Joey Ryan took to Twitter to give an update on the severity of his recent injury.
We reported from the outset that Ryan’s injury was a torn pectoral. Ryan confirmed that fact by posting a screenshot that revealed the full extent of the damage, as confirmed by an MRI.
The tweet also includes a link to Ryan’s Pro Wrestling Tees store. If you are looking for a way to lend some support his way while he is unable to wrestle a full schedule, you can visit the store here.
And if you watched MLW Fusion on YouTube Live Friday, no, you weren’t seeing a ghost.
Ryan, torn pectoral and all, teamed with Hornswoggle on Fusion, in an episode that was recorded on November 8.
Ryan’s torn pectoral was the second such injury to befall a high profile wrestling star in recent weeks. Triple H suffered a torn pec as well at Crown Jewel.
Neither star currently has a firm timetable for when they might return to action.
Joey Ryan in 2018
It has been an interesting year so far in 2018. Ryan spent much of the summer competing on the independent scene all the while there were concerns he had been murdered by Adam “Hangman” Page. Eventually, it was revealed Ryan had been nursed back to health by his hot wife and had not actually died. Hopefully, said wife we’ll help him recover from this pec surgery as well.
On Friday’s Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho stated that the punch from Nia Jax that led to Becky Lynch’s broken face looked “legitimate [and], deliberate.”
To provide some context, Jericho was previewing Sunday’s Survivor Series card with co-hosts Jack Slade and John Howarth.
In discussing the switch from Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey to Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair, Jericho recounted the circumstances that forced the match to be changed.
“You know, stuff happens. If you see the punch that she took, oh my gosh, it didn’t look like a potato,” Jericho said. “It looked like a legitimate, deliberate punch to the face.”
“But, whatever, we’ll hold off judgment on that,” Jericho was quick to add.
Jericho also had some fun with the way that Lynch’s injury has been described.
“Becky got stiffed, st-izz-iffed, by Nia Jax, and they said she broke her face,” Jericho said. “Has anyone went to the doctor and been diagnosed with a broken face? Wouldn’t it be, like, a broken orbital bone?”
For the full context of Jericho’s comments, as well as the rest of his thoughts on Survivor Series, you can listen to the full episode of Talk Is Jericho below.
The card for tonight’s (Saturday, November 17, 2018) WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames II event has been finalized.
The company has yet to officially announce the main event of this event that takes place in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and will air on the WWE Network.
There is speculation that this special will be headlined by The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) vs. War Raiders, Ricochet & Pete Dunne) in a WarGames match. There are a total of four matches booked for this show with two of them being championship matches.
As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special later tonight. Our staff has released their predictions for the NXT TakeOver: WarGames II show, which you can read here.
NXT TakeOver: WarGames II Card
The Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole, Bobby Fish & Roderick Strong) vs. War Raiders, Ricochet & Pete Dunne) – WarGames Match.
NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Velveteen Dream
NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane – Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Aleister Black
What are your thoughts on this card? Do you plan on watching this show and if not, why? Sound off in the comment section.
This week’s episode of Impact Wrestling has seen the second lowest viewership numbers. The episode which aired on November 15 was able to draw in only 101,000 viewers. In comparison, last week’s episode had 129,000 viewers with a steadily increasing rate for two weeks.
The ratings for the episode went further down from 0.05 to 0.01 in the coveted 18-49 year-old demographic.
The episode featured an X Division Championship match between Brian Cage and Sami Callihan, as well as the Impact World Champion Johnny Impact went against Matt Sydal.
The viewership numbers were the lowest since October 25’s 98,000. The show was unable to make it to the Cable Top 150 list this week.
This was Impact’s fourth week in the new late 10PM time slot on Pop TV.
Here are the viewership stats for the last four episodes:
Nov. 15: 101,000
Nov. 8: 129,000
Nov. 1: 105,000
Oct. 25: 98,000
You can check out the results and the takeaways from the episode here.
Even though Hall of Famer Edge has retired from professional wrestling since 2011, he has been part of the WWE in one way or another, particularly with his podcast E&C Pod of Awesomeness. Recently he discussed the possibility of himself making an in-ring return and which current WWE superstars has caught his eye.
Speaking to The New York Post, Edge revealed what he thinks his comeback to the ring would look like. Since Shawn Michaels came out of retirement recently, Edge was asked whether he thinks of making a return at his age.
“Ah no. (Laugh.) Well, here’s the thing: People as much as they want it, it’s not going to be what they want. It’s very rare. Especially when you get performers into their 40s and 50s, it’s not an easy job. It’s a very, very difficult thing physically.”
“I personally think your body isn’t meant to do it past 40 years old. It’s just a really, really physically demanding, taxing thing. And I know people hop in and they do one-offs here and there, but I just think it’s a matter of time before eventually they are going to get hit with some kind of injury bullet, because it’s not normal to do to your body, especially once you start getting up in middle age.”
Edge also thinks that former WWE Champion AJ Styles and IC Champion Seth Rollins could have a classic match with him, but it simply isn’t possible anymore for him.
“So, hey, do I know A.J. Styles and I could have an amazing match, Seth Rollins and I could tear it down and have a classic, yeah, if it were me at 35, not me at 45. And not me at 45 not having stepped in a ring for eight years.”
Edge made his debut in the WWE in 1997 and went on to hold 31 championships in his decorated career in the company. He retired in April of 2011 due to cervical spinal stenosis as he was deemed unclear to ever compete. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
The Rated R Superstar also discussed about the current WWE stars Becky Lynch and Drew McIntyre who have grabbed his attention.
“I’ve been kind of touting Becky for a while, just from the kind of organic reaction she’s gotten from the audience. They want her as the focal point of the division, and it was very, very obvious and thankfully they listened and kind of allowed it to happen, which is real cool and fun to watch.
I really like watching McIntyre right now. I think he reinvented himself. I’ve always really liked Drew and it’s great to see him come back with the right mentality and get this opportunity because he’s has that right mentality.”
On Friday, it was revealed that WWE will be airing a Starrcade special next Sunday, November 25th at 8 p.m. ET. The one-hour special will feature some of the matches that will take place.
For thesecond straight year, WWE has decided to bring back Starrcade for a special dual-branded live event as it takes place Saturday, November 24th from Cincinnati, Ohio at the US Bank Arena. The arena website is advertising the following matches:
Street Fight for the WWE Intercontinental Title: Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
WWE United States Title Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
SmackDown Tag Team Title Match: The New Day vs. The Bar
Steel Cage Match: Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
Rusev with Lana vs. The Miz
Elias performs a special concert with WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair
The premier event of the National Wrestling Alliance and, later, WCW, Starrcade got its start in Greensboro on Thanksgiving 1983 with a star-studded lineup. Starrcade remained in Greensboro through 1986 and was the stage on which legendary performers like Dusty Rhodes, The Four Horsemen, Magnum TA, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and many more etched their names into sports-entertainment history.
As the calendar turned to the 1990s, a new generation of competitors emerged to take the Starrcade spotlight, like Sting, Vader and the nWo. The last edition of Starrcade under the WCW banner took place in December 2000.
Another day and another match revealed for the upcoming ROH Final Battle pay-per-view event. This marks the final Ring of Honor PPV event of 2018. On Friday, the company announced that ROH World Television Champion Jeff Cobb will put his title will be on the line against “Hangman” Adam Page.
Cobb won the title when he beat Punishment Martinez in 90 seconds and since then holds wins over the names of Christopher Daniels, EVIL and Shane Taylor. A few months ago, Cobb also won the prestigious Battle of Los Angeles tournament.
The Baltimore-based promotion is expected to announce more matches for this show in the coming weeks. Ring of Honor is slated to hold their Final Battle pay-per-view event on December 14, 2018 in Manhattan, New York at the Hammerstein Ballroom. ROH World Champion Jay Lethal vs. Cody is expected to headline this show.
ROH will be holding TV tapings in Philadelphia the following night for upcoming episodes of their television show.
WWE’s YouTube channel has released some compelling behind-the-scenes look at SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch while backstage at this week’s episode of SmackDown Live in St. Louis, MO at the Enterprise Center that later aired on the USA Network.
It’s been a rough week for Lynch regarding everything that she’s gone through. First up, she led the women’s division of the blue brand in an invasion on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Kansas City, MO at the Sprint Center. This is where she was involved in a brawl that saw Nia Jax punch her in the face. As a result, she suffered a broken nose and concussion. This led to WWE officials making the call to pull Lynch from her scheduled champion vs. champion match against RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series.
It was also revealed that her replacement would be Charlotte Flair who will now face Rousey in a non-title match at Survivor Series. Lynch picked Flair during an in-ring segment.
This footage includes her first reaction to finding out the news after having a closed-door meeting with WWE officials and medical staff in which she was informed she wasn’t being allowed to compete on Sunday. You can check it out here.
The first look at former WWE Champion CM Punk in his first starring role in a feature movie has surfaced online.
Punk stars as Don Koch in the haunted house thriller “Girl on the Third Floor.” Punk’s character was described as a man who is failing as a husband that believes he can make up for past mistakes by fixing up an old house. Don tears the house apart for renovations but the house starts to tear him apart as well, “revealing the rot behind the drywall.” Trieste Dunn, Elissa Dowling, and newcomer Sarah Brooks are also featured in the movie that is being directed by Travis Stevens. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on when “Girl on the Third Floor” will be released but it was recently noted that the film is in post-production now and is expected to be in theaters next year. “I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to take on the lead role in Girl On The Third Floor,” said Punk, real name Phil Brooks to Deadline back in September. “I’m a longtime personal fan of genre films and this project was an absolute natural fit for me.”
Check out the first clip below courtesy of WGN Chicago:
Jim Ross announced recently his contract with AXS TV is up and he’s currently unable to negotiate a new one. JR mentioned that neither NJPW nor AXS TV played a role in him not signing a new deal to call NJPW.
He sent out the following Tweet today to provide further details on his departure from the network.
To clarify the speculation, my departure from @AXSTV had zero to do with @njpwglobal or @mcuban’s network.
“To clarify the speculation, my departure from @AXSTV had zero to do with @njpwglobal or @mcuban’s network. My contract ends at years end and I was unable to legally negotiate a new arrangement. #ItsJustBusiness#NeverSayNever”
Jim Ross Contract Situation in 2019
JR originally addressed his contract situation this week on his podcast.
“It’s a tough week for me with AXS TV,” Ross said. “I’m here (in Los Angeles), going to do my last three shows for them (yesterday). That will take us through the end of the year on our Friday night slot on Mark Cuban’s network.”
He then explained that his contract with WWE extends until the end of March. It seems likely then that he would be unable to negotiate a new deal with AXS or NJPW until that time.
“My shows will run through the end of the year, that’s when my contract will be expiring. So then, I have a contract with WWE that will end at the end of March,” Ross continued.
JR has consistently said he has plenty of options available to him and that 2019 should be an interesting year for the business.
“And then we’ll see where things go. I have a lot of options, a lot of opportunities. I’m very blessed with everything that’s happened.”
Johnny Gargano did a Q&A session with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote NXT TakeOver: WarGames II event in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center on the WWE Network where’s slated to wrestle former NXT Champion Aleister Black in a singles match.
Gargano stated that in his head, he made a mistake as the only reason Tommaso Ciampa is NXT champion is because of him and tried to make up for that mistake. This led to Black getting in the way as he has nothing personal against Black. “I have no problem against the guy, but he got in the way. The end justifies the means, and the end is going to be Johnny Gargano defeating Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT championship. That will fulfill a promise, little kids will be happy, everyone will be going nuts. If one guy in Black needed to be jumped for that to happen, then I’m sorry. It had to happen.”
Over the past few years, WWE Hall of Famer has taken more of a focus on teaching younger talent at the WWE Performance Center. When asked about learning from HBK, he stated that Michaels has always been a hero of his and being able to work with him in order to pick his brain is truly the best-case scenario.
He stated that he never thought he’d ben able to work with Michaels but doing so has been mind-blowing.
“And not just Shawn, but also Triple H, as well. Their minds work on a different level, and you can tell why NXT is as hot as it is and why stories are so compelling. They are running the show. It’s a dream come true. If you told me when I was eight years old that one day I’d work for WWE with an action figure and work as an ambassador for a video game, and also work side-by-side with Shawn Michaels and Triple H, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy!’ But here we are, and it’s amazing.”
Tama Tonga doesn’t hold much back. In the midst of all the turmoil surrounding Becky Lynch’s recent concussion, Tama managed to get in his comments to both Lynch and Nia Jax.
First, Tama offered a sign of respect to “The Man”:
Tama Tonga will be competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s World Tag League from November 17th to December 9th. There has been a slight change of format this year. Teams will be combined into one big group as opposed to two separate ones. This format was used for the debut of the Super Junior Tag League earlier this year.
SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has been WWE’s hottest star in recent weeks. Her skyrocket to stardom begun at SummerSlam when she turned heel on Charlotte Flair. Since, Lynch has begun calling herself “The Man” on WWE TV. “The Irish Lasskicker” even got into a Twitter back-and-forth with Seth Rollins over who was really “The Man” of WWE.
WWE Hall Of Famer Mick Foley has been very impressed with Lynch as of late, going as far to compare her to Stone Cold Steve Austin, in regards to coming up with a memorable catchphrase. Foley said that Lynch’s innovation of “The Man” reminds him of Austin’s “3:16” gimmick:
“To me, it’s like an Austin 3:16 moment, but Becky Lynch is #TheMan,” Foley said. “She came up with the catchphrase. She didn’t use the hashtag, but I told her that she has to use it everywhere she goes, you are now ‘The Man.'”
Foley also said that Lynch calling herself “The Man” throws gender “on its head.” He believes that even men themselves will be okay with acknowledging Lynch is, in fact, “The Man” in WWE:
“It throws gender on its head, and women will be more than happy to say that Becky Lynch is The Man. I think men will gladly say that she is The Man,” Foley said. “It is a bigger statement. It somehow makes perfect sense. I am on board. I believe wholeheartedly that she is The Man.”
What do you think about Foley’s comments regarding Lynch?
Listen to Foley’s comments on the “Not Sam Wrestling” podcast here.
Ring Of Honor (ROH) announced yesterday that World Champion Jay Lethal will defend his title against Cody at “Final Battle” next month (Fri. December 14, 2018). The show will go down from The Manhattan Center in New York.
Cody took to Twitter to respond to the news. He confirmed this will be his last match with ROH before heading into free agency next year. Cody’s contract with ROH will expire soon, making him a free agent in 2019. There has been a ton of speculation as to where the now-former Bullet Club member might end up.
In regards to his match with Lethal, Cody said it’s only fitting that he face Lethal in his last match with ROH, as Lethal was his first match with the promotion two years ago. “The American Nightmare” then vowed to take the ROH World Title into free agency with him:
“Jay was the first match I had in ROH two years ago. He will be my last. And I will take the World Championship into free agency.”
Jay was the first match I had in ROH two years ago. He will be my last. And I will take the World Championship into free agency. ? https://t.co/6qlrg6d8vZ
3x former Impact X-Division Champion, Trevor Lee, has departed Impact Wrestling. According to a report from PW Insider, there is interested from WWE in bringing him in as well.
“Former Impact Wrestling X-Division and Tag Team Champion Trevor Lee, 25 years old, has departed the promotion,” reported PW Insider. “Lee gave notice to the promotion that he was finishing up. We have confirmed with several sources there is WWE interest in bringing Lee into the WWE NXT system.”
Trevor Lee WWE Bound?
25-year-old Trevor Lee is from Cameron, North Carolina. He was trained by two famous brothers from the area, Matt & Jeff Hardy when he was still only a teenager.
After wrestling on the independents, Lee would align with another North Carolina wrestling name, Gregory Helms, as part of “the Helms Dynasty” in 2016. In the summer of 2017, he then formed “the Cult of Lee” in Impact Wrestling. He served as a mentor of sorts for Caleb Konley.
Lee is also the son of Tracey Caddell, a wrestler/promoter who helped form OMEGA with Matt Hardy. Unfortunately, Caddell passed away earlier this year.
Update: Trevor Lee tweeted the following on Friday afternoon in response to reports that he is leaving Impact Wrestling.
CM Punk seems to have moved on from his professional wrestling career. After walking out on WWE back in January of 2014, Punk has become deeply embedded in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world. Punk has now fought twice for the UFC, with a third potential bout still up in the air. He is also set to make his MMA commentary debut for the Cage Fury Fighting Championships promotion.
Aside from MMA, Punk is also doing more acting and writing comic books. He spoke to The Associated Press recently to promote his commentary gig with CFFC. During the interview, Punk was asked about professional wrestling. He was asked about fans still chanting his name during WWE shows, almost five years since his departure. Here’s what he had to say:
“You stop it and five years later people still talk about you? Fans still chant your name? That’s powerful to me.”
Punk’s potential return to the squared circle has been speculated since the day he left. It’s unlikely he returns anytime soon, however, Punk now seems reluctant to answer any questions in regards to a return to wrestling. He said people get mad at him whenever he talks about it:
“I don’t pay attention. People seem to get upset when I say that.”
What do you make of Punk’s comments regarding still being in high demand amongst WWE crowds?
Impact Wrestling presented their first show from the Las Vegas tapings last night. Right out of the bat it looks as though we’ve got our two top matches for the Homecoming PPV in January.
Here are the top 9 takeaways from Impact Wrestling 11/15
Brian Cage is Cashing In Option C, Will Challenge For World Title At Homecoming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHYndfb9qGM
Brian Cage (c) defeated Sami Callihan
In the main event last night, X-Division Champion, Brian Cage, pinned challenger Sami Callihan after delivering Weapon-X. In shocking fashion, Cage would then announce after the match that he is cashing in “Option C”; he’s turning in the X-division title for a shot at the world championship. He wants his shot at the Homecoming pay-per-view in Nashville on January 6. At the moment, this would mean he would face Johnny Impact, should Johnny still be champion come that time.
Dark Allie Debuts
Su Yung defeated Heather Monroe
Last week, Allie accepted James Mitchell’s offer to help her “heal”. Allie had left her soul in the undead realm when she went to rescue Keira Hogan at Bound For Glory. This week, Keira Hogan came out to stop Su Yung from a post-match beat down on her opponent when “Dark Allie” arrived and confronted Hogan.
A new Darker Allie has emerged. Gone is the bouncy, bubbly, bunny Impact Wrestling fans once Knew. Allie left the ring area along with Su Yung as Keira Hogan lay beaten on the mat.
Tessa Blanchard vs Taya Valkyrie III Will Take Place At Homecoming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW4ZWFt6MVc
Tessa Blanchard defeated Ray Lyn
Blanchard may have defeated Valkyrie at Bound For Glory but it was not without controversy. Had the referee not been out of position when Valkyrie delivered the Road To Valhalla, things could have worked out differently that night.
Then in a rematch at Final Hour, Blanchard saved her title by getting herself disqualified. This week Taya revealed she spoke to Impact management and they made the third installment of this rivalry official for Homecoming.
Killer Kross Offered To Protect Johnny Impact
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nOoCoROsdg
Johnny Impact defeated Matt Sydal
One week after Johnny Impact successfully defended his Impact World Championship against Killer Kross, the two would be face to face in the ring again. Johnny defeated Matt Sydal in a non-title match this week and Kross confronted him after the match.
Kross offered his services to Johnny, saying if he needed his back watch, he’d be there. Johnny turned down his request, however, and said he didn’t trust the offer.
Eddie Edwards Has Priors, Dragged Away By Orderlies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tHe374zvzU
Moose baited Eddie Edwards this week. He said if Edwards tried to attack him again, he’d simply turn him into the authorities. Moose noted that Eddie has “priors” so a third strike could send him to prison for 20 years.
Edwards couldn’t resist going after his rival, however, even as Alisha Edwards screamed for him not to. 3 men in orderlies dragged Edwards away after injecting something into his neck.
Tommy Dreamer Doesn’t Like Eli Drake’s Skinny Jeans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzWLXxRsRjs
In what was the second promo directed at skinny-jean millennials this week, Tommy Dreamer cut a promo on Eli Drake this week. Drake was cutting a promo saying he was going to get rid of hardcore wrestling when Dreamer appeared.
It looked as though Dreamer and Drake were going to have an impromptu match but ultimately Drake decided to roll of the ring and go to the back instead.
Konnan Turns Down LAX Vs Lucha Bros Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKaxjkxlccM
LAX defeated Fallah Bah & KM
LAX told Konnan this week that they want to defend their tag-team titles against the Lucha Bros, Pentagon and Fenix. Konnan, however, said it wasn’t the right time for that match and abruptly left the conversation. This is the second week in a row Santana and Ortiz has had an awkward discussion in the back regarding Konnan’s involvement with both teams.
In a scene reminiscent from that 70s show, members of the Rascalz were re-introduced to Impact Wrestling fans. Zachary Wentz, Trey Miguel, and Dezmond Xavier have impressed independent wrestling fans everywhere they have gone and also put in strong performances at the Impact tapings in Toronto this summer. They announced they have a match in two weeks.
Scarlett Bordeaux Turns Her Attention To The Impact Referees
Scarlett Bordeaux focussed her attention on the Impact Wrestling referees this week. Don Callis also noted that Bordeaux has brought in outside help to vet some of the submissions she receives for her open global talent search.
Quick Results:
Tessa Blanchard defeated Ray Lyn
LAX defeated Fallah Bah & KM
Johnny Impact defeated Matt Sydal
Su Yung defeated Heather Monroe
X-Division Championship
Brian Cage (c) defeated Sami Callihan
Enzo Amore was filmed getting kicked off a Delta flight recently before take-off. Evidently, Enzo had been vaping onboard the plane. Another passenger filmed Enzo being ejected from the flight. Naturally, the person couldn’t resist asking the former Cruiserweight Champion “how you doing?”
Enzo looked back and gave the guy a smile after he said it. TMZ posted the video which you can view in the player below:
In an update to this story, Enzo has now said he was not vaping. He explained the situation in the video below:
What is Enzo Amore Doing Now?
Enzo Amore has said he’ll never wrestle again after his release from WWE. He is now focussed on his music career. Now just going under the name Real1, Enzo has announced a big show coming up in just 3 days.
I’m going-going back-back to Cali-Cali … COME SEE ME DOG. 11.19.18. meet & greet. new merch. comedy. And… NEW MUSIC!
Comedy and new music is being advertised for the event.
Earlier this year, Enzo told TMZ he was working on “a ton of television content right now” and is “sitting on a lot of interesting things right now.”
Enzo has also announced his debut album will be titled “Rosemary’s Baby”. He also told TMZ there isn’t enough money in the world to get him back in a wrestling ring.
“There ain’t nobody who’s got enough money to put me back in the ring, kid,” Amore said. “Not unless it’s ‘Creed 3’ dog and I’m fighting [Adonis Creed].”
On Thursday night, NXT taped a few weeks of television from the SJSU Event Center in San Jose, California. This show was originally a live event but turned into a television taping. It should be noted that although this was a TV taping, some of these matches won’t be broadcasted. Here are the spoilers, courtesy of PWinsider.com: Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan defeated The Mighty. Post-match, The Mighty attack Burch and Lorkin. EC3 defeated Marcel Barthel. Mia Yim defeated Vanessa Borne. Lars Sullivan defeated Keith Lee Kona Reeves came out to the ring to cut a promo about Keith Lee. He called him a disappointment. This led to Lee attacking him. War Raiders defeated Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly with Adam Cole by DQ after Bobby Fish interfered with a chair. Post-match, Ricochet came out to help the War Raiders. Velveteen Dream defeated Johnny Gargano. Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir with Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai. Post-match, Horsewomen jump Kai but Kairi and Kai eventually get the upper hand. Tomasso Ciampa defeated Aleister Black after Johnny Gargano interfered and Superkicked Black. Post-match, Velveteen Dream rushed the ring and took the belt. This closed the show.
Some changes to the card for the upcoming WWE Starrcade event have been made. The updated advertisements for the show have Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin, The Miz vs. Rusev and Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre added.
Also, WWE pulled the cage match between SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. The cage match between AJ Styles and Samoa Joe will no longer be for the WWE Title. Flair is still advertised for the show but her opponent has yet to be revealed.
Starrcade takes place Saturday, November 24th from Cincinnati, OH at the US Bank Arena. The arena website is advertising the following matches:
Dean Ambrose vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins (Street Fight)
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
Rusev with Lana vs. The Miz
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles (Steel Cage Match)
Charlotte Flair vs. TBA
United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev
Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Bar vs. The New Day
United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rey Mysterio
Special Performance: Elias with Ric Flair
WWE brought back the theme for a live event at the Greensboro Coliseum last November. With it being held a few days after Survivor Series, it will just be a house show and not turned into a special that would air on the WWE Network.
During a recent interview with Comicbook.com in order to promote the release of Marine 6, Shawn Michaels talked about a number of things, including Reigns’ previous battle with Leukemia.
Shawn said that the fact that Roman didn’t use his illness to help him get over shows that he wanted to go on his own merit and be judged on his own ability:
“He could have used that to help in the wrestling business to help him “get over” but that was something the human being, who he is, the real-life person didn’t want to do that he just wanted to put that behind him, go on his own merit, go on his own ability and be judged on that. And that speaks to the real character behind that young man.”
Apart from this Shawn Michaels also talked about how the wrestlers live in a constant world of make-believe and it’s the greatest thing in the world since it allows them to not grow up and become adults.
However every now and then real life throws something in your face. It makes you understand that real life does happen and it also helps in appreciating the time they have with each other.
You can check out the full interview of Shawn Michaels at this link.
While the title change was apparently in works, Daniel Bryan’s heel turn during the latest episode of SmackDown Live was still a last minute decision, so it came as a shock to most of the WWE Universe.
However there was one star who wasn’t surprised with Bryan’s actions at all and he is none other than a former WWE Champion on his own rights, the Miz.
The A-Lister made the following post on Instagram commenting on Daniel’s heel turn, saying that he told everyone who the real Daniel Bryan was but they chose to ignore and boo him:
We noted before how the Rock finally released the trailer of Paige’s biopic titled Fighting With My Family from his twitter account earlier this week.
The trailer was generally praised by the fans and the SmackDown General Manager reacted to it via the following tweet, thanking fans for believing in her:
Fighting With My Family will see actress Florence Pugh portraying the role of the former Diva’s Champion and Lena Headey and Nick Frost acting as her parents. The film is set to be released in February next year.
The SmackDown Women’s Champion Becky Lynch recently gave an interview to PinkNews.co.uk while promoting this Sunday’s Survivor Series PPV.
During the interview, the former NXT Star talked about gender equality in WWE and how an openly gay star can also become a top star and main event shows in the company.
While discussing her claim of being the man of the WWE roster, the current Champion said that it’s a testament to the fact that she is the hottest act in WWE:
“It’s walking into the locker room—the male locker room—it’s like, ‘Sorry, lads, none of you are cutting the mustard. I’m the man now. I’m taking over the ship now,” says the champion.”
Continuing on the topic, Lynch explained that she has won the most matches among all superstars in both the Blue and Red roster in 2018. Therefore she is the man of not just the women’s locker room but also the men’s locker room.
Becky was originally expected to face Ronda Rousey at the upcoming PPV but she was injured during the SmackDown invasion angle on Raw this week.
WWE Survivor Series weekend is here, and with it comes four straight nights at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. The company will be producing their thirty-second event promoted under the WWE Survivor Series chronology on Sunday night, as WWE Survivor Series 2018 goes down live on pay-per-view and via the WWE Network.
Sunday’s big PPV features a stacked lineup with multiple world championship matches, as well as the best talents and rivalries from the RAW, SmackDown Live and 205 Live brands. The main event for WWE Survivor Series will feature WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar going one-on-one against WWE Champion Daniel Bryan in a “Champion vs. Champion” non-title showdown. For years now, Bryan has described “The Beast Incarnate” as a “dream opponent” for him, and after pulling off the shocking upset over A.J. Styles to capture the WWE Championship on the WWE Survivor Series “go-home” edition of SmackDown Live. In other featured bouts at the big event this Sunday, RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey meets Charlotte Flair in somewhat of another “dream match” pairing on a high-profile event. The match was put together days before the show due to Becky Lynch pulling out of the match after suffering injuries as a result of a stiff punch from Nia Jax on the “go-home” RAW show for the PPV on Monday night.
The traditional Survivor Series elimination matches will be featured this Sunday night as well, as there are the men’s singles, men’s tag-team and women’s singles bouts all scheduled for the show, and the men’s tag-team bout on the “Kickoff Show” pre-show leading into the PPV on the WWE Network.
Finally, rounding out the card will be a RAW Tag-Team Championship bout with The Bar defending against The Authors Of Pain, a WWE Cruiserweight Championship match with Buddy Murphy defending against Mustafa Ali and another “Champion vs. Champion” non-title showdown, as WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins meets WWE United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in what is sure to be a candidate for “Match of the Night.”
As is the case before every high-profile WWE and NXT event, SEScoops.com has you covered from all-angles with pre-show news and coverage leading right up to the event. Writers Andrew Ravens, Ian Carey and Jeff Moss have collaborated to produce their predictions and in-depth analysis for each match on the WWE Survivor Series PPV card. Without any further adieu, let’s jump into the SEScoops.com predictions roundtable for this year’s WWE Survivor Series PPV.
WWE SURVIVOR SERIES
The Bar vs. Authors Of Pain (RAW Tag Titles)
Andrew Ravens: A real toss-up here. Either team could go over in this contest but with the way that the WWE has been booking AOP since making their main roster debuts, they’ve kept them strong, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon especially with there not being any clear-cut challengers on the red brand. (Prediction: Authors Of Pain)
Ian Carey: The Bar can lose and it won’t be a big deal. The Authors of Pain, however, are being built up as monsters so it wouldn’t be advised to have them lose. The Bar will have Big Show on the outside, as he has seemingly become their 3rd member. Unless the match ends via DQ or count-out, I can’t see them having AOP lose. (Prediction: Authors Of Pain)
Jeff Moss: The part of this match that has to, no, NEEDS to happen is outside the ring when Big Show puts Drake Maverick in between two pieces of bread and devours him as part of his crazy giant-with-a-six-pack diet. Aside from that, I expect this match to be a good ol’ fashioned slobber-knocker. 3/4 participants are big dudes who like to hit stuff and Cesaro rounds out the foursome with his amazing ability to be, well, amazing. The Bar is going to take this simply because they have the dynamic of a brawler/wrestler as opposed to brawler/brawler. Also, experience plays a factor and the AOP are still pretty green on the Main Roster. I reserve the right to be surprised, but The Bar wins. (Prediction: The Bar)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Authors Of Pain
Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali (WWE Cruiserweight Title)
Andrew: Buddy Murphy just won the title from Cedric Alexander at Super Show-Down, and it’s too early for him to drop the title especially to Mustafa Ali. I could be wrong with Ali, but he appears to be some who is in the title picture for a short amount of time before WWE goes in a different direction whether that means Alexander being back in the fold or having a new challenger. (Prediction: Buddy Murphy)
Ian: This is a tough one. I feel confident that title is eventually going on Lio Rush but that doesn’t appear to be the plan for the near-future. Rush suffered his first single’s loss on 205 Live this week when he was pinned by Cedric Alexander. It feels like you have to put the title on Ali at some point just because he has become the workhorse of the division. I just don’t see it happening on Sunday, however. (Prediction: Buddy Murphy)
Jeff: Does the winner of this match count as a win for Smackdown or Raw? I honestly don’t know. Bit, with the Tag-Team Elimination match taking place on the Kickoff show, could it be possible that the Cruiserweight title might be defended on an actual PPV? If it does, I hope these guys go out and completely blow the roof off the joint and show people that 205 Live is worth checking out. Murphy has re-invented himself so well in 205 and Ali is a terrific scrappy babyface. Give them 15 minutes and let them go. In terms of winners though, Murphy retains here to continue building him as a dominant champion and the King of The Cru— uh, the Man That Gravity Forg— er, … Buddy Murphy! (Prediction: Buddy Murphy)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Buddy Murphy
Men’s Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
(TEAM RAW: Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley, Finn Balor, Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler vs. TEAM SMACKDOWN: Shane McMahon, Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy, Samoa Joe & The Miz)
Andrew: Another year with another Team RAW win. Yes,, that does sound like a broken record but that’s the way that Vince McMahon sees the brands with RAW being the top show at least until October of 2019 when SmackDown moves to FOX. Although, you have to give WWE credit for stacking both of these teams, which should make for a fun match. Strowman should have an outstanding performance and even might get physical with Baron Corbin, who is expected to be the team captain. (Prediction: Team RAW)
Ian: If Team Raw wins, Braun Strowman will be granted another Universal title opportunity and a match with Baron Corbin. If Smackdown wins…uh, Shane McMahon will be happy. The lack of stipulations surrounding a Smackdown win leaves me to believe Raw will pick up the victory here. We should find out more about what Shane McMahon’s future holds in this match as well. If he is going heel and is to play a bigger role in storylines moving forward, this will become apparent on Sunday. (Prediction: Team RAW)
Jeff: I should preface this by saying that I’ve never been a huge fan of the “traditional” Survivor Series matches. They rarely have any stakes or urgency and slapping the prize of “BRAND SUPREMACY” on them makes it sound like it’s a match between Disney and Coke. That said though, when I look at the members of these two teams, I can see some great matchups like Samoa Joe/Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor/Rey Mysterio and THE BEST WRESTLER IN THE WORLD Shane McMahon/The receiving end of Braun Strowman’s fist. RAW has won this matchup two years in a row and I think they’ve got the better team again this year. Unless there’s some shenanigans afoot, RAW’s going to win this and continue to… supremely brand themselves? I guess? (Prediction: Team RAW)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Team RAW
Women’s Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match
(TEAM RAW: Natalya, Mickie James, Nia Jax, Ruby Riott & Tamina vs. TEAM SMACKDOWN: Asuka, Carmella, Naomi, Sonya Deville & TBD)
Andrew: Another year with another Team RAW win. In last year’s match seeing the RAW brand winning, I don’t think anything changes. RAW is the flagship show of the company and really, the teams just have filler names on it. I think Asuka has a really good performance in this match but the numbers will get the best of her in order to allow RAW to prevail. (Prediction: Team RAW)
Ian: Team Smackdown will win this match after Team Raw implodes. Natalya and Ruby Riott will be on the same team this Sunday, and one of those two owes the other a nice pair of sunglasses. They will likely ditch the match and start fighting with each other. Tamina and Nia Jax could abandon the match altogether, as WWE won’t want either of them getting pinned for a while. I’m expecting the two of them to walk out on their partners, get counted out, or otherwise get eliminated from the match without getting pinned or submitted. Team Smackdown still has a member yet to be named. It could be Mandy Rose, it could be someone from NXT. Whoever it is, however, they are likely in line for a push if they are being kept secret. (Prediction: Team SmackDown)
Jeff: Given how much has happened in the last week within the women’s division on both shows, this is the one 5-on-5 match that I’m actually looking forward to. The seem really pissed off at each other and there’s some genuine excitement at the thought of these two teams squaring off. Will Nia Jax have to pay for what she did? Will Sonya Deville be the breakout star of the match? Will Tamina be able to get into the ring with out tripping? These are all interesting questions. While I’m usually firmly in the “Anything with Ruby Riott is the best” camp, I can only see Smackdown taking this one. Especially if we are keeping “score” on those Brand vs Brand matches. (Prediction: Team SmackDown)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Team SmackDown
Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Champion vs. Champion)
Andrew: This could be the best-worked match of the night and steal the show from a wrestling point of view. Rollins has been one of the most interesting star to follow thus far this year and although many would pick him to win, I think there is one factor missing, which is Dean Ambrose, who doesn’t have a match booked here. Thus, I have Nakamura going over with the help from Ambrose. (Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura)
Ian: One guy is in a rivalry with another Superstar and one is not. Shinsuke Nakamura should pick up the victory here but only after some outside interference from Dean Ambrose. Ultimately, WWE will be able to keep both guys strong here as Nakamura will win the match and Rollins will only lose because of Ambrose, giving him motivation in his ongoing feud on Raw. Rollins really wanted this match which means he’s likely motivated to put on a good show. Expect this to be the show-stealer. (Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura)
Jeff: If there is one match on the card that SHOULD be great, it’s this one. Rollins is easily the best thing going on RAW right now and we know what Nakamura is capable of when he shows up and the leash is loosened a bit. Nak has been in the background on Smackdown for too long and this is a great chance to remind people what he can do with someone who can keep up with him. Rollins can take the loss here (Either clean or via Ambrose interference) and still be the best thing on RAW, so it makes sense for Shinske to get the pin. If allowed to be, this could be another Nakamura/Zayn level match, we’ll just have to wait and see what they put into it. (Prediction: Shinske Nakamura)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Shinsuke Nakamura
Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair
Andrew: Well, Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair is happening earlier than originally expected and it’s a shame as many fans were looking forward to seeing Lynch take on Rousey. However, we have to deal with that. I actually think that Flair vs. Rousey is going to be a better match as Flair is arguably the best in-ring wrestler that the WWE has right now in the women’s division. Flair puts up a heck of a fight but falls to Rousey. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
Ian: I have to imagine Rousey is going to pick up the victory here. It’s too early to have her lose, especially if they are hoping to put her in the WrestleMania main event this spring. Flair is on a losing streak as it is, having lost the title to Lynch and then failing to win it back again. Her drop in confidence has also been made a part of storyline, where she initially turned down a spot on the Smackdown Survivor Series team. A loss to Rousey simply allows them to continue with that story while Rousey moves her attention to Nia Jax before ultimately placing it back on Lynch before Mania. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
Jeff: I was very surprised when Charlotte was named as Becky Lynch’s replacement in this match. WWE had been teasing and talking about Flair/Rousey being a Wrestlemania Main Event. This isn’t to say it still couldn’t be, but it seems strange to pit them against each other now if that’s still the plan for April. Then again, given how, uh, fluid, things have been with this show, I guess they felt they needed a big matchup like this to make up for losing the hottest performer in the company (Lynch). Rousey has shown she can be entertaining in the ring when she has someone to help her out a bit (She’s only been a pro wrestler for 10 months or sol) and Charlotte has developed into a cagey veteran who can do that. I expect Becky to be involved in the finish of the match to keep her in the spotlight, but in the end WWE’s not ready to hand Ronda her first singles loss just yet. (Prediction: Ronda Rousey)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Ronda Rousey
Brock Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan (Champion vs. Champion)
Andrew: Daniel Bryan will finally get to take part in his dream match against Brock Lesnar, but unfortunately, I don’t see a way that he wins this match nor do I think he should. Yes, Bryan just turned heel and needs as much momentum as possible but no one is giving him a chance to win. Like it or not, being the Universal Champion means that you’re the top star in the company and currently, Lesnar is just that. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
Ian: Daniel Bryan was moved into this match after winning the WWE Championship and turning heel all in the same night on Tuesday. It seemed like Vince Russo was booking WWE again there were so many things happening at once. Once upon a time, Brock Lesnar was too squash Daniel Bryan in the SummerSlam main event. Something tells me that plan gets put back into place on Sunday only at Survivor Series instead. I’m expecting Lesnar to roll through Bryan without giving up much offense in return. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
Jeff: A dream matchup if there ever was one, and a matchup that Bryan has lobbied for a LOT. While the size difference between the two puts Bryan at a disadvantage, this is Heel Bryan we’re talking about, so he could find a way to win. Unfortunately for him, WWE isn’t going to let Brock eat a pin in a situation like this, so I think he will take the win in the end. But, that said, if anyone can pull a decent match out of Brock Lesnar at this point, it’s Daniel Bryan. Hopefully it’s not a straight-up squash and they can both look good in the end. (Prediction: Brock Lesnar)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Brock Lesnar
What do the experts think is going to happen on Sunday evening? Check out the official WWE Survivor Series betting odds. What do you think of the above WWE Survivor Series predictions? Let us know by sounding off in the Comments section below, and make sure to join us here on Sunday evening for live play-by-play results coverage of the entire event.
Matt Hardy has had a tremendous career in the professional wrestling industry. Having competed since 1992 when he started the Trampoline Wrestling Federation (TWF) with his brother Jeff, the pair quickly began working the indy scene. He signed a full-time contract with WWE in 1998. Over his years with the company Hardy has won the ECW, Cruiserweight, United States, European, and Hardcore Championships.
He is also a 10-time Tag Team Champion in WWE, eight of those coming alongside his brother. Following his most recent run with WWE, Hardy has decided to retire from in-ring competition for the time being. He has been working various roles backstage with WWE in preparation for the next chapter of his career in the business.
Feeling Accepted
Recently, Hardy appeared on an episode of fellow Attitude Era star, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman’s podcast, “X-Pac 12360.” During their conversation, Hardy was asked when he finally began to feel accepted in WWE. Matt said that feeling didn’t come until he and Jeff were paired up with WWE Hall Of Famer Michael Hayes in 1999:
“I would probably say the very first time I felt that we were kind of accepted or like part of the machine was when we first got an opportunity to be with Michael Hayes and were repackaged and we won the tag titles.
“Even though obviously we weren’t the best representation of the best tag-team in the world, but it was like the titles would help us at that juncture. Around that point and then working Bradshaw and Farooq. After being with them for a month and them kicking the hell out of us night in and night out and then kind of half-ass earning their respect.
“I felt that was kind of the turning point. And then once we had the tag-team ladder match with Edge and Christian and it was like, ‘wow these guys did something special.’ We definitely felt like we belonged and were part of the family of the WWE locker room at that point.”
