In this WrestleTalk News, WWE releases, AEW worried, the latest on CM Punk, Tempest’s
review of NXT and more.
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You want me to dance for you, you sickos.
Fine, here, this is what you want?
I hope you’re happ- Today marks one week since Fightful first
reported CM Punk was in talks to return to the ring, most likely for All Elite Wrestling.
We’ve already had AEW Co-Executive Vice Presidents the Young Bucks allude to beating
Punk and Bryan in their Twitter bio, the band that sings Punk’s entrance theme follow
AEW’s official Twitter account, and Punk himself post a Michael Jordan tease on his
Instagram, hinting towards a Chicago comeback at All Out.
But in our debut edition of CM Punk Watch, where I will obsess over any slight reference
to the man, we might have had our very first tease from AEW themselves.
While hyping their upcoming Dynamite episode in Cincinnati on September 8th, the first
show after All Out in Chicago, where Punk is speculated to have his debut, AEW tweeted:
“Join @JonMoxley live and in living color for #AEW's debut in CINCINNATI on Wednesday,
Sept. 8 at the Fifth Third Arena on the University of Cincinnati campus.
Witness all the fallout from #AEWAllOut LIVE!”
Very subtle, guys.
I mean, how much clearer can you get?
It’s at the Fifth Third Arena.
5, 3.
Like the 53rd episode of Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard being on the Rise of CM
Punk.
Try a little harder next time, AEW.
Can’t get anything past this CM Punk superfan.
CM Punk to AE-noooo.
Not yet.
Especially because we might not be out of the lockdown era of wrestling for long.
Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.
Despite what roofer Charlie Perry, 25, might tell you, he who stuck a flare up his bumhole
for England’s Euro 2020 final after drinking 20 cans of strongbow and, quote “banging
a load of powder” - the pandemic isn’t quite over.
Cases have surged around the world because of the more contagious Delta variant, and
AEW officials are now worried their huge upcoming shows could be cancelled as a result.
Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net, who broke the Daniel Bryan to AEW news last week, is
reporting AEW is “extremely concerned” that the recent surge could disrupt their
shows in Chicago, New York City, St. Louis and beyond - to the extent where they’re
planning for contingencies “if there is a shutdown, up to and including a potential
prolonged return to Daily’s Place in Jacksonville once again.”
This is described as an “all hands on deck” situation for the promotion.
And it comes at the same time AEW’s Grand Slam show in New York’s Arthur Ashe stadium
- which will reportedly see the debut of Bryan Danielson - has just overtaken the New Japan/ROH
MSG event from 2019, selling 16,783 tickets.
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This year has already seen scores of WWE releases - both with big name talent like Samoa Joe,
Braun Strowman and Aleister Black, and behind-the-scenes staff, like axing a whole department - and
it seems the company is still trying to make budget cuts wherever it can.
WWE’s longtime Senior Vice President of Talent Development Canyon Ceman has reportedly
been let go, a month after the Wrestling Observer first broke that he’d been cut.
WWE at the time denied Ceman had been fired to the Observer, and they published a retraction.
But it seems there was no smoke without fire, as Dave Meltzer has now confirmed Ceman was
let go last Friday after eight years with the company.
Oddly for the company, rather than fire him instantaneously like so many others, WWE did
apparently release him when it was first reported last month, but wanted to do it in “a certain
way”, letting Ceman know in advance, before him officially leaving the company at the
end of last week.
John Laurinaitis will take over from Ceman’s role, who has regained considerable power
since being reappointed WWE’s Head of Talent Relations, a role he had previously had from
2001 to 2012.
It’s yet another instance of Vince McMahon looking back to the past for ideas, and potentially
a shift away from the Triple H regime he’d created in NXT.
And Ceman might not be the only thing getting released… that was worded magnificently…
as regretfully, I have to do a very sad meme with…
...Drake Maverick.
After somehow surviving one release already, it appears ...Drake Maverick might be preparing
for a post-WWE future.
He was first fired last April, but a heartbreakingly emotional video posted to Twitter managed
to get him his job back in NXT a few weeks later.
He’s recently been involved in an odd-couple tag team storyline with Killian Dain, but
Dain was released on the 25th June, leaving ...Drake Maverick without his kayfabe best
friend.
He’s currently involved in the LA Knight/Cameron Grimes storyline, but he has also now just
reactivated his personal YouTube channel for the first time in 7 years, posting his Rockstar
Spud vs Drew Galloway, now McIntyre, match from IMPACT in 2015.
Additionally, the channel’s About section lists his Rockstar Spud hotmail email address
for bookings - although that could just be left over from when the channel was live before.
Lord knows we never update our About section either.
Before last year, WWE wrestlers having YouTube, Twitch or other 3rd party services accounts
wouldn’t be news.
But since the promotion effectively banned talent from having them, deciding any accounts
belonged to WWE, Maverick’s reactivated YouTube channel with an IMPACT video on might
hint towards an impending release.
What do you think ...Drake Maverick’s YouTube channel means?
Let me know in the comments down below, because I’ll be replying to people, from outta nowhere.
Thankfully, there are plenty more places for a wrestler to get work now than there were
the first time Maverick was released last April - which Braun Strowman is finding out
all for himself.
Strowman was released by WWE at the start of June.
And like a toddler who doesn’t want a toy until another kid plays with it, when it was
reported AEW are interested in bringing the Monster Among Men in, PWInsider wrote that,
suddenly, WWE wants him back.
Strowman himself has now teased that’s the case on Twitter, writing:
“Choices choices choices!!!!!!” with a gif of an old school kid tapping its fingers.
Braun’s 90 day non-compete clause expires on the 31st August - the week of AEW’s All
Out pay-per-view.
Rather ironically, it seems WWE’s grand strategy of signing up loads of talent to
keep them away from AEW, has just created a damn break scenario of them all showing
up for their rivals at the same time.
But it’s not all one way traffic.
One huge AEW star has returned to WWE…
Snoop Dogg.
In a tie-in promotion for TNT’s Go Big Show - a programme about encouraging Paul Wight
- Snoop Dogg joined his fellow judge Cody Rhodes on AEW Dynamite, which saw him hit
a Frog Splash on Serpentico on the New Year’s Smash episode.
He fell with style.
Snoop would then reveal in an interview that WWE were unhappy with him, and briefly stopped
working with him… before realising they needed him to promote a video game.
Because that’s what I think of when I think Snoop Dogg, right?
Video games.
Now, in a flagrant trademark abusing move, WWE have announced Dogg for Summer Jam - I
will send them a Cease and Desist - as a new range of characters in their mobile game WWE
Champions.
I, for one, cannot wait for Snoop Dogg to beat Karrion Kross too.
Thankfully, the current NXT champion got an actual victory on this week’s Raw, sadly
at the expense of Keith Lee, but at least it was far better than his debut the Monday
before - where he lost to Jeff Hardy in 2 minutes because of a roll up.
After that match, Kross swore vengeance on Hardy - but the rematch never happened because
Jeff tested positive for Covid on Sunday, and whatever plans WWE had for them couldn’t
happen.
You’d assume it would’ve involved Kross beating Hardy back.
But not so according to Fightful, who have revealed the original plan was for Jeff Hardy…
to just beat Kross again.
Both the creative team and members of the roster were said to be “baffled by the idea
to beat Kross once, let alone a second straight week.”
Becky Lynch, as one of the biggest stars in the company, however, should be fine when
she returns.
But it seems her comeback might be a bit further off than first thought.
Despite reports teasing her backstage for an impending return before every major pay-per-view
this year - the Rumble, WrestleMania and Money in the Bank - Fightful is reporting the SummerSlam
triple threat between Charlotte, Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. caught people by surprise,
as many expected Lynch to feature.
Instead, the word is that she could be heading to another brand - which you would assume
is SmackDown, as a) they’re not going to put her on developmental when they need main
roster star power, 2) that’s where her husband Seth Rollins is, and c) it’ll keep her away
from Charlotte Flair.
This could mean she won’t be back until the Draft currently expected for October.
Which could tie into WWE’s newest tournament, the Queen of the Ring.
After WrestlingInc first broke news of the all lady knockout tournament, Andrew Zarian
of the Mat Men Podcast is now reporting it will begin on the October 8th episode of SmackDown
and 11th October episode of Raw.
I can’t wait for Reginald to win it.
Speaking of tournaments!
I lost the last season of WrestleLeague because of that god damn treacherous Chopper Pete,
meaning I have to make a music video punishment for SummerSlam weekend.
These are the most suggested, actually doable requests from out Patreons.
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The choices are…
Judas by Fozzy, Stand Back by Vince McMahon, the Final Countdown by Europe, which was Daniel
Bryan’s old entrance music, and Jesse and Festus’ theme Biscuits and Gravy.
Go over to our Poll on a Pole match on the community tab to vote
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first - enjoy Tempest’s review of
last night’s NXT… in about 5 minutes.