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WWE Files To Trademark “Dean Ambrose”

Chris Stephens
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AEW World Champion Jon Moxley was known as Dean Ambrose from 2011 to 2019 while in WWE. According to information publicly available on the US Patent and Trademark Office website, WWE has filed to trademark the name “Dean Ambrose” once again.

WWE held the trademark from November 5th, 2013 until August 28th, 2020. Real-name Jonathan Good, the 34-year-old had used the name “Jon Moxley” before signing with WWE in 2011.

WWE could have renewed the trademark this summer but instead, it was officially canceled at the end of August. About 5 weeks later, WWE then filed again to trademark the term on October 8th, 2020. It is not clear what led the company to abandon the trademark and then file again for it over the course of such a short span of time.

WWE and Cody Rhodes Trademark Issues

WWE seeking to trademark the former ring name of AEW’s world champion comes on the heels of Cody Rhodes regaining use of his previous ring name.

Shortly after it was revealed Cody had regained use of the “Rhodes” name, WWE filed to trademark the names of several older WCW PPVs. More information about this is available in the link below:

Ricky Starks Details Phone Call From WWE After AEW Debut

Chris Stephens
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Ricky Starks made his AEW debut in June by answering Cody Rhodes’ TNT Championship Open Challenge. During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Starks reveals that he got a phone call from WWE almost immediately after the match.

This wasn’t Starks’ first communication with WWE. He previously worked as an extra on television and had a tryout back in 2017, but doesn’t believe he was close to being signed. “I don’t think I was close at all and I’ll never understand why,” he began. I love wrestling. I’ve never played any sports, I never did anything, I only watched wrestling. And I have immersed myself and become obsessed with it and I love it to death.”

Ricky Starks On WWE Contacting Him After Cody Rhodes Match

Later in the interview, Starks talked about WWE contacting him after his match against Cody this summer.

“The funny thing is, the day that I wrestled Cody I got a phone call from WWE saying ‘Hey, we’ve been watching you and we wanted to bring you in’. I said ‘Oh really? oh ok. Interesting. Of all days’. And so I entertained that conversation because I was curious but I think I knew already which decision I was going to make,” Starks said.

“And I had a very dear, great friend tell me once: you should look at the people who want to invest in you and not know anything about you as opposed to the people who only wanted you when they saw someone else having interest. So that put things in perspective and I don’t hold any ill will towards WWE but I really think they dropped the ball majorly on that. I’ll never know why and I guess I don’t care now.”

Chris Van Vliet’s full interview with Ricky Starks can be viewed in the player below.

Update On Seth Rollins’ Time Away From WWE

Chris Stephens
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At Survivor Series 2020, Seth Rollins was eliminated fairly quickly from the men’s 5-on-5 traditional elimination tag-team match. He tagged in and allowed Sheamus to kick him in the face and pin him after yelling “For the greater good!”

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, that was Rollins’ last appearance in WWE before taking time away. Rollins is taking time off as Becky Lynch is due to give birth to the couple’s first child shortly.

Rollins is expected to be gone until some time in January. He might return before the Royal Rumble on January 24th or he might return at the Royal Rumble but that is roughly the expected time frame.

Becky Lynch’s expected return is a little less clear. There are rumors the company is hoping she will return in time to build-up a big WrestleMania match. Further rumors have Ronda Rousey returning in time for the two to headline WWE’s biggest event of the year this spring.

Rollins and Lynch released a photoshoot recently that can be viewed in the link below.

Lynch opened up about the next chapter in her life recently during an interview with USA Today.

“I don’t know what the next chapter is because I only know what it’s like to think for myself when I’m by myself. So I don’t know what it’ll look like and how my priorities shift and what I’m going to want in the future. So, everything’s open.”

Corey Graves: “This Is The Real Roman Reigns, Love Him or Despise Him”

Jake Skudder
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WWE Commentator Corey Graves recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former Sterling James Keenan discussed a number of topics during his time on the show. These would include Roman Reigns’ run at the top of SmackDown, working commentary during the pandemic and Drew McIntyre’s rise to the main event of RAW.

Corey Graves would state that Roman Reigns’ recent heel turn has the perfect amount of reality embedded into the storyline. “I think it’s the perfect example of when you bring the right amount of reality into the sports entertainment business. If you just capture it? It can be magic.”

Corey Graves on Roman Reigns

Graves would then confirm that Roman’s recent change in on-screen character is actually far more in tune with the man himself. “This is kind of interesting to a lot of guys that know Roman. Because this isn’t a ‘new’ character. This IS Roman Reigns. This is the guy that we’ve all known and loved…or despised, for years.”

“Roman believes this stuff that he says” Corey would continue. “Roman knows that he is the guy keeping SmackDown ahead of the pack right now. I genuinely enjoy the hell out of it, because I have the utmost respect for the entire Anoa’i family.”

Graves would finish by saying that the Anoa’i/extended Samoan family have been a major part of his career. “They’ve actually helped me out personally in my career. One of my first big break internationally was with Rikishi’s company over in Europe. When I first broke in Pittsburgh? Samu Anoa’i helped me. So I’ve had a lot of fun, a lot of time with the family and got to know everybody.”

Corey Graves would finish by praising the storyline due to the reality based beats of the Roman/Jey Uso ‘feud’ thus far. “To see that kind of play out on screen and for the whole world to get to know that legacy is legitimate? [It’s great] knowing it’s not some storyline that was drawn up in a writers room.”

Do you agree with Corey Graves? Do you think that Jey Uso will get his time to shine once again and main event against Roman Reigns? Let us know in the comments

Corey Graves

Bully Ray Talks Why Rhea Ripley Will Be a Major Star In WWE

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed NXT Superstar Rhea Ripley. It has been heavily rumored over the past week that Ripley will be heading to the ‘main roster’ shortly, and Bully Ray would give his reasoning as to why she could end up being a major player in WWE.

Bully Ray on Rhea Ripley

“When when I watch her? The thing that comes to mind the most is command of her own athletic ability” Bully Ray would begin on the show. “This is what I think separates talent, the good, the great and the exceptional. Rhea is tall, she’s about 5’10. She’s lanky, she’s not like ultra thin. She’s got a little bit of thickness to her, a good sickness to her. And she has control of all of it.”

Bully Ray used a baseball analogy to elucidate his point. “I always compare control in the ring to how a pitcher on a pitcher’s mound has control of his fastball. If you can throw a fastball 90 miles an hour? That’s great. But if you can’t throw it for a strike? It’s pretty much worthless. That’s command of your own athletic ability, being able to put the ball where you want it.”

“When I see a woman like Rhea? She really is a standout to me” Bully continued. “She has such great control of her own athletic ability, no matter what she’s taking or no matter what she’s giving. I don’t see any wasted movement in her. Whether she’s selling or moving around? She doesn’t just flop and flail, I can tell she’s selling realistically.”

Do you agree with Bully Ray? Do you think that Rhea Ripley could end up a major part of the WWE roster? Let us know in the comments

Bruce Prichard Discusses Eddie Guerrero’s WWE Release In 2001

Anutosh Bajpai
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Eddie Guerrero was one of the biggest Mexican stars WWE has ever seen. He captured multiple championships and won fans over around the world.

However, he faced some roadblocks in the early stages of his career and the former champion was even fired from the promotion after getting arrested for drunk driving in November 2001.

Bruce Prichard talked about Eddie on the latest episode of his Something To Wrestle With podcast. Discussing this incident, the WWE star said that it was the time when their relationship started getting closer:

“This is kind of where our relationship just started to get closer, and where Eddie started opening up to people a little bit more because Eddie realized he needed help, and that’s the first step.”

Prichard went on to say that he was trying to help Guerrero at the time but the WWE release was probably warranted because Eddie needed to have ramifications to realise the need for change. Bruce Prichard also revealed who handled Eddie’s release:

“I believe, at this time, it was pretty much handled by JR and he got the news it’s time to move on, hopefully we can do something with you down the line.'”

Eddie Guerrero returned to WWE in April 2002 and he went on to have a great run with many memorable moments before his death in November 2005.

Aleister Black Update After Several Weeks Off WWE TV

Anutosh Bajpai
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Aleister Black hasn’t been seen on WWE programming for some time. In light of his wife Zelina Vega’s recent release, some fans have questioned if her departure has had any impact on Aleister Black’s absence.

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer discussed the situation. While it does seem that Black has been lost in the shuffle and a low priority for WWE creative, his time away is unrelated to Zelina Vega or his declined request to be moved back to NXT.

Former WWE Raw Executive Director Paul Heyman was a big supporter of Aleister Black. Ever since Heyman was removed from that position, it has become apparent that the new guard do not see Black as favorably and have yet to find a meaningful place for him on the main roster.

The report also reveals that the former NXT star was actually one of the two stars Heyman considered for the big WrestleMania match again Brock Lesnar, the spot which ultimately went to Drew McIntyre after he got the main event nod from the higher-ups.

However, with Heyman gone from the creative team, Aleister Black’s WWE future “doesn’t look good right now” and the fact that he wasn’t even included in the dual branded Battle Royal at Survivor Series was another sign that WWE has “forgotten about him.”

Aleister Black was last seen on WWE programming during the October 12 episode of Raw where he lost a match to Kevin Owens. He was drafted to the SmackDown brand, but has yet to appear for the Blue Brand as of this writing.

Details On Two SmackDown Stars Not Competing At Survivor Series

Anutosh Bajpai
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Big E and Lars Sullivan were two of the big names from the SmackDown roster who surprisingly did not compete at the Survivor Series PPV this Sunday night.

Dave Meltzer talked about this on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio and he suggested that the New Day member was pulled from the dual-branded battle royal so he could possibly be saved for the grand entrance of the trio later in the show.

Another reason for not including Sullivan and Big E into the battle royal was that both the stars are in line for big pushes in future and it made no sense to include them into the bout unless they were winning.

Regarding their future, Meltzer noted that the former NXT champion is “being groomed for a future championship match” while Lars Sullivan is expected to be booked as “SmackDown’s version of Braun Strowman” in the coming times.

Big E was also rumored to be the final member of SmackDown’s Survivor Series team but the spot went to Otis. Since Raw went on to dominate the Blue Brand in that match, it’s possible that the company kept the former NXT star out of the bout to protect him.

E still made an appearance later in the show when the New Day made their entrance wearing their custom Gears of War armor after the trio became playable characters in the Gears 5 videogame.

However, Lars Sullivan, who hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since the November 6 episode of SmackDown, continued his hiatus and the reason for his absence remains unknown.

WWE RAW Results (11/23): Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross, Randy Orton & The Fiend

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome. It was the first episode of RAW following Survivor Series. New Day defended the RAW Tag Team Championships on the line against the Hurt Business and Asuka defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Lana tonight.

RAW Results (11/23)

  1. New Day def. Hurt Business to retain the RAW Tag Team Championships
  2. Riddle def. Sheamus to advance to the #1 Contender Triple Threat match next week
  3. Asuka & Lana def. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
  4. Keith Lee def. Bobby Lashley via DQ to advance to the #1 Contender Triple Threat match next week
  5. Alexa Bliss def. Nikki Cross
  6. AJ Styles def. Randy Orton to advance to the #1 Contender Triple Threat match next week

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Braun Strowman Attacked Adam Pearce

Adam Pearce called the men’s team from Survivor Series and congratulated them on sweeping on Team SmackDown. Pearce said that one of these men could face Drew McIntyre next for the WWE Championship.

Sheamus congratulated Drew McIntyre on becoming a two time WWE Champion. Sheamus claimed that he was the MVP of Team RAW and AJ Styles interrupted. Styles claimed that he deserved the title opportunity and Keith Lee claimed that he should get the title shot because he beat Team SmackDown’s captain to secure the victory.

Riddle stated that he wanted to be champion and get that dope sword from McIntyre. Sheamus called Riddle an idiot and Riddle responded by calling Sheamus “fire face”. Pearce said “last but not least” in reference to Braun Strowman and the Monster Among Men flipped out. Strowman grabbed Adam Pearce and slammed him to the canvas.

New Day Retained

New Day defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against Hurt Business tonight on RAW. Hurt Business confronted New Day backstage and talked them into having the match tonight.

Match Recap: Alexander and Benjamin isolated Xavier Woods to start off the match. Benajamin planted Woods with a Suplex for a near fall. When RAW returned from a break, Kingston and Benjamin were battling in the ring. Kingston climbed to the top rope but Alexander tripped him up. Somehow this resulted in a double count-out and New Day retained. MVP then asked the referee to restart the match and New Day accepted.

After a commercial break, the match was restarted and Hurt Business was in control. Cedric hit Kofi with a Clothesline and followed it up with an Elbow Drop for a near fall. Alexander went to work on Kofi’s left leg and applied a Half Crab. Kofi escaped and went for a tag but Alexander dragged Woods off the apron.

Kofi connected with SOS on Benjamin for a two count. Woods finally tagged back in and hit Alexander with a boot to the face. Woods sent Benjamin out of the ring and hit him with a Dropkick through the ropes. Back in the ring, Woods slammed Cedric to the canvas for a near fall.

Cedric hit Woods with a DDT and tagged in Shelton. Benjamin connected with an Olympic Slam and went for the cover but Kofi broke it up at two. Woods then rolled up Benjamin for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: I’m hoping that the double count-out was a mistake and WWE called an audible because it was executed terribly. I figured that Hurt Business would win after the match restarted. They did not and I have no idea what the point of this match was. The Hurt Business are one of the only teams/factions on the RAW roster that pose a threat to New Day for the titles and they have already defeated them twice.

Riddle Advanced To Next Week’s Triple Threat Match

Adam Pearce announced that there will be three singles matches tonight and the winners of those matches will battle in a Triple Threat match next week to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Championship. Riddle battled Sheamus in the first singles match.

Match Recap: Sheamus controlled the match early and kept Riddle on the canvas. Riddle went for an Arm Bar but Sheamus was able to get his foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Sheamus applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. The action spilled out of the ring and Riddle connected with an Exploder Suplex.

Back in the ring, Riddle hit Sheamus with the Broton for a two count. Sheamus connected with the Irish Curse Backbreaker for a two count. Sheamus charged at Riddle but he moved and the Celtic Warrior crashed into the ring post. Riddle unloaded several kicks to Sheamus’ chest but he countered into an Alabama Slam as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Sheamus applied a Heel Hook in the middle of the ring. Sheamus brought Riddle up to the middle turnbuckle and hit White Noise but somehow Riddle was able to kick out at two. Sheamus then locked in the Cloverleaf in the middle of the ring but Riddle countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory. Riddle is the first superstar to qualify for the Triple Threat #1 contender’s match next week.

Opinion: I know we saw this match recently SmackDown but Riddle and Sheamus work so well together. I thought this match awesome.

Alexa Bliss Defeated Nikki Cross

Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss hosted another episode of Firefly Fun House. Tonight’s episode was about friendship and how friends always let you down. The Friendship Frog showed up and said that he believes that true friendship lasts forever. Bray told Alexa to show Friendship Frog what she is going to do to Nikki Cross later tonight. Bliss bashed the frog over the head several times and then Wyatt called for a brief moment of silence for Friendship Frog who passed away at the age of 40. Wyatt said it was a real shame he croaked and the two laughed to end the segment.

Nikki Cross battled Alexa Bliss later on RAW. Before the match, Nikki was interviewed backstage and said Alexa gave up on their friendship. Cross said she has done nothing but try and help her but she is done trying because she clearly wants The Fiend. Cross added that the only thing she cares about tonight and that is to beat The Fiend out of Alexa tonight.

Match Recap: Cross shouted “what is wrong with you?” at Alexa to start off the match. Bliss giggled and slapped Nikki’s hands. Alexa ducked under a Clothesline and then tripped Nikki up. Bliss rolled out of the ring and Nikki chased after her. Cross caught her and leveled Alexa with a Clothesline.

Back in the ring, Cross hit Bliss with another Clothesline as Alexa continued to laugh. Cross bashed Alexa’s head off the canvas several times and followed it up with a Senton for a two count. Alexa started crying in the ring and Nikki helped her up. Bliss told Nikki that she was sorry and hugged her. Bliss then planted Nikki with the Sister Abigail for the pinfall victory.

Asuka & Lana Defeated The Women’s Tag Team Champions

Asuka defended her RAW Women’s Championship against Lana tonight on RAW. Before the match began, Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax joined commentary.

Match Recap: Lana applied a Headlock and transitioned into a roll-up for a near fall. Asuka got out of the ring and poured water on Nia and Shayna. Jax and Nia then attacked Asuka but Lana made the save. Nia challenged them to a tag team match and they accepted as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Jax launched Lana across the ring and began taunting her. Baszler tagged in and beat down Lana for a few more minutes. Asuka finally got the tag and hit Shayna with Double knees to the face. Asuka followed it up with a German Suplex and then a Shining Wizard.

Shayna connected with a knee to the face and went for the cover but the RAW Women’s Champion kicked out at two. Jax leveled Asuka and then cleared off the announce table. Nia charged at Lana but she moved and Jax tumbled over the announce desk. Shayna got distracted by this and Asuka capitalized with a roll-up for the pinfall victory.

Keith Lee Advanced To The Triple Threat Match

Keith Lee battled Bobby Lashley tonight on RAW. The winner will advance tot he #1 contender Triple Threat match next week. MVP was ringside for the match.

Match Recap: Lashley controlled the action early and got Keith Lee in a Headlock. Keith broke free and hit Bobby with a chop to the chest. Lashley connected with a Flatliner but Lee kicked out at one.

Keith Lee avoided the Hurt Lock and leveled Lashley with a shoulder tackle. MVP distracted Keith and Lashley capitalized by shoving him into the ring post. Lashley shoved Lee into the barricade and rolled back into the ring. Lashley then lifted Lee up on his shoulders and slammed him into the ring post against as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Lashley was still in control and had Lee in another Headlock. Keith broke free with a forearm to the face but Lashley shrugged it off and hit a Clothesline. Lashley followed it up with a massive Suplex and went for the Hurt Lock but Keith Lee blocked it.

Keith sent Lashley tumbling out of the ring with a shoulder tackle and hit him with a Crossbody. MVP shoved Lee into the ring post as the official was checking on Lashley in the ring. Lashley went for the Hurt Lock but Lee countered into a slam. MVP jumped into the ring and attacked Lee to end the match in a DQ. Keith Lee advanced to the Triple Threat match next week.

AJ Styles Advanced To The Triple Threat Match

Randy Orton squared off against AJ Styles in the main event. The winner of the match will advance to the Triple Threat next week.

Match Recap: AJ tried to end it early and rolled up Orton for a two count. Styles connected with a Dropkick for another two count. Orton poked AJ in the eye and tossed him out of the ring.

Randy followed AJ out of the ring and got distracted by his associate. Styles caught Orton with a knee to the face and slammed Orton on top of the announce table as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Orton and Styles were battling on the top rope. Orton went for a Superplex but Styles escaped and hit Randy with a chop block to his knee. Styles focused his attack on Orton’s knee and applied a submission hold.

AJ went for the Calf Crusher but Orton escaped and draped Styles across the top rope. Orton went for the cover but AJ kicked out at two. Styles hit another chop block but Orton battled back with a Backbreaker for a two count.

Orton went for a DDT but AJ dodged it and locked in the Calf Crusher in the center of the ring. Randy slowly made his way across the ring and grabbed the bottom rope to break the hold.

Randy connected with a Powerslam for a near fall. Orton went for the RKO but Styles countered with an Enziguri but Randy fell out of the ring and AJ couldn’t go for the cover. Orton then tripped up AJ on the apron and leaned up against the barricade.

The Fiend then popped up from behind the barricade but disappeared when Orton went after him. Back in the ring, AJ went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Orton blocked it and hit the Draping DDT.

Orton geared up for the RKO but the lights in the ThunderDome went out. When they came back on, The Fiend was behind Randy Orton and shouted at him. The lights went out again and when they came back on Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the pinfall victory. AJ Styles will face Riddle and Keith Lee next week in the #1 Contender Triple Threat match. The Fiend’s laughter echoed throughout the ThunderDome to close the show.

Opinion: Orton and AJ Styles had a forgettable match to end an underwhelming edition of RAW. Sheamus and Riddle easily had the match of the night. I expect Braun Strowman will factor into the Triple Threat match next week or it will become a Fatal 4-Way. I’m glad Orton is out of the title picture and feuding with The Fiend. I had no interest in another Orton and McIntyre match next month at WWE TLC.

The Undertaker Makes First Comment Since His Final Farewell At Survivor Series

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Final Farewell segment at Survivor Series saw The Undertaker biding his farewell to the WWE Universe saying that it’s time for him to Rest In Peace.

WWE had brought in a number of legends for this segment including the likes of Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and more and The Dead Man got an introduction from none other than the boss Vince McMahon before his entrance.

This segment got a lot of response from the WWE Universe and fans from around the world took on their social media to show their respect for the Undertaker and share their feelings.

The Last Outlaw broke his silence and made his first comment after the emotional farewell via a tweet writing ‘The final bell tolls…’ and saying thank you to the fans.

Taker also posted some behind the scene photos from the PPV event including one where he is hugging Michelle McCool and one where he is seen making his entrance in the arena:

https://twitter.com/undertaker/status/1330985573159493632

Michelle McCool and some other members of Undertaker’s family were backstage for this sendoff according to reports but they did not make an on-screen appearance.

After the Last Ride documentary, this farewell segment is another strong indication that The Undertaker is final ready to hang his boots and it would be interesting to see if WWE solidifies his retirement with a Hall Of Fame induction this WrestleMania season.

Planned WWE TLC Main Event

Andrew Ravens
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The scheduled main event for this year’s WWE TLC pay-per-view event has been revealed. 

Dave Meltzer noted in the Daily Update on F4Wonline.com that the scheduled headliner for this show is Drew McIntyre vs. Braun Strowman for the WWE Title. 

This will be the first time in a few months that Randy Orton won’t be featured in the main title picture on the RAW brand. 

As of this writing, there’s no word yet on which stipulation this match will have. Historically, WWE likes to add stipulations that are associated with the TLC theme whether that’s Chair, Tables, Ladder, and TLC matches. 

WWE is expected to confirm this match booking soon. Also, it’s been reported over the last few weeks that WWE is planning a Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan feud. 

Meltzer wrote the following about this program and its status at TLC: 

“Right now regarding Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan for the Universal title, that match is scheduled to take place at some point, it could be TLC, but it’s leaning toward a later date.”

WWE presents the TLC pay-per-view event on December 20, 2020 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida that will air on the WWE Network. This will be the final pay-per-view show of 2020 for the company. 

Sasha Banks: Main Eventing WrestleMania With Bayley Would Be A Dream Come True

NXT Stars Exempt From WWE’s Twitch Ban

Andrew Ravens
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One of the biggest news stories to come out over the last month or so has been regarding WWE’s decision to ban their talent from using third-party platforms, most notably Cameo and Twitch. 

As a result, various stars such as AJ Styles and Cesaro have suspended their accounts until further notice. Vince McMahon even alerted talent that if they did not comply with the edict then penalties would be enforced. Zelina Vega was released from her deal due to this. 

Dave Meltzer noted on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio this new policy currently has zero effect on talent in NXT. 

Instead, the larger focus has been on the WWE main roster. A reader asked about Adam Cole continuing to stream on his Twitch channel, which led to the news being revealed. 

Meltzer noted that rules can change at any moment and he wouldn’t be surprised if NXT stars become included in the edict.

WWE told Sports Illustrated that Vega breached her contract by starting a Cameo account. 

Since her departure, she has met with the President of SAG-AFTRA because she tweeted out that she supports unionization. During this meeting, the two sides talked about the representation of wrestlers. 

Former Democratic Presidential Nominee Andrew Yang has also publicly called out WWE and its Chairman for outdated labor practices.

Bully Ray Talks Aleister Black WWE Career after Zelina Vega’s Release

GLOW Star Alison Brie Is “Pessimistic” About Possible Movie

Andrew Ravens
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GLOW star Alison Brie opened up on the possibility of the television series having a proper ending in the way of a film. 

Although Netflix had previously announced that GLOW had been renewed for its fourth and final season, the show was canceled last month. 

The reason for the show coming to an end was due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The streaming service had committed to the fourth season of the show in August 2019. 

Brie expressed doubt that a movie will be made to wrap up the canceled series. 

“I certainly think a movie could tie everything up,” Brie told The Playlist. “Our creators, Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, are incredible writers. And they’re so devoted to these characters that they created. I think a movie would be a great way to wrap it up.

“I’m a little pessimistic about it actually happening just in light of everything that’s gone on this year and how difficult it is to get anything back into production with COVID, and I’m also part of the “Community” cast, who’s been trying to get a movie going for six years, so what I’m saying is don’t hold your breath because if it does happen, it might take a minute.”

It should be noted that Netflix had been trying to find ways to get the show back into production since the pandemic started. If Netflix had attempted to do so then that the season wouldn’t have premiered until early 2022.

The series was inspired by the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling promotion that was started in 1986. It premiered in 2017. 

GLOW Fans & Cast Hope To Save Show, End Series With Movie

Top Flight Signs With AEW

Michael Reichlin
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Top Flight is All Elite. Darius and Dante Martin made their AEW Dynamite debuts last week against the Young Bucks. The high-flying brothers from Minnesota came up short, put on a strong showing against the champions.

Top Flight joins a stacked AEW tag team division that includes FTR, The Lucha Bros., Best Friends, Natural Nightmares, Dark Order, Private Party, The Hybrid2, Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr. and The Acclaimed, among others.

Miro teased their signing a few weeks ago, but AEW made the official announcement Monday afternoon. Congratulations to Darius & Dante Martin.

The Undertaker’s $1000 Cameo Videos Are Being Posted Online

Chris Stephens
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Survivor Series 2020 may have been the Undertaker’s final farewell but a few big-spending fans are still receiving messages from the Deadman’s character. The Undertaker recently began taking a limited number of requests for videos through Cameo. The price tag was $1000.

Some of the videos have been made available online by Cameo.

Don’t tell Sebastian because I think he’s being gifted this for the holidays:

Here is a reassuring and inspiring message from a comforting Undertaker:

The following thread has even more videos:

If you join the Undertaker’s “Fan Club” through Cameo you can view even more of the Cameos he has recorded. In all, Taker put 30 of the cameos up for sale and they have all sold out. You can click to be notified by Cameo of the next time he is available.

The Undertaker On Watching WWE As A Fan

During a recent interview, the Undertaker spoke about what it is like to watch WWE strictly as a fan now that his in-ring career is over.

“I can to a certain degree. But a lot of times I catch myself talking to the TV like they can hear me. It’s hard to be just a straight fan, because I want everybody to succeed and to develop into their potential. So I’m kind of like, ‘Oh man, don’t do it. It didn’t make sense.”

“Don’t do that. Why would you do that?’ You would actually laugh if there was a camera watching me watch wrestling. I have these conversations and it’s pretty amusing, I’m sure.”

Corey Graves: “Drew McIntyre Entered an Unwinnable Situation” as WWE Champion

Jake Skudder
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WWE Commentator Corey Graves recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former Sterling James Keenan discussed a number of topics during his time on the show. These would include Roman Reigns’ run at the top of SmackDown, working commentary during the pandemic and Drew McIntyre’s rise to the main event of RAW.

“Drew entered in an unwinnable situation here” Graves began on the show, saying how McIntyre’s WrestleMania win and subsequent Championship run has panned out due to the pandemic ‘era.’ “Think of the year that guy’s had. Winning the Royal Rumble with 40,000 people in attendance? Then here comes the pinnacle moment of his career, if not his life? You’re going to headline WrestleMania for the WWE Championship, it literally does not get any bigger than that.”

Corey Graves on Drew McIntyre

“And to have that taken away? And just kind of stay the course?” Corey Graves continued. “Drew to his credit realized these are unusual circumstances, these are strange times. But we needed somebody that you can hitch the wagon to. Drew McIntyre has worked his a** off.”

Corey Graves would also give credit to Randy Orton for the feud over the summer between he and the Scottish warrior. “Also hats off to Randy, who for whatever reason, all these years later? Just decided to have maybe the best year of his career in the ring. The two of those guys man have been absolute magic all summer long.”

Graves would finish by saying that he believes McIntyre will get his opportunity to have another major moment in front of a live crowd. “I truly believe that when the world returns to normal? Whenever that may be, that MacIntyre will have his chance.”

“I can’t wait to hear the fans show their appreciation, because I think this is one of those rare instances where, whether you like it or you don’t? Everyone kind of looked at this and goes ‘well, this is 2020, the world is upside down.’ And I think people will actually very much appreciate what Drew was able to do during his tenure as Champion.”

Have you enjoyed Drew McIntyre’s runs as WWE Champion this year? Let us know in the comments

Corey Graves

The Young Bucks Talk Breaking The ‘Unwritten Rules of Wrestling’

Jake Skudder
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The Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The AEW Tag Team Champions discussed a number of topics during their time on the show; these included their time in IMPACT, changing their working style and writing their new autobiography.

The Bucks would also talk about their chaotic and ‘spot fest’ style of tag team wrestling. It’s clear that there have been detractors of this type of in-ring style; particularly among those with an ‘old-school’ mentality, such as Jim Cornette. The Young Bucks would express exactly why they feel they’re so polarizing as a duo during Busted Open.

Young Bucks on Wrestling ‘Rules’

“We broke the unwritten rules of wrestling” Matt Jackson would begin. “Like you’re only supposed to do a couple of high spots in the match. Well what do we do? We start off with 20 high spots.”

“And ‘hey, the Superkick is a finisher!’ Not for us” Jackson would continue. “For us it’s just a fun move we do 12 times a match. These are the rules of wrestling that…the unspoken rules you do not break. So, when you do those things? People say ‘you’re going to kill the business.'”

Young Bucks: Killing the Business from Backyards to the Big Leagues is the duo’s newly released book. Matt Jackson would also discuss how the name came about based on the aforementioned in-ring style. “I think that’s kind of where the phrase was kind of coined. It was the critics who said that we were spamming Superkicks. That we were doing too many high spots. We were doing all of the things that you’re not supposed to do. But for whatever reason? It worked for us when it was never supposed to work.”

Do you enjoy the AEW Tag Team Champion’s style of wrestling? Are you going to check out the new book? Let us know in the comments

Corey Graves Talks Working in WWE Commentary During The Pandemic

Jake Skudder
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WWE Commentator Corey Graves recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The former Sterling James Keenan discussed a number of topics during his time on the show. These would include Roman Reigns’ run at the top of SmackDown, working commentary during the pandemic and Drew McIntyre’s rise to the main event of RAW.

Discussing working commentary during the COVID-19 pandemic, Graves would say “at first it was jarring. It was really bad. We were in the Performance Center for the first few months of the pandemic. Just like the talent? We feed off of the crowd in a different way, more so for our tone and when we need to push the excitement and accentuate certain moments. We as commentators feed off the crowd as well.”

“So to have that completely gone? We become just narrators” Corey Graves would continue. “We’re just telling the story that’s supposed to be told. [That’s] without the variable that is the WWE Universe, or a live crowd, that can sway things and change things and even turn things completely around. So to have that sterile environment? It was very jarring at first.”

Corey Graves would then discuss how much of a change the ThunderDome setting has made to WWE programming. WWE will be leaving Amway Center for Tampa’s Tropicana Field in December, it is not yet known how the ThunderDome will change in its presentation. “Now that we have the ThunderDome? We actually have some crowd noise piped into our headsets for Cole and I. So we kind of know when we need to exaggerate or speak up or slow down. It’s not perfect.”

Graves would finish by saying how WWE’s ThunderDome concept has been groundbreaking and on par with anything else in entertainment. “I think with the ThunderDome? We’ve taken some amazing steps and it is truly state of the art. As far as live entertainment goes around the globe? I challenge you to find anybody doing better than what WWE is doing right now. But, there is no valid replacement for live fans.”

Do you agree with Corey Graves? Do you think that the ThunderDome is at the pinnacle of television production right now? Let us know in the comments

Corey Graves
Photo Credit: WWE.com

Backstage Survivor Series News: Legend Doesn’t Appear, Who Played Gobbledy Gooker & More

Chris Stephens
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WWE Survivor Series 2020 took place last night from Orlando’s Amway Center in Florida. Several backstage updates from the event have recently become available.

According to a report from PW Insider, it was a busy day backstage at Survivor Series. WWE was filming interviews all day long with the many legends who were on-hand for The Undertaker’s farewell. These interviews will be used for future WWE Network documentaries.

Among the legends who were backstage at the event was Edge. The 47-year-old has been out of action since Backlash but was backstage at Survivor Series, though he did not appear on-screen.

In addition to legends that were on-hand, The Undertaker’s family, including wife Michelle McCool, were backstage as well.

While the Undertaker’s career was the one being celebrated, Survivor Series 2020 was also the 30-year anniversary of the Gobbledy Gooker character. The gimmick returned this year as well, winning the 24/7 title on the preshow and then losing it on the main PPV. Hector Guerrero played the original character but Drew Gulak portrayed it at Survivor Series 2020.

It was also revealed that Michael Hayes was the producer for the Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns match last night.

The Bella Twins Clarify Their Comments About WWE Return

Anutosh Bajpai
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Nikki Bella’s fiancé Artem Chigvintsev had said during an interview with US Magazine that The Bella Twins are having talks about coming back and he wouldn’t be surprised if they returned.

Since the WrestleMania season is approaching, a lot of people wondered if this could mean that we will see the Bellas returning to WWE TV anytime soon, with a Royal Rumble return being the most talked-about scenario.

However, in a new video on their YouTube channel, the Bella Twins talked about these rumors and Brie first explained the hardships she had to face the last time she made a return after giving birth to Birdie:

“A couple of mistakes I did with Birdie on a couple of my comebacks is Birdie was so little — you’re sleep deprived, you’re trying to train, you’re trying to be a mom, so it can be really hard,

I’d like to wait until the boys are like two years old, or something like that. I see us making a comeback in a couple of years, or maybe it’s next year, I don’t know, but it’s not next month!”

Brie continued by saying that they do want to make a return to in ring competition but they aren’t sure about the timeline of their comeback.

Nikki Bella then explained that they aren’t ‘in talks’ right now and what Artem meant was that the sisters have discussed it among themselves. She confirmed that they haven’t spoken to WWE about a return to the ring.

This clarification confirms that the Bella Twins aren’t planning to return to the ring anytime soon and if they do make a comeback it will be somewhere down the line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PjzUiJGsPk

Note On Otis And Bayley’s Addition To SmackDown’s Survivor Series Teams

Anutosh Bajpai
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The card for the Survivor Series PPV wasn’t finalized until the last minute and WWE confirmed the final members of the SmackDown Survivor Series team during the go home episode of the show.

The episode saw producer Adam Pearce naming Otis as the final member of the men’s team. He also gave Bayley a spot in the women’s team to complete the numbers.

Regarding these additions, Dave Meltzer noted on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio that both these stars were simply placed on these teams because the company ran out of time.

The officials apparently felt that they didn’t have enough time on the show to add two more qualifying matches so they just decided to make the announcement in a promo.

Meltzer noted how it contradicts their own booking from earlier on when Pearce had told Braun Strowman that he couldn’t just be added to the Raw’s Survivor Series team and he had to qualify first.

The former Universal Champion then had to compete in a triple threat match against Keith Lee and Sheamus. Strowman won this match to qualify for the PPV and join the team.

The Survivor Series PPV saw team Raw taking on Team SmackDown in both men’s and women’s elimination matches and the champions of both brands colliding with each other. Check out the complete Survivor Series results here.

Jim Ross On If Triple H Ever Refused To Put Over Stars

Anutosh Bajpai
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There are many wrestlers who have had the reputation of being tough with the management and refusing to put over other stars, with Triple H being one of the most talked examples of it.

However, Jim Ross, who was an important backstage figure in the company as well as an on-screen commentator when Triple H was starting his career does not believe these rumors and he says that they are ‘overstated.’

Ross talked about Triple H on the latest episode of his Grilling JR Podcast where the WWE legend claimed that he has never heard of The Game refusing to do a job for anybody:

“I’ve never heard Triple H refusing to do a job for anybody, he certainly would not tolerate that today if he had talents in NXT or whatever that didn’t want to put somebody over. He wouldn’t go along with it.

“Sometimes those things are overstated. I signed him to his biggest contract. I believed in Triple H from early on. I just don’t know, man, I don’t think that was ever a huge issue. If you didn’t like Triple H or his relationship with Vince and Stephanie, now you’re getting into a whole different area. You’re overanalyzing the personal side of this sh** and it’s unnecessary.”

Jim Ross also talked about the infamous feud involving Rikishi and Stone Cold Steve Austin and how the former DX member was revealed as the mastermind behind the situation.

The former WWE star revealed that Triple H’s involvement in the storyline was not originally planned but he claimed that the booking idea was a good audible called by the management.

Chris Jericho On Tony Khan Being “One Of The Boys” & Drug Use In Wrestling

Anutosh Bajpai
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Chris Jericho has been a part of the wrestling world for over 30 years and during this time, the former world champion has seen the good, the bad and the worst the industry has to offer.

One of the things Y2J has seen the wrestling world evolving through is the extensive use of drug back in the day to the current era where it’s considered prohibited.

Jericho talked about a number of things during his recent appearance on Keeping it 100 with Konnan podcast, such as the backstage environment at AEW:

“It’s been a really cool environment with AEW because Tony is, you never want to say this, but he’s one of the boys to an extent, he’s one of the boys in that he hangs out after the show. He’s very generous.”

Discussing the difference in the drug use in today’s wrestling compared to the past, Jericho said “Now, it’s you know, weed and alcohol, there’s really no pills, there’s really no drugs.”

Chris Jericho also talked about the backstage environment at AEW after the shows saying that there is food for everyone after the show and often there is alcohol as well. He explained that it’s because Tony Khan has a sports background and he knows how to take care of his athletes.

WWE Survivor Series Results: The Undertaker’s Farewell, Reigns vs. McIntyre

Robert Lentini
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WWE Survivor Series aired live from the ThunderDome. Team RAW battled Team SmackDown and The Undertaker said his final farewell during tonight’s PPV.

Survivor Series Results

  1. The Miz won the Dual-Brand Battle Royal (Kickoff Show)
  2. Team RAW def. Team SmackDown (Men’s Team)
  3. Street Profits def. New Day
  4. Lashley def. Sami Zayn via submission
  5. Sasha Banks def. Asuka
  6. Team RAW def. Team SmackDown (Women’s Team)
  7. Roman Reigns def. Drew McIntyre

Here are the takeaways from the PPV:

Team RAW Dominated

survivor series 2020 mens match

Team RAW (AJ Styles, Riddle, Braun Strowman, Keith Lee, Sheamus) battled Team SmackDown (Jey Uso, Otis, Kevin Owens, King Corbin, Seth Rollins) in a Survivor Series elimination match.

AJ Styles came to the ring first and said that is the captain and will not apologize for the team victory they are about to have. Riddle interrupted his promo and made his way to the ring.

Match Recap: Jey Uso and AJ Styles started off the action by locking up in the middle of the ring. AJ connected with a Dropkick but Jey battled back with a right hand to the face as Paul Heyman was shown watching backstage. Styles went for the Pele Kick but Jey dodged it and rolled up AJ for a near fall.

Uso planted AJ with a Samoan Drop for a one count. Corbin tagged in and leveled Styles with a punch. Otis tagged in and went for a Splash but AJ got out of the way. Riddle tagged in and walked into a shoulder tackle from Otis. Owens tagged in and targeted Riddle’s bare feet with his attack.

Sheamus tagged in and Seth Rollins asked Owens to tag him in. Owens obliged and the Messiah entered the ring. Rollins said “for the greater good” and dropped to his knees. Seth asked Sheamus to do his part and Sheamus leveled him with a Brogue Kick to eliminate Seth Rollins.

Riddle unloaded multiple kicks to Corbin and tagged in Keith Lee. Otis tagged in and the two big men circle each other. Lee dropped Otis with a punch and tagged in Strowman. Braun hit Otis with a Dropkick and tagged in AJ. Owens tagged in and hit AJ with a Back Body Drop.

Owens dropped Keith Lee and Sheamus with a couple Stunners. Owens delivered another one to Riddle but turned around into the Phenomenal Forearm from AJ for the elimination. Corbin hit Styles with the End of Days but Team RAW broke it up. Corbin hit Sheamus with Deep Six and went for the End of Days again but AJ escaped.

Sheamus hit Jey with a knee to the face and went for the cover but Uso was able to kick out at two. Sheamus clubbed Jey across the chest but Jey battled back with an Enziguri. Otis tagged in and hit Sheamus with a Clothesline. Styles tagged in and Otis hit him with a Belly to Belly Throw.

Braun tagged in and booted Otis to the mat. Otis responded with a massive slam and followed it up with the Caterpillar Elbow. Strowman shrugged it off and hit the Running Powerslam to eliminate Otis. Jey Uso was the final member left for Team SmackDown.

Jey hit Team RAW with a Splash outside the ring. Jey sent Riddle into the steel steps and hit Keith Lee with a Superkick. Back in the ring, Uso sent Braun into the ring post. AJ tagged in and Jey hit him with a Superkick. Jey climbed to the top rope but AJ’s associate dragged him out of the ring.

Keith Lee tagged in but Jey didn’t see it. Jey climbed to the top rope but Lee caught him. Lee then planted Jey with the Spirit Bomb for the pinfall victory. Team RAW defeated Team SmackDown 5-0.

Later on the show, Roman Reigns told Jey that they lost because his team didn’t respect him. Reigns added that Jey doesn’t have a place at the table if he cannot get people to respect him and told him to get out of the arena.

Street Profits Defeated New Day

new day street profits survivor series

RAW Tag Team Champions New Day faced SmackDown Tag Team Champions Street Profits. New Day came down to the ring dressed as characters from Gears of War.

Match Recap: Dawkins shoved Woods to the corner and Kingston tagged in. Ford tagged in and locked up with Kofi in the middle of the ring. Montez kicked Kofi in the midsection and tagged in Angelo Dawkins. Angelo connected with a Splash for a two count.

Montez tagged back in and went for a Moonsault but Kingston got his knees up. New Day leaped on Street Profits outside the ring and took control of the match by isolating Ford in the corner. Woods hit Ford with a Gutbuster as Kofi booted a red solo cup to taunt Street Profits.

Ford escaped but Xavier dropped him with a punch to the ribs. Kingston tagged in and Montez planted him with a DDT. Dawkins and Woods tagged in and Angelo hit Xavier with an elbow to the face. Dawkins hit Woods with a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Xavier kicked out at two.

Montez and Kofi tagged back in. New Day connected with Midnight Hour but somehow Montez kicked out at two. Dawkins hit Kingston with the Anointment and Ford followed it up with the From the Heavens Frog Splash. Ford couldn’t go for the cover right away because of his ribs and it allowed Kingston to kick out at two.

Kingston hit Ford with the SOS and Woods leveled Dawkins with a Dropkick. Woods tagged in as Montez hit Kingston with Trouble in Paradise. Woods hit Ford with a Gutbuster but once again Montez was able to kick out at the last moment. Dawkins tagged in and lifted up Woods in the Electric Chair. Street Profits hit Woods with a Blockbuster for the pinfall victory.

Opinion: Street Profits and New Day put on an excellent match tonight. A loss doesn’t hurt New Day at all but this is a huge win for the Street Profits.

Bobby Lashley Picked Up A Win

lashley zayn survivor series

Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn faced United States Champion Bobby Lashley tonight. Hurt Business was ringside for the match.

Match Recap: Sami Zayn got out of the ring and got distracted by Shelton Benjamin. Lashley capitalized and hit Sami from behind. Zayn attacked Lashley as he got back into the ring and stomped him to the canvas. Lashley quickly regrouped and launched Sami into the turnbuckle.

Zayn once again rolled out of the ring but Lashley brought him back to the apron by his hair. Sami slammed Lashley’s neck into the ropes and followed it up with an elbow to the head for a one count. Lashley sent Sami flying across the ring and then planted Zayn with a Neckbreaker.

Sami connected with a boot to the face and went for a Suplex but Lashley countered into a Suplex of his own. Zayn pretended to have Vertigo and rolled up Lashley from behind for a near fall. Zayn rolled out of the ring and MVP started taunting him. Lashley once again capitalized on the distraction and sent Zayn into the barricade.

Zayn sent Lashley into the ring post and rolled back into the ring. Lashley made it into the ring at the last second but Sami sent him right back to the outside. Sami tried to take the pad off the turnbuckle but Alexander & Benjamin stopped him. Zayn went for the Helluva Kick but Lashley countered into a slam.

Sami rolled out of the ring again and started retreating up the entrance ramp. MVP stood in his way and Sami tried to get the referee to disqualify Lashley by tripping over MVP. MVP rolled Zayn back into the ring and Lashley applied the Hurt Lock for the submission victory.

The Undertaker Bids His Final Farewell At WWE Survivor Series

Andrew Ravens
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The Undertaker made an appearance at Sunday’s WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view event in which was promoted by WWE as his “Final Farewell.” 

WWE had also hyped this show as being a tribute to the former WWE Champion and touted it as “capping off The Phonem’s legendary 30-year career.”

In the final segment of the show, WWE brought out various people ahead of Taker’s entrance. Those brought in for it included Shane McMahon, The Big Show, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Mick Foley, The Godfather, The Godwins, Savio Vega, Rikishi, Kevin Nash, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Triple H, and Kane (in his full gear). 

A special video package aired. Vince McMahon gave a speech in the ring about Taker being in WWE for three decades despite injuries. He even name-dropped WWF. McMahon said tonight we say goodbye and the legacy of The Undertaker lives on for eternity. He brought out Taker. 

It was his iconic entrance as The Deadman. Taker started out by saying for 30 years he has walked to the ring to lay people to rest. He said that now his time has come to let The Undertaker rest in peace. He tossed the microphone out of the ring and did his famous pose with the ‘Oh yes!’ soundbite from Paul Bearer with a hologram of Bearer appearing on the big screen.

The reason for this show being a tribute was due to him making his promotional debut at the 1990 version of Survivor Series.

The Undertaker beat AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match, which served as the headliner of WrestleMania 36 – Night 1, in what was Taker’s most recent match. 

Chapter 5 of The Last Ride on the WWE Network ended with Taker stating that he had no desire to wrestle again, which many took as a hint at the possibility of retirement. He has since confirmed in various interviews that he’s retired. 

The Undertaker: Vince McMahon ‘Did Not Like’ Original Ending To The Last Ride

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