Sami Callihan Is Reportedly Leaving Impact Wrestling

Sami Callihan’s contract with Impact Wrestling will be expiring in one week.

PWInsider is reporting that Callihan is expected to be leaving the company. Multiple sources have confirmed that Callihan will be exiting the promotion when his contract expires on September 30th. It is said that Saturday night’s Impact Wrestling TV tapings in Memphis, TN marked the end of Callihan’s current run with the company. The departure is said to be amicable.

Callihan will become a free agent on October 1st, and there is said to be interest in him from several companies. Some of those companies are interested in his on-screen talents while others are interested in having him work as a producer/agent.

Sheamus Reportedly Suffering From A Really Bad Injury

Sheamus hasn’t competed in a WWE ring since he was defeated by Edge in what could be the “Rated-R Superstar’s” final-ever match for the company. While his absence hasn’t been addressed by the company, Dave Meltzer has revealed on the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio” that Sheamus is currently out of action due to a really bad shoulder injury.

While there are no details as to when the “Celtic Warrior” sustained the issue or how long he is going to be on the shelf for, this is the reason he hasn’t been shown on television, nor has he been part of WWE live events throughout the past month. Neither Sheamus nor WWE has made an official comment on the situation, and it remains to be seen what the long-term plan is.  

Sheamus’ future has been a big talking point as of late anyway due to the fact his contract with the company is set to expire in 2024, but that is something that could end up being extended now if he’s out for a while as WWE could tag that time on. 

This is not the first injury that the Irishman has sustained throughout his tenure with WWE, which began back in 2006. While he’s had several smaller issues over the years he did deal with a major neck injury back in 2019 which took him out of action for nine months and sparked retirement rumors, but it remains to be seen if his current problem will be as severe.

WWE has been continuing to use his fellow Brawling Brutes as a tag team as Butch and Ridge Holland have been getting opportunities to shine together as a duo, which could open the door for Sheamus to rejoin the group when he is able to return. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Collision Preview 9/23/2023

Tonight’s AEW Collision Live on TNT from the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

  • Texas Death Match: Ricky Starks vs. Bryan Danielson
  • AEW Tag Team Championship: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (c) vs. The WorkHorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry)
  • Jay White vs. Andrade El Idolo
  • TNT Championship: Luchasaurus (c) vs. Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage
  • Rob Van Dam & HOOK vs. Angelo Parker & Matt Menard
  • Willow Nightingale vs. Julia Hart

USWA & Portland Wrestling Star Bart Sawyer Passes Away

The family of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper has announced that Bart Sawyer (Steve Stewart), a staple of the Portland Wrestling scene, passed away on Thursday at the age of 57 years old.

Sawyer was a mainstay for Portland Wrestling during the early 1990s before joining the USWA. He got his start in the wrestling business training under Bob Giegel in the Kansas City area and wrestled his first match as a student against Curtis Hughes. He worked for the World Wrestling Alliance in Kansas City and then made some appearances for the USWA and WCCW before beginning to work for Pacific Northwest Wrestling.

Sawyer was forced to retire in November 2004 following a stroke that left him in a coma for several days and partially paralyzed his left side.

Although Sawyer eventually recovered, he never stepped in between the ropes again.

Source: eWn

Matt Riddle Released By WWE

Matt Riddle is gone from WWE.

In a statement released on Twitter, Riddle announced his departure and thanked his fans for all the years of memories. The move follows mass talent cuts by WWE on Thursday, when the promotion released at least 22 stars or prospective stars in the way of its acquisition by Endeavor and merger with Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Riddle, himself a former UFC fighter, began training as a professional wrestler almost a decade ago and signed with WWE in 2018. Over the course of his career, he won the “NXT” Tag Team Championship with Pete Dunne (now known as Butch), the “Raw” Tag Team Championship with Randy Orton, and the WWE United States Championship. His WWE run was also characterized by prominent accusations against him during the #SpeakingOut movement, his real-life feud with Seth Rollins, and his multiple drug suspensions, the most recent of which came in 2022 and resulting in him being removed from television. Riddle returned on the “WWE Raw” after WrestleMania 39, but with a somewhat diminished role in the absence of his injured partner, Orton.

Riddle made headlines earlier this month for an incident at JFK airport and hadn’t been seen on television since. Despite reports that his absence was not related to the airport altercation and that he was making his return to “WWE Raw” this week, Fightful Select is now reporting that Riddle hasn’t been backstage or on the road with WWE since he was pulled from weekend events and the September 11 episode of “Raw.” Fightful claims Riddle was not planned for a return and not part of WWE’s creative plans following the incident, despite the fact that he was in the middle of a storyline that had seen him teaming up with Drew McIntyre, and says one source cited Riddle as having “burned through too many chances while in WWE.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Rampage Grand Slam Preview 9/22/2023

Tonight’s special two-hour “Grand Slam” edition of AEW Rampage on TNT.

  • ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Mogul Embassy (Brian Cage, Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) (c) vs. The Elite (The Young Bucks & Hangman Page)
  • AEW World Trios Championship: The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) & Billy Gunn (c) vs. Dark Order’s Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds & John Silver
  • ROH World Tag Team Championship number one contenders match: The Kingdom (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven) vs. The Hardys (Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy) vs. The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch) vs. Best Friends (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor)
  • Sting & Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage & Luchasaurus
  • Orange Cassidy, Hook & Kris Statlander vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker & Anna Jay
  • Skye Blue vs. Julia Hart
  • Mike Santana in action
  • We’ll here from Sammy Guevara and Don Callis

WWE SmackDown Preview 9/22/2023

Tonight’s WWE SmackDown will air live on FOX from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

  • LWO (Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar) vs. The Street Profits
  • WWE Women’s Championship: IYO SKY (c) vs. Asuka
  • John Cena to appear

Injury Updates On Adam Cole & Jon Moxley After AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam

Adam Cole and Jon Moxley are both believed to have suffered injuries on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.

Fightful Select is reporting that Cole was admitted to the hospital following the show and was last seen using crutches. He is said to have injured his ankle when jumping off the ramp during the main event of Dynamite.

Moxley, who is believed to have suffered a mild concussion, was deemed “okay” after his match.

Moxley was checked on by AEW President Tony Khan and others after leaving under his own accord.

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Moxley wasn’t hurt during the finish of his AEW International Title defense against Rey Fenix, but actually in the opening minutes of the match.

AEW had originally planned for Moxley to retain the International Title, which Fenix eventually won.

As the match progressed, Moxley realized he wasn’t feeling well and informed Fenix mid-match that he was going to triumph.

While the former AEW World Champion had asked the referee to count him out, it didn’t immediately happen after the piledriver.

Moxley was reportedly doing better later in the night and was said to have been “fine” backstage.

Source: eWn

More WWE Releases From Yesterday

Yesterday WWE released several members of their roster, including Mustafa Ali, Emma, Rick Boogs, Aliyah, Riddick Moss, Top Dolla, Elias and Shelton Benjamin.

Update:

WWE also released the following:

  • Dana Brooke
  • Mansoor
  • Mace
  • Shanky
  • Dabba Kato / Commander Azeez / Babatunde (NXT)
  • Quincy Elliot (NXT)
  • Bryson Montana (NXT)
  • Yulisa Leon (NXT)
  • Daniel McArthur (NIL)
  • Kevin Ventura-Cortez (NIL)
  • Alexis Gray (NIL)
  • Brooklyn Barlow (NIL)
  • Abule Abadi-Fitzgerald

The company was looking to cut back on $50 million to $100 million in expenses following the merger with UFC to form the TKO Holdings Group.

Dave Meltzer reported the following in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

“The key to the releases were talent making main roster money but not being used on the main roster and with the idea that they were not going to be used in the future,” Meltzer wrote.

“It’s time in vs. how much money you are paid vs. return on investment,” said one WWE official regarding the talent cuts.”

Dolph Ziggler Released From WWE

Dolph Ziggler’s lengthy time with WWE has come to an end with his release this week, Fightful has learned.

Ziggler signed with WWE in 2004 and would debut on the main roster the following year as the ‘caddy’ of Kerwin White/Chavo Guerrero.

Returning to the main roster the next year as ‘Nicky’ of the Spirit Squad, it wouldn’t be until 2008 that Ziggler began using the name he would stick with for the rest of his run.

Ziggler leaves WWE a two-time World Heavyweight Champion, as well as a multi-time Tag Team, Intercontinental, and United States Champion.

The Show-Off returned to NXT last year and briefly held the NXT Championship, dethroning Bronn Breakker.

Source: eWn