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Knockouts Champion Deonna Purrazzo Talks AEW-Impact Relationship, Body Shaming Fans

Michael Reichlin
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Deonna Purrazzo retained the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Championship at Saturday night’s Final Resolution event. Earlier this week, she spoke with Wrestling Epicenter about the current storyline with Don Callis & Kenny Omega, her plans for 2021 and much more.

Impact Wrestling viewership spiked this week on AXS TV, thanks in part to the involvement of AEW World Champion Kenny Omega. Purrazzo said Tuesday’s show was “definitely eye-opening” and thinks the entire wrestling industry is shifting. She thinks that AEW working with Impact Wrestling presents some exciting opportunities for the months ahead.

“I think it is amazing when people are able to put aside their differences, whatever they are, to work towards a common goal,” she began. “I don’t know what this is leading to. I don’t know what Kenny Omega and Don Callis have planned as far as cross-promotion or whatever it is. But, I’m real excited to see what is going to happen in the near future.”

Kenny Omega Returning To Impact Wrestling Next Week

Many fans believe that Impact Wrestling has one of the strongest women’s divisions anywhere. Naturally, as the champion of that division, Deonna Purrazzo agrees.

“Head to toe, there is not one woman on the roster that I do not want to be in the ring with,” she said. “There is not one person who I don’t think brings something different to the table. I speak about it all the time. I can’t tell you how incredible I think our women’s division, the Knockouts division, is.”

She also commented on the downsides of social media, including trolls who body shame female wrestlers. “There was one person who tweeted to me that I needed to lose 30 pounds and do some squats,” she revealed.

“That struck me because I was a little girl that grew up wanting to be a wrestler in a time where women’s wrestlers were size 0 models and they weren’t real women who came in a variety of sizes and shapes. For me, 30 pounds is a lot of weight! I’m not unrealistic with myself. I’ve been through the ringer with anxiety and depression and reclaiming my emotional health and my mental health this year. All of those things contribute to what your physical health looks like.”

Sonya Deville Threatens Legal Action Against “Raging Psycho” WWE Fans

You can listen to the full interview with Deonna Purrazzo with Wrestling Epicenter in the player embedded below:

“Kenny Omega Is The Top Wrestler on The Planet, Number 2 Is Not Even Close” – Don Callis

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling EVP and the ‘Invisible Hand’ behind the AEW Champion Don Callis recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Callis discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, these included the buzz he and Kenny Omega have created and how his ‘family’ member is the best professional wrestler on the planet.

Callis would begin by discussing how the situation now is different for Omega, compared to when he was the ‘top guy’ in New Japan Pro Wrestling. “If you think about it? I don’t want to speak for Kenny, we haven’t spoken about this…but being the top guy in Japan? It is a very different proposition than coming in and being the face of a brand new wrestling promotion that everybody’s talking about.”

Throughout Omega’s initial run in AEW he has been portrayed as a babyface character. Don Callis would say that the rejuvenated ‘Cleaner’ esque style we’re now seeing is Omega being ‘comfortable’ in AEW.

Don Callis on Kenny Omega

“I think Kenny, just for the last year, didn’t feel totally comfortable and totally like he could be himself. One of the nice things about family? We feel comfortable, we feel we can be ourselves. And I think because of the bond that Kenny and I have that goes back two and a half decades? I think Kenny feels that he can be himself when I’m there.”

Callis would also discuss the dynamic that he and Omega have on screen. “I think that we feed off each other. Dave Meltzer has described it over and over again as a Heenan/Bockwinkel type of dynamic; where both parties feed off the other one and it’s made to be a superior tandem. And I think that’s what we’ve seen, Kenny’s just comfortable and he’s comfortable being himself. I think Kenny would probably tell you that he’s just so much better at this than everybody else, and he really is. I mean, Kenny is the top wrestler on the planet, and number two is not close.”

Do you agree with Don Callis? Do you think that Kenny Omega is the best wrestler on the planet? Let us know in the comments

Impact Wrestling Final Resolution Results & Videos

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Wrestling held Final Resolution 2020 Saturday night on Impact Plus. Here are the quick results:It features three championship matches.

  • Tommy Dreamer defeated Larry D in an “Old School Results” match. Per the stipulation, Larry D must go to jail for the attempted murder of John E. Bravo.
  • Havok & Neveah defeated The Sea Stars (Ashley Vox & Delmi Exo).
  • Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb defeated Alisha & Eddie Edwards.
  • Hernandez defeated Fallah Bahh. Kiera Hogan was the guest referee and Tasha Steelz served as guest ring announcer.
  • Eric Young (w/ Joe Doering) defeated Rhino. After the match, The Deaners confronted Young. Cody Deaner turns on his partner and family Cousin Jake.
  • Manik defeated Rohit Rajuto capture the X Division Championship.
  • Knockouts champion Deonna Purrazzo w/ Kimber Lee retained against Rosemary w/ Taya Valkyrie.
  • Kenny Omega & Don Callis invited Karl Anderson on to their luxury bus. Omega and Callis said Anderson should be able to defeat Ethan Page very quickly. They encouraged him to bring out his inner “Machine Gun.”
  • Karl Anderson defeated Ethan Page w/ Josh Alexander. As a result, The North will not get another title shot against the Good Brothers. After the match, it appeared that Page and Alexander broke up.
  • Rich Swann defeated Chris Bey to retain the Impact Wrestling World Championship. After the match, Moose handed the Impact title to Swann and the two had a stare down.

Impact posted a bunch of videos from the pay-per-view to the Impact YouTube channel. You can see some highlights below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcJNJ9RfFz8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icKxODv78xE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU3HCwFj_dY

AAA TripleMania XXVIII Results From Mexico City

Michael Reichlin
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Lucha Libre AAA World Wide held their TripleMania XXVIII event Saturday night from Mexico City, Mexico.

Here are quick results from AAA’s biggest show of the year:

  • Carta Brava Jr., Mocho Cota Jr., & Tito Santana defeated Maximo, Mr. Iguana, & Nino Hamburguesa
  • The Lucha Bros. (Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix) defeated Myzteziz Jr. & Octagon Jr. and Rey Escorpion & El Texano Jr. to retain the AAA World Tag Team championships.
  • Lady Shani won the Copa Triplemania
  • Monster Clown, Psycho Clown, & Murder Clown defeated LA Park, Hijo de LA Park, & Blue Demon Jr.
  • Terror Púrpura & Venenoide defeated Aracno & Leyenda Americana (Marvel Luche Libre)
  • Kenny Omega defeated Laredo Kid to retain the AAA Mega Title
  • Pagano defeated Chessman in a Hair vs. Hair Match

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recaps the top two matches:

Mauro Ranallo Discusses If He’ll Make Pro Wrestling Return, AEW Possibility

Andrew Ravens
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Mauro Ranallo departed from WWE for a second time a few months ago, which was a decision that he made. 

Ranallo is still busy by being a commentator in the combat sports world including calling boxing for Showtime. During an interview with POST Wrestling, he left the door open about possibly going to another wrestling promotion. With such a question, AEW is going to be brought up. 

“I’m not interested in going back to that kind of rigorous schedule [with WWE]. I would love to call professional wrestling still, and I’m glad that there are many promotions. 

I mean, AEW has been a win-win-win for them. Like the Monday Night Wars, I believe competition in every sense of the word should bring out the best in anyone. I’m just grateful there are that many more paying opportunities for the workers. So, never say never, John.”

Ranallo noted that he also wants to explore other options and gigs. He’s also enjoyed branching out as a performer and broadcaster in addition to being an advocate for mental health. 

He noted that he loves calling combat sports and wants to continue to do historic and monumental things. 

Rhea Ripley vs. Toni Storm, Karrion Kross Set For Wednesday’s WWE NXT

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has announced several matches ahead of Wednesday’s episode of NXT. 

The biggest thing to be announced is Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O’Reilly with the winner getting a title shot from WWE NXT Champions Finn Balor. 

This comes after this past week’s show that saw Dunne, O’Reilly, and Damian Priest make their case for why they should get a title shot only to have Balor state that it wasn’t his job to find opponents, but rather would leave that up to WWE NXT General Manager William Regal.

That will happen with Balor defending the strap against the winner at the New Year’s Eve special on January 6th. 

Also set for this show is Karrion Kross returning to in-ring action against an unknown opponent, which will likely be in the ring to get squashed. 

The former WWE NXT Champion had been on the sidelines after suffering a separated shoulder at NXT TakeOver: XXX when he beat Keith Lee to win the WWE NXT Title. He made his return last week when he attacked Priest. 

WWE NXT Card

  • Leon Ruff will team with Kushida to face Austin Theory and NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano.
  • Pete Dunne vs. Kyle O’Reilly  – #1 Contender’s Match
  • Karrion Kross returns to action
  • Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley

WWE NXT India Brand To Launch In 2021

Mike Bennett Talks How His WWE Run Felt Like “A Lifetime”

Jake Skudder
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Former WWE Superstar Mike Bennett/Kanellis recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former WWE 24/7 Champion discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, including the ‘whirlwind’ of being in WWE.

Mike Bennett will also be returning to Ring of Honor next weekend at Final Battle 2020. This will be his first appearance for the Sinclair Broadcasting brand since he left at Final Battle 5 years ago to join NJPW, IMPACT and then WWE.

Mike Bennett on ROH and WWE

“I’ve done a lot of reflecting lately, just because of the situation we’re in and where I’m at in my life” Mike Bennett began on Busted Open. “And it’s really crazy to me, to think that five years ago I left Ring of Honor? Within those five years, I essentially lived an entire lifetime.”

Bennett would elaborate further, saying “I went and I did New Japan. I did IMPACT and I did WWE. Which, if you’ve spent even a year at WWE? You know the weight, the toll, and then just the learning experience. This isn’t a negative at all, it’s just the goal, the whirlwind of WWE always feels like a lifetime, because of everything that’s going on there.”

Then Mike Bennett would address how he felt his run in WWE went. Bennett has stated in the past that he didn’t enjoy his creative in WWE, but he feels as though he has grown ‘as a man’ over the past 3 years; dealing with drug addiction and raising a family.

“I’ve grown so much in my career. The last three years might have been a little shoddy and a little kind of not the direction I hoped it would go? But as a human? As a man, as a dad and as a husband? Through these past five years I’ve grown up an insane amount. I had two kids, I bought a house, my relationship with my wife is the best it’s ever been. That is what I’m most proud of.”

Are you looking forward to seeing Mike Bennett back in ROH? Do you think that he could return to WWE at some point? Let us know in the comments

Don Callis Talks How He and Kenny Omega Have ‘Created a Buzz’

Jake Skudder
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IMPACT Wrestling EVP and the ‘Invisible Hand’ behind the AEW Champion Don Callis recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. Callis discussed a number of topics during his time on the show, these included the buzz he and Kenny Omega have created and how his ‘family’ member is the best professional wrestler on the planet.

“I’ve said it on IMPACT” Don Callis would begin on Busted Open. “I didn’t get back in this business [just] to do the Killing The Town podcast. I certainly didn’t get back in it to be a commentator, there was always a plan. And it was? It was playing the long game.”

With Don Callis and Kenny Omega transitioning between both IMPACT and AEW over the past week, it has created some massive intrigue across the wrestling landscape. Callis would discuss how he and Omega have created a ‘buzz’ in wrestling, something that has been somewhat lacking over the past year or so with the pandemic.

Don Callis on ‘Buzz’

“One of the side benefits of that has been buzz” Callis would continue. “Buzz is one of the things that I think is difficult to create. If everyone could create it? Then everyone would have it, and everyone doesn’t have it. I don’t set out to try to make buzz or those sorts of things? But I do set out with a grand plan. I’ve always been big plan motivated.”

“I care about what happens in history, and they say the winners get to write the history” Callis stated. “Kenny Omega and I right now are in a position where we are writing the history. Two guys from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, are the talk of the wrestling business. We have not once, but twice, changed the entire wrestling business.”

Listen to Don Callis on Busted Open Radio:

Are you excited about the ongoing Kenny Omega and Don Callis storyline? Who do you want to see Kenny Omega face in IMPACT and elsewhere? Let us know in the comments

Paul Heyman Says New Day Will Only Be A Footnote In Big E’s Career

Chris Stephens
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New Day are arguably the greatest tag-team in WWE history. There are some significant statistics to back this theory up. They are 10x tag-team champions, including having the longest single-reign of tag-team titles in WWE history. Also, Kofi Kingston is the only wrestler in WWE history to have held a tag-team title for more than 1000 combined days. They are easily 1st ballot hall-of-famers as a team.

According to Paul Heyman, however, Big E‘s potential as a singles wrestler eclipses what New Day has already accomplished. Heyman noted on Talking Smack recently that he feels Big E’s time in New Day will only be a footnote in his career overall.

Heyman had the following to say to Big E on the show:

“This Big E, a focused Big E, a singles championship-minded Big E, has so much potential that 10 years from now, as your story is being written, they will all say that the accomplishments that you did with the New Day pale by respectful comparison to the accomplishments that you will pull off on your own,” Heyman said to Big E on the show.

“What you are going to accomplish in the next 10 years will be mind-boggling, sir. And I’m looking forward to seeing it, as is everybody else. But you have to accept in your heart that the New Day will only be a footnote in the story of the greatness of Big E.”

“If I may prove to my case to you, I ask you a rhetorical question: When was the last time you saw Roman Reigns in the ring and anybody even bothered to mention the Shield?”

At this point, Big E fell silent as the weight of Heyman’s words sunk in.

The full segment can be viewed seen here:

Ethan Page & Sami Callihan Free Agency News

Chris Stephens
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Impact Wrestling’s Ethan Page and Sami Callihan reportedly both have contracts that expire at the end of the year. According to a recent report from PW Insider, one is expected to leave the promotion and the other is expected to stay.

Sami Callihan, a former Impact World Champion, is expected to stay with the company. Callihan debuted for the promotion in late 2017 and has been a featured performer since the current management regime came in around the same time.

Ethan Page, 1/2 of the North, is expected to leave the promotion at the end of the month. His tag-team partner, Josh Alexander, still has somewhere around 9 months left on his deal. Page recently spoke to SI.com about his pending free agency.

“Impact has been amazing. They’re allowing me the opportunity to chat with other companies, and they’re handling this in an extremely professional manner. I’m open to chatting with other people, but my interest is hearing how Impact values me and what they’re willing to offer,” he said.

Some dissension was teased between Page and his partner on this week’s episode of Impact Wrestling.

Taya Valkyrie’s contract with Impact also expires at the end of the month. There is no word on where she might end up, however.

WWE SmackDown Results (12/11): Carmella vs. Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns Attacks

Robert Lentini
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WWE SmackDown aired live from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field. Sasha Banks defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Carmella tonight.

SmackDown Results (12/11)

  1. Dolph Ziggler def. Montez Ford
  2. Sami Zayn def. Big E via countout
  3. Riott Squad def. Billie Kay & Natalya
  4. Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro def. Otis & Chad Gable
  5. Carmella def. Sasha Banks via DQ

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Banks Will Face Carmella Tonight

Sasha Banks and Carmella had a contract signing for the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at TLC. SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks made her way to the ring first but Carmella didn’t follow. Carmella appeared on the jumbotron and said she didn’t want to come to the ring because Sasha attacked her. Carmella signed the contract and had an errand boy bring it to the ring.

Carmella claimed that once Banks signs the contract her days as the SmackDown Women’s Champion are numbered. Sasha challenged Carmella to have the title match tonight instead of at TLC next Sunday. Carmella accepted and Adam Pearce made the match official. Sasha Banks then hit Carmella’s assistant with a Backstabber and flipped the table over.

Dolph Ziggler def. Montez Ford

Dolph Ziggler faced Montez Ford in the first match of the night. Angelo Dawkins and Robert Roode were ringside for the match. Ziggler controlled the action early and taunted Montez while doing so. Ford battled back and launched Ziggler into the turnbuckle.

Montez connected with a Dropkick and followed it up with a Dropkick. Ziggler rolled out of the ring to regroup and then blue solo cups rained down as SmackDown went to a break. When SmackDown returned, Ziggler had Montez in a Headlock in the center of the ring.

Ford broke free and leveled Ziggler with a Clothesline. Ford followed it up with a kick to the ribs and went for an Enziguri but Ziggler dodged it. Montez connected with a Belly to Back Suplex and then a standing Moonsault. Dolph went for the Zig Zag but Ford blocked it and this time connected with the Enziguri.

Montez made his way to the top rope but got distracted as Roode attacked Dawkins outside the ring. Ziggler capitalized and hit Ford with a Superkick for the pinfall victory.

Sami Zayn def. Big E via Countout

Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn came to the ring and complained about having no merchandise. Zayn then faced Big E in a non-title match. Sami and Big E locked up to start off the action. Big E shoved Sami to the canvas and the Intercontinental Champion cowered out of the ring.

Sami took his time getting back into the ring and locked up with Big E once again. Big E applied a Headlock and then sent Zayn out of the ring. Big E connected with a Splash as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Sami was in control and mocked Big E by dancing in the ring. Big E responded with three Belly to Belly Suplexes in a row and then danced over Zayn. Sami went for a Crossbody but Big E caught him.

Big E went for the Big Ending but Sami raked his eyes. Zayn went for the Helluva Kick but Big E countered into a Uranage. Sami grabbed his hand in pain and then slapped Big E in the face. Zayn ran around the ring and Big E chased him. Zayn slid under the ring and Big E chased him. Sami stomped on Big E and then rolled into the ring right before the referee counted to ten.

Roman Reigns Attacked Kevin Owens

Jey Uso approached Universal Champion Roman Reigns backstage. Jey asked if they were good but Kevin Owens’ music hit. Owens marched to the ring as Reigns and Jey watched on. Jey said he wanted to go get Owens and Reigns allowed it.

Owens set up tables, ladders, and chairs in the ring. Kevin grabbed a microphone and said that he does not fear Roman Reigns. Owens added that as good as Roman is, he is using his family to fight his battles. Kevin claimed TLC is the most important match of his career and that his family supports him by watching at home.

Kevin said he has a few friends that will help him defeat Reigns at TLC. Owens said that chairs, tables, and ladders will be his friends at the PPV. Jey Uso attacked Owens from behind with a steel chair and beat him down. Owens battled back and hit Jey over the back with the steel chair several times.

Owens slammed Jey through a table and then Roman’s music hit. Paul Heyman stopped Roman and said that he calls the shots as Owens shouted at him to come to the ring. Reigns and Heyman then made their way backstage and Owens hobbled out of the ring and chased them to end the segment.

When SmackDown returned from a break, Kayla Braxton stopped Owens backstage for an interview. Roman Reigns came out of nowhere and hit Owens with a chair. Reigns beat Owens down and then looked into the camera and spoke to Owens’ family. Reigns told them to talk some sense into Owens or he will be the guy that takes the food off the table. Roman then booted Owens in the face to end the segment.

Riott Squad Picked Up A Win

The Riott Squad faced Billie Kay & Natalya tonight on SmackDown. Billie Kay slammed Liv Morgan to the canvas and tagged in Natalya. Kay and Natalya isolated Liv Morgan in the corner and took turns stomping on her. Ruby tagged in and hit Kay with the Riott Kick for the pinfall victory.

Nakamura & Cesaro Dominated

Otis & Chad Gable faced Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro tonight. Gable hit Cesaro with a German Suplex and went for the cover but Cesaro kicked out at two. Otis tagged in and connected with a slam before tagging Gable back in. Cesaro hit Gable with an uppercut and then Otis tagged in.

Otis leveled Cesaro with a Clothesline and set up for the Caterpillar Elbow Drop but Gable demanded to be tagged in. Cesaro got Gable in the swing and then tagged in Shinsuke. Nakamura leveled Gable with the Kinshasa for the pinfall victory. Gable claimed that tonight was a test and unfortunately Otis failed tonight. Chad said that he was teaching Otis what to do by showing him what not to do.

Banks vs. Carmella Ended In A DQ

Sasha Banks defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Carmella in this week’s main event. Carmella slapped Sasha in the face and started taunting her. Carmella went for the Code of Silence but Banks was able to escape.

Banks connected with a knee to the face and then a Meteora on the apron. Carmella connected with a Facebuster on the ring apron as SmackDown went to a commercial break.

When SmackDown returned, Banks and Carmella were battling in the corner of the ring. Carmella slammed Sasha’s shoulder into the ring post and then launched her into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Carmella went for the cover but Banks was able to kick out at two. Carmella connected with a Crossbody for a near fall. Banks rolled up Carmella for a two count. Carmella quickly locked in the Code of Silence in the center of the ring.

Sasha countered into the Bank Statement but Carmella’s assistant tossed a wine bottle in the ring. Sasha chased him around and then beat Carmella down in the corner. The referee called for the bell as Sasha wouldn’t stop. After the match, Carmella attacked Banks from behind and sent her out of the ring.

Carmella then grabbed a bottle of wine and smashed it over Sasha’s back. Carmella poured a bottle of champagne on Banks and laughed as she was announced as the winner as a result of a disqualification.

Kenny Omega Challenges Joey Janella, No DQ Match Set For AEW Dynamite

Andrew Ravens
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A new match has been announced for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite that will see Kenny Omega take on Joey Janela. It will be a No DQ Match. 

AEW ran an angle whereby Omega issued a challenge to Janela to a match after he heard fans complain that he beat defeated late replacement Sonny Kiss rather than Janela during the world eliminator tournament. Omega went on to win the tournament and then captured the AEW World title from Jon Moxley at Revolution.

AEW touted the match announcement by writing, “Omega won the Eliminator Tournament to become #1 contender to the #AEW World Title. His scheduled quarterfinals opponent Joey Janela couldn’t participate due to safety protocols. Now Janela can earn a title shot with a win on Wednesday in his preferred element No DQ Anything Goes.”

AEW Dynamite Card

  • Kenny Omega vs. Joey Janella – No DQ Anything Goes Match (if Janella wins, he gets a World Title shot)
  • Cody Rhodes with Arn Anderson vs. Angelico with Jack Evans
  • Hangman Page, John Silver, and Alex Reynolds vs. Matt Hardy and Private Party
  • The Acclaimed vs. SCU
  • NWA Women’s World Champion Serena Deeb and Big Swole vs. Ivelisse and Diamante
  • Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, MJF, Sammy Guevara, Santana, Ortiz, Jake Hager, and Wardlow) vs. Top Flight, Brandon Cutler, Varsity Blondes, and Best Friends.

Kenny Omega Set To Appear On Tuesday’s Impact Wrestling

Reaction To Vince McMahon Sending Talent Back To The Performance Center

Andrew Ravens
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An interesting report emerged this week noting that Vince McMahon is unhappy with the in-ring work of several of WWE’s larger wrestlers.

According to the Wrestling Observer, “Vince McMahon threw a fit about the working ability of certain guys on the main roster, mad in particular about some of the big guys.”

He reportedly sent a batch of talent to return to the WWE Performance Center for training. The wrestlers in question include former NXT Champion Keith Lee, Otis, Dabbo Kato, Omos and Mace from RETRIBUTION.

The main roster talent sent back to the Performance Center will be working with PC coaches Adam Pearce and Drew Gulak.

Fightful Select has provided new details on the situation, including the backstage reaction to this shakeup. It was pointed out that many people were “baffled” that Keith Lee made it on that list because he’s considered to be one of the better workers in the company. Some tried to make sense of it by assuming he was lumped in with the rest of the “big men” despite being more than a capable worker.

Regarding Otis, he is still well-liked by the WWE Chairman. However, there have been some spots over the last few months that have caught the attention of those in management and there’s a feeling that he could work safer.

Scott Hall & Kevin Nash Talk About Training ‘Big Men’ At the WWE PC

Goldberg Comments On How Much Longer He Plans To Wrestle

Andrew Ravens
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Goldberg has two years left on his current WWE deal, but he’s not getting any younger, which leads to fans wondering how much longer he plans to wrestle for. 

He commented on this question when doing an interview with Bleacher Report. 

“We always have to cross that bridge when we come to it,” Goldberg said. “I’m 53 years old, I’ll be 54 here in a couple of weeks. Hey, as long as my body can still do it, I’m still going to do it.”

He continued by noting that it’s very tough to be a power wrestler at this age as he’s not the same person that he was in the past and he has the sense of questioning whether to continue is ruining his legacy. However, he still has to put food on the table for his family.

“There are a lot of things that come into consideration, and at the end of the day, I’m a businessman,” he continued. “I do what I got to do to stay afloat and stay out there. I don’t see myself hanging it up any time soon, but then again, I also don’t see myself wrestling until I’m 60.”

Earlier this week, he made headlines by calling out WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and saying that “The Big Dog” is next. 

It’s been reported that WWE is looking to book Goldberg against Reigns at WrestleMania 37 next year. 

WWE NXT India Brand To Launch In 2021

Andrew Ravens
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Fans can expect to see a new WWE NXT brand be launched next year and it’s going to be in India. 

On Friday, a new report from Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics and John Pollock of POST Wrestling was published that revealed the news. The article states that the new NXT India TV series will air in the Indian market.

It’s expected to begin filming in January. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on the talent that will be working on the brand, but it was noted the plan as of several weeks ago was to feature an eight-man single-elimination tournament for the new series. 

Plans change all of the time in WWE so this was not confirmed as a fact, but the idea behind it is for the tournament to crown the first-ever NXT India Champion. WWE did a tournament to crown the inaugural NXT UK Champion as well. 

The belief is the new NXT India series will air on linear TV in India as well as on WWE’s streaming service, WWE Network.  

WWE does have a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Networks in India. This past March, WWE announced a five-year renewal for that deal, which also includes Sony having the rights to the WWE Network for its audiences through SonyLIV, which is their own OTT streaming platform.

Fans should look at this being India’s version of the main NXT brand in the United States as well as the NXT UK brand based out of London, England.

Kenny Omega Set To Appear On Tuesday’s Impact Wrestling

Andrew Ravens
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As expected, Impact Wrestling has already announced that Kenny Omega will make another appearance on their weekly television show. 

On Friday afternoon in a statement posted on social media and their official website, the promotion confirmed that the AEW World Heavyweight Champion would be appearing on Tuesday’s show on AXS TV. 

Impact’s statement was short yet to the point as it read, “We have confirmed that AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis will return to IMPACT! this Tuesday at 8/7c on AXS TV!”

This comes off Omega’s most recent appearance on this week’s episode of Impact, which was a huge success for the promotion in viewership. 

On Thursday, Impact touted the success of the crossover from one of All Elite Wrestling’s biggest stars. 

Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore brought up how big of a deal Omega’s appearance on Impact in the presser that was sent out that noted it led to more than 750,000 fans tuning in to AXS TV or have logged on to official streams to watch the segment. 

“It is hard to compare apples and oranges, and some digital media provide better watch-data than others, but we feel confident over 750,000 US-based fans watched the episode in the first 24 hours and 1 million fans have clicked on the various highlights we’ve put out on social media.”

This episode of Impact will feature the fallout from Saturday’s Final Resolution event.

Vince McMahon Sending Several WWE Stars Back To The Performance Center

Chris Stephens
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Vince McMahon reportedly is not pleased with the work rate of several wrestlers on the main roster. In particular, Vince is not pleased with the work of some of the company’s bigger-sized wrestlers. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, he has ordered some wrestlers to undergo additional training.

“Vince McMahon threw a fit about the working ability of certain guys on the main roster, mad in particular about some of the big guys,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

The report would continue to say that Vince has ordered some wrestlers to take two classes per week at the Performance Center. Adam Pearce and Drew Gulak are serving as instructors for the classes.

“He’s ordered some of the guys back to the Performance Center with two classes per week with Adam Pearce and Drew Gulak as instructors.”

The report did not specifically mention who has been ordered to undergo additional training.

UPDATE:

In an update to this story, PW Insider is reporting that the names sent for additional training to the PC include Otis, Keith Lee, Dabbo Kato, Dio Maddin and AJ Styles’ bodyguard Omos.

Triple H: “Charisma Is King” For WWE When Recruiting Talent

WWE’s “Big Guy” Training

WWE does have specific training programs for bigger guys at the Performance Center for developmental recruits. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash have both spoken previously about work they have done at the PC with larger prospects.

“It was great, I was in Orlando for about 8 or 9 days, cause I went in early. I spoke to Triple H in the past about who’s training the big guys,” Hall said about the training program while on Sean Waltman’s podcast last year.

“So we had a mini big guy summit, I got to watch films with the bigger guys, have one-on-ones with some of them, get in the ring and talk about their different move sets and what they got and stuff.”

Bianca Belair: Sasha Banks & Bayley Are Vital To WWE

Chris Stephens
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Bianca Belair is quickly moving up the rankings of Smackdown’s women’s division. The 31-year-old has yet to lose a singles match on the main roster. She has racked up an impressive 15-match winning streak.

She made her main roster debut at the 2020 WWE Royal Rumble in January, She joined the main roster’s Raw brand after WrestleMania before being drafted to Smackdown in October.

Belair was interviewed recently by Sports Illustrated. During the discussion, she noted just how important Sasha Banks and Bayley are to WWE.

“Bayley and Sasha are more than just vital to the women’s division, they’re vital to WWE,” Belair says. “They’ve done so many monumental things, starting in NXT. They set the bar at TakeOver, then they set the bar again on Raw, SmackDown and on pay-per-view.”

“Sasha sets the standard. She’s the champion. Bayley is so versatile. Look at the way she went from protagonist to antagonist. She always comes up with something new, and she has the ability to make people around her stars, too. I am looking forward to working with Bayley.”

Belair would continue to say that getting in the ring with wrestlers as talented as Banks and Bayley helps her improve her game. She also said that Banks and Bayley elevate others in the women’s divisions.

“They don’t just elevate themselves, they elevate every single person they come into contact with. That’s why I want to be in the ring with Bayley. That’s why I want to get in the ring with Sasha. If I can get into the ring with people of that caliber, I’m only going to get better.”

The full interview with Bianca Belair can be read here.

Earlier this week, Bianca Belair reacted to Paul Heyman recently stating that she is the future of WWE’s women’s division.

Original Plan For Kenny Omega & Hangman Page’s AEW Tag Team Revealed

Chris Stephens
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Kenny Omega and Hangman Page held the AEW tag team titles for 228 days after defeating SCU on the Jericho Cruise. There was a lot of dissension teased throughout their run, however. They eventually dropped the belts to FTR at All Out and then faced each other in the finals of a tournament at Full Gear.

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Hangman Page was expected to fully turn heel as part of this angle. The plans for this changed based on the fan response to Page, however.

Don Callis is believed to have pitched the idea of him and Omega in an angle together shortly after Page and Omega were put together as a team.

“The actual idea was suggested by Callis when Omega and Adam Page started their team and while Page was to come out as the heel at one point, that changed based on the early reaction to Page,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

He would continue to say that Page and Omega getting over as a team and the pandemic played a role in the angle being changed.

Page has wrestled just twice since the loss to Omega at Full Gear. He defeated John Silver on 11/19. He also competed in the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royal at Winter is Coming.

Miro Explains Why He Attacked Orange Cassidy On Dynamite

Chris Stephens
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Miro closed out this week’s episode of Dynamite by attacking Orange Cassidy and allowing MJF to pick up the win in the main event and retain the Dynamite Diamond ring. The Bulgarian took to social media recently to post a video explaining his actions.

“Maybe that’s what I need to do to get everybody’s attention,” Miro said in the video, referring to his attack on Cassidy. “But I told you things are coming. I told you things are coming, I told you things are happening.”

“I screwed Orange? Orange screwed Orange, let’s not forget about that” he continued.

Miro continued to say that he’s all about the numbers now. This includes likes, subscribers, and overall clout. That’s what gives him control over his own career.

“I came from a situation where I didn’t have the clout or influence to steer my own career. That will never happen to me again. I’m all about the numbers now, and there’s not a single thing anyone in AEW could do about it. I am in control,” Miro said in the video. “Not Orange Cassidy, not the MJF, not anyone in All Elite Wrestling. Miro is in control now.”

Watch Miro’s video in the YouTube player embedded below:

Update On When Kenny Omega Is Expected Back In Impact Wrestling

Chris Stephens
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It was a big week for AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact Wrestling Vice President, Don Callis. They appeared on both Impact and AEW Dynamite this week. Omega teased on Impact that he had become something of a collector and alluded to perhaps wanting to win some of Impact’s championships.

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Omega is expected back on Impact next week. He’s also expected to headline some PPVs for the promotion. Dave Meltzer wrote:

“We do know that Omega will make appearances on Impact television, including back on 12/15, and headline at least some Impact PPV shows.”

Impact teased a program between its world champion, Rich Swann, and Omega last week. Swann was seen being denied access to Omega and Callis’ luxury bus because he “wasn’t on the list.”

Swann is scheduled to defend the Impact World Championship against Chris Bey this Saturday at Final Resolution. The show will air on Impact’s streaming service, Impact Plus. Moose has also been angling for a shot at Swann’s title.

Original Plan For Kenny Omega & Hangman Page’s AEW Tag Team

Impact Final Resolution

The lineup for Impact’s Final Resolution event on Saturday is below:

  • Impact World Championship
    Rich Swann (c) vs Chris Bey
  • Karl Anderson vs Ethan Page
  • Knockouts Championship
    Deonna Purrazzo vs Rosemary
  • Tenille Dashwood & Kaleb vs Eddie Edwards & Alisha Edwards
  • Old School Rules
    (If Larry D loses he’s charged with attempted murder, if he wins, he’s not)
    Larry D vs Tommy Dreamer
  • Eric Young vs Rhino
  • X-Division Championship
    Open Challenge (Defeat Rohit Challenge)
    Rohit Raju (c) vs TBA
  • Hernandez vs Fallah Bah
  • The Sea Stars vs Havok & Nevaeh

Zeus Passes Away At 62

Michael Reichlin
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Actor Tommy “Tiny” Lister, better known to wrestling fans as Zeus, has passed away. He was 62. According to TMZ, his cause of death is unknown at this time.

Zeus had roles in many television shows and movies throughout his decades long career. His movie credits include Friday, The Fifth Element, Jackie Brown, Little Nicky of course, and the 1989 movie starring Hulk Hogan, No Holds Barred.

Zeus had a run with WWE in 1989 that saw him work as a monster heel aligned with Randy Savage and Ted DiBiase against Hulk Hogan. He competed at SummerSlam and Survivor Series that year. He had a short stint in WCW in 1996, where he also worked against Hogan.

SEScoops extends our condolences to the family and friends of Tommy “Tiny” Lister.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w72uUcKHT04

Impact Touts 750,000+ Fans Viewed This Week’s Show Across All Platforms

Michael Reichlin
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Impact Wrestling has announced a staggering audience for this week’s episode of IMPACT! on AXS TV. According to a press release sent in to SEScoops.com:

“More than 750,000 fans tuned in to AXS TV on December 8 or have logged on to official streams to witness the historic, industry-shaking episode.”

Impact Executive Vice President Scott D’Amore credits the crossover storyline with All Elite Wrestling. “The intrigue of what Kenny Omega and Don Callis were going to do on IMPACT! on AXS TV powered a huge night for us,” he said.

According to Nielsen, 244,342 people tuned into the live broadcast and the replay later in the evening. The Twitch peaked at 55,396 viewers and averaged 42,953 viewers for the two-hour show. Encore presentations on Facebook and YouTube added 68,918 and 268,414 viewers respectively to the television audience.

A clip of Josh Matthews interviewing Kenny Omega and Don Callis has racked up more than 197,242 views on Facebook, 342,000 views on YouTube, 146,000 views on Instagram and 219,000 views on Twitter.

D’Amore explained the math behind Impact calculating more than 750,000 people tuned in to this week’s show. “It is hard to compare apples and oranges, and some digital media provide better watch-data than others, but we feel confident over 750,000 U.S.-based fans watched the episode in the first 24-hours and 1-million fans have clicked on the various highlights we’ve put out on social media.”

When asked if Kenny Omega will be back on Impact next week, D’Amore said, “Don Callis alluded to this being years in the making; paradigm’s don’t shift in one night. See you on Tuesday.”

You can watch the full episode of this week’s IMPACT! on AXS TV here:

AEW Dynamite Viewership Nears 1 Million, Best Demo Rating of 2020

Michael Reichlin
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AEW Dynamite scored its highest unopposed viewership of 2020 this week, while NXT’s viewership was flat coming out of Sunday’s Takeover: WarGames event. Courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

AEW Dynamite averaged 995,000 viewers and did a 0.45 rating in the P18-49 demographic. It was the 2nd most watched show on cable for the night in the key demo and the most watched show on cable amongst men 18-49.

This is up from last week, which did 913,000 viewers and a 0.42 rating (P18-49).

NXT had 659,000 viewers and did a 0.17 rating (P18-49) to finish 37th on cable for the night. The numbers were essentially the same last week (658,000 / 0.16), so there was no Takeover ‘bounce’ to speak of.

AEW is riding high on the momentum of Sting’s debut, the fallout of Kenny Omega winning the AEW championship and the AEW-Impact storyline.

WWE RAW on 12/7 averaged 1.736 million viewers with a 0.52 rating. Impact Wrestling on AXS on 12/8 averaged 221,000 viewers a 0.08 rating.

Sean Waltman Talks Raquel Gonzalez Being ‘Star Material’

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and AfterBuzz TV podcast star Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman recently discussed NXT War Games and in particular NXT Superstar Raquel Gonzalez.

Gonzalez gained the pinfall at the War Games match, taking the win for Candice LeRae’s team.

Waltman would describe how Gonzalez has changed her look since she first debuted, even before she appeared on NXT television. “The first time I saw her? She wasn’t on TV yet” Waltman began on the 1-2-360 podcast. “She was just on what they call the ‘coconut’ shows, which is like the Florida house show run for NXT.”

Waltman would describe how Gonzalez had a Stan Hansen type character and look. “They kind of put this gimmick on her, like she was like a female Stan Hanson. She came out using the Lariat and wearing a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and short, jean shorts, something like that. And it was, I guess it was just fine. But, you know, I didn’t know what happened to her [after that].”

X-Pac would finish by saying that the next time he saw Raquel Gonzalez her look had completely changed. “One of the next times I was down there in Florida? Your Lordship William Regal and I were having sushi. Braun Strowman comes into the sushi joint and he’s got this woman with him. She’s a big girl and she’s pretty buff, it was Raquel Gonzales, and I didn’t recognize her. She had done a complete makeover, changed the way she looked, changed the way she dressed. So she has came a long way, she’s definitely star material.”

Do you agree with Sean Waltman? Do you think that Raquel Gonzalez could be a major player in WWE down the line? Let us know in the comments

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