For the last four years, Matt Cardona has made a name for himself on the indie scene where he’s found success in promotions such as GCW, TNA and MLW following his WWE release.  He’s also made brief appearances in AEW where he had the chance to team with Cody Rhodes in 2020 and most recently lost to Adam Copeland in a TNT title open challenge this past March. Despite Cardona continuing to impress with any role he’s given, a full-time offer from AEW or even an opportunity to return to WWE still hasn’t come to fruition and in an interview with “Walkway To Fight Club,” the former GCW World Champion expressed his frustration. 

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“Listen, I’ll be completely honest. I don’t know what the f*** is going on. I’ve done everything there is to do. I am legit shocked I have not gotten an offer from any company, and that’s not me being egotistical. That’s me being realistic. I’ve done all there is. What else can I possibly do? But I can’t let this run be fuelled by bitterness or negativity. It was never, ‘Oh, I gotta prove people wrong.’ It was, ‘I’ve gotta prove my fans right,’ and I feel like I have done that. But I think the second you get bitter, the second you get angry is where you lose yourself, and I’m not gonna let this run be fuelled by negativity.” 

Cardona also mentioned that AEW choosing not to offer him a contract after his first stint with the company in 2020 was a “blessing in disguise” but was shocked that Tony Khan didn’t offer him anything after his TNT title match with Copeland. 

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If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Walkway To Fight Club” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

In a recent interview with The Chicago Tribune, WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels noted that the “WWE NXT” brand would be undergoing some changes, specifically related to its presentation, as it comes aboard to the CW Network. Following this news, a new report has shed some light on one of the major changes, namely the logo that will accompany this new era of “NXT.”

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According to Fightful Select, “NXT” is slated to reveal its new logo during tonight’s broadcast from Chicago, with this one being black and silver in color, and more rectangular in shape in comparison to the current version that debuted in 2022. The present “NXT” logo is white with a gold outline. Prior to that, in the “NXT 2.0” era, it was multicolored.

In addition to its CW Network premiere, tonight’s episode of “NXT” will also mark the first of two broadcasts taking place from the road. After “NXT” takes over the Allstate Arena in Chicago, the brand will then head to The Factory At The District in St. Louis, Missouri, where STL native Randy Orton is set for a match against “NXT” talent Je’Von Evans. Fightful previously reported that while “NXT” is on the road, the WWE Performance Center, the usual site for “NXT” tapings, will be updating its set for “NXT.”

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Four matches have been confirmed for the October 1 episode of “NXT,” including an NXT Women’s Championship match between Giulia and Roxanne Perez. Elsewhere, CM Punk will serve as the special guest referee in the NXT Championship match pitting Ethan Page against Trick Williams. Friends-turned-rivals Wes Lee and Zachary Wentz are also slated to collide in a Street Fight, while Jaida Parker and Lola Vice will attempt to coexist when they face two members of Fatal Influence.

Fans of longtime WWE star R-Truth were devastated when the former 24/7 Champion’s tag team partner The Miz turned heel on his former friend, laying him out following a hot tag during a match on “WWE Raw.” The pair had been teaming for months, even winning the Word Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 40, but a conniving Karrion Kross got inside of the mind of The Miz, leading to the turn during a match against the Authors of Pain. Miz has worked both roles throughout his time in WWE, but WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray doesn’t believe he’s working heel to help R-Truth. The legend said on “Busted Open Radio” that he believes the heel turn was meant for someone else, who turned babyface on the same show: Bron Breakker.

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“It’s just a question of what level of heel will they allow The Miz to be at this stage of the game,” he said. “Will he be a heel that can be propelled back into the main event scene, or will he be a mid-card heel and work with Truth and any other up-and-coming babyface that they need to get over. It looks like they’re putting their toe in the water with Bron Breakker turning him babyface. We saw him with the face-to-face with GUNTHER last night… But The Miz is a great heel for a guy like Bron Breakker to work with.”

Bully Ray said that Breakker came to mind because he could benefit from a run against Miz. He said he believes WWE could still do a “little thing” between Miz and Truth, which may even result in a match on a premium live event, then move on to Breakker.

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If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Parts of the southeastern United States have been devastated by Hurricane Helene, which left parts of Florida, The Carolinas, and Appalachia underwater. Infrastructure in the affected areas has been decimated, meaning the victims of the disaster need help from outside communities until some kind of formal relief can be delivered.

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WWE Hall of Famer and Knox County, TN mayor Glenn Jacobs has started a canned food and bottled water drive to help victims of Helene in East Tennessee. The drive will be in conjunction with Mission of Hope and Knoxville Wholesale Furniture and will take place on October 5.

I will be teaming up with Mission of Hope and Knoxville Wholesale Furniture to host a canned food and bottled water drive to help the victims of the East Tennessee flood. It’s this coming Saturday, October 5th, 10am until 4pm, at 7428 Kingston Pike. Please join us. pic.twitter.com/gvQEe2lAoX

— Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) September 30, 2024

“Anything you give will help and will be greatly appreciated,” Jacobs said in an accompanying video message. Jacobs was first elected mayor of Knox County in 2018 and subsequently was re-elected in 2022.

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The storm has ravaged parts of the country not normally touched by hurricanes. AEW star Cash Wheeler’s hometown of Asheville, NC was hurt badly by the storm. The former AEW World Tag Team Champion is safe but has been unable to make bookings due to the catastrophe. Wheeler started a GoFundMe page to raise relief funds for Asheville.

The hurricane also led to the cancellation of TNA’s scheduled TV Tapings in Spartanburg, SC. It is not clear what TNA will be airing in place of the episodes meant to be taped over the weekend, as the initial rescheduling announcement has since been deleted. The promotion is currently on the road to its annual Bound For Glory event on October 26.

The future of WWE is currently in the hands of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, who oversees the developmental program and “NXT.” In a new interview with The Ringer, Michaels was asked about the possibility of CM Punk taking over for him in “NXT,” and Michaels wasn’t sure how to answer, as he admitted that his current role isn’t one he’d envisioned for himself.

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“Whether it’s CM Punk or anyone that has a passion for [running “NXT” and developmental], I would absolutely understand it because it happened to me,” Michaels said. “This place is infectious…The environment here at NXT and at the Performance Center down here in Orlando is unlike any other culture in the entire business and that’s why everybody does come around here because it takes them back to the beginning when this business was about.”

According to Michaels, there’s something about the Performance Center that makes him excited for the future of wrestling in ways that he didn’t think possible, especially with how self-centered he was during his in-ring career.

“I would have never thought in a million years, a guy that loved performing like I did and being out there and having all the eyes and focus on me would get such a joy out of doing everything he can to provide that for the future stars of the WWE,” Michaels said, “and CM Punk obviously seems to be somebody that enjoys that as well.”

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Punk has been taking time at the Performance Center to give advice to young talent and is set to special referee the WWE NXT Title match on tonight’s episode of “NXT,” the first on The CW.