Here's your wrestling news for July 29th, 2022.
And we're kicking off with AEW who have been at
odds with WWE since 2019, with both sides, trading
victories, while AEW won the Wednesday night wars.
The company still pales when comparing their viewerships to
RAW SmackDown and that animosity isn't going to end soon.
Earlier this week, we reported that an NXT special event
has been booked for the same day as AEW's all out Pay
per view and on wrestling observer radio, Dave Meltzer
noted that we can expect more of this from both sides.
With this being his first move what's interesting
is that that is a very aggressive move against
AEW the AEW versus WWE is going to heat up.
If it was up to AEW they would both mind their own
business and all of that, but that never worked with Vince.
Although Vince had kind of stayed away from that, I guess this time
with Paul Levesque and Stephanie McMohan there, and Nick Khan running
the show, people thought that they were only going to be interested
in running their own stuff, but the bottom line you are wrong.
Some of hope that Vince McMahon's retirement would be the
start of some major changes for WWE and while changes are
expected, the promotion remains in fierce competition with
AEW WWE hasn't announced the NXT special event yet, but it's
already listed in the company's internal roster and we'll
have to see which promotion reign Supreme this September.
This week's AEW dynamite saw the latest episode of rampage get taped
and things got a little out of control during one portion of the show.
During the tapings Lee Moriarty accompanied by Stokely Hathaway
got the win over Matt Sydal, but it was after the match.
When things kicked off on wrestling observer radio, it was
reported that when Moriarty and Hathaway were leaving, there was an
altercation with a fan which Dave Meltzer assumes won't make it to TV.
AEW is no stranger to unruly fan behavior.
As in 2020, a spectator tried to attack MJF.
Well, Chris Jericho also had a run in, in 2021.
The memory of Seth Rollins being attacked during a November,
2021 edition of WWE raw is still fresh in the mind of fans.
And we can only hope that incidents like these become less common
from now on the latest episode of dynamite saw Jon Moxley defending
his interim AEW world championship against RUSH and two Ft w
title matches, which culminated in hook leaving his champion.
In the main event, Brian Danielson's first match back from injury.
Didn't quite go as planned as he lost to Daniel Garcia, but
more happened after the cameras stopped rolling her fans of
the DCU center in Worcester, Massachusetts, the post show
saw Danielson being helped to the back while William Regal
came out to chase off the Jericho appreciation society.
Tony Khan also made an appearance to address the fans after the show.
And we'll have to see what comes next
for AEW with the American dragon.
Now back in.
Last December Johnny Gargano parted ways with WWE after his NXT
contract expired and he chose not to resign since then Gargano
has kept away from the ring and while many hope to see him join
his NXT alum and AEW he's now appeared for impact wrestling.
During last night's episode, Gargano appeared
via a video package to praise Alex Shelley.
And wasn't the only name who had good
words for the motor city machine.
Fightful have reported that despite this appearance Gargano, isn't
in talks with impact and him being on last night's show is being
called a favor for a friend Gargano is set to be at this weekend
star cast five event at the Nashville fairgrounds, where he will
reveal his wrestling future as part of the what's next panel.
But it won't be with impact despite this week's surprise appearance.
Over the past week, triple H has been appointed WWE's
head of talent relations and head of WWE creative, making
him one of the most powerful people in the company.
Given how much power the game lost last September when
Vince McMahon took over NXT, this is a huge win for
triple H, but the question is now, what will he do next?
While speaking on the wrestling with Freddie
podcast, former WWE writer, Fredy prince Jr.
Spoke about working with triple H and how a moment from 2010
could lead to some petty actions from the king of Kings.
AEW world champion cm, punk created the straight edge
society, no drugs, no alcohol, technically no women.
If you're super straight edge hunters, looking
him dead in the face, just gas to the gills and,
you know, drinks, wine with Vince on the plane.
And he just no sells punks, whole promo
and goes, I don't see what the big deal is.
I don't do drugs.
I don't drink.
And he just looks him dead in the face.
Like, go ahead and try and call me a liar.
I'll fire you so quick.
And punk couldn't do anything.
So that's why when punk had that promo on live raw, instead
of taped SmackDown, where hunter had no control, like
hunter would blow live promos on a SmackDown, into the live
house audience and would go, don't worry, we'll edit it.
And he would just keep going because he was so gangster with it.
But on raw punk got a chance to kind of do
his own thing and he let his feelings known.
This could be a huge chance for hunter to stick it to him.
I promise you, dude.
Triple H is petty Betty.
It's worth stating that this is just one man's opinion
and the idea that triple H would put WWE at risk just
to stick it to someone over a couple of segments from 12
years ago, does seem pretty farfetched from the outside.
Tonight's SmackDown will be the first show fully of the triple H era.
And time will tell what the game does in the years to come in
2012, WWE celebrated RAW's 1000th episode by making the show three
hours long permanently after years as a two hour weekly event.
Well, there was initial excitement for three hour.
Raws that quickly dwindled.
And now many fans find it a chore to stick around
for 180 minutes of the red brand with triple H.
Now in charge of creative though, a change could be on the horizon.
If the game gets his way with the former WWE world champions,
recent promotions, a clip from an interview with stone cold.
Steve Austin has been doing the rounds online in which
triple H wishes that raw was still a two hour show.
If I could change anything, I'd love it to be two hours.
Third hour of television is so exponentially harder to write.
I can't even begin to describe it to you.
It's just really difficult.
It's worth stating that just because triple H
prefers the two hour doesn't mean it'll happen.
But after a monumental month, that is
rocked WWE structure behind the scenes.
It seems like anything is possible.
This April WWE descended on Texas to host their two nights of
WrestleMania 38, but that wasn't all that happened in the lone star.
State WWE also held a series of tryouts around WrestleMania
week, hoping to find the next breakout star in pro wrestling, and
certainly have plenty to choose from the Dallas morning news notes.
That more than 20 names were signed by WWE in the months
after the WrestleMania tryouts with some notable names.
Baylor's 2020 national champion in acrobatics and tumbling,
Lexie Amrhein and former Texas tech defense event.
Houston Miller have both signed with WWE, but
the most notable name is former Bellator fighter.
Valerie Loureda Loureda has already made her debut making an
appearance and an NXT live event this month, but is yet to wrestle.
As for WWE, they've been hosting even more tryouts this
week as part of the summer slam festivities in Nashville.
And we'll have to see who earns.
Them self a WWE contract.
The summer slam tryouts are seeing athletes and personalities
from all over descend on Nashville to try and prove themselves
to triple H biggie Paul Hayman and others on the panel.
And one prominent name who participated is Dwight Howard.
The Los Angeles Lakers star made an unexpected appearance and
cut a WWE style, promo performing as Sho-Nuff the Shogun master
of the south, addressing anyone wanting to take his belt.
And yes, he did use that WWE band term,
Howard said they'd only win Dese nuts.
The 36 year old basketball star has been pretty serious about becoming
a WWE superstar, but is also rumored to be joining the Brooklyn nets.
Perhaps there will be a day when Dwight Howard is in the
ring with the likes of Roman reigns and Brock Lessner, but
we'll have to wait for after these tryouts in Nashville to
get a better idea as to what the NBA Star's future holds.
WWE stock prices have been on a wild ride since
Vince McMohan announced his retirement last Friday.
And in accordance with their corporate policy, no WWEmployees have
been able to trade on that stock since the bombshell announcement.
According to wrestlNomics, all WWE Employees were
notified on Friday evening that they were not
allowed to buy or sell any of the company's stock.
The message was sent by WWE senior vice
president and general counsel, James Langham.
Please be advised that in light of recent developments, the company's
trading window has closed effective immediately for all employees.
The notice begins going on to detail the prohibition
of any purchasers or sales of company securities.
The notice also mentions that WWEmployees are not to speak
with anyone about the notification Langham's message is in
line with WWE's insider trading policy, which explicitly
prohibits anyone aware of material non-public information.
And also that event specific blackouts of stock trading are not
to be announced to anyone except those in need of notification.
This is a standard policy for numerous publicly traded companies.
The recent events are in reference to McMahon, announcing his
retirement from all duties, creative and corporate amidst.
The board of director's investigation into a series of hush
money payments that McMahon made to former female employees
over the years, alleging harassment, misconduct, and abuse at
the hands of the former CEO and chairman WWE recently announced
that the payments should have been recorded as company expenses
and now federal investigators, as well as the securities
and exchange commission are investigating the payments.
McMahon recently turned over roughly
$2 million in stock earlier this week.
And according to the sec, filing did not receive
a penny for the transfer WWE stock closed today
at $69 and 49 cents per share more from AEW.
Now as Adam Cole suffered an injury during May's double or
nothing event, but fought through to compete at forbidendoor.
After his I w GP world heavyweight championship match
at forbidendoor though, the injury has kept Cole on
the shelf and he's not expected back anytime soon.
According to Brian Alvarez on wrestling, observer live Cole is
still not cleared, but this injury shouldn't prevent the former
NXT champion from making appearances where he doesn't wrestle.
Cole has opted against having surgery on his torn
labrum, but with no return date in sight, the future
looks pretty bleak for the Owen heart foundation.
Men's tournament winner.
And we're ending today with summer slam, which will be WWE's
biggest party of the summer, but we'll be missing some big names.
Cody, Rhodes, and Randy Orton are still out with injuries
and contrary to what's believed there's no sign of edge.
Many fans expected edge to return to WWE TV on this week's
raw from Madison square garden, especially as it was
reported that he was backstage at the show in a recent
Q&A Mike Johnson reported on Edge's summer slam status,
confirming that there were plans for him in Nashville.
Not only that, but it's reported that there were also plans for
Edge's wife and WWE hall of Famer, Beth Phoenix, to appear too.
But there's no word on if that's still the case.
There is some speculation that edge could be the reason that
riddle was pulled from summer slam and that Seth Rollins will
still have a match on the show, but against his old rival, then
again, some have also suggested that edge and possibly Beth
will return during the, mistereos versus judgment day match.
Getting revenge on the group that betrayed him in.
Whatever the case, WWE at least at one point had plans
for edge at summer slam, but we'll have to wait until
tomorrow night to see if those plans still happen.