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More WWE & AEW Stars React to The Undertaker Calling Today’s Generation Soft

Chris Stephens
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The Undertaker ruffled some feathers this week with comments he made during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. The Dead Man knocked today’s generation of wrestlers as being ‘soft’ compared to the outlaws of the 1980’s & 90’s.

“You go into a dressing room nowadays and it’s a lot different. I remember walking into my first real dressing room and all I saw were some crusty f***ing men. Half of them had guns and knives in their bags. S**t got handled back then,” Taker said. “Now you walk in, there’s guys playing video games and making sure they look pretty. It’s evolution, I guess. I don’t know what it is, but I just like those eras, man. I liked when men were men.”

Several wrestlers have taken issue with The Undertaker’s remarks. In response to what The Undertaker said about playing video games and looking pretty, Cedric Alexander replied:

Aiden English also posted the following to social media in regards to Taker’s comments:

AEW star Trent joked that The Undertaker should be jailed for his ‘hot take.’

https://twitter.com/trentylocks/status/1352773770830868482

Joey Janela says he’s going to purchase and bury a Playstation 5 to honor the tough guys that came before him.

In addition to knocking today’s pro wrestlers, The Undertaker also took issue with the WWE product. When asked if he enjoys modern WWE programming, he said, “It’s tough right now for me… cause the product has changed so much and it’s kind of soft. I’ll probably piss a lot of people off but they need to hear it. It is what it is.”

Mick Foley On How “What?” Chants Make Promos Difficult

Chris Stephens
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The infamous “What?” chants started to be heard in WWE in 2001. Steve Austin had just turned heel and was using the one-word question regularly in his promos. For two decades since, fans chanting “What?” during promos has become a polarizing topic in wrestling.

Mick Foley recently commented on how the chants can make cutting a promo difficult. He took to Twitter to let his feelings on the matter be known.

https://twitter.com/RealMickFoley/status/1352833353939087361

“It can be very difficult for any wrestler to find their voice amidst a chorus of “what” chants – it’s like going up to bat with the count starting at 0-2. While it’s still POSSIBLE to hit a promo out of the park, those annoying chants make it a hell of a lot less likely.”

Foley’s comments were in response to a user on Twitter noting that Roman Reigns didn’t “find his voice” until after live crowds were no longer in attendance at events.

Christian noted in an interview in 2019, that he played a role in the “What?” chants coming to be. He said that Austin first started using it on a voicemail he left him around that time.

“(Austin) left this rambling voicemail on my message machine. He was just saying random stuff like: ‘I’m just passing a tree. What?! I said I’m passing a tree. What?!’ Random – about anything,” Christian said.

“Then a week or two later I was sitting in the back on Raw and I could hear the audio of him doing a promo in the ring and I heard him doing the ‘What?’ I was like ‘I can’t believe he’s going to do this and he’s going to get this over'”.

WWE SmackDown Results (1/22): Roman Reigns & Kevin Owens, IC Title Match

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. In addition to the takeaways below, Universal Champion Roman Reigns pulled some strings and barred Kevin Owens from the ThunderDome. During tonight’s show, Kevin Owens discussed his grandparents’ initials tattooed on his hand and why he will always just keep fighting. Owens vowed to win the Last Man Standing match and become Universal Champion at Royal Rumble.

SmackDown Results (1/22)

  1. Charlotte & Asuka def. Riott Squad
  2. Cesaro def. Dolph Ziggler
  3. Sasha Banks def. Reginald
  4. Apollo Crews def. Big E via DQ
  5. King Corbin def. Dominik

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Paul Heyman Challenged Adam Pearce

Universal Champion Roman Reigns came down to the ring with Paul Heyman to begin this week’s episode. Reigns said Kevin Owens will not be on the show because he said so. Roman claimed “card subject to change” is how losers think and that he shows up and puts in work every day. Reigns noted that it took his health being at risk during a pandemic for him to miss time.

Reigns called Adam Pearce “a puss” and mocked him for faking an injury last week. Roman added that his back hurts from carrying the WWE for years now and that maybe he can’t make it to Royal Rumble because his back is in pain. Adam Pearce interrupted and said that this has gone too far.

Roman stated that it was out of control that Pearce would put Kevin Owens back in the title picture. Reigns called Pearce “Kevin Owens’ bitch” and noted that Adam hasn’t been in a match for six years but had the audacity to complain that his body hurts. Roman said “no wonder you never made it to WWE” and Heyman laughed in Pearce’s face.

Pearce told Heyman that he can take the intimation from Reigns but sure as hell isn’t going to take it from Heyman. Paul claimed that Pearce just disrespected the Tribal Chief and suggested that they face each other later tonight in the main event. Pearce accepted the challenge to end the segment.

Reigns later told Heyman as he tried to weasel out of the match that he hired a man as his special counsel and handle his business tonight.

The Women’s Tag Team Champs Picked Up A Win

Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair & Asuka faced Riott Squad in a non-title match. Sami Zayn handcuffed himself to the barricade for the conspiracy documentary he is filming. Billie Kay was ringside for the match. Riott and Flair locked up in the middle of the ring to begin the action. Flair applied a Headlock and brought Riott to the canvas. Asuka tagged in and leveled Ruby with a shoulder tackle.

Charlotte bounced Ruby’s face off the top turnbuckle but got distracted by Billie Kay. Liv Morgan tagged in and hit Flair with a Dropkick to the face. Morgan followed it up with a Crossbody for a near fall as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, the Riott Squad was in control and had Flair trapped in the corner.

Flair battled back and unloaded several chops. Charlotte planted Liv with a Fallaway Slam and Asuka tagged in. Asuka hit a knee to the face and went for the cover but Ruby Riott broke it up at two. Liv went for an Enziguri but Asuka countered into an Ankle Lock. Asuka hit Morgan with a German Suplex and then Ruby tagged in.

Riott rolled up Asuka but Billie Kay was arguing with the referee. Asuka hit Liv with a Hip Attack and Charlotte tagged herself in. Charlotte hit Natural Selection on Ruby for the pinfall victory. Billie Kay tried to apologize Ruby and Liv backstage but Riott wasn’t having it. Billie told Riott Squad that she talked to Sonya and she got them into the Women’s Royal Rumble match. Riott told Billie that the squad was much better when it was just two of them.

Cesaro Dominated

Daniel Bryan made his way to the ring and traded some words with Sami Zayn who was still handcuffed on the entrance ramp. Bryan said he was going to be in the Royal Rumble match and broke down why he loved it. Daniel said it is one of the most challenging things in the WWE and it makes him feel alive.

Bryan said he is proud of his career and has accomplished a lot but he has never won a Royal Rumble match. Cesaro interrupted and claimed that he was going to win this year’s Royal Rumble match. Cesaro boasted about winning the first Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Daniel challenged Cesaro to a rematch from last week and Cesaro responded “how about no”.

Cesaro said he beat Bryan last week and is tired of doing the same thing over and over. Cesaro issued an open challenge and Dolph Ziggler made his way to the ring. Ziggler stated that he has been in the 2nd most Royal Rumble matches of all time and that he wants to win so he can go to WrestleMania and get paid. Dolph then accepted Cesaro’s challenge as SmackDown went to a break.

Daniel Bryan joined commentary as Cesaro started off the match in control. Cesaro swung Ziggler around the ring several times for a two count. Ziggler rolled up Cesaro for a two count and then Cesaro did the same. Dolph hit the Zig Zag and went for the cover but Cesaro kicked out at two. Ziggler went for the Fameasser but Cesaro countered into the Neutralizer for the pinfall victory.

Sasha Banks Tapped Out Reginald

SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks squared off against Reginald tonight on SmackDown. Carmella was ringside for the match. Sasha went for an Arm Drag but Reginald landed on his feet. Reginald flipped off the ring apron and to the floor but Banks caught him with a Dropkick through the ropes. Banks planted Reginald with a Bulldog and went for Double Knees but Reginald got out of the way. Reginald went for a Powerbomb but Sasha countered with an Arm Drag.

Sasha climbed to the top rope and went for a Crossbody but Reginald caught her. Sasha sent Reginald out of the ring and hit him with a Meteora off the apron. Banks knocked the champagne out of Carmella’s hand and then the action returned to the ring. Sasha then locked in the Bank Statement for the submission victory.

Sami Zayn Interfered In The IC Title Match

Big E defended the Intercontinental Championship against Apollo Crews. Big E hit a Belly to Belly Suplex right away and then sent Crews to the corner. Crews hit Big E with a kick to the face and followed it up with a Moonsault for a two count. Big E hit Crews with a Uranage and went for the cover but Apollo was able to kick out at two. Crews hit Big E with a Moonsault off the apron and then made his way to the top rope.

The Intercontinental Champion connected with a punch to the face and went for a Superplex but Crews blocked it. Apollo hit a few headbutts and knocked Big E off the turnbuckle. Sami unlocked his handcuffs as Apollo hit Big E with a Drop Kick. Sami ran into the ring and hit Crews with the Helluva Kick. Sami then delivered a Helluva Kick to Big E as well. Sami shouted that this was justice as he exited the ring.

Bianca Belair Won The Obstacle Course Challenge

Street Profits approached Sonya Deville and said that they deserve a rematch for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Sonya told Montez Ford that he was still injured and not ready to come back. Deville suggested that it was time to give some more teams a shot and when Ford is healthy the Street Profits will be right back in the title picture.

Michael Cole hosted the obstacle course challenge between Bianca Belair and Bayley tonight. After Michael Cole made the introductions, Bayley ripped the microphone away and told Michael Cole to leave. Bayley said that they were going to start with a 400 pound tire and then run through several obstacles ringside. Chad Gable assisted in the obstacle course as well.

Bayley flipped the tire and then just ran around the obstacles instead of climbing them. Bayley lifted Gable up in the Fireman’s Carry and then made a layup after dropping him. Bayley finished the course in 1:12. Bayley then added a few more obstacles to the course and Bianca got through them quickly. Belair then lifted Otis up in the Fireman’s Carry and then juked around Bayley. Bianca Belair dunked the basketball and won the obstacle course challenge. Bayley attacked Belair and beat her down before launching her into the basketball hoop.

King Corbin Easily Defeated Dominik

Dominik faced King Corbin tonight on SmackDown. Dominik hit Corbin with a Dropkick that knocked him out of the ring. Dominik went for a Crossbody but Corbin got out of the way and delivered a Clothesline. Back in the ring, Corbin went for the cover but Dominik was able to kick out at two. Corbin controlled the next few minutes and slowed the match down. Corbin went for End of Days but Dominik escaped. Dominik went for 619 but Corbin blocked it. Corbin hit Dominik with a punch to the face and followed it up with End of Days for the pinfall victory.

Kevin Owens Attacked Roman Reigns

Adam Pearce stood in the ring as Paul Heyman marched to the ring. Heyman was taping up his fists and stumbled on the steel steps. Heyman hobbled around saying his knee hurt and fell to the floor. Paul shouted “you know what they say, card subject to change” and stared at Pearce.

Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his way to the ring and hit Pearce with a Superman Punch. Roman tried to grab the steel steps but Adam shoved him away. Reigns hit Pearce with a low blow and then slammed him into the ThunderDome. Kevin Owens showed up and attacked Reigns.

Roman rolled Owens into the ring and went for a Superman Punch but Owens hit him with a kick to the midsection. Owens connected with a Stunner and Roman rolled out of the ring. Owens beat Reigns down against the barricade as WWE officials tried to break it up.

Owens stomped on Roman a few more times before officials pulled him away. Owens escaped and hit Roman with another Stunner. Owens shouted at Heyman and asked if he had anything to say. Kevin then put Roman through the announce table with a Pop-Up Powerbomb to close another solid edition of SmackDown.

Latest On Aleister Black’s WWE Status

Andrew Ravens
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Aleister Black hasn’t been seen on WWE TV in a few months, which has caused fans to wonder what his status is. His disappearance also came at a time where his wife, Zelina Vega, was released by the company. 

According to PWInsider, there are big plans in store for him. WWE made the call to purposely pull him from television so he could have a big “dramatic debut” on SmackDown. As to why that hasn’t happened just yet, there’s no word, but it’s possible the company is waiting for the right time to do so. 

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson stated, “I was told he was purposely pulled from television so he comes back and have a big dramatic debut for SmackDown, and it just hasn’t happened. My feeling is maybe the stuff with his wife Zelina, might have led to them saying ‘hey, let’s wait a bit, let’s the waters kind of calm.” 

Black was sent from Raw to SmackDown last October during the WWE Draft. However, after dropping losses to Kevin Owens, he disappeared a few weeks later. 

When Paul Heyman was still the acting Raw Executive Director, he was high on the former NXT Champion with the idea to push him as a top star on Raw a year ago. However, once Heyman was removed from this role, Black’s push stopped.

Two Part-Time Legends Expected Compete at WWE WrestleMania 37

Andrew Ravens
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With WrestleMania 37 quickly approaching, WWE has started to look at what they will have planned for the biggest show of the year. 

It was previously reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE has yet to lock in the top matches for the show.

WrestleVotes has since reported that once it was determined that this year’s show would take place over the course of two nights then the creative team started working on “bigger” ideas for the show. WWE is looking to lock in four marquee matches for the weekend, with two matches per night to take place. 

The report goes onto state that the company feels they need some outside assistance from big names. John Cena and Goldberg are said to be “nearly” locked in for WrestleMania.

John Cena
John Cena

The Rock is unlikely to appear while things are to be determined with The Undertaker even though he retired last November at Survivor Series. Triple H’s status is considered ‘TBD.’

Cena does live in the area and is likely to be more available than usual since production in Hollywood has slowed down because of the pandemic. The former WWE Champion was also featured in the “WrestleMania Report” video to promote the event and announce the dates and locations for the next three WrestleMania events.

WWE & NXT On USA Network Could Be Impacted By ‘NBCSN’ Shutdown

Andrew Ravens
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NBC Universal, parent company of the USA Network, is shutting down the NBC Sports Network channel. This could have a big impact on WWE programming, most notably NXT.

NBC Sports Network currently airs popular sports properties such as NHL and NASCAR. NXT could be directly impacted since many of the NHL games on NBCSN air on Wednesday nights. NASCAR coverage could also potentially impact Raw. 

Because the USA Network is in more homes than NBCSN, the belief is the sports leagues mentioned above should see their ratings go up and eventually TV rights. If that theory happens then bigger money deals could also be given to WWE.

There have been rumors since last year of NBC Universal moving NXT to another night where they would not have to go head-to-head with AEW Dynamite on Wednesdays. What that new night would be or when a move could be made remains to be seen. 

The belief has been since AEW got a TV deal with TNT, WWE moved NXT to the USA Network as a way to compete, but more importantly, to keep AEW down to a certain level, which could see AEW have less leverage once it’s time to get a TV deal/extension done. 

Of course, that original belief was before AEW got an extension with TNT. There is no word yet on the exact date when NBCSN will be shutting down.

Ryan Nemeth (Dolph Ziggler’s Brother) To Make AEW Debut Next Week

Chris Stephens
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Ryan Nemeth, aka Hot Young Briley, is scheduled to make his AEW debut next week on Dynamite. AEW announced on its social media feeds that Dolph Ziggler’s brother will be facing Hangman Page Wednesday night.

Nemeth’s older brother, Nic Nemeth (aka Dolph Ziggler), reacted to the news that his younger brother will be making his AEW debut next week:

Ryan Nemeth is an 11-year pro out of the Cleveland area. The 35-year-old is 5 years younger than his older brother. He was trained by Rip Rogers and has performed for promotions such as Tommy Dreamer’s House of Hardcore, Nuclear Heat Wrestling, and Millennium Pro Wrestling. He also wrestled regularly for Bar Wrestling but would later express ethical concerns regarding the owner of the promotion.

https://twitter.com/HotYoungBriley/status/1274550758508097536
https://twitter.com/HotYoungBriley/status/1323366178023043073
https://twitter.com/HotYoungBriley/status/1274545764925009920

From 2012 to 2013, Nemeth was under contract with WWE. He performed in OVW, FCW, and eventually NXT under the ring name Briley Pierce. He was released in May of 2013.

Shortly after Brodie Lee’s passing, Nemeth posted the below story to his Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/HotYoungBriley/status/1343997614560198656

In addition to Hangman Page vs Ryan Nemeth, the following matches are also booked for next week’s Dynamite:

  • Britt Baker vs Shanna
  • Jungle Boy vs Dax Harwood
  • Chris Jericho & MJF vs the Varsity Blondes
  • The Young Bucks & The Good Brothers vs The Dark Order
  • Eddie Kingston vs Lance Archer

AEW Revolution Date Pushed Back To March

Chris Stephens
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All Elite Wrestling is reportedly looking at pushing back the planned date for the 2021 Revolution PPV. The originally planned date for the event had been February 27th, 2021 but according to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the date is being pushed back. No official date has been announced for the event as of yet, however.

“We’ve heard possible dates of either 3/6 or 3/7 at Daily’s Place. The original date of 2/27 has been talked about as possibly a Jake Paul PPV,” wrote Dave Meltzer. The report would continue to say that the potential Jake Paul boxing fight is not official and may not happen, however.

It was also noted in the report that AEW’s lowest-drawing PPV, 2019’s Full Gear, went head-to-head with a Jake Paul fight on PPV.

“The lowest AEW PPV, Full Gear on November 9, 2019, even with a Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega unsanctioned match on top, went head-to-head with the second Logan Paul vs. KSI fight.”

The first match confirmed for the event was announced yesterday. Following weeks of feuding between Sting, Darby Allin, and Team Taz, a street fight has been scheduled. It will be Darby Allin and Sting teaming up against Ricky Starks and Brian Cage. The match was announced officially yesterday after having been teased this week on Dynamite.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKUu4IUpTmw/?utm_source=ig_embed

Current Plans For The Top Matches at WWE WrestleMania 37

Chris Stephens
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WWE WrestleMania 37 is less than 3 months away. This year’s installment of WrestleMania will once again take place over two nights. As announced last week, WrestleMania 37 will be held on April 10th and 11th from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, FL.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE does not have much planned ahead of time for the big event.

“The reason there has been no television direction for the main matches at Mania. You don’t hear anything about them is because there isn’t any,” wrote Dave Meltzer. He added that there doesn’t appear to be any plan regarding top WrestleMania storylines and title matches for the Raw brand.

WWE appears to have narrowed down Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania opponent to two possible choices, however.

“On Smackdown, Reigns has two different opponents that are being considered. So, Bryan is not a lock and at least as of this past week. Nakamura was not one of the two under consideration as of last week,” Meltzer continued.

Although Daniel Bryan and Shinsuke Nakamura are current frontrunners to face Reigns, “plans change.”

Road to WrestleMania

WWE will present three pay-per-view events from now through WrestleMania. The Royal Rumble takes place next weekend, on January 31st. From there, we have Elimination Chamber on February 21st and Fastlane on March 21st. There will be just 3 weeks between Fastlane and WrestleMania.

We have plenty of time from now until WrestleMania. However, WWE typically has WrestleMania plans firmed up by now.

Update On Riho’s AEW Status

Chris Stephens
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Former AEW Women’s Champion, Riho, has not wrestled in the United States since March. She’s been keeping an active schedule with the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion in Japan, however. According to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW is hoping to have Riho back on its shows soon.

“The company is right now working on bringing Riho back. People have been asking about her since Stardom stopped using her a few weeks ago. She could be back as early as February,” wrote Dave Meltzer. Riho’s last match with Stardom was on December 26th, 2020.

News that AEW is hoping to have Riho back shortly comes on the heels of the announcement of the Women’s Championship Eliminator tournament. AEW announced the tournament on Dynamite this week and graphics for it show an American side and a Japanese side.

Another Joshi star who has worked with AEW in the past, Emi Sakura, posted the following in regards to the upcoming tournament:

Riho won the AEW Women’s Championship on the first-ever edition of Dynamite. She defeated Nyla Rose in the finals of a tournament to crown the first champion. Riho held the title for 19 weeks and 4 defences before dropping it to Rose on the 19th edition of Dynamite on February 12th, 2020.

Roman Reigns Credits UFC For His Guillotine Submission Hold

Staff
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Roman Reigns had been wanting to use his guillotine submission maneuver for a long time. However, the “process of the creative” did not allow him to implement the move up until recently.

Reigns added another layer to his new ‘Tribal Chief’ persona when he used a new guillotine submission maneuver to sleep Braun Strowman on the October 16 episode of SmackDown. He has used the move several times ever since, including on his latest rival, Kevin Owens.

Speaking with Bleacher Report for an exclusive interview, Roman Reigns revealed that the UFC has been a huge inspiration behind the finisher. He admitted to being an MMA fan and finding the guillotine choke to be one of the simplest mixed martial arts moves that one could bring over to pro wrestling.

“I thoroughly enjoy watching MMA, especially over the pandemic, I feel like UFC has been on TV far more for whatever reason. I’ve gotten into it the last couple of years and it just seems like every single card, somebody wins with the guillotine. It’s the simplest move. It’s the simplest submission ever. You just crank it in there and squeeze and wrench back.”

Roman Reigns: I’ve Been Wanting To Use That For Years

Roman Reigns was surprised that not many people in were using the move. He revealed that he tried to discuss a submission finisher for himself in the past. He got turned down and wound up using the spear instead.

“I’ve been wanting to use that for years,” he said. “No one’s to blame, it’s just the process of the creative. It’s like, ‘What if I just pulled out a submission?’ I’ve been saying that for years. Everybody knows the Spear. The producers that I work with all the way up to [Vince] said, ‘I think the finish would be better with a Spear.’ That’s great because for years we built that spear up and up.”

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Roman Reigns defeats Braun Strowman with a new guillotine finisher

This time, he decided to ‘pull the trigger’ on it and do it anyway.

“There’s going to be a lot of different ways to go in and out of it. It just makes sense and nobody’s really using it. Really, I’m at the point where it doesn’t matter who’s using it, I’ll just use it anyway. The submission was something I wanted to use for quite some time, and I finally pulled the trigger on it.”

Roman Reigns also revealed in the interview how his ‘Head of the Table’ moniker came to be. Turns out, it was an in-ring improvisation by Reigns himself during his confrontation with Jey Uso early on in heel run.

Visit Bleacher Report to read their full interview with WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns Reveals His Favorite WrestleMania Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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Roman Reigns has been WWE’s marquee star for over half a decade now and in the time he has main evented WrestleMania for not one but four times against opponents like Triple H and The Undertaker.

The current Universal Champion recently had a detailed interview with Bleacher Report where he shared thoughts on a wide variety of topics.

During the interview, Reigns also revealed his favorite match of the Grandest Stage Of Them All and he picked up his WrestleMania 31 match with Brock Lesnar as the one:

“I’d probably not want to do it again because it was brutal; I was a much younger man back then. But that match, to me, was an instant classic unlike, really, any other sports-entertainment match.”

Reigns explained that the bout had a bit of something for everybody and while his other WrestleMania matches have all been great, there was something special about his fight with The Beast Incarnate:

“The matches we had as The Shield, and then the match I had coming back against Drew McIntyre after some time off to handle my health, that was very special, too. But there’s something very special about WrestleMania 31 in Santa Clara. And I was in the 49ers stadium, so that was kind of the cherry on top.”

Roman Reigns won the 2015 Royal Rumble to earn a shot at Brock Lesnar’s WWE championship. However, he wasn’t able to win the title at WrestleMania. Seth Rollins cashed in his Money In The Bank contract in the middle of the bout and went on to win the championship.

Chad Gable Wants A ‘Dream Match’ With This Top WWE Superstar

Anutosh Bajpai
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Chad Gable has been helping Otis in training under his Alpha Academy and former WWE Champion Daniel Bryan has also seemingly joined this storyline to train for the upcoming Royal Rumble PPV.

The former American Alpha member recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump where he talked about things like being friends with Otis since 2010 and more.

During the interview, he also talked about how he has watched Daniel Bryan wrestle since 2002 and Gable said that competing against the former world champion is a dream match for him.

“That’s a dream of mine. That’s the dream match of mine, I haven’t gotten to the point yet in WWE where I’ve had a chance at singles championships. I want stakes to be there when I finally get that chance to wrestle Daniel.

I want something to be at stake. I want a championship to be at stake.” said Chad Gable, “I want time and to make this a technical classic. If we get that chance, I, without a shadow of a doubt, it’s going to be a legendary classic that you look back on.”

The former NXT star mentioned how many people have talked about this match and he claimed it will live up to the expectations when it finally happens because he will make sure of it.

Apart from this, Chad Gable also provided some interesting update on his former partner Jason Jordan and revealed that Jordan is actually working towards an in ring return. You can check out his comments on the matter at this link.

Anna Jay On Her Favorite WWE Stars Growing Up

Anutosh Bajpai
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AEW Star Anna Jay hasn’t been wrestling for very long but the young star has impressed everyone with the improvement in her in-ring performance since her debut in September 2019.

The Dark Order member recently appeared on the Talk Is Jericho podcast where she talked about things like the story behind her AEW debut and more.

During the interview, the female star discussed being a WWE fan from a young age and she revealed the Bella Twins as her favorite WWE stars growing up:

“I love The Bella Twins, always say that, of course, people are like, ‘Oh, of course you do,’ but that is what got me into it because I see them and think, if they can do it, I can do it. They were good at branding themselves, and you could see that. And I feel like it started a whole different era.”

Anna Jay also recalled attending a WWE Live event in Jacksonville during her freshman year of high school where she got to see Nikki Bella.

Apart from this, the 22-year-old star discussed how her debut match for All Elite Wrestling was only her fifth or sixth bout and how she got offered a contract after only her second match with the company.

Madusa (Alundra Blayze) Asks WWE For Retirement Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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Madusa (WWE Hall Of Famer Alundra Blayze) wants the company to give her a retirement match and she has decided to go public with her request.

WWE’s official twitter account recently made a post asking fans who is the one superstar they would like to show up at this year’s Royal Rumble PPV.

Madusa interestingly replied to this tweet from the company and the former champion asked the promotion when are they gonna give their golden era Hall Of Famer a retirement match.

The former WWE star’s tweet suggested that she has been lobbying for one final opportunity for a while and the former WCW star indicated that she is done asking for it after her latest post:

Madusa made her wrestling debut back in 1984. She competed for promotions such as AWA, All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling and WCW during her career.

She had a stint with WWE from 1993 to 1995 but she was blacklisted by the promotion after the former champion jumped ships to WCW following her release from the company.

Madusa finally returned to WWE in 2015 when she was announced as an inductee of the company’s Hall Of Fame class of the year and she has made some sporadic appearances for the promotion since then.

Drew McIntyre Reacts To News Of Having Fans At WrestleMania

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE’s chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon recently confirmed plans for having fans in attendance for WrestleMania 37 and now the WWE champion Drew McIntyre has reacted to the news.

The Scottish psychopath recently had an interview with WFLA where he talked about the COVID-19 pandemic and how he headlined WrestleMania 36 without any fans in attendance.

When asked about the news of fans’ return, the WWE Champion said that it’s the one thing they have been missing all year and McIntyre called the WWE Universe their number one superstar:

“It’s the one thing we’ve been missing all year. It’s our number one Superstar, our secret sauce, what makes WWE special is how passionate and loud, and knowledgeable our fanbase are.

They can change the pace of a match. They can make an average match good, a good match great, or if an interview is going on in the ring that they don’t like, they’ll crap all over it,”

Drew McIntyre continued by saying that while they do see the reaction of people on social media among other places they still miss the live interaction:

“And we miss them. We miss the live interaction. We see everything on social media. We hear the reactions live in the ThunderDome. But to have the fans there in person, that’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”

The WWE Champion Drew McIntyre is currently set to defend his title against Goldberg at next Sunday’s Royal Rumble PPV on January 31.

New Topic For Dark Side Of The Ring Season 3

Anutosh Bajpai
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The upcoming third season of the Dark Side Of The Ring has been making headlines recently and a new topic for the newest season has just been revealed. VICE is also working on an episode covering the life and career of Chris Kanyon.

Kanyon made his wrestling debut back in 1992. He had stints with both WCW and WWE during the Attitude Era in the late 90s. Following his WWE release in 2004, Chris Kanyon started using the gimmick of being an openly gay wrestler and he later admitted to being gay in real life.

The former WWE United States Champion passed away in April 2010 and the cause of his death was suicide by antidepressant overdose. The former champion was 40 years old at the time of his passing.

Chris Kanyon Dark Side Of The Ring
Chris Kanyon

Dark Side of the Ring Season 3

This is not the only topic for the third season of Dark Side Of The Ring and previous reports have revealed details of some more upcoming episodes. The topics which have been revealed so far include:

  • Brian Pillman
  • FMW
  • XPW
  • WCW/NJPW Collision In Korea
  • The Smith Family
  • Ion Croitoru aka Bruiser Bedlam.

Sting & Darby Allin vs. Team Taz Street Fight Signed For AEW Revolution

Michael Reichlin
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All Elite Wrestling has announced the first match for AEW Revolution and it’s a biggie. Sting will make his debut alongside AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin. They will face Brian Cage and Ricky Starks in a Street Fight.

Darby Allin commented on the news that he will be Sting’s tag team partner at AEW Revolution. He posted the black and white match graphic on Instagram with the caption, “Legendary”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKUu4IUpTmw/

Sting & Darby Allin

Sting and Darby have been at Odds with Team Taz in recent weeks. On Wednesday’s Dynamite, Sting and Darby talked about “taking it to the streets” against Taz’s henchmen. You can see video of that exchange in the player embedded below.

Darby Allin will be Sting’s first tag team partner in AEW, but he recently commented on the possibility of wrestling against him. “I don’t know what his health’s like, I don’t know what he wants to do,” Allin told Sportskeeda. “If he wants to get in the ring with me, good luck, that’s what I would say, I’m ready. If he’s ready, I’m ready. I have no clue if he’s actually going to be ready. Everything’s up in the air.

Darby has also addressed comparisons to the WCW legend:

Sting Darby Allin
Sting & Darby Allin (Photo: AEW)

AEW Revolution takes place Saturday, February 27th from Jacksonville, FL.

Order AEW Revolution at BR Live (US)

WWE Backstage Returns To FS1 The Night Before The Royal Rumble

Michael Reichlin
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WWE Backstage is returning for one night.

The WWE Backstage Royal Rumble Special will air premiere Saturday, January 30th at 8pm (Eastern) on FS1. It will be hosted by Renee Paquette, Paige and Booker T.

The Backstage Rumble special will replay at midnight and then at 5pm the following day.

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Naturally, this will be a Royal Rumble preview show. You can bet there will special guest appearances.

Renee Paquette and Paige both posted videos on Twitter reacting to the news.

Triple H Asked If He Will Run WWE One Day, Competing At WrestleMania

Michael Reichlin
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Triple H appeared on ESPN’s The Michael Kay Show this week. The Game spoke with Michael Kay, Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg about his status for competing at WrestleMania, if he plans to take over WWE one day and much more.

WWE recently announced the dates and locations for the next three WrestleMania events. Triple H said that WWE usually has these events planned years in advance. Cities submit bids to host WrestleMania like they do with the Super Bowl. They initially had different plans for the next three WrestleManias. WWE worked closely with city officials in Tampa Bay, Dallas and Los Angeles and everyone is happy with how things ended up.

WWE is hopeful that they can have fans in attendance at WrestleMania this coming April. The NFL is bringing the Super Bowl to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay just a couple months before WrestleMania 37. Triple H says they will monitor how things go with the Super Bowl and evaluate from there.

WWE Wants Fans at WrestleMania

“I think the hopes are high, there will be some people there,” said Triple H. “Anything can happen, if this year has shown us anything. Anything can happen in this timeframe. Things move relatively quickly. The Super Bowl will be there in a few weeks, we think there will be a lot of learnings from Raymond James Stadium hosting the Super Bowl, to see what capacity they’re allowed to do, to see how they handle that capacity and see what comes out of that and how safely they can do it.”

He continued, “It all comes down to the safety of our fans and our performers and our staff. So, whatever we feel we can do working with state and local officials, working with health organizations to do it safely, then we’re all for it. WWE is different from any sport. The fans are our lifeblood. Everything we do is for their reaction. The more we can have [fans], the better, but it still has to be safety first.

Triple H repeatedly said, “It’s not the same” running shows without fans in attendance. He believes WWE has done a great job helping people take their minds off what’s going on in the world. Last year’s WrestleMania was not the spectacle fans have become accustomed to. Hopefully this year’s will be a little different and we can return to a stadium.

triple h mania

Will He Compete at WrestleMania?

Triple H recently returned to action on WWE Raw. This prompted a question about that match being a precursor to getting in the ring at WrestleMania.

“[Laughs] I said it a few weeks earlier, ironically, not thinking it was going to happen so quickly.. but I said I’m like that little box on the wall that says ‘in case of emergency, break glass.’ To be honest, I got the call the night before, and was like, hey we’re gonna write you into the show tomorrow, and that was it.”

He continued, “Its not the same, as a performer. My hat is off to all the men and women right now that are doing this week in week out, that did it all this time during Covid and the pandemic, and did it in front of no one, did it front of a few, did it front of video walls with fans cheering and booing.. it’s not the same. It’s difficult when you gear your whole life and your whole career towards getting that reaction and working towards it, and now you have to work towards the reaction that you believe that you will get, but it’s not the same.”

Does Triple H Want To Run WWE One Day?

Finally, Triple H was asked if he intends to take over WWE one day when Vince McMahon steps aside.

“Look, for me, all of this comes down to the success of WWE. I never started doing this from any standpoint. When I first got into this, I just wanted to do it because I thought it was the greatest form of entertainment in the world and you just want to be great at it and whatever comes along with it. As my career wound down, I realized that I was just as fascinated with the behind-the-scenes of it.”

“It’s irrelevant to me who is steering the ship, who is doing what, there is plenty of work for everybody here. For me, it’s just about ensuring that like the tagline says, ‘Then, Now and Forever,’ that this brand of entertainment that I personally consider the greatest blended form of entertainment in the world, that it continues. So to me, it’s irrelevant, any of it, just as long as it continues.”

You can listen to the full Triple H appearance on the The Michael Kay Show at ESPN.

Xavier Woods Reacts To Undertaker’s Comments About Today’s Roster

Chris Stephens
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The Undertaker was recently on Joe Rogan’s podcast. During the conversation, he made some comments about today’s roster being soft. Today, Xavier Woods put out a Tweet that many are taking as a reaction to these comments.

Taker had the following to say regarding today’s WWE roster being soft.

“It’s tough right now for me [to enjoy the product]. Cause the product has changed so much and it’s kind of soft. I’ll probably piss a lot of people off but they need to hear it. It is what it is.”

Taker also specifically mentioned guys playing video games backstage in WWE.

“You go into a dressing room nowadays and it’s a lot different. I remember walking into my first real dressing room and all I saw were some crusty f***ing men. Half of them had guns and knives in their bags. S**t got handled back then. Now you walk in, there’s guys playing video games and making sure they look pretty. It’s evolution, I guess. I don’t know what it is, but I just like those eras, man. I liked when men were men.”

Xavier Woods posted the following Tweet today:

Woods also recently posted the below video of his match from RAW this week with a “Grand Theft Auto” themed edit.

Kenny Omega On AEW Women’s Division: “We’re Taking Baby Steps”

Staff
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The matches and the storylines booked for the female wrestlers of AEW have attracted their fair share of praises as well as criticisms. However, the role of Kenny Omega in the changing scenario of AEW’s women’s division cannot be denied.

In a recent interview with Scott Fishman of TVInsider, the AEW World Champion discussed working the creative side of the business behind the scenes, including charting the course for the AEW women’s division.

“I think we are taking baby steps,” Kenny Omega said. “We have hungry performers who are passionate about getting a chance to do their best. Passion speaks to me more than the performance of a maneuver, and right now, our women are really chomping at the bit to get these TV spots.”

hikaru shida
AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida

Kenny Omega Praises the Women of AEW

Kenny Omega did not miss out on heaping praise on the women of AEW, and he is confident that the company will soon reach the place where the female roster gets as much screen time and opportunities as their male counterpart.

“They’re all training hard. Our roster keeps getting better. [No one has] lost their passion. They are still striving for that big goal, which is for the women’s division to get more time. I’ll have the biggest smile on my face the day we get it. I know we will.”

For a long time the AEW women’s division has been subject to criticism due to poor booking and minuscule screen time. However, wrestlers like Britt Baker, Serena Deeb, Thunder Rosa, Hikaru Shida, and others have proven time and again that they are more than capable of putting on entertaining matches and storylines if given the opportunity.

Kenny Omega also talked about his experience of working with IMPACT Wrestling and how exciting it is to have ‘blown open the doors’ between pro wrestling competitors.

You can read the full Kenny Omega interview at TVInsider.

Will Hobbs Comments On His WWE Tryout & Signing With AEW

Chris Stephens
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Will Hobbs debuted for AEW this summer. He turned heel and aligned with Team Taz this November. He was the guest this week on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. Hobbs spoke about trying out for WWE earlier in his career as well as earning a full-time contract with AEW.

“The tryout was good. That’s a long story but I’ll give you the short story,” Hobbs said about trying out for WWE. “They said we didn’t have anything for you right now.”

Hobbs continued to say that WWE contacted him again after he had appeared on AEW television.

“Years later, (I was) getting the carrot dangled in front of me, then I pretty much told them F-you.”

“The way I was raised, I don’t have time for that s**t. I’m not ‘Boo Boo the Fool’ as my grandmother used to say,” he continued.

Aubrey Edwards then noted others in Team Taz have similar stories.

“Yeah I think Ricky (Starks) had the same thing happen. Both the Team Taz guys. It was like (they) appear on AEW, ‘hey, remember us, we would like to talk you.'”

“I’d rather you tell me ‘100% no’ than try and BS me,” Hobbs continued.

Will Hobbs On Getting A Full-Time AEW Contract

Hobbs also spoke about signing a full-time deal with AEW in September.

“I started off as a Tier 0,” Hobbs said about his first deal with AEW. “And then I believe I got that offer, I want to say right after my Darby match on the Saturday Night Dynamite.”

“Then I believe the PPV was maybe 3 weeks after that. Right after I did my whole thing with Mox, saving him, I got to the back and had another contract waiting for me. I got on the phone, I called a few people back home. When I got back to the hotel, I’m not a real emotional person, but I had to shed a few tears.”

The Good Brothers vs Private Party Announced For Impact No Surrender

Chris Stephens
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Private Party defeated Chris Sabin and James Storm this week on Impact to claim the #1 Contenders spot for the promotion’s tag-team championships.

Impact has announced that the match between current champions, The Good Brothers, and Private Party will take place on February 13th at No Surrender. The event will stream on Impact Plus.

Private Party in Impact

Matt Hardy brought Private Party to Impact this week. Tony Khan would later say that he sent Hardy to the promotion as revenge for Impact stars showing up on his show. Jerry Lynn and Tony Khan were ringside for Private Party’s match on Impact this week. Lynn even got involved in the match, holding onto Sabin’s foot so he was unable to escape from the Gin and Juice.

The Good Brothers have two other big matches upcoming. On next week’s AEW Dynamite, they will team with the Young Bucks against the Dark Order. The following week at Beach Blast, Gallows and Anderson will team with Kenny Omega to take on PAC, Fenix, and Jon Moxley.

Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen seem to be warming up to Matt Hardy’s coaching, even if they aren’t happy with the financial side of their agreement. Last night on Dynamite, Kassidy used a steel chair to give his team the advantage, perhaps suggesting they have turned heel along with their mentor.

Joey Ryan Awarded Default Judgement In Lawsuit Against Accuser

Chris Stephens
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Joseph Meenan, better known to wrestling fans as Joey Ryan, has been awarded a default judgement against one of his accusers. Ryan was the subject of numerous allegations from multiple parties as part of the Speaking Out movement this summer. In the aftermath, he has launched multiple lawsuits against some of his accusers as well as Impact Wrestling.

As first reported by the SoCal Uncensored website, Ryan was awarded a default judgement after one of his accusers failed to respond in time.

According to a report from HeelByNature, the defendant was served with legal papers on October 26th, 2020 but never responded. The report states that the documents were left at the person’s residence but not served to them directly. It is still possible for the judgment here to be set aside, however.

Ryan’s legal team also asked for a default judgment to be awarded against Impact Wrestling after the company failed to respond in time. Impact did eventually respond to Ryan’s lawsuit and the case is still ongoing.

Recently, Joey Ryan posted to Twitter that he is not a criminal and has not committed any crimes.

 “I have not committed any crimes. I have never been investigated for a crime. There has never been any evidence connecting me to a crime. I have never even been a person of interest in a crime. It is bizarre that some would expect me to live my life like a criminal,” Ryan posted.

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