Home Blog Page 1010

James Ellsworth Talks Being ‘Shocked’ at WWE Release

Jake Skudder
-
0

Former WWE Superstar James Ellsworth recently appeared on the Chris Van Vliet podcast. The performer known for the ‘No Chin Music’ superkick and “any man with two hands” promo discussed a number of topics during his time on the show.

One of the topics discussed focused on Ellsworth’s two releases from WWE. When asked if he was shocked by his initial release, Ellsworth replied “yeah, because I felt like I got over as a baby face when I needed to, and I got over as a heel when I needed to.”

James Ellsworth on Getting Over in WWE

“The crowd was always making noise when I was out there” Ellsworth would continue. “Isn’t that what it’s supposed to be right? Like even the week before I got released, I wrestled Becky [Lynch] on SmackDown. I watch that back and all these chants were directed towards me, they were chanting ‘where’s your chin? Becky’s gonna kill you, Ellsworth sucks!’ These were big reactions, you know?”

James Ellsworth would then discuss how he felt being released from the company for the first time in 2017. Ellsworth was released from WWE following the aforementioned Becky Lynch match on the November 7th episode of SmackDown Live. “So when they released me? I was upset, I was crying” Ellsworth revealed. “I mean, you lose your dream job and I’m questioning why? But then I go ‘maybe it’s because Carmela has the [Money In The Bank] briefcase right now?’ That’s where heat is, the briefcase.”

“They [WWE] brought me back seven months later” James Ellsworth continued. “That’s all it was, seven months later they brought me back. I came back at Money In The Bank [2018] and helped Carmela beat Asuka. Then they used me for a couple of months there.”

Do you think that James Ellsworth will end up back in WWE at some point? Do you want to see him back on television? Let us know in the comments

More Details On Why Rhea Ripley Never Beat Charlotte Flair

Chris Stephens
-
0

Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 36. Flair was then briefly a fixture on NXT for the remainder of the spring before dropping the title to Io Shirai in a triple threat match.

Many fans likely figured that Ripley was either going to defeat Flair at WrestleMania, or defeat her on NXT to regain the title soon after. It never happened, however, and Flair never ended up losing a match to Ripley.

According to a report from Fightful, the RAW writing team shot down the idea of Flair losing to Ripley at WrestleMania. The RAW creative team also reportedly shot down an idea that would have seen Ripley win a triple threat match against Flair and Bianca Belair, with Belair being the one to take the pin. It appears the NXT creative team wanted Ripley to get at least some type of victory over Flair but the RAW team wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

Charlotte Flair’s Stint In NXT This Year

Flair has wrestled in NXT 5 times this year. She also wrestled for the NXT title at WrestleMania. In those 6 matches, she’s

  1. 2/26/20: Flair defeated Bianca Belair
  2. 3/26/20 (WrestleMania): Flair defeated Rhea Ripley – Won NXT Women’s Championship
  3. 4/29/20 taping: Io Shirai defeated Charlotte Flair via DQ (Flair retains title)
  4. 4/29/20 taping: Flair defeated Mia Yim
  5. 5/27/20: Flair & Chelsea Green defeated Io Shirai & Rhea Ripley
  6. 6/7/20 (TakeOver: In Your House): Io Shirai defeated Flair and Rhea Ripley – Shirai wins NXT Women’s Championship.

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

Chris Stephens
-
0

Sonya Deville recently released a statement on her Instagram stories. Deville says in her statement that she will not hesitate to report or take legal action against people who send harassing or threatening messages to her or people in her life.

Her full statement can be read below:

“I’m going to say this once and try and be clear. I love my fans very much and appreciate U despite what has happened I do not categorize U all as raging psycho paths. But harassing myself or people I have been W etc. is never acceptable. I share my life with y’all to an extent because it is part of what I do and what I signed up for.

That being said I will not hesitate to report and or take legal action against anyone that has sent threatening messages and or anything inappropriate to me or someone in my life. Like I mentioned I am not messing around at all and it is a zero tolerance policy at this point due to the referenced incident, thank you.” 

WWE fans haven’t seen Sonya Deville since SummerSlam. She lost a Loser Leaves WWE match to Mandy Rose at the event. Deville is still under contract with WWE and is expected to return at some point, however.

Screen Shot 2020 12 10 at 9.49.18 AM

Injury Update On Penta El Zero M, Reason Santana Missed Dynamite

Chris Stephens
-
0

Last night on Dynamite, Penta El Zero M was scheduled to team with his brother Fenix and Lance Archer to go up against Eddie Kingston and the Butcher & The Blade. Early into the match, however, he was put through a table by the Butcher and taken to the back. According to a report from BodySlam, this was done because Penta is currently dealing with an injury. Penta reportedly suffered a leg injury while training a couple of weeks ago. The spot was done to explain his absense.

The Lucha Bros recently reunited with PAC as the Death Triangle. They are now in an angle with their former stable of Kingston and the Butcher and the Blade.

Also on Dynamite last night, Santana was absent from the Inner Circle’s ultimatum segment. Chris Jericho explained that he wasn’t there because of all the internal fighting that has been going on in the faction as of late. We’ve noted that Santana is dealing with a personal issue. He has since posted an emotional message on Instagram noting that his step-father recently passed away.

SEScoops sends our deep condolences to Santana and his family.

Wrestling Observer Radio posted early Thursday morning notes that he is expected back at Dynamite next week.

MLW Fusion Results (12/9): The Von Erichs Take On Contra Unit

Chris Stephens
-
0

Major League Wrestling’s episode of Fusion on 12/9 featured a double main-event. Richard Holliday would face Low-Ki in the semi-finals of the 2020 Opera Cup and The Von Erichs would defend the tag belts against Contra Unit.

The full show can be viewed in the player below:

MLW Fusion Results 12/9:

  1. Calvin Tankman defeated Zenshi
  2. Violence is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku) defeated Jason Dugan & Robert Martyr
  3. Opera Cup 2020 Semi-Final
    Low-Ki defeated Richard Holliday
  4. MLW Tag Team Championships
    The Von Erichs (Ross & Marshall) vs Contra Unit (Jacob Fatu & Simon Gotch) – No Contest

Here are 8 takeaways from MLW Fusion 12/9:

Tag Title Match Ends In Chaos

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1336837786545106945

The Von Erichs are about as true blue of babyfaces as there can be. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Contra Unit. Whenever these two units collide it is a little reminiscent of when the Von Erichs would clash with wrestlers like the Great Kabuki and his manager Gary Hart in WCCW.

The match pretty much started once the Von Erichs came out. A wild brawl took place early and the referee had trouble controlling it. Eventually, a traditional tag match did take place, but things would devolve again before the end of the show. Marshall and Gotch found themselves on the outside and the barefooted Von Erich gave his opponent a claw-slam through a ring board. Then, for reasons which will likely be explained later, Team Filthy hit the ring and caused a no-contest. Jordan Oliver was out there as well attacking people and utter chaos ensued to close the show.

Low-Ki Advances To Opera Cup Semi-Finals

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1336833760126521344

The 1st of MLW’s double main event this week saw Richard Holliday take on Low-Ki in the semi-finals of the Opera Cup. King Mo and American Top Team have been complaining that Low-Ki shouldn’t even be in the tournament, however. They are urging MLW officials to review Low-Ki’s medical charts, as they believe King Mo gave him some type of neurological injury.

Low-Ki wrestled really smart against Holiday, however. He peppered the Dynasty member’s quads with leg kicks that would play a factor in the outcome of the match. Holiday looked like he was going to suplex his opponent but was seen clutching at his leg as Low-Ki fought out of it. Low-Ki then hit a dropkick followed by a double foot stomp from the top for the win.

After the match, Low-Ki paraded around with Holiday’s Caribbean Championship belt for a little bit. He’ll face the winner of Tom Lawlor vs ACH in the finals.

Hammerstone Challenges The Black Hand Of Contra For Kings of the Colosseum

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1336830488401629185

National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone was interviewed by Alicia Atout this week. Hammerstone said he’s never been hit as hard as Contra Unit’s Mads Krugger hit him with a chair on the 1st Fusion back since the restart. He also announced that he’s cleared to wrestle and wants to face Krugger at Kings of the Colosseum.

Salina de la Renta Summons Pascal Mendoza

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1336827216835964928

Recently on Fusion, Salina de la Renta said she was traveling to Mexico to take care of some business. She also said that Konnan wouldn’t like what she was up to. This week, Salina was in Mexico and spoke about summoning someone named Pascal Mendoza. This person was a little boy of 7 years old when the 1985 Mexico City Earthquake hit. This person lost everything and developed a hate for the world at the time. Now this person is wandering around Earth with an unquenchable desire for revenge.

Lucha Underground fans might have an idea as to who Salina is talking about. Mil Muertes’ backstory on that show was that he was a boy named Pascal Mendoza during the 1985 Mexico City Earthquake. Does that mean Ricky Banderas is on his way to MLW? Or does Salina have someone else in mind?

Lio Rush Responds To Myron Reed

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1336834263337947137

Previously on Fusion, we’ve seen MLW Middleweight Champion, Myron Reed, issue a challenge to the newly signed Lio Rush. This week, cameras caught up with Lio while he was on his way to the recording studio. Rush said he’ll face Myron Reed, but he’ll do so when he wants to, and that will be at January’s Kings of the Colosseum event.

Violence Is Forever Debuts In Tag Division

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1336828475240456192

Last week, Tom Lawlor cut a promo saying Team Filthy was entering the tag division. This week, he introduced the debuting Kevin Ku along with Dominic Garrini. The duo took on Jason Dugan & Robert Martyr who offered little in the way of competition for the team dubbed “Violence is Forever.” A brainbuster superkick combo would pick up the win for the new team in under 2 minutes.

Calvin Tankman Picks Up Another Win

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1336908274910834689

Zenshi was in tough this week as he took on Calvin Tankman in the opening match. The Chilean fighter attempted to work the big man’s legs but it was to no avail. Tankman caught him with a back elbow as he came off the top rope and then hit the Tankman Driver for the win.

Coming Up in MLW

  • Opera Cup 2020 Semi Final #2
    ACH vs Tom Lawlor

Booked for Kings of the Colosseum:

  • MLW Middleweight Championship
    Myron Reed (c) vs Lio Rush

Johnny Gargano Shares His Remaining NXT Goals

Steve Russell
-
0

Johnny Gargano recently made NXT history at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. His victory at the event saw him become the brand’s first-ever three-time NXT North American Champion.

Speaking with Sportskeeda, Gargano opened up about what other goals he still has in the black-and-gold brand. For him, the first thing he wants to accomplish is a “legitimate title run.”

“For me, being the underdog ‘Johnny Wrestling’ character, I was always more about the chase than the actual title and holding it and defending it,” Gargano explained. “So now I feel like that’s the one blemish on my legacy is not being able to hold the title, not being able to defend it, not being able to have a run with it. So, I feel like that is the number one goal on my mind right now.”

Looking ahead, Gargano confessed how he also wants to help build NXT for future generations of Superstars. He noted how he wants to help propel other wrestlers to the next level as he helps to further establish the brand.

“[…] every single interview I do, I say that NXT is a viable third brand and I firmly believe that. I think the idea of ‘developmental’ needs to go aside because NXT’s roster is filled with very talented people who have been doing this for a very long time and we all have one goal and that is to take NXT where it deserves to be.”

Gargano celebrated his NXT North American Championship win during last night’s episode of NXT. Celebrations, however, were cut short thanks to Damian Priest and a returning Karrion Kross.

Damian Priest Wasn’t Initially Invested In Leon Ruff Storyline

Steve Russell
-
0

Former NXT North American Champion Damian Priest has admitted he wasn’t initially invested in his feud with Leon Ruff. Priest recently joined Sean “X-Pac” Waltman on an episode of his podcast, X-Pac 12360.

He explained how, when the storyline first began, he wasn’t 100% invested in what WWE had planned. Priest confessed he didn’t know what to expect but noted he had different ideas to what was presented.

It wasn’t until he spoke with Ruff and got to know him that Priest began to be sold more on the storyline. He explained how “As we progressed and everything happened, I couldn’t imagine a cooler storyline that wasn’t about me but actually elevated and helped someone else, deservedly. I really like Leon Ruff. He’s just as loveable, humble, and respectful (as you see on TV).”

Priest shared how he’s happy Ruff has had the spotlight put on him. Although he doesn’t know how Ruff’s WWE career will progress, he looks forward to watching it develop. He acknowledged how Ruff “hit my heart” the way he did with the WWE Universe.

“I felt a bond to the person. He loves this business. It wasn’t something I was super enthused about, but I learned my lesson of, ‘not everything is going to be the way you think, but it’s probably going to be pretty good if you just trust.'”

Damian Priest recently competed in a Triple Threat match against Johnny Gargano and Leon Ruff at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. The NXT North American Championship was on the line. Gargano would ultimately win the bout, becoming a three-time NXT North American Champion.

Renee Paquette On Leaving WWE: ‘I Realized It Was Time To Go’

Steve Russell
-
0

Renee Paquette recently joined Nikki and Brie Bella on an episode of The Bellas Podcast. During their conversation, Paquette opened up more about her decision to leave WWE. Paquette shared she “realized it was time to go” when she knew she couldn’t achieve her career goals while still a part of WWE.

“It’s good now. I think as soon as I came to terms, I realized it is time to go. I’ve done everything that I could possibly do here. I had a great run. It was awesome,” Paquette said. “But for the other things I wanted to do in my career, I didn’t really see it happening there. Just with everything the way it lined up with the Covid stuff happening, me getting sick, not that had to do anything with my decision, but it was just like everything was weird for a while.”

Paquette also highlighted WWE’s grueling pre-coronavirus pandemic travel schedule. She admitted how “there really wasn’t much left for me to go.”

Renee Paquette’s Post-WWE Life

A month after departing WWE, Renee Paquette would fall pregnant. She admitted it’s been a “weird adjustment” since leaving WWE as she’s so used to being on the go. The limitations imposed due to the coronavirus helped her transition, however.

“The weirdest part is being out of the loop with your friends. You miss seeing everybody. You miss the bulls**t in the back. That’s what I miss,” Paquette confessed. “I don’t necessarily miss the jobs I was doing, but I miss the people a lot. It’s so sad. I hope we are going to stay in touch but I know when you’re not there, it is hard to maintain that.”

She shared how there some people she has maintained contact with since leaving. However, it’s “just not the same” compared to killing time backstage and catching up at catering. 

Paquette admitted she left WWE without anything lined up or knowing what she wanted to do next. However, she couldn’t ignore her gut instinct telling her, “it’s time now for you to go.”

She stressed how “everyone was cool about it” and that there are no bad feelings or ill will on either side. Her decision all came down to her desire to do different things and spread her wings away from her safety net.

Booker T On A Potential Sting Vs. Chris Jericho Match In AEW

Steve Russell
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has discussed the idea of a Sting versus Chris Jericho match taking place in AEW. He broached the hypothetical bout during an episode of his Hall of Fame podcast after Jericho shared a fanmade image teasing interest in a match with “The Icon.”

Booker T argued that the image, which features Jericho in his NJPW Painmaker gear and makeup, managed to convince him. 

Referencing the Painmaker look, Booker T admitted, “You know what? I never thought about this. The blackjack with the spikes on. That was actually really cool. Nah man. It works.”

“Not that Sting can’t touch the career of Darby Allin and some of those other guys. I really think there’s a place there for him as a character. That’s one thing about wrestling is that no matter how old you are, you can still be a character.”

Booker T noted that, although Sting is 61-years-old, he can “still go out there and go.” He believes Sting can still deliver in the ring, even if it’s only “a little something.” As far as he’s concerned, a matchup between Sting and Jericho would deliver because it will “tell a story.”

“I think it really wouldn’t matter for him and a guy like Jericho. I really think they can go out there, pretty much, with smoke-and-mirrors, and tell a story. With no disrespect to anyone, I think there is enough knowledge in their head to do smoke-and-mirrors and tell the story, even at the age Sting is right now. Even still at the age of Chris Jericho right now, I think, no disrespect.”

Booker T On Why Jericho Is The Right Opponent For Sting

Booker T then likened a potential bout between the two to Shawn Michaels versus The Undertaker. He argued how “At that time, it was about 100 years [combined] because both them were about 50 at the time. And they went out and had the best match on the card by far that night. They told the best story by far that night on the card.”

He believes that Chris Jericho is the perfect opponent for Sting to not only deliver a good matchup but also protect him, ensuring “The Icon” can also walk out of the ring afterward. 

Booker T then speculated on a potential feud between the two. He imagined they could have as many as three matches together:

“So, my thing is yeah, who’s the right guy? […] Chris Jericho, take nothing away from the guy. Over the years, he has learned what the game is truly all about. He’s like a walking encyclopedia as far as the wrestling game goes. So yeah, I could see that happening, and surely the fans of AEW would tune in to check that out. Without a doubt.”

Sting appeared during last night’s episode of AEW Dynamite. He teased his intentions in the promotion during a segment with Cody and Darby Allin.

Chris Jericho Reflects On How Pat Patterson Helped His Career

Steve Russell
-
0

All Elite Wrestling’s Chris Jericho has reflected on how the late Pat Patterson helped his career. Jericho paid tribute to Patterson during a recent episode of his Talk is Jericho podcast.

The Inner Circle leader revealed how Patterson was the Yoda to his Luke Skywalker. He confessed how this wasn’t just true for him and that Patterson helped to influence and inspire “so many guys of my generation.”

“I was in the business nine years before I met him. I didn’t really understand what psychology was. I might have thought that I did, but I really didn’t until I met Pat,” Jericho explained. “Pat taught me 90% of what I know of how to put together a wrestling match. The mindset comes directly from Pat Patterson.”

Jericho then pointed to “modern era main-eventers,” naming Superstars like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, The Rock, and Kurt Angle alongside himself. According to him, “Whoever is in there, Pat was our guy.”

He explained how Patterson was usually the agent assigned to their matchups. “[…] that’s just the way it was because you were working on top and Pat was always with the top guys.”

Chris Jericho On What Made Pat Patterson A Great Agent

Chris Jericho noted how working with Patterson on these high-level matchups was akin to collaborating with a co-writer on a song. Jericho may come up with an initial idea, and together, they would help change and evolve it into something better.

“Lower level agents would get insulted if you said you didn’t like the idea and they would get mad. Pat never said that. He would always say, here is what I’m visualizing. Then, ok, let’s try this. He would never get mad if you didn’t like it.”

Jericho admitted that Patterson wasn’t afraid to challenge an idea. Despite this, he maintained a humility that never saw him declare, ‘I’m Pat Patterson, so my idea is the best so listen to me.’ He wasn’t that type of an agent […].” Jericho explained that this collaborative approach is what made working with Patterson so fun.

Drew McIntyre Talks Roman Reigns Rematch At ‘WrestleMania Level’ Event

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

The Survivor Series match between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre ended with Jey Uso getting involved in the bout; leaving fans wanting a rematch between the two stars.

During his recent appearance on WWE’s The Bump, the WWE champion spoke up about a number of things and he also discussed a potential rematch with the Universal champion.

McIntyre first claimed that their match at Survivor Series was all about showing the world what he is about these days, before talking about a potential rematch with Reigns at a ‘WrestleMania-level’ event:

“He kept talking and talking, and [Paul] Heyman kept talking and talking and kept tweeting. I kept my mouth shut because I was going to show through [my] actions what I’m capable of these days, and you saw his emotions change throughout the match.

But he knows what I’m all about now.” said Drew McIntyre, “I guarantee that match is going to come back around again one day, and hopefully, it’ll be WrestleMania-level.”

The ending of the Survivor Series match between the two champions saw Roman hitting a low blow on McIntyre and then putting him in the guillotine choke thanks to interference from Jey Uso.

However, Drew McIntyre chose to pass out instead of tapping to the submission, leaving the possibility for a rematch between the two stars open.

Would you like to see Drew McIntyre having a rematch with Roman Reigns at next year’s edition of WrestleMania? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

Backstage News On Tuesday’s WWE Employee Meeting

Anutosh Bajpai
-
0

WWE held an all hands on deck virtual meeting for the employees out of their headquarters in Stamford, CT yesterday, according to reports from PWInsider.

According to the site, the majority of the meeting was focused on introducing the new President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan who was hired back in August this year. The employees were introduced to him and explained more about why Khan was brought to the company.

The officials also provided a minor update on the new company headquarters in Stamford and the employees were told that the plans are “moving along slowly but surely.” WWE announced their plans to move the company HQ to a new office in Downtown Stamford back in March 2019.

While the new office is not far from the current location, the move will allow the promotion to bring its operations including production studios and corporate offices together under one roof. The coronavirus pandemic delayed the plans for the transition to the new building and the current plan is to make the move sometime in early 2021.

On a related note, the report also notes that Steve Armstrong who was hired as a Performance Center coach in November 2019 and furloughed in April this year is now back with the company. Tino Sabbatelli who was released during the coronavirus budget cuts in April has also been re-signed.

AEW Dynamite Results (12/9): Shaq, Sting & Cody, Kenny Omega & More

Robert Lentini
-
0

AEW Dynamite aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. In addition to the takeaways below, AEW announced several themed shows to close out December and begin the New Year.

Dynamite Results (12/9)

  1. Young Bucks def. TH2
  2. FTR def. Varsity Blondes
  3. Dustin Rhodes def. 10
  4. The Butcher, The Blade, and Eddie Kingston def. Lucha Bros, and Lance Archer
  5. Abadon def. Tesha Price
  6. MJF def. Orange Cassidy to retain the Dynamite Diamond ring

Here are the takeaways from this week’ show:

Young Bucks def. TH2

AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks faced Jack Evans & Angelico (TH2) in the first match of the night. TH2 attacked Matt and Nick Jackson before the bell rang but the Young Bucks quickly battled back. Matt and Nick knocked TH2 out of the ring with a couple of Dropkicks.

Nick flipped onto TH2 and then the action returned to the ring. Angelico caught Nick with a right hand to the face but Nick responded with an Arm Drag. Matt tagged in and connected with a Leg Drop. Nick Dropkicked Jack Evans off the ring apron as Matt sent Angelico to the corner.

Jack Evans flipped onto Nick and then hit Matt with a Double Stomp. Jack connected with a 450 Splash on Matt for a two count. Nick hit Evans with a Superkick and Matt delivered on to Angelico as well. Nick planted TH2 with a Clothesline/Bulldog combo and went for the cover but Angelico kicked out at two.

Matt Jackson Powerbombed Evans onto the Acclaimed in the crowd. Back in the ring, Nick hit Angelico with a knee to the face and Young Bucks followed it up with Risky Business for a two count. Jack Evans tagged in and planted Matt with a Backbreaker. Evans followed it up with a springboard 450 Splash for a two count.

Angelico tagged in and walked into a boot to the face from Nick. Matt lifted Jack up in the Electric Chair and Young Bucks hit him with Doomsday Device. Back in the ring, Young Bucks hit Angelico with stereo Superkicks but somehow Angelico kicked out at two.

Matt went for a flip but tweaked his leg. Jack Evans hit Matt with a Hurricanrana and then flipped onto Nick outside the ring. Angelico locked in a submission hold targeting Matt’s knee as Jack tried to prevent Nick from getting back in the ring. Nick avoided Jack and broke up the hold by connecting with a Senton off the top rope.

Young Bucks set up for the Meltzer Driver but Jack broke it up. Jack Evans tried to flip onto Matt but he caught him. Young Bucks then connected with the Meltzer Driver on Jack outside the ring. Back in the ring, Nick booted Angelico in the face and Young Bucks hit him with stereo Superkicks. Young Bucks followed it up with the BTE Trigger for the pinfall victory. After the match, the Acclaimed tried to get into the ring but SCU showed up. The Acclaimed retreated as SCU and the Young Bucks stood tall in the ring.

Sting Interrupted Cody

Darby Allin was shown a series of images tonight in a Rorschach test. Darby saw Brian Cage and said he was the #1 contender and it is time he got a shot at the TNT Championship. The final image was clearly Sting and Darby chucked to end the video.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1336842787829014531?s=20

Cody came to the ring with Arn Anderson for an interview with Tony Schiavone. Tony asked for Cody’s reaction to Sting coming to the ring last week as Team Taz was beating him down. The lights went out and Sting’s theme hit. Sting joined Cody, Arn, and Schiavone in the ring.

Arn grabbed the microphone as a loud “Sting!” chant erupted in Daily’s Place. Arn said he had to get a little closer to Sting to make sure that this is real. Anderson said that Sting and Cody have an agenda and for now he is just going to see his way out of the ring. Tony gave Sting the microphone and went to leave but Sting stopped him.

Sting gave Tony a hug and asked him to shout “it’s Sting!” one more time. Tony obliged and gave Sting another hug. Cody welcomed Sting back and thanked him for the assist last week. Cody stated that he has been waiting to share the ring with Sting for a very long time.

Sting told Cody that he is not here for him, at least not for right now. Sting said that there is something really familiar about this place and pointed to Darby Allin sitting in the stands. Sting stated that this is the jungle and the stinger has come full circle and is back on TNT.

Cody once again welcomed Sting back and stared at him. Sting stated that he is officially signed with AEW and he plans on being close with the AEW fans and in this promotion for a long time. Sting told Cody that the way he chooses to play is his business. Sting grabbed Cody by the shoulder and said “see you around, kid” to end the segment. Team Taz then cut a backstage promo and claimed that Tony Khan had to sign Sting to save his two golden boys (Cody & Darby Allin).

FTR Picked Up A Win

FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) battled the Varsity Blondes (Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr.) tonight on Dynamite. FTR dominated the action early and isolated Pillman in the ring. Pillman leveled Wheeler with a Dropkick and tagged in Garrison. Griff got in a couple of shots before tagging Pillman back in.

Dax tagged in and beat Pillman down in the corner as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Tully hit Pillman with a cheap shot while the referee wasn’t looking. Pillman bounced Wheeler’s face off the apron and followed it up with a shoulder block in the ring.

Griff and Dax tagged in and Garrison connected with a couple Clotheslines. Garrison sent FTR to the corner and hit them with a Splash. Garrison followed it up with a Spear on Harwood for a near fall. Dax shoved Griff to the outside and Pillman tagged in. Dax planted Pillman Jr. with a Brainbuster and tagged in Cash. FTR then hit Pillamn with the Goodnight Express for the pinfall victory. After the match, FTR shoved Jurassic Express in the crowd.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1336848284447633410?s=20

Dustin Rhodes Declined To Join Dark Order

Dark Order’s #10 faced Dustin Rhodes tonight. Lee Johnson accompanied Dustin to the ring. Rhodes beat the hell out of 10 in the corner of the ring to start off the match. Dustin threw !0 out of the ring and smashed his face off the barricade. 10 battled back and bounced Dustin’s head off the apron before the action returned to the ring.

10 connected with a big Spinebuster and followed it up with a kick to the face that sent Rhodes out of the ring. 10 took his time following Dustin to the outside and Rhodes rolled back into the ring. 10 kicked Aaron Solow in the face and returned to the ring. Dustin capitalized and planted 10 with a Running Bulldog for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Evil Uno and the rest of Dark Order came to the ring. Evil Uno said he is not here to fight and stated that Dustin’s legacy has gone through five decades. Uno claimed that Dustin is the third most important Rhodes in AEW and asked him to become “7” of the Dark Order. Dustin slapped Evil Uno in the face and he fell to the canvas. Evil Uno told Dark Order to back off and told Dustin that he will come begging for it once he sees the light.

Brandi Threw A Drink In Shaq’s Face

Tony Schiavone and Brandi Rhodes interviewed Shaq tonight on Dynamite. Shaq said he was watching Jade Cargill’s interaction with Cody a couple weeks ago and told Brandi that he didn’t appreciate what she did her to arm. Brandi noted that she didn’t deserve that because Jade came into her house.

Shaq said he would love to see Brandi and Jade Cargill settle it on Dynamite. Shaq added that he was just messing around with Cody on Twitter and has nothing but respect for wrestlers. Shaq suggested that Brandi Rhodes watch Jade Cargill for some pointers while her arm is in a sling. Brandi got pissed off and threw a drink in Shaq’s face. Brandi called Shaq an “overgrown asshole” to end the segment.

Inner Circle Is Staying Together

Inner Circle came to the ring and Jericho said that the shit that has been going lately is not what he wanted and called it embarrassing. Jericho claimed that Santana is so pissed off that he didn’t even bother showing up for work this week. Jericho asked if they will move forward or is it time to end Inner Circle.

MJF claimed that he loves all of them like brothers but is starting to understand what is going on here. MJF suggested that he might be the issue because people think he wants to break up or take over this group. He stated that he chose to be in Inner Circle because he wanted to be a part of the greatest faction in wrestling.

MJF told Sammy that he loves him dearly and suggested that he was the one that was going to throw in the towel during the Jericho match. Chris said everyone watches Dynamite and knows that MJF was going to throw in the towel not Sammy. Ortiz said that MJF & Wardlow are great talents and demanded that Sammy shake MJF’s hand.

Ortiz added that in life you don’t get to choose the cards you are dealt but Inner Circle is the winning hand. Ortiz told Sammy to be the better man because he is better than MJF and he knows it. Guevara told Jericho and MJF that if anything else negative happens here he will quit the Inner Circle. Sammy then shook MJF’s hand and Jericho said he appreciates that everyone is on the same page now.

Hager grabbed the microphone and asked why Wardlow keeps starting at him. Wardlow said Hager was the one who was staring and the two called each other creeps. Jericho suggested that they both stop staring at each other and Wardlow & Hager agreed. MJF vowed to beat Orange Cassidy tonight in the main event and Jericho told him that he was ruining the moment. Inner Circle then posed together to conclude the promo.

Eddie Kingston, Butcher & Blade Dominated

Eddie Kingston, The Butcher, and The Blade faced Lance Archer, Pentagon, and Rey Fenix. Before the match, Butcher slammed Pentagon through a table outside the ring. The match started and Butcher leveled Fenix with a Crossbody in the ring as Pentagon was helped backstage by AEW officials.

Blade tagged in and continued to beat Fenix down in the corner of the ring. The Bunny hit Fenix with a cheap shot as Blade distracted referee Aubrey Edwards. Eddie tagged in and Fenix planted him with a Cutter. Lance Archer tagged in and battled with Butcher in the middle of the ring.

Archer hit Butcher and Blade with Splashes and then a Flying Clothesline as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Jake Roberts distracted Blade and Archer capitalized with a German Suplex. Fenix tagged in and hit Blade with a Crossbody. Fenix booted Butcher in the face and then planted Kingston with a Hurricanrana.

Fenix hit Kingston with a Suicide Dive that sent Eddie crashing into the barricade. Back in the ring, Butcher and Blade hit Fenix with a Powerbomb/Neckbreaker combo for the pinfall victory. After the match, Lance Archer beat Butcher & Blade down before they retreated.

Shida Hit Abadon With A Kendo Stick

Abadon faced tonight on Dynamite. Abadon took control of the action right away and quickly connected with a Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory. After the match, Abadon continued to beat Tesha down until AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida showed up with a kendo stick. Abadon charged at her and Shida hit her over the head with the kendo stick. Abadon sat up and Shida & Tesha retreated.

Kenny Omega & Don Callis Spoke

AEW Champion Kenny Omega showed up in a helicopter and made his way to the ring with Don Callis. Tony Schiavone said he has been in the wrestling business since 1983 and has never been more disgusted than what went down last week. Don said that Tony Khan is upset and he shouldn’t be because he invited him here.

Callis said that this took years of planning and that he has known Omega since he was ten years old. Don claimed that they created AEW and one cannot steal what they create. Omega said that he never begged Tony Khan to get his friends and family a payday. Kenny said that the AEW Championship is the biggest prize in professional wrestling and last week was inspirational because everyone fell for it.

Kenny revealed a black eye and said Moxley gave it to him. Omega noted that he used the microphone to hit Moxley but nobody kicks out of the One Winged Angel. Callis said some people make matches, some people make money, but Kenny Omega makes history. Kenny said “goodbye and goodnight” to end the promo.

Opinion: I thought that this promo accomplished absolutely nothing. This was billed as a “special announcement” from Omega but was really just the same promo as the one that aired during Impact Wrestling last night.

MJF Retained The Dynamite Diamond Ring

MJF battled Orange Cassidy for the Dynamite Diamond ring in this week’s main event. Best Friends and Inner Circle were ringside for the match. MJF went right after Cassidy and stomped him to the canvas. MJF connected with a Suplex and went for the cover but Cassidy kicked out at one.

MJF hit another Suplex for another one count. Cassidy went for the Orange Punch but MJF dodged it and Cassidy crashed into the ring post. MJF then Powerbombed Cassidy on the ring apron and then dared Trent to hit him. MJF bent back Cassidy’s fingers before rolling him back into the ring.

Orange Cassidy sent MJF into the turnbuckle but MJF quickly battled back and stomped on Cassidy’s hand. MJF elbowed Cassidy in the face for a two count. MJF threw Cassidy out of the ring and Inner Circle attacked Cassidy as the referee was distracted.

When Dynamite returned from a break, MJF was still in control as Best Friends brought some wrestlers ringside to even the odds. Cassidy hit MJF with a Crossbody off the top rope and followed it up with a DDT. Orange climbed up to the top rope and connected with a diving DDT for a near fall.

MJF avoided a splash and stomped on Cassidy’s hand once again. Cassidy rolled up MJF for a two count and then got launched into the turnbuckle. MJF hit Cassidy with a Shoulder Breaker and followed it up with a Tiger Driver for a two count. Cassidy sent MJF out of the ring and then flipped onto Inner Circle outside the ring.

Back in the ring, MJF planted Cassidy with a Piledriver and went for the cover with his foot on the ropes for leverage. Best Friends pointed it out and then hopped on the apron. MJF brought a bat into the ring and tried to make it seem like Cassidy hit him. The referee didn’t buy it and Cassidy connected with the Beach Break for a near fall. MJF stomped on Cassidy’s hand and went for the Salt of the Earth Armbar but Cassidy got out of it. Cassidy then hit the Orange Punch and went for the cover but MJF kicked out at two.

Cassidy hit another Orange Punch but Wardlow put MJF’s foot on the bottom rope to break it up. Miro rushed the ring and leveled Cassidy as the referee was distracted with the brawl ringside. MJF then put his arm over Cassidy for the pinfall victory. MJF will hold the Dynamite Diamond ring for another year. After the match, Best Friends brawled with Kip Sabian and Miro on the entrance ramp. Miro beat down some security guards and production staff to close the show.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1336867451443814401?s=20

Opinion: The Dynamite Diamond ring doesn’t really mean anything to me. MJF used the ring as a weapon a couple of times to win matches. Other than that, I’m not sure what the value of the ring is and it hasn’t really done anything for MJF in my opinion. He is already a star and the Dynamite Diamond ring is an afterthought.

Overall, this week’s Dynamite was packed and was an entertaining show. I will say that it seems like every single match on Dynamite has some kind of shenanigans after it. Whether it is a brawl, an attack from behind, or Dark Order showing up, there is always something and I find it pretty annoying. I hope that a second show on TNT will help fix that issue because it appears like AEW is trying to cram three hours of storylines into a two hour show every week.

WWE NXT Results (12/9): Finn Balor Speaks, Karrion Kross Returns

Andrew Ravens
-
0

The December 9, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.

WWE NXT Results 

  • Jake Atlas def. Isiah Scott
  • GYV def. Imperium and Ever-Rise.
  • Tommaso Ciampa def. Cameron Grimes. 
  • Pete Dunne def. Killian Dain
  • Raquel Gonzalez def. Ember Moon.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Finn Balor Opens

pjimage 2020 12 09T170937.233

WWE NXT Champion Finn Balor opened the show with a promo in the ring. He said that WarGames is done and the time for teams is over. He said that it’s Wednesday and the champion is back. He said that some people love him and some hate him, but if you want to get to know him then they can come to see him in the ring. This led to Pete Dunne walking out to the ring. 

Dunne said that they’re cut from the same cloth and it’s about time that they stand face to face. He said that he’s glad Balor is back, but it’s a matter of time before he puts Balor on the shelf and he is the NXT Champion. 

Kyle O’Reilly came out to the ring and said that Pete is a tough guy. He said that he knows Balor didn’t forget about the guy who broke his jaw and took him to the limit. He said that they have unfinished business. Damian Priest came out next and said that he’s been looking forward to this for a while. He said that a match between him and Balor is a marquee match. The three challengers took shots at each other while Balor left the ring. Balor said that on January 6th he will defend the title, but it’s not his problem who he will be facing. 

Karrion Kross’s music played and Scarlett came out to staredown Balor. Finn said that when Kross is ready then he’s ready. 

WWE aired a promo from Balor during Sunday’s NXT Takeover: WarGames 2020 event. He warned that all eyes will be back on The Prince beginning that night. Balor has been out of action with a jaw injury since the Takeover: 31 event in a match against O’Reilly. 

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Cameron Grimes

pjimage 2020 12 09T170941.093

Cameron Grimes faced Tommaso Ciampa in a singles match. 

Entering this contest, Ciampa was fresh off a win over Timothy Thatcher at TakeOver while Grimes lost to Dexter Lumis in a Strap Match. 

Thatcher watched on from ringside. It was a fun back and forth match, which saw both men have their moments. Grimes worked over the neck of Ciampa. 

The end of the match saw Tyler Rust run down to the ring to try to attack Ciampa, but Ciampa caught him. Grimes kicked Ciampa in the face. Moments later, Ciampa caught him after reversing an outside dive attempt with a second rope DDT for the win. 

Grimes went away from the comedy style of character that he’s been in for the majority of his run in NXT. It also appears that the feud between Ciampa and Thatcher will continue. 

Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez

pjimage 2020 12 09T170939.539

Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez took place in a singles match. Interestingly enough, this ended up being the main event of the show and WWE even announced that ahead of the broadcast. 

Of course, this comes after the two stars worked the women’s WarGames match this past Sunday at the TakeOver special that saw Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Gonzalez & Toni Storm) defeat Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Moon, Rhea Ripley & NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai) when Gonzalez pinned Shirai.

The finish of this contest saw Gonzalez go for her finisher, but Moon rolled her up for 2. Gonzalez picked her up and hit the one arm slam finisher for the win. 

Post-match, Toni Storm came out, but Rhea Ripley followed and pulled Moon out of the ring before getting in the ring herself. Rhea and Gonzalez had a staredown before Gonzalez backed down to end the show. 

New Feud For Io Shirai

pjimage 2020 12 09T204116.383

WWE aired a video package while recapping the men’s and women’s WarGames matches. It cut to a backstage interview with Toni Storm where she was asked why she turned on Ember Moon heading into the match.

Storm said people should put it together as Moon was in the wrong place at the wrong time and she guesses that she made the right decision considering the team that won.

She noted that when she joined NXT that she made it crystal clear that her sights were on one thing only and that is the NXT Women’s Title, but all she has heard about is Moon because she feels Moon stole her thunder and that doesn’t sit well with her. However, that’s okay because she will become the next NXT women’s Champion.

Io Shirai appeared and said that now WarGames is over, her focus is on the title. She noted that she doesn’t have a problem with Storm, but doesn’t like her. They brawled in the backstage area and out to the ring. Moon came out and tossed Storm into the steps and then into the ring where Io hit a moonsault off the top rope.  

Karrion Kross Returns

pjimage 2020 12 09T203221.020

There was a segment with Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano, Indie Heartwell, and Austin Theory where they were bragging about their wins at NXT TakeOver. 

All of a sudden Damian Priest came out to the stage and congratulated Gargano for winning the North American Title. As he was walking down to the ring, Karrion Kross came out and attacked Priest. He laid him out after powerbombing Priest off the stage through a table. 

Kross walked out of the building, got in a car with Scarlett, and drove off

AEW Announces Holiday Bash & New Year’s Smash Dynamite Episodes, Snoop Dogg Appearance

Andrew Ravens
-
0

AEW is closing out 2020 and starting off 2021 with some special themed episodes of Dynamite. 

On Wednesday’s show on TNT, All Elite Wrestling announced the episodes that will air over the next few weeks including the December 23rd edition will be titled AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash. 

There had been some speculation as to what AEW would do with this show considering TNT is airing the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks game around the time that AEW would usually air. 

So instead of moving AEW to a different night, TNT will be airing Dynamite immediately after the NBA game. Regarding the December 30th episode of Dynamite, it will be titled “New Year’s Smash: Night 1.”

Finally, the January 6th episode of Dynamite will be titled “New Year’s Bash: Night 2.” This show will feature an appearance by rap icon Snoop Dogg, who is coming off doing commentary for the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr fight that aired on pay-per-view a few weeks ago. 

So while the December 23rd edition won’t be going directly head-to-head with WWE NXT for two straight hours, it will go up against the January 6th episode as normal. 

That will be interesting to see how both shows do in the ratings that night as while AEW has this special episode, NXT will be presenting its New Year’s Evil theme. 

During Wednesday’s episode of NXT, it was revealed that Finn Balor will be defending the NXT Title on the show next month, but his opponent has yet to be named. WWE did tease his possible opponent being Damian Priest, Kyle O’Reilly, or Karrion Kross. 

Shaq Addresses Cody Beef, Brandi Rhodes Throws Drink On Him During AEW Dynamite

Sting Has Exchange With Cody Rhodes During AEW Dynamite Appearance

Karrion Kross Returns From Injury On WWE NXT

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Karrion Kross has made his return from being sidelined with an injury and is now back on WWE NXT. 

Wednesday’s episode saw Scarlett have a staredown with Finn Balor after he did a promo segment to open the show to tease his possible opponent on January 6th. Balor told her that Kross can fight him anywhere, any time. 

Later in the show during a segment that featured Damian Priest interrupting Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano, Indie Heartwell, and Austin Theory, Kross made his return by attacking Priest and sending him off the stage through a table. Kross then drove off with Scarlett. 

Karrion Kross’ return comes shortly after WWE aired a promo video depicting a vulture and his signature phrase “Tick Tock” at Takeover: WarGames. To add fuel to the fire, Kross acknowledged the video on Twitter right after it had aired. This was the first mention of Kross on television since he vacated the NXT Title back in August.

Kross defeated Keith Lee to win the NXT Title in the headliner of TakeOver: XXX. He suffered a separated shoulder during this match.

Shaq Addresses Cody Beef, Brandi Rhodes Throws Drink On Him During AEW Dynamite

Andrew Ravens
-
0

Just as AEW announced earlier this week, Shaquille O’Neal spoke with Tony Schiavone on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

This came after Shaq’s name was brought up several weeks ago during a segment on Dynamite when Jade Cargill teased that Shaq was on his way while doing a promo with Brandi and Cody Rhodes.

Fast forward to Wednesday’s Dynamite, Shaq did backstage segment with Schiavone and Brandi. Schiavone brought up how Shaq had something he wanted to tell the fans. Shaq recalled watching Jade a few weeks ago and how he’s a fan of hers as they go back a long way. He noted that he wants to see her do big things, but didn’t appreciate Jade’s attack on the arm of Brandi. 

Brandi said that she didn’t appreciate breaking her arm either, but she hopes things can calm down and further incidents won’t happen. Shaq said he would love to see Jade and Brandi wrestle on Dynamite.

Shaq noted that him going after Cody on Twitter was all in fun and that he has all the respect in the world for the wrestlers. He said that he loves Cody and Dustin. He noted that he’ll be there for a match with Jade and Brandi.

Just as Brandi was about to leave, he told Brandi that she could learn some points from Jade. This led to Brandi throwing a drink in Shaq’s face and calling him an oversized a**hole.

Young Bucks Explain How A Shaquille O’Neal Appearance Benefits AEW

Sting Has Exchange With Cody Rhodes During AEW Dynamite Appearance

Andrew Ravens
-
0

As promised, Sting made an appearance on AEW Dynamite for a second straight week, but this time he spoke.

Sting interrupted an interview segment with Tony Schiavone, Arn Anderson, and Cody Rhodes during the first hour of the show. Tony gave Sting the microphone and then they hugged it out. Sting thanked Tony for everything he’s done and did the iconic, “It’s Sting,” introduction. 

 Rhodes welcomed Sting back and said that he’s been waiting to share the ring with him for a very long time. Sting said that he’s not here for Rhodes just yet. He pointed to Darby Allin, who was in the grandstands, and said that there’s something familiar about this place.

He said that he’s in the jungle and the Stinger has come full circle as he’s back on TNT again. 

Sting said that Cody knows everything that goes on in AEW, but one thing is for sure and that’s nothing is sure with him. However, he does know that he’s signed with AEW and he does plan on being close with the fans for a long time.

He plans to be here for a long time, but the way he chooses to play is his business. Sting added that he would see the kid around. 

Of course, Sting made his promotional debut in a surprise fashion following a tag team match last week. It was announced shortly thereafter that he had signed a multi-year deal with the promotion. 

Sting Expected To Wrestle In AEW, Will Have Creative Input

EC3 Set To Be A Free Agent Again Soon

Andrew Ravens
-
0

EC3 is keeping his deals short these days after he was released by WWE earlier this year. 

Staying true to his character, he is controlling his own narrative in addition to his freedom when it comes to who he wants to work for. 

The former TNA World Heavyweight Champion is slated to be contractually free once again very soon. He told Fightful Select that he will be “freed up” again when 2021 hits, which  implies that his ROH deal is running up at the end of this month. 

Of course, he does have some options for his next landing spot including signing a new deal with Ring of Honor. It was noted in the interview that he is on good terms with Impact Wrestling. However, he’s not sure about signing a long-term deal even though the promotion has apparently expressed interest in doing such a deal.

EC3 added that he doesn’t know if he wants to be “nailed down long term” with any contract right now. Shortly after joining ROH in October, he was written off Impact television. 

He made his return to Impact Wrestling following the main event of the Slammiversary pay-per-view event from Skyway Studios in Nashville, Tennessee back in July. 

EC3 Claims WWE ‘Stole’ Raw Underground Concept

Impact Wrestling Viewership: Kenny Omega & AEW Help Draw All-Time High on AXS

Michael Reichlin
-
0

Tuesday’s Impact Wrestling drew all-time high viewership on AXS TV thanks to an historic appearance by AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.

The 12/8 episode of Impact on AXS TV averaged 221,000 viewers and did a 0.08 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic to rank 96th on cable for the night.

Last week, Impact on AXS averaged 166,000 viewers and a 0.05 rating and ranked 121st.

The television viewership was strong, but that was not the only indication that wrestling fans are interested in the inter-promotional storyline. The live stream on Twitch peaked at over 55,000 viewers. This is more than 10x the typical audience and double the previous record. #IMPACTonAXSTV was the top trend on Twitter for the night.

In case you missed it, the full episode has been uploaded to the Impact Wrestling YouTube channel.

The next chapter of the AEW-Impact storyline unfolds tonight on AEW Dynamite.

Viewership data courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily

Arn Anderson Discusses If He Watches IMPACT Wrestling

Jake Skudder
-
0

AEW on screen coach and former WWE agent Arn Anderson recently discussed IMPACT Wrestling and other promotions outside of AEW.

AEW and IMPACT have now developed a working relationship that has seen AEW Champion Kenny Omega already appear on the AXS TV IMPACT programme. Anderson would however reveal on the ARN podcast this week that he doesn’t watch wrestling outside of what happens in AEW.

Arn Anderson on AEW ‘Being Different’

“I don’t watch a lot of wrestling” Arn Anderson began. “When I’m off? I try to concentrate on just our [AEW] product, on our product alone, without getting so many outside influences. Because we want to be different in AEW, we want to be different than everybody else.”

Anderson would elaborate further, saying how he wants to impart knowledge to talent but not in a way that belies their own personality. “I want to hand my stuff to the right guy, to where it enhances his character. I don’t want it to be ‘well, all that’s Arn Anderson’s influence on the guy’ you know? It should be things that help them without being so obvious that is something that I showed him.”

Anderson would finish by re-iterating that he doesn’t watch much pro wrestling outside of the AEW bubble. However Arn would state that he believes IMPACT have some really talented individuals. “So, I don’t watch a lot of wrestling I’m sorry to say. I’m sure they’ve [IMPACT] got some tremendous talent working there.”

Are there any IMPACT talents you’d like to see Arn Anderson’s talent Cody Rhodes face? Let us know in the comments

AEW Dynamite Preview (12/9): Shaq Debuts, Sting & Kenny Omega

Michael Reichlin
-
0

All Elite Wrestling has announced a stacked lineup for tonight’s edition of AEW Dynamite live on TNT. Last week’s Winter is Coming special saw Sting’s AEW debut, Kenny Omega capturing the AEW World title and much more.

The following matches and segments are confirmed for tonight’s AEW Dynamite:

  • Shaq debuts in AEW. The basketball legend will be interviewed by Tony Schiavone. He is expected to address Jade Cargill confronting Cody Rhodes and teasing that Shaq is one giant that Cody can’t slay.
  • Sting speak for the first time since joining All Elite Wrestling. He will also be interviewed by Schiavone.
  • MJF will face Orange Cassidy to defend his coveted Dynamite Diamond Ring.
  • Lance Archer and the Lucha Bros will face Eddie Kingston, The Butcher and The Blade.
  • The Inner Circle’s Ultimatum: After their recent infighting, leader Chris Jericho says they must learn to co-exist or disband entirely.
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks take on TH2 in a non-title match. If TH2 gets the win, they’ll earn a title shot.
  • Dustin Rhodes vs. 10 of the Dark Order.
  • Abadon will be in action.

Plus, AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Don Callis will be on hand to address their actions last week, as well as their appearance on Tuesday’s Impact Wrestling.

Check back later tonight for our AEW Dynamite Results & Takeaways.

“Sting Never Got The Treatment He Deserved in WWE” – Sean Waltman

Jake Skudder
-
0

WWE Hall of Famer and AfterBuzz TV podcast star Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman recently discussed the AEW debut of Sting.

The Icon Sting of course made his AEW debut this past week at the ‘Winter Is Coming’ episode of Dynamite. Whilst the appearance of Sting was shocking, fans are now wondering how the WCW legend will be used in All Elite Wrestling.

Sting’s last match took place in 2015, where he lost to Seth Rollins at WWE’s Night of Champions event. Sting suffered an injury during that match that meant his in-ring career was over…seemingly.

Sean Waltman on Sting

“We’re in the situation right now where there’s really not big crowds” Sean Waltman began on the 1-2-360 podcast. “Although it was kind of cool, they did have a bit of a crowd there. You could see the reaction on some of their faces when the Stinger came out, it was a big deal. It came off like a big deal.”

Waltman would then praise Sting personally, saying “it totally was a big deal for me. It made me happy. He’s [Sting] a great guy, he’s just the nicest classiest guy.”

X-Pac would finish by saying that Sting was never going to get the right treatment during his past WWE run. “The thing is, is he was never going to get the treatment from WWE that his fans thought he deserved. And that he did deserve. He’s not a WWE icon.”

Do you agree with Sean Waltman? Do you think that Sting will get better treatment back on TNT with All Elite Wrestling? Let us know in the comments

Bianca Belair Reflects On Paul Heyman Calling Her The “Future” Of The Women’s Division

Steve Russell
-
0

SmackDown Superstar Bianca Belair has reflected on the high praise she received from Paul Heyman. In an interview with Metro, she confessed how hearing Heyman describe her as the “future” of the women’s devision helped to bolster her personal confidence.

“To hear Paul Heyman saying those words about me, even though we didn’t win at Survivor Series, I was able to shine, I call myself the BEST of WWE and it’s one thing for me to say it, but to hear someone like Paul Heyman say that, really just builds the confidence in me,” Belair confessed.

Belair acknowledged how influential Heyman has been to pro wrestling. She highlighted his wealth of experience and how he tends to have his eye on breakout talent. This extends to her husband’s tag team, The Street Profits.

“I know how high he was on the Street Profits and to see the success their having – to see that he’s that high on me, it only brings my confidence even higher.”

Bianca Belair On Her Relationship With Montez Ford

Regarding her real-life husband Montez Ford, Belair opened up about their relationship amidst the coronavirus pandemic. She reflected on WWE’s usually hectic travel schedule. She noted how Superstars are so busy traveling and working they tend to miss the personal moments.

“[…] you have so many big moments and sometimes you feel like they’re small moments but they’re actually really big moments, but there’s so much happening that you sometimes forget to appreciate life and the life WWE has provided us,” Belair explained. “Being able to slow down now, we love to celebrate our accomplishments whether they’re big or they’re small. Now we can have time to do that. We have time to really sit and just talk about ideas.”

Custom Ring Gear

Having more time at home with Ford has also allowed her time to create more of her own ring gear. She shared how she’s “probably made more gear in this year than I’ve made since I’ve been in WWE.”

According to Belair, she has an entire room filled with ring gear ready to be worn. She noted how she’s eager to get back in the ring and have more matches, just so she can “show this gear off, because otherwise it’s just going to sit in the closet.”

Bianca Belair became part of the SmackDown roster after the WWE Draft in October. Despite her excitement to get involved with the blue brand, Belair recently confessed a part of her still misses NXT.

Riddle Believes He Could Completley “Redeem” Goldberg

Steve Russell
-
0

WWE Superstar Riddle believes he could completely “redeem” former Universal Champion Goldberg.

Speaking with WWE on BT Sport, Riddle confessed he thinks the only way he could Goldberg into a ring with him is if “he just gets to murder me and I have to let him—like I have to let him do it because he couldn’t do it in real life.”

Riddle confessed he would love to have a “sweet match” against Goldberg. He admitted he thinks he’s good enough where he could “redeem him completely.”

He added how he’s not saying he would have to win their match. Riddle highlighted how he’s “not that guy.”

“I’m all about the quality of the work. So, hey, if we could make quality work and you’d would be willing to listen to what I have to say, I’ll listen to what you have to say. I will. But I think it could be magical, and I think the fans would eat it up.”

Riddle continued, “And they would because, you know what? The guy really doesn’t like me, and you know what? I really don’t like his work, to be fair. From Universal Solider 3 and beyond, not a fan. But I get it: he’s got a presence, just like I have a presence.”

Riddle: “I’d Be Scared Too, Bro”

Despite his eagerness for a bout against Goldberg, Riddle remains unconvinced a match will ever happen. He noted how Goldberg “literally refused to acknowledge me on multiple occasions.”

Riddle then admitted he doesn’t blame Goldberg for his reluctance, joking how he would “be scared too, bro” about the idea Riddle may shoot on him.

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

1...1,0091,0101,011...3,409Page 1,010 of 3,409