Following Monday’s WW Raw, here’s the updated card for Survivor Series. The pay-per-view will feature a Raw vs. SmackDown theme, as well as a celebration of The Undertaker’s 30 year career.
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks
Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Street Profits
United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn
5-on-5 Elimination Match: Team RAW (Keith Lee, AJ Styles, Sheamus, Braun Strowman & Matt Riddle) vs. Team SmackDown (Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, King Corbin, 1 More TBD)
5-on-5 Elimination Match: Team RAW (Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Mandy Rose, Dana Brooke, & Lana) vs. Team SmackDown (Bianca Belair, Ruby Riott, 3 More TBD)
Survivor Series takes place on Sunday, November 22nd. The show airs live on the WWE Network from the ThunderDome at the Amway Center in Orlando, FL.
Cody Rhodes says he plans to retire from in-ring action in 5 years when he’ll be 40-years-old. In a recent interview with the Bleacher Report, Rhodes stated that he has political aspirations which could include running for the Senate in his home state of Georgia.
“I have a ton of desire to do more acting so long as it doesn’t conflict with my job here,” Rhodes said. “I’m 35, and I said I only wanted to wrestle for five more years. I have political aspirations. I would love to run for the Senate in the great state of Georgia. I want to help with the sphere of influence I have created. I always say if you do the work, it will pay off. That is why I love Brandi. She is so incredibly hardworking, and we have to remind each other to be present often, but when we are it’s very special.”
Rhodes recently lost the TNT Championship at AEW Full Gear to Darby Allin. He recently regained the ability to use the in-ring last name of “Rhodes” after a trademark battle with WWE. The 35-year-old had been wrestling as just Cody since leaving Vince McMahon’s company in 2016.
WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome in the Amway Center. WWE Champion Randy Orton teamed up with Miz & Morrison to battle Drew McIntyre & RAW Tag Team Champions New Day in the main event.
RAW Results (11/9)
Riddle def. Elias & Jeff Hardy to qualify for Team RAW at Survivor Series
Shayna Baszler def. Lana
Keith Lee & Riddle def. Sheamus & Braun Strowman
Bobby Lashley def. Titus O’Neil via submission to retain the US Title
Asuka def. Nia Jax via DQ
Mustafa Ali def. Ricochet
Drew McIntyre & New Day def. The Miz, John Morrison, Randy Orton
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Orton Hit McIntyre With An RKO
Randy Orton became the new WWE Champion at Hell In A Cell
The Miz and John Morrison kicked off RAW with an episode of Miz TV. The Miz promoted his reality TV show before Randy Orton interrupted. Orton, Miz, Morrison will face New Day and Drew McIntyre later tonight.
Orton said he only agreed to the match tonight so he could get his hands on Drew McIntyre. Randy told Miz that he wished he was never let back in the locker room and mocked John Morrison for wrestling in the minor leagues after he left WWE. Miz suggested that if they win tonight they may be in line for a shot at the tag titles.
RAW Tag Team Champions New Day joined the party and said they were coming down to the ring so that they could laugh at them in person. Orton hit Kingston with an RKO and a brawl broke out. Drew McIntyre ran down to the ring and traded punches with Orton. The Miz hit McIntyre from behind with the MITB briefcase and pushed him towards Orton. Randy connected with the RKO to end the segment.
Elias claimed that he was jolted awake every night by a vision of him winning tonight’s second chance Survivor Series qualifying match against Riddle and Jeff Hardy. Elias said that he needs this because things haven’t been going well for him inside the ring recently. He stated that tonight’s victory goes out to Elias fans that bought his album because they understand his greatness. Elias started performing but was interrupted by Jeff Hardy’s theme.
Match Recap: Elias beat Jeff down in the corner and then traded punches with Riddle. The action spilled out of the ring and Elias leveled Jeff with a Clothesline as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Elias was in control and hit Riddle with a chop to the chest in the corner of the ring. Hardy went for Twist of Fate but Elias countered into Drift Away. Elias went for the cover but Riddle broke it up at two.
Jeff hit Elias with Poetry in Motion and traded punches with Riddle. Elias leveled Jeff with a knee to the face but turned around into a Bro Derek from Riddle for the pinfall victory. Riddle is the final member of Team RAW’s men’s team for Survivor Series. The team is Styles, Keith Lee, Braun Strowman, Sheamus, and Riddle.
Lana faced Shayna Baszler tonight on RAW. Nia Jax accompanied Shayna to the ring. Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke joined commentary.
Match Recap: Shayna went right after Lana and stomped on her arm. Baszler quickly locked in the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission victory. After the match, Nia Jax was about to plant Lana through the announce table again but Dana Brooke and Mandy prevented it.
After the match, Lana thanked Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose for helping her. Mandy told Lana that they only did it because they want to win at Survivor Series. Mandy and Dana blamed Lana for them losing their shot at the Women’s Tag Team Championships last week and told Lana to stay out of their way.
Alexa Bliss made an appearance on Alison Rosen “Is Your New Best Friend Podcast” where she discussed a wide range of topics including WWE labeling their talent as independent contractors.
A fan asked the question and about the criticism that WWE faces for doing this. Bliss defended the company over this topic.
“WWE takes care of us 100%, we all are in a contract, and anything that happens inside the ring, WWE takes care of. Our health is 100% priority, our health and safety is 100% priority in the company.
Unfortunately, we’re living in the middle of a cancel culture, where people try to start rumors, and make their assumptions of things. There has never been a time where I’ve ever felt uncomfortable about being in the ring, or ever felt forced about being in the ring.
Even when I was injured, I had concussions, and Vince said ‘Alright, well we’re going to send you to the best specialists there are’, and he did, and I saw a concussion specialist, and they went above and beyond to take care of me. I know everyone feels that way.”
For decades this has been a hot topic among wrestlers. Despite the minority of wrestlers being vocal about it, there has never been a union in the pro wrestling business let alone WWE.
This topic was brought back up when WWE decided to ban wrestlers from making money off third party platforms such as Twitch and Cameo.
D-Von Dudley will be tuning in to watch this week’s episode of AEW Dark as his sons will be working a tag team match.
All Elite Wrestling released the card for this Tuesday’s episode that will air on YouTube. Terrence and Terrell Hughes will make their AEW in-ring debuts when they face Chaos Project (Serpentico and Luther). They’ll be going by the tag team name of TNT.
The 25 year old twins are the sons of the WWE Hall of Famer and current WWE producer. Some fans might recall them appearing on a previous episode of Impact Wrestling a few years ago.
There are 8 other matches featured on the card that will air at 7pm ET.
AEW Dark Card
TNT (Terrence and Terrell Hughes) vs. Chaos Project (Serpentico and Luther)
Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero M and Rey Fenix) vs. David Ali and Ashton Starr
Jurassic Express (Luchasaurus and Jungle Boy) vs. Sonny Kiss and Joey Janela
“5” Alan Angels of The Dark Order vs. Fuego del Sol
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) vs. Justin Blax and Louis Valee
Ivelisse and Diamante vs. Jennacide and Dreamgirl Ellie
Leva Bates vs. Dani Jordyn
Top Flight (Angel Dorado and Air Wolf) vs. Frankie Thomas and Baron Black
TheHybrid2 (Angelico and Jack Evans) vs. Shawn Dean and Adam Priest
Longtime WWE employee and ring announcer Tony Chimel has reportedly been released by the company. According to a report from PW Insider, WWE has released as many as 10-15 employees today including Chimel. The exact number of releases is not known, however. The releases are said to be mostly logistical and behind the scenes staff.
Tony Chimel had been with the company for nearly 30 years, having started in 1991. He was originally hired to work backstage but eventually became a full-time ring announcer as well. He became the first-ever announcer for the Smackdown brand upon the show’s debut. In recent years, Chimel had been working to supervise the ring crew as well as a production manager.
Additionally, one other notable name was released by WWE today. The Director of Venue Merchandise and Remote Operations, Derek Casselman, was also let go. As with Chimel, Casselman had been with the company since the early 1990s.
WWE’s layoffs today come on the heels of the company announcing strong profits for the 3rd quarter of 2020. The company reported total revenue for the period at $221.6 million, an increase of 19%, or $35 million.
“Our third quarter financial performance was strong and reflected our ongoing creativity in a challenging environment,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “We continue to adapt our business, as demonstrated by the creation of WWE ThunderDome, focusing on increasing audience interaction and engagement to support the value of our content globally.”
Former WWE, TNA, WCW and NWA personality Jim Cornette recently discussed the NXT UK bout between WALTER and Ilja Dragunov. The two UK based Superstars had a brutal, bloody match for the WWE United Kingdom Championship that gained critical acclaim.
Cornette himself was a huge fan of the match itself. Discussing the bout on the Drive Thru podcast, Jim Cornette would say that this was how pro wrestling could, and should, have evolved.
Jim Cornette on WALTER vs Dragunov
“I tweeted that for all the people talking about ‘pro wrestling has to evolve and pro wrestling has evolved and pro wrestling has to modernise.’ Well this is what it COULD have evolved into” Cornette began on the podcast.
“That’s if it hadn’t been commandeered, taken, over co opted or otherwise run into the ground over the last 20 years by comedy writers and backyard cosplayers.”
Cornette would then praise the match further, saying “This was brilliant. And the evolution thing? Again it’s so ridiculous. When you have guys doing everything but sticking fireworks up their asses and running around playing f*cking hopscotch in the middle of the ring on one national programme?”
Jim Cornette would finish by discussing the disparity between this presentation from NXT UK and the rest of WWE’s output currently. “The major company that operates this little subsidiary [NXT UK] that just put on this classic? This Oscar winner? [WWE] has f*cking Judge Judy and People’s Court mashups on their network cable programme in this country! AND all this other tomfoolery and shenanigans!”
Do you agree with Jim Cornette? Have you seen Ilja Dragunov vs WALTER on NXT UK? Let us know in the comments
WWE Superstar and leader of the Retribution group Ali recently appeared on After The Bell w/Corey Graves. The former 205 Live roster member discussed a number of topics on the podcast, including his time with the purple brand.
“Here’s the thing. I 100% appreciated my time on 205 Live” Ali began on the podcast. “I look at this past episode of Monday Night RAW. You had me, Cedric Alexander, Drew Gulak, Akira Tozawa, Lince Dorado and all these alumni from 205 taking a large portion of TV time. Buddy Murphy also has a major storyline on SmackDown.”
Ali on 205 Live
Ali would then state how the actual timing of 205 Live, going on after SmackDown previously, was a massive misstep by WWE. “Here’s the thing, going on after SmackDown? It was the equivalent to an opening band going on after Metallica. No one’s there to see them.”
The Retribution leader would then discuss how 205 Live should’ve been built around an already established Superstar. “If you gave us Rey Mysterio? You could put 205 Live on his back. He can create this brand because there’s immediate interest in Rey, therefore there’s interest in the show. And now you put Buddy Murphy against Rey? Now you’re building Buddy. Then once buddy is established? You put me in. Like, there’s a process [you usually follow].”
Do you agree with Ali? Do you think that 205 Live could’ve used a more established star such as Rey Mysterio? Let us know in the comments
MLW returns after an 8-month hiatus on November 18th, 2020. That is when the first new episode of Fusion since the pandemic will air on YouTube and Fubo Sports. The promotion has booked Davey Boy Smith Jr. to challenge Jacob Fatu for the MLW World Championship on the show.
“This is a dream match we originally slated for Pay-Per-View this past summer and felt it was the perfect match to give the fans as a thank you for hanging tight and supporting us through #TheRestart,” said MLW CEO Court Bauer.
In storyline, Fatu’s Contra Unit took control of the promotion by raiding the corporate head offices. During the raid, Smith was left injured, apparently with a broken back. MLW has since revealed he has been cleared to compete. Smith also won last year’s Opera Cup tournament, making him a top-ranked wrestler in the promotion.
Fatu has held the MLW World Championship for a record 492 days at this point. Granted, much of the was during the pandemic period when the league wasn’t running. In total, 8 wrestlers have held the title. No wrestler has won the belt more than once.
MLW World Champions:
Satoshi Kojima (267 days) (7 title defenses)
Low Ki (205 days) (7 title defenses)
Jacob Fatu (492 days) (5 title defenses)
“Filthy” Tom Lawor (154 days) (3 title defenses)
Steve Corino (235 days) (2 title defenses)
Shane “Swerve” Strickland (91 days) (1 title defense)
Gangrel and The Hurricane both appeared in the Elite Deletion match at AEW Full Gear. During the post-event media scrum, Tony Khan was asked about their involvement and what could be next for them in the promotion.
“I’m not sure, you know, you never know. To be honest, I don’t have either of them booked on anything in the next loop or in the immediate future but I’m also really open to both of them coming back.”
“I was at the compound for the Deletion producing the match and I spent time with both guys. I’ve known Shane for awhile and I had never met Gangrel before and I really enjoyed spending time with both guys and I’d love to see both of them come back at some point, I think that’d be a lot of fun.”
Impact Wrestling EVP Don Callis was also on the show. He provided commentary during the Kenny Omega vs Hangman Page match. Callis and Omega go way back and are both from Winnipeg. Khan addressed Callis’ role at Full Gear as well during the post-event media scrum.
“It was definitely something I did for Kenny and I put it together with Impact and agreed for Don to come, he’s an executive there. I’d love to have Don back in the future and I’m open to working with people. I think we’ve demonstrated multiple times that AEW is probably the most friendly major company, definitely right now.”
WWE recently abandoned its request to renew its trademark of the name “Cody Rhodes”. Cody recently dropped his attempt to trademark several WCW PPV names as well, including “Slamboree”.
According to information publicly available on the US Patent and Trademark Office website, WWE filed to trademark several WCW PPV names recently including those Cody had been attempting to obtain.
WWE filed to trademark the following terms on November 3rd:
Slamboree
The Match Beyond
Bunkhouse Stampede
BattleBowl
Superbrawl
Bash at the Beach
WWE and Cody File To Trademark Similar Terms
WWE filed to trademark the term “Slamboree” just one day after abandoning its request to trademark “Cody Rhodes” on November 2nd. Cody had also recently abandoned his trademark filing for “The Match Beyond”. WWE then filed to trademark that same term on November 3rd.
WWE filed for “Bunkhouse Stampede” on November 3rd as well. There is no record of Cody having attempted to trademark that term.
WWE filed to trademark the term “BattleBowl” on November 3rd. Cody had attempted to trademark this term all the way back in March 2019.
Cody abandoned his attempt to trademark the “Superbrawl” name on October 30th. WWE then filed to trademark the name on November 3rd.
WWE filed on November 3rd to trademark the term “Bash at the Beach”. Cody had filed to trademark the term last year. AEW did hold some events last year under the Bash at the Beach moniker.
Based on the timing of these filings, it appears some deal between WWE and Cody Rhodes has been worked out.
New episodes of MLW Fusion will premiere Wednesday nights on MLW’s YouTube channel at 7pm ET starting November 18th.
In statement issued over the weekend, MLW CEO Court Bauer said that the decision to drop new episodes of Fusion on YouTube each week was due to overwhelming interest from fans.
“Fans have been blowing up my Twitter for months asking that we keep MLW’s presence on YouTube, so we’re going to do just that,” said Bauer. “YouTube has enabled us to grow and we will continue to enrich the platform with more quality content from MLW.”
The fight card for the November 18th #TheRestart premiere will be announced shortly.
MLW will be moving much of its programming to Wednesday nights, while its flagship series will air nationwide on cable and satellite Saturday nights at 10pm on beIN SPORTS in the United States.
Below is an updated chart showing how you can watch MLW Fusion
Chad Gable has revealed which WWE Superstar is his “dream opponent” during an interview with WWE’s After the Bell podcast.
Having shared his championship aspirations with podcast host Corey Graves, Gable admitted he’s eager to prove himself against top talent, pointing directly at Daniel Bryan.
He noted how he’s not going to be aiming directly for the WWE Universal Championship just yet, although it remains his ultimate goal. Instead, he’s got his eyes set on the Intercontinental title.
“[…] I’m not going to say all of a sudden, three months from now, oh, I should be Universal Champion, because I don’t think that we make those kind of jumps immediately,” Gable confessed. “I do see that for myself long-term because you have to or else what are you doing? But I am very happy that I stayed on Smackdown because we have the IC Title, which I think would be a great starting point for me as a singles guy. I want to get in that mix.”
Chad Gable’s Championship Goals
If successful, the former American Alpha member shared how he would be a fighting champion. He revealed how he would be eager to “defend it all the time.” According to him, his dream match would be a bout against Bryan, regardless of whether the Intercontinental Championship was at stake or not.
“[…] there’s guys like Bryan on our show who I have not had a chance to wrestle yet on TV, especially in a singles match. It’s my dream opponent that’s still wrestling. Before he’s done – and I don’t know how long he has left or how long he plans on wrestling – I want to have that match with Bryan, whether it’s for the IC title.”
He revealed how if he were able to wrestle Bryan, he’d want their match to have real stakes involved. Gable is confident if the match happened, he’d be able to show the world what he’s truly capable of. And with an opponent like Daniel Bryan, Gable believes they’d be able to “tear the house down.”
Former SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley has revealed she wants to be first to face current NWA World Women’s Champion Serena Deeb.
Bayley’s comments were in response to a tweet from Australian wrestler Shazza McKenzie. McKenzie had expressed her intentions to make a dream match happen between herself and Deeb once the coronavirus pandemic had ended.
Bayley, however, saw things a little differently from McKenzie. She tweeted the Aussie wrestler with a concise response, replying, “I’m first.”
Deeb was formally a part of WWE in 2010. She was a part of CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society faction. Deeb only competed in a few matches, however, before she returned to the independent scene.
The NWA Women’s Champion addressed the criticism leveled at AEW’s Women’s Division following the Full Gear event.
She shared how AEW’s women’s roster is “really growing” and has so much “potential” before highlighting how AEW’s working relationships with other promotions will “benefit everybody.”
“With people coming in from the outside — when you’re in wrestling, it only helps you to wrestle other people, other women, and other men. It just helps you the more you get in the ring with different people. You become a more well-rounded wrestler. I think with this partnership and different women coming in, and different women going elsewhere, it’s going to benefit everybody. I think the fans are really excited about it, too, and it keeps it very interesting.”
SmackDown Superstar Jey Uso opened up aligning with Roman Reigns and his recent character changes during an interview with Kayla Braxton for her show, The Braxton Beat.
Uso reflected on the events of the past few months, noting how “[…] everybody saw what was going down. Fall in line, man. I lost two big pay-per-views to him [Roman Reigns]. This goes deeper than what it is on TV, man.”
He apologized to Daniel Bryan for attacking him following their recent bout. Uso apologized to Bryan’s family and his own family for his actions.
According to him, “Daniel Bryan was really, really at the wrong place at the wrong time, for real. It could’ve been anybody. It could’ve been any body. So, the oath is real. I faced the consequences. I told him, I never run from them. I know what I was getting into, but this is it. This is the game we play.”
Jey Uso On Proving Fans Wrong
Jey Uso then opened up about how that night on SmackDown “felt like two years.” Uso stressed how he was in a position fighting from underneath against people who believed he wasn’t deserving of a higher spot or opportunity.
“You got the whole world talking a whole bunch of crap like I’m not the guy supposed to be running with this thing, and now we give the world what they want to see and now the whole world, ‘Oh, why you do that? Why you do that?’ Man, y’all don’t know what the hell you want, but I know I gotta do what I need to do to provide for my family. And that’s been the goal since I came in there.”
He highlighted how pro wrestling is a “shark-eat-shark” world that lacks true friendship. Uso then explained how, if he’s going to “[…] stick with somebody through this whole journey,” it is going to be with his family.
AEW President Tony Khan discussed the highly-anticipated AEW video game during the Full Gear virtual media scrum following Saturday’s pay-per-view.
Khan confessed he can’t say too much about what AEW has lined up. He noted, however, that multiple games are in the works.
“We’re making multiple games. We’re working on more than one game in AEW games and we’re going to cater to multiple platforms. We’re going to cater to different kinds of games and different interests,” Khan said. “I think we’ll put a title out, a console game that’s best in class for a console game. We’re really excited about it.”
He also shared how future AEW shows could “impact our video game plans.” Tony Khan then noted how the promotion intends to release something for fans that “[…] love putting wrestling cards up together and love to be in the position that I am which is the general manager of AEW.”
AEW recently announced it will be hosting an AEW Games Special Event. It is speculated that news about a planned console release will be made alongside a suspected mobile game that will allow fans to assume the role of a General Manager.
The promotion recently filed trademarks for the terms “All Elite Wrestling: General Manager” and “Elite GM.” Coupled with Tony Khan’s statement, it seems the announcement of an AEW General Manager game is only a matter of time.
AEW Games Special Event takes place on Tuesday, November 10th at 6/5C. Fans can tune in on AEWGames’ YouTube channel and follow updates via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
SmackDown Superstar Zelina Vega has opened up about being rejected by WWE in the past.
Speaking with Lilian Garcia on Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast, Vega shared how being rejected was a “hard moment” for her. She highlighted how she suffered numerous rejections over the years despite her efforts to continually showcase her commitment to pro wrestling and WWE:
“I was 18 or 19 when I had my first tryout,” Vega said. “I got turned down every year since 2010, except for 2011 – 2012, but every year after that. And then, like, around 2017, I said, ‘ok, I’m out.’ They had me as a Rosebud for, like, six months. So I was driving from New York to, like, everywhere, just to prove to them how much this meant to me.”
Vega shared how she doesn’t think most people know what the process is like anymore. According to her, most don’t have any idea what “paying your dues” is really like. Despite her setbacks, however, Vega knew she had to follow through as she believed wrestling was what she was “meant to do.”
Zelina Vega recently competed for a Survivor Series spot on Team SmackDown in a Triple Threat matchup. She was unsuccessful, with Ruby Riott going on to join the team.
All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan has addressed fan criticism regarding AEW’s women’s division. During AEW’s Full Gear virtual media scrum, he explained how he understood the feedback he’s been seeing. He also acknowledged the confusion revolving around the dynamic between Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero.
“I understand what people are saying about the division. I should have probably done better to put some of Nyla’s story when she said she wasn’t going to wrestle again hand Vickie said she was going to wrestle again until they got the title shot,” Khan explained.
Khan noted that he should have further developed the Rose/Guerrero story on Dynamite to reach AEW’s wider audience. He confessed he forgets that only about “half the audience” tunes in for Dark each week.
“I should have used that on Dynamite more. I watch Dark very closely and work on Dark very closely and book Dark, so I’m obviously watching Dark, but I forget sometimes that there’s about half the audience watches Dark for us, typically.”
Tony Khan explained how Vickie Guerrero’s schedule had several conflicting dates in it. This meant she wasn’t available at all times, making it challenging to book her and Rose to further their story as Khan would have liked.
“[…] the time in the real world, Vickie was not able to come those weeks, not because she was sick, but because it was a conflict that she always had,” Khan said. “So I gave her that time off and I probably should have made it clear… There’s a lot to putting the shows together.”
Nyla Rose recently competed for the AEW Women’s Championship at Full Gear. She lost to Hikaru Shida.
Raw Superstar Keith Lee has opened up about his debut on WWE’s red brand and what he thinks about his experiences on the main roster to date.
Reflecting on his move from NXT to Raw in an interview with SportsNet.ca, Lee shared how the transition was “astronomical” for him. Lee immediately made an impact on Raw by “stepping into Randy Orton’s space.”
“I don’t know many people that have done that. It was a very large transition, especially those first few weeks of fighting him and trying to work to a pay-per-view, and the triple threat for a number one contenders thing with the world title – it was a lot, to say the least. A big transition.”
Differences Between NXT And Raw
When it comes to the differences between Raw and NXT, Lee pointed to the new Superstars he gets to interact and work with. He admitted how he was “fortunate” to already have several friends on the Raw roster. This made his transition to Monday night’s an easier process overall:
“[…] the biggest difference is just getting to know people that I’ve either never wrestled or never met, and just getting used to how things are and the way things work at RAW… At the end of the day, I was actually very fortunate because I had several friends on RAW, so I wasn’t unsure or uncomfortable. I’m a fairly confident guy anyway, so when it comes to the transition, it felt very natural.”
Keith Lee’s Raw Experience
Regarding his experiences as a Raw Superstar to date, Lee was quick to point at the talent he’s been able to work.
He shared how he’s “grateful” to have shared the ring with Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, and Seth Rollins. He believes their matches have allowed him to “test” himself.
Lee believes he’s held his own against WWE’s top Superstars before setting forth his future goals. According to him, he wants to get through Survivor Series and then face off against Braun Strowman. Once that’s done, he intends to move back into the WWE Championship picture.
Keith Lee is a member of Team Raw’s Survivor Series team. He joins AJ Styles, Sheamus, and Braun Strowman. They are set to compete against Team SmackDown at Survivor Series on November 22nd.
Paige has revealed that she and her boyfriend Ronnie Radke experienced a stalker incident on November 8th.
Retweeting Radke’s break down of the incident, Paige described the experience as the “scariest thing ever.” She explained how the stalker had told them that “symbols led him to us.” Paige also expressed her gratitude that her boyfriend was able to secure the person in a hold until the police could arrive.
Paige’s boyfriend had previously taken to Twitter to share his thoughts on what happened. He lobbied a clear warning to anyone thinking they could get away with something like this. He also shared photos of the police apprehending the stalker and accompanied them with the following caption:
“a stalker had the audacity to come to my door, got his ass handed to him until police arrived and saved the day. I will f*****g kill you. Please don’t make me kill you.”
Paige recently opened up about the physical abuse issues she suffered with her ex-fiance. The two were engaged in 2016 but ultimately split up in 2017.
She is also embroiled in an issue with WWE regarding her Twitch stream. WWE’s recent policy sees the company assume ownership of Twitch accounts operated by members of its roster. It’s not something Paige is very happy about, as she has stated she “cannot deal” with WWE anymore.
Following the events of NJPW Power Struggle 2020, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has begun announcing matches for Wrestle Kingdom 15, their largest event of the calendar year. Wrestle Kingdom 15 will kick off NJPW’s 2021, taking place as a two-day event on Monday, January 4th, and Tuesday, January 5th.
At the post-Power Struggle press conference, Jay White repeated his intentions to take Wrestle Kingdom day 1 off, then challenge Tetsuya Naito for the double championships on day 2.
In addition, Tetsuya Naito stated that he still wanted to fight Kota Ibushi, especially since Ibushi was the first person in over a decade to win two consecutive G1 Climax tournaments. He stated that he might boycott Wrestle Kingdom if he was not given a match Kota Ibushi. NJPW has since caved to his demands.
Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 1
January 4, 2021
IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito defends vs. Kota Ibushi
Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay
Wrestle Kingdom 15 Day 2
January 5, 2021
IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontinental Championship Match: Winner of Naito-Ibushi vs. Jay White
AEW Full Gear aired tonight from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. In addition to the takeaways below, Thunder Rosa confronted Serena Deeb after she succesfully defended the NWA Women’s Championship during the Buy In.
Match Recap: Hangman refused to shake Omega’s hand and the two locked up in the middle of the ring. Page connected with a couple shoulder tackles and followed it up with a chop to the throat. Kenny sent Page out of the ring with a Hurricanrana. Hangman hopped back in and leveled Omega with a boot to the face. Page followed it up with a Fallaway Slam and Kenny rolled to the ring apron to regroup.
Page hit Omega with a Suplex off the second rope for a near fall. The action spilled outside the ring and Page sent Omega into the barricade. Page tried to do it again but Omega hopped on top of the barricade and connected with a Moonsault. Back in the ring, Omega connected with a slam for a near fall.
Kenny followed it up with another Moonsault off the middle rope for a two count. Hangman battled back and hit Omega with a Clothesline that knocked him to the floor outside the ring. Hangman went for a Crossbody but Omega dodged it and connected with a Dropkick.
Omega flipped onto Hangman outside the ring. Back in the ring, Omega climbed to the top rope and connected with a Dropkick for a two count. Page booted Omega in the face and set up for the Buckshot Lariat. Kenny was ready and countered with a V-Trigger that sent Hangman tumbling to the entrance ramp.
Kenny followed Page out there and Hangman connected with a massive Powerbomb. Hangman hit another Powerbomb and went for the cover but Omega was able to kick out at the last moment. Omega connected with a Snap German Suplex but Hangman popped up and hit a Clothesline for a near fall.
Hangman went for the Buckshot Lariat but Omega ducked under it. Page rolled up Omega but Kenny was able to kick out at the last moment. Kenny hit a Dragon Screw and followed it up with a knee to the face. Omega dodged another Buckshot Lariat and hit Page with a V-Trigger. Omega then planted Hangman with the One Winged Angel. Kenny Omega is the #1 contender for the AEW Championship.
Opinion: I thought this match was awesome and a great way to begin Full Gear. The only complaint I have about this match is that it didn’t go on for another ten minutes.
Orange Cassidy battled John Silver tonight at Full Gear.
Match Recap: Cassidy put his hands in his pockets to start off the match. Silver went for a punch but Orange countered into an Arm Drag. Orange put his hands back in his pockets and hit a few lazy kicks. Cassidy leveled Silver with a Dropkick and posed for the crowd.
Silver planted Cassidy with a Body Slam and then ripped the pockets out of Orange’s pants. Cassidy went for a DDT but Silver countered into a Suplex for a two count. Silver went for a Superplex but Cassidy blocked it. Cassidy connected with a Michinoku Driver for a two count.
John Silver hit Cassidy with a few kicks and rolled up Orange for a near fall. Cassidy connected with the Stundog Millionaire but turned around into the Spin Doctor from Silver for a two count. Cassidy hit the Orange Punch and then the Beach Break for the pinfall victory.
Match Recap: Cody controlled the action early and shoved Allin to the corner of the ring. Rhodes flexed and the two wrestlers locked up in the middle of the ring. Cody tripped Allin up and then mockingly offered him a hand. Allin hopped up and slapped Rhodes in the back of the head.
Rhodes rolled out of the ring and had a conversation with Arn Anderson. Allin connected with a Suicide Dive and then made his way to the top rope. Cody brought him down and then launched Darby onto the entrance ramp outside the ring.
Cody hit Allin with an Arm Drag and locked in an Armbar. Darby battled through the pain and got his toe on the ropes to break up the hold. Cody started doing pushups and Arn Anderson flipped out and told Rhodes to focus. Cody went for a Moonsault but Allin was able to get out of the way.
Allin planted Rhodes with a Destroyer for a near fall. Cody and Darby then battled on the turnbuckle. Cody connected with a Cross Rhodes off the top rope and went for the cover but Darby’s arm was under the ropes. Rhodes started climbing up the turnbuckle but Darby locked in a Sleeper Hold.
Cody carried Darby all the way to the top rope and broke the hold with a Back Drop. Allin rolled out of the ring to regroup as Arn Anderson shouted at Darby to stay down. Rhodes hit Allin with a Body Slam for another two count. Cody went for the Disaster Kick but Allin countered into a cover for a near fall.
Allin hit Cody with a Stunner and made his way to the top rope. Darby connected with Coffin Drop and went for the cover but the TNT Champion was able to kick out at two. Cody and Darby traded roll-ups and Allin covered Rhodes to become the new TNT Champion. After the match, Cody presented Darby Allin with the TNT Championship as the crowd chanted “you deserve it!”.
Taz interrupted and said he needs a plastic bag because he is going to vomit. Taz told Darby and Cody to take their “bitch asses” to the back. Brian Cage and Ricky Starks then attacked Rhodes and Allin from behind. Starks leveled Arn Anderson and followed it up with a Spear to Allin. Cage and Starks had a tug of war over the TNT Championship before leaving the ring. Brian Cage slammed on top of a car and was about to slam the car door on his arm but Will Hobbs broke it up.
Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston proved to not just be all talk, but had some pretty good action.
Kingston challenged Moxley for the AEW World Heavyweight Title in the main event of the Full Gear pay-per-view event in Jacksonville, Florida.
The I Quit match went violent very quickly. They were bleeding within minutes. There were various weapons used such as barbed wire, chairs, thumbtacks, and more. Moxley went through thumbtacks and Eddie poured rubbing alcohol on Moxley’s back before punching him with tacks. Moxley put in the bulldog choke with barbed wire for the finish.
The two stars had previously worked a match before. Moxley retained the AEW World Championship over Kingston back on the September 23rd episode of Dynamite.
The finish of that match saw Moxley make Kingston pass out. Thus, while Kingston did drop a loss, he never tapped out. Fast forward to the October 14th edition of Dynamite. Moxley had beaten Lance Archer in yet another title defense.
After the match, Kingston did a promo about Moxley and pointed out that he never tapped out. Kingston then attacked the champion. The following week AEW added the I Quit stipulation to the bout.
What are your thoughts on Jon Moxley retaining the AEW World Heavyweight Title? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.
The unlikely match between Chris Jericho and MJF took place at the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view event in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place.
The match featured a stipulation, which was if MJF won then he could join up with the group. Jericho was a babyface with the fans and MJF a total heel. That was the dynamic of this contest. Near the end, they did some near falls with Jericho connecting with the likes of Walls and codebreaker.
The finish saw Wardlow distracting the referee and Jericho was going to hit MJF with a bat, but MJF did the famous Eddie Guerrero fake sell to roll him up. MJF is now in the group.
After a few weeks of slow build up to this match, AEW had some interesting segments in the final three weeks of Dynamite. On the October 21st show, AEW did a “La Dinner Demonair” segment.
The segment started off with both men ordering dinner while going back and forth Tension increased as they tried to one-up each other until they started signing.
Fast forward to the October 28th episode, Inner Circle held a Town Hall Meeting to determine if MJF could join up with the group. Obviously, a decision wasn’t made, but it turned out to be an entertaining segment as Eric Bischoff got to ask a question about how they would know the other wouldn’t attack them once in the group. The end of the segment saw Jericho toss out the challenge to a match at Full Gear.
After years of fans wanting to see, AEW presented the first tag team match between FTR and The Young Bucks.
It happened at the AEW Full Gear pay-per-view event in Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler put the AEW Tag Team Titles against Nick and Matt Jackson.
It had the stipulation of if The Young Bucks didn’t win then they would never be able to challenge for the straps again, which was a bold stipulation considering they’re AEW executives.
Harwood somehow cut open his hand, which had to be bandaged up. Matt sold his ankle throughout the whole match. FTR paid homage to various teams in this match including DIY by hitting their finishers. The long back and forth match came to a close when Matt hit Harwood with a super kick.
All Elite Wrestling booked a Fatal 4-Way Match on the October 21st episode of Dynamite to determine the next team in line. It featured Private Party vs. John Silver and Alex Reynolds vs. The Butcher and The Blade. Obviously, The Young Bucks won to get this “tag team dream match.”
FTR had won the Tag Team Titles from Kenny Omega and Adam Page at the All Out pay-per-view event back on September 5th.
