Xia Li has finally made her main roster debut. During last night’s episode of SmackDown, we saw WWE SmackDown co-general manager Sonya Deville and Naomi come face to face in the ring for a match. Deville, however, revealed that Natalya was the special guest announcer for the match, along with Shayna Baszler who would serve as the special timekeeper. Naomi went to work on Baszler and Natalya to get them out of the way before focusing on Deville one on one.
While Deville got away and helped Natalya and Baszler up on their feet to attack Naomi, a new entrance music blared through the arena, with the newest SmackDown superstar Xia Li coming out to the ramp.
Xia Li’s new music suited her persona and the entrance seemed pretty cool. She removed her headgear on the entranceway, and performed several moves while carrying two blades. The entrance looked unique as lightning and other special effects were added while she was doing the moves.
Xia Li got in the ring after wrapping up her entrance and faced off with Naomi as everybody in the ring was unsure of what was coming. Li then helped Naomi throw out Natalya as a brawl broke out in the ring. Pretty soon, they cleared the ring together.
Naomi faced off with Deville, who turned around and faced Li. She then turned back to Naomi and ducked a punch, only to get hit with a roundhouse kick by Li that put her down. Deville then ate a split-legged moonsault off the top rope but Baszler and Natalya pulled Deville out of harm’s way. Naomi and Li stayed in the ring and bowed to show respect to each other and ended the segment.
Xia Li has been part of WWE and its NXT roster since 2017, and she made her in-ring debut during the inaugural Mae Young Classic Tournament. Li is also the first Chinese woman to compete in a WWE ring.
After more than a year of building anticipation, Hook finally made his in-ring debut on this week’s episode of AEW Rampage.
The hometown star got a huge response from the crowd. He took on Fuego Del Sol in a one-on-one bout in his first match for the company.
The 22-year-old impressed everyone with his performance. Hook performed some impressive moves, living up to the hype that had been built for so long.
The young star went on to pick up a victory in his first match for the promotion. He put Fuego to sleep using the Katahajime submission for the win.
After the match, Tony Khan took on his Twitter to confirm that the youngest member of Team Taz has officially been signed by All Elite Wrestling.
AEW Stars React To Hook’s Debut
Though the AEW president wasn’t the only person who was impressed by their newest star. Many fans commented on how impressive he looked in his first outing. Several AEW personalities also reacted to his arrival on Twitter.
Among the prominent AEW names reacting to the debut was Hook’s father Taz, who made a short tweet expressing that he was very proud of his son.
Thunder Rosa, Dustin Rhodes, and MJF were some of the other names who reacted to Hook’s debut. You can check out all the reactions below:
Last year Hook was a young lion. Just hung back next to his Dad. Did nothing. Then did something. Then a little more. Then his look got more interesting each week. Then he got psysical a bit. Then a bit more. Then Punk mentioned him. Then he made his debut. A perfect build. Bravo
We waited a year for the HOOK debut and it was worth the wait. He carries himself like a legit dude, he's smooth as hell in the ring, and he's got the athletic credentials to back it up. And that was only his first match.
IMPACT Wrestling legend Gail Kim recently discussed some of the names that she would like to see join the company in the near future, especially for the Knockouts division.
Speaking to Renee Paquette on her Oral Sessions podcast, Kim mentioned some veterans of the IMPACT locker room as well as one recently released WWE Superstar: Ember Moon.
“I just want girls who are talented and passionate and all those things, but it’s important to have a good locker room,” Gail began. “It’s so important for the girls to support each other and work for the business of the match, for the company, and in the end, it benefits everyone.
“People like Taya [Valkyrie], Mia Yim, of course, was part of our family too” Kim continued. “I would love for her to be able to show who she really is as her authentic self because she’s really talented.
Gail Kim on Ember Moon
“I’m curious about Ember Moon” Gail added as almost a throwaway line, but it’s clear that IMPACT see her as a potential signing down the line.
“Now ROH has so many girls, I mean, I love Maria [Kanellis] just as a leader, as well, in terms of the women’s wrestling world, and because we have Mickie [James] in our locker room now and I just love that there’s different types of girls in there that the girls can look up to.
“Just be able to lean on or go to for advice because, listen, in all realistic situations, even though I’m a leader there, some girls might not feel comfortable to come to me for whatever reason it may be.
“Whether they see me as ‘too office,’ that’s why we need the Madison’s, the Mickie’s, the Maria’s, and the people who are in that locker room that they can turn to if they don’t feel comfortable with other people” Gail Kim concluded.
After more than a year of patience, fans finally got to see the highly anticipated debut of the newest member of Team Taz during this week’s Rampage. The match took place in his hometown of Long Island, NY. The crowd was behind the young star.
Hook took on Fuego Del Sol in a singles match and held his own. The 22-year-old showed some impressive athleticism before picking up a victory with Katahajime.
After his impressive debut on Rampage, AEW president Tony Khan took on his Twitter and confirmed that the Team Taz member has officially signed with the company:
Hook is the son of wrestling veteran and AEW star Taz. His AEW debut was first teased over a year ago during a promo battle between Taz and Cody Rhodes.
Taz had called out the AEW management during his promo and in response, Rhodes revealed that Taz’s own son was training at the Nightmare Factory.
Hook has been seen on TV numerous times over the past year. His debut had been teased multiple times and the young star got physical on AEW TV as well.
Fans had been anticipating this debut for a long time. The long wait not only helped build the hype for him but it also allowed fans to have some fun. People took every opportunity to joke about his debut, making him a viral sensation online.
When the moment finally came, Hook not only backed himself on the physical aspect but his theme song also got people talking. You can check out his theme song by rapper Action Bronson below:
MJF is ready to do his absolute best to take the All Elite Wrestling world championship from Adam Page in 2022 or die trying.
The salt of the earth recently had an interview with Josh Martinez. He talked about things such as coming home to long island, CM Punk and more.
Speaking about Adam Page winning the AEW world title recently at Full Gear, MJF reminded everyone that he has beaten Hangman before:
“Here’s the problem, I’ve already beaten him [Adam Page], and I know I can beat him again, especially with something on the line as important as that world title.”
The fastest rising star in pro wrestling then said that there is nothing in the world that MJF wants more than seeing the AEW title around his waist:
“There is nothing in this world that I want more than that strap around my waist, you’re going to see me become the world champion [In 2022], or I am going to die trying,”
MJF also talked about what it would mean for him to become a world champion at 25. He mentioned how he could become one of the youngest world champions among guys such as CM Punk and Bryan Danielson.
The AEW star previously faced Adam Page during a Dynamite episode in 2019. He defeated the current AEW champion for the Dynamite Diamond Ring.
AEW Rampage aired from the UBS Arena at Belmont Park. Lucha Bros defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against FTR tonight. Hook made his in-ring debut against Fuego del Sol and Adam Cole faced Wheeler Yuta in the main event. In addition to the takeaways below, FTR attacked Sting and Darby Allin backstage. Tully Blanchard then delivered a low blow to Sting.
Lucha Bros def. FTR to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
Nyla Rose, The Bunny, Penelope Ford def. Anna Jay, Tay Conti, Ruby Soho
Hook def. Fuego del Sol via submission
Adam Cole def. Wheeler Yuta
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Lucha Bros Retained
Lucha Bros defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against FTR in the first match of the show. FTR isolated Rey Fenix to start off the action but Fenix battled back. Pentagon Jr. tagged in and connected with a Splash on Dax for a two count. Cash Wheeler tagged in and Penta greeted him with a Superkick.
FTR took control of the match and isolated Fenix again. Penta eventually tagged back in and connected with a couple Slingblades. Tully hopped on the ring apron for a distraction and tried to punch Fenix but it didn’t work out to well. Fenix blocked it and punched Tully in the face and he tumbled off the apron.
Back in the ring, Harwood connected with a Liger Bomb and went for the cover but Fenix was able to kick out and the match continued. Dax and Cash grabbed the AAA tag titles and tried to bring them into the ring. Wheeler went to hit Fenix but wound up accidentally hitting Dax with the title. Fenix hit Wheeler with a splash but Harwood was able to hit him with the title this time.
Harwood went for the cover but Fenix somehow kicked out at two. FTR planted Fenix with the Big Rig but Penta broke up the cover. Both teams traded punches and were exhausted at this point. Lucha Bros battled through and hit Fear Factor for the pinfall victory and retained the AEW Tag Team Championships.
Nyla Rose, The Bunny, Penelope Ford Picked Up A Win
Ruby Soho, Anna Jay, Tay Conti faced Nyla Rose, The Bunny, and Penelope Ford in a 6-woman tag team match tonight on Rampage. Tay Conti and The Bunny started off the action. Conti dominated and connected with a series of elbows to the face. Vickie Guerrero was ringside and distracted Conti. The Bunny capitalized and beat Conti down.
Penelope Ford tagged into the match and connected with a pump kick to Tay’s face. Nyla Rose joined in on the beatdown for a bit before tagging The Bunny back in. Tay eventually escaped to the corner and tagged in Ruby Soho. Ruby got in some offense as Rampage went to a commercial break.
When Rampage returned, Anna Jay and Nyla Rose were battling in the ring. Anna connected with a Crossbody before a brawl broke out between all six wrestlers. The Bunny grabbed brass knuckles and hit Anna Jay with them while the referee was distracted. Nyla followed it up with the Beast Bomb for the pinfall victory.
Hook made his in-ring debut and faced Fuego del Sol on this week’s Rampage. Hook got a tremendous reaction from the crowd and Fuego was booed. The two locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the action. Hook got the better of the exchange and started trash talking. Fuego capitalized with a roll-up and almost stole the victory.
Fuego battled back with a Dropkick and beat Hook down in the corner of the ring. Fuego went for a Tornado DDT but Hook was able to block it and leveled Fuego with a Clothesline. Hook ripped away at Fuego’s mask before applying the Tazmission for the submission victory.
Adam Cole def. Wheeler Yuta, The Elite Attacked Best Friends
Adam Cole battled Wheeler Yuta in the main event of this week’s Rampage. Bobby Fish, Young Bucks, Brandon Cutler, and Best Friends were all ringside for the match. Before the match, Mark Henry interviewed both competitors in split screen. Cole and the Young Bucks poked fun at Trent’s new haircut. Adam told Wheeler that he has a lot of potential but he is hanging around the wrong crew. Cole vowed to whoop Wheeler’s ass in front of his “Best Friends”.
Cole and Yuta traded punches to begin the match. Adam got the better of the exchange and leveled Wheeler with a shoulder tackle. Cole avoided a Dropkick and rolled up Yuta for a two count. Wheeler connected with a Dropkick but Cole quickly responded with a Superkick and Yuta fell to the canvas.
Wheeler got in some offense and made his way to the top rope. Cole dodged his Crossbody attempt and then planted him with a Suplex in the middle of the ring. Adam mocked Orange Cassidy and hit some lazy kicks as Cassidy looked on from ringside. It almost cost Cole as Wheeler rolled him up for a near fall.
Cole caught Wheeler with a forearm to the face and then hit a couple knee strikes to his lower back. Adam elbowed Wheeler in the face and lifted him up in the Fireman’s Carry. Cole hit a Hangman’s Neckbreaker before sending Yuta to the outside. Adam Cole once again got distracted with Orange Cassidy and allowed time for Yuta to regroup. Wheeler connected with a Crossbody off the top rope and went for the cover but Cole kicked out at two. Yuta followed it up with a Dropkick, an Atomic Drop, and a Splash in the corner.
Wheeler hit another Crossbody off the top rope but couldn’t keep Cole down. Cole hit a Pele Kick but Yuta responded with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Wheeler stumbled to the corner and climbed to the top but Cole caught him with a jab to the head. Cole went for a Superplex but Yuta held onto the ropes. Yuta unloaded some punches and Cole fell to the canvas. Wheeler hit a Samoan Drop and went for the cover but Cole kicked out at two.
Yuta went for a Splash off the top rope but Cole got his knees up. Cole hit Yuta with a Superkick, taunted Orange Cassidy, and delivered the Last Shot for the pinfall victory. Young Bucks, Cole, and Fish then attacked Best Friends. Young Bucks held up Orange Cassidy and Cole made it seem like he was going for Panama Sunrise. Cole hopped off the middle turnbuckle and hit Cassidy with a low blow. Young Bucks hit Trent with the BTE Trigger to close the show.
Matt Hardy is teasing a potential reunion with his brother Jeff Hardy after the latter was released from his WWE contract only days ago.
The broken one took on his Twitter earlier today and made a tweet that has got people talking about a potential Hardy Boyz reunion. He wrote: “I feel xtremely good about the future.”
Jeff Hardy was released from his WWE contract earlier this week. It happened after the high-flying star left a match in the middle during a live event and was sent home afterward.
Reports suggest that WWE officials offered to send him to rehab. The former world champion refused the offer, and as a result, he was let go.
Matt Hardy has been talking about a potential reunion with his brother in recent times. He even said that Hardy Boyz going up against an AEW team would be the ideal retirement match for him.
There is no word yet on how AEW officials feel about the WWE star due to the circumstances of his release. This tweet from Matt has certainly got people talking.
Though since Jeff Hardy was on a main roster contract, he should have a standard 90 days non-compete clause. This means fans will have to wait at least until March to see the brothers getting back together.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Xia Li made her SmackDown debut during tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Charlotte Flair battled Toni Storm in a Championship Contender’s match. New Day, The Usos, and RK-Bro competed in a a tag team Triple Threat match in the main event.
SmackDown Results:
Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs def. Los Lotharios
Drew McIntyre def. Sheamus
Toni Storm def. Charlotte via DQ
Sonya Deville vs. Naomi ended in a no contest
New Day def. RK-Bro, The Usos in a Triple Threat Tag Team match
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Paul Heyman Motivated Brock Lesnar To Attack Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn came down to the ring in a wheelchair with some male nurses. Sami claimed that he was the toughest man in WWE history. Zayn was in a wheel chair following Brock Lesnar’s attack last week. Paul Heyman interrupted and Sami Zayn said he wasn’t done talking. Zayn got up from his wheelchair and shouted that he was not finished talking. Sami said that he knows Roman Reigns isn’t here tonight and Heyman claimed that he was away training. Zayn threatened to rip Heyman’s head off because there is nobody here to save him.
Brock Lesnar’s theme and The Beast made his way to the ring in overalls as Heyman hid behind Sami and the nurses. Brock Lesnar grabbed a steel chair and entered the ring. Brock approached Heyman and extended his hand. Lesnar wanted the microphone and not to shake Paul’s hand. Brock took a seat across from Sami and asked how he was doing.
Zayn told Lesnar that he wasn’t great. Brock poked fun at Sami’s wheelchair and male nurses. Sami told Brock to shut his mouth and Brock apologized. Lesnar wondered if Sami was really in that much pain and required a wheelchair. Lesnar was about to take Sami away on the wheel chair for a vegan dinner before Heyman interrupted.
Paul said the edibles must be kicking in because three years ago Sami would have been taken to Suplex City. Heyman added that Lesnar will most likely be the future champion and Brock got fired up. Lesnar beat the nurses down and booted Sami Zayn out of his wheelchair. Brock followed it up with an F5 to Sami Zayn as Heyman watched on with a grin on his face.
Kayla Braxton went to interview Lesnar backstage but he told her to ask his advocate, Paul Heyman. Braxton later asked Heyman if he was Brock’s advocate and he told her to stop asking that. She wondered how Roman Reigns will react to what happened tonight and Paul looked distraught as he walked away.
Los Lotharios (Humberto & Angel) battled Rick Boogs & Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Humberto and Boogs started off the action. Boogs hit a big shoulder tackle and sent Angel to the floor. Humberto went for a Headlock but Boogs blocked it. Boogs spun Humberto around and dropped him to the mat. Shinsuke Nakamura tagged in as Humberto crawled to the corner but Angel was on the floor outside the ring. Nakamura hit Humberto with the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory.
Drew McIntyre faced Sheamus this week on SmackDown. Before the match, Adam Pearce told McIntyre that he could not bring Angela the sword with him to the ring. McIntyre put the sword through Pearce’s desk and made his way to the ring.
Sheamus controlled the action early and hit McIntyre with 10 Beats of the Bodhran. McIntyre fell to the floor and Sheamus went for a Clothesline off the ring apron. McIntyre ducked and planted Sheamus with an overhead throw as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Sheamus went for White Noise but McIntyre escaped. Drew connected with the Future Shock DDT and geared up for the Claymore but Sheamus countered with a knee to the face for a close two count. McIntyre hit the Glasgow kiss but Sheamus responded with a headbutt of his own. Sheamus sent McIntyre to the corner but Drew bounced off the turnbuckle and leveled Sheamus with the Claymore for the pinfall victory.
Sonya Deville battled Naomi tonight on SmackDown. Before the bell, Sonya Deville said she has a couple surprises and announced Natalya as the special guest ring announcer, Shayna Baszler as the timekeeper. Naomi beat Shayna down and booted Natalya off the apron. Sonya Deville retreated to of the ring and told Natalya & Baszler to attack Naomi.
Xia Li made her debut with a very cool entrance and got in the ring with Naomi. Xia attacked Deville and brawled with Natalya. Kai knocked Shayna out of the ring and booted Sonya in the face. Naomi dragged Sonya to the corner but Shayna & Natalya dragged Deville out of the ring.
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair battled Toni Storm in a Championship Contender’s match. Toni would earn a title shot if she defeated the champion. Earlier on the show, Sasha Banks had a conversation with Toni Storm backstage and hyped her up for the match.
Charlotte leveled Toni with a forearm to the face to begin the action. Storm responded with a Dropkick and then a Hip Attack in the corner of the ring. Toni connected with a Crossbody and went for the cover but the champ kicked out at two. Charlotte leveled Toni with a big boot and dragged her to the corner.
Flair climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for the Moonsault but Toni got out of the way. Charlotte then went for the standing Moonsault but the whole sequence was botched. Flair brought Toni to the apron and booted her against the ring post until the referee called for the bell. Charlotte hit Toni with a boot to the face after the match.
The Usos, New Day, and RK-Bro battled in a Triple Threat Tag Team match. The Usos cut a promo and vowed to win tonight. A terrified Adam Pearce and Brock Lesnar had a conversation backstage before the main event. Lesnar told Adam that he named a hunted moose after him and hung it on his cabin wall. Brock tried to show Pearce a picture of the moose but couldn’t figure it out on his flip phone and broke it in half.
Kofi Kingston and Riddle started off the action. Kingston took control and New Day isolated Riddle in the corner. The Usos knocked everyone out of the ring and hit a couple Suicide Dives. Jimmy and Jey got back into the ring and posed for the crowd. Kingston hit a Crossbody for a two count. The Usos took control of the match and took turns beating Riddle down. Jey went for the cover but Kofi Kingston broke it up at the last moment as SmackDown went to a final commercial break.
King Woods and Riddle were battling in the ring when SmackDown returned. Woods connected with a Suplex and went for the cover but Riddle was able to kick out at two. Woods quickly applied a Headlock on Riddle in the middle of the ring. Randy Orton eventually got the tag and delivered a Powerslam to both Jimmy and Jey. Orton bounced Jey’s head off the announce table and then slammed Woods on top of the table. Orton did the same to Kofi and got back into the ring.
Orton hit Jimmy Uso with the draping DDT and set up for the RKO. Jimmy slowly stumbled to his feet but countered the RKO into a roll-up. Orton kicked out but Jimmy caught him with a Superkick. Uso climbed to the top rope but Orton rolled out of the way. King Woods tagged himself in and Orton hit Jey with an RKO. Jimmy hit Orton with another Superkick before turning around into one from Woods. Kofi tagged in and hit a Double Stomp for pinfall victory.
Despite being injured and unable to officially compete, Danhausen is reportedly making his way to the site of ROH Final Battle 2021 today.
It was recently confirmed by Fightful Select that the “Very Nice, Very Evil” star was set to be travelling today, and it looks as though he will be making somewhat of an appearance on the PPV tonight.
Fightful noted that “we’ve also learned that despite his injury, and signing in Chicago this weekend, Danhausen was slated to travel to the site of Final Battle.”
Again it is unconfirmed at this time if Danhausen will be appearing on the PPV itself, but it would certainly make sense for the injured star to do so if able.
Danhausen at Final Battle 2021
Here’s the full card for the PPV event tonight:
Jonathan Gresham vs Jay Lethal
ROH Tag Team Championships Match: The OGK vs The Briscoes
Ring of Honor Pure Championship Match: Josh Woods vs Brian Johnson
ROH TV Championship Match: Dalton Castle vs Rhett Titus vs Silas Young vs Joe Hendry
Ring of Honor Six-Man Tag Team Championships Match: Shane Taylor Promotions vs The Righteous
ROH Women’s Championship Match: Rok-C vs Willow
Fight Without Honor: Shane Taylor vs Kenny King
Homicide, Brody King & Tony Deppen vs Taylor Rust, Tracy Williams & Eli Isom
Dragon Lee vs Rey Horus
Chelsea Green and The Hex vs Miranda Alize and The Allure
AEW’s Mark Henry is taking issue with how WWE is using Doudrop.
Doudrop was a respected wrestler for promotions such as Stardom. She went by the name “Viper” before signing with WWE and being called “Piper Niven.” When she was called up to the main roster, WWE gave her the Doudrop character.
Mark Henry Thinks Doudrop Is Above Her Gimmick
When WWE first introduced Piper Niven as Doudrop, it was done as part of storyline with Eva Marie. Now that the story is over and Eva has been cut by WWE, many want to see the Doudrop name axed.
During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry expressed his belief that Doudrop has so much more to offer than her current character allows for.
“I will not call her Doudrop. It’s beneath her. It is absolutely beneath her. She’s a person, a Doudrop is a thing and I refuse to ever call her that.
“That match [against Bianca Belair], like why couldn’t she start like that? The hell with all the stuff she did prior to that. She should’ve had matches like that from the beginning.
“I don’t care how she looks. People can judge people for being plus size, hell I was plus size. I knew how to get over, so does she.
“She can use what she’s working with as good as anybody that they brought up in the last five years and when I say that, yes I mean everybody that was champion including Bianca Belair.
“Piper Niven, the one match that she had shows that she can be their equals if she’s revered and respected and put in a position to where she can work like that every night.”
Doudrop is currently in a feud with Bianca Belair. The two shared the ring on the Dec. 6 episode of Monday Night Raw. The match ended when Doudrop allowed herself to be counted out after almost getting hit with the K.O.D.
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Kyle O’Reilly has joined Johnny Gargano as a free agent.
Much has been made over O’Reilly’s contract status. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported that WWE offered Kyle a multi-year deal. Despite the offer, reports surfaced claiming that many in WWE were under the assumption that O’Reilly was on his way out.
Kyle O’Reilly Is On The Market
PWInsider is now reporting that the assumption of those within WWE was correct. Kyle O’Reilly has been removed from WWE’s internal roster. He is now free to sign with other promotions.
Fightful Select had reported that Johnny Gargano became a free agent at midnight on Dec. 10. He also reportedly received a contract offer from WWE but has turned it down.
Speculation has already run rampant on O’Reilly’s future. Many are under the assumption that he will reunite with Adam Cole and Bobby Fish.
For years, O’Reilly and Fish took the tag team world by storm as reDRagon. O’Reilly and Fish aligned themselves with Adam Cole to form The Undisputed Era under WWE’s NXT brand. Eventually, Roderick Strong joined the group.
Cole and Fish are currently members of the AEW roster. We’ve seen the two men align with The Young Bucks and many are assuming that O’Reilly will be joining them soon.
AEW head honcho Tony Khan will be lending a helping hand to ROH.
Ring of Honor is preparing for a hiatus. The company will be holding its Final Battle PPV event this Saturday (Dec. 11). This will be the last event for ROH before the company goes dark. ROH hopes to return in April.
ROH will be releasing all of its on-air talent in the midst of its “reconceptualizing” phase. We’ve already seen Jay Lethal get out of his contract early to take a deal with AEW.
Tony Khan Helping Out With ROH Final Battle
Tony Khan spoke to the folks at Busted Open Radio and while he didn’t go into much detail, he did reveal that he’ll be helping out ROH with the show (h/t F4WOnline).
“I’ll be doing some things to support them in their last show to make it a good show for them. …Over the weekend, I am going to lend some support to them and try and help them out because it’s the right thing to do.”
ROH could use some additional help as a big blow was dealt to the Final Battle card. ROH World Champion Bandido will miss the show after testing positive for COVID-19. Bandido recently competed in a AAA Mega Championship match.
Jay Lethal will be returning to Ring of Honor to face Jonathan Gresham at Final Battle. Gresham had originally been scheduled to face Bandido for the ROH World Championship on the card. Bandido had to pull out of the show due to testing positive for COVID-19, however.
“This match is about more than winning or losing, more than who’s the best or what championship we hold,” Lethal said. “This match is about showing the world what this era of Ring of Honor is and I can’t wait to get back into the ring with one of the best wrestlers I know tomorrow night, Jonathan Gresham.”
ROH has said they will address the World Title situation during the first hour of Final Battle.
Gresham vs Lethal will be one-half of a double main event on the show. The Briscoes challenging the OKC (Mike Bennett and Matt Taven) will be the other. The updated lineup for the show is below:
Jay Lethal vs Jonathan Gresham
ROH World Tag Team Championships The OGK (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) (c) vs. The Briscoe Brothers (Mark Briscoe and Jay Briscoe)
ROH Women’s World Championship Rok-C (c) vs. Willow Nightingale
ROH 6-Man Tag Team Championships Shane Taylor Promotions (Jasper Kaun, Moses Maddox, and O’Shay Edwards) (with Ron Hunt) (c) vs. The Righteous (Vincent, Bateman, and Dutch) (with Vita VonStarr)
ROH Television Championship Dalton Castle (c) vs TBD
ROH Pure Championship Josh Woods (c) vs. Brian Johnson
Kenny King vs Shane Taylor
Eli Isom, Taylor Rust, and Tracy Williams vs. VLNCE UNLTD (Brody King, Homicide, and Tony Deppen)
Li joined the WWE Performance Center back in early 2017. She competed in the Mae Young Classic, becoming the first Chinese female to enter a WWE ring.
Li also participated in the 2019 Royal Rumble match. She’s currently a member of the SmackDown brand.
Xia Li Gets Warm Welcome From Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks is a multiple-time world champion and a top star in WWE. It seems clear that she doesn’t let the fame get to her head, however.
In an interview with Sportskeeda, Xia Li said that Sasha didn’t hesitate to welcome her as a guest in her home.
“She’s been very friendly with me. Even at the very beginning. I don’t speak English very well and she still invited me to her house for a holiday party to celebrate together. She’s already a top superstar. She’s not in my class. So that’s why I’m very grateful she can do this for me. She’s the best.”
Li went as far as to say that she looks up to Sasha as a gold standard in the industry.
“What she does on TV is amazing. She’s my idol in wrestling, and I want to be like her.”
The love doesn’t stop with Banks, however. Li also credited NXT coaches such as Matt Bloom, Norman Smiley, and Sara Amato for helping her develop and make it to the main roster.
The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter provided some update on the female star. It confirms that her contract with WWE has expired.
According to the Newsletter, WWE officials not only wanted her to renew her deal but they wanted Sane to re-join the roster as an active member.
However, the female star didn’t want to live in US and travel around amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. So she chose to let her deal expire.
Regarding her future, it was noted how the 33-year-old has shown interest in making an in-ring return. Stardom is interested in bringing her back but nothing is set in that direction yet.
Kairi Sane signed a WWE contract back in March 2017. She won the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament after defeating Shayna Baszler.
The Japanese star had a run with the NXT women’s title before moving to the main roster. There she formed a tag team with Asuka and the two became known as The Kabuki Warriors.
Sane decided to leave WWE and head back to Japan to be with her husband in July 2020. She was made an ambassador for WWE upon her return to the country. Now that her deal has expired, she is free to sign with any other promotion.
Impact Wrestling on 12/9 featured Eric Young vs Rhino in a street fight and furthered the build to Hard to Kill.
Impact Quick Results 12/9:
Deonna Purrazzo & Matthew Rehwoldt defeated Mickie James & Chris Sabin
Rohit Raju vs Lawrence D – No Contest
FinJuice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay) defeated The Learning Tree (VSK & Zicky Dice)
Street Fight Eric Young defeated Rhino
Decay(Rosemary, Havok, Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve) defeated The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay) & The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne)
Matt Cardona defeated W. Morrissey via DQ
Deonna Purrazzo Pins Knockouts Champion Mickie James In Tag Team Action
This week opened up with Deonna Purrazzo teaming with Matthew Rehwoldt and going up against Mickie James and Chris Sabin. After a back and forth match, James hit Purrazzo off the top rope with a diving attack but Purrazzo countered into a pinning combination. Rehwoldt held onto Purrazzo’s arm from the outside, giving the Virtuosa added leverage and she got the 3-count. Purrazzo and James will meet with the title on the line at Hard to Kill.
Josh Alexander returned to the Impact Zone this week. He interrupted the match between Rohit Raju and Lawrence D, leading to the ref throwing the match out. Alexander called out JONAH. Scott D’Amore came out and said that JONAH would not be coming out because he’s not in the building. He then announced that Alexander would face JONAH at Hard to Kill.
David Finlay & Juice Robinson took one step further to getting back in the tag title hunt this week. They took on two members of Brian Myers’ Learning Tree in VSK and Zicky Dice. The finish of the match saw them hit a backbreaker elbow drop double-team move for the win. VSK and Dice were seen arguing with each other after the match.
Despite Eric Young telling the other members of VBD not to come out for the match, there was a lot of interference here. Joe Doering and Deaner came out but were thwarted by Heath. Willie Mack and Rich Swann also came out to help Young but this brought out the Good Brothers, who attacked Swann and Mack. This left Rhino and Eric Young in the ring together and Young delivered a low blow and a piledriver for the win.
After the match, VBD and the Good Brothers beat down the babyfaces. There appears to be some alliance made between the two teams.
Before this match it appeared as though the Influence and the Iinspiration weren’t seeing completely eye to eye. In a backstage interview they debated what the name of their group should be. Madison Rayne doesn’t seem impressed with the Iinspiration. The finish of this match started when Taurus tossed Dashwood to the outside and everyone but Kaleb with a K moved out of the way. Madison Rayne then started arguing with the Iinspiration over them not helping to catch Dashwood. Dashwood was tossed back in the ring and Rosemary hit her with a spear and got the 3-count while Rayne and the Iinspiration were still arguing.
Participants Announced For the Knockouts Ultimate-X Match
The participants for the Knockouts Ultimate X match at Hard to Kill were announced. Gail Kim made the announcement as they were welcoming Lady Frost to the division. The participants in the match will be Lady Frost, Rachael Ellering, Tasha Steelz, Jordynne Grace, Chelsea Green and Rosemary.
The stipulation for this match was that if W. Morrissey could defeat Cardona, Cardona would be removed from the world title match at Hard to Kill. Moose was shown watching this match from a private suite. Morrissey was disqualified for shoving the referee while he was beating up Cardona in the corner. He then delivered a big boot to the referee following the end of the match. Morrissey continued the attack on Cardona until Chelsea Green came out. Moose also came out and told Morrissey to pick up Cardona and continue the attack. Morrissey hit Moose with a boot instead. He then shoved Chelsea Green out of the way but Cardona delivered a double-leg takedown and kicked Morrissey out of the ring. Cardona was left with the Impact world title in the ring to end the show.
Impact World Championship Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
Knockouts Championship 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
AEW star Chris Jericho was hospitalized this week while on tour with Fozzy in the UK.
A Fozzy show scheduled at Sin City nightclub in Swansea, Wales this Friday was canceled after Jericho was hospitalized. The venue broke the news on Instagram and specified that Jericho was dealing with a a non-COVID health issue.
They posted the statement received from the band confirming that the wrestling veteran has been admitted for a treatable health issue:
“Chris was checked into Hospital by doctors, with a non-Covid related, treatable health issue. Regrettably the show on Friday in Swansea is cancelled and all tickets will be refunded. Will have updates on Saturdays show in Nottingham and Sunday’s show in London as soon as possible”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXR-DtNNEs7/
Chris Jericho Comments
Chris Jericho has issued a brief statement on his condition. Via the Wrestling Observer:
“I’m feeling good. They just wanted to observe me overnight and I’m in the right place. Not COVID related.”
– Chris Jericho
Jericho hasn’t wrestled since the Full Gear PPV. The Inner Circle took on and defeated The American Top Team, Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky at the show.
The first AEW Champion was last seen on television during the December 1st edition of Dynamite. He was attacked by 2point0 and Daniel Garcia to write him off for the UK tour.
He had been active on social media hours before the cancellation of the show. So, it appears that his health issues were a sudden development.
We have some additional information regarding his final weeks with the company and what may be next for the former NXT Champion.
Johnny Gargano did not arrive at his decision to leave WWE easily, according to sources close to the situation. WWE made a strong offer to keep him from leaving, as they did with Adam Cole.
After 6 years, Gargano achieved everything there was to achieve in NXT. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that he would most likely remain in NXT had he stayed. He’d no longer be a main event star, but would be used to elevate younger talent.
At 34 years old, Gargano still has a lot left in the tank and might see better opportunity for himself elsewhere.
Johnny Gargano recently signed a short-term contract extension to get him through WarGames. Since his contract simply expired and he was not released, there is no non-compete clause. He could show up anywhere at any time.
WWE gave Gargano a warm sendoff on this week’s episode of NXT TV. He is legitimately leaving on very good terms and the door is still open for them to work together in the future.
While unlikely, it’s entirely possible that Gargano does re-sign with WWE. Entering free agency gives him the legal green light to field offers from other companies, such as AEW, New Japan Pro Wrestling and also the independents.
Allowing his contract to expire is certainly not a promising sign that he’ll stay with WWE. However, if the offers he receives – and he will receive offers – do not exceed WWE’s best offer, anything is possible.
I can't thank you all enough for the love and support you have shown me these past few days. I hope you continue to follow me on this next part of my journey! ??https://t.co/MAqsnbRVc1pic.twitter.com/xZek8HKymc
Working with Vince McMahon is not always a pleasant experience for every WWE star, but for Sonya Deville, it was one of the rare fangirl moments. The female star alongside her former partner Mandy Rose recently had an interview with popculture.com. They talked about things such as how they became friends and more.
Speaking of her experience of working with the boss for some segments recently, Deville said that it is the favourite thing of her career so far:
“Yeah, that’s been really cool. Working with Vince lately has probably been my favourite thing in my career thus far. He’s just so knowledgeable and just so respectable to be around. And just to be in segments with him, I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ I don’t have many fangirl moments. But I was kind of freaking out.
And he’s so cool, and we were in there for hours working on stuff.” said Sonya Deville, “He’s just so helpful. And he’s always been supportive of my career and what I wanted to do.”
As an on-screen WWE authority figure, Deville was involved in the recent WWE storyline of Cleopatra’s $100 million golden egg that featured Vince McMahon. Apart from this, Sonya Deville talked about possibly following the footsteps of The Rock and John Cena to join the acting world and more.
Tony Khan sees Sting as a wrestling veteran who deserves to be treated with respect and he is not afraid to call out WWE for their treatment of the former WCW star.
Speaking of Sting, Khan claimed that the former WCW champion has had a great comeback, before criticising how WWE used the Icon:
“What a great comeback Sting had…it had been a while since Sting won wrestling matches…the last time we saw Sting, he wasn’t winning. Back in his last run [WWE] in the competition, they screwed him out of multiple matches, let’s be honest.
He should have been presented better, and that’s one thing I won’t back down on.” said Tony Khan, “Sting deserves to be treated like one of the great legends in wrestling, and I set out to do that from the beginning with him.”
After avoiding it for over two decades, Sting finally joined WWE in 2014. He stayed with the company till 2020 and wrestled a total of 4 matches for the promotion.
Out of the four matches the former champion wrestled for WWE, he won only bout fair and square when he teamed up with John Cena to defeat Seth Rollins and Big Show. Prior to it, he picked up a DQ victory over Show and lost singles matches against both Rollins and Triple H.
This new photo of Hulk Hogan contradicts some recent comments from Ric Flair. Flair on his podcast had said that the Hulkster was having some ‘really bad’ health issues.
Brooke Hogan, on the other hand, had said in October that her father was feeling great and working out in the gym at least a couple of hours every day.
Eric Bischoff had provided a similar update on the former world champion saying that he is eating as healthy as he can.
Bischoff had also stated that Hogan is doing physical therapy four or five days a week in hopes of getting some of the mobility back after going through 17 back surgeries and a couple of hip replacements in his career.
Hulk Hogan was last seen on WWE TV during the WrestleMania 37 weekend where he and the other founding members of the nWo were inducted into Hall Of Fame.
A Rey Mysterio animation series will be coming to Cartoon Network Latin America in 2022. It will see the WWE star fight against the forces of evil in and outside the ring.
Produced by Mexican studio ¡Viva Calavera!, the series was first announced during the 2020 Pixelatl Festival a couple of months ago.
Now the makers have sent out a detailed description of the show, revealing some crucial story and plot points. The series is dubbed ‘Rey Mysterio vs. La Oscuridad’
According to the official description, the animation will tell the story of a wrestling fan Oscar who will get a chance to team up with his idol in Mysterio.
Together, the duo will face supernatural beings and fight against the forces of evil. The show will feature villains from the world of wrestling as well as characters from Mexican traditions.
The main antagonist of the cartoon show is dubbed Uroboros. He is described as an evil fighter who uses dark forces that he doesn’t fully understand.
Since the description or the press release doesn’t have any mention of WWE, it’s believed that the promotion is not involved in the project in any capacity.
An official premiere date for the Rey Mysterio vs. La Oscuridad cartoon series has not been revealed yet. Though it will surely be a treat for the fans of the wrestling veteran.
The former DIY member originally had his contract expiring on December 3 but he signed a week’s extension to work the Takeover: WarGames PPV and this week’s NXT.
Gargano decided not to sign any further extensions despite offers from WWE officials and he has become a free agent after midnight on December 10. The news was first reported by FightFul Select.
The former NXT champion’s departure is said to be ‘incredibly amicable’. The door has been left open for both sides to work together in the future and many within WWE are hopeful about his return in the future.
Gargano’s Future
Since his contract has expired Johnny Gargano is now free to sign with any promotion or appear on TV for any other organization.
Though after his promo on Tuesday’s NXT, there is speculation that Gargano may take some time off from wrestling and help his wife Candice LeRae as the couple prepares to welcome their first child together in February.
Kyle O’Reilly also has his NXT contract expiring this month but there hasn’t been a confirmation of the exact date for the same as of yet.
Johnny Gargano has not made any comments about his future plans so far. It appears that fans will have to wait for him to show up somewhere to know where his next destination is.
All Elite Wrestling talent Malakai Black gave fans an explanation for his name. In the WWE, his name was Aleister Black.
Comicbook’s Connor Casey interviewed Black about his name and the symbolism behind his black eye. Since his debut in AEW, wrestling fans have speculated about his face. In response, Black gave a unique explanation for his name change and appearance.
Casey transcribed the quotes from the interview.
“A lot of people started really digging through my old stuff and really found a bunch of really cool creative things. They haven’t completely discovered everything that I’ve did already with Malakai or am doing as Malakai, said Black.
He continued, “But, one of the things that I can tell you is that when I released ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ little movie, video trailer, teaser, whatever you want to call it. There’s a funny thing where a lot of people thought that it was a dig towards my former employer, but it was actually not at all. It was a creative way for me to ease out of Aleister and move into a different realm.”
While explaining the name change, Black revealed that a demon possesses him. The demonic possession is his way of acknowledging his time in WWE but evolving his gimmick in AEW.
“The idea behind it is that this greater entity known as Moloch or Malakai in this case, this messenger, orchestrated this whole idea that Tom was in a, what’s the best word to describe this, had this episode that lasted almost five years wherein he believed that he was Aleister and that he believed that he was a fallen angel with memory loss or Lucifer or Satan, however you want to call it,” said Black.
Black seems to have thought a lot about his gimmick in AEW. Black hasn’t clearly explained the reasoning for his name change and appearance on AEW television. However, he has continued to evolve the character slowly. His eye continues to look worse, and Black explains that it’s the result of the demon.
“He(referring to himself) had this episode, this manic episode, where actually it was Malakai who orchestrated all of this and through the injury in his eye was able to kind of like fracture apart in being able to manifest himself through the eye,” said Black.
He continued, “That’s also why this thing on my face keeps growing and growing because he becomes stronger and stronger, and it reacts to certain events and certain happenings. So in a way, it’s a continuation, but at the same time, there’s a layer above the layers.”
Black continues to add new elements to his gimmick. He has started to spew poison mist from his mouth into people’s eyes. Yesterday, Black used the poison mist to attack Julia Hart and blinded her. It’s unclear if the mist is due to Black’s demonic possession. However, it does seem Black has more ideas for his gimmick to continue to evolve.
ROH World Champion Bandido will not be competing at Final Battle.
Ring of Honor is set to hold its final event before going on hiatus. The event will be taking place on Dec. 11 in Baltimore, Maryland. The company will then be going dark but hopes to make its return in April.
Bandido Missing Final Battle
ROH has announced that Bandido will not be taking part in Final Battle as he has tested positive for COVID-19.
“Unfortunately, ROH World Champion Bandido returned a positive result on his most recent Covid Testing and will not be present at Final Battle this Saturday, December 11th in Baltimore.
“Thank you for continuously supporting Ring of Honor through it all and we appreciate your understanding that safety and health of our talents, staff and fans are our top priorities.
“Stay tuned for match updates regarding Final Battle 2021 as we commemorate the history-making era that is coming to an end.”
With the news, Bandido is essentially done with ROH. The company will be releasing all of its on-air talent during the hiatus. We’ve already seen Jay Lethal get out of his contract early and make the jump to AEW.
Time will tell what’s next for Bandido. He has competed for the likes of NJPW and AAA in the past. Bandido even competed for the AAA Mega Championship recently. He made his exit from CMLL earlier this year.
