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Dijak talks contract, Retribution, more

Fightful Select had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with soon-to-be free agent Donovan Dijak.

Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp began the interview by mentioning how the WWE tends to simplify wrestlers' names. Still, with Dijak, they went a different route, making it more difficult with Donovan Dijakovic.

The thought process behind it was due to his Croatian heritage. Dijak said they had conversations about making it sound more European. Dijak said that he liked that D...

More on Dijak's WWE departure

On June 27th, Dijak announced on social media that he had been notified by WWE that they would not be re-signing him at “the eleventh hour”, and that he would be exiting the company on June 28th.

Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp has learned Dijak was notified that WWE would not be re-signing at some point following his WWE Speed match with Xavier Woods that filmed in the last two weeks but has not been able to learn when WWE made the decision that they would not be re-signing him....

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Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDOvu3G-sSk

Former WCW name hired by AEW

A former WCW star has been working for AEW for a couple of months now.

On a recent episode of AEW Dynamite, Ray Lloyd, also known as Glacier, was seen on screen breaking up a fight on the show. This led many to ask whether or not Glacier was serving as an extra, or was a regular behind the scenes. Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp confirmed that Glacier was recently hired by the company. He's been working as a producer/coach with AEW.

Glacier hasn't completely retired from in-rin...

Update on AEW wild card, upcoming return/

The Young Bucks announced that they are inserting a Wild Card in the Owen Hart tournament and bringing the world title back to the Elite.

The announcement led many to suspect it to be Adam "Hangman" Page, who has been absent since AEW Revolution. Page has been out of action for contractually obligated personal reasons, and hasn't been injured, and we're told that AEW was always aware he'd be making his return by late June or early July.

It's important to note creative plans can al...

Former WWE team has had talks with AEW/ROH

A much-discussed team has been discussed to some actual appearances at a place they’ve been popping up backstage.

Fightful Select reported recently that Mace/Mason Madden and Mansoor were backstage at AEW Collision, although they weren’t used. In addition, Mansoor was backstage at the LA tapings of Dynamite, though neither have appeared on screen. The former Maximum Male Models duo, now known as MxM, have been speaking with AEW/ROH in recent weeks.

Sean Ross Sapp learned from ...

TNA signs tag team

TNA Wrestling has landed a standout tag team. 

Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reported last month that Sinner and Saint were joining TNA Wrestling at the company's Newport tapings. Now we can confirm more. Fightful Overbooked's In The Weeds spoke with the duo and confirmed they've signed with TNA Wrestling.

The team, consisting of Judas Icarus and Travis Williams have stood out on the Canadian independent scene. We're told they made a good impression upon their initial TNA appeara...

Ricky Starks-AEW update

Ricky Starks is in the rumor mill after being absent from AEW TV for quite some time.

A Reddit post conjured up discussion, and memes, speculating that Starks had ran into legal trouble in Calgary last year, and had constantly rejected pitches within AEW. The now-deleted but widely circulated post led to Fightful asking about a number of those points raised.

Fightful Select did reach out to sources within AEW and the roster, who claim that Ricky Starks turning down pitches to be ...

FREE Post: MLW makes production hires

MLW is looking to improve.

Fightful Select confirmed that David Marquez was hired as head of production for Major League Wrestling, and will help lead the charge to upgrade to a larger production setup. We're told there's an addition of TV trucks starting with the July 12 episode. Marquez has worked for years in the business, gaining a great reputation across NWA and Championship Wrestling from Hollywood.

In addition, David Sahadi has joined MLW's production crew effective immedia...

WWE Raw News, Producers, Who Killed WCW, Dark Side News

• Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful is appearing on WISH TV (a CW affiliate in Indianapolis) to talk about the WWE/Indianapolis deal.

• SRS will also appear on this Friday's post Smackdown show.

• Evan Husney tells Fightful they're already discussing potential Dark Side of the Ring episodes they're hoping to do.

• Husney also told us filming for Who Killed WCW? started in November.

WWE Raw

• Wyatt Sicks ...

  2024-06-25 15:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post

Select Exclusive: Lana Austin & Rob Drake Discuss The Disintegration Of The Lana Austin Experience, Their 2024 Goals And More

Lana Austin and Rob Drake sit down with Fightful's Corey Brennan to discuss the break up of The Lana Austin Experience, LA Taylor and Skye Smithson, adding new members to the faction, their 2024 goals and more.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyjKNX1wzIM

Alex & Kate's SOUR GRAPS: Raw 6/24 | Down With The Sick6ness

Okay, so the Chad Gable stuff makes less than zero sense, but we finally have a mission statement from the band of nutcases who probably murdered several people last week.

And OH BROTHER WAS IT AWESOME.

The rest of the show was pretty standard fare (i.e., bad) with some pretty good stuff peppered in that threatened to overshadow everything else.

And then they decided to put the Awesome Truth in the main event for some reason and ruined it.

Everything sucks. Let's talk ...

WWE Raw Plans

Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp has learned the following plans for WWE Raw, subject to change.

Please be cognizant of those who wish to avoid spoilers, as well as goofuses online spreading fake rundowns.

• Drew McIntyre promo

• Bron Breakker vs. Ludwig Kaiser

• MITB Qualifier: Shayna Baszler vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Kairi Sane

• SPOILER PROMO

• MITB Qualifier: Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed vs. Braun Strowman

• Alb...

  2024-06-24 23:45:15 +0000 UTC View Post

Select Portion: Jensen, Fatu, Bayne, UK Indies

• The "WWE Vault" channel is an official one, for those asking. WWE recently trademarked the term.

• To answer a question from a reader this weekend, WWE does plan on using the Jacob Fatu name moving forward and are trademarking it.

• Fightful has asked for an official status update on Brooks Jensen from WWE, which went unreturned.

• To clear up confusion on Megan Bayne, there had been creative pitches when we reported it a month ago, and many peo...

  2024-06-24 20:00:33 +0000 UTC View Post

Update on Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley before WWE Summerslam? That’s the internal hope from WWE.

The dominant Rhea Ripley was sidelined in April with a shoulder injury that forced her to vacate the World Championship. However, she’s been constantly referenced on TV by Liv Morgan and Judgment Day, setting the table for when she returns.

There had been reports that Rhea Ripley wasn’t scheduled for WWE Summerslam. However, WWE sources had indicated that they have things constructed that Ripley can slide ...

More on big Royal Rumble, Summerslam, WrestleMania deal in Indianapolis

WWE announced a major deal that would send Royal Rumble 2025 to Indianapolis, as well as future WrestleMania and Summerslam shows.

News of the possibility was broken by WrestleVotes last week, and confirmed by WWE on June 24. The Indiana Sports Corp had pushed for the events locally. This now solidifies locations for Summerslam, WrestleMania and Royal Rumble through 2025, and has two locations in subsequent years nailed down.

Royal Rumble as a possible February destination has lo...

Mina Shirakawa talks Mariah, Toni, Mercedes, Liger, NJPW, USA

Grapsody's Phil Lindsey and Righteous Reg spoke to Mina Shirakawa ahead of her world title match against TonI Storm at NJPW x AEW Forbidden Door.

Mina told Grapsody that she and Mariah love each other, but Toni only loves Mariah because she's flattered. She wants to drink "high ball" with Mariah. She calls Mariah her best friend and says sometimes they clashed over cultural differences and their bond was not easy to form.

Mina credits seeing NJPW to make her want to be a pro wrest...

Alex & Kate's SOUR GRAPS: Weekend Wrestling Wrap-Up 6/23 | The Wolfman Has Nards

So I picked a hell of a weekend to go to my sister-in-law's house.

On Friday, Drew McIntyre murdered CM Punk and Jacob Fatu murdered Cody Rhodes.

On Saturday, a 90 second video package convinced a lot of people that Jeff Jarrett should main event Wembley Stadium.

What a crazy couple of days. And now you get to hear mine & Kate's thoughts about all of it.

Everything sucks. (Well, not everything, but it's the thing we say.) Let's talk about it.

Watch here: 2024-06-24 02:10:12 +0000 UTC View Post

Backstage Report Podcast 6/23: Creative changes in WWE, Jacob Fatu, AEW updates

- Wyatt Family news, reactions

- New Smackdown lead writer

- Megan Bayne update

- Why Jacob Fatu's debut took so long

- Speedball backstage at AEW

- Hardy Boyz contract update

- Shane McMahon-AEW chatter

- Lio Rush-AEW update

- Brooks Jensen news

- More on Kayla Braxton leaving WWE

- WWE writer leaves

- Smackdown and Raw producers, backstage news

- NXT backstage news

- NXT name at TNA PPV

- AEW-WBD reactions t...

Shane McMahon-AEW rumors were news to everyone in AEW

Shane McMahon to AEW? It’s not looking likely.

There was heavy buzz throughout wrestling over the past week regarding the possibility of Shane McMahon appearing in AEW. Tony Khan told Wrestling Observer that he’d not ever had a conversation with or met Shane McMahon. Those that we’ve spoken to say that Shane McMahon hadn’t been brought up at a high level.

There were numerous talent that inquired with us an internally about the possibility of Shane appearing in AEW, but wer...

Fightful Weekender (6/23): ACTION, TWE, BLOODSPORT, AIW, REVOLVER, MLW, NXT LEVEL UP, ROH SPOILERS

STEPHEN JENSEN is back with a new edition of the WEEKENDER!

- ACTION: "My Own Prison" results

- TWE: "Road To Perdition" results

- BLOODSPORT: "Bushido" results

- AIW: "Shook Ones" results

- REVOLVER: "Cage Of Horrors" results

- MLW Anniversary '24 results

- NXT Level Up (6/21) results

- ROH HONORCLUB SPOILERS (62 min-end)

New Head Writer of WWE Smackdown revealed

This week's WWE Smackdown garnered heavy buzz and praise, and another big change happened behind the scenes as well.

Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp learned that longtime WWE creative writer John Swikata has been promoted to lead writer on WWE Smackdown, at least as of earlier this week. We were able to confirm the news with numerous people in the company. Swikata replaced Ryan Callahan in the role, who we're told parted ways with WWE.

There is very little known about Swikata or ...

TNA star backstage at AEW this week

One of wrestling’s best in-ring performers was backstage at AEW this week.

Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp has confirmed that TNA star “Speedball” Mike Bailey was backstage at Thursday’s AEW Collision tapings. Fightful was told that Bailey was there visiting friends, and was welcomed backstage as he has many connections there.

We’ve not heard of any talks going on beyond that, and Bailey is still under contract with TNA until the end of the year. We’ve heard that th...

Smackdown news, producers, backstage info

• Prior to Paul Heyman's mentions, the new group from WWE Raw had not been named or referred to as "The Wyatts."

• As of this week, there was no firm date set for the DIY vs. A-Town Down Under match.

• Austin Theory woke up with swelling on his face and was unable to be on the show.

• WWE sources that we spoke to said that they considered Friday one of the biggest Smackdowns since WrestleMania this year.

• Heyman, Bloodline and Cody we...

  2024-06-22 15:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post

Kayla Braxton leaving WWE, more details

Kayla Braxton is leaving WWE.

On June 6th , Kayla Braxton surprised many fans, taking WWE out of her social media username, which has spawned many questions of the backstage interviewers’ status within the company. When Fightful reached out to WWE, and Braxton, real name Kayla Becker, we were told she was "still with" the company. However, we learned more.

Braxton announced June 22 that she'd be stepping away from WWE next week. Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp has learned t...

More on Jacob Fatu's WWE debut

Jacob Fatu has debuted on WWE Smackdown as a member of the Bloodline.

Fatu has been signed to WWE for months, and was backstage at WrestleMania and was around Wrestlemania weekend. We had never been given firm debut plans, though we were given an implied reason as to what could have taken so long.

On recent Fightful Podcasts, it had been noted that Jacob Fatu had never wrestled outside of the United States. MLW sources had previously indicated that was because of Fatu's criminal r...

WWE Smackdown Plans

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select has learned the following plans for tonight's WWE Smackdown, subject to change.

Please be cognizant of those who wish to avoid spoilers.

• CM Punk segment

• MITB Qualifier: Bianca Belair vs. Michin vs. Chelsea Green

• MITB Qualifier: Randy Orton vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Tama Tonga

• Logan Paul confronts LA Knight

• MITB Qualifier: Kevin Owens vs. Grayson Waller vs. Andrade

• SPOI...

  2024-06-22 00:01:59 +0000 UTC View Post

SRS Q&A LIVE 5 PM ET

SRS answers your questions LIVE! Comment below!

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/wF163P8SqMs

Reactions from AEW & WBD over AEW Dynamite numbers

AEW Dynamite for June 19 did a historically low number for the company. Fightful Select reached out to numerous sources within AEW and WBD to get their thoughts on it.

According to Programming Insider, AEW Dynamite on June 19 drew 502,000 viewers. The number is down from the 681,000 viewers the show drew on June 12. It is the lowest viewe...