We’re just days away from AEW’s newest pay-per-view, Worlds End. The show is live from Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, MJF’s hometown. The main event will see MJF defend his AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe, who turned on him and attacked him with a chair at the end of Dynamite. It also saw MJF finally lose the ROH Tag Team Championship to unknown assailants of The Devil.
Worlds End isn’t just all about MJF. Andrade and Miro have had beef since the latter’s wife took on El Idolo as a client. Miro has wanted to fight him for weeks and now finally has the chance on Saturday.
The “New Year’s Smash” edition of Dynamite saw the return of Sammy Guevara. He took exception to Don Callis not only including his newborn daughter on a painting, but for not contacting him when he was out of action with a concussion. He turned on Callis and was promptly attacked by Powerhouse Hobbs, Konosuke Takeshita, and Kyle Fletcher. Guevara was saved by Chris Jericho. Big Bill and Ricky Starks came from the crowd to beat them up. Sting and a returning Darby Allin came to save them.
Since Omega is out of action indefinitely, the AEW tag team championships will no longer be defended at Worlds End. Instead the champions will be teaming up with Hobbs and Takeshita versus Jericho, Guevara, Allin, and Sting in an 8-man match.
The Continental Classic had league finals matches on Wednesday. Dynamite opened with “Switchblade” Jay White vs. Swerve Strickland vs. Jon Moxley. Moxley won the Gold league to advance to Saturday’s finals. In the Blue league, Eddie Kingston defeated Bryan Danielson.
Zero Hour will see a 20-man Battle Royale for a shot at the TNT Championship any time, any where. The pre-show will begin at 6:30 PM ET on YouTube and AEW’s social media.
HOOK saved Katsuyori Shibata after Wheeler Yuta beat him up after he won the ROH PURE Championship. HOOK will put his FTW World Championship on the line under FTW Rules.
The main card for Worlds End will start at 8 PM ET.
Just before Full Gear, Mariah May arrived in AEW. She showed up in a backstage segment with RJ City. She is a super fan of Toni Storm. In the following weeks, she has been holding Storm’s AEW Women’s Championship. She has interfered on her behalf.
After applauding Storm’s work on commentary, she asked the champion if she would provide commentary for her first match. Storm replied that she was much too busy to do so. She also declined to watch her first match to provide feedback, but if she holds a seminar, May would be the first to know.
During a segment on Dynamite, May spoke with Renee Paquette. After explaining that her attack on RIHO last week was just supporting her hero, she announced when her first match would be. She didn’t feel like “2023 had the best vibe and not enough glamour, so my debut is going to be next week on the first Dynamite of the new year. Because 2024 is ‘all about Mariah’.”
Mariah May is with Renee Paquette to announce when her debut match is going to take place!
AEW will be live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on January 3. It is unclear who will be May’s first opponent.
Prior to joining AEW, May spent nine months in STARDOM (like one Toni Storm). During her five year career, May has also wrestled for Rev Pro and PROGRESS in the UK. Her last match came on September 30 in the prestigious 5STAR Grand Prix tournament.
Despite the eye patch, Bryan Danielson is ready for Kazuchika Okada at WrestleKingdom 18 and he thinks there’s a reason for that.
Danielson was apart of the Wrestle Kingdom 18 Interview Series over on the company’s YouTube channel and was asked what does strong-style and fighting spirit mean to him,
“All of what that means to me is continuing to fight despite the adversity and where I think I’m better at that than Okada is is because he hasn’t face the adversity that I’ve faced.”
Danielson says Okada had the physique, look and skill to get catapulted right to the top while Danielson has had to fight his way up the card.
He talked about the struggles about when he first fractured his ortibal bone in 2007 with no insurance or no money and Okada has not had to worry about that. However, Okada previously had to worry about Danielson at Forbidden Door 2 when he submitted Okada in the ring.
“When you want to talk about fighting spirit and you want to talk about strong-style, I don’t know if there’s a better example than breaking your arm and tapping out Okada on the same night, when nobody’s tapped out Okada since 2015.”
The American Dragon says his vision is blurry and therefore he can’t drive his kids to school, stating that a lot of his motivaton stems from his kids. He says he’s going to break Okada’s right arm and take away his best weapon.
“We’re going to see if you’re the next Antonio Inoki or just another wannabe.”
Wrestle Kingdom 18 will go down January 4th.
Please credit NJPW and h/t SEScoops for the transcription.
CBS News reports that the promotional Slim Jim car stolen in California turned up thousands of miles away in west suburban Hillside. The distinctive custom Nissan Z, valued at around $115,000, was located on Friday inside a trailer in a parking lot.
The theft was reported in the Los Angeles area, prompting a social media campaign with the hashtag #findfastmeat to recover the car. It also spawned several funny posts and classic memes.
Despite the distance traveled, the “Fast Meat” vehicle was reportedly still partially wrapped with Slim Jim graphics, while the interior seemed unaffected. It’s a good thing the interior was untouched, because “Fast Meat” is loaded.
The customized “Fast Meat” vehicle, equipped with eye-catching elements such as a vibrant exterior, personalized yellow leather interior, LED lighting, and exclusive Slim Jim features, was meticulously designed by one of Hollywood’s best custom auto workshops. Given its distinctiveness, this car is bound to grab attention, prompting us to question who might have taken it.
The Disappearance of “Fast Meat”
Slim Jim initiated the #FindFastMeat campaign, urging its fan base, the Long Boi Gang, to take action. They also prompted individuals with information to submit tips to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Despite perceptions of this being a strategic PR maneuver, the company’s press release conveyed a genuine tone. They were serious, as their valuable “Fast Meat” asset was missing.
This story has a happy ending, because “Fast Meat” is now home to snap into another headline.
Friedman played the role of the fake Von Erich cousin, “Lance Von Erich,” but you only just saw his face briefly in a tag match with Zac Efron, who was Kevin Von Erich in the film.
Wrestling fans were shocked that so little was used of MJF, but speaking with
ComicBook.com, the champ kept a good perspective on it, primarily hoping for the film to be successful.
“I want this film to succeed, and the film needed to be about the brothers. As fun as I had shooting that scene, realistically, it didn’t add to the overarching story and the importance of the story between the brothers and what they were going through in dealing with the pressures that their father put on them. It didn’t fit in the pieces of the puzzle.”
MJF actually was an executive producer on the production as “The Iron Claw” released everywhere on December 22. There were several other wrestlers involved in the film. Ryan Nemeth of AEW actually played Gino Hernandez while Chavo Guerrero Jr. portrayed The Original Sheik. Other popular independent names like Will Allday, Luke Hawx and even Shane Taylor helped do stunts for the film.
According to Dave Meltzer, “The Iron Claw” is estimated to make $5.06 million the first weekend at the box office, and was estimated to finish at $7.5 million after Christmas evening. Overall for theaters nationwide, the movie came in sixth place overall with the breadwinner being Aquaman.
From a ratings standpoint, “Iron Claw” got 87% positive reviews and an audience score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
There are a good deal of pro wrestling fans in the NBA and Tyrese Haliburton was pumped to Booker T was there to catch a game
Booker T is based out of Houston, TX and the Indiana Pacers were in town to face the hometown Rockets. The Pacers’ social media account caught their star shooter Haliburton running his wy to the court when Tyrese saw Booker T standing off to the side. Haliburton was clearly well-aware of who Booker was and also his wife Sharmell who was at his side.
Haliburton came in for a hug and was excited to see that the two-time WWE Hall Of Famer in the house. It happened to be WWE Night for the Rockets so “King” Booker and “Queen” Sharmell were the guests of honor that evening.
The Pacers ended up getting the win that night and after the game Haliburton said that he was “locked in” due to it being WWE Night.
“Booker T, no way…And the Queen!”
Tyrese Haliburton met @WWE Hall of Famers Booker T and Queen Sharmell before last night’s game. safe to say he was a little excited ?? pic.twitter.com/Ik4q2yZOTG
Since they started, AEW has made sure to cross-promote the NBA product, the biggest of note was Shaquille O’Neal returning to the ring to face Cody Rhodes. That particular bout also happened to be the in-ring debut of Jade Cargill.
In preparation for the company’s next premium live event, Rhodes is in fantastic shape and motivated to win the Royal Rumble Match for the second time.
Unfortunately for “The American Nightmare,” he was unsuccessful in defeating Reigns and has to rebound in the 2024 Royal Rumble Match. Reigns and his “Wise Man” Paul Heyman refuse to give Rhodes a rematch, which has given the “babyface” added motivation to win the battle royal.
His recent physical appearance is promising for Rhodes’ fans as he looks to stay healthy and attempt to become a two-time Royal Rumble Match winner.
The Obstacles Cody Rhodes Has To Face Heading Into The 2024 Royal Rumble Match
Although Rhodes looks incredible and is hungry to win the Royal Rumble Match, he has some obstacles. Besides having to eliminate 29 other wrestlers, he is also in an ongoing feud with Nakamura.
The former NXT Champion is also looking to win the Royal Rumble Match for the second time and ensure Rhodes doesn’t. Nakamura is similar to Rhodes, who won the Men’s Royal Rumble Match in 2018 but didn’t win the WWE Championship. Nakamura has shared that “The American Nightmare” ambition to win next year’s match inspired him to be victorious.
Image Credit: WWE
The Japanese superstar will try to stand in Rhodes’s way to ensure that he loses seemingly by any means.
Another star Rhodes has to look out for is CM Punk, who wants to win his first Royal Rumble Match. Punk announced on the December 11 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw that he would compete in next year’s match. The former WWE Champion has momentum and fans behind him, as he will also try to ruin Rhodes’s chances.
“The American Nightmare” has many obstacles standing in front of him. However, he is physically ready and confident he will be the main event at WrestleMania again.
WWE fans were shocked with Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE in May 2022. Now, over a year removed from that controversial moment, and The Boss is getting a new spotlight thanks to a possible WWE return.
Mercedes Mone’s Current Contract Status
Mercedes Mone successfully revitalized her career and as she took her talent to Japan. She is no longer under any NJPW contract anymore, leaving her next choice in the pro wrestling business up in the air.
Some anticipate Mercedes Mone’s return to WWE, especially with Charlotte Flair currently sidelined due to injury. It would be perfect timing for Sasha Banks’ return, since the Royal Rumble is coming up in a matter of weeks.
Mercedes Mone Drops WWE Tease
Mercedes Mone recently shared a photo on her Instagram story, taken outside the TD Garden in Boston. That was the venue for WWE’s December 27th live event as part of their Holiday tour.
Although Mercedes Mone wasn’t actually in Boston for the December 27th show, she may have had WWE on her mind. We will have to see if Sasha Banks is back on the WWE roster the next time they travel to Beantown.
Mercedes Mone’s Future in Pro Wrestling
Mercedes Mone’s asking price for a new contract is very high, as some have speculated that she may want more than Charlotte Flair received for her latest contract extension. The Royal Rumble Premium Live Event on January 27th may provide a great platform for her return.
It was also reported that AEW no longer has a working plan to bring Mercedes Mone in. They did have plans for her, as proof by her appearance at AEW All In London, but she was injured at the time. Now that she is healthy again, we will have to see what happens.
WWE consistently strives to make every event memorable, be it on television or at live shows. In a recent WWE live event in Boston, MA, DJ Steve Aoki made a special appearance at the TD Garden, and he brought cake.
Steve Aoki Throws Cake At WWE Event
During the Holiday Tour live event, fans saw numerous memorable moments, but one went viral as an unexpected celebrity showed up. Steve Aoki joined Kofi Kingston for a unique segment, and they brought cake.
Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser was caked in a big way. In case you didn’t know, Steve Aoki is known for throwing cakes during his performances, and he brought that to the WWE live event.
WWE’s put the clip on social media, along with a caption that asked, “What is Steve Aoki doing with that cake?!” That was a very good question, but it was also one that was answered with the video clip they included in the post.
The WWE Holiday Tour continues with more upcoming dates, because the company isn’t done with 2023 yet. We will keep our eyes peeled for more notable highlights as WWE closes out the year in their own trademark way.
Steve Aoki is an American DJ, record producer, and music executive. He is a famous face in the electronic dance music scene. Known for his performances, he incorporates crowd-surfing and cake-throwing into his shows.
Aoki is also the founder of the record label Dim Mak Records, promoting emerging artists in electronic music. He has collaborated with musicians across genres and released albums and singles throughout his career. Obviously, he can bring a wild time whenever he shows up, and Steve Aoki proved that at the Boston WWE live event.
2023 has been a banner year for the reigning United States Champion Logan Paul, who is ready to ‘take over’ and dominate WWE.
This year has seen Paul compete five times for WWE and boasts a 2-3 win/loss record for the year. Highlights of Paul’s 2023 including capturing the U.S. Championship at WWE Crown Jewel last month, and defeating Ricochet at SummerSlam in August.
Logan Paul’s Reflects on His 2023
With Paul holding the U.S. title to this day, you’d be forgiven for thinking that winning the gold was his highlight of the year. Instead, Paul explained in his latest YouTube video that keeping injury-free is a personal highlight and how that nearly wasn’t the case due to Money in the Bank.
“Some of the moments I’ve had this year in wrestling, I will remember for the rest of my life. This is actually my greatest accomplishment this year. I went injury-free, but I did get close to almost breaking my neck at Money in the Bank. Accidents happen.”
Paul also recalled protecting Rey Mysterio during their U.S. title match at Crown Jewel and shared his plans for the future.
“If you’ve followed my journey for ten years now on the internet, I don’t just do things to take part, I do them to take over, and I fully plan on doing that with WWE.”
Guevara could not be happier to be a dad, but his new role will affect his role in the ring. Speaking on the Insight podcast, Guevara spoke about how becoming a dad will likely change his wrestling.
It’s pretty cool for sure and now it’s got me thinking differently just in wrestling. Because I’m used to doing all the ‘I’m Crazy ‘ stuff but now I’m like, yeah, I guess I can’t be that crazy anymore… I don’t know if we’re going to dial it back but I think we’ll be more selective with how and when we do the crazy stuff.”
Guevara recalled some of his ‘crazy’ spots, including a spot from Lucha Underground that the new father will be in no hurry to replicate.
“There was stuff in Lucha Underground, doing a moonsault 14 feet in the air to Jake Hager. Who bless his heart, tried to catch me, but there’s only so much you can do.”
Guevara on Melo’s Scary Situation
While becoming parents was a joy for Guevara and Tay Melo, it did have a very scary incident. On the podcast, Guevara recalled Melo dealing with health issues immediately following the birth.
“When she gave birth, they had to stitch her up, because she had a tear. And then, they almost had to send her to the OR because she was having a reaction from the epidural. So it was a scary moment. She’s holding the kid and then all of a sudden, she’s shaking like crazy. Her skin turns a different color, really pale. Then she started throwing up… It was scary for a minute.
“We were there for 25 hours. Crazy. The lead up to it too. Everything at the hospital and the whole pregnancy. I always joked that we’re going to have seven kids. But man, after that first one, it’s whatever she wants to do.”
Guevara returned to AEW TV on this week’s Dynamite and turned face against the Don Callis Family. He will compete in an eight-man tag-team match at this weekend’s Worlds End event.
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
Sgt. Slaughter did a complete 180 when he betrayed the U.S. to side with Iraq during the Gulf War, and reportedly received death threats for his character.
The April 1991 event saw Hulk Hogan dethrone Sgt. Slaughter to regain the WWF Championship, kicking off the Hulkster’s third reign with the gold. The show was originally supposed to take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before being moved to the adjacent, albeit smaller, Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
The Undertaker on WrestleMania 7
Much of the main event was built around Slaughter’s heel turn which had seen the so-called U.S. Marine become an Iraqi sympathizer during the Gulf War. Speaking on his Six Feet Under podcast, The Undertaker addressed using the real-life conflict overseas for the wrestling storyline.
“Obviously, the more personal you can make a wrestling angle, the better it’s gonna be. And if you throw championships on top of all that, it really makes it even more compelling. But I mean, personal rivalries were always the best. And this is…we’re at war. So that was a bold move.”
The Undertaker also addressed the claim that Slaughter received death threats for his Iraqi supporting character but admitted he didn’t see anything firsthand.
“Not that anything that I witnessed, like as far as physical aggression, but yeah, he was always talking about getting death threats. People threatening him and how could you do that to our country? It’s just like, c’mon man. It was pretty good man you have to say. Honestly, it took for… at that time period for someone of Sgt. Slaughter’s [character] his career and his gimmick and everything else to do that. It was a bold move. It was a real bold move.”
WWE has always claimed that WrestleMania 7 was moved to the smaller venue due to ‘security risks’. Many have cast doubt on that claim though, and believe the show was moved due to poor ticket sales at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
“Shoot, that’d be cool. Right now I’m so focused on what I got going on here in NXT. It’s going to take a lot more than just showing up and dapping me up to get me over there. I’m not thirsty for any membership. If they want me, they can holler at me and we can talk business. Respect to them, because they’re my brothers for real.”
Hayes also spoke about the importance of black Superstars and learning from people of color who have become major players.
“I feel like every Black wrestler that I’ve met has just shown so much love. Like Booker T, even Big E, just from top to bottom. It’s just like an unspoken camaraderie in a lot of ways. Booker for example, he wants the best for all talent, but Black talent as well. Booker T’s has been a huge advocate for helping with my progress.”
Earlier this year, Lashley shared a segment with Hayes and Trick Williams on SmackDown, as seen in the clip below.
Did AEW steal a catchphrase of Carmelo Hayes when creating a new piece of merchandise? Click here to find out more.
With the show taking place just one day after Christmas, the staff inside the World’s Most Famous Arena had a special gift for CM Punk. In a backstage video, Punk can be seen receiving a plaque commemorating his first WWE match in close to a decade. The plaque also highlights this year’s event being a sold-out show, and Punk was moved by the gesture. Punk joked that he was hoping for the key to a ‘secret bathroom’ in the Garden, but the plaque is even better.
CM Punk will compete in the Men’s Royal Rumble match on January 27. The former WWE & AEW World Champion is already considered a favorite to win the match, as is this year’s winner Cody Rhodes. Punk’s next appearances have already been confirmed by WWE, as he will appear twice on Raw ahead of next month’s Premium Live Event.
CM Punk recreated a spot from his AEW in-ring debut during the WWE MSG event. Click here to find out more.
Either Jon Moxley or Eddie Kingston will be crowned the Triple Crown Champion at AEW Worlds End in the finals of the inaugural AEW Continental Classic.
On this week’s AEW Dynamite: New Year’s Smash. Moxley defeated Jay White and Swerve Strickland in the finals of the Gold League. All three men had earned 12 points in the tournament, leading to a triple-threat match. On the same show, Kingston, the reigning ROH World Champion and NJPW Strong Openweight Champion, defeated Bryan Danielson. Kingston amassed nine points in the tournament to Danielson’s ten.
The winner of the match at Worlds End will become the inaugural Triple Crown Champion. This accolade will come about as the victor will be the AEW Continental Champion, the ROH World Champion, and the NJPW Strong Openweight Champion.
The Road to the Finals
Jon Moxley has perhaps been the most impressive performer in the AEW Continental Classic from either league. In week one, Moxley defeated Mark Briscoe to earn three points and defeated Jay Lethal the following week. Moxley defeated Rush via technical submission in week three and earned a hard-fought win over Swerve Strickland in week four. In week five, Moxley took his only first-round loss of the entire tournament when he was defeated by Jay White on the AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash episode.
Eddie Kingston’s road to AEW Worlds End was far less smooth. In his first two matches in the tournament, he lost to Brody King and Bryan Danielson respectively. It wouldn’t be until his third match against rival Claudio Castagnoli that Kingston earned his first win. Kingston would go on to defeat Daniel Garcia and Andrade El Idolo to earn enough points to advance to this week’s Blue League Finals.
Liv Morgan was arrested on the evening of December 14th. The arrest went down at 6:30 PM, and Liv Morgan found herself in a legal predicament, as she is now facing charges of possession of marijuana (not exceeding 20 grams), possession of drug equipment, and possession of potentially synthetic cannabinoids. New details are now available, thanks to a police report.
Liv Morgan’s Arrest Report Revealed
PW Insider obtained the police report, and reported that the document noted the incident unfolded when a sheriff’s deputy observed Liv Morgan operating a yellow jeep, noting that it was crossing over the white and yellow lines of a County Road. Subsequently, Morgan was taken into custody, although she was released shortly thereafter. Presently, she awaits her court date scheduled for February 12th, 2024.
The defendant (Gionna Daddio) Committed the offenses of possession of a controlled substance (THC oil ) a vape pen, pursuant to F.S.S 893.13.6a and F.S.S. 893.13.6b- Possession of Marijuana 20 grams or less, by unlawfully and willfully having in her possession a green leafy substance that field tested positive for marijuana within Sumter County to wit:
On 12/14/2023, at approximately 6:26 pm, Sgt. Otero observed a yellow jeep bearing Florida Tag [DELETED BY PWINSIDER] Traveling West on CR 476 Bushnell, Florida, within Sumter County.
The vehicle could not remain in the lane it was traveling. Sgt. Otero observed the vehicle to cross over the yellow and white lines on the roadway several times. Sgt. Otero then conducted a stop on the vehicle to ensure the driver wasn’t having any health issues. Sgt. Otero explained as he approached the vehicle, he immediately smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. I Deputy E. Hillman arrived on scene as Sgt Otero was speaking with the defendant.
Sgt. Otero asked the defendant to step out of the vehicle. The defendant was detained due to her stating there was marijuana in the vehicle and she did not hold a medical marijuana card. I then took over the investigation. Upon contact with the defendant, I did a pat down of her person and placed her in the back of my patrol car. A search was done of the vehicle, and in a pink fuzz bag located on the back seat within arms reach of the defendant, I located a small clear plastic bag containing a green leafy substance.
A continued search of the vehicle, I located a vape pen within the center console of the vehicle that contained an oil-like substance. I conducted a presumptive field test on the green leafy substance and the oil-like substance in the vape pen, which all yielded a positive result for marijuana. I read the defendant’s Miranda warning. Post-Miranda, the defendant stated the green leafy substance(marijuana) was hers, and all the items inside the vehicle were hers.
The defendant stated that she transports a lot of people in her vehicle, so she doesn’t know where the Vape pen came from. The defendant stated she smokes marijuana but does not vape.
The defendant stated that she does not have a medical marijuana card. Due to the vape pen and green leafy substance all testing positive for marijuana, the defendant was placed under arrest.
Liv Morgan After Her Possession Arrest
Despite the legal hiccup, reports suggest that Liv Morgan’s recent arrest is unlikely to alter WWE’s plans for her return. The company had already mapped out a return for her in 2024, and there’s no apparent deviation from that trajectory.
Although Liv Morgan has no heat on her within WWE, she will still have to deal with this felony situation. She did not have a medical marijuana card, which may have remedied this whole situation.
Liv Morgan has a court date set for February 2024, but she is free right now, as she only spent a very short time behind bars before she was bonded out.
How WWE Feels About Marijuana Now
It’s important to mention that, while marijuana is part of the Wellness Policy, WWE hasn’t tested for it in several years. In the past, a positive result incurred a $2,500 fine. That “weed tax” is no longer something that Superstars really need to worry about anymore.
Liv Morgan’s arrest for marijuana has surprised many fans. With a felony charge looming for possession of marijuana, possession of drug equipment, and possession of drugs, potentially synthetic cannabinoids, she faces a possibly challenging legal situation.
The hope is that Liv Morgan can resolve this matter when her court date arrives in February. As more information unfolds in this case, SE Scoops will provide updates as more information is made available.
CM Punk had his first WWE match in nearly a decade at Madison Square Garden against Dominik Mysterio on December 26th. The event drew a sold out crowd to MSG, and fans may get a professional video of that match eventually.
CM Punk’s WWE In-Ring Return
WWE is known for its thorough documentation and extensive video library collection. Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that the company had cameras placed in Madison Square Garden to capture every moment of CM Punk’s in-ring return.
It is unknown whether that footage will see the light of day, but WWE has tape of CM Punk’s in-ring return. It could end up as part of a future broadcast or promo video of some fashion.
WWE did have cameras at WWE MSG as they do for every live event, and said that parts of the show could end up airing later.
Fans Turned Out For CM Punk’s WWE In-Ring Return
The report also noted that WWE fans turned out in Madison Square Garden to buy up CM Punk merchandise. WWE had custom MSG CM Punk t-shirts for $40 each, and they apparently sold a ton of that gear.
WWE hit the merchandise stands heavy with CM Punk merchandise for the MSG show.
The report also noted that, “The CM Punk vs. Dominik match was viewed over 1 million times via pirated clips.” So, WWE might as well release that footage, since so many fans have seen bootleg versions already.
The story between CM Punk and Dominik Mysterio is far from over, as they are slated to face off again at the December 30th house show at the KIA Forum in Los Angeles.
CM Punk’s return resonated in a big way with fans, and the Madison Square Garden show marked a record-breaking moment for WWE. As the wrestling community waits to see how Punk’s journey in WWE will unfold, fans at Madison Square Garden got an unforgettable show.
AEW producer Scott Garland, formerly known as WWE Tag Team Champion Scotty 2 Hotty, appeared during the pre-show before AEW Dynamite on December 27th.
In a video shared by a fan, Scott Garland entered the ring as the name Scott Garland popped on the screen, and fans popped when they saw his name. AEW also gave him a song that was very similar to the classic Too Cool music.
Despite the name change, Scott Garland’s act mirrors his Too Cool presentation in WWE, complete with song and attire reminiscent of his past. He rocked a bucket hat, cargo pants, and a puffy vest just like we all remember.
Another video shows Scott Taylor performing his signature worm. He teamed up with The Acclaimed against Daddy Magic, Jake Hager, and The Gunns. Taylor also ended the whole bit by scissoring all three members of The Acclaimed after the match.
Scott Taylor, who confirmed his role as an AEW producer in October, has returned to the ring to fanfare. The company’s future plans for him remain uncertain.
Given Scott Taylor’s star power from the Attitude Era, teaming him with Billy Gunn to enhance The Acclaimed’s image could be a strategic move. It sure popped the crowd before Dynamite this week.
The pro wrestling business is full of happy couples. Now that family has grown by one, because GUNTHER and Jinny have announced the birth of their son.
GUNTHER and Jinny were married in May 2023, and they have now proudly announced a big moment in their lives. The two are now parents to a brand-new baby boy.
GUNTHER shared a photo featuring himself and Jinny, both beaming with joy while posing with their newborn. Jinny is a former WWE NXT UK star, and of course, GUNTHER is the current WWE Intercontinental Champion.
Accompanying the picture was a simple yet heartfelt caption to announce their son’s birth. GUNTHER did not reveal their son’s name, but it appears that both mother and baby are happy and health.
“This morning our son entered the world. What a blessing.”
GUNTHER is still running strong with his historic Intercontinental Title reign. He beat the Honky Tonk Man’s record a log time ago, and he shows no signs of stopping. Now, he has an even bigger reason to keep going.
We’d like to wish GUNTHER and Jinny the very best for their new son. Hopefully, he can enjoy this time with his family, but WWE will need him back on the road very soon.
Chris Jericho has been pretty active on social media the past few days and has garnered some buzz because of it.
Over the Christmas holiday, Jericho and Steve P. New, an attorney who has represented several wrestling personalities over his career, exchanged words back and forth due to the impending litigation surrounding the “Brawl Out” incident in September 2022. New happens to represent CM Punk and Ace Steel in the legal dispute and the argument he and Jericho were having was over non-disclosure agreements.
Jericho says he never signed an NDA while New states it would be in his employee handbook. This led to a contentious exchange where Jericho called New a “mark” and said what he saw went down was “truly disgusting” in the infamous backstage incident.
Chris Jericho Tips Cap To CM Punk & WWE
Despite Jericho having contention with New, it appears to want to keep things copacetic with CM Punk and WWE.
Punk made his in-ring return for WWE Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden to face Dominik Mysterio and WWE posted a video of Punk’s entrance up on Instagram. Jericho decided to leave a comment of his one, simply putting “Congrats” with three flame emojis.
CM Punk spent nearly a decade away from WWE prior to his triumphant return during the closing moments of the 2023 Survivor Series event. He left a lot of friends behind him in WWE when he departed, and he stopped talking to some of them, but it appears Rey Mysterio’s number was never deleted from Punk’s contact list.
Rey Mysterio and CM Punk have a history with each other in the ring. They shared the squared circle prior to Punk’s WWE departure, although they have yet to mix it up during this run for Punk.
Rey Mysterio recently sat down with Konnan and Disco Inferno on K100 for an interview. During that time, CM Punk came up. Mr. 6-1-9 was transparent about his interactions with the Second City Saint. It appears that they never lost total contact.
“I was texting Punk back and forth every now and then. We would say ‘hi’ and ‘what’s up?’ Always been, not super close, but connected. Watching Dominik’s career take off, we would constantly shoot each other texts. Punk was a big rival during the whole Mysterio family on board with my daughter’s birthday, six or seven years old at the time, it’s cool to revisit all that and now see the growth of the Mysterio family and how we’re all still connected in some way,” he said.
CM Punk and Rey Mysterio are far apart on the WWE roster right now. Not only are they on different brands, but Mysterio is also out of action with an injury; and he has Santos Escobar to handle upon his return.
CM Punk, on the other hand, is vying for a good spot in the 2024 Royal Rumble match, where he wants to get that WrestleMania main event match he’s had his eye on for over a decade.
Since CM Punk just returned to WWE, and Rey Mysterio inked a new deal, you never know if their roads will intersect down the line. Both of them have years left with WWE.
Everyone knows what that means. Whether it’s sitting across the desk from an obnoxious salesperson for hours on end trying to buy a car, negotiating a new salary at work, or hammering out expectations in an “eat this and you can get that,” battle of wits with your children, it’s the pesky details that get in the way of a smooth operation.
AEW knows this better than anyone right now. The Devil storyline that has been a regular episodic feature of AEW programming for the better part of three months is still running rampant and seemingly will come to a head at the company’s upcoming World’s End PPV event on December 30. The details in this devil story, well, they’re as pesky as ever and it’s imperative AEW pay attention to them in order to put a bow on their biggest story of the year.
The Mystery of The Devil
This is the situation. A rogue star with an inside track on the happenings in AEW has commandeered MJF’s devil mask and has been threatening and physically harming various members of the AEW roster with a gang of masked thugs.
The Devil was the alter ego of MJF and he famously appeared wearing the mask when he made his return to AEW at All Out in 2022 after a summer vacation hiatus. MJF went full “devil” that night, dressing up as the villain, but also walking out to a specialty entrance song, Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones. The presentation got him cheered in Chicago opposite CM Punk, who had just won the AEW World Championship.
The AEW Devil and his masked assailants have left a who’s who of top AEW talent dropped and hurt including former number one contender to the AEW World Championship, Jay White, former champion Adam Page, The Acclaimed, and presumably MJF in a vicious backstage assault — one that nobody saw.
So, the mystery at hand here is, just who the heck is The Devil and what the heck do they want? The conspiracy theories are out there among fans and media. Hidden clues have populated discussion around AEW programming and within AEW programming itself. Even AEW stars have made public comments that allude to involvement with the angle.
The Devil story in AEW is the biggest of the year and the most important long term arc they’ve attempted in their four years on national television. With the finish line in sight, they have to get it right and it means shoring up the devil’s details in the story.
Who is The Devil?
There are names that make sense as the AEW Devil and potential names that make you want to bash your head into a door. Let’s start with the good ones.
Adam Cole is guilty party A. Cole and MJF had a budding friendship prior to The Devil making an appearance and he only did once Cole was sidelined with a serious ankle injury. Or, was it a fake injury? Cole and MJF are friends, but have done battle on two different occasions for MJF’s AEW World Championship. The two wrestled to a time limit draw on AEW Dynamite and MJF defeated Cole at AEW All In late in August.
Cole failed twice to secure the world championship from MJF. Is that a good enough reason to stalk your best friend and turn on the entire company? Maybe it is. Cole as The Devil is the least sexy choice of everyone possible, but is the most logical given the history he has with MJF and the fact that the devil has centered his attention him.
Guilty party B? Kyle O’Reilly. O’Reilly has been away from AEW for months nursing an injury, but reports indicate he’s potentially ready to rejoin the company soon. What a better way to make an impact upon returning than to forcibly threaten your way back in as a masked maniac? O’Reilly has history with Adam Cole, which makes him a viable candidate. Cole would stay an MJF ally in this scenario, but O’Reilly would feel betrayed by his former best friend and want to take out the man who stole him away.
Could it be Britt Baker? Sure it could. Baker has obvious ties to Adam Cole as his better half and she’s posted scud missiles on social media that rail on the company for neutralizing her talents. A bit of a longer shot with her, but it makes sense.
Cole, O’Reilly, and Baker all work as the identity of the devil, but there are details that don’t add up around each of them.
If it’s Adam Cole, why would he attack Jay White? White was an MJF opponent at the Full Gear PPV. If Cole wanted to get to MJF, he wouldn’t help him out by attacking his opponent would he?
As for Kyle O’Reilly, the devil’s detail is more of a gargantuan issue and that is he simply just isn’t a big enough star in AEW to be the reveal of such a major storyline. The reveal has to be a home run and O’Reilly isn’t that at this point.
Baker checks the star box and the logic box as being a devil character that just wants to watch AEW burn. The missing detail with her is the payoff. Because of being terrorized by The Devil like he has, MJF has vowed revenge in the form of violence. AEW isn’t going to run with Baker vs. MJF. If not, what’s the point? The business of this angle is a match between MJF and whoever the devil is. It’s immediately off the table if Baker is revealed in the end.
Other theories about AEW’s Devil
Who are some bad choices, but options that AEW potentially has on the table? Well, Jack Perry comes to mind. Perry was suspended because of a backstage incident with CM Punk at All In and hasn’t been seen on AEW TV since. A return as the AEW Devil would immediately put him into the top tier of AEW, but he’s not ready for that. His character isn’t either. Bottom line? Nobody would buy it.
Dolph Ziggler? A long shot, but it has to be put out there. AEW loves nothing more than overhyping sub-par talent acquisitions and this would certainly fall in that bucket. Ziggler becomes a free agent as of Thursday December 21 after being released from WWE earlier this year.
The worst of the bad choices is MJF himself. Yeah, it could be ‘ol MJF just up to his mean tricks again and he was the one that set everything up, attacked everyone, and made it all look like it wasn’t him. He’d certainly be a heel if that was the reveal, but it would be a nauseating one. AEW cooled off it’s biggest star with a babyface turn this summer and the smart play isn’t to turn him back until he’s hot again — if ever. Too much effort has been put into MJF working as a babyface and this would derail all that effort. Plus, what, MJF took himself out backstage? He recorded promo videos on his own to interrupt his own promos in the ring? It’s just too much and too cute to believe.
It was the devil, in the parking lot, with the pipe
Now, mysteries in wrestling are always fun because of the clues at hand. They are there to analyze with The Devil story as well with more pouring in week after week, day after day, and show after show. How about this one?
Last week on AEW Dynamite, The Devil appeared from a car as his henchmen attacked Adam Page. With one nod he demanded that they put Page through the windshield of a car. Sound familiar? It should. Jack Perry is synonymous with car wind shields for better or worse — it was a spot on a car during his match with Hook at All In that sparked the backstage incident with CM Punk and his indefinite suspension from the company. Coincidence?
How about
this one? A giant devil henchman has been spotted by fans throughout the last month and some hat hair possibly gave the surprise away. In one segment, the giant man threatened in the ring with a mask on and in the next segment Wardlow appeared with messy hair that could only come from wearing a mask and pulling it off fast perhaps? Coincidence?
More nuggets and clues are sure to drop prior to the reveal, but the reality is AEW is juggling a lot with this angle. The details will either make this a memorable moment and story for the company or a giant eye roll for a company that consistently is weak at telling week to week stories on their episodic television show.
Regardless of whoever the devil ends up being, the reveal has to tie the loose ends and teases together so that everything that has happened to this point makes sense. Did The Devil have a reason to attack heel and babyface talent? Did The Devil have enough of a connection to MJF to make the stalking of him believable? Same thing with Samoa Joe. Joe is the challenger to MJF’s world title at World’s End, but is in the mix with The Devil now because of his relationship with MJF. AEW has to make those details blend together with logic.
Final Dynamite before AEW World’s End
Next week on AEW Dynamite, Joe and MJF will team up to take on some of The Devil’s henchmen in a tag team match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. The match was made official on this week’s Dynamite after Joe and MJF destroyed a large contingent of devil supporters in black outfits. Will there be more clues dropped next week? Likely.
The bottom line with this is angle is that AEW has to hit on it. Not only has the company driven some fan interest with the mystery, but a hot story is a smart way to enter the new year with some momentum. Plus, the company hasn’t proven it cares to or can effectively execute week to week stories that engage an audience to watch the show. Hitting here with The Devil would alleviate that criticism.
To hit, AEW has to have key answers to major questions. Does the reveal make sense? Can it connect back to the history of the story? Is the revealed devil a big enough star to command the time the story has gotten and the interest its generated?
The devil is in the details, remember? It’s imperative AEW gets these right.
Goldberg took his time arriving in WWE after WCW closed, because he had an insane deal with Ted Turner to sit at home and get paid. He eventually made his way to WWE, and he had a couple stints in the company. Despite his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, things did not end on a good note, and Goldberg is not afraid to talk about it.
Vince McMahon’s Broken Promise to Goldberg
Goldberg acknowledges Vince McMahon’s role in his career. The Chairman of the Board gave him a significant opportunity to perform in front of his family. Goldberg stated, “I owe him everything” when talking about McMahon, however, their relationship took a turn.
The turning point for Goldberg was a request to put Roman Reigns over in Saudi Arabia, despite his ongoing battle with COVID. During a conversation with Vince McMahon, Goldberg agreed to do the match under one condition. He wanted a retirement match in return.
Steven & Captain Evil recently had Goldberg on the show as a guest, where he revealed why things are not okay between him and Vince McMahon. It all stems from a promise that McMahon made to Goldberg that saw him come back to put Roman Reigns over, one that McMahon broke.
“I owe him everything, until we went to Saudi Arabia and he asked me to put Roman Reigns over, and I had COVID. I remember calling him from my house and said, ‘Listen, here is the deal. I’ll do it if you give me a retirement match.’”
“I did what he asked. As a performer, I was 56 years old. As a human being, you’re conscientious about how you look in a bathing suit, especially two months prior to being in that bathing suit, you couldn’t work out because you had COVID.”
“I put myself in a horribly sh*tty situation to get what I wanted to, but to satiate him and give him what he wanted.”
Goldberg’s Future in Professional Wrestling
Goldberg didn’t get his retirement match in WWE. He discussed having a retirement match in Israel, but there hasn’t been any word on that reported event in months.
Vince McMahon made a history of causing controversy with his decisions. Some former WWE Superstars don’t have the best things to say about how they were treated. The way Goldberg sees it, he didn’t get what he was promised.
Chavo Guerrero trained all the actors in preparation for “The Iron Claw,” but one of them did some added work in light of playing a pro wrestling patriach.
Speaking with SEScoops’ Dominic DeAngelo, Guerrero spoke to the level of commitment by veteran actor Holt McCallany, who took on the role of Fritz Von Erich in the new film by A24.
Before production even started, McCallany, who is greatly known for his work on Netflix’s Mindhunter, already put some time in the squared circle.
“He comes on set and it wasn’t like he just stepped foot in the ring. He went like a month out. He went to Gleason’s gym in New York and was getting trained in pro wrestling by Johnny Rodz who’s a family friend. He was great friends with my dad. So when he came on, I was like,’Wow, like he put the effort,’ he was already ready to go and he’s an ex-boxer.’ So Holt’s a very intense guy, anyway. So he was ready to go.”
As a matter of fact, Guerrero talked about having to slow Holt’s intensity down as he brought the brute out for Von Erich.
“He was like, ‘Man, I’m really gonna have to hit it hard.’ And I said, ‘No, you don’t, We’re going to make it look like you’re hitting it hard,’ and I kind of had to untrain him at certain things to retrain him the way I wanted him to do things, but he’s a he’s a like he’s a baller, man. He’s a pro. He’s a professional I mean in every sense of the word.”
You can catch both Guerrero and McCallany on screen now as “The Iron Claw” is available in theaters everywhere. You can watch SEScoop’s full video review of the film below.
John Cena doesn’t have much time for WWE anymore, because his career in Hollywood took off like a rocket over the past decade. Fans know him as The Peacemaker today, but many people are just now discovering Cena as The Marine.
The Marine Gets A Second Life
John Cena’s film “The Marine” was once criticized, but it is now a hit on Netflix. The 2006 film follows a discharged marine rescuing his kidnapped wife from jewel thieves. Produced by WWE’s own Vince McMahon, it marked Cena’s acting debut and spawned a series with direct-to-video sequels.
Almost two decades later, The Marine is a global Netflix hit. Fans are clicking on John Cena’s face to see The Marine, many likely for the first time.
In the week of December 18th to 24th, The Marine had 7.6 million hours viewed, ranking 10th in the weekly Netflix Global Top 10. That means a number of fans discovered the film on streaming for the first time over Christmas.
The Marine is a two-hour film, so according to that 7.6 million total hours viewed stat, the film has been played 3.8 million times.
The 2006 film received negative reviews, labeled exaggerated or “so bad it’s good.” Now, fans are enjoying it for a multitude of reasons.
This is common for films that are just getting the Netflix treatment, as the Netflix push comes for many of them. It is always a surprise when a film that many have forgotten about has a surge in popularity.
The Marine Franchise
The good news for new fans of The Marine is that they have plenty more action ahead of them, but John Cena doesn’t star in those films.
Despite grossing $22 million against a $15 million budget, it birthed a series with five WWE-starring sequels. The first, The Marine 2, featured Ted DiBiase, Jr. in 2009, followed by sequels from 2013 to 2018, all starring Mike “The Miz” Mizanin.
John Cena’s unexpected Netflix success might draw attention to the unlikely film series. After the last Marine film, (no spoilers), we have to wonder if they will ever re-visit the franchise.
