Tag: MVP

Daily Update: WWE ID, MVP, Zak Knight

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Latest News

Latest Audio

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Tuesday Update

WWE

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • MVP on social media recalled a time during WWE’s run at the Performance Center where “the old man” wanted to turn The Hurt Business into “NOD 2.0.”
    • There was a moment during the ‘PC Era’ when the old man wanted to turn ‘The Hurt Business’ into NOD 2.0. He even brought in Mark & Ron. We fought him on it. Our group was NEVER about RACE. It’s always been about our organic friendship and desire to make money doing what we love!
  • ESPN Australia has a promo package for AEW Grand Slam narrated by Adam Cole.
  • Zak Knight has shared why he hasn’t been on AEW TV as of late: “Just to clarify some things! I came home June & needed a lil time off due to personal/health reasons. I’ve been fit, clear & ready to go since August. AEW has a stacked & very talented roster!! I’ll remain patient and wait for my next opportunity! Let’s be avin ya.”
  • Katsuyori Shibata is celebrating a birthday today.
  • Gangrel wrote on social media that he’s been recovering from a total knee replacement: “I’ve been hanging low last 4 months, reason is I had a total hip replacement 3 months ago and 3 weeks ago a total knee replacement. I’m on my way back up and feeling good!”
  • Magnus vs. Titan has been added to the TV taping portion of MLW’s Eric Bischoff One-Shot event on December 5.
  • Dark Panther will make his MLW debut at Kings of Coliseum on January 11.
  • JBL will be at GCW’s November 23 event Dream On.
  • Mance Warner, Masha Slamovich, Sidney Akeem, and Maki Itoh have been confirmed for GCW in London on January 26.
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH will continue to allow people to post short video clips on social media during events in November and December.

MVP explains what led to The Hurt Syndicate’s arrival in AEW

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The Hurt Syndicate explain why they’re back.

In an interview with Renee Paquette, MVP discussed why The Hurt Syndicate, formerly The Hurt Business in WWE, reformed in AEW. He explained that Bobby Lashley came up with the idea that got over organically, but ended way too soon.

“Unfortunately, it was ended long before anyone was ready for it to end. We felt that we wanted to give our story the proper ending that it deserved,” he said. And “Tony Khan was kind enough to allow us to bring our conglomerate here.”

Lashley said he wanted to do something with ‘Hurt Business’ ever since his boxing days when he saw the phrase on his coach’s t-shirt and once they did it, it was magic.

“The fans wanted us back,” he explained. “Any time I posted something, at least one comment would say Hurt Business, Hurt Business, Hurt Business. They always wanted to see us get back together because it was something that was real. We hung out together, we work out together…this is the perfect opportunity to do it again.”

MVP and Shelton Benjamin made their AEW debut at WrestleDream last month. Lashley made his arrival several weeks later at AEW Dynamite Fright Night, attacking Swerve Strickland. The two will meet in a match at Full Gear later this month.

MVP: New management in WWE ‘just wasn’t for me’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While speaking with 4th Rope Interviews, MVP addressed his decision to leave WWE.

MVP departed WWE this summer and has since arrived in AEW, reuniting with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin as The Hurt Syndicate. He told 4th Rope Interviews that, with new management in place in WWE, it was definitely time to leave the company and head elsewhere.

“I left the first time [in 2010] to go to Japan. This time, I didn’t want to re-sign and I let it be known that I wasn’t going to re-sign because the new management in place,” MVP said. “Anytime — I don’t care where you work, whatever you do for a living — when new management comes in, it’s good for some people and not good for other people. New people come in, old people go. So I just felt that it was definitely time to go because the new management just wasn’t for me. And I ain’t for him.”

MVP previously made comments on Instagram that were critical of Paul “Triple H” Levesque for not bringing The Hurt Business back together in WWE. Lashley has also said he and Levesque did not have much of a connection, and Lashley preferred Vince McMahon’s booking.

At 51 years old, MVP will return to the ring against Josh Barnett at Barnett’s Bloodsport event on November 24. It will be MVP’s first match in more than two years.

When asked about goals he has for the next chapter of his career, MVP told 4th Rope Interviews that he still wants to have a few more matches.

“The next chapter currently is AEW. Got the boys back together, The Hurt Syndicate. I want to end that chapter the way it should have been ended,” he said. “So we have plans to do some really good business at AEW. And then, I got a few matches left in me. I’d like to have a few matches before I hang it up for good. I’m not officially retired yet, so I want to have my final retirement match. And then after that, we’ll see, man. I’m enjoying this role as a manager, a mouthpiece, doing commissioner work. So if somebody wants to keep paying me to come around and grab a mic and run my mouth, I’ll do it for as long as they pay me to do it. But otherwise, as far as wrestling, that chapter is coming to a close pretty soon. And, you know, right now I just want to have a good time making money with my friends.”

Hurt Syndicate appearance, new tag team match set for AEW Dynamite

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The Hurt Syndicate will be live this Wednesday on Dynamite.

It was announced on Saturday’s Collision that MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Bobby Lashley would be at Dynamite this Wednesday in Manchester, New Hampshire. Tony Schiavone noted on commentary that Lashley has not signed a contract with AEW yet, and Tony Khan has been looking to finalize the deal.

MVP and Shelton Benjamin made their debut at WrestleDream last month, first confronting Prince Nana and later came face to face with Swerve Strickland, who rejected MVP’s suggestion to join the group. Swerve met Benjamin in a match this past week on Dynamite. Strickland emerged victorious but was met by a debuting Lashley. All three members of the Hurt Syndicate ended up attacking Strickland and Nana, establishing their presence in AEW.

A tag team match will also take place pitting the Don Callis family’s Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita taking on Ricochet and a mystery partner. Fletcher and Takeshita cut a promo on Ricochet during Collision, issuing the challenge with Fletcher telling Ricochet to literally pick anyone on the roster to tag with him.

The lineup for the Wednesday, November 6 AEW Dynamite:

  • Adam Cole vs. Malakai Black
  • Fight Without Honor: Chris Jericho, Big Bill & Bryan Keith vs. Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii
  • Darby Allin & Orange Cassidy vs. Claudio Castagnoli & PAC
  • The Patriarchy confronts Hook
  • Penelope Ford vs. Jamie Hayter
  • Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher vs. Ricochet & TBA
  • The Hurt Syndicate will appear

Bobby Lashley debuts on AEW Fright Night Dynamite

Posted on by Josh Nason

After months of rumors, former WWE star Bobby Lashley made his debut on Wednesday’s AEW Fright Night Dynamite by leading a beatdown of Swerve Strickland.

Strickland had just defeated Shelton Benjamin in the evening’s main event when MVP then made a call to someone. Seconds later, the lights went out and Lashley emerged, walking into the ring and going face-to-face with Strickland.

Benjamin then jumped up on the apron and Strickland went after him, leading to Lashley laying him out. MVP then took out Prince Nana, leaving Lashley and Benjamin to attack Strickland. The three also beat up several security members who attempted to come into the ring, standing tall over everyone.

MVP then grabbed the microphone and said, “Guess who’s back in business?” — a callback to the unit formerly called the Hurt Business in WWE which is expected to be called the Hurt Syndicate in AEW.

Along with MVP and Benjamin, the 48-year-old Lashley became a free agent earlier after long runs with WWE this year. He hasn’t wrestled since a May WWE house show match in France, and this will be his first action outside WWE since 2018 when he was in TNA.

Bobby Lashley: AEW & Tony Khan allow legends to continue their careers

Posted on by Ian Carey

Bobby Lashley says Tony Khan allows wrestlers to carry on their legacies in AEW.

Lashley appeared on The Lame Guys podcast recently, and while he wouldn’t give away anything regarding a potential AEW debut, he did say that he’s spoken to MVP about what it is like in the company.

“I’m still friends with MVP, so I talked to him about going over there, and I said, ‘How is it over there, you know, are they good?’ And one thing that a lot of people say when they’re over there is that Tony Khan’s a really good dude. Like he’s genuinely saying to some of the people that go over there, he’s like, ‘You deserve to still carry on if you want to.'”

“I know Edge was kind of being pushed down, and Edge was like, ‘No, I took time off, and I was able to get cleared, and I still have some stuff left in the tank,” Lashely continued.

“I think Tony Khan came in and said, ‘You deserve to. You’re a legend in this business, and you can help us out, and I think we can help you out by maybe supplementing your income for the next few years and I think that’s what they did and I think that’s what MVP is doing also.”

The full interview with Lashley is available below.

Last week, Lashley teased that “it’s time to put pen to paper” on his next wrestling contract. Meanwhile, former Hurt Business members and current Hurt Syndicate members MVP and Shelton Benjamin have been a featured part of AEW programming of late. The new faction has its biggest match to date on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite when Benjamin wrestles Swerve Strickland.

Josh Barnett vs. MVP confirmed for GCW Bloodsport XII

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The match between MVP and Josh Barnett is official for the next Bloodsport.

It was confirmed that the two will meet on November 24 at Bloodsport XII, which takes place at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, New Jersey. This comes after MVP made a surprise appearance at the last Bloodsport event, revealing his then-upcoming departure from WWE and issuing a challenge to Barnett.

On social media, Barnett wrote about the upcoming bout:

“The long history of training and friendship was explained and also revealed as the source of the challenge laid down between MVP and the Warmaster at Bloodsport XI,” he wrote. “Mutual respect and admiration was given, not freely, but earned through respecting the other’s strength.”

“That desire to test one’s strength now decides that a match must happen,” he continued. “A match where limits will not be constrained and both wrestler’s will use all they have down to their very cores, because what is more valuable than he who shed his blood for his friend?”

MVP recently made his debut for AEW at WrestleDream earlier this month. He announced that he was looking to recruit new clients, and revealed that Shelton Benjamin has retained his services once again.

Shelton Benjamin debuts on AEW Dynamite

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former WWE star Shelton Benjamin is now #AllElite, making his debut on Wednesday’s fifth anniversary edition of AEW Dynamite.

During a backstage interview with fellow new signee MVP in which he promised a big announcement, he was interrupted by Prince Nana following last week’s confrontation at Grand Slam Dynamite. Nana made it clear he didn’t like what happened and reminded MVP he used to be a wrestler and would lace up the boots right there.

MVP said that sounded like a complaint and he didn’t deal with complaints but “he does” and pointed to Benjamin, the president of his “complaint department.” Benjamin then asked Nana if there was a problem, took his coffee cup, and walked off-screen with MVP.

The two are two-thirds of what’s expected to be the Hurt Syndicate in AEW, an updated version of the Hurt Business in WWE. Bobby Lashley has yet to debut in AEW, but that is expected to happen sooner than later.

The 49-year-old’s longtime run in WWE ended in September 2023 as he was released. In March of this year, he confirmed he had spoken with AEW and that the ball was in their court.

Benjamin has appeared sporadically on the indies in his first year of free agency, last wrestling in July against Titus Alexander at a combo WCPW/Prestige/Deadlock Pro event.

Daily Update: WWE NXT ratings, AEW-WBD, MVP

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The life of Vince McMahon and the Netflix documentary. This is a lengthy story talking about the documentary, my reactions, more details on the various stories talked about, comments from Vince McMahon, Bill Simmons, Ann Callis, things we did learn, what wasn’t accurate and what wasn’t and reviews.
  • More on what the latest settlement in the Cung Le lawsuit against UFC entails, how much more fighters will be getting if the judge approves this, and if the judge doesn’t, what happens next.
  • A note about Bad Blood and Wrestle Dream, interest levels of both and card update.
  • How the audiences for WWE & AEW have changed over the past year, as far as income, viewing together and age of viewers. What show viewerships have grown in income the most over the past year.
  • The most detailed look at the ratings of the past week, placings for the night and week, competition, segment by segment numbers and more.
  • The upcoming women’s World Grand Prix show.
  • Wrestling star accused of kidnapping his son
  • Toni Storm returns to Japan.
  • The 48th World Tag League from All Jaan
  • Thoughts on Queen of Villains
  • El Hijo del Santo retirement tour
  • Tony Khan talks more business
  • Fenix and Penta update
  • International TV ratings and streaming number s
  • Ricochet talks this past week
  • Ticket advances for upcoming WWE & AEW shows
  • More notes on the UFC show at The Sphere
  • Changes to WWE television in 2025

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Wednesday Update

WWE

  • WWE issued a press release this afternoon touting the ratings that NXT drew for its CW premiere episode. It’s noted that, with people 18-49 and people 25-54, this was The CW’s highest-rated telecast of 2024. The show (which averaged 895,000 viewers) peaked with 965,000 viewers from 8:15-8:30 p.m. for the end of the Roxanne Perez vs. Giulia NXT Women’s Championship match.
  • Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted: “It was a very special night in Chicago last night for @WWENXT. I’m always inspired when I’m around #WWENXT. The talent, work ethic and desire to be the best was evident throughout the night. @ShawnMichaels and crew put on an excellent show, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
  • WWE uploaded the full Ethan Page vs. Trick Williams NXT Championship match from last night. With CM Punk serving as the special guest referee, Williams defeated Page to become a two-time NXT Champion.
  • WWE has a post-show interview with Williams and Punk.
  • Cody Rhodes credited Paul Heyman, Jeremy Borash & Rob Fee for putting together his face-to-face segment with Roman Reigns that was filmed at Georgia Tech:
    • Hats off to Mr. Heyman, JB, and Rob Fee for putting it in such a stylized manner. Reminded me of when World Class [Championship Wrestling] used to have credits roll after.
  • Bron Breakker appeared on Casual Conversations with The Classic.
  • WWE remembered Yokozuna on what would have been his 58th birthday.

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • Tony Khan told the Hollywood Reporter that, with AEW & Warner Bros. Discovery announcing their new media rights deal and tonight being the fifth anniversary of Dynamite, this is the biggest day in AEW’s history. Khan said tonight’s Dynamite will include a celebration of the new AEW-WBD deal.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery CEO of U.S. Networks Kathleen Finch believes there’s an opportunity for growth with AEW content joining Max in January:
    • The benefit now to WBD is to introduce this terrific event to a streaming audience, the Max audience, which may not have been exposed to AEW in any great way until now, starting in January, is going to have it every Wednesday and Saturday nights, as well as the library available to stream. So we are really excited about the growth opportunity and the excitement opportunity that the fandom can bring once we’ve got a new platform to expose AEW to.
  • Finch praised Khan for how AEW has grown in its first five years:
    • What he has done in five years is so miraculous that I think we sometimes lose sight of that. It’s the five-year anniversary tonight of something that should actually be 10 or 15 years old given all the growth that it’s had.
  • MVP hyped that he has a “big announcement” to make on Dynamite tonight.
  • While speaking with TV Insider, Britt Baker praised the current state of AEW’s women’s division:
    • I think the storytelling is key. You have to set the women up for success, just like the men. Like any other thing in pro wrestling, people want stories. They want a reason to care about a match. We’re at a time in pro wrestling where there are so many fantastic, amazing, incredible wrestlers that can go out there and have a match of the year any day of the week. You have to get people involved in more than just the spectacular wrestling caliber we’re living in now. 
    • There has to be a reason or story. Who am I cheering for? Who am I booing? It’s a tale as old as time most of the time, good versus evil. I think we’re seeing so much with the women’s division. Kudos to Tony Khan for really building and seeing these storylines out. We have as many women’s stars now as ever. I’m so happy and proud of that. I remember our humble beginnings when we didn’t have a lot of female signed period, let alone major stars who can be real draws and needle movers and can really get that roar from the crowd. Our girls are either beloved or hated, and that’s what we want. That’s what we are building toward. I think the division is in a good place and only going to better places.
  • Baker responded to reports that she’ll be appearing in the sixth season of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” series:
    • I will say I can not confirm or deny. But if I were in Cobra Kai, that would be really cool because it’s one of my favorite shows. I’m also a massive Karate Kid fan. That would be really cool. I’ll leave it at that.
  • Renee Paquette spoke with Kyle Fletcher on the latest episode of Close Up.
  • Denise Salcedo interviewed Serena Deeb.
  • SHAK Wrestling has an interview with Juice Robinson.
  • AEW wished Skye Blue a happy 25th birthday.
  • Billy Corgan appeared on NWA Power this week, cutting a promo that was taped at the NWA’s 76th anniversary show this August. Corgan declared that – as long as he owns the NWA – the promotion isn’t going anywhere:
    • I bought this company to bring it back to the top – and we are going to do that. Because as long as I own the National Wrestling Alliance, we aren’t going anywhere. We can’t be stopped. We are wrestling history. We are wrestling as it’s meant to be. And if any man wants to come out and try to take the NWA from me, he’ll have to do it or she’ll have to do it out of my cold, dead hands.
  • Thom Latimer won the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship from EC3 in the main event of this week’s Power.
  • Sexy Star II announced that she’s departing Lucha Libre AAA on October 21.
  • Atlantis Jr. will be in action at MLW Lucha Apocalypto in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, November 9.
  • The Rich Eisen Network is launching a new wrestling podcast – titled “No-Contest Wrestling” – co-hosted by actor O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Fight Game: AEW Grand Slam recap, ‘Mr. McMahon’ thoughts

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

John LaRocca and I are back to talk about the major topics in the world of wrestling on this week’s Fight Game Podcast.

We kicked off with our Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down winners and losers of the week before going through our Top Five topics which included:

  • The debut of a new segment called “What had happened was…”
  • The build to Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson at AEW WrestleDream and the steps that were skipped
  • Other thoughts on AEW Grand Slam
  • MVP’s fit in AEW
  • Shane McMahon’s photo with the Young Bucks
  • The Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes face-off on WWE SmackDown
  • ‘Mr. McMahon’ docuseries
  • NXT on the CW

Click Here to Listen (sub needed)

Daily Update: MVP, Cardi B WWE SummerSlam, Cassie Lee

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest Free YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

  • The most in-depth look at AEW media rights deal completed and the deal not yet completed. We look at what different numbers mean for different levels of popularity, figuring different scenarios in, best and worst case, PPV and secondary deals.
  • UFC 306 coverage with the record gate at The Sphere going head-to-head with Canelo Alvarez in the same city.
  • Coverage of the CMLL anniversary show what did and didn’t work and the difference from a normal crowd.
  • One of the biggest stars of this generation talks about retirement, gives a date and the significance of that date.
  • Where pro wrestling shows this past week fit into the weekly cable charts.
  • A look at every national pro wrestling show this past week, how it compared to last year, placings, competition and segment ratings.
  • Who is CMLL’s booker?
  • What country celebrated a national pro wrestling holiday this week
  • Update on El Hijo del Vikingo
  • The man who was believed to be the oldest living wrestler passes away
  • World team tryouts
  • Notes on a movie coming out soon on the life of Mildred Burke
  • Note on a Blu-Ray I just did voiceovers for
  • wXw tag team tournament notes
  • A very valid criticism of AEW
  • Update on ticket sales to WWE & AEW shows the next two months
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • Notes on the NFL Films piece on Tony Khan
  • Updates on TV time length for  Raw & Smackdown in January
  • Second day streaming rights updates on Raw,  Smackdown, and NXT starting next month
  • Notes on the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event and a look back at the first one and numbers that would be incredible today
  • Update on WWE moving the second NXT on CW show from a major arena and why
  • A look back at Vince McMahon’s promises when he was expanding.

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Back Issue

Thursday Update

WWE

  • Superstar rapper Cardi B and Bianca Belair appeared in WWE’s announcement video for SummerSlam 2025, which will take place from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3.
  • Ric Flair tweeted after watching the first episode of Netflix’s “Mr. McMahon” docuseries:
    • Watching The @VinceMcMahon Documentary Today! Episode 1, Interesting, But I’m Not Able To Comment On Anything Other Than The Fact That He Made A Lot Of People Rich & Changed The Landscape Of Wrestling For The Good! But I Definitely Will Tell You This. My Documentary WOOOOO: Becoming Ric Flair Blows That Episode Out Of The Water! It’s Emmy Nominated!! WOOOOO!
  • Angelo Dawkins and his wife Grace welcomed their second child into the world yesterday.
  • Tiffany Stratton told Gorilla Position that she thinks the SmackDown women’s division would benefit from the addition of a midcard title:
    • I definitely think we have such a stacked SmackDown roster. We have Jade Cargill, we have Bianca Belair, we’ve got Nia, we’ve got me, Naomi – I feel like there are so many big, strong talents on the SmackDown roster. I definitely think, you know, like a midcard title could be something that would benefit for the women’s roster.
  • WWE wished Asuka and Damian Priest happy birthday.
  • Bron Breakker made an appearance on 99.5 WKDQ radio in Evansville, Indiana.
  • Going Ringside has interviews with Ethan Page and Trick Williams.
  • Here’s the lineup for this Friday’s NXT Level Up episode:
    • Sol Ruca vs. Dani Palmer
    • Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe vs. Kale Dixon & Uriah Connors
    • Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo vs. Jasper Troy

AEW/Other Wrestling

  • After making his AEW debut last night, MVP posted a social media promo discussing how excited he is for this new chapter – which could be the final chapter of his career:
    • Cat’s out of the bag. By now I’m sure many of you know – and if you don’t, you’re about to find out – that I’ve embarked on an exciting new chapter for my professional wrestling career. And I’m excited because this new chapter is quite possibly the final chapter. And I’ve got some really cool things in store. So if you’ve been a fan of mine for this long, come hang out for just a little bit longer. Same MVP, just conducting business in a new location. MVP is AEW. See you next week.
  • AEW shared post-match comments from Mariah May & Mina Shirakawa and Yuka Sakazaki & Willow Nightingale following Dynamite Grand Slam.
  • After Hook retired the FTW title last night, Taz tweeted out a message thanking all of the past champions and any fan who has enjoyed the championship:
    • I would like to thank all of the men whom have held the FTW Championship….[Sabu], [Brian Cage], [Ricky Starks], [Jack Perry], [Chris Jericho] & [Hook]
    • And also any fan that has supported/enjoyed this championship during the ECW years or in modern day wrestling during the current AEW years…thank you.
  • In this week’s Mone Mag, Mercedes Mone named Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, and Bianca Belair as the three most physically strong women she’s ever wrestled. Mone also listed Charlotte, Bayley, Belair, and Willow Nightingale as the toughest opponents she’s ever faced.
  • Mone responded to a question from a fan asking her thoughts on Athena becoming the longest-reigning champion in ROH history:
    • I’m so proud of Athena! She is one of the best in the world she’s definitely a champion I look forward to facing one day.
  • AEW’s Buddy Matthews and Ortiz are both celebrating birthdays today.
  • Prestige Wrestling announced that, due to contractual obligations, TNA wrestlers Jordynne Grace, Sinner and Saint (Travis Williams & Judas Icarus), and Xia Zhao are off their show in Portland, Oregon this Sunday. The news comes after TNA had to adjust its TV taping schedule for the weekend in South Carolina due to Hurricane Helene.
  • Jeff Hardy spoke to The Takedown about honoring the late Bray Wyatt with his Fiend face paint on TNA Impact:
    • You just go for stuff, and the payoff is like being proud of yourself when it’s done, especially someone like Bray Wyatt and The Fiend. The memories he’s left us with as pro wrestling fans, to honor him in that way, it felt so good after it was done. I was totally glad I just went for it. I’m going to continue from time to time to do the teeth on my face and see where that goes.
  • On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, NXT’s Shawn Spears addressed whether his wife Cassie Lee (the former Peyton Royce) intends to come back to pro wrestling:
    • She watches it a lot. She watches it more than I do. That doesn’t mean I don’t watch wrestling, it just means I’m busy a lot. I’m around, I can see a lot of stuff. Yeah, she keeps up on it. She still loves watching a lot of her friends, and she’s still getting the itch. So she’s already weight training, she’s doing all that kind of stuff. She’s getting back into the mix and things like that. When she feels 100 percent good to go there’s a ring close by, so she plans on getting back into it. She doesn’t know to what capacity, meaning no one’s said anything, no one said hey, when you ready, come on back. Like, not Impact, not anything, but with the working relationship, who’s to say that that’s not a possibility? But yeah, she still misses it. I think she still has a little bit of an itch.
  • MLW announced that Kings of Colosseum 2025 will take place from the NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, Texas on Saturday, January 11.
  • CMLL’s Hechicero will make his MLW debut at Lucha Apocalypto in Cicero, Illinois on Saturday, November 9.

MVP appears at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam, offers to ‘talk business’ with Swerve Strickland

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: JJ Williams

MVP made his surprise debut at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam Wednesday, confronting Prince Nana and trying to create conflict with he and Swerve Strickland.

Nana was informing Tony Schiavone about Strickland’s status after he lost to Hangman Page in a violent cage match at this month’s All Out. He said the former AEW World Champion wasn’t cleared to come back yet, but was working hard every day to come back.

MVP then cleared his throat on the microphone and strutted out on the entranceway to interrupt him. He put over Strickland as the most dangerous man in AEW and the most phenomenal wrestler in the company before turning his ire toward Nana.

He said the losses are a failing of Strickland’s management, saying Nana was more worried about selling his coffee and “shuckin’ and jivin’ and dancin’ for these people.” He then told Nana when Strickland is willing to be serious again, please give him my business card and let him know I’m ready to talk “business.”

Strickland, who was in New York Wednesday to appear on The Breakfast Club show, tweeted the following image after the segment:

https://twitter.com/swerveconfident/status/1839114319176360264

MVP parted ways with WWE in mid-August. Earlier this month, our Dave Meltzer reported there was an expectation that MVP and fellow free agents Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin would revive their Hurt Business faction under the new Hurt Syndicate name in AEW.

MVP says WWE killed The Hurt Business, tells fans to ‘stay tuned’

Posted on by Ian Carey

MVP says the Hurt Business is dead, but encourages fans to “stay tuned” for what may come next.

The 50-year-old’s WWE contract expired in mid-August and he is expected to reunite with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin under a new name outside the company. He gave an update on their future during a recent virtual signing with K & S WrestleFest.

“The Hurt Business is dead, and it was killed off by the powers that be at WWE. But I can say this: Myself, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin—we’re talking amongst ourselves about what we want to do going forward,” MVP said.

“I’ll just say, ‘Stay tuned.’ Stay tuned. Me, Bobby, and Shelton have been talking about what we want to do, and again, I’ll say, ‘Stay tuned.'”

The possibility of The Hurt Business reforming in AEW under the name The Hurt Syndicate was addressed in the September 2, 2024 edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Our own Dave Meltzer wrote “A lot of people think Bobby Lashley, MVP and Shelton Benjamin, reviving their Hurt Business gimmick as The Hurt Syndicate, will end up (in AEW). They are all free to appear and obviously it comes down to Tony Khan.”

In addition, MVP clarified social media comments he made in June that some took as him implying Paul “Triple H” Levesque had racist motivations for not reuniting the Hurt Business. MVP wanted to make it clear that he never said Triple H was racist.

“It made the rounds that MVP said that Triple H was racist. I never said that word. I never said that,” MVP said.

“Now, my opinion about how he looks at talent of color, that’s a different conversation. But I never said the man was racist.”

“Hulk Hogan is racist,” he continued. “He said it himself.”

“But as far as Triple H, I don’t know that he is and I don’t know what his motivations are but I never said he was racist.”

MVP also addressed working with Omos and WWE’s approach to booking him as an attraction.

“Omos has such a huge heart, literally and figuratively. He really wants to learn, he wants to get better. He was an open book, coachable and we weren’t on TV a lot, but we were on all the live events, so I got to watch him week in and week out improve and get better.”

“I talked to Triple H about how he was being used and Triple H was adamant he didn’t want him to be another Big Show, he didn’t want him on TV every week. He wanted him to be an attraction. He just wanted to break him out periodically to be an attraction. So, I don’t know what his status is now. I don’t know what they plan on doing with him.”

“If you can’t make money with a seven foot three inch, 385-pound former basketball player that can move – You don’t see him move a lot because they don’t want him to but when he wants to move, you’d be surprised how well that big man can move. If you can’t make money with that, you’re just an idiot.”

MVP also stated during the interview that he believes former Hurt Business member, Cedric Alexander, recently signed a new contract with WWE.

MVP’s full virtual signing is available below.

MVP says his knee is ‘pain-free’ following stem cell treatment

Posted on by Ian Carey

MVP says his knee is now pain-free following stem cell therapy.

The 50-year-old revealed in early June that he was headed to Cancun, Mexico to receive treatment at the Rejuvstem clinic. He posted an update on his progress to Instagram on Tuesday.

“An update on my stem cell progress! @rejuvstem got me pain free in my knee!!!!! Shout out to Jared @_6lack.fit_my personal trainer!” MVP wrote. He is shown in the video doing box jumps as well.

Shotzi traveled to the same clinic in May to have treatment done on a nagging back injury she suffered in 2021. Big E went to Cancun at the same time as MVP back in June for treatment as well.

When MVP announced he was going to have stem cell treatment, he teased a possible in-ring return, writing, “Here we go!!! Heading to Cancun for stem cell treatment at @rejuvstem so I can get back on the mats AND, into the ring. 1 last run? Let’s see…”

MVP hasn’t wrestled since July 2022.

He recently made a surprise appearance at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XI and confirmed that his WWE contract is set to expire and he will not be returning to the company. MVP said he still has things he’d like to accomplish and Barnett invited him back to Bloodsport anytime either alone or “with a posse.” The last line is a likely reference to reports that Bobby Lashley and MVP plan to reform a stable similar to the Hurt Business outside of WWE.

MVP confirms upcoming WWE departure, challenges Josh Barnett at Bloodsport XI

Posted on by Bryan Rose

MVP is leaving WWE, and already making his first steps.

In a surprise appearance, MVP came to the ring following Barnett’s match against Bad Dude Tito at Bloodsport XI on Sunday. He said he recently got his black belt in jiu jitsu and his contract with a company he wouldn’t mention (WWE) is about to expire, and he’s not going back. He said he has things he wants to do before retiring and issued the challenge. Barnett replied that he didn’t even had to ask, and he’s welcome to come in on his own or with a posse.

Last week, it was reported that both Bobby Lashley and MVP would be leaving WWE when their contracts come up shortly and would be trying to reform the Hurt Business stable with Shelton Benjamin, possibly in AEW. Later in the week, MVP reflected on his current WWE run on Instagram.

While talking to local media in London after meeting with the mayor about potentially bringing WrestleMania to the city, Levesque didn’t give an update on the status of Lashley or MVP.

“Just like any sport, any business, we sign talent, talent contract runs out, we release talent. It’s just part of the process, so it’s an ongoing thing,” he said.

MVP has rarely been seen on television in 2024, most recently accompanying Omos to the ring for the Andre the Giant battle royal that took place on the SmackDown before WrestleMania 40.