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We've come to the end of another busy month. Pro wrestling, as we all know, is undergoing a seismic shift with the advent of the Wednesday Night Wars between WWE and AEW.
Both sides are doing all they can to get a headstart in a battle that promises to give the fans two highly contrasting yet entertaining products.
There were many newsworthy stories regarding both WWE and AEW that are worth mentioning this week.
This week's round-up has it all! CM Punk, Braun Strowman, an Attitude Era Superstar's return, 2 weddings, new AEW signings, a fresh retro-inspired SmackDown logo, a former WWE Champion's uncertain future and a lot more.
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So buckle up as we walk you through the biggest stories of the week:
#1. CM Punk makes a big statement about a possible return to WWE
Remember the time when CM Punk didn't want anything to do with WWE? Yes, there may be a slight change on that front.
CM Punk just wrapped up his Best in the World Starrcast III interview, and one of the biggest takeaways from the entire event was Punk's comment on WWE possibly reaching out to him regarding a comeback.
The former WWE Champion claimed that he was over the past and that he was open for a conversation with anybody. When questioned whether he would talk to Triple H or Vince McMahon, he said that "he wouldn't not talk to them".
Can you hear the sound of Vince McMahon dialling Punk's number? We sure can!
Punk spoke about a host of topics such as working with John Cena, The Undertaker, his WWE departure, movies and politics among other things. You can catch the interview on Fite TV.
#2. Triple H sends a message to Enzo Amore amidst rumors of a return
As mentioned earlier, WWE quickly shot down the speculation of Enzo and Cass, making their way back into the company.
The Game opened up about the same during his sit-down interaction with talkSPORT's Alex McCarthy. Triple H stated that they had zero interest in the potential comeback, which is why he instructed WWE's PR team to release a statement to bury the report.
He then went on to send a message to Enzo Amore.
"I immediately told our PR to shoot down the Enzo and Cass rumors. Absolutely zero interest. Congratulations to Enzo, I'm sure spreading rumors is working well for him, but I want no part of it."
#3. Wedding season in pro wrestling
The wedding bells are ringing in the world of pro wrestling as two couples got married in the past week. Shawn Spears, formerly known as Tye Dillinger tied the knot with Peyton Royce last Sunday. The newlywed couple were on their honeymoon and came back just in time for AEW Out, where Spears is all set to face Cody Rhodes.
Finn Balor, who has been on a short hiatus, got hitched to Fox Sports host Veronica Rodriguez in a private ceremony. Balor and Rodriguez have been seeing each other for a long time now and only went public about their relationship in June earlier this year.
Balor and Rodriguez took to social media and posted a few photos from the marriage:
Expect Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins to join the list of married couples soon as the WWE power couple recently announced their engagement.
#4. AEW makes two new signings
Alex 'GoldenBoy' Mendez and Dustin Rhodes are officially All Elite.
GoldenBoy was part of the commentary team that was present for AEW Fyter Fest. He has proven experience in the broadcast spectrum owing to his experience in doing eSports commentary amongst other notable assignments. He has been listed as part of the broadcast team alongside Excalibur, Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Justin Roberts and Alex Marvez.
As for Dustin Rhodes aka Goldust, the veteran signed a full-time deal with the company and will assume roles of being an in-ring talent, producer, and promo coach.
Tony Khan commented on the new signing
"Dustin Rhodes has had an incredible wrestling career that has spanned decades. His amazing journey brought him to AEW, and he's rejuvenated his career here. In addition to all of the wisdom he's shared with us as we've launched All Elite Wrestling, he's come here and worked so hard for us. His comeback match against his brother Cody at Double or Nothing was one of the most acclaimed bouts in recent years, and it marked a new chapter for all of us.
Dustin and I had agreed weeks ago after Fight For The Fallen that we both wanted him to stay with All Elite Wrestling. He's already done so much for us, and I'm thrilled that it's official now that Dustin will be on our team going forward, both backstage and in the ring!"
#5. Enzo Amore comments on a possible WWE return
The past few days have been dominated by reports of WWE reaching out to Enzo Amore and Big Cass regarding a return to the company, a report that was revealed by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer. The rumor turned out to be false as per WWE's statement issued via Pro Wrestling Sheet.
Enzo Amore commented on the possibility of returning to WWE someday during his interview with WrestlingInc's Andy Malnoske.
While the former Cruiserweight Champion believes in the adage never say never, he doesn't see himself working the heavy WWE schedule anytime soon.
"I could never see myself working a schedule like that anytime soon. I mean, you just never say never with anything, so, I just know that absence makes the heart grow fonder. All is forgiven in time. I find that - and that goes on both sides of the coin because I worked for the company where at one point, I got fired and was upset... In that moment, I'm so angered,"
But then you look at it and you understand the significance of the timing of the situation and you have time to let that burn off. "Man, I don't hold any grudges. Do I want to go back there? Absolutely, not right now. I am enjoying so much of what I am doing so quickly, of being in these locker rooms and meeting these guys, that I can't imagine going back to a world where I'm on the road 300 days, over 250-280 matches a year."
#6. Rhyno rejected a massive WWE offer to sign with Impact Wrestling
ECW stalwart Rhyno quit WWE last month and returned to Impact Wrestling at Slammiversary XVII. The most interesting part about the comeback was that Rhyno was still technically under contract with WWE when he showed up at the Impact Zone under a mask on July 7th. His return was made official when he came back on the July 26th episode and assaulted Michael Elgin.
Rhyno was interviewed Wrestling Inc.'s Andy Malnoske, during which, the former SmackDown Tag Team Champion revealed that he left WWE on good terms. He went on to disclose details about a contract renewal offer that was tabled by WWE, which could have made him double the money from his previous deal.
"And you know, we talked about re-signing and they offered me more than double what I was making. Way more than double. I just didn't want to - because there's a lot of men and women there, my job is to try and help the younger talent out and try to discover guys like The Rock, the next Stone Cold, and all that.
And I think I can service the wrestling business more on a level like Impact Wrestling and on the independent scene too. So it's very important for guys that have been wrestling for so many years to help out the younger generation because the guys that came before me helped me out a lot."
#7. Ken Shamrock returns to Impact Wrestling
The former Baddest Man on the Planet, Ken Shamrock will be returning to Impact Wrestling for the Las Vegas tapings scheduled to take place on September 5th and 6th.
Shamrock will return to feud with Moose, who interjected a twitter exchange between Impact Wrestling World Champion Brian Cage and Shamrock.
The ensuing back and forth between Moose and Shamrock grabbed the eyeballs and it seems like Impact will be prominently featuring the angle going forward.
Shamrock cut a promo from his house on the most recent episode of Impact Wrestling in which he spoke about his long career in pro wrestling and MMA before confirming that he will be in Las Vegas to confront Moose.
Shamrock's return to the Impact Zone will be the first time since 2004 that he shows up at the promotion formerly known as TNA. After staying away from the ring for a long time, Shamrock returned to in-ring competition in 2018 and looks set to have another run at the age of 55.
#8. Rob Gronkowski wants one 'crazy' match in WWE
Retired New England Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski was a part of a press conference to unveil his partnership with Abacus Health Product where he spoke about his desire of wrestling a match in WWE. While Gronk clarified that he doesn't intend on pursuing a full-time career as a wrestler, he does dream of having one match inside the WWE ring.
"With wrestling, I don't feel like I would be a full-time wrestler, but there is one thing I'm down for. And that's to do one crazy match. Practice it for a little bit, go out there, like in a Royal Rumble, go out there, I got my friend in WWE [Mojo Rawley], practice it and do a full-on WWE match. I'm not saying when. Maybe five years. I got the rest of my life to do that. I've always dreamed about doing that, just one time, going in there and going full out. That may be a possibility, one time, down the road." H/t Credit: BleacherReport
Gronk famously appeared on WWE TV when he helped Mojo Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33. Many WWE officials have said in the past that they are open to offering Gronk a platform if he wishes to foray into pro wrestling.
We sense a WrestleMania 36 celebrity match could be on the cards. He would face his friend Mojo 'little wimp' Rawley and has already isused a call-out.
#9. New SmackDown Logo and trailer
WWE is preparing to shift SmackDown Live to the Fox Network and a new home calls for fresh changes. The first among those is a new retro-inspired logo. We're loving what we see.
It's also interesting to note that WWE seems to have dropped the word 'Live' and would be going ahead with just SmackDown. Again, we're loving the throwback vibes.
Stone Cold Steve Austin also revealed an epic new trailer to hype up SmackDown's move to Fox on October 4th. It's a star-studded one-minute clip with the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Snoop Dogg, Gordon Ramsey and a plethora of top WWE Superstars appearing. You can check it out below:
#10. Sheamus is in the dark about a WWE return
It's been a while since we saw the Celtic Warrior compete inside a WWE ring. He worked a match on the SmackDown episode after WrestleMania 35 and reportedly suffered a concussion that has kept him out of action.
The former WWE Champion was on Edge and Christian's Pod of Awesomeness where he was asked about his current status.
Sheamus revealed that he is 'in the dark' regarding his return and is waiting to an update from the WWE management. His fitness-related Youtube channel, however, has been a saving grace,
"I don't really know what the crack is. I'm still waiting. I'm enjoying my time. It's very hard for me to sit at home all the time, that's where the channel has been a saving grace as well. It's my passion away from the ring and I've enjoyed doing all these workouts.
Everyone being so generous, the WWE superstars, men and women, being so generous with their time and getting on the channel. I don't know what the story is, as of right now. I'm in the dark about it. I'm just training away, trying to get into the best shape I can."
#11. Highlights from Triple H's NXT UK conference call
Triple H took part in a conference call ahead of NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff and The Game was his honest self while answering various questions. Our man Gary Cassidy was on top of things and was lightning quick, as usual, to report on some interesting updates courtesy of Triple H.
The NXT head honcho was asked about whether Vince McMahon would get involved in day-to-day NXT operations with the yellow brand moving to live tv on the USA Network.
Triple H shot down Dave Meltzer's theory and affirmed that Vince McMahon will not be actively working with NXT.
Let's be honest, there's a lot of things that people like Dave say don't make sense. In simple terms, he [Vince] won't be involved.
Regarding the possibility of talents being traded on the roster, Triple H was again affirmative of the fact that no talents will be traded on the NXT roster
"There is a lot of competition over this weekend. I mean that in a positive way, there is a lot to be offered, there is a lot to watch. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, there isn’t anybody anywhere else I would trade with the people on this roster, and I 100 percent believe that this will be the event of the weekend by far, and I'm excited for that and excited for them to go show the world who they are and to show the world that they are NXT - because that is the standard bearer for what they do."
He reiterated his statement to Alex McCarthy by saying:
"I said it yesterday; there’s nobody out there where I’m like ‘ooo, if I could have that’ - nobody. I don’t care who that is. They can make their claims to being the best in the world with their four matches a year. Great.”
Triple H also spoke about his 'bulletproof' NXT talents, praised an exciting young talent, and also spoke about the future of NXT UK.
#12. AEW Superstar comments on Asuka, her All Out match and more
All Elite Wrestling's Hikaru Shida recently caught up with Sportskeeda to discuss a variety of topics. The interview was conducted by one of the ace Indian pro wrestler, Baliyan Akki. The quotes were sent to the man behind Sportskeeda's 'Best & Worst' series, Dr. Hex aka Riju Dasgupta.
Shida spoke about her match at All Out against Riho and sounded optimistic about wrestling outside Japan.
I think that I always wanted to do this. After 11 years in Japan, finishing up my 10 year anniversary show at Korakuen Hall, and winning Titles, I think I’ve done everything I wanted to do in Japan, The timing couldn't have been any better. It is the perfect time for me to step out of Japan and I’m very excited for it.
I don't think we've wrestled a lot in the past. Especially, since she joined Gatoh Move 6 years ago. I have been out wrestling bigger and stronger wrestlers across all promotions, so fighting a woman of a smaller stature and also a technically brilliant wrestler like Riho will be a great challenge and a lot of fun.
Shida even spoke about Asuka and the impending Wednesday Night Wars between WWE and AEW.
#13. Braun Strowman is Vince McMahon's long-term pet project
The Monster Among Men's WWE career may not have reached the desired heights just yet, but he's still one of the most popular superstars on the roster.
Strowman recently appeared on the Not Sam Wrestling podcast where he spoke in-depth about his strong relationship with Vince McMahon. He revealed that McMahon has been very hands-on with his character ever since it was created and was truly grateful for the opportunities that he has been afforded with.
However, it hasn't always been a smooth journey for Strowman, who went through a phase where he was very frustrated with his career trajectory.
That's when he had an important conversation with Vince McMahon that renewed his belief.
"I got to a point where I got really frustrated with everything that was going on. I called Vince McMahon and asked him what is going on because I am miserable, and he talked me off the ledge. He was like, 'look big man, I want you for the long-haul. It doesn't matter what you are doing now, I care about what you are doing 10 years from now. I've invested in you.
You are one of my guys, don't worry, you're fine. And just hearing that coming from that man, I don't know, it's just something I legitimately walked into a production meeting one day and I was like I've had enough and was mad about everything. He kicked everybody out of the production meeting two hours before Raw was about to start, the show was about to start and he talked to me for 45 minutes a heart to heart, man to man conversation and it opened my eyes to the picture of wow, why am I worrying about this? H/t Credit: WrestlingInc
#14. Ric Flair files for trademark on the term 'The Man', Becky Lynch responds
A Ric Flair owned LLC filed for a trademark on 'The Man' on August 26th, which is a little surprising as Becky Lynch currently goes by that moniker.
The application's description read as follows:
"Entertainment services, namely, wrestling exhibitions, live appearances and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered live and through broadcast media, namely, television and radio, and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; Providing information in the fields of sports and entertainment via an online community portal; Providing a website in the field of sports entertainment; Fan club services; organizing and staging entertainment events with wrestling fan club members; Providing online newsletters in the fields of sports entertainment; Online journals, namely, blogs, in the fields of sports entertainment.
Becky Lynch and Ric Flair had an exchange regarding the development on Twitter as well:
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
