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Randy Orton Wins Firefly Inferno Match, Burns The Fiend At WWE TLC

Andrew Ravens
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Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt’s alter ego, The Fiend, answered questions that were about what a Firefly Inferno Match would look like. 

The first-ever match took place at Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view event. There was a video package recalling their history. The contest was not shot in a cinematic way, but rather in the arena.

The fire was outside of the barricade. The only way to win was to light any part of your opponent’s body on fire. Orton had a hoodie and pants on while Fiend was wearing his jacket. Throughout the match, the flames increased. The Fiend put gas on the old rocking chair and it went on fire.

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The finish saw Orton push The Fiend into the fire back first while he was in a chokehold. Orton got into the ring and Fiend rushed him so Orton hit him with an RKO. The show closed with Orton pouring gasoline on Wyatt then set it on fire.

Monday’s Raw featured Orton putting Wyatt in a box and burning it until The Fiend attacked the former WWE Champion. The two stars have somewhat of a history as in 2017, Orton joined The Wyatt Family before turning on Wyatt. Orton later faced Wyatt for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 33 in a match that was heavily criticized by fans. 

The two stars have been feuding since November when Wyatt was sent to RAW from SmackDown during this year’s Draft even while Orton was in a feud with WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. 

Roman Reigns Retains Universal Title At WWE TLC

Andrew Ravens
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The highly-anticipated showdown between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens took place in one of the top matches featured on the card of Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view event. 

Reigns put the WWE Universal Title on the line against Owens in a TLC Match. The contest had a brawling style with various yet expected weapons being used such as tables, ladders, chairs, and steel steps. Jey Uso was taken out after attacking Owens as “KO” hit him with a steel chair a few times. Uso later returned to stop Owens from climbing a ladder. 

Once again, Owens appeared to take out Jey with a powerbomb through the announce table. Owens buried him with objects at ringside. Reigns hit a powerbomb to Owens on a ladder in the corner then through a table on the floor.

At one point, Reigns went for a spear on the floor, but Owens moved and Reigns went crashing through the barricade. The finish saw Reigns connect with a low blow then applied the guillotine choke to Owens until he passed out. Reigns grabbed the title for the win. 

Reigns had been in a feud with Jey Uso for a few months before beating WWE Champion Drew McIntyre at last month’s Survivor Series pay-per-view event. 

This program started on an episode of SmackDown following Survivor Series in which Jey worked a match against Owens that led to the cousin of “The Big Dog” getting himself DQ by hitting Owens with a steel chair.

This led to Owens getting back at Uso by hitting several Stunners the calling out Reigns. The following week, Owens doubled down by challenging Reigns to this bout for the Universal Title, which Reigns accepted the challenge. 

Backstage News On Who Is Writing Roman Reigns’ Promos

Hurt Business Wins RAW Tag Team Titles At WWE TLC

Andrew Ravens
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The Hurt Business have fulfilled their goal of becoming the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions.

At Sunday’s (December 20, 2020) WWE TLC pay-per-view event in St. Petersburg, Florida at the Tropicana Field on the WWE Network, Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin did so when they dethroned The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) to win the titles. 

The Finish saw Alexander hit the lumbar check to Kingston for the win. Time will tell whether WWE continues this feud or goes into a different direction heading into the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event next month. It’s possible a rematch could come as soon as Monday’s episode of RAW. 

The New Day was drafted to RAW while The Street Profits were drafted to SmackDown during this year’s Draft. At the time, WWE official Adam Pearce had the two teams trade championships.

Thus, there was never an official title change, but rather the titles were renamed and the champions followed suit. 

WWE posted this photo of the Hurt Business backstage at TLC with their gold:

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Backstage News On Who Is Writing Roman Reigns’ Promos

What are your thoughts on The Hurt Business winning the RAW Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Drew McIntyre Retains At WWE TLC After The Miz Cashes In MITB

Andrew Ravens
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In a match that Drew McIntyre had stated he has been wanting since he was 16-years old, AJ Styles challenged him for the WWE Title. 

It happened at the final pay-per-view event of 2020 for WWE, TLC, on Sunday night. This is where McIntyre put the WWE Title on the line, but there was a twist. 

The contest opened the show and featured a slow build throughout. McIntyre sold his left leg throughout the match as he was hit with a chair by Styles. There was a spot where McIntyre sent Styles head first into a chair in the corner. McIntyre press slammed him over the top rope through a table on the floor.

The Miz powerbombed McIntyre off the ladder through a table. He cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase. This turned it into a three-way match. However, McIntyre ended up winning the match after sending Miz and Styles flying off a ladder. 

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Drew McIntyre Victorious at WWE TLC

This originally wasn’t supposed to be the challenge for McIntyre and his WWE Title. Instead, Braun Strowman was slated for this spot. However, he suffered a knee injury that caused him to be put on the sidelines to rehab it. WWE decided to write him off television as a result. 

WWE had to come up with another opponent for McIntyre. WWE started a tournament to determine the new #1 contender to the WWE Championship. The finals took place on an episode of RAW in a Sudden Death Triple Threat Match that featured AJ Styles, Riddle and Keith Lee with “The Phoenmal One” going over. 

What are your thoughts on Drew McIntyre retaining the WWE Title? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Charlotte Flair Returns At WWE TLC PPV, Wins Tag Titles With Asuka

Michael Reichlin
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Raw Superstar Charlotte Flair returned to WWE at Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view from the ThunderDome in St. Petersburg, Florida. Charlotte made a surprise appearance as Asuka’s tag team partner against Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.

Charlotte and Asuka were victorious in the title match. With Charlotte’s return at WWE TLC, she and Asuka are the new Raw Women’s tag team champions.

As a result of this win, Charlotte is now a a Grant Slam Champion in WWE. She has won the Raw, SmackDown and NXT Women’s Championships. She has also won the Women’s tag titles, as well as the Royal Rumble.

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WWE posted this photos Charlotte Asuka backstage at TLC after their big win:

Charlotte’s WWE Hiatus

The 10-time WWE women’s champion has been out of action for several months. Her last television appearance occurred on the June 22nd episode of Raw. After wrestling against Asuka, Charlotte was attacked by Nia Jax. WWE ran an injury angle to write her off television.

During her time away from WWE, she revealed on social media that she underwent a cosmetic surgical procedure:

“The surgery is cosmetic to fix an issue from a prior surgery,” she said. “I’ll be back when I’m ready. The body will be rested, and the mind still focused on legacy. Focused on this job. Focused on being better. Always being better.”

Charlotte Flair also did some acting during hiatus WWE hiatus. She and Alexa Bliss recently filmed an episode for the ‘Punky Brewster’ reboot that will air on the NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service.

Charlotte Flair at WWE TLC

Earlier this week, Lana suffered an injury of her own at the hands (and feet) of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. As a result, Lana was pulled from the TLC pay-per-view. This left Asuka without a partner in the women’s tag team championship match. Asuka probably could take on the champions by herself, but had Charlotte Flair as a replacement for Lana.

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Charlotte has been posting photos on social media showing that she is training for her return.

A return at TLC puts her back on the “chess board” as WWE looks ahead to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. It remains to be seen if Charlotte will team with Asuka for just one match at TLC, or if they will remain a tag team.

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Don Callis Talks Putting Together Omega vs Jericho in New Japan

Jake Skudder
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AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’

Much has been said about the Wrestle Kingdom 12 match between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. AEW President Tony Khan has mentioned himself that the match is the reason he went ahead with creating his own promotion.

Don Callis on Omega vs Jericho WK 12

IMPACT Wrestling EVP Don Callis has taken credit for putting the match together. The Invisible Hand described how he managed this during Talk Is Jericho.

“So, I’m in Japan and I’ve thought, as I’ve said many times; a lot of my thinking is what can I do to further the agenda of Don Callis and Kenny Omega? [The agenda] is to control things and to rewrite wrestling history.”

“Kenny didn’t have an opponent [for Wrestle Kingdom]” Don Callis continued. “He didn’t have an opponent he was excited about. How do you follow up the Okada match? The Six Stars and all that stuff? It takes a lot to get Kenny Omega motivated and excited. That’s because he’s next level. And I thought the one match that could do this? It was the dream match against Chris Jericho. It’s the Winnipeg thing, the fact that no one thought you would ever wrestle anywhere other than WWE.”

Jericho Leaving WWE

Callis would then discuss his previous conversations with Jericho, where the former WWE Superstar stated he would never wrestle for anyone other than Vince McMahon.

“You had always said to me, ‘I’ll never wrestle for anyone other than Vince.’ I was hesitant to call you, but I thought ‘you know what I’m gonna do it because this is the right match for Kenny.’ And it turned out it was the right match for you [Jericho] too, because you came in did what you do better than anybody else in the history of the business.”

The Invisible Hand would finish by praising Jericho for how he came into New Japan back in 2018. “You reinvented yourself, and you came in there and you terrorised the Japanese like no one since Bruiser Brody. You were like Godzilla. And you were, to use my parlance, you were a man among insects in Japan. You were destroying people, and what you and Kenny did? That was all anybody talked about.”

Have you been enjoying the recent storyline with Don Callis and Kenny Omega? Let us know in the comments

Kenny Omega Says There’s Only 3 Stars On His Level in AEW

Jake Skudder
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AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’

Kenny Omega would also make a shot at the AEW roster during the show, saying that there’s not many stars in All Elite who are on his level.

Kenny Omega on the AEW Roster

“They’re (the fans) mad that one guy isn’t having a 45 minute match every episode” Kenny Omega would state on the podcast. “Of course I’m not. I don’t need 45 minutes for these guys! You’ve seen our roster, you know what I mean? Let’s just be honest, let’s called spade a spade.”

“There is a showmanship aspect to what we do” Omega continued. “But let’s be honest, you know? Who in this company, especially at this point in time, is really on my level? It’s a short list.”

Omega would then mention how Chris Jericho is on his list as well as two other members of the AEW roster. “We’ve got PAC, one of the greatest…I would say probably the greatest raw athlete on the roster, I can easily say that. I’m good at what I do because I mix the athletic with what I have upstairs. But PAC just has it so naturally in his body, in this genes.”

“Moxley is up there” Omega continued. “Jon Moxley is more cerebral as well, and he’s just tough as nails, way tougher than I am. I never said I was a tough guy! I can absorb a lot of punishment, but do I want to get hit in the face? No. Do I want to mess up this quaff? No. These curls take a lot of scrunching.”

Do you agree with Kenny Omega? Are there any stars on the AEW roster that you want to see him face going forward? Let us know in the comments

WWE TLC 2020: Matches Confirmed For Tonight’s PPV

Andrew Ravens
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The card for Sunday’s (December 20, 2020) WWE TLC pay-per-view event has been finalized.

The company hasn’t officially announced the main event of this event that takes place in St. Petersburg, Florida at the Tropicana Field that will air on the WWE Network but it will most likely be WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens in a TLC Match. 

This show marks the final PPV event in 2020, which features a loaded lineup. There are a total of six matches booked for this show with five of them being championship matches. WWE has still not announced Asuka’s new tag team partner after Lana was pulled from the WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match. 

As a reminder, we will be providing live play-by-play coverage of this special on Sunday evening starting at 6 PM EST. Here is the final card for the show:

Final WWE TLC Card

  • WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens – TLC Match
  • WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles – TLC Match
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka & TBA
  • Randy Orton vs. The Fiend
  • WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks vs. Carmella
  • WWE Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin

AEW Elevation Trademark Could Be For Second TV Show

Andrew Ravens
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All Elite Wrestling recently filed a new trademark for the name, AEW Elevation.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office database shows the application was submitted on December 16th. The filing includes the following usage description:

“International Class 041: Entertainment services in the nature of live wrestling performances; Entertainment services in the nature of production of wrestling programs and events; Services, namely, an ongoing multimedia program featuring wrestling distributed via various platforms across multiple forms of transmission media; Entertainment services, namely, an ongoing series featuring wrestling provided through a global computer network; Entertainment services, namely, production and distribution of ongoing television programs in the field of wrestling;”

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Elevation could be the name for second weekly television show the company is launching next year. The “wrestling programs and events” and “production of wrestling programs” aspect of the filed trademarks implies the name is for AEW’s second TV show.

AEW Elevation

AEW has a strong relationship with Turner Sports and Warner Media. Dynamite was a hit out of the gate. The early success with viewers landed Dynamite a multi-year contract extension, as well as additional programming.

AEW TNT
AEW on TNT

The AEW Dark Youtube series has also been a big success. It has allowed AEW fans to view new and upcoming talent. Dark used to feature a handful of matches, but the cards have ballooned to feature over a dozen matches each week. Dynamite and Dark do not allow for the entire roster to get sufficient ring time.

AEW executives have confirmed plans for additional live pro wrestling content on television in the months ahead. The extra programming will not be AEW Dark moving to television. Luckily for wrestling fans, it does not sound like we will have to wait long to get more information.

Tony Khan recently told TSN, “It’s going to launch in 2021. We’ve worked it out with TNT. It’s 100 percent going to launch in 2021. I don’t have the exact date yet, but I would look out for it soon and it’s right around the corner.”

Cody Rhodes TNT
AEW Executive VP Cody Rhodes

Mike Bennett Comments On The Possibility Of Maria Joining Him In ROH

Andrew Ravens
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Mike Bennett made a name for himself in ROH as part of The Kingdom that also featured his wife, Maria Kanellis. 

They went to WWE in 2017 and had a run that they weren’t hoping for. Now, Mike is back in Ring of Honor and has reunited with Matt Taven. While doing an interview with Wrestling Inc, he talked about the possibility of Maria joining him in the promotion. 

“Maria, I’ll never say no because she’s my wife, so if she ever wants to come back, she’s always more than willing to. The Kingdom’s just as much her as it was me, and Matt and [Adam] Cole. The door’s always open for her. I will say this about Maria though, she’s very, as most people know, she’s very methodical. She’s very methodical in her decisions. When Maria comes back, she’ll come back when she wants to come back on her terms, doing what she wants to do because that’s how she’s always done it, and I’m sure as hell not going to tell her any other way.”

He noted that if Maria does return to pro wrestling it will be her decision as she’s been doing it for a long time and done a lot in the business. He noted that she’s deserved to rest and come back when she wants to do so. 

The married couple was released by WWE back in April due to budget cuts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They had signed new WWE contracts last June that would’ve seen them be with the company for the next five years. 

Mike Bennett Says He Considered Retirement After WWE Release

Chris Jericho Talks Being ‘Worried’ About New Japan Return

Jake Skudder
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0

AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’

When discussing his Wrestle Kingdom 12 match against Kenny Omega; Chris Jericho would reveal that he was concerned about leaving the WWE bubble and heading to another promotion where he believes he may have not been ‘remembered.’

Chris Jericho on WWE versus New Japan

“There’s a certain atmosphere in WWE” Chris Jericho would begin. “It is what it is and I enjoyed it there for my time there. But this (New Japan) was a whole different level of…star positioning, shall we say. Positioning me in the main event of the Tokyo Dome with Kenny who is a proven huge star in New Japan.”

“Me? I’d not been there since 1997 when I was doing jobs for Kanemoto, whoever the hell it was…El Samurai?” Jericho would continue. “So for me to go there? People kind of knew who I was, but not really, unless you were a fan from 20 years prior. So I had to start from scratch. They might know the idea of what Chris Jericho is, maybe heard the name or seen some matches, when WWE came to Japan to do Sumo Arena? But this was a chance for me to prove myself on a completely different level.”

It’s almost baffling to believe that a veteran the stature of Jericho would think that the Japanese fans wouldn’t know who he is. Given that the former Y2J had been in almost every major promotion before 2018 and had won most of the biggest titles in the world? It’s fair to say that he would’ve always been welcomed by the Japanese fans with open arms.

Are you amazed that Chris Jericho was worried about this prior to re-joining New Japan? Let us know in the comments

Don Callis: “I Don’t Care About Ratings, I’m a Revolutionary”

Jake Skudder
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0

AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’

One of the most common comparisons Omega/Callis have had is that of Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan. Don Callis would start the interview by addressing that notion and saying that he and Omega are completely different beasts.

Don Callis on Comparisons To Greats

“I actually never said it, but people are saying that” the IMPACT Wrestling EVP would begin on the podcast. “I think it’s great. Nick Bockwinkel? He’s one of the greatest of all time. I think Bobby Heenan is a great wrestling manager. I am not a manager, I’m not a wrestling character, I’m making history Chris (Jericho), just like you.”

“I’m not out there performing, I’m not Bobby Heenan” Don Callis would continue. “I’m a revolutionary, I’m Winston Churchill. I don’t care what people say about me on the internet, I don’t care what the ratings are. Because guess what? When we get a rating? The next week, we forget about the week before and we’re on to the next thing.”

Don Callis would then reveal that his ambition goes far beyond the now in pro wrestling. “I don’t care what people say about me now. I care about what people say about Kenny Omega and Don Callis 50 years from now. When people are saying ‘we thought Eddie Graham, Bill Watts, Paul Heyman and Vince McMahon were smart?’ Don Callis and Kenny Omega are on a totally different level.”

‘The Invisible Hand’ would finish by again rubbishing the comparisons to Bockwinkel and Heenan. “That’s just the reality. So Nick Bockwinkel and Bobby Heenan? Great, great, wrestlers. Kenny Omega is not a wrestler, Kenny Omega is a God among insects. That’s how much better Kenny Omega is than everybody else.”

Do you agree with Don Callis? Do you think that he and Kenny Omega are carving out a path that will put them in the history books? Let us know in the comments

Kenny Omega: “I’ve Waited Long Enough Trying To Help Everyone Else Out”

Jake Skudder
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0

AEW Champion Kenny Omega and ‘The Invisible Hand’ Don Callis recently appeared on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. The duo discussed a number of topics during the podcast, including Omega’s recent match in AAA, Don Callis’ ‘megaplan’ and the NJPW match between Jericho/Omega that ‘changed the wrestling industry.’

Jericho would begin the interview by asking Kenny Omega how he felt about finally getting the AEW Championship. Much had been made of the AEW EVPs (The Young Bucks and Omega in particular) not being ‘the same’ performers they were in Japan before creating All Elite. Omega would state that he was ready to be the ‘Best Bout Machine’ again.

Kenny Omega on Becoming AEW Champion

“I felt that it was time” Kenny Omega began on the podcast. “I felt that I’d waited long enough kind of trying to help everyone else out. It was time to help myself, and when I had sort of made that decision? I thought, who better to do it with than one of my family members, you know?”

Omega would then discuss how the pairing with him and Don Callis would align on AEW and IMPACT programming. “Even though he was involved with a different company had other business to attend to? He made himself available. I think you can really tell when you’re comfortable with someone in a ring, comfortable with someone in a professional environment. Don and I working together? It just goes hand in hand.”

“I think that’s why people enjoy it (Kenny Omega and Callis)” Kenny Omega would continue. “Because they see that, they see the chemistry there. They also see one of the greatest managers, one of the greatest wrestling personalities of all time with, arguably, I would say; the greatest wrestler currently active in today’s world.”

Are you enjoying the start of Kenny Omega’s run as AEW Champion? Do you think that he’ll appear in more promotions? Let us know in the comments

Arn Anderson: “No One Person Is Drawing a House Now”

Jake Skudder
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0

Former WWE agent and AEW on-screen coach Arn Anderson recently discussed WWE’s booking style over the past 5 years. The Enforcer was discussing the TLC 2015 PPV on this week’s episode of the ARN podcast.

“We were starting to feel the changing of the guard around this time” Arn Anderson would begin on the podcast. Anderson would then state that the landscape of WWE and professional wrestling has changed to the point that no one person can ‘draw the house’ by themselves anymore.

Arn Anderson on ‘Drawing a House’

“No one person is going to be responsible for drawing a house and hasn’t for some time” Anderson claimed. “Now that used to not be the case. I mean when Hulk Hogan was on the card? That would do it. But when you’re saying in 2015 [and beyond]? If you’ve got eight matches on a card? You better have five that matter.”

Interestingly, John Cena was brought up by co-host Conrad Thompson, but Anderson didn’t address if he was/is still a major draw. It’s fair to say that over the last 10-15 years he has been possibly the one name that could’ve drawn the biggest ‘houses.’

Anderson would then discuss the importance of creating value for money on a PPV card in modern times. “People are tight with a buck these days and how they’ve got to spend their money. They pick and choose where they spend their money. One person hasn’t drawn a house in a long long time. You’ve got to have several things that the audience is interested in.”

Do you agree with Arn Anderson on the principal of ‘drawing the house’ and PPV buys in modern wrestling? Who to you was the last person to be ahead of the pack? Let us know in the comments

Kurt Angle On Who Is His Favorite Babyface In WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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Wrestling veteran and Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle recently held another one of his Q&A sessions on his official Facebook page where he answered some interesting questions.

The former WWE star was first asked what are the three things aspiring pro wrestlers should focus on and he replied by saying that selling, bumping properly and psychology-telling a story are very important.

A fan then asked Angle which is the one match he would like to erase from his memory so he can watch it again for the first time and Kurt mentioned the match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart from WrestleMania XII:

“Bret vs. Shawn Ironman match. It was really great to watch. They told a great story. It was a draw at the end of 60 minutes. Awesome match!”

Kurt Angle also offered some praise to Drew McIntyre and when asked who is his favorite babyface in WWE, he wrote: “Drew McIntyre. He’s having a great run!”

Apart from this, the former Raw General Manager answered questions such as the first CD he bought from his own money, what is on the Christmas list of Kurt Angle and his favorite Christmas movie.

Madison Rayne Leaving Impact Wrestling Soon For Career Outside Wrestling

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former Knockouts Champion Madison Rayne will be leaving Impact Wrestling soon to pursue a career outside of the wrestling world, latest reports reveal.

According to reports from PWinsider, the female star who currently works for the company as a commentator alongside husband Josh Mathews will be leaving the company for a new full time job outside of wrestling.

The Wrestling Observer provided some more update on the situation and it notes that Impact officials had not found a replacement for Rayne as of last week.

madison rayne josh matthews

Madison Rayne’s Career

The former champion made her debut for the promotion in 2009. Since then she has had a number of runs with TNA and she has won over half a dozen titles in the promotion.

Madison’s achievement in the promotion includes 5 different reigns with the Impact Knockouts championship and a couple of runs with the Knockouts tag team titles as well.

Outside of TNA, Madison Rayne, who made her wrestling debut back in 2005, has wrestled for promotions such as ROH and she also competed in the Mae Young Classic tournament back in 2018.

Madison Rayne is not the only star to leave Impact in recent times. Jake Crist recently departed the company and reports suggest that Ethan Page is also expected to become a free agent at the end of this year.

ROH Final Battle 2020 Results: Rush vs. Brody King

Andrew Ravens
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ROH presented their final pay-per-view event, Final Battle, of the year on Friday night (December 18, 2020) from the UMBC Event Center in Baltimore, Maryland. 

The main event saw ROH World Champion Rush vs. Brody King. After a back and forth encounter, Rush emerged victoriously.  

ROH TV Champion Dragon Lee vs. Tony Deppen took place on the show with Lee retaining the title. Deppen beat LSG,  Josh Woods, and Dak Draper earlier in the night to earn a shot at the ROH TV Title.

ROH Tag Team Champions Jay Lethal & Jonathan Gresham vs. Mark Briscoe & PCO, which featured the champions going over while ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham vs. Flip Gordon ended by count-out, but Gresham retained the title. 

Rush’s current deal with ROH is set to expire at the end of this year while Dragon Lee has interest from other promotions. Ring of Honor Chief Operating Officer Joe Koff told PWinsider.com earlier this week that “conversations are ongoing” with both Rush and Lee about their future in ROH in 2021 and beyond.  

ROH Final Battle Quick Results

  • Tony Deppen defeated LSG, Josh Woods, and Dax Draper in a four-way
  • Tracy Williams and Rhett Titus defeated Wheeler Yuta and Fred Yehi
  • ROH Tag Team Champions Jay Lethal and Jonathan Gresham defeated Mark Briscoe and PCO
  • Rey Horus defeated Dalton Castle
  • Mike Bennett and Matt Taven defeated Vincent and Bateman
  • Danhausen defeated Brian Johnson
  • ROH TV Champion Dragon Lee defeated Tony Deppen
  • Shane Taylor defeated Jay Briscoe
  • Flip Gordon defeated ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham via count-out – Gresham retains title
  • ROH World Champion Rush defeated Brody King

Possible Title Match For Royal Rumble

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

There was speculation about a United States Championship match between the current champion Bobby Lashley and Matt Riddle taking place at the TLC PPV but this bout has not been announced.

Now the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter has provided some update on the plans for the title and it claims that this bout is scheduled for the Royal Rumble PPV.

There is also speculation about Jeff Hardy possibly being added to the bout as it was teased a few weeks back but so far there is no confirmation of the same.

As of now, WWE has not announced the date for the Royal Rumble PPV either but the show is expected to take place in late January as usual.

The event will be taking place from The ThunderDome at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. WWE officials are trying to bring in live audience for the show but there hasn’t been a confirmation of the same so far.

Bobby Lashley defeated Apollo Crews to win the United States championship at the Payback PPV in August this year. This is his second run with the US title.

Lashley, Riddle or Jeff Hardy have not been booked for any match at Sunday’s TLC PPV though there is still chance that the company will include them into the show as a last minute edition.

Victoria Explains Reason For Leaving WWE

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former WWE star Victoria had a lengthy run with the company but she left the promotion in what many consider to be the female star’s prime.

The former WWE women’s champion recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet where she talked about her wrestling career in detail among other things.

During the interview, Victoria was asked about her decision to leave the company and whether she was released by the officials or if she left by herself. Replying to it, she explained that it was her own decision:

“No, I had two years left on my contract when I asked for my out; I talked to Vince, Johnny Ace, and Stephanie McMahon. I asked them, ‘Do you see the title in my future?’ Their face gave it away.

If I would have known if I would have been an enhancement talent,” said Victoria “like Fit Finlay – all the new guys would go through him because he’ll teach them the ropes in the ring – I would have stayed if I had been told that.”

The former Knockouts champion also explained how her TNA run started revealing that she did not have a 30 days non compete clause in her contract. She was contacted by the TNA officials for a run shortly after her WWE release and she signed a one year contract with the company.

Victoria joined WWE in 2000 and had a 9 year run with the company ending in early 2009. The female star joined TNA a few months after leaving the promotion and had a 4 year run with the company now known as Impact Wrestling.

WWE SmackDown Results (12/18): Final Show Before TLC, Roman Reigns & Kevin Owens

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live on FS1 from the ThunderDome in Tropicana Field. It was the final show before WWE TLC this Sunday night.

SmackDown Results (12/18)

  1. Street Profits def. Roode & Ziggler to retain the SD Tag Titles
  2. Riott Squad def. Billie Kay & Tamina
  3. Otis def. Shinsuke Nakamura
  4. Bayley def. Bianca Belair

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Roman Reigns Beat Kevin Owens Down

Kevin Owens marched down to the ring to begin this week’s show. Owens said he is not waiting any longer and demanded that Universal Champion Roman Reigns come to the ring. Reigns will defend the Universal title against Kevin Owens this Sunday at WWE TLC.

Owens said that he told his family not to watch the match Sunday because he is afraid of what he is going to do to Roman Reigns at the PPV. Kevin added that he heard Reigns tell Jey Uso that he cares how his kids look at him and Owens claimed that they already know that their dad is a hypocrite.

Kevin stated that Reigns is not the head of the table, he is a coward. Paul Heyman appeared on the jumbotron and said he was here to confess his sins. Heyman said Owens must be a masochist to come back this week after Roman did to him last week but that is fine because Reigns is a sadist.

Heyman then said that Owens isn’t a masochist, he is a martyr that is willing to do whatever it takes to become Universal Champion. Paul stated that Owens has to be eliminated, taken out, and eradicated. Owens interrupted and said that he was coming to find Reigns and marched backstage as SmackDown went to a break.

When SmackDown returned, Adam Pearce got in front of Owens and told him not to do this. Owens tried to get in Roman’s locker room but the door was locked. Universal Champion Roman Reigns then made his way to the ring with Paul Heyman as Owens stared at a monitor outside the champ’s locker room.

Reigns claimed that he didn’t want to hurt Kevin Owens or his family but he is running around here telling the world that he is a bad guy. Roman said he wasn’t a bad guy, he is just doing the things you have to do to be “The Guy”. Reigns suggested that Owens stay in his lane and stated that Kevin should acknowledge him as his Tribal Chief and the head of his family table.

Roman stated that if Owens doesn’t do that he is going to end him tonight. Reigns demanded that Owens get down here and apologize. Owens walked down the entrance ramp but was ambushed from behind by Jey Uso. Owens tried to fight back but Roman joined in and stomped Kevin to the ground. Reigns and Jey beat Owens down some more before WWE officials broke it up.

Reigns told Jey Uso that Kevin Owens still doesn’t understand and he is not going to stop. Roman instructed Jey to end Kevin Owens and take him out because he doesn’t want to see him anymore. Jey later attacked Owens backstage with a steel chair and hit him several times on the knee. Uso attacked Owens once again in the trainer’s room later on the show.

Street Profits Retained The SD Tag Titles

Street Profits defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler in the first match of the night. Montez Ford connected with a Dropkick on Ziggler for a two count to start off the action. Ziggler rolled up Ford for a two count and then got planted with a Back Suplex from Montez. Ford followed it up with a Moonsault and then made his way to the top rope. Roode shoved Ford off the top rope and into the barricade as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Roode hit Ford with a Russian Leg Sweep for a near fall. Roode brought Montez to the corner and hit him with a couple chops before tagging Ziggler in. Dolph hit Ford with a Dropkick to the midsection for a two count. Ford finally was able to tag in Dawkins and Angelo leveled Roode with a Clothesline.

Dawkins slammed Ziggler to the canvas and delivered a Splash to Roode in the corner. Angelo connected with a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Roode kicked out at two. Ziggler tagged in and hit Dawkins with the Fameasser for a near fall. Angelo hit the Anointment and tagged in Ford.

Montez connected with the Frog Splash but Roode broke up the cover. Roode tagged in and rolled up Ford while using his tights for leverage but Ford kicked out. Montez then rolled up Roode and grabbed his tights for the pinfall victory. Street Profits are still the SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

Riott Squad Picked Up A Win

The Riott Squad faced Billie Kay and Tamina tonight. Tamina launched Liv across the ring to start off the match. Tamina stomped on Morgan and went for a Splash but Liv got out of the way. Ruby tagged in and rolled up Tamina for a two count. Tamina hit a Samoan Drop and Billie tagged herself in. Billie went for the cover but Liv broke it up at two. Liv tagged in and the Riott Squad Dropkicked Tamina off the apron. Liv then hit Billie with a Dropkick off the middle rope for a two count.

Carmella Hit Banks With A Bottle Of Champagne

Carmella made her way to the ring to begin the 2nd hour of SmackDown. Carmella said “tis the season to drink bubbly” and danced around. She said she had her assistant prepare a tasting so she can pick the perfect champagne to drink after she wins the SmackDown Women’s Championship at TLC.

Carmella claimed that Banks is mentally weak and that she is in so far in over head that she is drowning. She added that she already has Sasha Banks beat because she is going to be so angry and lose control. Carmella said that nothing lifts her spirits more than a fine glass of champagne.

She didn’t enjoy the first glass and said it tasted “cheap and frantic like Sasha Banks. Sasha’s music hit and Banks showed up in the ring. Sasha took a sip of the bubbly and then threw it in Carmella’s face. Banks tacked Carmella and tried to lock in the Bank Statement but Carmella’s assistant broke it up. Carmella smashed another bottle of champagne across Sasha’s back.

Otis Defeated Nakamura

Otis battled Shinsuke Nakamura tonight on SmackDown. Chad Gable and Cesaro were ringside for the match. Otis dominated the match early but Nakamura battled back with a knee to the face. Otis shrugged it off and leveled Nakamura with a Clothesline. Otis followed it up with a Splash and went for the Caterpillar Elbow but Gable hopped on the apron. Chad shouted that Otis should go for a Suplex and Nakamura capitalized on the distraction with a roll-up for a two count. Otis then hit a Splash for the pinfall victory. Gable then told Otis that he should have hit the Caterpillar and that the Alpha philosophy is “don’t do what I say, do what I mean”.

Big E Interrupted The Sami Awards

Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn hosted the 1st Annual Sami Awards tonight on SmackDown. Zayn joked that the Slammy Awards have taken a dive as of late and has just become about highlighting corporate favorites. Sami then presented a video of highlights of himself. Sami Zayn then gave himself the first Sami Award for Comeback of the Year.

Zayn stated that it feels good to get some recognition and presented the award for Match of the Year. Sami announced that the Match of the Year was when he defeated Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles for the Intercontinental Championship at Clash of Champions.

The final award was for Superstar of the Year and it was Big E. Sami looked confused as Big E came down to the entrance ramp and shoved Sami away from the podium. Big E thanked Notre Dame football in advance for covering the spread before Sami shoved him away. Sami said there seems to be some kind of a mix up here and Big E booted him in the midsection. Big E then launched Sami down the entrance ramp and spiked the Sami Award on the floor.

Bayley Stole A Victory

Bayley faced Bianca Belair tonight on SmackDown. Belair controlled the match early and leveled Bayley with a shoulder tackle. Bayley escaped to the apron and hung up Belair on the ropes. Bianca tripped up Bayley and went for the cover but Bayley kicked out at two.

When SmackDown returned from a break, Belair sent Bayley into the steel steps outside the ring. Back in the ring, both superstars connected with a punch and fell to the canvas. Belair connected with a vertical Suplex and followed it up with an Arm Drag.

Bianca hit a Moonsault and went for the cover but Bayley kicked out at two. Belair connected with two Backbreakers and went for the cover but Bayley kicked out at two. Bianca then hit a Spinebuster for another near fall. Belair went for a Powerbomb but Bayley raked her eyes. Bayley then planted Belair with the Rose Plant for the pinfall victory.

Kevin Owens Wouldn’t Stay Down

Universal Champion Roman Reigns came down to the ring again with Jey Uso and Paul Heyman in the final segment of the show. Reigns began to speak but Kevin Owens immediately interrupted.

Owens hobbed down the entrance ramp and hit Jey Uso with a steel chair. Owens got into the ring and hit Reigns with a couple punches but turned around into a Superkick from Jey Uso.

Reigns leveled Owens with a Spear and then grabbed the steel chair. Roman hit Owens several times with the chair as Jey slid a couple tables into the ring. Jey planted Owens through a table with a Spinebuster and then set up another table. Roman then slammed Owens through the table with a Samoan Drop as Jey brought another table into the ring.

Reigns buried Owens under tables, ladders, and chairs and then bashed the pile with chairs. Reigns was about to be interviewed backstage but Owens dug himself out of the pile and grabbed a microphone. Owens took a seat on the chair and said that nothing Reigns or his family does to him will keep him down. Kevin vowed to take the Universal Championship at TLC or die trying.

Opinion: I thought this week’s SmackDown did a great job of building up the Universal Championship match at TLC. Roman Reigns continues to be by far the best act in WWE and he’s much watch every time he is on the screen. The only bummer during this show was Otis defeating Shinsuke Nakamura. I think both Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura are insanely talented and underused but for whatever reason WWE doesn’t see much in them. SmackDown has been miles ahead of RAW in terms of entertainment and this week was no different.

Update On Vice’s Dark Side Of The Ring Season 3

Andrew Ravens
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Vice has announced that there will be a third season of “Dark Side of the Ring” and interviews are currently being conducted for topics that will be featured on future episodes.

Pwinsider.com reports that the crew was in Philadelphia on Friday to do interviews at the 2300 Arena. It was also noted that Game Changer Wrestling’s Nick Gage will be the focus of an episode in season three.

Cage made a name for himself as a pro wrestler who was convicted of robbing a bank and served time for it but came back to pro wrestling after getting out of prison to become a deathmatch brawler on the independent scene. 

Per the report, the production team did do research for an episode that was done for a possible episode on Atsushi Onita’s FMW promotion in Japan although that topic for the third season has yet to be confirmed. 

The media outlet has previously reported that the producers have filmed material for the following topics: 

  • Brian Pillman
  • The WCW-New Japan event in North Korea.  
  • The Smith family – Grizzly Smith and his children, Jake Roberts, Sam Houston and Rockin’ Robin.

Dark Side of the Ring Season Three: 14 Episodes Coming in 2021

Backstage News On Who Is Writing Roman Reigns’ Promos

Andrew Ravens
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Roman Reigns reinvented himself after taking a hiatus for several months and returning this past August at SummerSlam as he has turned into a heel character. 

In addition to being a bad guy, he’s also aligned himself with Paul Heyman while being billed as the ‘Tribal Chief.’ Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported that while Reigns has built a relationship on-air with Heyman, he’s also built a relationship with him backstage in WWE. Heyman is behind much of what Reigns is saying in his promos.

“While Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns have forged a strong on-air relationship in recent months … much of what Roman Reigns is saying in promos has been written by Heyman as well.”

Michael P.S Hayes has also been very hands-on with Roman Reigns behind the scenes. Hayes has been working as Reigns’ agent and produces his big pay-per-view matches.

Reigns is slated to make his next title defense as the WWE Universal Champion against Kevin Owens in a TLC Match at Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view in St. Petersburg, Florida at Tropicana Field.

Although not confirmed, there have been reports about Reigns possibly facing Goldberg next year after their WrestleMania 36 match was nixed at the last minute. 

WWE Moving Forward With Second NXT Show

Andrew Ravens
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A new NXT show could be premiering next year as it’s been heavily discussed by WWE officials. 

Last month, Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer wrote that Triple H had been trying to find a way to complement a new NXT in order to give talent more time in the ring and given extra exposure. At the time it was noted that WWE wasn’t looking to do live events with this brand. 

The show has been discussed for quite some time. Shortly after the initial report was published, former EVOLVE booker Gabe Sapolsky tweeted, “Things get way overblown.”

Moving along to Friday, it was reported that Triple H has put together a team to oversee the show, which will be an NXT minor league system.

It was said that Gabe Sapolsky is leading the team as Triple H has given him several agents and writers to help him get more comfortable with writing television. 

The show was described as an “NXT for NXT.” Triple H is reportedly a big believer in Sapolsky, which is believed to be a case of him being given the ball. Although the original goal was for it to launch early next year, it’s been delayed. 

NXT is not the only wrestling brand planning additional programming. Earlier this week, All Elite Wrestling filed a trademark for the name AEW Elevation. This is believed to be the name for AEW’s second cable television show.

USA Network Furious With WWE Over Declining RAW Ratings

Andrew Ravens
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Monday’s episode of WWE RAW set the new record low for all-time low viewership numbers and the USA Network is reportedly not happy about it. 

Monday’s edition of WWE Raw averaged 1.526 million viewers with a 0.41 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. Just one year ago, the show did 2.150 million.

Alex McCarthy of talkSPORT reports that WWE officials aren’t the only ones to be upset about the decline in ratings this week as there was a similar reaction at the USA Network.

Per the report, management at the television network is said to be furious about the drop in ratings. It was added that WWE officials are hoping to have some sort of a “big reset” for the company with next month’s Royal Rumble. 

“USA Network are furious. They want more adult content. Not sexy adult, but dark and violent adult,” the source said.

This comes after Dave Meltzer noted that there were people in WWE who were stunned at the numbers and that people in WWE “got the message” as well. 

WrestleVotes had also reported that the low numbers for the show were not “sitting well” with WWE higher-ups. In fact, some people think there will be reactionary decisions” made. 

Bully Ray Reacts to This Week’s WWE Raw Viewership Crash

Update On Why Vince McMahon Sent Talent Back To The Performance Center

Chris Stephens
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Recently, several of the bigger male Superstars on the WWE main roster were sent for additional training at the Performance Center. Otis, Keith Lee, Dabbo Kato, Omos and Mace are now taking 2 classes per week. Adam Pearce and Drew Gulak are serving as trainers.

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, this is partly due to Vince McMahon wanting these wrestlers to work more like giants or monsters.

“Part of it is Vince wants more monsters in the ring, as historically whenever WWE business is bad, Vince blames smaller guys on top, but right now, his thought process is he doesn’t have big guys who can work at that level,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The report continued to say it’s not clear what is happening with Lars Sullivan at the moment. The big man had been up on the main roster for a few weeks but hasn’t been seen since October. Sullivan’s name has not surfaced as one who is taking additional classes at the Performance Center either.

Otis recently responded to reports that he is taking additional classes at the PC during an interview with Fox.

“That Performance Center is a tool for us to get better. If another big man wants to come up to me and wants to work on stuff, or vice versa. We’re always working,” Otis said.

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