekly paycheck.”

Maven questioned how factors like merch sales and appearances are relevant given this system and Mansoor would explain how the ‘bucket system’ works. 

“Every time you work a show, you get an invisible payment that doesn’t actually go into your bank account. It goes into the metaphorical bucket. The top of the bucket is your downside… If your downside is $125,000, then every time you work a show, they make an invisible payment of $1,000. Now you don’t see that $1,000 until you make $125,000 worth of bookings on top of your downside. So everything above $125,000 is a bonus for you.”

With the bucket system, talent can be left waiting for some time before they see the benefits of working house shows and other events. Unfortunately, as the pair explained, a talent getting close to overflowing their ‘bucket’ may find themselves be kept off TV and house shows with the reasoning that ‘creative has nothing for you.’ This, of course keeps talent from being paid the bonus they would have had their ‘bucket’ overflowed.

WWE’s way of paying talent has clearly changed since Maven’s tenure and while it may have flaws, it has made many wrestlers (and of course the company) a lot of money. In this new era, we can’t count out that WWE could change its payment to a system more favorable to the talent in the ring. 

A former WWE tag team has scored their first taste of championship gold following their release from the promotion in September of last year. 

September 2023 saw the first wave of talent releases following the launch of TKO Group Holdings that same month. These releases came shortly after WWE cut over 100 employees from its corporate offices. These cuts were made as part of synchronization efforts with UFC to ensure that there was as little unnecessary staff in TKO. 

New Champions

Mace and Mansoor, collectively known as the Maximum Male Models, were among the names cut from WWE in September of last year. Now the pair have captured championship gold. At an event for Beyond Wrestling, the pair won the promotion’s tag titles. WWE NXT Superstar DIJAK was in attendance at the show to commemorate the win for the models. 

WE DID IT! NEW CHAMPS!@GREATBLACKOTAKU @suavemansoor @beyondwrestling @indiewrestling pic.twitter.com/EviJEUlptu

— DONOVAN DIJAK (@DijakFYE) March 9, 2024

In WWE, neither Mace nor Mansoor won championship gold. Mace’s only title opportunity in WWE came at a 2020 WWE NXT live event where he unsuccessfully challenged NXT Champion Adam Cole. Mansoor would never even get an opportunity at a title in WWE, with his biggest win being the 51-Man battle royal victory at WWE Super Showdown 2019. 

Championship Releases

Notable names cut at the time included Matt Riddle and Nic Nemeth, both of whom have gone on to capture championship gold in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Nemeth is the current, and second-ever IWGP Global Champion while Riddle is currently the NJPW World Television Champion. 

Mustafa Ali has gone on to join TNA Wrestling and is the reigning TNA X-Division Champion. The Retribution leader captured the title, his first championship in a major wrestling promotion, in the main event of TNA No Surrender. 

Impact Wrestling’s re-branding into TNA Wrestling is complete, but they are not finished surprising fans with who they bring into the company. They are taping for television tonight, and three new free agents are backstage.

Who’s Backstage at TNA’s Television Taping 

TNA Wrestling is taping another round of television shows over the next two days in Orlando. The company is looking to carry on with their current momentum, and that could come with a few unexpected additions to their roster.

Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that three free agents are backstage at TNA Wrestling’s television taping event. Two of those are recently released WWE Superstars, and another is a familiar face for NJPW fans.

Fightful Select has learned that Mace & Mansoor, the former Maximum Male Models are backstage at the show. The two were released by WWE in September and are now free agents. In addition, NJPW regular Alex Zayne is backstage at the show.

The report also noted that there is no word on whether Mace, Mansoor or Alex Zayne will be used during the taping, but they are present. They are also, “set to meet with the office at the show.” 

TNA Wrestling’s Plan For Upcoming Television Taping

TNA Wrestling already announced a few matches that they are taping for Friday and Saturday night. It appears that the company has a couple good shows ready for fans.

TNA Wrestling Card For 1/19/24

• Nic Nemeth vs. Trey MiguelMoose vs. KUSHIDA
• Alex Shelley vs. Eddie Edwards
• Trinity vs. Gisele Shaw
• Chris Sabin vs. Jaon Hotch
• Josh Alexander vs. Alan Angels

TNA Wrestling Card For 1/20/24

• TNA Digital Media Championship Match: Crazzy Steve vs. Rhino 
• Moose, Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers vs. KUSHIDA, Kevin Knight & Alex Shelley
• Tasha Steelz vs. Xia Brookside
• Ash by Elegance vs. TBA
• Jake Something vs. Frankie Kazarian
• Killer Kelly vs. Dani Luna

Mansoor is now officially a free agent and the former WWE star is aiming for a fresh start with no animosity.

The once Maximum Male Model joined Denise Salcedo for a new interview and he talked about the emotions he went through when he was let go by WWE back in September.

“I can joke about it because I’m not bitter about it. It did bother me, believe me, but 90 days is a long time. At a certain point, you’re in bed and you’re trying to go to sleep, and all you can think about is, ‘What did I do wrong? What could I have done better?’ At some point, you’re like, ‘I can’t live like this. I gotta just try and make the most of it and make the best of it.’”

Mansoor Wants To Handle His Destiny On His Own Terms

Mansoor, along with his tag partner Mace, officially became a free agent on December 21 and told Salcedo how as a member of the WWE roster, he’d go months without wrestling in the ring. Now that he’s not under contract, that element gets removed.

“I’m so excited to be able to go out there and say, ‘Listen, for whatever happened in WWE, what you’re about to see is who I really am, and you’re about to get the most serious and real indicator of my talent, and if it goes great, phenomenal. If it doesn’t, I’ll fade off into the sunset, but at least I get to know it was based on my own talent.”

Mansoor will be a participant on the upcoming GCW card Look At Me at Royal Rumble Weekend.

Please credit Instinct Culture and h/t to Fightful for the transcription.

Mansoor experienced significant heat backstage following an event in Saudi Arabia, the former WWE Superstar has revealed. 

Mansoor was among many Superstars released from WWE in September, alongside his tag-team partner Mace, Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Matt Riddle, and others. His release marked the end of Mansoor’s five-year tenure with the promotion. Mansoor joined WWE after being scouted during a 2018 tryout ahead of that year’s Greatest Royal Rumble event. 

Mansoor’s Backstage Heat

After being signed by WWE, Mansoor would work a handful of NXT live events to hone his skills and adapt to WWE’s style. Speaking to Instinct Culture, Mansoor recalled committing to a tradition in wrestling in which you shake hands with all those you meet. 

“I show up at my first NXT show, and I’m shaking everybody’s hands. And who of all people, Mace, pulls me aside and says, ‘We don’t do that here, okay. That’s an indie thing, all right. You don’t have to do that.”

With this in mind, Mansoor decided against shaking hands when he traveled back to Saudi Arabia for 2019’s Super ShowDown event, though this would be the wrong call. 

“I end up going to the Saudi show being like, ‘I’m not gonna bother anybody. I’m not gonna shake anybody’s hand. Huge mistake. Huge mistake. Who pulls me aside but my future wrestling dad, Mustafa Ali. He said, ‘Hey brother, I’m looking out for you because you and me, you know, we’re brothers. You got major heat. You got major heat because not only did you not say hi to everybody, you’re winning the damn Battle Royal that everybody got dragged over here for. And you’re not being gracious about it.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I was freaking out.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God!’” 

Mansoor’s victory in the 51-man battle royal would mark his biggest victory in WWE. With his non-compete clause over, Mansoor has already been making appearances at independent events. Mansoor and Mace will be part of Effy’s Big Gay Brunch event in January. 

Four days before Christmas, several former WWE stars will get the gift of free agency. On Friday, their 90 day non-compete contracts will be up.

In September, WWE cut over 20 wrestlers. That list included Mustafa Ali, Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin, and Emma.  

The wrestling world rallied around all of the athletes who lost their jobs, including John Cena, who leant support to longtime friend Dolph Ziggler:

One thousand five hundred and fifty four matches. @HEELZiggler #Respect

— John Cena (@JohnCena) September 21, 2023

Plans for free agents released by WWE

So, what’s next for these former WWE Superstars? Here’s a list of what we know so far:

Dolph Ziggler:

Ziggler had been with the company for nearly two decades and competed in 1.554 matches. He (Nic Nemeth) has been doing comedy shows with his brother, Ryan Nemeth. 

He is rumored to be joining his brother in AEW. On Jan. 6, 2024, he will wrestle in Puerto Rico against Ray Gonzalez. 

Mustafa Ali

Ali posted on social media last Friday night a clip that said 12/21/23 with music playing in the background. He captioned it “12/21 12:21 PM EST.” 

The tease lead up to the announcement of the 2024 Mustafa Ali World Tour:

‘Top Dolla’ AJ Francis

On Thursday, the former “Top Dolla” AJ Francis posted “Thank you WWE. Tomorrow begins the Dolla Era. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Thank You @WWE ??
Tomorrow begins the Dolla Era ?

Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You… pic.twitter.com/xyp15z8hm2

— A.J. FRANCI$ ? (@AJFrancis410) December 20, 2023

At midnight on December 21, his new single dropped. He performed the song at Busted Open’s holiday party. He is also scheduled to wrestle on January 6 for Coastal Championship Wrestling. On January 26, he’s set to make his GCW return at “Look At Me”. 

WE OUT$IDEEEEE @SIRIUSXM

S/o @BustedOpenRadio for having me perform my new single DROPPING AT MIDNIGHT at their Holiday Party! ?? pic.twitter.com/Z28lmxxQzr

— A.J. FRANCI$ ? (@AJFrancis410) December 21, 2023

Mansoor

Mansoor and the former Mace, now known as Mason Madden, are hitting the indies as MxM. They’ve been announced for EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch and GCW in January. On December 10, they showed up at Deadlock Pro Wrestling’s 2nd Anniversary Show to say they were there “until the wheels fall off.” Their first match will be against West Coast Wrecking Crew on January 20. They are also lining up singles matches. 

Surprise, motherfuckers @deadlockpro pic.twitter.com/od6AJdeOkt

— Mansoor (@suavemansoor) December 11, 2023

Tenille Dashwood & Riddick Moss

Tenille Dashwood posted a video of herself and fiancé Riddick Moss with the caption “Day 89 mood. See y’all tomorrow!” Moss yells “freedom!” at the end of the video. 

Day 89 mood ? see y’all tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/CaZedLHrcG

— Tenille Dashwood (@TenilleDashwood) December 20, 2023

The couple also has a travel show launching on YouTube on Friday. 

We’re just ONE WEEK away from the launch of our new show, and we picked a name! We can’t wait to share our crazy travel adventures with all of you, so make sure you subscribe to the YouTube channel (link in bio) and look for the first episode on December 21! The only question… pic.twitter.com/VZJvBqiqHb

— Tenille Dashwood (@TenilleDashwood) December 14, 2023

We at SEScoops wish everyone the best moving forward. 

In September, WWE released several talents, and that came as a big surprise. WWE fired over 100 people from their corporate headquarters, right after the TKO Group Holdings deal closed, and then they axed several members of their roster.

The NXT Superstars who were fired during that list of releases has already seen their non-compete clauses run out. NXT Superstars only have a 30-day wait, but main roster talent must wait even longer.

Although WWE released all of those Superstars at once, they saved Matt Riddle on his own the next day. He had a laundry list of infractions, personal drama, and other backstage controversies with WWE; so, he burned his last bridges and nobody could protect him from a release this time around. The Original Bro will be among those names that will enter the free agent market this week.

As of next week, around December 21st, those released WWE Superstars will be officially free agents. Their 90-day non-compete clauses are going to expire, leaving a lot of possibilities in the pro wrestling world. 

Those former WWE Superstars will officially become free agents, granting them the freedom to work with any organization. The list of wrestlers includes Mustafa Ali, Aliyah, Shelton Benjamin, Rick Boogs, Emma, Dana Brooke, Dabbo-Kato, Elias, Quincy Elliot, Mace, Mansoor, Riddick Moss, Matt Riddle, Shanky, Top Dolla, and Dolph Ziggler.

We previously reported that Dolph Ziggler already has a pro wrestling gig announced. Odds are, his schedule will be as busy as he wants it to be. 

AEW is also always a part of the conversation whenever non-compete clauses start to expire. It stands to reason that Bryan Danielson would pull to have Tony Khan sign Mustafa Ali, someone he also pulled to work with during his final run in WWE.

We will have to see where all of those former WWE Superstars appear next. It could result in some big headlines in the not too distant future.