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WWE SmackDown Results (12/17): Roman Reigns Fires Paul Heyman, Lesnar Attacks

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. Universal Champion Roman Reigns returned after not appearing last week. In addition to the takeaways below, A 12-man Gauntlet Match was announced for next week’s SmackDown. The winner of the match will earn a shot at the Intercontinental Championship.

SmackDown Results

  1. Toni Storm & Sasha Banks def. Charlotte Flair & Shotzi
  2. Viking Raiders def. Jinder Mahal & Shanky
  3. Ridge Holland def. Cesaro
  4. Naomi def. Shayna Baszler
  5. New Day def. The Usos

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Toni Storm Pinned The Champion, Will Face Flair For The Title Next Week

Paul Heyman was shown holding the Universal Championship in the parking lot waiting for Roman Reigns’ arrival to begin the show. Toni Storm & Sasha Banks faced Charlotte Flair & Shotzi in the first match of the night. Everybody got their entrance aired besides Toni Storm. Toni took Shotzi down to the canvas and applied a Headlock.

Shotzi escaped to the corner and tagged in Charlotte Flair. Sasha tagged in and connected with a Hurricanrana. Banks rolled up Flair for a near fall before tagging Toni back in. Storm hit Flair with a couple uppercuts but Charlotte shoved her away. Flair booted Banks off the apron and posed for the crowd. Storm hit a slam and went for the cover but Shotzi broke it up at two. Shotzi threw Toni out of the ring as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Toni hit Shotzi with some punches before tagging Sasha back in. Sasha knocked Charlotte of the apron but turned around into a Clothesline from Shotzi. Charlotte tagged in and booted Banks out of the ring. Charlotte followed her and launched Banks into he barricade. Flair carried Sasha back into the ring and went for the cover but Banks kicked out at two.

Charlotte hit a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker for another two count. Shotzi tagged in and went for a Bronco Buster but Sasha got out of the way. Toni tagged in and connected with an inverted Atomic Drop. Storm followed it up with a Slingblade before Flair was able to tag back in. Charlotte hit a Fallaway Slam and Toni rolled out of the ring as SmackDown went to another break.

Sasha sent Charlotte to the corner and hit Double Knees for a near fall. Banks connected with a massive Bulldog and climbed to the top rope. Storm tagged in as Sasha jumped down and hit a Backstabber on Shotzi. Toni hit a Crossbody and went for the cover but Flair still kicked out. Charlotte went for the Moonsault and then the standing Moonsault after Toni rolled out of the way. Storm got her knees up and rolled up Flair for the pinfall victory.

Viking Raiders Picked Up A Win

Shanky & Jinder Mahal battled the Viking Raiders tonight on SmackDown. Shanky planted Erik with a Side Slam for a two count. Jinder and Shanky took control and isolated Erik in the corner. Erik battled back and tagged in Ivar. The big man beat Jinder down and Shanky tagged in. Viking Raiders isolated Shanky in the corner and sent Jinder out of the ring. Ivar climbed to the top rope and connected with a Splash for the pinfall victory.

McIntyre Retrieved His Sword

Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss were shown backstage still pushing around the desk with McIntyre’s sword Angela stuck in it. They then made there way to the ring for an episode of Happy Talk. A limo arrived and Paul Heyman opened the door. Brock Lesnar emerged and smiled at Heyman. Lesnar said that it looks like Heyman was expecting someone else and mention Roman Reigns. Brock told Heyman “good luck with that” and gave him a pat on the chest before walking away.

Corbin and Madcap brought the desk to the ring and joked around as the crowd booed them. After several excruciating minutes of bad jokes, Drew McIntyre finally interrupted and made his way to the ring. McIntyre knocked Corbin and Moss out of the ring and then ripped his sword out of the desk. McIntyre then walked around backstage looking for Corbin & Moss later on the show.

Ridge Holland def. Cesaro

Ridge Holland faced Cesaro tonight on SmackDown. Before the match, Ridge hit Cesaro with his cane as SmackDown went to a break. Cesaro had his ribs taped up during the commercial but wanted to wrestle the match. Ridge controlled the action early and focused his attack on Cesaro’s ribs. Cesaro battled back with a Clothesline that sent Holland out of the ring. Cesaro hit some uppercuts and the action returned back to the ring. Holland hit Cesaro in the ribs again and followed it up with a Powerslam for the pinfall victory.

Naomi def. Shayna Baszler

Naomi came to the ring to a great reaction from the crowd. Naomi called out Sonya Deville once again. Sonya made her way to the ring and Sonya Deville attacked Naomi from behind. Baszler applied a submission hold but Naomi countered into a roll-up to end the match.

New Day Pinned The Champions

The Usos faced New Day this week on SmackDown. The Usos will also face New Day at Day 1 with the SmackDown Tag Team Championships on the line. Jimmy and Jey dominated the action early and isolated Kofi Kingston in the corner. The crowd chanted “New Day rocks!” to get behind Kofi but the Usos kept him grounded as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, King Woods finally got the tag and connected with a Clothesline. Woods followed it up with a Russian Leg Sweep and fired up the crowd. Woods Clotheslined Jimmy out of the ring and hit a Dropkick through the ropes. Back in the ring, Woods delivered an Elbow Drop for a two count.

Kofi tagged back in and climbed to the top rope. Woods was thrown into the barricade outside the ring by Jimmy. Jey hit Kofi with a Superkick and went for the cover but Kingston kicked out at two. Kingston hit Trouble in Paradise after Woods provided a distraction for the pinfall victory.

Roman Reigns Fired Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar Attacked

Universal Champion Roman Reigns arrived at the arena twenty minutes before SmackDown went off the air. Reigns said “lets go out to my ring” as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman made their way to the ring. Reigns was sporting his new “Needle Mover” t-shirt. The Usos then joined them in the ring as Roman asked the Chicago crowd to acknowledge him. Roman told the crowd that he doesn’t like it when his cousins lose but they can get through it. Reigns said The Usos are blood and family, but Paul Heyman is not his blood.

Roman told Heyman that he cannot have people disrespecting him because that means he would be disrespecting his entire family. The Tribal Chief asked Paul if he can trust him and noted that Heyman was shady last week. Reigns once again asked Heyman if he knew Lesnar was going to return at SummerSlam, and then wondered if he was a “special council” or “an advocate”.

Heyman asked for a microphone but Reigns stopped him. Roman asked Heyman why he was protecting Brock Lesnar from him and Paul smirked a bit. Paul took a look down at the Universal Championship and said “my Tribal Chief, I’m not protecting Brock Lesnar from you, I’m protecting you from Brock Lesnar”. Heyman looked to the skies and said “help me” before uttering those words.

Roman gave Heyman and told him he loved him. Reigns thanked Paul for his honesty and for years of service to his family. Roman then fired Heyman and went to walk away but stopped before the ropes. Reigns leveled Heyman with a Superman Punch and Uso handed him a steel chair. Roman set up for a con-chair-to but Lesnar’s theme hit. Brock beat down Jimmy and Jey on the entrance ramp as Roman watched with a steel chair. Lesnar hit both Jimmy and Jey with an F5 and stared at Reigns. Lesnar circled the ring as Roman waited for him with the chair. Brock got in the ring and Reigns unloaded a couple chair shots. Lesnar shrugged them off and planted Roman Reigns with an F5 to close the show. Reigns will defend the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar at Day 1.

Why Vince McMahon Has Never Been a Fan of Tag Team Wrestling

Ryan Droste
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It has been many years since WWE’s tag team division has had any real focus. While we’ve had entertaining teams throughout the years, especially over the last several years with The New Day, the division has always seemed like an afterthought on television when it comes to booking.

That’s for good reason. It’s been well known in the industry for years that Vince McMahon is not the biggest fan of tag team wrestling. This despite the fact that some of his biggest stars of all time started out in tag teams — names like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Jeff Hardy, Edge and many more.

Former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. recently shared a story on his podcast (Wrestling With Freddie Prinze) about why McMahon dislikes tag team wrestling.

“I connected with Harry (David Hart Smith) a lot and I really want to get him and TJ (Wilson) over,” Prinze said (via Fightful), looking back on when he was trying to pitch the tag team division to have more importance. “I worked hard to do it. I failed those boys. I never got over that. I failed The Usos too.

“Tag team wrestling is tough. I remember Vince, I was working so hard on building up a tag team division and Vince said, ‘Freddie, I gotta pay four guys for one fucking match.’ I kind of went, ‘Oh.’ I had never looked at it like that. It’s show business. I was in charge of the Colon Brothers, I named Primo, that was my name. It kind of changed my perspective on things and the way I approached storylines. I couldn’t pitch for as much anymore.”

Are Tag Teams The Future For WWE?

Montez Ford

When looking at the current landscape of WWE, one of the names who could be a major singles star of the future is Montez Ford. Will he follow the same path as a Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart before him?

The Street Profits, Ford’s team, are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the current tag team division. However, with tag teams split across two brands with two divisions, it oftens feels like the teams are left spinning their tires, so to speak. They’re seemingly having the same matches week in and week out.

Will Ford be able to rise above McMahon’s distaste for tag team wrestling and come out a star in the long run? That remains to be seen.

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.

Tony Khan Calls Out Fox News Over AEW TV Ratings Article

Andrew Ravens
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Tony Khan has given his reaction to an article published by Fox News that brought up the Jacksonville Jaguars firing Urban Meyer as their head coach as well as AEW’s television ratings. 

The article claimed that the Jaguars team owner and Tony’s father, Shad Khan,  had a “rough 15 days of December” with the Meyer situation and AEW ratings “cooling off” since the big talent signings such as Bryan Danielson and CM Punk. The media outlet doesn’t cover pro wrestling very often and there’s no history of them covering AEW’s television ratings.

While Dynamite ratings have dropped off as of late compared to where they had been, the partial reason for that is due to the west coast feed airing the show live at 5 pm because of NHL coverage. Also, while the overnight ratings have been down, AEW’s DVR numbers continue to be strong. 

Khan took to Twitter to give his reaction and first wrote, “Hey @FoxNews it’s amusing hearing you opining about @AEW ratings considering #AEWDynamite on Wednesday has beaten EVERY single @FoxNews show for 6 straight weeks! Here are the recent charts (including this week) to prove it. See you TONIGHT on @TNTdrama10pmET/9pmCT @ #AEWRampage.” 

He followed up with a second tweet: “Thanks @FoxNews, I appreciate that you’ve highlighted @AEW ratings when #AEWDynamite on Wednesdays has beaten EVERY single show on your network for 6 straight weeks. Here are a few more charts, Twitter only let me attach 4 weeks worth to my last tweet! See you TONIGHT #AEWRampage”

The AEW President also shared charts from ShowBuzz Daily that shows AEW regularly beats Fox News programming in the key demo.

WWE Legend Mick Foley Explains What Makes Thunder Rosa Special

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley believes Thunder Rosa is a one-of-a-kind talent.

Rosa signed with AEW back in July. She had been with the NWA on a per-date deal. Once she put pen to paper with AEW, it was the biggest opportunity in her pro wrestling career.

Thunder Rosa has gained plenty of steam over the past year. She constantly gets big crowd reactions and seems to be in prime position to challenge for the AEW Women’s Championship sometime in 2022.

Thunder Rosa & The ‘It’ Factor

Mick Foley appeared on Busted Open Radio and during a chat with Mark Henry and Dave LaGreca, he detailed why he thinks Thunda Rosa is a special talent.

“She strikes me as one of those really rare people who feels it every time she’s hitting the ring, and I mean, I’d like to say I felt it every time. I didn’t.

“Ric Flair did, Terry Funk did, and it’s a short list but she’s somebody that just like, oh man, lives, breaths wrestling and she’s just a super cool person.”

In the midst of a book tour to promote his Have a Nice Day! autobiography, Foley was joined by Thunder Rosa in San Antonio. Foley knew that Rosa was a draw and that much was evident during that tour appearance.

“She killed it. I said, ‘Yeah, set up a merch table.’ So, she killed it on merch which was really nice and she also — I mean she got the big pop.

“I think that was a big reason that we had such a big house in San Antonio. We had almost 300 people on a Monday and that’s on the very high-end for my shows.

“My shows usually [do] 150 to 200 and on a Monday, even as little as three years ago, I didn’t dare do a show on Monday because I thought, ‘Oh no, no I can’t compete with Raw,’ so I really think she puts butts in seats.”

Thunder Rosa is a semi-finalist in the TBS Championship tournament. She will meet Jade Cargill and the winner will move on to the finals.

The finals of the tourney will be held on Jan. 5. This will mark the debut of Dynamite on its new home, TBS. Rampage will remain on TNT and AEW will be running quarterly specials on TNT.

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

Jim Ross On If Michael Cole Keeps In Touch With Him

Anutosh Bajpai
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Jim Ross and Michael Cole shared the commentary booth for many years. While the two are now in different promotions, they still share text messages occasionally.

On the latest episode of his Grilling JR podcast, the wrestling veteran discussed his relationship with various wrestling personalities including people such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, CM Punk, and more.

Speaking of his relationship with his former broadcast partner, Ross said that he exchanges text messages with Michael Cole during holidays, but the two haven’t talked in the last several years:

“I don’t know that we’ve talked in the last several years, we do engage in text messages here or there during the holidays. He’s got a great family, sometime this month, I’m sure we’ll exchange text messages but that’s the extent of it. He’s on the road a lot, he’s got a lot of responsibilities.

There’s that competitive nature that some people have with WWE and AEW, I don’t think Cole is in that league.” said Jim Ross, “I don’t think he cares. I say we text each other once or twice a year and I wish it were more, but it’s just hard.”

The AEW star also discussed how The Rock sent out a tweet telling him to stay strong during his ongoing battle with skin cancer.

He discussed how The Rock didn’t owe it to him to make the wish, but Jim Ross said that this generosity is what he loves about the wrestling business.

Jim Ross Skin Cancer Update: “I Am Going To Be Fine”

Kurt Angle Talks Differences Between Stone Cold & The Rock

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Kurt Angle liked working with Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock so much that he can’t pick a favorite.

Angle made his climb up the WWE ranks rather quickly. The Olympic gold medalist not only had the in-ring chops but he also had quite the personality. That combination and the ability to adapt led to Angle becoming a Hall of Famer.

Angle found himself feuding with the likes of Stone Cold and The Rock. In fact, Angle’s first WWE Title run came off a victory over The Rock at No Mercy back in 2000.

Kurt Angle Not Picking Favorites

  • The Rock & Steve Austin
    (via WWE)

During an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, the WWE and TNA Hall of Famer admitted that he can’t choose who he liked working with more.

“That’s tough, they’re both really good. Austin was more intense, more physical. The Rock was more athletic. So, [there was] a huge difference between the two but they were both very effective. I’d have to say it’s a tie. I can’t pick one or the other.”

Angle has long said that working with Austin, he knew he’d be on the receiving end of some stiff strikes. Angle never took it personally either and actually liked that style because he also likes to be snug with his punches.

As for The Rock, Angle has said he will always hold “The Great One” in high regard. Angle has credited The Rock with helping him early in his career.

Today, Angle, Rock, and Austin are all renowned legends of the pro wrestling world. They have even found themselves on plenty of Mount Rushmore lists.

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

Details on AEW’s Owen Hart Cup Tournaments

Chris Stephens
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AEW President Tony Khan was a guest on Busted Open Radio on Friday and revealed first details about the Owen Hart Cup.

AEW announced a partnership with the Owen Hart Foundation back in September. The deal will also involved AEW being able to use Owen’s likeness for video games, action figures, and more.

Owen Hart Cup Details

Tony Khan broke the news that there will actually be two Owen Hart Cup tournaments One men’s singles tournament and one women’s singles tournament.

Dr. Martha Hart, widow of the late Owen Hart, will be on hand to present trophies to the winners.

The finals of the men’s and women’s Owen Hart Cup tournaments will take place in May at the annual Double or Nothing pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

Additional details will be given next week on the Holiday Bash edition of AEW Dynamite. A video package will air on that show featuring Owen Hart from his days in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Khan thanked Rocky Romero for being instrumental in securing that footage.

You can listen to Tony Khan’s comments from Friday’s Busted Open here:

AEW & Owen Hart

Tony Khan previously had this to say about AEW’s relationship with the Hart Family:

“AEW’s relationship with the Hart family dates back to our inaugural pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing in 2019, and Owen’s influence is still felt today,” said Khan. To extend his memory and his legacy even further through this agreement is a powerful and meaningful moment for the entire wrestling community.”

Martha Hart issued this statement on behalf of the Owen Hart Foundation regarding the Owen Hart Cup Tournament(s) and its decision to partner with All Elite Wrestling:

“The Owen Hart Foundation is extremely pleased to partner with AEW in this wonderful joint venture to honor Owen’s substantial international wrestling career and the lasting influence he and his craft has had in the sport.

AEW’s Owen Hart Cup Tournament serves as a tremendous tribute to Owen and provides an incredible way for professional wrestling enthusiasts to celebrate his work in a most fitting way.

We trust that Tony Khan and his amazing AEW team will do a brilliant job with this highly anticipated project. This OHF/AEW partnership is my special gift to all of Owen’s magnificent loyal fans who forever remember him and his inspiring repertoire of talents.”

Impact Results (12/16): Chelsea Green Knocked Out By Chairshot During Contract Signing

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling on 12/16 continued the build to the Hard to Kill PPV on January 8th. It featured a major angle between Moose and Matt Cardona.

Impact quick results 12/16:

  1. Josh Alexander defeated Rohit Raju w/Raj Singh
  2. Joe Doening & Doc Gallows w/ Karl Anderson & VBD defeated Rich Swann & Willie Mack w/ Heath & Rhino
  3. Trey Miguel defeated John Skyler
  4. Chris Bey defeated Laredo Kid
  5. Tenille Dashwood defeated Jessie McKay

Josh Alexander Defeats Rohit Raju

Alexander had to contend with interference from Raj Singh on the outside but came back to win this match with a C-4 Spike. Commentary played up that we are seeing a more aggressive side to Alexander recently. They also noted Alexander is still dealing with injured ribs from JONAH’s attack at Turning Point.

Later in the show, JONAH would cut a backstage promo about being the top dog and facing Alexander at Hard to Kill.

Violent By Design and The Good Brothers Working Together, Doc Gallows & Joe Doering Defeat Rich Swann & Willie Mack

The Good Brothers and Violent By Design were interviewed in the back and spoke about having come to a business agreement to work together, as we saw them do last week. This led to Doc Gallows teaming with Joe Doering to take on Rich Swann and Willie Mack this week. The finish of the match came shortly after Doering tossed Swann off the top turnbuckle and then him and Gallows gave Mack a double choke-slam and got the pin.

After the match, VBD and the Good Brothers continued the assault on Mack, Swann, as well as Heath and Rhino who were in Mack and Swann’s corner. This led to Eddie Edwards coming out with a kendo stick to make the save.

Steve Maclin Attacks Trey Miguel

X-Division Champion Trey Miguel defeated John Skyler with a meteora this week. As he was heading to the back after the match, however, he was attacked by Steve Maclin. Maclin then dragged him backstage to end the segment.

After the break, we cut to a video of Miguel tied up backstage while being taunted by Maclin.

Chris Bey Picks Up Win Over Laredo Kid

Laredo Kid had to contend with HIKULEO on the outside and it cost him this match here. After a crazy back and forth match, Laredo Kid looked like he had the match won. Bey was prone on the mat and Laredo went to the top. HIKULEO got up on the ring apron, however, and Laredo eventually took him out with a diving attack to the floor. The distraction allowed Bey to recover. Bey then countered a diving attack from his opponent into a cutter and got the 3-count.

Deonna Purrazzo vs Mickie James At Hard To Kill Made a Texas Death Match

Footage of Deonna Purrazzo and Knockouts Champion Mickie James getting into a confrontation at an autograph signing aired. We then cut to a clip of Purrazzo and James being told their match at Hard to Kill will now be a Texas Death Match by Gail Kim.

Tenille Dashwood defeats Jessie McKay

The short-lived alliance between the Iinspiration and the Influence continues to implode. This week Jessie McKay took on Tenille Dashwood in singles competition. McKay looked like she had the match wrapped up after delivering a big boot but Kaleb pulled the referee out of the ring. This led to Madison Rayne attacking Cassie Lee and McKay coming out of the ring to deal with her. As McKay got back in the ring, Kaleb grabbed her foot, which allowed Tenille to hit the spotlight kick for the win.

Chelsea Green Knocked Out By Chair Shot During Hard To Kill Contract Signing

The main event of the show featured a contract signing for the Impact World Championship match at Hard to Kill. Consistent with how such segments usually go, this one eventually broke down into a brawl. Morrissey signed the contract and promptly left. Moose then called Chelsea Green some names and Cardona attacked. Moose put Cardona through the table and then taunted him with his title belt.

It looked like Moose was going to leave but he turned around and came back. He wrapped Cardona’s neck in a chair and looked like he was going to hit him with another chair but Chelsea Green stopped him. Cardona then went to go hit Moose with a chair but missed and hit Green. Cardona checked on Green as Moose laughed and made his way to the back to end the show.

Coming Up In Impact Wrestling

December 18th, Throwback Throwdown II

Hard to Kill – January 8th, 2022

  • Impact World Championship
    Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
  • Knockouts Championship
    Texas Death Match
    Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
  • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
    Lady Frost vs Rachael Ellering vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
  • Josh Alexander vs JONAH

Women’s Wrestling Recap for 2021: WWE, AEW, Impact & More

Ella Jay
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Women’s wrestling has certainly raised the bar in the year of 2021.

It’s also had its share of highs and lows this year, so let’s take a look back at some of this year’s highlights from the world of women’s wrestling.

On the latest edition of Women’s Wrestling Focus, Ella Jay runs down the the year in Women’s Wrestling, including WWE, AEW, Impact, ROH, NWA and independents.

WWE

WWE began the year with their 2021 Royal Rumble, where Bianca Belair stood tall, eliminating Rhea Ripley to claim the victory. Belair would embark on a three month journey, before meeting Sasha Banks in the night one main event of WrestleMania. Competing in arguably match of the year, Banks and Belair delivered an emotional and high action bout. Belair prevailed to become the new Smackdown Women’s Champion.

In the absence of Sasha Banks following WrestleMania, Bianca Belair would pursue feuds with Bayley and Carmella. She would achieve a series of successful title defenses before Banks’ eventual return ahead of SummerSlam. The two were set to collide at the summer’s biggest event, but Banks was left unable to compete. So Belair was met with a new opponent, in the form of a returning Becky Lynch. “The Man” would stun the audience in a twenty six second victory over Belair, winning the Smackdown Women’s Championship.

Bianca Belair Opens Up About SummerSlam Loss: ‘It’s A Hard Blow”

In the weeks following, Lynch and Belair would trade blows and intense words, before the return of Sasha Banks. The WWE Draft would seperate this trio of superstars, but before the selections were officially put into place, they would meet at WWE Crown Jewel. All three competitors would display strong resilience, but Becky Lynch emerged victorious, and retained her Smackdown Women’s Championship.

Sasha Banks would stay on Smackdown, while Belair and Lynch would travel to the red brand on RAW. Becky Lynch would be forced to trade women’s championships with the reigning RAW Women’s Champion, Charlotte Flair. Therefore, Lynch became the RAW Women’s Champion, while Flair would become Smackdown Women’s Champion, as Flair was now assigned to Smackdown following the draft.

Let’s back up a bit here though.

Following her impressive performance in the Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley disappeared from WWE programming. Resurfacing on Monday Night RAW, she challenged RAW Women’s Champion, Asuka, to a title match at night two of WrestleMania. Ripley would emerge victorious, defeating Asuka to become the new RAW Women’s Champion before entering a feud with Charlotte Flair.

Flair and Ripley would go back and forth for months, before meeting at Money In The Bank in July. Flair would outlast her competition, forcing Ripley to tap out, becoming the new RAW Women’s Champion. The same night, Nikki A.S.H. outlasted seven other competitors to win the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, earning herself a future title opportunity.

A.S.H. wasted little time, cashing in on a stunned Flair the next evening on RAW to become RAW Women’s Champion for the first time in her career. A.S.H. found herself in the middle of three way feud with herself, Flair and Ripley, as each competitor collided the next month in a triple threat match at SummerSlam. Charlotte Flair would regain the RAW Women’s Championship, ending A.S.H’s reign. The next month, she defeated Alexa Bliss at Extreme Rules.

Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley would form a tag team shortly after, and captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, before eventually following to Carmella and the 2021 Queen Crown winner, Zelina Vega. Vega defeated Doudrop (fka Piper Niven) in the finals of the inagural tournament to become the first ever Queen’s Crown in WWE.

Meanwhile, Charlotte Flair is drafted to Smackdown following the annual draft, and is forced to swap titles with Becky Lynch, as previously stated. The two former friends now turned foes met at Survivor Series in a grueling back and forth battle, in which Lynch utilized rope leverage to defeat Flair.

WOMENS TITLES

Also at Survivor Series, Team Raw outlasted Team Smackdown to earn the victory in the battle for brand supremacy. Bianca Belair found herself down 4-1, but overcame her competition to secure the win for the red brand. This win marked an impressive third win this year for Belair within WWE’s “big four” pay-per-views.

In the weeks following Survivor Series, Flair has been met with a new challenger: Toni Storm. Storm made her Smackdown debut earlier this year, and now founds herself in the hunt for the Smackdown Women’s Championship.

On RAW, Becky Lynch has pursued a program with crowd favorite, Liv Morgan. Morgan would fall short in her shot for the RAW Women’s Championship, but a rematch has been quickly lined up for WWE’s Day 1 show, coming up on January 1st.

NXT

Mandy Rose NXT
Mandy Rose

NXT began the year with a huge announcement of the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Classic, where the winners would receive a championship opportunity against the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai would go on to win the tournament, but fall short to Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler in their pursuit of tag team gold. Shortly after, however, NXT unveiled their NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship and awarded them to Kai and Gonzalez, winners of the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Classic. This reign would last merely one hour, as Kai and Gonzalez lost their titles on the same night to the team of Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart.

Raquel Gonzalez would assume a feud with Io Shirai, heading into NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver, where she would defeat Shirai, ending her 300+ day reign. Gonzalez would go on to dominate the women’s division, picking up victories over Franky Monet, Xia Lee, and former friend, Dakota Kai. This reign would last six months, until Mandy Rose defeated Gonzalez with the aid of Dakota Kai, who wielded a shovel against Gonzalez at Halloween Havok.

Mandy Rose returned to NXT earlier this year, aligning herself with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne to form the stable known as Toxic Attraction. This trio would dominate the NXT women’s division, winning not only the NXT Women’s Championship, but the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships as well. Rose defeated Gonzalez for singles gold, while Dolin and Jayne dethroned Io Shirai and Zoey Stark at Halloween Havok to capture the tag team titles.

Mandy Rose NXT Womens Champion

Most recently, Toxic Attraction teamed with Dakota Kai to take on Io Shirai, Raquel Gonzalez, Kay Lee Ray and Cora Jade at NXT WarGames. The two teams would collide in an all out brawl, before Jade secured the pin on Jacy Jayne. Cora Jade now aims her sight on NXT Women’s Champion, Mandy Rose, as we head into 2022.

AEW

All Elite Wrestling rang in the new year with Hikaru Shida at their Women’s World Champion before announcing and Eliminator Tournament, featuring eight superstars from Japan and eight competitors from the USA.

Nyla Rose would plow through the USA bracket, while Ryo Mizunami picked up victories in the Japan bracket to advance to the finals. On the March 3rd edition of Dynamite, Mizunami defeated Rose via pinfall to earn herself an AEW Women’s World Championship title opportunity against Shida.

Maki Itoh also marked as a notable standout from the AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament with her high energy, charimsa, and exceptional singing ability. She teamed with Britt Baker at Revolution to defeat Riho and Thunder Rosa.

Following the tournament, AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida would later retain against the winner of the tournament, Ryo Mizunami, before entering a feud with Dr. Britt Baker.

After being eliminated from the tournament, Britt Baker would engage in an epic Lights Out match against Thunder Rosa in the main event of the March 17th edition of Dynamite. Rosa would emerge victorious, after Baker dawned a bloody crimson mask.

Britt Baker would get her retribution a few months later at ADouble or Nothing pay-per-view in May, defeating Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s World Championship, to much applause.

Britt Baker with AEW women's championship
Britt Baker

From there, Baker dominated in her reign as champion, defeating the likes of Nyla Rose, Red Velvet, and Kris Statlander. However, she found herself with a new ally following her successful title defense against Velvet in August. Jamie Hayter was now All Elite, joining forces with Rebel and the DMD Britt Baker. Together, the three would form a seemingly unstoppable trio.

Baker would later compete in the main event of Grand Slam against a recently debuted, Ruby Soho. Soho made her shocking debut to All Elite Wrestling at All Out, in the women’s Casino Battle Royale as the joker. Soho reigned victorious after eliminating Thunder Rosa, earning herself that future title shot against reigning champion, Britt Baker.

Baker proved herself as the victor of the matchup, again successfully defending her championship. Baker would move on the face Tay Conti at Full Gear in November, further establishing her dominance as the women’s champion, and arguably a pillar of AEW. She heads into 2022 with Hayter and Rebel by her side, although some tension has been brewing amidst the trio.

Meanwhile, All Elite Wrestling also introduced another women’s title in the form of the TBS Championship. Ahead of their move from TNT to TBS early next year, AEW unveiled a second championship for their women’s division a few months ago. Amongst the tournament to crown the inaugural champion, included twelve competitors, with four of them earning first round byes.

TBS Championship

At the time of this writing, AEW is down to the final four in the tournament. Crowd favorite Thunder Rosa itches to take on the dominant Jade Cargill in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Ruby Soho must take on former AEW Women’s World Champion, Nyla Rose.

Thunder Rosa signed with All Elite Wrestling earlier this year after leaving the NWA, and brings a plethora of experience.

Jade Cargill has remained undefeated since entering AEW just over a year ago, notably feuding with Red Velvet this year.

Ruby Soho entered AEW with a hot start, winning the Casino Battle Royale, and looks to gain even more steam.

Nyla Rose aligned herself with Vickie Guerrero earlier this year, and hopes to be the first to hold both women’s championships in AEW.

The first ever TBS Champion will be crowned on the January 5th edition of AEW Dynamite.

IMPACT Wrestling

Deonna Purrazzo
Deonna Purrazzo

Deonna Purrazzo slayed her competition this year during her second run as the IMPACT Knockouts Champion. Starting the year defeating the likes of Taya Valkyrie, and ODB, Purrazzo gained confidence heading into her Career vs Title match against wrestling legend, Jazz. Consequently, Purrazzo would retire JAZZ from IMPACT Wrestling following her victory at Hardcore Justice.

In the months following, Purrazzo would steam roll her competition with victories over Tenille Dashwood, Thunder Rosa, Melina Perez, and more, before she finally met her match in the form of “Hardcore Country”, Mickie James.

James would reemerge into IMPACT Wrestling at Slammiversary, following Purrazzo’s win over Thunder Rosa. Mickie would extend an invitation for Purrazzo to be a part of NWA’s first ever all-women’s pay-per-view, Empowerrr, which Deonna initially declined. However, after some persuasion from James and IMPACT producer, Gail Kim, Deonna Purrazzo eventually accepted the offer and was set to face Melina Perez with the Knockouts Championship on the line.

After defeating Perez at Empowerrr, Purrazzo shocked the audience the following night at NWA 73 by attacking Mickie James, following her victory against Kylie Rae. From there, the two would make waves on IMPACT, notably engaging in a brutal barnyard brawl at James’ home in Nashville. Purrazzo and James would meet at IMPACT’s Bound For Glory event with the Knockouts Championship on the line. Mickie James would end Purrazzo’s impressive reign, becoming a four-time Knockouts Champion.

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James then defeated Madison Rayne and Mercedes Martinez in the successful title defenses, before Purrazzo returned with vengeance. In a invoke of her rematch clause, Purrazzo is now slated to face James at Hard to Kill on January 8th.

Outside of the Knockouts Championship, IMPACT also re-introduced the Knockouts Tag Team Championships earlier this year. Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz were the first to capture them this year, before falling to Jordynne Grace and the debuting Rachael Ellering. Fire N Flava (Hogan & Steelz) would win the championships back a few weeks later, before engaging in competition against the team of Decay. Fire N Flava would lose the titles to Decay, resulting in an ultimate split of the duo. Steelz would introduce Savannah Evans, would ultimately took out Hogan from IMPACT programming, before signing with All Elite Wrestling.

Decay headed into Bound For Glory as the Knockouts Tag Team Champions, after previously succeeded in their title defense against Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood at Knockouts Knockdown.

Following the return of the all-Knockouts event, it was announced that The IInspiration (formerly the IIconics in WWE) would be joining IMPACT.

The IInspiration defeated Decay at Bound For Glory in October to claim the Knockouts Tag Team Championships before now pursuing programs with The Influence, Madison Rayne and Tenille Dashwood.

2021 also introduced the Digital Media Championship at Bound For Glory, won by Jordynne Grace. Grace now becomes the first ever Triple Crown Knockout in IMPACT Wrestling history.

IMPACT also saw the return of Taylor Wilde, and ended the year with the notable signings of Masha Slamovich and Lady Frost following their impressive performances at Knockouts Knockdown.

Freddie Prinze Jr. Teases Starting Wrestling Promotion With Macaulay Culkin

Chris Stephens
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Actor and former WWE creative team member, Freddie Prinze Jr., has mentioned in multiple interviews as of late that he is interested in starting a wrestling promotion. Prinze recently spoke to TV Insider and mentioned that long-time wrestling fan, Macaulay Culkin, might join him in this venture.

“I have this plan where one day I want to start my own [independent] fed here in California,” Prinze said. “One that I know won’t make any money and will be a loss, but I can still stay connected. That I can hire wrestlers and let them do their work.”

“I was talking to Ariel Helwani about a two-year plan I had,” he continued. Prinze then mentioned Macaulay Culkin, who has been on his podcast, might be interested in being involved as well.

“I might have a partner in crime with one of my guests Macaulay Culkin, who has a passion for it as well. So we may do MFW, which does not stand for what you think it does.”

https://twitter.com/RealFPJr/status/1471186326233911296

The 45-year-old did two separate stints on the WWE Creative Team. Once from 2008-09 and then again from 2010-12. He mentioned in the interview that he did not have the time to continue in the role after having two kids with his wife, actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.

https://twitter.com/RealFPJr/status/1470805969307258881

Jonathan Gresham To Defend ROH Title On GCW Show

Chris Stephens
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The ROH World Championship will be defended on tonight’s Game Changer Wrestling show from Los Angeles. Not only that, Gresham’s match against AJ Gray will be contested under “Pure rules”.

The show is available on a pay-per-view basis on FITE.

GCW: Blood On The Hills Lineup:

  • Gringo Loco vs. Arez vs. Jimmy Lloyd vs. Matt Vandagriffvs. Jack Cartwheel vs. Ninja Mack
  • No Ropes Barbed Wire Death Match
    Atticus Cogar vs. Jordan Oliver
  • Chelsea Green & Matt Cardona vs. BUSSY (Allie Katch & Effy)
  • Blake Christian vs. Alex Zayne
  • Tony Deppen vs. Nick Wayne
  • Matthew Justice vs. Jacob Fatu
  • ROH World Championship
    Pure Rules
    Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. AJ Gray
  • GCW Tag Team Championships
    The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe) (c) vs. Brody King & PCO

Shortly after winning the ROH Championship at Final Battle, Gresham spoke to Sports Illustrated. He said that it’s up to him to keep the spirit of ROH alive. Gresham also noted that he wants to defend the title against CM Punk and Bryan Danielson.

“As champion, it is up to me to keep the spirit and the essence of Ring of Honor alive,” Gresham said. “I will preserve and protect Pure wrestling as Ring of Honor world champion.”

Jonathan Gresham Wants To Defend ROH Title Against CM Punk & Bryan Danielson

Bret Hart Comments On If He’d Ever Be A Manager or Commentator

Chris Stephens
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Bret Hart is set to be inducted onto Canada’s Walk of Fame today. He is the first professional wrestler ever given the honor. Other inductees set for the ceremony include star of the Matrix and other films, Keanu Reeves.

During a Q&A session held before his induction, Bret Hart was asked if he’d ever consider being a manager, commentator, or any other type of on-screen character in WWE or elsewhere.

“I have no time to do that,” Hart responded. “I like to get away once in a while and do the odd little bit here and there. You know, anything sometimes to get out of the house,”

He added, “But at the same time, my days of sort of playing a character for wrestling, I don’t need it that bad and I’m happy kind of just making up time with my grandkids and being home and you know, kind of smiling about stuff like that.”

“I Don’t Wanna Be Remembered As a Manager”

– Bret Hart

Hart also answered if he would be interested in coming back for a one-off match or something similar.

“I mean if there was something where it’s like I could wrestle Donald Trump at WrestleMania and Vince McMahon was gonna referee it or something,” Hart joked. “I’d hear it out because it’d be funny to hear it. But the thought of me going in there and wrestling somebody is pretty unlikely.”

“As far as managers and all that kind of stuff… Bret Hart was a wrestler, not a manager and I don’t wanna be remembered as a manager and so I would never do it.”

Bret Hart’s Hall of Fame Resume

In addition to Canada’s Walk of Fame, Hart was also inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Oklahoma in 2006. The Hall of Fame and museum honors achievements in amateur wrestling. Hart won the city of Calgary wrestling championship in 1974.

For professional wrestling, Hart is in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame, Prairie Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame, Quebec Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, and he’s been inducted twice into the WWE Hall of Fame.

H/T to Post Wrestling for the transcriptions.

Update on Sami Zayn’s WWE Contract Status

Chris Stephens
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Both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were reported to have their contracts expiring in early 2022. Owens recently signed a 3-year deal to stay in the promotion.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the buzz behind the scenes is that Zayn has also signed a new deal.

“There has also been locker room talk that Sami Zayn (Rami Sebei, 37) did as well, but WWE sources have not confirmed Zayn having signed to us yet,” Dave Meltzer wrote.

Owens new deal with WWE is said to be in the $2-3 million range but does not include a no-cut clause. This means that while Owens is committed to WWE for 3 years, WWE only needs to provide him with 90 days notice that they are releasing him.

If, for whatever reason, WWE decides Owens is no longer worth the amount they are paying him, he could be released.

Zayn signed with WWE in early 2013. Since debuting in the promotion, Zayn is a 1x NXT Champion and a 2x Intercontinental Champion.

Darius Martin On How AEW Has Helped Him During His Recovery

Anutosh Bajpai
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Darius Martin has spent the majority of this year on the shelf recovering from an injury, but he is grateful to get the best support he can from AEW. The AEW star recently had an interview with Jon Alba on One-On-One. During the talk he provided an update on his recovery, claiming that he is feeling pretty good:

“I’m feeling pretty good, just moving around, taking it day by day, trying to get the clearance again, working my way up and building the strength again, you never want injuries, but I’m thankful it came at a time where I am fortunate enough to have this deal with AEW.”

Darius Martin On How AEW Has Helped Him

Martin continued by saying that AEW has been great to him during his recovery. Darius said that he really feels the love and support from the company. He then praised Tony Khan as a boss who values his employees:

“I’m still on the road, they’ve still been paying me. I’m still lucky enough to have that job and financial security because of AEW. It’s a great place and Tony Khan is an amazing boss who really values his employees and treats us like human beings. Tony is the best.”

Darius Martin last wrestled on AEW TV during a Dark episode back in February 18. He underwent ACL surgery on April 22. In his absence, his brother and Top Flight partner Dante Martin has made a name for himself in the singles division. He wrestled MJF for the Dynamite Diamond Ring during the Winter is Coming special.

AEW’s Dante Martin Responds To Critics Of His Flashy In-Ring Style

H/t to Fightful for the transcribed quotes

Zoey Stark Provides Update On Her Recovery

Anutosh Bajpai
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NXT star Zoey Stark has provided an update on her health and confirmed that she is now able to walk around on her own without crutches.

The female star provided the update on Instagram on Wednesday. She posted a video and thanked her physical therapist for her progress in the caption:

“Officially off the crutches and walking on my own! Next step = RUNNING Thank you to my awesome Physical Therapist Lauren! @wwenxt #WWENXT,”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXhRaB3g85w/

Zoey Stark has not wrestled on WWE TV since the NXT Halloween Havoc special on October 26. Stark and her partner Io Shirai defended their NXT tag team titles in a triple threat match.

The ladder match dubbed as Scareway to Hell saw Toxic Attraction’s Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne win the tag team championships from the duo.

The company then did an injury angle with Zoey during the November 2 episode of NXT. She was taken to the hospital after being attacked by Dolin and Jayne.

The angle was done so the female star can take time off to repair a torn ACL. She underwent the required surgery in early November.

There is no news on when we can expect her back in the ring at this point. Though this latest update is a positive sign for her fans.

FTR Shares Plans for 2022: “We Don’t Have Much Longer on These Current Contracts”

Tegan Nox Releases List Of Stars She Wants To Face

Anutosh Bajpai
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Tegan Nox, now going by the name Nixon Newell has released a list of stars she wants to face and it includes some pretty interesting names.

The former WWE star took on her Twitter earlier today to post the list of talents she wants to go up against now that she has been released from the company.

The list as seen below incorporates a number of AEW stars including the women’s champion Britt Baker, Ruby Soho, Thunder Rosa, and Cash Wheeler:

Tegan Nox In WWE

Tegan Nox signed with WWE back in 2017. She was supposed to compete in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament but a torn ACL kept her out of it.

She competed in the 2018 version of the tournament before joining NXT full-time in 2019. She tore her ACL again in 2020. It kept her out of action for almost 10 months.

Nox made her SmackDown debut in July this year. She was then drafted to Raw but was released from her WWE contract on November 18, without making any appearances for the red brand.

Since the female star had been promoted to main roster it’s likely that she has a 90 days non-compete clause. This means Tegan Nox will have to wait until February to return to the ring.

Rhea Ripley Says Tegan Nox Helped Saved Her WWE Career

FTR Shares Plans for 2022: “We Don’t Have Much Longer on These Current Contracts”

Tyriece Simon
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All Elite Wrestling tag team FTR have shared their plans for what they want to achieve next year.

FTR appeared on Barstool Rasslin‘ with Brandon F. Walker to discuss future opponents and plans for 2022. They mentioned unfinished business with teams like the Young Bucks, Proud and Powerful, and the AEW Tag Team Champions The Lucha Bros. FTR also revealed that they want to go to New Japan Pro Wrestling to try to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

When asked what 2022 holds for them, Cash Wheeler responded with two opponents in mind.

“I think we are going to be the first-ever two-time AEW Tag Team Champions. In 2022, we are going to get the titles back. We are going to have the title run that we should’ve had the first time,” said Wheeler. He continued, “…We are never going to lose those again. Rematch with the Young Bucks. Beat the sh*t out of The Briscoes. Hold titles everywhere.”

FTR’s Dax Harwood Thoughts for 2022

Dax Harwood followed up after Wheeler shared their plans for next year. Harwood talked about how he wants FTR to prove they are one of the best tag teams of all time.

“I think ultimately for 2022, for me specifically, a legacy is something that I’ve wanted to leave, and I talk about it all the time in our interviews. Ultimately that’s what I want to do is continue to build on legacy,” said Harwood. He continued, “I know for a fact that I can’t do things like Ray Fenix or Nick Jackson, and because of my limitations, we can’t have the athletic matches that they can. There is a difference between having great tag team matches and being a great tag team. And I think 2022 going forward just proving that we can be in that same conversation as Arn and Tully, Midnight Express, Rock and Roll Express, that’s my goal for 2022.”

FTR’s AEW Contract Status

Harwood expressed urgency in accomplishing his goals because of FTR’s AEW contract status. FTR signed a multi-year contract with AEW on July 29, 2020. While Harwood didn’t say, their AEW contract could expire in 2023.

“…We don’t have much longer on these current contracts. I don’t know what’s going to happen from there. But we have a short amount of time to accomplish what we want to accomplish,” said Harwood. He continued to list goals, “…Like the IWGP Tag Team Championship, obviously two-time AEW Tag Team Championship. Proving that we are the best.” He also boasts that FTR is the only tag team that has faced great tag teams from WWE and AEW but wants to challenge more.

FTR is currently in a feud with Sting and Darby Allin, and they are still chasing the AEW Tag Team Championship. It’s also unclear if NJPW has discussed bringing in the tag team for future events. Regardless, FTR has made their plans clear that they want to defeat the best tag teams in AEW and accomplish many goals in 2022.

Bully Ray Explains How Bryan Danielson Helped Hangman Page In 60-Minute Match

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Bully Ray believes Bryan Danielson played a pivotal role in getting his match with Hangman Page to the one-hour mark.

On the Dec. 15 Winter is Coming special episode of AEW Dynamite, Page put his AEW World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Danielson. The title match opened up Dynamite and fans got even more than they bargained for.

A winner wasn’t determined as the match went to a 60-minute draw. It is widely considered to be a late contender for Match of the Year.

Danielson’s Role In Time Limit Draw

It’s no secret that Bryan Danielson is world-class but Bully Ray believes “The American Dragon” has an ability that very few possess.

On Busted Open Radio, Bully explained how Danielson’s “phantom gear” helped bring Hangman Page to the finish line.

“I think the props to Hangman is the fact that he was able to keep up with Danielson. I can just hear the AEW fans now, ‘Oh, what is Bully Ray talking about?’ Bryan Danielson has what’s called the phantom gear.

“The phantom gear was invented by Kurt Angle. It’s this sixth gear that very, very, very few have. It’s the ability to go deep into a match where most guys are blown to the gills and then go faster.

“Go smarter, go harder, go everything, and Danielson has it. There were times in that match where I saw Hangman, he needed to take an extra breath which is totally fine. He’s in deep water with Danielson once you get past that half-hour mark and now you got another half-hour to go.

“If you’re not used to that it’s brutal, brutal! It’s brutal on the mind first because you know you’re breathing heavy and I’m not saying that Hangman was breathing heavy, I’m just saying he needed to get a breath.

“You looked at Danielson and he looked fresh as a daisy. Danielson, smart worker, allows Hangman to get that breath, takes Hangman, boom hits that next gear. Allowing Hangman to take that extra breath allows Hangman to hang with him in that next gear.”

Hangman has already had some classics under the AEW banner. His title victory over Kenny Omega at Full Gear back in November was highly praised.

There was also the tag team title match featuring Page and Omega vs. The Young Bucks at Revolution back in Feb. 2020, which garnered a slew of praise.

As for Danielson, he’s been on quite the run. Since entering AEW, he’s had some certified bangers with the likes of Omega, Minoru Suzuki, Eddie Kingston, Page, and more.

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

Bron Breakker Wants to Work With Brock Lesnar: “It Would Be a War”

Tyriece Simon
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0

Bron Breakker has shared his thoughts on the possibility of competing against Brock Lesnar.

The NXT 2.0 star appeared on El Brunch with Quetzallli Bulnes to discuss who he’d like to face on the main roster. The interview came after he defeated Rodrick Strong on Tuesday’s NXT 2.0.

Bulnes brought up names like Roman Reigns and Finn Balor, but Breakker expressed intrigue when Lesnar’s name came up.

“I met him, I want to say like 2017, maybe or something like that. I went backstage to a Raw when I was in college,” said Breakker. “I met him there, but as a performer, I haven’t ran into him. Yeah, I’d love to work with Brock.”

Bron Breakker sees Brock Lesnar as someone who would push him to step up his game.

“He is an animal,” he continued. “I think he would kind of like Roddy elevate me. You know, force me to elevate and bring my game up as well. I think Brock would do the same thing, and I think it would be a war.”

Bron Breakker Feud with Tommaso Ciampa

Since his debut in NXT 2.0, Breaker’s goal is to be NXT Champion. He also played into the heel role. He challenged the current champion, Tommaso Ciampa, at Halloween Havoc on October 26th. While he lost the match, Breakker shared the following week on NXT 2.0 that the feud wasn’t over.

The two competed on opposite teams during WWE NXT WarGames on December 5th. Breakker team won, with Breakker also pinning Ciampa to gain victory. Both have pinned each other in a match, which helps set up an NXT Championship rematch. However, it seems that Ciampa is now the heel in the feud.

On Tuesday’s NXT 2.0 episode, Ciampa attacked Breakker after his match with Strong. The attack also seemed out of character from how Ciampa has acted recently. It’s unclear if the WWE is swapping roles with Ciampa and Breakker. However, it does appear that NXT 2.0 fans will be getting a rematch soon.

Kevin Owens Discusses Re-Signing With WWE

Tyriece Simon
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Kevin Owens has shared his reasoning behind re-signing with the WWE.

News broke on Wednesday that Owens signed a new multi-yearcontract with the company. Owens spoke with Les Anti-Pods de la Lutte’s Patric Laprade and Kevin Raphael this week about his decision to remain with WWE.

The interview will be released next week, but Laprade posted quotes from the interview on his blog.

Owens shared that the decision was the best thing for his family. He also said that it’s a three-year deal and that originally the contract was going to expire on January 31, 2022.

“I’m just going to say that it still ends on January 31, but not 2022. I’m still going to be there for several years,” said Owens. He continued, “The decision was pretty easy because it really was the best thing for my family. When it comes to that, it’s always a pretty easy decision. WWE has been my home for seven years, so I have a sense of belonging.” 

“Basically, I spent most of my career there. When you look at all the wrestling companies, I’ve wrestled in, in WWE, that’s where I’ve been the longest, that’s where I need to be for the next few years. That’s how I felt, and that’s the decision I made.”

Kevin Owens Choosing WWE over AEW

Owens’s decision to re-sign with WWE surprised wrestling fans. He teased that he may leave the WWE in September, which caused speculation on joining All Elite Wrestling. On his blog, Laprade said, “If you read between the lines, when Owens says he did the best thing for his family, it could mean that it was the financial aspect of the deal that influenced the wrestler to stay with WWE.”

Numerous talent in WWE that they spoke to are happy that Owens re-signed, according to a reporty by Fightful. The report also shared that he still maintains a good relationship with people in AEW.

An AEW source said, “Anyone who knows Kevin knows his priorities are with his family first, so you have to be happy for him.”

At 37 years old, Owens will be under contract with WWE until January 31, 2024. He is currently in a feud with WWE champion Big E. He will also be in a fatal four-way for the title against Big E, Seth Rollins, and Bobby Lashley at Day 1 on January 1, 2022.

Serena Deeb Comments On How CM Punk Helped Her Career

Chris Stephens
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Serena Deeb was once a member of CM Punk’s Straight-Edge Society faction in WWE. They are now both members of the AEW roster. Deeb was recently interviewed by Wrestling Inc. and noted that Punk has helped her career in multiple ways.

“We have a great relationship, we obviously go back a long way and we did some really good business together over the years,” Deeb said. “I met Punk in, I want to say 2005 at OVW when he first reported there and Paul Heyman was booking the show and Punk was his guy.”

Deeb continued to say that Punk played a role in helping her get into the Shimmer and Ring of Honor promotions.

“Punk was the driving force behind getting me to Shimmer for the first time, which at the time was, as a female wrestler, that was the indie that you aspire to go to because that was the best. From Shimmer that got me to Ring Of Honor. Punk really guided me and really helped support me in getting to all these places before WWE.”

CM Punk, Serena Deeb, and the Straight Edge Society

During the January 22nd, 2010 edition of WWE SmackDown, Deeb appeared as a fan in the crowd. She jumped the guardrail and made it known she wanted to join Punk’s Straight Edge Society faction. As an initiation, the group shaved her head. Deeb also spoke about her time in the group during her recent interview.

“I think because we had that great relationship and that friendship and that foundation, we had chemistry already just from all of that. It translated on-screen. I constantly get tagged on social media and people still love The Straight Edge Society and it was over a decade ago, it’s crazy. I love having him in the locker room.”

Serena Deeb On Advice She Receives From CM Punk

Deeb also spoke about how she regularly goes to CM Punk for advice on her matches. She believes everyone in the AEW locker room should do the same.

“He’s somebody I think all the guys and all the women should be asking for feedback. I ask him. I ask him to watch my matches, he doesn’t always get the chance to because he’s doing a million things on the show.”

Deeb continued to praise CM Punk’s ability to tell stories in the ring. She even noted that we might see a reunion between them somewhere down the line.

“The dude’s a master storyteller. I mean he blows my mind with some of the stuff he does. He’s clearly one of the best to ever do it and we have a great relationship. We talk every week and everything is great and yeah, we might see a reunion one day.”

The full interview is available in the player below:

Ryback Responds To MJF Mentioning Him On AEW Dynamite

Chris Stephens
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Last night on Dynamite, Maxwell Jacob Friedman referred to CM Punk as the “New Ryback” during a promo. MJF was commenting on how Punk has been undefeated while facing a string of underwhelming opponents in underwhelming matches when he made the comment.

Ryback took to social media last night to respond to MJF’s comments.

“Thanks for the shoutout MJF. Now you have your big chance at being an enhancement talent working with an underwhelming opponent,” Ryback Tweeted.

MJF’s comment about Punk being the “new Ryback” comes on the heels of a line Punk used on him during their promo battle in Chicago. Punk referred to MJF as a “less famous Miz” during that show. The reference to Miz on Dynamite was then alluded to by Edge on the following week’s RAW.

“You have people on other shows saying your name just to get a cheap reaction. You live rent-free in a lot of heads,” Edge said to Miz. 

Ryback was signed to WWE in 2005 after impressing WWE officials on Tough Enough. In 2010, he would be one of the members of the Nexus faction that invaded WWE. He was once rated as high as #13 in the PWI Top-500 rankings. Ryback is a former Intercontinental Champion and won 5 Slammies from 2012-14. He was released in 2016.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Matches Revealed (Nights 1 & 2)

Chris Stephens
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New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed the lineups for Wrestle Kingdom 16 nights 1 & 2 on January 4th and 5th.

Night 1 – January 4th

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
    Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
    El Desperado (c) vs.Hiromu Takahashi
  • IWGP Tag Team Championships
    Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi) (c) vs. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI)
  • NEVER Openweight Championship
    Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. EVIL
  • Katsuyori Shibata vs. TBA
  • Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI vs. Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Rocky Romero vs. KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, and El Phantasmo
  • YOH vs. SHO
  • New Japan Ranbo Battle Royal

Night 2 – January 5

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
    Winner of Shingo Takagi/Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Will Ospreay
  • IWGP United States Championship
    Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb
  • SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Championships
    EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, and SHO (c) vs Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and YOH
  • Four-way match for the KOPW 2022 trophy: (4 final entrants left from the battle royal on Night 1)
  • Stardom Match
    Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid vs. Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani
  • IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships
    Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo vs. Ryusuke Taguchi and Rocky Romero

Night 3 will take place on January 8th from the Yokohama Arena will feature NJPW wrestlers take on wrestlers from NOAH.

Kevin Owens Getting Millions To Stay With WWE

Chris Stephens
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Kevin Owens has a lot to celebrate this holiday season.

News broke on Wednesday that Owens has signed a new multi-year contract with WWE. Details of Owens’ new deal have been revealed by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio.

“He signed a 3-year deal with WWE,” said Meltzer. “I believe it was actually a couple of weeks ago when this happened.”

“It’s a very good money deal. I think the feeling is it’s more than he’d be able to get from AEW. $2-3 million in that range per year.”

Iron Clad?

While Owens is making good money per year, he did not get a no-cut clause in his contract that would protect him from being released somewhere down the line.

“He did not get a no-cut, he didn’t, that’s the other thing that I’ve heard,” Meltzer continued.

“In 3-years, he’ll be in the same position and probably fixing to make more money barring a career-ending injury.”

Owens has been with WWE since 2014. He is a 1x NXT Champion, 1x Universal Champion, 2x Intercontinental Champion, and 3x United States Champion.

Owens is scheduled to challenge for the WWE Championship at Day 1 on January 1st. He is booked in a fatal 4-way match against Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, and WWE Champion, Big E.

Ric Flair Heaps Praise on Bryan Danielson and Adam Page for AEW Dynamite Match

Ryan Droste
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Ric Flair watched the AEW Dynamite “Winter Is Coming” on Wednesday night and came away impressed by the championship match.

The 16-time world champion took to Twitter to praise both AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page and challenger Bryan Danielson for their efforts.

Flair wrote, “I’ve Done So Many Hour Draws, Some Great, Some Average! Tonight, You Gentlemen Set A New Bar!! The Wrestling World Can Learn From @theAdamPage & @bryandanielson! CONGRATULATIONS! WOOOOO!”

Flair was hardly the only legend and outside observer to praise the bout; the match is already being talked about as perhaps the greatest singles match in the brief history of AEW. It seems to be at least on par in fan’s eyes with the great Danielson vs. Kenny Omega draw that occurred at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Dynamite back in September.

AEW announcer Jim Ross, who is currently off television as he receives cancer treatment, also had high praise for the match.

Flair Walking Back Earlier Comments?

Earlier Wednesday, Flair made headlines as he criticized Bryan Danielson’s work to some degree, saying “it’s okay.”

On his Wooooo Nation Uncensored podcast, Flair explained his thoughts.

“I didn’t say he wasn’t a good worker. When Hunter put him over at [WrestleMania 30], that made him,” Flair said. “He’s a very talented kid, don’t misunderstand me, but you have to have one match, one place, one day, somewhere that makes you who you are. Hunter, who only wrestles once in a while, came out and the match started off slow but they ended up having a world-class match.

“He’s a hell of a performer, I don’t see him as being Kenny Omega. As a babyface, he’s not Ricky Steamboat. As a heel, he’s not me. If that pisses people off, they have to live with history.”

Flair continued his assessment of Bryan by talking about WrestleMania 30.

“They (Triple H and Danielson) tore the joint down,” Flair said. “That is the night that made Bryan. I like him a lot personally. He’s got a style…he’s not AJ Styles by any means. He’s a little bit smaller than AJ. He’s not AJ Styles.”

“That is the night that made Bryan.”

Ric Flair on WrestleMania 30

Flair continued, “I like his conditioning, he works hard, he’ll do anything and sacrifice his body at all odds. He’ll throw himself around and take incredible bumps. He’s a hell of a hand. You’re asking me who is good and who is great. He’s very good. As a babyface, it’s more believable. He can sell his ass off so when he’s making a comeback, it’s more fun to watch him make a comeback against bigger guys. It’s harder for me to believe he’s going to hold someone down. As a babyface, who is just average size but loaded with talent, I much prefer to see him fighting from underneath.”

What do you think? Was Flair attempting to walk back his earlier comments following the great match on AEW Dynamite? Let us know in the comments section below.

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 Fightful for the podcast transcript.

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