Big E recently shared a personal story regarding a conversation between himself and WWE Legend The Undertaker.
Whereas the WWE Universe remembers what they see on-screen, Big E explained that Superstars tend to remember what takes place backstage—like the special Undertaker conversation that saw “The Dead Man” praise Big E, making his day.
“Most people will remember the on-screen stuff but for us, as performers, getting those backstage conversations [with The Undertaker] was like gold,” Big E told SportsKeeda.
“I remember one such conversation when he told me, ‘Man, I watched you when you first came up [to the main roster], and I had no idea you had as much personality as you showed. When I heard that, it really made my day.”
Big E stressed how that kind of acknowledgment from the Legend more than made his day. It remains a conversation he remains appreciative of to this day.
Although there is an aura surrounding The Undertaker, Big E shared that he isn’t too difficult to approach backstage. He noted how he’s “fortunate” to have been able to call him a co-worker.
“I think back to all those times when I could just talk to him, meet his kids, who are big fans of The New Day, and those are the moments I’ll never forget,” Big E said. “It’s remarkable that he’s been around for 30 years and still going strong. He’s on that Mt. Rushmore of Wrestling.”
WWE will be celebrating 30 years of The Undertaker at this year’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. In the run-up to the event, the WWE Network is hosting “30 Days of the Deadman,” a weekly docuseries focusing on different aspects of The Undertaker’s historic career.
WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22. from the ThunderDome in Orlando, FL.
The Dark Order’s Brodie Lee was a recent guest on All Elite Wrestling’s official podcast, Unrestricted. During their discussion, Lee spoke about the perceived comparisons between his AEW character and WWE CEO and Chairman Vince McMahon.
After Lee was revealed to be the Dark Order’s Exalted One back in March, he appeared in several backstage segments. According to him, there was rife speculation he was basing his on-screen character on WWE’s Vince McMahon. People pointed to the character’s dress sense, mannerisms, and characteristics as evidence of this.
“The Vince McMahon comparisons flew! That’s all people talked about the first 3 to 4 weeks of my AEW career, and that became I think detrimental to me, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t want it,” Lee stated.
The former TNT Champion continued, “So I tried to get away from the stuff that they were saying so as opposed to a multi-colored suit, I now went with a full tailored to me that I don’t think looks like a Vince McMahon or anybody else. This is my bi-monthly routine now is to go get a suit made, and I love it.”
Lee has denied that he based Mr. Brodie Lee on Vince McMahon. He has claimed that the majority of the gimmick’s characteristics are instead derived from mafia movies.
Former WWE Superstar Mike Bennett has reflected on his WWE tenure in a recent interview with The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast. He also vented his frustrations with Vince McMahon concerning how his wife, Maria Kanellis, was treated by the company.
Bennett explained how it didn’t bother him when WWE decided he would debut with his wife’s last name. He noted how he was aware that trying to use his own name would be an issue because of how WWE wants to own the rights to everything.
“But when they told me it was Mike Kanellis, my first thought as a worker is that it is really good heat because I know a lot of people will be upset that a man took his wife’s name,” Bennett explained. “It really didn’t bother me because in my head, a name is a name and I will let my talents speak for itself and if this is a way to get heat from the crowd instantly right out of the gate, sure, no problem, I’ll do it.”
He did, however, have an issue with WWE’s lack of follow-through. He stressed how they didn’t deliver a payoff with the decision, ultimately turning the gimmick into a “novelty act.”
Mike Bennett On How Vince McMahon & WWE Treated Maria Kanellis
Regarding Vince McMahon, Bennett stressed how Vince would always be nice to a person’s face. However, “[…] some of the things he’s done lately, it is hard for me to wrap my brain around. It’s hard for me to be ok with the way he treated my wife.”
Bennett explained how he asked for his WWE release as he was ready to go, noting how he asked for it 8 months before the coronavirus pandemic. He stressed how he wanted to go. Maria, however, didn’t.
“As far as getting released, I knew I was getting released. I wanted to go. My wife didn’t,” Bennett said. “We talked to them time and time again about firing me but not firing her. I wanted my release, she did not want her release. We were adamant that we were two separate talents and you should treat us differently.”
Mike Bennett argued how WWE releasing a woman on maternity leave after years of service during a pandemic was a “lousy” thing to do to a person.
All Elite Wrestling star Miro has speculated on what Brock Lesnar could bring to the promotion if it decided to pursue him. He also shared his thoughts on whether AEW would “need” a talent like Lesnar.
Sharing his thoughts with Inside the Ropes, Miro had high praise for Lesnar’s ability to perform. He also noted how, when it comes to Lesnar’s star power, “The Beast Incarnate” can “be his own show.”
“I mean, Brock is great,” Miro said. “Brock, whatever he does, he’s an entity, right? He’s the show himself; he can be his own show himself. Would we benefit from it? I absolutely think we would. Do we need him? Absolutely not.”
During the interview, Miro also cast his attention on the rest of the AEW locker room. When asked who he’d consider AEW’s “diamond in the rough,” Miro was quick to name a few talents, stressing how the promotion is frequently giving opportunities for people to shine.
“That’s really hard to say because there’s just too many. We all know how good Ricky Starks is. We all know how good Kip Sabian is. We all know how good, clearly, Hangman is. Hangman is a fantastic guy! I’ve never worked with him, but just watching him–“
Miro also named other stars like Colt Cabana, Matt Sydal, Serena Deeb, and The Young Bucks. He noted how AEW has “[…] so many talented people under one roof and everybody wants to do great that night. We don’t save anything.”
According to him, the locker room all have the same mindset: to give it all that night. It’s this quality that he believes makes the locker room so unique.
SmackDown Superstar Big E has revealed which Superstar has been instrumental in his current singles push. Speaking with the Gorilla Podcast, Big E credited Daniel Bryan for supporting and pushing for him behind-the-scenes.
I have to give credit to Daniel Bryan. The idea for the solo run was from him. He’s the reason. Not just, ‘Hey, Big E…’ he’s actually part of the process and he’s the one who said, ‘This is what we should do with Big E.’ It feels like an environment where I do have a voice and I get to do what I want by any means.”
Big E also reflected on his recent feud with Sheamus. He noted how discussions had taken place that would have given him new music and a different presentation:
“We talked about ‘when is the right time to play it?’ and we never got around to it because I hadn’t been in the arena for a few months because a lot of our stuff happened backstage until we had the match,” Big E explained.
“With SmackDown, we don’t have as many segments to fill. We’re afforded the luxury of being able to do a little more creative stuff.”
He added how he isn’t sure about the creative differences and freedoms between Raw and SmackDown. Big E then noted he is glad to “have a voice” with the SmackDown creative team.
Stephanie McMahon and Triple H have reflected on last night’s special edition of NXT. The black-and-gold brand resurrected the Halloween Havoc concept for the first time in twenty years with last night’s show.
Triple H tweeted throughout the show’s entirety, hyping how so much action had already taken place during just the first match. NXT Halloween Havoc opened with an NXT North American Championship matchup between Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano.
“The first spin of the wheel, a deflated pumpkin, and absolutely BRUTAL #DevilsPlayground match, and a NEW #NXTNATitle Champion… AND THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST MATCH! #HalloweenHavoc #WWENXT”
He also noted how NXT Superstars Rhea Ripley and Raquel González were able to showcase an “entirely different side” of the NXT Women’s division. Triple H called their bout the “most physical fight” from any division in NXT.
He added a final congratulations and thanks to everyone involved with NXT Halloween Havoc. Triple H also gave props to the crew who made an “incredible set to honour the legacy of #HalloweenHavoc” before thanking the fans at home for tuning in.
Stephanie McMahon shared her thoughts after the show had concluded. She stressed how the entire show was “INCREDIBLE!!!!!” Stephanie also congratulated all involved in the production, stating how she wanted to retweet all of the praise she had seen complimenting the show.
A final congratulations & #ThankYou to the @WWENXT Superstars who put so much into this show, the crew who created an incredible set to honor the legacy of #HalloweenHavoc… and of course everyone at home. THANK YOU for supporting these stars & the black & gold brand! #WeAreNXT
The October 28, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
WWE NXT Results
Johnny Gargano def. Damian Priest to become North American Champion
Santos Escobar def. Jake Atlas
Rhea Ripley def. Raquel Gonzalez
Dexter Lumis def. Cameron Grimes
Io Shirai def. Candice LeRae to retain NXT Women’s Title
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
NXT North American Title Match
Damien Priest
Johnny Gargano challenged NXT North American Champion Damian Priest in what was determined to be a Devil’s Playground Match thanks to the spin the wheel make a deal gimmick.
The match was the opening contest of the show. Priest changed up his look as he’s wearing normal tights and wearing gloves. The gimmick was a Devil’s Playground Match, which was basically a Falls Count Anywhere contest.
If you recall, this was a rematch from the NXT TakeOver 31 event earlier this month that saw Priest successfully retain the title over Gargano.
The match was good as WWE gave them plenty of time. It was better than their previous match despite having commercial breaks, which typically hurts a match. They used various weapons and brawled around the facility.
Near the end of the match, someone dressed up as Scream hit Priest with a pipe and Gargano hit a DDT to Priest. The mystery person walked away as he handed Gargano a tombstone and hit Priest with it that sent him flying off a stage and into a mini house. Gargano won the title.
Candice LeRae challenged NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in what was determined to be a Tables, Ladders, and Scares match thanks to the spin the wheel make a deal gimmick.
WWE saved this bout for the main event slot, which had about an 8 minute overrun as a way to boost up viewership while competing against AEW Dynamite. It was basically a TLC Match.
Obviously, they used tables, ladders, and chairs. Io hit a moonsault off the top rope, but LeRae moved and she crashed on a pile of chairs. Moments later, Io hit a suplex to LeRae on an open chair. Io missed a knee strike in the corner and crashed into a ladder, which fell on her.
LeRae hit a neck breaker off the apron through two tables. A mystery person came out again and helped LeRae climb the ladder, but Shotzi Blackheart ran through and attacked the mystery person by hitting an electric chair on a stack of chairs. Io set up a ladder next to LeRae only to push her off a ladder over the top rope crashing through and breaking a ladder. Io retained the title.
It turns out that this was a rematch from the NXT TakeOver 31 event earlier this month that saw Io successfully retain the title over LeRae.
"Oh no, it's past 10PM?!? It doesn't matter.
We're staying with this match as long as it goes LIVE on @USA_Network!
Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez in a singles match took place.
At one point, Raquel caught a diving Rhea on the outside to show off her power. This was a hard-hitting affair and the first big test for Raquel. Rhea went over with her finisher.
The two stars have been feuding over the past few weeks with Gonzalez getting in Ripley’s business many times now. Ripley remains in a holding pattern and perhaps with this feud being done, she can move onto the title picture although WWE has been pushing Ember Moon since she returned at NXT TakeOver 31.
Some could say that Ripley has fallen in dramatic fashion before the COVID-19 pandemic where she was the top star in the promotion. Perhaps, WWE can get her on the right path as it doesn’t seem likely that she’s moving to the main roster.
Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis in a Haunted House of Terror Match took place.
An interesting match which featured a special appearance of Michael Hayes coming out of a van. It wasn’t just one full match, but rather a cinematic contest that was spread out through the show. At one point, Grimes was stuck in a house with Lumis and Lumis went headfirst into a mirror.
Grimes then got back to the CWC and there were two actors dressed as zombies who chased Grimes into the ring where Lumis attacked him. Grimes locked in his finisher for the win.
Grimes is a comedy guy while Lumis is supposed to be this creepy character. It’s interesting because when you look at viewership numbers, these two wrestlers typically do low numbers. Thus, booking them in a match together will be something to follow if you’re into ratings.
A credit to WWE for at least booking them with a gimmick as a way to maybe improve curiosity from fans about it.
Pat McAfee made an appearance alongside NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch.
This came after McAfee, who had lost to Adam Cole a few months ago on a TakeOver special, made his grand return in the main event of last week’s show to help Lorcan and Burch win the titles.
McAfee did a promo about how while he got beat by Cole, he made some mistakes in that match and all he could think about was beating Cole. He said that he knew he couldn’t return alone, but had to have some backup.
He bragged about the success he’s had since then. Thus, he made a call to Ridge Holland, who wanted a call. That’s why Holland attacked Cole at NXT TakeOver 31. This led to Pete Dunne and Kyle O’Reilly coming out to the ring with steel chairs. Dunne hit O’Reilly in the back with the chair.
McAfee told Kyle that they’re the new kings of NXT and it’s Undisputed.
Hangman Page def. Wardlow to advance to the finals of the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament
Eddie Kingston def. Matt Sydal
Cody def. Orange Cassidy to retain the TNT Championship
Serena Deeb def. Leyla Hirsch
Shawn Spears squashed VSK
Kenny Omega def. Pentagon Jr. to advance to the finals of the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Hangman Page Advanced To The Finals Of The Eliminator Tournament
Dynamite kicked off with MJF telling Wardlow that if he becomes champion he will be the AEW Champion because Wardlow is under contract with him. Sammy Guevara interrupted and told MJF that he is going to make sure that he doesn’t join Inner Circle. MJF told Sammy that he should never cut promos and looks like he sells aderrall to middle schoolers. Wardlow then battled Hangman Page in the 2nd round of the AEW Eliminator Tournament.
Match Recap: Hangman went right after Wardlow to start the match off but Wardlow quickly battled back and beat Page down in the corner of the ring. The action spilled to the outside and Hangman shoved Wardlow into the steel ring post. Wardlow responded with a massive Spear that sent Hangman Page through the barricade.
Back in the ring, Wardlow continued to dominate and stomped on Hangman. Wardlow connected with a Gutwrench Powerbomb for a near fall. Wardlow went for a Senton off the top rope but Hangman got out of the way. Hangman Page Clotheslined Wardlow out of the ring and made his way to the top rope.
Hangman connected with a massive Moonsault and both men fell to the floor outside the ring. Back in the ring, Hangman hit a Shooting Star Press for a one count. Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat but Wardlow countered with a Clothesline of his own for near fall.
Wardlow hit F10 but couldn’t go for the cover because Page rolled out of the ring. Hangman planted Wardlow with a Fallaway Slam off the top rope and then went to the apron. Page hit the Buckshot Lariat but Wardlow didn’t go down. Hangman followed it up with another Buckshot Lariat for the pinfall victory. Hangman Page advanced to the finals of the AEW Eliminator Tournament.
Eddie Kingston battled Matt Sydal tonight. Butcher, The Blade, and The Bunny accompanied Kingston to the ring. Eddie Kingston said that he is sick of talking and wants a fight but AEW Champion Jon Moxley is at home. Kingston called Jon a coward and once again noted that he wasn’t eliminated from Casino Battle Royal. Eddie called Sydal the joker for his epic botch during the Battle Royal.
Match Recap: Kingston refused to lock up with Sydal to start the match. They then locked up and Kingston drove Sydal to the corner. Sydal escaped and hit Kingston with a chop to the chest. Sydal hit a couple Arm Drags then locked in an Armbar. Sydal booted Kingston in the face and followed it up with a Dropkick for a two count.
Kingston slammed Sydal to the mat and hit him with an Elbow Drop as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Sydal hit Kingston with a Dropkick for a two count. Sydal followed it up with a Hurricanrana and then Double Knees for another near fall.
Eddie caught Sydal with a knee to the midsection as Jake Roberts and Lance Archer were shown watching in the crowd. Kingston used Moxley’s Bulldog Choke for the submission victory. Kingston refused to let go of the hold as Butcher, Blade, and Bunny got in the ring. Eddie demanded that Sydal say he quits and Matt did. Kingston will face Jon Moxley at Full Gear in an I Quit match for the AEW Championship.
The Young Bucks Will Not Challenge For The AEW Tag Team Titles Again If They Lose At Full Gear
Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson “The Young Bucks”
Excalibur sat down with the Young Bucks and AEW Tag Team Champions FTR were at a different location via satellite. Matt Jackson said that his injury will not stop them from battling FTR at Full Gear. FTR stated that whoever wins at Full Gear will cement their legacy as the best tag team in the world.
Excalibur suggested that what happened to Matt last week was deserved because of the recent actions of the Young Bucks. Matt said that they have been suffering for the last year and there has been something missing. Matt stated that FTR started screwing with their livelihoods and manipulating their friends.
The Young Bucks claimed that FTR has lit a fire inside them and brought back the edge that they were missing. FTR then took off their microphones and left. The Young Bucks announced that if they do not win at Full Gear they will never challenge for the AEW Tag Team Championships ever again.
MJF Can Join Inner Circle If He Defeats Jericho At Full Gear
Tony and Dasha hosted the Town Hall Meeting tonight. Inner Circle made their way to the ring first as the crowd sang Judas. MJF then came to the ring and Luchasaurus asked the first question. Luchasaurus asked MJF how can he add to the earning potential of Inner Circle and MJF presented a chart. MJF claimed that he had all of the top financial advisors help him on it and the chard said that Inner Circle’s earnings would go up if he joined.
Britt Baker and Reba asked the next question. Reba said Jericho has a great smile and is so handsome. Britt told her to stop being weird and shoved her away. Baker noted that MJF has a terrible track record when it comes to friendship and wondered how Jericho felt about that.
Jericho said he is not a dipshit like Cody and will knock MJF’s teeth down his throat if he turns on them. MJF said that they will get a whole lot of green and a lot of gold if he joins Inner Circle. Peter Avalon asked if he could join the Innter Circle and they laughed in his face.
Eric Bischoff returned and asked a three pronged question. Bischoff said president John F. Kennedy said “ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country” and asked MJF what he can do for Inner Circle. MJF simply responded “friendship” and the crowd booed.
Bischoff stated that most consider MJF as nearly a complete package and wondered what Inner Circle could do for him. MJF corrected Bischoff and said he is not nearly a total package, he is a total package. Eric noted that he worked with Jericho for many years and called him a primadonna.
Jericho tried to respond but Schiavone interrupted and told Chris to shut up. Bischoff said MJF was a primadonna as well and said that they just might wind up killing each other if MJF joins Inner Circle. MJF dodged the question and Jericho asked how are they supposed to know that MJF wont stab them in the back.
MJF stated that he gave Jericho the best segment of his career last week on Dynamite. MJF asked Chris what exactly hasn’t he done and Jericho said that he has never beat him. Jericho challenged MJF to a match at Full Gear and if MJF wins he can join Inner Circle. MJF told Jericho that he will do whatever it takes to win the match at Full Gear.
Ortiz told MJF to shut up and that he doesn’t want him in Inner Circle. Ortiz said that he is teaming with Sammy next week to face MJF and Wardlow and that MJF will not make it to the PPV.
The card for AEW Full Gear came into focus during Wednesday’s edition of Dynamite.
During a sit down interview segment featuring The Young Bucks and FTR, the Bucks announced a stipulation for this tag team ‘dream match.’ If the Bucks are not victorious, they will never challenge for AEW’s tag titles again.
Adam “Hangman” Page defeated Wardlow and Kenny Omega defeated Penta El Zero M advanced to advance to the finals of the World Heavyweight Title Tournament. The winner of this match at Full Gear.
Cody Rhodes defeated Orange Cassidy in a Lumberjack Match to retain the TNT Championship. Cody will defend the TNT title against Darby Allin. AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida answered Nyla Rose’s recent challenge for a title shot. That match was confirmed later in the show.
Finally, the ‘town hall’ summit between MJF and the Inner Circle led to Jericho and MJF agreeing to face each other at the pay-per-view. If MJF wins, he will become the newest member of the Inner Circle.
Fans now know who will be in the finals of the tournament that will determine the new #1 contender to the AEW World Heavyweight Title.
The semi-finals of the tournament took place on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT at the Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida. The pair of matches saw Wardlow vs. Hangman Page and Kenny Omega vs. Penta El Zero M.
As seen on the show, Page went over Wardlow in the opening contest while Omega beat Penta El Zero M in the headliner.
It should be noted the Penta replaced Rey Fenix in this contest as Fenix was injured in their first round match that took place. He landed badly on his shoulder and was pulled from the tournament out of medical concern as he has worked injured in the match.
The finals between Page and Omega will see to find out who will be the next in line for the AEW World Title. Some fans knew the finals in advance as the show was taped last Thursday and spoilers got out.
The AEW Full Gear pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2020, in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place.
Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite not only featured a special appearance by Eric Bischoff but also made Chris Jericho vs. MJF official for the upcoming Full Gear show.
Dynamite saw Inner Circle hold a Town Hall Meeting to determine if MJF could join up with the group. Various stars asked questions to figure out whether MJF could be a good fit for the group.
During this, Eric Bischoff also made a cameo to ask a couple of different questions such as how they would know the other wouldn’t attack them once in the group.
This led to Jericho throwing out the challenge for a match at Full Gear. The stipulation is that if MJF beats him then he can join the group, and MJF accepted.
This marked Bischoff’s second AEW appearance as he previously hosted a debate between Jericho and Orange Cassidy. This was at a time where the two AEW stars were feuding and heading into their third match, which just so happened to be a Mimosa Mayhem Match at the All Out pay-per-view event last month.
Jericho stated in a live stream that he came up with the idea to use Bischoff as well as the way he portrayed as the moderator for the segment.
A new stable formed on Wednesday’s special Halloween Havoc edition of NXT TV.
Pat McAfee, accompanied by Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, cut a promo about hiring Ridge Holland to take out The Undisputed Era. When Ridge Holland was injured, he hired Burch and Lorcan to carry on with the mission.
Kyle O’Reilly came out with a steel chair, followed by Pete Dunne. With Dunne and O’Reilly staring down McAfee & company, Dunne turned on O’Reilly by attacking him with a steel chair. Dunne has aligned himself McAfee and this dangerous new faction.
Don’t be surprised if we see these two groups square off inside War Games at the next NXT Takeover event.
Johnny Gargano is now a two-time WWE NXT North American Champion.
WWE booked Gargano vs. Damian Priest in the opening contest of Wednesday’s special NXT Halloween Havoc episode on the USA Network. Because the gimmick was determined by a spinning wheel, they worked a Devil’s Playground Match, which was basically a Falls Count Anywhere contest.
They wrestled all over the Capitol Wrestling Center. The finish was interesting as a mystery person dressed up as Scream hit Priest with a pipe before handing Gargano a tombstone to hit Priest with it that sent him flying off a stage and into a mini house. This allowed Gargano to win the title.
Priest won the title by winning the then-vacant title in a five-way ladder match at TakeOver XXX last month. In fact, Gargano also took part in the contest and it came down to him and Priest.
Becky Lynch decided it was time to show off the first photo of her baby bump as she’s expecting her first child with Seth Rollins.
She did so when she took to her Instagram stories after nearly six months after she announced that she’d become The Mom.
Since that time, she has been private regarding social media activity including photos of her bump. That changed on Wednesday with a photo that showed a silhouette of her torso in a gym.
This reflects that she is managing to keep in shape despite carrying another human.
Earlier this month it was reported that Lynch was backstage at the Amway Center alongside Rollins for the October 16th episode of Friday Night SmackDown to visit friends, which appears to be the first time since her pregnancy announcement that she was at a WWE show.
Lynch is expected to give birth in December. Her last match came when she retained the title by defeating Shayna Baszler during night one of Wrestlemania 36 tapings.
She announced her pregnancy on a May episode of Monday Night RAW where it was also revealed that she would be vacating the Women’s Raw Women’s Title before handing it over to Asuka.
Rey Mysterio has now realized a new goal that he can achieve with his son Dominik.
The son of the former WWE Champion only started training full-time in the last year or so in the pro wrestling business, but has made a splash. WWE wasted no time in having him appear on the main roster with his father.
This had been a long time dream of the father and son duo as they wanted to share the ring together as a tag team. During an appearance on WWE’s The Bump, Mysterio is now realizing that they could go after the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
“There’s a lot of challenges out there for Dom and for me on SmackDown, and we’ve talked about gold, something that is really in the back of our minds. What better time for us to obtain some gold as tag teams?
I think that would be a dream that I did not have contemplated during this time. We always talked about being able to share the ring together, but when you talk about gold, it literally could be right around the corner.”
Dominik made his in-ring debut back in August against Seth Rollins at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event. Since that time, the Mysterio family has been feuding with Rollins on television.
Even though they were moved from Raw to SmackDow as part of this year’s Draft, that feud continues to play out.
Major League Wrestling (MLW) has signed a new television contract with beIN Sports. Alfred Konuwa was first to break the story for Forbes.
MLW Fusion, the fight league’s flagship show, will continue to air on beIN Sports Saturday nights at 10pm.
MLW CEO Court Bauer told Forbes, “We are excited to continue to be a cornerstone of beIN Sports’ portfolio of world-class sports content. beIN’s dual language reach will help further entrench MLW as a thriving sports league.”
According to the report, the beIN deal is just one of a series of deals set to be announced by MLW in the months ahead. The league is currently in talks with some of cable television’s biggest networks about additional programming, similar to WWE’s relationship with NBCUniversal (USA Network) and FOX.
MLW is currently gearing up for #TheRestart – a return to promoting live events. The league took a self-imposed hiatus out of an abundance of caution related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WrestleMania 37 is expected to undergo some changes.
WWE is still listing WrestleMania 37 to take place from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, but it was reported earlier this month that WWE has plans in place to move the show to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
The NFL will be holding Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium next year. NFL insider Adam Schefter reported today that the NFL is now planning for 20% capacity for the championship game. The stadium has a standard seating capacity of 65,618, and maybe a few more with temporary seating at a Super Bowl game.
So how does this impact WWE? The company usually does around the same number of fans as NFL games for stadium shows. Thus, this could be an indication as to how many fans can attend WrestleMania 37 as it could between 13,000 and 15,000 fans.
Because the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, things can change between the time of these two events, but they’re only a few months apart.
March 28, 2021 is the date for WrestleMania 37. WWE has yet to announce the venue change for this show but is expected to do so.
Florida has been more relaxed with its COVID-19 guidance compared to California. That’s the reason why AEW and WWE have held shows in the state since the start of the pandemic.
Shotzi Blackheart will serve as the host of tonight’s NXT Halloween Havoc event. The green-haired wrestler was interviewed recently by SI.com and talked about the return of the famed event, her role tonight, and more.
“I didn’t even know Halloween Havoc was coming back, but when I found out I was hosting, I was so happy I almost fainted,” Blackheart said. “It was the greatest news ever.”
She also talked about how before getting into wrestling she wanted to be a horror host like Elvira.
“My favorite match of all-time is from ’97, Guerrero–Mysterio. And before wrestling, I wanted to be a horror host, just like Elvira and Vampira, watching horror movies and making cheesy comments about them. It’s going to be reason enough to tune in just to see the Halloween outfits I’ll be wearing.”
Blackheart also spoke about what first caused her to get into wrestling during the interview. She had bee attending college as a musical-theater major when she realized wrestling was her calling.
“Theater is the vehicle that led me to pro wrestling,” Blackheart continued. “I was watching Raw, this blend of theater, violence and rock, and I asked myself, ‘Why have I not been a wrestler the entire time?’ I signed up the next day at a wrestling school.”
Wrestling great Tracy Smothers has passed away at the age of 58. The veteran of WCW, Smoky Mountain, WWE, and ECW had been battling numerous health issues over the last year. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma last November and had been dealing with heart issues as well.
A GoFundMe account had recently been created to help Smothers deal with mounting medical bills.
“In November 2019, Tracy was diagnosed with Stage III Lymphoma. This meant that Cancer was found in lymph nodes on both sides of his diaphragm. Also, due to blockage in his arteries, Tracy lost 45% of his heart’s use,” reads a description from the GoFundMe account.
“Fast forward a year later and Tracy unfortunately has been hospitalized due to the rapidly growing Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma tumor on the left side of his stomach… which also has now spread into his lungs.”
Remembering Tracy Smothers
Below you can see some reactions to the passing of Tracy Smothers.
RIP Tracy Smothers….a legit man’s man who just passed and with courage and dignity. ??
Tracy Smothers meant a great deal to me from when I started in this #Industry till today. ?? Tracy bravely fought the inevitable and will remain in my thoughts and my heart.?? ?? My deepest condolences to Tracy's family.?? ??#HisNameIsTracySmothers??#EverybodyDiespic.twitter.com/knsVr1hXWr
Tracy was always a sweetheart to me and was one of those guys that when he was on a show or at a convention, all the boys smiled when they saw him. A real character. My deepest condolences to his family & friends. pic.twitter.com/4jRqvDSK4G
My great friend Tracy Smothers has passed, it is with a heavy heart that I share the news. Lots of great times with Tracy, I had just spoke with him last week RIP my friend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Tracy's family and loved ones at this time. Ricky Morton pic.twitter.com/FMFYSTv1sw
I met Tracy Smothers one time at an Indy show in TN. It was my first real Indy show and he came over and helped make me feel comfortable telling me if I needed anything to let him know. RIP Tracy ?
I’m saddened to hear the passing of dear friend Tracy Smothers. Thanks for the years of friendship. Tracy & I had been checking in w each other every couple days regarding the health situation both of us are going through. This is another hard loss in the sport of pro wrestling. pic.twitter.com/APy9F7ifSY
“Sorry to hear about the passing of Tracy Smothers. I saw him last about a year ago. He was so happy in the ring. He was a good man. RIP Tracy,” wrote Eric Bischoff on Twitter.
Impact Wrestling 10/27 featured the first show since the Bound For Glory PPV. It was headlined by the wedding between John E Bravo and Rosemary. The wedding didn’t go as planned.
Impact 10/27 Results:
Impact World Championship Rich Swann (c) defeated Eric Young
Hardcore Halloween Match Tommy Dreamer defeated Brian Myers
Team XXXL (Larry D & Acey Romero) defeated The Rascalz (Wentz & Dez)
The wedding between Rosemary and John E Bravo headlined the show this week. As the ceremony got underway, it appeared to be somewhat of a Halloween theme. Several wrestlers were in costume on the outside and Taya Valkyrie’s +1 appeared to be the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man of Ghostbusters fame. Father James Mitchell then made his arrival to officiate the wedding after having previously been killed in the undead realm.
Everyone involved in the wedding seemed to expect some type of disturbance. They looked surprised as several opportunities for such interference came and went without anything happening. They were declared man and wife but right when they went to kiss the lights went out. With the lights out a gunshot could be heard and when they came back on, Bravo was lying dead with a bullet wound in his chest.
The show opened up this week with Eric Young once again assaulting Rich Swann. The brawl spilled to the ring area before it was broken up by several officials. Scott D’Amore was in the ring as Young yelled that he wanted his rematch tonight. Swann agreed and the match was made official. Despite wrestling in dress shoes and not being prepared for the match, Swann managed to finish off the former champion with a Phoenix Splash, just as he had done at Bound For Glory.
Barrister RD Evans Ensures Deonna Purrazzo Receives Knockouts Title Rematch
Barrister RD Evans, who some may remember from ROH or others will remember from quitting his role as a WWE writer in dramatic fashion, had his legal services retained by Deonna Purrazzo this week. The Virtuosa claimed she should still be the rightful Knockouts Champion after Su Yung answered her challenge at Bound For Glory. She had originally been scheduled to face Kylie Rae on the card.
Scott D’Amore said Purrazzo could go through the legal system, but the courts are punting most cases down field during the pandemic, so things could take a long time. Or the former champion could face Su Yung next week. Purrazzo, Kimber Lee, and Evans consulted and agreed to the terms.
This brought out Su Yung who attacked everyone and blew mist in D’Amore’s face. She closed the segment by putting the mandible claw on Purrazzo.
Moose Claims TNA World Championship Is The #1 Title, Confronts Rich Swann
Rich Swann’s first night as Impact World Champion was not without multiple obstacles. After retaining the title in an impromptu rematch against Eric Young, Swann was celebrating in the back with the Rascalz and Willie Mack. He was then confronted by Moose who is now once again in possession of the TNA World Championship. He said that the TNA title was the #1 belt and that Swann seems to be celebrating just being #2. This infuriated Swann and he had to be held back by the Rascalz. Then Willie Mack got in Moose’s face and challenged him to a match. Moose said he’ll decide when that happens. Later in the show, Moose attacked Mack in the parking lot.
Rich Swann Confronted By Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock
After his confrontation with Moose, Swann wandered into a room where Sami Callihan and Ken Shamrock were sitting. Callihan told Swann that while he hasn’t seen a lot of him lately, the new champion should get used to seeing both him and Ken Shamrock around.
There are no shortages of challengers awaiting to face the new champion, it seems.
Swoggle Helps Tommy Dreamer Defeated Brian Myers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn57plQKEXQ
The rivalry between Brian Myers and Tommy Dreamer continued this week on Impact. A Halloweed street fight was scheduled between the two. Dreamer came out with the same Road Warrior Animal tribute facepaint for the match.
After a match filled with plunder, Tommy Dreamer was able to gain the advantage when Swoggle emerged from a trash can and took a pair of tongs to the groin of Myers. Dreamer then delivered a death valley driver through a table for the win.
Team XXXL Moves Up The Tag Team Rankings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWkk9ohHsx8
Team XXXL pulled off what some would consider an upset this week when they defeated the Rascalz. Larry D pinned Dez after a massive splash from the top rope.
Later in the show, the former tag champions, the Motor City Machine Guns, were being interviewed when Team XXXL interrupted. The MCMG were stating that since they were never pinned at Bound for Glory, they were owed a rematch. Alex Shelley was seen sporting a neck brace, however, and a rematch will have to wait until he is cleared. Team XXXL said they aren’t willing to wait for their potential title shot and eventually attacked the former champions, leaving the injured Shelley on the floor.
It looks like Team XXXL is gunning for a title shot and they don’t want to have to wait for MCMG to get their rematch first.
Tasha Steelz & Kiera Hogan Pick Up Victory As Knockouts Tag Division Returns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgf1BPXOxro
Impact has announced an 8-team single-elimination tournament will determine the new Knockouts tag team champions. In the backstage area, Jordynne Grace and Alisha Edwards formed a loose alliance. They would take on the established team of Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz.
In the end, it would be a miscommunication between the less experienced team that would make the difference. Alisha charged at Steelz in the corner but missed and hit her partner, this allowed Steelz to roll her up for the 3-count and pick up the win for her team. After the match, Grace and Alisha didn’t seem too pleased with each other.
Former WCW President Eric Bischoff has labeled Bret Hart as a “negative, miserable guy” on a recent episode of his podcast, 83 Weeks.
Back in 1993, Hart made negative comments about WCW regarding drugs. Taking issue with this, Bischoff addressed Hart’s statements, claiming that it’s “typical” of Bret Hart both then and now.
Bischoff argued how if Bret doesn’t have somebody to “bury, criticize or blame,” then he can’t have much of a conversation at all. He punctuated this point by stating that Bret simply “doesn’t have much to say.”
“It didn’t resonate with me, I think partially because WWE, Vince McMahon, federal court, indicted, drug distribution, goes back a long time. That is not the WWE of today, but we are going back to 1993.”
He speculated how Bret brought up drug discussion relating to WCW in order to “clear the smoke in his own room by creating it in somebody else’s.” According to Bischoff, an approach and attitude like that defines Bret Hart as a person.
“[…] that is Bret. I’ll actually use his words in this context. I don’t mean to say anything bad about anybody, but Bret has a tendency to be a winy b****. I told you a few months ago, I said I was going to take the high road. But he continues to rehash this negative nonsense and bury people.”
Bischoff continued, “It doesn’t make me angry. That’s Bret. Whether he is burying Ric Flair or whether he is burying Mick Foley or Vince McMahon or Eric Bischoff or Bill Goldberg, he is just a negative, miserable guy. That’s how he goes through his daily life. He was doing that in 1993 and he is still doing it today.”
Matt Riddle has responded to Booker T’s comments stating how “The Original Bro” shouldn’t be wrestling in his bare feet. During a recent episode of Booker T’s podcast, The Hall of Fame, he suggested how Riddle is doing himself a disservice by not wearing wrestling boots.
According to Booker T, the lack of footwear was one of the first things he noticed about Riddle. It didn’t leave a positive impression, as he stressed how “that’s not the look of a world heavyweight champion.”
The Hall of Famer argued how “There is a protocol there” in what makes a Superstar World Heavyweight Champion material. “How many World Heavyweight Champions were bare feet [while wrestling]? How many of them were greater than Superfly Jimmy Snuka?”
Booker T continued, “I’m just saying if you’re trying to get to the World Heavyweight Championship or Universal championship, there has always been a certain look that you must have. When I’m talking Matt Riddle, I’m thinking from a promoter’s perspective. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
Word of Booker T’s comments clearly made its way to Riddle. The Raw Superstar took to Twitter to share a photo of himself alongside a caption reading, “My face whenever Booker T speaks, also my face when I’m not on the raw survivor series team, congratulations to Sheamus #stallion #wwe #raw #bro.”
Matt Riddle recently lost to Sheamus on Monday Night Raw. Sheamus’ victory means he gets to represent Team Raw at WWE’s upcoming Survivor Series pay-per-view.
AEW has released new top-5 rankings ahead of tonight’s episode of Dynamite.
AEW Men’s Singles Division
AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (20-0) TNT Champion: Cody (19-2-1)
Brian Cage (10-1)
MJF (9-1)
Lance Archer (13-2)
Brodie Lee (8-2)
Darby Allin (12-5) (previously unranked)
The #5 ranking in this division is in a state of flux. In recent weeks, Shawn Spears, Scorpio Sky and now Darby Allin has occupied the spot. Allin is scheduled to challenge either Cody or Orange Cassidy for the TNT title at Full Gear. Cody and Cassidy will clash tonight in a lumberjack match with the belt on the line.
4 unranked wrestlers will compete in the semi-finals of the contender tournament tonight. Kenny Omega will face Penta El Zero M and Hangman Page will face Wardlow.
AEW Women’s Division
AEW Women’s Champion: Hikaru Shida (19-1)
Nyla Rose (11-2)
Penelope Ford (9-5)
Abadon (5-1)
Big Swole (10-4)
Dr. Britt Baker (6-6)
There was no movement in the women’s division rankings this week. #5 Britt Baker brought her 2020 singles record back to .500 with a win over KiLynn King on Dynamite last week.
The NWA Women’s Championship will be on the line tonight. New champion Serena Deeb defeated Thunder Rosa last night on the UWN show. She’ll defend against Leyla Hirsch tonight.
AEW Tag Team Division
AEW Tag Team Champions: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (12-0)
Young Bucks (8-3)
Best Friends (18-7)
The Natural Nightmares (8-2)
Butcher and the Blade (10-5)
Santana & Ortiz (8-5)
#1 The Young Bucks retain their top-ranking in the division this week. They earned a tag title shot against FTR at Full Gear with their win the 4-way tag match on Dynamite last week.
There was no movement in the tag-team rankings this week. There are also no tag matches scheduled for Dynamite tonight, so the rankings for this division will likely stand still going into next week as well.
Undisputed Era member Bobby Fish has shared high praise for Triple H, noting how “The Game” has an undeniably incredible “aptitude” for the pro wrestling business.
“[…] he saw something that I would think Adam, Kyle and I would like to write for ourselves, and he saw it and was like, ‘Yep. Those three,'” Fish explained to Wrestling Inc. Daily.
Fish noted how he’s been able to witness how Triple H works behind-the-scenes at NXT for three years now. These lessons have allowed him to know how Triple H “operates.”
Regarding the Undisputed Era, Fish believes that Triple H’s “aptitude” always meant a plan was in place to add Roderick Strong to the group:
“I feel like he had an idea long before that and maybe that was the plan regardless. Four peas in a pod,” Fish said. “Triple H was smart enough to see that and recognize that. It’s a little bit of a humble brag I guess, but WWE now gets to benefit. We as the four individuals get to benefit being this brand that nobody has given a name to. Triple H did. Now, along with Shawn Michaels, between the two of them. They have their influence on helping us become who we are. You can’t put a price on that.”
Undisputed Era members Bobby Fish and Roderick Strong were unable to participate in a scheduled NXT Tag Team Championship matchup last week. They were replaced by Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan, who would go on to win the titles from Breezango.
It was recently revealed that Pat McAfee had been orchestrating recent attacks against Undisputed Era, including last week’s attack on Fish and Ridge Holland’s attack on Adam Cole.
Booker T has extrapolated on comments he made during the Hell in a Cell Kickoff show. He had revealed how he wanted Bayley to successfully defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks, stating how he didn’t like Banks.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T explained how he doesn’t care what people think or say about him following his words. He stressed that he shared his opinion, nothing more.
“What if I say I don’t like Sami Zayn? Are they going to blow up the internet? What if I say I don’t like Bayley? Are they going to blow up the internet? What if I say I don’t like you? Are they going to blow up the internet? I mean guys, relax more than anything. Sasha Banks and I is something that her and I have to hash out. This is between us. It’s not between anybody else except Sasha Banks and myself.”
Booker T proceeded to list Banks’ championship accolades within WWE. He noted how she is a 5-time champion and a Grand Slam Champion, noting how he gives her “props” for her accomplishments. Regardless, he added how, ultimately, “[…] she rubs me the wrong way a little bit, It could be her attitude.”
Booker T On Issues With Sasha Banks
The Hall of Famer stressed how he didn’t say he hated her before reiterating that he stated how he “did not like Sasha.” He repeated how any issues that might exist are solely between them and recommended how people don’t “want to cross in my lane.”
He added how he appreciates what Sasha Banks does in the ring. Booker T explained how she is “better than the majority of the women that play that role and are put in that position” before praising her storytelling skills.
Sasha Banks successfully defeated Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. The two clashed at WWE’s recent Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
