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Drew McIntyre Wants Roman Reigns Title Match At WrestleMania

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Drew McIntyre sees himself headlining WrestleMania 38 against Roman Reigns.

McIntyre is now a member of the SmackDown roster following the WWE Draft. While McIntyre has just arrived on the blue brand, he is no stranger to Reigns.

Back at Survivor Series 2020, McIntyre and Reigns did battle in a non-title champion vs. champion match. At the time, Drew was the WWE Champion. Reigns ended up winning the match.

Drew McIntyre was a guest on Busted Open Radio and he discussed his goal of facing Reigns at WrestleMania 38 for the WWE Universal Championship.

Make it as big as possible

  • heyman mcintyre reigns survivor series

McIntyre began, “I see myself in the title match. Whoever’s the champion at the time, or even better if I’m champion going into it.

“That’s where I want to be, that’s what I’m working towards and in fantasy land, I don’t even want to be near Roman until then. He is [above everyone], the roll he’s been on.

“I just wanna keep building and building and building, get some significant feuds in there, some significant character building/rebuilding and make the fans want that match.

“Make it as big as possible, take Drew McIntyre to the level Roman’s at right now, and make that match on the biggest stage possible.”

McIntyre and Reigns will be in action at the 2021 Survivor Series event but in separate matches.

McIntyre will help lead Team SmackDown along with Xavier Woods, Jeff Hardy, Sheamus, and Baron Corbin. They’ll meet Team Raw (Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, and Austin Theory).

Reigns will go one-on-one with WWE Champion Big E.

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Booker T Heaps Praise On MJF & Darby Allin

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Booker T is a fan of MJF and Darby Allin, and he likes how AEW has utilized them.

MJF and Darby Allin are considered to be two of the four pillars of AEW in terms of young talent. The two collided at the Full Gear PPV with MJF picking up the win.

Many believe the sky’s the limit for MJF, who is widely considered to be one of the best heels in wrestling, and Darby, who is a top babyface.

Give em props

  • MJF Darby Allin

During an episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, host Brad Gilmore expressed his belief that AEW does a good job balancing established stars while still building towards the future.

Booker T was in agreement, naming MJF and Darby Allin as prime examples.

“It’s a balancing act and you got a guy like MJF who’s definitely pulling his weight as a young guy. Like you said, under 25. There’s not very many young guys under 25 that’s gonna be in that position.

“Guys like Darby Allin who definitely has been a bright light in that company being one of the guys that you wouldn’t think ever would be working in that position just because he’s not the prototypical guy.

“Sometimes talent, man, trumps everything. Really, hard work it trumps even more. So, when you watch guys like that go out there and do their thing, yeah they definitely are doing a hell of a job. Give em’ props.”

MJF seems to be gearing up for a feud with CM Punk. As for Darby, he’s gotten involved in a feud with the Gunn Club.

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Jim Ross Explains Why He Isn’t Surprised Edge Didn’t Sign With AEW

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Edge had a chance to make his way to AEW but his choice to return to WWE didn’t surprise Jim Ross.

The “Rated-R Superstar” has gerned a ton of praise since coming out of retirement. Edge has had some highly-regarded matches such as his Hell In A Cell showdown with Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel.

Jim Ross On AEW Losing Out On Edge

When Edge was mulling over a comeback, AEW had interest. Edge told WWE about his plans to return and the company made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

During an episode of the Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross gave his take on why Edge choosing WWE over AEW didn’t come as a shock.

“No, not really. Not really, he’s got a brand established in WWE. It’s home for him, he’s comfortable there, he’s got a really good, open, established communication with Vince which is crucial.

“Hey look, would I’ve loved to have had him in AEW? Hell yeah, are you kidding? Absolutely but I just think that WWE for him after all these years was his home.

“When I signed him and Christian, that was their big goal. Their big goal as young wrestlers, young guys training, young guys in the indies throughout Ontario and beyond was to get to WWE.

“So, I understand his motivation but yeah man. It’s like that same thing about the third question a while ago, you got a chance to get em’, get em’.

“But he’s just a lifer there. Would I like to see Adam Copeland have a match in AEW someday? Of course I would, most fans would. You and I would, you would too.

“Is it gonna happen? Unlikely. Highly unlikely perhaps but that would’ve been kinda cool if he had come to work for us but I understand why he did what he did, and I think he made the right decision.”

Edge’s longtime friend, Christian, is currently on the AEW roster. On the first episode of Rampage, he won the Impact Wrestling Championship from Kenny Omega.

Edge is currently waiting in the wings to get back on WWE TV. He hasn’t been seen since Crown Jewel.

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WWE Legend Compares Real-Life Heat Ahead Of Charlotte-Becky Lynch

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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The heat between Charlotte and Becky Lynch reminds one WWE Hall of Famer of his own experience.

Charlotte and Becky are scheduled to clash at the Survivor Series PPV on Nov. 21. Charlotte will represent SmackDown, while Becky is the gold standard of the women’s division on Raw.

There is some legit bad blood between the two former friends.

It came to a head on the Oct. 22 episode of SmackDown, when Charlotte reportedly went off-script during a title exchange segment.

The two were said to have been involved in a shouting match backstage. It was reported that Charlotte was escorted out of the building while Becky was gearing up for a dark match.

Jerry Lawler Recalls His Own Situation In Light Of Charlotte-Becky Beef

Appearing on Busted Open Radio, Jerry “The King” Lawler compared issues he had with Bill Dundee to the beef between Charlotte and Becky Lynch.

“Oh without a doubt. That happens a lot but you try your best to kinda cover it up when you’re actually on the air or in front of fans.

“In my case, probably one of my best not only opponents but partners throughout the years was Bill ‘Superstar’ Dundee.

“I’m sitting at a table where I just happen to have these right in front of me. Here’s the AWA World Tag Team Championship. The only world tag team titles that I ever won and Bill Dundee was my partner during that.

“Also, we looked back and realized that Bill and I probably wrestled against each other almost 500 times. And that’s one that most people would not realize that Bill and I never had the best relationship.

“There was always a little, I don’t know if there was an animosity. I always felt it was like professional jealousy, so we never palled around or hung around each other at all and there was always that, I don’t want to say hard feelings but it was a strained relationship.

“I think that’s the situation that Becky and Charlotte find themselves in right now and I think a lot of that, we don’t want to admit it, but it is professional jealousy.”

SEScoops will be providing coverage of WWE Survivor Series throughout the night. Peep the homepage for match results.

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Paul Heyman: “WWE RAW is Clearly the B-Show These Days”

Jake Skudder
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Former ECW owner and Executive Director of Monday Night RAW Paul Heyman recently spoke to Ariel Helwani as part of an interview for BT Sport.

Heyman discussed several topics during the interview, including how he now feels that SmackDown has gotten so far ahead of RAW that the red brand is definitively the “b-show.”

“There is no rivalry, SmackDown has beaten the sh*t out of Raw” Paul Heyman began ahead of the Survivor Series 2021 PPV event.

“Raw is clearly the B Show. There is no more competition. We won. I have no bitterness towards Raw. If Raw goes sour, it hurts SmackDown. If Raw goes sour, it hurts WWE. It hurts the stock. The stock goes sour, it hurts me personally.

Paul Heyman on WWE RAW

“I don’t want Raw to do bad. I wish Raw would do even better and provide stiffer competition to SmackDown. If a star emerges on Raw that Roman Reigns can draw box office with? We have another opponent” Heyman continued, praising the man who has seemingly carried the blue brand over the past 18 months

“The problem with Roman Reigns is not the limit of his greatness. Roman’s greatness gets more defined as every performance is put forth. The problem with Roman Reigns is; we have such a limited number of people that we can viably and actually work with that people will look at and say, ‘That’s an opponent for Roman Reigns, that’s someone I’d like to see challenge the Tribal Chief.’

“That’s why Brock Lesnar’s return is so huge. We don’t have five other people waiting in the wings that automatically step up and can be a credible opponent for Roman Reigns” Heyman concluded.

It’s fair to say that SmackDown has been a better programme on television than RAW for quite some time. But, it’s interesting to hear an on-screen personality genuinely give the reasons as to why SmackDown is so definitively better.

JR on AEW Dynamite Appearance Amid Cancer Treatment: “Next week’s going to be a touch and go week for me”

Jake Skudder
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AEW commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently revealed his status for this week’s AEW programming.

JR is undergoing treatment for skin cancer, and he admitted on his Grilling JR Podcast that there’s no guarantee that he will at Dynamite this week.

“Next week’s going to be a touch and go week for me” JR revealed on the podcast. “On Monday morning I’m supposed to get two cancer spots cut out of my back.

“They say it’s only a few stitches but I’ve got to get ready to get on an airplane and they say it’s going to be bandaged. I can’t scratch them, I can’t touch them” the AEW commentator continued.

JR on Cancer Treatment

“Then after that on Monday, I have to go to my oncologist and they make me a boot. And the boot is what you slip on so the radiation machine has a target. I don’t know if it attaches or whatever, but it’s there to not give you any more radiation than you need and only on the spot that isn’t infected.

“I plan on going to Chicago, and on Wednesday, we’re going to kick ass” JR concluded, showing his determination to make television and the Dynamite broadcast this week.

Whether JR is going to be in a fit condition to make it to the taping remains to be seen, as he may not be medically cleared for travel after the operations.

Roman Reigns Wants To Do More Movies

Michael Reichlin
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Roman Reigns is looking to follow in The Rock’s footsteps and crossover from pro wrestling to the silver screen.

Reigns appeared on the Michael Kay Show this week to promote WWE Survivor Series. When asked about the possibility of an acting career, the Tribal Chief sounds all about it.

“We’ll have to see,” Reigns began. “I think there’s going to be some moves made here pretty soon. There’s always these speculations, these contract talks. All that pushing, that’s my business. People who can dive deep enough, I’m sure they can uncover enough stones to figure out the timeframe, but that’s something I definitely want to dabble in, I want to gain more experience, and I want to use these tools that I’ve learned.”

Reigns says WWE has done right by him, and he appreciates that. He feels the company has given him so many blessings and opportunities over the years.

Roman Reigns has an eye on Hollywood

The 36-year-old Universal Champion knows he can’t wrestle forever. He’s picked up a lot of skills in WWE that he knows will help him in other areas when he decides it’s time to hang up his boots.

Luckily, there’s already a blueprint that awaits him, thanks to people like The Rock and John Cena.

“This is a young man’s game, Reigns continued. “You can’t fall down your whole life. You have to get to a point where you can transition, where you can connect and create new, fresh, evolved content for your fan base and your supporters. I think I have the ability to do that.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about getting into that game, being thrown into that fire and seeing how you do. I have a pretty good track record with being thrown in the deep end, and if that’s what happens in Hollywood, I’m looking to swim.”

Reigns has already dabbled in acting. He appeared in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and The Wrong Missy (2020).

You can listen to Roman Reigns’ appearance on the Michael Kay Show podcast in the player embedded below:

Rhea Ripley Says Tegan Nox Helped Saved Her WWE Career

Chris Stephens
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Tegan Nox was let from WWE this month after spending 4 years with the company. Rhea Ripley recently spoke with Talk Sport and mentioned about how Nox helped save her WWE career. According to Ripley, her name was on the list of people who could get fired when her and Nox put on a stellar match at the Performance Center.

“There was a time at the Performance Center where my name was on the list to get fired and I’d only been there for a year,” Ripley said.  

“I don’t know why my name was on the list, I guess people just didn’t like me at the time. It is what it is – I changed their mind! But I was on the chopping block and I had a PC live match in front of all our peers and it was against Tegan.”

“One of the guys found out I was on that list and he told her – he didn’t tell me because he knew I’d freak out – but he told her and was like ‘look, you’ve got to make Rhea look good because this might be her last match here otherwise.’ And that’s exactly what she did,” Ripley continued.

Rhea Ripley and Tegan Nox

Ripley also mentioned that Tegan also helped propel her career by chance when she was injured during the Mae Young Classic. As a result of Tegan’s injury, Ripley moved on in the tournament and had a great match with Io Shirai.

Tegan Nox signed with WWE in 2017. She missed the Mae Young Classic that year because she tore her ACL. In the 2018 Mae Young Classic, she suffered a a torn ACL, MCL, lateral collateral ligament, meniscus, and patellar dislocation during her match with Rhea Ripley in the quarter-finals.

Sasha Banks Recalls Attending Eddie Guerrero Tribute Show Before Learning Of His Death

Chris Stephens
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Sasha Banks’ love for Eddie Guerrero has been well documented. Recently on Ariel Helwani Meets, however, she detailed attending the tribute show to him filmed the day he died. Banks says she only learned of Guerrero’s passing upon arriving at the arena that night.

Guerrero passed away on Sunday, November 13th, 2005 and WWE taped both a RAW and Smackdown episode that night dedicated to him. The show took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Banks was living at the time.

“I was so excited to go to that show. All I wanted to do was to show Eddie Guerrero my sign,” Banks said.

“I remember going into the arena and I saw all these signs that said ‘Rest in Peace, Eddie Guerrero.’ I was so confused. I was like, ‘Well, maybe Minneapolis doesn’t like Eddie because it was advertised as Eddie Guerrero vs. Undertaker, which I just assumed everybody loved The Undertaker,” Banks continued.

“A fan came up to me and he told me that Eddie Guerrero passed away that night and everything inside of me just broke. I couldn’t believe that my hero passed away.”

Sasha Banks Eddie Guerrero

Banks would have been 13 at the time.

“I was in my mom’s arms just bawling. I couldn’t believe it,” Banks recalled.  

Last weekend’s Full Gear show took place on the anniversary of Eddie Guerrero’s death in the city that he died in.

Eddie Guerrero was 38 years old at the time of his death. The cause of his death is listed as heart failure due to underlying atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Eddie was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2006.

Knockouts Ultimate X Match confirmed for Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling has confirmed that there will be a Knockouts Ultimate X match at the upcoming Hard To Kill PPV event.

This will be a first-ever for the company, with the Ultimate X match usually being reserved for the X Divison.

There is currently no confirmation on who will be in the Ultimate X match at this time, however, it has been confirmed that the winner will be the #1 contender to the IMPACT Knockouts Championship.

Knockouts Champion Mickie James will be defending her title against Deonna Purrazzo at the event. James defeated Mercedes Martinez at the IMPACT Turning Point event to defend her title.

Check out the official reveal from IMPACT Wrestling regarding the Knockouts Ultimate X match below:

Hard To Kill will be taking place on January 8th from Dallas, Texas. There are likely to be several big matches on the card, including the recently debuted JONAH vs Josh Alexander.

What’s next for Jaxson Ryker?

Michael Reichlin
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Jaxson Ryker was one of 8 WWE Superstars released last week. As of this writing, WWE has released over 80 people this calendar year.

After taking a few days to process his WWE departure, Ryker issued a brief statement on Twitter about his future.

Ryker’s fans can rest assured that they haven’t seen the last of him. The former Forgotten Son says he’s excited for his future.

He plans to wrestle on the independent scene (eventually) and is back to using the ring name Gunner.

He thanked WWE for “5 years of fun” and expressed gratitude for the love and memories he picked up along the way.

Ryker also cited the bible verse Romans 8:28, which reads: “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.”

https://twitter.com/JaxsonRykerWWE/status/1462217457213624320

Watch: JONAH Debuts For Impact At Turning Point

Chris Stephens
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The former Bronson Reed, now wrestling under the name JONAH, debuted for Impact Wrestling last night at Turning Point. The show aired live from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas.

Former Impact World Champion Josh Alexander was cutting a promo when JONAH’s new music hit and he attacked from behind. Security came out to stop the big man, but they were tossed around for their trouble as well.

Alexander began to splt up blood after taking a big splash off the top rope.

Footage of JONAH making his big debut can be seen here:

JONAH’s Road to Impact

JONAH has kept active since his release from WWE earlier this year.

The 33-year-old returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling last week at NJPW STRONG Detonation 2021. He defeated Lucas Riley on the show. Previously, he had wrestled on NJPW shows in 2018 that took place in Australia.

JONAH was rumored to debut for Impact at October’s Bound for Glory pay-per-view. However, it is believed that visa issues prevented that appearance.

WWE Survivor Series Final Card, Live Coverage

Andrew Ravens
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The card for tonight’s (Sunday, November 21, 2021) WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view event has been finalized.

The company hasn’t officially announced the main event of this event that takes place in Brooklyn, New York at the Barclays Center that will air on the Peacock but it will most likely be WWE Champion Big E vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special on Sunday evening starting at 7 PM EST. Here is the final card for the show:

Final WWE Survivor Series Card

  • WWE Champion Big E vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns – Champion vs. Champion Match
  • Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair – Champion vs. Champion Match
  • Team Raw (Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley & Austin Theory) vs. Team SmackDown (Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, Xavier Woods, Baron Corbin, and Sheamus) – Men’s Elimination Tag Team Match
  • Team Raw (Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Carmella & Zelina Vega) vs. Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Shayna Baszler, Shotzi, Natalya & Toni Storm) – Women’s Elimination Tag Team Match
  • Raw Tag Team Champions Randy Orton and Matt Riddle vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos – Champions vs. Champions Match
  • Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. United States Champion Damian Priest – Champion vs. Champion Match
  • Ricochet, T-Bar, Mansoor, Cesaro, Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins, Erik, Ivar, R-Truth, Drew Gulak, AJ Styles, Omos, Sami Zayn, Humberto, Angel, Apollo Crews, Commander Azeez, Otis, Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, Jinder Mahal, and Shanky – Battle Royal

Sasha Banks Impressed By Bron Breakker: “What A Natural Gifted Talent”

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Sasha Banks believes Bron Breakker has made quite the first impression.

Breakker has been quickly pushed on the NXT 2.0 brand and many agree it’s for a good reason. Despite having little experience, Breakker seems to be ahead of the curve both in the ring and on the mic.

Sasha Banks Praises Bron Breakker

Sasha Banks appeared on The Kurt Angle Show and said she’s in awe of Bron Breakker being as good as he is this fast.

“I got to meet Bron Breakker this past weekend at the UK tour, who is Rick Steiner’s son. I love the Steiners and he was, oh my god, amazing.

“I think he’s only been training like six months and I couldn’t believe it. What a natural gifted talent, so if guys like that can get opportunities to come and do live events and UK tours I think that’s incredible for NXT.”

Breakker was unsuccessful in his first bid for the NXT Championship. He was beaten by Tommaso Ciampa at Halloween Havoc.

All signs appear to lead to a rematch between Ciampa and Breakker. Many believe Bron will inevitably get his hands on the NXT gold.

Breakker had a tryout with WWE back in Nov. 2020. Things went well enough that he ended up joining the WWE Performance Center.

At first, WWE was going to have him be called Rex Steiner. For some reason, the name was changed before his NXT debut.

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NJPW vs. NOAH Announced For Night 3 Of Wrestle Kingdom 16

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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The “Forbidden Door” has been busted wide open and Japan is no exception.

In fact, NJPW and Pro Wrestling NOAH had been in cahoots long before talk of the “Forbidden Door” began. At one point, the entire Suzuki-gun faction was sent to cause chaos in NOAH, while Naomichi Marufuji had two stellar matches with Kazuchika Okada.

Reports surfaced that things turned sour between the two promotions and the partnership was off. Luckily, NJPW and NOAH have patched things up and are back doing business together.

NJPW & NOAH Reunite

  • (via NJPW)

Both NJPW and NOAH recently held an “emergency” press conference. During the presser, it was announced that night three of Wrestle Kingdom 16 on Jan. 8 will see cross-promotion matches between the two companies.

The PPV will be airing live on ABEMA. It’ll be available on NJPW World seven days later.

Some fans initially expressed concern and disappointment over a third night for Wrestle Kingdom due to the omission of New Year Dash!!. With this cross-promotion announcement, many are now singing a different tune.

As of this writing, no matches have been announced for the special NJPW-NOAH event. Once more details are available, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Mark Henry Praises Randy Orton: “He Grew The F*ck Up”

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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0

Randy Orton has come a long way and Mark Henry couldn’t be happier.

Orton will be reaching a massive milestone in his career. He is set to break Kane’s record for the most WWE PPV matches in history. By the time his match at Survivor Series starts, he will have a whopping 177 PPV matches in WWE.

He’s also due to break another record held by Kane. Orton is just six matches away from having the most matches on Monday Night Raw. He currently has 431, while Kane has 436.

Mark Henry Says Randy Orton Evolved As A Man

  • Randy Orton
    (via WWE)

It’s been well-documented that Randy Orton had major behavioral issues early in his career. It got to the point where many speculated that WWE would eventually cut ties with him despite his upside.

During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry discussed Orton’s journey from being an immature kid to a grown man who will go down as an all-time great.

“I go a long way with Randy and Randy makes me emotional because I love the dude because of his journey. He made a lot of mistakes just like I did.

“Randy found out that he actually had friends and he found out that people actually cared about him. And his wife Kim, I thank God for her.

“She changed him, she allowed him to grow as a man without emasculating him cause a lot of women try to change their men so much that they diaper em’ and make em’ kids.

“Randy’s a grown-ass man with an opinion and he grew the f*ck up.”

Orton and Riddle (RKBro) will take on The Usos in a brand vs. brand tag team match. RKBro hold the Raw Tag Team Championships, while The Usos are the SmackDown titleholders but the gold will not be at stake.

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Natalya Achieves Big WWE Career Milestone

Michael Reichlin
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Natalya hit a big milestone on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. The second generation Superstar picked up her 500th career win in WWE.

Natalya teamed up with Shayna Baszler on the show to defeat Naomi and Aliyah. The finish was a bit controversial, due to a fast referee count, but a win is a win.

WWE caught up with the winners backstage after the match. When Baszler mentioned that this was Natalya’s 500th career win, she said the achievement solidifies her as the “greatest of all time.”

You can see footage of the backstage segment here:

Natalya and Baszler will represent Team Smackdown in the 5-on-5 women’s elimination match at Survivor Series. Check out our official Survivor Series Predictions.

Natalya is not the only WWE Superstar making history this weekend. Randy Orton will also etch his name in the history books Sunday night at the pay-per-view.

More on that below:

Randy Orton To Hit Big Career Milestone At Survivor Series

Update On Impact Wrestling’s TV Ratings

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling saw an uptick in viewership this week. Minoru Suzuki vs Josh Alexander headlined this Thursday’s show. It was also the go-home show for tonight’s Turning Point event.

According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, Impact averaged 129,000 viewers for the show. They also brought in a 0.02 or 30,000 in the 18-49 demographic. This is only for American viewers watching on AXS TV, however, and does not included international viewers on other networks or YouTube Insider subscribers.

This number is up from just 79,000 viewers last week, which also did a 0.02 in the 18-49 demographic. On November 4th, the show averaged 118,000 viewers and again did a 0.02 in the key demo. The October 28th show brought in 93,000 viewers and a 0.03 in the key demo.

Tonight, Impact presents Turning Point live from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas. The lineup is below:

  • Impact World Championship
    Moose (c) vs Eddie Edwards
  • Knockouts World Championship
    Mickie James (c) vs Mercedes Martinez
  • Knockouts World Tag Team Championships
    The Iinspiration (Jessie McKay & Cassie Lee) (c) vs Decay (Rosemary & Havok)
  • Impact World Tag Team Championships
    The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) (c) vs. Bullet Club (Chris Bey and Hikuleo)
  • X-Division Championship
    Trey Miguel (c) vs Laredo Kid vs Steve Maclin
  • Digital Media Championship
    Jordynne Grace (c) vs Chelsea Green
  • W. Morrissey vs Eddie Edwards
  • Ace Austin vs Chris Sabin
  • Heath and Rhino vs. Violent By Design (Eric Young and Joe Doering)
  • Rich Swann vs Brian Myers
  • Decay (Crazzy Steve and Black Taurus) vs FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson)

Tony Khan: Anyone Signing With WWE Is Not Signing A Real Contract

Chris Stephens
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WWE contracts typically allow the company to cut a talent whenever they see fit (provided there isn’t a no-cut clause in the contract). A wrestler is typically unable to quit working for WWE whenever they see fit, however.

During a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, AEW President Tony Khan said that anyone signing with WWE these days are only signing a temporary arrangement, not a real contract.

“Anyone who signs a contract (with WWE) these days, is not signing a real contract. It’s a temporary arrangement. People who come wrestle with me, a lot of these people are frankly lifers and they know that,” Khan said.

The AEW President also noted that there is far more job security working as a talent for AEW than there is in WWE.

“There is a lot more security with a contract here. I can’t say I’m going to extend every contract or bring every person back, but I also haven’t been doing mass layoffs.” 

Khan also noted that he can’t sign everyone who WWE lets go. He’s had to be selective of the new names he brings in.

“I’ve been very selective in the people I’ve signed and every time there has been a mass layoff on the other side it’s terrible and I can’t say I would be able to take on every one of these people,” he continued.

In addition to the 80 wrestlers cut from the WWE roster this year, ROH has also announced they will not be putting talent under contracts moving forward into 2022. Khan and AEW have already signed longtime ROH veteran, Jay Lethal to a deal. Lethal will not be working ROH’s final shows of the year and has signed on full time with AEW.

H/T To Fightful for the transcriptions.

Randy Orton To Hit Big Career Milestone At Survivor Series

Chris Stephens
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Randy Orton will make history this weekend at Survivor Series. When Orton and Riddle step into the ring to battle The Usos, Orton will set the record for the most pay-per-view matches wrestled in WWE history.

Coincidentally, Orton is on the cusp of another big career milestone. He’s also one match away from setting the record for most matches wrestled on WWE Raw.

The Viper addressed these achievements on social media.

“I’ve never been one to keep records or stats throughout my career. Early on, it was laughable to consider in my profession you had ‘wins’ and ‘losses’. You certainly wouldn’t talk about it, with the boys much less fans. But I’m fortunate to have some fans (and friends) that have done just that, kept my stats. Not just wins and losses, but damn near everything you could think of!

It came to my attention that tomorrow at Survivor Series I’ll set a new record for most PPV matches by anyone in WWE history. The following night on RAW coincidentally, if I have a match, I’ll have had more matches on RAW thea anyone in history.

I saw this online, checked it, and it is true… kind of hard to believe, as it feels like I only started down in OVW yesterday.

I just wanna take a minute in light of these ‘stats’, and let everyone out there that’s ever supported me in any way know that I am thankful. I also know with all of my heart that I couldn’t have done it without you. Now on to my 15th Survivor Series…man time flies don’t it?”

John Cena commended Randy Orton for this “mythical” achievement. Orton’s former rival says he’s proud of him and called him an inspiration.

Randy Orton PPV and RAW Stats

Statistics like this can be difficult to track, but that hasn’t stopped various websites from attempting it. According to ProFightDB.com, Orton and Kane each have had 176 matches on PPV.

Cagematch.net has Orton’s PPV tally at 175, however. ProFightDB.com also has Orton listed as having wrestled 431 times on RAW and Kane 436.

There are several other databases that keep track of such statistics, and all of them differ from each other to some degree.

It’s unclear which database Orton used to check the statistics, but regardless, he will eventually become the wrestler with the most matches on both WWE PPV and RAW.

Top Dolla Responds To Reports Of Backstage Heat In WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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‘Top Dolla’ A.J. Francis has responded to the reports about his backstage behavior leading to the WWE release of the Hit Row faction.

The now-former WWE star took on his Twitter to comment on the report claiming that he rubbed people the wrong way in NXT.

Top Dolla explained that he got plenty of stories about how he was disrespected by the officials as well, but he has kept things professional:

https://twitter.com/AJFrancis410/status/1461780800953884678

For those who don’t know, Hit Row were among the half dozen names released from WWE during the latest budget cuts earlier this week.

A report provided some backstage info on the potential reason behind some of these cuts. It claimed that Top Dolla had rubbed some people within NXT the wrong way.

He had started getting the same reputation on the main roster which contributed to the decision of his release from the promotion.

Briana ‘B-Fab’ Brandy had already been let go by the officials earlier this month. Since Top Dolla was seen as the star of the faction, the decision was made to release Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Ashante “Thee” Adonis as well.

All the Hit Row members and the other released stars are expected to become free agents in February. We will have to see if the group remains together or go their separate ways after that.

Top Dolla Posts New Track On His WWE Release: “In 90 Days I’m Everywhere”

The Butcher Suffered Injury On Dynamite (Report)

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Andy Williams aka The Butcher has reportedly suffered a bicep injury that is going to keep him out of action for the next few months.

Bryan Alvarez talked about him on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live. He revealed that the heavyweight star suffered a torn bicep during his match on this week’s episode of Dynamite.

The post Full Gear episode saw The Butcher and The Blade facing Orange Cassidy and Tomohiro Ishii in a tag team match.

The American tag team not only lost this bout to Cassidy and Ishii but Williams also ended up suffering the injury during this fight.

This isn’t the first time he has suffered a serious injury this year. The musician previously suffered a hand injury while competing against the then TNT champion Darby Allin during The House Always Wins event in April.

The previous injury kept The Butcher out of action for almost 5 months. He returned to action during the All Out PPV in September, attacking Orange Cassidy.

An exact timetable for his return is not known yet but a torn bicep should keep him out of action for at least 3-4 months. We will update you when more details regarding his health and recovery come to light.

Potential Reason Behind Hit Row’s WWE Release

Anutosh Bajpai
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Members of the Hit Row faction were probably the most surprising names to be let go during the latest wave of WWE releases. They had only been called up to the main roster last month.

Dave Meltzer provided some updates on this decision in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He revealed what probably led to their firing.

There had been rumors of Top Dolla having backstage heat in NXT. Meltzer reports that he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way during his time in the development brand:

“While he came across well on television, he rubbed a ton of people the wrong way in NXT and was getting the same reputation on the main roster.”

Vince McMahon apparently saw Top Dolla as the star of Hit Row due to his size. Once the decision was made to let him go, the other remaining members of the faction in Isaiah “Swerve” Scott and Ashante Thee Adonis were likely “caught in the crossfire.”

WWE released over half a dozen names including talents such as John Morrison, Drake Maverick, and Tegan Nox earlier this week.

These stars including Hit Row will become free agents after their 90 days non-compete clause expires on Wednesday, February 16.

Top Dolla Posts New Track On His WWE Release: “In 90 Days I’m Everywhere”

AEW Rampage Results (11/19): Jurassic Express vs. Cole & Fish, TBS Championship Tournament

Robert Lentini
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AEW Rampage aired on TNT tonight. Adam Cole & Bobby Fish battled Jurassic Express in the main event. Billy Gunn squared off against Darby Allin tonight. Jade Cargill battled Red Velvet in the quarterfinals of the TBS Championship tournament.

Rampage Results (11/19)

  1. Darby Allin def. Billy Gunn
  2. Jade Cargill def. Red Velvet to advance to the semifinals of the TBS Championship Tournament
  3. Jurassic Express def. Adam Cole & Bobby Fish

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Darby Allin def. Billy Gunn

Darby Allin faced Billy Gunn in the first match of the night. The Gunn Club and Sting were ringside for the match. Billy hit a Body Slam and wanted to lock up with Darby. Allin refused and slapped Billy in the face. Gunn got pissed and connected with a Back Body Drop that sent Darby flying out of the ring. Billy rolled Darby back into the ring and stared at Sting as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Allin battled back and bit Billy. Darby then leaped onto the Gunn Club with a Coffin Drop. Darby quickly climbed to the top turnbuckle again and hit Billy with a Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory. After the match, The Gunn Club beat Darby Allin and Sting down before posing in the ring.

Jade Cargill Advanced In The TBS Championship Tournament

Jade Cargill faced Red Velvet in the quarterfinals of the TBS Championship tournament. Cargill towered over Red Velvet as the two stared at each other. The bell rang and Cargill launched Red Velvet to the corner. Red Velvet battled out of the corner and caught Jade with a kick to the face. Jade showed off her power and launched Red Velvet across the ring with a Fallaway Slam.

Red Velvet battled back with a Dropkick that knocked Cargill out of the ring. Red Velvet went for a dive but Cargill countered with an uppercut. Jade followed it up with a Uranage on the ring apron as Rampage went to a break.

Cargill was still in control of the match when Rampage returned from a break. Jade took a break to do some pushups in the ring and it backfired. Red Velvet elbowed Jade in the face and followed it up with a Slingblade. Red Velvet planted Jade with a Bulldog and slapped her across the face. Red Velvet hit Double Knees against the ropes and geared up in the corner.

Jade leapfrogged her and leveled Red Velvet with a big boot. Cargill went for the Jade but Red Velvet pushed herself off the ropes into a cover for a near fall. Red Velvet hit a Spear but Cargill kicked out at two. Cargill hit Jaded for the pinfall victory and advanced to the semifinals. Thunder Rosa will face Jamie Hayter in the quarterfinals next Wednesday on Dynamite.

CM Punk Will Face QT Marshall On Dynamite

It was announced that CM Punk will face QT Marshall on Dynamite in Chicago on Wednesday. Marshall and Punk cut backstage promos during tonight’s show. Marshall said he couldn’t think of a better way to spend Thanksgiving Eve than beating up CM Punk in his hometown.

Tony Schiavone later caught up with CM Punk backstage. Punk told Marshall to bring that bad attitude of his to Chicago and a hefty attitude because he bit off more than he can chew. CM Punk added that they will find out who the turkey is on Dynamite.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1461900819687747585?s=20

Jurassic Express def. Adam Cole & Bobby Fish

Jungle Boy and Adam Cole started off the match. Jungle Boy sent Cole to the corner and unloaded some strikes. Cole battled back but Jungle Boy caught him with an elbow to the face. Adam dodged a Dropkick and punched Jungle Boy in the face a few times. Bobby Fish tagged in and continued to beat Jungle Boy down in the corner of the ring. Fish hit a Senton and went for the cover but Jungle Boy kicked out at two.

Bobby launched Jungle Boy into the turnbuckle and trash talked with Luchasaurus. Jungle Boy capitalized on Fish taking his eye off him and hit a Dropkick. Jungle Boy hit Fish with a chop to the chest and tagged in Luchasaurus. Jungle Boy sent Bobby to the ropes and Luchasaurus dropped him with a Clothesline.

Fish connected with a kick but Luchasaurus responded with a giant kick and Fish wobbled to the corner of the ring. Jungle Boy tagged in and got distracted with Adam Cole. Fish capitalized with a kick to the face and brought Jungle Boy back to the corner. Adam Cole tagged in and stomped Jungle Boy to the mat as Rampage went to a commercial break.

When Rampage returned, Bobby Fish had Jungle Boy in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Jungle Boy battled to his feet and broke the hold. Jungle Boy connected with a Clothesline and started crawling across the ring. Cole tagged in and prevented Jungle Boy from making the tag.

Adam Cole dragged Jungle Boy to the middle of the ring but he escaped. Luchasaurus tagged in and leveled Cole & Fish with some kicks. Luchasaurus hit them with a couple Splashes in opposite corners of the ring and followed it up with a double Clothesline. Jungle Boy hit Cole with a Cutter and went for the cover but Adam kicked out at two.

Jungle Boy went for a Suplex but Cole blocked it. Bobby Fish leaped onto Luchasaurus outside the ring as Cole planted Jungle Boy with a Neckbreaker across his knee for a two count. Cole went for the Shining Wizard but Jungle Boy blocked it. Cole and Jungle Boy traded kicks to the face and stumbled around the ring. Cole sent Jungle Boy to the apron and then hit him with a Superkick as he got back into the ring. Adam climbed to the middle turnbuckle and set up for the Panama Sunrise but Luchasaurus broke it up. Luchasaurus hit a Powerbomb and Jungle Boy went for the cover but Fish broke it up at two.

Fish tagged in and beat Jungle Boy down in the corner of the ring. Fish focused his attack on the legs of Jungle Boy and sent him down to the canvas with a Dragon Screw. Fish made a throat slit motion to signify the match was over and waited for Jungle Boy to get up. Bobby charged but Jungle Boy sent him into the turnbuckle with a Suplex. Young Bucks made their way to the entrance ramp for a distraction but Christian Cage chased them away with a chair. Adam Cole then retreated with the Young Bucks and watched from the entrance ramp as Jungle Boy tapped out Bobby Fish with the Snare Trap to end the show.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1461907418510729220?s=20

Final Member Of Team SmackDown Confirmed, Updated Survivor Series Match Card

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Sheamus has joined team SmackDown as the final member of the group to face team Raw in the traditional Survivor Series elimination match.

Last week’s episode of the blue branded show saw Sami Zayn losing his spot in the team after being defeated by Jeff Hardy in a one-on-one match.

The officials then held a fatal four-way match among Cesaro, Jinder Mahal, Sheamus, and Ricochet on this week’s show to determine who will join the blue team for Survivor Series on Sunday.

The Celtic warrior won this match after interference from his friend and the newest SmackDown roster member Ridge Holland.

Updated Survivor Series Match Card

A total of 6 matches have been confirmed for the PPV that will see stars from the two premier brands colliding with each other. Here is the updated card for the show:

  • Singles Match: WWE champion Big E vs. Universal champion Roman Reigns
  • Singles Match: Raw women’s champion Becky Lynch vs. SmackDown women’s champion Charlotte Flair
  • Tag Team Match: Raw tag team champions RK-Bro vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos
  • Singles Match: US champion Damian Priest vs. IC champion Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Men’s Elimination Match: Team Raw (Bobby Lashley, Austin Theory, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins) vs. Team SmackDown (Drew McIntyre, Jeff Hardy, King Xavier Woods, Happy Baron Corbin, Sheamus)
  • Women’s Elimination Match: Team Raw (Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Carmella, Queen Zelina Vega, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Rhea Ripley) vs. Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Shotzi, Natalya, Shayna Baszler, Toni Storm)

Survivor Series 2021 will take place from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on this Sunday, November 21.

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