WWE has quietly changed its drug testing policy, officially removing marijuana from its list of banned substances. This change was confirmed by Mia ‘Michin’ Yim during a recent appearance on the Speak Easy Podcast, where she discussed the role cannabis plays in her recovery routine.

“Marijuana used to be on the drug list, and they took that off years ago. So when I get home on Saturdays, I’ll do that and just chill out all day.”

WWE allowing marijuana marks a major shift from the company’s previous stance where wrestlers could face fines or worse for testing positive.

In 2006, Rob Van Dam was suspended after being found with 18 grams of marijuana and five Vicodin pills during a police stop. The issue would see WWE quickly force Rob to lose both the WWE and ECW World Championships, accolades he’d never hold again in his career.

The Godfather On Vince McMahon’s Views On Marijuana

On the podcast, Yim explained the importance of recovery in professional wrestling, noting that maintaining her body is crucial given the toll the industry puts on her body.

“I go to a chiropractor once a week, cryotherapy once a week, a massage depending on how I feel… but if I had a hardcore match, I’m taking the whole weekend off.”

WWE accepting the use of marijuana aligns with the broader trend in sports and entertainment, with leagues including the NBA and NFL relaxing their stance. Many athletes have advocated for marijuana as a safer alternative to opioids for pain management, and WWE’s decision could signal a more progressive approach to wrestler wellness.

With WrestleMania season underway, Superstars are working tirelessly to prove they deserve to be on the two-night card in Las Vegas, and this policy shift will allow for Yim and others to help their bodies recovery through marijuana usage. As Yim put it, “If I’m not taking care of my body, my career isn’t going to last.”

2024 was a monumental year for the world of professional wrestling, from the WWE exit of Vince McMahon to huge signings in AEW. With 2024 officially at an end, many in the world of wrestling are looking back at the year that was.

On X, WWE NXT Tag Team Champion Nathan Frazer reflected on teaming with Axiom, adding that the pair have become like brothers.

IYO SKY had an impressive 2024, including walking into WrestleMania as Women’s Champion. The Damage CTRL star also competed outside WWE and is ready to do even bigger things in 2025.

WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque is ready for fans to see plenty more in 2025 after WWE “lit the world on fire” last year.

NXT Superstar Arianna Grace ended 2024 with a party of her own, and hopes that 2025 proves to be as beautiful as the Beauty Pagent queen.

Several wrestlers also shared their plans for 2025, including ‘Big’ Bronson Reed, who had some choice verbiage on X.

Michin shared that she can’t wait to see what 2025 brings for everyone and included a photo of herself and her husband Keith Lee. The Limitless One has been out of action since December 2023.

And TBS Champion Mercedes Mone had a huge year in 2024, which she plans to expand upon in 2025, judging by the image The CEO shared on social media.

Happy New Year to everyone from the SEScoops team! Here’s to another exciting year in the world of pro wrestling

Chelsea Green was oozing Americana during this week’s SmackDown, where she relished in becoming the first-ever Women’s U.S. Champion.

On the December 27 show, Green made her entrance dressed as the Statue of Liberty to commemorate her historic achievement while Piper Niven also dressed to impress for the occasion. In her speech, Green vowed to bring pride and sexiness to her championship reign. The champ playfully paraphrased John F. Kennedy by urging fans to think about what they could do for her. She also declared her intentions to transform the blue brand into a “Green House.”

The festivities didn’t last long, as Michin, the woman Green defeated at Saturday Night’s Main Event to capture the championship, interrupted the celebration. Armed with a kendo stick, Michin attacked Niven and chased Green out of the ring.

Green’s victory capped off an impressive journey to the title. She defeated Bianca Belair, Blair Davenport, and Bayley in the lead-up before overcoming Michin to claim the gold. Following her win, Green celebrated with a trip to Disneyland. This achievement also concludes a remarkable year for the champion, who obtained her U.S. citizenship and green card in January.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Chelsea Green and her efforts to make SmackDown a brand fitting of the Red, White, and Blue Green.

Chelsea Green Challenges Cardi B After Historic WWE Title Win

SmackDown Superstar Michin has responded to fan criticism of WWE’s decision to air taped events, which are often recorded the same day as live broadcasts. In recent weeks, WWE has taped multiple episodes of its weekly shows in advance, including tonight’s edition of SmackDown. Taped shows allow WWE Superstars time to spend with their families during holidays or adjust to logistical challenges, such as traveling to Saudi Arabia for premium live events.

One downside of taped events is the inevitable spoilers that circulate on social media. After a fan on X suggested an alternative approach for handling these shows, Michin explained why taped episodes are beneficial for WWE talent.

In her tweet, Michin mentioned her “baby girl,” referring to her beloved dog Jolene, who sadly passed away this week. The time off provided by the taped schedule has given Michin the space to cope with this significant loss.

Michin is featured in tonight’s pre-taped SmackDown, where she will face Piper Niven and Lash Legend in a first-round match of the Women’s U.S. Title Tournament. Lash Legend is stepping in for Jade Cargill, who is currently sidelined. The details of Cargill’s injury remain unclear, fueling speculation about her return timeline.

For Michin, the flexibility provided by taping this week’s episode was particularly meaningful. It not only allowed her to spend Thanksgiving with loved ones but also gave her the chance to grieve and say a heartfelt goodbye to Jolene. Stay tuned to SEScoops for updates on Michin’s journey both in and out of the ring.

The women of WWE have wasted no time in laying claim to the United States Women’s Title after the title was announced during this week’s SmackDown. Nick Aldis revealed the new gold during the show and said that the inaugural champion will earn the gold, rather than it be awarded.

Chelsea Green has proven to be a thorn in the side of ‘Sir Nicholas The Nasty’ and despite Aldis’ claim, is ready to be handed the new title.

The Canadian also took her efforts to Triple H who wanted the Game to take her into “consideration” to be the first Women’s U.S. Champion.

Green’s tag team partner Piper Niven would likely love for her friend to hold gold, but she also has her eyes on becoming the first Women’s United States Champion.

Natalya, who inked a new contract with WWE this year, is ready to hold her first singles title since 2017, when she held the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Michin has yet to hold gold in WWE but is ready to win big, if nothing else than to continue her long-standing rivalry with AEW’s Shelton Benjamin.

It’s not just the Superstars who are excited, as referee Jessika Carr can’t wait to officiate matches for the Women’s United States Championship.

While WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque is pleased that the title will showcase the continued effort of the women of the promotion.

There have been calls for years for WWE to introduce a mid-card title to its roster, with the likes of Drew McIntyre, Bayley, Tiffany Stratton, and even The Undertaker, being on board. WWE introduced its first Women’s mid-card title earlier this year with the NXT Women’s North American Gold, but now the women of the main roster will have a new opportunity to showcase their talent.

WWE is teasing the return of a forgotten stipulation match for Chelsea Green that might get a mixed reaction from fans on its revival. The company brought in a number of veterans for last night’s SmackDown season premiere on USA Network including RVD, Ron Simmons, Teddy Long, and Vickie Guerrero.

The show also featured a singles match between Piper Niven and Michin with Green being at the ringside. When Chelsea confronted Michin during the bout, the female star took the diva out with a kendo stick. Michin went on to win the match but Green attacked her after the bell rang. After Niven landed a senton on her opponent, Green finished the segment off by bringing out a garbage can and delivering an Unprettier to Michin on the top of the can.

In a SmackDown lowdown segment after the show, Vickie Guerrero praised Green and suggested that she should face Michin in a Dumpster match.

Green didn’t take the suggestion kindly. She went off on Vickie claiming that the former GM didn’t even belong there. The current SmackDown GM Nick Aldis who was around heard the whole conversation, however, and he thought that it was a fantastic idea.

• Chelsea Green Wants To Bring Back Diva’s Championship If She Cashes In On Bayley

Dumpster Matches

A Dumpster match is very similar to a Casket match. It’s a no-disqualification hardcore match where the sole purpose is to force your opponent into a dumpster and close the lid.

The first Dumpster match took place at WrestleMania XIV in 1998. Cactus Jack teamed up with Chainsaw Charlie for the bout and they defeated the New Age Outlaws to win the WWF Tag Team Championships.

A match of this type has not been seen on WWE programming since April 2017 when Braun Strowman defeated Kalisto during an episode of Raw.

Another Stipulation Match Returning

WWE’s regular calendar features several stipulations matches, including the Royal Rumble, WarGames and Money in the Bank. With Chelsea Green teasing the return of the dumpster match, another rare and unusual match type is making a comeback: the Bull Rope Match.

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will soon compete in a Bull Rope Match, one of several concepts devised by his father, the late “American Dream” Duty Rhodes.

The Superstars of WWE have been having fun in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ahead of the WWE King And Queen Of The Ring Premium Live Event. 

The May 25 event will be WWE’s latest event in Saudi Arabia as part of the lucrative decade-long deal between the two parties. The show will also serve as the first Premium Live Event bearing the name of the tournament since WWE King of the Ring 2002. In addition to the King And Queen of the Ring event, the May 24, episode of WWE SmackDown will also take place in Jeddah, which will be a first for WWE. 

WWE Superstars in Jeddah

With two stacked nights of WWE programming to come, the Superstars have already arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On Twitter, the official WWE account shared several videos of the Superstars making their arrival. 

Could we be looking at the 2024 KING OF THE RING? 👀#WWEKingAndQueen pic.twitter.com/vqJNkZ2iiC

— WWE (@WWE) May 22, 2024

DING DONG!

Hello WWE Women's Champion @itsBayleyWWE! pic.twitter.com/t4JeKyFsoV

— WWE (@WWE) May 22, 2024

☝️☝️☝️ pic.twitter.com/kzjPhIUv4i

— WWE (@WWE) May 22, 2024

WWE SmackDown Superstar Chelsea Green shared what her day has been like in Saudi Arabia so far. The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion will face Bayley at WWE SmackDown. 

Woke up this morning in beautiful Riyadh!
Ate my high protein breaky, brushed my luxurious extensions & headed for a lift that @itsBayleyWWE could NEVER complete!
Life is so good when you’re me ☺️🇸🇦🖤
See you in 2 days Bad juju Bayley. xo pic.twitter.com/Lhrp1R9IdW

— CHELSEA GREEN (@ImChelseaGreen) May 22, 2024

Women’s Tag Team Champions Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair, alongside Liv Morgan and ‘Michin’ Mia Yim were having fun in the sun at Oia Beach ahead of this weekend’s festivities. 

WWE Superstars are having fun in the sun at Oia Beach in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ahead of #SmackDown & #WWEKingAndQueen! pic.twitter.com/rGv242xQxu

— WWE (@WWE) May 22, 2024

WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque tweeted his excitement for the SmackDown and King And Queen of the Ring shows, alongside a photo of himself boarding the WWE jet. 

Next stop…Riyadh. Excited to kickoff a great weekend in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ahead of #SmackDown and #WWEKingandQueen in Jeddah. pic.twitter.com/KcHQhCxxEx

— Triple H (@TripleH) May 22, 2024

We here at SE Scoops will have all the news and results from WWE SmackDown and WWE King And Queen Of The Ring so keep checking in for all the latest updates. 

WWE NXT Battleground 2024 will be a historic night for the gold brand as the show will see the crowning of the first NXT Women’s North American Champion. 

During the April 30, episode of WWE NXT, General Manager Ava announced that the title will be on the line at NXT Battleground on June 9 in a six-woman ladder match. Before that match though, there will be qualifying matches to determine the entrants in the much-anticipated ladder match. 

This announcement brought out Jaida Parker, who declared that she wanted to be part of the qualifying matches. She was joined in the ring by Sol Ruca and Arianna Grace who had similar intentions. Up next it was ‘Michin’ Mia Yim, who despite being on the SMackDown roster, wants to be part of the Women’s North American Championship hunt. 

The four women brawled before the rest of the NXT Women’s roster came out which led to a bigger brawl in the ring. The qualifying matches are set to begin soon but the entrants have yet to be revealed. 

NXT Battleground won’t just be historic for its introduction of the Women’s North American Championship. The event will take place at the UFC Apex and in partnership with WWE’s sister company under TKO Group Holdings. It will be WWE’s first event hosted at the Apex and shows WWE’s commitment to cross-promotional endeavors as part of TKO. 

Women’s Mid-Card Championships

WWE will soon have a women’s mid-card title, but this isn’t a new idea. Here are some recent articles about having such a title in wrestling:

AJ Styles took a hiatus from WWE after the Bloodline attacked him. This was done so they could move LA Knight into Styles’ spot as John Cena’s tag team partner. Then, when Styles finally returned, a lot of things changed for him.

AJ Styles Goes Through Character Shift

AJ Styles, The Good Brothers and Michin were the OC, but things have been much different since Styles’ return to the picture. He has been a bit withdrawn from his faction, and now that separation is complete. Sadly, they didn’t get a lot of focus for a disbanding.

Last night’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown unveiled a notable development as AJ Styles, the leader of a prominent WWE faction, was formally declared to have severed ties with the group.

During the broadcast, Wade Barrett announced that AJ Styles is no longer associated with The OC, which includes Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Michin. While hints of this departure had been dropped over the past few weeks since AJ’s return to the ring, this marked the first direct confirmation.

The apparent rift between Styles and The OC has been apparent for months, signifying a significant shift in the storyline dynamics. Fans saw this coming, as AJ has exhibited a new demeanor since his return, but to split them without an actual angle is a bit confusing.

What’s Next

Looking forward into the future, The OC appears set to continue operating, but they are down AJ Styles at this point.

Despite their absence from television since August, WWE creative seems to have laid out plans for their future. The trio, comprising Styles, Gallows, and Anderson, last teamed up in December during house shows, where they faced off against opponents such as Pretty Deadly and Grayson Waller, as well as The Street Profits. Now, they are going their separate ways, with AJ doing his own thing, with Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Michin as the new incarnation of The OC stable.

WWE has a history of fantastic stables, and some of them last a long time, forging an undeniable impression with fans. The O.C. has definitely been through a lot in WWE, with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows’ release in between the stable’s runs with the company, but they may be nearing an end.

Possible Issues In The O.C.

The turmoil within The O.C. is still going, and cracks are starting to show. Uncle Allan might be growing impatient with Michin in the process.

A digital exclusive from WWE showed Michin seeking advice from Styles after her loss to Women’s Champion IYO SKY last week. She wanted to ask him if he had any advice for her after seeing the match.

Styles only asked, “Did you win?” and walked away after she shook her head to indicate that she was unable to pull down victory.

The issues within The OC arose when Styles took a two-month hiatus after an attack by Solo Sikoa. He was originally slated to team with John Cena at Fastlane, but then he was replaced by LA Knight.

Start Of Possible Issues For The O.C.

Styles returned on December 15th, and he was placed on top of the card. He first showed up to help Knight and Orton against The Bloodline, but then he made it clear that he’s all about his own success after attacking Knight. 

At SmackDown: New Year’s Revolution, Styles ignored The O.C. when they greeted him, because he was upset about their lack of support when taken out by The Bloodline months earlier. The stable is not fully disbanded, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see a dismantling eventually. 

These developments suggest a potential split within The OC, but WWE has teased similar scenarios in the past, only to provide wrestlers with a fresh start. It remains to be seen if The OC will strengthen or if plans are in motion to dissolve the group. Those words from AJ Styles might also just be tough love from AJ Styles as he motivates Michin to continue her way up the women division’s ranks.

AJ Styles is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble in a Fatal 4-Way match. That match will also include Randy Orton and LA Knight. Perhaps this situation with the O.C. will escalate further at Tropicana Field. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiNwismmIJs

Cathy Kelley and Kevin Owens have both appeared on WWE programming countless times, and now the pair have their own show. 

On YouTube, WWE shared the first episode of the new show, which is yet to receive a name. Naming the show was quite the talking point among the pair with Kelley rejecting Owens’ suggestion of ‘Rising Phoenix.’ Mia Yim, who was nearby also had a less than favorable response to the name. Owens admitted that the name was one of the worst ideas he’s had, and said he was ‘inspired’ by a wall at the arena. 

The duo also discussed the Australian-ness of Grayson Waller and the merits of seedless grapes against their seeded equivalents. The pair also discussed the recent return of Randy Orton and while Owens did not hug the Viper, Kelley made sure to give him a warm embrace. 

What’s Next? 

When not presenting this yet-to-be-named show, Owens can be found competing on WWE SmackDown. The former Universal Champion is currently in the United States Championship Contenders Tournament. Owens defeated Austin Theory in the first round of the tournament, and will face Carmelo Hayes on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Click here to find out the results of that match and this week’s show that was taped last week. The winner of the tournament will earn a title shot against Logan Paul. The Maverick won the title at WWE Crown Jewel against Rey Mysterio. 

WWE has many ideas floating around, but not every concept comes to fruition within the company. One such discarded idea involved a faction inspired by Antifa, which WWE swiftly abandoned.

Mace joined WWE in 2016 and marked his main roster debut in 2020 as part of the Retribution faction. Unfortunately, the plans for this group, led by Mustafa Ali, were inadequately conceived. 

During a conversation with Denise Salcedo on Instinct Culture, Mace shed light on the initial concept behind Retribution. He disclosed that WWE initially envisioned the group resembling Antifa but decided against it due to the potential controversy that would have ensued.

“[Where did the pitch come about? When did you think of it? How did you feel being part of Retribution?] There was no pitch. If you remember correctly, the initial appearance of Retribution was a bunch of extras because there were a bunch of like really small guys at the time. That’s why, that’s actually how I ended up being in it. There were a bunch of little small guys that were extras. They had no idea who they wanted them to be from what I understand. And I think they were trying to do an Antifa thing. I think that was the idea.“

“But at the same time, it’s a very big company. There’s not really much room for controversy anymore. So, at some point they were like, ‘Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t. But we already did this big angle and we need to kind of finish it in some capacity.”

What Is Antifa?

Antifa is short for “anti-fascist.” The group emerged with roots in various political ideologies, united by a shared opposition to fascist and far-right ideologies. Operating primarily in response to perceived threats of fascism and white supremacy, Antifa often employs direct action methods to counter such ideologies. 

Members of Antifa groups emphasize decentralized, grassroots organization, with no formal leadership structure. The movement’s tactics include protest, direct action, and, at times, confrontations with those they perceive as promoting fascist ideologies.

WWE may have considered making Retribution fall in line with this idea, but they went in a different direction.

WWE’s Wild Booking Of Retribution Stable

WWE didn’t make Retribution a politically-charged angle on television, but that doesn’t mean they had a plan in mind. 

WWE started that Retribution angle during the pandemic, with no live crowds or pay-out planned. This stable was a Vince McMahon vision from the beginning, and it did create interest during their early stages.

I was told at the time that Vince McMahon was mostly writing the angle on a week-to-week basis. This is why things changed so much about the faction, how many members there were, and who were even under the masks, until the big reveal.

Notable members included current AEW talent Mercedes Martinez, NXT standout Dijak, former NJPW star Shane Haste, and SmackDown’s Michin. Despite their introduction in August 2020, the faction disbanded seven months later with very little fanfare, and without giving Mustafa Ali much of a chance to really lead the stable.