WWE Look Set To Sign Former AEW Star; July 24th Live Wrestling News Round-Up

During the July 21st edition of WWE SmackDown many fans on social media were quick to point out that neither Charlotte Flair or Iyo Sky were at their best when they faced off during the show.

With a few spots, most notably a mishap on the outside, going array, a new report as uncovered why things went wrong.

As WWE SmackDown went on the air on July 21st it was reported that the show had been subject to late changes. For once, these had nothing to do with Vince McMahon. Initial reports noted that an in-ring segment had been scrapped and a match changed, due to someone being testing positive or being exposed to COVID-19.

A further report from Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio has now given more details on the situation. Meltzer noted that the match between Charlotte Flair and Iyo Sky was a last-minute decision, and replaced a match between Flair and Zelina Vega. Although Vega was at the show.

You can read a full break down of the changes and how the show was impacted, here.

Konnan has revealed new details of the appalling fan attack on Don Callis in Tijuana earlier this month.

Following the July 15th AAA Triplemania XXXI show, Don Callis was assaulted by a mystery man, and it quickly became clear this wasn’t part of the storyline.

Speaking on K100, Konnan — who works for AAA — dismissed theories about the man being a photographer, and explained how the situation went down.

You can read his full comments below:

“Did he get attacked by a reporter? I go, ‘that’s very inaccurate.’ The guy with Cornette, Brian Last, had written something where, according to Roy Lucier, who is a Triple A super fan who was in the first row, he said the guy was a photographer. I’m like, ‘I don’t know how he would deduce that because he was not a photographer.’

What had happened was, Kenny was doing this interview and Takeshita was going to attack him from behind. Don was going to come out and berate [Kenny] and Kenny was going to go after him. When he goes after him, Takeshita attacks him. We already had security on hand to separate everybody. Some jack-off, he can thank his lucky stars that the group that usually takes care of me in [Tijuana] were out bodyguarding this politician or he would have had his ass handed to him right then and there.”

You can check out the footage of the attack in full, here.

Continuing their build to the biggest party of the summer, WWE has released a new video counting down the thirty greatest debuts in SummerSlam history.

Check out the full video below!

Never one to shy away from confrontation, Eric Bischoff has hit back at recent criticism of the nWo.

During a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Kevin Sullivan would criticise the nWo stating that for all the good it did, one thing it failed to do was elevate the status of the many members who joined down the line.

Eric Bischoff has now hit back at this criticism.

Speaking on his own podcast, 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff disagreed with that assessment.

The former WCW Executive Vice President said that while he’s friends with Sullivan and has nothing but respect for the veteran, he disagrees with his recent comments.

“I love Kevin Sullivan, he’s a very good friend,” Bischoff said. “Nothing but respect for Kevin, but I disagree with him on that. I think Diamond Dallas Page would disagree with that, I think Goldberg would disagree with that, I think Sting would disagree with that. I think there’s a number of people that could argue that point, and justifiably so.”

Do you agree with Bischoff’s comments? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Cody Rhodes has finally addressed the shot he fire at CM Punk during his final interview in AEW.

Back in January of 2022, Cody Rhodes said goodbye to his AEW family as he set off for a new adventure to ‘finish his story’.

During the promo Rhodes would thank the fans, Tony Khan and his friends and family in the back for an amazing three years.

But his final goodbye was not all positives, Rhodes would take aim at CM Punk stating that unlike Punk, he himself went out and did everything ‘The Second City Saint’ claimed he would do in his infamous pipe bomb.

Speaking to Sam Roberts on the NotSam Wrestling podcast, Rhodes has now admitted that even when he cut that promo he wasn’t sure he was going to leave. Although he wanted to make sure credit was given to the people who helped get AEW to where it was.

You can read his full comments, here.

The good times keep on coming for Triple H & WWE as the company has once again smashed a longstanding record.

WWE has officially announced that their recent SuperShow Live Event in the Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City has smashed a 12-year-old record in Mexican wrestling.

Across the two shows, more than 25,000 packed into the arenas to cheer on their heroes, breaking attendance and gate records in the process.

You can find the full press release from WWE below.

“STAMFORD, Conn., July 24, 2023 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that back-to-back WWE SuperShow events held at the Arena Ciudad de México in Mexico City on Saturday, July 22, and the Arena Monterrey in Monterrey on Sunday, July 23, broke records for WWE’s highest attendance and highest grossing live events in Mexico for 12 years.

The event in Mexico City also broke venue records, becoming the highest attendance and highest grossing event ever held at the Arena Ciudad de México, in addition to setting a record for highest-ever WWE merchandise sales in Mexico City.

More than 25,000 spectators across both nights witnessed WWE Superstars including Roman Reigns, Rey Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes, Ronda Rousey, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Becky Lynch, Dominik Mysterio, Charlotte Flair and Santos Escobar.”

Is WWE entering a new era of success? Let us know using the thumbs below!

Inside The Ropes writer David Martin is back with another fantastic feature piece.

This time David takes a deep dive look at the top five factions in WCW and WWE history.

It’s a fantastic piece, well worth a read.

You can check out the full piece, here. 

When it comes to crazy bookie ideas, nobody is more synonymous with the concept than the infamous Vince Russo.

One of Russo’s most bizarre booking ideas was the ‘Kennel From Hell’ match which saw a steel cage surround the ring and ‘vicious’ wild dogs.

The match stipulation was used just once in a feud between Al Snow and The Big Boss Man in 1999 and Russo has now named it as his worst booking decision ever.

In a recent interview on the Insight podcast, Russo spoke about the Kennel from Hell Match in 1999 between Al Snow and The Big Boss Man.

Russo would break down why he hates it and how it all went wrong.

“I walk over to look at the dogs and bro, the first dog licked my hand. And I’m like, bro, I never thought of what if they’re not attack dogs? What if they are pets? You know what I’m saying? Like that’s exactly what happened, bro; these were the lamest, laziest [dogs].” H/t to WrestlingInc.com

You can read Russo’s full comments, here.

What do you think is the worst gimmick match of all time? Write in using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page and we will share your responses throughout the day.

Eric Bischoff believes that one change in WCW could have made the nWo even more of a success.

The nWo is most iconic in it’s purest form, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall but as time went on more and more members came and went with the group containing a whopping 60 members (at various moments) by the time WCW died.

Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Eric Bischoff who was running WCW at the time and even formed part of the nWo at one stage admitted this lack of planning hurt the group.

Reflecting on the rise of the nWo, Bischoff suggested that more could have been done to give a definitive plan for the group and control its growth.

Bischoff would name this lack of planning has his one and only regret when it comes to wrestling’s most iconic faction.

You can read Bischoff’s full comments, here.

Charlotte Flair is widely regarded as one of the greatest western women’s wrestlers of all time and now, it appears, she is helping to shape the next generation of WWE Superstars.

NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton recently spoke about how Charlotte Flair has helped her further her career in WWE.

Stratton, the current NXT Women’s Champion, recently opened up about her career and future plans in an interview with TV Insider. One of her aspirations is to transition to Hollywood.

However, she credited Charlotte Flair, a prominent figure on the main roster, for providing invaluable support and guidance throughout her journey.

“Charlotte reminds me I’m doing everything right. That I’m so young and it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them.”

You can read Tiffany Stratton’s full comments, here.

WrestleMania may be the biggest wrestling event of the year, but there is nothing quite like the mystery and suspense that surrounds the Royal Rumble.

The home of the 2024 Royal Rumble may have been revealed as WWE looks to kick off 2024 with a mammoth return to Tampa, Florida.

According to a new report from Mike Johnson via PWInsider Elite, that could be in Tampa, Florida at Tropicana Field, home of the MLB franchise the Tampa Bay Rays.

The event was last held at the venue in 2021 although no fans were in attendance due to COVID-19 restrictions.

You can read a full breakdown of the report, here.

Who do you think will win the 2024 Royal Rumble match? Let us know by hitting the thumbs below!

Rob Van Dam talks exclusively to Kenny McIntosh while on tour with Inside The Ropes about his shocking WWE title victory over John Cena at ECW One Night Stand!

Check out this never before seen clip below!

Seth Rollins shared a heartwarming moment with Rey Mysterio at a recent WWE live event in Mexico.

At a live event on July 23rd, Rollins defeated Dominik Mysterio in the main event to retain his World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Rollins paid tribute to Rey Mysterio and hailed him as the greatest Luchador in history. In the heartwarming moment, Rollins also found time to throw in a joke about their “Eye for an Eye” Match at Extreme Rules in 2020 before kneeling in front of the star and thanking him.

Check out this incredible heart-warming interaction below!

Uncensored version. #WWEMonterrey pic.twitter.com/QgqHvy8qyk

— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) July 24, 2023

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam has revealed that he once pushed for Vince McMahon to sign wrestling legend and current AEW talent Jerry Lynn.

Jerry Lynn signed for the WWE in 2001 following the bankruptcy of ECW, during his short time in the company Lynn would capture the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship from Crash Holly before losing the belt to Jeff Hardy just over a month later.

Speaking on his “1 of a Kind” podcast, RVD would reveal that he pushed for WWE to sign Lynn and recalls conversations with WWE CEO Vince McMahon asking him to bring in Lynn and let the two work a programme together like they had in ECW.

RVD would state:

“I don’t remember specifically, you know, but I remember talking to Vince about it [hiring Lynn],” RVD said.

“I didn’t know if he saw Jerry and me in this match, [but] we were great together. Did he tell me that I should focus on bigger things? I don’t know if that actually happened — a lot of my conversation was through Paul because Paul had to go to agents’ meetings a few times a day, and when I talked to Paul, he was always like updating me.

Paul had told me that Vince didn’t care for, or didn’t see anything special in Jerry Lynn.” [h/t WrestlingInc]

Lynn would work for the WWE between 2001 and 2002 when he was released following a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Lynne would go on to have massive success in NWA TNA and Ring of Honor.

He currently works behind-the-scenes in AEW as a coach and producer.

Seth Rollins has had a few public rivals during his tenure in the WWE, from his Twitter spat with NJPW star Will Ospreay, to his well documented heat with former United States Champion Matt Riddle.

When it comes to the latter, it appears that Rollins has put the animosity behind him.

Speaking with Logan Paul on a recent episode of the Impaulsive Podcast, Rollins would address his very real issues with Riddle before revealing that the pair have “mended fences” backstage and are on good terms.

Rollins would tell Paul:

“Things that happen outside of here, that is what it is … he apologized and we’ve mended fences,” [h/t WrestlingInc]

During the same interview, Rollins would reveal that he requires back surgery. You can read more on this, here.

Orange Cassidy has landed a new, more executive role in AEW.

The current AEW International Champion has been a fan favourite since his debut for the company in May 2019.

Now his role in AEW looks to be going a step further as Tony Khan has rewarded Cassidy for his loyalty and work thus far in the company by making him an agent/producer.

A new report from Fightful Select noted that the star has been working as an agent/producer. In recent weeks he’s worked on matches between Infantry vs. Kingdom and Big Bill & Brian Cage vs. Matt Sydal & Trent.

Typically producers/agents and on a headset during matches and help keep the action in the ring on time, send messages to the ring from backstage, and liaise with talent in putting matches together. They also speak with the production team highlighting key spots so they know what to expect.

It has also been revealed that AEW recently turned down the opportunity to sign WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart as an agent/producer.

Former WWE Superstar Alicia Fox has set her sights on pastures new and has a new name to go with it.

Speaking on the Muscle Memory podcast, Fox would reveal that she is coming back to wrestling and that Vix Crow is the name she will be doing it under.

The former Alicia Fox would reveal that her new ring name is simply her full name (Victoria Elizabeth Michelle Crawford Fitzgerald) and “squished” it together to create Vix Crow.

Crow hasn’t competed in year and a half with her last match coming in the form of a brief cameo in the 2022 WWE Royal Rumble.

You can check out the full interview from Muscle Memory, below!

Would you like to see Alicia Fox in AEW? Let us know by hitting those thumbs below!

Good Afternoon!

Hope everyone is doing well and had an awesome week so far!

I will be with you this afternoon from 12:30 pm to 6 pm BST (7 am -12 pm EST) with all the latest news and rumours from AEW, WWE and NJPW.

This afternoon we will be kicking things off with some of today’s biggest stories, including:

• WWE look set to sign former AEW star Brian Pillman Jr.
• AEW rejected the opportunity to sign Bret Hart.d
• Orange Cassidy lands major behind-the-scenes AEW role.
• Seth Rollins & Matt Riddle have “mended fences” backstage in WWE.
• Rob Van Dam wanted Vince McMahon to sign a current AEW talent.

As always if you have anything you want to ask us or any stories you would like us to try to provide an update on, let us know by using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!