Home Blog Page 1008

Charlotte Flair Appearing on ‘Straight Up Steve Austin’ Season 2

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Charlotte Flair will be a guest on the upcoming second season of Straight Up Steve Austin on the USA Network.

On Straight Up, Stone Cold and his celebrity guests get real, heading out to different cities across America to take part in one-of-a-kind adventures, while swapping stories about their lives and careers. There’s no studio and no cue cards – just ‘good old-fashioned American fun.’

Straight Up Steve Austin: Season Two premieres Monday, January 11th following WWE Raw. Below, you can view the trailer featuring season two guests Charlotte Flair, Brett Favre, Ice-T, Steve-O, Tiffany Haddish and more.

Charlotte Flair is not scheduled to compete at Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view.

Paul Heyman On What He Said To CM Punk Before On-Screen Pairing

Chris Stephens
-
0

Paul Heyman and CM Punk became aligned on WWE programming beginning in 2012. The two had a history dating back to Punk’s time in OVW from 05-06, however.

In a recently released clip from a 2016 with Inside the Ropes interview, Heyman spoke about what he said to Punk before their on-screen alliance in WWE.

“I look over at him at he says ‘Can you believe they’re f***ing putting us together?’ And I’m like ‘We’re both gonna be f***ing fired in the next four weeks, don’t you get it?’ And he goes ‘But the s**t we’re going to stir in four weeks, they don’t f***ing have a clue!’ I loved working with him, I loved it. I had the time of my life.”

Heyman would continue to talk about how much he enjoyed this period in his career. Unfortunately, Punk’s career only had about 1.5 years left at that point.

“We had a blast working with each other because, just like me, he had no idea what he was going to say when he went out to the ring. He was just doing it, you know, allegedly shoot promos that then get wrapped around into the storyline that we’re telling that he fervently believed in his heart that he was telling the truth.”

Punk officially left the company in January of 2014. He remains a free agent, but CM Punk recently said he would return to wrestling if he was presented with the right storyline (and the right paycheck). This comment from Punk prompted Jim Cornette to criticize Tony Khan for not doing whatever was necessary to sign him to AEW.

The clip can be viewed in the player below:

Impact Wrestling Preview (12/15): Kenny Omega, Anderson vs. Sabin

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Impact Wrestling returns to tonight on AXS TV. The company looks to capitalize on the success of last week’s show, which saw Impact’s highest viewership in years.

Tonight’s broadcast will see:

  • X-Division Champion Manik vs. Chris Bey.
  • Knockouts Tag Team Championship Tournament: Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan vs. Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary (Second round match).
  • Tenille Dashwood vs. Alisha Edwards.

Plus, we will see the return of AEW World Champion Kenny Omega with Don Callis. Omega and Callis made an impact last week. The Invisible Hand is teasing that if fans thought last week was shocking, just wait until they see what’s in store tonight.

Impact Wrestling airs Tuesday nights at 8pm (Eastern) on AXS TV and the Impact Wrestling Twitch channel.

Potential Cause of Death For Zeus Revealed

Chris Stephens
-
0

Tommy “Tiny” Lister, better known to wrestling fans as Zeus, passed away last Thursday in Marina Del Ray, California at the age of 62. New details have become available regarding his cause of death.

According to Zeus’ manager, Cindy Cowan, he had been experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 in the days leading up to his death. Cowan told CNN that Lister’s symptoms “got really bad, really quick” and she added that he “couldn’t breathe and felt very weak.”

“It literally went so fast,” Cowan added.

Lister was supposed to be on-set filming in the days leading up to his death but he cancelled due to his illness. It is not clear if he ever did test positive for COVID-19, however.

“Tiny doesn’t miss movies; he took it very seriously,” Cowan added.

“Mr. Lister’s death appears to be of natural causes but will ultimately be determined by the Office of Medical Examiner-Coroner,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Zeus officially wrestled in 5 matches during his brief in-ring career. His WWF matches took place at SummerSlam 89, Survivor Series 89, and then WWF No Holds Barred – The Match/The Movie that December.

Zeus also wrestled one match against Abdullah the Butcher in Puerto Rico the following July. He’d return to wrestling for one match in 1996. He wrestled as part of Kevin Sullivan’s “Alliance to end Hulkamania” at WCW Uncensored 96 in the Doomsday cage match against Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.

 

Elias On Being ‘Personally Offended’ By WWE Legends Returning

Steve Russell
-
0

Raw Superstar Elias has had the opportunity to work with, and opposite, some of WWE’s most beloved Legends. However, during a recent interview with Lilian Garcia on her podcast Chasing Glory, Elias revealed how he used to get “offended” by Legends being featured on WWE programming.

Elias shared how he would be “personally offended” by Legends like The Undertaker, Kane, and Shawn Michaels coming back to WWE.

“The reason would be that I should either be in there with those guys and learning from them and they should be passing on the knowledge or they just should not be there because it’s the new guy’s time. That’s how I felt. I had a little bit of anger towards that generation.”

He argued how he was getting loud reactions from the WWE Universe and that despite his hard work, Legends would just come back and “[…] take spots at WrestleMania. They take spots at big PPV’s. Elias is shoved to the side for whatever reason. I had like an anger about that.”

Elias then shared how he watched the Undertaker’s docuseries, The Last Ride. The Raw Superstar explained how the series helped him understand The Undertaker’s perspective.

“He knows the young guys want his spot. He also knows that he has to let this go sometime and he has been through the ringer. His body has been through it,” Elias said. “But, he just loves the business so much and you can relate to that. I was like, oh, let me put myself in this situation and get paid incredibly well. One of the best of all time. The fans go absolutely insane for the guy. It softens me to go, oh, I get it and I don’t have that anger that I did have before. Who knows if the situation is ever reversed.”

Elias And “The Dead Man”

Regarding The Undertaker, Elias reflected on his opportunities to share the ring with “The Dead Man.” He opened up about on a tag team matchup he had againstt ‘Taker at Madison Square Garden.

Elias shared how he had read interviews explaining how Superstars would be affected by The Undertaker’s entrance. It was something he didn’t think would impact him. However, he couldn’t deny he felt “goosebumps” as soon as The Undertaker’s music started.

“Sure enough, when his music went off and Madison Square Garden went crazy and you hear that gong, I got goosebumps then. Then when he came out, it was like the next level. Then when I actually saw him, I can actually feel that moment now.”

Elias appeared on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw alongside his new follower, Jaxson Ryker, who he claimed understands his “universal truth.”

Lana Pulled From Sunday’s WWE TLC PPV

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Raw Superstar Lana has been pulled from Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view.

During Monday’s WWE Raw, Lana defeated Nia Jax in singles action. After the match, she was attacked by Shayna Baszler and Jax. Jax hit Lana with several leg drops on the blonde beauty, while Baszler stomped on her arm.

According to WWE storylines, Lana was taken to a “local medical facility.” Doctors ruled that she sustained extensive injuries during the attack and has been deemed unable to compete at WWE TLC.

As a result, Asuka will have to find a new tag team partner against Women’s tag team champions, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.

Lana recently posted an a video on social media explaining her need to prove herself by becoming a champion at WWE TLC:

Pete Dunne Reflects On The #SpeakingOut Movement

Steve Russell
-
0

NXT Superstar Pete Dunne has reflected on this past summer’s #SpeakingOut movement that took place across social media. Speaking with the Daily Star, Dunne acknowledged how it was “horrible” to see the stories pouring out. This past June, people shared their stories of emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual harassment within the pro wrestling industry.

“It was horrible to hear these stories come out and everything that came with that because British wrestling was, alongside my own career, something I was trying to build,” Dunne said. “The whole time, I was trying to give back as much as I could, but with the pandemic and, of course, the Speaking Out stuff, that combination has really hurt British wrestling. But that doesn’t mean that it’s all over for British wrestling.”

Dunne continued, “Things are starting to move back to normal and [Speaking Out] is now at a Parliamentary level which is great. I was doing the best I could, and so were a lot of people, but it’s above us, and we need people who actually know how to make the correct changes. I am glad it is in their hands… hopefully from here it can only move in the right direction and people are aware of the changes that need to be made. Fingers crossed, in a year’s time, British wrestling looks completely different.”

Pete Dunne: Implementing Small Changes Will Lead To Major Improvements

Dunne explained how there are “small changes” he would love to see as a talent, including how every show should have first aiders in attendance. He noted how simple no-brainer changes like this will make a massive difference to the talent and industry as a whole.

“I’m so glad it has moved to a Parliamentary level. I get to have a meeting involved with the people involved in that party and they’re passionate about finding some kind of change. I really do want to urge people to listen to them and talk to them.”

He shared how, although people “perceive” him to be at the forefront of British wrestling, he is “not qualified” to suggest necessary change. According to Dunne, “it’s completely above me.”

“All I can say is that I fully support any positive, professional change to the industry. I want it to be better and, of course, safer. Fingers crossed they’re the people to do it, so I urge people to reach out to them and listen to what they’re saying.”

Pete Dunne has been back on NXT programming since aligning himself with Pat McAfee. He recently participated as a member of Team McAfee at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. They lost to the Undisputed Era.

Evil Uno Details AEW Travel Schedule Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic

Steve Russell
-
0

All Elite Wrestling’s Evil Uno has detailed the travel schedule he and fellow Dark Order member Stu Grayson currently have to undertake due to the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking with OttawaSun.com, Evil Uno broke down their journey Florida each week. He also revealed how they were worried the promotion would cut them due to travel restrictions imposed by COVID-19.

“We travel every two weeks (to Florida) and quarantine in between. We don’t leave our houses; that’s a stress,” Evil Uno said. “There was a time where it was very uncertain for both of us because we couldn’t make it to work for several months, so we were at risk of being cut. We didn’t know the scope of what COVID would be like.”

Evil Uno continued, “We also didn’t know what kind of financial hit AEW was going to take. It was stressful at first, but now it feels like the norm. We have deep roots in this area, we helped build up this whole wrestling scene over the past 15 years. We’re still within the decision phase.”

Evil Uno offered Dustin Rhodes the chance to join the Dark Order during last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. He suggested Rhodes join them and take on the name ‘Seven,’ referencing Rhodes’s ill-fated WCW gimmick of the same name.

The Dark Order Make Front Page Of Ottawa Newspaper

Eric Bischoff Believes Bully Ray Would Be ‘Valuable’ To AEW

Steve Russell
-
0

Former WCW President Eric Bischoff believes All Elite Wrestling should hire Bully Ray. Bischoff shared his thoughts during a recent episode of his podcast 83 Weeks.

Bischoff argued how Bully Ray is not only an experienced veteran but is a talented wrestler who understands the “art of creating emotion.”

“I don’t know why Bully’s not there in AEW because he’s valuable. There’s some really talented people there, and obviously, Chris Jericho is maybe one of the most creative people right now,” Bischoff said. “But wouldn’t you like to have 2, or 3, or 4 people that have Chris Jericho’s kind of experience and feel, but maybe come at it from a couple different perspectives so you have options? I would think somebody like AEW would really benefit from Bully’s experience.”

Alongside the aforementioned Chris Jericho, AEW has a wealth of additional veteran talent to pull from. Dustin Rhodes, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson are all part of the promotion, to name just a few. Eric Bischoff, himself, has also featured on multiple episode of AEW Dynamite.

Former WCW Champion Sting recently made his on-screen debut for AEW. He has since expressed an interest in current AEW TNT Champion Darby Allin. It is speculated that Sting will compete in the ring in AEW, with some veterans and fans already speculating about potential matches he may have down the line.

Elias Was Almost Fired ‘Multiple Times’ In NXT

Steve Russell
-
0

Raw Superstar Elias has revealed he was nearly fired during his time on WWE’s black-and-gold brand, NXT.

Elias opened up during a recent interview with Lilian Garcia on her podcast, Chasing Glory. Elias, who was known by the nickname The Drifter in NXT, shared how he was put on a list to be fired “multiple times.”

He revealed how those who didn’t like him during his WWE tryout disliked him even after being hired by WWE.

“William Regal always said yes, liked me, and got me through, but the people that said no, they were running the show,” Elias explained. “I didn’t know anybody in the business, so I’m an outsider to their crew and they can be protective in their circle. I was put on the list to be fired, multiple times in NXT.”

Elias contineud, “I was made aware of it two different times. You can imagine walking into work knowing ‘that guy right there wants to fire me.’ It makes you walk on eggshells, there’s extra pressure. There were a lot of ups and downs.”

Elias’ 30 Day Deadline

Elias shared how he was pulled aside and told he needed to deliver something that stood out. He was informed they would examine his performance in 30 days. If he didn’t deliver, it was suggested he would be “better off somewhere else” as “not everyone is meant to be a WWE Superstar.”

During this time, Elias would come up with The Drifter gimmick. Another potential name he toyed with was The Judge.

“I put together a vignette, merchandise, ways to debut, feuds, a whole packet. I presented it to him and he said, ‘This is good. Let’s meet and talk about it.’ He brings me into this roundtable room and everyone is there. Dusty Rhodes, Nick Dinsmore, everyone who worked there. He sits down, has my packet, and goes, ‘We all looked at it, it’s really good.’ Shoves it to the side and goes, ‘What else you got?’ I’m like, ‘….What?’ ‘What else you got?'”

Elias explained how he had spent 30 days ensuring The Drifter package delivered in the meeting. He was then told the lights would go off. When they came back on, he would have to deliver something totally different and new.

“He turns the lights off, when he turns them back on, I start yelling at everyone in Italian. Dusty Rhodes goes, ‘Holy shit.’ Nick Dinsmore is like, ‘I got goosebumps.’ The guy that put me on the spot is like, ‘There it is.'”

Despite impressing with the on-the-spot change, Elias would eventually switch it up. He would later bring in a guitar to showcase his skills. Seeing what he could do with the guitar in hand convinced Dusty Rhodes to sign off on The Drifter character.

Elias Teases Character Change Following Symphony Of Destruction Match

Kevin Owens Reveals Original Plans For WrestleMania 34 Bout Included Vince McMahon

Steve Russell
-
0

Kevin Owens has opened up about original plans that were in place for WrestleMania 34. Owens teamed up with Sami Zayn, competing against Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan. According to Owens, the match was supposed to pit him and Zayn against Shane McMahon and his father, Vince McMahon.

Leading into that matchup, Owens headbutted Vince McMahon on an episode of SmackDown. Reflecting on working with Vince McMahon, Owens revealed how he wished it “led to more.”

“Yeah, that was really cool. I wish it would have led to more, honestly,” Owens confessed in an interview with ITRWrestling.com and SPORF.com. “But who wouldn’t feel that way? I think it could have, and I think it almost did. I really think, at one point, there was a chance that it was going to be me and Sami Zayn against Shane and Vince at WrestleMania – which would have been incredible – but Vince, I remember one of the things he had told me was, ‘I can’t run WrestleMania and focus on a match at the same time.'”

Kevin Owens On Daniel Bryan’s “Perfect Situation”

Kevin Owens explained how Vince McMahon felt the best position for him was backstage, not in the ring. This decision helped deliver a “perfect situation” for Daniel Bryan’s return.

“He got cleared medically and the storyline was already in progress,” Owens explained. “He was already so heavily involved in the storyline just because him and Shane were running SmackDown together, and obviously that was an incredible thing to be a part of Daniel’s return, especially in that building where he won the title at WrestleMania XXX, so it was great.”

Owens admitted he would have liked to have kept Vince McMahon involved in the feud at the time. Alternatively, he would have liked to have continued, furthering an on-screen rivalry with him afterward.

He stressed how being involved with Vince McMahon on television helps to immediately “add credibility” to a Superstar or feud.

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon would defeat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 34.

Kevin Owens On Goldberg: “I’d Love To Work With Him Again If He Was Here To Work”

WWE Posts Job Advertisement For Talent Brand Manager

Andrew Ravens
-
0

WWE has posted a new job listing as they are looking to hire a new talent brand manager. 

The company launched a new talent management group function. Thus, they want a Manager and Director-level professionals to join them by working at WWE headquarters in Stamford or at their office in Los Angeles. 

WWE noted this person will look over digital and social media marketing to collaborating with internal and external parties to drive new opportunities for top TV and social media personalities.

This comes after they posted a job alert for a GFX Motion Designer, to help “create motion graphics, animation, and content optimized for Twitch.” This was all part of their Twitch expansion. Here’s the ad: 

WWE Talent Management Group will deliver outstanding 360-degree support to our Talent across all lines of business and external partners, amplifying Talent brand value by improving monetization outlets for Talent and WWE.

The Talent Brand Manager (based in NY or LA) will have the opportunity to handle and grow the brands of leading television/social media personalities within the WWE. This person will be a self-motivated, positive, and interpersonal branding professional who has directly led multiple projects for celebrity brand campaigns across any industry.

Responsibilities:

  • Work and collaborate across multiple business units to develop and execute growth strategies for our talent.
  • Drive opportunities for talent brands internally and externally.
  • Align talent goals and personal interests to WWE critical initiatives.
  • Develop and maintain talent marketing materials.
  • Collaborate with talent third parties to solicit and assess new opportunities.
  • Assist in benchmarking economics for talent engagements while providing market intelligence and standard methodologies for holistic brand development.
  • Able to travel for business as needed (approximately 20-25%) and work a flexible schedule as needed

Qualifications:

  • 5+ years’ experience in entertainment, brand management, social and media relations or similar field.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Media, Communications, Marketing, or related field.
  • Strong understanding of social and digital ecosystems as they relate to brand value and engagement.
  • Experience in client services across a variety of brand management functions.
  • Outstanding project management and time management skillsets, with the ability to lead multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
  • Understanding of WWE’s audience (demographic and psychographic) a plus.

Kevin Owens On Goldberg: “I’d Love To Work With Him Again If He Was Here To Work”

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Kevin Owens first worked with Goldberg in 2017 at the WWE Fastlane pay-per-view event. 

Owens defended the WWE Universal Title against the legendary pro wrestler. The match lasted only seconds as a distraction thanks to Chris Jericho, who was feuding with Owens at the time, led to Goldberg not only beating Owens but winning the Universal Title. 

Owens did an interview with Metro UK and was asked about a possible rematch with Goldberg. 

“I’d love to work with him again if he was here to work. I’m not saying this is his fault, but he’s not – his career has never been about long matches or anything like that. ‘To me, I don’t see much positive out of wrestling him for two minutes, or 20 seconds or 30 seconds or whatever, you know what I mean? I’d love to work with him again if you got to do a story beyond – all we did was, what, two weeks, maybe three weeks?”

He continued by noting that if they did some cool promos where they would exchange words then have a quality match then he thinks that would be great. 

“But that’s just not usually what he’s here for.”

Owens noted that Goldberg’s style of work does get over and he’s not against it, but not something that he’s interested in doing. He brought up that even while as a kid, he didn’t like it because that’s not what he’s looking for in wrestling. 

Paul Heyman & Kevin Owens Have Intense Segment On Talking Smack (Video)

Renee Paquette On WWE’s Over-scripting, Her Raw Commentary Gig

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Renee Paquette appeared on the Getting Over podcast this week. The former WWE broadcaster spoke in-depth about her WWE career, Talking Smack, her relationship with AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, pregnancy and much more.

Paquette made history in 2018 when she became the first woman to have a full-time job as commentator of WWE Raw. She joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves to form a 3-person team. Unfortunately, the gig did not last long. By October of the following year, she was moved to SmackDown as a “special contributor.”

When asked about her historic achievement, Paquette said she had a good rapport with Cole and Graves. She cites a “lack of trust” as one of the reasons things did not work out.

“It’s not for a lack of rapport with them, obviously, but once we got into that environment, it felt very elbows up,” she said. “I had to fight for my time on air there. I think that was a lack of trust from other people.”

She added that Cole and Graves did not need a third wheel. Many times, they covered most of what there was to be said before she could provide input.

“The other thing I felt was really difficult for me was being the third person on a broadcast. I’m used to being the first person on a broadcast. Even to be second is one thing. Once it got to the third and Cole and Graves – they never needed a third person. They just fill that time, so when I would jump in there, it’s like, ‘Fuck, they already said all the things.’”

Renee Paquette said there are so many talented people in WWE, but their rigid structure prohibits the performers from showing what they can really do.

Vince McMahon is known for tearing up scripts at television tapings hours before shows are set to go live on the air. Renee said she actually liked when things got changed at the last minute, because it broke up the robotic nature of over-scripting.

“Sometimes, a written script is fucking great,” she said. “Sometimes, something that’s not written is fucking great.”

You can listen to Renee Paquette on the Getting Over podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

Amazon Pre-Order: Messy In The Kitchen: My Guide to Eating Deliciously, Hosting Fabulously and Sipping Copiously by Renee Paquette

Ryback Talks AEW EVPs ‘Making’ Other People Before Winning Titles Themselves

Jake Skudder
-
0

Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently discussed Kenny Omega’s storyline between AEW, IMPACT and AAA. The Big Guy would discuss how Omega and the other EVPs in AEW had to ‘make’ other talent before giving themselves the top titles in the company.

Kenny Omega is of course the AEW Champion and The Young Bucks are the AEW Tag Team Champions. Whilst Cody was previously the TNT Champion? This is the first time in the company’s short history that the Executive Vice Presidents are holding arguably the two main titles in the company.

Ryback on Kenny Omega

“I’m very intrigued, Kenny Omega has got a whole lot more interesting really quickly” Ryback would begin on the Shooting Blanks Wrestling podcast. “Everything they’re [AEW] doing is working in terms of long term. The Young Bucks, Kenny, Cody, how they they were booked early on? People kind of thought didn’t understand it. I can look at it and see that they needed to kind of help ‘make’ other people first.”

“They’re still doing it” The Big Guy Ryback would continue. “It’s the coolest thing to watch, as everyone’s getting elevated in the TV game and becoming bigger bigger stars. But Kenny now can really turn it up, and I think he’s more comfortable? Just from what I’ve seen on AEW.”

Ryback would finish by saying how he feels Omega is far better in the heel role on AEW programming. “I’m more interested in the heel Kenny Omega, I wasn’t into the babyface Kenny Omega, just from as a viewer watching that product solely. I feel like he’s more comfortable being heel.”

Do you agree with Ryback? Do you think that Kenny Omega is working better as a heel in AEW? Let us know in the comments

Jim Cornette Slams Tony Khan For Not Signing CM Punk

Jake Skudder
-
0

Jim Cornette can’t understand why AEW President Tony Khan has not made a strong play to sign CM Punk.

CM Punk spoke to Renee Paquette last week on the Oral Sessions podcast. Punk discussed what would take to bring him back to wrestling. These elements would essentially boil down to: a lot of money and an intriguing storyline. Punk emphasized that it was less about the money and more about wanting an exciting storyline to be involved with.

Cornette asks how on earth AEW has not scooped up the former WWE Champion. He said Punk is at the perfect level of stardom: he hasn’t been buried on television and he’s not a dinosaur from 25 years ago.

Jim Cornette on CM Punk

“It wasn’t a revelatory statement” Jim Cornette began on The Experience, discussing what CM Punk said on the podcast. “Nor a big shocking occurrence. He said he would basically, boiling it down, he would take a sh*tload of money and something new that he was interested in doing as well.”

Jim Cornette would then lambast AEW owner Tony Khan for not getting CM Punk under contract. “The son of a billionaire with a national cable television show just got in the wrestling business. He made a bunch of indie guys that never had it and never will as happy as school girls with shiny new vibrators. But he can’t get CM Punk!? He can’t make CM Punk happy!? Nobody can think of an idea that CM Punk would be interested in, that would intrigue him enough to get involved in this!?”

Credentials

Cornette would finish by stating Punk’s credentials and why he believes he is the biggest free agent right now. “If there’s a fish out there that has the Goldilocks and the Three Bears combination; not too hot, not too cold, just right in-between? [as in] They’ve been on TV recently and not been beaten into powder or been portrayed in a negative light that we are now trying to take the guy and make him into a top star?

“Or is he the icon from 30 years ago that they bring back and make all the current guys look bad? Because even though the icon can’t get in the ring and can’t go anymore he’s still more over as a bigger star than the rest of their roster? CM Punk doesn’t fit any of them. He’s the right combination. He was a huge star in the biggest company in the world just several years ago, not 30.”

Do you agree with Jim Cornette? Do you think that CM Punk could make a huge impact in AEW? Let us know in the comments

The Dark Order Make Front Page Of Ottawa Newspaper

Chris Stephens
-
0

It appears that The Dark Order has infiltrated the media. If you picked up a copy of the Ottawa Sun in the capital of Canada yesterday, you would have seen Evil Uno & Stu Grayson from the Dark Order on the cover. The tag-team is from the nearby town of Gatineau, Quebec, and the article covered their success in AEW.

In the article, the team spoke about enjoying their time in AEW thus far. Evil Uno shed some light on AEW’s creative process and touted that the company does not employ writers.

“What’s great about AEW is we have a sense of freedom for what we want to do,” Uno said. “There is no writer in AEW. It all goes through [the EVP’s] and Tony Khan. They have final say.”

Image

Evil Uno added that it took some time to establish the Dark Order’s purpose in AEW.

“When we initially started, they had no TV show to explain our characters. We had masked men with us, but we had no way of properly explaining what that was. So we pitched that we explain it on TV, that we were a Scientology-like cult. From there, it blossomed.”

Stu Grayson added that it “feels really good” to be in AEW. “The more responsibility they give us, the better we feel. We want to have a busy schedule, we want big matches, we want big segments, we want to do promos.”

The full article can be read here.

Priscilla Kelly Says AEW Wanted To Bring Her In As Darby Allin’s Wife

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Priscilla Kelly is the latest guest on Vickie Guerrero’s Excuse Me podcast. They spoke about the effort for women’s wrestling to be treated equally to men’s.

Kelly worked for AEW briefly this year, but was not signed to a long-term deal. She revealed to Vickie Guerrero that AEW discussed bringing her in as the wife of reigning TNT Champion Darby Allin. They were in fact married at the time, but divorced over the summer.

“The thought was thrown around for me to be put with Darby in AEW,” Kelly began. “Maybe like, ‘You come in, and you’ll be the wife and then like you get kicked in the face, and he then gets mad or something.’ There was a lot of ideas thrown around.”

She explained that being portrayed as “Darby Allin’s wife” would define her down and strip away her individuality. She explained to people in AEW that she could come in, do a “wife spot” and that could eventually lead to her wrestling matches. However, she had a problem with that.

“If I come in and I’m introduced as Darby’s wife, I’m forever by the fans gonna be known as just as his wife. And then from there on out, everything I do in the ring or on a promo is gonna be heavily, heavily compared to him.”

She did not want to be become “the Robin to Darby Allin’s Batman” and thus decided against the opportunity.

Priscilla Kelly is currently wrestling for Major League Wrestling (MLW), but is working on a per-appearance basis and considers herself a “free agent.”

Reactions To Jim Ross Criticizing Popular Dive Spot

Chris Stephens
-
0

Jim Ross recently caused a bit of a stir online when he criticized a popular move used by many wrestlers on the AEW roster.

“I told a kid the other day at AEW that everybody does the same f***ing spot,” Ross said on his podcast recently. “All you guys go outside. You cluster up like coils. You stand there in a huddle, friends, and foes together, side-by-side so you can catch some leaping idiot going over the top who never wins with this move.”

AEW’s Brandon Cutler then put out a Tweet promoting the 7-on-7 match this Wednesday on Dynamite. In the Tweet, Cutler took a jab at JR’s comments.

Screen Shot 2020 12 14 at 9.43.37 AM

Dax Harwood sent out the below Tweet which may be in response to JR and Cutler’s comments:

“Imagine not listening to criticism from the men & women who’ve shaped our profession, and paved a road that allows you to make a living today; all because they hurt your feelings,” he Tweeted.

Screen Shot 2020 12 14 at 9.47.47 AM

Some wrestlers were reportedly upset with JR’s comments. According to a report from WrestlingNews.co, one anonymous AEW wrestler made the following statement to them:

“Look I know there is a lot that JR can teach us but burying us on the show or on his podcast is only going to make some of us ignore what he says. I grew up watching JR and he is the best and we love it that he calls our matches but maybe find a different way to criticize the wrestlers in the ring. Everyone is doing what they have been taught. I agree that sometimes things need to be slowed down but that won’t happen when the guy who is supposed to help put us over is going out there and publicly burying us.”

Karl Anderson Comments On Reunion With Kenny Omega

Chris Stephens
-
0

Saturday night on Impact Wrestling’s Final Resolution, Karl Anderson reunited with his former Bullet Club stablemate, Kenny Omega. Callis, Omega, and Anderson spent some time on the luxury bus that was parked outside the venue before Anderson had to wrestle Ethan Page that night.

Anderson took to Twitter to comment on his reunion with Omega on the show.

Anderson and Omega talked about their history as members of Bullet Club on Saturday night. Callis and Omega told Anderson they wanted to see the old “Machine Gun” that night against Ethan Page, the version of Anderson that went to the G1 finals in 2012.

Anderson would go on to defeat Ethan Page, though not as quickly as Callis and Omega had suggested he could. Following the match, Josh Alexander and Ethan Page showed some dissension. Page then spent several moments in the ring after trying to explain to anyone that would listen that everything is going to be fine.

Omega is scheduled to be back on Impact this week. He also has a match scheduled against Joey Janela on Dynamite. The full lineup for that show is below:

  • No Disqualification, World Title-Eliminator
    Kenny Omega vs Joey Janela
  • Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent), The Varsity Blondes (Brian Pillman Jr. & Griff Garrison), Top Flight(Darius Martin & Daunte Martin) & Brandon Cutler vs. The Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, MJF, Ortiz, Sammy Guevara, Santana & Wardlow)
  • Diamante & Ivelisse vs. Big Swole & Serena Deeb
  • Cody Rhodes (w/Arn Anderson) vs. Angelico (w/Jack Evans)
  • The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) vs. SCU (Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian)
  • Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen) & Matt Hardy vs. The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) & Adam Page

WWE Raw Results (12/14): Final Show Before TLC, AJ Styles & Drew McIntyre

Robert Lentini
-
0

WWE RAW aired live from the ‘new’ ThunderDome at Tropicana Field. It was RAW’s ‘go home’ show before Sunday’s WWE TLC pay-per-view. AJ Styles and Drew McIntyre met face-to-face six days before their WWE Championship match at TLC.

RAW Results (12/14)

  1. AJ Styles def. Sheamus
  2. Hurt Business def. New Day & Jeff Hardy via submission
  3. Lana def. Nia Jax
  4. The Miz & John Morrison def. Keith Lee in a Handicap match
  5. Mace def. Ricochet
  6. Dana Brooke def. Shayna Baszler via DQ
  7. Riddle def. MVP (squash match)

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

The Miz Read A Christmas Poem

The Miz kicked off this week’s show with an episode of the Dirt Sheet. Miz was seated with a ladder and a Christmas tree in the ring. Miz held up a book that was titled “The Nightmare Before TLC” and promoted his reality show Miz & Mrs. on USA Network. The Miz flipped open the book and read “Twas the nightmare before TLC and all through the ThunderDome every superstar was excited to read my awesome home”.

Miz called the protagonist of the story AJ Styles and a spotlight came on to reveal AJ in the corner of the ring. Styles said not to forget his associate “Omas” and he was shown ringside. Miz stated the story was focused on the competitors in the match and snapped his fingers and the light on Omas went off.

Miz snapped his fingers to reveal John Morrison dressed up as WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. AJ Styles then pretended to hit Morrison with a chair, smash him through a table, and suggested that Drew may pull out his illegal sword during the fight but AJ is not afraid of the wannabe knight. Styles then ripped the sword away and stabbed Morrison several times as Miz tried to continue reading.

AJ climbed up the ladder behind The Miz and raised his hand in victory. Miz said that if AJ failed to win The Miz will enter the story and cash in the Money in the Bank contract and become the new WWE Champion. Styles complained that wasn’t in the book that he gave Miz and the two started arguing.

Sheamus interrupted and said that their community theater performance was slightly entertaining but he’s got a match tonight with Styles. Sheamus got in the ring and said that he didn’t bring a sword because he is prepared to fight with his fists. Styles said if Sheamus isn’t part of the solution he is part of the problem. Sheamus stated that he would rather be part of the problem and Styles threw the Christmas tree at him. Sheamus then knocked AJ out of the ring as RAW went to a break.

AJ Styles Brutally Attacked Sheamus

Sheamus battled AJ Styles in the first match of the night. Sheamus dominated the action early and delivered a Knee Drop to AJ. Styles caught Sheamus with a forearm to the face but Sheamus responded by beating AJ down in the corner. Styles kicked Sheamus in the knee but the Celtic Warrior shrugged it off and connected with a massive Back Body Drop that sent AJ to the canvas.

Sheamus applied a Headlock but AJ quickly reached the ropes to break up the hold. Styles hung up Sheamus in the ropes and hit a knee to the face that knocked Sheamus to the floor outside the ring. Sheamus got back into the ring and planted AJ with a Suplex.

Styles blocked another Suplex attempt by Sheamus and Dropkicked him out of the ring. Sheamus tried to Powerbomb AJ off the apron but Omas caught him and stared at Sheamus as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Styles had Sheamus in the Calf Crusher in the middle of the ring.

The Celtic Warrior broke free with a flurry of elbows to AJ’s face. Styles went back to Sheamus’ knee and connected with several kicks. Sheamus hit the Irish Curse Back Breaker but fell to the canvas and grabbed his left knee. Sheamus slowly made his way to his feet and connected with a Fallaway Slam.

Sheamus leveled AJ with a knee to the face and went for the cover but Styles was able to kick out at two. Styles sent Sheamus out of the ring and once again he had a stare down with Omas. Sheamus clubbed AJ across the chest several times while looking at Omas. Sheamus made his way to the top rope and connected with a Flying Clothesline for a near fall.

AJ was able to lock in the Calf Crusher again in the middle of the ring. Sheamus screamed in agony but was able to fight through the pain and reach the bottom rope to break the hold. AJ set up for the Styles Clash but Sheamus countered into White Noise for another near fall.

Omas shouted some encouragement to Styles as the two superstars hobbled back to their feet. Sheamus slowly made his way to Styles in the corner and lifted AJ up onto his shoulders. Sheamus started climbing up the turnbuckle but Styles escaped and hit Sheamus with a shot to the knee. Styles then covered Sheamus for the pinfall victory.

After the match, AJ Styles taunted Sheamus and he attacked him. Styles tied up Sheamus in the ropes as Omas grabbed a steel chair. Omas handed it to Styles and hit him across the ribs several times. Styles then hit Sheamus in the injured left knee with the chair before a referee finally broke it up.

Hurt Business Picked Up A Win

RAW Tag Team Champions New Day teamed up with Jeff Hardy to face Hurt Business tonight on RAW. Riddle and MVP were ringside for the match. Lashley leveled Xavier Woods with a shoulder tackle to start off the action. Woods booted Lashley in the midsection and tagged in Kingston.

Cedric tagged himself in and Lashley wasn’t too happy about it. Cedric Alexander went for an Arm Drag but Kofi reversed into a slam for a two count. Jeff Hardy tagged in and bounced Cedric’s face off the turnbuckle. Shelton Benjamin tagged in and unloaded some punches to Jeff’s face in the corner of the ring.

Hardy connected with a Slingblade and went for the Twist of Fate but Benjamin blocked it. Hardy sent Shelton out of the ring and knocked Lashley off the apron. Woods played the trombone as Riddle, Kofi, and Jeff Hardy danced before RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Kofi and Shelton were battling in the ring. Kingston connected with the Boom Drop and geared up for the SOS. Unites States Champion Bobby Lashley prevented it and sent Kingston out of the ring. Lashley then tagged in and planted Kingston with a Suplex.

Alexander tagged in and elbowed Kingston in the ribs several times before applying a Headlock. Cedric dragged Kingston to the corner and Benjamin tagged in. Shelton connected with back to back Body Slams for a two count. Lashley tagged back in and beat Kofi down in the corner of the ring.

Riddle pounded on the apron to try and fire Kofi Kingston up. Shelton knocked Woods off the apron and brought Kingston back to the corner. Kingston connected with a Stomp and started crawling to the corner. Jeff Hardy tagged in and hit Benjamin with an Atomic Drop and followed it up with a Dropkick for a two count.

Cedric tagged in and booted Jeff in the head for a two count. MVP demanded that Alexander go for the cover again and Hardy kicked out at two. Jeff hit a Russian Leg Sweep and went for the cover but Benjamin broke it. Woods sent Benjamin out of the ring but turned around into a Flatliner from Lashley. Kofi booted Lashley out of the ring and then hit Shelton with a Crossbody.

Woods went for one as well but Lashley caught him and sent Xavier into the barricade. Hardy hit Lashley with a Dropkick through the ropes. Lashley tagged in as Jeff hit Alexander with the Twist of Fate. Lashley went for a Spear but Jeff dodged it and Bobby crashed into the ring post.

Jeff climbed to the top rope but Cedric tripped him up. Lashley then got Jeff Hardy in the Hurt Lock for the submission victory. After the match, Cedric Alexander jumped into Lashley’s arms and then posed on the top turnbuckle while shouting “I helped! Tag Team Champions!” as MVP stared at him with a confused look on his face. New Day will defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander this Sunday at WWE TLC.

Lana Is Out Of The Tag Title Match At TLC

Nia Jax faced Lana on this week’s edition of RAW. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler will defend their Women’s Tag Team Championships against RAW Women’s Champion Asuka & Lana this Sunday at WWE TLC.

Jax shoved Lana to the mat as Asuka was shown cheering Lana on from backstage. Nia went for a Powerbomb but Lana countered into a Hurricanrana. Laana climbed to the top rope but Nia caught her with a headbutt. Nia climbed to the second turnbuckle and went for a Samoan Drop but Lana escaped. Lana connected with a Double Stomp and rolled up Jax for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Shayna Baszler attacked Asuka backstage and Nia attacked Lana in the ring. Nia bounced Lana’s head off the mat a few times before hitting a Leg Drop. Shayna then stomped on Lana’s arm and her ankle several times. Nia hit Lana with a couple of Leg Drops to the injured leg before Asuka finally made the save. Asuka hit Baszler with a Codebreaker and knocked Nia out of the ring. It was later announced that Lana is out of the Women’s Tag Team Championship match due to injury and that Asuka will need to find a new partner.

R-Truth Interrupted Elias & Jaxson Ryker

Elias came to the ring with Jaxson Ryker during the 2nd hour of RAW. Elias said all he saw was a blinding light after he was electrocuted in the Symphony of Destruction match. Elias claimed he was baptized in lightning and gained so much. Jaxson Ryker stated that Elias’ music has changed him.

24/7 Champion R-Truth interrupted to apologize for interrupting them on Main Event. Elias pointed out that R-Truth was interrupting right now and R-Truth stood in silence because he didn’t want to interrupt again. Elias began playing the guitar before a bunch of superstars chased R-Truth around. Jaxon Ryker leveled Gran Metalik and threw Tozawa onto everyone outside the ring. R-Truth scampered away as Ryker slammed Metalik to the canvas again.

Miz & Morrison Beat Keith Lee

Keith Lee faced The Miz & John Morrison in a Handicap match. Miz and Morrison beat Keith down in the corner to start off the action. Lee quickly battled back and sent The Miz flying out of the ring. Morrison hit Keith with an elbow to the face but Lee responded with a big kick to the midsection.

The Miz sent Lee to the corner and connected with some It Kicks. Keith Lee slammed Miz to the canvas but turned around into a knee to the face from Morrison. Lee hit Morrison with a shoulder tackle that knocked him out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, The Miz hit Lee with a Clothesline and Morrison followed it up with a kick to the head for a one count. Morrison connected with a Moonsault and went for the cover but Keith Lee was able to power out at two. Keith battled back and hurled Morrison on top of The Miz. Miz hit Keith Lee with a chop block and he collapsed to the mat. Miz and Morrison then covered Keith Lee for the victory.

Orton & Wyatt Played Hide And Seek

Bray Wyatt came to the ring sporting a Fiend themed Christmas sweater. The puppets from the Firefly Fun House were behind the barricade as Wyatt said it was so nice to see everyone’s smiling faces at the ThunderDome.

Wyatt apologized to Randy Orton and claimed that everything was just a giant misunderstanding. Bray said that Orton sometimes has a sick mind of his own but noted that he has things to fix about himself as well.

Bray laughed and stated that he is not sure what is going to be left of Orton after he faces The Fiend at WWE TLC. Wyatt said that he has prepared some jokes for Randy Orton tonight. Wyatt joked that the best way to measure a viper was inches because they don’t have any feet.

Wyatt laughed way too hard as the puppets chuckled along. Bray joked that snakes use “windshield vipers” to clean their windshield. Bray fell to his knees in laughter and stumbled around the ring.

Randy Orton interrupted on the jumbotron and said that Wyatt changed after he hit him with RKO last week. Orton noted that The Fiend appeared out of nowhere and for the first time in a long time he was outmanuevered. Orton suggested that they play a game of Hide & Seek tonight. Bray accepted and Orton dared Wyatt to come find him. Wyatt then shouted “let the games begin!” to end the promo.

Bray made his way backstage and bumped into Riddle. Matt told Bray that he hadn’t seen Randy Orton and pitched a “Bro-Nouns” segment on Firefly Fun House. Riddle said Ramblin Rabbit reminded him of Baby Yoda and had him sign a carrot for his pet rabbit.

Wyatt entered a room with a rocking chair in it. Bray slowly approached the chair as it rocked back and forth. Wyatt took a seat in the chair and Orton attacked him from behind. Orton threw Wyatt in a chest and locked it. Randy then lit it on fire but The Fiend popped out. The Fiend locked in the Mandible Claw until Randy passed out.

Mace Defeated Ricochet

Mace from RETRIBUTION faced Ricochet tonight. Mustafi Ali joined commentary as the rest of the members of RETRIBUTION stood behind him. Mace controlled the action early and hit Ricochet with a big boot for a two count.

Mace applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring but Ricochet escaped and connected with a Dropkick. Slapjack hopped on the apron and Ricochet hit him with a Dropkick. Ricochet knocked T-Bar off the apron and turned around into a Powerbomb from Mace for a near fall. Mustafi Ali shouted at Mace to shut Ricochet down and Mace connected with a slam for the pinfall victory.

Mandy Rose Returned

Shayna Baszler battled Dana Brooke during the third hour of RAW. Baszler went after Dana right away and connected with a running knee for a two count. Shayna bent back Dana’s digits and then Nia Jax attacked Dana from behind to end the match in a DQ. Nia and Shayna beat Dana Brooke down until Mandy Rose made the save with a kendo stick. Asuka rushed the ring as well and the Women’s Tag Team Champions retreated.

AJ Styles Sent A Message To McIntyre

Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles came to the ring for an “Ascension Ceremony” before their title match at TLC. Styles said that McIntyre should address his WWE Championship because he is going to lose it on Sunday.

AJ noted that they have never faced each other before and decided to do some studying to get to know McIntyre. Styles claimed to be shocked that it took McIntyre 19 years to reach the top of WWE. AJ said McIntyre showed us all why it took that long when he lost to Orton last month and added that Drew cannot handle the pressure.

Styles said that McIntyre is taking too many risks and pointed out that Drew has never been in a TLC match. AJ noted that he defended the WWE Championship in a TLC match and won because he knows what it takes to be a champion. Styles vowed to break every table, ladder, and chair in the ThunderDome over McIntyre’s back in order to win the title this Sunday.

McIntyre stated that he has always wanted a match against AJ Styles and the fans will get it this Sunday at TLC. Drew admitted that he has never been in a TLC match and that his goal is to remain champion. McIntyre said it is one thing to get to the top of the mountain but it is a whole different thing to stay at the top.

Drew said that he is the champion that led WWE through unchartered waters this year and is a diamond. McIntyre added that he was going to rip AJ apart this Sunday and is willing to do whatever it takes to himself and to Styles to remain WWE Champion.

The Miz and John Morrison shoved the ladder over onto McIntyre and beat the WWE Champion down. Drew battled back and hit Miz & Morrison with a Claymore. McIntyre hit Styles with the Glasgow Kiss and set up for the Claymore but Omas threw the steel steps in the ring. Styles hit McIntyre with a chop block and followed it up with the Phenomenal Forearm.

Styles told Omas to bring a ladder into the ring and Styles hit Drew in the head with it. AJ then grabbed a steel chair and hit the WWE Champion several times. Styles set up the chair in between the turnbuckles and bashed McIntyre’s face onto it. AJ brought in another ladder as Omas slid in a table. Styles climbed up the ladder and connected with an Elbow Drop that slammed McIntyre through a table. AJ Styles then raised the WWE Championship as RAW went off the air.

Opinion: The majority of this week’s episode of RAW was forgettable. It didn’t feel like it was the final RAW before a PPV. Having said that, there are still several matches I’m looking forward to at TLC and it will be interesting to see who Asuka’s tag team partner is this Sunday night.

More Matches Announced for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15

Evan S
-
0

Following the events of the combined World Tag League and Best of the Super Juniors tour, and the Super J-Cup, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced more matches for their upcoming biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom. For the second consecutive time, Wrestle Kingdom will be a two-day event, taking place on Monday, January 4, and Tuesday, January 5, 2021.

In the conclusion of Best of the Super Juniors, Hiromu Takahashi came out on top in an emotional tournament final against El Desperado. After his victory, he stated that he was interested in fighting the winner of the Super J-Cup, scheduled to take place in the United States. El Phantasmo defeated ACH to win the eight-man Super J-Cup 2020. NJPW has determined that these two will face off on Wrestle Kingdom 14 Day 1, and the winner of their match will challenge Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship the following day.

Meanwhile, the Guerrillas of Destiny, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, obtained their first World Tag League victory over Juice Robinson and David Finlay, with a little bit of aid from Bullet Club stablemate KENTA. Nevertheless, their names are now penciled in to face the IWGP Tag Team Champions from Suzuki-gun. Heated confrontations between Shingo Takagi and Jeff Cobb, SANADA and EVIL, and Hiroshi Tanahashi and Great O-Khan have resulted in them facing off at Wrestle Kingdom as well.

These are not the full cards for the event.

Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 (January 4, 2021)

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Great O-Khan
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
  • Best of the Super Juniors Winner vs. Super J-Cup Winner: Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Phantasmo
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship: Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) (c) vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
  • IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Championships Match: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Kota Ibushi

Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1 (January 4, 2021)

  • SANADA vs. EVIL
  • NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Jeff Cobb
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. the winner of the previous day’s match between Hiromu Takahashi and El Phantasmo
  • IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Championships Match: the winner of the previous day’s match between Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White

Kenny Omega Calls Out AAA Star Backstage After TripleMania XXVIII

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Kenny Omega defeated Laredo Kid at Saturday night’s TripleMania XXVIII event to retain the AAA Mega Championship.

Omega briefly spoke to the media backstage after the show. When asked who will be the next victim of The Cleaner, he named Vikingo. Omega said Vikingo is very good, he’s earned his respect, but is he good enough to be a champion? Maybe he’d like to find out. He teased, “I’ll be waiting.”

You can watch Kenny Omega’s challenge to Vikingo below:

https://twitter.com/record_mexico/status/1337977838532767744?s=19

In addition to holding AAA’s Mega Championship, Kenny Omega is also the reigning AEW World Champion. He’s been at the forefront of AEW’s new working relationship with Impact Wrestling.

Omega will appear on Tuesday’s Impact along with Don Callis. It looks like Omega is being positioned as a “belt collector” of sorts, so it’s probably only a matter of time before he crosses paths with Impact World Champion Rich Swan.

Kenny Omega battles Joey Janela this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite.

MJF Says Comparisons To Conor McGregor Are ‘Cute & Laughable’

Michael Reichlin
-
0

MJF has been one of AEW’s breakout performers since the promotion’s launch last year. The 24-year-old prodigy from Long Island, NY holds his own in the ring, but it’s his work on the microphone that has pundits comparing him to some of the best talkers in wrestling history.

MJF recently appeared on MMA Fighting’s What the Heck podcast. He displayed his trademark confidence when asked about comparisons to two of the UFC’s best trash talkers, Conor McGregor and Colby Covington.

“I think it’s cute in comparison to me,” he began. “It’s laughable, but I think they’re great in the world of MMA. If either of those two guys came into the world of AEW, they would be in a lot of trouble. They’d get absolutely verbally bent over, if you know what I mean.”

MJF acknowledged that McGregor and Covington are entertaining, but things would get ugly if they ever tested him on the mic.

“For what they do, I really enjoy what Conor McGregor did in the UFC. Colby Covington is somebody who understands how to get a reaction out of a crowd, whether positive or negative. And yeah, I enjoy what both of them did. But could they spar with me? No, absolutely not. That would not be good. I don’t think that would be good for anybody, honestly. It would be uncomfortable.”

What Got MJF Into Wrestling?

MJF revealed the match that got him ‘instantly hooked’ on pro wrestling was The Undertaker and Mankind’s Hell in a Cell match from WWE King of the Ring (1998).

Years later, he attended WWE Survivor Series 2002 from Madison Square Garden. When he saw Shawn Michaels win the first-ever Elimination Chamber match, he knew he wanted to be a pro wrestler.

“I remember Shawn Michaels won the match, and he was a bloody mess with his weird haircut. He hit the pose, and I just looked to my left and looked to my right and everybody was standing and screaming and yelling and crying. I just remember tugging my dad on the arm and saying, ‘Yeah I can do that.’ So, that’s where we’re at now, and I was right.”

MJF also spoke in-depth about AEW, why he believes we are currently in a “golden era” of wrestling and his love of being a heel.

“I love, love, love making people lay down in bed at night, put their head on their pillow, and go, ‘God, I hate that guy. I better tune in next week.’ And that’s that… You’re not being held back in AEW. Nobody is handing me a script in AEW because they know if they did, I’d chew it up and spit it in their face. That’s what All Elite Wrestling is – we’re all going out there and doing our thing, and we’re doing what we think the sport of professional wrestling is supposed to be.”

You can listen to the full appearance in the YouTube player embedded below:

Jim Ross Talks How WWE Writers Wanted To Bring In ‘Their’ Talent

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW commentator Jim Ross recently discussed the WWE Armageddon 2000 PPV on his Grilling JR podcast. As is usual, Ross and Conrad Thompson would go through topics from that time frame, although sometimes conversations may be broader.

Jim Ross was previously the Head of Talent Relations in WWE/then WWF. Ross had a hand in bringing in some of the biggest names in WWE history. Sometimes, WWE writers would have their vision of what/who they wanted to work with, or, what they perceived Vince McMahon wanted to see on his television programme.

Jim Ross on WWE Recruitment

“Bill Parcells said one time to Bob Kraft in New England that ‘if you expect me to cook the meals? You got to let me buy some groceries'” Jim Ross would begin on the show; using one of his many NFL and College Football analogies.

“I think that’s kind of what their theory was” Ross continued, discussing the WWE writers who struggled to come up with storyline ideas for the likes of Jerry Lynn, someone Ross mentioned on the podcast. “‘We [the writers] need to have a say in who we bring in. [That’s] in terms of the size all that stuff, and what they are gonna do.'”

“Well this is not gonna shock you” JR continued. “They’re (the writers) gonna kiss Vince’s ass even more by bringing guys in that pass Vince’s ‘eye test.’ They may have a sh*t character? They might not be reliable? We’re not gonna get any [crowd] reaction from them but we know he’s (McMahon) gonna like the 6’3, 6’4 bodybuilder tattooed up with wet hair. It is same sh*t as nowadays.”

Do you agree with Jim Ross? Can you think of any wet hair look, six foot something WWE Superstars with tattoos…..? Let us know in the comments

1...1,0071,0081,009...3,410Page 1,008 of 3,410