Huge Update On Goldberg’s Retirement Show; June 19th Live Wrestling News Round-Up

AEW Star and House of Black disciple ‘Big Bad’ Brody King has blasted wrestling veteran Dutch Mantell for being a “bag of sh*t” after the former WWE manager posted some questionable comments following the aftermath of AEW Collision.

Following the shows main event CM Punk & FTR would bring a fan into the ring to showcase his sign calling for support for LGBTQ youths.

The incredible showcase of support for the LGBTQ community was met with a massive amount of support on social media but as with any political matter, an equal proportion of disapproval from those with more outdated views.

Dutch Mantell took to Twitter criticising AEW for allowing this to happen, despite it not being broadcast, stating that Khan should have learnt from the BudLight scandal earlier in the year.

Is this a wise move…involving a political issues on a wrestling show? I guess the issue that @budlight and @target have had with the LGBTQ topic has not reached @AEW This shot didn’t make the show but the still photo is there.”

‘Big Bad’ Brody King took the opportunity to reply and say what was on his, and a lot of fans minds.

“You probably thought it was a political issue when Black people and Women wanted equal rights too, you old bag of shit.”

You can view the original photo and read more about CM Punk’s support for the LGBTQ community, here.

Paul Heyman gives the untold truth on why most of the ECW originals weren’t utilised as top talends outside of the company.

On an Inside The Ropes live tour, Paul Heyman tells Kenny McIntosh about the likes of Raven, Sabu, Shane Douglas and more.

Check out this never before seen interview clip below

Another day, another CM Punk story.

This time it has been revealed that Tony Khan and AEW management approved CM Punk’s slamming comments regarding The Young Bucks during the debut episode of AEW Collision last Saturday.

“You know what David Zaslav calls me?… ‘One Bill Phil.’ That’s because I am the one true, genuine article in a business of counterfeit Bucks…”

The comments immediately sparked speculation that Punk had gone rogue just minutes after returning to the company, adding more fuel to an already combustible situation. However, it appears that the truth is much less explosive. Dave Meltzer writing in a Wrestling Observer Newsletter update noted that the lines were cleared by management beforehand, so there were no nasty surprises.

You can read more on this, here.

Chris Jericho has lifted the lid on how his AEW Dynamite showdown with Sting came together.

Despite their careers beginning in 1990 and 1985 respectively, the two men have never wrestled and hadn’t had any kind of on-screen interaction until they came together on Dynamite.

Speaking on the AEW-some Podcast, Jericho spoke about the importance of the meeting.

“This is the very first time in both of our careers, which spans probably 70 years combined, that either one of us have ever been in the ring together. Ever. Not for a showdown, not for a battle royal, nothing. We have never ever touched or been face-to-face in a pro wrestling ring before,”

Jericho went on to say that he had the idea for him and Sting to work together back in 2021 when they shared a conversation as Keith Mitchell retired.

You can read those comments in full, here.

In this exclusive with Dominik Mysterio, he describes feeling nervous about working with Brock Lesnar, working with his father at Wrestlemania and his chemistry with Rhea Ripley, Finn Balor and Damien Priest!

He also tells Kenny McIntosh of Inside The Ropes about his unusual progression in the business and what it was like to grow up as Rey Mysterio’s son!

Check out this never before seen interview clip below ⬇️

WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase has criticised the in-ring work of wrestling legend Ric Flair, claiming that ‘The Nature Boy’ had the same match every night.

During an appearance on Jake Roberts’ Snake Pit podcast, fellow Hall of Famer, Ted DiBiase gave his thoughts on Flair’s in-ring skills. DiBiase said that while he’s not using it as a point to criticise the 16-time World Champion, he felt he had the same match every night, something Roberts agreed with.

The pair said that this style wasn’t something that they favoured during their own careers, instead preferring to call the action in the ring and work off the reaction of the crowd.

You can read their full breakdown of Flair’s in-ring work, here.

Do you agree with DiBiase’s criticism of Flair? Let us know using the thumbs below!

The latest edition of the WWE Draft so a large volume of NXT call ups with a varying level of success so far.

Names like Grayson Waller and Cameron Grimes seem to be making waves despite their short time on the main roster, with the former reportedly very popular backstage.

Zoey Stark however has not impressed Bully Ray since her call up, despite the WWE Hall of Famer being a big fan of the former NXT Tag Team Champion.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Ray would state:

“In NXT, I really enjoyed Zoey Stark. So far, on the main roster, not so much,”

The ECW legend would go on to reveal that despite Stark’s prominent feud with Becky Lynch, the decrease in quality of her promo’s since being called up are a major factor in his disappointment at her performances of late.

“I feel that her promo and verbiage are extremely forced and that she’s trying to memorize her lines. I didn’t feel the same way about her in NXT — I felt she was a lot more relaxed and going out there and letting it flow. Now, is it because of the big spotlight of Monday Night Raw? Maybe she’s not used to someone from Gorilla telling her to do things? Not sure.” [h/t WrestlingInc]

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

On June 18th, Shawn Michaels celebrated the 35th anniversary of his WWE debut. On that occasion, he teamed with Marty Jannetty, to defeat Iron Mike Sharpe & The Intruder on Superstars of Wrestling. With the goodwill in full swing on social media, The Undertaker got in the act, commenting that Michaels was one of the greatest ever.

“Throughout my career, if I had to pick one person to share the ring with, without hesitation it would be @ShawnMichaels! He is one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots! Congrats on 35 years with @WWE, you have earned all the accolades bestowed upon you!”

The Undertaker wasn’t the only legend to pay tribute to ‘The Heartbreak Kid’, you can read more about this, here.

Where does HBK rank in the all time legends list? Let us know using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!

Matt Hardy has revealed that ‘Brother Nero’ won’t be wrestling outside of AEW anytime soon, for the simple reason… he doesn’t want to.

Speaking on his podcast, The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt explained that fans shouldn’t expect Jeff to wrestle outside of AEW any time soon.

“He doesn’t wrestle on the indie scene right now,” Hardy said.

“Jeff doesn’t want to wrestle on indies. He only wants to wrestle on AEW right now. He’s open doing signings and cons and stuff like that, but he only wants to do two a month. He’s really put his foot down with that and I respect that and I’m cool with that.”

In the days after his return to AEW, Jeff Hardy admitted that at one point he never imagined that he would be back in the ring. The star went on to thank fans for their support before revealing that he will end his career in All Elite Wrestling.

You can read more about this, here.

Drew McIntyre recently attended the 2023 Special Olympics on behalf of the WWE and some incredible footage from event has been shared.

The 2023 Special Olympics will run from June 17th up until Friday June 25th in Berlin, Germany.

This is the 54th year of the event following it’s founding by Eunice Kennedy Shriver at Camp Shriver back in July 1968.

Drew McIntyre recently attended the international event on behalf of the WWE and now some incredible footage of individuals gaining the ability to hear for the first time has been shared online.

Sharing the footage via Twitter, WWE would comments.

“In a touching moment, @SpecialOlympics Global Ambassador and WWE Superstar @DMcIntyreWWEwitnessed how Brazilian athlete Marcelino got a hearing instrument, which made him properly hear for the very first time in his life.”

You can check out the heart-warming video below.

What an incredible moment ❤️

pic.twitter.com/E3OUYXxMyf

— Inside The Ropes (@Inside_TheRopes) June 19, 2023

Eric Bischoff hasn’t held a position of any significance with a major wrestling company since leaving his role as Executive Director of SmackDown in 2019.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Bischoff was asked whether he could be tempted to take up a position backstage again or return to WWE. The former WCW boss explained that if he was younger, there’s no doubt he’d be back, however, at this time of his life he has no desire to work in the trenches.

With regard to working in AEW, Bischoff added that he doesn’t want to work with Tony Khan, before praising him as a “good human being.”

You can read Eric’s full comments, here.

Would you like to see Bischoff back behind the steering wheel of a major promotion? Let us know using the thumbs below!

Rhea Ripley may be everyone’s ‘Mami’ but that did not stop her taking to Twitter to share a very special ‘Papi’s Day message with the WWE universe.

Taking to Twitter, Ripley would share a hilarious photo of herself, Dominik and their two AI generated babies Raymondo and Angelina, in a fantastic parody of Dominik’s parents Rey and Angie Mysterio.

You can check out the photo in full below!

Happy Papi’s Day
– Mami, Raymondo & Angelina 😘 pic.twitter.com/gBxXHDmuPk

— RheaRipley_WWE (@RheaRipley_WWE) June 18, 2023

Is Rhea Ripley currently the best Women’s Division wrestler in the WWE? Let us know using the thumbs below!

A number of AEW stars will reportedly be pleased with the news that Tony Khan has dropped plans for a “hard” roster split.

The much-talked-about AEW roster split appears to have been put on the back burner, a decision that has gone down well with a number of talents backstage.

When the show was first announced there was immediate talk that the roster would be split in two, with half working Dynamite and the other being tied to Collision. While this was at least in part a way of retaining an easier schedule for stars, it was also designed to keep CM Punk and The Elite apart with their issues remaining very much unresolved.

However, the closer the show came, the less likely a split appeared, and on the eve of Collision’s premiere, Tony Khan confirmed that there wouldn’t be separate rosters for Collision and Dynamite.

You can read more about this decision and the backstage reaction, here.

When WWE fans are asked to name generational talents they will typically name the likes of Hulk Hogan, John Cena or Roman Reigns.

However, according to WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray there is one ‘generational talent’ on the WWE roster that doesn’t get the love they deserve.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray was discussing the idea that it is better to leave the WWE and try your luck in another company if you are not always at the top of the card.

The ECW Legend would reveal that he believes that is not always the wisest choice, using current WWE Superstar Dolph Ziggler as an example of someone who knows their role and does it well.

“Dolph gets paid very, very well to do what he does. And most people be like, ‘He’s never on TV, Bubba. He doesn’t do anything. They job him out, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.’ He gets paid really, really well because the Dolph Zigglers of the world only come around once in a while.”

The former Bubba Ray Dudley would go on to claim that Dolph Ziggler is in fact a generational talent, praising the former WWE Champion for his ability to steal the show regardless of his role in the company at the time.

“We talk about generational talents. Dolph Ziggler is a generational talent, a guy that can hang out at the bottom, and on any given night, if he wanted to, [he could] shoot right to the top of the ladder.” [h/t WrestlingInc]

Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think Dolph Ziggler is a generational talent? Let us know by using the thumbs below!

Ric Flair has revealed that he was a big fan of a recent AEW match, calling it the best match of the last year… that didn’t involve Charlotte Flair.

On the debut episode of AEW Collision Andrade El Idolo took on Buddy Matthews in the former’s first AEW match in almost a year.

The match was met with general applause, however WWE Hall of Famer took a major liking to the clash, and in particular the finish, crowning it the best match in over a year.

Taking to Twitter, ‘The Nature Boy’ would state:

Congratulations To @SNM_Buddy & @AndradeElIdolo! The Best Match I’ve Seen In A Year That @MsCharlotteWWE Wasn’t Involved In! WOOOOO! #AEWCollision”

Andrade defeated Matthews in 13 minutes thanks to a expertly executed Figure Eight Leg Lock in homage to ‘The Queen’ Charlotte Flair.

Following the match, El Idolo was attacked by the remaining members of the House of Black, leading Andrade to issue a challenge for next weeks show.

You can read more about this, here.

Following his blockbuster return last Saturday for the debut episode of AEW Collision, CM Punk looks set to make headlines once again as he returns to AEW Dynamite for the first time in almost a year.

Many fans had initially speculated that Punk, due to his on-going issues with Adam Page, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, would only be appearing at PPV’s and AEW Collision shows.

However, according to a new report, CM Punk looks set to make his AEW Dynamite return this Wednesday.

Fightful Select has reported that CM Punk could appear on the June 21st episode of AEW Dynamite in Chigaco.

The report states that although ‘The Second City Saint’ has not been announced for the Wintrust Arena show, those close to Punk have claimed that the star is set to appear.

Five matches have already been announced for the show, none of which include Page, Omega or The Young Bucks, seemingly paving the way for Punk to appear without risking an altercation backstage as tensions are still high following the AEW All Out brawl back in 2022.

You can read more about this, here.

Goldberg is set to write the final chapter of his career with one final match at a retirement show in Israel in the near future.

It had previously been revealed that the WCW icon had been promised a retirement match by Vince McMahon however due to McMahon’s, short lived, departure from the company, plans for the match fell through.

Since then it had been revealed by veteran promotor Rick Bassman, that he is in talks with Goldberg about a final match and that a show in Jerusalem in September is the current plan. Noting that both Goldberg and Sting had been contacted about the event.

A new report from Fightful Select has revealed that more ex-WWE Superstars have been approached about the show, including WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam and Ruthless Aggression era stars John Morrison and Chris Masters.

No new information about the show or planned dates have yet been revealed however the legendary WCW Champion’s final match looks only a matter of months away.

Ric Flair’s final match appears to have started a trend of retired wrestling legends promoting one last match to wrap up their career with a final farewell (and final paycheck) with the likes of Goldberg, Abdullah the Butcher and even Hulk Hogan talking about potentially stepping in the ring one last time.

Who would you like to see Goldberg take on in his final match? Let us know using the ‘get involved’ feature at the top of the page!

gGood Afternoon!

I hope we are all doing well and had a lovely weekend 🎉

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

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

• Multiple ex-WWE Superstars planned for Goldberg’s retirement show.
• CM Punk’s future on AEW Dynamite revealed.
• Ric Flair heaps praise on AEW match, calls it the best match in a year.
• Bully Ray heralds current WWE star as a ‘generational talent’.
• Plans for AEW’s roster split revealed.

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