WWE Hall of Famer Bret “Hitman” Hart is getting into the bar business.
The seven-time world champion has announced Hitman’s Bar is coming soon to his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
According to Hart, the establishment will be “a place to gather, enjoy a great meal, live, laugh, and celebrate.” The establishment opens next month (February 2023) and grand opening details are coming soon.
Hitman’s Bar already has a Twitter account set up, which you can follow at @Hitmansbar.
We’ll provide an update when more information is available.
Join me this February as @hitmansbar in Calgary AB, Canada finally opens!
A place to gather, enjoy a great meal, live, laugh, and celebrate.
Please follow the restaurant & bar at: @hitmansbar
Hitman’s Bar is not the first time Hart has dabbled in the world of adult beverages.
In 2018, Calgary’s very own Village Brewery released a citrus hibiscus ale called, The Village Hitman Citrus Hibiscus Ale. The brewery described the beer as follows:
“Like a sharpshooter, the Hitman takes you by surprise. Unlike his contenders, he’s not bitter. Instead, this champion has a subtle bite; a citrus tang of orange and lemon tag teamed with hibiscus and fragrant hops. It catches you off guard. Before you know it, the Hitman has a hold on you.”
More recently, Hart teamed up with Alberta-based Romero Distilling Co. on a special promotion for their dark rum.
Mockery Brewing Co. out of Denver, CO also has a Hart-themed drink, Brett The Hopman Tart, a Tart Bourbon Barrel-Aged Sour IPA. Hart is not affiliated with this one.
In the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt Hardy and Jon Alba had a tribute show to Jay Briscoe. Hardy reflected on Briscoe as a man, friend, and opponent. He shared many stories, including the first time the Hardy Boyz faced The Briscoes.
Matt Hardy and Jay Briscoe Nearly Come To Blows
Hardy first met the Briscoes in 2005 when he was wrestling for ROH. He got to know them more in 2011 when he was wrestling for both ROH and TNA. He spoke about how he was an ass kicker in the ring, but very soft spoken and humble outside of it.
During that time, Hardy was also working with OMEGA. Shane “Hurricane” Helms was putting the shows together. Hardy spoke with ROH to get the Briscoes for an OMEGA show. Jeff Hardy was in IMPACT at the time and didn’t really take indie dates, but he wanted to have a match with the Briscoes.
“They drove down from Delaware to come to North Carolina for the show, right? We were able to get them a pretty good payday. I knew them both from Ring of Honor and had been working with them for a couple of years at that point. I’ll never forget when they got there, I took them to Pik N Pig, a barbecue place. (…) I’ll never forget, I said, ‘you guys are going to love this place, especially if you’re barbecue fans.’
“We went and had a great meal. I almost had to fight Jay because I wanted to pay for their lunch and dinner. But, he like wanted to pay for it so badly. He was like, ‘nah, man. I’m down here. We’re working with your guys and you’re taking good care of us.’ I told him, ‘you drove down. This is mine and Jeff’s high school that we went to. It’s important to us. We wanted to have this match with you for a long time. Thank you.'”
Hardy had to sneak and pay the bill.
The Hardy Boyz vs. The Briscoes for the first time
For the match, The Briscoes are heels. Jeff is hurt on the outside and Matt is taking all the heat. While Jeff leaves ringside, Willow the Wisp shows up with an umbrella to the Briscoes. Willow disappears and Jeff returns.
“We had been feuding in ROH and had established a hatred. We were in Union Pines and it swapped. I was now the babyface and he was the heel. So, we still had that. It had been built really strong that we didn’t like each other. We wanted to parlay that by switching the roles in the match. They did their job well.”
“This was one of Jeff’s first times meeting them and spending time with them. I remember he had the idea of doing the Willow thing because we had done that a little bit and he had done it in TNA a few times. He was like, ‘Man, I know you guys are pretty serious whenever you wrestle. Pretty straight forward. Are you cool if we do this where I’m hurt and come back as Willow?’ And I remember they said, ‘HELL YEAH!’ That’s great. Let’s do that! Whatever you want to do, we are down.’ And Jeff said, ‘are you okay if I hit you with an umbrella?’ Jay said, ‘Beat the shit out me, man! It’s just an umbrella. Beat the fuck out of me, man.’ He said, ‘nail me.’ He was so great. Just a great attitude.”
If you want to see a great Jay Briscoe match you've likely never watched, check out The Briscoes vs. The Hardys from OMEGA (@ShaneHelmsCom's OMEGA).
Hardy revealed towards the end of the episode that they were supposed to face The Briscoes in AEW or ROH. They had been approached by an indie promotion about the match. Hardy went to Tony Khan to ask if they could or if he’d rather they not. Khan said he rather they didn’t take an indie date, but they discussed doing it at some point in either AEW or ROH. Hardy lamented the fact that it will never happen now, but is glad for the other times they got to wrestle.
Cody Rhodes will return to the ring at the WWE Royal Rumble event. WWE confirmed the news on Monday’s Raw, where they aired a video package showing Cody’s rehab since suffering a torn pec several months ago.
In the video, Rhodes stated that he plans to become a World Champion in WWE. The first step in that direction is by winning the men’s Royal Rumble match.
WWE has been airing these types of videos since last month. Many people were surprised to see the company make the announcement instead of saving his return as a surprise.
The Reason
WrestleVotes reported today that WWE knew everyone was expecting to see him return at the event, and they’re more than pleased with other surprises they have so they decided to announce it.
“Asked a source the reasoning behind Cody’s Rumble return being announced as opposed to a surprise…Source said it’s twofold, one being that nearly everyone expected it to happen already & two, source states they are “more than pleased” w/ the other surprises that are lined up.”
GUNTHER, Austin Theory, Kofi Kingston, Ricochet, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbin, Santos Escobar, and Rey Mysterio are the other names confirmed for the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match.
Despite the fact that both men are currently wrestling for different promotions, Ospreay says he wants to make it work while the potential window for such an arrangement is still open.
“I would love to do it. I liked Seth before he was Seth. I liked him when he was Tyler Black. I used to think he was a good wrestler in Ring of Honor, and I think he still is a good wrestler. So if there was a chance of making it work, I’d absolutely love to make it work.
“It’s just, we are bound by contractual obligations that say that we can’t do it. But I don’t know. I feel like the doors are slowly opening to other exports, and maybe things can happen here and there. But I don’t know. A little bit, like someone opened a window, but not the good window, like that little small bathroom [window].”
(via WWE)
The history between the two men began back in 2019, when a Twitter feud between Ospreay and Rollins broke out. Since, Ospreay himself has said that he’s put that behind him, however, he can’t ignore that there’s a story to be told inside the ring given the history.
However, given the current state of confusion surrounding WWE at the moment, any such crossover bout likely won’t be in the cards any time soon.
WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon has settled with former WWF referee Rita Chatterton after years of sexual assault allegations.
Chatterton has spoken publicly for decades about McMahon’s alleged assault on her. In 1992, Chatterton appeared on Geraldo Rivera’s talk show and went into detail about McMahon’s assault. She shared that he used his power over her as an employer and forced her to give oral sex.
At the time, she said, “…I was forced into oral sex with Vince McMahon. When I couldn’t complete his desires, he got really angry, started ripping off my jeans, pulled me on top of him, and told me again, If I wanted a half-a-million-dollar contract, I have to satisfy him. He could make me or break me, and if I didn’t satisfy him, I was blackballed,” said Chatterton.
The World Street Journal’s Joe Palazzolo and Ted Mann report that McMahon and Chatterton settled with Chatterton last month. Last November, Chatterton’s attorney sent a legal demand letter seeking $11.75 million in damages. However, the report states that Chatterton “…agreed to a lesser amount in the millions of dollars, one of the people familiar with the matter said.”
McMahon’s lawyer Jerry McDevitt shared with The World Street Journal after the settlement that “Mr. McMahon denies and always has denied raping Ms. Chatterton. And he settled the case solely to avoid the cost of litigation.”
What’s Next For Vince McMahon?
The report shared that McMahon is still facing potential legal troubles with a former Spa Manager he allegedly assaulted at a California resort. The World Street Journal’s Palazzolo and Mann reported on Dec. 13, 2022, that McMahon’s attorneys were talking with the Spa Manager. They added that it’s unclear the negotiation status between McMahon and the former Spa Manager.
The WWE Chairman claims he returned to the company to help it negotiate a new TV deal or potentially sell WWE to buyers. McMahon’s legal troubles could halt WWE’s opportunity to sell, forcing McMahon to try to reach settlements to avoid going to court.
For much more on the Vince McMahon-Rita Chatterton abuse allegations, we recommend this 1-hour video by POST Wrestling featuring wrestling historian David Bixenspan:
Dax Harwood of FTR recently announced that he and partner Cash Wheeler have been given time off from AEW and won’t be appearing on television for a few months as they weigh out their options ahead of their contracts expiring in April.
Harwood has floated the idea of the tag team working exclusively on the independent scene for the rest of that year even though they have plenty of options, whether that is to sign with AEW, go full-time in NJPW or return to WWE now that Triple H is running WWE’s booking.
AEW President Tony Khan appeared on the In the Kliq podcast to address FTR’s futures with the company. Prior to their hiatus, the Top Guys lost five consecutive tag team matches to drop the ROH, IWGP and AAA World Tag Team Championships.
Tony Khan on FTR
“Well, I do hope to see FTR back,” said Khan. “They need some time to recover from what was one of the most intense years of wrestling any team has ever done. The schedule they went through, all of the different places they worked — they worked all over and won championships all over the world.”
Khan put them over for working all over the world, including the US, London, Japan, and in Mexico. He also praised them for their performance in the dog collar match at ROH Final Battle against The Briscoes.
“That was, to me, one of the most savage, barbaric wrestling matches I’ve ever seen, and that was for the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship. That was following a lot of other crazy matches for FTR.
So, I think, for those guys, we want to see them back in AEW and want to see them heal up and come back at 100%. We’re really looking forward to that, hopefully. I think they’re a great team, and we’d love to have them back.”
Batista (Dave Bautista) is one of the biggest stars to come out of WWE over the past 20 years. Throughout his WWE career, he racked up six world title reigns, won the Royal Rumble twice and was a founding member of the Evolution faction.
It’s hard to think of The Animal as anything but a main event star, but even he was a rookie at one point. He wrestled in WWE developmental as the demonic character Leviathan. In May 2002, he made his main roster debut as Deacon Batista, an enforcer for Reverend Devon, a short-lived gimmick by tag team legend Devon Dudley.
It didn’t take long for WWE officials to see Batista’s potential. Less than three years later, he was handed the keys to the castle and defeated Triple H in the main event of WrestleMania 21 to win his first World Heavyweight championship.
Earlier this week, Batista celebrated his 54th birthday. To mark the occasion, he looked back on his first world title victory. It was a special moment he’ll never forget. Despite the fact that everything turned out just fine for him, he admits he was completely unprepared for that achievement and all the responsibility that would soon be placed upon him.
My birthday is the perfect time to reflect on the past & how far I’ve come. This moment will always be special. Winning @WWE Championship at #Wrestlemania is something I’ll never forget & I’m forever grateful for all the love & support. I’m not who I am today without this moment pic.twitter.com/ff3wjtKzxt
“I just really wanted to make a living and be able to support my family. Being champion, being on top of the company, was something that was beyond my dreams.”
Batista got emotional while watching the final moments of his WrestleMania 21 encounter with Triple H. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to be the top guy in WWE. He is honored that Vince McMahon and others had faith in him, but he believes he was wholly unprepared for what was coming.
“I can’t believe this is happening at this point, because this happened so fast, where I went from being a guy in the background who they never had any big plans for, to being the top guy in the company. Now I’m the flagship. Now I’m out here holding the belt and there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that. I was just so unprepared. I was not prepared for what was coming my way.”
(Photo: WWE)
Unexpected Success
In the early days of his run with WWE, Batista was just happy to be employed. At times, he felt he could get fired at any moment. The last thing he expected was to be ‘the guy.’
“Triple H was my mentor. He groomed me as best as he could up until then. There just came a point where.. I was on top now and so I had to come into my own. It was still a lot of learning lessons after this, but I was thrown into the deep end. I didn’t plan on this, so watching it makes me emotional. I just never planned for this. When I was wrestling, I was just happy to have a job. I was thinking, ‘I’m going to lose my job any day,’ so becoming the world champion was something I just never imagined.
It’s weird, they always say, ‘Why do you want to be there if you don’t want to be champion? Just because, I was content just having a job. I just really wanted to make a living and be able to support my family. Being champion, being on top of the company, was something that was beyond my dreams.
So with me, it’s always baby steps. I find things by accident, almost and then I chase them. Once I find something I really love, I’ll put everything I have into it. I put blinders on and sometimes thats been a fault. I’ve sacrificed some things because of that, but also my life is what it is because of it. But this is still surreal.”
GUNTHER has continued to be pushed as a top star on the main roster that he had been in WWE NXT UK and NXT.
GUNTHER is the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, having held the title for over 200 days. His most recent title defense came when he defeated Braun Strowman on the January 13 episode of WWE SmackDown.
“Yeah, definitely. To get the opportunity to prove myself in that scenario would be fantastic. When I started as a wrestler and got back into wrestling, I always watched Brock’s matches because they are fantastic, they stand out right away. There is nobody like him. I always like those characters. Most of the people doing this who are successful, there is no copy of them. He’s always been a great wrestler, and from when I grew older in my career, I was able to analyze the work and understand the psychology and stuff. You can tell he’s one of the best to ever do it. If I get a chance to get in the ring with him, I would gladly take it.”
Gail Kim likens herself to a proud parent when she watches Impact Wrestling talent do their thing from behind the curtain. The trailblazing former multi-time Knockouts champion retired from the ring in 2019 but still contributes in a big way as a producer for the company.
The veteran was beaming with pride when we caught up with her days after the Hard to Kill pay-per-view where Mickie James defeated Jordynne Grace for the gold in the main event, effectively keeping the run of “Hardcore Country” alive.
“Making that decision to walk away is difficult for any athlete I think,” Kim said. “ It took me a good two years plus to decide to retire. I like the way Mickie did it. It was a very interesting way to test herself to see if she still got it. She absolutely proved she did because Jordynne Grace is one of the best female wrestlers out there today. Talk about any company, all across the board. She was on top of her game.”
Much like the fans, Kim was emotionally invested in James’ “Last Rodeo.” For her, it’s the story-telling and quality of PPVs especially that really makes Impact stand out. Not to mention the positive work environment that has made Impact in recent years a land of opportunity. A prime reason Frankie Kazarian re-signed with the company.
“You can talk to anybody who works for our company or has worked for our company in the last couple of years. The joy, self-satisfaction, and fulfillment of why you love this business is in Impact Wrestling. I think it’s a very well-known fact in the industry that we are a great place to work because we’re like a family.”
More ‘New’ Faces Coming to Impact
Kim teases Kazarian and Santino Marella aren’t the only new or returning faces we’ll see on Impact TV in the coming weeks. And if she had her way, some of those names would come from the acclaimed all-women’s Japanese promotion Stardom.
“I have pitched I wanted a Stardom-Knockuots pay-per-view,” she said. “That was my thing I sort of threw in the bucket. It’s something I have to push a little bit harder because we do get busy, and we’re always constantly planning the next show and the next show.
“But I know the fans want to see another all-women’s pay-per-view. The last Knockouts Knockdown was great. EmPowerrr was great that Mickie ran, and now Mickie is part of our company. I would love to see collaborations with companies and Stardom was at the top of my list. I think that would create great interest and maybe a collaboration with other companies with women.”
Gisele Shaw
At the same time, Kim takes pride in the pride and evolution of its current talent. Among them is Gisele Shaw, who she believes turned a corner in 2022.
“When she first started with the company. Even before she started with the company, I would watch her and feel like she was holding back. I could feel it. I didn’t know what it was,” Kim explained.
“She just recently came out [as transgender]. She is now living openly and freely. It just changed the game with her feeling like herself. She is performing at the highest level right now. Everything she is doing is incredible. I feel like it’s only an upward trajectory from here. That is where she is now. I’m stoked to see where she goes next.”
One More Match?
Kim candidly revealed there have been numerous times watching from the sidelines that she felt the fire to compete again. The 45-year-old doesn’t rule out one more match under the right circumstances.
“It has been happening in my head a lot. It’s hard,” she said. “When you love it so much. Then when you see the talent out there. ‘What kind of match can I have with them?’ Mickie and I have joked. While she has been on this ‘Last Rodeo’ asking, ‘Why don’t you wrestle me again?’
“I said, ‘Mickie if you want me to, I respect you so much that I would if that’s what you truly wanted.’ But we have wrestled each other a bunch. For me, if I would come out of retirement for that one match, I would love it to be a three or four-way. So I can get as many talents as I could. And I love multi-women matches to be honest. It would be a dream match of all dream matches. It’s just about getting in cardio shape and preparing my back to get ready to go.”
Impact Wrestling airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on AXS TV. Catch Impact Wrestling live on January 20 and 21 for “New Year’s Revolution.” in Kissimmee. For tickets, visit here.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced two new matches for the upcoming NJPW Battle in the Valley event.
AEW star Eddie Kingston will face former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White. This bout was originally scheduled for NJPW STRONG Autumn Action, but was postponed due to Kingston testing positive for COVID-19. Also signed, Homicide will battle “Filthy” Tom Lawlor in a Filthy Rules Fight. These matches are in addition to a title defense by Kazuchika Okada and Mercedes Moné’s NJPW in-ring debut.
It all goes down Saturday, February 18, 2023, at San Jose Civic in San Jose, California. NJPW Battle in the Valley 2023 will stream live on FITE. The event is now available for purchase for $19.99.
Battle in the Valley Matches
Here’s an updated look at the card for Battle in the Valley:
Mercedes Moné vs. KAIRI for the IWGP Women’s Championship
Jay White vs. Eddie Kingston
Tom Lawlor vs. Homicide in a ‘Filthy Rules’ Fight
Alex Coughlin vs. J. R. Kratos
David Finlay vs. Bobby Fish
Kenta vs. Fred Rosser for the Strong Openweight Championship
Plus, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship will be defended in a match TBD.
Today, Brock Lesnar is both one of the most famous and most credible wrestlers in the world. Yes, he’s an eleven-time world champion and two-time WWE Royal Rumble winner, but his combat credentials go much deeper for a successful career in amateur wrestling that included an NCAA Division I Heavyweight Championship, as well as his past as a UFC Heavyweight Champion.
After main eventing WrestleManias, ending The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania, and so much more, it can be difficult to remember a time when Lesnar was a relative unknown. In 2002, the WWE machine got behind Lesnar like no talent before or since as he enjoyed a monster rookie year.
For most wrestlers winning the King of the Ring tournament marks a career highlight. For The Beast, it was just one milestone, often forgotten because he accomplished several bigger things in his first year in the business, not to mention his storied career to follow.
Brock Lesnar Defeated Four Established Stars To Win WWE King Of The Ring
Before the King of the Ring tournament, Brock Lesnar had already established himself as a force in WWE. His first appearances saw him decimate mid-card talents like Spike Dudley, Maven, and Al Snow in impromptu run ins, and his first major feud saw him single-handedly dispose of The Hardy Boyz. Winning the King of the Ring, however, marked Lesnar’s first formal accolade of his WWE career.
Lesnar won a tournament qualifying match on Raw, beating veteran Bubba Ray Dudley in under five minutes, and then handily defeated former WCW Champion Booker T in the quarterfinals to win his way onto the King of the Ring PPV. From there, Lesnar beat fellow big man Test and, most impressively at the time, Rob Van Dam in the tournament final. These victories shored up Lesnar as more than just another big guy who got an impressive debut, but rather someone WWE was positioning as a legit main eventer.
Brock Lesnar’s King Of The Ring Run Was Intended To Be Even More Epic
Three out of the four men Brock Lesnar beat in his King of the Ring run would go on to win world championships and wind up in the WWE Hall of Fame. That’s an impressive run for anyone. However, the plans were for Lesnar to pull off an even more shocking and noteworthy victory in his qualifying match.
Indeed, Lesnar’s first obstacle to qualify for the tournament was supposed to be Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin has discussed the matter at length, including on his podcast and WWE’s documentary Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time.
The match was presented an already discontented Rattlesnake at the relative last minute. He has consistently suggested he was fine with putting over Lesnar, but if he were to do so, it should have been in a heavily promoted PPV match, not a free TV bout that would damage Austin’s credibility without doing major business for WWE or even Lesnar himself.
Austin infamously walked out from WWE over this creative impasse—a choice that remains polarizing to this day. It’s nonetheless interesting imagine if Lesnar’s accomplishments in his first months had also included beating this additional all-time legend of the business.
Brock Lesnar’s King Of The Ring Run Was One Plot Point In A Sensational Summer
Though Brock Lesnar did not get to defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin on his road to becoming King of the Ring, The Beast did defeat two of the three other names that tend to come up most often in conversations of the biggest draws in WWE history. After winning the crown, it didn’t take long for Lesnar to be positioned as the number one contender to the WWE Championship.
Yes, The Next Big Thing officially lost to Rob Van Dam at the following month’s PPV, Vengeance, via disqualification. He bounced back, though, a couple weeks later when he not only defeated, but decimated Hulk Hogan in a match on SmackDown that saw Lesnar render him unconscious with a bear hug.
From there, Lesnar achieved new heights, becoming the youngest WWE Champion of all time—a record that still stands—when he beat The Rock in decisive fashion in the main event of SummerSlam.
WWE hardly ever pushes anyone the way they did Brock Lesnar over the summer of 2002. On one hand, one could read that as a knock on the company for not getting behind any stars like they did The Next Big Thing, but there’s also a legitimate case that Lesnar’s potential was truly unique and that he’s made good on it across two decades to follow.
After the TV tapings for Dynamite and Rampage from Fresno, CA this week AEW taped a tribute show titled “Jay Briscoe Celebration of Life.” The ring apron and graphics were switched to ROH for this and the special has been confirmed to be airing on the Honor Club platform for free. Below are the complete results from this special show:
Ian Riccaboni and Caprice Coleman opened the show and talked about the late star as a performer and father. They promoted the show to be in honor of Jay Briscoe. ROH owner Tony Khan also came out and thanked everyone for being present to honor the life and legacy of a great man.
Adam Cole cut a promo talking about his history and friendship with Jay. Cole said that he loves and misses Jay and that the former ROH star left the world a better place
ROH Pure Championship Match: Wheeler Yuta def. Hagane Shinno. Jerry Lynn, Dean Malenko and BJ Whitmer were the judges for this contest.
Singles Match: Marina Shafir def. Mighty Myra.
Singles Match: Eddie Kingston def. QT Marshall.
ROH Women’s Championship Match: Athena def. Madison Rayne with Sky Blue. Post-match, Athena attacked Blue with the title belt
Singles Match: Juice Robinson def. Brandon Cutler
Singles Match: Yuka Sakazaki def. Sandra Moon
ROH Championship Match: Claudio Castagnoli def. Christopher Daniels. Castagnoli used the Jay-Driller to pick up the victory.
Post-match, Daniels cut a promo saying Jay was the toughest wrestler he knew. Castagnoli then told the crowd to not take tomorrow for granted. He thanked the fans and mentioned that he loved Jay. The ROH champion asked the fans to keep Jay and his family in their thoughts and drive home safe.
Tributes have been pouring in for Jay Briscoe ever since the news of his tragic passing come out. People from across the wrestling world have been sharing their memories and stories showcasing the late star’s passion for wrestling and his love for his family.
On the latest Busted Open Radio, former ROH owner Carry Silkin, Tommy Dreamer, and others paid tribute to him. During the show, the group discussed how The Briscoes were the same behind the scene as they were in the ring and they always brought their authentic self on the table.
Speaking about his interactions with the duo, Dreamer said that they were the first ones who made him feel welcome in ROH. The ECW legend then told the story of working with the ROH tag champs for the first time for his House of Hardcore promotion:
“I remember when they did my House Of Hardcore show. They attacked me and Bully [Ray]. We were going to go that route of having a tag match [in] 2017-ish. I remember walking up to him after the show and I handed them envelopes and Jay was like, ‘Nah, man, we’re good. We didn’t do anything.’ I said ‘Dude, you did. You travelled here and I’m paying you.’ He goes ‘Nah.’ I said, ‘Listen, never turn down money. you’re helping me build something.’ Then he was like ‘allll right.’
The fact that him and his brother were just gonna take that for free.” said Tommy Dreamer, “I would not want people to do that but the fact that they were and like, told me that they didn’t want to get paid. They’re like, ‘Nah, man, that was cool. That was cool shit.’ I was just like, ‘Well just take this. it’s not a lot but please take this and we’re going to do future business with each other’ and it worked. It helped but just trying to tell you the men that they are.”
The Briscoe Brothers had been part of the ROH roster since the very beginning. They were present for the very first ROH show in 2002 where Jay Briscoe wrestled Amazing Red. Their team has won the ROH tag team titles over a dozen times and Jay also held the ROH world title a couple of times.
Shawn Michaels has been a part of WWE for a long time and he has seen the company go through many monumental changes. Perhaps the biggest one was when the promotion shifted from taped shows to live television with the January 11, 1993 episode of Raw. HBK not only witnessed this change but he was a part of it. He was one of the talents who wrestled on the very first live episode of the red-branded show, defending the Intercontinental championship against Max Moon.
The former world champion and Shelton Benjamin were the latest guests on The Bump. Celebrating 30 years of WWE’s flagship show, the duo discussed the various stages of Raw’s evolution. Reflecting on the shift to Live Television, Michaels explained the biggest challenge of it was communicating the transition to commercials:
“Live television, of course, Shelton can attest to, we’ve come a long way now as far as you know commercial breaks and how you get there, the timing and stuff like that.” said Shawn Michaels, “So honestly that was the most difficult transition is understanding the live television, going to commercials, coming back from commercials.
The way you communicate knowing when you’re in commercials and out of commercials. You have all these things that are already running through your head in a wrestling match, the added element of live television was something that was truly fascinating and ground-breaking at the time for me. But again, all of it, a wonderful journey to [have] been able to [be] part of.”
WWE will be celebrating Raw’s 30th anniversary during the January 23 episode of the show. Apart from Shawn Michaels, the episode will feature legends such as The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Kurt Angle and many more.
AEW All-Atlantic Championship Match: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Jay Lethal
Jeff Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh were barred from ringside, but at the beginning of the match they entered through the crowd to sit front row. The members of The Best Friends and Danhausen joined them in the audience. Lethal hit Cassidy with a Lethal Injection but the champion managed to roll out of the ring. After the Best Friends had enough of Jarret & Co, they poured popcorn on Sonjay Dutt. Jarrett tried to interfere in the match by handing his guitar to Lethal, but Danhausen intercepted it. This distraction leads to Lethal getting back in the ring and getting hit with the Orange Punch for the pin.
Winner: Orange Cassidy by pinfall.
Jay Lethal wore a Briscoe armband during the match to honor Jay Briscoe.
Dutt wants to fight Orange Cassidy after the match Lethal and Jarrett hold him back
We get a video package for KUSHIDA vs. Darby Allin for the TNT Championship.
Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin)
Top Flight hit Matt Jackson with a combination nosedive powerbomb, but Nick broke the pin up at 2. The Young Bucks hit Darius Martin with The Briscoes’ Doomsday Device, but Dante breaks it up. Darius dodged the BTE Trigger by The Young Bucks. He then rolled up Matt to get the shocking win.
Winner: Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) by pinfall.
The Gunns come out to cut a promo during the time slot where The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn were advertised. The Acclaimed come out and Austin Gunn has production cut the music. Max Caster tells production to mute Austin’s mic and restart their music. He then proceeds to do his freestyle.
Billy Gunn separated The Gunns and The Acclaimed after things got physical. He shamed both teams and then announced that they will all be attending family therapy next week.
Hangman says to Renee that he wants to mend some fences but won’t get too specific. He also seemed to have something he wanted to say to Jon Moxley after checking on his health, but he once again held his tongue.
Chris Jericho joined the commentary team for this match. Starks walked the ropes in Hager’s hat for a fun spot. After avoiding a lot of distraction and interference from the JAS, Ricky hit Hager with a Spear. In a relatively short match, Ricky Starks gets the win over Hager.
Winner: Ricky Starks by pinfall.
Starks rushed through the crowd to avoid the Jericho Appreciation Society.
Jericho challenges Action Andretti and Ricky Starks to a tag team match with Sammy.
Daniel Garcia will be facing Action Andretti on Rampage. If he wins, he will replace Sammy Guevara next week on Dynamite.
Bryan Danielson vs. Bandido
They start off with a handshake. Bandido was able to hold Danielson up in a stalling suplex for at least 30 seconds. He fought hard to get out of the Lebell Lock by getting his foot on the rope. Bandido hit Danielson with a 21-plex, but he kicked out at 2. After a great exchange, Danielson landed a Busaiku Knee for the win.
Winner: Bryan Danielson by pinfall.
Bryan and Bandido both wore armbands to honor Jay.
Saraya cut a promo with Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm. Toni decided to stand with Saraya against the homegrown women’s wrestlers. Saraya is very upset with Shida for throwing her kendo stick in the ring last week.
It was announced that Brian Cage will be Bryan Danielson’s opponent next week. MJF then offered Cage an undisclosed amount of money to break Danielson’s arm. He then slapped Cage to motivate MJF to feel hate.
Toni Storm vs. Willow Nightingale
Saraya joined Toni Storm at ringside. Willow and Toni shook hands. Shida disregarded what Saraya told her and came to the ringside area. Willow hits the Cannonball, but Toni kicks out. Saraya gets involved and distracts Willow and Toni gets the roll up for the win.
Winner: Toni Storm by pinfall.
After the match, Toni and Saraya get in the ring and beat down Willow turning heel in the process. Shida gets in the ring and Ruby Soho runs down to help out Willow.
TNT Championship Match: Darby Allin (c) vs. KUSHIDA
KUSHIDA is joined by two members of the New Japan Dojo; DKC and Kevin Knight. Darby Allin is joined by Sting. The Coffin Drop was countered early on. Throughout the match, KUSHIDA attempts to pick Allin limb from limb. KUSHIDA locked in the Hoverboard lock and the members of the NJPW Dojo tried to get Sting to throw in the towel. Darby maneuvered KUSHIDA into a very technical pin to get the three.
On Tuesday, Jamin Pugh, known to the wrestling world as Jay Briscoe, was killed in a car accident in Laurel, Delaware.
According to his wife, Ashley, their daughters were also injured in the accident. Their daughter, Gracie, had back surgery on Wednesday morning. Their other daughter, Jayleigh “has some pretty serious injuries, but is stable and resting!” She asked for prayers for all of them.
The first match of the night was Jay Lethal vs. Orange Cassidy. Lethal wore a black armband that read “Briscoe”. During the match, Best Friends were in the crowd. They each wore a black armband that read “Jay”.
On commentary, Excalibur talked about Briscoe and said more was coming.
The Young Bucks also wore black armbands that said “Jay” with a red heart on them. They also paid tribute with a Doomsday Device, a signature of the Briscoes.
Bryan Danielson and Bandido both wore black armbands that read “Jay”. Before getting to the ring, Bandido kissed his fingers and pointed to the sky.
After the match, commentary was shown on camera. Excalibur and Taz were also wearing black armbands.
Jay Briscoe special for ROH
Tony Khan tweeted that after tonight’s show they would be filming a special ROH tribute to Briscoe. It will be available “soon free to everyone on Honor Club”. He also tweeted that the special will also be on ROH’s YouTube.
Thank you all watching Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite on TBS tonight! We're just getting started, we have a great live show for you all, + after the live show we'll film a special ROH tribute to the late great Jay Briscoe which will be available soon free to everyone on Honor Club.
Longtime New Japan Pro Wrestling talent will stay with the company after renewing the contract.
NJPW is going through an interesting time as several talent contracts are possibly expiring. It was reported that one of the company’s top stars isn’t expected to sign on Jan. 10. The rumored top star had also gained interest from WWE. NJPW fans were looking to see if the company would possibly let more talent contracts expire.
However, NJPW has successfully re-signed one of its more featured stars.
Spoiler Warning on NJPW Talent Renewed Contract
Hiroshi Tanahashi has shared on his blog that he has renewed his contract with NJPW. He posted a picture with seemingly a contract and had the caption “Contract renewal. I’ll do my best!”
At 46 years old, Tanahashi still looks to be in greatshape and wants to push himself in his wrestling career. His last title reign was when he held the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship last year. He had also unsuccessfully challenged for the AEW Heavyweight Championship against Jon Moxley at Forbidden Door on June 26, 2022.
via Hiroshi Tanahashi Blog
Tanahashi had recently competed in a tag team match with Keiji Muto and Shota Umino to defeat Los Ingobernables de Japon(Tetsuya Naito, Sanada, and Bushi) at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on Jan 4. He will compete at The New Beginning in Nagoya on Jan 22. Tanahashi will again wrestle in a tag team match with Master Wato and Jado against Kenta, El Phantasmo, and Taiji Ishimori.
It’s unclear if he still wants to reclaim that IWGP United States heavyweight title or if he wants to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Regardless, NJPW fans can rejoice that Tanahashi will be with the company for a little longer.
Roman Reigns has added yet another milestone to his impressive run on top as the Undisputed Universal Champion.
At Payback 2020, Reigns became the Universal Champion when he beat Bray Wyatt and Brown Strowman in a No Holds Barred Triple Threat Match.
He later scored a victory over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 last year. Reigns became the first star to hold both the WWE and Universal Championships simultaneously.
The Stat
Wrestling Stats & Info on Twitter noted that Reigns has now been the Universal Champion for 871 days, surpassing GUNTHER’s 870-day NXT UK Title reign.
“Today, @WWERomanReigns’s active reign as Universal Champion (2020-Present) reaches 871 days, surpassing @Gunther_AUT’s NXT UK Title reign (2019-2021) for the longest single/consecutive championship reign in the entire @WWE Universe in the last 35+ years. #HeadOfTheTable.”
Throughout his time as the Universal Champion, Reigns has defended it against some of the biggest names in the company, including John Cena. Reigns will make his next defense as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion against Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble next weekend. This is a rematch from the 2021 event where Reigns won their Last Man Standing Match.
GUNTHER is currently the Intercontinental Champion and is slated to work the 30-Man Royal Rumble match.
WWE is bringing in an outside name to help with this year’s Royal Rumble event, and that’s Jason Cade.
Fightful Select reported today that the indie wrestler will be working as a producer for the company, specifically in helping produce the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match next week.
The report noted that WWE Producer Tyson Kidd was said to be instrumental in helping Cade come in, as Kidd usually produces women’s matches in the company, including the Royal Rumble match.
Jason Cade’s Background
Cade has trained alongside Kidd and Natalya in the past. Last month, Cade noted on Instagram that he was leaving Orlando to move to Los Angeles so that he can pursue his dreams.
Cade hasn’t wrestled for quite a while after breaking into the business in August 2012 after training under Norman Smiley, who currently works at the WWE Performance Center.
Throughout his in-ring career, Cade has worked for numerous promotions over the years, such as CZW, EVOLVE, GCW, GFW, Impact Wrestling, MLW, Lucha Underground, PWG, ROH, WWN Live, and others.
In 2020, Cade worked two WWE matches where he lost to Aleister Black (Malakai Black) on the March 30, 2020, Raw episode, then lost to Ariya Daivari as a part of his $10,000 Challenge on the September 18, 2020 edition of WWE 205 Live.
He also worked two matches for AEW that same year as current AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy defeated him on the May 12, 2020 edition of AEW Dark, and Marko Stunt on the May 19, 2020 edition of Dark.
William Regal now serves as WWE Vice President of Global Talent Relations following his departure from AEW earlier this month.
Regal spent the majority of 2022 under the banner of AEW where he worked as the manager for the Blackpool Combat Club.
His AEW debut came at AEW Revolution last March, where he helped bring Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson together before recruiting Wheeler Yuta to their ranks. Claudio Castagnoli followed suit in the months after, and the Blackpool Combat Club was a force.
While speaking on Distraction Pieces Podcast, Regal noted that he felt his final moments in AEW were too focused on himself as he turned on Moxley to help MJF beat him for the AEW World Heavyweight Title at Full Gear in November.
His AEW Tenure
“In the last months of AEW, it was getting far too much about me. It should have been about the talent I was with, not about me,” Regal said (h/t Fightful). “I’m quite happy being in the background. I’ve had my run. I couldn’t have had a better last few months as far as TV and doing that, but I didn’t go there with that intention. The intention was to do something different, and it started off the way it did, but I didn’t expect it to end up being this thing that it was for the last seven months where I just became talent. I went there with a different plan because I was asked to go there to help out in a different capacity, and that never transpired.”
Regal wanted to return to WWE to be with his son in NXT, who wrestles under the Charlie Dempsey name.
Regal’s WWE return cannot appear on television until 2024, something he’s okay with after his run in AEW. He noted he’s happy not to be in the spotlight. He thinks it shouldn’t be about him but rather the active in-ring talent.
AEW president Tony Khan says that fans don’t even know the half of Adam Cole’s comeback story just yet.
Back on the January 11 episode of AEW Dynamite, Adam Cole made his surprise return to television after being out-of-action for several months. Cole stated that he’s back and he’s not done competing in the ring just yet.
He also opened up about the multitude of other issues that he dealt with aside from the concussion, such as anxiety and motion sickness. Speaking on The Kliq podcast recently, AEW president Tony Khan offered his thoughts on Cole’s current situation.
Khan revealed that, although they know some already, fans don’t even know the half of the uphill battle Cole has faced en-route to his in-ring return.
“Well, I don’t think he ever [ruled out returning to the ring]. Certainly, it was a very challenging recovery, and they were points where, I’m sure, he had to question if he was going to make it back or, you know, what he was putting himself through because, like he said, he didn’t leave the house to do anything but brain therapy,” said Khan.
“He wanted it so bad. He wants so bad to come back to AEW, to get back in the ring and wrestle for the fans on Wednesdays on TBS, and Fridays on TNT. That’s his dream. For us, it’s a dream come true having Adam Cole be a part of the AEW roster.
“It’s very exciting that he’s getting closer and closer to making a comeback. It’s a really inspirational story, and people don’t even know the half of it yet. I’m excited for people to find out more about what Adam Cole has been through.”
Cole hasn’t competed inside the ring since Forbidden Door in June, when he faced off against Jay White, Okada and “Hangman” Adam Page in a Fatal Four-Way match.
WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle has revealed the worst bump he has ever taken in his career.
The Olympic gold medalist has competed in some grueling matches over the course of his career, so there’s a wide variety of bumps to pick from. However, Angle recently took to Twitter and revealed a 2002 match with Kane on RAW provided the honors.
During the match, Kane hit a double chokeslam on Angle and referee Charles Robinson, resulting in the referee landing on Angle. Check it out here:
“My match against the big red machine… Kane. This is the worst bump I ever took in my career. Referee Charles Robinson landed right on top of me. I thought I was going to crap myself. Lol.”
My match against the big red machine… Kane. This is the worst bump I ever took in my career. Referee Charles Robinson landed right on top of me. I thought I was going to crap myself. Lol. #itstrue#wwemomentspic.twitter.com/7QZrGsMTJd
Angle has certainly been around the block in the professional wrestling industry. First beginning in the business in 1998, Angle signed with WWE and quickly established himself as one of the company’s top stars.
He lasted with WWE until 2006, winning five World Titles, a Tag Team Title, a King Of The Ring tournament win, and much more. Angle was finally inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2017.
(WWE)
Angle even spent a decade in IMPACT Wrestling; where he won six World Titles, and X-Division Title win, and was also inducted into the TNA Hall Of Fame in 2013. Now, Angle has retired from in-ring competition, and spends his time hosting his podcast, “The Kurt Angle Show.”
Mercedes Moné is set to take on KAIRI in an IWGP Women’s Championship match at NJPW’s Battle In The Valley on February 18.
The former Sasha Banks made her NJPW debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17 by confronting and attacking the fellow former WWE star.
This upcoming match will be Moné’s first match since May 15, 2022 and her first match outside of WWE in over a decade.
NJPW has released a video of Moné talking about the match, giving insight into where her mindset is ahead of the match. She also talked about how she plans to become a global superstar.
Mercedes Moné Statement
Moné is supremely confident headed into her upcoming title match. She intends to send KAIRI back to Japan and take the IWGP Women’s championship .. well, everywhere.
“I’ve never been more excited, more nervous, which I never get nervous about, but I am so ready for this. I’ve been dreaming about this. I’ve been really really wanting this and for it to be in the United States in San Jose, California. I have so much history there. I’ve had the greatest matches there. February 18th is gonna be the same.”
“I’m going to make sure that it is the greatest women’s match of all time. When I hold up my championship, oh cute little KAIRI, I’m gonna send her back to Japan, and she can go back to STARDOM, and I can be the global superstar that I’m meant to be. I’m about to take that title everywhere, not just New Japan, but everywhere.”
You can watch Mercedes Moné’s comments about her upcoming match against KAIRI right here:
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit with an h/t toSEScoops.comfor the transcription.
John Cena knows how to get people talking with his provocative social media posts. Pro wrestling’s ‘other’ 16-time world champion has proven to be a master at dropping cryptic comments and photos that touch upon current events.
His tweets are primarily inspirational quotes. His Instagram posts range from playful to downright bewildering. The photos are almost always submitted without a caption, which fuels speculation about what exactly he’s referencing.
Cena returned to the ring on the final SmackDown of 2022. He and Kevin Owens teamed up to defeat The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. The show delivered massive viewership, proving that Cena can still deliver eyeballs when needed.
John Cena’s Latest Tease
The leader of the Cenation is rumored to be competing at WrestleMania in April, with Logan Paul and Austin Theory discussed as his most likely opponents. Both men have campaigned for a match against Cena at WrestleMania.
Cena’s in-ring career is winding down, so this is a fleeing opportunity for anyone hoping to work with the iconic star before he hangs up the boots once and for all.
Amid reports that WWE is attempting to get Logan Paul to appear at the Royal Rumble on January 28, Cena shared a photo of Logan and his brother Jake Paul on Instagram. It’s worth noting that he didn’t post just any random photo of them. He chose a photo that included Logan Paul holding the WWE Championship.
Jake Paul has never competed in a pro wrestling match, but he’s no stranger to WWE. He’s spoken about being a pro wrestling fan while growing up. The Problem Child even appeared at WWE Crown Jewel to help back his brother Logan against The Bloodline. He later teased that they might team up at some point.
During a recent interview with DAZN, Jake Paul spoke about his love for WWE. While wearing a Hulk Hogan t-shirt, he was asked to name his all-time favorite wrestler.
“Hulk, probably, yeah,” said Paul. “Him or John Cena, which is like super cliché, but there’s a reason why John Cena was the greatest in the world, brother.”
Ashley Pugh, the wife of wrestling star Jay Brisco (Jamin Pugh), is asking for prayers during an extremely difficult time for their family.
Jay Briscoe was tragically killed Tuesday night in an automobile accident that occurred in Laurel, Delaware.
According to a post by Ashley Pugh on Facebook, their daughters were in the car and both have sustained serious injuries. Daughter Stacy is undergoing back surgery today (Wednesday), while Jayleigh sustained “some pretty serious injuries” but is stable and resting.
“We need prayers! Gracie is on her way into surgery on her back. Jamin would want the whole world praying for his little girl,” she wrote. “WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER!! Pray for the doctors and everyone working on her! Pray for her precious legs to move again Pray for Jayleigh who has some pretty serious injuries, but is stable and resting! Pray for Gannon waiting at home! Pray for strength for all of us! We have a long long road ahead of us!”
SEScoops extends our deepest condolences, as well as thoughts and prayers, to the family and friends of Jamin Pugh.
