WWE Chairman Vince McMahon reportedly continues to make changes to WWE creative plans remotely.

McMahon has been making regular changes to WWE shows remotely since having a presence WrestleMania 39, but he has not become a regular fixture backstage. Now an update from Fightful Select notes that there were several on the roster who were upset with what they saw after Vince forced his way back in and then appeared all during WrestleMania 39 Weekend, making changes.

It was noted that the roster was assured repeatedly how WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H is still in his role, but they have been subject to late changes whenever Vince sees fit to do so remotely. It was reiterated that when McMahon is there in person, which he hasn’t been since WrestleMania Week, that the changes were a lot heavier and had less reason to them. While some say Vince calls in changes remotely, and does it with heavy alterations, other talents have noted that they’ve had more flexibility in their recent promos, more than when Vince was present.

WWE morale was particularly high after the European tour, which many talents said was the most fun they’ve ever been on. It was noted that things have improved significantly since McMahon was around, but people are still “on guard” at the possibility of Vince just charging back in and holding a backstage role. However, there’s also a belief among some that McMahon realized the chaos that just being backstage caused, so he has opted to work remotely since then.

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

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The post Backstage Talk on WWE Promo Freedom, Vince McMahon Making Creative Changes Remotely appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler are your new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Tonight’s WWE RAW saw Rousey and Baszler capture the vacant WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles by winning a Fatal 4 Way over Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez, Bayley and IYO SKY, Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville. Rousey forced Shotzi to submit for the win.

This is the first title reign for Rousey and Baszler together. The titles were relinquished earlier this month by Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez due to Liv’s injury.

Below are several shots from tonight’s title match at the MVP Arena in Albany, NY:

Let's crown new Women's Tag Team Champions! #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/0FWa3HmZkG

— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) May 30, 2023

The human torpedo @ShotziWWE #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/gWIpzs8J0l

— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) May 30, 2023

Who will become the NEW Women's Tag Team Champions in this Fatal 4-Way on #WWERaw? pic.twitter.com/tvU5Hw5Elw

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2023

Baddest CHAMPS on the planet!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/2KiQyojQtM

— WWE (@WWE) May 30, 2023

#AndNew the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions! @RondaRousey @QoSBaszler#WWERAW pic.twitter.com/ihGbF77DQy

— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) May 30, 2023

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

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The post New Champions Crowned on Tonight’s WWE RAW Episode appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

NJPW star El Desperado will be competing in a prestigious deathmatch tournament for GCW.

The former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion will join 11 other competitors in the Tournament of Survival, which takes place this weekend. Also wrestling will be Rina Yamashita, Tomoya Hirata, Toru Sugiura, Joey Janela, Sawyer Wreck, Kasey Kirk, John Wayne Murdoch, Ciclope, Matt Tremont, Miedo Extremo, and Green Phantom.

*ToS UPDATE*

Entrant #12:
El Desperado

Also Announced:
1. Yamashita
2. Hirata
3. Sugiura
4. Janela
5. Sawyer Wreck
6. Kasey Kirk
7. JWM
8. Ciclope
9. Tremont
10. Miedo Extremo
11. Green Phantom

Get Tix:https://t.co/F5zoCPa4kq

Watch LIVE on @FiteTV+!
Sat 6/3 – 5PM#GCWToS8 pic.twitter.com/Tqoyy2R4y3

— GameChangerWrestling (@GCWrestling_) May 29, 2023

The tournament of survival takes place this Saturday at The Showboat in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The post Top NJPW Star Announced For GCW Tournament Of Survival appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Kris Statlander is ready to face Jade Cargill again and prove that her victory at AEW Double or Nothing was not a fluke.

In case you missed it, Statlander returned at last night’s Double or Nothing event in Las Vegas and defeated Cargill to become the new TBS Champion. Cargill, who was undefeated in singles-action up until that point, had beaten Taya Valkyrie moments prior. At the post-show media scrum Statlander was asked about potentially giving Cargill a rematch, an idea that she was open to whether it happens immediately or somewhere down the line.

I would be fine with either. Although it was her second match, she put the challenge out and I was the one ready to answer it and overcame it. If she wants the rematch right away, I’m back, better than ever, and ready to go. If she wants to take some time off and regroup, also acceptable. I am all for anybody and everybody coming up and getting a shot at the title whenever they’re ready.

A report has since surfaced stating that Cargill might be taking some time off after her Double or Nothing loss. You can read about that here.

(H/T and transcribed by Wrestling Inc.)

The post Kris Statlander Willing To Give Jade Cargill A Rematch After Scoring Shocking Victory At AEW Double Or Nothing appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Roman Reigns has been at the top of the wrestling industry for some time, but Kurt Angle believes that even bigger things are in store for the Tribal Chief.

The WWE Hall of Famer spoke about the current reigning Undisputed Universal Champion during the latest edition of his Kurt Angle Show podcast. The Olympic Gold Medal winner predicts that Reigns will be going on to Hollywood in the next five years to become a bigger star than he is right now.

Roman Reigns is not going to be in the company in the next five years. That kid is going to be a huge movie star. It’s going to happen. It is. There’s no doubt. He’s got an incredible look, he’s talented, he’s smart. The kid’s going to be a movie star.

If Reigns does go into acting he will already have a major credit on his resume. The champ previously appeared in the 2019 blockbuster Hobbs & Shaw, which starred The Rock and Jason Statham. The Tribal Chief is clearly a fan of film as he parodied the famous gangster epic Goodfellas for this year’s WrestleMania 39 promo videos.

(H/T and transcribed by Wrestling Inc.)

The post Kurt Angle Says Roman Reigns Will Not Be In WWE In The Next Five Years: “The Kid’s Going To Be A Movie Star” appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Jade Cargill discusses her elaborate entrance from last night’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view.

The women’s division star was introduced to the ring by rapper Big Boss Vette, who sang her hit song “Pretty Girls Walk” as Cargill entered for her TBS title defense against Taya Valkyrie. There was also a dance that Cargill did with several women from the AKA, a sorority that is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. If you missed it, you can see the entrance below.

Undefeated TBS Champion @Jade_Cargill is ready to defend the title for the 60th time!

Order #AEWDoN LIVE on PPV right now!
: https://t.co/fVjgrTiTeE
: https://t.co/RLL4ZBJoGf pic.twitter.com/bvrCiH4anp

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 29, 2023

Cargill has since taken to Twitter to explain why she decided to have the elaborate entrance. She writes, “My colors and entrance was paid homage to my sorority. I am a PROUD member of AKA. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. Very personal but I wanted to bring Greek life to the wrestling world. It was amazing to stroll with my line sisters, my prophyte, neo and soror. What an honor. (I know a lot of that will go over your heads) lol.”

My colors and entrance was paid homage to my sorority. I am a PROUD member of AKA. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. very personal but I wanted to bring Greek life to the wrestling world.

— Jade Cargill (@Jade_Cargill) May 29, 2023

It was amazing to stroll with my line sisters, my prophyte, neo and soror. What an honor . (I know a lot of that will go over your heads) lol

— Jade Cargill (@Jade_Cargill) May 29, 2023

Cargill managed to defeat Taya Valkyrie to record her 60th straight victory. Unfortunately for her, she accepted an impromptu matchup with a returning Kris Statlander immediately after and lost the TBS Championship.

The post Jade Cargill Explains Her Elaborate Entrance At AEW Double Or Nothing appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Gangrel gives his thoughts on AEW superstar, Orange Cassidy.

The former leader of the Brood spoke about the current reigning International Champion during a recent interview on the In The Weeds program, where he recalled wrestling the King Of Sloth Style at a GCW event back in 2019. Gangrel recalled a lot of the older guys on the card being unhappy with Cassidy’s style because they thought it was making a mockery of the business but he states that knew that Cassidy was a strong worker.

Some of the older guys, I’m not going to mention any names, they were shitting on him. ‘He’s taking a piss on wrestling.’ They started telling me this, I don’t think they stopped to think about the characters I’ve done. I was the Blackheart, the bastard son of Stu Hart with the black mask, and I wrestled as a vampire. I’m sure those guys, when I was coming in, they were like, ‘what is this kid doing?’ Same thing they are saying about Orange Cassidy, they’re saying about me wrestling with fangs. I started watching the show, it might have been G-Raver, fell from the ceiling and about ripped his arm off, is bleeding all over the place. Blood everywhere, glass. I come back, and I could tell Orange Cassidy was really nervous to kind of explain his character to me, but I knew it already. I have been on shows with him before he was doing the Orange Cassidy thing, so I knew he was a hell of a worker.

Regarding their match, Gangrel says Cassidy was nervous at first because he wasn’t sure of what they should do but the WWE legend insisted that they work a match in his comedy style.

He was nervous and was like, ‘What do you want to do?’ ‘I want to do exactly the stuff you do because there is nothing else we can do after everything that has happened out there. Blood, guts, dives, they’ve seen everything but comedy.’ That was the only approach to go that made sense. I’m not against trying new things. Turned out, it worked. It was for that crowd and it worked for that set. He’s a great cat. I talked to him, and my biggest concern when I was talking to him after the match as he’s going to AEW, how long could he do that character or make that type of character work, how much longevity is there in being the slob where you’re wearing backpacks and kicking people, how long did he think he could do that before it gets old? He’s doing it a lot longer than I thought he could. He said he was going to hopefully transition out of it, but I don’t think he’s had to. He’s still getting over and people are buying it. I’m happy for him.

In a separate interview, Gangrel revealed that he still has a good relationship with Edge and Christian. You can read about that here.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Gangrel Is A Big Fan Of Orange Cassidy, Recalls Working With Cassidy In 2019 appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

MJF talks AEW Double or Nothing.

The Salt of the Earth defeated Sammy Guevara, Darby Allin, and Jungle Boy Jack Perry in a 4-Way matchup at last night’s event to retain the AEW world title, his third successful defense of the belt since winning it from Jon Moxley at Full Gear 2022. MJF was one of the many talents who participated in the post-Double or Nothing media scrum and was asked his thoughts about the Anarchy In The Arena matchup between The Elite and The Blackpool Combat Club headlining over the world title. He says that it’s not a big deal since there’s been plenty of times the world title did not headline an event in AEW, nor has it headlined all the time in WWE.

No, why the fuck would I want to roll around in Jon Moxley’s blood? I’m fucking good. No thanks. Also, realistically, whether it’s this company or WWE, the World Title, ‘having to go on last,’ kind of is dead in wrestling. How many times has the World Title not gone on last in this company?

MJF later reiterates his point about not wanting to wrestle in a blood-soaked ring, then calls out Wheeler Yuta for bleeding all over the place.

I’d rather not run around in all that mid-blood. It’s fucking disgusting. Wheeler Yuta was in that match, you think I want roll around in Wheeler Yuta blood?

Tony Khan later pointed out that Yuta did not actually bleed, which prompted MJF to give the following response.

Did he not bleed? Wow. Congrats.

The champ also revealed during the scrum that he legitimately injured his forearm on a spot he had with Darby Allin. You can check out a full recap of his portion of the scrum here.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post MJF Says It Doesn’t Really Bother Him That The AEW World Title Match Didn’t Headline Double Or Nothing appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

– The post-Night of Champions edition of WWE RAW opens up with a video of highlights from Saturday’s big event.

– We’re now live from the MVP Arena as new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins comes through the crowd to a big pop. Kevin Patrick welcomes us to RAW and he’s joined by Corey Graves. Rollins struts in the streamers on his way to the ring.

———————————–

* WWE Night of Champions fallout

* New WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins will appear for a Championship Celebration

* Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Bayley and IYO SKY vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville for the vacant WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles

* The first WWE Money In the Bank qualifiers will be held with Bronson Reed vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and The Miz vs. Ricochet

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more on tonight’s RAW and be sure to join us for live coverage at 8pm ET.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post WWE Monday Night RAW Results 5/29/2023 appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Jake Roberts weighs in on Cody Rhodes losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

The WWE Hall of Famer was asked to give his opinion on the American Nightmare’s loss to the Tribal Chief during a recent interview on the Wrestling Perspective podcast, where he claimed that he knew Cody would lose because of how Vince McMahon thinks. He adds that Cody winning the title is the eventual destination.

Well, knowing Vince McMahon, I could have told you that’s what would happen. Because everybody just knew Cody [Rhodes] was going to take it [get the victory], and if everybody’s calling for it Vince is going to do quite the opposite, you know? He doesn’t want anyone calling his shit. So, as far as business-wise, it did disappoint a lot of people. I don’t think it hurt Cody. But, I mean, my god, they threw everything but the kitchen sink at him. But, at some point soon, they would give the title to him.

Later in the interview, Roberts spoke about his AEW debut back in 2020 and getting to cut a promo on Cody Rhodes, which would eventually lead to the debut of Lance Archer.

[What] AEW gave me is that when I came back, they let me go out to the ring and do that thing with [promo] Cody. It meant so much to me to go out and feel the ropes again, feel the mat, smell it. It’s just an amazing feeling that I had, and I really appreciate that.

Cody suffered another big loss this past weekend at Night of Champions to Brock Lesnar. Check out Roberts’ full interview below.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Jake Roberts Knew Cody Rhodes Was Losing At WrestleMania 39 Because He Knows How Vince McMahon Thinks appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Nick Aldis opens up about his departure from the NWA.

The National Treasure spoke about this topic with METRO, where he discusses his current work with IMPACT and how he ended up back at his old company. He also mentions potential interest in WWE.

It is (IMPACT is a great fit for me), but as far as WWE, timing is everything. I don’t wanna speak to it too much, but timing was a big factor. I think everyone knows that there’s a lot going on there. Who knows?

The conversation then shifted from WWE to Adlis leaving the NWA. The former two-time world champion expressed how heartbreaking it was for his work with the NWA to get undone due to some fallout with Billy Corgan.

I don’t wanna speak too much about my conversations with (WWE). And I certainly don’t want to imply or suggest that I had a choice of anywhere to go. That would be disingenuous or dishonest. It’s more about, what’s the best option right now? I did need a little bit of a mental break – because I did put a lot of pressure on myself. I’ll be honest, it was kinda heartbreaking to see a lot of my work get undone at the NWA. I needed a bit of time to just process it and go, hey, what they decide to do now that you’re gone is none of your concern. Your body of work will live on through your fans and that’s it. You build this brand for yourself. (Mickie James) was good at restoring that confidence in me as well.

Aldis defeated Kenny King at the recent IMPACT Under Siege event.

The post Nick Aldis Says It Was Heartbreaking To See His Work Get Undone In The NWA appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

We noted before how Women’s Money In the Bank Ladder Match qualifiers likely would not begin until next week’s WWE RAW. It was later said by proven insider Better Wrestling Experience that early draft plans call for Becky Lynch vs. Chelsea Green, Zoey Stark vs. Candice LeRae, and Natalya vs. Sonya Deville for next week.

It was previously said that early draft plans for tonight’s men’s MITB Qualifiers called for Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bronson Reed and The Miz vs. Ricochet with Nakamura and Ricochet advancing. WWE has not officially announced the matches as of this writing.

The future of Damage CTRL is up in the air as WWE had plans at some recent point for Dakota Kai to reunite with Tegan Nox but an injury changed plans. WWE has also had plans for a singles run for IYO SKY, but it remains to be seen what was in store for Bayley.

It was also reported by BWE that some sort of title swap is in the works for RAW Women’s Champion Asuka and SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, similar to what Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch did in 2021. There’s a storyline planned to build to the swap.

It was noted that tonight’s RAW opener and main event will be huge, with new WWE Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, The Judgment Day and a certain special superstar. A “what’s next” segment is planned for Cody Rhodes as a follow-up to Brock Lesnar at WWE Night of Champions. As noted, it was previously said that there would be a big main event tonight to kick off a new era of RAW, and that Rollins will find himself in an “uncanny alliance when he takes on the leaders of RAW.” It was also said that there will be a big tease planned for Rollins’ first challenger on tonight’s RAW, in a segment that will feature streamers and pyro.

You can click here for more recent spoilers on creative plans into SummerSlam.

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more on tonight’s RAW and be sure to join us for live coverage at 8pm ET.u

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post Backstage Updates on Damage CTRL and Tonight’s RAW, WWE Money In the Bank Qualifiers, More appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Kenny Omega has major praise for Kurt Angle.

The Cleaner showed his respect to the Olympic Gold Medal winner on Twitter after an account asked fans who would win in a matchup between the two superstars when they were at their peak. Omega shares that anytime he needs to learn something about pro wrestling he studies tape of Kurt Angle rather than watching himself because he believes that Angle was the best for a reason.

“I don’t study myself when I want to learn, I study Kurt. He’s the best for a reason. I take the L – but it’d be a heck of match.”

Angle has yet to respond to Omega’s praise but he did respond to the original post asking who would win between the two. The WWE Hall of Famer writes, “That’s a tough one!!!!”However, Angle has been very complimentary of Omega in the past.

Check out the tweets below.

I don’t study myself when I want to learn, I study Kurt. He’s the best for a reason. I take the L – but it’d be a heck of match https://t.co/jkHoGujPgH

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) May 29, 2023

That’s a tough one!!!! https://t.co/yLfRJxmJwn

— Kurt Angle (@RealKurtAngle) May 27, 2023

The post Kenny Omega Says When He Wants To Learn He Studies Kurt Angle: “He’s The Best For A Reason” appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

AEW President Tony Khan spoke with the pro wrestling press during last night’s post-Double Or Nothing media scrum, where Khan answered a ton of questions surrounding the industry, which included some about this year’s Owen Hart Memorial.

While talking about the tournament Khan revealed that he hopes to bring in Japanese legend Jushin Thunder Liger to be involved in some way due to Liger’s history with Owen Hart as an opponent.

I’m not sure about this, I’ve had some nice talks, I’m hopeful and I spoke to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, I think it would be great and they think it would great. One of Owen Hart’s great opponents, a rival, they’ve competed, both former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions, wouldn’t it be amazing if we could get Jushin Thunder Liger over to Canada.

Khan admits that he is being optimistic thinking that he can get Liger for the Owen Hart Memorial, but does believe that with the tournament taking place around the same time as Forbidden Door 2 that AEW’s relationship with NJPW can make it happen.

He’s competed against Owen Hart and competed in Canada and competed in Stampede Wrestling. That would be something really neat. To coincide with AEW in Canada and Forbidden Door door and our partnership with New Japan, and most importantly the Owen Hart Cup tournament, I think it would be great if Jushin Thunder Liger can come over. I’m optimistic that he’ll be able to.

Liger retired from in-ring competition back in 2020 after a prestigious career that included 11 reigns as the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion.

(H/T and transcribed by Fightful)

The post Tony Khan Wants To Bring In Jushin Thunder Liger For Owen Hart Memorial Tournament appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

(Writer’s Note: This column is being put together before AEW’s Double Or Nothing pay-per-view takes place. I am going ahead with the assumption that MJF will successfully defend the AEW World Title against Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara, and “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry. That seems like a pretty safe bet as of the moment I type this… 1:48am, local time, on Thursday, May 25th. If, for some reason, one of the challengers wins the title at Double Or Nothing, not much of what I say in this column will be different. My points will basically be the same, so just subtract MJF’s name and insert the name of the man who defeats him. I’m keeping this in the column, no matter what happens at Double Or Nothing.)

The build for AEW’s “Four Pillars” match at Double Or Nothing has been, in a word, terrible. It all started in an overly convoluted way, deciding to forego the easy “Point A to Point B” plan, instead opting for the “Point A to Point Q, then backtracking to Point H, back to Point A, and then finally getting to Point B” one. Then, there’s the promo aspect of things. Of course, to build a pay-per-view World Title match, there’s going to be a ton of talking involved. Promos, more promos, backstage segments, more promos, and so on. I have no issues with that idea in theory. In the execution of said idea, that’s where things completely fall apart. MJF is almost universally regarded as one of the best “talkers” in all of professional wrestling. Darby, Sammy, and Jungle Boy… are not.

AEW crowds continue to pop for Jack Perry, but he comes across as very unlikeable in his promos. The charisma that he shows during his matches is solid, and has helped him to reach this level at this stage in his career. None of that comes across in his promos, and he has been very honest in admitting to that several times in podcast appearances, saying that promos aren’t his favorite thing to do, and that his opinion of them is that they’re simply something that has to be done in wrestling these days.

Sammy, despite being one of the more naturally hated people on the AEW roster, and… you know… actually being a heel, is inexplicably being positioned as a face. He’s cutting face-like promos and working with the other faces as they try to topple the heel champion before them. All the while, he continues to be a heel in the Jericho Appreciation Society.

Darby is easily the best promo guy of the challengers in the match, but even with that said, he’s at his best when he’s the silent, broody punk that does all of his talking in the ring and won’t back down from anybody, anywhere, at any time.

AEW continues giving Sammy, Darby, and Jungle Boy time to talk every single week, and when they do, the gap is widened between them and MJF, who, frankly, doesn’t have to say much of anything to “win” this part of the feud. I have zero doubt that the match itself is going to end up being really entertaining. It’s just a shame that the build for the match has consisted of four men having a race where one is running unimpeded while the other three are running with their shoelaces tied together.

When Double Or Nothing is over, I want to see something different. How different? What about taking things in the polar opposite direction? Before I fully discuss this, I want it to be known that I’m only half-serious with all of what I’m about to mention. Would I like to see it? I wouldn’t complain, but I’m not going to scream about it from the tops of the highest mountains. Do I think it’s going to happen? Not at all.

Are we on the same page? Okay then. Here goes…

MJF is currently feuding with three men, none of whom are over the age of 30, and who are all viewed by many as the future of the business. When things blow over, what if MJF moved on to feud with some of the older talents in AEW? What about Billy Gunn, who turns 60 this November? Dustin Rhodes, who turned 54 in April? Sting, who turned 64 in March? Jeff Jarrett, who turns 56 in July? Chris Jericho, who turns 53 in November? Jeff Hardy, who turns 46 in August? Samoa Joe, who turned 44 in March? Christopher Daniels, who turned 53 in March? I’m not saying all of them should be feuding for the World Title, nor am I saying I necessarily want to see all of them feud for the World Title. I’m merely throwing out names of some of the oldest members of the AEW roster.

I know what you’re thinking right now, but just hear (read) me out for a moment.

AEW’s pay-per-view schedule makes things very different than with WWE. With WWE having monthly events, you can have certain shows where the World Title is either not defended at all, or defended against a “lesser” opponent. AEW’s quarterly pay-per-views won’t necessarily allow for that to happen, but in scenarios like this, that makes things easier. For example, would you prefer seeing MJF defend the AEW World Title against Dustin Rhodes in the main event of Dynamite or in the main event of All In(nit)? I wouldn’t even be typing these words if we were talking about Dustin, Billy Gunn, and so on in a pay-per-view main event at the moment.

My thought process here is a simple one (hey, shut up)… the current challengers for AEW’s top title aren’t “ready” for that spotlight, and the way that spotlight was given to them didn’t help things whatsoever. I would like to see some challengers that are more “ready” for it, even if it isn’t for a major pay-per-view main event spot. That’s why my mind immediately went to the veterans. As an added bonus, it also temporarily solves an issue that a lot of people have with AEW, where the same batch of people are involved in the title picture over and over again. Whether it’s the “right” opinion or not, and whether you feel this way or not, there are a lot of people tired of the same people at the top. A lot of that has to do with the fact that CM Punk’s multitude of issues last year meant that from Double Or Nothing 2022 to Full Gear six months later, the string of AEW World Champions was CM Punk, Jon Moxley (interim), Jon Moxley (undisputed), CM Punk, Jon Moxley, and then finally to MJF. I know that some of you are thinking it right now, so let me squash something right now… we’re not talking about WWE and Roman Reigns’ lock on the top of their title picture right now. I’m not praising or knocking AEW’s decisions last year. All I’m doing is pointing out the facts.

I’ve mentioned this on multiple occasions in the past, but Dustin Rhodes is one of the most underutilized wrestlers on the AEW roster. He doesn’t wrestle regularly, nor should he at this stage, but he continues to deliver great work when his name is called on. He has wrestled four times on AEW television (all on Rampage) thus far in 2023, after having seven televised matches in 2022, six in 2021, 18 in 2020, and four in 2019. Matches against Claudio Castagnoli, CM Punk, Lance Archer, Sammy Guevara, Bryan Danielson, Malakai Black, and others have showed he can still “go” in the ring. Yes, he’s 54 years old, but he recently celebrated 15 years of sobriety from drugs and alcohol, and he is in better physical condition than he has been in a long, long time. As the blood of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, we already know he can handle the promo side of a feud. He excels at tapping in and finding the emotional side of a feud, and that shouldn’t be an issue here when you consider MJF’s relationship with Cody Rhodes.

Putting MJF and Dustin together for a mini-feud wouldn’t be difficult. We’re talking about a company that just decided to bring motherfucking Sabu out of the mothballs to align with Adam Cole for no reason at all, so I’m sure the people involved in creative decisions could come up with something. It wouldn’t take much. The aforementioned Cody story would be the easiest, but again, it really wouldn’t take much. MJF is cutting a backstage promo and name drops the “American Roller Code-ster” again, only for Dustin to show up and get in his face about “constantly” talking about Cody. Dustin could be talking to someone backstage, only to be interrupted by MJF being… well… MJF. MJF attacks someone, and Dustin makes the save. Whatever you want to do, there’s a lane to do it in.

Sting is an easy option to go with, as well. MJF is already working against Sting’s emo son, Darby Allin, so it’s not difficult to picture the transition here. MJF will probably cut a promo on Dynamite following his Double Or Nothing victory, and it’s pretty much a guarantee that he’s going to verbally decimate his opponents again. As soon as he mentions Darby’s name, Sting’s music can hit, and business will pick up. Promo work was never the strongest part of Sting’s game, but he has always had such a great connection with fans that they’ll eat out of the palm of his hand, no matter what he has to say. With Sting’s in-ring days creeping closer and closer to an end, it would be a big deal to have him going after the biggest championship in AEW. The company loves building “special” episodes of Dynamite and Rampage, and will probably do the same for Collision, and you can do a lot with building around a World Title match between MJF and Sting. A concern I would have here, though, is Sting’s ability to work a singles match. Yes, he has been very entertaining in his matches with AEW, but let’s not forget that none of those matches have been of the singles variety. He has wrestled under the AEW umbrella 14 times, with eight of those being tag team matches and the other six being six-man tag matches. Sting hasn’t had a singles match since WWE’s Night Of Champions event in 2015, where he faced Seth Rollins for Seth’s WWE Title. That was, of course, the match where Sting suffered a neck injury after taking a Buckle Bomb and thought his in-ring career was over. While a match with MJF wouldn’t need to be a 45-minute clinic, you still have to wonder if there’s a reason why he hasn’t worked a singles match in AEW as of now.

Billy Gunn is such a wild story. We’re almost halfway through 2023, and the list of wrestlers who get more consistently loud face pops than the former DX member is a short one. His affiliation with The Acclaimed was done amazing things for his career. Like Sting, he was never known for his mic skills and legendary promo, but one thing he’s going to bring on the microphone is intensity. There is plenty in his past for MJF to use as ammunition in promos, but like Sting, Billy Gunn is going to get live crowds eating out of his hand with everything he says. Those could be some fun back-and-forth promo segments. Unlike Sting, though, Billy Gunn does wrestle as a singles competitor in AEW, albeit not very often. He doesn’t have any singles matches in 2023, but he had two last year. That’s what happens, though, when you’re more of a manager, of sorts, for a tag team. You’re bound to be involved in tag and six-man tag matches in that role, but for a one-off World Title match? He’d be great in that role.

When discussing the elder veterans on the AEW roster, Chris Jericho is a name that is going to come up almost immediately. He remains one of the biggest stars in the company, so that makes sense. I don’t like him for this particular role, though. I’m looking for veterans that MJF can have a match, maybe two, with. As we’ve seen with Jericho’s time in AEW, he has yet to have a feud that didn’t drag on and on and on and on for at least a decade. To make this idea even worse, it’s heel vs heel, with both heels still capable of getting cheers from crowds, which complicates things a lot. You’re going to get, at best, mixed reactions for both men, but, at worst, muted reactions for both as fans won’t know how to react. To make this idea even worse, we’ve seen these two feud with each other already, during the “Five Labors Of Jericho” storyline in 2021 that saw MJF bring in Nick Gage and Juventud Guerrera as hurdles for Jericho to clear. Actually, just thinking about these two feuding again is making me break out in hives.

As I said earlier, I’m only half-serious about wanting to see these things. It doesn’t fit the “theme” of the show, anyway, but I don’t want to see MJF defending the AEW World Title against Billy Gunn at Forbidden Door, against Jeff Jarett at All In(nit), against Christopher Daniels at All Out, and Sting at Full Gear. None of that interests me.

If we’re being honest, a lot of these thoughts are happening because we aren’t getting to see the AEW World Title very often. If MJF successfully defends the title at Double Or Nothing, I will post this column on the 191st day of his reign. Basic math will tell you that 191 days is approximately six-and-a-half months, give or take a few days. Double Or Nothing will mark the third title defense for MJF in those 191 days, and his fifth match overall. For the sake of comparison, Roman Reigns has also defended his titles three times over the last 191 days, and his seventh (one of which was a house show) match overall. Not a big defense, but what is one of the big knocks on Roman Reigns, especially by anti-WWE fans? That he never defends the title, which is artificially inflating his stats as champion. I want to see the same energy across the board. If you’re going to bash WWE and Roman Reigns for that, you’d better be quick to bash AEW and MJF for the same thing.

Or, just give Bryan Danielson the World Title and let him hold it until he doesn’t want it anymore. That works for me.

Folks, what do YOU want to see over the next few months when it comes to the AEW World Title? Who do you want to see get shots at the title? Do you want to see some brand new feuds take place, or do you want to see some rivalries renewed? As always, hit me up in the comments section below, or on Twitter (@HustleTheSavage), and let me know what’s on your mind.

Weekly Power Rankings

MJF vs Sammy Guevara vs Darby Allin vs “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry: It was almost literally a show-saving match, ending a streak of slower paced, plodding matches and cranking the dial to the max (no pun intended). While the build to the match was poor, the match itself delivered, as expected.

Ilja Dragunov vs Dijak: We’ve watched Ilja Dragunov take ungodly amounts of pain and punishment in matches before, so it’s no surprise that his tolerance is quite high. He took another ridiculous beating here, but he sure dished one out, too. A lot of Dijak’s best NXT matches have come against fellow “big man” wrestlers, but this one might top them all. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves, if we’re being honest with each other.

Seth Rollins vs AJ Styles: You knew it was going to be good, but having the brand new World Heavyweight Title on the line really helped take things to another level. They weren’t acting as if they were competing for a “secondary” title whatsoever.

Roman Reigns: It doesn’t matter if you like Roman or not, if you’re a fan of The Bloodline or not, or even if you’re a fan of WWE or not… the fact that he has been a champion for 1,000 (1,002 when this column is posted, to be exact) consecutive days is amazing. In this day and age, that’s something that was previously inconceivable. If he makes it to June 24th without losing, he will pass Pedro Morales for the fifth-longest title reign in company history. January 20th, 2024 will see him pass Bruno Sammartino’s second WWWF Heavyweight Title reign for fourth place. It’s almost guaranteed that he passes Morales’ mark. That Sammartino number is definitely doable, especially with Roman seemingly wrestling less and less overall events. Either way, the fact that he even made it to 1,000 days should be celebrated.

The Elite vs Blackpool Combat Club: Anarchy In The Arena promises just that… anarchy in the arena… and it delivers. There is too much action for the AEW production team to handle. We were promised a bloody, violent battle, and that’s exactly what we got. It definitely wasn’t for everyone, but it was entertaining. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with a newly heel Konosuke Takeshita.

Lyra Valkyria vs Tiffany Stratton: No match this weekend was a bigger surprise than this one. I’ve been a supporter of Tiffany Stratton from the beginning, and this might end up being viewed as the star-making performance I knew she was capable of having.

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa: Another red hot crowd for a match involving these gentlemen. Big surprise there. While the match itself was a lot of fun, it was Jimmy Uso hitting Roman with not one, but two, superkicks that has everyone talking. The Bloodline continues to crumble before our eyes.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Finn Balor: Since returning after a hiatus, Nakamura is being treated and presented like a big deal again. The weird thing is that it hasn’t led to any real consistency with his booking, as his televised record since coming back is now 3-2, and he has alternated wins and losses over his last four matches. It’s better than some of his main roster stretches, though, that’s for sure.

Orange Cassidy vs Kyle Fletcher: Another week, another Orange Cassidy title defense on this list. Another week, another time where I tell you it doesn’t mean anything because it’s still just OC defending the title against random people with almost no backstory at all.

Gunther vs Mustafa Ali: WWE wanted Gunther to continue looking unbeatable, but they also wanted to make sure Mustafa Ali looked strong in front of the heavily Muslim crowd in Saudi Arabia. Mission accomplished on both ends, I would say. Ali got multiple believable near falls, looking great against someone who has defeated all comers over the last year. We’ll have to see if the company capitalizes on the momentum Ali built here.

Kris Statlander: If you’ve been reading my columns, you’ll know I’m not surprised Stat was the one who finally dethroned Jade Cargill. I’ve been saying Stat should have that role, damn near going all the way back to when Jade first won the TBS Championship. I’m still shocked, several hours later, at the fact that she won the match in a minute. Yes, Jade just wrestled a match against Taya Valkyrie moments before, but that match was less than nine minutes long, and wasn’t exactly a bloody war that took everything out of the champion. I just don’t really get the logic of building Jade up that much, only to have her streak end that quickly. In 1998, WCW had Goldberg on a lengthy (although mostly fluffed up) undefeated streak, billing him as 173-0 when the Starrcade pay-per-view rolled around. On that night, Goldberg would be shocked with a cattle prod by Scott Hall and would drop the WCW World Title to Kevin Nash, suffering his first loss, but at least that match took over 11 minutes, and… again… took a cattle prod to take him down. Such a weird booking decision here.

Asuka: She ended the longest Raw Women’s Title reign in the belt’s history. Congratulations to Bianca Belair for the great run she had, but it’s Asuka’s turn to run… Smackdown… as the Raw… Women’s Champion.

Carmelo Hayes vs Bron Breakker: These two were able to deliver another good match, but it wasn’t quite the era-defining match (or feud) that many hoped it would be. They just don’t have the level of in-ring chemistry with each other to make that happen. We’ve seen Melo have better matches against other opponents, and we’ve seen Bron have better matches against other opponents. That’s a weird thing that happens in pro wrestling sometimes.

Toni Storm: It’s a real shame that Jamie Hayter’s awesome reign as the AEW Women’s Champion had to come to an end because she’s injured. If someone had to take the ball and run with it in her absence, though, I’m glad it was Toni Storm. At least that means the matches will continue to be good. Now, if only she could get the fuck away from Saraya and this Outcast bullshit that nobody cares about.

Wes Lee vs Tyler Bate vs Joe Gacy: Nobody has had as many successful NXT North American Title defenses as Wes Lee. It’s only a five-year-old title, sure, but facts are facts nonetheless.

Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle vs Imperium: Owens and Zayn have been associated with, and teaming with, Matt Riddle since Riddle returned to the company. So, logically, he was their “mystery partner” for their promoted match against Imperium. Tune in next week when Montez Ford and a mystery partner face Pretty Deadly, and the mystery partner is shockingly revealed to be Angelo Dawkins.

Gallus vs The Creed Brothers: Gallus are suffering from Shawn Michaels’ bringing half the NXT UK roster to America over the span of two weeks and just assuming everyone in this country had been watching and keeping up with the NXT UK product. There isn’t any reason for NXT fans to truly care about them, even as the NXT Tag Team Champions, because they don’t really know who they are. They continue to have good matches, but that’s where it ends. Something needs to change, and soon.

Nathan Frazer vs Noam Dar: There are a lot of “interchangeable parts” in NXT right now, where you could take any number of them, put them in a match, and the match will be good. These are two of those parts. Singles, tag, backstory, no backstory, title, no title… it doesn’t matter. Put them in a match together, and you’re going to get quality work.

Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix vs Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta: Considering who was involved in the match, it’s almost considered a big disappointment that the match wasn’t higher in the rankings. Some of that had to do with the busy weekend of three pay-per-view events taking place, though, so it’s not like these four are punished because of poor performances.

Ilja Dragunov & Dijak Defining “On Sight”: If they see each other anywhere in the world, they’re going to fight. Backstage, parking lot, graduation party, wedding, charity drive, bass fishing tournament, orgy, airplane lavatory, grocery store… a brawl is a-brewin’ if they see each other.

This Week’s Playlist: “Pelle Coat” by Lil Durk… “All My Life” by Lil Durk & J Cole… “War Bout It” by Lil Durk & 21 Savage… “Home” by Kaipo Kapua & Fiji… “Wake The Dead” by blessthefall… “Smack Me!” by I Revolt… “Let’s Chill” by Guy… “Don’t Walk Away” by Jade… “I Wanna Love You” by Jade… “Every Day Of The Week” by Jade… “Fortunate” by Maxwell… “So Into You” by Tamia… “Before I Let You Go” by Blackstreet… “Anytime” by Brian McKnight… “Ruff Ryders Anthem (Remix)” by DMX, Jadakiss, Styles P, Eve, Drag-On & DJ Clue… “Fantastic 4” by Big Pun, Cam’ron, Canibus, N.O.R.E. & DJ Clue… “Treat U Better” by J-Shin… “Grand Finale” by DMX, Nas, Method Man & Ja Rule… “Midwest Choppers 2” by Tech N9ne, Krayzie Bone & K-Dean… “Nothin” by Tech N9ne, Big Scoob & Messy Marv… “Red Nose” by Tech N9ne… “Wither” by Tech N9ne & Corey Taylor… “So Dope (They Wanna)” by Tech N9ne, Snow Tha Product, Twisted Insane & Wrekonize… “He’s A Mental Giant” by Tech N9ne… “Every Little Step” by Bobby Brown

The post Can’t Knock The Hustle: Maybe AEW Should Go “Out With The New, In With The Old” appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has nothing but praise for The Tribal Chief.

Hogan recently spoke with TMZ Sports and was asked about the dominant title reign of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Hogan commented on how Reigns has stayed away from a certain style of in-ring action.

“He’s kept the art form alive,” Hogan told TMZ Sports. “I mean, he has stepped up and got away from this kind of like… choreographed looking, jumping, and two guys doing the same thing and diving through the hoops.”

The Hulkster continued and said Reigns has taken pro wrestling back to where it should be.

“Roman Reigns took it back to where it should be,” Hogan continued. “Big man, big moves… main event moves. So he really has kept the art form alive for all of us.”

Reigns recently marked 1000 days as champion and will be on Friday’s SmackDown to officially celebrate the milestone.

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post Hulk Hogan Has Major Praise for Roman Reigns and What He’s Done for Pro Wrestling appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Last night’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view featured the House of Black taking on The Acclaimed & Daddy Ass in a six-man tag team matchup for the AEW Trios titles. Prior to the match beginning Max Caster cut a freestyle rap insulting all of the House of Black, which included him jabbing at Buddy Matthews, who in real-life dates WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. Caster’s line involved a joke about Dominik hooking up with Ripley due to their relationship on-screen.

The line and the ensuing match prompted the live crowd in Las Vegas to begin chanting for “Mami” Ripley and Dominik. The Eradicator has since taken to Twitter to comment on that occurrence, where she tagged Dominik and told him that they are over in two companies. Dominik would respond shortly after. You can see their exchange below.

Hey @DomMysterio35, we’re over in two companies

— RheaRipley_WWE (@RheaRipley_WWE) May 29, 2023

https://t.co/17ucRiYNND pic.twitter.com/RdnKiXLat3

— Dominik (@DomMysterio35) May 29, 2023

Despite the chants Matthews and the rest of the House of Black would go on to defeat The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass to remain the AEW Trios Champions at Double or Nothing.

The post Rhea Ripley Says Her and Dominik Are Over In Two Companies After Getting Chants At AEW Double Or Nothing appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Jade Cargill breaks her silence after losing the AEW TBS Championship.

“That Bi**h improved to 60-0 on at last night’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view after defeating Taya Valkyrie, which was also her 26th successful defense of the TBS title after winning it at the beginning of 2022. However, Cargill’s manager Smart Mark Sterling hopped on the microphone and said that the champ would welcome any challenger to face her in an impromptu match, a decision he now probably greatly regrets.

That’s because the challenge was answered by Kris Statlander, who had been out of action for months due to an ACL injury and received a heroes welcome from the Las Vegas crowd. The Friendly Alien managed to defeat Cargill to end her impressive undefeated streak and become the second TBS Champion in history. Now Cargill has taken to Twitter to comment on the loss.

It’s been a wild wild ride. Went for double and got nothing. #DoN

It’s been a wild wild ride. Went for double and got nothing. #DoN

— Jade Cargill (@Jade_Cargill) May 29, 2023

A report surfaced last night revealing that Cargill might be taking some time off after her loss. You can read about that here.

The post Jade Cargill Reacts To TBS Title Loss and Undefeated Streak Ending: “It’s Been A Wild Wild Ride” appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

WWE Superstar Santos Escobar has gifted his parents a new home.

Escobar took to Twitter this week to tweet about buying his mother and father a new house in Florida. He posted photos of his mother and father, lucha star El Fantasma, at the new home.

“Thank you LUCHA LIBRE… one of the most beautiful satisfactions in life… being able to take care of my parents, I GOT MY MOM A HOUSE!!! I’m beyond grateful!! [face holding back tears emoji] again… GRACIAS LUCHA LIBRE,” he wrote.

Thank you LUCHA LIBRE… one of the most beautiful satisfactions in life… being able to take care of my parents, I GOT MY MOM A HOUSE!!! I’m beyond grateful!! again… GRACIAS LUCHA LIBRE. pic.twitter.com/NLCR4g2doX

— SANTOS ESCOBAR (@EscobarWWE) May 28, 2023

Escobar is currently in The LWO, along with Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro and 2023 WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio. The group recently stayed on SmackDown in the WWE Draft.

Below is the full tweet from Escobar:

Thank you LUCHA LIBRE… one of the most beautiful satisfactions in life… being able to take care of my parents, I GOT MY MOM A HOUSE!!! I’m beyond grateful!! again… GRACIAS LUCHA LIBRE. pic.twitter.com/NLCR4g2doX

— SANTOS ESCOBAR (@EscobarWWE) May 28, 2023

Stay tuned to WrestlingHeadlines.com for more.

Follow Marc on Twitter at @this_is_marc. Send any news, tips or corrections to us by clicking here.

The post WWE Superstar Buys New House for His Parents appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.

Great news for AEW stars Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo.

The power couple announced during last night’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view that they are expecting their first child together. In typical Spanish-Sex God fashion Guevara broke the news to the AEW audience via cue cards during his entrance for the AEW world title matchup. Unfortunately, he came up short in his quest as MJF retained the title.

HUGE congrats to @sammyguevara & @taymelo!

Order #AEWDoN LIVE on PPV right now!
: https://t.co/fVjgrTiTeE
: https://t.co/RLL4ZBJoGf pic.twitter.com/3kndN8IIFl

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 29, 2023

“We’re having a baby!”
https://t.co/hJxV1aZcMZ pic.twitter.com/PCh7YdXzMa

— Samuel Guevara (@sammyguevara) May 29, 2023

Guevara and Conti got engaged back in the summer of 2022, and were married shortly after that. From all of us here at Wrestling Headlines we’d like to wish a congratulations to the happy couple.

The post Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo Expecting Their First Child appeared first on Wrestling Headlines.