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AEW Special Feat. Women’s Title Tournament Match Announced

Rayan Sayyed
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AEW has announced that a special featuring the women’s title eliminator tournament match will be broadcasted on Bleacher Report for free.

President Tony Khan announced that the match between Thunder Rosa and Riho as part of the US semi-finals will air for free on Sunday, February 28. Khan tweeted, “The #AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament USA semifinal bout featuring former AEW Women’s World Champion Riho vs. former NWA Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa streams on Bleacher Report on February 28th on a free Sunday Special, one week before Revolution PPV!”

It should be noted that Bleacher Report is available worldwide as opposed to BR Live, which is the only available in the US. Khan noted that streaming on Bleacher Report will provide great exposure of AEW to non-fans via Bleacher Report’s 9.4 million Twitter followers along with 14.8 million Instagram followers.

Thunder Rosa won against Leyla Hirsch in the US quarterfinal round on the February 10 edition of AEW Dynamite, while Riho defeated Serena Deeb on last week’s episode. Four matches from the Japanese bracket have been aired on YouTube.

Four more matches will be broadcasted via YouTube on Monday, February 22: Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose and Dr. Britt Baker vs. Anna Jay of the US bracket, along with Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura and Ryo Mizunami vs. Aja Kong of the Japanese bracket.

The winners from the remaining US quarterfinals will face each other on the February 24 episode of Dynamite. The emerging winner will then face the winner of the Thunder Rosa vs. Riho match on March 1. Finally, the finalists from the US and Japan brackets will have a match on the March 3 episode of Dynamite. The winner will get to face Hikaru Shida for the AEW Women’s Championship on March 7 at the Revolution PPV.

Lana On Bobby Lashley Storyline: “We Broke The Internet”

Anutosh Bajpai
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The storyline among Lana, Rusev and Bobby Lashley created a lot of controversy but the whole angle also drew a lot of attention from fans around the world.

The Ravishing Russian recently had an interview with TalkSport where she opened up about things like being part of Rusev Day and more.

Discussing her storyline with Bobby Lashley which got a strong reaction from fans on both sides, Lana said that she thinks that they broke the internet with it:

“I think we broke the internet and cracked mainstream media. A bigger thing that I think is very important to have on WWE television, and I know a lot of people might disagree with me, is I do think it’s important to have romantic angle, relationship angles, soap opera angles.”

Lana On Why WWE Needs Romantic Storylines

Lana expanded on her comments mentioning how WWE produces nearly 10 hours of original content every week. She then explained why the company needs to include storylines like this one:

“We have so much WWE programming every week. What is it, nearly 10 hours of network television? It can’t all be for the title.

It can’t just be about being an in-ring competitor; it’s got to be about relationships stuff as well. And women, if we want women to watch, that’s what we need.”

The female star continued her explanation and said she watches soap opera and relationship-related programming. She said that it’s important for WWE to have such storylines if they want to attract little girls and women.

Apart from this, Lana also talked about things like her ongoing storyline with Nia Jax, Jax’s reputation of being an unsafe worker and more.

Bayley And Aaron Solow Call Off Engagement

Anutosh Bajpai
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Former SmackDown women’s champion Bayley and current AEW star Aaron Solow have unfortunately called off their engagement due to differences in their vision for their future.

The news was confirmed by the AEW wrestler who took on his Twitter and released a statement from his official account, saying that it has been a difficult decision to make.

Solow noted that he and Bayley, real name Pamela Martinez have realised that they have a completely different idea of what they want their future to look like.

He went on to say that the two have a lot of great memories together which they will cherish and they have agreed to remain friends and support each other:

Bayley met the former indie star in 2010, before both the stars had made their name and before the current WWE star had signed a contract with the company.

While the two kept their relationship private for the most part, the news of the female star’s engagement with the high flyer broke in late 2016.

Aaron Solow has also found some success in recent times. He has been competing in AEW Dark and Cody Rhodes welcomed the indie star to the Nightmare Family via a tweet earlier this month.

PROGRESS Chapter 104: Natural Progression Results

Jake Skudder
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It was recently revealed that PROGRESS Wrestling would be returning as of this weekend. WWE recently confirmed via Twitter that Chapter 104: Natural Progression would be airing on the WWE Network Saturday 20th February at 3 p.m. ET/8 p.m. GMT.

The main theme of the show surrounded the Natural Progression Series tournament; however there were other bouts that were featured on the night as well. One of the bigger matches that took place involved the PROGRESS Unified World Champion, Cara Noir. Newly signed NXT UK Superstar Millie McKenzie was also in action.

PROGRESS Returns

Here’s the results from the WWE Network show:

  • PROGRESS World Championship Match – Cara Noir (c) vs. Dan Moloney – Cara Noir retained his Championship via rear-naked choke
  • Kid Lykos vs. Chuck Mambo – Kid Lykos took the win after making Chuck Mambo submit in the Blood Moon. Kid Lykos II came out and caused the distraction
  • Natural Progression Series Tournament Quarter Final: Warren Banks vs Big Guns Joe – Warren Banks took the win after hitting a Spear
  • Natural Progression Series Tournament Quarter Final: Elijah vs Danny Black – Danny Black took the win via pinfall
  • Millie McKenzie vs. Mercedez Blaze – Millie McKenzie took the win via pinfall
  • Natural Progression Series Tournament Quarter Final: Kid Lykos II vs Ethan Allen – Ethan Allen beats Kid Lykos II via referee stoppage
  • Natural Progression Series Tournament Quarter Final: Luke Jacobs vs Man Like Dereiss – Luke Jacobs takes the win
  • PROGRESS World Championship No. 1 Contender’s Match: Spike Trivet vs. Omari vs. Gene Munny vs. Chris Ridgeway – Ridgeway pins Munny for the win following a penalty kick

Kenny Omega Says AEW & WWE Working Agreement “Could Be A Reality”

Chris Stephens
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AEW World Champion Kenny Omega believes it is possible that WWE and AEW could work together one day.

Back in December, Triple H had said that WWE is “open for business” when asked about possibly working with other promotions. Omega says he believes Triple H, and that WWE and AEW could work together someday. He detailed his thoughts on the matter in a recent interview with Talk Sport.

“I think Triple H is still being one of the boys for the better part of his career. I’m sure a big part of how he runs his business and how he looks at WWE, NXT and all those things he has a finger in, I really do think he does it for the sake of fans as well.”

“So when he does say things like he’s open for business, I do think if there is a situation which could maybe eliminate some of the worries and fears from the other people that have a say in making these things happen, I do see it being a reality.”

Omega continued to say, however, that it took a pandemic for AEW/Impact/NJPW to come together, so he’s not sure what it would take to add WWE to the mix. He hopes that WWE knows that at least one EVP in AEW would fight “tooth and nail” to make it happen, however.

“But, for us with IMPACT, New Japan, it took a global pandemic for this to actually happen [laughs]. So who knows what it would take for it to happen on their end, but as long as they know at least on the AEW side they’ve got more than one EVP looking to make this a better and brighter place for every wrestling fan young or old and possibly the disenfranchised fan, the fan that used to be a fan but isn’t a fan anymore.”

“We want to make this a fun thing for everyone and if that includes working with literally everyone, which I think would make everyone happy, then I’m all for it and I would lobby very hard for it, fight tooth and nail to make it happen.”

The full interview with Omega can be read here.

Jon Moxley Says He Wanted To Form A Tag-Team With Brodie Lee

Chris Stephens
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Former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley recently stated that he thought he and Brodie Lee would have formed a great tag-team. Moxley was interviewed by Metro UK and said he felt he and Lee could have had a full run as tag-team together.

“I had an idea to eventually one day – I like tag team wrestling, you know? And there’s so many great tag teams here that I wanna get to work with. ‘But it’s like, OK, I’m gonna need a suitable partner, not just any random guy. I want a full, actual good tag team run with a good partner, make a real run at having a run in this tag division.”

“The guy I was thinking about doing it with was Brodie Lee. He was a good friend, and I wrestled him so many millions of times, our styles would have complemented each other very well.”

Moxley and Brodie Lee wrestled each other countless times in WWE, especially during the Shield and Wyatt Family runs from 2014-2017. Outside of WWE, they met in 3 singles matches. The first was on an EVOLVE show in 2010 that went to a no-contest. Then on January 7th, 2011, Jon Moxley successfully defended the CZW Championship against Lee. Their last match against each other was on the Double or Nothing 2020 PPV last May when Moxley successfully defended the AEW World Championship against Lee.

The full interview with Metro UK can be read here.

Update On Lars Sullivan’s Post-WWE Plans

Chris Stephens
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Lars Sullivan departed WWE last month after asking the company for his release. The 32-year-old told the company he was retiring from pro-wrestling due to his issues with anxiety. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, however, Sullivan plans on getting into the world of bare-knuckled boxing.

“Dylan Miley, the former Lars Sullivan, is now doing boxing training with the
idea of working for one of the Bare Knuckle promotions,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The report would continue to state that Sullivan doesn’t have any illusions about his prospects in the sport, however. He’s 32-years-old and does not have prior boxing training. Still, he plans on making a go of it in the sport.

Sullivan’s release from WWE was addressed recently on an episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.

“He was going to get a push, a real big push as a matter of fact, and he could not handle the pressure. He had an anxiety attack, he was suffering even before. Then he stopped coming, kept not coming, and at that point, this has happened before.”

“They brought him back a second time with a big push, he got the knee injury. They brought him back a 3rd time with a big push, he stopped coming. At that point, I think it was inevitable how it was going to end up.” 

Matt Cardona On Why He’s Not With AEW Anymore

Chris Stephens
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Following his release from WWE last spring, Matt Cardona wrestled two matches in AEW. He teamed with Cody and defeated John Silver & Alex Reynolds on the August 5th edition of Dynamite and then teamed with the Natural Nightmares and Scorpio Sky at All Out 2020 and defeated 4 members of the Dark Order.

Cardona is now with Impact Wrestling and appears to be building a feud with his former longtime tag partner and friend, Brian Myers. He spoke to Chris Van Vliet recently about why he is no longer in All Elite Wrestling.

“After the release day, I was in contact with so many people and promotions. The AEW thing worked out first, and that was only for a couple of dates,” Cardona said.

“AEW was awesome, it was fun, it was great but I was in such a long-term relationship, I didn’t want to jump into another relationship with anybody, really. To be honest, I was enjoying the free time at home, building the podcast, and time just kind of flew by.”

“Before I knew it, I got a text, it was the Friday before Hard to Kill, saying ‘hey, do you want to come to work tomorrow?’ I was like ‘you know what?'”

“I like to be able to bounce around and do whatever I want to do right now,” he continued.

Cardona’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Jon Moxley On What He Said To Tony Khan About The Exploding Barbed-Wire Death Match

Chris Stephens
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Jon Moxley will face Kenny Omega in an exploding barbed-wire deathmatch at AEW Revolution on March 7th. He recently appeared on Wrestling Observer Radio and spoke about the upcoming match.

Moxley talked about how he’d always been a fan of such matches but never thought he’d get to do one in AEW. He wouldn’t say whose idea having the match in AEW was, but did note that it was something that was brought to him rather than something he pitched to management.

“When this was brought to me, quite some time ago actually, I’m not going to turn that down,” Moxley said on the show.

“One thing that I absolutely cannot stand is the thought of promising something and not delivering it to fans. So if I tell you some wild stuff is going to go down, I’m going to deliver on it.”

Later in the show, Moxley said he had the following to say to Tony Khan about the match.

“So now, I made it very clear to Tony, don’t put me in these situations unless you want me to go full-on, full tilt. Be careful of what you wish for because I’m not in the business of under-delivering on promises these days to people. And they know that so in a situation like this, the gloves are off.”

Jon Moxley On Pitching Ideas In WWE

Moxley then continued to talk about other times in his career when he has pitched ideas and had them turned down.

“There were many, many times over the years where I’d say these things like ‘I’m going to put you through Hell in a Cell!’ and whatever they had me say but in my mind I’m like ‘No, I’m not, I’m not going to do any of this stuff. This is stupid, we know exactly what’s going to happen, it’s the same stupid Hell in a Cell.'”

“I felt like I was always over-promising what I was allowed to actually deliver and I pitched so much stuff over the years,” Moxley continued.

Moxley also spoke about pitching an idea for a Hell in a Cell match and getting rejected by WWE management.

“Something simple like tearing the canvas off and exposing the boards,” Moxley mentioned he pitched for a Hell in a Cell match once.

“They looked at me like I’m f***ing stupid,” he said of Vince, Hunter, and Stephanie’s reaction. “They didn’t get it at all. Vince was like ‘I don’t think people are going to get it’. They looked at me like I’m an idiot. Hunter’s rolling his eyes.”

Terry Funk Says That AEW Title Match is a “Kick In The Ass” To Vince McMahon

Jake Skudder
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Pro wrestling legend Terry Funk recently reacted to the AEW Revolution main event news. Although it is unfair to just label Funk as a ‘hardcore’ wrestling legend, he was part of some of the most brutal matches over his illustrious career.

One of the bouts that Terry Funk took part in was the Exploding Barbed Wire DeathMatch; much like the one that will main event AEW Revolution between AEW Champion Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley.

Terry Funk on DeathMatch

Terry Funk was made aware of the Revolution main event and the person running his Twitter account notified followers of his reply. “Just talked to Mr. Funk & he’s doing okay. He just wanted to wish Jon Moxley & Kenny Omega the best of luck in their exploding barbed wire match” Funk reportedly began.

It was also noted that Funk made a playful jab at WWE. “He says the match is a good way for AEW to wake up Vince with a good kick in his ass. He wants you to know he’s pulling for you!”

AEW Revolution takes place on March 7th from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. Here’s the current card for the event:

  • AEW Championship Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch – Kenny Omega (c) vs Jon Moxley
  • AEW Tag Team Championships – The Young Bucks (c) vs Chris Jericho and MJF
  • Streetfight – Team Taz vs Sting And Darby Allin
  • Hikaru Shida vs The Winner Of The AEW Women’s Championship Eliminator Tournament
  • Face Of The Revolution Ladder Match – Winner gets a shot at the TNT Championship
  • Big Money Match – Hangman Page Vs. Matt Hardy

Love Island Reality Show Star Reportedly Signs With WWE

Jake Skudder
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It has been revealed that former Love Island contestant and World of Sport star Adam ‘Flex’ Maxted has been signed to WWE. The powerhouse star is reportedly being sent to the NXT UK brand, alongside other new signing Millie McKenzie.

As mentioned, Adam Maxted was previously a featured name on the WOS program. World of Sport aired on ITV’s main broadcast channel, with Love Island being a stable of sister channel ITV2. It was hoped that the crossover appeal of Maxted would help the brand gain traction, however after just one season (due to a number of reasons) World of Sport was cancelled by ITV.

Love Island’s Adam ‘Flex’ Maxted

Maxted previously had a tryout with WWE back in 2017. Adam Maxted has wrestled for the likes of OTT Wrestling, IPW:UK, 5 Star and Preston City Wrestling.

Having worked on the UK independent scene for a long time, Maxsted had worked with some of the bigger names on the scene. These include legend Doug Williams, Nathan Cruz, Noam Dar, Pete Dunne and Grado.

Check out some matches from the former Love Island contestant below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYD2WcOfW3Y

Cesaro On If He Has Ever Thought About Leaving WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Cesaro is always mentioned in any talk about underrated WWE superstars and there is no shortage of people who think he should be a world champion.

With people like Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal rejuvenating their careers by building themselves outside of WWE after being released, a lot of people wonder if the Swiss Superman should also do the same.

During a recent interview with New York Post, Cesaro was asked if there has been a point where he thought about leaving the company and he replied positively:

“Yeah. So, I’m extremely stubborn. (Laughs). It’s a good and a bad thing obviously, but I really enjoy entertaining people and I really enjoy traveling all over the world and that’s what kept me going. I still believe in hard work paying off and that’s what I wanted to do.

Of course, you start to think, OK what are other options or other possibilities. How can improve my standing maybe through some outside ventures or whatever?  But in the end, I just figured OK when the right moment comes I’ll be ready and I’ll knock it out of the park.”

The former US Champion was also asked if there has been a tag team partner he wished he had gotten more time with and he took the name of Tyson Kidd.

Apart from this, Cesaro was asked what he thinks has kept him from getting a main event push in WWE. You can check out his reply to the question here.

Ember Moon On The Origin Of Her Finishing Menuever

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Eclipse finishing menuever of Ember Moon is one of the most unique finishing moves in all of WWE and the former champion recently revealed the origin of it.

The former NXT star recently had an interview with SportsKeeda where she talked about a number of things including her early days in wrestling and more.

During the talk, she also revealed where she got Eclipse from and Moon revealed that she actually got it from a friend who had created but then retired the move:

“My friend, James, he actually created the move and he retired and I was like look, I said I need something that’s gonna keep people in seats, because at that point in time, the women’s revolution had not really started,

Like no one watched our matches.” said Ember Moon, “and I wanna make these people stay in their seats, I want to make them watch what we do because it’s not fair to us. And so my friend was like I’m going to retire this year, I was like teach me the ways (laughs).”

The former NXT women’s champion made her wrestling debut back in 2007 and she spent her early years competing for promotions such as Shimmer Women Athletes, Women Superstars Uncensored and Inspire Pro Wrestling.

She was signed by WWE in 2015 and promoted to the main roster in 2018. Though Ember Moon has since made her return to the Black and Yellow brand.

More On What Bo Dallas Is Doing During His Time Away From WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Bo Dallas is still a part of the WWE roster but the former NXT champion hasn’t been seen on WWE programming for a long time.

The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter provides some more update on his whereabouts and the latest edition of the Newsletter reveals what the former NXT star is doing nowadays.

According to it, Dallas has been preparing for his life after wrestling and he has been running a farm with fellow WWE superstar Liv Morgan.

The two have also started a family real estate business and the brother of WWE’s Bray Wyatt has been studying the ins and outs of the industry for his future.

While Bo Dallas is still under contract with the company and getting paid by the promotion, the creative have nothing for him and at this point, they don’t even bring him in for TV tapings just in case.

The third generation wrestling star last appeared on WWE programming during the Crown Jewel event in 2019 where he competed in the tag team turmoil match with partner Curtis Axel.

However, he hasn’t made any appearances for the company since 2019 and there is no update on when or if we will ever see him returning to the WWE TV.

Sami Zayn Recalls Accidentally Hitting Two Hall of Famers With Helluva Kick

Rayan Sayyed
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Sami Zayn recalled that he accidentally hit two WWE Hall of Famers with his Helluva kick, describing one of those incidents where he hit so hard that he could feel the skull of his opponent through his feet.

The Helluva Kick is Sami Zayn’s finisher move, and while it looks dangerous, is harmless enough if executed properly. Such a move is best left to be performed by a professional like Sami Zayn, but even he is prone to occasional mistakes. And mistakes against two legendary WWE Hall of Famers, no less.

Sami Zayn revealed in a recent interview that when he was wrestling X-Pac at CHIKARA King of Trios 2011, he made a mistake and hit X-Pac in the face a bit too hard with his finishing kick.

In an interview with Fox Sports, Sami Zayn was asked when was the best Helluva Kick he’s ever delivered. While Zayn stated that he doesn’t remember when he executed the move best, he does remember a couple of times when he botched it.

“Best? I don’t know how to say best, but there’s a couple of guys that I really smoked with that kick and they’re the last guys you would ever wanna smoke that badly,” Zayn said. “And one of them was the 1-2-3 Kid, X-Pac — Sean Waltman. I wrestled him on an independent (sic) in 2011, and again, I was so excited about this match. I have so much respect for this guy, a genuine trailblazer, deserves both Hall of Fame rings, if not a third one for his individual contributions to the business.

“I’m in the ring with him and we’re having this match, and I guess I just- I don’t know, maybe I ran too fast, I don’t know what was going on, but I absolutely obliterated him. Obliterated him to the point where I could feel his skull through my foot — it’s very hard to explain. Upon contact I was like, ‘Oh, that was so much harder than I wanted to do that. That’s too much,'” Zayn recalled/

Sami Zayn then revealed the other name that he absolutely “smoked” with his foot on the face — Jushin “Thunder” Liger.

“And the other one, another legend, is Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger. Wrestled him in Los Angeles in, maybe, 2009-10? Same thing. The last guy you’d ever want to hurt, and again — must’ve had a little too much momentum. Absolutely obliterated him,” Sami Zayn concluded.

Otis & Apollo Crews Turn Heel On SmackDown

Rayan Sayyed
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0

Otis and Apollo Crews went through a change in their characters on tonight’s SmackDown as both of them embraced their negative sides.

A match was set between Shinsuke Nakamura and Apollo Crews during SmackDown, with Intercontinental Champion Big E joining commentary for the match.

While the match was underway, Big E derided Apollo Crews and told him that it was time to move on and fight someone like Nakamura instead. This only made things worse as Crews lost to Nakamura and resorted to causing chaos and uncalled-for violence.

After being rolled up for a successful pinfall by Nakamura, Crews attacked him from behind while he was celebrating and threw him out of the ring. Crews launched Nakamura to the barricade and went to mouth off to Big E. Crews then grabbed the steel steps, but Big E got in the way and told him to put it down and walk away.

Crews complied and put them down, with Big E going to check on Nakamura – only for Crews to pick them up again and slam them in Big E’s back, effectively knocking him down. He then threw the steps and Big E inside the ring, but a referee interfered in time, allowing E to roll out of harm’s way.

The referee asked Crews to throw the steps down – which he did – but they landed on Big E. He was then stretchered out of the ThunderDome.

Apollo Crews’ full heel turn was definitely around the corner, and now it has finally arrived. It’d be interesting to see if Crews could join hands with Roman Reigns now that he’s on the “other” side.

WWE SmackDown Results (2/19): Elimination Chamber Go-Home Show, Edge & Reigns

Apollo Crews is not the only heel turn of the night though, as Otis surprised everyone by knocking out Rey Mysterio during a tag team match.

During the match between Otis and Chad Gable vs Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio, Alpha Academy, however, wanted to unfold chaos in the ring. For some reason, Gable argued and ordered Otis to deliver a splash from the top turnbuckle on Rey Mysterio, who was already down.

The referee then called for the bell, as Otis apparently didn’t pay any heed to the official’s count of five. Gable instructed Otis to hit another splash on Rey, after which Otis proceeded to pose in the ring. Dominik helped Rey backstage as he was knocked out and wasn’t moving.

WWE SmackDown Results (2/19): Elimination Chamber Go-Home Show, Edge & Reigns

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome. It was the final episode of SmackDown before WWE Elimination Chamber this Sunday. In addition to the takeaways below, Edge and Daniel Bryan had a conversation backstage. Bryan told Edge to choose him as his WrestleMania opponent if he is able to capture the Universal Championship on Sunday.

SmackDown Results (2/19)

  1. Shinsuke Nakamura def. Apollo Crews
  2. Tamina & Natalya def. Riott Squad
  3. Reginald, Sasha Banks, Bianca Belair def. Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Bayley
  4. Rey Mysterio & Dominik def. Alpha Academy via DQ
  5. Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan def. Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Jey Uso

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Reigns Whispered Something To Edge

2021 Royal Rumble winner Edge kicked off this week’s SmackDown and made his way to the ring. Edge noted that he still has to decide who to face at WrestleMania. Edge said it is the biggest decision of his career and was interrupted by Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

Jey Uso and Paul Heyman accompanied Reigns to the ring and the Universal Champion took his time down the entrance ramp. Roman Reigns told Edge that there is only one choice because he is the main event. Edge claimed he was playing Roman like a fiddle last week and he just cannot acknowledge Reigns as the main event of WrestleMania.

Edge claimed that Roman needs him to be the main event of WrestleMania and called Reigns insecure. Edge added that Reigns is a generational talent and he respects him and his family. He claimed Roman is cracking under the pressure before Sami Zayn interrupted.

Zayn shouted that Edge and Reigns were disrespecting him. Sami said that Roman is so worried about Edge that he is not even seeing the threat in front of him. Zayn referred to himself as the “master strategist” and that should worry Edge and Reigns.

Sami demanded that his documentary crew get him standing in front of the WrestleMania sign. Jey Uso shut Sami Zayn up with a Superkick as Edge and Reigns started at each other. Reigns put his hands behind his back and whispered something to Edge. Roman then exited the ring to end the segment.

Apollo Crews Attacked Big E

Apollo Crews battled Shinsuke Nakamura in the first match of the night. Intercontinental Champion Big E joined commentary for the match. Nakamura slammed Crews to the canvas and connected with a knee to the face for a near fall.

Crews hit a Dropkick that sent Shinsuke Nakamura out of the ring. Shinsuke and Apollo traded punches next to Big E and Crews launched Nakamura on the Intercontinental Champion as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Nakamura sent Apollo to the corner and planted him with a snap German Suplex for a two count. Shinsuke then rolled up Crews for the pinfall victory. After the match, Apollo Crews attacked Shinsuke from behind and threw him out of the ring. Crews launched Nakamura into the barricade and then got in Big E’s face. Crews grabbed the steel steps and Big E got in his way.

Big E told Crews to put the steel steps down and walk away. Apollo put the steps down and Big E checked on Nakamura. Crews grabbed the steel steps and bashed Big E in the back. Apollo then threw the steps onto Big E outside the ring and WWE officials rushed to check on the Intercontinental Champion as SmackDown went to a commercial break. Big E was stretchered out of the ThunderDome when SmackDown returned.

Seth Rollins Warned Cesaro

Seth Rollins made his entrance as Big E was being stretchered out of the arena. Rollins said what happened to Big E is a tragedy. Seth brought up the SmackDown locker room turning their back on him and claimed he knows how Big E feels.

Rollins said he is still suffering from the trauma last week and his lawyers drafted up a formal complaint that has been delivered to WWE officials. Seth stated that months went into planning his big return and it was ruined by a bunch of losers because they are afraid.

Seth claimed that there are already millions out there that have already embraced the vision for a better SmackDown and we will win because we are powerful and they are losers. Rollins said that Cesaro is the biggest loser of them all because he made their moment about him.

Rollins said that what happened to Cesaro will happen to anyone else that stands in their way. Seth ended the promo by saying “embrace the vision” and wished everyone a goodnight.

Kayla Braxton interviewed Cesaro backstage later on the show. Cesaro claimed he was out there respecting Seth and was hoping for a different Rollins to come back. Cesaro said that he had this huge chance to come back as the leader we know he can be, but he returned as the same condescending “SOB”. Edge showed up and told Cesaro that he is digging his new grit. Cesaro vowed to win the Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber and suggested a match against Edge at WrestleMania.

Natalya & Tamina Dominated

Riott Squad faced Natalya and Tamina tonight on SmackDown. Tamina dominated the action early before tagging in Natalya. Liv rolled up Natalya for a near fall and then tagged in Ruby Riott. Ruby bounced Natalya’s face off the top turnbuckle and tagged in Liv Morgan. Liv hit Natalya with a Codebreaker and went for the cover but Natalya was able to kick out at two.

Billie Kay came down to the ring with cat ears on and a Tamina shirt. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter but Ruby booted her away. Tamina tagged in and knocked Liv off the ring apron. Tamina then slammed Ruby Riott to the canvas for the pinfall victory. Billie tried to celebrate with Natalya & Tamina after the match but they beat her down.

Reginald Pinned Nia Jax

Bayley welcomed Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax on Ding Dong, Hello! tonight on SmackDown. Bayley thanked Shayna and Nia for being a part of her show tonight. Bayley thanked Nia & Shayna for winning the Women’s Tag Team Championships because it allowed her to get rid of Sasha Banks.

Nia Jax stated that Sasha is just so fake and phony. Shayna claimed that Bianca is just as bad. Reginald interrupted and said that he cannot let them slander the name of Sasha Banks. Reginald added that if Sasha and Bianca were to team up, they would take the titles from Nia & Shayna.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks made her way to the ring and told Reginald to never speak for her again. Banks claimed that Bianca will choose to face her at WrestleMania because the women’s division revolves around her.

Bianca Belair joined the party and told Reginald that she isn’t anyone’s sidekick. Belair claimed that she is the star of this division because she won the women’s Royal Rumble match. Reginald suggested a 3 vs. 3 match and Nia demanded a referee come down to the ring as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Shayna, Nia, and Bayley battled Reginald, Sasha Banks, and Bianca Belair. Bianca and Shayna started off the action by locking up in the middle of the ring. Banks tagged in and caught Shayna with a knee to the face. Reginald flipped into the ring and wanted a high five. Nia attacked Sasha and brought her to the corner of the ring.

Shayna tagged in and slammed Banks’ knee on the canvas as Reginald was shown with a concerned look on his face. Nia tagged in and slammed Banks to the mat for a two count. Reginald tagged in and got in Nia’s face. Reginald started to back away before locking up with her in the middle of the ring.

Jax shoved Reginald to the canvas and followed it up with a massive shoulder tackle. Reginald tried to trip up Nia but she launched him to the corner of the ring. Reginald dodged a Splash but turned around into another shoulder tackle from Jax. Nia went for a Leg Drop but Reginald rolled out of the way.

Banks and Belair dragged Shayna off the apron and beat her down to prevent Nia from making a tag. Reginald leaped but Nia caught him in the middle of the ring. Banks and Belair hit a double Dropkick and Reginald fell on top of Nia for the pinfall victory.

Later on SmackDown, Reginald and Carmella had a conversation backstage. Carmella wondered what took Reginald so long to bring her the wine. Reginald claimed that he had to give the wine the proper time to breathe.

Carmella said she saw Reginald out in the ring and that she isn’t mad. Carmella told Reginald that she knows he is going to do the right thing and threatened him if he did not. Carmella spit out the wine and threw it in Reginald’s face before demanding another glass.

Alpha Academy Beat Rey Mysterio Down

Rey Mysterio and Dominik faced Otis & Chad Gable (Alpha Academy) tonight. SmackDown Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode joined commentary for the match. Ziggler and Roode had red solo cups in their hand to mock Street Profits.

Dominik hit Gable with a Dropkick and Chad retreated to the corner. Otis tagged in and leveled Dominik with a shoulder tackle. Rey tagged in and connected with a Senton. Mysterio went for a Crossbody but Otis caught him and connected with a Powerslam.

Otis followed it up with a Splash and Gable got into the ring to argue with Otis for whatever reason. Gable told Otis to hit the ropes and he obliged. Otis hit another Splash and the official called for the bell. Apparently, Otis didn’t obey the referee’s count of five. Gable dragged Rey to the corner and told Otis to climb the turnbuckle. Otis hit Rey with a Splash off the middle rope and posed in the ring. Dominik helped Rey backstage when SmackDown returned from a commercial break.

Reigns Sent A Message To Edge

Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Jey Uso faced Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, Kevin Owens in the main event. These 6 superstars will battle in the Elimination Chamber this Sunday. The winner of the Elimination Chamber match will face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at the PPV. Edge joined commentary for the main event.

Jey beat Daniel Bryan down in the corner to start off the match. Bryan battled back and tagged in Cesaro. Jey scampered to the corner and tagged in Corbin. King Corbin and Cesaro locked up in the middle of the ring. Corbin quickly retreated and tagged in Sami Zayn.

Bryan tagged back in and booted Sami in the midsection. Bryan followed it up with an uppercut but Sami caught him with a knee to the ribs. Zayn hit a few more knees before tagging in King Corbin. King Corbin unloaded some punches on Bryan before pressing his throat against the middle rope.

Corbin slapped Sami in the chest to tag him in and the two started arguing. Cesaro was able tag in during the distraction and booted Corbin out of the ring. Cesaro beat the hell out of Sami with several uppercuts in the corner. Zayn helplessly rolled out of the ring to regroup and started arguing with Corbin once again.

Corbin rolled Sami in the ring and Cesaro hit him with the Swing before catapulting him into the turnbuckle. King Corbin tagged in and Cesaro got him in the Swing as well as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Cesaro went for the Sharpshooter but Corbin was able to escape. Jey tagged in and brought Cesaro out of the ring. Uso launched Cesaro over the announce table before rolling him back into the ring. Paul Heyman also joined commentary for the match.

Sami Zayn beat Cesaro down in the corner and tagged in Corbin. King Corbin connected with a Side Slam and then launched Cesaro into the turnbuckle. Corbin hit Cesaro with several kicks to the midsection before tagging in Jey Uso.

Jey tagged in and sent Cesaro into the turnbuckle again. Sami started taunting Cesaro from the apron as Jey went for the cover. Cesaro kicked out buy Jey immediately applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring.

Cesaro avoided a Splash and hit King Corbin with the Corkscrew Uppercut. Daniel Bryan tagged in and Dropkicked Jey off the ring apron. Bryan leveled Sami with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Dropkick in the corner of the ring.

Bryan unloaded some Yes Kicks before perching Sami up on the top rope. Daniel slammed Sami to the mat and went for the cover but Jey broke it up. Owens hit Jey with a Superkick and then a Cannonball off the ring apron. Sami rolled up Bryan for a near fall and then hit the Blue Thunder Bomb but Cesaro broke up the cover.

Corbin sent Cesaro out of the ring but Owens caught him with a right hand. Sami climbed to the top rope but Bryan hit him with a Superplex. Bryan applied the Yes Lock in the middle of the ring for the submission victory.

After the match, Corbin planted Bryan with the End of Days. Owens hit Corbin with a Stunner but turned around into an uppercut from Cesaro. Jey took out Cesaro but Edge hit him with a Spear. Roman Reigns showed up and leveled Edge with a Spear to close the show.

Seth Rollins Files Formal Complaint With WWE Management

Rayan Sayyed
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Seth Rollins came out to the ring on tonight’s Friday Night SmackDown where he talked about disrespect he received with his fellow members of the SmackDown roster walking out of his speech last week.

Seth Rollins described it as a “tragedy” when he was walked out on. Last week, Rollins returned to WWE television for the first time since last November, as he was on paternity leave. All members of the SmackDown roster gathered at ringside for Seth Rollins’ return, only to walk out when Rollins started going on about being a savior. According to him, he felt incredibly disrespected after being abandoned by everyone last week.

Seth Rollins also claimed that he was traumatized by the treatment he received from everyone. He then revealed that he has a letter drafted by his lawyers, to file a formal complaint against everyone to the WWE management, adding that legal action is pending. He said that he planned for his big return for months only for it to be ruined.

Citing his working conditions as “untenable”, Rollins asked the WWE management to sanction the locker room for shunning his message.

The letter was first posted on Seth Rollins’ Twitter account, just a few moments before he made his way out to the ring on SmackDown.

Here is the letter that Seth Rollins sent:

“TO: WWE Management
RE: Flagrant Disrespect and Egregious Conduct

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to you to formally express my sincere disappointment and anger in the dishonorable actions of the SmackDown locker room and treatment by this company with regards to my greatly anticipated return last Friday, February 12th.

At the behest of this very office, desperate for a true leader and star of my magnitude to help lead SmackDown to new heights, I agreed to return from my personal leave and sacrificed precious moments with my loved ones. I spent considerable time and energy planning this moment that should have been a triumph, an exaltation of a multi-time World champion. Instead, I was met with an embarrassing farce.

The disregard and disrespect shown by the SmackDown superstars for shunning my inspiring message must be addressed. While I intend to deal with these patronizing, ungrateful so-called Superstars in my own time, I expect the full force of this office to swiftly and forcefully reprimand those who refused to embrace my vision.

I await your response and best efforts to make amends for this incident.

Sincerely,
Seth Rollins”

New Title Match Set For WWE Elimination Chamber, Updated Card

Andrew Ravens
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A new match has been announced for Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber PPV.

On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, it was revealed that WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler will defend the straps against Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair

WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days. As it stands now, there are only a few matches confirmed. There’s still no word who WWE Raw Women’s Champion Asuka will face after Lacey Evans was pulled due to her pregnancy. 

Also, Keith Lee missed Monday’s Raw and his status for the Triple Threat Match along with WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley and Matt Riddle is up in the air. 

Jax and Baszler are slated to defend the titles against Raquel Gonzelez and Dakota Kai on the March 3rd edition of NXT. 

Updated WWE Elimination Chamber Card

  • WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus – Elimination Chamber Match
  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. TBA 
  • Kevin Owens vs. Jey Uso vs. King Corbin vs. Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Cesaro – #1 Contender Elimination Chamber Match
  • WWE Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. TBA
  • WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Matt Riddle vs. Keith Lee – Triple Threat Match
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler vs. Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair

Cesaro Discusses Why He Hasn’t Been WWE Main Event Star Yet

Andrew Ravens
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Cesaro has been a fan favorite star for many years in WWE, but Vince McMahon hasn’t seen him as someone who could be in the main event or a top star. 

Cesaro recently did an interview with NYPost.com and during it, was asked why he hasn’t been in the main event in WWE:

“I think there have been a lot of different variables that go into it. Sometimes I feel like the squeaky wheel gets the grease kind of thing. Sometimes something that’s always there and reliable you kind of start to overlook it because you take it for granted.”

He noted that he tries to create as much momentum as he could and do the best with what he was given and he thinks that is the most important part. He noted that he keeps working hard and make the best every single time with the opportunities that you’re given.

“If you look at some of the past greats, it all took them a while to come into their own and get to the world champion level. Yes, there are a few people that did it fast. But look at Edge, look at Bret Hart, look at all those guys. They are all with WWE for almost 10 years before they hit their big break.”

Cesaro will take part in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match this Sunday along with Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, King Corbin, Sami Zayn, and Daniel Bryan. The winner will then immediately challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Title.

WWE Has Dropped SmackDown Romance Storyline

Andrew Ravens
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WWE officials have decided to drop a romantic storyline on SmackDown between Murphy and Aalyah. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the angle was just abruptly dropped out of nowhere. For those who are wondering why, there’s no backstory or behind-the-scenes story as to why. It’s possible that WWE didn’t have an idea where to take the storyline. 

Aalyah has not appeared on WWE TV since the December 4 SmackDown episode, which saw Murphy lose to King Baron Corbin in singles action. Murphy did appear on last week’s episode of SmackDown where Seth Rollins did his return promo as he was part of the large group of wrestlers standing around the ring, but the commentators didn’t acknowledge him. 

Rollins was feuding with Murphy and The Mysterio Family when he took time off in November as he was going to be with Becky Lynch for the birth of their first child together.

It had been previously reported the company had plans for Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio to feud with Corbin, Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake. However, that feud was nixed when Cutler tested positive for COVID-19 and thus was removed from TV because of the diagnosis.

Corbin’s stable with Cutler and Blake was dropped and Cutler ended up being released from his contract. The Mysterio Family also missed WWE TV time in December due to them dealing with COVID-19, but Aalyah never tested positive.

NJPW In Talks With AXS TV For A Return To The Network

Chris Stephens
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NJPW and AXS TV are reportedly negotiating for a deal that would see the promotion return to the network. This comes on the heels of Juice Robinson & David Finlay drawing a good rating for their debut on Impact on AXS TV this week, and an Impact in 60 show featuring NJPW talent also scoring a good rating.

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the talks between the two sides have gotten serious.

“There are significant talks involving New Japan returning to AXS television. AXS was wanting the programming back, and it would likely involve more dealings with New Japan and Impact, as the Juice Robinson & David Finlay debut as regulars show,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

There were recent reports that NJPW turned down a deal with AXS TV in favor of debuting on Roku. This was actually just a case of NJPW not wanting to sign an exclusive deal with a smaller network in order to keep things open for a deal with a bigger network down the line. NJPW’s agreement with Roku is not exclusive and they can continue to negotiate with other broadcasters.

NJPW released a statement earlier about their new broadcast deal with Roku.

“Our fans in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are among our most loyal, and they have been very clear that they want NJPW’s content made available to them,” said Takami Ohbari, President of NJPW. “NJPW is unlike any other pro-wrestling in the world. It is the most athletic, sports-oriented pro-wrestling on the planet, and we are excited to bring our athletes and matches to these markets in such a major way. Thank you to The Roku Channel, and we look forward to a successful partnership that brings NJPW to millions of new fans around the world.”

Update On Sammy Guevera’s Creative Differences With Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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Sammy Guevara was reported to have been sent home from a recent set of Impact Wrestling tapings held in Nashville. According to a report from Slam Wrestling, Chris Jericho had come up with the idea of Sammy going to his friend Don Callis’ wrestling promotion following his leaving the Inner Circle in AEW. Guevara evidently disagreed with the creative direction his character would take in the promotion and once the dust cleared, he went home and did not take part in the tapings.

The incident was addressed recently in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The report states that Sammy came in for the tapings held from 2/9 to 2/11.

“We don’t know the details of the creative past he was going to win three matches at the tapings that just took place,” wrote Dave Meltzer. Sammy then is said to have suggested to Impact that he win the X-Division title and never lose it before returning to AEW, which Impact rejected.

Sammy Guevara Makes An Impact

It seems as though everyone involved in the situation has smoothed things over with each other. Still, Jericho and Callis were the ones who came up with the idea and likely weren’t thrilled with how everything went down.

“Chris Jericho was the one who put the angle together with Don Callis. It made Jericho look bad to Impact because he and Callis came up with the idea and then Guevara didn’t want to do it,” Meltzer continued.

Jericho then made a comment on AEW this week that Sammy had been making a lot of bad choices as of late, and some have taken that as an inside jab at the situation.

Meltzer continued to say there were those in Impact quite upset with Sammy.

“Scott D’Amore told Guevara that they didn’t need him when he arrived in Nashville if he doesn’t follow the plans that had already been agreed to. Impact was really mad about AEW sending talent over, them putting plans in place and then the talent wouldn’t do what was planned.”

While the creative had seemingly been agreed on, a source within Impact said that the creative was bad and Sammy was not wrong to disagree with it.

Sammy Guevara tweeted the following on Friday morning, apparently in response to this report circulating about his brush with Impact Wrestling:

https://twitter.com/sammyguevara/status/1362792912505946115

Jon Moxley Hypes Bloodsport Match With Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Chris Stephens
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Before Jon Moxley faces KENTA for the IWGP United States Championship on February 26th, and before he faces Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship on March 7th, he will face Davey Boy Smith Jr. at Bloodsport 5 on February 20th.

Moxley took to Twitter recently to promote his upcoming match with Barnett.

Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 5 Lineup

  • Calder McColl vs. Bad Dude Tito
  • Calvin Tankman vs. Nolan Edward
  • Kal Jak vs. The Super Beast
  • Royce Isaacs vs. Alex Coughlin
  • Simon Grimm vs. Rocky Romero
  • Chris Dickinson vs. JR Kratos
  • Jeff Cobb vs. Tom Lawlor
  • Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Jon Moxley

The show will be presented on the FITE app.

Moxley last participated in Bloodsport 3. He defeated Chris Dickinson in the main event of that show.

Davey Boy Smith Jr. last defeated Calvin Tankman at Bloodsport 4.

Josh Barnett spoke to the WINCLY podcast last fall about having Jon Moxley on his shows.

“If you watch his match vs. Jake Hager, you can see that he’s got skills, that he spent time grappling and knows submissions skills,” Barnett said on the show. “The man just pure knows how to fight. And that’s what we need more than anything. If you’re in Bloodsport, it’s because I’ve seen something in you that shows that you can fight.”

MLW Teases Dario Cueto Involvement In Azteca Underground

Chris Stephens
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Salina de la Renta appears to be bringing some aspects of the cult-favorite show, Lucha Underground, into MLW. This started when she summoned former Lucha Underground Champion, Mil Muertes to the promotion. Recently in MLW, Salina’s Promociones Dorado faction was purchased by a mysterious group named Azteca Underground.

On MLW Fusion, Salina referred to the owner of Azteca Underground as someone very wealthy. Los Parks commented this week that they know who the owner is but are keeping the information secret.

There is a section on the Azteca Underground website labeled “The Proprieter.” It has a picture of someone standing outside a building from a distance. Some say the picture resembles the former Lucha Underground owner, Dario Cueto.

Screen Shot 2021 02 19 at 10.07.07 AM

While the performer behind the Mil Muertes character owns the rights to it, it’s not clear if MLW would be able to use the name, Dario Cueto. They could just go with Cueto’s “El Jefe” nickname. The El Rey Network, which formerly aired Lucha Underground, has gone out of business, however.

Recently on Fusion, Mil Muertes defeated Savio Vega in an “Aztec Jungle Fight.” This match was setup after Vega refused an offer from Salina to purchase a share of his IWA promotion in Puerto Rico.

https://twitter.com/AZTECALucha/status/1358787133486620672

MLW Fusion will not air next week. Rather, a classic episode of MLW Underground will air in its place.

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