Category: Wrestling News

Marko Stunt Discloses Plans To Start His Own Wrestling Promotion

Marko Stunt wants to form a new wrestling company this year.

Former AEW performer Marko Stunt has revealed plans to start up his own promotion.

The 25-year-old left AEW this year as a result of not having his contract extended and is now wrestling on the independent scene, mostly performing for GCW. His exit from AEW hasn’t slowed him down any and he remains very active as an in-ring competitor. However, he has plans to begin working on the periphery and is looking to launch his own promotion before the end of 2022.

“I’m actually, I have my own promotion coming up around where I live in Memphis,” Stunt said during an interview with NBC Sports Boston recently. “I think we’re starting here in September. We’re still trying to come up with everything and do everything.

“We haven’t released any posters or anything. That is coming soon. I am going to be starting up a promotion here. I also help out a lot with a show in Missouri, with the booker there. I’ve been getting into that role and trying to learn that type of stuff.”

Stunt has been appointed EVP and co-booker of Cape Wrestling in Missouri since his departure from AEW.

Source: TheSportster

Backstage News On OVW’s Netflix Deal

There has been backstage news behind OVW’s (Ohio Valley Wrestling) deal with Netflix.

It was first announced in May that OVW had a deal with the popular streaming service Netflix.

According to a new report from Fightful Select, the streaming deal had been in the works for a while. The producers involved with the Netflix original series, “Last Chance U” are also involved with OVW’s new series.

It was also noted in the report, that filming started on May 27 in Georgetown, Kentucky.

Netflix retains the right of first refusal on the ability to gain OVW’s TV rights.

Fightful noted that Netflix could one day be a major player in the rights fees negotiations surrounding WWE or AEW since Netflix is interested in live streaming content.

Al Snow purchased the promotion from Danny Davis in April 2018. The ownership structure changed again in 2021 when Craig Greenberg and Matt Jones led an investor group to purchase a majority interest in the company.

The current OVW Heavyweight Champion is Omar Amir and the OVW National Heavyweight Champion is Mahabali Shera.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Kenny Omega Says Jim Cornette Has ‘Backed Himself Up Into A Corner’ With ‘Hateful Speech’

The former manager of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, former color commentator for the NWA, and current podcaster, Jim Cornette, has never shied away from sharing his feelings with the public or taking part in controversial situations.

Kenny Omega and Cornette have not been in each other’s good graces for a long while, with neither man seeming to even remotely respect the other. While on Twitch with “CEOGaming“, former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega discussed Jim Cornette, Cornette’s followers, and his opinion on Cornette’s situation.

“I think Jim Cornette has backed himself up into a corner where, now, he’s found this group of extremely pathetic human beings who have no other thing to aspire to become, or no one to base their life off of, no one to listen to, no one to adhere to their commands,” Omega said. “And so, when it became a character that he could play as though he was still traveling up and down the strip in the indies, like back in the old days, now he’s got this group of people hanging off his every word. And all he has to do is sit and talk on a podcast with some other guy.

“When he realized he could make money by delivering hateful speech, he backed himself into a corner, and now, if he wants to make rent, if he wants to buy his fancy McDonald’s double cheeseburger meal, he has to talk about the things that are going to get attention and a lot of the time, that’s going to be your’s truly.”

Omega has received criticism from Cornette before on his wrestling style and matches but has still had success, helping to create the second-largest professional wrestling company in North America: All Elite Wrestling. Omega, Nick + Matt Jackson, and Cody Rhodes were the original EVPs of AEW, alongside Tony Khan, the owner of the company.

Over his 20+ year career, Omega has been able to win the Impact World Championship, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and the AEW World Championship, which he holds the record as the longest-reigning AEW World Champion in history.

Omega has not been traveling with AEW recently due to multiple different injuries his body had sustained working over the past few years. Cornette’s criticism does not stop at Omega, as Cornette has had multiple criticisms regarding AEW as a whole. Despite not traveling with AEW at this very time, Omega revealed whether or not Cornette’s comments have any effect on backstage life at AEW.

“That seeps into our locker room too. Yeah, it does. Everyone is so afraid of the f*cking cult of Cornette army and people that have like, you know, anti-AEW sites that they want to be — they want to do whatever the f*ck they can to stay safe.”

Omega last wrestled on November 13th, 2021 when he lost the AEW World Championship to ‘Hangman’ Adam Page in a 25+ minute match, completing a story that had begun during AEW’s exposition.

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to CEOGaming on Twitch

NJPW Star Tomohiro Ishii Pulled From AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door Due To Injury

Another star will be missing this Sunday’s AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door event.

NJPW announced on Thursday that NJPW star Tomohiro Ishii has sustained a left knee injury and is not medically cleared to compete at AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door on June 26.

Clark Connors will be taking Ishii’s place in the AEW All-Atlantic Championship Four-Way match at Forbidden Door. The match is now Connors vs. PAC vs. Malakai Black vs. Miro.

Below is NJPW’s full statement: 

Thank you for supporting New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Tomohiro Ishii, who was scheduled to compete on June 26 at AEWxNJPW Presents Forbidden Door, has sustained a left knee injury and is not medically cleared to compete.

We apologise to fans who were looking forward to seeing Ishii wrestle and appreciate your understanding.

After a hard fought qualifying match in Korakuen Hall on June 21, Clark Connors will take Ishii’s place in the All-Atlantic Championship four way at Forbidden Door. The card change is as follows:

AEW All-Atlantic Championship Four Way

PAC vs Miro vs Malakai Black vs Clark Connors

AEW has been dealing with a slew of injuries before the Forbidden pay-per-view. Bryan Danielson and CM Punk are just two AEW wrestlers who are currently injured and will be missing the Sunday event.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

 (Saraya) Paige Announced For Starrcast As Her WWE Deal Nears Its End

Earlier this month, Paige revealed her WWE contract will come to an end on July 7 and her deal will not be renewed. The former Divas Champion also confirmed she intends to wrestle again, but as of right now, where exactly she plans to do that has not been revealed. Especially since she also confirmed in the same statement that even though she intends to wrestle again, Paige has not yet been cleared.

While she might not be wrestling there – or if she is that’s yet to be confirmed – what will likely be Paige’s first post-WWE appearance has now been revealed. The soon-to-be former WWE Superstar will be a guest at Starrcast 5. Paige will be meeting and greeting fans at the event as well as hosting her own show which will be called Saraya: Turning The Page.

The name of Paige’s Starrcast show also reveals what name the retired wrestler will be going by once July 7 has been and gone. Saraya was the most likely choice as not only is the name Paige likely owned by WWE in this instance, but Saraya is Paige’s real name. She doesn’t seem to hold much animosity towards WWE, though anything she needs to get off her chest may well be revealed once her contract has officially run down.

Starrcast is returning for a fifth time and will take place across SummerSlam weekend at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Tennessee. The addition of Paige is a big deal, but the crown jewel of the weekend is still Ric Flair’s return match. At the age of 73, The Nature Boy will be competing for the first time in more than a decade. The match has proven so popular that it was recently moved to a larger venue.

As for Paige, her wrestling life has been somewhat stagnant recently. Even though she has been under contract with WWE, she hasn’t appeared on TV since 2020. Paige’s last match was at the end of 2017. In that match, Paige was kicked in the back, suffering the scary injury that would force her to retire at the age of just 25.

Source: TheSportster

WWE Raw Superstars Reportedly Annoyed At Long Wait Time Before Matches

Not many fans watching at home realize that WWE Superstars, especially on the “Raw” brand, are routinely made to hang around in the ring for long periods prior to matches.

While wrestlers camping out in the ring is customary, the new format of “Raw” has reportedly prolonged the wait time. Between the advertisements, video packages, interviews and recap segments, the downtime between the start of an entrance to the beginning of a match regularly exceeds 15 minutes these days – especially for the “Raw” main events. However, the near 20-minute gap for the 5/30 “Raw” main event between Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan seemed particularly egregious.

According to Fightful Select, a lot of the WWE Superstars dislike the new norm of hanging around for long periods and have conveyed their complaints to WWE higher-ups. Fightful reached out to several Superstars who had been subjected to the waits over the last year. The wrestlers were reportedly told that the TV show’s format “was what it was” and it was intended to “improve the show flow.” When one talent was asked what they did during the wait time, they said “talk to the crowd, dance, get annoyed that I’m waiting that long.”

During the aforementioned 5/30 “Raw” main event, Morgan stood in the ring for 19 minutes prior to her match against Ripley, according to fans at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. During that break, WWE on USA Network cut to a commercial break, played a memorial day package, and also showed a promo to build up to the Hell in a Cell premium live event.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The fans are also complaining about the long wait time between matches, I have talked with someone who attended the RAW show in Evansville, In on 5/23/2022, he was annoyed with the long wait between the matches.

Ric Flair’s Last Match Moving To Significantly Larger Venue

Ric Flair’s Last Match will now have a bigger live audience.

A press release was sent out by Starrcast V this morning announcing that Flair’s in-ring finale will no longer take place at the Nashville Fairgrounds. Instead, the match will now take place at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The venue is no stranger to hosting some memorable Flair fights as “Nature Boy’s” 1989 NWA WrestleWar match against Ricky Steamboat occurred at the arena, which also plays host to the Musicians’ Hall Of Fame.

The full press release is below.

“After selling out The Nashville Fairgrounds in less than 24 hours, Jim Crockett Promotions’ “Ric Flair’s Last Match” will be moving to the over-7,000 seat Nashville Municipal Auditorium. “Ric Flair’s Last Match,” produced by Thuzio, a Triller Company, and streaming worldwide, exclusively on FITE, will be held at 5:05 p.m. CDT (6:05 p.m. EST) on Sunday, July 31.

“The additional tickets, starting at $39* for “Ric Flair’s Last Match,” go on sale at noon EDT on Friday, June 24 at RicFlairsLastMatch.com.

“‘On July 31, I’m still going to walk that aisle and style and profile as only I can. But now, a bigger crowd, brighter lights! “The Nature Boy” can’t wait to do what I do best. WOOOO!’ said 16-time professional wrestling champion and cultural icon Ric Flair.

“‘Like so many times before, having Ric Flair’s name on the marquee has the wrestling world buzzing,’ said Jim Crockett Promotions President, David Crockett. ‘On Sunday, July 31, we look forward to bringing the fans at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, and our worldwide audience, a night of professional wrestling that they will never forget.’

“‘When we announced that STARRCAST was coming back, with our partner Thuzio, we knew the last weekend in July was going to be a celebration for wrestling fans. The party’s main event has now moved to a bigger room,’ said STARRCAST and AdFreeShows.com founder Conrad Thompson. ‘There will still be numerous events and experiences happening throughout the weekend at The Nashville Fairgrounds, who have been wonderful to work with. However, the demand for Ric’s last match to move to a bigger venue was one we couldn’t ignore.’

“‘Due to the overwhelming demand by fans to be in the building for ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match,’ we have made the decision to move this once-in-a-lifetime show to the Nashville Municipal Auditorium,’ said Jared Augustine, CEO of Thuzio. ‘Once the initial batch of tickets at the Nashville Fairgrounds went so quickly, our team immediately started to look for a larger venue, and the Nashville Municipal Auditorium is an ideal solution.’

“Current ticket holder’s seats will be honored, and communication on the changes will be emailed to them this week.”

Flair’s Last Match will be in conjunction with Starrcast V which has several other Flair-themed moments set for that weekend. Including a reunion of the Four Horsemen and the “Roast of Ric Flair.” Flair has released footage of himself working in the ring and stated the following when it came to getting medical approval:

“I don’t have any aches or pains. I know I’ve had the health issues, but I asked 40 different doctors and I decided I’m only gonna listen to one. Not necessarily the one that was gonna give me the right answer, but that I felt the most comfortable with.”

WWE Board Of Directors Now Being Investigated For Breach of Fiduciary Duties

The allegations facing Vince McMahon are only reaching farther into WWE as the Board of Directors is now under investigation by a law firm.

On the heels of news that Vince McMahon is being investigated by his own board of directors for allegedly paying off a paralegal to keep quiet regarding an affair he was involved in, WWE’s board of directors and senior management are being investigated as well. Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP is investigating whether members of WWE’s board of directors or senior management failed to manage WWE in an acceptable manner, and as such, were in breach of their fiduciary duties to WWE.

Essentially, to be in breach of one’s fiduciary duties is to fail to act in the best interests of another person (in this case shareholders) when it is the responsibility of that person to do so. The reason for the investigation is to determine whether WWE and its shareholders have suffered damages as a result of said mismanagement and are owed any monies or damages as a result.

On June 15, 2022, the Wall Street Journal reported that the WWE board was investigating an alleged $3 million settlement that CEO Vince McMahon agreed to pay to keep an affair quiet. Now, the law firm is reaching out to shareholders and letting them know that if they feel they have legal claims against WWE’s directors and officers, they should come forward to discuss the investigation, including whether these same shareholders have legal rights.

Essentially, this investigation will try to uncover if all the incidences that Vince and others are being accused of might have interfered with the company’s ability to make money for its shareholders. If Vince and others named in said suit were not effectively doing their job, the shareholders may have a right to sue. To put it simply, if whatever is uncovered in these investigations shows that McMahon and others were not working in the best interests of the shareholders, things could get ugly and quickly.

Source: TheSportster

Brian Hebner Announces Impending Retirement

Brian Hebner is walking away from the business of professional wrestling.

Brian Hebner, the son of former WWE referee Earl Hebner, is a second-generation referee in the world of pro wrestling. Brian has been a referee in professional wrestling for over 20 years now and is best known for his time in WWE and IMPACT Wrestling. Hebner revealed on his podcast Refin’ It Up with Brian Hebner what his future in the pro wrestling business looks like.

“I am announcing that I am going to retire from professional wrestling as a full-time referee,” Hebner said. “This has nothing to do with anybody making me mad or making me angry, this is a move I am making about personal decisions.”

“[Slammiversary] weekend will be my last full-time wrestling gig, I guess,” Hebner stated. “I’m a single dad doing the best I can and it’s hard to be that guy when you’re on the road and missing so many things and I remember how much my son missed and it’s kind of a way of giving back to my family. But yeah, that is going to be my last show. I will finish out the day after which will be the TV tapings.”

Brian is currently the head referee at IMPACT Wrestling, however, he will not be holding that position for much longer. IMPACT Wrestling’s 20-year anniversary Pay-Per-View Slammiversary is this Sunday, June 19 at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee. The event will be headlined by IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander defending his title against former IMPACT World Champion Eric Young.

Earl, Brian’s father, last refereed over a year ago for AEW. Brian competed in one match in TNA, where Brian took on his father at TNA Capital Punishment in 2006 in a hair vs hair match. Brian walked away with the victory on that night.

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to Refin’ It Up with Brian Hebner podcast

Backstage News On AAA TripleMania Main Event Plans Follow Jeff Hardy’s Arrest

AAA are still hoping to have Matt Hardy involved in the main event of TripleMania this weekend, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of “Wrestling Observer Radio.”

The Hardy were scheduled to compete in the main event of the show this Saturday in Tijuana against Dragon Lee and Dralistico, but that match is now up in the air due to the recent news of Jeff Hardy being arrested for a DUI emerging. But, the company does still want Matt to be involved, and they would ideally like to find a new partner for him.

As of now, nobody has been determined for that, as it is short notice for someone to make that trip, but they have reportedly asked for a bunch of guys as AAA are hopeful of making this match work still. There is still no confirmation on the match happening though, including Matt’s status.

Jeff was reportedly bonded out of jail Monday evening with a $3,500 bond being paid via the assistance of a bail bondsman. He was previously slated to appear in court Tuesday at 1:30 pm ET, but that appearance is currently listed as “canceled.”

The Hardys were originally scheduled to compete at “AEW Dynamite” this week in a triple threat ladder match for the AEW Tag Team Championships, and the status of that encounter is still up in the air as well. The company has reportedly asked Warner Bros to pull all advertising of this match and Jeff in general, but no official statement has yet to be made by AEW or Tony Khan on this situation.

The lineup for TripleMania this weekend is as follows:

* The Hardys vs. Dragon Lee & Dralistico (This is currently up in the air)

* Ruleta de la Muerte Semifinal: Villano IV vs. Psycho Clown (The loser advances to the finals)

* Ruleta de la Muerte Semifinal: Blue Demon Jr. vs. Pentagon Jr. (The loser advances to the finals)

* AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Laredo Kid vs. Rey Fenix vs. Hijo del Vikingo vs. AAA Latin American Champion Black Taurus vs. Bandido

* Elimination Cage Match: Chik Tormenta vs. Sexy Star II vs. Reina Dorada vs. Lady Shani vs. La Hiedra vs. Lady Maravilla vs. Flammer vs. another competitor to be announced.

* Final Elimination Cage winners will face each other in a Mask vs. Mask Match

* TripleMania Cup: Competitors TBA