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WWE Responds To Reports Of New Lawsuit From Matt Riddle Accuser

Anutosh Bajpai
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Reports came out earlier today that Samantha Tavel, a.k.a. Candy Cartwright has filed a civil lawsuit against Matt Riddle, WWE, and former Evolve owner Gabe Sapolsky.

The news was first reported by the Chicago Sun Times and court documents that have surfaced online suggest that Tavel is seeking $10 million dollars per defendant for actual damages, damages from emotional distress, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and costs.

WWE has now responded to these reports about a lawsuit. The company released a short statement claiming that they have not been served yet but they will defend themselves if they do get served:

“WWE has not been served with a lawsuit by Ms. Tavel. However, if served, we will vigorously defend ourselves and contest it.”

For those who don’t know, Samantha Tavel accused Matt Riddle of sexual assaults during the “#SpeakingOut” movement earlier this year.

The female star claims that Riddle committed a series of assaults against her from 2017 through January 2020 and the first incident of assault took place in a parking lot following an Evolve show in April 2017.

This new lawsuit comes after Matt Riddle had withdrawn his petition for a restraining order against Cartwright and filed a civil lawsuit of his own back in mid-September.

Matt Riddle has so far not reacted to this new lawsuit from his accuser but we will keep you posted on any updates in the situation.

AEW & NXT Viewership Down Against VP Debate

Michael Reichlin
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Viewership data is in for the October 7th editions of AEW on TNT and NXT on the USA Network.

Both shows were down this week due to the Vice Presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and candidate Kamala Harris. The debate drew over 50 million viewers across various network and cable channels.

Here’s the breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • AEW: 753,000 viewers, 0.31 rating (19th on cable for the night)
  • NXT: 639,000 viewers, 0.16 rating (56th on cable for the night)

For comparison, Monday’s WWE Raw averaged 1.686 million viewers with a 0.52 in the key demo.

Dynamite viewership was down 113,000 viewers from last week, although the demo was only down .02. It was the lowest viewership for AEW since July 8th.

NXT fell by 93,000 viewers and .03 in the demo, the lowest since August 12th.

You can find full results and our takeaways from both shows below:

WWE Draft 2020: Official Rules & Eligible Superstars

Chris Stephens
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The 2020 WWE Draft begins tomorrow night on Smackdown. WWE has sent in a press release detailing the official rules and eligible Superstars for this year’s draft.

Here is what has been revealed about the draft:

  • Stephanie McMahon will preside over the draft and announce the picks for both RAW and Smackdown.
  • Much like last year as well, RAW will get 3 picks for every 2 picks that Smackdown gets since it is a 1-hour longer show.
  • Tag-teams count as one pick unless a brand specifically says they only wish to draft one member of the team.
  • Anyone left undrafted will immediately become free agents. This happened to Heath Slater, which was hard for him since he has so many kids.

Different superstars will be eligible to be drafted on different nights of the draft. Superstars eligible to be drafted on Friday night will not be eligible on Monday and vice versa.

List of Superstars eligible to be drafted on Night 1 of Draft:

  • Asuka
  • Sasha Banks
  • Bianca Belair
  • Dana Brooke
  • Humberto Carrillo
  • Elias
  • Angel Garza
  • Drew Gulak
  • Heavy Machinery (Otis & Tucker)
  • The Hurt Business (Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander and MVP)
  • Mickie James
  • Lucha House Party (Kalisto, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado)
  • Drew McIntyre
  • Murphy
  • Rey & Dominik Mysterio
  • Naomi
  • The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)
  • Roman Reigns
  • Ricochet
  • Seth Rollins
  • Mandy Rose
  • Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax
  • Shorty G
  • AJ Styles
  • Jey Uso

List of Superstars eligible to be drafted on Night 2 of Draft:

  • Andrade
  • Bayley
  • Aleister Black
  • Alexa Bliss
  • Daniel Bryan
  • Carmella
  • King Corbin
  • Apollo Crews
  • Nikki Cross
  • Dabba-Kato
  • Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode
  • Erik (of The Viking Raiders)
  • Lacey Evans
  • Charlotte Flair
  • Jeff Hardy
  • Billie Kay
  • Lana
  • Keith Lee
  • The Miz & John Morrison
  • Riddick Moss
  • Natalya
  • Titus O’Neil
  • Randy Orton
  • Kevin Owens
  • R-Truth
  • RETRIBUTION (Mustafa Ali, T-BAR, MACE, SLAPJACK, RECKONING & RETALIATION)
  • Matt Riddle
  • The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan)
  • Peyton Royce
  • Arturo Ruas
  • Sheamus
  • Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro
  • The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
  • Braun Strowman
  • Tamina
  • Akira Tozawa
  • Zelina Vega
  • Bray Wyatt
  • Sami Zayn

Update On Finn Balor’s Broken Jaw, Triple H & Doctor Comment

Michael Reichlin
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Finn Balor will miss ring time due to a fractured jaw. The NXT Champion sustained the injury this past weekend at NXT Takeover 31.

WWE has released a video of Finn Balor and his doctor discussing his condition. According to Dr. Jeffrey Westerfield, Balor fractured his jaw in two places during his match against Kyle O’Reilly.

Dr. Westerfield said it was amazing that either man was able to finish the hard-hitting match. “Finn had two fractures in his jaw,” he said. “Once the swelling goes down in a couple days, Finn’s going to be able to talk very sparingly. Obviously it’s going to have to have him out for a little bit of time.”

westerfield

Balor said people are questioning if his current NXT title reign will be as good as his last. Referencing his successful title defense at Takeover 31, Balor said, “I think they just got their answer.”

For what it’s worth, Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Balor’s injury is legitimate, however WWE is making the situation out to be worse than it is.

You can watch the video with comments from Finn Balor and Dr. Westerfield in the Youtube player embedded below.

Triple H tweeted the following regarding Finn Balor’s tenacity in light of this latest setback.

Tony Khan Reacts To NJPW President Stepping Down

Chris Stephens
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We could be getting a little closer to a partnership between All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Harold Meij recently announced that he is stepping down as the President of New Japan Pro Wrestling. The news has led to some AEW fans believing that Meij’s departure could perhaps open the door for some type of relationship between the two promotions.

Tony Khan recently spoke to Dave Meltzer for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and said he thinks Meij’s departure could be a positive development towards a working relationship between the two organizations.

“I’m not sure yet,” was Tony Khan’s reaction to the Wrestling Observer. “But my initial gut feeling is it could be good.”

There were several references to NJPW made on last night’s edition of AEW Dynamite. The “Ace of New Japan” Hiroshi Tanahashi sent in a video congratulating Chris Jericho on his 30-years in wrestling. There were also references to NJPW matches involving Lance Archer and Jon Moxley on Dynamite.

Moxley and Archer will meet for the AEW World title on next week’s “1-Year Anniversary” edition of Dynamite. They faced each other at this year’s Wrestle Kingdom as well.

The references to NJPW on this week’s Dynamite led to much speculation from fans but Dave Meltzer noted they likely have nothing to do with a potential relationship between the two promotions.

Mark Henry: WWE On The Right Tracking To Making Alexa Bliss A ‘Female Monster’

Jake Skudder
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WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed the ongoing Alexa Bliss and ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt storyline.

Initially, Alexa Bliss appeared during the ‘Wyatt Swamp Fight’ at WWE’s Extreme Rules event earlier this year. Bliss would, seemingly, appear as an illusion in Braun Strowman’s psyche. This however would end up leading to Alexa Bliss and The Fiend being intertwined on television.

‘She Could Do Unbelievable Things’

“What could Alexa do with that kind of power?” Mark Henry began on the podcast. “Harness a stable of men? But what about the women? What about people like Nikki Cross, and people that are not being used right now?”

Mark Henry would also suggest that Bliss could end up ‘controlling’ The Fiend; with Alexa becoming the Sister Abigail character that has been teased for so many years on WWE programming.

“[She] can convince them, ‘I can introduce you to him (The Fiend Bray Wyatt). I can help you. I can help you become a champion'” Mark Henry would continue. “She could do unbelievable things, that you can only do if you have the catalyst for it.” Henry stated that Bliss could be the catalyst for a major shift on WWE television.

Mark Henry would finish by praising WWE for beginning to create a ‘female monster’ with Alexa Bliss’ new direction in the company. “I think that they’re [WWE] on the right track to creating a female monster, and that’s gonna be great.”

Do you agree with Mark Henry? Could Alexa Bliss have her own stable in WWE with The Fiend? Let us know in the comments section how you would book this angle

Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss

Hangman Page Statement On Joining AEW Tournament

Chris Stephens
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AEW’s Hangman Page has released an official statement. The rather official-looking document is printed on branded letterhead as well. It addresses his entry into the AEW World Champion #1 Contender tournament.

“After deep contemplation, about half a bottle of Scratch Bourbon Whiskey, and chucking a dozen watermelons at a red oak out of the back of a pickup, ‘Hangman” Adam Page has decided to enter the single-elimination tournament to decide a number one contender to the All Elite Wrestling World Championship,” his statement reads.

Page then listed off a few of his reasons for entering the tournament including:

“The tournament could provide ‘Hangman’ Adam Page with his first opportunity to challenge for the AEW World Championship since his catastrophic and embarrassing loss to Chris Jericho at All Out 2019.”

It appears Page dictated the statement to someone and this person was unable to make out some of his comments.

“As a child, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page (unintelligible – the voicemail devolved into a slurred monologue with the occasional yell, followed by two minutes of silence).”

Page then listed what he will be doing to prepare for the tournament. These included the following:

“‘Hangman’ Adam Page will continue to wear a mask while in public, wash his hands, and social distance to avoid contracting COVID-19 to preserve the integrity of his lungs and his character.”

The finals of the tournament will take place at Full Gear. Page’s full statement can be viewed in the Tweet below:

https://twitter.com/theAdamPage/status/1314014314450358274

Rumour Killer On Potential Partnership Between AEW And NJPW

Anutosh Bajpai
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Ever since AEW came into existence and even before they had produced their first show as a company, people have been talking about a potential relationship between them and NJPW.

However, so far there has been no indication of the same and while officials have maintained the never say never attitude, there hasn’t really been any solid development that could suggest a future partnership between the two.

The rumours picked up once again after the Japanese promotion was referenced a number of times during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite including a cameo from Hiroshi Tanahashi.

However, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer killed the rumours recently and replying to a tweet about the references, he revealed that the Tanahashi appearance was Chris Jericho’s doing:

This week’s Dynamite saw Chris Jericho celebrating the 30-year anniversary of his pro wrestling debut. The episode included multiple video messages from various wrestlers congratulating Y2J, including one from the NJPW star.

Though this wasn’t the only NJPW reference on the show. A video package hyping the match between Jon Moxley and Lance Archer featured footage from their previous encounter at the Japanese promotion and Excalibur name-dropped the company on commentary as well.

While the two companies do not have a working relationship at the moment, the recent departure of NJPW CEO Harold Meij has given a new life to the rumours and it would be interesting to see if this change turns out to be a positive development for a future relationship between the two promotions.

Results: NJPW G1 Climax 30 Day 12

Evan S
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New Japan Pro-Wrestling thirtieth annual G1 Climax tournament has arrived!

Watch on NJPW World with a paid subscription. Only live Japanese commentary available. English commentary will be uploaded within several days. This event will have reduced attendance capacity to comply with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.

Start Times:

  • Pacific: 10/8 2AM
  • Eastern: 10/8 5AM
  • UK: 10/8 10AM
  • Japan: 10/8 6PM
  • East Australia: 10/8 8PM

NJPW World Video

G1 Climax 30 Day 12 Results

Gabriel Kidd def. Yuya Uemura (8:47)
Over the course of this G1, which is past the halfway mark at this point, Gabriel Kidd has shown himself to be the most adaptable of the three young lions, in my view. He has the strength to strike with Tsuji and the technique to grapple with Uemura, while the two Japanese young lions are more specialized. Kidd and Uemura were both able to reach the ropes with their dueling Boston crabs early in the match, but, and Kidd had enough fight in him to stuff Uemura’s attempt at a double arm suplex. He hit a dropkick, a vertical suplex, followed by his own double underhook suplex for the win.

B Block: Hirooki Goto def. YOSHI-HASHI (14:12)
Goto’s last several matches have ended in very decisive fashion, lasting only several minutes combined. His right arm and shoulder are bandaged and it is a wonder whether that has made Goto fight with more urgency. YOSHI-HASHI focused on Goto’s hurt arm, applying a keylock that Goto needed a rope break to escape. Goto rallied with a spinning kick and a running bulldog, followed by the Ushigoroshi, but the pain in his arm stopped him from capitalizing. YOSHI-HASHI smartly countered with a lariat to the arm, followed by a Dragon suplex and the Butterfly Lock. He transitioned it into a sleeper hold and backstabber when Goto started moving towards the ropes, followed by the Kumagoroshi for a near fall. He tried to hit the Karma, but Goto stuffed it and lifted YOSHI-HASHI for the GTW. He tried to follow up, but YOSHI-HASHI hit a headbutt, only for Goto to return the favor. Finally, he hit the GTR for the pinfall win. Goto 6 points, YOSHI-HASHI 2 points

B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. def. Toru Yano (12:20)
Toru Yano claimed to want a clean fight with Zack Sabre Jr., and voluntarily removed many rolls of wrist tape from his trousers. He then proceeded to challenge Zack to grappling, followed by amateur wrestling, but Zack was not interested in engaging. Zack then adopted an amateur wrestling stance as well, but Yano instead ran to remove a turnbuckle pad. He left to retrieve a chair from outside the ring, along with a roll of tape, and he tied Zack’s arm to a chair outside the guardrail. Still, Zack was able to pull the chair through the bars of the guardrail to make it back in the ring before he could be counted out. The referee removed the chair and Yano apologized profusely to Zack, before hitting a belly-to-belly suplex. Yano pulled him out of the ring and tried to hit a German suplex on the floor, but Zack pulled him into an ankle lock and dragged him away from the ring. Yano was still able to limp back to the ring before the 20-count, though. The slowed Yano was a sitting duck for more leg attacks from Zack. Yano got to his feet and removed a turnbuckle pad, but then engaged Zack in a series of fighting for pinning combinations. Zack trapped him in an ankle lock yet again, then transitioned it into a heel hook, and Yano had nowhere to go. Zack 6 points, Yano 6 points

B Block: SANADA def. KENTA (11:24)
KENTA’s “IWGP US Heavyweight Championship #1 contender” briefcase had a big crack in it from when KENTA hit Tanahashi across the face with it two days ago. It had a note taped over the crack with Tanahashi’s name written. KENTA controlled the match early, grinding SANADA down with strikes and holds to the head. SANADA blocked a kick of KENTA’s and applied the Paradise Lock, which to this day amuses the audience very much. With a running dropkick followed by a diving double footstomp, KENTA brought the momentum of the match back in his favor. Hew went for the Go 2 Sleep, but this may have been premature, as SANADA avoided it easily. SANADA hit a pop-up TKO and applied the sleeper hold, but KENTA pushed him into the referee and left to pick up the briefcase again. He tried to hit SANADA in the face with it, but SANADA dodged it and dropkicked the briefcase into KENTA’s face. He then went for a moonsault, but KENTA blocked it with his knees. Seeing the opportunity, he tried for the Go 2 Sleep again, but SANADA avoided it and pulled KENTA into a Japanese leg roll clutch for the pinfall win. SANADA 6 points, KENTA 4 points

B Block: Tetsuya Naito def. Juice Robinson (25:01)
Juice has been one of the best at engaging a crowd that isn’t allowed to cheer, but Naito was the more popular man in the building. Naito dominated Juice in the early going, almost mocking him, and perhaps his Blues Brothers cosplay outfit, as he scraped his boot across Juice’s face. He mimicked Juice’s crowd-rallying pose while holding Juice in a headscissors hold, but Juice was finally able to get to his feet and grant himself some space with a spinebuster. This did not last long, though, as Naito pounced with a neckbreaker drop into the Pluma Blanca necklock. Naito condescendingly encouraged Juice to try harder, only for Juice to catch his flying forearm and hit a full nelson slam. He fired up the crowd as he lifted Naito to the top rope and landed a superplex into a jackhammer for a near fall on the double champion. Naito wriggled out of Juice’s Pulp Friction finish and awarded Juice a reverse Frankensteiner for his efforts. Naito went for the running Destino, but Juice caught him with a leg lariat as he yelled profanely. He caught Naito’s rope-assisted tornado DDT, but Naito modified it into a reverse Destino. Juice reversed Naito’s next Destino attempt into a falling powerbomb as the crowd applauded. Past the 20 minute mark, Juice hit a big lariat and tried once more for the Pulp Friction, but again Naito avoided it, but was knocked to the mat by the Left Hand of God. Juice tried yet again for his finish, but again Naito managed to hit another running Destino. The crowd came unglued as Juice kicked out! Naito was unfazed, though, and landed one last Destino to extend his lead on the rest of B Block. Naito 10 points, Juice 6 points

B Block: EVIL def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (19:58)
It didn’t take a long period of Tanahashi getting the better of EVIL for Dick Togo to interfere on EVIL’s behalf. EVIL whipped Tanahashi into the barricade, and while he was down, he pulled out a pile of chairs, suplexed Yota Tsuji onto them, and removed a turnbuckle pad. Togo would repeatedly be there when Tanahashi was starting to take control. EVIL tried to throw Tanahashi to the outside, but he skinned the cat to get back in the ring, only to get thrown halfway across with a German suplex. Tanahashi fought off EVIL’s Scorpion Deathlock attempt and tried to apply the Texas cloverleaf, but EVIL grabbed his hair to get Tanahashi off of him. Tanahashi hit a sliding dropkick to knock down Togo, followed by multiple Dragonscrews and another go at the cloverleaf. EVIL’s back was severely arched, but he managed to crawl to the bottom rope and free himself. EVIL returned to form with a big lariat, but Tanahashi reversed his Darkness Falls into a Sling Blade. Tanahashi climbed to the top rope for a High Fly Flow, and Togo tried to distract him, but Tsuji pulled him away. He hit the crossbody on a standing EVIL and transitioned into the Texas cloverleaf once more, but Togo came in and started choking Tanahashi with his wire. Tanahashi was able to lift it off of his neck and slap Togo in the face to send him reeling. From there, he hit a Sling Blade and a High Fly Flow to EVIL’s back, then went for another. However, Dick Togo pulled his leg, making his groin land on the turnbuckle, and giving EVIL the opening he needed. He superplexed Tanahashi off the top rope and landed Darkness Falls for a two-count. Finally, he landed his self-named STO for the three count. EVIL 8 points, Tanahashi 6 points

G1 Climax 30 Standings

A Block:
8 points – Kota Ibushi, Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, Jay White
6 points – Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, Tomohiro Ishii, Shingo Takagi
4 points – Jeff Cobb
0 points – Yujiro Takahashi

B Block:
10 points – Tetsuya Naito
8 points – EVIL
6 points – Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Juice Robinson, Hirooki Goto, Zack Sabre Jr., SANADA
4 points – KENTA
2 points – YOSHI-HASHI

Chris Jericho Calls Crown Jewel Match The Worst He Has Ever Seen

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Chris Jericho has seen his fair share of bad matches in his three-decades-long wrestling career but the worst match he has ever seen is fairly new.

The former world champion appeared on Busted Open Radio ahead of the 30-year celebration of his debut on this week’s episode of Dynamite and talked about things like why he decided to join AEW and more.

During the interview, he was asked about the worst match he has ever seen and Jericho claimed that it was the Crown Jewel match between The Brothers Of Destruction and DX:

“The worst match I ever saw, and here’s your clickbait, was Saudi Arabia, Triple H and Shawn Michaels vs. Kane and The Undertaker. It was such a stupid idea in booking, it should have never happened.

It should’ve been Shawn and Hunter vs. Roman and Seth, and Taker and Kane vs… I don’t know; give me two names of guys. Cesaro and Kevin Owens, whatever you want.” said Chris Jericho, “That’s exciting.””But it’s like, ‘Oh we’ll just go out there and wing it brother,’ that doesn’t work anymore. That old school mentality doesn’t work.”

The match Chris Jericho is talking about took place in Saudi Arabia during the Crown Jewel 2018 event. The PPV saw Shawn Michaels coming out of retirement for one more match.

The whole event had been controversial in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The match was also criticised by the fans for its poor execution, which was largerly attributed to the old age of the participants.

Elijah Burke On If Anything Felt Off With Chris Benoit During His Final Match

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

The death of Chris Benoit and his family is one of the most tragic incidents in the history of the wrestling business and a lot of things surrounding the case remain a mystery to this day. One of the biggest points of investigation is how the former world champion was feeling in his final days and if the people around him noted any significant difference in his behaviour before he took his own life.

Former WWE star Elijah Burke who was the final person to wrestle Benoit before his tragic demise was asked the same question during his recent interview with The Wrestling Epicenter. Replying to the question, Burke, who wrestled the former champion during an ECW episode on June 19, 2007, said that everything seemed normal to him:

“No, not at all. One thing Chris was big on, and hindsight is 20/20 on this if I could say, ‘Oh, that kind of makes sense’ is just the fact that he said, ‘Talk to me out there. I might forget.’ So, after everything that happened, when it came back that he had like the brain of an 80-year-old with Alzheimer, that was like, ‘Hmm, that is interesting,’

In this business, I was always taught that we should communicate in rings. So, I didn’t think anything of it. That could have been a sign.” said Burke, “Chris Benoit asking me to talk to him? But other than that, there was nothing that could have tipped me or anyone else off to the extent of the degeneration of his brain per the results of his test.”

The recent episodes of the Dark Side of the Ring series documenting the final days of Chris Benoit have brought the topic of his death back in the discussion. During the interview, Elijah Burke was asked if he was approached for the episodes centred on Benoit and he revealed that he was not contacted. You can check out the full interview of Elijah Burke here.

Renee Young Returning To WWE For Special Appearance

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

Former WWE broadcaster Renee Young will be returning to the company for the first time since SummerSlam for a special appearance next week.

WWE and Fox Network announced earlier today that they will be celebrating the season two of SmackDown on Fox during the upcoming episode of the show on October 16.

The episode will feature a special kick off pre-show and the company has announced that Young will be returning to host the pre-show alongside WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T.

The celebration also includes a special on the “Best WWE Moments of 2020” which is scheduled to air on this Sunday, October 11 alongside the other NFL programming on Fox.

Renee Young ended her 8 year long stint with WWE earlier this year after her husband Jon Moxley also left the company following the expiry of his contract last year in May.

In later interviews, the former WWE announcer explained the reasoning behind her decision to leave the company, saying that she felt like she had hit her ceiling in the promotion.

There has been no news on what Young is planning for her future and the WWE return is only expected to be a one-off appearance as of now.

AEW Dynamite Results (10/7): Dog Collar Match, 30 Years Of Chris Jericho

Robert Lentini
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0

AEW Dynamite aired from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville. Chris Jericho celebrated 30 years in the wrestling business and Brodie Lee defended the TNT Championship against Cody in a Dog Collar match.

Dynamite Results (10/7)

  1. Brian Cage def. Will Hobbs to retain the FTW Championship
  2. FTR def. TH2 to retain the AEW Tag Team Championships
  3. Cody def. Brodie Lee to become the new TNT Champion
  4. Big Swole def. Serena Deeb
  5. Chris Jericho & Jake Hager def. Serpentico & Luther

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Brian Cage Retained The FTW Championship In A Great Match With Will Hobbs

FTW Champion Brian Cage & Taz
FTW Champion Brian Cage & Taz

Brian Cage defended the FTW Championship against Will Hobbs in the first match of the night.

Match Recap: Hobbs and Cage sprinted at each other to start the action off. Cage and Hobbs exchanged shoulder tackles until Cage sent Hobbs to the canvas with an elbow to the face. Hobbs hopped right up and leveled Cage with a Clothesline.

Will Hobbs followed it up with a Crossbody for a two count. Cage connected with a Superkick and slammed Hobbs to the canvas for a near fall. Cage followed it up with a Standing Moonsault for a two count.

Hobbs battled back and planted Cage with a Back Drop. Will hit Cage with a couple Clotheslines and then a massive shoulder tackle. Hobbs connected with a Powerslam and went for the cover but Cage kicked out at two. Will hit a giant Spinebuster for another near fall.

Cage slammed Hobbs face-first to the mat and then the F10 for a two count. Cage hit Hobbs with a German Suplex but Hobbs popped right up. Hobbs and Cage then connected with a Clothesline at the same time and both men fell to the canvas. Hobbs hit another Spinebuster for a two count.

Will climbed to the top rope and went for a Frog Splash but Cage got out of the way. Cage then hit the Drill Claw for the pinfall victory. Brian Cage is still FTW World Champion. After the match, Taz got on the microphone and said that Will Hobbs is impressive and he fought his ass off. Taz wanted Hobbs to join Team Taz and said Cage and Starks will kick his ass if he declines. Darby Allin made his way to the ring but Starks and Cage retreated. Taz shouted that one day Darby will learn not to stick his nose in their business.

FTR Retained & Will Defend Against Best Friends Next Week

FTR Tully Blanchard
FTR & Tully Blanchard

FTR defended their AEW Tag Team Championships against TH2 tonight. The Young Bucks were shown watching the monitors from a ridiculous angle as FTR made their entrance.

Match Recap: TH2 controlled the action early but the momentum changed when Tully Blanchard hopped on the ring apron for a distraction. Harwood slammed Evans’ knee on the barricade and then against the ring post.

When Dynamite returned from a commercial break, Cash Wheeler was in control but Evans battled back and sent Cash into the turnbuckle. Dax tagged in and Evans took him down with a Clothesline. Harwood connected with a Dragon Screw and followed it up with a German Suplex.

Evans connected with a few elbows to Harwood’s face and went for a move off the top rope but it was botched. Jack then hit a Moonsault off the middle rope for a near fall. Wheeler slammed Angelico’s face off the apron as Evans rolled up Harwood for a near fall. Dax leveled Jack with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Tiger Driver for a two count. Harwood connected with a Superplex and Wheeler followed it up with a Splash for the pinfall victory. FTR are still the AEW Tag Team Champions. Young Bucks Superkicked a camera man after the match.

Best Friends came to the entrance ramp with FTR dressed as hot dogs on their shirts. The crowd chanted “wieners!” at FTR as Trent and Chuck Taylor made their way to the ring. Best Friends stated that they are the #1 contenders and that their title match is live on the Anniversary show next week.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1314003370382954497?s=20

WWE NXT Results (10/7): Kushida vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Tag Team Headliner

Andrew Ravens
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The October 7, 2020 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Tommaso Ciampa def. KUSHIDA via DQ.
  • Drake Maverick & Killian Dain def. Ever-Rise (Chase Parker & Matt Martel).
  • Austin Theory def. Leon Ruff.
  • Dexter Lumis def. Austin Theory 
  • Shotzi Blackheart def. Xia Li.
  • Ridge Holland def. Danny Burch
  • Ember Moon & Rhea Ripley def. Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez.

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Finn Balor Update

pjimage 2020 09 08T193507.442

Just a few hours before this show, NXT Champion Finn Balor announced on Twitter that he suffered a broken jaw in two places during his successful title defense against Kyle O’Reilly at NXT TakeOver 31. 

He mentioned in the post that he would address this on NXT, which he did. During the episode, WWE aired a video package looking at the match along with photos of Balor in the hospital. 

A WWE trainer noted that Balor wouldn’t be able to fully talk and would miss some time in the ring.

The positive thing here is that Balor won’t have to vacate the title, but we still have no word yet on how long he’ll be out of action.

Ember Moon Talks

Ember Moon
Ember Moon

Ember Moon was supposed to kick off the show, but WWE saved it for later in the episode with a promo in the ring. This came after she made her return to television after being sidelined with an injury last year. She was revealed as the mystery person behind recent vignettes. 

Her reveal was after Io Shirai had successfully retained the NXT Women’s Title over Candice LeRae at Sunday’s NXT TakeOver 31 event. This is where she had a staredown with the champion. 

On NXT, Moon stated that it’s been a while since she was in isolation for the last 14 months. She said that she took her bike on a long journey and found clarity. She said that she found herself as no one is going to walk over her anymore.

She said that she wants some gold. This led to Io coming out Io and Rhea Ripley coming out. As Rhea was about to talk, Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai attacked Ripley. William Regal booked a tag team match for the main event. 

Kushida vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa

Kushida vs. Tommaso Ciampa was the only match to be announced in advance of this show, which was Tuesday night on Twitter. 

Kushida had scored a big win over The Velveteen Dream in a singles match at Sunday’s NXT TakeOver 31 event. On the flip side, despite WWE booking Ciampa as an unstoppable heel, he didn’t work the show. 

Fast forward to this match, the two stars worked hard. While Ciampa did have the majority of the offense in a lengthy match, Kushida had moments to shine. Unfortunately, the match didn’t have a solid finish as Dream ran out and attacked Kushida. As a result, it ended in a DQ. 

Thus, it appears that WWE wanted to keep both guys strong yet continue the feud with Kushida and Dream. 

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1313997088368267267

Main Event

Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley

Following the angle earlier in the night, the main event saw Rhea Ripley and Ember Moon team up to face Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez in a tag team match. 

An interesting match booking to have in the headliner, but these ladies delivered in a solid match. Moon got some ring time and didn’t appear to be rusty although splitting the workload probably helped. 

The finish of the match saw Moon hit her finisher to Kai for the win after Ripley took out Gonzalez over the announce table. Now, it will be interesting to see who gets the first title shot at Io Shirai – Ripley or Moon?

Cody Rhodes Wins AEW TNT Title In Dog Collar Match

Andrew Ravens
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Cody Rhodes is once again the AEW TNT Champion. Just two weeks after he made his return to AEW television, he took on Brodie Lee for the title. 

The Dog Collar Match took place in the second hour of Wednesday’s Dynamite episode. AEW brought in Greg “The Hammer” Valentine to sit at ringside as he had a legendary Dog Collar Match with Roddy Piper. 

Rhodes won the match with Cross Rhodes. After the match, he was joined by Dustin, Brandi, and Arn Anderson to do a promo with Tony Schiavone. 

Cody thanked the fans and said that there is no feeling in the world to compete in front of a live crowd. He said that he has spent the time since he was 15-years-old to this moment to try to reach and feel the love from fans. He said that he’s sticking with the fans until the bitter end. 

He said that it’s his life’s worth to be a pro wrestler and wants to defend the title. He was asked who he’d defend the title against and Orange Cassidy walked out to give a thumb’s up. Rhodes responded with the same gesture and the match was official for next week. 

Cody Rhodes Says AEW Doesn’t Happen Without Chris Jericho

Finn Balor Broke His Jaw In Two Places, Shares X-Ray Photo

Andrew Ravens
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0

It turns out that Finn Balor suffered a jaw injury during his latest match under the WWE NXT banner. 

The NXT Champion successfully retained the title this past Sunday at the NXT TakeOver 31 event on the WWE Network over Kyle O’Reilly. This served as the main event of the show. 

Fast forward to Wednesday, Balor took to Twitter hours before the show went live on the USA Network to reveal that he broke his jaw in two places while competing in this contest. 

In the match against the Undisputed Era member, Balor was bleeding from his mouth towards the event. Even after the contest, Triple H mentioned Balor was taken to the hospital so he could get x-rays done.

In that post, he noted that it would address this on NXT, which happened. There was a video package with highlights of the match and photos shown of Balor being in the hospital.

A WWE trainer stated that Balor wouldn’t make TV this week, which he didn’t, and Balor would be out of action for a little bit. 

While it’s unfortunate that Balor suffered the injury, it appears that he won’t have to vacate the title nor miss a lengthy amount of time in the ring. 

Cody Rhodes Says AEW Doesn’t Happen Without Chris Jericho

Andrew Ravens
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0

Cody Rhodes gave some kind words to Chris Jericho on social media. 

It’s been over one year since AEW launched and the biggest signing thus far has been Jericho. 

Rhodes took to his Instagram account to comment on the importance of Jericho to AEW. Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite marked a celebration of Jericho’s 30th anniversary in the pro wrestling business. Rhodes wrote the following: 

“Chris Jericho celebrates 30 years in our game! Congratulations Chris. He undoubtedly is a crucial piece of the great puzzle that makes up AEW. There’s no denying that. AEW simply doesn’t happen without him. His ability on the microphone, his abilities in the ring, and his attitude have helped countless wrestlers and entertained millions. We may not be the best of friends…or even friends at all…but he’s challenged me to be a better competitor and a better executive. “Thank you for challenging me” is one of the last texts I have from him; let’s continue to challenge eachother and help build this culture and better our wrestling world. Happy 30 Chris! #aew @allelitewrestling @aewontnt @chrisjerichofozzy.”

Jericho took a big chance when he decided to sign with AEW. He did so in early 2019 before AEW had signed a television deal with WarnerMedia that wouldn’t come until the debut episode of Dynamite in October 2019. 

Since that time, Jericho has been AEW’s biggest star and inaugural World Heavyweight Champion. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGDyeMsluM5/?utm_source=ig_embed

AEW Rankings Report 10/7: Lance Archer, Best Friends, & Nyla Rose Ranked #1

AJ Styles Talks Reports Of WWE Taking Over Talent’s Third Party Accounts

Andrew Ravens
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0

AJ Styles decided to discuss WWE’s stance on talent having third party accounts such as Camo and Twitch. 

The latest reports came out stating that WWE had issued a memo to all talent to inform them that WWE will officially be taking ownership of third party accounts in four weeks. 

While wrestlers will still “receive a portion” of the revenue, it will count against their downside guarantee in their individual contracts.

Styles talked about this during a recent Twitch live stream. He started out by stating that he doesn’t know what’s going to happen or what they expect from talent using these platforms. 

“I don’t know if it’s something that they’re like, ‘We just want you guys under an umbrella like a WWE Twitch and have a set lineup and here is who is on when’. If that’s the case – great! Then fans would know where and when to find us.”

He stated that he found out about the news on the internet and he thinks that it would be better than that as he thinks communication should be more open. He pointed out how you’d think that the wrestlers would know more than someone outside of the company.

Styles noted that no one is making millions on Twitch and fans use the platform to interact with their favorite wrestlers while the wrestlers use it to interact with fans as they can no longer do so due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I don’t know what they’re hoping to get out of this. The communication has not been as great as we’d like. There’s a lot of us who are all on the same page – we’ve talked to each other. We’re facing the same thing. It’s all doom and gloom or, ‘Oh, that’s all they want.’ I feel like this is an opportunity for me and my channel to say, ‘This is what’s really going on’ and debunk some stupid rumors that are going on.”

He said that WWE is a great place to work despite what fans think or what’s going on with this new edict. 

“There just needs to be better communication and direction – lines in the sand, I guess you could say. Like, ‘You don’t cross this; You can’t do this’ because there is that crazy thing about us being an independent contractor.”

He pointed out that they’re independent contractors and there are a bunch of rules, but he would rather keep it that way because he knows what is to be expected of him. 

Several EVOLVE Stars Among Names To Sign With WWE

Andrew Ravens
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0

Several prospects have signed with WWE that includes some notable names that fans will know. 

On Wednesday, WWE announced that these signees have reported for training this week at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. 

Among the listed WWE athletes include former EVOLVE stars Brandi Lauren, Curt Stallion, Anthony Green, Leon Ruff, Joe Gacy, and Josh Briggs.

Here are some details on the other prospects that are included in the class: 

Brandi Pawelek, known on the independents as Brandi Lauren, is an exciting competitor who has stepped in the ring for promotions like EVOLVE and SHINE.

Camron Rogers is a 6-foot-1 Texan who competes under the name Curt Stallion. Rogers broke out in 2019 in EVOLVE Wrestling, where he battled the likes of SmackDown Superstar Matt Riddle and NXT Superstars Cameron Grimes, Dexter Lumis and Mansoor.

Anthony Greene is a flamboyant Massachusetts native and standout grappler from EVOLVE Wrestling. The 26-year-old stood toe-to-toe with NXT Tag Team Champion Tyler Breeze in EVOLVE, as well as many of his fellow recruits from this class.

Dartanyon Ruffin, better known as Leon Ruff, is a former EVOLVE Tag Team Champion. The energetic 24-year-old has competed on Raw, SmackDown, NXT and 205 Live in recent months, going up against the likes of Sheamus, Aleister Black, Tommaso Ciampa and Legado del Fantasma.

Joseph Ruby is a 6-foot, 249-pound powerhouse from New Jersey. Competing as Joe Gacy, he’s a former three-time Combat Zone Wrestling Heavyweight Champion and EVOLVE Tag Team Champion.

Joshua Bruns is an imposing figure, standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 268 pounds. As Josh Briggs, he’s been the EVOLVE Champion and battled the likes of NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER, Matt Riddle, John Morrison and Raw Tag Team Champion Angelo Dawkins.

Jacob Kasper is a 25-year-old amateur wrestling standout from Lexington, Ohio. Kasper wrestled at Duke University, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American and won the 2018 ACC heavyweight championship. He also placed in the 2016 Olympic trials.

Jake Clemons of Ohio is a referee who has officiated matches on Monday Night Raw, as well as for promotions like EVOLVE and AIW.

Update On When Ronda Rousey’s WWE Contract Expires

Chris Stephens
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0

Ronda Rousey hasn’t wrestled for WWE since the main event of WrestleMania 35. While it has been a year and a half since Rousey has been a part of WWE programming and storylines, she is still under contract to the promotion.

Rousey’s contract has approximately six months left on it, according to Pwinsider. This means Rousey is under contract through to WrestleMania 37, although there is no guarantee she will be participating in that event.

Rousey’s WWE Future

Rousey has frequently expressed interest in one day returning to WWE. She stated post-WM35 that she was taking an “impregnation faction” to start a family. As of yet, Rousey has not announced a pregnancy, however.

Rousey was recently spotted training in a wrestling ring with Teal Piper, the daughter of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

Natalya also teased that she was training with someone but couldn’t name who, leading to speculation it was Rousey.

Ronda Rousey has been spending a lot of time on her self-sufficient California Ranch nicknamed “Browsey Acres”. She frequently posts videos to her official YouTube channel of her tending to the goats and other parts of the ranch. WWE Superstars such as Paige, D-Von Dudley, and others have made cameos on her channel.

Rousey also frequently plays video games live on Facebook while raising money for charities.

AEW Rankings Report 10/7: Lance Archer, Best Friends, & Nyla Rose Ranked #1

Chris Stephens
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0

AEW has released new rankings ahead of tonight’s episode of Dynamite. Chris Jericho’s 30-years in wrestling will be celebrated on tonight’s card.

AEW Men’s Singles Division

AEW World Champion: Jon Moxley (19-0)
TNT Champion: Brodie Lee (8-1)

  1. Lance Archer (13-1)
  2. Brian Cage (8-1)
  3. MJF (9-1) 
  4. Cody (18-2) 
  5. Scorpio Sky (8-2)

There has been no movement in the men’s singles rankings for a few weeks now. 2 big matches in the division will take place tonight, however. #2 Brian Cage will defend his FTW title against newly signed Will Hobbs. A win for the newcomer certainly would catapult him up the division.

#4 Cody will challenge for the TNT Championship against Brodie Lee tonight in a Dog Collar Match.

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AEW Women’s Division

AEW Women’s Champion: Hikaru Shida (17-1)

  1. Nyla Rose (10-2)
  2. Big Swole (9-3)
  3. Penelope Ford (9-5) 
  4. Abadon (5-1)
  5. Dr. Britt Baker (5-6)

There was no movement in the women’s singles division either this week. Previously, #3 Penelope Ford moved up one spot in the rankings over Abadon. Last week, #5 Britt Baker returned to singles action and picked up a win over Red Velvet.

#2 Big Swole is in action tonight against the unranked and newly signed Serena Deeb.

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AEW Tag Team Division

AEW Tag Team Champions: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (10-0)

  1. Best Friends (17-6)
  2. Young Bucks (7-3)
  3. The Natural Nightmares (8-2)
  4. Butcher and the Blade (9-5)
  5. Santana & Ortiz (8-5)

The tag-team rankings also stayed steady this week, with no team moving up or down.

Champions FTR will look to defend their titles this week against The Hybrid 2 team of Angelico and Jack Evans. TH2 has yet to crack the top-5 but have a heck of an opportunity tonight.

Chris Jericho has previously said that he and Jake Hager would like a crack at the tag titles. They are scheduled to face Luther and Serpentico tonight as Jericho celebrates his 30 years in pro-wrestling.

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Impact Results 10/6: Jordynne Grace Robbed Of X-Division Championship

Chris Stephens
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0

Impact 10/6 featured the build to the October 24th Bound For Glory PPV. It was also the first show since Victory Road on Saturday night. The card was headlined by the Motor City Machine Guns facing Ace Austin & Madman Fulton.

Impact 10/6 Quick Results:

  1. Tommy Dreamer defeated Brian Myers via DQ
  2. Jordynne Grace defeated Rohit Raju – Non-title
  3. The Rascalz (Wentz & Dez) defeated Team XXXL (Larry D & Acey Romero)
  4. Rosemary & Taya Valkyrie defeated Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz
  5. The Deaners (Cody Deaner & Cousin Jake) defeated Johnny Swinger & Crazzy Steve
  6. The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) defeated Ace Austin & Madman Fulton

Here are 9 takeaways from Impact 10/6:

Tag Team Chaos Closes Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyNq-_Niwpc

With Bound For Glory and the 4-way tag team title match just 18 days away, MCMG faced Madman Fulton & Ace Austin in this week’s main event. The two other teams involved in the BFG title match made their presence known at the end of this match. The North sauntered to ringside and got up on the ring apron to distract the ref. This brought out the Good Brothers who started brawling with Page and Alexander.

Meanwhile in the ring, The Guns hit Fulton with a neck breaker/crossbody combo for the win. All 4 teams jawed at each other to close the show.

Contract Negotiations With Heath Break Down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUKLZz67Zvs

At Victory Road, Scott D’Amore informed Heath that he had a contract to offer him. This week, Heath visited D’Amore’s home but had his own proposal drawn up. D’Amore said that Heath should sign the contract he offered him and they would work towards him earning the contract Heath wanted. This didn’t sit well with Heath and contract negotiations quickly broke down. It appears Heath still isn’t officially a member of the Impact Wrestling roster.

Jordynne Grace Robbed Of X-Division Title

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-aaeR8s8kg

X-Division Champion Rohit Raju has proven he’ll do whatever it takes to retain his title. This week, he once again issued an “Open Challenge”. It was answered by former Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace.

Raju was tentative to start the match and was distracted by Willie Mack on the outside when Grace rolled him up for the pin. The ref counted 3 and it looked as though Grace was the new champion but Raju then clarified that the match was not for the title belt.

Scott D’Amore then announced a 6-way scramble for Bound For Glory. The match will feature Raju defending against Grace, Chris Bey, Willie Mack, TJP, and Trey Miguel.

Does Impact Have A Women’s Tag Division?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIrN1RDwDhw

Despite the Knockouts tag team titles having been vacated years ago, Impact has a fairly good women’s tag division right now. This played out this week in a match between Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz against Taya Valkyrie and Rosemary.

Rosemary would pick up the win for her team this week, pinning Steelz.

Neveah and Havok were shown watching the match in the back. They’ve been an established team for some time now. Next week, we’ll get Hogan & Steelz vs Neveah & Havok vs Rosemary & Taya.

Along with those 3 teams, Susie and Kylie Rae have teamed frequently in the past, as have Kimber Lee and Deonna Purrazzo. That is more established teams than other promotions who do have women’s tag titles have.

Eric Young Attacks Rich Swann In Gym

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U2Flhhx1us

With Bound For Glory just 18 days away, Eric Young got in another attack on Rich Swann. This time, Young attacked Swann in a gym where Swann was preparing for the match. He tied Swann’s leg to a machine and began hitting his injured leg with a kettle bell. The attack was so vicious, it is not clear if Swann will be able to compete at Bound For Glory.

Brian Myers Goes Too Far In Match Against Tommy Dreamer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upTMTsbg-0U

Brian Myers and Tommy Dreamer have been involved in a rivalry as of late. Dreamer confronted Myers during a backstage interview recently and would later speak about how he hired him into WWE and wanted him to do well now that he is in Impact. Myers didn’t appreciate the advice, however. Mysers would also pick up the win when the two faced off at Victory Road. A rematch would kick off this week’s episode of Impact.

Dreamer kicked out of the Myers’ finish, causing Myers to grab a kendo stick. Despite it not being a no dq match, Myers would bring the weapon into the match. Dreamer then went to hit Myers with it when Myers’ implored him not to saying “think about my girls,” referring to his daughters. After Dreamer showed compassion and put the weapon down, Myers picked it up and assaulted Dreamer, leading to the DQ. Myers continued the assault after the bell rang until several officials including Scott D’Amore came out to stop him.

The Rascalz Pick Up Another Victory Over Team XXXL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUKzxCjdP1w

Dez and Wentz dropped a match to the Good Brothers last week on Impact Wrestling but defeated Team XXXL at Victory Road and again on the show this week. On commentary, they noted that with the win the Rascalz had established themselves as a top-contender team in the division, despite being left out of the 4-way match at Bound For Glory for the tag titles.

EC3 Tosses Title Off Of Bridge

EC3 continued his taunting of Moose with the TNA World Heavyweight Championship this week. A video was shown of EC3 throwing the belt off a bridge. This will not sit well with Moose who has spent several weeks searching for EC3.

Next Week On Impact Wrestling

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

The following has been booked for next week’s episode:

  • Update on Rich Swann’s condition
  • Havok & Neveah vs Rosemary & Taya vs Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz
  • Kimber Lee vs Kylie Rae
  • Madman Fulton vs Doc Gallows

NXT Preview: Takeover 31 Fallout, Ember Moon

Michael Reichlin
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Tonight’s edition of NXT will be the first episode to take place from the new Capitol Wrestling Center arena at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.

Expect to see plenty of fallout from Sunday’s NXT Takeover 31 event. WWE is advertising the following:

  • Ember Moon will open the show after her surprise return at Takeover. Naturally, Moon has her sights set on NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai.

Kushida will face former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa. WWE.com notes that this match will be the first match of the night.

We will also get injury updates on Finn Balor, Kyle O’Reilly, Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream – all of whom sustained injuries at Takeover. WWE says Balor received a CAT scan and has potential facial fractures), while O’Reilly cracked some teeth, Velveteen Dream has fractured wrist, and Cole has broken ribs.

Tune in to NXT Wednesday at 8/7 C on USA.

Jazz Officially Announces Her Retirement

Chris Stephens
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0

A true legend of women’s wrestling and trailblazer in the industry has decided to officially retire from in-ring competition. Former ECW and WWE star Jazz spoke with Chris Van Vliet recently and confirmed that she considers her pro-wrestling career over.

“Honestly, I just had my last match this past Sunday. I am done in the ring,” Jazz said. “I was going to do a whole tour in 2020, but with the pandemic happening, that screwed everything up. I’ve been having issues with my knees and my back and a lot more issues physically, mentally and emotionally. That’s why I had to forfeit the NWA title. I have two beautiful daughters and I have to focus on them right now.”

Jazz burst onto the pro-wrestling seen in the late 1990s with Extreme Championship Wrestling. She would mainly perform in inter-gender matches as the promotion never did have an established women’s division.

Jazz was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club this year and awarded the club’s Women’s Wrestling Award. She is a 2x former WWE Women’s Champion and 1x NWA Women’s Champion.

The full interview with Jazz can be viewed in the player below:

AEW Dynamite Preview: Jericho 30th Anniversary, Dog Collar Match

Michael Reichlin
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0

Chris Jericho’s 30th Anniversary Celebration highlights tonight’s special edition of AEW Dynamite. The following matches are advertised for tonight’s show:

  • Dog Collar Match: Cody seeks revenge on TNT Champion Brodie Lee
  • Brian Cage defends the FTW Championship against Will Hobbs
  • Chris Jericho & Jake Hager (Inner Circle) vs. Chaos Project (Luther & Serpentico)
  • AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR vs. TH2 (Jack Evans & Angelico) in a ‘Brush With Greatness’ match with a 20-minute time limit.
  • Big Swole vs. Serena Deeb

MJF has been teasing that he can’t wait for tonight’s Jericho celebration, so he is probably up to something. In recent weeks, MJF has been cozying up to the Inner Circle while repeatedly snubbing Sammy Guevara.

Check out AEW’s latest “Road To” preview video hyping the Jericho 30th Anniversary special.

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