One week after the biggest win of her young career, Tay Conti partnered with AEW women's champion Hikaru Shida to battle Allie and "The Native Beast" Nyla Rose in a blockbuster tag ...
Drew McIntyre Discusses Vince McMahon's Leg-Slapping Ban and Perceived AEW Diss
Mar 18, 2021
Ahead of his WWE Championship match against Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 37 next month, Drew McIntyre addressed some hot topics in an interview this week.
Speaking with Alfred Konuwa of Forbes, McIntyre gave his take on several talking points, including WWE's reported ban on wrestlers slapping their legs while doing moves.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Joshua Gagnon), signs reminding wrestlers not the slap their legs during matches have been posted backstage at WWE events recently.
Meltzer noted that the decision to ban leg slapping was seen after WWE Chairman Vince McMahon saw someone do it egregiously during a SmackDown match.
McIntyre didn't confirm or deny the ban but suggested that it doesn't impact him either way:
"For the general fans, if you're good enough [at leg slapping] that you can do it—like a Shawn Michaels—then you're not gonna catch it. It's become so blatant at times that I think you've got to pick and choose your moments.
"But when it comes to the Claymore—let me explain how the Claymore works—people said to me, 'You're slapping your leg.' That's not the case with the Claymore. When I raise my leg and kick forward, you've got a 6'6", 270-pound man jumping and kicking you. I've got a very strong shoulder, so when I'm throwing that kick and I also put some shoulder behind it, I'm just adding force. So, you see, it's not really a leg slap for me; it's just extra force."
The Scottish Warrior also answered for a promo he cut on Monday's episode of Raw in which he was perceived to have taken a shot at rival promotion AEW.
During the promo, McIntyre talked about how making guarantees is dangerous since fans get angry if you don't deliver and "sparks fly."
Most of those who saw AEW's recent Revolution pay-per-view likely made a connection, as the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch main event between Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley ended in disappointment when the ring "explosion" was mere mild sparks flying off the ring posts.
As a result, it became one of the most heavily criticized and meme-worthy moments in recent wrestling history.
McIntyre suggested in his interview with Forbes that while he didn't purposely poke fun at AEW, he may have been doing so subconsciously:
"Everyone seems to think writers are gonna put all this together—they don't. Drew McIntyre's out there, and I've got no idea what I'm gonna say, and I kind of say how I feel.
"I went out there, I said that, and I [heard] 'sparks fly' come out my mouth. I didn't think twice about it. I just rolled right through it. I said my whole interview and watched the match ringside—which was an awesome match. I came back, and somebody came up to me and said, 'Saw what you did there.' 'What did I do?' And then they played it out to me and I went, 'Oh, yeah, that could be taken that way.' Maybe subconsciously I made a joke ... I don't like that shot back-and-forth stuff. I don't see the point. It's not good for business."
While it is up for debate whether McIntyre meant to put down AEW, he did say something that should be music to the ears of most WWE fans.
McIntyre seemed to reveal that his promos aren't scripted, which speaks to how much confidence the WWE higher-ups have in his ability.
Scripted promos in WWE have been a hot-button issue among fans for quite some time, but the fact that WWE is apparently willing to let some Superstars do their own thing has to be considered a positive.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some languageNSFW).
All Elite Wrestling presented a special St. Patrick's Day Slam episode of Dynamite on Wednesday, a show headlined by an Unsanctioned Lights Out match between Dr. Britt Baker D.M...
It may not seem like it, but we're nearly 18 months into the highly publicized Wednesday Night Wars as AEW Dynamite debuted while NXT moved up to network television in October 2019 ...
Soulja Boy Challenges Orton; Jericho Says Vince Hates Rasslin; Latest on Omega
Mar 10, 2021
FILE - This Nov. 20, 2011 file photo shows Soulja Boy at the 39th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Rapper Soulja Boy was among the motorists whose cars were trapped by mudslides caused by a powerful storm that shut down Southern California's Pacific Coast Highway on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2018. No injuries were reported after heavy rains loosened hillsides in areas scorched by recent wildfires. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Soulja Boy Challenges Orton to Fight
Rapper Soulja Boy continued his recent Twitter feud with WWE Superstar Randy Orton on Tuesday by challenging The Viper to a match.
The issues between Soulja Boy and Orton started last month when Soulja Boy tweeted: "Rap game faker than WWE."
Orton responded on a couple of occasions, including with the following tweet on Tuesday:
Fake. Right @souljaboy ? Btw, which one of yo baby’s mommas do I send the bill to for making you relevant again? I assume they all own yo ass so whose cuttin those checks. https://t.co/EvZUOcJ3Hx
Soulja Boy then replied to that tweet, writing: "Yeah that s--t is fake homeboy. And I don't got no baby mommas fool. Looks like your the one looking for relevancy. Enough talking set it up so I can slide on u for the gang, u think s--t sweet huh."
Given how deeply entrenched he is in WWE, Orton has a reputation for having no filter on Twitter. He often uses that platform to stand up for the business he has dedicated his life to.
Many wrestlers and wrestling fans have responded positively to Orton going off on Soulja Boy, and there is no doubt that there would be plenty of interest in them mixing it up.
With rapper Bad Bunny holding the WWE 24/7 Championship and Bow Wow wanting to become a WWE Superstar as well, there is more crossover between WWE and the rap world than ever before.
It is difficult to imagine Orton vs. Soulja Boy actually happening, especially since Soulja Boy isn't mainstream currently, but WWE has a long history of working with celebrities to great effect.
Jericho Says Vince Hates the Term 'Rasslin'
AEW star Chris Jericho provided some insight into how WWE Chairman Vince McMahon views the term "rasslin" and the meaning behind it.
Appearing on the Barstool Sports podcast Rasslin' with Brandon F. Walker (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Jason Ounpraseuth), Jericho said: "You know who hates the word 'rasslin?' Vince McMahon. That's how he'll equate something if it's a bad idea. He'll go, 'Oh, that's such a rasslin idea. That's just rasslin.'"
There isn't necessarily a hard-and-fast definition for "rasslin," but it essentially refers to old-school professional wrestling, especially the type of wrestling that occurred in the south. It largely existed before McMahon took WWE national and global, and started referring to his brand as "sports entertainment."
It is no secret that McMahon has pushed for use of the term "sports entertainment" instead of "wrestling" over the years, but the grip has seemingly loosened recently, as the word "wrestling" is used fairly often now in WWE.
Vince's apparent hatred for "rasslin" likely derives from the fact that he viewed the professional wrestling business as something bigger and more grandiose than it was in the territory days.
That is what led to the creation of WrestleMania, which was a spectacle so big that it helped WWE overshadow all other wrestling companies and essentially destroy the territory system that existed for decades.
Currently, there are many other wrestling promotions enjoying success, such as AEW, Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but WWE undoubtedly remains the worldwide leader, so it is difficult to argue with McMahon's philosophy.
Omega Set for Exploding Ring Explanation, Impact Title Match
On the heels of his win over Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch at AEW Revolution on Sunday, AEW World champion Kenny Omega is in for a busy several weeks.
Unfortunately for Omega and Moxley, their match was overshadowed by an embarrassing ending to the pay-per-view when the highly touted "explosion" of the ring ended up only being a few sparklers. That, in turn, made everyone look bad, including Eddie Kingston, who sold the explosion while trying to save Mox.
AEW President Tony Khan tried to explain it away by saying Omega "built a dud" since he was responsible for building the ring from a storyline sense, although it didn't add up based on the way Kingston and the announce team reacted.
During an appearance on Impact Wrestling this week, Khan promised an explanation from Omega on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite.
It was also revealed on Impact that Omega is in line for a huge match in the near future following a unification match between Impact World champion Rich Swann and TNA World Heavyweight champion Moose.
The winner of that match will face Omega at Impact Wrestling's Rebellion pay-per-view on April 24 in a title vs. title match.
It seems unfathomable that Omega will drop the AEW World Championship to Swann or Moose, meaning Omega will likely add another belt to his collection, which already includes the AEW World title and the AAA Mega Championship.
Omega has been working with Impact often in recent months due to his relationship with Impact executive Don Callis, and with a huge match scheduled, it looks like he could be in the mix for Impact for a long time to come.
Listen toRing Rust Radiofor all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below(warning: some languageNSFW).
Vince McMahon Called Paul Wight; Khan on Christian's Deal; Bully Ray Trolls AEW
Mar 8, 2021
FILE - In this Oct. 30, 2010 file photo, WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks to an audience during a WWE fan appreciation event in Hartford, Conn. WWE's 'Raw' set out to be a special kind of wrestling show from its birth on Jan. 11, 1993.
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and All Elite Wrestling.
Vince Called Paul Wight After AEW Deal
While almost no one saw Paul Wight's deal with AEW coming, Vince McMahon was one of the few people likely privy to the fact the future WWE Hall of Famer was headed elsewhere. Wight's departure came after he was essentially paid to stay home by WWE over the last couple years, only making brief appearances—and not looking very strong when Big Show did pop up.
It seems there were no hard feelings on either side. Wight told reporters McMahon called to congratulate him after the deal was announced:
"Here's the thing, Vince actually called me the day it was announced that I signed with AEW, wished me a lot of luck, agreed that I'm a big asset to AEW and thanked me for all the years I worked in WWE. There's no animosity, there's no anger, there's no dirt, so to speak. This just came down to, you know, contract negotiations and opportunities. Let's face it, over 20 years in WWE, I have done everything there is to do, in WWE. I needed a fresh start, and for me, Vince understands that and understands me as a talent, and this was an opportunity for me to do that."
Wight will be working on the new AEW Dark: Elevation program that's set to debut this year on YouTube, along with occasional in-ring work. It seems like a situation where Wight wanted to utilize his talents in a variety of ways that were not afforded by WWE.
AEW's "big surprise" signing touted for the Revolution pay-per-view turned out to be Christian Cage, who came out and silently signed a contract before walking back behind the curtain. Tony Khan spoke to reporters about the signing after Revolution, saying the deal came together in recent weeks after he realized Cage was not under contract with WWE.
"We saw him very recently compete on pay-per-view, and there was a lot of interest in it," Khan said. "It generated a lot of interest. He was interested in wrestling on a regular basis, and he gave me a call. He said, 'I'd really like to come wrestle in AEW.' And I said, 'I'd really like to have you come wrestle in AEW for me, that sounds awesome.' It all came together great."
Khan and Cage have been friends for years, and Khan said he was "kicking myself" when he saw Christian show up at Royal Rumble in January.
It's clear that Cage wants to be a full-time performer, so this isn't a deal like Wight when he'll be part of a commentary team or in a dual role. Christian looked solid in his return to the ring at the Rumble, coming back after being forced into retirement in 2014 because of concussions. The Canada native wants this run in AEW to prove he's still capable of performing at age 47 and to likely write the final chapter of his career on his own terms.
Bully Ray Trolls Revolution Finish
There's no way to sugarcoat it: The ending to AEW's Revolution pay-per-view was a disaster. The supposed "explosion" of the ring after the Kenny Omega-Jon Moxley exploding barbed wire deathmatch turned out to be little more than Gillberg-esque sparklers shooting out of the ring posts.
Bully Ray took to Twitter to poke fun at the situation Sunday:
While it appears AEW will attempt to steer into the curve of what was likely a major botch, the broadcast did no such thing. Eddie Kingston covering up his fallen friend was treated like an act of great bravery, and the broadcast crew talked up the explosion while Kingston and Moxley laid together selling as the show went off the air.
Regardless of how the thing is retconned in the future, it was an embarrassing moment for AEW—one that may take some time to live down.
The great shame of the match finish is that it will overshadow what was otherwise a fantastic match between Moxley and Omega—one that would have provided a perfect capper to perhaps the defining feud of the promotion.
Fans' Reaction to AEW Revolution Main Event Between Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega
Mar 8, 2021
For the first time ever, mainstream wrestling fans witnessed an Exploding Barbed Wire deathmatch when Kenny Omega battled Jon Moxley at AEW Revolution on Sunday night.
The bout delivered on the explosions and the barbed wire, but thankfully, nobody left with any serious injuries. There was, however, a lot of blood and a few close calls.
The match had been building ever since Omega won the title from Moxley on December 2. This was supposed to be Mox's home turf due to his history with hardcore stipulations, but Omega tried to tip the odds in his favor by helping with the construction process.
What we saw was a brutal encounter that had its highs and lows. When a countdown began to signal the ring was going to explode, Omega and The Good Brothers handcuffed Moxley and left him all alone.
Eddie Kingston came out to shield his friend from what ended up being a much smaller explosion than anyone was expecting. That one moment was talked about almost as much as the rest of the match on social media.
Let's look at how people reacted to various aspects of this match and determine whether or not it was a successful venture for All Elite Wrestling.
The Early Moments
THE RULES:
-3 sides of the ring ropes wrapped in barbed wire.
-contact with barbed wire triggers explosives on corresponding side.
-‘Triple Hell’ (3 zones on the floor wired to explosives)
-30 minute countdown timer until all explosives in and around the ring detonate. pic.twitter.com/vK1cZjSfHF
A crude drawing from Omega on Twitter gave us some idea of what the ring would look like for the bout, although it couldn't properly prepare us for what was about to happen.
This could be either a wild spectacle or an embarrassing stunt show. I prefer the former, for sure #AEWRevolution
Three sides of the ring were covered in barbed wire and small explosives. There were wooden boards, chairs, bats and platforms around the squared circle that were also covered in barbed wire. It was designed to draw blood, and it didn't take long for both men to get their first cuts.
The Irish Whip hasn’t meant this much in decades. #AEWRevolution
Early reactions during the match ranged from curiosity to amazement. Some people were fully on board for what was about to happen, while others questioned how it would go over with fans who have never seen something like this before.
Later Reactions
Nah get the wire clippers Mox down bad lmaooooo #AEWRevolution
As the brutality unfolded, two camps began to form. Some fans thought AEW might be going overboard, while others were enjoying the bloodbath and the story being told by the competitors.
Moxley and Omega were both bleeding profusely by the halfway point. They had both endured some of the explosions we were promised in addition to injuries caused by the barbed wire.
This is where things took a turn. As the countdown played and Kingston covered his friend to protect him, fans were glued to their screens awaiting the final explosion.
What we got was a few sparks in the corners, some light pops near the ropes and a few small explosions at ringside. It was immediately called anticlimactic by many viewers.
Speaking of a fart in church, that ending... #AEWRevolution . It was still entertaining enough, but I thought it was the weakest AEW PPV so far @WrestlingInc
During the post-show media scrum, Tony Khan addressed the ending from both a kayfabe and non-kayfabe perspective.
The AEW president said the storyline explanation had to do with Omega being responsible for building a dud for the final explosion but in reality, the decision was due to the wrestlers' safety more than anything else.
.@JustinBarrasso asks about the explosion. Tony says they're uploading the post-show video of Moxley's promo. Doubles down on saying that final bomb was Omega's fault.
Also says other than actually blowing the two up, I don't know what people would want #AEWRevolution
This is a promotion with a national television deal and talents from all around the world. There are things to worry about like insurance, making sure both men do not suffer serious injuries and not upsetting younger fans with anything too violent.
The explanation was not going to satisfy some fans, but AEW did post a video of Moxley from after the match to place Omega's creative failure in their storyline.
In the end, AEW's first Exploding Barbed Wire deathmatch was met with mostly positive reviews during the match and some criticism once it was over.
Silly ending aside, props to everyone on the show tonight, here’s hoping no major injuries happened and all the talent is good. Hats off to the roster, commentators and crew #AEWRevolution
That was legit an amazing pay-per-view for my money.
Omega & Moxley went balls out in the main event to cap it off, but that final explosion and Kingston kinda forced to sell it was straight up terrible. Not the conclusion a great PPV deserved. I feel for them. #AEWRevolution
Omega and Moxley put their bodies through the wringer during the fight. Nobody is going to deny that they gave everything they had to make this something unique for the audience.
Are we going to see another match like this in the future? It's highly likely considering how much praise it received outside of the final explosion. It won't be shown on TNT, but AEW has a lot more leniency on PPVs when it comes to how much violence can be shown.
What did you think of this match? Did it live up to the hype? Did the final explosion hurt your overall review?
With an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch, Sting in a street fight, a Casino Tag Team Royale, The Inner Circle against The Young Bucks and more on the card, AEW Revolution 2021 had a lot to be excited about heading into the show...
Kenny Omega Beats Jon Moxley, Retains AEW World Title at Revolution 2021
Mar 7, 2021
Kenny Omega beat Jon Moxley in an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch at Revolution on Sunday to retain the AEW World Championship.
The match promised a level of brutality exceeding what's expected of a traditional singles encounter, and it delivered in that regard. At one point, Omega hit Moxley with an exploding barbed wire baseball bat.
Sunday marked perhaps the culmination of a heated rivalry between Omega and Moxley that dates back to Mox's first appearance with All Elite Wrestling at Double or Nothing 2019, which was the company's official pay-per-view debut.
That eventually led to an Unsanctioned Lights Out match between them at Full Gear 2019 with Moxley prevailing.
It wasn't long after that Moxley won the AEW World Championship, and he proceeded to enjoy a lengthy run that lasted 277 days, which stands as the longest AEW world title run in company history to date.
Omega enjoyed success in the tag team division with "Hangman" Adam Page, but after they dropped the AEW World Tag Team Championships to FTR at All Out in September, Omega decided to shift his focus back to singles competition and his pursuit of the AEW world title.
That led to Omega and Page meeting in the finals of a tournament to determine the No. 1 contender for the AEW World Championship, and it was the former who prevailed.
Omega received his title shot on the Winter Is Coming edition of AEW Dynamite on Dec. 2, and it was then that he completed his heel turn by using nefarious means to beat Moxley and take the title in the process.
Don Callis handed Omega a microphone during the match, and he used it to hit Moxley and set him up for the One-Winged Angel to score the pinfall victory.
Moxley made it his mission to get revenge on Omega and take the championship back thereafter, but Omega insulated himself well by forming a faction with Impact Wrestling tag team champions The Good Brothers.
Omega claimed that since Moxley complained about losing a "fair" wrestling match to him previously, he would up the ante at Revolution by making it an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch.
On the surface, that seemed to favor the challenger since he already beat the titleholder in a hardcore match previously and has plenty of experience in that arena.
Given Omega's willingness and need to break the rules in order to win, however, the stipulation may have favored him in reality and helped lead to his successful defense.
Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).
All Elite Wrestling had its first pay-per-view of 2021 on Sunday with Revolution. The event featured several different stipulations and gimmick matches in addition to a few surprises...
