William Regal’s impending return to WWE will see the British star work behind the scenes in an unspecified role.

On this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite Regal was betrayed by AEW World Champion MJF, who laid out the Brit with some brass knuckles.

It has been reported that this is AEW’s way of writing Regal off of TV and marks his final appearance for the wrestling legend for the promotion.

Gone

There has been some speculation that Regal could still stay with AEW, but all signs are pointing to him both leaving, and to him returning to WWE.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that there will be some reference to Regal on next week’s Dynamite.

“Regal’s gone. It’s not like ‘maybe he’s gone, maybe he’s not.’ Regal’s gone. I believe that was his farewell. There’s going to be something on Wednesday’s show, there will be something addressing certain things.”

Next week’s Dynamite will air from the H-E-B Arena in Cedar Park, Texas.

Conflicting Stories

Regal’s departure from AEW has come out of nowhere, given that he has been prominently featured since signing earlier this year.

On his show, Meltzer explained how WWE’s version of events differs from what others have been saying.

“He is going back to WWE. That’s just the deal. I’ve had so many different people tell me so many different stories. The primary source story is that his contract was short-term. The WWE side says he had an out. Did he sign a nine-month deal [with AEW?] Doesn’t sound right.

“The closest thing to what I would say is official is that he signed a short-term deal. Others say he had an out or Tony [Khan] gave him an out.”

Behind the Scenes

Regal was an on-screen presence throughout his AEW run, and it is unconfirmed if he had any official role backstage.

When he returns to WWE, the former Intercontinental Champion is set to resume a role behind the scenes, but it is unclear if he will also have an on-screen presence.

“When he signed it was a three-year deal, supposedly and nine months now it’s over. Sounds weird? But if he had an out, he had an out. Or maybe Tony just said to him ‘hey look. He [WWE’s Head of Creative and Talent Triple H] is your buddy. You can go [to WWE] with the restrictions that maybe you’re not going to be on TV.

“He’s going there to work behind the scenes.”

Dave Meltzer.

“I know he’s going there to work behind the scenes but I don’t know if he’s going over there to be a TV character.”

Regal’s departure has yet to be confirmed by Tony Khan in an official capacity.

AEW talent have reportedly been left scratching their heads over a recent booking decision made by Tony Khan.

At AEW Full Gear, William Regal turned on Jon Moxley and the Blackpool Combat Club to help MJF become the new AEW World Champion.

During this week’s Dynamite, MJF turned on Regal, and mocked the British wrestling veteran for making a deal with ‘the Devil.’

Questions

This week’s attack on Regal is being seen by many as the way he’ll be written off of TV, and the former King of the Ring is not expected to return.

It has been reported that Regal’s contract is expected to expire soon, which is something those high up in the company have known for some time.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer questioned why Tony Khan put so much emphasis on Regal’s turn and alliance with MJF, knowing he would be leaving soon.

According to Meltzer, several others in AEW have also questioned the decision of making a big deal about Regal and not having a big payoff.

“I can’t understand putting so much heel steam to the point of being the point man in stealing the title on Regal, when it was known by the key people by this point he was gone in a few weeks. I mean, story or not, the guy was leaving. A lot of talent has questioned that in the same way now that everyone knows he’s leaving.”

Dave Meltzer.

Regal is expected to return to WWE when the time is right after being released in January of this year.

MJF’s Title Win

MJF’s AEW World Championship victory at Full Gear was a long-time coming in the eyes of fans, as the Devil has been a highlight of the promotion for years.

In the Observer, it was reported that there were other pitches for his title win, with some not involving Regal as much, though there was always the need to write him out.

Meltzer writes that the core plan that has remains the same was for MJF to be champion, Bryan Danielson to be challenging and for Regal to be out of the picture.

All Elite Wrestling star William Regal is expected back in WWE very soon. Over the past several weeks, there’s been conflicting reports over Regal’s contractual status with AEW.

Regal was released by WWE back in January. The decision caught a lot of people off guard and was attributed to the company’s decision to go in a new direction with NXT 2.0. His Lordship made a surprise debut at AEW Revolution in March and quickly aligned with Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley. They later formed the Blackpool Combat Club, one of this year’s most dominant factions in pro wrestling.

Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite saw Regal’s first public appearance with the man he helped win the AEW World Championship, Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The alliance was short-lived, as MJF ended the segment by blindsiding Regal with an attack that sent him to the hospital.

Regal Likely Returning Home to WWE

A lot has changed since Regal joined AEW, most notably Vince McMahon’s retirement. Regal’s longtime friend Triple H is now running the show, a situation that paved the way for his inevitable return.

On Thursday, a pair of reports strongly indicate Regal will be back at Triple H’s side in the very near future. According PWInsider, “there have been rumblings” within WWE that Regal will be returning soon in a backstage role. Regal was a driving force behind the success of NXT and served as the brand’s on-screen authority figure for several years.

In addition to this report, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful tweeted that he’s heard Regal’s AEW contract expires this month (December).

Regal is considered one of the brightest minds in the business and is an invaluable asset to whichever company he decides to work.

Could William Regal return to WWE after being released from the promotion earlier this year?

On January 5, Regal was cut from his role with WWE NXT, as part of several management releases, all of whom had worked closely with Triple H.

Regal debuted for AEW at the Revolution 2022 Pay-Per-View in March, forming the Blackpool Combat Club.

Regal’s Future

After Triple H shared a video of the British legend ahead of Survivor Series WarGames, there was speculation on Regal’s status with AEW.

It was initially reported that Regal had months left on his AEW deal, but in an update, it was said he has years and will remain under contract until 2025.

At AEW Full Gear 2022, Regal turned on Jon Moxley and aided MJF in winning the AEW World Championship.

Regal’s Return

Regal may still have plenty of time left on his AEW deal, but that hasn’t stopped WWE hoping for a return.

While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer went into detail regarding the former King of the Ring’s contract.

“William Regal when he signed, which was only in April or May, said that he signed for three years. Now, something is going on… I’ve been told a lot of stuff but most of it was off the record.

“I do know that it is something that has been talked about [by WWE.]”

Dave Meltzer.

Meltzer added that Tony Khan has yet to let anyone out of a contract early, but that doesn’t mean Regal won’t be the exception.

“It’s something that’s in play. But he said his contract is three years, so in theory, that would tell you that he couldn’t do anything until April 2025.”

Run

On last week’s AEW Dynamite, Jon Moxley confronted Regal, and would have attacked him if not for Bryan Danielson.

Instead of attacking Regal, the former World Champion told Regal to run from AEW and never return.

Speaking about the segment, which some have seen as AEW’s way of writing Regal off TV, Meltzer said this isn’t the case.

“The thing on Wednesday’s show was just an angle, but there had been talk of that from very early on.”

Dave Meltzer.

After missing last week’s Dynamite, AEW World Champion MJF will be on tonight’s show, but it is unclear if Regal will join him.

William Regal’s future with All Elite Wrestling has been speculated about over the past several weeks. Recent actions from AEW and WWE led to fans wondering if he’d be working for Triple H again in the near future, but that won’t be the case.

WWE released Regal in January 2022 as part of “the continued evolution of NXT 2.0.” Regal served as WWE’s Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting. A talent of his caliber does not stay on the sidelines for long.

Just two months later, Regal shocked the wrestling world when with a surprise debut at AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view. The longtime figurehead of WWE’s NXT brand stormed the ring after Jon Moxley’s match against Bryan Danielson.

Within a matter of weeks, they’d all be on the same page as part of the Blackpool Combat Club faction. The group later added Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta.

• William Regal Reveals Who Talked Him Into Joining AEW

Regal’s AEW Contract

Regal turned on Jon Moxley earlier this month at AEW Full Gear and allowed MJF to capture the AEW World Championship. This past week on Dynamite, Moxley told Regal to run far away from him or else he will deliver on his violent intentions for revenge. It seemed like Regal was being written off television.

Triple H later invoked Regal ahead of Saturday’s WWE Survivor Series premium live event with a video of Regal shouting WarGames. He noted the show wouldn’t be the same without him.

Dave Meltzer stated on Wrestling Observer Radio that Regal still has “several months left” on his AEW deal. Early Monday morning, Meltzer clarified that his initial report about Regal signing a 1-year deal was incorrect. Regal actually signed a 3-year deal with AEW in early 2022, based on comments he made shortly after his debut.

Regal’s Role in AEW

William Regal is one of the brightest minds in pro wrestling and offers decades of experience that he’ll use to train the next generation of AEW talent.

AEW President Tony Khan spoke about Regal’s role with the company at the media scrum that took place after Revolution, the night of Regal’s AEW debut. Khan said he couldn’t believe that Regal became a free agent and has the utmost respect for his contributions to the business.

“Behind the scenes, I’m really excited to have him here,” said Khan. “I think Lord Regal can teach all of us here a lot. It’s gonna be great having him here and I’m very excited like I said, onscreen and offscreen. It came together very recently and I think it fits very well with what we’re doing here in AEW all around.”

• William Regal Recalls Being Given Just 24 Hours To Live

WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2022 airs live tonight from the TD Garden in Boston, MA. The Survivor Series premium live event used to be centered around brand warfare between RAW and SmackDown but that is no longer the case.

Triple H replaced the traditional 5 vs. 5 Elimination matches with WarGames matches this year. WarGames was a staple in NXT and former NXT GM William Regal used to shout “WarGames!” when booking the match.

WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H just uploaded a video featuring William Regal shouting WarGames ahead of WWE Survivor Series tonight.

“Tonight just wouldn’t be the same without…”

William Regal was recently the leader of the Blackpool Combat Club but betrayed Jon Moxley in the main event of AEW Full Gear. Regal slid MJF the brass knuckles and Maxwell punched Jon in the face with them. Jon Moxley confronted Regal on this past Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite and told him to walk away and keep walking. Moxley was about to attack Regal but Bryan Danielson prevented it.

WWE Survivor Series WarGames Live Coverage

WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2022 airs live tonight from the TD Garden in Boston, MA. The SmackDown Women’s and United States Championship will be on the line tonight in addition to two WarGames matches.

Here is the card for tonight’s show:

• Men’s WarGames Match: Sheamus, Ridge Holland, Butch, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, and Sami Zayn
• Women’s WarGames Match: Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, and Mia Yim vs. Bayley, Dakota Kai, IYO Sky, Nikki Cross, and Rhea Ripley
• United States Championship Triple Threat match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory
• SmackDown Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Shotzi
• Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles

Our live coverage will begin alongside the premium live event in the link below.

William Regal has explained why WWE didn’t hire MJF when he was 19-years-old.

One of the hottest topics going around at the moment in professional wrestling is MJF’s promo with William Regal on AEW Dynamite, addressing why Regal didn’t hire MJF back when he was with WWE.

MJF was only 19-years-old at the time, which was a big reason for Regal’s decision not to hire the current AEW star. Speaking on his Gentleman Villain podcast, Regal further explained WWE’s decision not to hire MJF when he initially tried out.

“NXT was a big part of the Network. Some people have said, ‘you just took people for here and there.’ Yeah, they were the ones the Adam Coles, Kevin Steens, Sami Zayns, Kyle O’Reillys, Fergal Devitts, made a name for themselves and they are more valuable.

“One thing that everyone understands is, if they already have a fanbase, and that fanbase joins them and they are on the Network and NXT and bring in 1,000 people, that’s $10,000 a month. This is business sense. At 19, you haven’t got a following.

“Fortunately for him, this is another thing, whatever nonsense he’s done with AEW, he should be kissing the feet of Tony Khan and anybody who started. Chris Jericho, the Bucks, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, he should be down showering them with praise night and day.

“They started a company that he got hired in straight away because of what he’s been doing in another company. If [AEW] hadn’t started up, he probably still wouldn’t have gotten hired in WWE straight away, it would have been a year or two and he wouldn’t be in this position now.

“Perhaps he’s just an asshole. No matter how talented he is, has he got the mental capacity to handle all of it? We’ve seen how he reacts over an email.”

Things certainly seemed to have worked out for MJF since. He’s currently, arguably, the biggest star in AEW, and certainly one of the biggest in professional wrestling period.

He’s slated to become a free agent in 2024, leaving WWE the potential opportunity to make a big bid for the young star. It will be interesting to see if MJF does, in fact, end up in WWE when it’s all said and done.

William Regal may be impressed by what MJF does in AEW, but that doesn’t make the Salt of the Earth a true villain of wrestling.

MJF returned to AEW at the All Out Pay-Per-View, following a three-month hiatus, stemming from scathing comments made against AEW and Tony Khan.

At the event, MJF won the Casino Ladder match as the Joker entrant, earning an AEW World Championship match.

Fake Bad Guy

With his win at All Out, MJF has a championship title match, presumably with current AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.

Part of what has made MJF such a successful performer is his heel persona, which William Regal doesn’t buy as he explained on the Gentleman Villain podcast.

“I’ve always seen the potential in him. Not sure I like the way he goes about doing stuff. If you want to be a real bad guy, there are things that you can do and things that you can’t. I used this term on AEW the other week and it’s only a few people know this term. O-D-V, which is an ordinary decent villain.”

Regal explained that to be an ODV means knowing that those non-wrestlers are off limits, a lesson that MJF hasn’t learned.

“Anybody who signs up to be a pro wrestler, you’re fair game for anything my wicked mind wants to do to you. But if they don’t, you leave them alone.”

Roddy Piper

With his heel work, many (including WWE Hall of Famer Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts) have called MJF this generation’s Roddy Piper.

Addressing the comparison, Regal said that MJF couldn’t hang with the legendary talker.

“Roddy Piper would have seen straight through him. He would have gone ‘this is a lad who’s not grown up the same as us.’ He’s not got the same mentality.”

“Roddy Piper would have seen straight through him.”

William Regal.

“You might think you’re a bad guy, you might want to act like a bad guy. But there’s a difference there’s a big difference and very few people know that. A lot of people who got through this job by just acting like a bad guy.”

Tough Enough

Years before arriving in AEW, MJF tried out for the 2015 season of Tough Enough.

Speaking about MJF’s formative years, Regal discussed why the Salt of the Earth never made it in WWE NXT while Regal was in charge.

“He was young. Far too young to get hired [by WWE.] And there was only so many places in NXT. If you’ve got a full roster and somebody young [comes along] you go ‘right now what you need to do is go out and do your thing.’ Make people notice you, which he did.

MJF wouldn’t make it on the show, but his audition tape (suspiciously) remains on WWE’s YouTube channel.

William Regal isn’t interested in a Blackpool Combat Club heel turn but isn’t against the idea either.

The group came together earlier this year, with the name being the brain-child of Jon Moxley, not Regal as many believe.

The BCC consists of AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta with Regal serving as manager.

Couldn’t Give a Jot

William Regal is no stranger to being a heel, but isn’t fully on board with returning to his darker routes.

Speaking on the appropriately titled ‘Gentleman Villain’ podcast, Regal said that the group isn’t looking for cheers or boos from fans.

“None of us [in the Blackpool Combat Club] could care less, a mere jot, whether we’re booed or cheered. If people cheer us, great. If they boo us, great. We’ll lean into that.

William Regal.

Speaking about the group being booed at All Out, where Moxley faced home-town hero CM Punk, Regal enjoyed the experience.

“Going out with Jon Moxley the other week and getting booed out of the building in Chicago, like music to my ears. I haven’t had that for a long time, since I was 41 or 42 [Regal is now 54 years old.]

“Like Music to my Ears.”

William Regal on being booed at AEW All Out 2022.

“It was wonderful because that’s what I thrive on. The word on the tin. Villain. I like getting it. I went out of my ways to get boos and I haven’t. Because after a while in WWE when I was still wrestling, people were cheering me because I think they were just happy I was still alive [laughs.] I wasn’t dead!”

A Future Heel Turn?

Regal spent years of his career as a villain, hence the title of his podcast, but believes his days as being a character are behind him.

When asked by co-host Matt Koon if he could be a villain again, Regal said he could, but hopes to avoid the turn, believing it would take the focus off others.

“You have no idea. If I ever have to do that again [I am ready.] This is going to be a weird thing to say, but I hope it doesn’t.

“The only reason I hope it doesn’t is not because of me. I hope it’s the person I’m walking out with who’s getting the boos if they want them, and it’s not about me.”

On this week’s AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam, Moxley defeated fellow BCC member Bryan Danielson to win his fourth AEW World Championship.

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

William Regal says he’s focused on the Blackpool Combat Club and helping develop younger talent who are interested in learning from them.

Over the past several weeks, there have been reports about AEW talent being disgruntled about a lack of television time. There was also the recent situation involving CM Punk’s shoot comments about “Hangman” Adam Page and the subsequent fallout.

Regal said, “there’s a lot going on” on the latest episode of his Gentleman Villain podcast.

“There’s always a lot going on with us,” he began. “We’ve talked talked about on this show before. We are trying to do our bit to change the views of some people, and younger talent.

Sometimes there’s things that play out on the show, but in reality, there’s the fact that we understand there’s a lot of young talent and they don’t get to wrestle better wrestlers, or people who have been in this for a long time, because the way the job has become, and the way TV is. A lot of the best wrestlers wrestle each other now.”

Blackpool Combat Club Staying Focused

Regal was careful not to get too deep into the subject matter at hand, but you can read between the lines and see he’s alluding to the professionalism of certain people.

“I can’t say too much at the moment,” he continued. “I’m not a gossip merchant and I’m not going to dignify anything that comes out. Nothing seems to happen around me, I’ll put it that way. I know that myself.. Jon’s Jon, and that’s the way he is. But, I know myself, Claudio, Bryan and Wheeler, are all doing our thing. Hopefully it spreads, and as far as trying to be the best professionals we can be, that’s all you can do, and do whatever we’re tasked with.”

“We’ve got a great team of talent and we want to make people have to face people in the BCC. and we are also hoping that it sets sort of standards of how to conduct yourself, and .. this is sort of in reality, just how to conduct yourself as a pro, and not. Let’s put it that way.”

Regal says he’s made mistakes during his long career, so he’s not out to cast judgement on anybody. The Blackpool Combat Club arrives at the arena early when AEW has TV tapings. They train in the ring all day and anybody is welcome to join them.

He also addressed his absence from last week’s AEW Dynamite, noting that he had to tend to a “family incident” and was in contact with everybody at TV.

Listen to William Regal’s Gentleman Villain Podcast at AdFreeShows.com. Please credit SEScoops with a link to this article if you use any of the transcribed quotes.

Last week, WWE announced the launch of NXT Europe, which will come at the expense of NXT UK. 

The UK brand will go on what’s being called a “brief hiatus” after next month’s Worlds Collide event. 

Not long after the announcement, WWE released several performers from NXT UK. 

Regal Reacts

Between this hiatus and the mass release of talent, many believe that NXT UK is finished for good. 

One name who was a large part of NXT UK, especially during the early days, was William Regal. 

Speaking on his Gentleman Villain podcast, Regal said that he’s known for years that NXT Europe was the long-term plan (via Wrestling Inc.)

“For the last several years NXT Europe was in process … Things changed in the last year and different things, but now, things have changed again and things are back on track … I don’t work there and I don’t ask, but the expansion of NXT was going to happen. I was personally working on that for the last seven or eight years until January.”

“The expansion of NXT was going to happen. I was personally working on that.”

William Regal on NXT Europe and the end of NXT UK.

Addressing the mass releases last week, Regal said that being cut does not mean they can’t come back as part of NXT Europe, adding that “everything was done for the right reasons.”

What’s next for NXT UK?

NXT UK may be done for good, but there are still some huge matches planned for those on the brand. 

During this week’s NXT 2.0, it was confirmed that NXT UK Champion Tyler Bate will face NXT Champion Bron Breakker at Worlds Collide in a title-unification match. 

It has also been confirmed that NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose, NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura, and Blair Davenport will face off at Worlds Collide in a title-unification match. 

These matches which will see the NXT UK titles stop being used on TV, have only fueled the belief that NXT UK is done for good. 

Gunther, formerly known as WALTER, had a dominant reign in WWE NXT UK for several years as the NXT UK Champion before moving to the United States, where he worked in NXT and was later called up to the main roster. 

When Gunther went to NXT permanently, William Regal was already off television as the GM. The current AEW manager praised Gunther during the latest episode of his podcast, Gentleman Villain. He thinks Gunther perfectly understands his role in WWE.

“He knows what he is, and he sticks to what he does best. He doesn’t expose anything that he doesn’t know. He knows exactly what to do that’s got him to where he got to. He had a long time to figure it out. I remember him having a tryout and he hadn’t figured himself out at the time. once he figured it out — WALTER, now Gunther, he is the perfect heavyweight lion. A person that was a huge influence on my wrestling style, and in helping me, was my favorite wrestler to wrestle.”

Regal recalled how Terry Rudge taught him early in his career that all wrestlers should wrestle like a big cat – lightweights should be like a cheetah, middleweights like a puma, and light heavyweights should be like a tiger or a panther. Heavyweights should wrestle like either a lion, a tiger, or a cross between the two.

Regal stated that Gunther has perfected this mindset, which he believes makes him the perfect lion.

“If you think of the way a wrestler moves, the way he attacks, and the way — if you’re a good wrestler, it makes perfect sense. Well Gunther, as you say, has perfected being a perfect lion. He knows exactly how to be a lion… If you just think about the way a lion is, It’ll just stalk, prowl up and down, will swat if it has to, and when it has to sprint, it spreads and it kills, and if you look at him like that, you know, he’s figured out his perfect role. How to be a perfect lion. That’s what a really good heavyweight should be.”

Gunther is currently the WWE Intercontinental Champion. He made his most recent televised title defense last week on SmackDown against Ricochet.

Regal is a seasoned talent scout and knows a tough competitor when he sees one. He currently leads AEW’s Blackpool Combat Club faction, comprised of Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castignoli and Wheeler Yuta.

Quotes via Fightful

William Regal believes that the WWE chairman Vince McMahon unknowingly helped save his life when the company paid for his surgery during the Attitude Era.

The former NXT General Manager recently had an interview with Gentleman Villain podcast. Among other things, he talked his relationship with the WWE owner.

The AEW star claimed that he never tried to get too friendly with Mr McMahon. Regal always knew that McMahon was his boss:

“I’ve always known he’s my boss, so I have never got too friendly with him because I knew one day, he might want to fire me. I’ve had an incredible, always polite, great working relationship with him,”

• The Truth Behind William Regal’s Arrest

‘I Owe Him My Life’: William Regal

Though despite getting released from the promotion, William Regal claimed that he will always have a loyalty towards the WWE owner. This is because he authorized a surgery in 1999 without which Regal believes he would have died:

“So, I owe him my life. When I had my neck surgery, he might not have even known but it was his company that paid me to get the best surgeon, the only surgeon in the world who could do the surgery that I needed,”

William Regal was released from WWE earlier this year after over two decades with the company. He has since joined AEW and formed a faction with Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta.

Quotes via WrestlingInc

AEW Dynamite was live from the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, MO on June 8.

In the main event, Jon Moxley went one-on-one with Kyle O’Reilly to determine who would move on to Forbidden Door to compete for the Interim AEW World Championship.

Fans also witnessed a potential heel turn as Swerve Strickland eliminated his seemingly now-former tag team partner Keith Lee in the Casino Battle Royale. His post-match reaction was very telling.

There was also the introduction of the AEW All-Atlantic Championship.

Post-Show

During the main event of Dynamite, O’Reilly gave one heck of an effort against Moxley but he fell short. O’Reilly was pinned with the Paradigm Shift.

Earlier in the night, William Regal, the manager of Blackpool Combat Club, showed his respect to Kyle O’Reilly. Regal had served as a bit of a mentor to Kyle during his time in NXT.

After the match, Regal and O’Reilly looked close to embracing but Kyle ended up walking off in disappointment (via Erica Lee).

Special Look At Will Ospreay’s AEW Debut

Will Ospreay made his AEW debut on the show. With the help of The United Empire, he attacked FTR and Trent Beretta.

AEW ring announcer Justin Roberts captured footage and while this wasn’t after the show, it’s simply too good not to leave here.

William Regal has opened up on a situation during a plane flight in 1997 that resulted in him being arrested. This was at a time when he was working for WCW and was battling addictions to drugs and alcohol. The flight was from Tokyo, Japan to Detroit Michigan.

During the latest episode of his “Gentleman Villain,” Regal described the incident. He noted that the story has been blown out of proportion to what actually happened. 

Regal admitted he took some pills before everything happened. He went to the toilet and there was a concertina door so he stood there and his foot was stopping the door from shutting.

“I hadn’t locked the door. A stewardess came behind me and said, ‘Excuse me, sir.’ I turned around and nothing funny or clever about it, I peed on the lady’s foot. They landed the plane and I woke up in a jail cell in Alaska. I wasn’t the only person on that plane. I wasn’t the reason that they landed that plane.”

Regal continued, “There was a paparazzi guy in the back who flipped out and started punching people. That was the reason they landed that and they just threw me off. I’m not going to incriminate anyone, but they threw a couple of other wrestlers off because they were doing things as well. They were like me. They won’t have any idea what they were doing. But I do know what they were doing because WCW investigated this and I found out what they were doing. They got away with it. I didn’t. Soon as this went to court, this lady said, ‘No, he wasn’t doing anything malicious. It was just a drunken incident.”

After being let go by WWE last year following 21 years with the company, he signed with AEW this past March where he has since managed The Black Pool Fight Club. 

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

William Regal has said he encouraged Triple H to jump from WCW to WWE, helping to kickstart a lengthy, successful career with the company for the “King of Kings.”

Speaking on the very first episode of the Gentleman Villian podcast, Regal said that while he was locked into a deal with the Atlanta-based promotion, he knew the future WWE World Champion would do better elsewhere:

“There was an offer for me to go at the time but I had a guaranteed contract with WCW and they were very good to me… I said no [to WWE], but what [Triple H] needed to do is go to WWE. Because what he needed is what I had had for the last 10 years, he needed to work 200+ days a year.

“He had all the skills there, but you get better at wrestling [when you find] what you’re good at, what you’re bad at. You make mistakes and rectify those problems and you try and work on them, and the experience makes you a better talent. He went [to WWE]. We always kept in touch.”

” I said no [to WWE], but what [Triple H] needed to do is go to WWE.”

William Regal on encouraging Triple H to go to WWE.

Triple H signed with WWE in 1995, turning down an offer to have his WCW contract renewed.

In his biography ‘Making the Game’ Triple H claims that then-WCW talent head Eric Bischoff could not understand the decision to join WWE where he’d have to work more dates.

Regal would join the promotion in 1998 but was released due to his substance abuse problems.

He would later be rehired in 2000 where he remained until his release earlier this year.

• William Regal on who Talked him Into Joining AEW (May 2022)

Thanks to WrestlingInc for the transcription.

William Regal was ready to finally take some time off from wrestling after over three decades following his WWE release, but Bryan Danielson talked him into joining AEW.

The former NXT General Manager recently had an interview with Talk Sport. He discussed things such as the formation of the Blackpool Combat Club and more.

Speaking about his release from WWE, Regal said that he was ready to take a year off to just guide his son. However, Bryan reached out to him about joining AEW:

“I was ready to just have a year off and do nothing but talk with my son and guide him through what he’s doing. And then Bryan called me. And if it hadn’t of been Bryan calling me, I wouldn’t probably be here now. Nobody else would have talked me into this.”

• Bryan Danielson On How William Regal Helped Him During His Retirement

William Regal said that Danielson is like another son to him. He then explained how quickly his AEW deal was put together:

“We have a 22-year relationship, but he is like another son to me. There was just no questions asked. It was to come and do something with Bryan, but they didn’t even tell me what. ‘Course I will, yeah.’ A few days later, I was having conversations with AEW and then two weeks later I was at the pay-per-view,”

Regal was released from his WWE contract in January this year. He made his surprise AEW debut during the Revolution PPV in March. He broke up a fight between Danielson and Jon Moxley and later formed a team with them.

AEW performer William Regal has said he thought it was “great” for WWE to relaunch NXT into NXT 2.0.

WWE revamped the brand last September with a new aesthetic and roster, which saw many Superstars released in the process.

The company’s mentality was for NXT 2.0 to be a developmental ground for the main-roster, like how NXT had initially been before becoming a third brand.

Joining Renee Paquette on the latest episode of The Sessions to talk about his WWE career, Regal said he was on board with the relaunch.

“When I heard last summer that we wanted to revamp, I was like, ‘Great!’ When I actually heard what Mr. McMahon wanted, I was all for that… I don’t know if anybody knew that I was open to the fact that I wanted to be a big part of that because I was. I was very hands-on with The Creed Brothers and very hands-on with Bron Breakker. I had an incredible run on the main roster and the absolute greatest run possible in NXT. If nothing else, the time came when it was time to go now so it didn’t become something I didn’t like and move on. That’s the way I look at it.”

“When I actually heard what Mr. McMahon wanted, I was all for that.”

William Regal, on Vince McMahon’s decision to relaunch NXT as NXT 2.0.

Regal was cut from WWE earlier this year after over 20 years with the promotion.

The former Intercontinental Champion has said he checked out of wrestling after his release, but has made it clear he will not bash WWE.

Regal now appears regularly for AEW as part of the Blackpool Combat Club.

• William Regal Recalls Being Given Just 24 Hours to Live (March 2022)

Thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.

AEW’s William Regal encouraged WWE to fire him if Sasha Banks didn’t work out, in order to get “The Boss” a shot with the company.

Prior to his release earlier this year, Regal worked as the on-screen General Manager of NXT and as a talent scout, locating some of WWE’s brightest stars.

Speaking to Renee Paquette on The Sessions, Regal recalled his ultimatum to WWE during a discussion about former Superstar Cesaro.

“I put my job on the line once for Sasha Banks, she was someone who I went with because I knew her – my first thing on the job was hire this lady. I said If she doesn’t work out then you can fire me.”

William Regal.

Banks was invited to a WWE tryout in June 2012 and signed a contract in August that same year.

She has since gone on to have one of the most decorated careers of any woman, becoming a five-time Raw Women’s Champion, three-time WWE Women’s Tag Champion, and has had reigns as SmackDown and NXT Women’s Champion.

Is Sasha Banks leaving WWE?

William Regal may have been released from WWE this year, but Sasha Banks may not be far behind.

On this week’s Raw, Banks walked out of the show due to creative differences with Vince McMahon, and her tag-team partner Naomi walked out in solidarity.

In a statement, WWE apologized that they could not deliver the advertised main event, a six-pack challenge that would have included Banks and Naomi.

There’s been speculation that the company is ready to cut ties after this week’s incident.

However, given Banks’ celebrity status, both from WWE and for her role as Koska Reeves in ‘The Mandalorian,’ it’s unlikely WWE will release her and risk someone of significant star power joining AEW.

• Sasha Banks Unfollows WWE, Vince McMahon, and Others on Twitter (May 2022)

Thanks to Wrestling News for the transcription.

William Regal helped many of the current generation wrestling stars get an opportunity with WWE. One such talent who finally got on the company’s radar with help from Regal after 10 years in the independent circuit is Johnny Gargano.

The former NXT champion is currently a free agent after leaving WWE a few months ago. He looks back on his WWE run with good memories and is grateful for the chance to work under William Regal.

‘Johnny Wrestling’ was in Dallas for a WrestleCon appearance over the WrestleMania weekend. Chris Van Vliet interviewed him during his trip. The two talked about things such as Gargano’s legacy in wrestling and more. Discussing how he got into WWE, Johnny mentioned that William Regal gave the chance to a lot of undersized guys like himself:

“2015-2016 I think is when I fully got on the radar. That was thanks to a guy named William Regal obviously. William Regal was a great proponent of independent wrestlers and guys like me who are undersized.” said Gargano.

“Who wasn’t given an opportunity during that time period.  It’s so crazy to be in that window, where from 2016 to 2021 where I left. I felt I had a hell of a run. I maximized my time there for sure. Especially in NXT, the matches and opportunities I was given to be able to go out there and main event Takeovers in front of 15,000 seat arenas.

Today being able to do that meet and greet and signing stuff. It’s very reassuring to have people come up to me and share their stories of how I’ve affected their life. because it is wild to think that when I was younger, the boyhood dream, Shawn Michaels is what made me want to be a wrestler. For some kids out there, me winning the NXT title at Takeover: New York is gonna be what made them wanna be a wrestler. So it’s cool to have that kind of legacy in itself.”

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If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

William Regal didn’t have time to mentally prepare for his presence in AEW.

Regal had been loyal to WWE for many years and once his in-ring career began to wind down, he play a crucial role behind the scenes. He was known as Triple H’s right-hand man on the NXT brand. Once WWE decided to change the direction of NXT, Regal was released.

William Regal Was Mentally Out Of Wrestling

During an appearance on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, William Regal admitted he is still adjusting to getting back in the groove since he had checked out of wrestling entirely.

“In that two months that I was off, when I say I checked out of wrestling, I checked out of wrestling. My wrestling brain hasn’t caught up yet. I still don’t — I felt comfortable last week. I don’t feel like my wrestling brain’s in full working order yet where I could just go, ‘okay boom, boom, boom.’

“It’s not my job either but that’s — the first few weeks was go out and do my bit and then just watch. I’m still sort of here, well I started off about here because I really, really checked out.

“The first night was just a blur, an incredible experience but as much as what was going on I was still — I just did my thing and got out. Whatever else is going on in my brain I still haven’t caught up.”

Regal made his AEW debut at the Revolution PPV back in March. He now manages the team of Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson. They are known as the Blackpool Combat Club.

Please H/T SEScoops if you use any of the quotes in this article.

William Regal has reacted to Triple H officially cementing the end of his wrestling career at night two of WrestleMania 38.

The wrestling veteran took on his Twitter to comment on The Game’s gesture of leaving his boots in the ring at the grandest stage of them all.

Regal noted how he and Triple H worked together for 28 years. They went through many ups and downs and helped many people get the opportunity they deserved:

“For 28 years we did our bit together, through up’s and down and some bad but mostly good decisions, to be Pro’s and make the job right. Lots of people got opportunities and made memories for themselves. Job done pal.x”

William Regal And Triple H

William Regal got his first major opportunity in wrestling when he joined WCW in early 1993. Triple H followed in his footsteps when he signed a contract with the promotion a year later.

The two went on to become big stars and have lengthy on-screen careers for WWE, before transitioning to a more behind the scene role in the company.

Regal became a talent scout for WWE. He was an integral part of Triple H’s team in NXT before being released by the promotion in January this year.

• Triple H Appears At NXT Stand & Deliver, Gives Tommaso Ciampa Proper Sendoff

Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson have history with one another, even before they were part of All Elite Wrestling. They competed with each other in the WWE and even before then.

With this shared history between them, Bryan Danielson wanted to team up Jon Moxley, so that they could mentor the young talents of AEW and shape them under their wing. Moxley was reluctant, saying that he and Danielson will have to bleed together before they can be partners. The both did just that at AEW Revolution, which Moxley came out winning. They both kept brawling even after the match until William Regal arrived and convinced them to be partners.

On this week’s Dynamite, Danielson and Moxley arrived as a tag team with Regal managing them. They dominated Varsity Blonds who they had a match against, and after the match, Moxley told Regal that he only cares about Lord William Regal’s opinion. According to him, getting Regal’s approval is a badge of honor that he will wear with pride. He made it clear to the locker room that they are “the three most sadistic bastards in the business” and they will go through anyone who gets in their way.

Moxley then revealed the name of their group, the Blackpool Combat Club.

“Blackpool” in the group’s name is a reference to where William Regal is billed from — the town of Blackpool in Lancashire, England.

William Regal made his debut at Revolution, and he has had a long history with Bryan Danielson. The two shared the ring for the final time on a WWE Superstars episode in November 2011. Regal recalled his emotional last match with Danielson in an interview, saying:

“I tore me meniscus in my right leg. The next night I’m on with Bryan. They were going ‘no you can’t wrestle, you can’t wrestle.’ I said ‘no I want to put him over because he is the person who has stuck around me and listened to all my nonsense for the last [so many years] and comment and called me and sent me stuff. And I’ve sent him to places and put good words in for him and whatever else. If there is one person I wanna to have my last match with its him.’ So if you watch that match, you will see me walk down to the ring and then they actually played a rib on me. [They] played my old Man’s man music halfway down the ramp. I’m glad because they had to help me in the building that day. I couldn’t walk. I don’t like giving away this you know, that old fashioned things. But If you watch that match it’s 17 minutes of him carrying me because I can’t walk. He did a masterful job. He actually even wrestled and did stuff on my leg without bending it.”

William Regal had a lot to share with Chris Jericho during his recent appearance on the Talk Is Jericho podcast.

Last week, we covered Regal’s revelation that doctors gave him 24 hours to live at one point, as well as him being partially blind in his left eye.

The former NXT General Manager also spoke in-depth about his time in WWE’s developmental brand. In addition to being NXT’s on-screen authority figure, Regal reveals he also had a lot to do with developing the NXT brand to be the success it once was.

“NXT had started, I was the first person, as far as I know, that [Triple H] pulled in and said, ‘What’s your vision for this?'” he recalls. “We did what we did and it was a great thing for a lot of people. It was a great success, and I have no ill will at all for anyone. I am really happy. Because it needed some kind of change because things had changed. This place had come along and different things, so it needed [change].”

Scouting Talent for WWE & NXT

William Regal worked closely with former WWE executive Canyon Ceman to make NXT a legitimate third brand for the company. He says he had the eye for scouting and developing talent, while Ceman managed the logistics like contracts.

“Canyon Ceman, who I worked for and with, is a hell of a fella, a wonderful fella, said Regal. “When he came onboard, Triple H said, ‘Can you just look after him?’ I said, ‘Right.’ And I said, ‘Let’s start off on the right foot, let me take care of the wrestling and you take care of everything else. You take care of the athletes and the contracts and that. I don’t need to know anything else.”

Regal and Ceman worked together to scout talent and hold WWE tryouts across the world. He added, “I was looking at everybody, everywhere. That’s what I did. I studied everybody from everywhere, paid attention to everything. I would just turn up at whatever country, do this tryout.”

Listen to William Regal on Talk Is Jericho:

William Regal has had one hardcore wrestling career. It’s reflected on the various injuries the wrestling veteran had to deal with and is still dealing with to this day.

The former NXT General Manager opened up about his various health issues on Talk Is Jericho. This included the one time when he was told he had only 24 hours left to live.

Regal also revealed another issue that he is still dealing with to this day. He recalled how he fell down an escalator during a tour to Costa Rica and shattered his eye socket:

“I was in hospital for a week in Costa Rica. And I shattered my eye socket, had three weeks of amnesia, and lost 40% vision in my left eye, which I still haven’t got. Everything is grey, I can see, but it’s all grey.

Head injury, finally they got me back home,” said William Regal, “and I was doing some pretty mental things, unfortunately, my wife had to go through.”

The wrestling legend mentioned how he was lucky that Ryan Katz found him and got help. He doesn’t remember the immediate aftermath of the injury because of amnesia.

Apart from this, Regal discussed his relationship with Bryan Danielson. He detailed his emotional last match with Danielson. You can check out his comments here.

Thanks to WrestlingInc for the transcribed quotes