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Alexa Bliss Teases Character Return on WWE RAW

Jake Skudder
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WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss is set to make her return on WWE RAW tonight. The former RAW and SmackDown Women’s Champion will be making her return to the company after leaving following the Extreme Rules 2021 PPV event, where she lost to Charlotte Flair.

Bliss left the company reportedly to get sinus surgery, although it was played off in the storyline that Bliss could no longer appear on WWE programming after the destruction of her doll, Lily.

The former Women’s Champion alluded to The Fiend-esque character that she was playing prior to her leaving the company returning tonight on RAW.

Alexa Bliss Tweets

“Dear Monday Night RAW,” Alexa Bliss tweeted. “Starting tonight…she’s officially YOUR problem now. Good luck.”

It’s not confirmed if Bliss is referring to Lily, herself, or a different character that she will be portraying when she returns. There’s also a chance that Bliss could be coming back alongside another current WWE Superstar or someone from NXT 2.0, but that remains to be seen.

The tweet from Bliss showed her in the same gimmick that she was portraying just before she left WWE programming, but this may of course be a rouse from the former Women’s Champion.

Mark Henry Thinks Mickie James Is Closer To WWE Hall Of Fame

Fernando Quiles Jr.
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Mickie James could be bound for the WWE Hall of Fame, according to HOF talent and AEW broadcaster Mark Henry.

WWE turned a lot of heads in the wrestling industry on the Jan. 7 episode of SmackDown. The promotion announced participants in the women’s Royal Rumble match but one name, in particular, stood out from the pack.

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Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James is among the legends returning for this year’s Royal Rumble. WWE has not shied away from the fact that she’s the Impact women’s champion.

Mickie James Hall of Fame?

While the talk with Mickie’s surprise WWE return has been centered around cross-promotion, Mark Henry is more intrigued at the thought of a Hall of Fame induction. Here’s what he said on Busted Open Radio.

When asked if Mickie James belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame, Henry replied, “She does and without a doubt, she’s been one of the great women’s wrestlers of all time, wrestlers period. I mean, she got the job done.”

“She helped the business to be better and not many people can say that. Even if it’s not about the titles, which she held a lot of them, there’s no reason that she shouldn’t be put in the forefront and in the hallowed halls of the Hall of Fame.”

Henry sees the Royal Rumble appearance as the perfect setup for James’ induction.

“I think this will be a great step,” he said.

Mickie recently had a successful title defense against Deonna Purrazzo in the main event of Impact Wrestling’s Hard To Kill PPV. This means she is scheduled to make her Royal Rumble appearance as the Impact Knockouts Champion.

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

Britt Baker On How Important Tony Schiavone Has Been To Her Success

Chris Stephens
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AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker recently spoke on how important Tony Schiavone has been to her success. She was interviewed on the “In the Kliq” podcast when she made the below comments.

“I will never be able to thank him for how much he’s helped me in all aspects of my life. He’s one of my best friends,” Baker said of Schiavone.

“Anytime there’s anything going on, good, bad, you know, he’s one of the first I call, first I talk to when I’m excited or to vent about [something] but just how he helped me, especially early on with those promos.”

When AEW first started, Baker was being portrayed as a babyface. She started to really find her stride shortly after turning heel, however. Tony Schiavone played a big role in her early heel promos.

“When I first turned heel, I don’t know where I would be without him because it was — I was so nervous to be cutting these live promos as a bad guy, something I had never done before and I just always knew in the back of my head, ‘Hey, if anything goes wrong, I have Tony Schiavone here. Like, he’s pretty good at this. We’re gonna be okay.’ So just to have him there and along for the ride and just like this lasting friendship I have with him, I’m so thankful for.”

Britt Baker and the Pittsburgh Steelers

Baker, a noted Pittsburgh Steelers fan, seemed to have been stressed out last night when the Sunday Night football game almost ended in a tie, something that would have eliminated her Steelers from appearing in the playoffs.

Baker headlined AEW’s Battle for the Belts event on Saturday night. She faced and defeated the #1 contender to her title, Riho. Currently, there seems to be some dissension brewing with her and her ally, Jamie Hayter that could potentially lead to a storyline rivalry between the two as well.

H/T to Post Wrestling for the above transcriptions.

Ruby Soho Comments On Moving In With Sarah Logan

Chris Stephens
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Ruby Soho revealed in a recent interview that she is currently living with her former Riott Squad teammate, Sarah Logan. Soho is godparent to Logan’s child along with Viking Raider Erik. In a recent interview with the New York Post, Soho noted that she moved onto Logan’s farm in Ohio almost a year ago.

“I tell a lot of people often I want you to picture that exact opposite of the lifestyle that you think I would live and that’s the lifestyle that I live,” Soho said. “It was a pretty easy decision. I moved here in I believe February, probably closer to March of last year. I am godmother to Sarah’s son, Cash, and she asked me to be as much as part of his life as possible.”

Logan gave birth to her first child last February. She was in labor for 44 hours. The child is named Raymond Cash Rowe.

“I love that little boy to death and she is one of my best friends, so it was an easy choice and I was able to find this farm in the middle of nowhere and I was able to get horses and I have a place for my dogs to run around,” Soho continued.

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Soho made it all the way to the finals of the TBS title tournament. She lost to Jade Cargill in the finals on AEW Dynamite last week. Soho and Logan were members of the Riott Squad together in WWE beginning on November 2nd, 2017. Logan was released from WWE in the summer of 2020. Soho was released by WWE in June of last year.

ROH Supercard of Honor Announced for WrestleMania Weekend

Michael Reichlin
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Ring of Honor is back.

December’s Final Battle pay-per-view marked the end of an era for ROH. The company is currently on hiatus and top ROH stars have been released from their contracts. Some already appearing for other promotions.

Over the weekend, ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham and ROH Women’s Champion Rok-C both wrestled for Impact Wrestling. An ROH faction invaded the Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view. The group had a presence at the latest Impact TV tapings and is now going by the name Honor No more.

Ring of Honor officials have maintained the company is not shutting down. On Monday, the company announced its next live pay-per-view.

Ring of Honor Returns

ROH Supercard of Honor will take place Friday, April 1st from Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at the Curtis Culwell Center.

The event takes place during WrestleMania 38 weekend, giving it a built-in audience of wrestling fans who are already in town.

Supercard of Honor has been a staple of the ROH calendar dating back to 2006.

HonorClub members will get first crack at tickets on Friday, January 21st. The general public on-sale will take place the following week, Friday January 28th.

SEScoops plans to send a live correspondent to this event, so stay tuned for more details on that.

ROH’s Joe Koff: We Never Used the Words “Shutting Down”

W. Morrissey Says He Wants To Be The Face of Impact, Comments On Contract Status

Chris Stephens
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W. Morrissey had a chance to become the Impact World Champion at Hard to Kill this weekend. He was in a triple threat match with champion Moose as well as Matt Cardona. Moose would retain, however.

During a recent interview with the Battleground Podcast, Morrissey spoke about wanting to become the face of Impact Wrestling.

“My number one goal is to become the face of the company. That’s my goal,” he said. “I was there last year to come in and slowly build towards that goal and to make an impact, no pun intended. But my goal for this year is to be the face of IMPACT wrestling. To be the guy, and that’s a goal I think I will achieve. I think it’s something I’m extremely capable of.”

Morrissey opted against providing any further details on his current contractual status with the company, however. He said that the deal he has with Impact is something that will stay between him and his family, Scott D’Amore, and the company.

“That’s between me and Scott D’amore, everybody at IMPACT, and everybody in my family, and everybody who’s going to be affected by it,” Morrissey responded. “You know, in terms of how long I’m there or what I’m making, that’s nobody’s business. That’s just my opinion. But yeah, I’m with IMPACT right now, and my goal is to be the face of the company.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BxvVqo9dF0

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

Former WWE & Impact Star: “Of Course I Would Go To AEW”

Michael Reichlin
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Former WWE Superstar Taya Valkyrie is open to joining All Elite Wrestling.

Vaklyrie recently wrapped up a short run with WWE, where she portrayed the character Franky Monet in NXT. She was released by WWE back in November already has a number of appearances lined up in the weeks ahead.

During a virtual autograph signing for East Coast Autograph Auctions over the weekend, Valkyrie said “of course” she’s interested in joining AEW’s women’s division.

“Of course, I would go to AEW, she said. “They are doing something different, a lot of my peers and best friends, my brothers Fenix and Pentagon are over there. Why not? We’ll see what happens.”

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Taya Valkyrie as Franky Monet in NXT (2021)

Taya Valkyrie’s Future

Taya Vaklyrie Valkyrie extensively in Mexico during the early part of her career. She worked for Impact Wrestling from 2017-2021 before a stint in NXT. She returned to AAA in December.

The sky is the limit for Taya Valkyrie in 2022. She is a veteran performer that would be an asset to any locker room she joined. We could see her back in Impact, or in AEW.

Over the weekend, Valkyrie expressed interest in working with AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker.

The free agency market for women’s wrestling has never been deeper. Aside from the incredible talent on the independent scene, talent released by WWE in 2021 include Valkyrie, Toni Storm, Nixon Newell (Tegan Nox), Athena (Ember Moon), Nia Jax and Mia Yim.

Taya Valkyrie issued a lengthy statement after her WWE release that you can read here:

Franky Monet (Taya Valkyrie) Releases Statement On WWE Release

Dixie Carter Now Running A Hemp and Cannabis Company

Chris Stephens
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Former TNA President Dixie Carter is now the President of a Hemp and Cannabis company named Panda Biotech. The company operates out of Dallas, Texas. It is focussed on producing industrial hemp that can be used for a variety of purposes.

In an interview this summer, Carter spoke about Texas becoming an epicentre for industrial hemp.

“The truth is, Texas farmers are going to need a couple of years to learn how to best plant it. I think Texas farmers are the best in the world and will learn it quicker than anyone in the world,” Carter said in an interview with Times Record News.

“This is an opportunity for Texas to be kind of the epicenter of industrial hemp on a global basis,” Carter continued.

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Carter continues to follow professional wrestling as evidenced by her social media posts. She commented on the recent passing of former TNA talent Jimmy Rave, and also posted in regards to Ring of Honor’s end of an era Final Battle PPV.

Carter served as the President of TNA Wrestling from 2002 until 2017. She stepped down as President of the company when Anthem Sports and Entertainment purchased it in 2017. Ed Nordholm replaced her in the role.

Charlie Haas Debuts & Gets Injured at Impact Tapings

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Wrestling held its latest round of television tapings on Sunday night from Dallas, TX at the The Factory at Deep Ellum. Charlie Haas made his Impact debut, but it did not go well.

The former WWE tag team champion interrupted a promo from Josh Alexander, who was staking his claim as #1 contender to Moose’s Impact World Championship.

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Charlie Haas debuts for Impact Wrestling (Photo: Kurt Zamora)

Haas and Alexander fought later in the night, with Alexander getting the win. Unfortunately, Haas was injured during the match.

Charlie Haas Injured

After the match, the group of ROH wrestlers who appeared at Hard to Kill jumped both men. They were eventually run off by Chris Sabin, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath, Rhino and Eddie Edwards.

During the post-match angle, Charlie Haas exited the ring, crawled under the ring, was tended to by Impact Wrestling officials. He was eventually stretchered away.

Ring of Honor in Impact Wrestling

Ring of Honor had a strong presence at the Impact tapings.

Jonathan Gresham defended the ROH World Championship against Steve Maclin during the tapings.

Impact star Deonna Purrazzo defeated Rok-C to capture the ROH Women’s Championship. Ian Riccaboni and Matthew Rehwoldt were on commentary.

The ROH group comprised of Matt Taven, Maria Kannellis and Mike Bennett, PCO and Vincent is now known as Honor No More.

Impact Wrestling’s next tapings will be held on January 21st and 22nd from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at the Charles Dodge Center.

You can see full match results from the tapings here.

Impact Champion Moose Calls Out Roman Reigns

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Wrestling World Champion Moose wants a match with WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

Moose retained his title at Saturday’s Impact Hard to Kill pay-per-view. He beat Matt Cardona and W. Morrissey in a triple threat match.

Moose wins at Impact Hard to Kill 2022

Moose wants Roman Reigns

On Sunday, Moose referenced the “Forbidden Door” and said it’s time for the Wrestling God to cross paths with the Head of the Table. He tweeted:

“I Claim to be the Wrestling God. He claims to be The Head of the Table. With all this Forbidden Door talk….. what if …. @WWERomanReigns”

This is not the first time Moose has made it known he wants to work with Roman Reigns. On a recent episode of Impact TV, moose referenced the Tribal Chief.

https://twitter.com/089968Raph__/status/1480220813408325640

The Impact world champion wrestling the WWE Universal Champion seems unlikely. However, it is possible.

Moose vs. Roman Reigns is unlikely, but two other champions from WWE and Impact could share a ring very soon Entrants for the upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble include Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Paige Reacts to Trending After WWE Royal Rumble Announcements

Michael Reichlin
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Former WWE Superstar Paige was trending on social media this weekend after WWE announced several legendary women are returning for the Royal Rumble.

The upcoming Women’s Royal Rumble will feature the Bella Twins, Lita, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae and even Impact Knockouts champion Mickie James.

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In response to seeing herself trending after WWE’s Royal Rumble announcements, Paige tweeted, “I tell ya what though, it does feel f*cking awesome to see so many people even after 4 years, miss me wrestling.”

Some of the industry’s top names replied to Paige’s tweet, including Natalya, Booker T, Alexa Bliss and AEW Women’s World Champion Britt Baker.

Paige’s Future

Paige has been active on social media as of late. She has expressed gratitude and support to many of the people released by WWE, including William Regal, “Road Dogg” BG James and Nia Jax.

Paige retired 4 years ago due to the condition of her neck, but fans remain hopeful she will grace the ring again.

She hopes to wrestle again, despite the injuries that cut her career short. Her WWE contract runs through June 2022.

https://twitter.com/realpaigewwe/status/1432051493553664002?s=21

With her in-ring career on hold, Paige maintains a popular Twitch channel, where she streams herself playing video games.

You can check out Paige’s official Twitch channel at @SarayaOfficial.

Twitch Leak Includes Payouts For Adam Cole, Paige & Zelina Vega

(Spoilers) AEW Dark Tapings Results from After Battle of the Belts

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling taped next week’s AEW Dark on Saturday night after the Battle of the Belts special from Charlotte, North Carolina

Battle of the Belts was a 1-hour TV special, but fans in attendance got to see the rest of AEW’s champions compete in more than a dozen additional matches.

The following matches were taped for next week’s AEW Dark:

  • Capt. Shawn Dean defeated Leon Cross
  • Anthony Ogogo defeated Baron Black
  • Red Velvet defeated an unnamed opponent
  • The Gunn Club defeated T.I.N. & Patrick Scott.
  • Tay Conti & Anna Jay defeated the Renegade Twins
  • Orange Cassidy defeated JD Drake
  • Dante Martin defeated Aaron Solo
  • Eddie Kingston defeated Joey Janela
  • Thunder Rosa defeated Kacy Foxx
  • Powerhouse Hobbs defeated an unnamed opponent
  • Daniel Garcia defeated Fuego Del Sol
  • TBS Champion Jade Cargill defeated Skye Blue in a non-title “Eliminator” match
  • AEW Tag Team Champions Jurassic Express defeated The Factory’s Nick Comoroto & QT Marshall in a non-title “Eliminator” match
  • AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam and Dark Order’s Alan Angels & Ten defeated Matt Hardy, Isiah Kassidy & Serpentico.

Mickie James Retains Knockouts Title at Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James retained her Championship in the main event of the Hard To Kill PPV event in Texas.

James defended the title against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Deathmatch, with both women taking massive bumps throughout.

The finish saw Mickie hit her Mick Kick followed by the Mick-DT, gaining the 3 count and then burying Purrazzo underneath a broken table and chairs to stop her from answering the 10 count.

James now heads into the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match for WWE at the end of the month, being the first-ever reigning IMPACT Knockouts Champion to do so.

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Mickie James WWE Royal Rumble

Mickie James will be joining the likes of Nikki and Brie Bella, Kelly Kelly, Summer Rae and Charlotte Flair in the 30-Woman match at the end of January.

The IMPACT Hard To Kill show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

Here’s the full card for the event:

  • Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
  • IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
  • IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
  • IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
  • Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
  • ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
  • Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
  • Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War

ROH Stars Invade IMPACT Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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Ring of Honor stars Mike and Maria Bennett, Matt Taven, Vincent and PCO made their presence felt at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill.

The group appeared following the Hardcore War match on the PPV, attacking the team of Heath, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Rhino and Eddie Edwards. Heath had just won the match after Rhino hit a Gore on Karl Anderson.

The commentators referred to the situation as an invasion during the PPV broadcast, and it looks as though IMPACT will be running with somewhat of an invasion angle going forward.

ROH Invades IMPACT

IMPACT Invasion

Scott D’Amore was seen backstage in a segment following the attack, and he said that he would be “calling Baltimore to figure out what the hell is going on.”

When the broadcast came back to commentary, the duo questioned if Ring of Honor “sanctioned” the attack, so this might play into the storyline going forward.

ROH is currently on hiatus until April, so this could be part of the plan to keep the brand in fans’ minds ahead of the return date.

The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

Jonathan Gresham Retains ROH World Championship at Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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Ring of Honor Champion Jonathan Gresham successfully defended his title at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill PPV event.

Gresham faced TNA/IMPACT and ROH legend Chris Sabin on the card, and both men put in a fantastic hard-hitting performance.

The ROH Champion will now be heading to the TERMINUS event to defend his title against another IMPACT Wrestling star, Josh Alexander.

Should Gresham be successful there too, he will likely be defending the title in the UK as part of the February 6th card for PROGRESS Wrestling.

Jonathan Gresham Retains ROH Title

The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

Here’s the full card for the event:

  • Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
  • IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
  • IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
  • IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
  • Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
  • ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
  • Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
  • Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War

AEW Battle Of The Belts Results: Three Title Matches, Interim TNT Champion Crowned

Robert Lentini
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AEW’s first Battle of the Belts special aired tonight on TNT live from the Bojangles Coliseum in North Carolina. Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes battled for the Interim TNT Championship and Ricky Starks defended the FTW Championship against Matt Sydal. Britt Baker put the AEW Women’s Championship on the line against Riho in the main event.

Battle of the Belts Results

  1. Sammy Guevara def. Dustin Rhodes to become the interim TNT Champion
  2. Ricky Starks def. Matt Sydal to retain the FTW Championship
  3. Britt Baker def. Riho via submission to retain the AEW Women’s Championship

Here are the takeaways from Battle of the Belts:

Sammy Guevara Is The Interim TNT Champion

Sammy Guevara faced Dustin Rhodes for the interim TNT Championship. The current TNT Champion, Cody Rhodes, missed the show due to COVID. Aubrey Edwards was the referee and Arn Anderson was in Dustin’s corner. Sammy dominated the match early and Dustin rolled out of the ring to regroup.

Guevara sent Dustin into the barricade and mocked Arn Anderson but doing the Glock taunt. Arn gave Sammy the middle finger and Dustin capitalized on the distraction with a few chops to the chest. Rhodes slammed Sammy’s knee into the steel steps and followed it up with a Piledriver on the floor outside the ring.

When Battle of the Belts returned, Rhodes sent Sammy to the corner and unloaded some punches to his face. Daniel Garcia was shown in the crowd as Sammy turned Dustin inside out with a Clothesline. Guevara knocked Dustin to the floor outside the ring and connected with a crazy springboard flip onto him.

Back in the ring, Dustin connected with a big Cross Rhodes and went for the cover but Guevara kicked out at two. Rhodes followed it up with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb for a near fall. Dustin climbed to the middle turnbuckle but Sammy caught him. Guevara connected with the GTH but Dustin kicked out at two.

Fuego Del Sol emerged from under the ring and set up a table. Arn chased Fuego off as Sammy & Dustin battled on the ring apron. Dustin put Sammy through the table with a Destroyer off the apron and rolled him back into the ring. Rhodes went for the cover but Sammy somehow kicked out and the match continued.

Dustin planted Sammy with two Cross Rhodes and then set up for a Tiger Driver. Sammy escaped and both hit a Clothesline at the same time. Dustin and Sammy slowly made their way back up and Rhodes hit some jabs. They traded roll-up attempts and Sammy was able to keep Dustin down for a three count. Sammy Guevara is the interim TNT Champion. Daniel Garcia hopped in the ring and attacked Sammy Guevara. Guevara will defend the interim TNT Championship against Daniel Garcia on Dynamite.

Ricky Starks Retained The FTW Title

Ricky Starks defended the FTW Championship against Matt Sydal. Powerhouse Hobbs accompanied Starks to the ring. Sydal took Starks down and connected with a standing Moonsault for a two count. Ricky sent Matt to the corner and went for a Splash but Sydal countered with a kick to the face.

Starks fell out of the ring and Sydal followed him out there. Powerhouse Hobbs got in Sydal’s way as Battle of the Belts went to a commercial break. When the show returned, Starks was in control and hit a Clothesline. Ricky followed it up with a Uranage and went for the cover but Sydal kicked out at two. Sydal booted Starks in the face and Ricky fell to the corner.

Sydal hit a Dropkick to the face and perched Starks up on the top turnbuckle. Sydal hit a Hurricanrana and followed it up with a slam for a near fall. Starks went for a Gutwrench Suplex but Sydal escaped. Matt climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit a Meteora and went for the cover but Ricky got his foot on the bottom rope. Starks battled back and connected with the Roshambo for the pinfall victory. Ricky Starks is still the FTW Champion. Starks and Hobbs attacked Sydal after the match but Dante Martin made the save.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1479991151964966914?s=20

Britt Baker Retained The Women’s Title

Britt Baker defended the AEW Women’s Championship against Ruby Soho tonight in the main event of Battle of the Belts. Rebel and Jamie Hayter were ringside for the match. Riho got tripped up by Hayter and Baker capitalized with a shoulder tackle for a one count. Riho sent Baker across the ring with an Arm Drag and then to the outside with a Dropkick.

Riho climbed to the top rope and went for a Crossbody but Rebel got in the way. Riho hit Rebel with a Crossbody but Baker regrouped and hit a Slingblade on the floor outside the ring. Britt and Jamie brought out a table from under the ring and started setting it up. Riho knocked Baker down and then ran up the table like a ramp for a Dropkick on Hayter.

The action returned to the ring and Riho climbed to the top turnbuckle. Riho connected with a Dropkick that knocked the women’s champion to the corner. Britt tripped Riho up and stomped on her a few times against the turnbuckle. Baker and Jamie started arguing as Battle of the Belts went to a commercial break.

When Battle of the Belts returned, Baker was in control and had Riho in a headlock in the middle of the ring. Riho escaped and hit Britt with a running knee to the face. Riho connected with a 619 and went for the cover but Baker kicked out at two. Riho applied a Half Crab but Britt was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold.

Riho climbed to the top rope but Rebel dragged Baker to the outside. Rebel laid on top of Baker and Riho hit her with a Double Stomp. Back in the ring, Riho went for a Double Stomp on Baker but Britt got out of the way. Britt hit an Air Raid Crash for a near fall and grabbed the glove but Rebel. Baker elbowed Riho in the face and Hayter dropped the title in the ring. Baker and Hayter traded strikes and eventually Rebel got kicked out. Baker got the Lockjaw applied for the submission victory and retained the AEW Women’s Championship. Hayter, Rebel, and Baker shared a group hug and celebrated as Battle of the Belts went off the air.

Trey Miguel Teases Appearance of MSK at Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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0

IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion Trey Miguel retained his X-Division Championship at the Hard To Kill PPV event, but that wasn’t the only headline-grabbing element of the match.

Miguel’s entrance seemed to allude to his former Rascalz stablemates, who now go by MSK in WWE’s NXT 2.0 brand. There were two individuals who stood next to Miguel on the entrance ramp, and they certainly looked similar to the NXT Superstars.

It’s an interesting development, as it was recently confirmed that Mickie James will be heading to WWE as part of the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match at the end of January.

Fans have now been wondering if there will be a ‘Forbidden Door’ type of deal between WWE and IMPACT.

Whilst we can’t confirm if that is the case at this time, it was clear that Miguel and IMPACT were alluding to his former stablemates, so they were at least trying to get the internet talking.

Trey Miguel Teases MSK

It will be interesting to see how IMPACT continues to tease this working relationship with WWE, as they have been known to push the boundaries in the past.

The Forbidden Door concept is still intriguing to fans, and the Ring of Honor World Championship was also defended on the Hard To Kill PPV event on Saturday night.

The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

History-Making Main Event Revealed for IMPACT Hard To Kill

Jake Skudder
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The IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill PPV event has already begun, and it has been confirmed during the show that the IMPACT Knockouts match will be main eventing the broadcast.

This will be the first time in both TNA and IMPACT history that a Knockouts Championship match will be main eventing a PPV event.

Mickie James will be defending her IMPACT Knockouts Championship against Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Deathmatch.

This comes after it was revealed that Mickie James would be part of the 30-Woman Royal Rumble match for WWE at the end of the month.

Hard To Kill 2022 Main Event

The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

Here’s the full card for the event:

  • Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
  • IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
  • IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
  • IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
  • Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
  • ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
  • Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
  • Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War

Tasha Steelz Wins the Ultimate X Match at Hard To Kill 2022

Jake Skudder
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Tasha Steelz won the first-ever Knockout’s Ultimate X match at the IMPACT Wrestling Hard To Kill 2022 PPV event.

Alisha, Chelsea Green, IMPACT Digital Media Champion Jordynne Grace, Lady Frost, Rosemary and Steelz all entered the historic match with a shot at the Knockouts Championship on the line.

There were some hellacious spots during the match, with Jordynnne Grace hitting what looked like a Sky High from the ropes by the X on Tasha Steelz. It really looked like it hurt the tailbones of both women but they continued.

Lady Frost also hit a massive moonsault from the top of the truss to the outside just minutes before Tasha Steelz would take the win.

Steelz will now go on to face either Mickie James or Deonna Purrazzo for the IMPACT Knockouts Championship. Those two women will compete later at Hard To Kill in a Texas Deathmatch for the title.

Hard To Kill 2022

The show is available to watch now via FITE TV, with replays ready to stream following the conclusion of the event from Texas.

Here’s the full card for the event:

  • Ace Austin vs. Chris Bey vs. Mike Bailey vs. Laredo Kid in a Fatal 4-Way Match
  • IMPACT X-Division Championship Match – Trey Miguel (c) vs. Steve Maclin – if Maclin loses he can’t challenge for the championship again whilst Trey Miguel is champion
  • IMPACT World Championship Match – Moose (c) vs. Matt Cardona vs. W. Morrissey
  • IMPACT Knockouts Championship Texas Deathmatch – Mickie James (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo
  • Knockouts Ultimate-X Match – Alisha Edwards vs. Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace vs. Lady Frost vs. Rosemary vs. Tasha Steelz
  • ROH World Championship – Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
  • Josh Alexander vs. Jonah
  • Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering) in a 10-man Hardcore War

Cody & Brandi Rhodes In Isolation With Family That Tested Positive For COVID-19

Chris Stephens
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Cody Rhodes was scheduled to face Sammy Guevara in a TNT title match tonight on AEW Battle of the Belts. He will have to miss the show, however, due to being in isolation with family that have tested positive for COVID-19. His brother Dustin will face Guevara in an interim TNT title match instead.

Cody recently took to Instagram stories to comment on both him and Brandi Rhodes being in isolation.

“I appreciate everybody reaching out. Brandi and I are in isolation with family that have unfortunately tested positive for Covid. It’s been a scary time dealing with such a strong virus and the complications that can come with it. We are doing all we can to nurse and protect the family during this time. I will remain in quarantine as long as needed. Everyday is more encouraging. Thank you immensely for your support and respect for our privacy. Thank you to AEW for understanding and allowing me to be where I am needed today, and for still allowing the TNT Title to be represented. I look forward to being back soon. All the love in the world!”

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The updated lineup for tonight’s Battle for the Belts event includes Ricky Starks defending the FTW title against Matt Sydal. Britt Baker will still defend her title against Riho as scheduled. As previously mentioned, Dustin Rhodes will now face Sammy Guevara in a match for the interim TNT Championship.

Tom Hannifan Joins Impact As New Play-by-Play Announcer

Michael Reichlin
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Tom Hannifan is the new voice of Impact Wrestling. He officially joined the commentary table at Saturday night’s Hard to Kill pay-per-view.

His former broadcasting partner Renee Paquette broke the news Saturday afternoon on Twitter. Impact soon followed up with confirmation.

Hannifan is Imapct’s new lead play-by-play announcer, replacing Matt Striker.

Tom Hannifan’s Road to Impact

Hannifan previously worked for WWE under the name Tom Phillips. They released him in May 2021 after about 9 years with the company.

Shortly thereafter, Hannifan spoke extensively about his time there. He credits Renee Paquette as being one of the people who took him under their wing and showed him the ropes while he got caught up to speed with WWE’s way of doing things.

Following his Impact Wrestling debut, Hannifan will join Renee Paquette on the next edition of her Oral Sessions podcast. That interview drops this coming Tuesday.

Below, you can check out Tom Hannifan’s in-depth interview talking about his WWE run, the hardest part of that job being overproduced there and much more.

Tom Phillips Talks WWE Release, Internal Competition, Adnan Virk

Sasha Banks to miss 6-8 weeks due to foot injury

Chris Stephens
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Sasha Banks had to be helped to the back on a January 2nd WWE Live event in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She suffered a foot injury during her match with Charlotte Flair on the show.

WWE took to social media recently to provide an update on Banks’ injury. She suffered a bruised calcaneus bone but nothing was broken. Her estimated timetable for return is 6-8 weeks.

“Sasha underwent an MRI and it was discovered she has a bruised calcaneus bone. She is at home recovering and undergoing physical therapy. She is expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks,” reads a WWE press release.

Sasha Banks Injured At WWE Live Event

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The injury means that Sasha Banks will miss the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble match at the end of the month. She will likely be able to return in time for WrestleMania, however.

Shortly after news of the injury broke, Sasha took to Twitter to provide an update.

“I’m good. Thank you for the love always,” she Tweeted.

Banks also took to Twitter recently to comment on William Regal’s release from WWE.

“There would be no Sasha Banks if it wasn’t for @RealKingRegal thank you for giving me a chance and believing in me. Forever grateful,” she wrote.

Impact Comments On Mickie James Being In The Royal Rumble

Chris Stephens
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Impact Knockouts World Champion Mickie James was announced as participating in the Royal Rumble last night on Smackdown. James was released by WWE in April of last year.

WWE acknowledged that James is the current Knockouts champion when announcing her participating in the Rumble. James will defend that title tonight at Hard to Kill against former champion Deonna Purrazzo, however.

Impact posted to their website about the news:

“WWE wanted it, Mickie wanted it and IMPACT Wrestling’s philosophy is always to work with other major promotions to create buzz for the fans,” said IMPACT’s Scott D’Amore. “Everything is signed and agreed with WWE and IMPACT Wrestling – the only question is whether or not Mickie will enter one of WWE’s most historic annual matches as the reigning Knockouts World Champion.”

“There’s never been a time like this for wrestling fans. In a 12 month period, IMPACT Wrestling has worked with NWA, AAA, New Japan, AEW and now WWE. IMPACT Wrestling is the nexus of the forbidden door era.”

Hard To Kill 2022 Lineup

Impact Hard to Kill 2022 will take place January 8th, 2022 from the Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas. The matches below have been officially confirmed for the show:

  • Impact World Championship
    Moose (c) vs Matt Cardona vs W. Morrissey
  • Knockouts Championship
    Texas Death Match
    Mickie James (c) vs Deonna Purrazzo
  • Ultimate X Match For The #1 Contendership to the Knockouts Championship
    Lady Frost vs Alisha Edwards vs Tasha Steelz vs Jordynne Grace vs Chelsea Green vs Rosemary
  • Josh Alexander vs JONAH
  • X-Division Championship
    Trey Miguel (c) vs Steve Maclin
  • ROH Championship
    Jonathan Gresham (c) vs. Chris Sabin
  • 10-Man Hardcore War
    Eddie Edwards, Rich Swann, Willie Mack, Heath and Rhino vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) and Violent By Design (Eric Young, Deaner, and Joe Doering)

More On Drew McIntyre’s Neck Injury

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has written Drew McIntyre off TV with the hopes that he could heal from his neck injury and be back in time for WrestleMania 38.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter talked about the former WWE champion recently and provided some minor updates on his condition.

According to him, McIntyre’s neck has been ‘bothering him for months’ and he would have required a ‘major surgery’ if nothing was done about it.

The officials hope that the damage is not too bad and this rest will help him be back in time for WrestleMania 38.

However, the plan is to have the neck looked at extensively. Nothing can be said about his future with certainty until Drew McIntyre has had his issues diagnosed properly.

Meltzer noted how the timing for this break was not in the favor of the officials because SmackDown has no other full-time top babyface.

Drew McIntyre competed most recently at the Day 1 PPV earlier this month. He defeated Madcap Moss in a singles match.

The match was followed by a backstage segment where the Scottish Warrior was attacked by Moss and Baron Corbin to write him off TV for the foreseeable future.

Drew McIntyre Shares Which Match He’d Go Back In Time To Witness Live

Natalya & Summer Rae Trade Shots Regarding The Royal Rumble

Chris Stephens
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Last night on WWE Smackdown, Summer Rae was announced as a participant in the Royal Rumble this year. Summer was released from WWE in the fall of 2017.

Natalya took to Twitter to say she was looking forward to facing her in the Royal Rumble later this month.

Summer Rae then appeared to not remember who Natalya is.

Natalya then reminded Summer of the below incident on Total Divas:

“Ohhhh yes, thank you for posting this now I remember. How could I forget Mrs Get off my Property,” Summer responded.

“I’m a 3 time world record holder, bitch. If you have any more correspondence, please reach out to my assistant. I’m super busy,” Natalya responded.

WWE revealed several names set for the Royal Rumble on last night’s Smackdown. These included multiple performers not on the current WWE roster. Mickie James, the Bella Twins, Kelly Kelly, and Lita will all take part in the Rumble this year.

Earlier this year, Summer Rae commented on her relationship with Vince McMahon on the TWC Show.

“Oh, Vince loved me. I love it, I would walk my butt straight into Vince’s office all the time. Vince did not scare me at all. Mind you, you have to be respectful. I would never just walk in there. I would knock and then wait for hours and hours, but if I ever was having an issue or when I was thinking of leaving, I went and talked to him.”

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