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Results: NJPW G1 Climax 30 Day 17 (A Block Playoffs)

Evan S
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New Japan Pro-Wrestling thirtieth annual G1 Climax tournament has arrived!

Watch live on NJPW World with a paid subscription. English and Japanese commentary are available! This event will have reduced attendance capacity to comply with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.

Start Times:

  • Pacific: 10/16 2:30AM
  • Eastern: 10/16 5:30AM
  • UK: 10/16 10:30AM
  • Japan: 10/16 6:30PM
  • East Australia: 10/16 8:30PM

NJPW World Live Stream (English Commentary)

NJPW World Live Stream (Japanese Commentary)

G1 Climax 30 Day 17 Results

Yota Tsuji def. Gabriel Kidd (6:52)
It feels good being back in Sumo Hall for the first time since late last year. It’s a hopeful atmosphere, and pro-wrestling desperately needs more of those these days. Yota Tsuji and Gabriel Kidd did not practice any formalities in this match, throwing bombs and loud strikes at each other from the bell. Gabriel Kidd took the early advantage, but he got cocky and started talking trash to Tsuji, in Japanese, about how he represents the LA Dojo. Tsuji replied with a mighty spear, followed by a giant swing into the Boston crab to submit Gabriel Kidd.

A Block: Yujiro Takahashi def. Jeff Cobb (10:30)
The match began as predictably as possible, with Jeff Cobb being too strong to be vulnerable to anything that Yujiro could do. Yujiro, smartly, fled for his life, but upon Cobb following him, Yujiro planted him with a DDT on the outside mats, and he was able to methodically work over the dazed Cobb for that point forward. Jeff Cobb’s comebacks were explosive but short-lived until a powerful lariat put Yujiro on the back foot once more. Cobb landed the Athletic-Plex but Yujiro managed to slip out of the Tour of the Islands. He hit Cobb with his cane after pushing the referee and hit an olympic slam followed by Miami Shine for a two-count, and then the Pimp Juice DDT to put Cobb away. Yujiro avoids the fate of being the first winless G1 Climax participant since Tomoaki Honma in 2014.
Yujiro Takahashi’s final score is 2 points (1 win, 8 losses)
Jeff Cobb’s final score is 8 points (4 wins, 5 losses)

A Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Minoru Suzuki
Their championship match at Summer Struggle told us what a match between Minoru Suzuki and Shingo Takagi will be: a battle of wills and hard heads. Shingo took control and perhaps pushed his luck, rubbing his boot against Suzuki’s head repeatedly. The angered Suzuki caught Shingo in a sleeper hold and tried early for the Gotch-style piledriver, but Shingo wiggled his legs to force Suzuki to put him down, and then hit a fireman’s carry bomb to get the edge back again. He came off the ropes for a Pumping Bomber but Suzuki caught him in an armbar! Shingo tried to stand up and powerbomb Suzuki with his trapped arm, but he could barely lift Suzuki off the mat. The complexion of this match changed as Suzuki continued wrenching on Shingo’s right arm with a Fujiwara armbar. Shingo was able to crawl and get his foot to the bottom rope to force Suzuki off of him, but he was still in trouble. However, as Shingo applied a chokehold yet again, Shingo wrested Suzuki off of him and hit a big punch with the force his hurt right arm could still produce, and then hit Last of the Dragon for the pinfall victory.
Minoru Suzuki’s final score is 6 points (3 wins, 6 losses)
Shingo Takagi’s final score is 8 points (4 wins, 5 losses)

A Block: Will Ospreay def. Kazuchika Okada (17:04)
Will Ospreay’s performance at the start of this match was the dictionary definition of “guns-blazing.” He hit a Sasuke Special in the first fifteen seconds. Out of overconfidence, or perhaps desperation, he tried for the Oscutter and the Stormbreaker soon after, but couldn’t make either of them stick. A great athlete in his own right, Okada understood that he would not be able to keep up with Ospreay’s speed, and tried his best to keep him grounded, with limited success. Ospreay lifted Okada to the top turnbuckle, then dropkicked him to the floor, mimicking a pattern that Okada often does. He followed that with a mental plancha over the corner post to Okada, then brought him back in the ring and tried again for the Stormbreaker, to no avail. Okada applied the Money Clip, but Ospreay was able to get the rope break before being worn down sufficiently. He felt Okada taking control and went for the kill, hitting a reverse frankensteiner followed by the Oscutter, but Ospreay would avoid the Stormbreaker once more and then try again for the Money Clip. We saw Bea Priestley, Will Ospreay’s girlfriend, show up at ringside and cheer Ospreay on. Okada persisted with the Money Clip, but then Bea entered the ring and got in the referee’s face. With the referee’s back turned, a large man entered the ring and chokeslammed Okada. This man was Tomoyuki Oka, AKA The Great O-Kharn, who had been on excursion in England with Revolution Pro-Wrestling. Until now, apparently. Will Ospreay acted surprised, but lifted Okada and finally hit the Stormbreaker for the win nonetheless.
Kazuchika Okada’s final score is 12 points (6 wins, 3 losses)
Will Ospreay’s final score is 12 points (6 wins, 3 losses)

Ospreay kissed his girlfriend after the match. He then entered the ring and hit the Hidden Blade on the fallen Okada. He told Okada that he was holding Ospreay back, and that he hoped Okada would be in pain tomorrow.

A Block: Kota Ibushi def. Taichi (17:12)
Whether as parts of tag teams or not, Kota Ibushi and Taichi have been at each other’s throats all summer. At this point, they had more to prove than just who could win. Japanese wrestlers will frequently let themselves be hit to show both their opponents and the fans just how much they can endure, but this was that taken to another level. For the first five minutes, all they did was kick the soul out of each other, and they even sat down and took turns letting themselves be kicked. The first other move was a backdrop driver from Taichi, which Ibushi dramatically backflipped out of to land on his feet. Their kicks became more ferocious after that, until gradually becoming more feeble. They were visibly getting both worn down and exhausted. Ibushi finally hit a high kick that put Taichi on his back, then called for the Kamigoye, but Taichi kicked his legs out from under him, and both men struggled to their feet. Ibushi caught Taichi’s leg as he tried for a buzzsaw kick, then stood up and kicked his leg to bring him to his knees, then hit a buzzsaw kick of his own. The Kamigoye sealed Taichi’s fate.
Kota Ibushi’s final score is 14 points (7 wins, 2 losses)
Taichi’s final score is 8 points (4 wins, 5 losses)

A Block: Tomohiro Ishii def. Jay White (24:35)
Jay White masterfully pushed Tomohiro Ishii’s buttons, testing his patience and challenging his hubris. Ishii is plenty a match for Jay White, and he’s defeated Jay White before. However, Jay White’s ego is bigger than Ishii’s neck is short, and he was hyperfocused on toying with his prey as much as possible, to make Ishii furious before defeating him and gloating. Eventually, Gedo called for Jay to finish Ishii off, and he suplexed Ishii into the turnbuckle pad. Turnabout is fair play, though, and Ishii made it to his feet and delivered his own German suplex into the pad. Finally taking Ishii as seriously as he deserved, Jay pivoted to attacking Ishii’s bandaged right knee, using the TTO submission and dragonscrew leg whips. Ishii barely made it to the ropes to break the TTO, but when he did, he decided to retaliate in much the same way. As Ishii wrenched on Jay’s knee, Gedo came in and Jay pushed Ishii into Gedo and the referee. However, Ishii was not out. He caught Gedo’s kick and pushed him into Jay, and then suplexed Jay for a near fall. He tried for the vertical drop brainbuster, but White dropped down out of it and hit Ishii with a low blow. Jay White tried multiple times for the Blade Runner, but couldn’t make one stick. Ishii hit a vertical suplex cutter, lariated Gedo inside out when he tried to interfere again, and hit a sliding lariat for a near fall! Finally, Jay White went up for the vertical drop brainbuster, and then came crashing down. Tomohiro Ishii wins, and with that, Jay White is out. Kota Ibushi is your G1 Climax 30 A Block Finalist!
Tomohiro Ishii’s final score is 8 points (4 wins, 5 losses)
Jay White’s final score is 12 points (6 wins, 3 losses)

G1 Climax 30 Standings

A Block:
14 points – Kota Ibushi (Block winner)
12 points – Jay White, Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay
8 points – Jeff Cobb, Taichi, Shingo Takagi, Tomohiro Ishii
6 points – Minoru Suzuki
2 points – Yujiro Takahashi

B Block:
12 points – Tetsuya Naito, EVIL
10 points – SANADA, Zack Sabre Jr.
8 points – Hirooki Goto, KENTA
6 points – Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Juice Robinson
2 points – YOSHI-HASHI

Paul Heyman Teases Secret WWE Contract Extension For Ronda Rousey

Anutosh Bajpai
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With reports confirming that Ronda Rousey’s current WWE contract expires shortly after WrestleMania 37, fans are wondering if and when we’ll see the former UFC star return to the ring. During an interview with the New York Post this week, Paul Heyman shed some new light on the situation.

Heyman addressed the buzz surrounding some recent pictures of Rousey training in a pro wrestling ring, suggesting she’s gearing up for a WWE return. The ECW mastermind floated the possibility that Rousey might have signed a contract extension with the company.

“That’s another funny thing about people who don’t discuss their business in public forums, everyone presumes that Ronda Rousey’s contract expires at a certain time,” said Heyman. “I don’t understand why people don’t realize that perhaps, just perhaps, Ronda Rousey’s contract has been extended or she has worked out a new deal and it would not benefit either WWE or Ronda Rousey to go public with that information. But why wouldn’t people understand that it would be kept secret?”

Paul Heyman also implied that if Ronda Rousey does make her in-ring return, it will be on a big stage which rules out the possibility of the most dangerous woman on the planet making an appearance at WWE Thunderdome.

Apart from this, Paul also labeled Rousey as a trailblazer and said that the next time you see her; she will be making history in whatever she does.

You can check out the full interview at this link.

Paul Heyman Provides Update On ‘Free Agent’ Brock Lesnar’s Status

Wade Barrett On How Long It Will Take Him To Get Back In The Ring Shape

Anutosh Bajpai
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Wade Barrett has shown interest in making an in-ring return after joining the NXT brand as a commentator and he has also exchanged words with the current WWE Champion Drew McIntyre in recent times.

However one of the biggest hurdles in the former Nexus Leader’s way back to in-ring action would be his physical shape. During a recent interview with BT Sport, the WWE star revealed how long it will take him to get back in the ring shape.

Barrett explained that even though he is not in the ring shape at the moment, he is still in good shape and claimed that he will need about three months to get his ring rust off:

“I’m not in ring shape at the moment, but I’m in good shape. To get in ring shape I will probably need three months of knocking out that ring rust to step back in the ring, but currently, my focus is purely on the announcing booth in NXT.”

Wade Barrett also reiterated his words about possibly getting back in the ring if the right opportunity arises and discussed how there are many WWE stars who are older than him and are still doing great work.

Do you think Wade Barrett should make an in-ring return at this stage of his career and who would be the best opponent for his return match? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Shane Helms Provides Update On His WWE Status

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has brought back a number of people after moving to Thunderdome who they fired or furloughed during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic but unfortunately, Shane Helms is not one of them.

The former WWE star recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he talked about things like working with the boss Vince McMahon and more.

During the talk, Helms also provided an update on his status with the company and the former cruiserweight champion confirmed that he is still on furlough:

“Yeah, I guess it’s a furloughing, until I go back. To me, it’s the same thing as being released if I go back or whatever, April 15, Tax Day, of course, always sucks but it wasn’t anything that was unexpected for me anyway.”

Shane Helms also talked about how his interactions with the Boss Vince McMahon have changed over the years and he explained that what Mr. McMahon wants from a producer is very different than what he wants from a wrestler.

The star formerly known as Hurricane Helms went on to praise the chairman of the boards saying that McMahon is a visionary guy and one of the hardest working human beings. You can check out his full interview at this link.

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Viewership For AEW Dynamite Anniversary & NXT TV (10/14)

Michael Reichlin
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AEW scored another win over NXT this week with its Dynamite Anniversary special. Both shows were up this week and benefitted from less competition.

AEW widened the gap over NXT, but expectations were higher since this was a heavily promoted episode. Dynamite viewership was up 9.7% from last week, while NXT increased 1.9%. Here’s the breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • AEW: 826,000 viewers, 0.30 rating (15th on cable for the night)
  • NXT: 651,000 viewers, 0.17 rating (51st on cable for the night)

For comparison, Monday’s Raw featuring Night 2 of the 2020 Draft averaged 1.855 million viewers with a 0.57 in the key demo.

You can find full results and our takeaways from both shows below:

Daniel Bryan Returning On Friday’s WWE SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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Daniel Bryan is returning to WWE television. The company announced today that the former WWE Champion will be appearing on this Friday’s episode of SmackDown although they didn’t mention what he’ll be doing on the show whether that’s a promo or wrestling. 

It’s been reported that he had been away from WWE TV tapings likely as a COVID-19 precautionary measure. 

He hasn’t wrestled since June 12 where he lost to AJ Styles in the Intercontinental Title tournament finals  This was around the time that Brie Bella was in the latter her pregnancy with their second child, who was born on August 1st. 

WWE has also announced that Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits has been added to the show. 

WWE is hyping this as the season premiere of SmackDown on FOX. As a result, a loaded show is being advertised from Orlando, Florida at the Amway Center.

SmackDown Card

  • The New Day vs. Cesaro, Sheamus and Shinsuke Nakamura
  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
  • Jeff Hardy vs. Lars Sullivan
  • Daniel Bryan to return
  • Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits

Latest On Daniel Bryan’s Absence From WWE TV

MVP Reveals How His WWE Return Was Arranged

Anutosh Bajpai
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MVP has revealed in previous interviews that his WWE return was only expected to be a one-night deal but plans changed and he ended up sticking around for a longer run.

Since then the former US Champion has signed a new contract with the company and during a recent interview, he explained how his WWE return was arranged.

MVP recently talked to SportBible and during the interview, he revealed that it was him who had reached out to the company for a return and according to the former Impact star, he was blown away by their response:

“At the time, my intentions were only to come back for the Royal Rumble so my son, who is now a massive wrestling fan, could see daddy perform. It was a surprise for him and I had his mother and sister bring him out.

“When I contacted WWE and asked about coming back as a surprise entry, I was blown away by how happy they were to have me. They got floor seats for my little boy so he could have a great experience, and he got to meet Rey Mysterio.”

MVP later explained that Paul Heyman who was the Executive Director of Raw at the time, arranged a match between him and Rey Mysterio and the company ended up offering him a position as a producer afterward.

Apart from this, the wrestling veteran talked about things like the formation of the Hurt Business, the future of Bobby Lashley and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.

Paul Heyman Says Fans Don’t Appreciate How Great Roman Reigns Is

Chris Stephens
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Paul Heyman has had many roles in WWE. He is currently the “Special Counsel” to Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Heyman says they are just scratching the surface of what is possible with the angle of Reigns as the “Tribal Chief”. He also says that fans don’t appreciate how truly great Reigns is.

“I think Roman Reigns and I both continue to be quite unappreciated by the sports, the entertainment and the sports entertainment world. But we’re starting to get there now,” Heyman said to Ryan Satin of Fox Sports.

Heyman would continue to say that it is the fact that fans don’t appreciate Reigns as they should which led to the two becoming aligned.

“This is part of the convergence of circumstances that led to Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman appearing together on television, is the fact that Roman Reigns is so remarkably unappreciated,” Heyman continued. “That so many people have taken Roman Reigns for granted over the years and don’t really acknowledge the level of performance that he brings forth in WWE.”

Heyman then continued to say that they are just scratching the surface of where the angle with Reigns can go.

“We’re just beginning to scratch the surface of what Roman Reigns is capable of presenting. He returned at the end of August. We’re now in the middle of October. We’re about six weeks into this. Imagine where we’ll be six weeks from now. Imagine where we’ll be six MONTHS from now.”

Reigns has a big match upcoming tomorrow on the season premiere of Smackdown. He’ll face Braun Strowman with the Universal title on the line.

Bayley Tops PWI Women’s Top-100

Chris Stephens
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Pro-Wrestling Illustrated’s annual top-100 women’s wrestling rankings issue is now available for pre-order. The top rankings for the last year have been announced and Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley has claimed the top spot.

The publication has unveiled which wrestlers are in the top-5 positions this year. The 4 Horsewomen of NXT are joined by Asuka in the upper echelon of women’s wrestling.

PWI Women’s Top-100 Rankings for 2020:

  1. Bayley
  2. Becky Lynch
  3. Asuka
  4. Charlotte Flair
  5. Sasha Banks

The top-10 from last year’s edition were:

  1. Becky Lynch
  2. Charlotte Flair
  3. Ronda Rousey
  4. Shayna Baszler
  5. Tessa Blanchard
  6. Bayley
  7. Natalya
  8. Io Shirai
  9. Mercedes Martinez
  10. Nicole Savoy

This is just the 3rd time Bayley has cracked the top-5. She finished 5th in the rankings in 2016 and 2017.

Previous Top Ranked Women’s Wrestlers In PWI Rankings

  • 2008: Awesome Kong
  • 2009: Mickie James
  • 2010: Michelle McCool
  • 2011: Madison Eagles
  • 2012: Gail Kim
  • 2013: Cheerleader Melissa
  • 2014: Paige
  • 2015: Nikki Bella
  • 2016: Charlotte
  • 2017: Asuka
  • 2018: Ronda Rousey
  • 2019: Becky Lynch
  • 2020: Bayley

Bayley also seems to be having fun in her career as of late. She spoke to SI.com recently about this being the best time of her WWE run thus far.

“One of the things we heard a lot was, ‘We can always count on you.’ We believed they could count on us to run the whole company. It took a lot of proving, but that’s what we’re doing now. We are very vocal about what we believe is right and what we want to do to help the company and help the division. It’s finally being able to shine through, and it’s very rewarding.”

Cody Talks The Success Of TNT Title, Teases Canadian Version

Chris Stephens
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Cody recaptured the TNT title from Brodie Lee on a recent episode of AEW Dynamite. He was the inaugural holder of the title and defended it 8 times before dropping it to Brodie Lee in August.

Cody sat down for an interview with AEW’s Canadian broadcast partner, TSN, and talked about the success of the title. He even teased that the promotion could introduce a “TSN title” somewhere down the line.

“It’s really so rare and makes me really happy to be partners with our partners here in the States and in Canada – there should be a TSN title now that we’re talking!” Cody said to TSN.

Cody On The Success Of The TNT Title

He also spent time talking about the success of the TNT title. He noted that they never envisioned it as a mid-card belt.

“It was never intended to be middle of the pack and a lot of people thought, ‘Oh, it’s a workhorse belt’ or ‘Oh, it’s a television belt.’ No, it’s this. And the reality is, it’s none of those things. It’s the first time a network partner wanted a title in their own likeness and looked at a bunch of people they thought would be great fits for it. I can’t wait to tell the full story of it one day.”

Cody also said that the title has exceeded the expectations that had for it.

“I don’t want to jinx it, but it’s superseded what we anticipated and I think it’s superseded the general expectation,” Cody said. “I don’t want to blame people if they want to put identities on things before they happen and that’s just because WWE has been unopposed for 20 years, so they might be used to how WWE does things, but the TNT title was never going to be a midcard title.”

TNT Title Statistics

Cody become the inaugural champion at Double or Nothing 2020 by defeating Lance Archer in the finals of a single-elimination tournament. He then defended it 8 times against Jungle Boy, Marq Quen, Ricky Starks, Jake Hager, Sonny Kiss, Eddie Kingston, Warhorse and Scorpio Sky.

Brodie Lee defeated Cody for the belt on the Saturday Night Dynamite special in August. Lee then successfully defended the belt against Dustin Rhodes and Orange Cassidy. He would then drop it back to Cody on October 7th.

Cody fought to a time limit draw with Orange Cassidy this week. They will face each other again in 2 weeks.

https://twitter.com/TSNWrestling/status/1316426004043268096

Teddy Long On His Favorite Role In WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Teddy Long played a number of roles during his long tenure with WWE and he served as a referee, manager, and most prominently an authority figure during his time with the company.

The Hall Of Famer recently had an interview with Hannibal where he talked about a number of things and also revealed which one of his WWE roles he prefers.

Long claimed that he prefers being the General Manager because he learned a lot during his various tenures as the GM of different WWE brands:

“Well, I prefer being the GM, because, with the GM [role], I had to not only get that role, you know, entertain the people — it helped me. I learned a lot because you had to learn a lot when you walked out on the TV and you stayed out there as much as I did.

You had to learn how to keep that audience, you know? How to keep people where they’re not tired of looking at you or not tired of seeing you either.” said Teddy Long “When they do see you, they’re ready to see you.”

The former WWE star continued by praising his boss Vince McMahon saying that McMahon knew when to put him out there and when not and it’s something he is now able to share with the young guys.

Teddy Long joined WWE in 1998 as a referee and he went on to portray a number of other roles in the company. He is probably best known for his two tenures as the General Manager of SmackDown lasting a total of six years.

AEW Full Gear Updated Card, Preview For Next Week’s Dynamite

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling’s next pay-per-view, AEW Full Gear, takes place Saturday, November 7th from Jacksonville, Florida. Coming out of this week’s AEW Dynamite, the following matches are confirmed for the eveent:

  • Darby Allin challenges for the TNT Championship
  • AEW Tag Team Champions FTR vs. #1 Contenders, to be determined next week on Dynamite.
  • Finals of the World Title Eliminator Tournament

With only three more episodes of Dynamite until Full Gear, we’ll soon know who will challenge AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida.

#1 contender Lance Archer came up short against Jon Moxley on this week’s show. The next two challengers in the AEW rankings are FTW Champion Brian Cage (9-1) and MJF (9-1). Nyla Rose (11-2) is the top ranked woman and could be in line for a title shot as well.

Dynamite Preview (10/21)

The following matches are scheduled for next week’s edition of AEW Dynamite:

  • Chris Jericho & MJF will share a steak dinner, Le Dinner Debonair.
  • #1 Contender 4-Way tag team match: The Young Bucks vs. Private Party vs. Dark Order vs. The Butcher & The Blade. The winner challenges FTR at Full Gear.
  • Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. will be in action
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Paul Heyman Provides Update On ‘Free Agent’ Brock Lesnar’s Status

Anutosh Bajpai
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People have been wondering when we are gonna see Brock Lesnar back on WWE TV since his contract expired in April and his advocate Paul Heyman recently provided some updates on The Beast Incarnate’s status.

The former Raw Executive Director appeared on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show where he talked about a number of things and also discussed the future of his client.

While Heyman ruled out a possible UFC return for the former Universal Champion, he explained that Lesnar’s return depends on a number of factors:

“It depends on if there’s a worthy challenger and enough box office appeal, right now, he’s very happy being a farmer and a magnificent father to his children.

However, if there’s something that WWE can offer that intrigues, motivates, or inspires Lesnar, and if the money is right and the business is solid, I’m sure he would be willing to do it,”

Why Lesnar Hasn’t Returned

Paul confirmed that the former UFC star remains a free agent after the expiry of his contract and he claimed that Brock’s comeback hasn’t happened because a worthy offer isn’t there:

“At this moment, it [a comeback] hasn’t happened because it [a worthy offer] isn’t there. Again, the world changes with the snap of a finger. It could be tomorrow when Lesnar says, ‘Oh, that intrigues me.’ Again, it’s not just a sound byte, but Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants to do.”

Paul Heyman has aligned himself with Roman Reigns in the absence of his long-term client and he has helped the Big Dog recapture the Universal title.

However, this dynamic will change when Brock Lesnar makes his return to WWE programming and it would be interesting to see which side Heyman picks when the Beast makes his comeback.

Jon Moxley Reveals If He Ever Compares His Work To Roman Reigns

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Jon Moxley has been the AEW World Champion throughout the pandemic and he has been the unofficial face of the company through the ordeal.

The former WWE star has found himself in a similar position to his former college and best friend Roman Reigns and during a recent interview, the AEW Champion revealed if he ever compares himself to the Big Dog.

Mox had an interview with Sports Illustrated ahead of the anniversary episode of Dynamite and when asked if he ever compares his work to Roman, the former Dean Ambrose claimed that he doesn’t pay much attention to it:

“I don’t pay much attention or compare myself to anybody else, for me, it’s all about visualizing what I want in my head and then actualizing it in the ring. I just want to create my own vision, so I’m not comparing that with anyone else.”

Jon Moxley also talked about being the guy who is carrying the torch during a pandemic and he revealed that he didn’t picture himself in a good-guy, protagonist role when he first joined the promotion.

Apart from this, the former WWE Champion talked about things like his match with Lance Archer, how coronavirus has forced them to change a lot of plans and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.

AEW Dynamite Results (10/14): One Year Anniversary, All Titles On The Line

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite aired live from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. It was the one year anniversary show and all titles were defended tonight. Private Party, Silver & Reynolds (Dark Order), Butcher & Blade, and the Young Bucks will compete next week. The winners will face FTR at Full Gear for the AEW Tag Team Championships.

Dynamite Results (10/14)

  1. FTR def. Best Friends to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
  2. Miro & Kip Sabian def. Lee Johnson & Sean Maluta
  3. Cody retained the TNT Championship in a time limit draw
  4. Hikaru Shida def. Big Swole to retain the AEW Women’s Championship
  5. Jon Moxley def. Lance Archer to retain the AEW Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

FTR Retained The AEW Tag Team Championships

best friends ftr tag title

FTR defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Best Friends (Trent & Chuck Taylor) in the first match of the night. Tully Blanchard was ringside.

Match Recap: Wheeler leveled Chuck with a shoulder tackle to start the match off. Wheeler and Chuck locked up int he middle of the ring and Cash brought him to the corner. Dax Harwood tagged in and walked into a couple of shoulder tackles from Chuck Taylor.

Trent tagged in and traded chops with Harwood in the middle of the ring. Cash tagged in and slammed Trent into the ropes. Harwood followed it up with a Back Suplex and Wheeler went for the cover but Trent was able to kick out at two. Dax tagged back in and hit Trent with an elbow to the face for a two count.

FTR dominated the next couple of minutes and took turns beating down Trent. The crowd started up a “Best Friends!” chant as Trent attempted to battle back. Harwood prevented Trent from tagging out and brought him back to the corner of the ring. Wheeler tagged back in and applied a Headlock to Trent.

Trent escaped with an Arm Drag and followed it up with a few punches to Wheeler’s face. Trent connected with a massive Clothesline and both wrestlers fell to the canvas. Harwood tagged in and knocked Chuck off the apron so Trent couldn’t make the tag.

Harwood hit a Back Drop off the top turnbuckle and Cash tagged back in. Wheeler went for the cover but Trent kicked out at two. Chuck finally tagged in and leveled Wheeler and Harwood with a series of Clotheslines. Chuck flipped onto FTR outside the ring and smiled to the camera.

Back in the ring, Chuck hit Harwood with a Falcon Arrow but Dax was able to kick out at two. Tully tripped up Trent and Harwood capitalized with a Splash for a two count. Trent tagged in and leveled Wheeler with a running knee to the face for another near fall.

Wheeler battled back with a Clothesline and tagged in Harwood. Dax planted Trent with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Trent was able to kick out. Harwood followed it up with another Back Drop for a two count. Trent made his way to the top rope but Harwood tripped him up. Harwood went for another Back Drop off the top rope but Trent countered into a Crossbody for a two count.

Trent planted Wheeler with a DDT and then hit another one on Dax for a two count. Best Friends hit Strong Zero and went for the cover but Wheeler broke it up at the last moment. Cash planted Chuck with a Brainbuster outside the ring but got sent over the barricade by Trent.

Trent went for a Spear but Cash got out of the way and Trent crashed into the arcade cabinet that Kip Sabian was playing on. Kip told Penelope Ford to go get something and she sprinted backstage. Back in the ring, Trent hit Dax with a DDT and Chuck Taylor tagged in.

Chuck lit up Harwood’s chest with a few chops but Cash hit Chuck with the title. Harwood then pinned Chuck Taylor for the victory. FTR are still the AEW Tag Team Champions. Miro then rushed the ring and attacked Best Friends. Miro hit Chuck with a Suplex and Sabian hit Trent with a kick to the face.

Opinion: I loved this match up until the last couple minutes. I didn’t enjoy the arcade cabinet getting destroyed and don’t really want to see a feud revolving around video games.

Miro & Kip Sabian Dominated

miro sabian

Miro and Kip Sabian faced Sean Maluta and Lee Johnson tonight on Dynamite.

Match Recap: Miro beat the hell out of Maluta and then knocked Lee Johnson off the ring apron. Miro sent Johnson into the barricade and then leveled Maluta with a Clothesline. Kip Sabian tagged in and hit Maluta with a Splash. Miro tagged right back in applied the Game Over (Accolade). After the match, Kip Sabian said that Best Friends has gone too far by breaking his arcade game. Miro added “Good Friends, you break my shit it is game over”.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1316536587757457419?s=20

Jericho & MJF Are Having A Steak Dinner Next Week

jericho mjf steak

MJF came to the ring with Wardlow for a “major announcement”. MJF claimed that the reason the crowd was booing him was because they were jealous. He added that he has accomplished more in one year in Dynamite than everyone in the crowd will accomplish in their lives. MJF then asked Chris Jericho to come down to the ring.

Inner Circle came down to the ring in the jackets that MJF gifted them. Sammy Guevara was just wearing a Inner Circle shirt and refused to put on the jacket that MJF gave him. Jericho demanded that Sammy put it on and the jacket was several sizes too big.

MJF complimented Jericho on his body and his hair. MJF asked if he could touch Jericho’s hair and Le Champion let him. Jericho then told Max to cut the shit and asked him what his announcement was. MJF stated that he was sensing some hostility and he didn’t want that.

MJF said that he and Jericho are the two biggest draws in AEW and referred to himself as the “Ratings Ruler”. MJF stated that they have mutual respect for each other because they are both predators. He noted that they have been great on their own but what if they worked together. MJF said that he “kind of, sort of, might” want to join the Inner Circle.

Ortiz told MJF that they don’t want him in the Inner Circle and asked Jericho if they could leave. Jericho said that they need some time to think about it and asked MJF if he wanted to have a steak dinner next week. MJF shouted “you’re on!” and the two shook hands.

WWE NXT Results (10/14): Damian Priest vs. Dexter Lumus, Candice LeRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart

Andrew Ravens
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The October 14, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.

WWE NXT Results 

  • The Undisputed Era def. Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan to become the #1 Contender’s
  • Jake Atlas def. Ashante “Thee” Adonis
  • Johnny Gargano def. Austin Theory
  • Candice LeRae def. Shotzi Blackheart to become the #1 Contender
  • Toni Storm def. Aaliyah (w/Robert Stone)
  • Imperium def. Drake Maverick and Killian Dain
  • Damian Priest retained North American Title over Dexter Lumis.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

#1 Contender’s Match

The Undisputed Era
The Undisputed Era

WWE booked Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs. The Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) in a #1 Contender’s Match. 

Of course, there was an interesting tag team match with mixed members of various teams competing against each other a few weeks ago. Members of these two teams won the contest and set up this match. 

Kyle O’Reilly did a promo before the match talking about how the group will stay around for a long time and Ridge Holland being in a hospital bed isn’t different from what they would’ve done for injuring Adam Cole. O’Reilly noted that he will be back next week. 

The match was fine. The end came when Strong landed a flying knee strike to the jaw of Lorcan. As a result, they will challenge Fandango and Tyler Breeze for the NXT Tag Team Titles next week. 

https://twitter.com/WWEonFOX/status/1316534346510204933

NXT North American Championship Match

Damien Priest
Damien Priest

NXT North American Champion Damian Priest defended his title against Dexter Lumis. 

Priest has had successful title defenses against Timothy Thatcher and Johnny Gargano since becoming North American Champion when he won it in a five-way ladder match at NXT TakeOver XXX this August.

Lumis just made his return two weeks ago in a backstage segment. It appears that WWE just threw this match together as there was no real back story. 

The finish saw Cameron Grimes run out and hit a double foot stomp to Lumis that led to Priest hitting a chokeslam for the win. Priest stood tall before hitting a reverse DDT to Grimes. As Priest went up the ramp, Gargano hit him with a chair. Shoti Blackheart announced that the NXT North American and Women’s Title matches will be have stipulations that will be decided by spin the wheel at Halloween Havoc.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1316558321709649921

Ember Moon Sit Down Interview

Ember Moon

For a second straight week, WWE gave Ember Moon time to discuss her return to NXT again. 

Last week, the promo segment got interrupted and eventually led to her teaming up with Rhea Ripley to take on Dakota Kai & Raquel González in a tag team match that saw the babyfaces go over. 

This week’s segment saw Moon do a sitdown interview, but it was more of a video package. Moon stated that 2019 was a horrible year for her and spending a year away made her realize that she can’t let people forget who she is. She also found out who she wants to see her character to be. When the doctor told her that she was cleared then she knew that she was NXT. 

She said that she took herself off the main roster to come home as her drive is back. She called NXT the best women’s division in all of wrestling. She said that when she left NXT she did so on top, but everything is different now. She said that you don’t get a title shot off past success so she knows she has to go through the best that NXT has offered to get it. 

Candice LeRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart

Shotzi Blackheart

A late addition to the card was Candice LeRae vs. Shotzi Blackheart in a match to determine the new #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Title. 

These two stars worked hard to put on a memorable match and did so. The finish saw Indi Hartwell appear at ringside to give brass knucks to LeRae to hit Shotzi with and win the match. 

As a result of this win, she will challenge Io Shirai for the NXT Women’s Title at the upcoming Halloween Havoc special of NXT on the USA Network in two weeks. 

LeRae just challenged for the title back at the NXT TakeOver 31 event where she fell short in her pursuit of the title. While at least WWE did something to make this contender credible, Io has been booked as a dominant force in the division not to mention that WWE has already built up two other contenders. 

Those stars are Rhea Ripley and Ember Moon, who have already voiced their intentions of coming after the title. Thus, it might be hard for fans to buy into being a serious title contender. 

Johnny Gargano vs. Austin Theory

Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano. Image Credit: WWE.com

Johnny Gargano vs. Austin Theory in a singles match is in the books. 

The match was good, but it seems as if these guys could have a lengthy match with some back story then they could revisit this down the road and it would be better. Gargano went over with his finisher. 

Gargano is fresh off a loss to NXT North American Champion Damien Priest at NXT TakeOver 31. At the time, there was some speculation that he could be headed to the main roster, but that wasn’t the case as he wasn’t drafted and obviously worked this show. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here as I don’t see him being in the NXT Title hunt. 

Theory continues to be someone who is lost in the shuffle since arriving and that needs to change as most would agree that he’s a really good worker. 

Jon Moxley Retains AEW World Title Over Lance Archer

Andrew Ravens
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Jon Moxley successfully made his latest defense of the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. 

The title match took place on Wednesday’s special episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT as it served as the anniversary show. 

It was booked in the main event from Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. Archer challenged Moxley for the strap but fell short in his attempt. 

The match featured various brawling and weapons being used. They even went through doubles tables. The finish of the match saw Moxley roll up Archer for the win. After the match, Eddie Kingston, Pentagon, and Fenix came out to the ring. Kingston cut a promo about how he never actually lost to Moxley then attacked Moxley to close the show. 

Archer earned this title opportunity last month at the AEW All Out pay-per-view event. Archer took part in the 21-man Casino Battle Royale, which he won by last eliminating Eddie Kingston.

https://twitter.com/AEWonTNT/status/1316558670872805376

The AEW All Out pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, November 7th, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. This will be the final PPV event of the year for AEW. 

Moxley has yet to receive an opponent at this show, but with it quickly approaching, that should be changing soon. 

AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament Brackets Confirmed

Andrew Ravens
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AEW has announced the full bracket for the World Title Eliminator tournament. 

There will be 8 competitors in the tournament. Penta El Zero M, Rey Fenix, Kenny Omega, Joey Janela, Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, Wardlow, and  Jungle Boy have been confirmed. The purpose of this tournament is to crown a new number 1 contender for the AEW World Championship. 

AEW has released the brackets for the tournament, which you can see here: 

  • Penta El Zero M vs. Rey Fenix
  • Kenny Omega vs. Joey Janela
  • Colt Cabana vs. Hangman Page
  • Wardlow vs. Jungle Boy

Based on these brackets, it does set up the possible finals match of omega vs. Page, which would be an interesting match since they split as a tag team. 

https://twitter.com/BrasilAllElite/status/1316537210393501696

The AEW All Out pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, November 7th, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. This will be the final PPV event of the year for AEW. 

The four quarterfinal matches will take place on the October 21st episode of Dynamite and the two semifinal matches set for the October 28th Dynamite.

AEW Champion Jon Moxley Plans To Wrestle Into His 50’s & Won’t Return To WWE

Michael Reichlin
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Jon Moxley says he plans to wrestle for at least another decade and expects to retire in All Elite Wrestling.

AEW’s reigning World Champion spoke with Jim Alexander of ReelTalker.com this week to promote the AEW Dynamite Anniversary special. Moxley spoke about his time in AEW thus far, his new movie Cagefighter and more.

When asked if he has any plans to wrestle for WWE before retiring, Moxley made it clear – he will “definitely” finish his career in AEW.

“I’ve become great friends with Tony Kahn, who is a great dude and the most successful promoter outside of Vince in many years,” he said. “We’ve been able to create something as a team and to get through the challenge of this pandemic, and well, stay alive [as a promotion]. I’m incredibly proud of everybody.”

Moxley is the face of AEW, but also competes for New Japan Pro Wrestling and other companies, such as Bloodsport this past weekend. His AEW contract allows him the flexibility to work elsewhere, but the Jacksonville-based promotion will “definitely always” be his home.

“It’s just done so much for me, and I’ve done everything I could to help build the brand and solidify it as a legit alternative,” he said of AEW. “It’s vital to the wrestling industry that AEW be successful. I don’t see that changing ever. I have loyalty to the people who treat me well and they have treated me extremely well.”

As for how long he plans to continue wrestling, the 34-year-old Moxley says he’d like to wrestle into his 50’s.

“I’d like to wrestle till I’m in my 50’s, hopefully,” Moxley said. “Whatever that means? I don’t know.”

Visit ReelTalker.com to check out their full interview with AEW Champion Jon Moxley.

John Cena & Shay Shariatzadeh Married

Andrew Ravens
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John Cena has tied the knot again. The legendary WWE Superstar and Shay Shariatzadeh were married Tuesday, October 12th in Tampa, FL. Their marriage license can be viewed below courtesy of the Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Courts.

marriage license

News of the couple’s relationship was made public in March 2019. They were engaged earlier this year. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

John Cena was previously married to Elizabeth Huberdeau from 2009-2012. He was also engaged to WWE personality Nikki Bella. Prior to their split, Cena and Nikki were scheduled to get married in May 2018. The couple announced their separation in 2018 after dating since 2012 and being engaged for a year. The main reason for their split was due to Cena being against having children but had later stated that he is willing to be a father. Earlier this year, Nikki gave birth to a son with Artem Chigvintsev.

Speaking of Cena, he announced today in a post on his official Twitter account that he’s the new voice of Honda. He also shared the first commercial: 

Andrade Undergoing Procedure, Will Miss In-Ring Action

Andrew Ravens
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Andrade was not drafted during this year’s WWE Draft nor was he signed as a “free agent” to either RAW or SmackDown. 

As a result, it caused speculation that he could be returning to NXT. Whether he does go back to NXT remains to be seen, but there’s a reason as to why he wasn’t selected in the Draft. 

Wrestling Inc reports that Andrade is undergoing a minor elective procedure and is expected to be out of action for a month.

Andrade joined Mickie James as the only two stars not drafted following the conclusion of night two of the WWE Draft. James is currently out of action with a broken nose, which will prevent her from wrestling for a couple of weeks.

Andrade was last seen in action on Monday’s episode of RAW where he dropped a loss to Angel Garza in a singles match. Post-match, Andrade, and Zelina Vega were attacked by Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss.

The NXT speculation came about when he tweeted and deleted “thank you,” but that was quickly cleared up by Charlotte Flair. His girlfriend stated that he was simply wishing Vega well as they go their separate ways. However, he then shared a photo of himself with the NXT Title. 

As of this writing, Andrade nor WWE has commented on his status and when he’ll be placed on a brand. 

Roman Reigns Discusses The Importance Of Possibly Facing The Rock

Andrew Ravens
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0

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns appeared on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday morning to promote match against Braun Strowman this Friday on SmackDown.

One of the topics that came up once again was the possibility of wrestling his cousin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Roman Reigns vs. The Rock is arguably the biggest match WWE could possibly promote, so this is an intriguing hypothetical.

Last month, The Rock stated that if he ever returned to work one more match at WrestleMania, then Roman Reigns would be the ideal opponent. In fact, The Rock said he’d be “honored” to put Reigns over.

During his appearance on First Take, Reigns kept the conversation going. He said it would be “amazing” for The Rock to use his star power to once again shine a spotlight on the WWE product for a whole new audience.

“It would be amazing, Reigns said. “I think for any Superstar of my generation to have someone on his level, someone that has done so much not only in sports entertainment, but the movie industry, entertainment in general. The man has what a billion followers online and stuff. To be able to put that type of spotlight on our current generation and what we do within our product in WWE would be amazing and just sharing the ring with him.”

Family Affair

Roman Reigns is currently feuding with another cousin of his, Jey Uso. After headlining the recent Clash of Champions pay-per-view, they will do battle once again at Hell in a Cell on October 25th. Despite the bad blood we’ve seen on television, both men are now on record talking about how much they’re enjoying working together.

“I’m really enjoying what I’m doing right now to share the ring with my cousin Jey Uso. To be able to tell that story of our family, the lineage, and the history of where we come from, is pretty cool. To continue it and take it to the next level is what I’m doing each and every time.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZDN4HEOBdo

Paul Heyman Discusses Why He Was Removed As WWE RAW Executive Director

Andrew Ravens
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0

Paul Heyman was interviewed this week for ESPN’s Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.

One of the first questions that came up was his removal as the Executive Director of WWE RAW. The change happened earlier this year as Heyman had been overseeing the creative for the RAW brand until Vince McMahon decided to make a change and Heyman was pulled from that role. 

“I served at the pleasure of the Chairman Vince McMahon and there came a day I was no longer at the pleasure of the Chairman Vince McMahon. When I took the role of Executive Director, I made an agreement with Vince McMahon, I want this job as long as every morning Vince McMahon woke up, he said thank God or whatever deity he subscribes to Paul Heyman is looking after the store on Raw. And the day that Vince McMahon didn’t wake up and feel that way, I didn’t want the job anymore.”

He stated that he’s been in a similar role where McMahon wasn’t happy with him and it was a miserable existence. He said he didn’t want that. 

“Apparently on that day on that given time and given moment, Vince didn’t wake up that morning thanking whatever deity he subscribes to that Paul Heyman was in charge of Raw. We left with a smile, a handshake, and a hug. Absolutely no harsh feelings and actually better feelings about each other because of the way that it ended because it’s ended miserably before.”

Heyman said that proof of his exit is a positive thing as it came down to McMahon’s comments on an earnings call shortly after the move was made. He recalled McMahon stating that he thought Heyman did a great job instead of saying something like they needed someone with a new vision. 

“My run in terms of serving at the pleasure of the chairman was up and then this opportunity presented itself both for me, for Roman and for WWE and we all jumped on it.”

After a few months of Heyman being on the sidelines, he was paired with Roman Reigns. 

Roman Reigns Recalls Looking Up To Bret Hart As A Child

Chris Stephens
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WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns appeared ESPN’s First Take Wednesday morning. The Tribal Chief spoke about football, his match against Braun Strowman this Friday night and which wrestlers he looked up to growing up.

When asked which wrestlers he looked up to as a kid, Reigns named WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart.

“Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart was kind of my guy,” he said. “A lot different than [larger than life characters, such as] Ultimate Warrior. There’s just something I respected. He was like a journeyman, like a blue-collar sports-entertainer.”

Reigns praised Hart as, “that pro-wrestler, go in there and wrestle for 30-minutes every single night. He just put a different dynamic on what the top looks like and I like to think that we have a little of all that nowadays.”

Reigns battles former Universal Champion Braun Strowman this week on SmackDown. Despite Strowman’s imposing stature, Reigns said he’s not intimidated by the big man.

“To be honest, I’m not nervous. I’ve been this, I’m tenured, I’ve been doing this so long. Like I said, I’m on a different level and I’m displaying it week in and week out.”

“To be honest, I don’t think Braun Strowman deserves the opportunity. I beat him, I pinned him, I took the Universal Championship from him.”

WWE.com covered Roman Reigns’ comments about Braun Strowman during the ESPN First Take appearance. Reigns replied, stating that these weren’t “hot takes” – he’s just telling the brutal truth.

Finn Balor Provides Update Days After Jaw Surgery

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Finn Balor had recently posted a photo on Twitter confirming a successful surgery for his broken jaw which he suffered during his recent match with Kyle O’Reilly.

The NXT champion provided some details about his surgery in an Instagram post recently and he confirmed that the operation actually took place this past Friday.

Finn revealed in the post that one of the fractures had gone into his tooth. The doctors had to remove that tooth and his jaw was then wired shut to restore his bite and help align the fractures.

The surgeons then screwed three plates in to fixate the fractures and the former Universal Champion confirmed that no wires were needed after the operation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGQ47SChNSi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

What’s interesting to note here is that while WWE has not provided a timeline for Balor’s comeback, the former Raw star himself noted that he is hoping for a quick recovery.

Previous reports have revealed that the company is actually making his injury worse than it is and the current champion is not expected to miss a lot of time.

While an actual timetable for his return is not known yet, the usual recovery time for a broken jaw is six weeks and it would be interesting to see how soon Finn Balor is able to recover and return to in-ring action.

Finn Balor posted this photo to social media on Wednesday, less than one week removed from jaw surgery.

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