Chris Jericho

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

    

Jericho Reportedly Dealing with Elbow Injury

Chris Jericho appeared on Wednesday's episode of AEW Dynamite with a wrap and brace on his elbow, and it is reportedly because he suffered a legitimate injury.

According to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Jericho suffered the injury when falling off the top of the cage following the Blood and Guts match between The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle last week.

While Alvarez was unable to confirm, he added that Jericho may have fractured his elbow.

Jericho's fall was divisive among wrestling fans on social media, as some felt it was a great spot, while others expressed their belief that poor camerawork prevented it from looking as brutal as it should have.

Regardless of the fact that Jericho had his fall broken by padding and cardboard, it was a long drop, and Jericho apparently paid the price for it.

It was widely expected that the 50-year-old veteran would be kept off television for a while to sell the spot, but he was back on Dynamite this week, as The Inner Circle interrupted The Pinnacle's celebration by dousing them with champagne.

Also, a challenge for a Stadium Stampede match was laid down for Double or Nothing with the stipulation that The Inner Circle must disband if they lose.

That suggests Jericho is going to work through the elbow injury, but since Stadium Stampede is a cinematic match, AEW should be able to find some ways to protect him.

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AEW Reportedly in Contract Talks with Andrade

Following his release from WWE in March, Andrade is reportedly in contract talks with AEW.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), AEW and Andrade have been negotiating, but he is "not sure where they stand."

Andrade was granted his release from WWE two months ago after having been absent from television for five months. The former NXT and United States champion's last match was a loss to Angel Garza on Raw in October.

That match marked the dissolution of his stable with Garza and Zelina Vega, and it seemed as though WWE had no plans for him thereafter, which prompted the 31-year-old veteran to request his release.

Since getting released, Andrade has not had a match, but he did appear on Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide's Rey de Reyes show on May 2. Appearing on the big screen, Andrade challenged Kenny Omega to a match for the AAA Mega Championship at TripleMania XXIX.

Omega is also the AEW World champion, meaning a match between him and Andrade in AAA could be the precursor for a rivalry in AEW as well should Andrade sign with the company.

AEW has not hesitated to sign released former WWE Superstars in recent years, including new AEW TNT champion Miro, former AEW World Tag Team champions FTR and the late Brodie Lee.

Given his in-ring talent and international appeal, Andrade would be a shrewd signing for AEW if they can come to terms.

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Batista Criticizes WWE's Booking of Asuka

WWE legend Batista took issue with the fact that Asuka lost clean to Raw Women's champion Rhea Ripley on Raw this week.

According to Middleton, Batista commented on a video of the Ripley vs. Asuka match posted to WWE's Instagram account with the following: "Seriously? Jobbing out Asuka?! [rolling eyes emoji] WTF?"

Batista has long made it known that he is a big fan of The Empress of Tomorrow. In response to a video of Asuka celebrating after being handed the Raw Women's Championship by Becky Lynch last year, The Animal tweeted, "Asuka is my f--king hero!"

Prior to dropping the Raw Women's title to Ripley at WrestleMania 37, Asuka held the championship 309 of the previous 335 days. The only interruption was a 26-day reign by Sasha Banks.

The biggest issue, however, is that Asuka was rarely given quality storylines or opponents during that time aside from her feud with Banks and Bayley.

Now, the writing seems to be on the wall with regard to Asuka getting shuffled out of the title scene. She is set to face Ripley and Charlotte Flair in a Triple Threat at WrestleMania Backlash on Sunday, and if she doesn't win, she may be in line to tumble down the card.

Asuka has accomplished a ton in her six years with WWE, including being a Grand Slam champion, but it is fair to say her usage has been lacking in terms of quality lately.

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Chris Jericho responded to critics this week in reference to the fall he took off the top of the cage following last week's Blood and Guts match on AEW Dynamite.

Appearing on his Talk Is Jericho podcast (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Jason Ounpraseuth), Jericho said the following regarding those who didn't feel the stunt looked as good as it could or should have:

"And for me, I watched it back. I thought it looked amazing, and the thing that was really scary is that if you watch it back, I barely missed hitting my head on the lights at the back of the stage. I went so far back that I almost over shot everything. So once again, everybody in the business knows how dangerous this can be, how terrifying it is and just the margin for error is so slim. There's some hardcore wrestling fans that were bagging on it. That's fine. I mean, you have the right to bag on it and out of the 1.3 million people that watched it, if 3,000 people didn't like it, that's a very small percentage. Most people just thought it was crazy, as did I."

The spot in question came after Sammy Guevara surrendered on behalf of The Inner Circle, giving The Pinnacle the victory. Guevara surrendered out of fear that MJF was going to toss Jericho off the roof of the cage.

Despite the surrender, MJF threw Jericho from the cage anyway, resulting in Jericho landing on a platform that appeared to consist of cardboard and padding. Because of the way Jericho's fall was shot by the cameras, many on social media expressed their belief that it didn't look like he truly could have been injured or in danger.

WWE Superstars Shayna Baszler and Shotzi Blackheart both fired off critical tweets that seemed to reference the Blood and Guts finish:

https://twitter.com/ShotziWWE/status/1390124361357660163

We don’t ACTUALLY want a village to be burned by a dragon in GoT. If they did that, that would be really bad. But if the special effects would have been garbage, it would have sucked also & everyone would have said so.

— Shayna Baszler (@QoSBaszler) May 6, 2021

Jericho divulged this week that he was "really, really nervous" about the fall on the day of Dynamite, and he noted that he didn't practice it until the actual fall occurred.

The 50-year-old veteran said they used black gym mats and cardboard boxes, as he was told professional stuntmen use cardboard boxes for their stunts.

Jericho came to the conclusion that he thought the fall looked "amazing" despite some of the backlash it has faced:

"Once again, I've got very thick skin, and it really doesn't bother me if people didn't like something because we move on to the next week, but once again, everybody has opinions, and I appreciate that and I appreciate feedback. But for me, I always go back to what did I think about it? How do I feel about it? And what I watched it back, man, I was like, 'This is absolutely insane.' It's terrifying. It's a little bit exhilarating, but it's one of those things that I hope you enjoyed it because you'll never see me do it again ever. And I'm glad that it turned out the way it did, but oh my gosh, I was really really, like I said, it was weighing on my conscience all day long. And when it finally happened, it was cool and looked as great as it did. I wouldn't change anything."

While the finish of Blood and Guts will likely continue to be debated for a long time, the match was seemingly a success for AEW otherwise.

Dynamite once again broke the 1 million viewer mark after falling below 900,000 the previous week, and AEW was able to showcase a bloody, brutal match between its two top stables.

The first Blood and Guts match had been slated to occur last year before the COVID-19 pandemic changed plans, but it may have been worth the wait for fans who were excited to see a revival of Dusty Rhodes' WarGames concept away from the WWE umbrella.

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Thanks to the Blood and Guts main event between The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle, AEW Dynamite beat WWE NXT in viewership this week.

According to Showbuzz Daily, Dynamite averaged 1.090 million viewers during its two-hour broadcast on TNT on Wednesday. Meanwhile, NXT brought in 761,000 viewers during its two-hour Tuesday show on USA Network.

Not only did AEW win the ratings battle, but it also achieved a notable milestone:

AEW #1 on cable for the first time ever.

— Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) May 6, 2021

Dynamite was headlined by the highly anticipated first Blood and Guts match in AEW history. Blood and Guts was essentially an offshoot of the WarGames concept created by the late Dusty Rhodes, and it featured two teams of five going to battle.

The Pinnacle (made up of MJF, Wardlow, FTR and Shawn Spears) defeated The Inner Circle (comprised of Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz) when The Inner Circle surrendered to prevent MJF from throwing Jericho off the top of the cage.

Even so, MJF threw Jericho from the cage anyway, sending him crashing through the stage, which may have been AEW's way of writing him off television so he can go on tour with his band Fozzy.

Also on Dynamite, Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston beat Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa; Cody Rhodes defeated QT Marshall; SCU won an AEW World Tag Team Championship eliminator match; Britt Baker won a squash match.

AEW made Baker vs. AEW Women's champion Hikaru Shida official for Double or Nothing as well and announced a match between Orange Cassidy and Pac to determine Omega's opponent for Double or Nothing.

While much of the hype within the wrestling world was focused on Blood and Guts, NXT put on an excellent show in its own right, headlined by a street fight for the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships.

Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell beat Shotzi Blackheart and Ember Moon to become the new NXT Women's Tag Team champions, marking LeRae's first title win of any kind in WWE.

NXT also featured a great opening bout, which saw Isaiah "Swerve" Scott beat Leon Ruff in a Falls Count Anywhere match with help from his entourage.

Additionally, Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher beat The Grizzled Young Veterans; Sarray defeated Zayda Ramier; LA Knight beat Jake Atlas; Cameron Grimes won a squash match.

To top it off, several Superstars set their sights on Karrion Kross and the NXT Championship, including Finn Balor, Kyle O'Reilly and Pete Dunne, while Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory took Kross out ahead of Kross vs. Theory next week.

    

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The Pinnacle defeated The Inner Circle in All Elite Wrestling's first-ever Blood and Guts match on Wednesday's episode of AEW Dynamite at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida.

The bloody affair ended when members of The Inner Circle gave up to prevent MJF from throwing Chris Jericho off the top of the cage. MJF ultimately wound up tossing Jericho off anyway in a moment that should cement his spot as the top heel in the company. 

The #InnerCircle with no choice but to surrender. #BLOODandGUTS pic.twitter.com/KWqg0VYjoi

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 6, 2021

OFF THE TOP OF THE CAGE! #BLOODandGUTS pic.twitter.com/bV3h5M9N2I

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 6, 2021

Blood and Guts is AEW's version of WarGames, which is a two-ring cage match that was created by the father of Cody and Dustin Rhodes, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, during his time in NWA in the 1980s.

Cody made it clear long ago that he wanted to incorporate his father's brainchild into the AEW product, and it finally happened Wednesday with the top two stables in AEW doing battle in one of the most dangerous and brutal match types in wrestling.

The first Blood and Guts match was supposed to happen last year with The Inner Circle facing The Elite, but AEW ended up calling off the match because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, most members of The Elite have gone their separate ways, necessitating a new team to step in and contest The Inner Circle.

Things came into focus several weeks ago when MJF turned on The Inner Circle after feigning loyalty to the group. MJF used The Inner Circle as a vehicle to create his own stable featuring Wardlow, FTR, Shawn Spears and manager Tully Blanchard.

The Pinnacle debuted in the most impactful way possible, beating Inner Circle members Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Jake Hager, Santana and Ortiz to a bloody pulp.

It wasn't long before The Inner Circle got some revenge on The Pinnacle by attacking them backstage, which was the ideal setup for the first Blood and Guts match in AEW history.

Members of both teams cut passionate promos prior to Blood and Guts, which effectively hyped up the match and got fans excited to see the brutality that was about to ensue.

Although there were no titles on the line, the match was a significant one in terms of determining the balance of power in AEW and possibly setting the stage for one of the two stables to go after the AEW world title.

The Pinnacle winning was fitting since it is a new group that badly needed a signature win, but Jericho and The Inner Circle left it all in the ring and should still be in line for some big storylines moving forward.

      

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WWE Trying to Re-Sign Daniel Bryan

Following his loss to Roman Reigns in a Universal Championship match on SmackDown last week, Daniel Bryan's WWE contract reportedly expired, according to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton).

On Wednesday, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Sai Mohan) confirmed the report and added that WWE is "pushing hard" to sign Bryan to a new deal.

Per Fightful Select, there were no reports of Bryan saying his farewells backstage after the loss to Reigns, and it is unclear if he may have already signed a new deal with WWE, intends to work for the company without a contract or plans to go elsewhere.

As per the stipulation of the match, Bryan is banned from SmackDown, meaning he could return on Raw or NXT should he remain with WWE.

In an interview with Keisha Hatchett of TV Line last week, Bryan said his neck was "wrecked" going into the match with Reigns. That could be a sign that he intends to take some time off to heal up before wrestling again for WWE or any other company.

The 39-year-old Bryan has a history of neck injuries, plus he is a father of two and has spoken often about potentially taking on a lighter wrestling schedule.

Since Bryan is one of WWE's biggest stars and has been for many years, it stands to reason that the promotion will work with him as much as possible to give him a contract that provides him with the type of money and schedule he desires.

Bryan has no shortage of options at his disposal, including All Elite Wrestling, and that should help him secure the best deal for himself regardless of where he ends up.

 

Jericho Talks Possibly Wrestling Sting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kv3qPGtSZM?

Chris Jericho has been in the wrestling business for over 30 years, and Sting has been around even longer than that, but the two legendary performers have never locked horns in the ring.

In an interview with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, Jericho was asked about the possibility of facing The Icon in AEW.

While Jericho prefers working with younger talent, he is open to the idea since it is something the fans have never witnessed before:

"Painmaker versus Sting, kind of my alter ego, bat versus bat. It's all there. Once again, it's always based on the story. But one thing I've done really well since 2016 when I came back to WWE and worked with Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, I concentrated on working with kind of guys from the younger generation because I didn't want to see another Jericho versus Triple H match for example. We've done it. So Jericho versus Sting for a one-time dream match, I think it would work. I don't want it to be like WCW in '96 where it's Piper versus Hogan, Piper versus Savage where it's just kind of like the same thing."

Sting made his AEW debut in December, and although he has appeared weekly since then, he has been kept special to some degree by only having one match.

At Revolution, Sting teamed with TNT champion Darby Allin to beat Team Taz members Brian Cage and Ricky Starks in a cinematic tag team match. Since then, Sting has both been helping out Allin and engaging in a budding rivalry with Lance Archer.

Even at 50 years of age, Jericho can still have great matches against the right opponent and in the right situation. Things are a little more uncertain with Sting, as he is 62 and has a history of neck injuries.

Jericho vs. Sting would likely have to be cinematic, but that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, as it would allow AEW to present the match exactly how it wants to and ensure that both performers are protected.

Since Jericho and Sting are two of the greatest of all time and may not have a ton of time left in the ring, it would behoove AEW to make that match happen sooner rather than later.

     

Angle Recalls Backstage Fight with Eddie Guerrero

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle told a story this week about a fight he got into with Eddie Guerrero backstage at a WWE event.

On his Kurt Angle Show podcast, Angle described how the fight occurred, as well as the hilarious aftermath of the scuffle (beginning at the 2:20 mark):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS8Oo_SusJ0?

Angle explained that Guerrero was upset after a match and accused Angle of being too stiff with him, although Angle said he never touched Eddie and it was the doing of his lackeys.

Kurt noted that Eddie got in his face, prompting him to push Guerrero. Angle said Guerrero then went for a double-leg takedown, which Kurt stopped before putting Eddie in a front face lock until Big Show broke it up.

Angle added that JBL joked around later in the night by asking Eddie, "Why would you try to double-leg an Olympic gold medalist?" Guerrero responded, "Because I'm freaking stupid, that's why."

Guerrero and Angle had no shortage of incredible matches in WWE, and they were friends outside the ring as well, but their skirmish is proof that anything can happen when emotions are running high.

Eddie tragically died at the age of 38 in 2005, but he left an enormous impression on wrestling fans during his career, and his moments with Angle are among those that the fans still celebrate the most.

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AEW star Chris Jericho fired back at WWE NXT founder Triple H on Tuesday regarding the Wednesday night ratings battle between AEW and NXT.

During a recent appearance on Cheap Heat with Peter Rosenberg (h/t Bryan Rose of F4WOnline), Triple H referred to the rivalry between AEW and NXT as an "imaginary war" on Wednesday nights:

"The promotional opportunity for us is much better on a Tuesday. And also then not having to have a narrative where it's just constantly about an imaginary war, or this imaginary battle. And, you know, people can say what they want, but the truth of the matter is you compete against everything. If you are creating a television product or content—that is the world we live in is content not television, not internet. It's everything. So you're constantly competing for eyeballs and time against everything under the sun, including sleep and time to do other things, and video games, and TikTok and everything else that's out there."

In an interview with Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post, Jericho suggested Triple H created the "imaginary war" narrative only because AEW had higher ratings the vast majority of the time:

"It will be there for the rest of time, it was an 'imaginary war,' and if it wasn't a war why did they take Wednesday night the exact same time that we had? It was there to take away our ratings and for us not to get re-signed. Three months after that started we were re-signed to a hundreds-of millions-of-dollars extension. They failed."

After more than a year of AEW and NXT going head-to-head on Wednesday nights, NXT moved to Tuesdays on April 13, marking the end of the Wednesday night wrestling war regardless of whether it was real or imagined.

Jericho added: 

"That's typical WWE. It's typical rhetoric. Because I believe that they congratulated us the first week and said, if you remember, 'It's a marathon, not a sprint.' We won the marathon, right? So now it's an imaginary war. Well then why were they saying it's a marathon, not a sprint a year-and-a-half ago when our first rating came out?"

Jericho was referencing a statement WWE released after AEW and NXT went head-to-head for the first time in 2019. AEW won in viewership and had a higher rating in the 18-49-year-old demographic.

Per Raj Giri of WrestlingInc.com, the statement read:

"Congratulations to AEW on a successful premiere. The real winners of last night's head-to-head telecasts of NXT on USA Network and AEW on TNT are the fans, who can expect Wednesday nights to be a competitive and wild ride as this is a marathon, not a one-night sprint."

NXT would go on to win the viewership battle on occasion, but AEW came out on top 63 of the 75 times the brands went head-to-head, according to Staszewski. AEW also won the demo 74 out of 75 times.

With NXT now on Tuesdays, both AEW and NXT have their own nights and face no direct competition in terms of wrestling shows, which should help both moving forward.

AEW Dynamite had over 1 million viewers in each of its first two uncontested weeks before dropping to 889,000 last week, while NXT's ratings have been up as well, including a 2021-high 805,000 viewers three weeks ago.

AEW and WWE may never agree on the validity of the Wednesday night wrestling war, but the fact it has come to an end is paying dividends for both brands in a space that has room for more than one company to succeed.

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Jericho Talks McMahon's Feelings on Broken Skull Sessions Appearance

AEW star Chris Jericho shocked the wrestling world last month when he appeared on Broken Skull Sessions with Stone Cold Steve Austin on the WWE Network portion of Peacock.

Despite appearing on a WWE platform, Jericho was allowed to discuss AEW and what led to his joining the promotion, marking the first true AEW-WWE crossover since AEW was first conceived in 2019.

In an interview with Scott Fishman of TV Insider this week, Jericho said WWE Chairman Vince McMahon may have regretted allowing the interview to happen:

"It was lightning in a bottle sort of thing with [respective company heads] Vince McMahon and Tony Khan giving their approval. I think it was also well-timed. The Peacock relationship with WWE was just starting. They wanted something huge out of the gate. It was perfect for us considering AEW had its first unopposed show [without NXT].

"Once that big Dynamite rating came in though, I think Vince may have had a little bit of second-guessing. Would they do it again? Maybe. I don't know if you can find anyone with respect and goodwill on both sides that would allow that. If they don't do it again, it was one of the coolest moments in wrestling history."

To Jericho's point, AEW Dynamite did over 1 million viewers in each of its first two unopposed weeks following WWE's decision to move NXT to Tuesdays. That included an average of 1.219 million viewers the first week, which was the show's largest audience since its debut in October 2019.

Dynamite's viewership has dropped the past two weeks, however, and it did just 889,000 viewers last week despite a lack of wrestling competition.

AEW is still a young company that will experience fluctuations in viewership, and one can only assume it will bounce back this week with the Blood and Guts match between The Inner Circle and The Pinnacle headlining the show.

Jericho's assumption that his appearance on Broken Skull Sessions got more eyes on the AEW product may be correct, but McMahon's decision to allow him on the show proved that he is more concerned with his own product than other ones.

WWE has become so huge with multiple billion-dollar television contracts that it is essentially impossible for it to fail any time soon, and McMahon seems to realize that, as he willingly gave another promotion free publicity since he knew it would help WWE and its placement on Peacock.

          

Foley Praises New R-K-Bro Tag Team

A new tag team has emerged on Raw over the past couple of weeks in the form of R-K-Bro, which Randy Orton and Riddle comprise.

The team started after Riddle scored an upset win over Orton a couple of weeks ago on Raw, and since then they have picked up victories over the teams of Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander, and Elias and Jaxson Ryker.

One WWE legend who knows a thing or two about odd-couple tag teams is Mick Foley, and he gave R-K-Bro his stamp of approval Monday night on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1389403905398874115

Foley compared R-K-Bro to The Rock 'n' Sock Connection, which was his own beloved tag team with The Rock during the Attitude Era.

The dynamic between Foley and The Rock made The Rock 'n' Sock Connection a huge success, as Foley was over the top and even annoying at times, while The Rock was a cool customer who tried to not allow Foley to get on his nerves.

It can be argued that The Rock 'n' Sock Connection is the greatest comedic team in WWE history, although they still managed to get the job done in the ring and held the Tag Team Championships together on three occasions.

R-K-Bro is similar in that Riddle is playing the Foley role and Orton is playing the role of The Rock. That much was palpable on Raw this week during a backstage segment when Riddle wouldn't stop talking and Orton had to find his inner Zen so as not to snap at his partner.

The Raw tag team division is starting to pick up steam with R-K-Bro, The Viking Raiders, New Day and the Raw Tag Team champions AJ Styles and Omos leading the way.

Tag team wrestling has not been a focal point on Raw in quite some time, but if R-K-Bro continues to receive positive reviews, that could soon change. 

          

Triple H Compliments Mansoor

Mansoor made his main roster debut on Monday night's episode of Raw, joining the Raw brand and losing to United States champion Sheamus by disqualification due to interference from Humberto Carrillo.

Following Mansoor's debut, NXT founder Triple H had some great things to say about the young star:

I’ve watched @KSAManny grow in and out of the ring since he first came to the @WWEPC. With stellar performances on #WWENXT and #WWE205Live, can’t wait to watch him on Monday Night #WWERaw! https://t.co/byA7tD1aZv

— Triple H (@TripleH) May 4, 2021

Mansoor signed a developmental deal with WWE in 2018 in conjunction with the company expanding into Saudi Arabia and beginning to hold regular events in the country.

The 25-year-old from Riyadh is likely best known for the success he has enjoyed on the Saudi Arabia shows, winning a 51-man battle royal at Super ShowDown in 2019 and then beating Cesaro in a singles match at Crown Jewel later that same year.

Over the past couple of years, Mansoor has made some appearances on NXT and primarily wrestled on 205 Live. More recently, he has enjoyed success on Main Event and entered Raw on a 49-match winning streak.

That streak ended Monday, but the fact that the loss was by DQ rather than pinfall or submission speaks to the notion that WWE is looking to protect and push him.

Mansoor held his own Monday on the mic and in the ring, and he may have a bright future on the red brand.

              

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Michael Tarver Blames Cena for Failed WWE Run

Michael Tarver wrestled with WWE from 2008 to 2011, most notably as a member of The Nexus. Tarver was exiled from the group in October 2010 after being attacked by John Cena and was never seen on television again before his 2011 release due to a groin injury. 

According to Tarver, Cena's dislike of him extended backstage. The now-retired wrestler appeared on the Talkin Sass podcast and blamed Cena for burying him. 

“It was Cena,” Tarver said. “I don’t have any heat with him now, I make jokes about it.  But there was a target on my back. I don’t know why he targeted me, but it is what it is. We ended up on good terms (but) I had to defend myself a lot.  Everyone was high on me, and then all the sudden they all turned on me.  People wouldn’t shake my hand—they wouldn’t even speak to me.”

While Cena's so-called "burial" of The Nexus has long been discussed in wrestling circles, it's fair to note that several former Nexus members went on to successful WWE careers. Wade Barrett became a five-time Intercontinental champion before retiring from in-ring action. Husky Harris (Bray Wyatt), Skip Sheffield (Ryback) and Michael McGillicutty (Curtis Axel) were all repackaged and had various levels of success. Even Heath Slater, Darren Young, Justin Gabriel and David Otunga stuck with the company for a significant period after the Nexus disbanded.

Tarver and Mason Ryan were the only two Nexus members to not have some level of WWE success. While Cena may have played a part in Tarver's "burial," it's probably unfair to characterize him as being at fault.

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Andrade vs. Omega Coming to AAA

Andrade will soon be in a ring facing Kenny Omega—just not in AEW as many fans hoped. The recently released superstar appeared at AAA's Rey de Reys event over the weekend and issued a challenge to Omega for the AAA championship.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Ringside News) said the match has been in the makings for some time.

“I don’t know if it’s official, but I have known about this match since the day Andrade was released. When he did that interview where he said that he wanted to face Kenny Omega. He said that because that match was there," Meltzer said.

Andrade has been competing in Mexican promotions since his WWE release but is yet to make his stateside comeback. It's possible that a match with Omega could be a precursor to Andrade finding himself on AEW or Impact television.

Given Andrade's in-ring talent and charisma, it's only a matter of time before he winds up in one of those two companies. For now, fans will have to tune into AAA's TripleMania event if they want their Andrade-Omega dream match.

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Jericho Talks Up Blood & Guts

Chris Jericho spoke to Wrestling Observer Radio about the upcoming Blood & Guts match, calling it "AEW's version of a War Games" while also making it clear the company plans to differentiate itself. 

“It’s the first time we’ve ever seen this. Again, it’s not a true and blue WarGames either. The apparatus is different just because of the way and configuration of Daily’s Place, you’ve never seen an apparatus like this.”

“There are some differences to it. So, Blood & Guts really is its own version. It’s not WWE’s version of WarGames. It’s not Dusty’s version of WarGames. It’s AEW’s version of a WarGames. That’s why it’s called Blood & Guts, it’s got a different name to it.

“I like that. I like that it has to be different, not just because we don’t own the copyright for WarGames, because we are actually making this a little bit different from what you’re used to. So, I think it’s one of those one. It’s a destination match. We’ve already sold more tickets than any pandemic show, just for interest on that.”

AEW had plans for Blood & Guts last year but postponed them amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With better planning and arguably an even better storyline with The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle, the Blood & Guts event is shaping up to be one of the most unique in AEW history.

It will be interesting to see how AEW pulls it off and whether the match lives up to the hype of the build.