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Baron Corbin Reflects On Backstage Heat When He First Joined WWE

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Baron Corbin has always been willing to court controversy, as attested by his use of social media and engagements with pro wrestling fans. Apparently, he also had to deal with animosity amongst the WWE locker room when he first arrived.

Speaking openly with Booker T’s podcast, Heated Conversations: Hosted By Booker T, the current Raw authority figure engaged in a number of different topics, including transitioning from pro sports to the rigours of pro wrestling, his pro football background, his current role on WWE programming, and experiencing brazen dislike from others in the locker room.

Corbin confessed that he felt undeniable heat from his colleagues when he first arrived at the WWE, noting that he fully expected any competitive workplace to have the same vibe. 

“100% [there was heat], but I think that’s anything in any competitive business whether it’s UFC, the NFL, or WWE,” he said. “It’s a competitive business and everybody wants to be the best, and when there’s a new guy coming in and there’s buzz about him — ‘Oh, he was a pro football player’ — you instantly have people that don’t like you because they’re afraid you’re going to take their spot.” 

“Of course, I poured salt on the wound,” Corbin joked, “saying, ‘yeah, I’m going to take it – I get paid more than you and I’m better than you.’”

Matt Riddle Feels He Should Have Been In WWE Years Ago

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A large contingent of indie pro wrestling fans would have loved for Matt Riddle amongst the WWE roster years ago.

Turns out The King of Bros feels the same way.

ESPN.com recently released an article that explores the ins and outs of the WWE Performance Center in Florida. During the piece, ESPN interview a number of different superstars and backstage talent, including Matt Riddle.

He discussed his transition from MMA to pro wrestling and the decisions that helped solidify his resolve to commit to sports entertainment.

Matt was candid in his feelings, stating that he felt he should have been a part of the WWE when he had his first try out.

“I moved my family down here, I’ve got three kids and a wife, so it’s nice,” Riddle reflected. “I just wrestle in Florida every weekend. We occasionally do tours or TakeOvers, but for the most part, now I get to spend more time with my family. I’m more local, and it’s great. The training here is top-notch,” he continued. “Where I was, I was lucky to even train three times a week, because my schedule was so insane — and I didn’t have the coaches or amenities to do [much more than that].”

“I just feel like I belong here. I felt like I belonged here three-and-a-half years ago when I had my first try out.”

Riddle first appeared for the WWE in August during their NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 event, where it was revealed he had signed with the company. He made his in-ring debut last month at TakeOver: War Games II, defeating Kassius Ohno in an astounding six seconds.

With so much momentum already behind him, it’ll be fascinating to watch how far this bro will go.

The Dynamite Kid Has Passed Away

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Tom Billington, best known as former WWE tag team champion The Dynamite Kid, has passed away. He was 60 years old. Billington is considered one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. His in-ring style, described by WWE.com as technically brilliant and wildly aggressive, influenced generations of competitors and resonates to this day.

Billington passed away on his 60th birthday. His health had been deteriorating significantly since suffering a stroke in 2013. Many credit the British Bulldogs vs Hart Foundation rivalry in the 1980s as one of the best tag team feuds ever. Unfortunately, only Bret Hart survives from the 4 men who worked those matches.

Reactions To Dynamite Kid’s Passing

The pro wrestling community is paying respects to the Dynamite Kid on social media. Here are some reactions to his passing:

https://twitter.com/georgiasmith87/status/1070263617638014976

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrAk7JbFQrS

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1070259106701815808

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/1070336124403347458

https://twitter.com/FrankieKazarian/status/1070322041650180096

https://twitter.com/Tyler_Bate/status/1070271933420326912

Dynamite Kid Videos

In light of his passing, WWE’s official Youtube Channel has uploaded several videos of the Dynamite Kid in action.

Status Update On Velveteen Dream

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Despite having impressed Triple H and others within WWE’s upper echelons, the Velveteen Dream has still not been called up to the main roster. At one point, Dream brazenly wore tights decorated with “Call Me Up Vince” in an effort to stand out and get his point across. 

Main roster ambitions aside, at this point in time there’s no word on when we can even expect the Dream back on NXT TV.

It’s been reported that he did not work the recent TV tapings from NXT’s home in Full Sail University. He did, however, return to in-ring competition for the black and yellow brand over the weekend for NXT’s live events in Florida. Dream picked up victories over Kona Reeves and Luke Menzies.

Having finessed and improved during his time in NXT, the Velveteen Dream has been unsuccessful in his recent efforts for NXT gold. It’s a testament to the Dream’s charisma and character that these losses haven’t impeded his popularity or continued success.

His last televised matchup took place at TakeOver: War Games II over Survivor Series weekend in a loss to current NXT champion, Tomasso Ciampa.

Could this imply bigger plans for the Velveteen Dream in the future? With the Royal Rumble around the corner, could we be on the cusp of a main roster debut?

The Revival Want To Get ‘Lucha House Rules’ Suspended

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Recent weeks have seen The Revival go up against WWE’s resident luchadores, The Lucha House Party, in a string of losing efforts. This can be attributed to the warped ruleset undertaken under ‘Lucha House Rules,’ which creates a 3-on-2 handicap situation, much to the Revival’s chagrin. Despite this consistent unfairness, somehow the Revival remain the supposed heels in this feud.

Now The Revival is taking matters into their own hands, by starting an online petition.

https://twitter.com/ScottDawsonWWE/status/1070050491923554304

Describing themselves as the “Absolute Best Tag Team on this Planet, [the] Mercedes Benz of the Tag Team Division,” Dawson highlights the unfairness of their situation, decrying the “3-on-2 matches. Even 3-on-1 matches!” in the hope to get people to sign their name to suspend ‘Lucha House Rules’ going forward.

He concludes his plea by asking fans to “Please take a second out of your day and sign this petition. For a betterment of tomorrow’s Sports Entertainment. For the betterment of tomorrow’s Tag Team Wrestling. For the betterment of tomorrow’s youth. Thank you.”

Hard to argue with that.

“One Day”

A few months ago, Dawson reached out via Twitter asking fans to not “[…] give up on us yet. There’s a reason we’re called ‘The Revival’.” Even more recently, they became embroiled in a back-and-forth with The Young Bucks, who promised that the two teams would wrestle each other “one day.”

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1069775644261679105

What do you think? Is it too late for the Revival on Raw? Would you like to see them face The Young Bucks?

Injured Raw Superstar On Track To In-Ring Return

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Fandango, who comprised one half of the Fashion Police with partner Tyler Breeze, has been sidelined since July after suffering a torn left labrum. He would go on to have surgery over the summer and has been rehabbing since.

At the time, Fandango noted via social media that he could be out for up to six months. We have since passed the five-month mark and the good news is that he appears to have healed to the point of actively training for an in-ring return.

According to PWInsider, Fandango has been at the WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando over the past few days. He has reportedly been training hard and drilling in-ring work. Both are positive indications that he is on track for the projected six-month turnaround.

Despite not yet being officially cleared by WWE and their medical team, if they do clear him before December ends there is a chance he may be brought back in January. Perhaps even in time for the Royal Rumble and start to the Road To Wrestlemania.

That, naturally, is pending on WWE and their creative team having anything ready for either Fandango or the Fashion Police going forward.

What would you like Fandango to do when he returns? Are you anticipating a Fashion Police reunion?

Backstage Update On WWE Signing Lucha Underground Star

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Lucha Underground Star Shane Strickland was expected to sign with WWE in the next few weeks and start with the company in January next year, but it appears that his arrival will be delayed.

Strickland’s current contract is supposed to expire in near future however now Pwinsider is reporting that his signing could be delayed due to an issue with the contract. Though the site couldn’t elaborate what the issue is.

Shane was expected to end his tenure with MLW soon as well but after the recent report, it appears that he will be stricking around with the company for some more time.

Originally MLW’s Miami tapings scheduled for next week were expected to be his last working dates with the company. Although now he is also scheduled to work the company’s Philadelphia tapings on February 3rd.

For those who don’t know, so far Strickland has worked on four seasons of Lucha Underground where he wrestles under a mask using the name Killshot.

While he hasn’t won any championships there, Shane has won a number of titles on other promotions including the MLW and CZW World Heavyweight Championships.

No word yet on when the former World Champion will start his tenure with WWE but we’ll keep you posted.

Undertaker And More Backstage For SmackDown, The Usos On Their Victory

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Undertaker And More Backstage For SmackDown

A number of interesting names were backstage for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live from Austin, Texas including a couple of big-time legends.

According to WrestlingInc, both the Undertaker and Ric Flair were in the arena for this week’s episode of the Blue Branded Show. Not only them but Christian and Maryse were also backstage for the event.

Taker who lives in the area was apparently just visiting the arena while Maryse was there filming some stuff for the second season of Miz & Mrs. No word yet on what Christian and Flair were doing.

The Usos On Their Victory

This week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw Jay Uso defeating both Xavier Woods and Cesaro in a triple threat match ahead of their TLC bout.

After the show, the Usos were interviewed backstage where Mike Rome asked them how they would replicate this victory to grab a win at the upcoming TLC PPV.

Answering the question, the Usos said that they have been feeling this momentum from past few weeks and they have an itch which tells them they are winning that tag titles at TLC:

The Usos are scheduled to face The Bar and The New Day in a triple threat tag team match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships at the upcoming PPV next Sunday.

Chris Jericho Discusses Recent Meeting With Impact Officials

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We noted before how Chris Jericho continued playing with the idea of his future by recently posting a picture of himself alongside some officials from Impact Wrestling.

During his recent interview with Drew Dalby, Y2J discussed the current wrestling demographic in detail and while doing so, he also briefly mentioned his meeting with Impact Employees.

Jericho was discussing his future in wrestling. He revealed that he has one more NJPW match left but apart from that and a couple of movie shoots; his schedule for the next 3-4 months is pretty open.

When Delby brought up all the options Chris has in front of him, the former World Champion claimed that nothing is set in stone. While talking about his recent picture, Chris Jericho admitted that he recently met with Impact Officials.

He claimed that he had a great conversation with them ‘the other day’ in Toronto and said that there are some great matches he could have in Impact Wrestling.

Though this is all the Fozzy Star revealed and he then went on to discuss the other options he has in front of him like the matches he wants to have in NJPW and maybe a WWE return as well.

Knowing Jericho he would never admit even if the meeting was about his Impact debut. Though with him being involved with the upcoming AEW promotion, it doesn’t look very likely that he is thinking of having a run with the company.

You can check out Chris’ full interview in the video below:

5 Takeaways From WWE SmackDown (12/4)

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The December 4th, 2018 episode of WWE SmackDown aired live from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Asuka Claimed That She Would Have Defeated Ronda Rousey

Contract Signing SmackDown 12 4
Photo Credit: WWE.com

SmackDown kicked off with a contract signing for the Triple Threat TLC match. Becky Lynch stated that she is going to do anything it takes to keep her title at TLC. Lynch accused Charlotte of being handed another opportunity. Flair responded that she picked up the ball that Becky dropped and beat the hell out of Ronda Rousey.

Asuka interrupted and said that Becky Lynch has already defeated Charlotte but has never beat her. Asuka claimed that Becky chose wrong at Survivor Series and that she would have defeated Rousey. Charlotte brought up beating Asuka at WrestleMania. Lynch said that neither of them could beat Rousey and they won’t beat her at TLC.

Becky signed the contract and left the ring as Flair vowed to finish Asuka at TLC. Charlotte and Asuka signed the contract and then Asuka challenged Flair to a fight. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville interrupted and complained about not getting any opportunities from SmackDown GM Paige. Rose noted that Flair lost at Survivor Series and Deville claimed Asuka winning last week’s Battle Royal was a fluke.

Charlotte and Asuka battled Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in a tag match. Charlotte was showing off and strutting around after hitting Rose and Deville with a Crossbody. Becky Lynch came back down the entrance ramp to a great reaction and took a seat ringside for the rest of the match. During the match, Charlotte booted Asuka off the ring apron. Asuka responded with a sliding knee to Flair’s face and Deville quickly pinned Charlotte for the victory. It was later announced that Charlotte will square off against Asuka on next week’s episode of SmackDown.

This is easily the match I am looking forward to the most at next Sunday’s TLC PPV and I think it should be the main event. The contract signing to start off the show was great and every Superstar got in some good lines. It is good to see Asuka back in a relevant storyline on WWE television.

SmackDown’s Tag Team Division Needs A Shake-Up

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Cesaro, Jey Uso, and Xavier Woods battled in a Triple Threat match on this week’s episode of SmackDown. Kofi Kingston, Big E, Sheamus, and Jimmy Uso were ringside during the match. During the match, Cesaro showed off his insane power by swinging Jey while holding up Woods at the same time.

Cesaro followed that up by launching Woods out of the ring. Jey Uso immediately hit Cesaro with a Superkick for the pinfall victory. After the match, the three times argued in the ring. The Bar will defend their SmackDown Tag Team Championships against New Day and The Usos at WWE TLC. The Bar will face The Usos next week in a rap battle hosted by New Day.

All three of these teams have great chemistry with each other in the ring. I expect the Triple Threat match at TLC to be a great match. Having said that, I am incredibly bored with watching these same three teams on SmackDown every week. I simply do not care which team wins at TLC. It would be nice to see some other teams incorporated into the show following the PPV.

The New Daniel Bryan Is Better Than You

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“The New” Daniel Bryan joined Miz TV on SmackDown. Earlier in the evening, The Miz complained about having to interview him to SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon. The Miz is still insisting that they are a tag team, even though Shane keeps informing him that they are not.

The Miz claimed that he was right all along and that Bryan finally realized that it is okay to cheat to win. Bryan said that he realized that he doesn’t care about these people in the crowd and that he has allowed his dreams to take control.

Bryan stated that he was reading books from Alexander Hamilton and said the word “fickle” over and over. The crowd chanted along and Bryan called them sheep. Bryan quoted Hamilton: “giving power to the mindless masses is dangerous, both to the individual and society”.

Daniel Bryan went on a rant about pollution and how the people in the crowd harm the earth every single day, yet people are mad about him kicking one man in the groin on one day. The Miz demanded that Bryan answer if he is WWE Champion because he listened to what he said. Bryan answered “yes” and “no” and claimed that it didn’t matter.

AJ Styles joined the party and marched to the ring as Bryan shouted “fickle!” at the crowd. Daniel shoved The Miz into AJ and tried to escape. Styles caught him and brought him into the ring. The Miz snuck up behind Styles and hit him with the Skull Crushing Finale as Bryan smiled on the entrance ramp.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1070138598408675328

I was unsure of “The New” Daniel Bryan but after tonight I am sold. He has completely reinvented himself as a pompous and unbearable heel. I find him shouting “fickle!” at people to be hilarious as well.

Samoa Joe Wants Everyone To Drink Responsibly

Samoa Joe SmackDown 12 4

Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy renewed their rivalry on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Orton controlled the majority of the match and hit Jeff with a DDT while he was on the ropes. Orton geared up for the RKO but Jeff blocked it and connected with the Twist of Fate. Hardy made his way to the top rope but Orton rolled out of the ring. Jeff slammed Orton on top of the table and went back up to the top rope.

Samoa Joe appeared on the jumbotron from a bar and distracted Jeff Hardy. Orton capitalized on the distraction and planted Jeff with an RKO for the victory. Joe once again appeared on the screen and warned the WWE Universe about the dangers of excess. Joe said that moderation is a good thing. Joe added that the choice is clear and to drink responsibly. Joe then raised his glass of beer to Hardy and said “cheers” to end the segment.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1070144036583858177

Joe is excellent in the ring and his promos are always entertaining. Hardy has had substance abuse issues in the past so Joe using that to get under Jeff’s skin is just great. I think that Joe has everything it takes to be a heel champion but WWE always has him coming up short in his feuds. This will be a midcard match at TLC but I am really looking forward to it.

Daniel Bryan Brutally Attacked AJ Styles

Daniel Bryan SmackDown 12 4 2

The Miz faced AJ Styles in the main event of the show. Daniel Bryan joined commentary for the match. The match started out back and forth as Bryan called Byron Saxton a terrible person for the type of meat he consumes.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1070147603097051136

Styles knocked Miz to the outside and hit him with a Crossbody off the apron. Daniel Bryan approached AJ and extended his hand. The Miz used the distraction and slammed AJ into the steel steps. Back in the ring, The Miz hit Styles with the Skull Crushing Finale but AJ kicked out. Bryan tried to interfere while the referee was distracted but AJ booted him away. Styles then locked in the Calf Crusher on Miz for the submission victory.

After the match, Bryan attacked Styles from behind and hit him with a chop block. Bryan slammed AJ’s knee into the ring post several times and then rolled AJ back into the ring. Daniel applied the Heel Hook and Styles screamed in agony as WWE officials ran to the ring to break it up. Bryan stomped on AJ’s face several times as the crowd loudly booed.

Daniel posed on the announce table as the announcer said: “here is your WWE Champion, the new Daniel Bryan”. Bryan grabbed the microphone once again and shouted that the crowd was fickle before getting Styles in the Heel Hook once again as SmackDown went off the air.

I was waiting for the intensity of this feud to pick up and it happened tonight. Bryan vs. Styles could easily steal the show at WWE TLC. It is pretty impressive how Daniel Bryan has the entire crowd booing him so quickly. After another terrible episode of RAW last night, this week’s episode of SmackDown was refreshing. I pretty much enjoyed everything on tonight’s show and most of the matches I am looking forward to at WWE TLC are from the SmackDown brand.

Match & Segment Announced For Next Week’s WWE SmackDown Live

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WWE has announced the first match and segment for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live on the USA Network. The company has officially announced that Charlotte Flair will battle Asuka in a singles match. Also, a rap battle will take place between The Usos, New Day, and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1070145364261523456

WWE is hyping the Flair vs. Asuka contest as a WrestleMania 34 rematch as Flair beat Asuka to retain the SmackDown Women’s Title at the event back on April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Becky Lynch is slated to defend her SmackDown Women’s Title against Flair and Asuka in a triple threat TLC match at WWE’s next pay-per-view event, TLC, that goes down on Sunday, December 16th, 2018 in San Jose, California at the SAP Center. At this same show, Sheamus and Cesaro will defend their titles against New Day and Usos in a triple threat match.

WWE holds next week’s show in Las Vegas, NV at the T-Mobile Arena. As of this writing, no other matches for SmackDown has been announced. This will be the go-home show of the blue brand for TLC.

What are your thoughts on WWE announcing this match and segment? Sound off in the comment section.

WWE SmackDown Live Results (12/4)

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[live id=”diul1y5″ data-sort-time=”1543969281406″]The December 4th, 2018 edition of WWE SmackDown Live took place at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX.

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– Tonight’s broadcast opens up with a video package looking at last week’s women’s division battle royal.

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– WWE SmackDown GM Paige comes out to the ring to kick off the show, and the ring is surrounded by tables, ladders, and chairs. A table is set up in the ring for a contract signing, and then Paige introduces Asuka, Charlotte, and Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. Becky gets on the mic and talks about the weapons that will come in to play in their TLC match, and how the pain of the match won’t match the pain she went through getting to where she is today. Becky says she’ll do anything it takes to win, then Charlotte interrupts and tells her to stop singing the same song every week. Charlotte and Becky exchange words until Asuka interrupts and talks about her strong win-loss record. Asuka says she could have beaten Ronda, and at TLC she’ll beat Becky. Becky ends up leaving and heading up the ramp, leaving Charlotte and Asuka alone in the ring with Paige. Charlotte and Asuka sign the contract on the table, then Asuka challenges Charlotte to a match right now. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville come out to interrupt. Mandy says Charlotte and Asuka aren’t deserving of their opportunity. This leads to Paige booking a tag match between the two sides, and that starts next.

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– The Miz approaches Shane McMahon backstage and talks to him about wanting to be the greatest team ever, and he complains about having to host Miz TV with Daniel Bryan tonight. Shane tells Miz to use his smarts to get some answers from “the new Daniel Bryan” tonight.

– Charlotte & Asuka vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville: Asuka starts this one off with a hammer lock on Sonya, then they trade shoulder blocks and take-downs. Sonya takes control, then Mandy tags in to continue the offense on Asuka. Mandy wastes some time, then Asuka fires back with a series of strikes. Mandy shoots back with a forearm to the face, but Asuka shuts her down with a kick to the head. Charlotte tags in now and snapmares Mandy down before putting the boots to her. Charlotte misses a shot in the corner and Mandy drops her face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Charlotte comes back and throws Mandy outside, then Sony runs in and she throws Sonya to the outside too. Charlotte hits a dive on Mandy and Sonya at ringside, then she exchanges words with Asuka. Becky comes out to the stage for a closer look at this match. Back in the ring, Mandy and Sonya turn things around on Asuka. Becky sits at ringside now with her Women’s Title belt to watch. Sonya hits a running knee strike to Asuka for a two count. Mandy tags in for a knee strike of her own to Asuka for another two count. Mandy clotheslines Asuka back down and she looks for a back suplex, but Asuka escapes and drops Mandy. Sonya and Charlotte tags in, and Charlotte hits a series of strikes. Charlotte hits a belly to back suplex and then kicks up. Charlotte hits a spear on Sonya, then Mandy runs in and Charlotte throws her out over the top rope. Mandy drops Asuka at ringside, then hits a cheap shot on Charlotte from the apron. Asuka gets on the apron and drops Mandy, then Charotte swings for Mandy but hits Asuka instead. Asuka returns the favor and hits Charlotte, which leads to Sonya pinning Charlotte for the three count.

Winners: Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville

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[live id=”ht3k7″ data-sort-time=”1543973706405″]- Still to come: The Miz interviews WWE Champion Daniel Bryan; Jeff Hardy takes on Randy Orton in a singles match; and one member each of The New Day, The Bar, and The Usos will take part in a triple threat match. [/live]

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– Jon Stewart is shown sitting in the front row.

– Jey Uso vs. Xavier Woods vs. Cesaro: Woods and Uso dump Cesaro to the outside early on, then they go at it with each other. Cesaro comes back in, but Woods and Uso drop him again and send him back down to the ringside floor. While at ringside, Cesaro rips up The New Day’s orange commentary table. Woods and Uso fight on the turnbuckle, then Cesaro breaks it up. Uso takes Cesaro down, then he hits a Samoan Drop on Woods. Uso follows up with the butt bump in the corner on Woods, then he goes for one on Cesaro but Cesaro rolls out of the way. Cesaro rolls out to ringside, and Uso hits a suicide dive on him. Woods then hits a tornado DDT off he apron on Uso on the floor. Back in the ring, Woods hits a facebuster on Cesaro for a two count. Woods looks for the Honor Roll, but Cesaro blocks it. Cesaro misses a shot in the corner and Uso kicks him int he face out of nowhere. Woods hits a flying elbow drop on Cesaro and pins, but Uso breaks it up. Woods and Uso trade right hands in the middle now, until they run the ropes and collide. Jey hits a shoulder block, then Cesaro drops him. Cesaro hits Woods with a right hand and puts Woods on his shoulders, then he grabs Uso by the legs and swings Uso around while Woods is on his shoulders. Cesaro drops them both, then puts Woods in the Sharpshooter. Uso breaks it up and boots Cesaro in the head. Woods tries to steal the pin on Cesaro, but Cesaro kicks out and throws Woods to the outside. Uso then immediately superkicks Cesaro and pins for the three count.

Winner: Jey Uso

– All three teams come face to face in the ring after the match as The Usos celebrate.

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– Rusev and Lana are backstage for an interview. Rusev says Nakamura attacked him before his match last week because he’s scared of him. Rusev says he’s stronger, more relentless and hungrier than Nakamura. Rusev says Nakamura is ducking him, but Rusev will get his hands on him and feast on Nakamura on the greatest holiday of them all – Rusev Day.

– Still to come: Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton

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– We see a shot outside the arena at the University of Texas in Austin, TX.

– The broadcast team introduces a video package looking at Lars Sullivan. Sullivan hasn’t chosen his brand yet, but says in the video that you’d never seen a freak like him.

– The Miz comes out to host Miz TV. R-Truth and Carmella immediately come out to interrupt him, and they have a dance break on the stage. They finish dancing, and then they leave. The Miz continues now and welcomes everyone to Miz TV. The Miz introduces his guest tonight – WWE Champion, “the new” Daniel Bryan. Bryan steps in the ring and sits down next to Miz. Miz says Bryan still looks like the old Daniel Bryan, but something is different about him – his eyes are open and he realizes there’s no point to a virtuous win – there’s only winning a losing. Miz says Bryan realizes he was right all along. Bryan picks up his mic and starts talking about “the old” Daniel Bryan wasn’t very smart since he catered to the opinions of the fans. Bryan says he doesn’t care about these people anymore, and he’s letting his dreams take control. Bryan says he doesn’t have enough intellectual peers in WWE – Miz included – but Bryan can read books and consult the great minds of history. The fans chant “what,” and Bryan says they’re chanting something stupid from 20 years ago. Bryan says the fans are all sheep. Miz says Bryan took his advice and did whatever it took to win. Bryan says Miz is dancing around the issue and not getting to the point – Bryan says he kicked AJ Styles in the groin. But that was only one match on one day, and these fans ruin the earth with their needless consumption, and he talks about water bottles and people hurting the environment. Miz says he didn’t bring Bryan here to talk about methane gas and water bottles. Miz says Bryan painted him as the bad guy for eight years, but Miz saw through him the whole time. Miz says he wants Bryan to answer a simple question: Is he WWE Champion because he listened to what Miz said? Bryan says yes, then he says no. Bryan says it doesn’t matter, the only thing that matters is the old Daniel Bryan is dead and the yes movement is dead. Bryan says the only thing that matters is that this is your new WWE Champion – the new Daniel Bryan. AJ Styles comes out to interrupt. AJ steps in the ring, and Bryan shoves Miz into him then slides out of the ring. AJ chases Bryan out to the ringside, then back into the ring. AJ gets his hands on Bryan, but then Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on him. Bryan watches from ringside then heads up the ramp.

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– The broadcast team informs us that Paige has booked AJ Styles and The Miz in a singles match later tonight.

 

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– Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy: The opening bell sounds and Jeff immediately takes the fight to Orton and pummels on him in the corner. Orton tries to grab on to Jeff’s ear but Jeff fights him off. The fight spills out to ringside and Jeff hits a back suplex on Orton. Back in the ring, Hardy boots Orton in the face and hits the Whisper In The Wind for a two count. Hardy hits the inverted atomic drop, and a leg drop and dropkick for a two count. Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate, but Orton fights him off and elbows Hardy in the face. Orton hits the draping DDT off the middle rope, but then he wastes some time. Orton looks for the RKO, but Jeff shoves him off. Hardy and Orton both block some shots before Jeff drops him and then goes to the top turnbuckle. Orton meets him there and looks for a superplex, but Jeff fights out and slams Orton’s face into the turnbuckle. Jeff follows up with the Twist of Fate, then he goes to the top rope. Orton rolls out of the ring and Jeff climbs down. Jeff dropkicks Orton through the ring ropes, then follows him out to ringside. Jeff clears off the announce table, then slams Orton’s head onto it. Jeff back suplexes Orton on top of the announce table. Jeff then climbs up to the top turnbuckle as Orton lays on the table. As Jeff reaches the top rope, Samoa Joe appears on the big screen. Samoa Joe is in a bar somewhere, and he tells Jeff he’s keeping an eye on him and to keep up the good work. The distraction leads to Orton rolling back in the ring and hitting the RKO on Jeff for the three count.

Winner: Randy Orton

[/live]

[live id=”umz20k” data-sort-time=”1543977213866″]- After the match, Samoa Joe appears back on the big screen from behind a bar. Joe says he’s here for a lesson for everyone about excess. He talks about people drinking too much and waking up in jail, and tells everyone to drink responsibly. The video turns off, and Jeff heads to the back while high-fiving fans at ringside. [/live]

[live id=”aklhic” data-sort-time=”1543977884731″]- WWE Champion Daniel Bryan does an interview in the back saying that he didn’t run from AJ earlier, and he does everything with purpose. Bryan says he’s going to join the commentary team for AJ and Miz’s match. [/live]

[live id=”6l51qk” data-sort-time=”1543978944348″]

– The Miz vs. AJ Styles: Daniel Byan joins the broadcast table at ringside before the opening bell. The bell sounds and Miz starts off strong in this one. AJ ducks a shot and shuts down Miz with a big dropkick. Styles and Miz trade strikes now, and Miz drops AJ with a knee to the body. Daniel Bryan freaks out at Bryon at ringside and yells at him about bottled water and wanting his daughter to kick Byron in the groin. The Miz misses a shot and AJ kicks him in the face. Miz fights back and kicks AJ off the apron down to the ringside floor. Back in the ring, AJ fights back and hits a neckbreaker for a two count. AJ calls for the Styles Clash, but Miz reverses it and slams AJ face-first into the turnbuckle. Miz follows up with a DDT for a two count. AJ fights back and throws Miz over the top rope down to the ringside floor, then AJ follows up with a flying forearm smash on the floor. AJ locks his sights on Daniel Bryan, and the distraction leads to Miz slamming AJ into the ring steps. Miz takes AJ back in the ring and hits the Skull Crushing Finale for a two count. The Miz is shocked that AJ got out, and he starts working over AJ’s left knee now. Bryan gets a cheap shot on AJ while Miz distracts the ref, but AJ kicks Bryan away. Miz goes to grab AJ, but AJ catches him in the Calf Crusher and The Miz taps out.

Winner: AJ Styles

– After the match, Daniel Bryan attacks AJ and repeatedly slams AJ’s knee into the ring post. Bryan slams AJ head-first into the ring post, and then the announce table. Bryan takes AJ back in the ring and continues beating on AJ’s knee. Bryan applies a heel hook as the ref attempts to pull him off. More referees come out and Bryan finally lets go. Bryan kicks AJ, then grabs AJ’s arms and repeatedly stomps on his head. Bryan runs a lap around the ring, then he stomps on AJ’s head again. Bryan rolls out to ringside and makes the ring announcer introduce him as “the new Daniel Bryan.” Bryan gets on the mic and calls the fans fickle as he holds up his WWE Title belt. Bryan gets back in the ring and continues to beat on AJ’s bad knee as SmackDown goes off the air.

[/live]

[/livelist]

WWE RAW Viewership Draws Historic Low

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Monday’s edition of WWE RAW from Houston, TX at the Toyota Center averaged 2.285 million viewers, down from 2.369 million the previous week. As a result, this episode marks the worst viewership of all-time since records began. Here is the hourly viewership breakdown, courtesy of ShowbuzzDaily:

  • Hour 1: 2.262 million viewers
  • Hour 2: 2.399 million viewers
  • Hour 3: 2.196 million viewers

RAW had some notable moments including appearances by Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre vs Dolph Ziggler, Rhyno vs. Heath Slater in a loser is fired match, Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal, and Ronda Rousey & Ember Moon vs. Nia Jax & Tamina serving as the main event of this show.

WWE also hyped TLC and the matches taking place at that show. WWE will attempt to rebound by increasing its viewership next week. In case you missed the show, you can check out the results here.

This episode faced some heavy competition. The show had to go up against ESPN which was averaging 11.237 million viewers for the New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins game, ABC’s Christmas Light special drew 5.005 million viewers, The Voice drew 8.992 million viewers, and The Neighborhood drew 6.496 million viewers.

Watch: Top 10 Moments from Monday’s RAW (12.3.18)

What are your thoughts on this show? Did you watch or skip it? Sound off in the comment section.

Matt Hardy Talks If He Plans To Retire, Woken Universe

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Former WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Matt Hardy recently did an interview with Riju Dasgupta of Sportskeeda to talk about various topics including his future in pro wrestling, which has been a hot topic as of late.

A few months ago, it was reported that Hardy would be taking an extended break to deal with nagging injuries and he has been “shadowing” WWE producers behind the scenes and is transitioning to a backstage role with the company. Hardy made it known that retirement is not on the horizon for him. 

“No, it’s not. I took time off to heal some nagging injuries and I’ll be back sooner rather than later. So, I’ve been doing this twenty-six years. I was just a little beat up. I was given a little time off. From when I’ve been back, for over a year and half, I was full time. I did everything. Hardy added that he thinks fans will see an S evolution of Bray Wyatt and himself.

The older Hardy brother also about the reaction to his Woken/Broken universe from WWE officials which is where he noted that they were big fans of the character due to it being something very different and nothing that had been done on that level.

“[Chris] Jericho was the one who facilitated all of that. He had a link to watch the Final Deletion before it came out. They were in Japan actually. The whole WWE locker room watched it. Upon coming back and finally getting to the point where I could finally become ‘Woken’ Matt Hardy, The Ultimate Deletion, considering I got to do that in the main event slot on RAW was such an honour. Because it wasn’t Vince’s creation or WWE’s creation, it’s hard for them to fully get behind something like that.”

Alexa Bliss Cleared to Return To WWE

5

It appears that former WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss has been cleared to return to in-ring action.

We noted earlier on the site that Bliss has been attempting to get medically cleared to compete by getting back in the ring at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida last week. She had been reportedly out of action with multiple concussions as of late. There’s still no word yet on when he’ll make her return but WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry shared an update on her status during Tuesday’s episode of Busted Open Radio on Sirius XM.

According to Henry, “She came back too soon and was in a bad place, but she’s fine and has been cleared.”

As a result of Bliss not being allowed to wrestle, WWE officials decided to give her a new role on television. General Manager-Elect Baron Corbin put Bliss in charge of the red brand women’s division. Bliss was originally scheduled to face Trish Stratus and Lita in a tag match at the WWE Evolution pay-per-view event in October but was pulled after suffering a concussion just days before the show.

With the card appearing to be finalized for WWE’s next pay-per-view event, it’s likely that Bliss won’t wrestle at the TLC pay-per-view event takes place on Sunday, December 16th, 2018 in San Jose, California at the SAP Center.

Listen: Mark Henry says Alexa Bliss is cleared to compete again

PAC Wins Gold in Dragon Gate

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Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion PAC has just added another Championship to his list of accolades. The 32-year-old star defeated Masato Yoshino in Korakuen Hall to become the new Open the Dream Gate Champion in Dragon Gate.

PAC’s win ended Yoshino’s fourth reign which lasted 177 days. PAC re-debuted for the company back in October, where he joined the R.E.D stable. This was the first official appearance for the former Neville since he left WWE back in October of 2017, his contract with WWE officially ended in August.

In other PAC news Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) announced that ‘The King’ will be heading to Bethnal Green in February. The company’s ‘High Stakes 2019’ event takes place on February 15th from the world famous York Hall in London. PAC will be facing Will Ospreay a part of the event. Tickets for the show sold out in record time with just the one match being announced.

This comes after Rev Pro announced that PAC would be facing Zack Sabre Jr in 2019. The former WWE Superstar will be heading to ‘Live at The Cockpit’ at The Cockpit Theatre in London on January 6th. PAC recently appeared for Rev Pro at their recent Portsmouth show, where he faced Mike Bailey.

Update On Braun Strowman’s Recovery From Surgery

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Despite what was reported last week, former title contender Braun Strowman was not backstage at this week’s Monday Night RAW TV event from Houston, Texas. Instead, it was reported by PWInsider.com on Tuesday that he was not at the event but rather spotted in Austin, Texas which is where WWE will air tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live. Although he’s not expected to appear on the show, he’ll likely be checked out by WWE doctors.

It’s been well established that Strowman recently underwent successful elbow surgery at Andrews Sports Medicine in Birmingham, AL with the belief that the injury to be a minor issue. He has yet to be cleared to return to the ring in order to wrestle but is expected to be shortly as WWE is counting on him due to a big match being announced for their next/final pay-per-view event of the year. He’s expected to face Baron Corbin at TLC.

There are some stipulations that go along with this contest. If Corbin wins, he’ll be the permanent GM of RAW, but if he loses, he’ll lose all authority. If Strowman wins, he’ll face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at the Royal Rumble. This will also be a TLC Match.

WWE presents the TLC pay-per-view event on Sunday, December 16th, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center that will air on the WWE Network. WWE will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days

Roman Reigns To Participate In WWE Tribute To The Troops Festivities

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Former WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has his next appearance with the company booked as PWinsider.com is reporting that he is in Ft. Hood, Texas today to take part in WWE’s Tribute to the Troops festivities. 

WWE will be taping the special and airing it on Thursday, December 20th on the USA Network.

As of this writing, there’s no word yet on if he’ll appear on the broadcast. If he does then it will make his first appearance on WWE programming since he, unfortunately, announced that he was taking time off from active in-ring competition and drop the Universal Title in order to deal with a recurrence of leukemia.

What Happened After RAW Went Off The Air

Elias vs. General Manager-Elect Baron Corbin turned into a six-man match as the dark main event after WWE got done airing this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Houston, TX at the Toyota Center on the USA Network.

The match ended with Elias, Finn Balor and Dolph Ziggler beat Corbin, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. Dean Ambrose vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins was originally advertised. However, it did not happen.

Natalya Written Out Of Top Storyline Due To Legitimate Injury

1

WWE officials were forced to make some changes to their plans for a top storyline which involved Natalya.

WWE RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and Natalya were in a match against Tamina and Nia Jax before the Riott Squad interrupted on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW in Houston, TX at the Toyota Center on the USA Network. This led to Natalya being sent through a table that allowed WWE to do an injury angle. It turns out that Natalya has a legit elbow injury and Ember Moon will replace her in the storyline

Dave Meltzer reported the news of the change in the storyline on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio. WWE had to decide to go with a different partner for Rousey on television after months of her being tied with Natalya.

WWE has already confirmed that Rousey will defend her title at the upcoming TLC PPV event against Nia Jax, who won the battle royal at WWE Evolution to earn the title shot.

It’s been reported that original plans called for Natalya to face Rousey at this event with the idea to have Natalya turn on Rousey at some point to set up a match. However, WWE decided to cancel the plans of turning Natalya heel after the recent death of Jim Neidhart. The belief was that fans wouldn’t boo her after what happened and WWE officials called to have Jax replace her.

Will Ospreay vs PAC Sells Out in Record Time, Ospreay Reacts on Twitter

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Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) recently announced that Will Ospreay will be taking on PAC as part of their High Stakes event in 2019. The pre-sale tickets for the show went on sale December 3rd and they have sold out in lightning quick fashion. Rev Pro confirmed that it was “Officially [the] fastest York Hall sell out ever.

Since PAC left WWE Ospreay has been begging to be put up against the former Cruiserweight Champion. This bout is being billed as a ‘dream’ match between two of the best athletes on the planet. Ospreay took to Twitter earlier today and commented on the quick sellout. If I have learnt anything from Rev Pro booking what is being titled a “genuine dream match” is that this is a symbol to show even though some guys in the UK are being locked down in where they can compete, our country can thrive without being part of the system.”

Ospreay has been vocal regarding the recent NXT UK Superstar contract changes. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ is one of the few UK stars signed to NJPW alongside Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre Jr. This bout shows that there are opportunities for promotions outside of the ‘WWE bubble’ to thrive on the UK scene.

Tomohiro Ishii Announced for Rev Pro on WrestleMania Weekend

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Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) has announced the first star for their upcoming WrestleMania weekend event. Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii will be appearing at the Hilton in New York on Friday April 5th.

Ishii recently successfully defended his title against David Starr. The match took place at the Uprising 2018 event back in October. Tomohiro will also be defending his title against Zack Sabre Jr when New Japan presents Wrestle Kingdom from the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.

Revolution Pro’s World of Pro Wrestling show is still available to watch on Friday nights in the UK. The UK based company will be using the FreesportsUK channel as the home for their new TV show going forward.

You can check out the exclusive interview we conducted with Rev Pro owner Andy Quildan here. When we discussed the timing of the new show Andy confirmed that “WoS had no impact on our decision. In all honesty whilst I watch as much product as possible from WWE, ROH, NJPW, CMLL to all the indies here in the UK, aside from learning best (or at times worst) practice I try not to let what others are doing dictate the way I choose to run my business.”

NJPW World Tag League Kochi (12/03) Results

0

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s November scheduling is usually dominated by the World Tag League shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature some of NJPW’s top stars, but there are some notable exceptions. Some of the shows will be available on NJPWWorld.

Results

Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Kochi (12/03):

  • 1st WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka) b. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino – Suzuki took the win after hitting the Gotch-style piledriver on Umino
  • 2nd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) b. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata – Tonga took the win after hitting the Gun Stun on Nakanishi
  • 3rd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: BULLET CLUB (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) b. TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) – Page took the win after hitting the Rite of Passage on Kojima
  • 4th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) b. David Finlay & Juice Robinson – Smith Jr and Archer took the win after hitting the Killer Bomb on Finlay
  • 5th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin b. Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) – Cobb took the win after hitting the Tour of the Islands on Taichi
  • 6th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) b. Toa Henare & Togi Makabe – Ishii took the win after hitting the Vertical-Style Brainbuster on Henare
  • 7th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) b. Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) – SANADA used the Skull End on Chuckie T for the win
  • Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo b. Rocky Romero, KUSHIDA, Kazuchika Okada ad Hiroshi Tanahashi – White took the win after hitting the Blade Runner on Romero

Smackdown Live! 12/4 Preview

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Smackdown tonight will take place inside the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. 4 segments have been confirmed for the show.

Smackdown 12/4 Preview

Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Asuka Contract Signing

Last week on Smackdown, Asuka won a 9-person battle royal to become the third participant in the triple threat TLC Women’s Smackdown Championship match at TLC. Tonight, all 3 competitors will be in the ring at the same time to officially sign their contracts.

MizTV w/ Special Guest Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan and the Miz were rivals for years while Bryan was not medically cleared to compete. In 2018, they’ve taken their rivalry to the ring. Now that Bryan has become “the New Daniel Bryan”, however, the dynamic between the two could be entirely different. We’ll find out tonight when Bryan is the guest on MizTV.

Former WWE Champion and Bryan’s opponent at TLC, AJ Styles, will likely be watching this segment closely.

Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton

Tonight will be the 12th 1-on-1 match between Orton and Hardy dating back to 2006. Hardy beat Orton in a #1 contender’s match for the Intercontinental Championship back on Monday Night Raw from August 28th, 2006 in their first match.

The last time the two met, on Smackdown October 23rd, 2018, Orton beat Hardy to pull ahead in the all-time series 6-5.

What about Samoa Joe? He interrupted Jeff Hardy’s 20th Anniversary with the WWE celebration last week. Will he get involved in Jeff’s match with Orton tonight?

Xavier Woods vs Cesaro vs Jey Uso

At TLC, the Bar will defend the Smackdown tag team Championships against both the New Day and the Usos in a triple threat match. Tonight, one wrestler from each team will face off in a triple threat single’s match.

Young Bucks & The Revival Comment On Wrestling Each Other

6

The Revival and the Young Bucks have been linked together the last couple of years, despite not being signed to the same promotion. They exchanged the following Tweets last night after Raw:

https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/1069775644261679105

“One day we’ll wrestle The Revival & everyone will rejoice. Remember this tweet.”

https://twitter.com/ScottDawsonWWE/status/1069800074862125056

https://twitter.com/DashWilderWWE/status/1069792017528557568

“One day we’ll wrestle The Young Bucks & everyone will rejoice. Remember this tweet.”

The Young Bucks vs The Revival

This isn’t the first time the two teams have teased facing each other either. In 2017, the Young Bucks were constantly pushing #FTR, which is an acronym of an insult to the Revival. The Revival then said on social media they wanted to wrestle the Young Bucks.

The Revival Vs the Lucha House Party

One thing the Revival might appreciate about facing the Young Bucks is that there are only 2 of them. For the last few weeks on Raw, the Revival have been booked against the team of cruiserweights. Unfortunately for Dash and Dawson, however, the Lucha House Party trio appear to have their own set of rules.

The luchadors have been allowed to wrestle 3-on-2 against the conventional tag-team. Then last night on Raw, the Lucha House Party was allowed to face Scott Dawson 3-on-1. It’s still not clear if the Revival will ever get a fair match against their current rivals.

WWE Announces Air Date For This Year’s Tribute To The Troops

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On Tuesday, WWE announced the air date for this year’s Tribute to the Troops celebration. The taping for this special will be held today at Fort Hood with a two-hour special airing Thursday, Dec. 20 at 9/8c on USA Network.

It was also noted in the announcement that the event will feature a special appearance by Jon Stewart, former host of The Daily Show and a long-time supporter of our servicemen and women. Country music star Morgan Wallen will perform for the troops in attendance.

This is the second time Fort Hood has hosted The Most Patriotic Show of the Year, first serving as host in 2010. It was noted in the announcement that Superstars will spend time giving back to military personnel and their families stationed on base and activities include a Be a STAR bullying prevention rally, as well as hospital visits and military outreach initiatives at various installations across the base.

“It is an honor to celebrate our servicemen and women for their unwavering commitment and sacrifice to our country,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “We are proud to return to Fort Hood and continue WWE’s Tribute to the Troops tradition for the 16th consecutive year.”

It was also noted that “WWE Tribute to the Troops began in 2003 to honor our servicemen and women and their families. In the tradition of Bob Hope, WWE brings together the best of sports, entertainment and pop culture with celebrity appearances and performances from music’s most popular acts in what is considered TV’s most patriotic and heartwarming show of the year.”

We will post spoilers from the taping of this special on the site later today.