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Liv Morgan Has Found “Angry Liv Girl”, Wants To Bring Her To Day 1

Chris Stephens
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When Becky Lynch cheated to retain the RAW Women’s Championship against Liv Morgan, many fans in the crowd were upset. There was one fan who had such a disappointed face that she began to be known as “Angry Liv Girl.” Morgan revealed that she has found the fan and hopes to bring her, and the “Angry Becky Girl” who appeared on RAW after, to the Day 1 PPV on Saturday.

“I have found Angry Liv Girl,” Morgan said in an interview with CBS Sports. “She’s awesome and I’ve been waiting to reach out. I found her and I’m going to send her a little DM. I would love for Angry Liv Girl and Angry Becky girl to both be there [at WWE Day 1]. They’ve both been stars during this feud. I would love for them to both be there.”

Morgan also spoke about her title match with Lynch headlining an episode of RAW on the 17th anniversary of Trish Stratus and Lita becoming the first-ever women to main event an episode of the show.

“That day was the 17th anniversary of the infamous Trish vs. Lita [match]. The first-ever women’s main event match for the Women’s championship,” Morgan continued. “It felt so weird to me. It felt like it was meant to be. Everything felt so aligned. Becky has red hair. I have blonde hair. We have this match 17 years to the date and we were the main event, which we didn’t know until later in the day because we weren’t the main event and then we got switched to the main event. As soon as I realized that, I was like, ‘I’m doing a dive.'”

Liv Morgan will get another crack at winning the RAW Women’s Championship on Saturday at Day 1. If she wins, she would become just the 11th Superstar to win the title since its debut in 2016. Nobody has held the championship for more combined days than Becky Lynch. She’s been the holder of the title for 437 days split between 2 reigns.

Tony Khan Comments On Signing Kyle O’Reilly

Chris Stephens
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Tonight on AEW Dynamite from Jacksonville, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish will team up to take on Chuck Taylor, Trent, and Orange Cassidy. The 3 original members of the Undisputed Era were competition to the promotion when they were on NXT Wednesday nights. Tony Khan recently spoke to Sports Illustrated about what it’s like to now have them on his show.

“Kyle O’Reilly is a huge addition for AEW. He’s a great, great wrestler. And not only did we get Kyle O’Reilly, we also got Bobby Fish and Adam Cole. These are huge signings individually, but even more massive together,” Khan said. “Adam Cole’s debut at the end of All Out, that’s one of the most important moments ever in AEW, and now he’s surrounded by his former partners. To have Kyle O’Reilly debut and help Adam Cole get the win over Orange Cassidy in a great wrestling match last week on Dynamite, that builds more interest in AEW.”

Kyle O’Reilly debuted for AEW on last week’s “Holiday Bash” show from the Greensboro Coliseum. He interfered in the match between Cole and Orange Cassidy, leading to Cole picking up the victory. Cole, Fish, and O’Reilly left the ring area after the match, leaving the Young Bucks in the ring by themselves.

“Kyle makes his debut in the ring this week, and it’s symbolic that it is happening on the final Dynamite on TNT,” Khan continued. “So much of our run on TNT was spent battling these guys—Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly. When we were head to head, it was threatening to us every time they were on camera. Now we’ve added them to our team in AEW, which is such an advantage.”

Cole, Fish & O’Reilly vs The Best Friends On AEW New Year’s Smash

In addition to Cole, O’Reilly, and Fish teaming up to take on the Best Friends, 2 other big matches are scheduled for tonight’s show. 2.0 and Daniel Garcia will team up to take on Eddie Kingston and Santana & Ortiz. In the TBS title tournament semi-finals, Thunder Rosa will also take on Jade Cargill.

Renee Paquette Details Her Epic Wedding To Jon Moxley

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jon Moxley is one of the people who lives and breathes wrestling. His wrestling gimmick is just an extension of his real-life self. This point is only proved further by the story of his marriage. Mox’s wife Renee Paquette welcomed the duo of Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux on the most recent episode of her Oral Sessions podcast.

Scarlett first told the story of her engagement to Killer Kross in September this year. She recalled how both of them were having a bad day and there were no friends around. But Kross explained that together they could turn even the bad days into something special.

Naturally, the topic of their marriage was brought up and Renee asked about their preparation for it. Bordeaux revealed that they haven’t finalized anything but claimed that she would like to elope:

“I was on the road most of this month. I got to try on a couple dresses. I haven’t thought anything yet but I think I’d really like to elope. I want to go somewhere where there’s mountains. I was looking at Montana. I really just want close friends and family there because we’re talking about it and I’m like, ‘I don’t think a 100-person wedding or more people is for me. A lot of these people we might not even see in 10 years.’

I feel like I want [it] to be for us. I want to be surrounded by people who care about us. I just want to do it somewhere beautiful and have really good food. When we plan [it] it’s going to be maybe two or three weeks ahead. We’re just gonna call up our people and be like, ‘Alright, get on the flight. we’re going.'”

How Renee Paquette And Jon Moxley Got Married

Jon Moxley with Renee Paquette
Jon Moxley aka Dean Ambrose with Renee Paquette

In response, Renee Paquette told the story of her own marriage to Jon Moxley. The couple got married in an impromptu ceremony. It took place in the early hours of April 9, 2017, at their home in Las Vegas. They had hired a 24-hour pastor from yelp. Paquette revealed that they spent a total of $500 on the marriage:

“That’s the way to do it I feel. You spent so much money trying to cater things and get people somewhere and booking a venue and blah blah blah. It’s like you really just want it to be you guys. You want it to be nice and simple.

Jon and I got married for $500 which included the tip and that was it. We called it a day. I happen to have a white dress hanging in my closet. Same thing we were like, we had a weird bad day. I went up to bed and a bit of a mood. He comes storming up after me. [He was like] ‘We’re gonna get married right now.’ [I was like] ‘Okay, shit, here we go.'”

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

Scarlett Bordeaux Has A Good Reason To Want NXT 2.0 To Be Successful

Cody Rhodes: “We’re Not Going The Direction You Think”

Chris Stephens
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Cody Rhodes won the TNT Championship for a record 3rd time on Rampage last Friday. The crowds continue to give him a mixed reaction and many fans are wondering if he’ll turn heel.

Rhodes was recently featured on Sammy Guevara’s vlog and teased that they are “not going the direction you think” with the angle.

“I’m thankful to the fans that cheer me, and I’m thankful to the fans that boo me because both sets of fans are getting ready to go on a ride that’s just bizzare, and not… it’s not the path that you think. We’re not doing what’s been done before,” Rhodes said.

https://twitter.com/TranquiloClubYT/status/1475892964635389961

The full vlog can be viewed below:

Cody Rhodes Wins The TNT Championship

Cody Rhodes holds the record of most title reigns with the TNT title (3). Darby Allin holds the record for most combined days with the title and the longest single reign with the belt at 186.

Rhodes holds the record for the most combined total defenses with 10. Darby Allin, Miro, and Rhodes are tied for most title defenses in a single reign with 8.

He also holds the record for most wins in a TNT title match with 13, including his 3 title victories and 10 defenses.

Scarlett Bordeaux Has A Good Reason To Want NXT 2.0 To Be Successful

Anutosh Bajpai
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The rebranding of NXT has mostly been met with criticism from the fans. The new version of the show has failed to attract the younger audience as officials had hoped. Many believe that WWE should either revert back to the old presentation of the show or shut it down. However, Scarlett Bordeaux who was one of the last stars to be trained under the development brand before its repackaging is rooting for NXT 2.0 to succeed.

Scarlett and her fiance Killer Kross recently appeared on the latest episode of Oral Sessions with Renée Paquette. When asked for their thoughts on NXT 2.0, Bordeaux claimed that she wants it to be successful. She explained the reasoning for it, saying that a failure for the brand would lead to more of their friends losing their jobs:

“We have so many friends there. No matter what we want everyone to be successful and have jobs. We want it to do well, because if it doesn’t do well, that’s even more people we care about out of jobs. So we want [it] to be successful.

Scarlett Bordeaux continued: “It’s different. I’ll say this. It maybe feels a bit more sterile compared to what it was for me. We understand why they’re trying to appeal to the largest market and we want it to do well. I prefer the old grungy underground NXT personally. I just think there’s a lot of really talented, awesome people in that company. We want to see our friends do well.”

During the same interview, Killer Kross also gave his thoughts on his time with WWE. He explained that he doesn’t regret his run with the company overall. Though the former NXT champion also revealed the one thing he would change about his tenure. You can check out his comments at this link.

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

Killer Kross & Scarlett Comment On Their WWE Departures

Jake Atlas Debuts for AEW at Dark Elevation Taping

Ryan Droste
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Jake Atlas, who formerly worked for the WWE NXT brand, made his debut for All Elite Wrestling on Tuesday night. Atlas debuted during an AEW Dark Elevation taping in Jacksonville, taking on Serpentico. Atlas was victorious in the match.

Following the bout, AEW President and owner Tony Khan met Atlas on the ramp and shook his hand. While nothing has been made official, many took that to mean that Atlas has officially signed with the company. Check out the video below.

https://twitter.com/christina_tries/status/1476022184082653185

Atlas signed with WWE in 2019 after appearing with Stephanie McMahon on CBS’ Celebrity Undercover Boss in 2018. He had been garnering quite a bit of attention on the independent scene on the west coast prior to this and was looked at as a top tier signing at the time. He first served as an ambassador as part of WWE’s Be A Star program, then signed as a wrestler and made his debut appearance on an episode of NXT in April 2020.

That year, Atlas was involved in the NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament. He defeated Drake Maverick and Tony Nese in his first two matches of the tournament before being defeated by Kushida. Later in the year, Atlas would feud with Santos Escobar for the cruiserweight title.

In early 2021, Atlas teamed with Isaiah “Swerve” Scott in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The team lost to MSK in the tournament.

Following his WWE release, Atlas worked for GCW (Game Changer Wrestling) and ROH (Ring of Honor) this past fall. After briefly working for ROH, Atlas announced he was retiring from wrestling. His final match had been a loss to Taylor Rust at ROH’s Death Before Dishonor PPV show on September 12th. That changed on Tuesday evening.

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Jake Atlas On Coming Out To Stephanie McMahon As Gay

Christian Cage Believes Jeff Hardy Will Join AEW

Ryan Droste
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The careers of Christian Cage and Jeff Hardy have been closely linked for more than 20 years. The ladder match that featured Edge and Christian taking on The Hardy Boyz at WWE’s No Mercy PPV in 1999 essentially put both teams on the map and led to a spectacular three year stretch of tag team wrestling in the company.

Christian was interviewed this week by ET Canada and the topic of Hardy came up. Following his release from WWE earlier this month, Christian said that he believes that Hardy will join his brother Matt in AEW eventually.

“Yeah, of course (expects him to join AEW). There’s so much history there and, obviously, I’m very close with Matt [Hardy] as well,” he said. “It’s been great to reconnect with him in AEW. He’s kind of doing the same thing as far as mentoring the younger generation the same way. He’s also got a wealth of knowledge. Jeff is an extremely talented guy. A really good guy. I’m sure at some point that will happen.”

Jeff Hardy’s Status Up In The Air Following WWE Release

Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy was sent home from a WWE live tour in Texas on December 5th. This followed an incident at a show on December 4th where Hardy walked out through the crowd during the middle of a tag team match. On December 9th, he was officially released from the company. Rumors have swirled that substance abuse had something to do with it, and it was reported that WWE offered to pay for Hardy to attend rehab but he refused the offer.

“Before anyone rushes to judgment, obviously they [WWE] drug tested him after all this stuff, wait until you hear the results of that and when that comes back clean then hopefully people will feel better about it,” Matt Hardy said during a recent Twitch broadcast. “They [WWE] felt like they were backed into a corner because of his [Jeff’s] history. Even though they may have jumped the gun with this a little bit, they made a decision and it is what it is.”

He continued, “Jeff is in the best place I’ve seen him in a very long time. As far as the details of what went down on that evening, and in that match, I’ve talked with Jeff, I feel good about everything he said and that’s Jeff’s story to share. And he told me he will when he’s ready to.”

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

Kurt Angle on Jeff Hardy: “He Needs to Look Himself in the Mirror”

WWE NXT 2.0 Results (12/28): Contract Signing, Grayson Waller Speaks

Andrew Ravens
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The December 28, 2021 episode of WWE NXT 2.0 aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Grayson Waller def. Odyssey Jones.
  • Harland (w/Joe Gacy) def. Andre Chase via referee’s decision.
  • Tiffany Stratton def. Fallon Henley.
  • Solo Sikoa def. Santos Escobar.
  • Von Wagner def. Malik Blade.
  •  Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez def. Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Grayson Waller Kicks Things Off

nxt 3 1

Grayson Waller started the show with a promo in the ring after having a promo segment with AJ Styles on last week’s show. Waller also appeared on Monday’s episode of Raw to continue the feud. 

Waller talked about how he wants to give AJ a proper send off and said Styles’ entrance song is the top 5 worst of all time. He said that he was supposed to wrestle Dexter Lumis, but that’s not happening so he will take care of who steps up. That was Odyssey Jones. 

The finish saw Jones be sent into an exposed turnbuckle before Waller hit his finisher to win a fun match. Post-match, Styles appeared on the big screen and said he will be at NXT New Year’s Evil.

Brian Kendrick Doesn’t Return To In-Ring Action

nxt 1 1

Brian Kendrick was supposed to work his first match in over a year against Harland. The match was set up two weeks ago when Harland threw Kendrick down a flight of stairs. Last week, Harland and Joe Gacy cut a promos saying that Kendrick owed Harland an apology and only had himself to blame for the attack. Later in the show, Kendrick stated that if Harland wants his apology, he can get it from him in the ring.

Kendrick didn’t come out. Gacy said that Kendrick is afraid to admit he was the problem and in the wrong. Andre Chase came out said at his university, they don’t accept negatives, but turn them into positives. Gacy said Harland was in Chase university, but was expelled. Chase was the new opponent and got destroyed by Harland. 

Tag Team Match

nxt 2

WWE had a tag team match  with Raquel Gonzalez and Cora Jade teaming against Toxic Attraction’s Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. This comes one week from Gonzalez and Jade challenging Mandy Rose for the NXT Women’s Championship in a triple threat match at New Year’s Evil on January 4. 

There was a backstage segment with Rose announcing she was giving her girls the night off with Kay Lee Ray and Io Shirai replacing them to take on Raquel and Cora with the winning team being her opponents at New Year’s Evil. 

The match served as the main event and it was back and forth. Raquel pulled Jade off Ray because she wanted the pin fall. Jade ended up rolling up Ray for the win. 

Contract Signing

NXT 6

There was a contract signing  for the North American and Cruiserweight Championship unification match at New Year’s Evil as North American Champion Carmelo Hayes will face Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong in that bout.

Wade Barrett hosted the contract signing. Strong pretended to not be able to understand Hayes and Trick Williams. Strong promised to kick his ass. Trick said he’s never been outnumbered. Bivens tried to translate. Hayes told Strong to not play with him or he would put him on a t-shirt. He said he will take the Cruiserweight Title from Strong next week. Strong next week, they will have life changing experiences. For him, it will be when he becomes another champion and for Hayes, he will be carried out and be known as Humble Hayes. 

Williams ended up being put through a table.

The Callout

pjimage 2021 12 28T195446.137

MSK came out to the ring to confront NXT Tag Team Champions Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel of Imperium. MSK cut a promo about how they found Riddle, who appeared on the big screen. Riddle said he’s going to be there in a higher power way and there’s one thing left to do and that’s to challenge Imperium for the straps. 

Imperium said MSK can talk all they want, but they need to understand that they will never be able to touch them. Imperium said the titles will stay with the best tag team the division has ever seen and the titles belong to them. WALTER appeared on the big screen and called MSK a disgrace. He said MSK doesn’t deserve a title match, but only a beat down. Riddle came back on the screen. Riddle challenged WALTER and Imperium to a six-man tag team match alongside MSK. WALTER accepted. 

Bill Goldberg Needs Surgery, Reveals Why He Refuses to Have It

Ryan Droste
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Bill Goldberg recently joined The Pat McAfee Show as a guest and revealed a lot about what his future in pro wrestling and WWE may hold. Plus, he discussed a pretty significant injury that he has been dealing with for years.

During the discussion with McAfee, Goldberg revealed that he has a “destroyed shoulder” that needs surgery. However, he’s been delaying the necessary surgery because he wants to wrestle again. His current plan is to wait until he’s done wrestling for good to have the surgery. Once he does have the procedure, he would need to be out of action for a considerable length of time.

“They haven’t given me very much time (to prepare for matches),” Goldberg revealed (H/T Wrestling Inc). “This last time with Lashley was the longest time they gave me to prep, and I think – you see the results. I felt pretty good.

“And I won’t tell everybody on national radio or television that my shoulder’s been destroyed for the last three years – five years, eight years. And I need surgery but, you know, I’ll get it when I’m done. I’ll get it when I’m finished. If Vince calls me tomorrow and says, ‘Hey Goldberg, we need you in a month,’ what am I gonna do if I get surgery? So I’ll get ‘er done when it’s time.”

Goldberg reportedly has one match left on the deal with WWE he has currently been working on (see video above). He returned to WWE originally in 2016 after previously leaving the promotion back in 2004. He’s worked at least one match in every year except 2018 since that return.

“I came back for a number of reasons. First and foremost, because I owed the business something,” Goldberg said of his WWE return in 2016. “I owed the business something that I hadn’t given in the past. And after a 16-year hiatus, and obviously the birth of our son, it all changed. I felt really guilty about receiving so much from the business and then not really giving back, per the fans.”

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

WWE Day 1 Betting Odds

Andrew Ravens
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The betting odds for most of the matches that will take place at the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view event have been released.

The card for the show that takes place in Atlanta, Georgia at the State Farm Arena on Saturday night is still being finalized. So far, eight matches have been announced for the show. WWE is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that has caused some stars to be sidelined because they’ve either tested positive or been in contact with someone who has the virus. 

There are no titles favored to change hands. There are no odds right now for Madcap Moss vs. Drew McIntyre, WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn, and WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. The Street Profits.

The favorites to win are listed as – while the underdogs are listed with +. Odds call for all three titles to change. Here are the betting odds, courtesy of Bet Online: 

  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns -250 vs. Brock Lesnar +170
  • WWE Champion Big E -165 vs. Seth Rollins +250 vs. Kevin Owens +500 vs. Bobby Lashley +350 – Fatal 4 Match
  • Edge -700 vs. The Miz +400
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos -250 vs. The New Day +170
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch -300 vs. Liv Morgan +200

Matt Hardy Podcast with Jon Alba Launching January 7th

Michael Reichlin
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Matt Hardy’s new podcast, The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, launches Friday, January 7th.

Hosted by Emmy-Award winning journalist Jon Alba, this new weekly show will be part of the Podcast Heat network.

“I am one of the most fortunate men alive, as I have been able to fulfill all of my dreams thanks to pro wrestling,” said Matt Hardy. “Throughout my journey, I’ve had many successes and failures, which I’ve always learned from. I’m exceptionally excited to share my insights and thoughts, about both pro wrestling and life, to help fans have a better understanding of ‘The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy.’”

According to a press release sent in by CuCommunications, “The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy” will navigate through some of the life-changing moments in Hardy’s career and connect them to their impact on the professional wrestling industry. The podcast will also gives Hardy, who is a current performer for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), a platform to share his thoughts and perspectives on the numerous current-day promotions and talent in the wrestling worlds.

Jon Alba also commented on this new project.

“I have long thought Matt Hardy was one of the most underappreciated creative minds in wrestling history, and there’s so much untapped knowledge he has to offer not just fans, but today’s generation of performers,” said Alba. “The goal of this show is to educate the audience every week on the art of storytelling, character development, reinvention, and give life lessons in overcoming hardships. This will be different from any other pro wrestling podcast you’ve heard, and I’m incredibly grateful for Matt allowing me to help tell his stories in a way that I believe will leave an impact on wrestling fans everywhere.”

Update On If AJ Styles Is Now A Babyface Or Still A Heel

Chris Stephens
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As recently as December 26th, AJ Styles was a heel. He was a heel in his match against Omos on the Madison Square Garden live event the night after Christmas. On that show, he faked as though Omos had hit him with a chair and then won via disqualification. Last night on RAW, however, Styles appeared to be acting as a babyface. He even faced and defeated a heel in Apollo Crews.

According to a report from PW Insider, Styles is now a babyface.

“Going forward in WWE storylines, AJ Styles is now a babyface according to several WWE sources,” wrote Mike Johnson.

Omos is reportedly still a heel. This despite their breakup last week on RAW seemingly putting him in the babyface role between the two.

Omos was not on RAW last night from Detroit. He reportedly traveled to Detroit but was sent home earlier in the day and not backstage once the show began. On the show last night, Styles called out Omos but got Apollo Crews instead. He then defeated the former United States Champion in singles action.

Styles and Omos won the RAW tag-team championships at WrestleMania 37. They then lost them to the current champions, RK-Bro, at SummerSlam.

Shawn Michaels Comments On New Role With NXT

Chris Stephens
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Shawn Michaels recently discussed his new role in NXT during an interview with Denise Salcedo. Previously, Michaels had been in a coaching role for the brand. Since Triple H has been absent, however, Michaels has stepped up and is now involved more on the television and creative side of things.

“I’ve now stepped out of the physical coaching aspect and into the Vice President of Talent Development and focusing more on television, the live show, and creative,” Michaels said. “The talent pool has gotten very big. To me, the biggest advantage of all of that is the freshness, the newness. When I went from a tag team to a single competitor, I wasn’t given a cookie-cutter ‘this is your character, this is what you’re gonna do.’ “

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1475587299282927626

Shawn Michaels On Helping Characters Evolve In NXT

Michaels continued to talk about needing some time to find his “Heartbreak Kid” character and how in NXT they work to allow characters to evolve. He also spoke about working in collaboration with new talent to find out who they are.

“I was able to have some time to find ‘The Heartbreak Kid.’ I didn’t know who he was at the time but I had an opportunity to evolve this character and make it mine,” he continued. “That’s the one thing we’re allowed to do now with these new athletes coming in, is have time to sit down, to talk with them, to find out who they are, to get their insight, it really is a collaboration.”

The full interview with Michaels can be seen in the player below:

NXT will be live tonight from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. 2 matches have been officially confirmed for the show. Cora Jade & Raquel Gonzalez will team up to take on the Toxic Attraction team of Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne. Also tonight, Dexter Lumis and Grayson Waller will meet in singles action.

H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the above transcriptions.

Tony Khan Discusses The Owen Hart Cup

Chris Stephens
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AEW recently revealed that the Owen Hart Cup tournaments will take place this May and conclude at the Double or Nothing PPV in Las Vegas. Tony Khan was recently interviewed by PW Insider and spoke about the tournaments, his relationship with Dr. Martha Hart, and more.

“I have so much respect for Dr. Martha Hart. She is a principled woman and cares so much about making sure the legacy of Owen Hart is treated with integrity. Integrity is something that is essential to AEW. I believe in personal integrity and try to maintain it in relationships. We’ve built a really strong relationship with Martha based on that,” Khan said.

Tony Khan Comments On Having The Tournament Conclude At Double or Nothing

Khan would continue to say that numerous factors went into when the tournament would be held. Some of this had to do with Hart’s teaching schedule in Canada and when she would be available to participate. They had considered the Revolution PPV in February but ultimately the decision was made to have the tournaments conclude at Double or Nothing.

“Talking to her about how the legacy of Owen would be treated, I told her we would make it a top priority to make sure we would do something that would have great impact on the fans, but also where she could participate,” Khan said.

“She’s a teacher in Canada and with her teaching schedule, we looked at AEW events. Double or Nothing is one of the most important shows we have, it’s where the company began, and it’s very fitting that on the three-year anniversary of our first AEW show, we will crown Owen Hart (Cup) winners.”

Khan continued to speak about the decision to have both men’s and women’s winners fo the tournament. For Khan, the idea is that the Owen will be treated like other major tournaments in sports.

“I discussed it with Martha and I thought it would be cool to treat the Owen like other prestigious cups in sports. For example, Wimbledon, there is a men’s and women’s winner. Martha thought this was excellent and was in favor of it.”

Killer Kross Doesn’t Regret WWE Run: “I Learned So Much”

Anutosh Bajpai
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Killer Kross was one of the victims of the lack of coordination between NXT and main roster officials. Many believed that he had all the tools for a successful career on Raw and his unique gimmick would help him stand out. Fans were outraged when he was repackaged upon his call-up. It was evident from his debut loss against Jeff Hardy that the main roster officials did not understand his character at all. The point was proven further when both Kross and Scarlett were released from their WWE contracts after a lackluster run in November.

However, even after the poor treatment on the main roster, the former NXT champion is not bitter about his WWE run as a whole. He talked about it during his most recent appearance on Oral Sessions with Renée Paquette. Killer Kross mentioned that he got to learn a lot during his WWE tenure. He claimed that he would have gone through with it, if he had known how his run would pan out:

“This may shock a lot of people but like I said, I like to look at the glass half full. If someone had presented a crystal ball and said, ‘This is how your career is gonna go [in] WWE and by the end of it, this is what’s gonna happen. There is nothing you can do about it. Would you like to go? Or would you just say skip this period?’ I would honestly have gone. Because I learned so much. And I grew as a person and especially with what was going on in the world at that time like it served many purposes in a greater aspect of either mentally, physically, spiritually.”

Killer Kross On One Thing He Would Change About His Main Roster Run

Killer Kross
Killer Kross

Killer Kross was asked about the one thing he would change about his WWE run. Replying to it, the former champion mentioned how fans were already fantasy booking the NXT version of his character against main roster stars. He explained that he would have kept the gimmick when he moved to the main roster:

“If I could have done something differently, I mean, very simply put, I would have attempted to maintain continuity at what we’re doing in NXT. And taken that to the main roster because fans were already fantasy booking us to be walking down the aisle of WrestleMania.

The fans were telling the company what they wanted to see. And so the matches were there. The tickets could have been sold. If we just listened to what people were telling them that they wanted. This would have been super easy in my opinion. If we could have done things differently, that’s what I would have done.”

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

What’s next for Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux?

Killer Kross & Scarlett Comment On Their WWE Departures

Chris Stephens
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Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux were two of the more surprising releases in WWE this year. Kross had been built up as a huge star in NXT but when he hit the main roster, things changed. Scarlett was removed from his act, he was repackaged and given a helmet with no explanation. Then they were both just released.

Kross and Scarlett were guests recently on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette. During the discussion, both Kross and Scarlett spoke about trading in creative freedom for financial stability when they signed with WWE. Kross says his intuition knew something was off after he first lost to Jeff Hardy on RAW, however. He noted that he was given no notice when their planned 10-minute match was cut short by 9.5 minutes.

“I do my entrance and get out there,” Kross said of his first match with Hardy. “The ref comes to me and goes, ‘Hey, your 10 minute match is down to 90 seconds.’ First time we’re working on television, we don’t really know each other in the ring, our rhythm, they come back from commercial and I’m trying not to laugh.”

Kross continued to say that he was worried about where things were going after that match.

“Part of this business is doing what you are told,” he continued. “My intuition was telling me that everything was off and felt wrong and I felt something bad coming four months before it happened, but everyone I talked to was like, ‘No, everyone loves you. There are no problems,’ but I felt it coming. I tried to, as professionally polite as I could, talk to people in the chain of command and be a good sport.” 

https://twitter.com/realKILLERkross/status/1475645435356270594

Kross became further concerned when he was given an email regarding the repackaging of his character. He was given something of an updated “Demolition” style gimmick, complete with a helmet and all. Kross said he knew the look would not get over in 2021.

“I got an email with what it was supposed to look like,” Kross said of his repackaging. “Apparently, the music was supposed to change, the entrance was supposed to change, and it was supposed to be an enhanced version. When I saw the picture of it, I showed it to [Scarlett] and I just started laughing.”

Scarlett would continue to say that despite what happened, they knew what they were getting into with WWE. They were trading in creative freedom for financial stability.

“We were also ready, when we signed up for WWE, we were trading creative freedom to finally be able to have a steady income,” she said.

We tried to take that perspective no matter what. ‘It’s not our money, no matter what, we’re going to make the best of whatever it is,'” Scarlett continued.

H/T To Fightful for the above transcriptions.

Update On Omos Missing RAW

Chris Stephens
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Omos was scheduled to face AJ Styles on last night’s RAW from Detroit. The match didn’t happen, however. Instead, Styles faced and defeated Apollo Crews. According to a report from PW Insider, Omos did travel to Detroit for the show.

Omos was not backstage as RAW was taking place, however. Rather, he had been sent home earlier in the day. No reason was given for his absence on television and it is not clear what led to him being sent home. Omos had previously performed on WWE’s live event in Madison Square Garden on December 26th.

WWE has had numerous Superstars out of action as of late. The speculation is that these absences are due to health and safety protocols regarding COVID-19 but that cannot be confirmed. Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Bianca Belair, Bobby Lashley, Big E, and Roman Reigns all missed WWE live events recently. Lynch, Rollins, Belair, Lashley, and Big E were not in person on last night’s RAW broadcast but did send in videos. Kevin Owens was not pulled from the recent live events, however, and is the one person from the 4-way match at Day 1 who was live on RAW last night.

Omos has been on the main roster a little over a year, mainly associating with AJ Styles. The duo are former RAW tag-team champions. Omos also won the 25-man battle royal at Survivor Series this year.

Toni Storm On Lack Of Opportunity After Main Roster Call Up, What She Learned During Pandemic

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE announced back in July that Toni Storm was going to be called up to the main roster. She was confirmed to be a part of the SmackDown brand via a vignette during the July 9 episode. However, it turned out to be one of those cases where the officials had no clear plans for the NXT star. She made her in-ring debut beating Zelina Vega during the July 23 episode of the show and disappeared from TV for a couple of weeks after that. This trend continued in the following months and Storm had wrestled only three matches on SmackDown before the Survivor Series PPV in November.

The former NXT UK women’s champion opened up about the time during her recent appearance on Out Of Character podcast. She admitted that sitting in catering doing nothing was not a good feeling:

“It’s the worst cause you just don’t know. Obviously, wrestling [can be] so unpredictable. Next week you could be main eventing and winning a title and everything could be happening or nothing. You don’t know. This is show business at the end of the day. It’s a topsy turvy industry.

When you’re sat in catering, it’s not a good feeling. Just sitting there waiting for your shot. Waiting for your big break. Waiting to show everyone what you’ve worked your life to be good at. I just sat there [asking] ‘When am I next? What’s happening?’ Now [when] stuff starts happening, I’m still like, ‘what’s going on?’ Oh, my God. What is my life?”

Toni Storm On What She Learned During The Pandemic

Toni Storm
Toni Storm

Toni Storm also talked about the pandemic and the lockdown everyone was forced to endure. She admitted that being alone was not a good experience. Though finding a silver lining in the situation, Storm claimed that the ordeal gave her time to know herself a little better. It was a good time to focus on herself. Storm claimed that she learned about what she wanted from life:

“I got to know myself a little more. You know what I mean? I got to know real Toni a little bit because it’s been just years of constant, just being Toni Storm. Just traveling all around, working all around. Just doing this constantly. Then I was kind of forced to be alone and locked away. I was in North of England when it happened and by myself. I was given so much time. I was alone so much.

At first, I hated it. And then I really started to enjoy it and [started to] know more about me and was more in touch with myself. It was a good opportunity to like, learn more about who I am and what I want out of life. And so, in that sense, that was the positivity there. I mean, it still sucked. There was no enjoyment. That was just like the worst but it was a good time to really focus on who I am as a person. I think everyone needs that from time to time.”

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

Toni Storm Discusses Her Main Roster Call Up, Vince McMahon

Jimmy Yang Gone From WWE After Tryout As A Producer

Chris Stephens
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In late-October, Jimmy Yang started working as a producer in WWE on a tryout basis. According to Yang, WWE decided against using him full time.

Yang’s pro career started in 1999 in WCW. He was cast as one of the Jung Dragons in the promotion’s cruiserweight division. After WWE purchased WCW, Yang was assigned to the Heartland Wrestling Association developmental territory but then released in January of 2002.

He would spend 2002-03 with TNA Wrestling before re-signing with WWE in September of 2003. He was again released in 2005. Yang then had a brief run with Ring of Honor before once again signing with WWE in 2006. He would adopt the gimmick of Jimmy “Wang” Yang and compete in the company’s cruiserweight division. Yang was then released again in April of 2010. Following his last stint in WWE as a wrestler, Yang worked on the independent scene for several years and returned to TNA Wrestling briefly in 2011.

He has several jobs in the Cincinatti area. He runs a wrestling school called Pro Training, LLC. Yang operates a party bus business as well and his own pest control company called “Jimmy’s Pest Control”.

Toni Storm Discusses Her Main Roster Call Up, Vince McMahon

Anutosh Bajpai
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Toni Storm is living the dream of becoming a WWE superstar and competing around the world. After spending almost 4 years in development, the female star has finally become part of the SmackDown roster. Not only that but she has been engaged in a feud with one of the biggest female stars of the industry in Charlotte Flair.

The former NXT star recently appeared on Out Of Character with Ryan Satin and discussed her journey till now. Talking about her main roster call-up, Storm recalled how she first got called in for a few dark matches. Though according to her, she tried not to get too excited about it:

“So I was just cruising along in NXT, minding my own business and I got called in for a few dark matches. I didn’t think too much of it. [I] didn’t want to get too excited. Because every time you are like ‘oooo’ and [it] never works out. So I just went along with it.  [I] did a few dark matches. [and] did my best. Next thing I know I’m on SmackDown. It’s been a crazy ride ever since. My whole life has changed. I’m a different person. I am a whole different being.”

Toni Storm On If She Has Talked To Vince McMahon

Toni Storm
Toni Storm

Toni Storm’s main roster call-up finally became official when WWE aired a vignette for the same during the July 9 episode of SmackDown this year. Even then, the SmackDown star didn’t want to get her hopes up. When asked how she reacted to the news, Storm said that she didn’t know what to do:

“I didn’t really know what to do. I just kind of fluffed around like, ‘oh, I don’t want to talk about it in case it doesn’t happen.’ To be honest I didn’t really say much. I was just [like], ‘Yeah this might be happening. I don’t know if it is. We’ll see.’ [I] just I didn’t get my hopes up or anything. [Because] this is like the ultimate goal. My life goal. My life dream. So hearing about [It] I was like ‘oh yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.’ And then I turned up to work next week and was like. ‘Oh, okay. Yeah, it’s happening.'”

The former NXT UK women’s champion has been a part of the main roster for close to six months now. Though she is still adjusting to her new life and the people she gets to work with. Toni Storm was asked if she has talked to Vince McMahon about what he wants from her character. She replied by saying that they have only had a few chats:

“We’ve only had a few chats so far. We haven’t had a chance to really get to know each other yet, but I’m sure if I can keep doing a good job and slap the taste out of that girl’s (Charlotte Flair) mouth. Then maybe there’ll be some longer chats.”

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

Kurt Angle on Jeff Hardy: “He Needs to Look Himself in the Mirror”

Ryan Droste
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Jeff Hardy’s exit from WWE recently is something that WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle can relate to.

Angle famously dealt with substance abuse problems throughout his career before turning things around. Hardy’s exit from WWE earlier this month was rumored to have stemmed from substance abuse issues, which is something he has also struggled with throughout the years. WWE even worked that real life situation into a storyline feud that Hardy had with Sheamus just last year.

During an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, Angle commented on Hardy’s current situation.

“I’ve been through it, I think Jeff needs to look himself in the mirror and see what he wants to do,” Angle said. “Does he want to change or does he want to stay the same? I personally think he does need help but that’s something that he needs to deal with inside himself. He needs to realize what’s important in his life, is it the stuff or is it his family and his job? It really comes down to Jeff making the decision on his own.”

Hardy was sent home from a WWE live tour on December 5th. This followed an incident at a show in Texas on December 4th where Hardy walked out through the crowd during the middle of a tag team match. He was subsequently released from the company on December 9th.

Of course, Hardy and Angle are far from stranger. Their careers in WWE overlapped for many years, and they also had a significant in-ring feud while with TNA Wrestling. The majority of their matches together actually happened with TNA.

Since his WWE release, Hardy has stayed in the public spotlight. He announced a meet and greet tour right after his release. Matt Hardy has also defended his brother, stating that WWE may have jumped the gun in releasing him.

“Before anyone rushes to judgment, obviously they [WWE] drug tested him after all this stuff, wait until you hear the results of that and when that comes back clean then hopefully people will feel better about it,” Matt said. “They [WWE] felt like they were backed into a corner because of his [Jeff’s] history. Even though they may have jumped the gun with this a little bit, they made a decision and it is what it is.”

He continued, “Jeff is in the best place I’ve seen him in a very long time. As far as the details of what went down on that evening, and in that match, I’ve talked with Jeff, I feel good about everything he said and that’s Jeff’s story to share. And he told me he will when he’s ready to.”

Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcript.

WWE RAW Results (12/27): The Miz & Maryse Renew Vows, Eric Bischoff Appears

Robert Lentini
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This week’s episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It was the final episode of RAW before WWE Day 1 this Saturday night. The Miz & Maryse renewed their wedding vows at the end of the show. Eric Bischoff appeared on RAW tonight and officiated the ceremony.

RAW Results

  1. Riddle def. Chad Gable
  2. Randy Orton def. Otis
  3. Dana Brooke & Reggie def. Tamina & R-Truth
  4. Street Profits def. The Mysterios to earn a shot at the RAW Tag Titles at Day 1
  5. AJ Styles def. Apollo Crews
  6. Kevin Owens def. Cedric Alexander
  7. Damian Priest vs. Dolph Ziggler ended in a disqualification

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Riddle def. Chad Gable

RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro made their way to the ring to begin the show. Riddle had a Christmas card and welcomed everyone to the final RAW of 2021. Orton said he wanted to focus on beating Otis tonight and then successfully defending the tag titles at Day 1 against either Street Profits or the Mysterios. Alpha Academy interrupted and Gable said Orton is no match for Otis. They vowed to take the tag titles from RK-Bro down the line as well. Gable and Riddle then battled in the first match of the night.

Gable controlled the action early and planted Riddle with a Suplex. Gable went for a Moonsault but Riddle countered into a Triangle submission.Gable escaped into an Ankle Lock but Riddle escaped. Riddle caught Gable with a knee to the face and then the Floating Bro for the pinfall victory. After the match, Otis leveled Riddle with a shoulder tackle. Otis will face Randy Orton next.

Randy Orton def. Otis

Otis slammed Orton to the mat and hit him with a headbutt. Otis droves shoulder into Orton’s midsection and went for a Body Slam. Randy escaped and went for the RKO but Otis blocked it and shoved Orton out of the ring. Otis chased after him and wound up running into the steel steps.

Orton rolled back in the ring and booted Otis in the face while he was in the ropes. Randy hit the draping DDT as Riddle celebrated outside the ring. Otis battled back and climbed to the middle turnbuckle. Otis went for a Splash but Orton got out of the way. Randy hit the RKO for the pinfall victory. Riddle and Orton shared a hug after the match and Orton joked about hitting him with an RKO.

Dana Brooke & Reggie Picked Up A Win

24/7 Champion Dana Brooke & Reggie faced Tamina & R-Truth tonight on RAW. R-Truth controlled the action and tagged in Tamina. She hit Reggie with a Superkick and Dana tagged in. R-Truth tagged himself in and wound up getting rolled up by Reggie. After the match, Tamina tried to Clothesline Truth but he avoided it.

RK-Bro Will Defend The RAW Tag Titles Against The Street Profits At Day 1

Street Profits faced Dominik & Rey Mysterio tonight on RAW. The winners of the match will face RK-Bro for the RAW Tag Team Championships at Day 1 this Saturday. RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro were shown watching backstage throughout the match.

The Mysterios isolated Montez Ford in the ring and hit him with a Russian Leg Sweep. Dominik went for the cover but Montez kicked out at two. Rey sent Montez to the apron and hit him with a Dropkick. Dominik hit Montez with a Sunset Flip Bomb into the barricade and Rey connected with a Splash on Angelo as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Rey set up for the 619 but Dawkins countered with an elbow to the face for a near fall. Mysterio connected with a Tornado DDT but Ford broke up the cover at two. Dominik hit Ford with a Neckbreaker but then got knocked out of the ring. Angelo hit the Silencer and tagged in Ford.

Montez hit a Frog Splash and went for the cover but Rey kicked out at two. Dominik flipped onto Dawkins outside the ring as Rey connected with a 619 on Ford. Dominik hit a Splash but Montez somehow kicked out. Street Profits launched Rey out of the ring and hit Dominik with a Blockbuster for the pinfall victory. Street Profits will face RK-Bro for the RAW Tag Team Championships at Day 1.

AJ Styles def. Apollo Crews

AJ Styles came to the ring and wondered where Omos was because they were supposed to have a match tonight. Styles poked fun at Omos some more before Grayson Waller was shown in the crowd. AJ told Waller to come into the ring and Grayson did so with a microphone. Grayson hyped up NXT and said you can see the “Grayson Waller Effect” on Tuesday nights. Styles offered to give Grayson a tour before laying him out with a Phenomenal Forearm.

Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez then made their way to the entrance ramp. Crews said that they are a united front, unlike Styles & Omos. Azeez challenged Styles to a fight and AJ accepted as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, it was Apollo Crews versus Styles with Commander Azeez outside the ring.

Crews controlled the action early and taunted Styles while beating him down. AJ battled back and connected with a Neckbreaker for a near fall. Crews hit a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Styles kicked out at two. Styles climbed up to the middle turnbuckle and hit an inverted DDT on Crews. AJ set up for the Phenomenal Forerarm but Azeez dragged Crews to the apron.

Apollo capitalized with a Death Valley Driver on the apron but Styles somehow kicked out at two and the match continued. Crews went for a Superplex but AJ blocked it. AJ connected with the Styles Clash for the pinfall victory. After the match, Styles hit Commander Azeez with he Phenomenal Forearm.

Kevin Owens Picked Up A Win

Kevin Owens kicked off the final hour of RAW and boasted about main eventing Madison Square Garden last night. Owens claimed that the whole world will rejoice when he wins the title at Day 1. Kevin noted that he’s the only person in the title match that is here tonight and at Day 1 the WWE Universe will finally have a champion they can be proud of. MVP interrupted and told Owens that he made a mistake by Powerbombing Lashley on the apron last week and he will realize that when he is in the Hurt Lock at Day 1. Cedric and Shelton Benjamin joined the party and it led to a match between Cedric and Owens. Kevin got the pinfall victory after connecting with the Stunner.

Damian Priest Attacked Ziggler

Damian Priest defended the United States Championship against Dolph Ziggler. The action started out back and forth. When RAW returned from a commercial break, Dolph hit a Fameasser and went for the cover but Priest kicked out at two. Ziggler unloaded some punches and taunted the Untied States Champion as he stumbled to his feet.

Priest hit some punches off his own and followed it up with a spinning kick to the face. Damian hit a Splash in the corner and then the Broken Arrow for a two count. Dolph hit an elbow to the face and rolled Damian up for a two count.

Ziggler planted Damian with a DDT and went for the cover but the champion powered out at the last moment. Damian got fired up and unloaded some strikes. Priest bashed Ziggler down in the corner until the referee called for the DQ. Ziggler rolled to the outside but Damian followed him out there. Priest hit the Reckoning to end the segment.

Edge Gave Miz & Maryse A Brood Bath

Eric Bischoff made his way to the ring at the end of tonight’s RAW. Bischoff said it was great to be back in a WWE ring for such an amazing moment as we are about to see. Eric stated that we honor and respect the sanctity of marriage in this industry and introduced The Miz.

Miz was wearing a white suit and shook hands with Bischoff. The Miz was booed out of the building but he cleverly reacted as if they were cheering him. Miz thanked Eric for officiating the ceremony and said he was a visionary. Maryse told Miz that he will show the world at Day 1 that he’s a way better superstar than Edge. Miz mocked the fans for willingly living in Detroit and cheering for the Lions. The Miz read his vows in French and Maryse kept correcting him. Miz asked MAryse to continue to be his wife and the crowd booed. Miz told them to shut up and Maryse shouted “yes I will!”.

The Miz and Maryse were about to kiss when Edge’s theme hit. Edge got a great reaction as he entered the ring. Edge told Bischoff that it was good to him and claimed that he was not here to ruin anything. He told Miz that he is going to beat his ass at Day 1.

The Miz told Edge that he wanted him to have a front row seat to show him what true love looks like. They shared a kiss and Edge responded by saying he was going to embarrass them tonight. Edge started looking around the ring and Miz got paranoid. Edge joked that he was just messing with Miz and then the lights turned red. Black liquid poured on Miz, Maryse, and Bischoff as The Brood theme played to end the show.

WWE Day 1 Updated Card: New Title Match Announced

Andrew Ravens
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A new match has been announced for the upcoming WWE Day 1 PPV. On Monday’s episode of Raw, The Mysterios vs. The Street Profits in the finals of the RK-Bronament took place. 

Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins beat Rey and Dominik Mysterio to become the new #1 contenders for the Raw Tag Team Titles. Now, The Street Profits will challenge Randy Orton and Riddle for the titles at the first PPV event of 2022. 

WWE presents the Day 1 pay-per-view event on Saturday, January 1, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia at the State Farm Arena that will air on Peacock. WWE could be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days. With WWE dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, some wrestlers could be pulled from their matches at the event. 

Updated WWE Day 1 Card

  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
  • WWE Champion Big E vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley – Fatal 4 Match
  • Edge vs. The Miz
  • WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
  • Madcap Moss vs. Drew McIntyre
  • WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn
  • WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. The Street Profits

Vince McMahon Among Top Executives Not Backstage At WWE Raw

Andrew Ravens
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Several major executives are absent backstage for Monday’s episode of WWE Raw in Detroit, MI. Pwinsider.com reports Vince McMahon, Bruce Prichard, Kevin Dunn, Michael Hayes, and Adam Pearce are not at the show from the Little Caesars Arena.

John Laurinaitis and Ed Koskey are running things backstage. Triple H is usually in charge if McMahon isn’t at the show, but he’s been away for months after suffering a cardiac situation. 

WWE has been dealing with the ripple effects of the COVID-19 outbreak within the company among talent, staff, and employees over the last week. Several producers are out so WWE is working with a limited staff.

As previously reported, several wrestlers were pulled from Sunday’s house shows in Tampa in New York City. Some talent has been pulled due to them testing positive for the virus while others are on the sidelines because they’ve been in contact with someone who has the virus. 

WWE has yet to announce changes to the Day 1 PPV card this Saturday, but it’s possible although the company is said to be remaining hopeful the show will go on as planned.

Rey Mysterio Explains Why WWE Didn’t Sign Him Immediately After WCW Folded

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Rey Mysterio has detailed what the holdup was in getting signed with WWE.

When WCW was bought by WWE back in March 2001, it left many wrestlers wondering what their future would hold.

Many stars such as Booker T and DDP seemed to be sure locks for WWE contracts, while stars such as Goldberg and Kevin Nash stood at home collecting massive checks.

For Mysterio, WWE wasn’t willing to buy out his contract right away. The company did however keep its promise.

WWE Keeps Promise To Rey Mysterio

Appearing on The Kurt Angle Show, Rey Mysterio offered an explanation as to why he wasn’t a member of the WWE roster until 2002.

“So, when the company was bought out I was told right off the bat that they were interested in me but they wanted me to let my WCW contract run out. Once it ended, we would sit down and do business.

“I thought that it was a nice way of saying, ‘We’re not interested,’ because a lot of contracts were bought out. Chavo’s, Booker’s, a lot of guys. So, again I’m thinking, ‘Is Vince really gonna open up the doors for me because he doesn’t believe in small guys?’

“I would hear that sometimes from Nash, from Hall but I never lost hope and sure enough when that contract expired JR reached out and said, ‘Okay, we’re ready to do business,’ and that’s when I signed. So, they kept their word.”

The WCW contract did allow for Mysterio to take international bookings as he waited for the deal to expire. He competed in Mexico under the CMLL banner before taking some independent dates and then signing with WWE.

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

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