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Triple H Talks John Cena’s Shock Royal Rumble 2008 Return

Jake Skudder
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Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development for WWE Triple H recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The Game was appearing on the show as part of the ‘Royal Rumble Royalty’ segment of the show, discussing historic moments and memories from Rumbles past.

During the show Triple H was asked about the shocking return of John Cena back in 2008. When Cena appeared at number 30 in the Royal Rumble that year it was a huge shock; Cena was injured and the timetable for his return was far past the Rumble in Madison Square Garden that year.

Triple H was one of the men in the ring during that match and he lasted to the final two with Cena. “When you’re in there with a guy like John [Cena]? The energy is up anyway, the excitement level is up. You know what you’re about to go do.”

Triple H on Royal Rumble 2008

“And you know, as we’re coming down to that moment? And John’s about to come out? I know where we’re going and I know this place is about to become unglued” Triple H would continue. “I knew if we play it right? They (the fans) won’t sit down, like if we can, if we can deliver on it in this way? It will just be incredible.”

Triple H would also discuss why moments like that are why some performers find it difficult to leave the ring and retire. “You know how when you get to the end? It’s all about how hard it is to walk away, how hard it is to walk away from the camaraderie and the limelight of it, the meaning of it, you know? It is incredibly difficult because you know what it meant to you in those moments, that energy and adrenaline. And you know what it means to those other people and then even when you can be a part of that for them.”

“It’s incredible. I think it’s part of the buzz even now that I get” Triple H continued. “Whether it be NXT, and putting stuff together and watching new talent or new talents have that moment. That moment when the light bulb goes off, that moment when they have their, sort of arrival, and their big moment.”

If you’ve never seen the match and Triple H facing off with John Cena check the whole thing via the video below.

Brodie Lee Jr. Trains With WWE Stars (Video), Update On His AEW Contract

Chris Stephens
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Brodie Lee Jr. (aka -1 of the Dark Order) was all over AEW Dark last night. He was involved in a pull-apart with Marko Stunt, cut a vicious promo on Luther, and accompanied his Dark Order teammates to the ring.

-1’s Mother clarified recently on Instagram, that her son’s AEW contract will not begin until he is 18 years old, however.

Amanda Huber also reiterated that if Brodie doesn’t want to wrestle when he gets older, he will not be pressured to. She also noted that school is his top priority right now.

Brodie Jr. was also recently in the ring with WWE Superstars Liv Morgan and Tyson Kidd. Footage of their training is available in Amanda Huber’s post below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJsKtBBBt3e/?utm_source=ig_embed

Brodie Lee Jr.’s AEW Contract

“His contract with AEW is valid on his 18th birthday *if* he chooses to wrestle. Nobody is going to push it with him. If you were to spend 10 minutes talking to him you’d understand why they gave him a contract though,” Amanda said in her post. She also said that school is his top priority.

“He is not seriously training at the moment or will be taking bookings or anything ridiculous right now,” she continued.

“You think you’re so smart because you got a stupid red ball on your head?” -1 said. “I know what I know because I have a brain, not a stupid red ball. You have a ball on your face… your face just looks stupid. And Dark Order will always beat you.” 

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1346644462399860741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1346644462399860741%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fs46315.p1736.sites.pressdns.com%2F2021%2F01%2Fbrodie-lee-jr-confronts-marko-stunt-on-aew-dark%2F

Finn Balor Defends WWE Using Part-Time Legends In Top Roles

Michael Reichlin
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NXT Champion Finn Balor has some thoughts about WWE’s decision to feature part-time legends in high-profile matches.

Balor defends his championship Wednesday night against Kyle O’Reilly at New Year’s Evil. He spoke to Metro.co.uk this week to promote the show.

Hulk Hogan recently complained that younger WWE wrestlers are cold to him backstage. He says this is partially because they are worried about him coming in to ‘steal their spot.’

Many WWE performers have been critical about legends coming in, competing in main events and taking that main event money and spotlight from the current generation. Finn Balor was asked about this dynamic and says it doesn’t bother him at all.

“I believe that everyone has a place in this business, and if you’re on the show, you’re on the show for a reason,” he began. “If you’re on the show once a year, if you’re on the show every night, that’s down to everybody’s individual circumstance.”

070 RAW 01042021JG 14731 44fd21f88a50a257be3196b9acadb948

Finn Balor: “I welcome these legends with open arms”

Balor believes legends have earned the right to wrestle occasional matches well after the prime of their careers. “It doesn’t affect me and it shouldn’t affect anyone else.”

On Monday’s Raw, 54-year-old Goldberg returned and shoved WWE Champion Drew McIntyre to set up a match at the Royal Rumble. Even though WWE has a locker room full of young talent that could benefit from this opportunity, Balor defends that it is better to have ‘some Goldberg’ than ‘no Goldberg.”

“For me, when the tide comes in, all the ships rise,” he said. “If we can have Goldberg on the show, if we can have anyone on the show for one night, I feel it’s better one night than never. I welcome these legends with open arms.”

Visit Metro.co.uk to read the full interview with Finn Balor.

Impact Results (1/5): The Super Elite Has Taken Over

Chris Stephens
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It’s a huge month for Impact Wrestling. This Saturday, Genesis will air on Impact Plus. On January 16th, Impact is back on PPV with Hard to Kill and the promotional in-ring debut of AEW World Champion, Kenny Omega.

Impact Wrestling 1/5 Quick Results:

  1. Fatal 4-Way
    Craazy Steve defeated Ace Austin and Blake Christian and KC Navarro
  2. Cody Deaner & Joe Doering defeated Cousin Jake & Rhino
  3. Knockouts Tag Team Title Tournament (Semi-Final #2)
    Havok & Nevaeh defeated Jazz & Jordynne Grace
  4. 3-Minute Challenge
    Matthew Palmer defeated Moose (Palmer lasted full 3 minutes)
  5. Sami Callihan vs Eddie Edwards – No Contest

Kenny Omega & The Good Brothers Attack Rich Swann & The MCMGs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdmurvK7BhQ

Kenny Omega, Don Callis, Doc Gallows, and Karl Anderson were back on their luxury bus this week. They cut a promo from the bus talking about how they once again all hold title belts. Later in the show, Swann and the MCMGs cut a promo and then went to confront the group on the bus. They blew past security and approached the bus door when Omega and the Good Brothers came from around the back of the bus for a surprise attack from behind. The surprise attack allowed them to take it to their opponents at Hard to Kill. Omega ended the segment by putting the boots to Swann, Shelley, and Sabin.

Sami Callihan Set A Trap For Eddie Edwards

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Haaj68LiaU

Arguably the most intense rivalry in Impact history continued in this week’s main event. Just as Edwards had Callihan cowering away from him, Callihan used his hacking device to put a video up on the big screen. The video showed Eddie’s wife, Alisha, trapped behind a fence. Edwards fled the match to go save her. As he approached the fence to let her out, Ken Shamrock attacked from behind. Callihan then used barbed wire to tie Edwards to the fence. The two hammered Edwards with some shots and then left just before the show came to a close.

A Barbed Wire Massacre match has since been booked for Hard To Kill:

Tony Khan Purchases Air Time On Impact Wrestling Again

We got another paid advertisement by AEW this week. Tony Khan joked about how it only costs $100 for the spot. He talked about how Kenny Omega is one of the two best wrestlers in the world, the other being Jon Moxley. They then ran down the card for tonight’s AEW New Year’s Smash Event.

Willie Mack Embarrasses Moose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izmcF3PX9Qw

Moose took on former security guard Matthew Palmer this week in a 3-minute challenge. Palmer only needed to last the full 3-minutes to win the match. Moose dominated early but was arrogant and took his time. Willie Mack then came out to make a distraction, costing Moose the match. Moose and Mack will face each other in an I Quit match this weekend at Genesis.

Havok & Nevaeh Advances To KO Tag Tournament Finals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzA3E8i7NU4

The final semi-final match in the Knockouts tag-team tournament took place this week on Impact. Havok hit a tombstone piledriver on Jazz to pick up the win for her team. They will face Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz in the finals, pitting the two most solidified teams in the division against one another.

Later in the show, Jordynne Grace apologized to Jazz and the two shared some mutual respect. Grace then said she’d be honoured to face Jazz at Genesis and the legend agreed to the match.

Craazy Steve Picks Up Victory En Route To The Super X Cup

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

This Saturday at Genesis, 8 wrestlers will compete in a single-elimination tournament for the Super X Cup. 4 wrestlers in the tournament, Craazy Steve, Ace Austin, Blake Christian, and KC Navarro met in a fatal 4-way to kick off the show. Steve would pick up the pin on Navarro with a diving DDT from the second rope. With that, Craazy Steve is heading into Genesis with all the momentum.

6-Man Hardcore/Old School Rules Match Scheduled For Hard To Kill

Cody Deaner is now a member of Eric Young’s faction along with Joe Doering. Cousin Jake kept trying to talk some sense into him during their tag match this week. In the end, however, Deaner hit a low-blow on Jake and picked up the win for his team. The assault continued after the match but Tommy Dreamer came in to make the save. A 6-man, no dq, old school rules match was then scheduled for Hard to Kill.

Meet Susan

Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo and her run-in buddy, Kimber Lee, recently enlisted the help of Father James Mitchell to turn Su Yung back into her less threatening persona of Susie. This week, Mitchell revealed that Su Yung was now someone different, although it wasn’t Susie. Susan came out in a suit and serious look. Purrazzo and Kimber Lee seem willing to deal with this persona.

Impact Wrestling Genesis Lineup

The following matches have been booked for the Genesis card on January 9th, 2021:

  1. Super X-Cup (1st Round)
    Ace Austin vs Suicide
  2. Super X-Cup (1st Round)
    Daivari vs Cousin Jake
  3. Super X-Cup (1st Round)
    Craazy Steve vs Tre Lamar
  4. Super X-Cup (1st Round)
    KC Navarro vs. Blake Christian
  5. I Quit Match
    Willie Mack vs Moose
  6. Jazz vs Jordynne Grace
  7. Super X-Cup Semi-Finals
  8. Super X-Cup Finals

Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill Lineup

Impact Wrestling presents Hard to Kill on January 16th, 2021. The following matches are booked for the card:

  1. The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) & Rich Swann vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) & Kenny Omega
  2. Knockouts Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs Taya Valkyrie
  3. X-Division Championship
    Manik (c) vs. Rohit Raju vs. Chris Bey
  4. Old School Rules
    Tommy Dreamer, Cousin Jake, & Rhino vs Eric Young, Joe Doering, and Cody Deaner
  5. Barbed Wire Massacre
    Eddie Edwards vs Sami Callihan
  6. Ethan Page vs The Karate Man

MLW Kings of Colosseum Preview (1/6), How To Watch

Michael Reichlin
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Major League Wrestling kicks off 2021 with the special event, Kings of Colosseum. The show will feature a double main event and three huge championship matches.

MLW Kings of Colosseum 2021 premieres at 7pm (Eastern) and is presented for free on the MLW YouTube Channel, Fubo Sports, Roku and DAZN.

kings card

The following matches are confirmed for the show:

  • World Middleweight Champion Myron Reed vs. Lio Rush
  • National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone vs. Mads Krügger
  • Tornado World Tag Team Championship: The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall) defend against The Dirty Blondes (managed by Aria Blake)
  • Grudge Match: Simon Gotch vs. Jordan Oliver

Plus, Salina de la Renta has a bombshell announcement to deliver.

MLW has uploaded the “cold open” video package that will air at the start of Kings of Colosseum. Check back Thursday morning for our Results & Takeaways feature.

Brodie Lee Jr. (-1) Confronts Marko Stunt On AEW Dark

Chris Stephens
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Brodie Lee Jr., also known as Dark Order member -1, has really been making an impact in AEW as of late. On this week’s AEW Dark, he confronted Marko Stunt and was involved in a tense pull-apart. -1 would later cut a promo on Luther and lead his Dark Order teammates to the ring as well.

Marko Stunt came to the ring as Excalibur explained on commentary that a heated rivalry between him and -1 has been building. Stunt was immediately interrupted by the Dark Order member who still hasn’t been alive for a full decade yet. -1 explained to Marko that when he’s older and the two of them wrestle, he’ll be much taller.

Later in the show, -1 cut a ruthless promo addressed to Luther.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1346645427467141121

“You think you’re so smart because you got a stupid red ball on your head?” -1 said. “I know what I know because I have a brain, not a stupid red ball. You have a ball on your face… your face just looks stupid. And Dark Order will always beat you.”

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1346644462399860741

Amazingly, Tony Khan would later reveal that -1 was coming up with his promos himself.

“Brodie wrote that promo himself. I asked him what he wanted to say about Marko, and he said all of that off the top of his head, it was incredible, I told him to please please go out and do that. -1 is really something,” Khan Tweeted.

Jungle Boy’s New AEW Theme Music Is The 80’s Song “Tarzan Boy”

Chris Stephens
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Jungle Boy, aka Jack Perry, has new entrance music in AEW, and fans of 80s music will likely be thrilled to find out what it is.

As he made his entrance on AEW Dark last night, he was played to the ring by the sounds of Baltimora’s 1985 hit debut single, “Tarzan Boy.”

Tony Khan announced on Twitter that he purchased the rights to the song as a Christmas gift for Jungle Boy.

Jungle Boy was grateful to Khan for the gesture.

Taz had a hard time keeping it together when he heard Jungle Boy’s new theme. He posted the following after Dark:

Likely not impressed with Jungle Boy’s new music are the members of FTR. On Dynamite as of late, the team has expressed disdain for the amount of attention the dinosaur-themed trio gets. The two teams will face off on Night 2 of AEW New Year’s Smash next week.

As of the last AEW Rankings on December 23rd, 2020, FTR are ranked #1 and Jurassic Express occupy the #3 position. The winning team next week could find themselves in a position to challenge for the AEW tag-team championships.

The official music video for the 35-year-old classic song can be found in the player below:

NXT New Year’s Evil Preview (1/6): Balor vs. O’Reilly, Kross vs. Priest

Michael Reichlin
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WWE presents NXT New Year’s Evil tonight on the USA Network live from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida.

NXT’s special events are typically great and New Year’s Evil should be no exception. NXT facies stiff competition from AEW New Year’s Smash on TNT, so fans are in for another great night of wrestling from both companies.

WWE has announced the opening match (Karrion Kross vs. Damian Priest) and the main event (Finn Balor vs. Kyle O’Reilly) will air without any commercial breaks.

NXT New Year’s Evil Card

finn balor kyle oreilly

The following matches are advertised for the show:

  • NXT Champion Finn Balor defends against Kyle O’Reilly of Undisputed Era.
  • Karrion Kross vs. Damien Priest will open the show.
  • Rhea Ripley vs. “Big Mami Cool” Raquel González in a Last Woman Standing Match
  • “The King of the Ropes” Gran Metalik challenges Santos Escobar for NXT Cruiserweight Championship.

Check back later tonight for our NXT New Year’s Evil Results & Takeaways feature.

Catch up on the latest NXT News and NXT Results.

Jim Cornette: “Why Would You Take Pat McAfee Off a Show That’s Deadly F*cking Dull Already?”

Jake Skudder
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It was recently reported that Pat McAfee has been ‘removed’ from NXT television. The reasoning was apparently as a way to stop McAfee feeling ‘overexposed’ on the Wednesday night programme.

Former NWA commentator and outspoken pro wrestling personality Jim Cornette would rip into WWE for reportedly taking this stance. Cornette would also comment on the apparent lack of communication between WWE officials and McAfee about the decision.

Jim Cornette on Pat McAfee

“McAfee tweeted that he was news to him when he read it!” Jim Cornette would begin on the Drive Thru podcast. “It’s news to him that he’s getting fired on Christmas Day. Not that it was news he’s being taken off television, but news that it was WWE was doing it on purpose.”

“There’s no injury, that at least McAfee is admitted to” Cornette continued. “Or that has been teased or talked about. Basically as I understand it, the WWE has just said they’re not going to use McAfee until the spring!? And then they’ll they apparently…the illusion to this was that they would bring him back at that point.”

Jim Cornette would then state how the only talent he seemingly enjoys to a length extent on the show is McAfee and Rhea Ripley. “Why take Pat McAfee, one of the only good things about that show off of it? You know what? Pat McAfee could just marry Rhea Ripley and if it would be just them on that show? I could live with it.”

Cornette would then finish by lambasting WWE for removing McAfee off of NXT television. “So why would you take McAfee off a show that’s that deadly f*cking dull already when he’s one of the best things about it!?”

Do you agree with Jim Cornette? Do you think that Pat McAfee is one of the best aspects of NXT programming? Let us know in the comments

Tony Khan Calls Don Callis A Parasite, Omega, Gallows & Anderson Are Bullet Club For Life

Michael Reichlin
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AEW President Tony Khan and Tony Schiavone returned to Impact on AXS TV this week with another sponsored ad spot. Khan said they are continuing the holiday spirit of helping the less fortunate by funding Impact with the paid ad.

Schiavone ran down the card for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. It will be the first night of a 2-week special, New Year’s Smash.

Tony Khan then denied Don Callis’ claim that he was partially responsible for the formation of AEW. Khan said that he was the man responsible for AEW’s funding, resources, television relationships, booking, hiring talent and more.

Khan told Callis, “You do nothing for the wrestling business. You’re a parasite on this business.” The Tony’s will be back on Impact next week with another ad, and he’ll pay for the air time with a $100 bill his grandmother sent him for Christmas. Tony Schiavone’s reaction to this line was priceless.

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Watch Tony Khan & Tony Schiavone’s latest paid advertisement from this week’s Impact Wrestling in the player embedded below:

Bullet Club for Life

Kenny Omega, Don Callis and The Good Brothers also appeared on Impact on AXS TV. They hyped their upcoming match at Hard to Kill on January 16th.

Omega, Gallows and Anderson addressed their opponents, Impact World Champion Rich Swan and the Motor City Machine Guns. Omega said those guys are teammates for now, but they’re not family like Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.

The gang said they are Bullet Club for life. Watch the promo below:

Kota Ibushi Requests NJPW Unify IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Titles

Chris Stephens
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Kota Ibushi defeated Tetsuya Naito to win the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 15 (Day 1). He successfully defended the titles against Jay White at Wrestle Kingdom 15 (Day 2).

During a backstage press conference following Day 2, Kota Ibushi requested that NJPW unify the two championships. “The IWGP Intercontinental Championship is the greatest belt there is,” said Ibushi. “The IWGP Heavyweight Championship is the strongest belt there is. I want to unify these titles.”

Ibushi continued, “I want it to be both the greatest and the strongest. Nobody has challenged for just one of these titles. Then what does a double championship mean? I want to unify them. Then I will make my ultimate dreams come true.”

You can watch Kota Ibushi’s comments about unification in the video player below:

IWGP Intercontinental Championship

The IWGP Intercontinental Championship was brought into the promotion in 2011. MVP defeated Toru Yano in the finals of a tournament to become the first champion. Since then, 14 other wrestlers have held the title.

Shinsuke Nakamura is the all-time leader in several categories related to the Intercontinental title. He’s held the title 5x and defended it 17 times over 901 combined days as champion.

The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and the Intercontinental Championship have been defended together since Wrestle Kingdom 14 last year. Naito defeated Jay White at WK14 Night 1 to win the Intercontinental title. On Night 2, he defeated IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada to capture that belt as well.

Since the belts have been defended together, dual title holders have included EVIL, Naito, and now Ibushi.

kota ibushi 2 belts

(H/T to Fightful for the transcribed quotes)

Mustafa Ali Rips WWE Legends Night

Chris Stephens
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Mustafa Ali appeared on RAW Talk following last night’s show. He ripped into WWE bringing back several legends for the event and taking television time away from the current roster.

“I am agitated, I’m angry but most of all I’m confused,” Ali said on the show. “We dedicated a 3-hour show to old has-beens. You want to call them legends, call them whatever, they’ve had their time. A night like tonight is exactly what is wrong with this company. 3 hours to guys that can barely walk?”

“I know exactly that the generation before me paved the way but when the hell are you going to let me walk on that path? Guys like Drew Gulak, Akira Tozawa, myself, all of Retribution not on the show, why? Because we need to hear ‘whatcha gonna do brother?’ again for the seventh million time.”

Ali then joked about cheers having been pumped in for the legends last night.

“Why don’t you give us a chance? People that can contribute to this business, further this company but no, no let’s push them all aside. Let’s give 3 hours to people that that can barely walk.”

“They carved a path, when do I get to walk that path?” Ali continued.

“This place needs change and I am that change.”

The segment then focussed on Ali’s efforts to recruit Ricochet into Retribution. The other members of the faction joined him on the panel to close the segment.

Mustafa Ali’s comments can be head in the player below:

Jay White Says He’s Done With NJPW After New Year’s Dash (Video)

Michael Reichlin
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Jay White’s days in New Japan Pro Wrestling could be coming to an end.

“Switchblade” challenged Kota Ibushi for the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom (Day 2). Unfortunately, he came up short. After the event, he was so distraught that he announced his plans to leave the promotion after New Year’s Dash.

During the post-show backstage media scrum, White said, “I feel like I am physically closest to death that I have ever been, and hopefully that I ever will be. You just all saw what I put on the line. I put myself at risk. Not directly for your entertainment. For myself.”

He questioned why nobody came to help him when he was in such bad shape, physically and emotionally.

Jay White bemoaned, “I will never be appreciated like I should be” before talking about everything he’s had to sacrifice in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He’s spent years away from his family and put everything into his career, only to fail on the biggest stage of them all. No matter how much he believed this was his moment, his time, his destiny – he was wrong.

White then yelled, “I am not going to do this anymore” and announced, “maybe my time would be better spent some place else.” New Japan Pro Wrestling can make him show up at New Year’s Dash, but after that, he’s done.

You can watch Jay White’s comments after Wrestle Kingdom 15 in the player embedded below:

Jim Ross On What Led To Him Being Fired From WWE In 2013

Chris Stephens
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Jim Ross has been fired from WWE multiple times. One such occasion occurred in the summer of 2013. Ross hosted a panel discussion to promote the upcoming edition of the WWE 2K video game series on August 16th, 2013 and both he and Ric Flair were suspected of being intoxicated during. Ross announced his “retirement” from WWE shortly after.

During an episode of Grillin JR, Ross addressed the incident which led to his departure from WWE in 2013.

“Bad decisions on my part. I had a couple of drinks but I wasn’t drunk, that was a story, that was a lie, that was cover your as s**t,” JR said. “When I got to the shoot, I was the host/moderator whatever, I went into the ‘green room’ and the liquor was flowing like water.”

“A lot of the guys that did drink had drank too much. (Flair) and I, I guess, were considered two of those guys.”

“I think I got taken off the team at that point. It was poorly organized and I made bad decisions, let’s get that out of the way. I made some bad decisions. I don’t mind taking responsibility for screwups, we’re human. But you’ve got to learn from those screwups to move forward and I think I did that.”

“It was kind of funny how that worked out,” JR continued. “JR gets canned and Flair gets a statue.”

Update On Why Goldberg Is Facing Drew McIntyre At The Royal Rumble

Chris Stephens
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Last night’s edition of WWE RAW concluded with Bill Goldberg challenging Drew McIntyre to a title match at the Royal Rumble. Goldberg hasn’t wrestled since losing to Braun Strowman at WrestleMania.

As for why Goldberg was chosen as Drew’s opponent for the show, this was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio. It appears the decision to have Goldberg face McIntyre on the PPV was only made over the weekend.

“Bill Goldberg and Drew McIntyre is going to be the main event at the Royal Rumble,” Dave Meltzer said on the show. “This was decided on Saturday.” He continued to say that the angle seemed to come out of nowhere.

“It wasn’t a swerve, it wasn’t to throw people off, it was because they have nobody ready for anything.”

“The Goldberg decision was made on Saturday,” Meltzer continued. “So if you’re wondering why, you know, it just feels like this came out of nowhere, that is the reason, it came out of nowhere.”

The match against Goldberg will be McIntyre’s 3rd title defence in his current reign. He defeated Keith Lee last night and both AJ Styles and the Miz in a triple threat match at TLC. McIntyre successfully defended the WWE title 8x in his first run with the belt.

Eric Bischoff: “There’s No One Talent That Can Change The Course of The Business By Themselves”

Jake Skudder
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0

Former WCW President and WWE Executive Director of SmackDown Eric Bischoff recently hosted a Q&A episode of the 83 Weeks podcast.

Bischoff would discuss a number of topics with fans, with co-host Conrad Thompson asking Easy E if there was a talent he has seen that could “change the industry” in the same way that Hulk Hogan or Stone Cold Steve Austin did in the late 90’s.

“I don’t think that way” Eric Bischoff would reply. “I mean there’s, I just don’t process things around me that way. There’s certainly been a lot of talent that I have been impressed with both in TNA, WWE and even just as a fan watching AEW. There’s a lot of talent that I see something in. I think perhaps I see something that maybe no one else does or maybe I’m just kidding myself?”

Eric Bischoff on Modern Talent

Bischoff would then state that he doesn’t see a talent making that seismic shift in the same way. That isn’t because of talent, but because the industry/world has changed. “I firmly believe what I’m about to say. I don’t think there’s any talent on the face of the earth that can change the course of the business by themselves.”

“It’s got to be the right talent, at the right time, in the right place” Eric Bischoff would continue. “[They’ve got to be] surrounded by the right people at the right time. That’s going to shift the business. IF the business is going to shift? It’s going to shift as a result of a multitude of different things, a variety of different things.”

“It’s always going to be important, this is a talent driven business, always has been always will be” Bischoff would finish. “But it takes more than just the talent for seismic shift to occur.”

Do you agree with Eric Bischoff? Are there any talents that you could see making a huge difference if given the opportunity? Let us know in the comments

Jim Cornette Talks NBA Fans/Chris Jericho Drama

Jake Skudder
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0

Jim Cornette recently weighed in on the AEW/Chris Jericho and NBA Twitter fanbase and why NBA fans decided to body shame Chris Jericho.

A recent episode of AEW Dynamite was pre-empted by an NBA game. The December 23rd episode of Dynamite followed on from a game that went into overtime and some NBA fans decided to watch the opening AEW match.

That match saw Top Flight (Darius and Dante Martin) take on the Inner Circle tandem of MJF and Chris Jericho. With Jericho being arguably the biggest mainstream name in AEW? Fans were quick to mention how different he looked from when he appeared in WWE during the ‘heyday’ of 2001-2005.

Jim Cornette on Chris Jericho

“Why is anybody surprised?” Jim Cornette would begin on the Drive Thru podcast. “This is another thing that I’ve been saying for a long, long time. Whether you like it or not. Chris Jericho is the biggest mainstream name recognition star in AEW, specifically because of his years and years spent with the WWE. That was when their ratings were much higher than they are now.”

“It’s not because he had a match at the Tokyo Dome a couple of years ago” Cornette continued. “It’s not because he’s with AEW now. It’s not because he was with WCW in 1998, it’s because he was a big star on WWE TV for a significant period of time; when they were doing much better ratings themselves than they are now. That’s just math and common sense.”

Did you see the Twitter drama with Chris Jericho and the NBA fans? Do you think that Jim Cornette is right here? Let us know in the comments

WWE Royal Rumble 2021: Updated Match Card, Participants

Michael Reichlin
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The 2021 WWE Royal Rumble takes place on Sunday, January 31st from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The show airs live on the WWE Network.

On Monday’s WWE Raw, Bill Goldberg returned as part of Legends Night. Goldberg confronted WWE Champion Drew McIntyre during the final segment of the broadcast. Goldberg issued a challenge to McIntyre and shoved him down to the mat.

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With that match set, the following is the current lineup for the Royal Rumble:

  • WWE Champion Drew McIntyre defends against Bill Goldberg

Men’s Royal Rumble Match:

  • Daniel Bryan
  • Bobby Lashley
  • AJ Styles
  • Randy Orton
  • 26 to be determined

Women’s Royal Rumble Match:

  • Nia Jax
  • Shayna Baszler
  • 28 to be determined

Royal Rumble Rules

The rules for the Royal Rumble are simple. The battle royal begins with two Superstars in the ring. At timed intervals, another Superstar joins the fray. This continues until 30 people have entered the match.

Eliminations occur when a wrestler goes over the top rope and both feet touch the floor at ringside. The final person standing is the winner. They earn an opportunity to challenge for a championship of their choosing at WrestleMania.

Last year’s winners were Drew McIntyre and Charlotte Flair. McIntyre went on to WrestleMania to defeat Brock Lesnar and win his first WWE Championship. Charlotte faced Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania and captured the NXT Women’s Championship for a second time.

Update On Marty Scurll Potentially Signing With WWE or NJPW

Chris Stephens
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Marty Scurll is no longer with Ring of Honor. The company announced Monday night that the two parties have decided to end their working relationship.

Marty Scurll was accused of sexual assault last year during the #SpeakingOut movement. A young woman says that he sexually abused her when she was 16 years old and intoxicated. He made public statements addressing the situation:

“Although I truly believe that our encounter that evening was consensual, and the fact that the encounter was legal; is almost not the point. I understand that she now views our encounter as part of a bigger problem within the wrestling community.”

On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed Marty Scurll becoming a free agent and his options for future employment.

“I don’t anticipate AEW taking him,” Meltzer said. “I mean, it’s possible, obviously he was friends with all those guys. For AEW, it would be difficult just because there’s a lot of heat that anyone is going to get for hiring him. WWE does not feel that heat, they’re going to do what they are going to do.”

Marty Scurll
Marty Scurll with AEW Stars (Photo: Being The Elite Ep. 133)

Marty Scurll’s Options

Dave Meltzer believes WWE and NJPW would be more willing than AEW and ROH to overlook Marty Scurll’s baggage.

“I would suspect that Marty can go to New Japan Pro Wrestling right now and get a job there. Except for the fact that he couldn’t right now because of the pandemic and their economic situation. If it was normal, he could go to New Japan, I have no doubt. It wouldn’t shock me (if he goes to) WWE. AEW I think would be tougher.”

Prior to working for ROH, Marty Scurll had a stint with the National Wrestling Alliance in 2019. He was involved in a program with NWA World Champion Nick Aldis. The NWA is looking to start back up this year and Scrull would be a recognizable name to bring in.

There is no question that Scurll is one of the most talented free agents in all of professional wrestling. It remains to be seen if his scandal will blow over and his reputation can be rehabilitated.

Impact Preview: Kenny Omega & Good Brothers Return, Callihan vs. Edwards

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Wrestling on AXS TV returns tonight with the first new episode of 2021.

Impact finished the year strong with the hot inter-promotional storyline involving AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, Don Callis and the Good Brothers. Omega and Callis will be on hand tonight as the built continues for Hard to Kill later this month.

The following matches are advertised for Tuesday’s Impact:

  • Sami Callihan vs. Eddie Edwards
  • Jordynne Grace & Jazz vs. Nevaeh & Havok: Winners advance to Knockouts Tag Team Tournament Finals.
  • KC Navarro vs. Crazzy Steve vs. Ace Austin & Blake Christian
  • Rhino & Cousin Jake vs. Joe Doering & Eric Young
  • Moose vs. Matthew Palmer in a ‘Last Three Minutes’ Challenge.
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Impact Wrestling: Hard To Kill

The card is taking shape for Impact Wrestling’s next pay-per-view, Hard to Kill. Here is the updated lineup for next weekend’s pay-per-view:

  • AEW World Champion Kenny Omega & Impact Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers vs. Impact World Champion Rich Swann & The Motor City Machine Guns
  • Knockouts Champions Deonna Purrazzo vs. Taya Valkyrie

X-Division Champion Manik vs. Chris Bey vs. Rohit Raju

Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals: Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs. Jordynne Grace & Jazz OR Nevaeh & Havok

The Impact Wrestling Hard to Kill event takes place Saturday, January 16th. You can order the show now at Fite.tv for $39.99.

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Kota Ibushi Retains IWGP Titles at Wrestle Kingdom 15

Jake Skudder
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New Japan Pro Wrestling hosted Night 2 of their Wrestle Kingdom 15 event earlier today. The two day event would be headlined both nights by the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Double Championship matches.

Night 1 would see Tetsuya Naito defend his Championships against Kota Ibushi. The ‘Golden Star’ had earned the opportunity to challenge for the titles initially by winning the 2020 G1 Climax tournament.

Ibushi would subsequently lose the title match opportunity to Jay White at Power Struggle 2020, where White put his feet on the ropes to get the pinfall. As is traditional in New Japan; winners of the G1 Climax have to rematch against the performers they lost to in the tournament itself; with the winner taking the title opportunity briefcase, as Jay White did at Power Struggle.

Despite this setback, Tetsuya Naito stated that he wanted to headline both nights of Wrestle Kingdom 15. Naito he challenged Kota Ibushi to a match on Night 1 for the Championships. As mentioned, Ibushi won the match to go on and face Jay White on Night 2. This will be his first defence of the IWGP titles.

Kota Ibushi would defeat Jay White after nearly 50 minutes of action. Ibushi hit the Kamigoye to take the pinfall victory and retain the belts he won the night before.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Results (Day 2)

Evan S
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Today is the second day of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s largest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom.

This event will be streamed live on NJPW’s streaming service, NJPW World, and on Fite TV. English and Japanese commentary are available on both platforms. This event will have a reduced attendance capacity to comply with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.

NJPW World VOD (English Commentary)
NJPW World VOD (Japanese Commentary)
Fite TV

Start Times: January 5, 12AM Pacific, 3AM Eastern, 8AM UK, 5PM Japan, 7PM East Australia

Results

Four Way Match for the Provisional KOPW 2021 Championship: Toru Yano def. Chase Owens, BUSHI, Bad Luck Fale (7:34)
Both BUSHI and Toru Yano were refusing to enter the ring, at first, but were forced to break up the pin when Chase Owens laid down for Bad Luck Fale to let him win. Owens and Fale worked together to abuse Yano, while BUSHI mostly tried to avoid getting involved. Yano tried to body slam Fale, who fell on top of him and nearly pinned him then and there. Fale and Chase double teamed BUSHI and put him down with the Grenade Launcher, but kept breaking up each other’s pin attempt. They argued with each other and the referee until Yano slid in, low blowed them both, and pinned the still down BUSHI. Toru Yano is the provisional KOPW 2021 Champion, but will only be crowned as such if he retains the trophy until the end of the year.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
The tornillo that Master Wato pulled off on El Desperado might have been the most impressive he has looked since his return. He and Taguchi took advantage early until Suzuki-gun focused their team efforts on Taguchi, working his legs and cutting off the ring, and attacking Master Wato whenever Taguchi got even close to tagging him in. A hip attack from Taguchi gave him the room needed to rally, but Desperado and Kanemaru’s generous amount of tag team offense had him playing defense soon again. Taguchi tried for the Dodon, but El Desperado rolled through it for a near pinfall. El Desperado decisively finished off Taguchi with the Loco Mono straight punch, followed by Pinche Loco. Suzuki-gun retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.

NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Shingo Takagi (c) def. Jeff Cobb (21:11)
Shingo Takagi found himself in the rare position of being the smaller, weaker man in a singles match, as Jeff Cobb ate his strikes and returned heavier ones, and tossed the former junior heavyweight like a ragdoll. Takagi was forced to get creative, pushing Cobb into the ropes and using the bounce to finally take him off his feet with a backdrop driver. Cobb tried to retaliate with a crucifix powerbomb from the apron to the floor, but Shingo avoided it, knocked Cobb off the apron, and came hurtling through the air. You don’t often see a tope con hilo from Shingo Takagi. Shingo tried to follow up with the Noshigami, but Cobb was too heavy, and he picked Shingo up from behind to land a black tiger bomb. Feeling desperate, Shingo immediately fought back with a Death Valley driver, followed by a superplex. He gave a Pumping Bomber with such speed that, despite impacting Jeff, he couldn’t stop and fell out of the ring. He came back in and immediately looked to the leg, taking Cobb off his feet again with a dragonscrew leg whip, and then hoisting him in the air for Made in Japan, which earned a near fall. Shingo came running for another Pumping Bomber, but Cobb pushed him into the ropes, then caught him on the rebound to deliver Tour of the Islands. He was too hurt to go for the pin right away, and when he did, Takagi’s foot found the bottom rope, breaking the pin. He tried to take Shingo for another Tour of the Islands, but was blasted with one more Pumping Bomber! With the Last of the Dragon, Shingo Takagi retains the NEVER Openweight Championship.

SANADA def. EVIL (23:40)
SANADA attacked EVIL with an uncharacteristic ferocity at Power Struggle, but on this day, in the Tokyo Dome, EVIL was ready with weapons. He tossed SANADA into the barricade, causing the timekeeper’s table (and the timekeeper) to be knocked over. He set up a table outside the ring and attempted to STO SANADA through it, but it didn’t take. Nevertheless, EVIL maintained control, partly thanks to aid from Dick Togo on the outside. He lifted SANADA to the top, then brought him crashing down with a superplex. EVIL applied a scorpion deathlock, but SANADA achieved a rope break. Despite this, he was too hurt to make a comeback, and EVIL landed Darkness Falls, but SANADA weakly kicked out. As soon as SANADA rose to his feet, EVIL barreled towards him, looking for a lariat, but SANADA pushed EVIL into the exposed turnbuckle that he himself was the cause of. Seeing his advantage slip away, EVIL pushed SANADA into the referee, allowing Dick Togo to make his presence known. The two performed the Magic Killer, and Dick Togo rose to the top turnbuckle for a senton, but SANADA kicked EVIL into the ropes, causing Togo to lose his balance and fall. From there, SANADA mounted his first major comeback, trapping EVIL in the Skull End. He went for a top rope moonsault, and then another, but EVIL lifted his knees on the latter. As EVIL distracted the referee, Dick Togo tried to come in and choke SANADA out, but SANADA freed himself and pushed EVIL into Togo, causing Togo to comically crash through the table that EVIL placed. With Togo out, SANADA hit EVIL with EVIL’s own finish hold, and then landed a top rope moonsault for the pinfall victory. No bloodshed, but victory nonetheless.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match: Hiromu Takahashi def. Taiji Ishimori (c) (25:31)
At this point, Hiromu and Ishimori know what it’s like to fight each other very well, and often had a hard time making their moves work without being countered. Ishimori’s early strategy was to work over Hiromu’s arms, smart considering many of Hiromu’s best moves start with a fireman’s carry hold. His early attempt at the Yes Lock, with which he tapped Hiromu out at Summer Struggle, was thwarted by a rope break. Before Ishimori’s arm work could pay off, Hiromu was on the offensive, delivering multiple death valley bombs into the corner. Having already wrestled against El Phantasmo last night, Hiromu wasn’t as fresh as Ishimori, and he tried to finish the match early with the Time Bomb. Ishimori would slip out of it and land a Canadian Destroyer to stop Hiromu in his tracks. He kept Hiromu on his knees with the hardest elbow strikes that his compact but overdeveloped body could produce. With a La Mistica into the Yes Lock, Ishimori had Hiromu working for every centimeter as he wriggled to the ropes for one more rope break. Hiromu’s Victory Royale granted him a moment of respite, and he then bowled Ishimori over with a lariat, then drove him into the corner that still had no turnbuckle pad from the previous match. The Time Bomb connected, but Ishimori was not out yet! He tried once more for the Yes Lock, but Hiromu lifted him onto his shoulders and finally pinned Ishimori with the Time Bomb II. “Mr. Belt” is back in the possession of Hiromu Takahashi.

IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match: Kota Ibushi (c) def. Jay White (48:05)
It feels like Jay White has been a thorn in Kota Ibushi’s side for years. True, Ibushi defeated him to win his first ever G1 Climax, but he also lost to Jay, and became the first person to ever lose the G1 briefcase. The first ten minutes were almost all Jay, as he grinded Ibushi into the mat with strikes and holds. White cleverly cut off all of Ibushi’s comebacks, sweeping Ibushi’s legs out from under him when he tried for any sort of aerial offense. Gedo called for the Kiwi Crusher, and Jay tried to oblige, but Ibushi fought him off and rallied with a half nelson suplex, followed by the hitodenashi driver. His bicycle knee missed, and Jay was finally able to connect with the Kiwi Crusher for a near fall. He tried for his first Blade Runner, but Ibushi wasn’t having it. Jay tried to roll Ibushi into a pin with his legs elevated on the ropes, but the referee noticed it and refused to count the three. Angered, Ibushi ate Jay White’s elbow strikes and blasted him with kicks, forcing him into the fetal position. He growled for Jay to hit him harder, and would return every strike twice as hard. Ibushi shoved the referee away when they told him to let Ibushi up, but Jay White pounced with a low blow. He took control with repeated German suplexes, and brought Ibushi to the apron. Ibushi rocked him with a high kick and delivered his patented rope-assisted inside to outside German suplex. His first Kamigoye missed, and this gave Jay an opening for him to dump Ibushi on his head with suplexes. He tried again for the Blade Runner, but again Ibushi avoided it, and landed a Kamigoye flush, but Jay kicked out! With no hesitation, Ibushi ascended to the top turnbuckle and delivered a beautiful phoenix splash, but Gedo pulled the referee out of the ring. He tried to hit Ibushi with brass knuckles, but Ibushi caught him and obliterated him with a Kamigoye. Ibushi brought the referee back in, but Jay sprung with a Blade Runner, keeping Ibushi down until just shy of 3. Jay locked in the TTO leglock, but Ibushi crawled with all his might and made it to the ropes. Jay hit a cross-arm Bloody Sunday and tried again for the Blade Runner, and got blasted with a bicycle knee. Jay desperately tried again for the Blade Runner, but Ibushi leveled him with a lariat! He delivered a Kamigoye to the back of Jay’s head, then spun him around for another, and it was all over. Kota Ibushi is still your IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Champion.

SANADA appeared and civilly challenged Kota Ibushi. KENTA could learn a thing or two from him.

WWE RAW Results (1/4): Legends Night, Goldberg Challenges Drew McIntyre

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. It was Legends Night on this week’s RAW and several superstars from the past made appearances throughout the show. Drew McIntyre defended the WWE Championship against Keith Lee in the main event.

WWE RAW Results (1/4)

  1. New Day def. The Miz & John Morrison
  2. AJ Styles def. Elias
  3. Lacey Evans & Peyton Royce def. Asuka & Charlotte Flair
  4. Riddle def. Bobby Lashley
  5. Dana Brooke def. Shayna Baszler
  6. Randy Orton def. Jeff Hardy
  7. Lucha House Party def. Hurt Business
  8. Drew McIntyre def. Keith Lee to retain the WWE Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

New Day Picked Up A Win

The Miz and John Morrison kicked off RAW with an episode of Miz TV. Miz and Morrison welcomed New Day as their first guests of the new year. New Day joked that they have a new talk show called “New Day Talks” and that Miz and Morrison were their guests.

Kofi claimed he was the host and Xavier Woods was the band leader. New Day mocked The Miz by shouting “correct!” several times. The Miz finally had enough and shouted that he was sick of New Day making a joke out of his show.

Teddy Long interrupted and said that Miz and Morrison will face The Undertaker. Adam Pearce informed Teddy that Undertaker is retired and made a tag team match between Miz & Morrison and the New Day.

Kingston took Miz down to the canvas and applied a Headlock. Miz battled to his feet and broke the hold. Miz connected with a shoulder tackle but Kingston shrugged it off and hit a Crossbody for a near fall. Morrison tagged in and Kofi greeted him with a Dropkick to the face for a two count.

Kofi twerked around the ring and then leaped onto Miz and Morrison outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Miz and Morrison had Kofi isolated in the corner of the ring. Kofi eventually escaped and tagged in Xavier Woods.

Morrison absolutely leveled Woods with a forearm to the face but Xavier responded with a forearm shot of his own. Kingston hit Miz with a Clothesline off the steps as Woods connected with a Shining Wizard on Morrison for the pinfall victory.

Orton Didn’t Light Alexa Bliss On Fire

Randy Orton was interviewed backstage and said that he couldn’t light Alexa Bliss on fire because he was changed by The Fiend and showed restraint. Orton added that he hated himself for that but he has realized that he is truly capable of anything. Randy wondered what would happen if he directed his new found hatred for himself towards someone else. Orton claimed he was going to go find some legends and remind him why he is called “The Legend Killer”.

AJ Styles def. Elias

AJ Styles faced Elias tonight on RAW. Omos and Jaxson Ryker were ringside for the match. Elias hit a Belly to Back Suplex but AJ Styles immediately applied a Headlock. Elias escaped and caught Styles with an elbow to the face. Elias knocked Styles out of the ring with a forearm to the face as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Elias and AJ were battling in the corner of the ring. Elias hit Styles with a Chokeslam and went for the cover but AJ was able to power out at a two count. AJ went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Elias countered with a knee strike to Styles’ face for another near fall.

Styles sent Elias into the turnbuckle and followed it up with a Brainbuster. AJ then connected with the Styles Clash in hte middle of the ring for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ryker tried to hit Styles with the guitar but Omos booted it away in impressive fashion. Ryker was shocked and retreated out of the ring.

Ric Flair Cost Charlotte & Asuka The Match

Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair .and Asuka faced Peyton Royce and Lacey Evans. Ric Flair accompanied Charlotte to the ring.

Flair and Royce started off the match by locking up. Charlotte connected with a slam and quickly tagged Lacey Evans in. Lacey waved at Ric Flair and Charlotte capitalized with a Headlock. Charlotte went for the Figure Four but Evans was able to get to the bottom rope.

Peyton Royce tagged in as Evans hit Flair with a cheap shot. Royce beat Flair down and tagged Evans back in. Flair hit Evans with a Backbreaker and tagged in Asuka. The RAW Women’s Champion hit Lacey with a Dropkick and delivered a shoulder tackle to Peyton Royce.

Asuka connected with a Hip Attack and followed it up with a Clothesline on Royce for a two count. Lacey Evans started dancing in front of Ric and Charlotte slapped her in the face. Evans and Charlotte continued to brawl ringside as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Royce and Evans had Asuka isolated in the corner. Asuka planted Royce with a Neckbreaker and tagged in Charlotte. Lacey tagged in at the same time and Flair greeted her with a Clothesline. Flair hit Evans with a series of chops and Royce tagged in.

Charlotte connected with a Fallaway Slam and climbed up to the top rope. Flair hit a Moonsault onto Royce and Evans and tagged in Asuka. Asuka hit Royce with a kick to the face for a near fall. Charlotte tagged back in and hit Natural Selection but Evans broke up the cover.

Royce hit Asuka with a Neckbreaker on the apron and started crawling towards Ric Flair. Charlotte hit Lacey with a Dropkick and then Ric tripped up his daughter. Peyton capitalized with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. After the match, Charlotte told Ric Flair to get out of here.

Riddle Pinned The US Champion

Matt Riddle squared off against Bobby Lashley tonight on RAW. MVP accompanied United States Champion Lashley to the ring for the match. Riddle attacked Lashley in the corner before the bell rang. The match officially started and Riddle hit Lashley with a few more strikes to the midsection.

Lashley connected with a slam and then beat Riddle down in the corner of the ring. The action spilled out of the ring and Lashley smashed Riddle’s face into the ring post as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Lashley was still in control and had Riddle in a submission lock in the middle of the ring.

Riddle escaped and booted Lashley in the midsection but the US Champion immediately responded with a Clothesline. Riddle hit a kick to the face and then a running forearm in the corner of the ring. Riddle followed it up with a Broton and went for the cover but Lashley kicked out at one.

Riddle hit the Final Flash but Lashley kicked out at one again. Lashley planted Riddle with the Dominator and applied the Hurt Lock. Riddle accidentally bumped into the referee and tapped out but the ref didn’t see it. Lashley celebrated like he won and Riddle rolled him up from behind for the pinfall victory. After the match, Lashley vowed to punish Riddle the next time he gets his hands on him.

Orton Mocked The Legends & Beat Jeff Hardy

Randy Orton intimidated retired legends backstage throughout the show. Orton got in the Big Show’s face and dared him to do something about. Randy mocked Mark Henry for showing up on a scooter and announced that he was going to be in the Royal Rumble. Orton mocked Mark for never being able to compete in the Royal Rumble again and threatened to hit Henry if he didn’t pedal his ass out of the arena.

Orton approached Ric Flair backstage and told him that his daughter ten times the competitor he ever was. Randy brought up punting his head recently and that Ric is not the man he used to be. Orton called Ric a pathetic old man and grinned in his face.

Randy Orton faced Jeff Hardy to begin the third hour of RAW. Orton stomped on Hardy’s face and then threw him to the outside. Orton went after him and bounced Jeff’s head off the announce table several times. Back in the ring, Jeff connected with a Clothesline but Orton responded with a kick to the head.

Orton paced around Hardy and stomped on his hands a couple times before applying a Headlock. Jeff escaped and hit the Twist of Fate before making his way to the top rope. Orton rolled out of the ring and Hardy hit him with a Clothesline off the ring apron as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Orton had Hardy in another Headlock but Jeff quickly escaped. Orton hit a Clothesline for a two count and went back to the Headlock. Randy went for a DDT but Hardy countered with an inverted Atomic Drop and then a Splash for a near fall.

Hardy followed it up with Whisper in the Wind and went for the cover but Orton was able to kick out at the last moment. Orton planted Jeff with a DDT and bought himself some time to regroup. Jeff went for the Twist of Fate but Orton countered into the RKO for the pinfall victory.

Dana Brooke def. Shayna Baszler

Mandy Rose was set to face Shayna Baszler tonight. As Mandy was making her entrance, Shayna attacked Mandy from behind and launched her into the barricade. Dana Brooke rushed the ring and took Mandy’s place in the match. Shayna ducked under a Clothesline and booted Dana in the leg. Shayna applied the Kirifuda Clutch but Brooke countered into a roll-up for the win. Shayna didn’t break the hold but Mandy Rose did so by beating Baszler down.

The RAW Tag Champs Aren’t Getting Along

RAW Tag Team Champions Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander faced Lucha House Party tonight. MVP was on commentary for the match. Gran Metalik hit Benjamin with a Hurricanrana and then went for another one but Shelton caught him with a massive Powerbomb. Cedric and Lince tagged in and Dorado hit Alexander with a Hurricanrana. Hurt Business isolated Dorado in the corner and started arguing over with each other. Lince capitalized and rolled up Shelton for the pinfall victory. After the match, MVP, Benjamin, and Alexander argued ringside. Cedric then left on his own.

Goldberg Challenged Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre put the WWE Championship on the line against Keith Lee in the main event of this week’s show. Hulk Hogan, Booker T, and the rest of the legends stood on the entrance ramp for the title match. McIntyre and Lee locked up to start off the action.

McIntyre drove Keith Lee to the corner and then to the ropes and the referee separated the two superstars. Keith Lee and McIntyre traded chops and punches in the middle of the ring. McIntyre brought Keith to the corner again and unloaded some more chops.

Keith Lee sent McIntyre out of the ring and then launched him over the barricade as RAW went to a commercial break. Keith Lee was still in control when RAW returned and had McIntyre trapped in the corner. Lee planted McIntyre with a slam and went for the cover but the WWE Champion kicked out at two.

McIntyre hit a chop to the chest and went for a Belly to Belly Suplex but Lee caught him with a headbutt. Drew McIntyre showed off his power and launched McIntyre across the ring to buy himself some time. McIntyre hit a Neckbreaker and set up in the corner for the Claymore.

Lee dodged the Claymore but McIntyre rolled him up for a near fall. Keith slammed McIntyre to the mat for another two count. The action spilled out of the ring and McIntyre Powerbombed Keith Lee through the announce table as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, McIntyre connected with a flying Clothesline off the top rope for another near fall. McIntyre followed it up with the Future Shock DDT but once again Keith was able to kick out at two. Lee perched McIntyre up on the top rope and joined him on the turnbuckle.

Keith Lee hit an unbelievable Spanish Fly off the top rope and went for the cover but somehow the WWE Champion was able to kick out at two. Keith went for the Spirit Bomb but McIntyre countered into a Spinebuster for a two count. McIntyre went for the Claymore but Lee caught him. McIntyre escaped and hit the Claymore for the pinfall victory. Drew McIntyre is still the WWE Champion.

After the match, Drew McIntyre grabbed the microphone but was interrupted by Goldberg. McIntyre smiled as Goldberg entered the ring. Goldberg said he was in the back and was thinking that there could not be a better representative to be the WWE Champion. Goldberg said McIntyre has got speed and athleticism, but the one thing Drew doesn’t have is respect. Goldberg claimed that McIntyre believes that he is better than everyone of the legends in their prime. Goldberg got in McIntyre’s face and challenged McIntyre to a match for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble. McIntyre said fighting Goldberg would be like fighting his own dad. Goldberg punched McIntyre and RAW abruptly went off the air.

Opinion: McIntyre and Keith Lee put on a great title match but the rest of tonight’s show was rough. The legends were mainly relegated to pointless backstage segments and I really don’t have any interest in another title match including Goldberg. Unless you are a die hard Goldberg fan, the ending of tonight’s show was nothing to get excited about. I’m assuming that McIntyre will win and will have the match against Sheamus at WrestleMania. I don’t see the appeal of having Goldberg as WWE Champion in 2021.

Goldberg Challenges Drew McIntyre To WWE Title Match At Royal Rumble

Andrew Ravens
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WWE didn’t waste any time in booking Drew McIntyre’s first WWE Championship defense of the new year against Keith Lee as well as setting up his next feud. 

It happened on Monday’s episode of Raw, which was hyped as Raw Legends Night, on the USA Network. The contest was saved for the main event from St. Petersburg, Florida at Tropicana Field.

It was a lengthy back and forth match. McIntyre did a lot of selling for Lee to make him look like a worthy contender. At one point, McIntyre power bombed Lee through the announce table. Lee managed to hit a Spanish fly off the top rope for a near fall. McIntyre hit the Claymore Kick for the win. 

WWE set up this contest last week on Raw as Lee battled Sheamus in the opening contest. Obviously, Lee went over and earned the title shot opportunity. 

After the match, Goldberg walked down to the ring and grabbed a microphone. He praised McIntyre for having talent, but not getting the respect he deserves. He said that McIntyre looks at legends as wrestlers out of their prime and being better than them.

Goldberg said that this is where he steps in as he challenged McIntyre for the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble. McIntyre said that fighting him would be like fighting his own dad. Goldberg pushed him down and the show went off the air. 

WWE holds the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on January 31, 2021. 

Big Show Still Open To Match With Shaquille O’Neal

Andrew Ravens
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The Big Show has made it known that he’s still interested in a match against Shaquille O’Neal even though the chances of it happening might be decreasing every year that passes. 

This match has been talked about for years but never happened. While doing an interview with WWE UK, the former WWE Champion noted that facing Shaq at WrestleMania is his perfect scenario.

“Let’s see, in a perfect scenario at WrestleMania, it would be Big Show versus Shaquille O’Neal. That would be a perfect scenario because we never really got to make that happen. That’s one of those stones I’d like to get out of my shoe and settle that, who is the best big man of all time, period.”

Talks of this possible match started in 2016 after Shaq and The Big Show teased a match at WrestleMania 33 in Arlington, Texas at AT&T Stadium. Plans were changed as Big Show ended up competing in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at the show. 

The two sides have given different stories about why it didn’t happen as Shaq has claimed that plans continued to change throughout talks while WWE made it seem that the NBA legend was never interested in doing the contest. 

Shaq has expressed interest in doing a match with Cody Rhodes in AEW.

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