Becky Lynch called out Trish Stratus on this week's Monday Night Raw, demanding that the WWE Hall of Famer give her the match she earned last week by defeating Zoey Stark. Stratus tried to decline the match at first, citing her facial injury and the protective mask she has been forced to wear for weeks. But Adam Pearce suddenly arrived on the scene to declare the match had been made official, forcing Stratus to get in the ring and for the referee to ring the bell.

Unfortunately, Stark then hit the ring mere seconds later and attacked Lynch, forcing a disqualification. This technically gives Stratus and Lynch each one win apiece, though the ensuing brawl after the match made it clear that nothing has been settled. Pearce confronted Stratus and Stark after the commercial break and announced Stratus and Lynch will wrestle in two weeks on an episode of Raw in Winnipeg, Canada and that Stark is barred from ringside.

It's complete pandemonium between @BeckyLynchWWE, @trishstratuscom AND @ZoeyStarkWWE right now on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/lo4F03HOH4

-- WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2023

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
• SummerSlam Battle Royal

Seth Rollins Willing to Work Onscreen With Becky Lynch Again

Seth Rollins revealed in a new interview with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri this week that he's open to working alongside his wife, Becky Lynch, on WWE TV again. WWE attempted to push the pair as an onscreen power couple in 2019 but it was poorly received by the fans and wrestlers alike.

"For her, her character was in a different place," Rollins said. "She was in a different stratosphere and it was hard for her to manage what her character was on screen as The Man, as this female, badass, Stone Cold Steve Austin type character and then on the flip side of that having a husband and a love interest and all that. That kind of was hard for her to put together on screen. For me, I'm always like, let's go with the flow. I'm not quite as protective as she is in that regard, probably to my own detriment in some cases, but yeah, I mean, it's one of those things where when you take your relationship and you turn it into a story, it becomes difficult because it's hard for our audience occasionally to separate fiction from reality and at the same time, our business is built on blending fiction and reality. So that kind of diametric force that is sort of pulling and pushing all the time can create a bit of a struggle.

"We weren't ready for it. It didn't flush out. Our characters weren't in the right place," he added. "Our heads weren't in the right place. You know, if we did it now or in the future, it might be different, but I'm also fortunate that it's not a thing that we need to go to. We're both just very strong individual characters and can carry stories individually on our own which is lovely. So if we go there again, I'd love to give it a second shot. I think there's a lot to it, but if we don't, we tried it, it didn't work, and we're still very happily married."

Brock Lesnar once again left Cody Rhodes in a heap on this week's Monday Night Raw, marking the final confrontation before the pair have their tiebreaker match at SummerSlam this weekend in Detroit. Unlikely every other encounter they've had throughout this months-long feud, Lesnar was the first to come out and cut a promo, saying it was "Fight Week" and that he'd be getting paid to beat up Rhodes this Saturday. He demanded Rhodes come out and shake his hand, which "The American Nightmare" eventually agreed to.

Rhodes didn't say a word, opting instead to attack Lesnar from behind with a dive after "The Beast" left the ring. Lesnar responded by whacking Rhodes with a set of steel steps, followed by an F-5 inside the ring.

Can @CodyRhodes slay the beast this Saturday at #SummerSlam?

? DETROIT
? https://t.co/8jJD4Qj6gn pic.twitter.com/2iE9cnuT2c

-- WWE (@WWE) August 1, 2023

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
• SummerSlam Battle Royal

How Cody Rhodes' "Heel" Run in AEW Was Supposed to End

Rhodes' final year in AEW saw him portray a pseudo-heel character where he actively refused to turn heel despite outcry from fans. He explained in a recent interview with ComicBook that the endgame of his heel run would've been a match with Sting, something teased all the way back in December 2020 but never materialized.

"I was going to wrestle Sting," Rhodes confirmed. "I don't think I've ever shared that with anybody and nothing was on paper or anything like that. But I can say I got a tremendous offer from AEW creatively, financially, the full package. You won't hear me say anything bad about AEW or Tony (Khan) or my time there. It was a tremendous offer, but the offer wasn't right for me. What I wanted to get back to was the first goal that I ever had (winning the WWE Championship). But yeah, that probably would've been the endgame. That's what had been discussed, was to get one (match) with one of my heroes, Sting.

"And it's one of those things, you can wrestle one of your heroes or you can work with one of your heroes and he can be the head of creative (Paul Levesque), you can't have it all," he continued. "And I think one thing I do pride myself on as a wrestler is I will make a decision. It might be a left turn, it might be exactly where you think I'm going, but I will make a decision. I will not get stuck because I felt like I'd been stuck early in my career and never want to be that way again."

SAG-AFTRA has been on strike for a few weeks now, something Stephen Amell now admits he doesn't support. As SAG-AFTRA members hit the picket lines in search of fair wages and better residuals in a new digital-fueled age, the Arrow star says striking is a "reductive tactic" in the union's negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

"I feel like I'm insulated in Hollywood, because that's where I live. I feel like a lot of people in this room aren't aware of the strike," Amell said at Raleigh's GalaxyCon over the weekend. "I support my union, I do, and I stand with them but I do not support striking. I don't. I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating. I think that the thinking as it pertains to shows, like this show that I'm on that premiered last night, I think it is myopic and I stand with my union."

#stephenamell support's his union. Let him live. All those popping up with tweets about how he chooses to do what he does,.can go suck an electrical socket. He has a right to his own opinion and how he chooses to move forward. I got his back 100%.
????????????? pic.twitter.com/OqR3N6909D

-- ??Opal Valencia??S?? ???? (@playthetape58) July 30, 2023

Why is the actors' union on strike?

According to SAG-AFTRA officials, negotiators with the AMPTP were hoping to pay actors just a day's salary to use their likeness in perpetuity, being able to digitally recreate their face at a later date without payment or consent.

"This 'groundbreaking' AI proposal that they gave us yesterday: they propose that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get paid for one day's pay, and their company should own that scan their image, their likeness and should be able to use it for the rest of eternity in any project they want with no consent and no compensation," SAG-AFTRA's Duncan Crabtree-Ireland revealed earlier this month. "So if you think that's a groundbreaking proposal, I suggest you think again."

The biggest names in Hollywood have spoken out against the technology, with the likes of Christopher Nolan saying studios needed accountability if they were to continue using AI.

"The rise of companies in the last 15 years bandying words like algorithm - not knowing what they mean in any kind of meaningful, mathematical sense - these guys don't know what an algorithm is," Nolan shared. "People in my business talking about it, they just don't want to take responsibility for whatever that algorithm does."

He continued, "Applied to AI, that's a terrifying possibility. Terrifying ... Not least because, AI systems will go into defensive infrastructure ultimately. They'll be in charge of nuclear weapons. To say that that is a separate entity from the person wielding, programming, putting that AI to use, then we're doomed. It has to be about accountability. We have to hold people accountable for what they do with the tools that they have."

Cody Rhodes has had quite the journey over the past few years, and WWE pulls the curtain back on that journey in American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes documentary. The documentary stretches from Rhodes' early life all the way to his sensational return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 and beyond. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Rhodes all about the documentary, including what was most important to include, how his daughter changed his life in wrestling, and more. The documentary includes references to Cody's full journey, including All In and his eventual signing with AEW, and that full picture was the most important element of the documentary for Rhodes.

"When I talked to Ben Hauser and Matt Braine, who really are the architects of this documentary, I was just adamant that you don't exclude my time away," Rhodes said. "That you don't just say, 'Cody was gone on a boat ride for six or seven years. Now he's back.' I said, 'I know it's difficult and it's somewhat taboo. We're a different team here.' And I said though, The story, it all has to be in there."

"And again, you could take sections of a documentary and extrapolate on them further and get deep, deep, deep, deep into them, but I just wanted to make sure that things were covered honestly and fairly. The good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly, all those things, and it's in there. So my time away needed to be included," Rhodes said.

The topic of family is a major part of the documentary, especially in regard to Brandi Rhodes and their daughter Liberty. At one point Rhodes says he hopes to make her proud to say that her dad is Cody Rhodes, something any dad can relate to, and during our discussion I asked how she had affected his approach to wrestling and his career overall.

"Well, I'd say the thing that changed most for me career-wise was I no longer had any capacity for any BS. It's not ... I have no capacity for circling, backstabbing, politicking, any of that. If anything, I'll just tell you to your face in the polite way this is how I feel, this is what I should be doing, this is what they should be doing," Rhodes said. "Whatever it might be. I thought that was the best to free me up to just be fully transparent. And in an industry for a long, long time where I had been just like everybody else in a sense that there's weird things you have to navigate in show business."

"And when she was born, it just ... My capacity for BS was that was it. I couldn't deal with it, and that was very helpful, helpful for me because also, not only are you saying, 'Hey, this is what I need for me. This is what I want to be doing'. You also are getting answers back about the level you're at and where you should be, and it's just more honest. If anything, Liberty being born and being a part of my life and having to report back to her, it freed me up to just be a hundred percent honest and not coy, not sly with anything. Here's the deal, let's go," Rhodes said.

American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes is streaming now and WWE SummerSlam streams on August 5th, only on Peacock. You can sign up for Peacock right here.

What did you think of American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Tonight's Monday Night Raw will serve as the Red Brand's go-home show for Saturday's SummerSlam premium live event at Detroit's Ford Field. The only matches confirmed for the show are a tag team bout pitting World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn up against The Judgement Day's Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio as well as Maxxine Dupri's singles match debut with Valhalla. Logan Paul has been confirmed to appear on the show, as has Brock Lesnar -- which all but guarantees another confrontation with Cody Rhodes.

As of now, eight matches have been confirmed for Saturday's show. Will any more be added to the card tonight? Tell us your predictions in the comments!

Cody Rhodes on Jey Uso Facing Roman Reigns at SummerSlam

While Cody Rhodes has his hands full with Brock Lesnar this Saturday at SummerSlam, he'll also be keeping an eye on the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Jey Uso and Roman Reigns. While Jey was one of the many members of The Bloodline to interfere in Rhodes' match with Reigns back at WrestleMania 39, he wholeheartedly endorsed "Main Event Jey" bringing down "The Tribal Cheif."

"I think whoever is in the position who pins Roman Reigns and leaves with the WWE Undisputed Championship, it's almost a moment that I can't tell you how that will feel or I can't tell you how that will look until we see it, because I think it's just starting to dawn on people how significant it could be," Rhodes told Uproxx.

"If that is Jey Uso, hats off to him, amazing. Not a shred of jealousy in my body," Rhodes continued. "That is as pure and good a man as you can find."

He went on to say, "If it ended up a situation where I was able to get back and it was me, I wouldn't be prepared for that onslaught of feeling. Because fans, we feel. I'm a fan as well, so when I'm watching him and this unbelievable reign that he's put down, it's like this conqueror of old. It's now a time period. Roman has a timeline, essentially. This is the Roman era because of how long he's held on to these things. It will be very significant and, gosh, the man who does it. That man is a special, special person in the record books."

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
• SummerSlam Battle Royal

WWE attempted to utilize Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch's real-life relationship on its weekly TV programming back in 2019 by having the storylines surrounding Seth Rollins' Universal Championship feud with Baron Corbin and Becky Lynch's Raw Women's Championship program with Lacey Evans intertwine. This months-long storyline culminated in a Winner Take All tag match between the four at Extreme Rules 2019, but by that point, many fans were sick of the storyline and felt it was hurting the momentum of both champions by having their relationship constantly brought up. The two would then publicly pan the booking in interviews in the years that followed and onscreen interactions between the married couple were kept to a minimum.

Fast forward to now where Rollins has reinvented himself as "The Visionary" and currently holds the World Heavyweight Championship, while Lynch's character has evolved to a combination of her "The Man" and "Big Time Becks" personas. In a new interview with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri, Rollins admitted he wouldn't be opposed to working onscreen with his wife again.

"For her, her character was in a different place," Rollins said (h/t WrestlingNews.co). "She was in a different stratosphere and it was hard for her to manage what her character was on screen as The Man, as this female, badass, Stone Cold Steve Austin type character and then on the flip side of that having a husband and a love interest and all that. That kind of was hard for her to put together on screen. For me, I'm always like, let's go with the flow. I'm not quite as protective as she is in that regard, probably to my own detriment in some cases, but yeah, I mean, it's one of those things where when you take your relationship and you turn it into a story, it becomes difficult because it's hard for our audience occasionally to separate fiction from reality and at the same time, our business is built on blending fiction and reality. So that kind of diametric force that is sort of pulling and pushing all the time can create a bit of a struggle.

"We weren't ready for it. It didn't flush out. Our characters weren't in the right place," he added. "Our heads weren't in the right place. You know, if we did it now or in the future, it might be different, but I'm also fortunate that it's not a thing that we need to go to. We're both just very strong individual characters and can carry stories individually on our own which is lovely. So if we go there again, I'd love to give it a second shot. I think there's a lot to it, but if we don't, we tried it, it didn't work, and we're still very happily married."

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
• SummerSlam Battle Royal

Drew McIntyre's WWE presentation has been heavily intertwined with his sword, Angela, over the past few years. "The Scottish Warrior" doesn't tend to use the sword outside of his entrance for fairly obvious reasons, but he did manage to slice through the top rope at WrestleMania 38 after defeating Baron Corbin. McIntyre explained in a recent interview with Cheap Heat that he wanted to incorporate the spot in order to give their match a bit more excitement but also admitted that the stunt wasn't easy to pull off.

"For this WrestleMania, I was frustrated considering I was [challenging for] the title a year prior and I went to Vince [McMahon] and asked him, I was like, 'Hey, that spot we did, I think I can pull it off.' He was like, 'If you can do it, we can work on it but you don't want a WrestleMania moment where you swing a sword at the ropes, what happened last time [when he tried and failed to cut the rope on a scrapped SmackDown segment]? It doesn't work. Millions of people [will] just watch you bounce the sword off the rope, that's not exactly the top babyface to have,'" McIntyre said (h/t Fightful).

How Drew McIntyre Pulled Off His Sword Stunt at WrestleMania

"We got to the day of Mania. I'm backstage practicing with our sword team, they've got a rope tied around the ring post pulling it as tight as they can. I'm trying to hit it, it's not about power, it's about technique and you have to [hit] that rope at the right angle. I was getting about six out of ten and I was getting worried close to the match, [it was] a little concerning," he continued. "It's WrestleMania, tens of millions of people are watching across the world and I'm gonna look like a buffoon. They basically gave me the option to take the risk and [asked me] if I wanted to do this or not, I said, 'Damn right I wanna do it. If not, I'll laugh it off somehow.' Madcap [Moss] was great and did it in a way where I wasn't running and swinging it, I was controlled as possible. He moved out of the way at the last second to give me the perfect positioning for the best chance of success and thank goodness it didn't just go through the top rope, it went through the second rope and almost through the third rope. It looked awesome and it was a great visual, I did the pose afterward."

McIntyre will be in action this Saturday at SummerSlam when he challenges Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. Despite being a two-time WWE Champion, McIntyre has not held a title since live fans were brought back to WWE events in mid-2021.

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
• SummerSlam Battle Royal

Jey Uso will challenge Roman Reigns for both the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and the position of "Tribal Chief" in the main event of SummerSlam this Saturday in Detroit. And while the odds may be against "Main Event Jey," one of Reigns' oldest rivals actively endorsed him to bring Reigns' record-breaking championship run to an end. In an interview with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri this week, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins was asked to give his pick on who will win the SummerSlam main event.

"If it ain't me, it's Jey Uso," Rollins said. "The Visionary" recently spoke with ComicBook at San Diego Comic-Con about wanting another crack at "The Head of The Table" after their last match ended in disqualification at Royal Rumble 2022.

Seth Rollins Still Wants His Rematch With Roman Reigns

"Last time Roman Reigns and I met, it was the Royal Rumble," Rollins said. "I won the match. I don't know if anyone remembers because he demolished me with a chair, wouldn't let go of the choke when he was supposed to. There's a lot there, lot of unfinished business there. So I think that's a matchup that needs to be explored down the line. We are both right dead-center in our primes, a long way to go. I'm sure we'll get there. Who knows when?"

While Reigns & Uso's "Tribal Combat" match promises to be violent, Rollins will have his hands full during the show as he defends his title against Finn Balor. With Damian Priest's Money in the Bank contract and the rest of The Judgement Day all waiting in the wings, Rollins' chances of escaping the pay-per-view with his title reign intact will be slim.

Rollins has also mentioned in interviews with outlets like The New York Post that he actively encourages comparisons between Reigns' championship reign and his own. Since winning the title in May, he has already successfully defended the championship a whopping 18 times on TV, pay-per-view and at live events.

"Immediately people are going to compare whatever my title reign is gonna be to what his title reign is gonna be, my stories to his stories, my character to his character, my promo to his promo and it's inevitable," Rollins said in June. "It's awesome. Great, I love it. Let's talk about it. It's only gonna make things more exciting. It's only gonna polarize people more. It's only gonna give people stronger opinions. Let's go. I love it. Whatever you got to say, you think about, I'm excited to hear it. I'm excited that we are both in great positions in the prime of our careers. Two different titles. Two different approaches."

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
• SummerSlam Battle Royal

Street's wife, Linda, shared the news of her husband's passing on Monday.

"He was recovering from that at home when he developed colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, which later turned into sepsis," Linda told BBC. "That's what killed him. It all came about so quick. I've still not come to terms with it yet."

Street officially retired from professional wrestling in 2014. He estimated to have wrestled somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 matches during his seven-decade career.

Support from the wrestling world has poured in for Street and his family. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque paid tribute to the late wrestler on Twitter.

"A genre-bending pioneer whose larger-than-life presence and ruthlessness between the ropes changed the wrestling world forever. Honored to have called Adrian Street a friend," Triple H wrote.

Drew McIntyre also expressed his admiration for Street, calling him a "genuine trailblazer."

"Adrian Street was before his time, a genuine trailblazer and one of the toughest men you could wish to meet," McIntyre wrote. "My thoughts go out to his wife Linda & the rest of his family and friends. RIP."

Kevin Owens has been a staple of WWE's main roster for over eight years. The former Ring of Honor World Champion signed with WWE in Summer 2014 and made his developmental debut that December. Within his first year in the company, Owens reigned as NXT Champion, defeated John Cena clean on pay-per-view, and won the Intercontinental Title. Things only trended upwards from there for KO as he won the WWE Universal Championship in August 2016. After a couple of years fluttering in the midcard, Owens reached what is currently the pinnacle of his career when he headlined the Showcase of the Immortals for two consecutive years, wrestling "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WWE WrestleMania 38 and winning the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships alongside Sami Zayn at WWE WrestleMania 39.

With so many of his career goals checked off, questions have risen regarding what's left for Owens to accomplish in WWE.

"That's a great question. I really don't know," Owens told The Toronto Sun.

Owens is currently out of action with a fractured rib. This is just Owens's second major injury in WWE, with his last coming in Fall 2018. That said, the 38-year-old superstar has noted that his wrestling career is beginning to catch up to him.

"I used to say I don't see myself not being in the ring for another 5-10 years. And if I said it right now, I'd be lying because over the last few months, I have to admit, I don't know if that's true anymore," Owens continued. "I look at things and I don't know where I stand going beyond the next year-and-a-half."

That "year-and-a-half" timetable sets Owens's WWE contract as expiring in January 2025.

"I know I want to be involved in wrestling. I know I want to be involved in the WWE and I know I have a place here," Owens said of his future. "I just don't know where it is exactly. Maybe it's still in the ring, maybe it's not. I don't know. Whether this is the end for my wrestling, I don't know and I don't want to sound dramatic, I don't want to say this is a retirement speech or anything because I might still be wrestling for 10 years. I have no idea. My thought process right now is just to try to enjoy the next year-and-a-half as much as I possibly can because I don't know what's on the other side."

Could Kevin Owens Join AEW?

Owens previously loomed towards free agency in Winter 2021, but WWE re-signed him before his deal officially expired. There was no explicit interest from AEW prior to his re-signing, but it's likely that the young promotion would've pursued KO had the opportunity presented itself.

"I would have been interested in that," AEW President Tony Khan said regarding interest in Owens after he signed with WWE. "He's a great wrestler. I think he ended up signing for what I believe is probably a lot of money. I think that's great and good for him. We have a lot of people spotlighted here and he's great. Any company he goes to, he'll be a great wrestler for them."

Owens has a number of friends in AEW, both ex-WWE talent as well as stars from his independent days. KO and the Young Bucks have a storied history, as the trio wrestled together in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor for a number of years.

Cody Rhodes's new documentary, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes, officially dropped on Peacock on Monday and covered all aspects of Rhodes' pro wrestling career. That included his departure from AEW in February 2022, a company he helped create and was one of the executive vice presidents since 2019. The trailer for the documentary ended with a specific sound bite of Rhodes saying, "This is my one request in this entire documentary. This one answer, I don't want edited in any capacity, don't even edit this part."

It turns out that was the preamble to Rhodes explaining his reason behind leaving AEW -- "I can't tell you why I left AEW, I can't and I won't. But I can tell you the reasons that were said that didn't actually matter. I didn't leave AEW because of money and I didn't leave AEW because of other talents. I left AEW because of a personal issue. That's it. The byproduct of leaving AEW is the opportunity to go for the biggest dream I ever had and the first dream I had in my life."

Cody Rhodes: "The byproduct of me leaving AEW is to go after the biggest and first dream I ever had in my life."

Triple H: "It's taking that gamble again and saying - I didn't grow up dreaming of being the champion or the face of a secondary promotion." pic.twitter.com/KO7cdm3maQ

-- Frank ?? (@THENEXTBlGTHlNG) July 31, 2023

Triple H Refers to AEW as a "Secondary Promotion" During Cody Rhodes' Documentary

The clip then cuts to Paul "Triple H" Levesque, who discussed Rhodes' thought process on leaving AEW and how it compares to WWE -- "To then take that gamble again and say, 'this is not what I wanted to be. I didn't grow up dreaming of being the champion or the face of a secondary promotion. I wanted to be the WWE Champion.'"

Rhodes' first attempt at finally winning the WWE Championship, a title that had eluded his family for decades, finally came at WrestleMania 39 back in April when he took on Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. He lost due to outside interference and hasn't been back in the title picture since then.

How Cody Rhodes' "Heel" Run in AEW Was Supposed to End

Rhodes' final year in AEW saw him portray a pseudo-heel character where he actively refused to turn heel despite outcry from fans. He explained in a recent interview with ComicBook that the endgame of his heel run would've been a match with Sting, something teased all the way back in December 2020 but never materialized.

"I was going to wrestle Sting," Rhodes confirmed. "I don't think I've ever shared that with anybody and nothing was on paper or anything like that. But I can say I got a tremendous offer from AEW creatively, financially, the full package. You won't hear me say anything bad about AEW or Tony (Khan) or my time there. It was a tremendous offer, but the offer wasn't right for me. What I wanted to get back to was the first goal that I ever had (winning the WWE Championship). But yeah, that probably would've been the endgame. That's what had been discussed, was to get one (match) with one of my heroes, Sting.

"And it's one of those things, you can wrestle one of your heroes or you can work with one of your heroes and he can be the head of creative (Paul Levesque), you can't have it all," he continued. "And I think one thing I do pride myself on as a wrestler is I will make a decision. It might be a left turn, it might be exactly where you think I'm going, but I will make a decision. I will not get stuck because I felt like I'd been stuck early in my career and never want to be that way again."

WWE has two world champions once again. Seth Rollins defeated AJ Styles to become the inaugural WWE World Heavyweight Champion. This title has its own lineage separate from the previous World Heavyweight Championship, as that rebranded WCW Title was retired when Randy Orton unified it with the WWE Championship in December 2013. Since winning the title, Rollins has had successful televised defenses against the likes of Damian Priest, Bron Breakker, and Finn Balor. Including live events and dark matches, Rollins has defended the World Heavyweight Championship a total of 18 times. By comparison, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has defended his prize on six occasions this year.

Taking to the microphone after a recent WWE live event, Rollins responded to one fan who was calling him a "fake a-- champion."

"Being a fighting champion is taking its toll on me. I have one guy over here, that guy right there is calling me a fake a-- champion. I am here in your city, sweating buckets, bleeding my own blood. I am far from a fake a-- champion," Rollins said (h/t WrestlingNews.co). "I am a fighting champion because you guys deserve a champion that's gonna show up, a champion that's gonna sweat buckets, a champion that's gonna bleed his own blood. You deserve The Visionary, you deserve The Revolutionary, you deserve the world champion Seth [Rollins]."

At the WWE show in Miami, Seth Rollins called out a fan who called him a fake ass champion. pic.twitter.com/QGTcdTMNsd

-- Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) July 31, 2023

Why Do Some Call Rollins a "Fake" Champion?

The criticism of Rollins's championship reign is not due to Rollins himself but rather the title that he holds. When the World Heavyweight Title was introduced, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque essentially said it was created due to the fact that Reigns had become a part-time champion, only regularly appearing on WWE SmackDown, and that the Monday Night Raw fans deserved a world champion that would defend his title consistently.

Many took this as Triple H declaring that Reigns was all but unbeatable, leading to the World Heavyweight Championship immediately being smeared as a consolation prize. Despite the initial criticism, Rollins has regularly put on high work-rate bouts that have helped legitimize the young championship.

Rollins defends the World Heavyweight Title against Finn Balor this Saturday at WWE SummerSlam.

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul

Cody Rhodes's mission to finish the story has hit a Beast Incarnate-sized roadblock. Following his WWE WrestleMania 39 loss to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Rhodes has been tied up in a blood feud with Brock Lesnar. The two main event players currently sit at one victory apiece as they head into their rubber match at WWE SummerSlam. Elsewhere on the card, Reigns defends his title against Jey Uso in a feud that's been brewing for nearly three years. While Rhodes prophesied that he and Reigns's business is far from finished, there could be another member of the Anoa'i family holding the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship by the time Rhodes pursues it again.

"I think whoever is in the position who pins Roman Reigns and leaves with the WWE Undisputed Championship, it's almost a moment that I can't tell you how that will feel or I can't tell you how that will look until we see it, because I think it's just starting to dawn on people how significant it could be," Rhodes told Uproxx.

When poised with the possibility of Jey Uso being the one to end Reigns's 1,000+ day run, Rhodes asserted that there will be no jealous feelings.

"If that is Jey Uso, hats off to him, amazing. Not a shred of jealousy in my body," Rhodes continued. "That is as pure and good a man as you can find."

As Rhodes alluded to earlier, that moment of Reigns being defeated has become nearly impossible to fathom due to his unprecedented dominance.

"If it ended up a situation where I was able to get back and it was me, I wouldn't be prepared for that onslaught of feeling," Rhodes added. "Because fans, we feel. I'm a fan as well, so when I'm watching him and this unbelievable reign that he's put down, it's like this conqueror of old. It's now a time period. Roman has a timeline, essentially. This is the Roman era because of how long he's held on to these things. It will be very significant and, gosh, the man who does it. That man is a special, special person in the record books."

WWE SummerSlam goes down this Saturday, August 5th. The announced card can be seen below...

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul

The main event of tonight's WWE NXT Great American Bash was for the NXT Championship, and with Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov involved, it was bound to be a hard-hitting affair. It lived up to that and more, and Dragunov threw everything he had at the Champion. While Hayes continued to stay alive and bounce back from Dragunov's hard-hitting array of offense, he was definitely feeling the physical toll, and at times Trick Williams went into overdrive trying to get Melo back in the fight. Hayes was more than up for the task though, and he would finally connnect with Nothing but Net and take down Dragunov to retain his Title.

Hayes and Dragunov locked up right away, and then the two stars would exchange holds in the center of the ring, attempting to wear each other down. Hayes kept his hold locked in when Dragunov attempted to pick up some speed. Then Hayes delivered a monster chop to Dragunov, and that seemingly awoke the challenger. Hayes kept the attacks coming though, hitting a big boot to Dragunov's face and knocking him down to the floor against the commentary desk.

THIS MATCH IS CRAZY ???#NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/zQITlv6414

-- WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2023

Dragunov looked to get back on track with a powerful kick to the face, and it rocked the Champion. Dragunov focused attacks on the back of the Champ and then caught Hayes and slammed him down with a German Suplex. Dragunov followed up with a clothesline and then hit a series of big German Suplexes to keep the Champion grounded.

"LET'S GOOOOO"

These two are going crazy right now ?#NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/VG9YFZfl8r

-- WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2023

Dragunov kept wearing the Champ down with shots to the ribs, the head, and the back of the head, and Hayes looked a bit out of it at this point. Dragunov followed that with loud chops to the chest and then hit Hayes with a flurry of punches to the chest. Dragunov went for the pin but Hayes kicked out.

Dragunov kept connecting with punches and chops, but the Champion got a second wind and hit the challenge with a superkick. Dragunov came right back though and slammed Hayes down. Dragunov kept wearing the Champ down, and while Hayes would get in a few shots at times, Dragunov would cut off any momentum from the Champ. Dragunov hit a clothesline and then hit another one, but Hayes kicked the challenger in the face multiple times, knocking Dragunov down and ultimately buying him a moment to regroup.

Hayes went for the superkick but Dragunov caught it and hit one of his own, though Hayes would reverse the next move and send Dragunov down to the mat face first. Hayes was aggressive and went right at Dragunov, but Dragunov reversed Hayes' move and rained down with elbows onto the Champ's shoulder and neck. Hayes hit a few elbows of his own and then hit the springboard DDT and went for the cover, but the challenger kicked out.

Dragunov caught Hayes on the top rope and threw the Champ down, and then went for a senton and connected. Dragunov went for the pin but Hayes kicked out, and then Hayes hit the First 48 on Dragunov. Hayes went up top and went for Nothing but Net, but Dragunov caught him and hit him with a powerbomb. Then Dragunov flew in with a forearm and covered the Champ, but Hayes kicked out.

Dragunov hit Hayes with chops on the top rope, but Hayes hit some of his own. Hayes hit a Cutter on Dargunov up top and went for the cover, but somehow Dragunov kicked out. Trick Williams encouraged Hayes from ringside and then Hayes and Dragunov exchanged clubbing blows. Then they hit superkicks at the same time, with Hayes rolling out to talk to Williams and Dragunov rolling out of the ring on the other side. Dragunov then came in and collided with Williams, and Hayes rolled Dragunov into the ring. Hayes went up top and hit Nothing but Net, and then would cover Dragunov and retain his Championship.

You can find the full card and updated results for Great American Bash below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) def. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) def. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) def. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Family (C) def. Gallus

Roxanne Perez def. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin - No Winner, Both Counted Out

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz def. Meta-Four - Eight Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash is now streaming on Peacock.

What did you think of the Great American Bash? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

After Chase U's Thea Hail made Tiffany Stratton tap during their last match for the WWE NXT Women's Championship, Hail earned herself a second shot at the Title at the Great American Bash. With the stipulation being a submission match, Hail was confident she could make Stratton tap once again, and at several points looked to lock in the Kimura. Stratton was able to maneuver around that throughout most of the match though, and the Champ would lock in a Boston Crab on Hail. Stratton kept Hail in the center of the ring and reapplied the hold constantly, never letting Hail regroup. Hail never tapped, but Andre Chase threw the red flag and called it for his star student, and Stratton successfully retained her Championship.

Hail and Stratton locked up and Stratton tried to go for a pin but the referee reminded her it was a submission match. Stratton got one locked in and set about stretching Hail, but Hail countered the move and tried to hyper-extend the elbow of Stratton. Stratton then picked up Hail and slammed her into the post, and then followed that up by wrapping Hail around the post and stretching the challenger as painfully as possible.'

These two are killing it!@theahail_wwe and @tiffstrattonwwe are putting it all on the line tonight for the #WWENXT Women's Championship!#NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/xOMrBbh1gF

-- WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2023

A suplex to Hail followed, and then Stratton collided with Hail in the corner turnbuckle. Stratton went for a submission but Hail countered and escaped. Hail tried to go for a move but damage had been done to her back. That didn't stop Hail from knocking the Champion down to the mat repeatedly, and she ended the run with a suplex.

Hail went for her trademark springboard but Stratton caught her and looked to put pressure on Hail's ribs. Hail escaped and went on a big run, knocking the Champion to the outside and shoving Stratton's shoulder into the ring post. Then Hail went up top and connected with a splash, but Stratton rolled through it and picked up Hail. Then Hail tried to turn that into a Kimura, but Stratton kept it from happening by slamming Hail into the turnbuckle.

Hail then locked in the Kimura and kept Stratton away from the bottom rope, but the Champion was able to grab the rope. Hail then locked in another Kimora, but Stratton slammed Hail into the corner of the barricade and then slammed Hail into the steep steps. Stratton got Hail into the ring and locked in a Boston Crab and Hail crawled to the ropes, but Stratton kept the break from happening.

Stratton kept the hold locked in and Hail was in pain. Stratton continued to let go and then lock in the hold again, and she then tried to lock it in again, pressing her knee into Hail's back. Hail still wouldn't tap out, but it was Andre Chase who made the call, throwing the red flag into the ring to call off the match and give Stratton the win.

You can find the full card and updated results for Great American Bash below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) def. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) def. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Family (C) def. Gallus

Roxanne Perez def. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin - No Winner, Both Counted Out

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz def. Meta-Four - Eight Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash is now streaming on Peacock.

What have you thought of the Great American Bash so far? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

After utilizing the entirety of The Judgement Day to overwhelm Wes Lee and take his North American Championship, Dominik Mysterio has been cruising on a high. He's offered plenty of talk, but tonight he was faced with his greatest obstacle yet, as he had to defend the Title from not only Lee but also Mustafa Ali. Dominik was a target of both early on, with Ali and Lee fighting at times to see who would attack Dominik next. Unfortunately for them, Rhea Ripley was also at ringside, and she interfered right from the start. It would be her presence that allow Dominik to retain his Title, leaving Ali and Lee angry and devastated.

Dominik started off outside of the ring with Ripley guarding him against Ali, but Lee then came out and flanked him, and Dominik ran for his life back into the ring. Then Ali and Lee caught him and just stomped him repeatedly, but then Lee and Ali started fighting over who got to attack Dominik. They teamed up at one point and knocked Dominik out of the ring, and then they turned their attention towards each other.

???@RheaRipley_WWE JUST SENT @WESLEE_WWE THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE DESK!!!#NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/THcYpbxmEY

-- WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2023

Ali tried to cover Lee but Lee kicked out, and then Lee went for his own pin, but Ali kicked out. Lee and Ali traded strikes until Ali gained control briefly, and that led to Dominik pushing both Ali and Lee off the top turnbuckle, sending them flying and colliding with the floor.

"Like it or not, we're taking over."@DomMysterio35 @RheaRipley_WWE #NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/wQuESpDDpM

-- WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2023

Dominik went for the cover on Ali but he kicked out. Then Dominik went for the Three Amigos on Ali, but Lee broke it up, only to get hit with a Three Amigos of his own. Then Dominik went to lift Ali and Lee, but they countered and duplexed Dominik instead. They did it again too, and then hit a third combo suplex on Dominik. Ali went for the cover but Lee broke it up, and then Lee went for the cover but Ali broke it up.

Lee got back to his feet and spun Ali into Dominik, and then hit a superkick to cause a DDT to Ali. Double knees followed from Lee but Ali dropkicked Lee and broke up the cover on Dominik. Ali threw Dominik out of the ring and then focused on Lee, knocking him down to the mat and then hitting a nasty DDT off the top rope. Ali covered Lee but then Dominik went to break it up and hit Lee instead thanks to Ali getting out of the way.

Ali dodged Dominik again and hit a neckbreaker, and then put Lee on top of Dominik and locked them in a Camel Clutch. Dominik bit them to get free and set up Lee for a 619, but Ali broke it up. Ali then hit a kick to Lee and had both Dominik and Lee set up for a move. Ali went for the 450 on both, but they both dodged it and Ali slammed into the ring apron and then the floor.

Then Ripley went after Lee, but he was able to dodge her for a while and then slammed down Dominik. That only angered Ripley more, and she chased Lee until she caught him and slammed him into the announce table, shattering it in the process. Then Dominik hit Lee with Ripley's Title when the referee wasn't looking, but Lee still kicked out of the pin. Then Ali came soaring in and knocked Dominik away before colliding with Lee on a 450, but Ripley pulled his legs out and broke up the pin.

At that point, Dominik hit the Frog Splash and got the pin and the win, retaining his NXT North American Championship. Ali and Lee looked upset and angry back in the ring as they watched Ripley and Dominik leave, and it seems NXT will still be dealing with The Judgement Day for a while longer.

After several weeks of appearances in WWE NXT, Gable Steveson announced that he was not pursuing more Olympic gold or another National Championship. Instead, he was going to start his WWE career in NXT, but he was interrupted by Baron Corbin, and thanks to Corbin sticking his nose into things, Gable's first match was against Corbin at the Great American Bash, and Corbin clearly had the crowd on his side. The fight would spill to the outside at several points, and that led to both stars being counted out. The fight continued though, and Corbin ended up being slammed through the barricade. It was clear that Corbin was the favorite of the crowd, and we can't wait to see what NXT does with this storyline moving forward.

Gable went to takedown Corbin quickly but Corbin was able to avoid it. Gable quickly got back in the driver's seat, delivering several forearms and strikes, and then soon after Gable hit the Ankle Lock but Corbin got to the ropes. Gable chased him out of the ring and hit a German Suplex on the floor, but Corbin slammed Gable into the ring post twice and caught his breath.

Welcome to #WWENXT, @GableSteveson ?#NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/3tNyI2KDbJ

-- WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2023

Corbin got Gable back in the ring and slammed Gable's shoulder into the post before hitting him in the face. Then Corbin slammed Gable's head into the ring post and followed up with some knee strikes and kicks. The crowd started to cheer Corbin and then Corbin lifted Gable on his shoulders and slammed him down into a cover, but Gable kicked out.

Corbin slammed Gable's face into the ropes and then went for the pin, but Gable kicked out. Gable came back and slammed Corbin's face into the ropes to get some payback, and then Corbin kept Gable down with stomps and shoves. Gable got his bearings and then hit three suplexes in a row before throwing Corbin to the outside.

Gable clotheslined Corbin over the ropes to the outside, but Corbin slammed Gable against the ring apron. The commentary team had to move quickly, as Gable threw Corbin over the table. They continued to fight on the outside and were counted out, but they kept fighting on the outside by the tables.

Then security came out to split them up, but they couldn't manage to keep them separated. Gable got some big shots in and really started being aggressive, but Corbin fired right back. More security poured in and tried to split them up, but things poured to the outside again, and Gable sent Corbin right through the barricade. Gable would get back in the ring and celebrate the win, but the crowd was firmly in favor of Corbin, and it will be interesting to see if NXT pivots or changes course in regards to Gable as a result.

You can find the full card and updated results for Great American Bash below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) def. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Family (C) def. Gallus

Roxanne Perez def. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin - No Winner, Both Counted Out

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz def. Meta-Four - Eight Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash is now streaming on Peacock.

What have you thought of the Great American Bash so far? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

WWE Superstar Baron Corbin has debuted a new look, Titantron, and entrance theme for his big match against newcomer Gable Steveson at NXT Great American Bash! Corbin was one of the more surprising returns to the WWE NXT roster over the last few weeks as he's notably been trying to figure out what to do next after being dropped by John Layfield on WWE Monday Night Raw. He's been in the mix for the last few weeks, and teasing that he would be dropping all of his gimmicks from the past in favor of a new vibe moving forward with his time in NXT.

Promos during WWE NXT episodes had showcased how Baron Corbin was actively burning all of his previous identities in order to start fresh with something new. This was finally revealed to be the case for his match against Gable Steveson at NXT Great American Bash 2023 with a new look, theme, and Titantron. Telling all that he will now "Burn the Ships," this new version of Corbin promised to be tougher and more aggressive than he has been in a while. Check out Baron Corbin's new makeover below:

Burn The Ships. @BaronCorbinWWE has arrived to #NXTGAB. pic.twitter.com/S7kSwdLpqL

-- WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2023

How to Watch NXT Great American Bash 2023

The match turned out a lot different for both Corbin and Steveson than fans might have expected it all to play out, and now it seems like we're at the start of something brand new for Corbin as he rebuilds his identity after all of those changes he went through on both Raw and SmackDown. The NXT Great American Bash 2023 premium live event is now ongoing live and streaming with Peacock. The match card and results so far for NXT: Great American Bash 2023 breaks down as such:

• Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon, and Valentina Feroz def. The Meta-Four
• NXT Tag Team Championships Match: Tony D'Angelo and Stacks (c) def. Gallus with Joe Coffey
• Weapons Wild Match: Roxanne Perez def. Blair Davenport
• Gable Stevenson def. Baron Corbin (via disqualification)
• NXT North American Championship: "Dirty" Dom Mysterio (c) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali
• NXT Women's Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Thea Hail
• NXT Championship: Carmelo Hayes (c). vs. Ilja Dragunov

What did you think of Baron Corbin's makeover for NXT Great American Bash 2023? How are you liking the premium live event overall? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!

The Family kicked off WWE NXT Great American Bash in style, and Tony D'Angelo and Stacks had their eyes set on Title gold. The Family would take on NXT Tag Team Champions Gallus (Mark Coffey and Wolfgang), though Joe Coffey would also be at ringside, and he successfully interfered at several points in the match. It wasn't enough to derail The Family though, as not only did D'Angelo even the odds with a crowbar shot that took Joe out, but D'Angelo and Stacks strategically took out the other members of Gallus to set them up for the win. Tony and Stacks would get the pin and the win and are now your new NXT Tag Team Champions.

Stacks and Wolfgang started things off and Gallus took control early, kicking Stacks down and keeping him down for a minute, but Stacks turned the tables and knocked Marc Coffey around until he could tag in D'Angelo. D'Angelo got to stomping on Coffey and pushing away Wolfgang, and then Stacks tagged in and went for the cover but Coffey kicked out.

You just know @TonyDangeloWWE has been waiting for this moment ?@Channing_WWE #NXTGAB pic.twitter.com/W5d2EpIDCR

-- WWE (@WWE) July 31, 2023

Joe Coffey interfered and then caused a problem on his own team. D'Angelo went to address it but got slammed down on the outside, and that led to Stacks getting a bit outnumbered. Wolfgang stomped Stacks down in the corner, and then Coffey tagged in and kept Stacks from tagging in Tony. Joe interfered again and punched Stacks in the face without the referee seeing.

Gallus continued to isolate Stacks from Tony, but Stacks was able to kick out of the cover. Stacks eventually got to Tony and staged him in, and the Don knocked down everyone and went to work on Mark Coffey. He went for the cover but when Wolfgang went to interfere, D'Angelo got out of the way and Wolfgang hit his own teammate. Then Stacks and Tony punished Mark and Wolfgang in the middle of the ring.

Stacks tagged in as D'Angelo hit a Superplex on Mark and Stacks hit the diving headbutt from the other turnbuckle, but Wolfgang broke up the cover attempt. Wolfgang and Mark secretly tagged and Wolfgang covered Stacks while Mark kept D'Angelo busy, but Stacks shocked them both when he kicked out of the pin. Gallus tried to use a weapon but the referee kept them from using it. That still allowed Wolfgang and Mark to attack Stacks and go for the pin, but D'Angelo broke it up.

D'Angelo then threw Mark into Wolfgang, and they collided with the steel steps. In the ring, Joe Coffey ran towards Stacks but since the referee was distracted, D'Angelo hit Joe with a crowbar and got rid of it. D'Angelo and Stacks slammed down Wolfgang and got the pin and the win, making Tony D'Angelo and Stacks the new WWE NXT Tag Team Champions!

You can find the full card and updated results for Great American Bash below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Family (C) def. Gallus

Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz def. Meta-Four - Eight Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash is now streaming on Peacock.

What have you thought of the Great American Bash so far? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Shawn Michaels has been overseeing the booking of NXT since 2021, and in that time WWE's developmental brand has gone in a variety of directions that differ from the "Black and Gold Era" of the late 2010s. That era was overseen by Paul "Triple H" Levesque, who now has his hands full booking WWE's main roster. In an interview with Busted Open Radio ahead of tonight's NXT: The Great American Bash 2023 pay-per-view, Michaels pinpointed the only thing booking-wise he and Levesque tend to differ on -- comedy.

"It's challenging for me to answer because we are almost aligned all the time, 99.9% of the time," Michaels admitted (h/t WrestlingNews.co). "I don't think there's anything where we are just completely different. There are just times where he's going to be a lot more serious on things. I'm a little bit more levity sometimes. I like a mix of some humor and some entertainment where he's a bit more legitimizing and wanting more seriousness and a bit more old school. So those are I think the only areas we will sometimes differentiate.

"That's why 'The Game' was very serious and the only time he could kind of lighten up is when he was in DX with me. I feel like that's the only area and those are usually just, you know, small times here and there where I'll say maybe let's go for an entertaining laugh and he'll want to keep it serious. Those are the only areas, but other than that, I don't think we've ever been on two diametrically opposed positions, at least not yet anyway," he added.

Shawn Michaels on Pushing for LA Knight's Success

Michaels discussed elsewhere in the interview how he had to go to bat behind the scenes for LA Knight to get considered for a call-up to the main roster. Knight now finds himself as one of the hottest stars on Friday Night SmackDown.

"He's somebody that when he was here, I will say this. I enjoyed him. I liked him. He's a grown man. I thought he was going to be a perfect fit for the main roster. There were times when we were having difficulty down here when it wasn't always maybe my call on some things, that I had to go to bat for some people and really had to make sure that, you know, I impressed on them, like, 'My goodness, you don't want to sleep on these people. You don't want to lose these people. Let's keep them around. Trust me on this' I'm very thankful that they did because again, LA Knight is a guy that is enjoying that right now, and again, I think the WWE Universe is enjoying LA Knight right now. He's somebody that I think's got a great future. I'm excited for him and I'm happy for him," Michaels said.

NXT: The Great American Bash (2023) Card

• NXT Championship: Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov
• NXT North American Championship: Dominik Mysterio vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali
• NXT Women's Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Thea Hail (Submission Match)
• NXT Tag Team Championship: Gallus vs. The Family
• Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport (Weapons Wild Match)
• Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin
• (Kickoff) Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazier, Yulia Leon & Valentina Feroz vs. The Meta-Four

WWE's NXT brand has been utilizing The Great American Bash branding for annual events ever since July 2020, first for special episodes of the weekly NXT show and later for pay-per-view events on the Peacock network. The show's name was originally created by Dusty Rhodes for Jim Crockett Promotions back when it was a prominent part of the National Wrestling Alliance and the trademark was eventually absorbed by the WWE following its purchase of WCW in 2001.

Shawn Michaels confirmed ahead of Sunday's pay-per-view at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas, that Cody Rhodes, Dusty's son, will narrate the intro video for the show. Back when Rhodes was an executive vice president with AEW, he openly stated in interviews that he wanted to get back the trademarks for pay-per-views his father created to continue on his legacy -- specifically The Great American Bash and Starrcade. He returned to WWE in April 2022.

"The Great American Bash is the realization of a dream," Rhodes says. "From the creation of this very event to building the foundation of NXT, the influence of Dusty Rhodes is palpable. In the city where 'The American Dream' was born, NXT has returned to the Lone Star State. And it's time for this generation of NXT Superstars to show the world that their desire, their will and their ambition is Texas-sized. Championships are on the line. History is within reach. Careers will be defined. And destiny is on the doorstep. My advice -- hold onto it and shoot for the stars. Welcome to NXT's midsummer classic. Welcome to The Great American Bash!"

"NXT has returned...to The Lone Star State"

Tonight LIVE on @peacock #NXTGAB @WWENXT @WWE @ShawnMichaels

Tickets: https://t.co/ppJjaoegpS pic.twitter.com/y4R2ViRI0R

-- Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) July 30, 2023

Cody Rhodes Confirms AEW's Plans for His "Heel" Run

Rhodes revealed in an interview with ComicBook this week that his pseudo-heel run he was on for most of his final year with AEW was supposed to culminate in a match with Sting. However, Rhodes left the company long before those plans were ever set in motion.

"I was going to wrestle Sting," Rhodes confirmed. "I don't think I've ever shared that with anybody and nothing was on paper or anything like that. But I can say I got a tremendous offer from AEW creatively, financially, the full package. You won't hear me say anything bad about AEW or Tony (Khan) or my time there. It was a tremendous offer, but the offer wasn't right for me. What I wanted to get back to was the first goal that I ever had (winning the WWE Championship). But yeah, that probably would've been the endgame. That's what had been discussed, was to get one (match) with one of my heroes, Sting.

"And it's one of those things, you can wrestle one of your heroes or you can work with one of your heroes and he can be the head of creative (Paul Levesque), you can't have it all," he continued. "And I think one thing I do pride myself on as a wrestler is I will make a decision. It might be a left turn, it might be exactly where you think I'm going, but I will make a decision. I will not get stuck because I felt like I'd been stuck early in my career and never want to be that way again."

NXT: The Great American Bash (2023) Card

• NXT Championship: Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov
• NXT North American Championship: Dominik Mysterio vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali
• NXT Women's Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Thea Hail (Submission Match)
• NXT Tag Team Championship: Gallus vs. The Family
• Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport (Weapons Wild Match)
• Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin
• (Kickoff) Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazier, Yulia Leon & Valentina Feroz vs. The Meta-Four

Cody Rhodes found himself in an awkward position during his final full year with AEW in 2021. He was still one of the company's executive vice presidents but had stopped associating himself with the rest of The Elite on AEW TV. The former TNT Champion was one of the biggest stars in the company, but his own booking decisions prevented him from ever challenging for the AEW World Championship. And the popularity he had built up with fans ever since his WWE departure had started to wane thanks to a series of awkward feuds with the likes of Anthony Ogogo, QT Marshall and Malakai Black.

It got to the point where fans were vocally rebelling against Rhodes, demanding he turn heel and embrace the villainous aspects of "The American Nightmare" persona. But Rhodes took a different approach, stating outright in promos, "I will not turn!" and proclaiming his actions were still righteous. He recently confirmed in an interview with Sam Roberts that by refusing to give the fans what they wanted he was still playing the role of a wrestling heel. But he also admitted that the idea got a bit too "meta" and didn't click with fans.

But before Rhodes' "heel" run could culminate in any kind of storyline or marquee match, he announced in February 2022 that both he was leaving AEW. He'd then make his triumphant return to WWE less than two months later at WrestleMania 38. But was the original plan for "heel" Rhodes in AEW? According to a new interview with ComicBook while promoting the premiere of American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes, it was supposed to end with a match against Sting.

"I was going to wrestle Sting," Rhodes confirmed. "I don't think I've ever shared that with anybody and nothing was on paper or anything like that. But I can say I got a tremendous offer from AEW creatively, financially, the full package. You won't hear me say anything bad about AEW or Tony (Khan) or my time there. It was a tremendous offer, but the offer wasn't right for me. What I wanted to get back to was the first goal that I ever had (winning the WWE Championship). But yeah, that probably would've been the endgame. That's what had been discussed, was to get one (match) with one of my heroes, Sting.

"And it's one of those things, you can wrestle one of your heroes or you can work with one of your heroes and he can be the head of creative (Paul Levesque), you can't have it all," he continued. "And I think one thing I do pride myself on as a wrestler is I will make a decision. It might be a left turn, it might be exactly where you think I'm going, but I will make a decision. I will not get stuck because I felt like I'd been stuck early in my career and never want to be that way again."

AEW Teased Rhodes vs. Sting Long Before Cody's Departure

AEW dropped a hint this match might happen way back in December 2020. "The Icon" made his surprise debut for the company at that year's Winter is Coming event and Rhodes invited him out to the ring the following week on AEW Dynamite. He thanked Sting, but the WWE Hall of Famer was a bit dismissive of Rhodes and ended their interaction by saying, "See you around, kid." Sting has since wrestled 18 matches for AEW, but none of them involved Rhodes.

American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes officially arrives on Peacock on Monday, July 31. Rhodes will be in action again this coming Saturday at the SummerSlam premium live event in Detroit, taking on Brock Lesnar at Ford Field.

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
• SummerSlam Battle Royal

MJF and Adam Cole failed in their attempt to win the AEW World Tag Team Championships from FTR on Saturday night's AEW Collision. And while it looked like Friedman would react to the loss by betraying Cole (as many expected, including Cole himself), the pair simply embraced as the show went off the air to indicate their friendship hasn't ended (at least for now). But once the cameras stopped rolling Friedman seemed to tip his hand at the idea that he'll be back to his monstrous ways soon enough, making a reference to his "Bidding War of 2024."

For those out of the loop, Friedman has made it clear for well over a year that he intends to let his current AEW contract expire at the start of 2024, forcing both AEW and WWE to start a bidding war over the young world champion all while holding AEW's top prize hostage. He hasn't brought up the idea nearly as much over the past few months, but the idea has lingered over the entirety of his AEW World Championship reign. It's also unclear as to how much of Friedman's contract situation with AEW is part of a storyline as he's notorious for not breaking character in interviews.

"I don't wanna hear about Collision vs Dynamite. Kaboomers vs. Colliders, cause at the end of the day, what this sport needed was an alternative and that's why this company was made. We are all team AEW... for now until 2024. But that's fine, we can talk about that later," Friedman said.

Babyface MJF gives me anxiety.

MJF after #AEWCollision

"I don't wanna hear about Collision vs Dynamite. Kaboomers vs. Colliders, cause at the end of the day, what this sport needed was an alternative and that's why this company was made.We are all team AEW... for now until 2024" pic.twitter.com/WyF8LcGLia

-- Dana Abercrombie #AmplifyBlackVoices (@sagesurge) July 30, 2023

AEW Collision Results (July 29, 2023)

• Andrade El Idolo def. Buddy Matthews (Ladder Match)
• Darby Allin def. Minoru Suzuki
• Samoa Joe def. Gravity
• Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson & The Gunns) def. El Hijo Del Vikingo, Action Andretti & Darius Martin
• Mercedes Martinez def. Kiera Hogan
• AEW World Tag Team Championships: FTR def. MJF & Adam Cole

AEW Dynamite 200th Episode Special Card (Aug. 2, 2023)

• AEW Women's World Championship: Toni Storm vs. Hikaru Shida
• ROH World Tag Team Championships: Aussie Open vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo & Komander
• Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Sammy Guevara & Daniel Garcia
• Jon Moxley vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Trent Beretta (Anything Goes)
• Jack Perry & Jerry Lynn Face-to-Face

CM Punk's "Real" AEW World Championship

CM Punk once again declared himself as the "Real" AEW World Champion on this week's AEW Collision, confirming that he's been carrying around the title in his bag since returning from injury. Punk pointed out that he was never beaten for the championship and agreed to defend it on next week's Collision against Ricky Starks (who now has two wins over Punk) with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat as the special guest referee.

Next Saturday, 8/5
Greenville, SC#AEWCollision
Live on TNT at 8pm ET/7pm CT

Special Outside Official:
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat@CMPunk vs @starkmanjones

Next Saturday, CM Punk defends what he's dubbed The Real World Championship vs. 2023 Owen Hart Cup winner Ricky Starks! pic.twitter.com/3e7Y4WELrF

-- Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) July 30, 2023

Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar's No. 1 Contender's match for the United States Championship on the latest Friday Night SmackDown was brought to an abrupt end when Escobar nailed Mysterio with a tope outside the ring just before a commercial break. WWE's medical staff was attending to Mysterio by the time the show came back and the match was quickly ended with Escobar being declared the winner. It was then reported by a handful of outlets that Mysterio's injury was legitimate and that an audible had to be called with Escobar being declared the winner on the spot.

According to Dave Meltzer via the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Mysterio is reportedly fine and was merely knocked silly during the match. The former WWE Champion's injury apparently happened earlier in the match and the dive spot was used as a cover. Escobar was originally supposed to win the match anyway, so Rey's injury doesn't change any of WWE's plans for the US title in the immediate future. Austin Theory will defend his title against the LWO member on the Aug. 11 edition of SmackDown.

"The dive was the excuse to call the match off, when he took the dive and they were tending to him and everything like that, they had already planned to stop the match," Meltzer said (h/t Inside The Ropes). They stopped the match before the commercial break, but when they found out that he had already been dizzy from before. So he was selling a way to stop the match, was not actually knocked out there but he was dizzy before that. That's what I was told about how it went down."

Rey Mysterio Willing to Take the NXT North American Championship From His Son

On top of chasing the US title, Mysterio also expressed an interest in the NXT North American Championship should the opportunity ever arise. That's because the title is currently held by his estranged son, Dominik Mysterio, who won it and has since defended it multiple times thanks to outside interference by The Judgement Day.

"The fact that he's succeeding and becoming his own person, he's already his own person. You don't know how many times I would have loved to call him up and say, 'Congratulations, son, you're really killing it.' But it hurts," Rey recently said on The Bump. "Unfortunately, I can't do it, and that really hurts. I wish things would be different. But as a father, despite our differences. I'm extremely proud of what he's doing and what he's conquering. He just better not step in the ring with me because I will take that North American Title."

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul
• SummerSlam Battle Royal

Eric Young recently made his surprise return to Impact Wrestling at Slammiversary, coming to Scott D'Amore's aid and shocking his old Violent By Design teammates. Young was team Canada and happy to take on the people who took him out in the first place, but for his first singles match since his return, he adopted a new look. In his match against Nick Aldis, Young came to the ring with a Doctor Doom-style mask over his face and a black hood over it, and the commentary team called him Doom Incarnate as he was making his way down to the ring. You can check out a look at Young's new gear below.

The mask itself is completely silver, and Young also has a new entrance to go with it. It's not really known what else will follow with it, but the more crossover with Doctor Doom and Marvel the better really. If Young starts walking to the ring in a green hood and robe, you'll know exactly what inspired it.

Eric Young vs. Nick Aldis. Eric Young with a Doom Incarnate gimmick. No mention of whether that ties into Super Eric, likely not though. #ImpactWrestling pic.twitter.com/FMcCuSpZOc

-- Cameron Archer | Gloryosky (@gloryosky) July 28, 2023

Young made his return to Impact at Slammiversary, and he hadn't been in action in Impact over the past 9 months. That's because he had actually returned to WWE, one of many signings made during Triple H's early days of taking over WWE Creative. Young never actually appeared on WWE TV though, and then after Vince McMahon made his return to the company, Young requested his release. In an interview with PWInsider, Young revealed why he decided to leave WWE

"I signed up for one thing and it turned into something completely different. Personally, professionally, and more importantly for me, morally, I just couldn't work there anymore," Young said. "If you're a wrestling fan and you know what's going on, it was not a super difficult choice for me, to be honest."

"It was a dream come true, going back, the contract was fantastic and all this other stuff, and what I was poised to do on the TV show was excellent, but in the end, I would have had to answer to somebody that I'm just not willing to do," Young said.

"That's where we ended up now. I'm not mad or bitter about it, just like I wasn't last time," Young said. "Obviously, it's a massive mistake on one person's part, but a huge gain for IMPACT Wrestling. I'm still very good at this and it's something I'm very passionate about and something that I work myself to the bone to make the best possible outcome of each thing I'm in."

What do you think of Young's new look in Impact Wrestling, and what do you want to see him do next? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

The main event of tonight's AEW Collision featured FTR defending their AEW World Tag Team Championships against the phenomenon that is MJF and Adam Cole. The Better Than You Bay Bay duo has taken AEW by storm, and they were looking to take down FTR and win some Title gold in the process. They came quite close too, but just as the win was in sight, FTR pulled out the win. This devastated MJF, and he seemed inconsolable that he was pinned in the match. Cole tried to encourage him and then MJF teased turning on him, holding his Title and gearing up for a charge. He ultimately decided not to and he ended up hugging Cole and slifidying the alliance for a little longer, much to the delight of the fans.

As the match neared its end, Harwood was close to covering MJF but Cole got involved. Wheeler then knocked down Cole and MJF used the distraction to hit a low blow on Harwood in the corner. MJF went for the cover but Wheeler made the save and saved the Titles in the process.

This... this was emotional#AEWCollision pic.twitter.com/iG6XqkvSwx

-- AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) July 30, 2023

Cole then came in but Wheeler blocked his attempt too, and then MJF pushed Cole out of the way to take the attack instead. It ended up working out, as he inadvertently disrupted the Shatter Machine. MJF then went to slam Wheeler down and go for the cover, but Harwood interfered and countered with his own cover attempt, and he would get the pin and the win.

At this point, MJF was reeling and sat in the corner looking stunned. Cole was stunned too, but he got to his feet and Wheeler offered his hand to him. Cole shook it and then offered a handshake to Harwood. Harwood looked a bit hesitant but eventually shook Cole's hand. Cole then went to talk to MJF, who was having a hard time accepting that he got pinned. MJF kept saying I lost the match for us, but Cole told him that "we lost the match".

Then Cole went and grabbed MJF's Title and gave it to him, telling him he was the AEW World Champion. Cole then walked away and faced the crowd, and MJF got to his feet and started to hold up the Title as a weapon. He kept debating what to do, turning around and looking stressed and confused. He would then bring up the Title and start to gear up for a charge, and the crowd was along for the ride throughout.

Cole picked up on the audience's cues and told MJF to do it, bracing for an attack. MJF then put the Title down and the crowd lost it. Cole was surprised and turned around and then went up to MJF and hugged him, and the crowd once again lost it. It seems the Tag Team sensation is sticking around for at least a while longer, and FTR will hold onto their World Tag Team Champions a little longer as well.

What did you think of Collision? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

CM Punk came out to address some things during tonight's AEW Collision, and with Tony Schiavone by his side, he once again had that mysterious red bag. Punk finally revealed what was in that bag, and it turned out to be what most people thought, which was the AEW World Championship that Punk reclaimed at All Out before the Title was vacated. Punk called it the true AEW World Championship and then did a bit of a customization job by spraying a black x over top of it. The surprises weren't done though, as we would get a Title match and a wrestling legend joining the fun as a guest referee.

Ricky Starks came out to interrupt Punk and started to gloat about his two big wins against Punk over the past few weeks, but Punk pointed out that he had cheated in both of those wins, crediting the referees for the wins more than Starks. Starks argued it didn't matter and that he still would beat Punk again.

Oh brother... are we entering one more summer of Punk?#AEWCollision pic.twitter.com/FghAbMak3F

-- AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) July 30, 2023

Punk then asked if he wanted a shot at the Title, and antagonized Stark as he continued his promo. Punk asked again if he was asking for a Title shot, and Starks said he deserved a shot at the "champ". Punk was happy to oblige, but did say that if this was going to happen, he would want a special referee to make sure things were on the up and up throughout the match.

Next Saturday, 8/5
Greenville, SC#AEWCollision
Live on TNT at 8pm ET/7pm CT

Special Outside Official:
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat@CMPunk vs @starkmanjones

Next Saturday, CM Punk defends what he's dubbed The Real World Championship vs. 2023 Owen Hart Cup winner Ricky Starks! pic.twitter.com/3e7Y4WELrF

-- Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) July 30, 2023

Starks agreed without hesitation, saying if he could pin him once, he could do it twice. Starks didn't even care who the referee was, as he said that it's pretty well known that Punk doesn't have many friends. Starks said whether he needed to head back home or talk to someone in Stamford, he was free to get a special referee. Punk then revealed he already had someone in mind, and it was locked in.

Once Starks agreed, Punk introduced someone who would call it down the middle and someone who is an absolute wrestling legend. That would be Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat, who will guest referee the match and make sure there aren't any shenanigans happening throughout. No other stipulations are expected, but the match itself will take place on next week's Collision and will be the first time Punk has defended a Title since the show launched.

How exactly Punk's Title fits in with the AEW World Championship held by MJF remains to be seen. Punk has said he never lost the Title and is now declaring himself the real World Champion. After All Out, Punk and The Elite both had to vacate their Championships, and new Champions were crowned. Now Punk is back in AEW and feels he should still be Champ, so it will be interesting to see how AEW approaches the Championship.

Are you excited for Punk vs Starks, and do you agree with Punk or Starks? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

It can be difficult to tell whether or not an injury in WWE is legitimate or just part of a storyline, but a new report reveals an injury on SmackDown is unfortunately real. The injury occurred during SmackDown's battle between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar, and the winner would move on to face Austin Theory for the United States Championship in two weeks. At one point Mysteiro would be ruled out of the match, giving the win to Escobar, but according to a report from PW Torch, the injury wasn't an angle. Mysterio seems to have suffered a concussion, and that's why medical personnel ruled him out of the match after the commercial break.

At one point during the match, Escobar dove through the ropes and collided with Msyterio, tackling him to the ground. It was when they both hit the ground that things went awry, as the back of Mysterio's head seemed to hit the ground during the fall. This happened right before a commercial break, so he was evaluated during it and then ruled out of the match when the how came back from commercial.

This won't cause any issues with the Title picture or storyline plans, as the report says that Escobar was always going to win. He was going to go over clean, so no hijinks were expected, and this won't interfere with any other plans for Escobar. We wish Mysterio all the best and hope for a speedy recovery.

If it is a concussion, he could be out of action for a bit just to be on the safe side. He could still be part of storylines possibly, but we'll have to wait and see how WWE approaches it. As for Santos, he will face Theory for the United States Championship in two weeks on SmackDown, and if he wins he will bring the newly reformed LWO its first Championship Title. The closest they've come before this was at Backlash, where Zelina Vega took on Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

At Backlash the LWO gained another member as well in Bad Bunny, who would take on Judgement Day's Damian Priest in one of the best matches of the night. Everyone seemed to come out for it, including Savio Vega and Carlito, and Carlito has reportedly been signed by WWE to make a return at some future point, but he hasn't appeared as of yet. Up next for WWE is SummerSlam, and you can find the official card below.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat)

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Finn B?lor

WWE Women's Champion Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair (Triple Threat Match)

Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

SummerSlam streams live on Peacock on Saturday, August 5th.

What did you think of Jey's words to Roman? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

WWE has had a bevy of memorable moments over the last few decades, but most assuredly included in that list is the battle between Booker T and Stone Cold Steve Austin at a grocery store. To this day it's still often referred to and remembered, and fans who tuned into NXT this past week had the chance to see a modern take on that involving Roxanne Perez and Blair Davenport. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Perez about the grocery store throwdown, as well as the advice she got from Booker T in putting it together.

"He definitely had some tips on what not to do," Perez said. "He said, 'I got jumped at a grocery store, maybe you should jump her at a grocery store.' But yeah, definitely was inspired by Booker T and Stone Cold and that was just so cool to be able to relive and actually firsthand do what I watched. I was not born at the time. I don't think that (I watched when) they actually aired that, but I did watch that years back when I started becoming a wrestling fan. So to be able to do that now, it was pretty cool."

Perez trained at Booker T and Sharmell Huffman's Reality of Wrestling promotion before moving on to Ring of Honor, and now Perez and Booker T are both part of NXT. Learning from someone like Booker T would be amazing in itself, but NXT also has Shawn Michaels leading the charge, and Perez couldn't be more thrilled that she has two legends to learn from.

"I think it's so amazing that I grew up being trained by Booker T and now I'm able to have him here with me and I'm still learning from him," Perez said. "I still learn from him every single day. After all of my matches, he comes to the back and I'm like, 'What did you think? What could I have done better?' And then learning from Shawn Michaels too, the greatest of all time. Who better to learn from than Shawn Michaels and Booker T? You know?"

NXT is also getting a lot more crossover across the board, as not only do NXT superstars appear on Raw and SmackDown, but superstars from the other brands also mix it up in NXT more and more. "So to just have both of them there and yeah, it's so cool having the crossover and potentially being able to work with some of the main roster people before actually getting up there," Perez said. "Yeah, it's awesome. And I feel like everybody is so hungry now and it's amazing," Perez said.

Perez will take on Davenport at the Great American Bash, and you can find the full card below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Gallus (C) vs. The Family

Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz vs. Meta-Four - Eight Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash streams on Peacock on Sunday, July 30th at 8 PM EST.

Are you excited for the Great American Bash? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

WWE's card for SummerSlam continues to grow, and tonight's episode of SmackDown added yet one more to the mix. During SmackDown WWE revealed that there would be a SummerSlam Battle Royal at the premium live event, and the most interesting wrinkle is that it will involve Superstars from both Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. An official list for the Battle Royal wasn't announced, but we do know two names that will likely be a part of it already in SmackDown Superstars LA Knight and Sheamus, as they've made it clear they want into the match.

After the announcement of the Battle Royal, Adam Pearce was shown talking about it backstage. He was approached by LA Knight, who took issues with not being included in the SummerSlam mix and wanted to be in the Battle Royal. Then Sheamus and the rest of the Brawling Brutes approached Pearce, and soon they were taking some shots at Knight and using his trademark Yeah. Sheamus also expressed interest in wanting to be in the Battle Royal. Pearced seems to consider their request, but before that happens he booked Knight in a match against Sheamus next week on SmackDown.

Fans are hopeful that Knight will have some sort of role to play at SummerSlam, especially after coming so close to becoming the Money in the Bank winner. There's been no prize announced for the winner of the Battle Royal, but hopefully, some sort of reward is attached next week.

While the fans are loving Knight, Sheamus clearly isn't a fan, and neither is Logan Paul. Paul revealed his opinion on Knight on a recent episode of his Impaulsive podcast, saying he hates that fans love him. Paul's also not a fan of how the fans feel Knight speaks for them and how they appreciate that he's earned this spotlight.

"I see LA Knight coming into the WWE. They love him. I hate that they love him. They hate me and they hate that I hate him. We have a little bit of a thing. I was in his face and it felt a little real. I don't think he gets my thing that well, and neither does the WWE Universe. He sort of speaks for them and they appreciate the time and the fact that he's earned it. I get that, and I would love to take all of that away from him in one night," Paul said "h/t Fightful).

Up next for WWE is SummerSlam, and you can find the official card below.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat)

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Finn B?lor

WWE Women's Champion Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair (Triple Threat Match)

Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

SummerSlam streams live on Peacock on Saturday, August 5th.

What did you think of Jey's words to Roman? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Jey Uso kicked off WWE SmackDown and he was set to close it out as well, as Jey was booked in a match against Grayson Waller in the main event. This came as a result of an earlier confrontation between the two, where Waller mouthed off to Jey and Jey slapped him and knocked him down. Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman would make their way down to the ring to watch the match though, and that would end up resulting in Sikoa and Reigns getting involved. Jey would still win the match against Waller by using a spear, and then he would shockingly hit Roman with a spear. Unfortunately, the numbers game was too much to overcome, and Reigns and Sikoa would hit the newly minted Spear Spike on Jey.

Jey Uso was doing just fine in his match against Waller, and seemed to be in control of the match. That's when Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman all came out, and that gave Waller an opening to hit a bit knee strike and knock Jey to the mat.

SPEAR TO ROMAN! ?@WWEUsos #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/p6hHknabSm

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) July 29, 2023

Waller was in control from this point on, but then he got too cocky and went for The Rock's People's Elbow on Jey. Jey rolled out of the way and Waller hit the mat, and then Jey went to slam him into the turnbuckle, but Waller dodged it. Jey then hit a spear on Waller, using Roman's own move. Jey went up top and hit the Uso Splash on Waller and got the pin and the win.

"AGAIN!"@WWERomanReigns @WWESoloSikoa @HeymanHustle #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/NMPQydm7PT

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) July 29, 2023

Roman was pretty annoyed at this point, and Sikoa would go in the ring and try to hit the Samoan Spike. Jey evaded the spike though and hit SIkoa with a superkick, knocking him out of the ring. That caused Reigns to spring to action, but when he got in the ring he ended up getting hit with a spear as well. Jey then dragged Roman over a bit and went up top for an Uso Splash, but he was pushed off by Sikoa.

Sikoa got Jey and once Reigns was on his feet, he was incensed. Reigns had Sikoa hold Jey and they hit the combination Spear Spike on Jey. Then the crowd was chanting "you got pinned" to Roman, and he took his frustration out on Jey, calling for another attack. Reigns and Sikoa hit Jey with a second Spear Spike to finish the job.

Roman and Jey will meet in Tribal Combat at WWE SummerSlam, and you can find the full card below.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat)

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Finn B?lor

WWE Women's Champion Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair (Triple Threat Match)

Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

SummerSlam streams live on Peacock on Saturday, August 5th.

What did you think of the match? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

The tournament for the WWE United States Championship has played out on SmackDown over the past few weeks, and tonight it was down to the final two. It was a family affair too, as LWO's Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar made it to the final match and had to take on each other for the shot at the Title tonight. Things were going along well, with both stars having their shining moments, but then at one point Mysterio landed on the floor and seemed to experience some whiplash, with the replay indicating he might have hit his head against the floor during the fall. The match had to be stopped and the referee decided Mysterio couldn't continue, giving the win to Escobar as a result. Whether it's a real injury or just a kayfabe one is unknown at this time.

Escobar locked up Mysterio early but soon Mysterio started to gain some momentum. These two know each other quite well, which allowed Escobar to move out of the way of the 619. Escobar came right back though, slamming Mysterio down into a cover, but Mysterio kicked out. The speed of the match favored Escobar at this point, but on a dime, Mysterio hit Escobar and went for the pin, but Escobar kicked out.

Prayers up for @ReyMysterio ? pic.twitter.com/1yobuNhgLG

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) July 29, 2023

Escobar then hit a backbreaker, turning the tide once again, but was soon running into the ring apron. Mysterio then went to capitalize, but Escobar moved out of the way, and Mysterio missed completely, slamming into the floor outside of the ring.

When we got back from commercial break though, Mysterio was on the mat and near the corner being attended to by medical officials. It looks as if Mysterio had some substantial whiplash after being knocked down to the floor by Escobar. It was then decided that Mysterio couldn't continue in the match, and that means Escobar moves on to face Austin Theory of for his United States Championship.

Escobar will face Theory for the United States Title in two weeks on WWE SmackDown, and after the result Escobar went over to check on Mysterio and the two hugged. No love is lost due to the match or the result it would seem, and that's great news for LWO fans. As for Mysterio, his status hasn't been updated yet by WWE, so it's not known if this is a kayfabe injury or a real one. We'll let you know when we know more.

Up next for WWE is SummerSlam, and you can find the official card below.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat)

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Finn B?lor

WWE Women's Champion Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair (Triple Threat Match)

Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

SummerSlam streams live on Peacock on Saturday, August 5th.

What have you thought of SmackDown so far? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Roman Reigns returned to WWE SmackDown tonight, but he wasn't first to the ring, as Jey Uso actually opened up SmackDown. Uso didn't get a chance to talk much though, as Reigns interrupted him and headed down to the ring with Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman. Reigns delighted in telling Jey that the Champ starts the show, but he wasn't so delighted by what Jey had to say. Reigns wanted to pin the blame of Jimmy's injuries on Jey, but Jey soon reminded him that it was Reigns who made that happen. Not only that, but Jey stuck the knife in when he said that he had already beaten Reigns once and that he was going to do it again at SummerSlam.

Reigns reminded Jey that it was him who created this version of Jey Uso. "Jey you must have forgot. If the Tribal Chief is scheduled to appear, well that means the Tribal Chief opens up this show. Now don't worry, little Jey's forgetful ya'll, but we're going to remind him. Why do you think they called you the right-hand man? Because I made you that. Why you think they called you the main event Jey Uso huh? Because I made you that," Reigns said.

"At #SummerSlam, I'm going to beat you AGAIN!"@WWEUsos @WWERomanReigns #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/hU0Z09cppR

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) July 29, 2023

Jey disputed that claim, highlighting he earned that Title after watching Roman's back for so long. "All I did was watch your back. Do what family do. Support you man. I've been your right-hand man through the trenches, no questions asked. Because you're my Tribal Chief. I believed in you man! I believed you can lead this company, and more importantly, this family. And now I gotta do what I have to do Uce. You broke the family, you broke the bloodline, and you broke Jimmy, and it's all your fault," Uso said.

"Let me ask you this man. As soon as Jimmy got hurt, what did you do huh? You asked for a Championship huh? Because you're selfish. Let's go back to three years ago. The only reason you became the right-hand man was because Jimmy was hurt. If he wasn't hurt, you didn't have a chance. You took that from him. You don't even get it do you? You screwed your twin brother. Your younger brother loves and respects me more than he does you," Reigns said.

Jey pointed out that he pinned Reigns, and that obviously didn't sit well with Reigns. "It's because I already beat you," Uso said with a smile. "I pinned you. I'm the only one to do it. And at SummerSlam, I'm going to beat you again." Reigns was seething at this point, and Uso was pretty happy as he left the ring.

Up next for WWE is SummerSlam, and you can find the official card below.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat)

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins vs. Finn B?lor

WWE Women's Champion Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair (Triple Threat Match)

Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

SummerSlam streams live on Peacock on Saturday, August 5th.

What did you think of Jey's words to Roman? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

While All Elite Wrestling has plenty of weekly programming, one avenue it has yet to expand into is streaming. AEW's broadcast relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery has led many to believe that AEW content will eventually be available on Max, but that has yet to happen. With AEW having already four years of history under its belt, Tony Khan's wrestling promotion has an abundance of content ready for a streaming service whenever the opportunity arises. Mix in the entire Ring of Honor content library, which currently exists on Honor Club, and it's clear that an AEW-branded streamer already has the backlog ready.

AEW Streaming Service Coming Soon?

AEW filed a trademark for "AEW PLUS" on July 24th. The full trademark description can be read below...

Mark For: AEW PLUS trademark registration is intended to cover the category of streaming of professional wrestling entertainment video material on the Internet.

"As we build a great library of historical content, it presents more and more opportunities for a potential FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) entry I think," AEW President Tony Khan said earlier this year. "I think that's a decision we need to make in part with our domestic media partners, with Warner Bros. Discovery, who have great presence in the world of streaming, and figure out what makes sense for us in terms of our partnership. Because absolutely there is money on the table for streaming pro wrestling events...So there could be great opportunities there.

"Domestically we're still looking for the right solution, and it's a very exciting time for us because the streaming business continues to grow here domestically and frankly the value of AEW events continues to grow. I believe as the landscape changes we can expand AEW's streaming revenue multiple times over."

What Would AEW PLUS Mean For Pay-Per-Views?

Reports emerged earlier this summer that Warner Bros. Discovery was looking to expand AEW's pay-per-view calendar, likely due to the satisfaction with the company's buyrates for the premium live events. Considering the precedent set by other professional wrestling streaming services like NJPW World and WWE Network on Peacock, wrestling fans would likely expect to get AEW's PPVs on AEW PLUS without an additional charge.

AEW launching a streamer would indicate confidence that their potential subscriber count would yield more revenue than their pay-per-view buys. AEW PPVs costing $50 dollars and regularly doing around 150,000 buys at five times per year which equates to roughly $37.5 million dollars. For an AEW streamer to match that revenue, it would need just over 312,000 subscribers paying $10 dollars per month.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on AEW PLUS.

The ComicBook Nation Crew recaps Marvel's Secret Invasion Finale, reviews Disney's Haunted Mansion movie, Peacock's Twisted Metal TV series, and the epic conclusion to The Witcher Season 3. We also look at Invincible Season 2's Atom Eve Special, preview WWE NXT's Great American Bash, and dive into this week's biggest comics!

Haunted Mansion Review

In his review of Disney Haunted Mansion (2023), ComicBook.com critic Charlie Ridgley says:

Disney's new take on Haunted Mansion was always going to have its work cut out for it, thanks to the ill will earned from the 2003 film. Some wondered if the attraction was somehow unadaptable without Guillermo del Toro (who was once attached to helm the project). Enter the team of director Justin Simien and screenwriter Kate Dippold, who have made questions about Haunted Mansion's adaptability feel rather silly. Their Haunted Mansion movie is a breath of fresh air for everyone who has grown tired of Disney's lifeless live-action output of late, as well as die-hard Haunted Mansion ride fans who have been begging to see a film actually give the attraction the love it deserves.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Twisted Metal Review

In his review of Peacock's Twisted Metal TV series, gamer/critic Cade Onder said the following:

Twisted Metal is a very charming show that manages to accomplish a lot in its ten 30-minute episodes. There are tons of well-earned laughs, a diverse cast of eccentric characters with fleshed out and unique backstories, and a surprising amount of world-building. It's almost shocking that the show isn't longer, given everything it does and how well it pulls it all off. While there are some areas that suffer, such as the vehicular action scenes, everything else comes together in such a satisfying way that it makes Twisted Metal another very successful gaming adaptation.

Rating: 4 out of 5

BONUS ROUND: What's Going On With The MCU???

After the disappointments of the Secret Invasion Finale, the ComicBook Nation crew discusses what The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to do in order to get back on track:

There are several additional ways you can subscribe and/or listen to ComicBook Nation, which are listed below:

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Each episode has a deep dive into the current biggest discussion topics and debates within geek culture: movies, tv, comics, and video games are regular features, with genres like sci-fi, anime, and wrestling also featured regularly. The ONLY show covering ALL THINGS Geek Culture!

After every show we'll keep the discussion on Twitter:

• @ComicBookNation
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Have thoughts to share? Want us to cover something on the show? Let us know in the comments!

To the delight of many, WWE has brought down the walls between the brands more and more over the past few months, with stars from Raw and SmackDown appearing on NXT and NXT stars even getting in the ring on Raw and SmackDown from time to time. This has also led to an unexpected challenge from Bron Breakker to World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, and Rollins, and Rollins ended up returning to NXT for a Title match as a result. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to NXT Superstar Roxanne Perez, and if she were able to issue a Title challenge, would it be to WWE Women's Champion Asuka or Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley?

"Honestly, I think I would call out Asuka because I've never been able to step foot in the ring with Asuka," Perez said. "I'd love to test myself against Asuka. I have already gone up against Rhea and that was a pretty tough one. So I think I'm going to get in the ring and train a little bit more before I get in the ring with Rhea again. But I would love to get in the ring with Asuka. I respect her so much and I've watched her growing up as a kid, studied her and everything. I think she's amazing."

Asuka isn't one to turn down many challenges, so it feels like this could possibly happen down the line. Asuka will be defending her Title next week at SummerSlam, but she'll be defending it against two Superstars, not just one. Asuka will have to take on both Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair to retain her Title, a difficult feat for anyone to overcome. That said, if anyone can make it happen, it will be Asuka.

As for Perez, she has Blair Davenport to deal with before any challenges can be made, and she will take her on at the Great American Bash this Sunday in a Weapons Wild match. Perez has been in a Weapons Wild match before, but Davenport hasn't, and that gives Perez an advantage going into the match.

"Yeah. I mean, I did have my fair share of no disqualifications on the independent scene, and then I have had a Weapons Wild Match against Cora Jade last year, actually late in October. So I definitely feel like that gives me an advantage," Perez said. "Blair Davenport has never been in a Weapons Wild Match. I have."

"I definitely think that Blair Davenport... I'm not going to say is anymore, but was taking me lightly because I don't know if you saw our grocery store fight, but I attacked her from behind, and I think I showed her a side of me that she didn't think I had," Perez said. "And maybe that I didn't know that I had either, but I'm definitely going to show her who I really am this Sunday at the Great American Bash."

You can find the full card for the Great American Bash below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Gallus (C) vs. The Family

Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz vs. Meta-Four - Eight Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash streams on Peacock on Sunday, July 30th at 8 PM EST.

Are you excited for the Great American Bash? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

"Four Pillars" talk aside, there are five men who can lay claim to being the legitimate foundation of All Elite Wrestling: Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, the Young Bucks, and Cody Rhodes. Collectively known as The Elite, these five men's character work on YouTube series Being The Elite and proven ability to draw large crowds with 2018's independent wrestling event ALL IN were precursors to AEW itself. Beyond that, the company was literally named after them. Omega, the Bucks and Rhodes went on to be Executive Vice Presidents within AEW, although that title's power has since reportedly evaporated.

Today, only four of those stars remain. Rhodes exited AEW in early 2022, opting to return to WWE. His exit combined with the backstage drama that plagued AEW come the back half of last year led to speculation on the rest of The Elite's AEW future. Omega was due to become a free agent at the beginning of this year, but his contract was extended due to the time he missed from injury. There is no definitive public expiration date for Hangman and the Bucks' contracts but it is believed that those deals are due up around the new year.

Will The Elite Stay in AEW?

While nothing has been made official, current rumblings point to The Elite sticking around in AEW. As written by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there is a "prevailing belief" within AEW that Omega, Hangman and the Bucks will re-sign with the company.

If AEW does not extend The Elite before the end of the year, there could be a bidding war for the group between AEW and WWE. WWE's interest in Omega specifically has been reportedly high for months, and previous rumors had said that the sports-entertainment giant believed that they had a good shot at landing the Best Bout Machine.

WWE's recent failure to sign top free agents like Jay White has led to belief that Omega will be no different. WON writes that WWE's interest in Omega has "gone cold."

If WWE were to win the Omega bidding war, they would have to also make the best offers to Hangman and the Bucks. Following AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts, Omega addressed the TD Garden crowd and emphasized that no matter what the future holds, he will be going wherever his friends go.

"As long as I am an active performer in professional wrestling, I'm gonna go wherever these guys [points to Young Bucks and Hangman Page] go," Omega said on July 19th.

This weekend WWE NXT Superstar Roxanne Perez will take the fight to Blair Davenport at the Great American Bash, and there's no shortage of bad blood between the two. This feud has brought out an edgier side to Perez, and she is completely dialed in on the challenge in front of her. That said, that doesn't mean there aren't other goals in the back of her mind, and one such goal is getting back her NXT Women's Championship. ComicBook.com's Matthew Aguilar had a chance to speak to Perez about what she hopes to achieve before being called up to Raw or SmackDown, and Perez hopes that she can not just get her Title back, but become a dominant NXT Women's Champion before all is said and done.

The first goal is taking her Championship back, a Title she was never actually defeated one-on-one for. "I think I want to get my NXT Women's Championship back. I definitely want to become two-time NXT Women's Champion and I think really solidify my reign," Perez said. "Because I definitely feel like my reign was a little cut short."

"How can I say this? I think when I first won the NXT Women's Championship, it was a big shock factor, especially to me. So I think I was very much kind of... I was still trying to find myself here. I think holding that NXT championship was a little, not uncomfortable, but I think I needed to get really comfortable with the fact that like, You know what? No I am NXT Women's Champion and I'm not surprised by it anymore," Perez said.

"I think now when I get my NXT Women's Championship back, I'm going to be a dominant champion. And I'm not going to be worried about, 'Am I going to keep this title against Meiko? Will I be able to keep it? I don't know.' No, I am an NXT Women's Champion and no one's going to take this damn championship away from me," Perez said.

The first step towards that reunion with the NXT Women's Championship is taking down Davenport, and as we've seen during her time in NXT so far, it would be foolish to bet against Perez making it happen. Perez's next obstacle will be the NXT Women's Champion herself Tiffany Stratton, and the last time they met in the ring it was Stratton walking away the winner. Perez will look to make sure that doesn't happen a second time if the two end up meeting again with Championship gold on the line. You can find the full card for the Great American Bash below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Gallus (C) vs. The Family

Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz vs. Meta-Four - Eight Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash streams on Peacock on Sunday, July 30th at 8 PM EST.

Are you excited for the Great American Bash? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

The Great American Bash is synonymous with the late great Dusty Rhodes, so it's fitting that Cody Rhodes be involved in some fashion. In the past, it was a bit of a hot topic when WWE first revived it for NXT, but since then things have seemingly settled in. During the press conference for Great American Bash, Shawn Michaels revealed that Rhodes will be doing the introduction for the premium live event, and we'll likely also get some Dusty Rhodes nods, as he created the event in the first place. NXT has been doing more of these bigger introductions, and we can't wait to see what Rhodes has come up with.

Rhodes is busy promoting his new documentary American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes, which will stream on Peacock on July 31st. During a conversation with Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina, Rhodes said he does feel a bit stuck in the moment at WrestleMania 39, and feels like that came through in the documentary too.

"I feel you have moments in your career where you get stuck in them, whether they're so good or whether they're so low, that you get stuck in these moments," Rhodes said (h/t F4WOnline). "It's not unlike if you have a traumatic experience in your personal life. For me, I felt, and I still do three months removed, very stuck. In that there was a very long period of time where I was sitting in the ring. I knew I was sitting in the ring and knew I had lost."

"I'm watching people not leave. They're looking at me. They're looking at me and they're either frustrated, they're sad for me, they're mad at me. But you usually see at the end of the night some people heading for the aisles. They're going to beat traffic, something. We were just stuck," Rhodes said. "And I knew we were filming me. And the internal monologue I had when I saw my family at ringside, then I saw some of the most diehard fans fully decked out in every piece of merch for me they could have possibly bought, the internal monologue was really just telling myself to get up."

Rhodes said at that moment he was determined to make a point and feel the loss as he made the long trip back up the ramp. "And then I wanted to make a point that I was not going to walk what we call 'loser lane.' I'm going to walk all the way back up this 70-yard ramp and I want to feel every bit of this loss," Rhodes said. You can find the full card for Great American Bash below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Gallus (C) vs. The Family

Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz vs. Meta-Four - Eight Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash streams on Peacock on Sunday, July 30th at 8 PM EST.

Are you excited for the Great American Bash? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

One of the biggest surprises leading into WWE NXT's Great American Bash premium live event is the involvement of Gable Steveson, who will have his debut match this Sunday. Steveson has been making appearances in NXT over the past few weeks, and then this past episode revealed he would be sticking around in NXT as opposed to pursuing more Olympic Gold or another National Championship. He will take on Baron Corbin in his WWE in-ring debut, and during today's Great American Bash conference call, Shawn Michaels was asked how Steveson sticking around in NXT came about and when it all came together.

Bleacher Report's Graham Mirmina asked Michaels about Steveson's development and how the match came together, and Michaels revealed it was something that came together quickly after getting the green light, and it was Michaels who inquired about using Steveson in NXT. After that was done, Michaels didn't waste any time in getting him into the mix, and is excited about what he brings to NXT and what the future holds for him.

"So look I will say this, as to your point, he has been here in the WWE for a while. He has been down here for a bit. I will be straightforward and honest, and again, like always, I never know if I'm supposed to say stuff or not. He had been here, and I wanted to know if we could do something with this guy. I want to get him into the mix, can I do that? Sometimes people fall under different genres, different rules. I don't ask a ton of questions, but he is someone if we could do it, let's do it," Michaels said.

"So I brought it up and I got the go-ahead. Like you said, a bit abrupt, but let's see how it works," Michaels said. "I think he has, obviously, he's an incredibly intelligent and talented young man, so let's get him to work. He's another guy, following in the footsteps of someone like a Kurt Angle, and I'd want to get out there right away and see if I could be as good as Kurt was, or better. So I got the green light and we're doing it, and I'm excited about what he can bring to the table in NXT."

Steveson will be taking on a veteran in Corbin, and Corbin's not going to take it easy on him, first match or not. "Baron isn't going to make it easy on him. He is literally a shark that smells blood, but Gable has had a lot of big moments, so I don't think the moment is going to be bigger than him, but let's see how he adjusts. He doesn't seem to be intimidated by the challenge," Michaels said. You can find the full card for Great American Bash below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs. Thea Hail - Submission Match

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) vs. Wes Lee vs. Mustafa Ali

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Gallus (C) vs. The Family

Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport - Weapons Wild Match

Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin

Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon and Valentina Feroz vs. Meta-Four - Eight-Person Mixed Tag Team Match

NXT's Great American Bash streams on Peacock on Sunday, July 30th at 8 PM EST.

Are you excited for the Great American Bash? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

Hulk Hogan's iconic match with Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III remains one of the biggest WrestleMania matches in WWE history, but it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their rivalry. The pair wrestled 42 singles matches against each other over their legendary careers, starting in Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1979 and ending at a WWF house show in Atlanta in 1988. Hogan has given many comments about his tumultuous relationship with Andre over the years and said in a new interview with Theo Von this week that working with Andre consistently "scared me to death."

"The hardest thing for me was -- the first 8 or 9 years -- he didn't like me at all and tortured me," Hogan said (h/t Wrestling Inc.). "When we got in the ring, he showed me how much he didn't like me."

Hogan then recalled an incident where he invited a girl to the arena to watch one of his matches, something Andre was strictly against. "The Eighth Wonder of the World" proceeded to beat Hogan up and down the ring. "The Hulkster" claimed Andre nearly broke his neck with the ring ropes.

Hulk Hogan's Trademark Battle With Marvel Comics

Elsewhere in the same interview, Hogan discussed the legal battle he had with Marvel over his various trademarks. The WWE Hall of Famer famously had to sign a 20-year deal with Marvel that gave the company a cut of his earnings due to his wrestling persona being too close to The Incredible Hulk, but he was able to buy all of his trademarks from them on the cheap in the mid-2000s.

"n 2005, it's over. Now, I can't use Hulk Hogan anymore, and I'm red hot in 2005," Hogan said. "I went to my attorney, 'I don't give a damn what deal you make, you're going to make a deal because I need the name.' What happened was, I got a one-year extension and I had to pay them 30% of everything I made. Movies, TV wrestling, they got 30% of everything, but if they decided to sell the name, they had to give me first shot at it. They couldn't sell the name or do anything. Fair market value.

"All of a sudden, Marvel Comics gets in a b--fest with WWE about intellectual properties, that they can't re-air old Hulk Hogan matches. Marvel Comics lost. They owe Vince $35 million. They made a huge mistake. They said, 'Instead of paying $35 million, how about we give you the Hulk Hogan name.' I heard about it and went, 'You screwed up now.' Now, I don't have to pay $35 million for the name, you have to sell it for me for fair money value,' which is only $750 grand. I bought the name back. Vince wanted to buy the name from me. 'Nah, I got this one.' I bought the name back and I own everything," Hogan added.

AEW's All In pay-per-view is shaping up to be the biggest show in the young company's history as ticket sales are nearing 80,000 for Wembley Stadium on Aug. 27. One of the big rumors surrounding the show is that reigning IWGP United States Champion and New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Will Ospreay will be involved as it'll give the card a big name from the United Kingdom. It was assumed Ospreay would have a tiebreaking match with Kenny Omega as the pair put on two Match of the Year contenders at New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom 17 in January and the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door crossover event in June.

However, it looks like AEW wants to go in a different direction. Sean Ross Sapp reported via Fightful Select on Thursday that the current plan is for an Ospreay vs. Chris Jericho match. "The Demo God" is currently considering joining forces with Don Callis, who Sapp wrote "is factored into the equation somehow." Ospreay and Jericho have never shared the ring in their respective careers.

Will Ospreay's Future in New Japan, AEW or WWE

Ospreay has confirmed in interviews that his current contract with New Japan expires in February 2024. He noted that his "heart" is still with New Japan, that AEW "made him feel at home" during his appearances on AEW TV and that he has no interest in signing with WWE. But a contract with AEW is anything but a done deal as he noted in an interview with Sapp that he doesn't want to live in the United States.

"I have no aspirations of going to WWE, at all," Ospreay said earlier this year. "It's not because of the product or anything, I'm not a fan of it, I will happily say, but my lifestyle, I never wanted to be the big star pro wrestler. Japan allows me to do a tour and come home and live my family life. If anybody has ever spent more than a couple of days with me, family to me is everything."

AEW Rampage Card (July 28, 2023)

• Royal Rampage Tag Team Battle Royal
• The Kingdom in Action
• Komander vs. Kip Sabian
• Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose

AEW Collision Card (July 29, 2023)

• AEW World Tag Team Championships: FTR vs. MJF & Adam Cole
• Andrade El Idolo vs. Buddy Matthews (Ladder Match)
• El Hijo Del Vikingo, Action Andretti & Darius Martin vs. Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson & The Gunns)

WWE and reality television have had a long-running relationship. In the early 2000s, WWE launched WWE Tough Enough, a competition series shot in a reality TV-style that set out to find the next WWE superstar. Come the 2010s, WWE partnered with E! to start Total Divas, a reality series focused on a group of female WWE superstars. Leading stars Nikki and Brie Bella eventually got their own spin-off reality show from Total Divas entitled Total Bellas. In recent years, former WWE Champion The Miz and wife Maryse have had their marriage told through the reality television lens with USA Network's Miz and Mrs.

Joining that reality television family will be WWE superstars Bianca Belair and Montez Ford. The real-life couple were announced to be receiving a reality show back in November 2022 for Hulu entitled The Crawfords.

While updates on The Crawfords have been scarce, Ford recently revealed that the show has a fairly wide release window at this time.

"Very, very soon. I would say between October and maybe February," Ford told New York Post.

Belair and Ford were married in 2018. The two have largely operated as their own acts on WWE TV but did share the ring on a couple of occasions during their early days on the WWE main roster.

"I think the good thing about doing the show is the same thing as working with [my tag team partner Angelo] Dawkins, I don't feel like it's work. I'm actually having a great time with the person I love and that I want to share this life with," Ford continued. "It doesn't necessarily feel like work, just another reflection of how we are as people outside of wrestling, too. It never feels like work with her or Daws.

"At first, it takes some getting used to. It's not a normal thing. You got a camera there. It's a little awkward at times in the beginning because you're just talking and this camera. What are you going to say? What is your expression to that, but after that, you get used to it. I have to watch what I say because I have a little potty mouth."

Ford currently does not have WWE SummerSlam plans but appears to be part of a major brewing storyline with Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins, NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams.

Belair faces Charlotte Flair and WWE Women's Champion Asuka at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday, August 5th.

Shawn Michaels announced during a media conference call on Thursday that WWE is reviving another classic pay-per-view for the NXT brand this September -- No Mercy. The show was originally an annual pay-per-view on WWE's schedule from 1999-2008 and was briefly brought back for 2016-17 before being shelved again. The show will take place at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, California on Sept. 30. NXT's next big event, NXT: The Great American Bash, takes place this Sunday at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park in Austin, Texas.

As for the main roster, WWE has announced four more 2023 pay-per-views following August's SummerSlam show (taking place a week from Saturday in Detroit). That includes Payback at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh (Sept. 2), Fastlane at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (Oct. 7), an unnamed Saudi Arabia event on Nov. 4 and Survivor Series at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont (Chicago), Illinois. Stay tuned for full coverage of all those events and more!

NXT: The Great American Bash (2023) Card

• NXT Championship: Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov
• NXT Tag Team Championships: Gallus vs. The D'Angelo Family
• NXT Women's Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Thea Hall
• NXT North American Championship: Dominik Mysterio vs. Mustafa Ali
• Roxanne Perez vs. Blair Davenport
• Gable Steveson vs. Baron Corbin
• (Kickoff) Dragon Lee, Nathan Frazer, Yulisa Leon & Valentina Feroz vs. The Meta-Four (Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Jakara Jackson & Lash Legend)

Rey Mysterio Threatens to Beat Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American Championship

One of the most surprising matches booked for Sunday's pay-per-view is a title match between newly-crowned NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio and Mustafa Ali. Mysterio has already escaped a few title defenses on SmackDown and Raw and his legendary father, Rey Mysterio, recently teased the idea that he'll go after his son's title if he gets the chance.

"The fact that he's succeeding and becoming his own person, he's already his own person. You don't know how many times I would have loved to call him up and say, 'Congratulations, son, you're really killing it.' But it hurts," Rey recently said on The Bump. "Unfortunately, I can't do it, and that really hurts. I wish things would be different. But as a father, despite our differences. I'm extremely proud of what he's doing and what he's conquering. He just better not step in the ring with me because I will take that North American Title."

Bobby Lashley seems to be making some big moves within the WWE. The former WWE Champion made his surprise return to TV back on the July 14 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, in which he approached The Street Profits' Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins for some "classified" business conversations. "The All Mighty" followed that up on the latest episode of SmackDown by appearing backstage talking with NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams, furthering the rumors that a new version of The Hurt Business faction might be in the works.

Ford and Dawkins then appeared on Getting Over with Adam Silverstein and seemed to indicate a big character change is on the way. The pair expressed their frustration over their recent lack of success in WWE's tag division as they haven't been champions since January 2021 despite numerous attempts.

"I feel there is huge room for more of a demeanor change," Ford said (h/t Fightful). "The change that happened towards us, the feeling is real. Last year at SummerSlam was pretty much our last official time on the big stage to go for the tag team championships, and we didn't succeed. That loss stung, still to this day. It's been almost a year. The more you get these opportunities and the more time you don't succeed, the more natural feeling of being upset and frustrated, which leads to a possible character change. Whatever you're possibly doing, is not working. If the revolving situation keeps happening, the change must happen."

Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins Tease a Heel Turn

"Those losses play a lot in my head, a bunch. It's getting frustrating a little bit because you keep getting so close to something and it keeps slipping away," Dawkins added. "It's right there at your fingertips and every time you try to do it the right way, it's not gone your way. I'm sick and tired of waiting and going through all these hoops to get to where the goal is of being the champions. We're going to start running through mugs in a minute."

Ford then compared their situation to the likes of Roman Reigns and Austin Theory, both currently champions on the SmackDown Brand -- "You look at guys like Roman (Reigns) and (Austin) Theory, they aren't doing it the right way, but they've been successful for a very long time. In the back of your mind, you go, 'should I do the way that they're doing or should I keep the righteousness and the ability and everything that has gotten us this far.' You reach a plateau of doing what you're doing for a long time and things don't happen, so maybe a change has to happen. Eventually, frustrations do rise and change must happen."

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul

WWE's 36th annual SummerSlam premium live event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The show will be headlined by Jey Uso challenging Roman Reigns for both the position of Tribal Chief within The Bloodline and the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Uso was able to deliver Reigns his first pinfall loss since late 2019 back at Money in the Bank when he and Jimmy Uso defeated Reigns and Solo Sikoa in a tag team match. Jey then revealed via a conversation with the family elders that their match be conducted through "Tribal Combat" rules, which means no disqualifications and no count outs. With Jimmy hospitalized following a brutal attack and Sikoa's loyalties being called into question on a weekly basis, Reigns' position as "The Head of the Table" has never been in greater jeopardy.

Other big championship matches announced for the show include World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor, a triple threat for the SmackDown Women's Championship between Asuka, Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair and an Intercontinental Championship bout between Gunther and Drew McIntyre

WWE SummerSlam 2023 How to Watch, Streaming

SummerSlam 2023 begins at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 5. The event will stream exclusively on Peacock here in the United States.

Cody Rhodes Looking to Move on From Brock Lesnar

Cody Rhodes gave a number of interviews leading up to the premiere of his new documentary, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes. While he'll have a tiebreaker match with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, Rhodes openly admitted he's looking forward to turning his focus back to the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship he failed to win at WrestleMania 39 back in April.

"I feel you have moments in your career where you get stuck in them, whether they're so good or whether they're so low, that you get stuck in these moments," Rhodes said. "It's not unlike if you have a traumatic experience in your personal life. For me, I felt, and I still do three months removed, very stuck. In that there was a very long period of time where I was sitting in the ring. I knew I was sitting in the ring and knew I had lost. I'm watching people not leave. They're looking at me. They're looking at me and they're either frustrated, they're sad for me, they're mad at me. But you usually see at the end of the night some people heading for the aisles. They're going to beat traffic, something. We were just stuck. And I knew we were filming me. And the internal monologue I had when I saw my family at ringside, then I saw some of the most diehard fans fully decked out in every piece of merch for me they could have possibly bought, the internal monologue was really just telling myself to get up. And then I wanted to make a point that I was not going to walk what we call 'loser lane.' I'm going to walk all the way back up this 70-yard ramp and I want to feel every bit of this loss."

"And then my world filled up right the next day, I jump into the thing with Brock Lesnar," he later added. "So again, I feel like I'm stuck. I'm stuck there. I'd love SummerSlam to be the moment that's like, 'Hey, moving forward. Hopefully defeating Brock Lesnar. Moving forward.' And without saying anything. Without doing the old 'this little number' around the waist. Let them know, the thing I came back for, we're still on the path. We're still on the path. And I want to be confident about it in the best of ways because you rode with me all the way to WrestleMania in Los Angeles and hopefully they can ride with me to wherever it is and wherever we go next."

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Card

• Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso (Tribal Combat Rules)
• World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
• SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
• Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
• Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
• Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
• Ricochet vs. Logan Paul

On paper, Jack Spade is on top of the world. Heels Season 1 concluded with Stephen Amell's leading character successfully selling out a full-size arena for the Duffy Wrestling League at the Georgia State Fair, but it cost him his family. Leading up to the big event, Jack put all of his energy into the DWL that his wife and son took a backseat, resulting in them leaving the house for an extended period of time. Beyond that, Jack reveals to brother Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) that he played a major role in the crowd turning on him. Ace didn't take this news well, as he began to legitimately fight Jack during their scripted match. Entering Heels Season 2, the DWL is the most over it has ever been, but Jack's real-life heat is off the charts.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Amell provided insight into Jack's headspace going into Heels Season 2.

"I remember reading the first script and going like, 'Okay, how is Jack going to deal with this?'" Amell said. "He's had this massive success, but then he gets out of the ring and he he has nothing to show for it. Sure, they've got some money and they can pay some of their bills, but he comes home to an empty house. It's in that moment that things start to change."

The "empty house" realization brings Jack down to Earth, as Amell notes that moment comes with an immediate wake-up call.

"It's just all laid out there in front of him: what you're doing isn't working. So he just stops and he goes, 'Okay, it's not working. We're going to try and figure it out,'" Amell continued. "He has no idea how he's going to figure it out, but he's going to listen to people around him and ask for help and at the very least recognize that what his dad did broke him. He's got to himself back together."

CM Punk and AJ Lee Share the Ring in Heels Season 2

Heels Season 2 welcomes former WWE star AJ Lee to the cast and features her doing her first in-ring work since leaving WWE in 2015. In a clip shared ahead of Season 2, Lee's Elle Dorado is seen sparring with CM Punk's Ricky Rabies.

Heels Season 2 premieres this Friday, July 27th on Starz.

Editor's note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.

All Elite Wrestling boasts one of the deepest rosters in recent memory, and that extends beyond the ring. Upon its launch in 2019, AEW brought in a number of wrestling legends as producers and coaches, with Hall of Famers like Billy Gunn and Dean Malenko apart of the company's inaugural pay-per-view in a behind-the-scenes capacity. Since then, AEW has inked independent greats like Jimmy Jacobs and Pat Buck to producer deals. The AEW producing staff recently welcomed fan-favorite indie veteran Chris Hero in for a couple of one-off producing gigs. The former WWE NXT talent received rave reviews from those he worked with.

That positive reception has turned into a job for Hero in AEW. According to PWInsider, Hero is now working with AEW as a producer in a full-time capacity.

This is Hero's first major wrestling contract since his WWE days. Hero had two stints with WWE as Kassius Ohno, working in Florida Championship Wrestling before it was rebranded to NXT.

Chris Hero is All Elite

Hero had been wrestling for well over two decades now but has not laced up his boots since March 2020. He was released from WWE in April 2020 and stayed largely absent from the professional wrestling world for the next three years. Hero returned to wrestling earlier this year when he started working with West Coast Pro Wrestling.

Despite his lack of official matches, Hero has emphasized that he's "currently inactive" rather than retired. It's unclear as to if he will wrestle in AEW but his full-time responsibilities will lie within the producing avenue, something he has taken a liking to.

"The coaching/producing aspect is something that I really enjoy," Hero said in a recent interview. "It's different, like you coach different people different ways. Sometimes, you're just a note-taker, like, okay, what are these guys doing? Boom, let's try to make sure that the cameras get it all. Let's make sure that production knows what's going on, someone's coming in through the crowd, that kind of stuff. Then sometimes, it's a collaborative effort where you're sitting there with people, and they're stuck on something, and you're like, 'How about this? How about that? Whatever.' It's a collaboration. I love all of that."

AEW President Tony Khan mentioned that he has been "chipping away" at trying to get Hero back in a ring. That could be for either AEW or Ring of Honor. Hero previously wrestled for ROH for a collective nine years.