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AEW Rampage Results (12/9/22): Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Trent Seven, Final Battle Go-Home Show

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage aired on TNT tonight and was taped Wednesday night in Cedar Park, Texas.It was the final show before ROH Final Battle tomorrow afternoon at 4PM Eastern.

  • ROH Final Battle 2022 Preview

Rampage Results (12/9/22)

  • Jon Moxley def. Konosuke Takeshita
  • Hikaru Shida def. The Bunny to retain the Regina Di Wave Women’s Title & earned a shot at the AEW Women’s Championship
  • The Firm def. enhancement talent
  • Orange Cassidy def. Trent Seven to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Jon Moxley def. Konosuke Takeshita in a Great Match & Brawled With Hangman Adam Page

Jon Moxley battled Konosuke Takeshita tonight in the first match of AEW Rampage. Moxley dominated the match early and bit Konosuke on the top of the head after several elbow strikes. Jon followed it up with some chops to the chest before Takeshita battled back. Takeshita hit Moxley with some punches and sent him out of the ring with a Hurricanrana.

Takeshita flipped onto Jon outside the ring as Don Callis was shown watching Konosuke from the stands. The action spilled into the crowd and the two traded punches as Rampage went to a commercial break.

Moxley was busted open when Rampage returned. Takeshita hit the former AEW World Champion with a Back Body Drop and followed it up with a massive Clothesline. Takeshita delivered a DDT and went for the cover but Jon powered out at two and the match continued.

Jon and Konsuke traded punches in the middle of the ring. Moxley got the better of the exchange and hit a massive Clothesline. Moxley went for the Deathrider but Takeshita countered into a cover. Konosuke hit a Brainbuster and went for the cover but Moxley kicked out at two and the war continued.

Takeshita perched Moxley up on the top rope and went for a Superplex but Jon slammed him down to the mat. Moxley went for the Paradigm Shift but Takeshita escaped. Jon went for the Bulldog Choke but Konosuke countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Konosuke connected with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Jon kicked out.

Konosuke climbed to the top rope and went for a Frog Splash but Moxley got his knees up. Jon unloaded a bunch of elbow strikes before hitting the Deathrider but Takeshita kicked out at one and the crowd popped. Takeshita stomped away on Moxley as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Jon hammered down on Takeshita over and over as the crowd booed. Moxley went for the Bulldog again and Konosuke passed out.

Hangman Adam Page made his way to the ring after the match and said the docs won’t clear him because of his brain, so he’s not thinking straight. Page hit a forearm strike but got punched. He got thrown into the ring post and got up wobbly to end the segment.

Hikaru Shida Retained & Earned A Shot At The AEW Women’s Title

Hikaru Shida defended the Regina Di Wave title against The Bunny tonight on Rampage. Penelope Ford was ringside for the match in The Bunny’s corner.

When Rampage returned, Shida hit a move and went for the cover but Penelope Ford threw a kendo stick in the ring. Shida booted it away and hit The bunny with Double Knees off the ring apron.

Back in the ring, Hikaru hit a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Shida hit the Katana for the pinfall victory and retained the Regina Di Wave Championship. Shida will face Jamie Hayter for the AEW Women’s Championship in the near future. Hayter posed on the entrance ramp after the match.

The Firm Dominated

The Firm’s Lee Moriarty & Big Bill (FKA W. Morrissey, Big Cass) dominated a couple of jobbers tonight on Rampage. Lee started off the match and locked in a submission hold on both jobbers at the same time as Big Bill posed on the apron. Big Bill and Lee went on to pick up the quick win.

Orange Cassidy Retained the All-Atlantic Championship

Orange Cassidy defended the All-Atlantic Championship against Trent Seven in the main event of AEW Rampage. Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford were ringside for the match. Seven booted Cassidy in the ribs and hit him with a Body Slam.

Trent followed it up with a Leg Drop for a near fall. Best Friends and Orange Cassidy regrouped and then knocked Sabian down. Penelope ran away as Cassidy and Seven returned to the ring. Orange hit his lazy kicks and Seven responded with a DDT as Rampage went to the final break of the show.

When Rampage returned, Cassidy climbed to the top turnbuckle but Trent hit him with a chop to the chest. Seven followed it up with elbow strikes and a Superplex but Cassidy wouldn’t stay down for a three count.

Seven knocked Cassidy off the ring apron and went for a dive but Cassidy pulled Sabian in the way. Cassidy hit a dive of his own and rolled Seven into the ring. Cassidy went for the Orange Punch but Seven countered into a German Suplex. Cassidy hit Stundog Millionaire but Trent responded with a slam for a near fall and the title match continued.

Trent hit a massive Clothesline and went for the cover but Cassidy kicked out at two once again. Cassidy went for Beach Break but Trent broke free. Cassidy hit a Tornado DDT and stumbled to the top rope in a ton of pain. Orange went for a diving DDT but dove into a punch from Piledriver.

Seven connected with a Piledriver but Cassidy kicked out at two as the crowd chanted “this is awesome!”. Cassidy hit the Orange Punch and then the Beach Break for the pinfall victory. Orange Cassidy is still the All-Atlantic Champion.

After the match, Kip Sabian attacked Orange Cassidy and Trent joined in on the beatdown. Dustin Rhodes made the save and hit Kip with a Powerslam on the entrance ramp. Dustin planted Trent Seven with a Powerslam as well before helping All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy to his feet to close the show.

Chris Jericho: AEW Roster Was “Fighting for Our Lives” After All Out Brawl

Thomas Lowson
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The AEW roster was left fighting for their professional livelihoods in the fall out of the All Out braw, Chris Jericho has claimed.

After the now-infamous September Pay-Per-View, new AEW World Champion CM Punk bashed several members of the roster during the post-show media scrum.

Backstage, a fight broke out, which pitted Punk and Ace Steel against The Elite.

Fighting

Chris Jericho was present at All Out, as he had defeated Bryan Danielson on the Pay-Per-View and was far from impressed from the backstage brawl.

On the latest Talk is Jericho, the first AEW World Champion recalled the negative publicity the company faced following what happened.

“We were fighting for our lives at that time. There was so much bad publicity on the company and kind of a black cloud, a haze over it, and dude, we were fighting back.

“We kind of took charge, [Jon Moxley] and Bryan and I and let them know the sky wasn’t falling, that things happen, and we gotta keep the show rolling.”

Chris Jericho

Jericho had been critical of Punk after the brawl, telling the now-suspended AEW wrestler that he is a “cancer” to the locker room.

Jericho, Moxley, and Danielson

Following the AEW All Out backstage fight, Punk, Steel, the Elite, and others associated with the fight were suspended.

In their absence, the trio of Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Bryan Danielson assumed roles as locker-room leaders.

Before the first Dynamite after All Out, all three men, as well as AEW President Tony Khan, spoke at a talent-wide backstage meeting.

At the meeting, talent were told to “keep their personal issues personal” and were encouraged to move on from All Out.

In a Fightful report, it was said that Danielson was a “calming” presence, Jericho was praised for his professionalism, and Mixley was “adored” for being a reliable name in the company.

Chris Jericho’s Son Comments on Possibly Becoming a Pro-Wrestler

WWE SmackDown Results, Takeaways (12/9/22): The Usos Defend Titles, Kurt Angle’s Birthday

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown airs live tonight from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Usos defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes and Kurt Angle celebrated his birthday.

SmackDown Results (12/9/22)

  • The Usos def. Brawling Brutes to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships
  • Legado Del Fantasma def. Viking Raiders via DQ (Hit Row attack)
  • New Day & Ricochet def. Imperium
  • Liv Morgan & Tegan Nox def. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show

The Usos Retained the Undisputed Tag Team Championships

The Usos defended their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against Sheamus and Butch of The Brawling Brutes to kick off tonight’s SmackDown. Footage of Solo Sikoa’s brutal attack on Matt Riddle from this past Monday was shown before the match. Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn, and Ridge Holland were ringside for the match.

Sheamus and Jimmy Uso started off the match. The Celtic Warrior controlled the action and Jimmy rolled out of the ring to regroup with The Bloodline. Butch and Jey tagged in and Uso hit a forearm to the face for a two count as SmackDown went to a break.

The Usos hit Butch with a combination move as the Honorary Uce danced around outside the ring. Butch connected with an Enzigui on Jimmy Uce and started crawling toward the corner. Jey tagged in and prevented Butch from making the tag as Sheamus flipped out on the ring apron.

Butch connected with a German Suplex and tagged in Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior hit Jimmy with a Backbreaker and fired up the Pittsburgh crowd. Butch and Sheamus hit 20 Beats of the Bodhran. Butch got in about 50 strikes on Jey and then sent him into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Sheamus charged at Jimmy but he sent the Celtic Warrior into the ring post. Sheamus battled back and hit White Noise from off the middle turnbuckle. He went for the cover but somehow Jimmy kicked out at two as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

Butch hit a Moonsault onto The Usos outside the ring when SmackDown returned. He followed it up with a Tornado DDT on Jey for a near fall. Sheamus dragged Jey out of the ring and threw him into the barricade. Butch connected with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Jimmy was able to kick out at two and the match continued.

Brawling Brutes hit a Razor’s Edge/Neckbreaker combo on Jimmy in the middle of the ring. Sheamus went for the cover but Jey broke it up at the last moment. Sami Zayn got in to the ring while the referee was distracted but Ridge Holland leveled the Honorary Uce with a Clothesline. Sheamus hit a Running Knee for a near fall. Solo Sikoa hit Ridge with a Spinning Solo that sent him into the timekeeper’s area.

Jey counted a Brogue Kick with a Superkick. Jimmy Uso tagged in The Usos hit the 1D for the pinfall victory. The Usos are still the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. Sami Zayn prevented Sheamus from getting into the ring and breaking up the cover.

LA Knight Called Out Bray Wyatt

Kurt Angle and Gable Steveson were shown walking backstage. Braun Strowman showed up and shook Gable’s hand. The Monster of All Monsters told Steveson to come see him when he gets out of the WWE PC.

LA Knight made his way to the ring to demand justice for the backstage attacks on him the previous few weeks. He claimed to have struck fear in Bray Wyatt because he keeps getting him. Knight rolled footage of him buried under a bunch of stuff on a recent edition of SmackDown. He showed the interview showing a masked man in the background.

Another masked man was in the background as well. A Wyatt vignette interrupted with Uncle Howdy saying Knight deserves to suffer and the door is closed. Knight said he’s going backstage to fight Bray Wyatt right now and exited the ring.

LA Knight was later shown backstage and the lights turned off. He flicked on his cell phone light and a masked person was there when SmackDown went to a break.

Hit Row Attacked

Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde battled The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) tonight on SmackDown. Santos Escobar and Valhalla (Sarah Logan) were ringside for the match. Zelina Vega joined commentary for the match.

Joaquin Wilde and Erik started off the action. Erik hit a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a kick to the ribs. Ivar tagged in and beat down Wilde in the corner. B-Fab of Hit Row interrupted and she took a seat on the entrance ramp as Top Dolla and Ashante Adonis attacked Santos Escobar. Hit Row brought a chair into the ring and hit Ivar with it. B-Fab leveled Valhalla with a kick and Top Dolla connected with a slam on Wilde. Hit Row then posed in the ring to end the segment.

Intercontinental Championship Contract Signing, 6-Man Tag Team Match

Jason Jordan and Kurt Angle had a family reunion backstage.

SmackDown World Cup winner Ricochet and Gunther had a Contract Signing for the IC Title tonight. Before it started, New Day interrupted and said they wanted a front row seat. Kofi said they can not allow Imperium to just jump Ricochet 3-1. Woods hyped their tag title match against Pretty Deadly tomorrow night at NXT Deadline.

Gunther boasted about Ricochet twice and claimed he was not worthy of being Intercontinental Champion. The Ring General vowed to win next week’s title match. Ricochet told Gunther he’s in for the fight of his life next week and vowed to become IC Champion once again. A brawl broke out and it led to a 6-man tag match.

Ricochet started off the match with Ludwig Kaiser. Ricochet hit a Body Slam and tagged in Xavier Woods. Xavier hit a slam of his own for a near fall and unloaded some strikes. Giovanni Vinci tagged in and hit Woods with an Arm Drag before beating him down in the corner.

Vinci connected with a Backbreaker on Woods when SmackDown returned. Gunther tagged in and planted Woods with a Body Slam before booting Ricochet off the ring apron. Kaiser tagged in and unloaded strikes on Woods in the corner. Xavier battled back and climbed to the top rope. Woods hit a Dropkick and tagged in Kofi Kingston.

Kofi hit Vinci with a Dropkick and climbed to the top turnbuckle. Kingston connected with a Splash and followed it up with the Boom Drop. Kaiser hit Kingston with an uppercut outside the ring and hurled him over the announce table. Imperium posed and talked trash as SmackDown went to a break.

When the blue brand returned. Kofi hit Kaiser with a Back Body Drop and tagged in Ricochet. Gunther tagged in as well and Ricochet hit him with some punches. The Ring General responded with a thunderous chop and a big boot to the face. Ricochet hit an Enziguri and a knee to the face. Ricochet kept unloading strikes to the champion and then ducked under a kick. Gunther leveled him with a chop and went for a Powerbomb but Ricochet countered into a DDT for a near fall.

Woods and Vinci then tagged in and Xaver hit a Tornado DDT. New Day set up for Midnight Hour but Kaiser broke it up. Vinci hit a Moonsault on Kingston as Ricochet hit a Hurricanrana on Kaiser. Kingston hit Trouble in Paradise and tagged in Ricochet. He hit a Shooting Star Press for the pinfall victory. Ricochet will battle Gunther for the IC Title next week.

Next Week’s SmackDown is Going to be a Big Night for Sami Zayn

Jey Uso stopped Sami Zayn before The Bloodline was about to head out for a bite to eat. Jey said the Tribal Chief is going to be back next week and Sami should trim his beard. Zayn wondered why he would have to do that and Jey suggested it is going to be a big night for him next week following WarGames.

Karrion Kross Warned Rey Mysterio

Karrion Kross confronted Rey Mysterio backstage and said it is always a sad thing when you have to put an animal out of its misery. Kross took a look at Rey’s injured ankle before security showed up.

Liv Morgan & Tegan Nox Picked Up A Win

SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler battled Tegan Nox & Liv Morgan. Tegan hit Shayna with a Senton in the corner to start off the action. The Queen of Spades battled back and tagged in Ronda Rousey. Ronda whipped Tegan around and then did Liv Morgan’s pose.

Rousey applied an Ankle Lock on Nox in the middle of the ring but she was able to break free and launched Rousey into the turnbuckle. Liv and Baszler tagged in and Morgan hit Shayna with a knee to the face. Morgan followed it up with a Dropkick for a two count.

Raquel Rodriguez tried to interfere but Adam Pearce and security stopped it. Ronda was distracted and Nox hit Baszler with a Shining Wizard. Liv covered Shayna for the win as Raquel Rodriguez watched on from the entrance ramp.

Gable Steveson and Kurt Angle Took Out American Alpha With a Milk Truck

Kurt Angle told Gable Steveson that he was going to head to the ring by himself as SmackDown went to a break. Angle entered the ring with a giant cake already in it. American Alpha weren’t let into Kurt’s party backstage earlier and Gable was pissed off.

Chad Gable claimed that Kurt Angle was petty because he didn’t want them outshining him. Gable agreed with the crowd when they chanted “you suck!” at Kurt and then shushed the audience. Chad told Angle he has no integrity, he’s lost his intensity, and said he can keep a shred of integrity if he leaves the ring.

American Alpha told Kurt Angle to get out of the ring or he will wind up with another broken neck. Gable and Otis ate some of Kurt’s care and Angle said they are going to need a lot of milk. Gable Steveson showed up with the milk truck. They began throwing milk at Otis and it staggered the big man. Angle then sprayed American Alpha with the milk hose as Gable Steveson jumped around. Kurt and Gable Steveson got into the ring as American Alpha retreated. Angle and Steveson chugged some milk and posed on the turnbuckles to end the show.

WWE in Talks About New Reality Show Involving Real-Life Wrestling Couples

Andrew Ravens
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WWE is looking to line up its next reality show after finding success with past series such as Tough Enough, Total Divas, Miz & Mrs, and Total Bellas. 

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE is in talks with E! about a new reality show.

Meltzer said, “they are looking for legitimate wrestling couples, so some upcoming signings could relate to that if the project is finalized.”

Meltzer noted that Matt Cardona’s name was mentioned as a possibility because of Chelsea Green’s expected return to WWE. Green’s husband, Cardona, previously wrestled under the Zack Ryder name in WWE before he was released in April 2020. 

Past Success

Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green
Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green

Cardona completely reinvented himself when he started working on the indies. He also found success in Impact Wrestling, NWA, GCW and other promotions over the past two years. Cardona is set to challenge for the NWA World title at the company’s unannounced next pay-per-view.

WWE and E! have worked together on several different projects over the years. Total Divas ran for more than six years, from July 2013 to December 2019, before doing the Total Bellas spinoff, which ran from October 2016 through January 2021.

WWE announced they are working on a Bianca Belair/Montez Ford show for Hulu last month.

MJF Headed to Las Vegas to Watch Paddy Pimblett Fight at UFC 282

Andrew Ravens
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AEW World Heavyweight Champion MJF will be in attendance at UFC 282, which takes place on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The top AEW star previously traded shots with UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett on social media, where MJF called Paddy a “dollar store Connor McGregor.” He also claimed he wouldn’t last two seconds in a wrestling ring. 

Pimblett told MJF to meet him when AEW travels to England in 2023, which led to MJF stating that he’s more than game to knock Pimblett out. Marc Raimondi of ESPN first reported on Friday that MJF would be at the UFC 282 pay-per-view event following the exchange. 

The Confirmation

MJF
(AEW)

MJF seemingly confirmed the news in a tweet of his own as he told Pimblett that he’d see him in Vegas, as seen below: 

At the event, Pimblett will fight Jared Gordon. With a win, he would continue his undefeated streak in the UFC.

For MJF, he is scheduled to defend the AEW World Championship against Ricky Starks on the December 14 episode of AEW Dynamite. After winning the title with help from Wiliam Regal when he beat Jon Moxley for it at Full Gear, MJF turned on Regal by attacking the respected wrestler. 

AEW Just Lost Key Allies at Warner Bros. Discovery

Andrew Ravens
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Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TBS and TNT that airs AEW programming, has cut more prominent leaders. 

Variety has an article looking at the company releasing HGTV and Food Network chief Jane Latman and “D-Nets”/”T-Nets” exec Nancy Daniels, both of whom were well-liked at the company and served as longtime legacy Discovery execs.

Travel Channel’s Matthew Butler and D-Nets/T-Nets’ head of franchise series expansions and tentpole programming Scott Lewers are also gone. 

The Moves

Tony Khan

Latman served as the home and food content president at HGTV and Food Network. Her content programming responsibilities will move under execs Betsy Sanner Ayala (for Food Network) and Loren Ruch (for HGTV).

Daniels had overseen content across “D-Nets” Discovery, Animal Planet and Science Channel on the legacy Discovery side and recently took over content for Warner Bros. “T-Nets,” TNT, TBS and truTV,

Daniels is handing the reins over to TLC and Travel Channel exec Howard Lee for the D-Nets, while Jason Sarlanis of ID and HLN crime content will oversee the T-Net side. 

These are notable cuts as AEW President Tony Khan has praised Nancy Daniels and Scott Lewers as advocates for the promotion. AEW’s TV deal with Warner Bros. Discovery expires at the end of 2024. 

Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. networks chief Kathleen Finch announced the changes in a memo to staff Friday. This is the latest post-merger cost-cutting move made at Warner Bros. Discovery.

John Cena Set to Appear on Final SmackDown of 2022 (Report)

Samantha Schipman
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*cue the horns*

John Cena will come home to WWE for the second time this year. He was on RAW in June to celebrate his 20th anniversary in the company. He will be appearing on the final SmackDown of the year. The show will be live from Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL on December 30.

According to Variety, the announcements of Cena’s return will begin airing in a few weeks. No further details are known at this time.

John Cena at WrestleMania 39

Austin Theory John Cena

There’s been speculation that Cena will wrestle at WrestleMania 39. The “Show of Shows” will take place in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2, 2023.

Logan Paul texted Triple H to request a match with Cena at WrestleMania 39. A match with Austin Theory is very likely. Cena has said that Theory is his current favorite WWE wrestler and also said he’s the wrestler that most needs to an Attitude Adjustment.

This list of dream matches for Cena includes Theory and Paul and few other opponents.

We will likely know by the end of the final SmackDown who his opponent will be.

Shawn Michaels Reveals WrestleMania Match He Came Up With In The Middle Of The Night

Anutosh Bajpai
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Shawn Michaels was part of many iconic moments during his wrestling career. From achieving his boyhood dream to his matches with The Undertaker, HBK always knew how to bring out the emotion from the crowd and create a lasting memory. One such moment people still remember to this day is his WrestleMania XXIV match against Ric Flair. Michaels defeated Ric to end his WWE career and the ending of the bout is considered one of the most iconic moments in the history of the business.

The former world champion recently appeared on Notsam Wrestling podcast. Among other things he also talked about this match and revealed that he actually came up with the plans for this bout in the middle of the night:

“That particular match was something that came to me in the middle of the night. I woke up out of sleep. I think it was like two o’clock in the morning, [I] got up out of bed, and then just went to the table and started writing. Then I’m coming down to the end of it. Those thoughts that are in my head and of course, like a movie [I get] a little teardrop. I’m like ‘Oh my goodness. Is this too like namby pamby?’

I mean, wrestling audience, they can be tough. I just thought, ‘oh, I don’t know.’ But again, because it was so emotional for me because I knew where Ric was at that time, and I knew how important it was to him. It was genuinely important to me because it was important to him.”

‘It Was My Chance’: Shawn Michaels

The WWE Hall of Famer explained that even though he wasn’t sure about the crowd reaction, he decided to share the idea for the ending. Shawn Michaels revealed how Ric Flair reacted to it and who was the person who helped him perfect it:

“I wanted this to be really unbelievably special for him. It’s my chance for him to say of all the great matches he’s had, my best one was with Shawn Michaels. At whatever age he was at that time 56 or something. So there were a number of reasons I wanted it to go well, but then you’re looking at this ending and it’s like, sounds like a love story and that may not really go over well with a tough crowd. But I kept it.

I presented that to Michael Hayes and Ric when we got there to WrestleMania. Ric just patted me on the leg and goes ‘Thank you.’ and I was still waiting, like, does that thank you [mean] it’s good or is that [not]? Then I ask Michael and he’s the one that helps. Now he starts to think about framing it and making it what it turned out to be.”

You can check out Shawn Michaels’ full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door PPV Planned for 2023 (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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Although the build-up to the show was criticized for being lackluster, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in June 2022 ended up being one of the best PPVs of the year and did good business for the promotions. 

A second Forbidden Door show has been speculated about, but a new report suggests Forbidden Door II could be set for 2023.

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer was talking about AEW/ROH President Tony Khan’s recent pre-ROH Final Battle media call, particularly Khan’s claims that 2022 was AEW’s strongest year for PPV buys.

During the call, Khan was asked about the possibility of AEW adding more PPVs to their yearly rotation.

The Plan

Tony Khan

Meltzer wrote: “When asked if he’d add more PPV shows, he didn’t give an answer but said that he wants to not do so many that they aren’t special, but that they just finished their best PPV year in their history, and the adding a fifth event worked out (the plan is for another Forbidden Door show coming year).”

Khan noted on the call that they would internally discuss the right number of PPV shows per year.

The 2022 event did over $5 million on pay-per-view after drawing over 100,000 buys and over $1 million in ticket sales. Jon Moxley became the interim AEW World Heavyweight Champion when he beat Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event.

Sasha Banks to Appear on Bayley’s Charity Livestream

Andrew Ravens
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Sasha Banks and Bayley are slated to reunite next week. 

Bayley announced via Instagram that Banks would be part of her charity stream on December 14 to benefit the Family Giving Tree. The two stars are former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions and have been good friends for years as part of the WWE Four Horsewomen. 

Banks walked out of WWE alongside Naomi due to creative differences. While WWE and Banks had talks regarding a return, it’s been reported that the talks have stalled due to money.  She is reportedly set to attend NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17.

Bayley’s Announcement

Sasha Banks
(via WWE)

“You’re welcomeeee!…. Because my 3rd guest joining me on IG live Dec 14 to benefit @familygivingtree is the one and only @themercedesvarnado. A main event of Wrestlemania, a star in The Mandalorian, killing the runways on Fashion weeks, co-owner of an award winning CBD company (@kanndelabs), and that’s all I’ll say for now because she’s gonna get a big head over this.

The best thing about having her on is that Mercedes asked ME to be a part of this interview to help spread the love.

Please join us next Wednesday, Dec. 14, as I’ll be hanging out with some amazing people. We can share some hot cocoa, answer some questions you may have, play games, and enter to win raffles! Click the link in my bio to see how you can contribute to @familygivingtree this year.”

Bayley is currently part of WWE Raw as a member of Damage CTRL alongside Dakota Kai & IYO SKY. 

Sasha Banks Reportedly Appearing at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom

Matt Hardy Provides an Update on Jeff Hardy’s Condition

Samantha Schipman
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Back in June, Jeff Hardy was arrested for DUI among other charges just days after Double or Nothing. Since then, his court dates have been pushed back several times. Hardy did enter alcohol rehabilitation.

In September, Matt Hardy said on his podcast that Jeff had been improving. “I feel like his mentality is that he knows he has to make changes and do what’s right and I feel like he’s at the point where he will this time around. I’m excited to have him back.” That quote gave some the impression that he was on his way back to AEW, but he still has legal issues to contend with.

Jeff Hardy is ‘In a Good Place’

Jeff Hardy
(via AEW)

During this week’s episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt did a Q&A episode where he provided an update on his brother.

“He’s basically doing the same thing he’s been doing, he’s doing exactly what he needs to be doing to get where he needs to be in life. More or less, we just have to get these legal issues behind him before we can move forward. So, that’s kind of where we’re at with Jeff. We’re hoping that happens sooner rather than later.”

“He seems to be in a really good place. It’s very nice and refreshing to see. Hopefully, that continues and we get him back to where he belongs.”

Matt didn’t provide further information on when legal issues might be behind Jeff. There is still no timetable for his potential AEW return.

Johnny Fusion Returning to MLW at Blood & Thunder

Michael Reichlin
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Former WWE Superstar John Morrison returns to Major League Wrestling at MLW Blood & Thunder. The event takes place Saturday, January 7 from Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena.

Keeping with his habit of altering his name based on the promotion he’s working for, he’ll be competing as Johnny Fusion.

A press release sent in by MLW reads:

“No stranger to MLW, Johnny Fusion, tore it up against the likes of Shane Strickland, Darby Allin and others in MLW during his last stint. With a reloaded MLW roster featuring the likes of Davey Richards, Alex Hammerstone, Jacob Fatu and many others, expect some dream matches on the horizon.

Perhaps a reunion could be in the mix for Johnny Fusion, who has history with the ruthless Cesar Duran.

Plus, the reigning Women’s World Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie happens to be Johnny Fusion’s wife. Could a new power couple be in play in 2023 in MLW?”

Tickets for MLW Blood & Thunder are now available at MLW2300.com.

MLW Blood & Thunder Matches

  • MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alex Hammerstone vs. YAMATO
  • Jacob Fatu vs. Ben-K

Additional talent signed to appear includes Alex Kane, Real1, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & The Billington Bulldogs, Mance Warner, Women’s World Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie and more.

Barry Windham Update: Stabilized & Out of Intensive Care

Ella Jay
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WWE Hall of Famer Barry Windham is doing better after suffering a life-threatening heart attack earlier this month.

The Windham family has set up the GoFundMe Campaign to help financially support his medical expenses and bills during this difficult time. According to Mika Rotunda, sister of WWE Superstar Bray Wyatt, their uncle “experienced a number of taxing injuries and ended up undergoing multiple surgeries. That led to other health complications.”

Since retiring, Windham “has been limited with work due to his medical history” and “left without health insurance.”

On Friday, December 9, Mika Rotunda provided an encouraging update on Windham’s health. She wrote on Twitter that he’s stabilized & out of intensive care. He’s also talking and able to stand, which is great news to hear after such a scare.

Career Highlights

Four Horseman 2.0

Barry Windham began his professional wrestling career in 1979, training with his father Blackjack Mulligan, and wrestling legend Harley Race. From there, he went on to achieve great success in NWA territories, including Jim Crockett Promotions and Championship Wrestling from Florida. Notably, he claimed NWA World Heavyweight Championship and NWA World Tag Team Championship each once, amongst many other title wins.

Barry eventually joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and one of professional wrestling’s greatest stables: The Four Horsemen. In 2012, The Four Horseman group entered the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2012, including Barry Windham, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and J.J. Dillon.

SEScoops sends our best wishes to Barry Windham and the Windham family at this time.

Latest on WrestleMania 39 Plans, Talk of Splitting Up World Titles

Michael Reichlin
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‘WrestleMania Goes Hollywood’ Saturday and Sunday, April 1 & 2 from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. We’re still aboutfour months out, but planning is already underway for WWE’s biggest premium live event of 2023.

Nothing is set in stone at this stage. Several factors will determine WrestleMania’s top programs, most notably Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s availability. WWE is not expected to finalize WrestleMania plans until mid-January, in the lead-up to the Royal Rumble.

That said, it’s still interesting to see what’s being considered. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there are two main ideas in play for WrestleMania.

It goes without saying that WrestleMania will be built around the promotion’s marquee attraction, Roman Reigns. WWE is so high on the Tribal Chief’s drawing power that he could be called upon to pull ‘double duty’ and headline both nights.

There’s no guarantee that things will play out this way, however:

“One of the things talked about internally in WWE is for Reigns to wrestle both nights at Mania, with the working ideas being Cody Rhodes and Dwayne Johnson.

– Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Two World Titles

In addition to those matches, WWE has renewed discussions about splitting up Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The main benefit of a singular champion is that fans have no question about the best wrestler in WWE. When you have multiple world champions, that distinction becomes diluted.

The drawback is that it’s difficult for one man to appear on both Raw and SmackDown. The world championship is a draw, and you can be sure WWE’s television partners (Fox and USA Network) both want a world champion on their shows.

WWE will pull out all the stops to ensure WrestleMania 39 is a commercial success. Here are some of our recent articles about

The Miz Reveals Acting Advice From The Rock

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The Miz is one of those WWE superstars that doesn’t just stay confined to the wrestling business. He was a reality star even before stepping foot in WWE. The former world champion has continued to make a name outside of the wrestling business even after becoming a WWE superstar and bringing new eyes to the product with different ventures. One such venture where he has found great success is his acting career and it appears that some advice from The Rock helped him with it.

The A Lister recently appeared on Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner. He talked about things such as his time before WWE, how he got started in wrestling and more. Discussing his start in the movie business, The Miz recalled how he asked The Rock for advice right before his very first shoot:

“I texted him and said, ‘Hey man, I’m about to start my first movie, getting ready to do my first scene. Is there any advice you can give me'” recalled The Miz, “He called me.

He was like, ‘Dude, the best thing that I could tell you and help you out with is just be natural, and it’s gonna sound so easy and so weird, but once you get there, there’s gonna be three or four cameras, you’re gonna have to hit a spot that you can’t look at, you can’t look at the spot. You have to be normal and natural. It’s action and you have to just make it feel [real].’ It was great advice. Because sometimes you see in acting, you’ll see a robotic kind of portrayal. I didn’t want to do that.”

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Is Ricochet the Most “Complete” WWE Superstar Wrestling Today?

Thomas Lowson
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Ricochet’s pushes may have been stop-and-start, but there’s no denying the high-flyer’s ability in the ring.

After establishing himself on the independents, Ricochet signed with WWE in January 2018 and debuted for NXT as part of the front-row at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia that same month.

The One and Only is the first (and to date, only) person to hold the NXT North American Championship, Raw’s United States Championship and SmackDown’s Intercontinental Championship.

Complete

While Ricochet has had the occasional push in WWE, he is part of a stacked roster, and often finds himself being overlooked for other stars.

Speaking on the latest episode of WWE After the Bell, Ricochet wasn’t afraid to tout his accomplishments and called himself the most complete name on the roster.

“You look at your Austin Theorys and you look at all these guys who look the part as the complete all-around package. But when you get me in there, there is really no one as complete as me.

“there is really no one as complete as me.”

Ricochet.

“I know I’m not as strong as Bobby Lashley, but I can still squat 400-plus pounds. I’m probably not as fast as some of these guys, but I’m just as fast if not faster than almost everybody else. If you’re looking for a complete package, especially in that ring. Don’t look any further than Ricochet.”

Mental Games

Because he is often overlooked, Ricochet can go weeks, or even months, sat backstage in catering.

Speaking about waiting to be used, Ricochet explained how getting in your own head can often prove to be as difficult as anything in the ring.

“There’s always a physical game that you have to play, and then there’s a mental game you have to play. That’s with any business, with any high-class thing you’re trying to do. Going out there and doing the actual matches and all the physical parts of it, of course, that’s going to be work.

“But a lot of it is backstage. It’s biding the right time, it’s waiting for your moment, your opportunity. Or in some cases, creating your moment. Creating your opportunity. Asking the right people. That’s also work, because it’s taxing on your mind, because you get to thinking about your past, and your future. It’s a lot of mental exhaustion sometimes.”

Ricochet recently won the WWE SmackDown World Cup Tournament, defeating Mustafa Ali and Braun Strowman before beating Santos Escobar in the finals.

The One and Only will challenge Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, who won the title from Ricochet in June, on tonight’s SmackDown.

Ricochet on Earning Braun Strowman’s Respect During Their SmackDown World Cup Match

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

WWE Didn’t See The Miz as a Wrestler When he Signed with the Company

Thomas Lowson
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The Miz has had a career in WWE that few wrestlers could only dream of, but that was never the original plan.

Debuting as part of 2004’s Tough Enough, the future two-time WWE Grand Slam winner would come second, losing out to Daniel Puder.

In 2006, The Miz was introduced as the host of WWE Friday Night SmackDown but would quickly transition into a wrestling role.

Commentary

One of Miz’s talents that has made him such a versatile asset to WWE is his ability to cut a promo.

Speaking to Off the Beat, Miz explained that WWE recognized his talents on the microphone, but initially had no plans for him to wrestle.

“They were like, ‘You impressed us so much that maybe there is something for you here.’ They brought me up to Connecticut to commentate. Joey Styles brought me up with Todd Grisham and Michael Cole, they brought me up and I had to do a take of commentating. They told me, ‘we might bring you in as a commentator or interviewer.'”

“‘We might bring you in as a commentator or interviewer.'”

WWE’s reaction to The Miz impressing them in 2004.

The A-Lister added that after pleading his case, saying he wanted to be bigger than The Rock and Hulk Hogan, WWE allowed him a developmental deal.

Decisions

Now under a developmental deal, Miz reported to Deep South Wrestling, the promotion’s training facility at the time.

Speaking about his experience in DSW, the WWE Superstar said that he quickly realized that being under contract was no guarantee of being successful.

“They didn’t think I was going to be much of anything, to be honest, you could kind of tell, ‘let’s see what we got here.’ They gave me this developmental contract and I was like, ‘I’m making more than this doing Real World and The Challenge. I’m not taking a pay cut to do this.’ I had to think about that.”

Miz added that he would eventually realize the importance of taking one step back in order to take two steps forward.

The A-Lister would become the first DSW Heavyweight Champion under WWE, winning a tournament and besting Mike Knox in the finals.

Ciampa Credits Miz With Helping Him Transition to the Main Roster
h/t – Sportskeeda

Ricky Starks Went Off Script for Promo with MJF on AEW Dynamite (Report)

Thomas Lowson
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Ricky Starks had some harsh words for AEW World Champion MJF this week, but these weren’t planned in advance.

During AEW Dynamite, the two had a back and forth, with MJF borrowing from The Rock to call Starks a “roody poo candy a**.”

In response, Starks vowed to become the new AEW World Champion with some choice dialogue.

“I’m slapping that mole off your neck, I’m stomping an a**hole into you, and I’m taking that title.”

Ricky Starks.

Off Script

Starks certainly got the attention of fans with his promo this week, but it wasn’t what was originally planned.

During Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez noted that Starks did have a promo written down which was not used.

“I heard from multiple people yesterday that, apparently, he had a whole thing written down. It wasn’t like scripted or anything, but he had a thing written down that he was gonna do. And then he got out there and he just went off [Script.] He just went with it, and he went wild.”

Bryan Alvarez.

MJF and Starks will battle for the AEW World Championship on next week’s Winter is Coming edition of Dynamite.

The match will also be for MJF’s $150,000 Dynamite Diamond Ring.

Winter is Coming

This huge main event is just part of a stacked show that will take place next week.

The show will also feature the fourth match in the best-of-seven series between The Elite and AEW World Trios Champions Death Triangle.

The Champions currently lead over the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega by 2-1.

The House of Black will also be in action next week against opponents yet to be announced.

MJF Blames Ricky Starks for Low AEW Dynamite Rating: “I Have Inside Information”

AEW Talent Excited About Sasha Banks Potentially Signing With the Company

Robert Lentini
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It was reported earlier today that Sasha Banks is heading to New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year.

Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported that Mercedes Varnado (Banks) is reportedly set to appear at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome.

“While it is unknown whether Varnado will be appearing before the live crowd, we are told that NJPW is bringing Varnado in to the event.”

According to a new report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, AEW talent is excited about the possibility of The Boss coming to All Elite Wrestling.

AEW aired a segment on Rampage to set up a tag team match between Britt Baker & AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter versus Saraya & a mystery tag team partner for the January 11th episode of Dynamite in Los Angeles.

Sasha Banks has been rumored to be the mystery superstar a couple of times now. Many fans hoped that she would be the final superstar on Team Bianca at Survivor Series WarGames in her hometown but it was Becky Lynch instead. Now some fans and AEW talent are hoping that she’s Saraya’s partner on January 11th.

Fightful spoke with several AEW talent after the news earlier today about Mercedes reportedly appearing at Wrestle Kingdom. One source told Fightul that Sasha Banks joining AEW would be huge and referred to her as a potential anchor of the women’s division. The source added that Sasha Banks joining AEW would kickstart interest in the company and help viewership “significantly”.

The Boss will be appearing on an upcoming episode of Barmegeddon on January 2nd, 2023. The celebrity game show airs after WWE Raw on the USA Network.

Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE during the May 16th edition of Raw. Sasha recently teased that the date she has been waiting for is coming and “something crazy” is going to happen.

Sasha Banks Teases Fans: “There is Going to be Something so F***ing Crazy Coming!”

WWE Star on CM Punk Possibly Returning to the Company: “Only Time Will Tell”

Robert Lentini
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NXT star Apollo Crews recently shared his thoughts on the possibility of CM Punk returning to WWE after his time in All Elite Wrestling appears to be coming to an end.

  • 5 Best Moments of CM Punk’s AEW Career

Former AEW Champion CM Punk is reportedly “ready to move on” but the hold-up is on AEW’s side. CM Punk recently posted an image from his WWE days on Instagram to fuel rumors he is returning to the promotion he has routinely disparaged after his exit in 2014.

CM Punk Ready to “Move to His Next Project” After AEW

Speaking with Nick Hausman of Wrestling Inc., Apollo shared his thoughts on CM Punk potentially returning to WWE in the future.

It’s not that I wouldn’t be happy or I wouldn’t be upset — I don’t know if I’d really feel any kind of way, honestly. It’s nothing against him personally or anything, but I don’t know…I think I’d just kind of be neutral with it. But again, extremely talented individual and only time will tell, right?

Apollo Crews will challenge Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship this Saturday night at NXT Deadline. During the interview, Crews vowed to defeat Breakker at the premium live event and become the new NXT Champion.

Saturday, “NXT” Champion. You’re looking at the new one! Saturday, Deadline 8:00 PM on Peacock. You can stream it live. Hey, I’m telling you, you guys, it’s not a game. Apollo Crews, new “NXT” Champion. Bron Breakker, like I said, I have nothing but love for you, and yeah, I’ll see you Saturday.

H/T: Wrestling Inc.

Apollo returned to NXT in June and claimed that he left too soon in 2016 and was back to correct history. He teamed with The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa to defeat former NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes and Grayson Waller in his first match back in NXT on June 7th.

Shawn Michaels Doesn’t Rule Out WWE Legend Wrestling in NXT

Robert Lentini
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Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels recently spoke during a media call to promote NXT Deadline this Saturday night.

During the call, Michaels said he was open to having Sean Waltman (X-Pac) wrestle in NXT in the future. The Heartbreak Kid complimented Waltman on being in the best shape he has been in a long time.

I know he has been getting back in there here and there and I got to tell you he’s like in the best shape he’s been in a long, long time. He looks fantastic. Obviously, that would be something I had to, run up the flag pole and everything.

Shawn added that the younger talent would benefit greatly from getting inside the squared circle with Waltman.

Look, the talent would benefit from that so much. I know he has a blast. So that’s an option that we’re allowed to explore, I jump all over it.

But I will. It’s amazing, we’re all buddies and all that stuff like it, but it pales to you guys, but he won’t say anything to me about it. I’ll say we’re all busy trying to work.

We can’t just pick it up and doing it off the cuff like we use to. When we did the panel and everything, he was really focus on helping us out and getting that done.

I got to tell you, that would be awesome. The talent would benefit from that so much, and clearly, we do as a program. If we have Kid do anything with us, that’s a huge plus for NXT.

H/T: Ringside News

Shawn Michaels Announces New Match Type for NXT Deadline

NXT Deadline will air this Saturday night from the Capitol Wrestling Center (WWE PC) in Orlando.

The premium live event will be headlined by Bron Breakker versus Apollo Crews for the NXT Championship. There will also be men’s and women’s Iron Survivor Challenge matches at the show.

Shawn Michaels appeared on a recent edition of NXT to explain the rules for the new match type.

  • Five superstars will compete in the 25-minute match
  • Two superstars will start the match, a new superstar will enter every five minutes
  • The superstar with the most falls after 25 minutes wins
  • Falls can be won via pinfall, submission or DQ
  • One fall is worth one point
  • When a superstar loses a fall, they must get out of the ring and sit in a penalty box for 90 seconds
  • The superstar who wins the match will become the #1 contender for the men’s or women’s NXT Championship

Satnam Singh Learning From Paul Wight

Samantha Schipman
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In September 2021, Satnam Singh signed with AEW. When he made his television debut in April 2022, he attacked Samoa Joe and aligned himself with Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. Singh has had a few tag team matches, but had yet to have a singles match.

On the latest episode of The Session with Renee Paquette, Sonjay Dutt spoke about his relationship with Singh.

Dutt gets to speak Punjabi every week with Singh. “Obviously, his English is good. He’s been here since ’13 or ’14 he’s been here experiencing the NBA and whatnot. But, I understand –I kind of empathize with him in that he’s still in a strange place. He’s still surrounded by people that he — his sister finally got her visa and finally got to move to Canada, so she’s a little closer. It was great. He was telling me and he was crying. It was an emotional moment for both of us. I felt for him. But most of the time, we strictly speak Punjabi.”

“It’s a connection me and Satnam have. And you know, hopefully he can feel a little more at home when he’s around me at work.”

Sonjay Dutt on His Connection with Satnam Singh

aew rampage 15042022 satnam singh

Dutt has really enjoyed getting to know and work with Singh. He and Paqutte discussed Singh’s warmth and his presence. “I love him as a person. Me and him obviously have this bond where we’re both from the same place with the same background. We speak the same language and there’s not many of us in professional wrestling. That connection kind of brings us together right off the bat. We have this connection and he wants to excel at this.”

“And Lethal and I have kind of taken a hand in kind of cultivating his in-ring stuff whenever we can. Anytime there’s tag matches with he and Lethal — he hasn’t had a singles match so we’re getting to that point. I think we’re getting real close. Anything we show him, anything we tell him, he soaks it up. He utilizes stuff that we tell him to utilize; ‘hey, do this differently.’ And I didn’t think that would be the case. I’ve worked with other Indian giants and that was not the case at all.”

“So, you know experiences with him is cool because I always tell people yes, he’s seven-foot-four. Yes, he’s giant or whatever you want to call somebody of that stature. He’s got size 20 feet, but he’s an athlete. That’s the difference between him and anyone else of his size that’s gotten in professional wrestling. He’s a legitimate athlete, so anything we show him or tell him, bam! He pulls it off.”

“And I love that and he’s got such a bright future in wrestling. He’s 26, Renee. Let’s not forget that. He is a kid. So, I always kind of keep that in the back of my mind every week when we’re kind of talking to him, that ‘hey, he’s still a kid.’ He’s 26 and he’s working in this new world that he probably had no clue about before he stepped in it. So for him to excel this quick in something he probably never even watched as a child, that says a lot about his character and his athletic prowess.”

Paul Wight Mentoring Satnam Singh

Paul Wight
Paul Wight (Photo: AEW)

“Paul Wight has taken a lot of interest in Satnam and they kind of hit it off. So when it comes to tape study and stuff, I tell Satnam, ‘whatever Paul tells you, just listen and do that.’ And I appreciate Paul taking that time, effort, and energy that he spends with Satnam because there’s just some days where Lethal and I don’t have time get in the ring with him, but Paul does.”

“I’ve kind of told Satnam, ‘Paul will be your ticket to success if you just listen to what he’s telling you to do. He is experienced.’ If there’s anyone in AEW that can empathize and sympathize with Satnam’s issues and problems and kind of excelling at something like this, it’s Paul.”

“So that’s why I tell Satnam a lot of times, ‘look, Lethal and I will tell you our perspective, but our perspective is going to be way different than his. His perspective and his insight will be more centered and gear to you. So, whenever he wants to sit with you, just sit down and listen and soak it all in.'”

MJF Blames Ricky Starks for Low AEW Dynamite Rating: “I Have Inside Information”

Robert Lentini
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0

AEW World Champion MJF confronted Ricky Starks after he won the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale last night on AEW Dynamite.

Maxwell accused Starks of ripping off The Rock and called him a “Dollar Store Dwayne”. MJF continued with the insults and referred to Ricky as “The Pebble” and vowed to skip him back to “Billy Corgan’s NWA so he can wrestle on YouTube where he belongs”.

Ricky Starks responded with the promo of his life and insulted everything about MJF from his spray tan to his attitude. Starks became a star last night and has a chance to become the face of AEW when he battles MJF for the AEW World Championship next week at Dynamite: Winter is Coming.

MJF Blames Ricky Starks for Low Dynamite Rating

According to Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics, AEW Dynamite brought 840,000 viewers with a 0.29 in the key 18-49 year old demographic. Last night’s show ranked #3 in the demo behind the NBA on ESPN.

The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer noted that Spectrum cable had issues with TBS and TNT last night during the Dynamite broadcast and that negatively impacted the rating.

  • 5 Opponents for AEW World Champion MJF

MJF suggested that Ricky Starks is to blame for the low rating because he was the one that took out the spectrum boxes after their segment so he could look like a star.

I have inside information Ricky Starks took out all the spectrum boxes after our scuffle to ensure he seemed like a ratings draw in comparison to the rest of the show. This man is selfish and yet you love him?!? Sad.

WWE NXT Deadline Betting Odds

Andrew Ravens
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The final betting odds have been released for the WWE NXT Deadline.

The card for the show that takes place this Sunday appears to be finalized as only five matches have been announced.

So far, two normal NXT titles are on the line, but none are expected to change hands. Some of the more notable odds include Carmelo Hayes expected to win the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match, while Cora Jade is favored to win the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match. 

Winners of these matches will receive a title match for the NXT women’s and Men’s top titles that are currently held by Mandy Rose and Bron Breakker. 

WWE NXT Deadline Odds

As a reminder, we will be providing coverage of the show this Sunday. The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Here are the final betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:

  • NXT Champion Bron Breakker -1250 vs. Apollo Crews +550
  • Carmelo Hayes -150 vs. JD McDonagh +250 vs. Grayson Waller+500 vs. Joe Gacy +300 vs. Axiom +900 – Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match
  • Zoey Stark +300 vs. Cora Jade +200 vs. Kiana James +1400 vs. Roxanne Perez -140 vs. Indi Hartwell +500 – Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge Match
  • NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly -250 vs. The New Day +170

Triple H Meets with Former Champion in Los Angeles (Photo)

Robert Lentini
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0

WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H met former 24/7 Champion Bad Bunny for lunch today in Los Angeles.

Bad Bunny first appeared in WWE at Royal Rumble 2021 and performed his song “Booker T”, while the two-time Hall of Famer was standing on the entrance ramp with him.

He formed a tag team with Damian Priest and they defeated The Miz and John Morrison at Night 1 of WrestleMania 37. Bad Bunny captured the WWE 24/7 Championship from Akira Tozawa on the February 15th edition of the red brand.

He relinquished the title to R-Truth 28 days later in exchange for Stone Cold memorabilia. The 24/7 Championship has since been thrown in the trash by Nikki Cross and officially retired. Bad Bunny was impressive in the ring during his short time with the company and it will be interesting to see if he returns down the line.

The Game took to Twitter today and shared a photo with the popular musician. Triple H noted that Bad Bunny is so famous that he can just fly in for a lunch and leave.

@sanbenito is such a big star that when he drops in to have lunch… he just lands his plane in downtown L.A., eats and then takes off… #RockStarLife

Speaking at the Clash at the Castle press conference following the premium live event, Triple H noted that he was going to have a conversation with Bad Bunny very soon.

A little bit of a spoiler. He and I are gonna have a conversation very, very soon. It’s already scheduled. We’re gonna go and see what’s available. [He’s The] biggest music star in the world. So let’s go.

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