Tag: Rick Boogs

Mustafa Ali, Dolph Ziggler among WWE talents released amid UFC merger

Elias and Hit Row’s Top Dolla were also among those reportedly released by WWE on Thursday.

When WWE’s merger with UFC to form TKO Group Holdings became official, it resulted in a reduction in the workforce of those who work behind the scenes at WWE. The layoffs at the time did not include talent, but on Thursday morning, that changed with several confirmed departures from the company.

Mustafa Ali was the first to reveal on X that WWE released him, which sparked questions due to his consistent presence on NXT, as he had been scheduled to wrestle Dominik Mysterio for the North American Championship at No Mercy on Sept. 30. Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp then reported that talent cuts would take place today, suggesting that Ali’s departure was linked to this.

Emma announced her departure from WWE. Hours before, she tweeted her excitement about WWE going to Perth, Australia for the Elimination Chamber premium live event. The Melbourne native, who was in her second stint with the company, had last wrestled on the July 10 episode of Raw against Shayna Baszler.

Fightful confirmed that WWE released Rick Boogs, who last wrestled on television at SummerSlam in a battle royale.

Aaliyah announced her departure from WWE. Her last match happened on the Sept. 12, 2022, episode of Raw when she and Raquel Rodriguez lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship to Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.

Fightful reported that WWE released Elias, who had been off television most of this year. His last match came at the May 15 episode of Raw.

Fightful confirmed the WWE departure of Riddick Moss. The former football player most recently wrestled at the Sept. 11 Main Event taping.

Fightful also announced that WWE released Top Dolla of Hit Row. He last wrestled on television on the Aug. 11 episode of SmackDown in a loss to LA Knight.

WWE released Shelton Benjamin, according to Fightful. He had been in his second stint with the company.

Fightful confirmed the departure of former World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler, another long-tenured star.

This afternoon, Fightful also reported an additional round of releases, including Dana Brooke, Mace and Mansoor of Maximum Male Models and Shanky.

Mansoor had perhaps the best post of the day expressing his availability for new work.

We will update this post if more talent confirm their departure from WWE.

WWE SmackDown results 05/26/23: Bloodline on the KO Show can only end one way …

See what transpired during the final WWE SmackDown before Night of Champions.

Just like Inigo Montoya before he reveals he’s not left-handed, we’ve got something to share: Tonight’s WWE SmackDown is not live.

You very likely are already aware of that, seeing as Night of Champions is tomorrow in Saudi Arabia, and talent reportedly left for Jeddah on Tuesday. That means this SmackDown was pre-recorded after last Friday’s show.

It’s a weird set of circumstances for a go-home show, but such are the logistical hurdles WWE must jump through when putting on shows in Saudi Arabia. It’s strange for us as well, because while the results are already out there, we’re going to press on and cover the episode like it’s playing out for the first time.

So let’s dig into what we’re getting. The most heavily promoted segment has been Kevin Owens hosting The KO Show with two guests who might not be in the mood for witty banter. We’re talking about Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, a.ka. The Bloodline, a.k.a. the two men who are going to try to take the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship from Owens and Sami Zayn on Saturday.

Let’s just say the chances of this erupting into violence are very high.

There’s also going to be a United States Championship match that could be very good. Austin Theory defends his title one-one-one against Sheamus, a man he’s never faced in a singles match until tonight. Er, last Friday night. You get what I’m saying.

Also, AJ Styles will get a tough stay busy match before he tries to become the first ever holder of the new World Heavyweight Championship as he takes on Karrion Kross.

Not to shabby for an episode that’s already taken place, or at least it appears that way.

WWE SmackDown results:

  • Austin Theory def. Sheamus by pinfall to retain the WWE United States Championship, thanks in part to Pretty Deadly causing chaos by attacking the Brawling Brutes at ringside
  • Roman Reigns tells Paul Heyman to let The Usos know they can join the Tribal Chief in the ring for the 1000-day celebration of his title reign, and now it’s Jimmy Uso who is chafing under Roman’s leadership and seems to be walking a thin line

  • Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi def. Damage CTRL (Bayley and IYO SKY) by pinfall, helped by some miscommunication by Bayley and IYO
  • A pair of videos hypes the World Heavyweight Championship tourney final at Night of Champions, taking individual looks at Seth Rollins and AJ Styles
  • Cameron Grimes def. Ashante Thee Adonis by pinfall, but gets attacked by Baron Corbin on his way back up the ramp
  • Bianca Belair discusses how this version of Asuka wants more than just her Raw Women’s Championship, and though she is jumped from behind by the Empress of Tomorrow, she fights back and nearly hits a KOD before officials and referees usher Asuka out of harm’s way

  • LA Knight def. Rick Boogs by pinfall, then turns his attention to calling out the Street Profits, who were on guest commentary
  • Karrion Kross and Scarlett say Styles should be worried about what kind of condition he’ll be in after their match tonight
  • A video vignette plays for Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn
  • AJ Styles def. Karrion Kross after Michin helps drive off Scarlett to prevent any hijinks
  • Styles takes a second backstage to say that Rollins can be invincible … but not phenomenal, which he’ll prove tomorrow
  • A video package promotes the ongoing feud between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar before they meet again at Night of Champions
  • The KO Show (which is The Kevin and Sami Show) prepares to “welcome” Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, but The Usos storm the ring instead, ending with Jimmy Uso saying ” … I am the Tribal Chief”; Reigns is obviously none too happy when he arrives, and after Owens stuns Reigns, all heck breaks loose; Reign spears Zayn after Sikoa spikes both the tag team champs, and Jimmy ends up holding the tag team belts before Jey takes them and hands them to Roman

WWE SmackDown results 05/19/23: Usos continue their downward spiral

Things went from bad to worse for Jimmy and Jey Uso on the May 19 episode of WWE SmackDown.

It’s really only in retrospect that we realize that we were watching when a big star made their debut … because we don’t know until later they’re actually going to be a big star. But every debut could be something special down the road, which is a relevant idea for tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown from Columbia, South Carolina.

Why? Because even though we briefly saw Grayson Waller last week, this will be the show where he makes his first legit SmackDown appearance, hosting his segment “The Grayson Waller Effect.” He’s promised a big name guest, and if we were to make a wager, whoever it is just might be someone he antagonizes into being his first opponent on the blue brand.

There’s also no guarantee that Waller becomes a huge WWE star. But he might, and if so, you’ll be able to tell everyone you were watching when he took his first steps.

As for those who are already main eventers, tonight’s show has plenty of those as well. Most prominently, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are going to come face to face with their challengers at Night of Champions, Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa.

Sure, KO and Sami have been in the ring with those two plenty of times, especially Sami seeing as he was once part of the Bloodline and all. But things are different now, particularly since Reigns brushed aside The Usos — who also happen to be in tag team action tonight. This has all the makings of a very combustible mix, and we’re here for it.

WWE SmackDown results from Columbia:

  • Roman Reigns doesn’t even get past the “Acknowledge me!” part of his promo before Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn join him and the Bloodline in the ring; when The Usos ambush Owens and Zayn and look for approval, however, Reigns is livid and storms out of the ring

  • Jey and Jimmy try to explain themselves, but Roman insists he had something to say and angrily kicks them out of the Bloodline dressing room
  • Pretty Deadly def. Brawling Brutes by pinfall
  • A tribute video is shown to remember the late “Superstar” Billy Graham
  • Zelina Vega says she is, in fact, ready for Asuka after the experience she had at Backlash in Puerto Rico
  • Asuka def. Zelina Vega by submission, then won’t let go of the Asuka Lock, which ends up bringing Bianca Belair to the rescue — and Belair barely avoids another dose of the mist

  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes AJ Styles, and Grayson Waller ends their conversation with what he thinks will be the best part of Night of Champions: “And new … World Heavyweight Champion, Seth ‘Freakin” Rollins!”

  • The LWO has a pep talk ahead of their match with The Usos
  • Street Profits def. LA Knight and Rick Boogs by pinfall, leading Knight to turn on Boogs after the match, hitting him with the BFT
  • Cameron Grimes says it feels like he’s living a dream and is ready to keep going … to the moon!
  • Karrion Kross and Scarlett have a tarot card for Styles, never a good thing
  • Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn def. Valentina Feroz and Yulisa Leon by pinfall
  • Due to Liv Morgan’s injury, Raquel Rodriguez has to relinquish the tag team titles and find another partner to compete for them against three other teams, but she gets mocked and challenged by Damage CTRL in the meantime
  • Austin Theory complains about being ganged up on last week, but Sheamus isn’t out there to talk and just drops Theory with a Brogue Kick
  • Heyman says the Tribal Chief forgives the Usos but still won’t be out there at ringside for their match
  • LWO (Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar) def. The Usos by pinfall, with an assist from Owens and Zayn, and Reigns is unhappy but keeps Sikoa from going out there

WWE Raw results: Bad Bunny talks softly, carries a big (kendo) stick

A new World Heavyweight Championship was also unveiled tonight.

When you’re Bad Bunny, you can do pretty much whatever you want. Try your hand at WWE? Of course. Get involved in a dramatic WrestleMania match between father and son? Sure, if you want. It’s just that there might be consequences even for the biggest music star in the world if you do that, some of which might still be playing out on this week’s episode of WWE Raw from the greater Chicago area.

See, The Judgment Day wasn’t too crazy about Bunny ensuring Dominik Mysterio didn’t cheat to beat his dad in L.A., and was even less enthused about him smacking the taste out of Dom’s mouth a few weeks later. That led to Damian Priest putting the music megastar through an announce table, which naturally kept him out of commission for a bit.

He’s back tonight, however, and probably looking for some payback against old “friend” Priest. And he, meanwhile, has a match against Rey Mysterio. That, friends, is what we call synergy. Could all these elements break out into a big Judgment Day vs. LWO scuffle with Bad Bunny on the side of the LWO? That seems likely.

Also of interest for tonight, Triple H is scheduled to make some sort of announcement. The buzz is that it’s about a title — either a new physical belt of some sort or an honest to goodness change to a championship of some sort. Or it could be something else altogether, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

WWE Raw results from Chicago:

(click on any match or segment with a link for more details)

  • Cody Rhodes reflects on the “humiliating” beatdown he got from Brock Lesnar and the time he wrestled with a torn pec, but he’s not down with Finn Balor and his invitation to join The Judgment Day … but he’s medically cleared to face Finn tonight
  • The Bloodline (The Usos and Solo Sikoa) def. The LWO (Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinfall
  • Damage CTRL tells Bianca Belair she can pick any two partners she wants to take them on tonight, and she’s down with that
  • “You made your choice … and like it or not, I made my choice too.” Sami Zayn drops in on Jey Uso and questions what will happen to Jey if The Usos fail to get the tag team titles back after dedicating the match to the Tribal Chief, but Jey tells Sami not to worry about him any more
  • A video replays the recent words and actions of Trish Stratus, who then insists that Becky Lynch is absent because she can’t handle the pressure of being a top star and a mom at the same time
  • Street Profits def. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin by pinfall
  • Triple H announces that wherever Roman Reigns is drafted to, he will take the Universal Championship with him, but there will also be a new World Heavyweight Championship, with the inaugural titleholder crowned at Night of Champions
  • Priest and Dominik Mysterio say Bad Bunny can watch Damian take out Rey Mysterio later tonight
  • “You can’t talk to Sami, Uce.” Jey expresses some self-doubts to Jimmy Uso, who blows up when he hears it’s because Jey talked to Sami
  • Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez vs. Damage CTRL
  • “Are you lazy and don’t want to work, or are you scared?” Austin Theory mocks the idea of the new title going to someone besides him while he has two powerful challengers at Backlash; Bobby Lashley joins him in the ring and wonders why Theory doesn’t welcome every opportunity to fight for the U.S. title …
  • … but Bronson Reed joins them as well when they start to brawl, and he’s the one left standing at the end
  • Chad Gable tries to explain the WWE Draft to Rick Boogs, but Maxxine Dupri is ready to fight for Otis, and Mustafa Ali thinks everyone needs to have a more positive attitude and is willing to back it up in the ring
  • Mustafa Ali def. Chad Gable by pinfall
  • Jimmy Uso confronts Zayn and tries to make him feel doubts about Kevin Owens
  • Cody Rhodes def. Finn Balor by pinfall
  • “This is an opportunity to have a World Heavyweight Championship that’s about more than politics and part-timers.” Seth Rollins says something bigger than Omos has caught his eye, but he’s not looking past the Nigerian Giant either
  • Matt Riddle is wearing out KO’s patience, and Owens is flabbergasted that his friend still cares about The Usos, and Riddle surprises Zayn with some actually helpful perspective
  • Rey Mysterio def. Damian Priest by DQ when Priest uses a chair on him, and Bad Bunny arrives to attack Priest with a kendo stick … and reveal that they’ll be facing off in a Street Fight at Backlash

WWE Raw results: Cody Rhodes is ready for WrestleMania

WWE Raw results for March 27, 2023 from Phoenix, where Cody Rhodes took on Solo Sikoa in the main event.

Can you feel that? It’s WrestleMania 39, coming up quickly now. The final WWE Raw prior to the Show of Shows is tonight in Phoenix, and while it’s probably not wise to expect anything Earth-shaking, there are still some big things happening.

We mean that literally, too. Brock Lesnar and Omos will collide in Los Angeles, providing fans with the rare site of Lesnar being the smaller man in a fight. The WWE Universe will find out how much smaller on Raw, as the two titans will have a pre-WrestleMania weigh-in. And yes, that’s not usually a thing in pro wrestling, but you can’t deny it’s somewhat fascinating in this context.

Want big matches instead? This show will have one of those for sure. Cody Rhodes is less than a week away from his chance to “finish the story,” but he’s got a big test in the form of Solo Sikoa. Will Cody’s attempt to get inside Solo’s head the past few weeks pay off, or will the street champ be able to soften up the American Nightmare to make things easier for the Tribal Chief?

The Miz has certainly been letting us know whenever possible what a big deal it is to be the host of WrestleMania 39, and he’s going to head into Hollywood with one final episode of Miz TV. His guests will be none other than a trio of legendary women’s division champs, and you can probably guess who we mean: Becky Lynch, Lita and Trish Stratus.

WWE Raw results in 90 seconds:

  • Miz TV welcomes three legends, yet Damage CTRL isn’t going to let them go without a confrontation
  • Becky Lynch def. IYO SKY by pinfall
  • A video package plays up the accomplishments of Asuka and looks ahead to her WrestleMania challenge of Bianca Belair
  • We see Logan Paul boasting last Monday before Seth Rollins is interviewed backstage, and he’s not crazy about Mustafa Ali trying to put his positive spin on things, which leads to them facing each other tonight
  • Seth Rollins def. Mustafa Ali by pinfall, then cuts a promo on Paul
  • Baron Corbin complains to Adam Pearce, who has to break away to deal with Chelsea Green, who finally gets into the WrestleMania Showcase match with a partner who is equally disgruntled with AP: Sonya Deville
  • Omos and Brock Lesnar hit the scales … well, one of them does, anyway
  • A video package is shown for Charlotte Flair before Rhea Ripley says Charlotte’s unmatched legacy will not define her destiny — and she needs Charlotte’s championship for that
  • Finn Balor warns Edge there’s nothing more dangerous than a caged demon
  • Street Profits, Braun Strowman and Ricochet def. Alpha Academy and Viking Raiders by pinfall
  • Cody Rhodes is asked if he put himself in a vulnerable position by taking this match against Solo Sikoa, and he insists that he will make Solo realize he’s not ready before going on to beat Roman Reigns this weekend
  • A video package is shown to promote Bianca Belair
  • Austin Theory cuts a promo in an empty arena to prove he doesn’t do it for the fans, he does it for himself, and he’s going to make the fans stop believing in John Cena this Saturday at WrestleMania
  • Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green def. Michin and Candice LeRae by pinfall in a WrestleMania Showcase qualifying match
  • Heyman says flat out that Solo isn’t there to compete, but to ensure Cody isn’t at 100% come Sunday
  • Rey Mysterio def. Damian Priest by DQ thanks to interference by Dominik Mysterio, and Legado Del Fantasma has to save Rey fafter a short post-match beating
  • The contestants for the Andre the Giant Battle Royal are posted on the wall, and Rick Boogs is really excited to be in it while Elias is less thrilled after seeing some of the others who are too
  • Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens talk about how their match against The Usos is extra special because L.A. is where they got their first big break
  • Gunther def. Dolph Ziggler by pinfall
  • Cody Rhodes def. Solo Sikoa by pinfall

Please scroll down for more details on every match and major non-match segment.