The future looks uncertain for WWE Superstar Seth Rollins who appeared to suffer an injury during this week’s Monday Night Raw.
For the first Raw of 2023, Rollins battled United States Champion Austin Theory, who dethroned the Visionary at Survivor Series: WarGames.
Theory had previously cashed in Money in the Bank on Rollins for the U.S. Title (the first non-World Championship cash-in) but failed to win the title.
The Injury
The match between Rollins and Theory was going fine until the Architect injured his leg during the match.
During the closing moments of the match, Rollins attempted the Stomp which Theory evaded, and he hit a low blow and a chop-block.
Some have suggested that this chop-block is when the injury happened, and Theory would go on to hit A-Town Down to get the win.
After the show, Rollins was seen struggling by the live crowd and collapsed to the ground when he put too much pressure on his leg.
@SeanRossSapp@WrestleTalk_TV The ref just threw up the "X" for Seth Rollins who seems to have legit hurt his knee.
Corey Graves ran over and started fussing at people to come help.
WWE has not publicly commented on Rollins’ potential injury at this time.
History Repeats Itself
Rollins may be dealing with a knee injury and if so it won’t be the first time something like this will have happened.
At a Dublin, Ireland WWE Live event in late 2015, Rollins suffered a knee injury during a match with Kane, which would result in him forfeiting the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Rollins would have to undergo surgery to repair his knee and would be out for six months, and would miss WrestleMania 32.
At Forbidden Door, fans who aren’t regular viewers of NJPW got introduced to a variety of talent. Even fans who don’t watch NJPW are familiar with names like Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Jay White.
One wrestler who made a name for themselves for their performance was the “Wild Rhino” Clark Connors. Connors was a replacement for Tomohiro ISHII in the four-way match for the All-Atlantic Championship. Connors didn’t have an easy task as he faced PAC, Malakai Black, and Miro.
Connors speared Miro through a table on the outside. He also hit his finisher, the Trophy Kill, on PAC. He firmly got fans on his side with a standout performance.
Clark Connors Reveals Wish List
Connors missed some time last year with an ongoing herniation injury. He detailed his experience in a Twitter thread last July. He returned to the ring in October against Minoru Suzuki.
On social media, Connors revealed his 2023 opponent wish list. The list is a who’s who across the wrestling universe, starting with one-half of the NJPW Strong and IMPACT tag team champions, Alex Shelley.
The rest of his list, read “Wild Style”:
-Lio Rush
-Ishimori, El Desperado, or Hiromu
-Joey Janella
-Trey Miguel
-EFFY
-“Session Moth” Martina (in a deathmatch…in Ireland)
Yet another top talent is on the way out of the NWA. This time it’s due to a contract expiring at the end of the year.
According to an exclusive report from Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net, Colby Corino will be a free agent as of January 1, 2023. He isn’t expected to be a free agent very long as he is expected to sign with WWE.
According to the report “he will be traveling to Orlando, Florida to spend time at the WWE Performance Center, where he will get a thorough look from the company. It was expressed to me that if things go well, we can expect him to sign with WWE and report to NXT.”
Colby Corino is a Second Generation Wrestler
“The Last Bastion of Professional Wrestling” has made a name for himself on the indies as well as NWA. He is the son of hardcore legend, Steve Corino. Steve currently works for WWE as both a trainer and an NXT producer.
He recently competed at WrestleCade in a four way match with Bandido, Lince Dorado, and Shane Taylor. IWTV is currently airing a two-part documentary style series featuring Corino. In episode two, he addresses his struggles with anxiety, depression, and addiction while balancing wrestling and fatherhood.
WrestleCade SuperShow went crazy. I got to step in the ring with some of the best wrestlers today in front of 1000+ fans on my home terf
WWE is considering various ideas for the WrestleMania 39 card as the company is just a few months away from the event and needs to lock in its main event plans by mid-January.
It was reported last week that WWE planned to do John Cena vs. Logan Paul at this event. This is after a report suggested Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre have been discussed as possible competitors in a singles match for the WWE Title.
If WWE went forward with that idea, then Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns would need to drop the WWE Title.
Fightful Select reports that before Vince McMahon retired this past summer, it was presumed that Rhodes would end up competing for the WWE Title at WrestleMania. Creative sources told the media outlet that this hadn’t been told outright, but simply assumed. It was noted that Mania plans that Vince came up with were scrapped.
Original Idea
Regarding Cena vs. Paul, this report stated that WWE wants to have Paul and The Rock work WrestleMania with the hope of The Rock wrestling Reigns. Fightful noted that it’s still unclear whether they will work the show.
While internal talk has had Cena vs. Paul or Cena vs. current WWE United States Champion Austin Theory at WrestleMania, other top stars have been pushing to face Cena from as far back as July.
“There were pitches within WWE to do Cena vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania, but there’s no word yet on if this is still being discussed under the new regime led by WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H.”
Before Ronda Rousey dropped the SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte Flair on SmackDown last week, it was reported that Rousey vs. Rhea Ripley was planned for WrestleMania 39.
Fightful notes that although additional sources have not confirmed Rousey vs. Ripley, they can confirm that Rousey vs. Becky Lynch is not the plan for WrestleMania 39.
Kofi Kingston has proven himself to be a legend of professional wrestling. Debuting in the WWE in 2007, Kingston quickly ingratiated himself to wrestling audiences with his likeable personality and his awe-inspiring athleticism. Now, Kingston is demonstrating his incredible heart and soul as well.
Kingston announced on Twitter Monday that he and his mother are trying to raise money to help build a computer lab and a library for children in Ghana, West Africa.
“My mom and I are trying to make 2023 extra special for children in Ghana by buildin them a computer lab and library,” Kingston wrote on his Twitter page.
In that same tweet, Kingston shared a video of he and his mom discussing how they came to find out about this need in Ghana, and why they decided to help .
He also included a link to the GoFundMe page, which currently has a goal of $30,000.
Happy New Year!
My mom & I are trying make 2023 extra special for children in Ghana by building them a computer lab & library.
“The CLICK for Quality Education Foundation (a.k.a. Computer Lab and Integrated Centre of Knowledge for Quality Education) is a nonprofit organization that aims to help establish quality award-winning computer labs and integrated centers of learning (library media centers) for Junior High Schools in Ghana, especially in deprived areas,” the GoFundMe page stated.
CLICK is aiming to build, for its first project, a 2-classroom facility. It will house a computer lab with 50 computers, as well as a reading/lending library that has a 100-person capacity.
“It is centrally located at the Atwima Takyiman Presbyterian Junior High School in the Kwadaso Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana,” the GoFundMe stated. “When completed, it will be a resource center not only for students from this site school, but also for students of four other schools: the Tanoso Anglican A, B and C Junior High Schools as well as the Denkyemuoso Junior High School, all located in a cluster within the vicinity.”
According to the GoFundMe, much of Ghana’s economy came from the country’s agriculture realm. However, urban spread and non-agricultural issues have reduced the amount of agricultural activities.
“Today, the people are mostly engaged in petty retail and wholesale trading, as well as artisanal and repair services,” the GoFundMe said. “To many of them, a quality education for their children offers the best way out of a rather bleak situation.”
Kofi Kingston
A Foundation close to Kofi Kingston’s Heart
Now, Kingston and his mother are partnering with the organization to help that situation seem a little less bleak.
“There are several stories like these, where teachers struggle to find ways to teach their students about the basics of computers,” Kingston said.
Many of the project schools don’t even have computers, nor a library.
“The students are drawn from mostly poor homes, and most of them had never been to a library or used a computer before, until CLICK for Quality Education Foundation started taking groups to the regional library where they were registered and taught how to browse and borrow books. The ongoing Foundation project will therefore be an invaluable resource for the students and teachers of the five schools.”s of now, the foundation’s founder has been contributing personal funds to get the project off the ground and they are seeking additional funds from anybody who can contribute. They’re also seeking equipment and materials for the schools as well.
Karen Jarrett has made several interesting tweets after Max Caster’s recent rap on AEW Dynamite leading up to The Acclaimed’s AEW Tag Team Title defense against Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal.
Karen is unhappy about the narrative that Jeff Jarrett stole her away from Kurt Angle a decade ago. She took to Twitter to note that wasn’t the case, as her marriage to Kurt was already over.
Jaren brought up how she sent out her tweets after receiving some “offline” threats, but it’s unclear what the threats were. Kurt did delete a tweet about Caster’s rap.
Karen’s Tweets
Karen wrote the following via several tweets:
“We can start here… my marriage to Kurt was over LONG before Jeff and I started seeing each other. We were legally separated at the time Kurt signed with TNA living in different homes. We got back together and I tried to get over the affairs among other things that went on in our marriage. But obviously wasn’t able. Funny and sad how all of that has been swept under the rug over all these years. Jeff didn’t steal me from anyone. #dawnmarie #kellikelli #deannesiden to name a few. Maybe Kurt will think twice before making threats, insulting/disrespecting my husband. I am done living in fear. I have 24 years of dirt I am ready to start unloading. I am done! #movingon.”
Former WWE star Kelly Kelly later shared a statement in response to what Karen said about her ex-husband.
Karen’s tweet included a hashtag that implied that Kurt and Kelly had an affair while he was married. Kelly tweeted the following:
I keep linked in this tweet I have dmed @karenjarrett to privately ask her and I’m waiting for her response, but I want to go ahead and publicly make a statement that only way I can be linked to Kurt is we were co workers sorry but thanks for the Monday morning entertainment lol https://t.co/bsCSZcpkkX
It should be noted that Kelly made her WWE debut on the June 13, 2006 episode of ECW when she was 19 years old. Kelly and Kurt were in WWE at the same time for just a couple of months before Kurt departed.
Dax Harwood’s new FTR podcast has only had one episode so far, but the show is already garnering both a following and a backlash.
Harwood’s new show with co-host Matt Koon replaces William Regal’s Gentleman Villain podcast, which has ended due to Regal’s departure from AEW and iminent return to WWE.
The first episode of the FTR podcast featured an in-depth discussion of CM Punk, who is currently on an extended hiatus from All Elite Wrestling.
Among the many Punk-related topics discussed, Harwood pleaded with Punk and The Elite to sit down and make amends so they can all move forward and do business together.
On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that people in AEW were ‘not particularly happy’ with everything that was said.
“From what I heard from different people, not the people who you probably heard from, they were not particularly happy at all about this. All I heard the other day was how unhappy people were about that podcast.”
Dave Meltzer.
It has been speculated that Harwood’s pro-Punk stance has caused this backlash, given that many in AEW are against bringing back the former World Champion.
When Harwood’s comments were shared on Instagram, Punk commented “Duh.”
Upon his exit from WWE in 2010, the former WWE Champion began steadily building his acting resume, landing many roles in film and television. Most notably, Dave Bautista entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Drax the Destroyer, starring across The Guardians of The Galaxy and The Avengers franchises. The last few years have warranted impressive performances for Bautista in a variety of genres, including action, comedy, and sci-fi.
Most recently, “The Animal” tackled the popular sequel to Knives Out, starring as Duke Cody in the mystery-comedy-thriller Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Duke Cody — his character — grew a massive following on the streaming platforms of Twitch and YouTube as a men’s rights activist. Ultimately, Cody becomes one of the characters entangled in murderous mystery in Greece as Daniel Craig revives his role as world-renown detective Benoit Blanc.
WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash recently weighed in on Bautista’s performance as Duke Cody in the film.
“I thought Batista was good in it,” he said on Kliq This. “I think Batista does a very good job of what he picks as far as roles, but I think [Dave is on it]. He’s into his craft, he’s into his skill. The thing is I couldn’t see anybody playing that part better than him. At the beginning when he’s in the garage with his cars, it gave a vibe of his crib. It’s worth watching, it’s just transparent. Let me put it this way, it wasn’t much as a mystery for me.”
WWE is getting ready to finally move into its new corporate headquarters located at 707 Washington Blvd in Stamford, CT.
A company spokesperson tells CTinsider the move is planned to commence towards the end of the first quarter of 2023. The remainder of the office and production space in the new location will cover about 400,000 square feet and is scheduled to open in mid-2023.
The spokesperson noted that it wants to move all of its employees in Stamford into the new headquarters in 2023, with more than 800 people working there once the company’s space has opened.
WWE HQ
WWE doesn’t plan to keep employees at its current headquarters or production center. The current headquarters is not for sale, although WWE would “entertain discussions with interested parties.”
The new headquarters stood entirely empty for a couple of years after banking giant UBS in 2016 moved its local offices across the street.
This move comes at a time when WWE continues to grow, as the third quarter of 2022 saw WWE’s revenues jump 19 percent year over year to about $305 million. However, they had a decline in quarterly profits due to nearly $18 million in costs related to its investigation of alleged misconduct by Vince McMahon, who announced his retirement in July.
It’s always hard for a wrestling legend to say goodbye. The business is such a specific esoteric community with its own set of norms and values that wrestlers themselves and their fans know and love. It’s hard to walk away after a long, successful life in that world.
The Great Muta was not only an all time great who earned the respect of his colleagues around the world, but also has had remarkable longevity as a wrestler. He got started in wrestling in the mid-1980s, before becoming a star to American fans at the end of that decade when he brought his ahead of its time aerial offense, martial arts-informed strikes, and—perhaps most iconic of all—his deadly green mist to WCW.
Muta is finally bringing his career to a close, nearly four decades after he first set foot in teh ring. A key step in his farewell process saw him wrestle WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura on New Year’s Day. The finish had unexpected parallels to an iconic moment between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair from a decade and a half before.
How Shawn Michaels Ended Ric Flair’s WWE Career
In 2008, Ric Flair worked his final angle as an in-ring performer in WWE, with the storyline that Vince McMahon proclaimed The Nature Boy would have to retire the next time he lost a match. After getting the better of a series of younger opponents like MVP and Mr. Kennedy, not to mention beating McMahon himself, Flair challenged his friend Shawn Michaels for a bout at WrestleMania 24.
The match was extremely well executed with a poetic finish that saw HBK mouth “I’m sorry, I love you,” to a beaten Flair, before putting his career to rest with Sweet Chin Music. It was a unique, emotional moment that highlighted the real-life respect between the two men and the reverence so many held for The Dirtiest Player in the Game.
Though Flair would go on to wrestle his share of additional matches outside the WWE spotlight, this match was, for a wide swathe of fans, the truest farewell to the Flair they’d known and loved for so many years.
How Shinsuke Nakamura Beat The Great Muta
Shinsuke Nakamura got special permission from WWE to stage a huge match between him and fellow Japanese legend, The Great Muta at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s The New Year, an event staged on New Year’s Day.
In an instant classic moment, the bout culminated in Nakamura apparently kissing Muta right on the mouth. Functionally speaking, he was stealing away Muta’s signature green mist, so that the WWE Superstar could spray it in Muta’s face and set up his trademark Bomaye strike (known as the Kinshasa in WWE). The finish was creative and poetic in relation to Muta’s career up to that point. All the more so, that kiss could be read as its own illustration of love for a living legend of the wrestling business.
Parallels Between Shawn Michaels Vs. Ric Flair And Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. The Great Muta
The Great Muta and Ric Flair each performed at the highest levels, including wrestling one another in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While Flair is the bigger legend, Muta holds his own—particularly for a Japanese audience—as another man with a decorated history and a great deal of nostalgia attached to his name.
Flair wasn’t wrestling Shawn Michaels for the first time when they clashed at WrestleMania 24. Rather than the revisitation making the matchup feel stale, however, it added to a sense of history between the two. Similarly, when Muta faced Shinsuke Nakamura, it was a match that had happened before, with a degree of familiarity and previously established chemistry added to the proceedings.
Most importantly, though, the closing moments of each match complemented one another, each cut from the same cloth. Michaels made a move wildly uncharacteristic of pro wrestling when he told his opponent he loved him before knocking him unconscious with his kick finisher. Nakamura arguably did HBK one better in not stating his love, but instead expressing it with a kiss. There was the added poeticism of turning Muta’s famous mist offense against him, before nailing his knee strike finisher to defeat him one last time.
The Great Muta’s match with Shinsuke Nakamura did not, itself, mark the end of his career, but that moment is on the horizon as he has other high-profile matches lined up before his official last bout on January 22. Moreover, Muta put a bit of a stain on the moment with Nakamura by referring to him with a homophobic slur in a press conference after the show. Just the same, the end of the match itself stands as an unconventionally beautiful piece of business, grabbing the attention of fans around the world to kick off 2023.
Flair previously sustained a “fracture of the radius” at WrestleMania Backlash in May where Ronda Rousey wrenched an armbar on Flair through a steel chair. Flair would be forced to shout “I Quit!” to end the match, resulting in a massive title change, and a lengthy recovery time for Flair.
As Flair was effectively written off of television, she got married to long-time boyfriend Andrade El Idolo later that month. However, her absence would soon persist, extending to over seven months due to personal reasons, until now.
After Ronda Rousey retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship over Raquel Rodriguez, Flair stunned her former foe with her re-emergence. Flair then laid down a challenge for “The Baddest Woman On The Planet,” leading to a second title defense for Rousey that night.
This time, though, Rousey suffered a different fate, as “The Queen” reversed an armbar attempt into a pinfall to capture the victory, and title. With this win, Flair becomes a 14-time World Champion in WWE, and walked into 2023 with gold around her waist once again.
New Year, New Milestone
(WWE)
Since arriving to WWE in 2012, Charlotte Flair has wooed audiences with her athletic ability, poise, and natural affinity for gold. In 2014, Flair achieved her first milestone, defeating Natalya for the NXT Women’s Championship in the finals of a tournament to claim the title.
In the years following, Flair accrued an impressive resume of title wins spanning the NXT, RAW, and SmackDown brands. As she begins 2023 as champion, again, Flair reached a new milestone.
Across 10 consecutive calendar years now, Flair has held a women’s championship, beginning in 2014 and extending through 2023. Her recent win over Ronda Rousey secured Flair’s seventh title reign with the SmackDown Women’s Championship alone.
2014: #WWENXT 2015: NXT, Divas 2016: Divas, #WWERaw 2017: Raw, SmackDown 2018: #SmackDown 2019: SmackDown 2020: NXT, Tag 2021: SmackDown, Raw, Tag 2022: SmackDown 2023: SmackDown@MsCharlotteWWE has now held a women's championship in @WWE in 10 consecutive calendar years.
WWE is on the verge of hitting a huge milestone for WrestleMania 39 ticket sales. Without a single match announced, WWE has sold nearly 100,000 tickets for the two-night event.
Pro wrestling’s biggest show of the year is still three months away, but it will be here before we know it. WWE holds multiple stadium shows throughout the year, but WrestleMania taking place over two nights insures this will be the company’s grossing event of the year.
‘WrestleMania Goes Hollywood’ on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Our friends at Wrestletix have been tracking the WrestleMania ticket sales and according to their data, first batch of tickets are nearly sold out.
WrestleMania 39 Tickets
If you are interested in attending WrestleMania 39, you should act fast. A limited number of WrestleMania tickets are still available. You can purchase tickets for Saturday night, Sunday night or a combo pack for both nights.
SoFi Stadium has a maximum capacity of over 100,000 people, but the venue is currently configured for 51,146 fans. We’re fast approaching a sellout for both nights.
Here’s an updated look at where things stand as of Monday, January 2:
WrestleMania Saturday: 49,584 tickets distributed (97%) with 1,562 still available and 3,164 for sale on the secondary market (StubHub, etc.).
WrestleMania Sunday: 50,114 tickets distributed (98%) with 1,032 still available and 3,246 for resale.
WWE does not want to leave money on the table, in the event that WrestleMania 39 sells out several months before bell-time. In cases like this, we’ve seen WWE open up more sections to meet the demand.
Support Wrestletix on Patreon for more pro wrestling ticket sales metrics.
In a new update, FanTime congratulated Rose on a new achievement via Instagram, confirming that she racked up a whopping $1,000,000 in the month of December. Additionally, Rose is listed as one of the site’s top creators on their front homepage. With her wide success on the platform so far, Rose is expected to gradually grow her income even more going forward.
After 413 days as NXT Women’s Champion, Mandy Rose was finally dethroned by Roxanne Perez on the December 13 edition of NXT. The decision was evidently a last-minute decision, as WWE had already made up their minds on releasing her. The release wouldn’t take long to be announced, though, as Rose officially departed from the company the following day, sending shockwaves through the professional wrestling world.
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
(WWE)
The basis of her release?
Despite her seven-year tenure and historical run as NXT Women’s Champion, Mandy Rose still found herself in a tricky situation with management.
Those in the company felt her content shared on Fantime — a third party platform — went outside the parameters of a specific clause in her contract and were often explicit in their nature. Prior to her release, someone leaked some of Rose’s FanTime into the public, which may have popped up on WWE’s radar as a result.
AEW star Saraya is proud of Sasha Banks for having the guts to walk out of WWE when she felt undervalued and mistreated.
Banks now a free agent for the first time in many years. WWE attempted to re-sign her to a new deal, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement. The Legit Boss will now embark on a new chapter in her storied career. Later this week, she’s expected to attend NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom pay-per-view from the Tokyo Dome and explore other opportunities in wrestling, the entertainment industry and beyond.
Saraya tells Alistair McGeorge of Metro.co.uk that she’s proud of her former colleague for taking her career into her own hands.
“… She knows her worth and she knows she wants to be treated a certain way, and she deserves to be treated that way because she’s done a lot for the wrestling business.”
– Saraya proud of Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks is one of the rare attractions in pro wrestling who moves the needle, in terms of ‘butts in seats’ and merchandise sales. Her army of fans tune in and pay up to see her in action. We haven’t seen Banks on television since May 2022, so there is pent-up demand to see what she’ll will do next.
Banks is now in control of her own destiny. She’ll soon be wrestling in Japan, but maintains the flexibility to work wherever her schedule allows.
Saraya says whoever gets to work with Sasha Banks will be very lucky.” She “selfishly” admits that she hopes they cross paths again.
‘Wherever she ends up, I’m gonna be happy for her, and anyone that gets her is gonna be very, very lucky,” she said. “I just selfishly hope that I get to wrestle her one day,’ she admitted.
Austin Theory did not appear at Friday’s Raw-brand live event from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but wrestling fans can rest assured he’s not been bit by the injury bug.
Theory was set to defend the Unites States Championship against Seth Rollins in the Steel Cage main event. Finn Balor filled in for Theory, but Rollins got the victory. Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch both got involved in the match, which made for an interesting dynamic.
Shortly before the show, the building announced he would not be present. This is somewhat unusual, since typically it’s WWE that lets fans know about late changes like this (card subject to change).
A winter storm led to travel issues for a lot of WWE (and AEW) performers last week. Multiple stars were unable to make their scheduled dates, which led to rewrites and last-minute substations at TV and live events. It’s still unclear why Theory missed the Toronto Holiday Tour event, but we can thankfully rule out an injury.
Theory Says He’ll Be at Raw
Theory’s situation was addressed on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. According to Dave Meltzer, there’s no injury and there are no disciplinary ‘problems’ that would have prevented him from being there.
Ruling out those possibilities, Meltzer speculated there may have been a problem with Theory crossing the Canadian border, but that’s just a .. theory.
The good news is that Theory is healthy and says he’ll be at tonight’s WWE Raw from Nashville. He’s scheduled to defend the US title against Rollins and has a warning for The Architect. In a tweet sent out on Sunday, Theory says Rollins will truly know his place in the WWE when he puts him in the past.
WWE is in Nashville, Tennessee tonight for a live edition of Monday Night Raw from the Bridgestone Arena.
With the new year in full swing, our focus shifts to January 28 and the 2023 Royal Rumble premium live event.
Last week’s Raw was a “year in review” highlights episode, but the big news was a surprise appearance by Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare stated that he came back for “one thing” and one thing only, the WWE Championship. He did not explicitly state when fans can expect him back in action, but Rhodes’ return is imminent.
As of this writing, we know Raw will feature two championship matches. WWE is advertising the following matches for tonight:
Seth Rollins challenges Austin Theory for the United States Championship
Alexa Bliss challenges Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship
Here’s what else we can expect:
Bobby Lashley returned to action last week during the live events Holiday Tour. The Almighty had been serving a suspension handed down by Adam Pearce. The WWE website is listing Lashley as one of the Superstars who will be in Nashville, so there’s a strong chance he’ll be back on television this week.
We know the Royal Rumble will feature Men’s and Women’s Rumble matches. WWE is advertising a Rumble qualifier for Friday’s SmackDown, so we can expect to see qualifying matches on Raw as early as tonight as well.
The only other match set for the Rumble is the Pitch Black match between Bray Wyatt and LA Knight. Four weeks out, WWE will soon begin building a program for Roman Reigns and the Undisputed Universal Champion.
Eric Bischoff was a prominent name on TNA Wrestling for years, despite having low expectations of the company.
Bischoff joined TNA (now Impact Wrestling) in 2009 and was a key part in bringing in Hulk Hogan in 2010.
The former WCW magnate and Raw General Manager would remain with the company, mostly working behind the scenes until his departure in 2014
Reeks of Russo
Bischoff would work for TNA Wrestling for years, all the time hating the name of the promotion.
In his new book ‘Grateful‘ Bischoff recalled being hesitant to join TNA.
“To be honest, I was never interested, at any level or at any time, in potentially working for TNA. First and foremost, I hated the TNA name (‘T and A’ – do you get it? It’s just so clever.). When I heard about it for the first time, I thought, ‘This just reeks of Vince Russo.’”
Russo was TNA’s Head of Creative at the time but of course, had no role in the naming of the promotion.
Bischoff added that the idea among fans that TNA was a ‘spiritual successor’ to WCW was “ridiculous.”
Not Wanted
When approached about the opportunity to join TNA, Bischoff didn’t leap at the chance of a return to wrestling.
In his memoirs, the WWE Hall of Famer said that the success he and business partner Jason Hervey were having with their Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment made a return to wrestling seem unnecessary.
“Jason and I were having so much success, with BHE, that I doubted I would even have time to get involved in wrestling again.
“I was basically thinking, ‘Okay – I went through the WCW journey, and it didn’t end up the way I wanted it to end up, but the WWE opportunity came along, and it was a way for me to kind of write the end of my own story.”
Bischoff writes that Dixie Carter, the then-President of TNA was against bringing him in, believing that her role as the ‘female Vince McMahon’ would be jeopardised by bringing him in.
WWE Hall of Famer and AEW commentator Jim Ross has had it with talking about the infamous 1997 Montreal Screwjob.
That year’s Survivor Series saw Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart lose the WWF Championship to Shawn Michaels despite never tapping to the Sharpshooter, after Vince McMahon called for the bell.
The infamous moment is cited by many as the birth of the evil Mr. McMahon character, while Bret would debut for World Championship Wrestling not long after.
Never
As WWE’s chief play-by-play announcer at the time, Jim Ross had a ringside seat to seeing the Screwjob go down.
Since then, Ross like others involved has spoken about what went down and what followed, but JR is saying enough.
On his Grilling JR podcast, the Oklahoma native expressed is frustration about having to relive the Screwjob.
“If we never talk about that [Survivor Series] again ever in my life, I’ll be very content. Having to relive it again and again [is awful.]”
Jim Ross.
Hart would eventually return to WWE in January 2010 and has made appearances for the promotion ever since.
In an interview, Hart would say that Michaels’ WrestleMania 25 match with The Undertaker would play a role in his return, as he questioned how he could have so much hatred for Michaels, a man he also respected.
Punching the Boss
Hart has since made amends with Michaels and McMahon, but in the heat of the moment, the Hitman wasn’t in a forgiving mood.
After the match, Hart trashed the ringside area and backstage, punched McMahon in the face.
WWE and New Japan Pro Wrestling are teaming up for Karl Anderson to compete at Wrestle Kingdom 17, but that’s not a problem for Tony Khan.
Anderson returned to WWE alongside Luke Gallows in October of last year, despite holding the NJPW Never Openweight Championship at the time.
After opting to compete at WWE Crown Jewel over NJPW Battle Autumn in November, the Machine Gun will wrestle this Wednesday at Wrestle Kingdom.
Cool
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be a stacked show, with talent from New Japan, WWE, AEW, and STARDOM all competing.
Speaking to Fightful Select, New Japan’s Rocky Romero said he speaks with Khan quite frequently and was the one to tell Khan about WWE and NJPW working together.
Khan “understood why” the deal had been reached, and said he was “cool” about what was happening.
Anderson will defend the NJPW Never Openweight Championship against Tama Tonga this Wednesday.
Kenny Omega
AEW will have representation at Wrestle Kingdom 17, with Kenny Omega challenging for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Will Ospreay.
Romero told Fightful that Omega was forecasting his return to NJPW, teasing a match with Ospreay, before it was even a done deal.
Speaking about Omega’s suspension from AEW following the backstage fight at All Out, Romero said it “caused a pause” as nobody knew what was going to happen.
Romero said that NJPW worked with Barry Bloom on making this happen, and that Bloom was the one that made the Chris Jericho deal when he was in NJPW years ago.
Speaking to Sportskeeda in late 2022, the two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion addressed what it will be like to be a free agent.
“Truthfully, I want to explore free agency. I just want to be free of a contract and a certain brand commitment, a sort of branding of any kind for a minute and just see what comes next.”
Nick Aldis.
At the time, Aldis also spoke about wanting to focus on his Legacy Sports Nutrition brand.
Where Next?
As a free agent, Aldis is able to field offers from any promotions, and we expect he will be in high demand.
Aldis has never worked with WWE, but it has been reported that he and WWE director Bruce Prichard did not get along when they were working in Impact Wrestling.
With that said, it will be WWE’s Head of Talent Relations Triple H who decides on whether Aldis is given an opportunity, something many fans believe will happen.
A return to Impact is possible given that Aldis knows he can reach the top of the promotion, and resigning with them would allow him the chance to work with his wife.
We’re just days away from Wrestle Kingdom 17, where we know Sasha Banks will be making an appearance. She is believed to have multiple dates with NJPW scheduled and is rumored to be Saraya’s mystery partner for the January 11 episode of AEW Dynamite.
She also recently finished filming her first movie in Boston. Banks said in an Instagram Live that a makeup brand along with tutorials are coming. As of today, she is free to take wrestling bookings.
Good morning. Mercedes Varnado is free to take wrestling bookings
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) January 1, 2023
Sasha Banks Files New Trademark
On December 1, she trademarked her real name, Mercedes Varnado. There’s been strong hints that she will use the name Mercedes Mone’ in wrestling. It’s a name she trademarked in November. On Christmas Day, she tweet “Mone Christmas”.
Through her company Soulnado, Inc., she trademarked Mone Banks. The filing is merchandise related and includes items such as jewelry, collectible printed trading cards, printed posters, coffee mugs, and clothing.
In addition, here are the other names she has trademarked:
– Mone’ Talks – Bank Mone’ – Statement Maker
Whatever Banks has up her sleeve, we should know more in just a few days.
The roller coaster year that AEW had in 2022 has come to a close.
Riding high from their 2021 ending, AEW went into 2022 with tons of momentum. Hangman Page was crowned the AEW World Champion, CM Punk returned to pro wrestling, and Bryan Danielson was delivering high quality pro wrestling matches on a weekly basis.
2022 gave AEW multiple new world champions, backstage controversy, and a fresh slate to close the year out. 2023 promises to bring more exciting storylines and matches that the promotion has hung its hat on since their inception in 2019.
Here are five of the most anticipated matches for AEW in 2023.
Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Page
Hangman Page is looking for revenge against Jon Moxley (AEW)
The parallels between Jon Moxley and Hangman Page are aplenty.
Both are former AEW World Champions, tough as nails, recently sober (in kayfabe for Hangman), and fathers to toddlers. On top of this, they were also across the ring from each other on the third-ever AEW Dynamite episode — a tag match where Kenny Omega and Page defeated PAC and Moxley.
Fast forward to 2021 as Hangman Page returned from paternity leave to win the Casino Ladder Match on October 6th for a shot at the AEW World Title. He battled with Jon Moxley on top of the ladder, ultimately knocking him off to secure the casino chip and title match.
October 18th, 2022. Jon Moxley knocked Hangman Page out with a lariat, giving him a concussion in the process, and retained his AEW World Championship in brutal fashion. Page has been seeking revenge ever since.
Grudges make tremendous bouts. This one is sure to be physical and likely with a lot at stake in the AEW main event picture moving forward.
Jade Cargill vs. Jamie Hayter
Picture a battle of the 2 most imposing women on the AEW roster, Jade Cargill being one of them.
The irresistible force meets the immovable object.
A Jade Cargill vs. Jamie Hayter match isn’t on the horizon for the early portion of 2023, but can you imagine if these two squared off? The athleticism and physicality in this bout would be tough to match on the women’s side of AEW.
Jade Cargill is currently the AEW TBS Champion and undefeated in the promotion. Jamie Hayter is the AEW Women’s Champion and on the biggest run of her career. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that these two women meet up in 2023.
It also would likely be for one of the championships that these women hold present day. The larger question would be: Which of these women will lose first this year? Both look to be poised for long title runs, and Jade Cargill has held the TBS title for nearly a calendar year already.
One way or another, look for the two most dominant women of last year to continue on their paths in 2023. Let’s speak this mammoth dream match into fruition as we look forward to the continued growth of Jade Cargill and Jamie Hayter this year.
MJF vs. Eddie Kingston
MJF has plenty of men breathing down his neck for his AEW world championship.
MJF is the current AEW World Champion. Can you picture a feud with fellow New Yorker Eddie Kingston?
Long Island vs. Yonkers. A cake eating, trust funded character vs. a man from the inner city with the street savvy to match. The contrast in how each man portrays themselves would build immense anticipation.
Then we move on to their exploits on the microphone. The promos alone between MJF and Eddie Kingston would make this a feud of the year candidate without physically interacting. Two of the very best talkers in pro wrestling, on top of their ability to make you feel something every time they talk or wrestle. Their styles and mouths sell themselves.
To go a step further, let’s book MJF vs. Eddie Kingston in September at the AEW Grand Slam show — which will resonate from Flushing Meadows, New York. Could you imagine the crowd responses and magic that would take place at that event?
Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson
Kenny Omega vs Bryan Danielson 2 in 2023?
Speaking of AEW Grand Slam, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson wrestled to a 30-minute draw in September of 2021 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The bout was lauded as a match of the year contender. Since then, fans have been salivating over the thought of their eventual rematch.
Omega would take nine months off to heal from injury after losing his AEW World Title in November of 2021. When he returned in August, his focus moved towards the AEW Trios Titles with his Elite running mates, The Young Bucks.
Danielson would eventually wrestle for the AEW World Championship twice in two months, includingwrestling to a 60-minute draw with Hangman Page. He would lose the return title bout on Dynamite in January 2022.
This is a rematch that doesn’t need a championship at stake for it to be another match of the year quality affair. The larger question is: Could they one-up what the two of them put together in their first AEW encounter?
The Elite vs. CM Punk and FTR
There is business to be made in a trio’s bout for the ages
This is the biggest boom or bust match on this list. A lot of it hinges on CM Punk rebuilding trust with AEW management and most importantly, the locker room.
Yet the opportunity presents itself for AEW to do the biggest piece of business in company history if Punk returns. The storyline sells itself. The Young Bucks and FTR are the two most decorated tag teams outside of the WWE promotion in the world today.
Both teams have each won a match against the other. You proceed to add Kenny Omega and CM Punk to this equation, two of the biggest presences in pro wrestling worldwide, fresh off a backstage encounter marred with controversy.
It was rumored over the summer that CM Punk and FTR were going to team up quite a bit, all while Punk was AEW World Champion. A match with The Elite at some point in time would’ve brought the house down — now you add personal stakes to it.
Only the parties involved in “The Brawl Out at All Out” know what really happened. If those damages can be repaired (with a lot of money on the line, they should be), the fans are in for one of the largest showdowns in professional wrestling this century.
Six men with chips on their shoulders to tear the house down and prove superiority in AEW would be at stake. If this is not the most anticipated match in AEW for 2023, it will only be due to the lack of cooperation on behalf of both parties’ sides to set it up.
Kenny Omega says his brief time training in WWE’s developmental system made him question himself and if he was truly destined to reach the top of the industry.
Omega is gearing up to face Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th. This feud between two of the best pro wrestlers in the world has been cultivated over the last year. He claims to be disgusted by the way New Japan has been operated since he left the promotion in 2019
Ospreay has arguably become the top Gaijin (foreigner) in NJPW since Omega’s departure. He claims that he’s carried the torch through the pandemic years. That he and the United Empire is the shot in the arm that New Japan needs.
Long before Kenny Omega established himself as one of the greatest wrestlers of his generation, the former IWGP & AEW champion was still finding his way. He wrestled for Deep South Wrestling, a former WWE developmental territory.
In October 2005, Omega was sent to Deep South Wrestling (DSW), WWE’s then-developmental territory for a tryout, after which he was offered a developmental contract and subsequently assigned to DSW full-time.
In August 2006, he requested his release from his contract. Omega later stated that his time in DSW was poor He particularly criticized promoters Bill DeMott, Jody Hamilton and trainer Bob Holly.
Questioning Everything
Omega spoke with Monthly Puroresu to hype Wrestle Kingdom. He spoke about his time in DSW, and what about it made him question if the wrestling he fell in love with still existed.
Kenny Omega: I never really did think that I had what it took. But the reason I went to the Harley Race camp in Elgin, Missouri was because it was for an opportunity to be implemented into the dojo system of Pro-Wrestling NOAH.
In the end, I was selected by Johnny Ace to go to WWE instead. And I thought, “Well, this is a different kind of opportunity, and maybe this is kind of where my destiny is guiding me towards, so I’m not going to ignore it.”
I did go into the WWE developmental system, Deep South Wrestling at the time, and it wasn’t for me. At that point I had thought maybe wrestling isn’t for me because I was thinking at the highest level, when it becomes more of a business rather than a passion. Maybe it isn’t what made me fall in love with wrestling to begin with.
Monthly Puroresu: You almost felt unsure of yourself. As we all know, even back then as a talent, you felt unsure of yourself going over there.
Kenny Omega: Right. I’ve understood myself going there. I felt unsure of my understanding of the professional wrestling business. I had thought some of the greatest talents, what made them successful was because they were so unique and special athletes in their own way and were in charge of their own character. And all of their wonderful ideas and all of these iconic moments in professional wrestling – you think that they came up with them all. And I think now looking back, I’m sure they did.
But when you go into the developmental system, at least it’s sort of drilled into you, “No, you’re not your own person. You’re our person! And we own you! And you do what we tell you to do!
Monthly Puroresu: They pigeonhole you into thinking, “This is what we think you should be and that’s what you’re going to be.”
Kenny Omega: Exactly. And my worry at that point was if this is what wrestling is, or if this is what it’s become, maybe this isn’t what I fell in love with. Maybe this isn’t my childhood dream anymore. Maybe I just need to consider doing something else. Or just give it up.
On to the Tokyo Dome
Kenny Omega has persevered through many trials and tribulations over the course of his two-decade career in professional wrestling. Over time, he learned that there are alternative options to make it big in the industry. That the WWE wasn’t the be all and end all of wrestling lore.
Be sure to tune in to Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th. Kenny Omega will face off with Will Ospreay at the Tokyo Dome in an early match of the year candidate.
Wrestling legend Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat isn’t interested in making a cameo appearance at WWE’s upcoming Royal Rumble premium live event.
Steamboat is retired from active competition, but did lace up the boots in November for the first time in 12 years. At a special event for Big Time Wrestling, Steamboat teamed with FTR to defeat Nick Aldis, Jay Lethal and Brock Anderson in a 6-man tag match. The finish came when the three babyfaces simultaneously applied figure-four-leglocks to the heels.
During a recent conversation with Bill Apter for Wrestlebinge, Steamboat was asked about the possibility of entering the 2023 Men’s WWE Royal Rumble match.
He was flattered by the suggestion that he could be part of the Rumble, but doesn’t feel that he can perform at that level anymore. The multiple-time World champion told Apter, “Thanks, but no thanks!”
Steamboat knows the fans would probably go nuts for what would undoubtedly be a memorable Royal Rumble moment. The Rumble is one of the biggest wrestling events of the year and Steamboat admitted, “I think it’s too big of a stage for me.”
Steamboat vs. Jericho
Ricky Steamboat came out of retirement at WWE Backlash 2009 when he faced Chris Jericho. It was his first singles match since 1994. He tells Bill Apter that he is proud of that match and believes he had a ‘really good showing.’
The match against Jericho was the last time the fans got to see the real Ricky Steamboat. He felt around 70% of his former self that night, which was enough for him to carry his weight and leave people with a lasting memory of how great he once was.
The Dragon will turn 70 years old on February 28. After a successful outing during the tag match with FTR in November, it’s probably a good thing that he’s got the self-awareness to quit while he’s ahead.
Shinsuke Nakamura’s step through the ‘forbidden door’ was a triumph for the WWE Superstar who defeated the Great Muta earlier today.
Nakamura’s involvement with Pro Wrestling NOAH’s at their ‘The New Year 2023’ event was announced in late October 2022 and at the time, Nakamura called it a “miracle.”
Muta, aka Keiji Mutoh, is currently on his retirement tour, which is set to end on February 21, 2023 at the Tokyo Dome.
Nakamura Vs. Muta
Given that Nakamura is a contracted WWE Superstar, there was a ton if intrigue going into this match.
Nakamura had a special entrance for the match which included unique attire and his WWE theme music.
The match itself was a fast-paced, physical affair, with Muta using his iconic green mist to gain the advantage.
After Nakamura kicked out of Muta’s shining wizard, the former WWE NXT Champion used a mist of his own, before finishing the legend off with a Kinshasha.
After the match, Nakamura thanked Muta, calling him his idol and the King of Strong Style celebrated in the ring.
The two wrestlers helped each other walk up the stage and posed while pyro went off, bringing the show to an end.
Backstage, an exhausted Nakamura was thankful for the miracle of getting to compete in one of Muta’s final matches.
