Month: September 2021

PCO Gives His Notice To ROH, More On His Upcoming Departure

Former ROH World Champion PCO has confirmed that he will be leaving the company this fall.

It was reported earlier this week that PCO plans to leave ROH when his contract expires at the end of November. In an update, PCO appeared on the Pro Wrestling 4 Life podcast this week and told WWE Hall of Famer Sean Waltman that he has given his notice to ROH, and will not be signing a new deal.

PCO revealed that his last contractual date with ROH is Tuesday, November 30. He will be a free agent as of Wednesday, December 1.

PCO spoke with PWInsider today and confirmed that he will be fulfilling all contractual obligations and dates with ROH before departing. He said he’s very thankful for his time with ROH.

ROH taped two days of TV earlier this week in Philadelphia and will tape more content from Baltimore in November, which look to be PCO’s final dates with the company.

There’s no word on if PCO has had talks with WWE, AEW, Impact Wrestling or the NWA. He noted in previous interviews that he had talks with AEW, but still had a year left on his original ROH contract. He also had talks with WWE Director of Talent Development & Head of Global Recruiting William Regal before re-signing with ROH, but no offer was made.

PCO, who turns 54 at the end of December, originally signed with ROH on December 1, 2018. Since then he has held the ROH World Title once, the ROH World Tag Team Titles once, and the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Titles once.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Bray Wyatt Drops Big Tease On His Pro Wrestling Future

Former WWE Champion Bray Wyatt has assured his fireflies, or fans, that they will all be seeing him “very soon” inside a pro wrestling ring.

While responding to a fan on Twitter on Wednesday, Wyatt wrote the following:

Everything will be clear.
I’ll see you all very soon.
Revenge is a confession of pain.

Through another tweet, Wyatt mentioned how fans have “NEVER seen the real me,” a possible reference to the way he was booked during his WWE career.

Wyatt is expected to start with AEW soon, and could potentially make his debut on the Sept. 29 edition of AEW Dynamite, which will be held in Rochester, NY. Rochester is the hometown of the late Brodie Lee.

The potential date for Wyatt’s AEW debut contradicts earlier reports that his 90-day non-compete clause with WWE would expire on Friday, Oct. 29, a week before AEW’s Full Gear pay-per-view on Nov. 6.

The report also noted that, If Wyatt ends up with Impact Wrestling, he could debut at the Oct. 23 Bound For Glory pay-per-view in Las Vegas.

As noted, Wyatt also had a brief Twitter exchange with new WWE Champion Big E on Wednesday.

Wyatt’s latest tweets can be seen below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Paige Has Got Fans Thinking She’ll Be Back In The Ring In 2022

Paige has got some fans convinced she’ll be back in the ring in 2022 thanks to a one-word tweet.

Paige has continued to fuel rumors that she may be preparing for an in-ring return, hinting that she could be back as soon as January 2022.

The word retirement has never really meant much in wrestling. Wrestlers often have multiple retirement matches. However, more recently, even those who have been forced into retirement thanks to injuries have been stepping back into the ring. Edge and Daniel Bryan are the two biggest examples of wrestlers who were, at one point, told they could never wrestle again.

Paige appears to have been inspired by Bryan and Edge to try and get cleared to wrestle herself. The former Divas’ Champion has been hinting that she is training for an in-ring return, and her latest tweet appears to have confirmed when she is expecting to wrestle again. Paige simply tweeted “January” which has got fans thinking that is when she’ll be back.

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1438166626935840769

Paige wrestled her last match right at the end of 2017, suffering a scary-looking injury when she was kicked in the back by Sasha Banks. The Norwich native had recently returned to the ring after more than a year off. During that time Paige had surgery on her neck and it seems the damage was more extensive than initially feared.

However, three years later, Paige’s injuries may have been rested enough that they have recovered so that she can wrestle again. Either that or medicine has progressed to a point that there are more ways her body can be helped and fixed. The January tweet could also mean nothing, of course, or could be in relation to something entirely different. Perhaps a wrestling project that doesn’t involve her stepping back between the ropes.

Whether it’s in the ring or out of it, it will be interesting to see where Paige shows up next. Although she hasn’t appeared on WWE TV for a while, it’s assumed she is still under contract with the company. January might even be an indicator as to when Paige’s contract comes to an end. It has been reported WWE has been going through contracts checking dates and clauses after what happened with Adam Cole and Malakai Black. Perhaps an upcoming end date for Paige’s contract was discovered in the process.

Source: TheSportster

AEW Dynamite Preview 9/15/21

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite episode airs on TNT at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Tonight shows features the AEW in-ring debut of Adam Cole.

* CM Punk does commentary

* Bryan Danielson addresses AEW World Champion Kenny Omega

* Matt Hardy continues his feud with Orange Cassidy

* Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki issue a challenge to Jon Moxley

* Adam Cole makes AEW in-ring debut vs. Frankie Kazarian

* Shawn Spears vs. Darby Allin

* Leyla Hirsch vs. Jade Cargill

* Dan Lambert hosts a Tough Guy Challenge

* Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley vs. 2point0

Who Is Bron Breakker, The Man Who Beat LA Knight To Open NXT 2.0?

For those who don’t know about Bron Breakker, The Sportster did an article about him.

Breakker is the son of Rick Steiner and the nephew of Scott Steiner.

You can see below the article from The Sportster about Bron Breakker.

Bron Breakker made his NXT debut and beat LA Knight this week, but who is he?

Bron Breakker will forever be known as the man who won NXT 2.0’s first match ever, and there are a few reasons why WWE will be hoping he becomes a very big deal.

After weeks of teasers and trailers, NXT 2.0 officially launched on Tuesday night. A revamp a lot of NXT Superstars have reportedly been worried about, and one many fans still seem to be on the fence about, even with show number one in the books. It was a jam-packed two hours that included NXT’s first-ever wedding, and the crowning of a new NXT Champion.

Even though LA Knight was one of the four men chosen to compete for the vacant title, he was goaded into a match at the start of the night by an unfamiliar face. Bron Breakker interrupted Knight backstage, telling the former Million Dollar Champion that he wanted to make a name for himself.

Knight obliged, marching to the ring to teach Breakker a lesson. The trouble is, he didn’t. The debuting Breakker hit Knight with a press slam and pinned him for the win. WWE clearly has high hopes for Breakker, and there’s good reason for that. The young wrestler is a second-generation star. The son of Rick Steiner, and the nephew of Rick’s fellow Steiner brother, Scott.

Breakker played football in college and was actually signed by the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted in 2020. He was cut before the season started. That’s when he decided to follow in his dad’s and uncle’s footsteps, joining WWE’s Performance Center as a member of the class that was recruited in February of this year. It actually seemed as if Breakker would be carrying on the family name in WWE, changing it to Rex Steiner on Twitter just last week. Plans must have changed between now and then.

Beating Knight wasn’t the only indicator on Tuesday night that WWE has big plans for Breakker. After watching Dexter Lumis and Indi Hartwell tie the knot, the cameras cut to backstage and showed Breakker bumping into new champion, Tomasso Ciampa. The pair shook hands and WWE appears to foreshadow a future title match between them.

Below is video of Breakker from last night’s NXT from WWE’s YouTube:

WWE NXT 2.0 Preview 9/14/21

Tonight’s WWE NXT episode on the USA Network will feature a reset for the brand. Billed as NXT 2.0, the show will have a new look and feel, and a new creative direction that reportedly includes more characters. The Capitol Wrestling Center at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando will also have a new look to it.

* The wedding of Dexter Lumis and Indi Hartwell

* NXT Women’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez defends against Franky Monet

* LA Knight vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne for the vacant NXT Title

Gable Steveson Reveals Length Of His WWE Contract, Thinks He’ll Go Straight To Main Roster

New WWE signee, Olympic Gold Medalist, and reigning NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion Gable Steveson sat down for an interview on an episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. During the episode he discusses his current plans regarding whether he will wrestle at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“[Whether I wrestle in them] just depends how my contract goes,” answers Steveson. “I can’t say too much. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. That’s a longways away. It is three years, but I’m always ready. It all depends on my obligation with the WWE. After this year I’m 100% with the WWE. And if I re-sign, I’m 100% with them. I’m not the boss of the situation, so I can’t say.”

Steveson, still an NCAA athlete at the University of Minnesota, signed an NIL deal with the WWE this month. He goes on to reveal whether or not he will be able to wrestle for the WWE while still doing amateur wrestling for Minnesota. He says there is a chance he could compete for the WWE between now and March, and that it would be allowed by the rules of the contract he signed.

“It is allowed, yep,” shares Steveson. “It could [happen]. It’s likely, very, very, likely. But who knows? I don’t know what day. It could be Monday Night Raw, today, or it could happen on Friday Night SmackDown.”

Helwani also asks Steveson if he believes he will be able to skip NXT and go straight to the WWE main roster.  Steveson says he thinks there is a significant chance he will go straight to the main roster. But he also notes that he is open to anything. In a recent interview he had noted that fans may see him sooner than they expect.

“There is, I think, there is a very big chance I might go straight to the main roster and not go to NXT,” revels Steveson. “I was open to anything, but with the way things are going, I think I’m going to jump straight to the main roster. And I know there’s a lot to learn and I’m ready to soak everything in like  a sponge and just be ready to go out and put a good show on for the crowd.”

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani

Impact Knockouts Knockdown Returning, Former WWE NXT Star Mercedes Martinez To Debut, Christy Hemme’s Return

Impact Wrestling is bringing back the Knockouts Knockdown pay-per-view.

The all-women’s event will be headlined by a Monster’s Ball match to honor former WCW & TNA star Daffney, who passed away at the age of 46 on September 1. Daffney was the first Knockout to participate in a Monster’s Ball match when she faced Taylor Wilde at the 2009 Sacrifice pay-per-view.

Knockouts Knockdown will be taped this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the weekend Impact TV tapings from Skyway Studios in Nashville. It will then air on Saturday, October 9 via Impact Plus and the Impact YouTube channel for Ultimate Insiders.

Knockouts Knockdown will see the Impact debut of former WWE NXT Superstar Mercedes Martinez, who was released in early August. Christy Hemme will also return. Impact noted in their announcement that Hemme will have a “major role in Knockouts Knockdown” but it wasn’t clear if she will be wrestling.

Impact Hall of Famer Gail Kim announced the return of Knockouts Knockdown on Facebook last night. You can see her video below. Kim said there will be female wrestlers, referees, announcers, and more.

“I am so excited for Knockouts Knockdown, when females from across the wrestling landscape will take over The IMPACT Zone, with female wrestlers, referees, announcers and more,” Kim said. “There is so much planned, so much excitement for Knockouts Knockdown – I know the fans will be excited to watch it live this weekend, starting Friday afternoon, at The IMPACT Zone in Nashville. Doing something to honor Daffney’s memory is something that everyone involved with the event and others are thrilled to be able to do. She was a great wrestler and a better person. No one will forget Daffney; we want to honor her.”

The inaugural Knockouts Knockdown event was held in 2013 with Kim winning a Gauntlet to be crowned the “Queen of the Knockouts” in the main event. The event was also held in 2014, 2015, 2016, and in 2017 as the “Victory Road: Knockouts Knockdown” event. The 2017 event was headlined by Leva Bates, ODB, Alisha Edwards and Santana Garrett defeating Laurel Van Ness (aka Chelsea Green), Angelina Love, Diamante, and current Knockouts Tag Team Champion Rosemary.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Announces The 2021 Draft

The 2021 WWE Draft has been confirmed for next month.

A promo aired during tonight’s RAW episode that officially announced the beginning of the Draft for the October 1 SmackDown on FOX. The Draft will then wrap with the October 4 RAW on the USA Network.

The October 1 SmackDown was originally scheduled to take place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, but it was moved to the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore due to Hurricane Ida. The October 4 RAW show is scheduled to take place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

There’s no word yet on if the October 4 RAW show will also be the RAW 30th season premiere.

Stay tuned for updates. Below is the WWE Draft promo from tonight’s RAW:

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1437573758940852225
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1437573504199766022

Big E Cashes In, Wins The WWE Championship On Raw

Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and won the WWE Championship from Bobby Lashley on Monday Night Raw.

The night started with SmackDown’s Big E saying he was going to cash in his MITB title shot contract, whether it be Bobby Lashley or Randy Orton who was fighting Lashley for the title in the main event.

The win came at the end of Monday Night Raw after Lashley successfully defended his title versus Randy Orton. A heck of a main event match that finished with about 7 minutes left in the three-hour program, it was clear when Lashley was selling a leg injury that there was more to come in the show. Big E’s music hit and he came to the ring, telling the referee that he was, in fact, cashing in. WWE cut to a commercial break only to return and see Lashley try to weasel his way out of the match, claiming he was too injured to compete. One slap in the face by the challenger was all it took to get Lashley to commit.

The few minutes went back and forth with Lashley getting the early advantage, but Big E fighting back. An attempt to land the Big Ending didn’t connect, and E had to kick out of spear from the champion. Eventually, Big E was able to turn the tables again, land his move and get the three count to win the title. His friends from New Day came down to the ring to celebrate with him, closing the show.

Whether the title change was a reaction from WWE to everything that AEW has been throwing at them over the past couple of weeks or this was always the plan, this is a well-deserved win for Big E. He’s been an extremely popular WWE Superstar, but never had a run with the Championship. The crowd was absolutely behind him and the live audience popped huge for the title change.

We’ll see how this affects Extreme Rules. It’s expected that Big E may face Lashley who will want a rematch.