John Cena is slated to return to WWE television on the December 30 edition of SmackDown.
According to Fightful Select, there’s been talk of seeing him before then. Per the report, “there have been discussions within WWE and even plans to integrate Cena into upcoming episodes of SmackDown even before he arrives.”
Some of the talks included having a “video presence” of some sort, but the extent of that wasn’t known. That was one of the several things that were teased to hype up Smackdown this week.
The report added that the Cena appearance will be promoted heavily over the next two weeks and that they wanted to make the December 30 show a “must-watch.”
His Last Appearance
During Cena’s return on Raw for his 20th Anniversary celebration over the summer, he did not set up his match with Theory at SummerSlam, which had been speculated about because they had been publicly teasing a match.
Instead, nothing was announced regarding his WWE future, as Cena stated he wasn’t sure when he would wrestle again.
Shortly before WWE confirmed Cena would be appearing on this episode of SmackDown, it was reported that Cena was expected to work WrestleMania 39 although an opponent wasn’t mentioned.
Griff Garrison is on the mend after undergoing the knife.
The AEW star announced on Friday evening that he had surgery by tweeting that he “had to go under the knife,” but added that he’d be back in no time. The post also featured a picture of himself in a hospital bed. As of this writing, it’s unclear what the surgery was for and how long he’ll be out of action.
Garrison’s Last Match
Garrison has not wrestled since the AEW Dark taping in October, where he and Brian Pillman lost to QT Marshall and Cole Karter.
Garrison entered the pro wrestling business in 2016 after graduating from the Fire Star Pro Wrestling Academy in Greensboro, NC.
In 2020, Garrison started making appearances for AEW as he made his promotional debut on the June 10th edition of Dark, where he lost to Jimmy Havoc in a singles match.
Garrison was paired up with Brian Pillman Jr. in AEW, where they have found success as a tag team known as The Varsity Blonds. Both Pillman and Garrison were on tiered deals before
The tag team lost the rights to the “Varsity” name to Josh Woods and Tony Nese in October. As a result, they’re now simply The Blonds.
WWE SmackDown airs live tonight from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Roman Reigns returned and there were two title matches on tonight’s show.
WWE SmackDown Results
Damage CTRL def. Liv Morgan & Tegan Nox to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships
Gunther def. Ricochet to retain the Intercontinental Championship
Hit Row def. Legado Del Fantasma, Viking Raiders in a Triple Threat Tag Team match
Here are the takeaways from this week’s episode of SmacDown:
Xia Li Helped Damage CTRL Retain
Damage CTRL (IYO SKY and Dakota Kai) defended the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox to begin the show. Bayley was ringside for the match. Liv hit IYO with a Dropkick and taunted Dakota Kai. Liv grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring and started chasing Dakota around.
Tegan broke it up and tried to remind Liv that they can’t win the titles via DQ. Morgan and Nox sent Damage CTRL out of the ring. Tegan hit a Crossbody off the top turnbuckle as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Liv hit Dakota with a Dropkick and went after Iyo on the ring apron. Dakota caught Liv with a running kick and Iyo followed it up with a Powerbomb. Tegan broke up the cover but Kai hit her with a Pele Kick. Morgan hit Iyo with a DDT and Nox followed it up with a Shining Wizard but Kai broke up the cover at two.
Liv Morgan hit an awesome Sunset Flip Powerbomb off the ring apron but turned around into a Dropkick from IYO SKY. Nox hit a SKY with a Senton but IYO responded with a headbutt to knock Tegan out of the ring. Bayley attempted to interfere but Nox sent her over the barricade. A masked person hit Nox and Iyo followed it up with a Moonsault for the pinfall victory. It was revealed in a WWE Digital Exclusive that the masked person was Xia Li.
Sami Zayn said he needs a couple of minutes to get ready for the big night tonight. Jey Uso said to Jimmy that Roman Reigns will be making Sami a full-blown Uce tonight. Jimmy didn’t seem so sure and wondered if Jey had even talked to Roman yet. Jey avoided the question and simply said tonight is going to be good.
Jey Uso believes Roman Reigns is going to make Sami Zayn is full-fledged Uce tonight, but Jimmy isn’t so sure. Regardless, it’s going to be a “big night” for Sami #Smackdown
LA Knight came to the ring and called out Bray Wyatt. Knight said Bray is a former WWE Champion his recent return is one of the most talked about ever. LA mocked Wyatt for doing nothing since his return and challenged him to come to the ring so he can stomp him out.
Bray Wyatt made his way to the entrance ramp and said he was sick of LA Knight. He added that he is sick of this game they keep playing and once again denied that he attacked him. Wyatt added that they both know how this story ends. LA attacked Bray and stomped him down to the canvas in the corner of the ring.
Uncle Howdy appeared on the screen and said “little pig, what have you done? You want to see something really scary?” and disappeared from the screen. Knight kicked Wyatt again and noises started playing. Uncle Howdy appeared on the entrance ramp and laughed as LA Knight retreated to end the segment.
Gunther defended the Intercontinental Championship against Ricochet tonight on SmackDown. The Ring General went for a Clothesline to start off the match but Ricochet was able to dodge it. Gunther took Ricochet down and unloaded several punches. The champ went for a submission hold but Ricochet escaped to the ropes.
The Ring General went for a chop but Ricochet dodged it. Ricochet applied a Headlock but Gunther quickly escaped. Ricochet stayed on the attack and beat the champ down against the turnbuckle as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Ricochet was in control and hit a Shooting Star Press off the top rope but couldn’t keep Gunther down for three. The Ring General battled back and hit a Powerbomb but somehow Ricochet kicked out at two. Gunther followed it up with a Powersla for the pinfall victory and retained the Intercontinental Championship.
After the match, Imperium surrounded Ricochet and set up for an attack but Braun Strowman made the save. Braun raised Ricochet’s hand and fired up the crowd.
Roman Reigns & Sami Zayn Tag Team Match Announced for Dec. 30th
Jimmy Uso talked to Roman Reigns backstage and said if he doesn’t want to make Sami an Uso tonight he understands because of his past with Kevin Owens. Jimmy added that Sami is his dog though but he loves the family. Roman then told Paul Heyman to bring him WWE Official Adam Pearce as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Roman said he wanted to team up with Sami Zayn against Kevin Owens on a partner of his choosing. Heyman suggested December 30th as the date for the match. Solo Sikoa got in Pearce’s face and he exited the room.
Hit Row, Viking Raiders, and Legado Del Fantasma battled in a Triple Threat tag team match. Cruz Del Toro and hit Top Dolla with a flip off the top rope for a near fall. Erik hit Del Toro with a German Suplex and everyone brawled out of the ring.
Top Dolla botched a dive over the top rope in embarrassing fashion, but Hit Row somehow still emerged with a pinfall victory. It was announced The Usos will defend against Hit Row next week. Top Dolla appeared to be in pain after the botch, and next week’s episode of SmackDown is being taped later tonight so it will be interesting to see if he wrestles later.
Emma, Raquel Rodriguez, Tegan Nox, Sonya Deville, and Xia Li will compete in a Gauntlet Match next week. The winner will earn a shot at Ronda Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler attacked Raquel in the trainers room this week.
John Cena Will Be Kevin Owens’ Partner on the Final SmackDown of the Year
The Bloodline made their way to the ring at the end of this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Roman Reigns asked the crowd to acknowledge him before bragging about The Bloodline dominating WarGames.
Reigns said tonight was going to be a good night for Sami Zayn but they have a Kevin Owens problem. John Cena interrupted on the jumboton and said he got a text from Kevin Owens tonight and will be his partner on the final edition of SmackDown on December 30th. Cena announced that he will be Owens’ partner on the final SmackDown of the year.
Triple H is gearing up for his first WWE WrestleMania in charge of creative after Vince McMahon decided to retire due to the hush money scandal.
Since taking over creative, fans believe WWE has changed for the better. WrestleMania 39 will be a two-night show, set to take place on April 1st and 2nd at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that the company has already started discussing multiple ideas for top talent.
Where Things Stand
Graphic Credit: Business Wire
Meltzer wrote, “regarding stories that the WrestleMania card is finalized, we are told that there are multiple ideas for Mania cards in discussion and every top act has multiple different things under discussion right now.”
As previously reported, WWE has locked in plans for Brock Lesnar. WWE is hoping to have The Rock, Steve Austin, and John Cena wrestle at the show.
The speculation is that if WWE can’t get The Rock to come back to do a match with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns then Cody Rhodes may fill that rople. There’s also been talk of having Reigns wrestle on both nights of the show against both stars on different nights.
It is December 16th, do you know what that means? It is Brodie Lee’s birthday.
The former TNT Champion passed away in December 2020 at just 41 years old. His wife, Amanda Huber, works on the promotion’s Community Outreach program. His son, Brodie Lee Jr., portrays -1 in Dark Order. Today would have been Brodie’s 43rd birthday.
Happy birthday baby.
We miss you more than I can say. Every. Single. Day.
You’d be so proud of who Brodie and Nolan have become. You’d be so proud of who I’ve become.
I’d give anything for us to have one more day with you.
Brodie Lee was known as Luke Harper in WWE during his time with the promotion. He was a part of The Wyatt Family, as well as the tag team The Bludgeon Brothers with Erick Rowan. Former Wyatt Family member Braun Strowman took to Twitter to send a happy birthday wish and noted that everyone misses him.
“It’s Friday!!!!!! You know what that means. Happy birthday brother. We miss you.”
It’s Friday!!!!!! You know what that means. Happy birthday brother. We miss you. pic.twitter.com/4gfjIhLCu8
WWE had a live event in Rochester, New York earlier this month and Seth Rollins honored Brodie in his hometown.
He passed away a couple of years ago around this time and this is the first time I have been here with a microphone in my hand in this city to tell him how much I miss him and how much I love him.
I just wanted to say tonight was for him, every time we are in Rochester, in my heart, that means we’re here for him. It’s Saturday, and you know what that means, so do your damn thing and sing my song.
Brodie Lee’s final match was on October 7th, 2020. He dropped the TNT Championship to Cody Rhodes in a Dog Collar match. AEW celebrated the life of The Exalted One on the December 30, 2020 edition of Dynamite from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville.
What are some of your favorite moments of Brodie Lee/Luke Harper’s professional wrestling career? Let us know in the comments section below.
Chris Jericho has his next movie project lined up as he is set to lead cast in a wrestling-themed horror movie, “Dark Match.”
Deadline reported today that Jericho will star with Ayisha Issa (Transplant), Steven Ogg (The Walking Dead), Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries), Michael Eklund (Wynonna Earp) and Jonathan Cherry (Goon) in the movie.
The Dept. 9 Studios film, which recently wrapped in Edmonton, Canada, is written and directed by Lowell Dean (Wolfcop) and is produced by John MacDonald who also serves as one of the executive producers along with Jericho. Don Depoe and Michael Feehan, who are also Dept.9 producers, are joined by Rhonda Baker (The Grudge) and Michael Peterson.
The Synopsis
(via AEW)
The movie sees a small-time wrestling company accept a high-paying gig in a backwoods town, only to discover when they arrive that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader with devious plans for their match.
Jericho previously starred in Terrifier 2 which was released in October that saw him portray a nurse. It became a hit at the box office, grossing $11.5 million.
The ROH Final Battle event was headlined by Jericho defending the ROH World Title against Claudio Castagnoli which saw Jericho drop the championship back to Claudio.
Chris Jericho is arguably AEW’s top act and the biggest name on the roster since the start of the promotion in 2019.
TBS is also well aware of that value as Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Tony Khan had always planned Jericho vs. Claudio Castagnoli would close out the ROH Final Battle event on December 10. However, Khan did receive a little pushback.
Jericho dropped the ROH World Title to Claudio at Final Battle. Per the report, “[TBS SVP] Sam Linsky and TBS actually were at first against Jericho, as one of the top guys in AEW, appearing on this PPV show.”
Agreement
(AEW)
There was a point where Jericho was scheduled to lose the ROH World Title in the fatal 4-way bout at Full Gear in November to Claudio. However, they ultimately changed it when everyone got on the same page.
The stakes were high for Castagnoli at Final Battle as his future in the Blackpool Combat Club was on the line. The stipulation stated that if Castagnoli would have lost his Final Battle fight, he would have had to join The Jericho Appreciation Society.
Jericho started off his reign by defeating Castagnoli before he defended it against several names, including Dalton Castle, Bandido, and Colt Cabana.
Ring of Honor presented its third and final pay-per-view event of 2022 with Final Battle last weekend. It closed up the first year under Tony Khan’s ownership and creative vision for the brand.
The early estimates are in for ROH Final Battle. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the show drew over 25,000 pay-per-view buys (19,000 streaming and 6,400 cable) based on first-week estimates, which are “always low in the end by five to 10 percent.”
The other pay-per-view events for ROH this year were ROH Supercard of Honor in April, with 23,000 buys, and ROH Death Before Dishonor in July, with 37,000 buys.
Other Metrics
This edition was the biggest PPV number, and the highest attended ROH Final Battle in company history.
The show reportedly drew 2,700 fans, with 2,500 paid at the College Park Center.
The show featured a loaded lineup, including the highly praised double dog collar match for the ROH World Tag Team Titles between The Briscoes (Mark & Jay Briscoe) against FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) that saw FTR drop the titles.
It was headlined by Chris Jericho defending the ROH World Title against Claudio Castagnoli. Jericho dropped the championship back to Claudio.
Matt Cardona has successfully rebuilt himself after his WWE release in 2020. He is one of the stars that has helped fill the gap in the independent circuit left by people like The Elite and others after they signed exclusive contracts. His advice for anyone wanting to replicate the success is very simple – to get good at the basics and let things breathe.
The former WWE star recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet. Talking about his advice for young talent on the indies, Cardona mentioned how it’s important to have moments in your match that can go viral. At the same time, you need to get good with the basics and know how to tell a story in a match. The former IC Champion then revealed what he learned during his time in WWE that has helped him get over in the indies:
“Slow the fuck down. Seriously. You gotta imagine, this is what I tell guys too. Let’s say you do a move and you’re both selling and it seems like you’re selling for eternity but in TV land, the commentators are telling the story, the cameras are going from one facial expression to the other guy. So relax a little bit. [It] doesn’t have to be like move, move, move, move, move, move move. There’s a time and a place to go balls to the walls, but you also gotta let the people digest what they just saw.”
‘People Have Given Up On Impact’: Matt Cardona
Matt Cardona also talked about his time with Impact Wrestling and said that he doesn’t know what his future with the company is. The former Digital Media champion put over the promotion for their storylines and roster but agreed with the criticism that their product is hard to find:
“I think it’s great. I think that the roster is awesome. I think that [the] actual show if people watch it, it’s an awesome show, where things make sense in the storylines. They actually have a beginning, middle and end. I just think a lot of people have given up on impact and they don’t want to give it another chance and it’s a shame because it’s a great, great product. It’s another problem, it’s fucking impossible to find it. Like I’m on the goddamn show. I can’t watch it.”
You can check out Matt Cardona’s full interview below:
Wrestling fans can expect All Elite Wrestling’s flagship shows to have a new look and feel in the very near future.
In recent months, Warner Bros. Discovery and AEW President Tony Khan decided it’s time to change the overall look and presentation of Dynamite and Rampage. Those changes will be rolled out at some point in January, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
AEW’s recent hiring of Michael Mansury is a big part of this initiative. Mansury previously worked as WWE’s VP of Global Television Production and will serve as Tony Khan’s new Senior Vice President and Co-Executive Producer.
Mansury is considered a “tremendous asset” who is universally well-liked. He worked for WWE from 2009 through 2020. At one time, he was being groomed to be Kevin Dunn’s successor. Many felt he’d replace Dunn whenever Vince McMahon stepped away from WWE, but Mansury didn’t wait that long.
One WWE source told the Observer, Mansury rose ‘too quickly’ through the ranks, which led Dunn to feel threatened and ‘covertly’ make his life very difficult.
AEW’s New Look and Feel
What will this “new look and feel” entail? AEW’s television productions involve many elements, including the the set and staging, lighting, graphics and video packages, music, camera angles, audio, and more.
Dynamite has undergone subtle changes since premiering in October 2019, but it sounds like we’ll be seeing the most significant shakeup to date in just a matter of weeks.
AEW recently brought in Renee Paquette, who has enhanced the broadcast team and by extension, the presentation of the shows.
With AEW’s next round of TV deals approaching, it makes sense for the company to freshen things up now in hopes of being in a better position during negotiations.
Dax Harwood says 2022 was the greatest year of his life and it was capped off by a match he calls his masterpiece.
FTR is widely regarded as one of the greatest tag teams in the world and they’ve held the gold to prove it. Some would argue that All Elite Wrestling could have featured them more prominently this year, but Harwood and Wheeler’s excellence is undeniable. Their tag team record currently stands at 7-3-1 for the year and they’re 6-0 in trios matches.
As the year winds down, Harwood took a chance to look back at the highs and lows of the past twelve months and ponder what the future holds for pro wrestling’s Top Guys. It wasn’t an easy year, but that’s part of what made it so rewarding for him.
2022 and Looking Ahead to 2023
On Friday, December 16, Dax Harwood posted a touching message on social media reflecting on how proud he is of FTR’s work this year and their latest classic against the Briscoe Brothers last weekend at ROH Final Battle.
“Artists have the one piece they’re the most proud of, and that’s their Masterpiece,” said Harwood. “This was my Masterpiece. Watching it, honest to God, I’ve laughed, I’ve cringed, and I’ve cried. Over every other match I’ve had, this is the one I’m the most proud of.”
– Dax Harwood
2022 brought a wide range of emotions, including anger, frustration, joy and pain. He doesn’t know what next year will bring, but he’s grateful for the fans who have supported FTR through it all. He gives his word that he’ll do everything in his power to make sure fans are as entertained as ever.
Chris Jericho is setting the record straight on how much money he made during his high-profile run with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
When Jericho left WWE in 2017, wrestling fans didn’t think much of it at the time. He came and went from WWE several times over the years, a practice that helped keep him fresh and always left fans wanting more. Nobody expected what would happen later that year, when Jericho popped up in NJPW for a feud with Kenny Omega. They did huge business together and NJPW is still profiting off that run to this day from subscribers to their NJPW World streaming service. Jericho was paid handsomely and rightfully so.
NJPW’s gamble to bring in an expensive star from WWE paid off. The promotion will soon attempt to catch lightning in a bottle once again. Sasha Banks is expected to attend Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4 and work a series of dates for NJPW.
How Much Did Chris Jericho Make in Japan?
Earlier this week, Dave Meltzer reported that Sasha Banks will be the highest-paid performer in the history of NJPW. She’ll be earning more than she did in WWE (on a per-show basis) – allegedly more than Chris Jericho was paid. Meltzer pegged this figure at $100,000 per match. Jericho caught wind of this claim and says it’s not true.
The inaugural AEW World Champion says this notion is “completely wrong” and he didn’t make a flat rate per appearance. Instead, his pay was determined based on the success of the shows he wrestled on.
“I never had a flat per appearance deal, I was paid according to the event.”
– Chris Jericho
He added that he made more per NJPW event than he did for most of his WrestleMania matches, which is quite a statement.
Jericho is known to be a savvy businessman and proved this once again by negotiating a great deal for himself in Japan. Certain Hollywood stars negotiate a percentage of box office receipts as part of their compensation for appearing in movies. Jericho took the same route, knowing his popularity would drive fans to spend money on his NJPW matches.
For the record, the money I reportedly made during my run with @njpw1972 from 2018-2020 online currently is completely wrong. I never had a flat per appearance deal, I was paid according to the event. And I made more per event than I did for MOST of my Wrestlemania matches.
Sasha Banks and WWE were nowhere close to reaching a deal as the promotion no longer see potential in her, the Wrestling Observer Newletter reports.
This month, it was reported that Banks will appear for New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 event on January 4.
The former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion hasn’t appeared for WWE since walking out of the May 16, Raw over a creative dispute.
Negotiations
For months, it was believed that Banks and WWE would reach an agreement that would facilitate her return to the promotion.
The Observer reports that the two sides were not close on money and that the only deal reached in the summer was for her to leave.
Banks did return to the negotiating table after Vince McMahon’s retirement in July, and despite belief of a “done deal” at the time, the two remained far apart on money.
Horsewomen
It is unclear how much exactly Banks was seeking from WWE, but the Observer writes that it was a number close to the levels of Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
WWE at the time did not see Banks as somebody who would be on top for the next five years, and instead, believe that she has already peaked as a wrestler.
The company acknowledged that if they did bring her back, there would be a ‘honeymoon’ period of fan support for her, but believed that would not be long-lasting.
It is believed within WWE that Banks could make a fine singles or tag champion, but she is far from a name WWE can build a women’s division around.
Dave Meltzer writes that New Japan cannot afford to pay anywhere close to her WWE deal, but that she will earn more per appearance than for WWE.
Mandy Rose was released from WWE this week, and the promotion reportedly did not give her a chance to make things right.
Rose was released on Wednesday, 24 hours after dropping the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez on this week’s episode of WWE NXT.
The Toxic Attraction member was cut over NSFW content she had shared on her personal website with subscribers.
Mandy Rose
Rose’s departure came as a shock to fans given how popular she had proven to be as NXT Women’s Champion for the past year.
The former Superstar was fired without being given the option to take the stuff down and tone down her site, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports.
Those in the company felt that had no other choice than to fire her because she was an active performer on the roster, and unlike the Saraya situation, these photos had been posted willingly.
The Observer reports that during one stream, Rose threatened to end the stream if she was not tipped $400 for her performance.
Rose is gone from WWE, and many both in and out of the company believe this is the wrong decision.
While nobody has directly mentioned her, WWE talent have been sharing posts of support, in a rare example of going against management.
Cora Jade posted a heart after news of Rose’s departure was announced, while her Toxic Attraction partners Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne shared images of broken hearts.
Those in WWE are concerned that Vince McMahon’s return could “cripple the entire company” if it goes ahead.
This week, it was reported that McMahon is planning a comeback, believing that he was given bad advice to retire in July of this year.
McMahon believes that the allegations of misconduct leveled against him in June would have blown over if he had stayed in his roles as CEO and Chairman.
Cripple the Company
McMahon’s potential return to WWE has been met with universal disdain, both from fans and those within the company.
The opinion within WWE is that the promotion has been doing very well under the current regime of Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that one longtime Vince supporter is against the idea, fearing that McMahon could “upend the entire Board.”
That same source said that removing the entire Board would likely lead to class action shareholder lawsuits that would “cripple the entire company.”
McMahon Power
Vince McMahon may have retired in July, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have some power.
McMahon owns 37.6% of all WWE stock (as of this past summer) but because his stock is determined differently, this gives him 80% of the voting power.
One source in WWE noted that McMahon stands to make a fortune in stock sales if he allows TV negotiations to go smoothly, which isn’t as likely with rumors of his possible return to the company.
Drew McIntyre’s career in WWE started off on a high note. Vince McMahon himself hailed him as ‘The Chosen One’ and he looked all set to be the next star of the company. Things didn’t go as planned however and after the initial run, McIntyre slowly descended into the card until he reached the very bottom as part of the 3MB stable.
Though, according to the former WWE Champion himself, his inclusion in 3MB wasn’t meant to be a demotion and instead it was an effort from Vince McMahon to bring some personality out of him.
The WWE star was recently interviewed by Faction 919 where he talked about the different stages and milestones of his career. Speaking about his time in 3MB, Drew mentioned how there were many names suggested for the group but Vince chose him and Jinder Mahal to accompany Heath Slater:
“Vince McMahon looked at the ideas and went ‘these are kind of the obvious ones’ but he doesn’t think like everybody else.” said Drew McIntyre, “He went ‘No, no, I wanna see Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal.’ The two most serious guys, serious characters who have not shown anything but being serious.
Because he wants to see what we’ve got and gave us the opportunity [for] our personalities to shine a little more. In WWE, you can’t just be the same forever. It gets boring. You can’t just be angry all the time. Even when you’re winning titles. I was winning titles and just scowling all the time, for some reason, because I just wasn’t relaxed. I felt like I had to be that badass all the time.”
‘He Was Trying To Bring Something Out Of Us’: Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre recalled that he was plagued by personal issues at the time and wasn’t fit to be put in the top position in the company. He revealed that there were bigger plans in place for 3MB that couldn’t materialize because he got injured:
“He was trying to bring something out of us while at the same time couldn’t trust us in a prominent role. But [thought] ‘Okay, let’s see if these guys can come out of their shell a little bit more with Heath’ and that’s why 3MB was put together.
I had a broken wrist at the time, didn’t realize I needed surgery. So he did have bigger plans than ended up materializing, but six weeks after we formed, I had to get wrist surgery. I couldn’t touch anyone for about six months. So that kind of put the 3MB in the ground before we even started.”
You can check out Drew McIntyre’s full interview below:
Why was Mandy Rose released from WWE NXT this week? Well, it depends on who you ask.
Rose was released from the company on Wednesday, a day after losing the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez.
The former champion was released after WWE learned of the NXFW content she has been sharing with subscribers of her website.
Request?
All signs have pointed to Rose being released against her wishes, but that’s not what some in WWE are trying to claim.
Some sources in the company are trying to put the story out that Rose requested her release two weeks ago, Fightful Select report.
Fightful added that they have not been given any indication that this claim is true.
Those close to Mandy Rose claim she was in good spirits at the NXT show Tuesday night, as well as immediately following the release.
It is believed that Rose will be just fine from a financial standpoint, given that she is earning more with her online content than as a WWE Superstar.
Toxic Attraction
Prior to her release, Rose had spent over a year as the leader of Toxic Attraction, aligning herself with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne.
In their report, Fightful adds that the group had been considered several times for the main roster, and had impressed a lot of people of influence.
With that said, there were no active plans for the group to be called up to the main roster at the time of Rose’s release from the company.
Braun Strowman may be a WWE Superstar once more, but the former Universal Champion could still control his narrative if the situation arose.
Strowman was released from WWE in June 2021, and would begin Control Your Narrative with EC3 in February of this year.
The promotion, heavily inspired by Fight Club, earned mixed reviews from fans, many of whom felt that the company took itself far too seriously.
Control Your Narrative
In March, Control Your Narrative hosted its first event, which saw EC3 and Strowman (going by real name Adam Scherr) win the main event tag-team match.
Speaking to Shakiel Mahjouri this week, Strowman spoke about the financial side of Control Your Narrative.
“It was all financed by me and EC3. All the money that we ever made which wasn’t much, we put right back into the company. I was a firm believer in making sure if you wrestled on one of our shows that you got paid. Because this industry is so cutthroat.”
Strowman added that he is still an owner of the company, and appreciates the time he spent with CYN.
“We get to travel around the world and fight with our friends and make money doing it and how could you not? It’s every five-year-old’s dream and it was just an opportunity to try and help others live theirs and unfortunately, like I said — it’s something that I still own, CYN.”
The Future of Control Your Narrative
Control Your Narrative hasn’t hosted an event since July, and the future of the promotion looks very uncertain.
After Strowman’s WWE return in September of this year, EC3 confirmed that a planned tour of Control Your Narrative had been postponed, and no future dates have been announced.
In the interview, Braun said “who knows what’s gonna happen” with CYN, but for now, he is just happy to be ‘home’ in WWE.
December 14 was the 14th anniversary of Jeff Hardy winning his first and only WWE Championship. In route to becoming champion, Hardy was rumored to win the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 24.
On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, it focuses on the road to the WWE Championship for Jeff. On the March 3 episode of RAW, Jeff is a guest on Chris Jericho’s “Highlight Reel” when Jericho attacked him from behind. Shortly thereafter, Jeff dropped the Intercontinental Championship to Jericho. This was due to a failed drug test and 60-day suspension as it was his second violation.
Matt Explains What Happened
Jeff Hardy
Matt confirmed the rumor that his brother was scheduled to win the ladder match and they had decided to make him champion. Freddie Prinze, Jr. was part of creative at this time and had been tasked with making Jeff the WWE Champion.
“I know Freddie Prinze had been given this edict to get Jeff ready for the championship. This was around the time too that he had started to paint his face again. I think they started to lean into some stuff that was very Jeff Hardy-ish.”
“Jeff was in Mexico on an international tour and its at some point there he ended up taking something, some sort of pill or substance — I don’t know if it was for his back or whatever it was — but he ended up getting popped in a drug test. One of the things I remember from the story is that Michael Hayes called him at home and was like, ‘what is going on here? I can’t believe you did all this. Vince is going to call you in a few minutes, so be ready to answer the phone.’ Vince called and was like, ‘what the fuck have you done?’ I guess they taiked it through and Jeff said they spoke for a while and they seemed to be kosher. Jeff just apologized and regretted taking it.”
Matt Speaks on Jeff Hardy Plane Incident
Matt also discussed the “Nashville incident” where Jeff was removed from a plane by police. The brothers and Shane Helms had been celebrating someone’s birthday the night before and stayed up too late. The next day, Jeff managed to get either liquor or beer and was “buzzed.”
Matt tried to get his brother to eat and Jeff smashed the sausage biscuit into the ground while laughing. Matt & Helms told him to “be cool.” Jeff talked to everyone that was boarding and someone with the airline realized he might be drunk. They asked him to leave and he said no, he’d just sleep on the flight. He was the escorted off the plane by police. This incident upset some of the locker room and Jeff lost some support.
Jeff eventually beat Edge and the WWE Champion Triple H at Armageddon, even though Triple H didn’t think Jeff was reliable enough to be champion. Matt says seeing his brother become WWE Champion was one of the highlights of his career.
Wrestling veteran Jim Cornette recently discussed Vince McMahon trying to return to WWE and noted that it might not be the best thing for the company.
Vince McMahon resigned from the company in July on Twitter. The 77-year-old cited his age as the reason for him stepping away while news of alleged hush money payments to former female employees came to light.
Former EVP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis was dismissed during the scandal. Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon have been named co-CEOs of the company and Triple H has gained more power than ever since Vince stepped away.
Speaking on episode 273 of Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru, the legendary promoter and manager spoke about Vince possibly attempting to return to the company. Cornette noted that Vince has likely been working on a way to get himself back in WWE for some time now.
Vince wasn’t gonna not work. Vince has been working on something, he’s probably been working on figuring out how to get back to work. But he has been working on something. He has been occupying his time with something.
Jim Cornette
He added that Vince probably thought this whole thing was going to blow over and always planned to come back when he announced his retirement on social media.
He thought it was going to blow over. He wasn’t going to put it over, and then someone got to him with how serious it was, that this is going to be bad if something doesn’t happen.
And he acquiesced to it, and then he started getting bored, and now he wants something to f***ing do. And you cannot stop Vince McMahon from either working or working on a way to start working again.
Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette on if Vince McMahon Returning to WWE Would Benefit the Company
Co-host Brian Last asked if Vince McMahon coming back to WWE would be good for the company and Cornette pointed out how many people have wanted to come back to WWE now that Triple H has gained power.
Cornette added that Triple H is trying to get WWE out of the “goofy funk” they were in during Vince’s final stretch as CEO of the company.
All we’ve been talking about for a couple of months now or more, guys want to go back and work for Triple H. I think he’s brought back some that he probably has buyer’s remorse on some that he’s brought back, but they want to come back and work for him.
And some more will follow. You know, Regal, etc. They didn’t want to work for Vince because he had gone out of his mind and Max Dupree was an example, and Ezekiel.
It’s bad creatively because RAW or SmackDown is not setting the world on fire with the ratings either, but at least they are trying to do something to get out of that goofy funk they were in the last little while with Vince.
The old guys that made a ton of money with Vince and worked with him before he lost his mind apparently, they love him. So no, I think Vince for PR, for creative, and potentially just for hiring, he needs to be separated from that situation.
But it’s his. How can you separate him if he don’t want to be separated?
Jim Cornette
Please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru with a H/T to SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.
Bayley squared off against Alexa Bliss this past Monday on RAW in a #1 contender’s match. During the match, Alexa Bliss went for a Hurricanrana but it didn’t go well and both superstars crashed to the canvas in an awkward fashion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yrCG78NdGU
The Role Model spoke about the incident during a recent Instagram Live and explained how the move went wrong.
I was taking a move from the girl [Bliss] I was wrestling, and it just kind of got wonky. It got wonky to the point where I lost my footing, and we both landed on our heads. We weren’t knocked out or anything, but we were like, ‘ oh that sucked and didn’t look good.’
We just tried to get back on the same page, but we didn’t know where we were going. We were so flustered by it – she and I literally went for the same move, which made us collide heads again.
I just had to give her a clothesline and just had to stop. I just said, ‘alright, let’s just stop and slow down a little bit.’
Bianca Belair on Alexa Bliss Almost Attacking Her on RAW
Alexa Bliss won the #1 contenders match after Becky Lynch attacked Damage CTRL ringside. Becky battled with IYO SKY and Dakota Kai through the crowd and it distracted Bayley. Alexa capitalized and hit Twisted Bliss for the pinfall victory.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair congratulated Alexa after the match but Bliss almost hit her with Sister Abigail out of nowhere before stopping herself.
Bianca was interviewed after RAW and stated that she was reminded that Alexa Bliss is still a competitor and that she won’t be caught off guard again.
She showed me a side of her that… I have no words for it.
I’m still trying to figure out what that was, is this what is going to be, is this a phase?
We’ll have to see. But at the end of the day, we are competitors. So once we step into the ring there are no friends and I have to remember that.
Next time we step in the ring, I have to show her that I’m the EST of WWE, and we are going to compete, but that is not going to happen again.
Roman Reigns will be returning to WWE SmackDown tomorrow night and has sent a message to fans ahead of the show.
The Tribal Chief has not appeared since WWE Survivor Series WarGames. At the premium live event, Sami Zayn proved his worth to The Bloodline and hit Kevin Owens with a low blow. The Honorary Uce followed it up with a Helluva Kick and then stepped aside to allow Jey Uso to have the moment. Jey connected with a Frog Splash on KO to pick up the victory for The Bloodline.
8 Best Moments from WWE Survivor Series WarGames
Ahead of tomorrow’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns took to Twitter to send a message to the WWE Universe. Reigns claimed he and The Bloodline are the best in the world and it isn’t even close.
Sami Zayn Set for a Big Night This Week on SmackDown
The Usos defended their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes on last Friday’s edition of SmackDown. Sami Zayn was ringside and once again was crucial to the success of The Bloodline.
Jimmy and Jey isolated Butch in the ring and planted him with the 1D. Sheamus attempted to break up the cover but couldn’t get there in time because Sami was holding The Celtic Warrior back and the referee didn’t catch it.
After the match, Sami had a conversation with Jey Uso backstage. Jey has warmed up to The Honorary Uce following his actions at WarGames and told him that he should shave and get a haircut. Jey added that Sami is in for a big night on this week’s SmackDown and Zayn looked overjoyed to end the segment.
Braun Strowman is a freak of nature and proves that on a weekly basis on WWE television. He lifted The Nigerian Giant Omos up with ease at Crown Jewel and regularly displays athleticism that is not common for a man of his size. The 39-year-old is one of the last giants in wrestling and believes he is carrying on a fading tradition.
Giants will always have their place in wrestling but superstars are required to be more than just tall to get over with the crowd nowadays.
Strowman told Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports that he is one of the last few of a “dying breed” and is carrying on the tradition of giants in wrestling in his mind.
Andre the Giant is sports entertainment. He is the reason why this industry is what it is. It’s world-renowned as a global entity. When you talk about WWE, you cannot mention this company without saying Andre the Giant.
So from him to the Big Show to Kane to Undertaker to Mark Henry to all these other giant men that have come and gone in this business, I’m one of the very last few of a dying breed of these dinosaurs, as I like to call it. So in my mind, I’m carrying on a tradition and a legacy that is fading.
Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman on Wanting to Show More of His Personality
The Monster of All Monsters drew the ire of fellow wrestlers after he poked fun at “flippy floppy” wrestlers following his impressive win at WWE Crown Jewel. Now, Braun himself has told CBS Sports that he can do a Moonsault but only if it is the right time.
I can do one, not a problem. It’s not a matter of being able to do one, it’s a matter of doing it at the right time.
Braun Strowman
Strowman added that even though he looks imposing, he’s a loving an articulate human in real life.
I look like this big, imposing, scary monster, but at the end of the day, I’m a passionate, caring, loving, outspoken human being. I’m not only able to portray I want to be able to be the monster side of things, but I want to show the world that there is more than it meets the eye. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
New details have emerged regarding Sasha Banks’ (Mercedes Varnado) reported exit from WWE and her potential deal with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
According to Fightful Select, WWE and Sasha Banks negotiated her exit from the company several months ago, around the time Wrestling Inc’s Raj Giri tweeted that he was hearing she had been released.
I'm hearing Sasha Banks has been released. I don't know if it's he requested it or if it was on WWE's end
It should be noted that WWE has not confirmed Sasha’s release and she is still listed on the roster on the company’s website.
Fightful added that Sasha can take wrestling-related bookings starting on January 1st, and several conventions considered rebranding as “entertainment” conventions rather than pro wrestling in an effort to try and book her before the start of 2023.
Her deal with New Japan Wrestling is a “go” and was reportedly agreed upon in November. Sources told Fightful that they hadn’t heard anything regarding Mercedes and All Elite Wrestling, but that does not mean the 30-year-old won’t appear in the promotion.
Sasha Banks Teases Fans That “Something Crazy is Coming”
The Boss sent out a video ahead of Crown Jewel that led fans to speculate that she would be making an appearance at the premium live event. Sasha did not appear at Crown Jewel or at WWE Survivor Series in her hometown on November 26th.
She stated that she was taking November to prepare for making all her dreams happen and that the date she has been waiting for is approaching. Banks added that there will be something “so f***ing crazy coming”.
And I can’t wait, but I’m really going to make the most of this November to make all my dreams happen in preparation for this date that I’ve been waiting for.
I’m very excited and I hope you guys come along for this journey, which I know a lot of you have been with me for so long. So thank you.
But I just want to let you know that there is going to be something so f***ing crazy coming!
“The day is coming that I’ve been waiting for for the past 6 months — There’s going to be something so fucking crazy coming”
Over the last month, Shotzi has been in a feud with Ronda Rousey on WWE television.
Shotzi challenged for Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship at Survivor Series WarGames, but came up short.
WWE shot an angle recently before an episode of SmackDown where Shotzi was shown lying in the parking lot while holding her hand and screaming in pain as Rousey and Shayna Bazsler walked away., implying that Rousey and Shayna slammed Shotzi’s arm in a car door, injuring it in the process. Rousey and Baszler injured Raquel Rodriguez’s arm a couple of weeks prior.
Reality
Shotzi was pulled from television and later shared an X-ray of her hand to show the broken bones. While at first, it looked like the injury was just part of the storyline, that’s not the case.
According to a report by Pwinsider.com, the injury is legit and led to the angle in the first place. The extent of her injury and how she got injured is not known at this time.
The injury came at a bad time as she was being pushed on the main roster with her tank along for the ride.
We wish her a speedy recovery and hope to see her back in the ring soon.
