Vince McMahon

More than one month after the XFL's parent company filed for bankruptcy, league owner Vince McMahon won't bid on the assets.

In a bankruptcy court filing Tuesday (via ESPN's Kevin Seifert), McMahon said in his deposition that he's "not going to be a bidder" amid claims from the unsecured creditors committee that the WWE chairman would attempt to buy back the XFL without fully paying back debtors. 

The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan wrote last week that some XFL creditors felt McMahon was trying to buy back the league, with his sources also saying "XFL president Jeffrey Pollack has called venues in St. Louis and Seattle about reinstating the lease agreements."

Alpha Entertainment, owned and operated by McMahon, announced in Jan. 2018 a revival of the XFL. The league previously ran for one season in 2001 before it folded due in part to financial losses around $35 million after taxes.

Darren Rovell wrote for ESPN.com in June 2018 that McMahon was planning to spend $500 million over the XFL's first three comeback seasons to pay players, coaches and cover insurance premiums. 

The XFL's return season ended March 12 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The league filed for bankruptcy April 13, three days after suspending operations, and listed assets and liabilities between $10 million to $50 million. 

The sports world honored Memorial Day with tributes Monday, and the NFL compiled several messages from players and coaches:

Several notable athletes and coaches paid their respect to service members throughout the day:

Sports teams around the country and the official league accounts also shared messages:

WWE CEO Vince McMahon provided a video tribute going into the weekend:

The Undertaker said Tuesday he was "real pissed" WWE chairman Vince McMahon didn't use him as a replacement for Shawn Michaels to face Bret Hart in the WWF World Heavyweight Championship match at Survivor Series 1997, which ended with the Montreal Screwjob.

Taker said during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast (via Justin Tasch of the New York Post) using him to defeat Hart, who was leaving to join rival WCW after failed contract talks, could have avoided the real-life drama that followed Hart's controversial loss.

"I was pissed," he said. "I was pissed about the whole thing because I felt like there, I possibly could've been used to get what we needed. Take Shawn out of this, let me do it, and then I'll do business on the other side, and I think Bret probably would've went for that."

Hart didn't want to drop the title to Michaels amid personal issues between two of the company's most popular Superstars. McMahon decided to move forward with the Survivor Series match anyway and secretly put a plan in place to have the HBK win by submission without informing The Hitman ahead of time.

In 2014, the Calgary native revealed to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated the situation reached a boiling point in the locker room afterward as he delivered a knockout blow to McMahon.

"It was the most beautiful uppercut punch you could ever imagine," Hart said. "I actually thought it would miss and go right up the side of his head, but I popped him right up like a cork was under his jaw and lifted him right off the hand. I broke my right hand just beneath the knuckle and knocked Vince out cold."

Undertaker explained to Simmons he also wanted to confront McMahon about the decision, but he waited until arriving for Monday Night Raw the following day to say his piece.

"'If this kind of s--t happens again, you've got to involve me here, because it doesn't have to go down like this,'" he told McMahon. "And he agreed. I guess it all worked out. It was sad. I'm really tight with Bret. Bret could've done some things differently; Shawn could've done things differently; Vince could've done things differently. But ... that's one of the great wrestling stories of that era and that decade—the Montreal Screwjob."

Taker is well known for being one of the locker-room leaders during the Attitude Era.

Although the initial reaction was outrage from many angles, the infamous match probably ended up being a net positive for WWE, which went on to outlast WCW in the Monday Night Wars.

Hart and McMahon eventually reconciled, and the Excellence of Execution was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame twice: as an individual in 2006 and as part of the Hart Foundation with Jim Neidhart in 2019.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.  

Roman Reigns Not Rushing Back

WWE has been without Roman Reigns since the March 27 episode of SmackDown, and it doesn't sound like The Big Dog will be back anytime soon. 

Per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com, one WWE source said Reigns "does not seem in any rush to return, and nobody here faults him for it."

Sapp noted that Reigns isn't figured into any booking plans "at this point."

Reigns was originally scheduled to challenge Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania before pulling out of the show amid the coronavirus pandemic. He said in an Instagram video "I had to make a decision for me, but it doesn’t take anything away from what I’ve done and what I’m going to do."

WWE made a quick pivot to have Braun Strowman challenge Goldberg for the championship at WrestleMania. The Monster Among Men won the title and successfully defended it against Bray Wyatt at Money in the Bank. 

Given how many years WWE spent making Reigns the top star, it seems likely he will reclaim his spot whenever he decides to return. The company certainly needs his star power in the main event picture on SmackDown, which is lacking top babyfaces in the men's division right now. 

Reason for Asuka's Babyface Turn

Prior to Money in the Bank, Asuka was positioned as one of the top heels on the Raw brand. The Kabuki Warriors were coming off a long tag title reign that ended at WrestleMania, but both Asuka and Kairi Sane were being pushed as villains. 

Coming out of the pay-per-view, which saw Asuka win the ladder match and subsequently be awarded the Raw Women's Championship with Becky Lynch going on hiatus after announcing she's pregnant, the red brand needed a top babyface. 

Per Wrestling Observer Radio's Dave Meltzer (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Asuka was given an immediate face turn because her first two challengers will be Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. 

The match with Jax seems to be first up at Backlash based on the angle from Monday night:

From a booking standpoint, it makes sense to have Asuka as the top babyface and Jax as her first challenger. Asuka is great as a hero or villain, but her in-ring ability makes her the best suited to hold down Lynch's spot as the top star in the women's division. 

Assuming Asuka retains the title at the pay-per-view, having her defeat a monster heel will make for a natural progression to the match with Baszler whenever that happens. 

SummerSlam Potentially Delayed?

As the wait for fans to be allowed to attend sporting events continues, Vince McMahon is reportedly thinking about what to do with his biggest pay-per-view of the summer. 

Per Meltzer in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Ortman), McMahon is "determined to have a live crowd" for SummerSlam and that could lead to the event being delayed from its traditional August date. 

SummerSlam is currently scheduled for Aug. 23 and was going to be held at TD Garden in Boston. 

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh previously announced that sporting events, parades, festivals and other events with large gatherings of people won't be allowed to take place until at least after Labor Day on Sept. 7. 

The WWE pay-per-view calendar typically features SummerSlam in August, followed by Clash of Champions in September. No date has been announced for Clash of Champions this year, so either moving it back or pulling it from the schedule this year wouldn't be that difficult. 

WWE has been able to adjust its schedule amid the coronavirus pandemic. The biggest change was turning WrestleMania 36 into a two-night event that was filmed primarily from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. 

Given how valuable the SummerSlam name is to WWE, keeping the option open for a live event in an arena makes sense at this point since the show is still three months away. 

Boxing legend Mike Tyson will present the inaugural All Elite Wrestling TNT Championship to either Cody or Lance Archer at Double or Nothing this Saturday on B/R Live. Although this will be his first time on AEW, it won't be The Baddest Man on the Planet's first involvement in professional wrestling. In fact, Tyson was involved in some of wrestling's most important and memorable storylines.

Let's take a look back at his history in wrestling ahead of Double or Nothing.

Background

Tyson was suspended from boxing for 15 months after biting off part of Evander Holyfield's ear and losing by disqualification in June 1997. It was during this time that Vince McMahon, CEO of the then-WWF, approached the condemned star in hopes of signing him to a contract. 

The Brooklyn native agreed and was seen in the crowd at Royal Rumble in January 1998. The next night on Raw Is War, McMahon called the then-31-year-old down to the ring.

First Raw is War Appearance

A chorus of boos and chants of "Holyfield!" rained down on one of the world's biggest villains at the time as he approached McMahon. Before the CEO could make an announcement, Stone Cold Steve Austin—not yet a WWF champion—stomped down the ramp. Taking issue with Tyson's appearances at WWF as the so-called Baddest Man on the Planet, the beloved Austin insulted and brawled with the former heavyweight champion before the two men were pulled apart. 

Many point to this brawl as one of the turning points in the Monday Night Wars between WWF and rival company WCW. Prior to Tyson's appearance, WCW Monday Nitro was on an 84-week ratings run of dominance over the WWF. That ended the following April after Austin, then 34, won the title. Three years after Tyson’s appearance at WrestleMania 14, WCW was out of business while the WWF thrived.

Aligning with D-Generation X and WrestleMania 14

After Tyson was announced as the "special enforcer" for Austin's match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 14 for the WWF World Championship, Michaels and his D-X stablemates recruited him in hopes of gaining the upper hand during their bout. They successfully did, and Tyson alongside D-X wreaked havoc on Austin for weeks in the buildup to WrestleMania.

However, Tyson turned on Michaels when he attempted to cheat during the match. After Austin hit his patented Stone Cold Stunner on Michaels, the special enforcer counted the pin and crowned his former adversary the champion.

A furious Michaels confronted and punched Tyson, only for the 45-3 heavyweight to return the favor with his famous right hook, dropping the Showstopper. Michaels retired for four years while he dealt with three herniated discs from a nagging back injury caused at the Royal Rumble three months prior. 

Austin's win at WrestleMania and the feud with Tyson propelled him into the national spotlight, and he became a household name. Tyson's mainstream exposure helped legitimize one of WWF's biggest stars. Austin became the undisputed face of pro wrestling for years.

Tyson used his newfound platform to get back in the good graces of fans around the world after his shocking actions against Holyfield the year prior. Rather than help Michaels cheat at WrestleMania, Tyson stopped him and in a way condemned his own previous actions. As a result, he raised Austin's hand at the end of the match while tens of thousands applauded both men.

Tyson's legacy in wrestling and AEW appearance

Tyson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012. Although his stint with the company only lasted about three months, it's the impact he made during that time to launch the company and its stars ahead of their biggest rival which sealed his spot among wrestling's greats.

His next chapter in the wrestling industry will be with AEW as he awards either Cody or Lance Archer with the inaugural TNT Championship. What else Tyson does is anyone's guess. One way to incorporate someone who has prior history with him is adding Chris Jericho into the fray.

Tyson hosted an episode of Raw in 2010 and made his in-ring debut by teaming with Jericho against D-X, his old foes from over a decade prior. Suddenly, the guest host turned on his partner by revealing a D-X shirt underneath another shirt he was wearing—a throwback to when he first aligned with the group in 1998. Tyson knocked out Jericho and gave D-X the win. Although AEW almost certainly won't want to bring anything from WWF up specifically, referencing it during a backstage segment has the potential to be hilarious.

Could we see Jericho or someone else get knocked out? It's not out of the question, especially considering the shape that Tyson's in as he prepares for a return to boxing.

What we do know is Mike Tyson will continue to entertain wrestling fans more than 20 years later. 

The Undertaker opened up about his relationship with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon during the second episode of the Undertaker: The Last Ride documentary series, which aired Sunday on WWE Network.

When asked what McMahon means to him, Taker made it clear that he views him as much more than just a boss: "I love Vince McMahon to death. I would take a bullet for the man—honestly, I would. Yes, he's my boss. He's my friend. He's been like a dad. A brother. He's been like it all to me."

McMahon was asked the same question about Taker as well, but the chairman could only muster the words, "Can't do that," before breaking down in tears and removing his microphone.

After wrestling in a few other companies, Mark Calaway signed with WWE in 1990 and was given The Undertaker character. He managed to make it work and went on to become one of the biggest stars in the business for the next 30 years.

Much of WWE's top talent went to WCW at some point during the Monday Night War in the mid-to-late 1990s, but Taker was one person who stayed loyal to McMahon and WWE. The Undertaker's storyline brother, Kane, expressed his belief that the tight relationship between Taker and Vince has a lot to do with the fact that The Undertaker never abandoned him or the company.

Even at his advancing age with so many injuries and physical ailments plaguing him, The Undertaker has remained available to McMahon and wrestled when called upon. The Undertaker's wife, Michelle McCool, said in Chapter 2 of the documentary that Taker is always there when he believes McMahon needs him.

McCool even divulged that The Undertaker's son is named after McMahon, as his middle name is Vincent.

Many wrestlers have worked closely with McMahon over the years, but The Undertaker has been by his side for three decades and has not only been a reliable performer, but a trusted confidant.

McMahon called Taker the most loyal wrestler he has ever been around and added that The Undertaker is the type of person who he would want to be in a foxhole with.

The Undertaker is one of the most well-known characters in wrestling history, has a long list of memorable matches and unquestionably added to the enormity of WrestleMania over the years due to his 21-0 undefeated streak, which came to an end at WrestleMania 30.

Taker has played a huge role in the success of McMahon and WWE as a whole for 30 years, and the comments made by both men on the second episode of Undertaker: The Last Ride proves that their love and respect for one another go far beyond just the wrestling business.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

With Money in the Bank in the books, WWE is working through the fallout from that pay-per-view and also beginning its build to next month's Backlash event.

Money in the Bank was a newsworthy show that featured no shortage of shocking moments, but none was more surprising than Otis beating out five of WWE's top male Superstars to win the men's Money in the Bank ladder match and earn a world title match at a time and place of his choosing.

WWE's landscape was altered significantly by Otis' win as well as several of the other results that played out on that card.

As WWE books the aftermath of Money in the Bank, here is a look at some of the biggest rumors making the rounds regarding WWE and its Superstars.

205 Live Set to Return

The past several editions of 205 Live have been "best of" episodes, but shows featuring new matches are reportedly set to begin airing this week.

According to PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc's Marc Middleton), WWE taped two episodes of 205 Live this week at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The episodes will air on WWE Network over the next two Fridays and are reportedly 30 minutes each in length.

While 205 Live has likely never reached the overall heights and level of popularity WWE hoped for when the division was started in 2016, it has given cruiserweight wrestlers a platform to perform and yielded many entertaining matches and angles.

With the tournament to crown an interim cruiserweight champion playing out on NXT, now is an important time for 205 Live to come back into the fold since it will allow WWE to tell stories within the cruiserweight division that there aren't time for on NXT.

The tournament features Kushida, El Hijo del Fantasma, Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, Jake Atlas, Akira Tozawa, Jack Gallagher, Tony Nese and Drake Maverick, which speaks to how deep the 205-pound division is currently.

With fans constantly looking for new content to watch given the coronavirus pandemic and the amount of talent in the cruiserweight ranks, perhaps 205 Live can finally start to pick up some momentum in the coming weeks.

Reason for Evers' WWE Release

Former NXT talent Rachael Evers confirmed Wednesday on Twitter that she was part of WWE's talent cuts last month because of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Cultaholic's Aidan Gibbons) shed some light on why Evers was let go.

Meltzer reported that "something happened" while Evers was recovering from knee surgery that caused her to complain about the treatment she was receiving. Meltzer added that Evers considered quitting at one point, and when WWE released her, she "was not unhappy" about it.

Evers, who is the daughter of WWE Hall of Fame manager Paul Ellering, signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2019 after appearing in each of the first two Mae Young Classic tournaments.

She suffered a torn ACL in July and never made it back to active competition prior to her WWE release.

While Evers didn't likely get to make the type of impact she hoped for in WWE, she is just 27 years old and has plenty of potential. With so many options for wrestlers in the business, she shouldn't have much trouble catching on elsewhere in the near future.

Vince McMahon's Reported Feelings on the Coronavirus Pandemic

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon reportedly views the coronavirus pandemic as "an annoyance," according to Meltzer (h/t Gibbons).

Meltzer noted that he was told McMahon is "not receptive to the outside world" and feels as though COVID-19 is just getting in the way of his vision.

Coronavirus has had a massive impact on WWE and the wrestling industry as a whole. Over the past couple of months, WWE has had to run its shows in front of no fans at the WWE Performance Center, including the biggest event of the year.

WrestleMania 36 was scheduled to emanate from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, but it was moved to the Performance Center, hitting WWE hard financially. WWE did manage to make the best of the situation, though, by getting creative and holding never-before-seen matches like the Boneyard match and Firefly Funhouse match.

WWE thought outside the box again for Money in the Bank when the men's and women's Money in the Bank ladder matches were held at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

The pandemic has forced WWE to get the creative juices flowing, but McMahon and the other decision-makers would undoubtedly prefer to be holding shows in front of sold-out crowds.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

WWE Chairman and XFL owner Vince McMahon's lawyers presented his reasons for firing XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck in a court filing Wednesday. 

According to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, the filing noted that McMahon fired Luck for "gross neglect" of his job early in the coronavirus pandemic, the signing of wide receiver Antonio Callaway despite the league's policy against signing players with legal issues and personal use of an XFL-issued iPhone.

Last month, Luck filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against McMahon after he was fired on April 9. Luck claimed he was fired without cause, but McMahon's lawyer, Jerry McDevitt, said Luck was informed of the reasons in a letter.

Luck was fired one day before the XFL officially suspended operations because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

After suspending operations and laying off its staff, the XFL filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As a result, McMahon's attempt to revive the XFL came to an end after less than one season.

Per ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Luck was hired as the league's commissioner in May 2018 to a deal that was reportedly worth $20 million. In his lawsuit against McMahon, Luck is seeking unspecified damages.

The original XFL ran for one season in 2001 before folding, but McMahon tried to bring it back this year. The league started promisingly and many of its rule changes were widely praised, but the coronavirus pandemic forced play to be halted after five weeks and the decision was made to close it down.

One of the reasons for Luck's firing mentioned in the filing—the signing of Callaway—didn't have much of an impact on the league since a leg injury landed him on injured reserve and prevented him from appearing in any games for the Tampa Bay Vipers.

Before signing with the XFL, Callaway spent parts of two seasons with the NFL's Cleveland Browns after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft out of Florida.

Callaway showed promise as a rookie with 43 receptions for 586 yards and five touchdowns, but his second year was cut short after just four games when he was suspended 10 weeks for violating the NFL's policy on substances of abuse.

Also, during his collegiate playing days at the University of Florida, Callaway was accused of sexual assault. Callaway was found not responsible in a Title IX hearing.

Luck's hiring as XFL commissioner was viewed as a coup for the league due to his experience at all levels of football. Luck, who is the father of former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, spent five seasons in the NFL as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers.

He later went on to serve as the president of NFL Europe and was the NCAA's executive vice president for regulatory affairs from 2014-18.

Per Fischer, Luck's lawyers said they will issue a statement regarding McMahon's filing on Wednesday.

Sunday's Money in the Bank pay-per-view will feature several significant matches and moments that could have a big impact on the WWE product moving forward.

Much of the focus is on the men's and women's titular ladder matches, which will occur simultaneously at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. Six men and six women will begin on the ground floor and battle all the way to the roof.

There will also be several championship matches, including WWE champion Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins and universal champion Braun Strowman vs. Bray Wyatt.

Ahead of Money in the Bank, here are some of the latest rumors related to the pay-per-view and WWE as a whole.

Reported Plan for MITB Ladder Match Presentation

WWE reportedly may be planning to show the Money in the Bank ladder matches in segments throughout Sunday's PPV.

According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, WWE's plan "at one point" was the show a portion of the ladder match, transition to other matches at the WWE Performance Center and then go back to the ladder match to make it look like the combatants are battling through WWE HQ the entire night.

It's a novel idea, and it could be the best way to keep fans engaged since the men's and women's ladder matches are the main things viewers want to see.

WWE could open the show hot with the start of the ladder matches, go back to the contests in the middle and then end with them to ensure that the most important aspect of the goes on last.

Sprinkling in the ladder matches would also force those watching at home to remain interested in the other matches as well, such as McIntyre vs. Rollins, Strowman vs. Wyatt and Bayley vs. Tamina.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced WWE to think outside the box and get creative, and presenting the Money in the Bank ladder matches like never before would be an extension of that.

Huge Spot Planned for MITB?

While no spoilers have leaked regarding who will win the men's and women's Money in the Bank ladder matches, there has been talk of a huge spot occurring on the roof of WWE HQ.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc's Marc Middleton), "people with knowledge" of what happens in the Money in the Bank ladder matches have described a moment when WWE CEO Vince McMahon demonstrated to an unnamed wrestler how to take a bump on the roof.

Meltzer noted that the ladder matches were taped "a few weeks" ago, while the other matches will air live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

In a recent interview with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, Raw Women's champion Becky Lynch made mention of McMahon showing a talent the proper way of "falling off a tower."

It is unclear exactly what the stunt might entail, but perhaps WWE is planning to simulate someone falling off the roof of WWE headquarters. If that is the case, then it would go down as one of the most memorable and incredible spots in company history.

Latest on COVID-19's Impact on WWE Roster

The coronavirus pandemic has forced WWE to alter its plans and the way it operates, including working around Superstars who may not be available.

Per Meltzer (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), there are "a lot [of people] that you don't know that are sitting this out for family reasons and they're very concerned."

One wrestler who is known to be on the sidelines in an effort to protect his family is Roman Reigns. The Big Dog was scheduled to face Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania, but he decided to remove himself.

In an interview with TMZ Sports on Friday, Reigns said he is taking time away from wrestling to ensure that his newborn twin boys are safe. Meltzer previously reported that Intercontinental champion Sami Zayn has been away from WWE recently because of concerns related to COVID-19 as well.

WWE has continued to provide fans with entertainment while following the restrictions in place, including holding shows with no fans in attendance.

Money in the Bank will fall under that umbrella as well. It's a strong card on paper and should deliver for wrestling fans who are starved for content.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).