Murphy was involved in a rather surprising backstage segment with Seth Rollins on last week’s SmackDown. Murphy wanted to join hands with a heel Rollins, which would show that Murphy’s character has turned heel again. While Rollins wasn’t too keen on an alliance with him again, it does seem that Murphy’s character has received a heel turn. While it hasn’t been clearly explained yet, Murphy did posted an explanation behind his sudden heel turn in the form of a comment on a photo of the encounter between the Messiah and his disciple uploaded on WWE’s Instagram page.

“Let’s point out the obvious! The Mysterio’s used me! I never needed them! I’m beyond one of the most talent (sic) in-ring performers on the planet! Aalyah used me to be on tv and advance an acting career. Dominik used me so he had a reason to stand ringside. Rey was jealous that I became the new face of the cruiserweight and he was left out of the discussion. They took what they wanted then they left me in the shadows! Sounds like my time in NXT,” Murphy wrote in the comment.

It’s interesting to speculate if WWE nixed this explanation involving the Mysterios since the comment got deleted only within a few hours of posting. On this week’s SmackDown, we saw Murphy squaring off against Cesario in a singles match. They were also joined by Seth Rollins, who took a seat on the entrance ramp to watch the match. After a few minutes into the match, Rollins got involved and hit Murphy with the Stomp and taunted him. Rollins also delivered the Stomp on Cesaro, and placed a chair around his neck. Seth was going to destroy Cesaro’s neck with another Stomp but he was stopped by WWE producer Jamie Noble. It seems like Murphy will be involved in the feud between Rollins and Cesaro in the future.

WWE officials have decided to drop a romantic storyline on SmackDown between Murphy and Aalyah. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the angle was just abruptly dropped out of nowhere. For those who are wondering why, there’s no backstory or behind-the-scenes story as to why. It’s possible that WWE didn’t have an idea where to take the storyline. 

Aalyah has not appeared on WWE TV since the December 4 SmackDown episode, which saw Murphy lose to King Baron Corbin in singles action. Murphy did appear on last week’s episode of SmackDown where Seth Rollins did his return promo as he was part of the large group of wrestlers standing around the ring, but the commentators didn’t acknowledge him. 

Rollins was feuding with Murphy and The Mysterio Family when he took time off in November as he was going to be with Becky Lynch for the birth of their first child together.

It had been previously reported the company had plans for Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio to feud with Corbin, Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake. However, that feud was nixed when Cutler tested positive for COVID-19 and thus was removed from TV because of the diagnosis.

Corbin’s stable with Cutler and Blake was dropped and Cutler ended up being released from his contract. The Mysterio Family also missed WWE TV time in December due to them dealing with COVID-19, but Aalyah never tested positive.

WWE may have temporarily written Aleister Black out of the storylines this week.

Monday’s RAW featured an angle where Murphy put Black’s eye into the corner of the ring steps, as Seth Rollins did with Rey Mysterio weeks before. Black came into this week’s RAW wearing a cast on his arm from the Monday before, which saw Rollins deliver a Stomp to the arm on the outside of the ring.

The original creative plans were for Rollins and Murphy to take Black out of action with an injury angle, according to Wrestling Observer Radio.

It was not clear if this was the angle to put Black on the shelf, or how long they plan for him to be away. It’s interesting that they would put another wrestler out of action given the lack of depth on the roster right now.

The RAW ringside angle with Black, Rollins and Murphy also featured Dominik Mysterio. Mysterio had taken a double team beatdown when Black came to make the save. The angle ended with Dominik snapping with a kendo stick, attacking Rollins and Murphy until they retreated to the back.

Rollins took to Twitter after the show and revealed the welts on his back from the kendo stick. He gave props to some of his fellow RAW Superstars for a “helluva show,” but added that the one bad part was “that stubborn Mysterio kid.”

“Randy at his best. Sasha-Asuka title fight. Drew/Zigman pulling out all the stops. Lashley/Ali. Murphy with the W. #WWERaw with a helluva show. The only hiccup was that stubborn Mysterio kid. #thegreatergood,” Rollins wrote.

You can see his full tweet with photo below:

https://twitter.com/WWERollins/status/1288179038033530880

– It took Murphy a few minutes to get to his feet after being knocked loopy in his loss to Tye Dillinger at Friday’s NXT house show in Cocoa. Murphy was checked on by a doctor and a referee before leaving on his own.

– Lana spent the week training at the WWE PC in Orlando and thanked coach Del Rey with this tweet:

I love learning ? Thank you @WWEPerformCtr & @TheSaraDelRey for this week !!!

— CJ Perry (@TheCJPerry) May 28, 2016

– Below are the latest WWE Power Rankings with Seth Rollins’ return to the list:

This ovation went on for over ten minutes in #NXTBlackpool #NXTUKTour @JasonJordanJJ @WWEGable pic.twitter.com/hTPzr8hBLs

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) December 13, 2015

As the NXT U.K. Tour continues, it’s becoming quite apparent that the NXT brand is a hit with the English audience. Look no further than the above video for proof.

WWE posted the clip featured above on the official NXT Twitter page on Sunday afternoon that features a 30-second look at a chant that fans were doing that they claimed “went on for over ten minutes” during a Jordan and Gable vs. Blake and Murphy tag-team match at the sold out Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England.

The chant is apparently a remix to the song “No Limits” that is often done at sporting events in the country, with the words simply changed to the names “Jordan” and “Gable.”

Triple H also took to social media to address the hot crowd at the NXT Blackpool event on Sunday.

“A sold out venue, a loud audience, and a great show,” Triple H wrote. “Thank you.”

A sold out venue, a loud audience, and a great show. Thank you #NXTBlackpool… #WeAreNXT #NXTUKTour @WWENXT pic.twitter.com/NGPbzPzNPX

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 13, 2015

The NXT U.K. Tour continues to sweep across England with events in Nottingham on Monday, Cardiff, Wales on Tuesday and finally the NXT TakeOver: London live WWE Network special from the SSE Arena on Wednesday.

• Video: Drunk Conor McGregor Raps DMX Song At UFC 194 Afterparty!

– NXT Diva Jasmin Areebi is now going by the name Aaliyah. She appeared in a segment at the NXT live event on Thursday night in Cocoa Beach. Areebi was in the news this summer after some of her old controversial social media posts resurfaced. WWE and Areebi claimed that the posts were made by someone else.

– Legendary Memphis wrestling announcer Lance Russell and Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Dan Murphy will be the guests on next week’s “Ross Report” podcast, which drops on Tuesday evening at PodcastOne.com.

– Below is this week’s Top 10 SmackDown Moments video.

• Paul Heyman Seems To Think A CM Punk Return To WWE Isn’t Out Of The Question …

Following this week’s edition of NXT TV, below is an updated look at the scheduled lineup for NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, which airs live on the WWE Network on Saturday, August 22nd.

NXT Championship
(Ladder Match)
– Finn Balor (c) vs. Kevin Owens

NXT Tag-Team Championship
– Blake & Murphy (c) vs. The Vaudevillians

NXT Women’s Championship
– Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bayley

– Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Tyler Breeze

– Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin

– Apollo Crews (formerly known as Uhaa Nation) will make his NXT debut

– Appearances by Hideo Itami and others are expected as well

• AMAZINGLY HOT Photos Of RONDA ROUSEY In A Tiny Bikini! (BRAND NEW)

– WWE announced that there will be NXT matches at the “Aftershock Festival” in Sacramento, California on October 24th and October 25th. Names advertised for the shows include Finn Balor, Sasha Banks, Baron Corbin, Charlotte and Blake & Murphy. For more, visit WWE.com.

– ROH issued the following press release today regarding the release of their new action figure line, which includes WWE Superstar and current NXT Champion Kevin Owens.

(Baltimore, MD – May 26th, 2015) – Get ready for the best wrestling figures on the planet! Ring of Honor Wrestling (ROH) and Figures Toy Company are proud to announce the official lineup for the debut series of ROH Wrestling action figures! Series 1 will feature four of the top names in Ring of Honor history, and this series marks the first time that any of them have been released in action figure form!

From “DemBoys” to a ruler of a Kingdom, ROH and Figures Toy Company will be releasing four major names to launch the line:

Jay Briscoe: The current Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Champion, Jay Briscoe is an ROH Original in every sense, including being the very first ROH match ever. With his roughneck reputation and the in ring skills to back it up, Briscoe is one of ROH’s most recognizable stars.

Mark Briscoe: Brother of Jay and another ROH Original. Together, The Briscoes wreaked havoc on the ROH tag division, and have held the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship an unprecedented 8 times! Now Mark and Jay Briscoe team up to make history once again as a part of the very first Ring of Honor action figure series.

Adam Cole: The former Ring of Honor World Champion, and the leader of The Kingdom. Cole’s brash attitude has not endeared him to the ROH fanbase, and now he has something new to brag about, as he’ll surely be flaunting his Ring of Honor action figure for all it’s worth.

Kevin Steen: The “Throwback” star in Series 1, Kevin Steen has a long and storied history in Ring of Honor. From his tag team with El Generico to wreaking havoc as the Ring of Honor World Champion, Steen has made a name for himself not only in ROH but throughout the wrestling world. He may not be raising hell in ROH any longer, but he is still a force on the rise, and collectors everywhere will be clamoring for their very first Kevin Steen figure.

The Ring of Honor action figures will be 6 inch tall figures with multiple points of articulation, and will be compatible with other wrestling figures on the market. Each figure will come packaged with assorted accessories such as realistic cloth clothing, figure sized title belts, and weapons. Each figure will be released in a resealable clamshell package. Figures Toy Company will be releasing pre-order information for Ring of Honor Series 1 action figures in the near future, so make sure to follow them on social media for updates on upcoming Ring of Honor products!

Follow on Twitter: @RingofHonor, @figurestoyco and @wres_superstore
Instagram: RingofHonor, figurestoycompany and wrestlingsuperstore
Facebook: RingofHonor, Figures Toy Company and Wrestling Superstore

• Ronda Rousey STRONGLY Hints At Making SURPRISE WWE Return!

– Nikki Bella, who busted her nose up pretty good at Monday’s RAW, has reached a personal milestone as WWE Divas Champion. The Bella Twin has held the Divas title for 100 days.

– WWE referee Scott Armstrong celebrates his 56th birthday today. Armstrong was born on March 4, 1959. Also celebrating birthdays today are former WCW star Crowbar (41) and former TNA Knockout Sarah “Sarita” Stock (36).

– WWE taped the following matches for tonight’s edition of NXT on the WWE Network.

Adam Rose comes vs. Tyler Breeze
Blake and Murphy vs. Sawyer Fulton and Angelo Dawkins
Baron Corbin vs. Tony Briggs
Solomon Crowe vs. Bull Dempsey
Charlotte vs. NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks

• CM Punk Fights His First MMA Scrimmage Bout This Week! Photos & Details Here!

– Matt Morgan continues to suggest via Twitter that he will not return to TNA Wrestling after reportedly fulfilling his contractual obligations with the organization last month. When asked when he will return to Impact Wrestling, he replied, “I’d say somewhere in between NEVER and EVER.” He then responded “sooner vs. later” in regards to appearing on any television show again. In response to a potential return to WWE, he once again wrote, “Tick-Tock…..”

– Lending credence to rumors of Velvet Sky’s apparent departure from TNA Wrestling, all references to the popular female grappler have been removed from the company website’s Knockouts photo gallery page. Her profile was removed from their roster index Wednesday but returned later after news of the edit surfaced online. She is advertised to appear on iPPV for Pro Wrestling Syndicate on September 14, which would indicate that she is no longer affiliated with TNA since contracted talent are prohibited from appearing on broadcasts for other wrestling organizations.

– None of the wrestlers used in the X Division Tournament to determine a new TNA X Division Champion have reappeared since Destination X. According to the Wrestling Observer, their status currently remains uncertain.

– Former TNA star Murphy turns 38 years old Wednesday.

— Four profiles have been removed from ImpactWrestling.com’s roster page: Murphy, Okada, Sangriento and Suicide.

On the May 5 edition of Impact, Murphy was kicked out of Immortal after losing a “Loser Leaves Immortal” match against Rob Terry. He has not appeared for the organization since.

Okada briefly resurfaced on Xplosion after his role as Samoa Joe’s henchman concluded. He had not competed since June.

Sangriento was portrayed by Amazing Red, who announced on August 4, 2011 via Twitter that he had parted ways with TNA.

Suicide sparingly appeared for TNA after resurfacing in April. He last competed at the May 16, 2011 Xplosion taping, losing to “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero in the opening match of the Xplosion Championship Tournament.

— In a battle of TNA Knockouts, Tara will square off against Madison Rayne (replacing Jackie Haas) at 3 Legged Dog Studios in Downtown Manhattan on November 5, 2011. Visit www.fwewrestling.com for more information.

— Sarita, who announced three weeks ago via Facebook that she had suffered facial paralysis, continued to wear a protective mask at this past weekend’s TNA Wrestling live events as well as last night’s Impact Wrestling taping in Orlando, Florida. Her condition, however, has improved in the meantime.

Sarita is advertised to appear at this weekend’s live events in Texas since the organization is targeting the Hispanic demographic with Mexican America and Sangriento. She will also appear with AJ Styles at Direct Auto Insurance 6630 South Congress Avenue Austin, Texas tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

— TNA Wrestling’s annual Turning Point pay-per-view event is scheduled for November 13, 2011 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

— Gunner and Murphy are advertised to appear at EAW Wrestle War V, which takes place Friday, August 26, 2011 at the National Guard Armory in Wentworth, North Carolina.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

— On tomorrow night’s episode of Impact Wrestling on Spike, the first-ever “Bound For Glory Series” will be officially announced. There will be twelve Superstars participating in the competition, all leading to the Bound For Glory pay-per-view event in October.

Matt Morgan, Brother Devon and Scott Steiner were announced today for the competition.

Nine of the twelve wrestlers in the Series have been announced thus far. The first six wrestlers announced were Rob Van Dam, AJ Styles, Gunner, Bully Ray, Crimson and James Storm.

— The Impact Wrestling website has published separate bio pages for Gunner and Murphy. They were previously grouped together as a tag team.

— TNA World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson and WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch are advertised for an appearance at K & M All Star Sports in Waterford, Connecticut on Saturday, July 9 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visit www.kmallstarsports.net for more information.

— Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have accepted pay cuts with TNA Wrestling, reports SLAM! Wrestling. Both are on the last year of their respective contracts with the organization, which will conclude at the end of the year.

— Last Thursday’s episode of TNA iMPACT!, scored a 1.25 cable rating, the program’s highest mark since October 14, the show after Bound For Glory. The program garnered 1,733,000 viewers over the course of two hours.

Segment-by-segment numbers are as follows: Beer Money, Inc. vs. Motor City Machine Guns lost 138,000 viewers. “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero and Samoa Joe facing off lost 42,000 viewers. A backstage segment with AJ Styles lost 69,000 viewers. The segment involving Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett, plus Angelina Love and Winter defending the Knockouts Tag Team Championship against Madison Rayne and Tara gained 83,000 viewers. A match pitting Abyss against Matt Morgan lost 55,000 viewers. The first portion of the Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy vs. Mr. Anderson and Rob Van Dam match lost 249,000 viewers, lowering the rating to 1.07. The conclusion of the match and aftermath rebounded to 1.16, and thus the start-to-finish loss was 125,000 viewers overall.

— Gunner and Murphy have been added to TNAWrestling.com’s roster page. The duo debuted in June 2009 as the company’s on-air security and were given official names in July 2010.

source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter