I’m Oli Davis, this is the WrestleTalk News.
And the top story today is Don Callis taking the lead over Dominic Mysterio in who is the
most hated heel in wrestling right now.
That’s right, it’s Don v Dom.
DomDon.
DominDontion.
DonaggeDom.
I don’t know what words are anymore- In recent months, both men have recorded top
scores on the deciboo charts, but AEW’s Callis has now eked ahead in the overall tally
as his heat took literal physical form - as he was legitimately attacked during an angle
in Tijuana.
This was at the AAA show TripleMania 31: Tijuana, which saw the long-awaited Kenny Omega vs
El Hijo del Vikingo Mega Championship match in South America.
This match was originally planned years ago, but was postponed due to the pandemic and
Kenny’s injury hiatus - forcing Omega to vacate the title, which Vikingo won in a five
way in December 2021.
Omega and Vikingo fought in March this year on AEW Dynamite in a non-title match, where
their main event got cinco stars.
The rematch, this time for AAA’s top title, saw Vikingo beat Omega with a 630 splash - putting
his reign at 589 days.
But their excellent match is more notable for the angle-gone-wrong after the show.
Callis, with whom Omega is embroiled in an intense blood feud in AEW, set to explode
at Blood and Guts this Wednesday, was going to appear at TripleMania to stand in Vikingo’s
corner - but Konnan sent Callis to the back.
This led to Callis and his muscle Taekshita jumping Kenny during the post-show press conference.
Here’s a clip courtesy of TJ Sports.
There’s Don getting one last kick in on Kenny there, but then off camera Callis is
tackled to the ground by someone not supposed to be involved in the angle, who appears to
be trying to lock in a chicken wing F4WOnline is reporting the fan “was apparently
upset about what Don had said to Kenny, jumped Don from behind, ripped his suit, concussed
his eardrum and busted open his mouth while he was trying to choke out Don from behind…
Don was screaming profanities at the fan before he was pulled off, and was said to be livid
afterwards.”
Afterwards, Callis’ neck and ankle were said to be injured, and he headed to San Diego
for medical attention.
According to LuchaBlog, though, who are very good at covering the lucha libre scene, the
attacker wasn’t actually a fan, but more a concerned bystander who thought Don was
legitimately assaulting Omega.
“the story about it being an angry fan seems inflated; it looks like a media person who
thought this was a real fight and took Callis down to break it up, not because Callis had
some real heat” The Wrestling Observer have since corroborated
that, writing that Konnan told Callis: “the fan was a former security guard who
did security for wrestling and concerts so was there because his friends were part of
the security detail.
He was not supposed to get involved and according to another source he also ripped his suit.”
Don Callis getting attacked aside, it was a hell of a weekend for professional wrestling,
with many match of the year contenders taking place, and also what we’re all really rooting
for: me being right about stuff.
Mine and Luke’s latest 3 Count episode went live on Friday, where we made our predictions
for every WWE superstar at next month’s SummerSlam in 3 words or fewer.
It’s a great series, go check it out.
Especially because I can tell the future.
Heyman took a bump on Friday’s episode of SmackDown!
Bobby Lashley seems to be getting The Street Profits in a new faction!
And…
And on Saturday night Eric Young showed up at IMPACT Wrestling’s Slammiversary Premium
pay-per-view Event, because he was released by WWE.
I’m all powerful.
Anything I predict in a 3 words or fewer format will come true.
Quick, Oli, predict something to change your life, nay, the world, for the better.
Swole Pokemon Game.
As Sat already covered on Saturday’s WrestleTalk News episode, go watch that, Eric Young was
reportedly re-hired to WWE in November 2022 by Triple H, but six months later in April,
Young was released without ever having graced our screens.
PWInsider then spotted him at Detroit airport on Saturday, where he would return to IMPACT
later that day.
Fightful Select have now added the details behind Young’s departure.
And for a change, it wasn’t Vince McMahon doing the breaking up, it was the wrestler
quitting on their own morals.
Young reportedly requested his release in April 2023, which was granted.
His 90 day non-compete clause expired last week, freeing him up to return to IMPACT.
Apparently the reason Young gave for wanting to leave WWE was because he did not want to
work with Vince McMahon.
Once WWE’s deal with Endeavour was announced, seemingly cementing McMahon’s position in
the company, Young requested his release on “moral, creative and personal” reasons.
Young had already been released in April 2020 as part of WWE’s very cynical round of cuts
at the start of the pandemic.
Young claims he had told Vince to his face “look man if you can’t find 10 minutes
for me to do something then you’re failing, you know you’re failing yourself and you’re
failing your company.”
Young’s reasoning for his most recent WWE departure contradicts WWE’s own stance on
Vince’s involvement in running the day-to-day product.
Young’s return wasn’t the only big news at Slammiversary, though.
So I’m going to run you through the entire pay-per-view in just 1 minute, in 1 take…
Kenny King beat Joe Hendry on the pre-show for the Digital Media Championship.
Kushida won the Ultimate X match to become the X Division #1 contender.
Jake Something has reportedly signed a deal with IMPACT.
Killer Kelly and Masha Slamovich beat The Coven to become the new Knockouts tag champions.
EY made his return as Scott D’Amore’s mystery partner - Team Canada!
- against Bully Ray and Deaner.
Young had a bone to pick with Deaner as he had kayfabe murdered him last year.
A1 got involved - more Team Canada!
I’ve only got, like 180 words to do these recaps, and I’ve spent so many on Team Canada,
and I don’t regret anything.
D’Amore and Young win!
Lio Rush beat Chris Sabin via injury angle to become the new X Division champion.
Former NXT UK stars Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Website became the new tag champs as
Subculture!
Eddie Edwards beat Kaz, Trinity won the knockouts championship from Purrazzo and, after a night
of title changes, Alex Shelley retained his world title against Nick Aldis - to be confronted
by a returning Josh Alexander to close the show.
Over in AEW, there are some changes behind-the-scenes in how the promotion is run.
Pat Buck, the former WWE producer from 2019-2022, famous for being beaten up by Nia Jax in that
one episode of Raw, joined AEW last April as a coach.
PWInsider is now reporting he has been elevated to Vice President of Talent Coaching, where
he’ll oversee the coaching staff for matches on both Dynamite and Collision.
The promotion is already paying off, as it was reportedly Buck who brought on Ari Daivari
and Sarah Stock in as producers, with the former agenting the excellent 2 out of 3 falls
FTR vs Bullet Club Gold match on Saturday’s episode of Collision.
Perhaps they’ll be the ones enforcing AEW’s new banned list of wrestling moves, which
has seen some maneuvers outright banned, while others require special clearance from backstage
officials - otherwise the wrestlers who perform them will be fined.
Dave Meltzer has added this was more of a formality, as “those are rules that have
already been in play since the beginnings, since the first time Chris Nowinski and Tony
Khan.”
[QUOTE] He added many of the moves aren’t ‘banned’,
they are just subject to agents’ approval, which the wrestlers were all seeking anyway.
Meltzer doesn’t expect this to tone down the onscreen product, and is standard procedure.
This does come at a time, though, when AEW is facing criticism for its in-ring style
- most notably Kenny intentionally taking a driver on his head at Forbidden Door.
On that match of the year contender, I’ve also got a 1 minute 1 take recap of AEW Collision
too…
Kevin Kelly missed the show because he was in Japan for the G1 - NEGATIVE FIVE STARS
SHOW - but Ian Riccaboni was great filling in on commentary.
The show opened with FTR vs Bullet Club Gold in a near hour long 2 out of 3 falls match,
in one of the best TV matches of all time.
Jay White hit the Blade Runner on Cash Wheeler for the first fall.
FTR got the second.
But Robinson tapped out in Harwood’s Sharpshooter - in Canada - for FTR to retain just minutes
from the hour limit.
Willow Nightingale became the second ever Owen Hart Women’s Cup winner, almost entirely
thanks to Riccaboni rapping during her entrance.
It was actually awesome.
Ruby was a runner runner up up for the second year in a row.
The Kings of the Black Throne squashed some enhancement talent.
And CM Punk was first cheered, then booed, in his Owen Hart Men’s Cup final against
Ricky Starks.
There’s only one thing for it… turn the other guy heel!
Barely a year after his face turn against Hobbs, Starks held onto the ropes during his
pin to win - likely the start of his heel turn.
It’s SummerSlam soon, so go watch Adam Blampied fantasy book the card now…