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Why Does Bryan Danielson Wear a Plain White T-Shirt in AEW?

Michael Reichlin
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Bryan Danielson has worn a plain white t-shirt during many of his AEW television appearances.

According to the American Dragon, there’s a reason for this unassuming gear. During a recent appearance on the Casual Conversations podcast, Danielson said he is generally not in favor of selling merchandise to his fans.

“So AEW came up with a very nice American Dragon Is Back t-shirt,” he began.” I think one of the things that has confused their merchandising people and also confused the WWE merchandising people is that I don’t wanna sell people things.”

The Steve Jobs of AEW

Danielson likened his plain white t-shirt to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs always wearing a black turtleneck shirt.

“So, it’s a choice,” he continued. “It also makes my life simpler, in the sense of like I don’t have to worry what I’m going to wear to TV, right, so a white shirt and some joggers.”

“There’s Steve Jobs, who was infamous for he would just do the black turtleneck and he didn’t have to worry. I don’t wanna waste my time thinking about what I’m going to wear.”

It’s convenient for Daniel Bryan to just throw on a white t-shirt and not have to worry about styling an outfit for himself. However, he stated once again that his love for the environment makes it difficult for him to play merchandise pitch-man to his fans.

“Anyways, there’s a certain aspect of that but part of my service is this idea of how we can benefit the planet and all that kind of stuff. One of the things that is hard for me is to sell people stuff.”

Listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations:

John Morrison Comments On WWE Release

Chris Stephens
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John Morrison was amongst the names cut from WWE’s roster this month. He recently took to social media to comment on his departure from the company.

“I want you all to know how grateful I am for the support you gave me during this past run with WWE,” Morrison says in a video posted to Instagram. “I also want you to know that I did in fact receive a phone call from John Laurinaitis during which he told me that my services as a talent were no longer required by WWE. I didn’t even get a, ‘Best of luck on your future endeavors.’ I mean, if you’re gonna let me go, at least hit your catchphrase, right?”

Morrison continued to talk about how during this run with WWE he got to see and work with people he hadn’t in 10 years. He also got to make new friends and work with some of the best production in the business. During his first run with WWE, Morrison says he learned that wrestling is about telling stories more than anything else, and he’s still got more of his story to go.

“I happen to be a storyteller who takes a lot of pride in being able to do the flips, the tricks, the kicks and the hair whips but, those are just tools. The moves, the ropes, the ring, the mic, they are all just tools used by those who practice the art of professional wrestling to tell stories, and the great thing about being a storyteller is that when one chapter ends, another one begins.”

Morrison’s full comments can be heard in the player below:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CW1ikErPnnC/?utm_medium=copy_link

Morrison returned to WWE in the fall of 2019 after having been gone since 2011. Prior to his WWE return, Morrison worked 2 years for Impact Wrestling where he won the promotion’s world title. He also worked on the Lucha Underground series, and won that promotion’s major championship as well.

Transcriptions via POST Wrestling

Dominik Mysterio Was Shocked WWE Booked Him To Face Seth Rollins

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Dominik Mysterio couldn’t believe WWE booked him in a match with Seth Rollins at a major event so soon.

Rollins had a lengthy feud with Rey and Dominik Mysterio in 2020. At the Summerslam PPV that year, Dominik went one-on-one with Seth in a street fight.

Dominik Mysterio Gets An Unexpected Booking

On an episode of The Kurt Angle Show, Dominik Mysterio. recalled his father Rey telling him that he’d be facing Seth Rollins.

“Oh, most definitely. I was excited, I thought it was a joke at first. When he told me I thought my dad was kidding but they were serious and it ended up becoming one of my favorite matches, and I’ve only had a year [laughs].”

Dominik went on to say that despite his father expressing worry over the timing, he felt ready for the moment.

“When he asked me he’s like, ‘No, it’s serious.’ I told him, ‘Alright, let’s do it.’ I thought I was ready.

“I had been training already for a little over two years. So, if there was gonna be a time, now is the time. I wasn’t gonna skip on this opportunity.”

Dominik was praised by many for coming through in a big spot despite not having much time in the ring. Of course, Rollins also received credit for being the seasoned veteran and future Hall of Famer that he is.

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Sasha Banks Recalls Taking A Break Due To Mental Health Issues

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Sasha Banks felt on top of the world but she realized some time off was needed.

Banks has emerged as a top female star in WWE over the years. “The Boss” has won multiple championships and is relied upon to fulfill any role asked of her. No one is immune to the struggles that can come from mental health issues, however.

Sasha Banks Reflects On Time Off

In 2019, Sasha Banks realized that she wasn’t exactly feeling the love for a profession that she’s always been glued to. Speaking to Ariel Helwani for BT Sport, she revealed the moment she realized a break was in order.

“Maybe, yeah 2019 I was at that WrestleMania when I was just like, ‘Woah, I’m not nervous. I don’t feel anything and this is Wrestle freaking Mania. I couldn’t believe it.

“The biggest fan, the girl that wanted this her entire life didn’t feel anything at the biggest show ever?

“I mean, this is every wrestler’s dream to be here, and at that very moment I knew that I needed to take a break and I was like, ‘Alright, I gotta go find myself.’ And I did and it’s the best decision that I ever made and I’m so thankful that I did.”

Banks went into further detail on knowing that she simply wasn’t feeling right.

“It’s the energy that you feel. It’s the feeling, the numbness that you feel of going out there and not feeling the crowd the same way that you used to and not feeling that energy from them.

“If you go out there feeling numb and there’s no light in your eyes, if you can’t perform at your highest good, even though I did go out there and I put 110 percent, I was not loving it.

“There was no light behind my eyes and I wanted to find that again because this was my everything. This has been my life since I was 10 years old and I wasn’t gonna let it kill me.

“So, I was gonna find my light with it again. So, I took my break and it’s the best, best, best decision I ever made. It’s the best I’ve ever been.”

Just two years later, Banks found herself headlining night one of WrestleMania against Bianca Belair.

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The Undertaker Was ‘Livid’ With One WWE Angle

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

The Undertaker was none too pleased with one angle that he was a part of.

Loyalty runs deep with The Undertaker. The future Hall of Famer worked for WWE for three decades. With that said, not even Undertaker is immune from partaking in some less than stellar angles.

In the 1993 Survivor Series, The Undertaker was on was The All-Americans team to take on The Foreign Fanatics.

On an episode of Raw ahead of the PPV, The Undertaker announced he would be part of team All-Americans by revealing the 13-colony flag inside his jacket.

A Patriotic Undertaker

During an appearance on WWE’s The Bump, Undertaker admitted that he thought the reveal was terrible.

“If it had been up to me, you wouldn’t have seen it on this night either. Believe me, I’m as big a patriot as will come down the road.

“I do a lot of work with our veterans and our first responders but when Vince presented that to me I was like, ‘There is no way in heck I am gonna walk out there and open my coat with that flag.’

taker flag jacket

“He thought it was so cool because it was like the Betsy Ross 13-colony flag and that was what was gonna make it cool. I was livid.

“I was like, ‘This is not what Undertaker does.’ His out to that was because it was the colonial, you know, the 13 stars and that’s what The Undertaker would wear.”

When asked if the jacket still exists, The Undertaker had the following response.

“I don’t know. I never put it back on but the jacket may exist but that flag’s gone.”

WWE held its “Final Farewell” for The Undertaker back at the 2020 Survivor Series. There were no fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch: Bruce Prichard recalls The Undertaker’s patriotic jacket:

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Slick Returning To Wrestling To Sing “Jive Soul Bro” At Indy Event

Chris Stephens
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“The Doctor of Style” Slick is returning to pro-wrestling. The WWE Hall of Famer will be singing “Jive Soul Bro” live on a ISPW show December 10th in Butler, New Jersey. He will be the special guest on “The Winner’s Circle” a talking segment hosted by Andy Vineberg.

ISPW issued a press release on Slick’s return to pro-wrestling.

“ISPW Christmas Chaos will be highlighted by an extremely rare appearance by WWE Legend “The Doctor of Style” Slick, who will be appearing on “The Winner” Andy Vineberg’s talk show The Winner’s Circle. Slick promises to put everyone in the Christmas spirit by singing a special carol, but it will not be a Christmas song. The Doctor of Style will be performing his hit song Jive Soul Bro live at Christmas Chaos!!!!” The press release reads.

Tickets for the show are available here.

Also on the card will be Bull James taking on Danny Morrison (Danny Doring). Inagrual winner of Tough Enough, Maven, will be the special guest referee in the match. Crowbar will also face Homicide in the 2nd of a special double main event. Also in attendance for the show will be ISPW’s commissioner, Tito Santana.

Both Slick and Tito Santana will be available for Meet and Greets before the show.

Update On AEW Looking To Re-Sign Talent With Expiring Contracts

Chris Stephens
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It was recently revealed that the Young Bucks have signed contract extensions with AEW that will take them into 2024. According to comments made by Wade Keller of PW Torch, some talent in the company with expiring contracts are wondering what type of deal they will get when their current contracts expire.

“There are people I’ve talked to in AEW who are looking at their contracts and wondering what their deal is gonna be next time when their first deals come up,” Keller said. “And how much leverage they’re gonna have with WWE or New Japan or heck, GCW with their ticket sales these days or the indie scene as an option to book yourself. It’s gonna be interesting to watch.”

With the Young Bucks now having re-signed, AEW reportedly wants to get the other 2 EVPs to re-sign as well. Keller continued to say that he’s heard Tony Khan wants to lock up Cody Rhodes and Kenny Omega for more years as well.

“I have heard the intent and the hope is that Cody and Kenny and Tony all come to deals,” Keller said. “There’s not signs that any of them want to leave or are disgruntled to the point that they shouldn’t be able to come to an extension but I don’t know the situation.”

“Maybe Cody and Kenny already signed extensions and they kept it quiet. Actually, I’m pretty sure that hasn’t happened now that I think about it from people I’ve talked to. I think Cody and Kenny might be next in terms of signing extensions.”

The Elite Sign With AEW

Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks were all named EVPs of the company in addition to signing as talent in early 2019/late 2018. The promotion was officially announced on New Year’s Day in 2019. The announcement was made in a video posted to the “Being the Elite” YouTube channel. Hangman Page signed with AEW as a talent only. Then-Elite member Marty Scurll was still under contract to Ring of Honor and would eventually re-sign with that promotion before being officially released in early 2021.

H/T To Wrestling Inc. for transcriptions.

Backstage Reaction to the CM Punk vs. MJF Segment from Dynamite

Chris Stephens
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Mark Henry recently revealed the backstage reaction to the CM Punk – MJF segment which kicked off Dynamite last week. According to Henry, the promo battle got a big reaction from the AEW roster.

Henry also said that he had to walk out to the crowd to feel the live reaction as well.

“I started off at the monitor. I’m sitting at the monitor. There’s 30 wrestlers sitting around that area, and everybody is popping,” Henry said on Busted Open Radio.

“If you’re popping wrestlers, you’ve done something in your life. You won. I had to get up, walk out to the crowd to feel it because that’s why people go to wrestling. People go to wrestling because of how you feel, not because you just want to be entertained.”

Live reaction to CM Punk vs. MJF

Mark Henry continued to speak on the reaction from the live crowd inside Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.

“It felt like electricity moving my clothes one zinger to another one, one zinger back and forth. The city of Chicago, everybody that was there, will get to tell people for the rest of their lives, ‘I was at that show where CM Punk and MJF went toe to toe, a battle of wits, over 20 minutes, and not one punch connected.’ It was arguably the best verbal jousting that I’ve ever seen.”

Amongst the many verbal shots that were taken in the promo was CM Punk referring to MJF as a “less famous version of The Miz.”

MJF also took a shot at CM Punk’s short-lived UFC career.

One of Punk’s lines that got a big reaction was when he said that the only way MJF will ever become the #1 guy is if Tony Khan has a daughter that he marries.

AEW has posted the entire segment to YouTube. It is available in the player below:

H/T to WrestlingNewsCO for transcriptions.

Nikki Bella Reveals The Promise She Made That Keeps Postponing Her Wedding

Chris Stephens
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Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev became engaged in 2019. They welcomed their first child, Matteo, in July of 2020. Their wedding keeps getting pushed back, however. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Nikki revealed the promise she made that keeps delaying their nuptials.

“The one promise I made [Chigvintsev] before we can plan is that his parents can attend,” she told ET. “And with where the world’s at right now, and trying to get two Russian parents into the country, it’s almost impossible. So the day I can get two visas is the day we will set our date and say, ‘I do.’ “

Originally, Nikki had said they planned to get married around this Thanksgiving. She now feels that next year’s Thanksgiving is a more realistic target.

“I think last year I said Thanksgiving, right? And I want to say next Thanksgiving,” she added. “I can’t believe it’s been a year, but I really do want to get married. I mean, selfishly, I just want to have that, like, one big day about me. I can’t wait for that and to wear that dress, but I do want to marry Artem.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuKRVYF6lX/?utm_medium=twitter

Nikki was once engaged to John Cena, but the couple called off their engagement in 2018. She met Chigvintsev when they were partnered together on Dancing With The Stars in 2017. Nikki and Chigvintsev went public with their relationship in July of 2019 and became engaged later that year.

PROGRESS Chapter 126 Results

Jake Skudder
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PROGRESS Wrestling aired their final Chapter event behind closed doors this weekend from the Theatre Peckham in London, England.

There were two major Championship matches on the card, with Gene Munny getting his shot against the PROGRESS World Champion Cara Noir and the Greedy Souls getting a Tag Team Championship shot at the Smokin’ Aces.

Roy Johnson also had his first match back in the company since 2019, and the second semi-final in the Revelations of Divine Love tournament also took place.

PROGRESS Chapter 126

Here are the full results from PROGRESS Chapter 126:

  • Chris Ridgeway b. Kid Lykos
  • Malik b. Danny Black
  • Lana Austin b. Laura di Matteo
  • Big Guns Joe b. Tate Mayfairs
  • Luke Jacobs and Ethan Allen (Young Guns) b. Damien Corvin and Bonesaw (Kings of The North)
  • Charles Crowley b. ELIJAH
  • Revelations of Divine Love Semi-Final Match – Rhio b. Skye Smitson
  • Warren Banks b. Roy Johnson
  • PROGRESS Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw b. Debbie Keitel (non-title match)
  • PROGRESS Tag Team Championship Match – Nick Riley and Charlie Sterling (c) b. Danny Jones and Brendan White
  • PROGRESS World Championship Match – Cara Noir (c) b. Gene Munny

WHERE AND HOW TO WATCH: 

WWE Network (worldwide)

demandPROGRESS (worldwide)

Peacock (US only)

Bryan Danielson Reveals Which Younger AEW Talent He Wants to Work With

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar and current AEW star Bryan Danielson recently revealed which younger talents he sees on the All Elite roster as people he would like to work with.

Danielson has already been wrestling on most shows since he made his on-screen debut for the company at AEW All Out, but there are some names that he wants to get in the ring with/

“As far as from the young guy perspective, I really like Daniel Garcia’s style. I think Dante Martin is incredible. So there’s those guys” Danielson began, speaking on the Casual Conversations podcast.

Bryan Danielson on Younger AEW Talent

“There’s Darby Allin, who I think is just fantastic. I worry about him physically about all the stuff he puts his body through. They’re all kind of different. Dante, who’s doing this incredible high-flying. Darby, he does stuff that seems a little reckless but I find him to be very psychologically sound and also this great character” Danielson added.

“Daniel Garcia is an excellent technical wrestler. You got MJF, who is evolving what you would have called the standard heel act. But he’s evolving in a way that’s modern, and it doesn’t feel like he’s just out there being a heel, it feels like he’s an a**hole” Bryan continued, praising Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

Who do you want to see Bryan Danielson face in AEW? Let us know in the comments

WWE Surveying Fans For Feedback On NXT 2.0

Chris Stephens
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WWE has sent out a survey to many of their email subscribers recently asking for feedback on the NXT 2.0 brand. According to a report from PW Insider, the survey asks fans if they watched the old NXT and what they think of the new brand re-launch.

Fans were asked to rate how much they enjoy or do not enjoy the following on NXT 2.0:

  • Outcomes of the matches
  • Look and aesthetic of the show
  • Quality of wrestling
  • Variety of stars featured
  • Providing unexpected moments
  • Storylines
  • Quality of the matches
  • Level of excitement
  • Whether it was entertaining from start to finish
  • Athleticism of the stars
  • Length of the show
  • Entertainment value of the show

Fans were also asked if they agree or disagree with several statements including:

  • This show has many unique and exciting characters.
  • I enjoy the athleticism of the wrestling talent on the show.
  • Character development is believable.
  • The wrestling talent has creative freedom to speak their minds.
  • Promos feel natural and not too scripted.
  • The show does a good job in developing newer wrestling talent.
  • This show is one of my favorites among all professional wrestling shows.
  • Most segments on the show feel necessary to watch.
  • I can count on seeing at least some big or important moments.
  • Match outcomes feel meaningful.
  • Storylines are consistently engaging.
  • The show offers an amount of humor that appeals to me.
  • I share content or talk about this show with my friends or other fans.
  • Rivalries and match-ups on this show are consistently entertaining.

Fan Vote To Determine Participants In War Games Advantage Ladder Match

NXT is building to the upcoming War Games PPV on December 5th. WWE.com is holding a fan vote to determine which members of the men’s teams square off in a ladder match to determine which team gains the War Games advantage.

NXT War Games 2021 Lineup:

  • Women’s War Games Match
    Raquel González, Io Shirai, Cora Jade, and Kay Lee Rayvs. Dakota Kai and Toxic Attraction (Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, and Jacy Jayne)
  • Men’s War Games Match
    Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, and LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Tony D’Angelo
  • NXT Cruiserweight Championship
    Roderick Strong (c) vs Joe Gacy
  • Hair vs Hair
    Cameron Grimes vs Duke Hudson
  • NXT Tag Team Championships
    Imperium (Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner or Legado Del Fantasma(Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza)

Japanese Wrestling Legend Making Boxing Debut in December

Jake Skudder
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Japanese pro wrestling legend Naomichi Marufuji will be making his boxing debut in December 2021.

PWInsider Elite has reported that the Pro Wrestling NOAH great will be taking to the ring in an exhibition bout just before the holidays.

“Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Naomichi Marufuji is set to make his boxing debut at Kameda Promotion’s 3150 Fight Vol. 1 event on December 16 in Osaka” PWInsider reported.

“Marufuji will face comedian Takayuki Kinoshita in an exhibition bout with two two-minute rounds.”

It is not confirmed at this time if Marufuji will be competing in further boxing events, although at this point it does appear to be a one-off.

It is also not confirmed if fans outside of Japan will be able to see the boxing exhibition. We expect that FITE will be getting the PPV rights, should they be available for the Thursday December 16 event from Osaka.

Check out the announcement tweet from Pro Wrestling NOAH below:

Kane Says That Steve Austin Getting Over was Almost an ‘Accident’

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Kane recently appeared on The Doug Collins Podcast. The Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee discussed several topics during the interview, including what it was like to be in WWF at the time when Stone Cold Steve Austin was flourishing and the Attitude Era had begun.

“I was there when Austin took off” Kane began. “That was kind of an accident, I don’t think that anyone ever expected that he would achieve what he did.

“You look at Rock and you could tell early on that Vince [McMahon] thought that Dwayne had whatever it took to go all the way, right? When you think professional wrestler and you watch Steve, he’s an old-school professional wrestler, right?

Kane on Steve Austin getting over

“That’s not necessarily a recipe for success with the way that Vince was taking things” Kane continued. “But Steve was able to take it and he was the right person at the right time and had the right character at the right time, and was able to tap into that, ‘everybody hates their boss and wants to give their boss a Stone Cold Stunner,’ and he did it.

“Of course, a lot of that is down to Vince too” Kane added, praising the WWE Chairman. “He played the antagonist and did really well. But, nevertheless, that whole thing, I don’t think anybody would have ever predicted in 1996 or whatever that within a couple of years Stone Cold Steve Austin would be right where Hulk Hogan was, or is, as one of the true icons of the sport.

“We all knew that Dwayne was going to do tremendous things, just because he’s naturally talented and so gifted” Kane concluded.

Edge Returning On Raw, Lesnar Returning On Smackdown

Chris Stephens
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WWE is bringing back Edge to RAW and Brock Lesnar to Smackdown this week. Edge’s return to RAW was announced during Friday’s Smackdown broadcast. It was also revealed on Smackdown that Brock Lesnar’s storyline suspension has been lifted and he will be on next week’s show.

Also announced for this week’s RAW is a non-title match between Big E and Kevin Owens. Also, Finn Balor will face Seth Rollins on the show. Nothing other than Brock Lesnar’s return has been announced for Smackdown thus far.

WWE and AEW Ticket Sales In the UBS Arena

RAW next week will take place in the UBS Arena in Long Island, NY. As of this writing, 5,075 tickets to the show have been distributed.

WWE has also been offering 2-for-1 deals to the event. Meanwhile, AEW’s show in the same arena on December 8th has sold 8, 573 tickets.

Next week’s Smackdown will be held in the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. While nothing has been announced other than Lesnar’s return, Sami Zayn has qualified for a Universal Championship shot. He won a battle royal on this Friday’s show. It appeared as though Jeff Hardy had won the match, but Zayn had never been officially eliminated. He returned and eliminated Hardy.

Bryan Danielson Excited to Work with CM Punk in AEW

Michael Reichlin
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Bryan Danielson is eager to work with CM Punk in AEW, whether they are tag team partners or opponents.

The American Dragon appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast this week and discussed the possibility of teaming with Punk against the Young Bucks or FTR.

“Yeah I mean, I think both of those are really exciting to me,” he began. “You also mentioned 2 teams that I would love to do a serious program with not just a one-off thing.”

Danielson knows people want to see him and Punk joining forces to battle AEW’s top tag teams. However, he’s also interested in working against the Chicago made cult hero. Danielson and Punk never got a chance to clash on a big stage like WrestleMania. In AEW, that could become a very real possibility.

“Who better to team with than Punk,” Bryan continued. “Although, you know I always thought and said this even when I was in WWE. It felt to me like Punk and I were destined to do a WrestleMania match together and then it never happened. It felt like, man, it’s so perfect and it makes so much sense that we would have this WrestleMania match against each other, but it never happened.”

Who is the Best in the World?

CM Punk Bryan Danielson WWE

It’s been years since Danielson and Punk shared a ring. Sooner or later, they may have to determine who is the Best in the World once and for all.

“Given the time of how long it’s been since we’ve been in a ring against each other or even as a tag-team, like now I feel like when we do it, it’ll be big and big in a different way,” he added.”

“That’s something I look forward to, I also like the idea of us battling each other over who the real ‘Best in the World’ is, I think that sounds like a lot of fun.”

Listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations:

Silas Young Talks CM Punk’s Masked Appearance On His Indy Show In 2019

Chris Stephens
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In 2019, ROH’s Silas Young booked an indy event at the Knights Of Columbus Hall in West Allis, Wisconsin. It is widely believed that a masked CM Punk did a run-in on the show.

It was the last event held in the venue as it was later torn down. Young reached out to several wrestlers who had history in the building about coming in for the last ever show there. Young recently spoke to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful about the event and the wrestler who performed a run-in under a mask that night.

“I started reaching out to guys that had wrestled there over the years and wanted to bring back guys from years past,” Young said.

“I reached out to Ace Steel because he’s an amazing wrestler, good dude, and it all snowballed together with Ace and Dave Prazak being on the show and I think Punk might have done a jiu-jitsu tournament in West Dallas, which is where that show was being run earlier in the day.” 

“Someone came up to me in the locker room and was like, ‘Hey, they want to do something in the match and Punk is going to do a run-in in a mask or something.’ I said, ‘Yeah, whatever they want to do, do it.’ What am I going to say, ‘No, Punk can’t get on the show?”

Numerous people associated with the show and fans in attendance that night posted to social media. Many seemed to believe it was CM Punk under a mask who had made a run-in. Footage of the run-in are available in the social media posts below:

Maven Says He Met With Triple H Before The Pandemic

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former WWE star Maven is claiming that he met with Triple H about a potential WWE return in a non-wrestling capacity before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country.

The retired wrestling star recently appeared on That 90s Wrestling podcast. He talked about things such as the rumors of him being considered for Evolution and more.

Speaking of his meeting with the game, Maven explained that he was discussing the potential of doing some announcing stuff before America shut down:

“Before the world was shut down before the pandemic, I actually travelled to Orlando and met with Hunter [Triple H] and with Albert [Matt Bloom] who is running the developmental down there now.

And I was talking to them about maybe doing some announcing stuff.” said Maven, “And I did that, and I went there, on March 11th of 2020. And if you remember, in America that’s the day America shutdown.”

The 45-year-old also discussed the possibility of making an in-ring return. He said that he never wants to turn his back on the idea.

Maven explained that his love for the business is never going to leave. He would definitely entertain any opportunity to return to wrestling in any capacity.

H/t to ewrestlingnews.com for the transcribed quotes

Jeff Hardy Recalls Being Mad At Vince McMahon After WrestleMania 25 Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Jeff Hardy has been part of many memorable WrestleMania matches. One of them was when he faced his brother Matt Hardy in a one-on-one match at WrestleMania 25. Though as it turns out, Jeff wasn’t really happy with the bout immediately afterward and he was mad at everyone including Vince McMahon.

The charismatic enigma opened up about it during his appearance on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. He revealed that they had to cut a lot of spots from the bout because of timing issues:

“We got cut a lot of time off that match. I’ll never forget this. And I was so upset because we had to cut out several spots. I was so passionate and upset. We didn’t get to do it in front of that crowd. And that was one time me and Vince did have a conversation after that.

[I] think he kind of liked it. He saw how mad I was because I was like throwing stuff [and I was like] ‘can’t believe we didn’t get do that stuff we wanted to do.’ We did plenty. More than enough. But still the passion within me really ignited that night after the match. I was really upset.”

Jeff Hardy On What It’s Like Facing His Brother

Jeff Hardy Matt Hardy WrestleMania 35
Jeff Hardy faced Matt Hardy at WrestleMania 25

Steve Austin also asked Jeff Hardy how it is working with his brother as an opponent. Replying to it, the former world champion said that Matt is his favorite person to hit the swanton bomb on. He also explained that getting the opportunity to face his brother on the grandest stage of them all was a dream come true:

“I was asked this recently. Who’s your favorite person to hit the twist to fate on? I was like – ‘my brother.’ Because when we are teaming, he hits that twist of fate for me to hit that swanton bomb. So, when he’s been a butthole, like he can be. I love to hit him with it and then follow up with the swanton. It’s awesome man. Brother vs. brother. Dream come true.”

Though while the match was a success, Hardy’s career went downhill from there. He was released from his WWE contract the same year. He was then arrested only two weeks after his WWE release. Jeff explained that at that point he felt that his life was over and he would never be able to return to WWE after that.

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

Jeff Hardy wants to revive Willow via Bob Ross & The Fiend

Recent Photo of Hulk Hogan Shows Him Looking Slimmer Than Ever (Photo)

Chris Stephens
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Hulk Hogan recently posted an updated photo to his Facebook page. The Hulkster is looking slimmer and trimmer than ever, it appears. Hogan claims he now weighs the same as he did when he was in 9th grade.

“Back to my 9th grade weight 275lbs brother HH,” he wrote on Facebook.

During an interview with Hollywood Raw, Brooke Hogan recently noted that her father has had a lot of surgeries but one recently seems to have him in good health.

“We counted how many surgeries he’s had in the last 10 years and I think we’re at 25,” Brooke said. “So he’s had both shoulders scoped and he had his whole bicep and everything tied up in his shoulder last year.”

“So yeah, he’s had so many surgeries. He’s done a ton, but this last one that he just had finally was like the winning ticket, so right now he’s feeling great. He’s working out two hours in the gym every day, he’s still chugging along,” Brooke continued.

Hulk Hogan appeared at WrestleMania with WWE earlier this year. He hosted the 2-night event along with Titus O’Neil. Hogan was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame a second time in the Class of 2020 along with members of the New World Order.

WWE Discloses Separation Agreement With Former CFO

Chris Stephens
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WWE has disclosed details of its agreement separation with former CFO Kristina Salen. Financial settlement terms were made public in a recent SEC filing.

Salen will receive $413,000 for forfeited restricted stock units. She will also receive her incentive bonus for 2021 which is determined by the company’s Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. The bonus is currently estimated at $431, 2000. She will also receive her base salary and health insurance coverage for a period of 12 months.

Salen was the company’s Chief Financial Officer from August 2020 until November of this year. Prior to joining WWE, she had been the CFO for Etsy.

“On November 23, 2021, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a separation agreement with Kristina Salen, formerly the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, in connection with her previously announced departure from the Company,” the filing reads.

Following her departure from WWE, Salen wrote on her LinkedIn page:

“Today I’m tagging out at WWE. I started at WWE in the midst of the global pandemic and I am proud of what I accomplished with Vince McMahon’s leadership and the tremendous team. We returned to live event touring, exceeded expectations, raised guidance for 2021 and laid a strong foundation for the future. I look forward to WWE’s continued success in and out of the ring!”

Kristina Salen Departs As WWE’s Chief Financial Officer

Bryan Danielson Felt Like He Was Going To Die At WrestleMania

Michael Reichlin
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Bryan Danielson has had a crazy year. Today, he’s the #1 contender to the AEW World Championship. It’s hard to believe that he was main eventing WrestleMania 37 just a few months ago.

The American Dragon appeared on the Casual Conversations podcast this week and opened up about the tail end of his WWE career.

Bryan tells Justin Dhillon and Danial Ali that WrestleMania was a bizarre experience that he’s still trying to make sense of.

“The WrestleMania moment was just weird, I really honestly didn’t feel like I belonged in that triple threat match with Roman and Edge,” he said. “I thought the story was strong enough on its own for it to be just them.”

Bryan Danielson Felt Like Dying at WrestleMania

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Bryan Danielson’s WWE contract was set to expire shortly after WrestleMania. He knew he’d be taking time off from WWE, if not leaving the company entirely.

He wanted to work with someone like Jey Uso at WrestleMania. He would have preferred to put over a younger star in his final big appearance, but WWE management had other plans.

Vince McMahon felt he was best used as the third man in the Reigns vs. Edge main event, so that’s how things played out.

Bryan Danielson recalls feeling empty at WrestleMania. “When I walked out for the match at WrestleMania, it felt so empty,” he said. “Fans were cheering and all that kind of stuff. When I wrestle, I feel everything.

He questioned if that empty feeling was a premonition that he was about to die.

“What I remember most about that match is just feeling empty and thinking ‘Oh man, I legitimately felt like am I gonna die.”

– Bryan Danielson

You can listen to Bryan Danielson on Casual Conversations below.

Rhea Ripley Comments On Nikki Cross Survivor Series Snub

Chris Stephens
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Rhea Ripley was on Team RAW at the Survivor Series this year. At the time, she was one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions along with Nikki ASH. They have since lost the belts to Carmella and Queen Zelina, however. Nikki was not on the Team RAW Survivor Series team. Rhea Ripley recently commented to Sportskeeda that she felt the snub was a little disrespectful.

“I think I am more disappointed than Nikki is because she’s such a positive person,” Ripley said about Nikki not being on the Survivor Series team. “Yes, I know she’s upset. But I am very upset for her because I know that she’s worked so incredibly hard for everything that she’s accomplished. She’s been in this business for a lot longer than I have.”

“To not have her on the team is a little bit disrespectful,” Ripley continued. “To have one half of your Tag Team Champions on the team and not the other half, it seems a little bit silly to me. We obviously work well enough together to be champions, so why not half Nikki on the team with us? I think we could really make some magic. I’m just disappointed, I really am.”

Ripley and Nikki won the WWE Women’s tag-team titles on the September 20th, 2021 edition of WWE Raw from Natalya and Tamina. It was the 3rd time Nikki has held the titles, as she twice won the belts along with Alexa Bliss as “Bliss Cross.” Ripley and Nikki would hold the belts for 63 days before dropping them to Queen Zelina and Carmella on the November 22nd edition of RAW. Nikki is the only wrestler to hold the titles 3 times.

H/T To Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions.

Jeff Hardy Opens Up About 2009 Arrest: “I Thought My Life Was Over”

Anutosh Bajpai
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The career of Jeff Hardy has been a roller coaster ride. The charismatic enigma has been to the top of the mountain but he has also seen the rock bottom due to his struggles with addiction. One such moment that really opened his eyes was Hardy’s arrest in 2009 for illegally ordering controlled prescription pills. Jeff had been released by WWE only a couple of weeks earlier after failing his second drug test.

The WWE star opened up about the time during his recent appearance on Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Sessions. The high-flying star admitted that he felt like his life was over when the SWAT team came busting in his house to arrest him:

“I was ordering pills illegally in the mail [and] got busted. SWAT team comes into my house, me and my wife and our little dog. I was busted. I got busted for getting pills illegally. I thought my life was over. [I] went to jail that weekend. It was a mind-blowing experience. I was terrified. I thought my life was over. That was the time that really scared me straight.

When I realized that ‘okay, things might be okay. This might not be the end of my life. As long as I get clean and I do what I need to be doing and staying clean and staying out of trouble. Things are going to be alright.’ And that led to 2010 man. My wife gave birth to our first daughter, and then five years later to our second daughter. But yeah, leaving WWE where I was, and then it was like, oh my god, total rock bottom.”

Jeff Hardy Thought He Would Never Go Back To WWE

Jeff Hardy world title
Jeff Hardy had won the world title a couple of months before his release

When Stone Cold asked Jeff Hardy what it felt like when the cops came in to arrest him, the former world champion said that it was a terrifying experience. The wrestling veteran recalled how he thought he would never be able to return to WWE after that. Though according to him, the whole experience made him a better person overall:

“Oh my god. It’s terrifying when you’re looking at it [with] your wife beside you. Handcuffed, face down to the floor. I wrote a song about it called rebellious. It’s about that fear.  All those cops in there. It was terrifying. It was completely surreal. But again, overall, in the big picture of everything, [it has] made me a better human being. They were huge mistakes. I was like, ‘I’m probably never going to go back to WWE, they can never trust me again, after all this.’ Even though if I’m doing good in this other wrestling world, I just didn’t know.”

Jeff Hardy was sentenced to ten days in jail and 30 months of probation for the incident along with a hefty fine. After his WWE release, Hardy returned to TNA and went on to have a significant run with the promotion. Thankfully, the 2009 incident didn’t close the doors for his WWE return completely. After getting clean, Jeff alongside his brother Matt Hardy made his triumphant return to WWE during WrestleMania 33 in 2017.

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

AEW Rampage Results (11/26): Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia, Riho Earns Title Shot

Robert Lentini
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This week’s episode of AEW Rampage featured Eddie Kingston versus Daniel Garcia in the main event. Riho battled Britt Baker and earned a title match if she could defeat the AEW Women’s Champion. In addition to the takeaways below, FTR challenged Lucha Bros to a 2 out of 3 Falls match for the AEW Tag Team Championships and the match was made official for next week’s Rampage.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1464434563095175173?s=20

Rampage Results (11/26)

  1. Adam Cole & Bobby Fish def. Orange Cassidy & Wheeler Yuta
  2. Riho def. Britt Baker to earn a shot at the AEW Women’s Championship
  3. Eddie Kingston def. Daniel Garcia

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Cole & Fish Picked Up A Win, Tony Nese Debut Match Announced For Next Week

Adam Cole & Bobby Fish squared off against Orange Cassidy & Wheeler Yuta in the first contest of the night. Fish and Yuta locked up to start off the action. Wheeler brought Bobby to the mat and controlled the action early. Orange Cassidy and Adam Cole tagged in and traded poses for the crowd.

Cole and Cassidy go back and forth before Wheeler tagged back in. Cole beat Wheeler Yuta down in the corner and tagged in Bobby Fish. Bobby continued the beatdown and tagged Cole back in. Cole connected with a Neckbreaker for a two count as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Cole booted Orange off the apron and continued to beat the hell out of poor Wheeler Yuta. Wheeler finally battled back and took Fish & Cole down with a Dropkick off the top turnbuckle.. Cassidy tagged in and put his hands in his pockets. Orange hit the lazy kicks and a few Suicide Dives. Cole had enough and sent Cassidy into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Bobby brought Wheeler up top and hit a Falcon Arrow for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1464433029808599043?s=20

After the match, Tony Schiavone interviewed Tony Nese backstage. Nese said he wanted to have his debut match against Sammy Guevara for the TNT Championship and Sammy Guevara showed up. Sammy accepted the match for next week’s Rampage.

Riho Earned A Title Match Against Britt Baker

AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker battled Riho in a Black Friday Deal match. If Riho could pin the champion, she would earn a future title shot against her. Riho started off the match by showing off her quickness and controlling the match as Baker couldn’t keep up with her. Britt got frustrated and rolled out of the ring to regroup with Rebel. Riho took the opportunity to climb to the top turnbuckle and leaped onto both of them with a Crossbody. Baker battled back and the action returned to the ring. Britt bounced Riho’s face off the top turnbuckle several times and then stomped her to the mat as Rampage went to a break.

When Rampage returned, Britt was still in control and sent Riho flying into the turnbuckle with a Suplex. Baker set up for an Air Raid Crash but Riho countered into a snap Dragon Suplex. Britt kicked out of a cover and took back control of the match. Britt hit the Air Raid Crash but couldn’t put Riho away. Riho connected with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Riho climbed to the top rope and hit the Double Stomp but Baker somehow kicked out at the last moment. Riho stayed on the attack and rolled Baker up for the pinfall victory. Riho now has a shot at the AEW Women’s Championship.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1464437966345052165?s=20

Eddie Kingston def. Daniel Garcia

Eddie Kingston battled Daniel Garcia in the main event of this week’s Rampage. 2point0 was in Garcia’s corner for the match. Mark Henry interviewed the wrestlers before the match. Eddie went right after Daniel Garcia and beat the hell out of him to start off the action. Garcia got out of the ring to regroup and then quickly made his way back to the ring. Kingston hit a Knee Drop but grabbed his knee after the move. Garcia went after the injured knee and Kingston started biting Garcia as Rampage went to a commercial.

Back from the break, Garcia was in control and focusing his attack on Kingston’s knee. Garcia brought Kingston to the canvas and applied a Knee Bar. Kingston screamed in agony but battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold. Eddie hobbled to his feet and somehow managed to hit a Powerbomb. Garcia recovered and was able to get the Knee Bar applied again before hitting Kingston with several punches.

Kingston and Garcia then traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Kingston got the better of the exchange and went for the Backfist to the Future but Garcia ducked. Kingston went for it again and connected for the pinfall victory. After the match, 2point0 attacked Eddie Kingston but Chris Jericho made the save. Jericho sent 2point0 out of the ring to close the show.

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