Sasha Banks walked out of WWE in May 2022, along with Naomi, because they were tired of Vince McMahon’s booking. Mercedes Mone arrived in NJPW at the following Wrestle Kingdom, but her time in Japan could be over now. With a rumored WWE return on the horizon, The Boss is filing new trademarks.
Mercedes Mone’s New Trademarks
Mercedes Mone is gearing up for her return to the wrestling scene, leaving fans in suspense about her next destination. Adding an unexpected twist, she has recently secured rights to new trademarks.
According to PW Insider, Mone filed for trademarks like “Mone Wear,” “Time Is Mone,” and “Mone Talks” on December 22nd with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The filings were facilitated by patent attorney Michael E. Dockins, who has become famous for helping pro wrestlers lock down trademarks. In a day where intellectual property is king, Dockins is the man to call for pro wrestlers.
Those new trademarks for Mercedes Mone encompass entertainment and clothing purposes, hinting at a potential venture into the fashion world for Mone. She may just be locking down those names for safe keeping as well.
Mercedes Mone’s Career After WWE
Post-WWE, Mone’s wrestling journey included a big victory where she captured the IWGP Women’s Championship at NJPW Battle in the Valley in February 2023. She went on to drop that title to Mayu Iwatani in April 2023. However, during a match for the inaugural NJPW Strong Women’s Championship, she injured her ankle, and that put her out of action for months.
That unexpected injury saw Willow Nightingale win that match, even though she wasn’t booked to win.
Mercedes Mone’s Expected WWE Return
Mercedes Mone has teased that she has WWE on her mind. This is no secret, as she is no longer under NJPW contract. Fans are speculating in massive fashion that the 2024 Royal Rumble will see her return.
Sasha Banks left WWE because of Vince McMahon, who is no longer a creative factor anymore. Now that Triple H is running the ship, and Mercedes Mone saw what he did with Damage CTRL, that might give the former Women’s Champion a bigger reason to return.
That being said, Sasha Banks will command a huge pay day upon her return to WWE. The good news is that WWE has a ton of money to spend on top talent right now.
Cody Rhodes is a top draw for WWE, and he realizes that. He has immense popularity among fans, and The American Nightmare wants to fulfill all of his booking obligations, even if that means he must fight illness to make it. His commitment to going the extra mile for his supporters is evident.
During the WWE live event in Place Bell, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Rhodes on December 28th, Cody Rhodes engaged in a Last Man Standing Match against Damian Priest. He won that match, but fans had no idea what Cody was really going through.
Cody Rhodes jumped on X to share that moments before his entrance, he was throwing up. This vomit episode was apparently so violent that he lost some body weight in the process.
Fun fact/and an overshare – I vomited what felt like half my body weight 30 seconds before my music hit ha.
Thank you Montreal for lifting me up to be able to fight!
Fun fact/and an overshare – I vomited what felt like half my body weight 30 seconds before my music hit ha
This incident wasn’t the only instance of Cody Rhodes demonstrating his dedication. The American Nightmare brings it every time he can make it to the ring, no matter how he’s feeling.
Cody Rhodes already claimed a spot in the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match. We will have to see if he wins the big match, but it wouldn’t be the worst bet someone could make right now.
Despite facing the challenge of vomiting heavily just before the match, Rhodes didn’t back down. Hopefully, he is able to get over that stomach issue so it doesn’t become a long term problem.
Reigning IMPACT World Champion Alex Shelley has another accolade to his impressive career after winning the promotion’s Male Wrestler of the Year award.
Shelley was one of several wrestlers to take home an award after an impressive 2023. The Bound for Glory 2023 match between ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey and Will Ospreay was named the promotion’s Match of the Year.
Former WWE Superstar Scotty 2 Hotty is pleased to have reached a “personal career highlight” after competing this week for AEW.
Scotty, real name Scott Garland, competed in a dark match this past Wednesday at AEW Dynamite: New Year’s Smash. The match saw the former WWE Tag Team Champion team with The Acclaimed & ‘Daddy Ass’ Billy Gunn to defeat Matt Menard, Jake Hager, and The Gunns. Taking to Twitter, Scotty reflected on being able to compete at the show.
Last night I was able to do this in an arena with my kids in the audience for the first time that they are old enough to remember it. Thank you to @RealBillyGunn & @TonyKhan for making this happen. A personal career highlight for me. pic.twitter.com/9q8NndtWbD
After being released from WWE as a talent in 2007, Garland returned to the promotion in 2016 as a trainer in the Performance Center. Garland remained in the role until November 2021 when he was granted his requested release from the promotion. While he enjoyed his time with WWE, Garland was reportedly at odds with the direction of talent development following the launch of WWE NXT 2.0. He has been working backstage for AEW as a producer since having a tryout in July.
A Return to the Ring?
While this match was Garland’s AEW debut, Garland has remained semi-active in the ring outside of the All-Elite promotion. Garland’s most recent match before this week’s Dynamite was in June and saw him defeat ‘Florida Man’ at a DREAMWAVE Wrestling event. Garland has been open to the possibility of competing more for AEW and has been discussed for matches in the past. Garland was able to use his WWE ‘Too Cool’ theme as AEW acquired the license for it when obtaining the rights to use the Hardy Boyz theme.
This week’s WWE NXT saw the gold brand continue to build towards the upcoming New Year’s Evil show. The show pulled in an impressive 670,000 viewers, which is respectable considering it happened on Boxing Day when viewerships across TV take a dive. On Twitter, Dijak, who competed in the main event against Eddy Thorpe, was pleased to take credit for the impressive number.
DIJAK once again huge unbelievable breathtakingly massive draw CONFIRMED.
Next year, WWE NXT will begin airing on the CW Network and leave its current home on the USA Network. This week, it was announced that the gold brand has been axed from TNT Sports, which is how it is broadcasted in the UK. The show began airing on Sky Sports and later BT Sports (now TNT Sports) in January 2020.
The Undertaker’s Mount Rushmore
The Undertaker is on many people’s Mt. Rushmore of wrestlers, but who is on the Phenom’s rankings of the greatest stars of all time? On his Six Feet Under podcast, the WWE Hall of Famer named Arn Anderson, The Rock, Ric Flair, and Dusty Rhodes as his Mt. Rushmore.
Mansoor experienced significant heat backstage following an event in Saudi Arabia, the former WWE Superstar has revealed.
Mansoor was among many Superstars released from WWE in September, alongside his tag-team partner Mace, Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Matt Riddle, and others. His release marked the end of Mansoor’s five-year tenure with the promotion. Mansoor joined WWE after being scouted during a 2018 tryout ahead of that year’s Greatest Royal Rumble event.
Mansoor’s Backstage Heat
After being signed by WWE, Mansoor would work a handful of NXT live events to hone his skills and adapt to WWE’s style. Speaking to Instinct Culture, Mansoor recalled committing to a tradition in wrestling in which you shake hands with all those you meet.
“I show up at my first NXT show, and I’m shaking everybody’s hands. And who of all people, Mace, pulls me aside and says, ‘We don’t do that here, okay. That’s an indie thing, all right. You don’t have to do that.”
With this in mind, Mansoor decided against shaking hands when he traveled back to Saudi Arabia for 2019’s Super ShowDown event, though this would be the wrong call.
“I end up going to the Saudi show being like, ‘I’m not gonna bother anybody. I’m not gonna shake anybody’s hand. Huge mistake. Huge mistake. Who pulls me aside but my future wrestling dad, Mustafa Ali. He said, ‘Hey brother, I’m looking out for you because you and me, you know, we’re brothers. You got major heat. You got major heat because not only did you not say hi to everybody, you’re winning the damn Battle Royal that everybody got dragged over here for. And you’re not being gracious about it.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I was freaking out.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God!’”
With the round-robin format, there have been plenty of matches from the AEW Continental Classic, which fans will have no trouble finding. On YouTube, the AEW account has created a playlist of every match from the tournament in the order they took place. The playlist starts with the kick-off match between Swerve Strickland and Jay Lethal.
The final two videos are from this week’s Dynamite and see Jon Moxley Vs. Swerve Strickland Vs. Jay White in the Gold League finals and Eddie Kingston Vs. Bryan Danielson in the Blue League finals. The playlist also features weekly updates of the rankings as well as promos and segments connected to the Continental Classic.
Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reported the initial meeting between the two companies in October.
Tony Khan met with WBD a day later, he described the the conversations as “really good” during the press conference following the Ring of Honor Final Battle on Friday.
WWE’s initial meeting with WBD didn’t go well. Nick Khan and Levesque worked to get a second meeting in place, and put together a better presentation. TKO is stock closed below $76 on Friday. With the Smackdown deal coming in lower than expected, WWE management is under the gun to secure a better deal or Raw – that means having more bidders in the marketplace.
The TV market is more chaotic than 2018, when WWE last negotiated new rights fees. TV viewership was declining, but not like it has over the last several years. This was visible in the Smackdown deal with USA, and how the network seems willing to part ways with Raw, a 30-year anchor on prime time Mondays since the early 1990s, outside three years it aired on TNN/Spike TV.
Rights fees have accelerated the ability of studios to pay them. This problem is largely due to market forces, and mistakes made by cable companies, studios and media conglomerates over the last decade as they dealt with mobile phones and the growing impact of internet. Regardless, the rights fees WWE commanded six years ago will be hard for it to get today.
To get close, they need bidders and having WBD as another interested party gets more networks into the competition.
Whether WWE lands on WBD, it’s highly unlikely. The market is much tighter, but WBD is putting a lot of its consideration into retaining the NBA. Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics told SEScoops in October the NBA’s TV deal would be ending after the current deals for WWE and AEW.
WBD’s plans with the NBA would likely affect a potential deal with WWE more than AEW, because of the different money the two companies demand. While AEW should have a much larger deal this time around, it will still be well short of the deals commanded by Smackdown and Raw. That’s not considering the pressure on WWE to make bank with TKO stock well below its $100 target price.
AEW also has other options. Before the company was officially formed, Tony Khan and Chris Harrington had met with Turner executives and pitched the company. Showtime was also another big player for AEW. This was before the company had a track record of profitability and good ratings over a four-year period.
AEW would likely compete with some of the other companies that have interest for WWE. Tony Khan has all but confirmed that WBD owns a portion of AEW – that would change if AEW left the network – but given the company’s performance on PPV, it’s growing cash at gates and the success of All In Wembley, the company will land somewhere strong.
Thurston reported on his Wrestlenomics Patreon site this week that he believes AEW lost around $34 million this year – which considering the $1 billion valuation Forbes gave the company a few months ago- is remarkable given the pandemic and that this is a company only four years old – have of that time dealing with COVID-19.
Sources with AEW have said for months, while Tony Khan keeps the company’s financials quiet, they believe the company could easily make profitability with some cuts and would likely hit the mark with its next TV deal.
Tony Khan is excited for what’s to come for the AEW women’s division and indicates that there may be some new names in the mix.
Ahead of AEW World’s End, Khan spoke with the media about how big a of transitional period this time is for the company. Khan spoke about the company overall both from a creative and presentation standpoint with a particular focus on the women’s division.
Khan mentioned several names on the roster as to what women have helped contribute to the growth of the company this year, including Julia Hart, Riho, Toni Storm, Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale and of course, Timeless Toni Storm.
There’s been a deliberate effort to refocus attention on the women’s division and AEW fans should get ready for some more new faces showing up in the months ahead.
“So, so many great names, so many great fights happening in the women’s division, which is in, I think, the strongest place it’s been – and imagine how much better it’s going to get because I plan to be very active in free agency.”
Aside from the former Sasha Banks, other potential additions to the AEW Women’s division could include Giulia, Deonna Purrazzo, Mandy Rose, Lacey Evans and Kamille, just to name a few.
Khan added that several of AEW’s top female competitors have been out of action and have recently returned or will be returning soon. Thunder Rosa, Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker are all former Women’s World Champions who were out of action for extended time. As the year winds down and we look ahead to 2024, there is a sense of optimism surrounding the division’s future.
CM Punk is riding high with his return to WWE and it’s now going to translate over into a popular sports clothing line.
Today on his Instagram, CM Punk announced that he will have an upcoming featured clothing collection on Roots Of Fight. Punk evidently be collaborating with the band Rancid on the collection, as he’s formed a friendship with Lars Fredrickson.
“Following in the footsteps of the greats. I’ve been excited to share this with you all,” Punk shared in his post. He also tagged several other legends who are associated with the Roots Of Fight brand, including Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Roddy Piper and Rey Mysterio.
If you’ve been following CM Punk on television and on social media, you’ll notice that he’s been sporting a great deal of the brand’s merchandise. Any of the Bret Hart styles you’ve seen him wearing is all under Roots Of Fight. As a matter of fact, just as he was getting ready to compete against Dominik Mysterio at Madison Square Garden he was wearing a Roddy Piper tee from Roots Of Fight.
The merchandise brand isn’t just isolated to pro wrestling. Roots Of Fight specifically featured legendary names in boxing, including Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano. They also showcase baseball legends including Roberto Clemente, Babe Ruth and Ken Griffey Jr.
As far as other wrestling legends featured, Roots Of Fight showcases Ric Flair, The Iron Shiek and Andre The Giant.
Punk’s line is set to release on January 15, 2024 and it should be a huge seller considering the type of numbers he has done for WWE.
Tony Khan believes that the Continental Classic has been a successful experiment and wants to implement that feel for AEW moving forward.
During the AEW World’s End media call, Khan said some of that success has translated over to AEW Collision with their ratings increase. Khan said he feels very strongly about how well the Continental Classic has done for the company and it’s had an influence on his creative philosophy.
“Will this affect the presentation and will I book the show’s more sports-based presentation and accept the fan feedback which is very tangible and real? Yes, absolutely and that is why this has been such a great experiment and the results are there, they are tangible.
“As I’ve said, an experimental group and a control group, the experiment increasing the allocation of real quality pro wrestling.”
In the early days of AEW, part of the initial strategy was to incorporate a sports-based presentation, including a rankings system, but the company has veered away from it. However, Khan had really utilized tournaments in 2023 and although that is certainly sports-oriented, he says that the storytelling process has been rich with MJF, The Devil and the women’s division.
“I’ve been really trying to put an emphasis on more stories and as because everybody’s been stepping up and it’s time and we have a great group that I’ve been trying to build and, and a lot of injuries, you know, it’s really challenging for wrestling promotion.”
Please credit AEW and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.
After being granted parole earlier this year, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released from the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri around 3:30 a.m. local time on Thursday. She had served seven years in prison for her role in the killing of her mother. Upon her release, Gypsy Rose was picked up by her husband, and the car he was driving featured a wrestling-themed Bret Hart license plate with the inscription “HITMAN.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard is Free
The case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard gained widespread attention due to the complex and unusual circumstances surrounding her mother’s murder. It spawned several documentaries and an adaptation of her life story as a Hulu miniseries called “The Act.”
As Gypsy Rose Blanchard begins a new chapter outside of prison, she did so with a ride that proudly proclaimed WWE fandom.
People reports that, following her early release from prison on December 28th, Gypsy Rose Blanchard was picked up by her new husband. The car he was driving featured a wrestling-themed Bret Hart license plate with the inscription “HITMAN.”
Gypsy Rose Blanchard release marks a significant point in a case that has sparked discussions about mental health, abuse, and the legal system’s handling of complex situations. She has a lot of eyes on her, straining to see what she does next. Naturally, her first interview could also nab her a nice stack of cash. Perhaps, she will become a WWE fan during her second chance at life.
Who is Gypsy Rose Blanchard?
Gypsy Rose Blanchard is known for her involvement in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, in 2015. The case gained media attention due to the deceptive health claims made by Dee Dee, leading to unnecessary medical treatments for Gypsy Rose.
In collaboration with her boyfriend at the time, Nicholas Godejohn, Gypsy Rose conspired to murder her mother. The media ate up the case, focusing on Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s high-pitched voice and cheerful demeanor, while shedding light on issues related to Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental health disorder involving the fabrication or induction of illness for attention.
Nicholas Godejohn was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard.
If you’ve been curious who’s been involved in the creative process for AEW after losing a name like CM Punk, Tony Khan provided a little clarity to that. Speaking on The World’s End Media call, Khan spoke with SEScoops correspondent Dominic DeAngelo about whether or not he’s reconsidered his booking strategy as we round the corner into 2024.
During the All Out 2023 media scrum, it was mentioned how overworked Khan is and to Bryan Danielson’s suggestion, hired Jimmy Jacobs as a full time assistant. Those two, along with others, are names he said he had working creatively at AEW Dynamite.
Who helps Tony Khan book AEW?
“We have a great group of people. Just an example, yesterday, you had a great group with Bryan Danielson, Mike Mansury, Will Washington, Jimmy Jacobs, Sonjay Dutt, Sarah Stock and Dean Malenko and several others that were in my office throughout the day at various points. Bryan had his match, people were in and out, I think everybody had great points and there were a number of other people.”
Khan talked about how the recent string of shows from AEW have been very good, but the system he does have set up could likely use some tweaking.
“It wasn’t quite the set-up I was looking for so I’ll see if I still get it, but very excited to talk about the science of the booking and I think in particular, recently, we’ve had some of the best shows we’ve ever done.”
Khan noted that the Continental Classic has been a huge influence of how he books moving forward and then reiterated the confidence he has with his strategy.
“I think the experiments we’ve been doing are working and I have a better sense of where to go and what to do going into 2024 than I ever have been.”
MJF is one of AEW’s biggest breakout stars at this point, and that’s impossible to deny. He has gone by a few nicknames throughout his career so far, but one moniker he didn’t think would come so soon was that of a babyface.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman broke into the scene as AEW’s most ruthless heel. He captured mainstream attention by giving the middle finger and throwing an alcoholic drink on children, not one to garner cheers. Now, as we wrap up 2023, he’s changed his ways and fans have fully embraced him as a hero.
Following his recent induction into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, ‘Our Scumbag’ spoke with SEScoops correspondent The Solomonster Jason Solomon about this evolution. The ‘Salt of the Earth’ admitted that he resisted that change a bit, because he was afraid of rejection from fans.
“[I get] the loudest reaction every single week is when my music hits. That’s a fact. A lot of people like to talk about feelings. That’s a fact. How did that happen? I think anybody can relate to my story. The reason I was afraid is because I was afraid of rejection. And it’s a lot easier walking through that curtain not caring how people think about you than it is walking through that curtain and it’s your job to care.
Now, it’s my job to make sure that everybody in that arena cares about me. It’s my job to make sure that everybody in that arena feels represented by me and I take that job very seriously. Is it fun? No. Not really, but I feel like put my own twist on it and I’ve been able to be myself unapologetically. I think the fans love me for that. I’m their scumbag.
I’m not your ‘Wheaties-eating, run-of-the-mill, blue-eyed baby face.’ I’m your friend in your friend group that deep down, you love, but God am I problematic. But we put up with it because I’m funny, you know?”
When Does MJF’s AEW contract expire?
MJF has been touting the Bidding War of 2024 for years now. As the wrestling war between AEW and WWE heats up, Friedman has boasted about his plan to play the two companies off each other in hopes of securing ‘life changing’ money from whoever he works for next.
It’s been speculated that MJF signed a contract extension prior to All Out 2022, but the AEW World Champion denies that he-signed with AEW.
MJF started sharing his real story, one that included everything he had to go through as a child. That journey to the top of pro wrestling wasn’t always the easiest path for MJF, but he made it through everything in his way to reach AEW.
Now, as AEW World Champion, MJF is a babyface character, but it didn’t come without trepidation. After all, it’s much simpler to get someone to hate you than it is to get them to cheer whenever your music hits. In some strange way, MJF was able to accomplish both.
MJF is set to defend the AEW World Title against Samoa Joe at Worlds End on December 30th. Considering the fact that MJF is going into that match hurt, we have to wonder how much longer he will sit on top of Tony Khan’s company.
Shawn Spears was a part of the first wave of talent that Tony Khan signed when he was putting AEW together. The former Tye Dillinger made his way to AEW as part of the Casino Battle Royale at the first Double or Nothing event, and the rest is history. Now, his time has with AEW come to an end.
Shawn Spears is leaving AEW
According to Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select, Shawn Spears is set to leave AEW on January 1st. His separation is said to be amicable with All Elite Wrestling.
We’re told that Spears becomes a free agent on January 1, and the departure was amicable between he and All Elite Wrestling.
Shawn Spears then took to X, where he confirmed this report. He thanked AEW for allowing him an opportunity, but now he is off to a new part of his life. He also made it very clear to note that this was his choice to leave All Elite Wrestling.
“What a wonderful time it has been. Thank you AEW for allowing me to be there from the ground level. It’s been a fantastic 5 years of growth and personal development. This is a personal choice and one that is best for me and my family at this time. Thank you to all, staff and talent alike for the memories. 10.”
Shawn Spears and his wife, Cassie Lee, also recently announced that they are expecting a second child.
AEW’s Notable Departures In 2024
AEW saw significant departures recently, notably the exit of Dana Massie. There will be a few key figures moving on from AEW next year.
QT Marshall’s departure from the company is set to become official in 2024, and he is no longer present at AEW events. Marshall, besides being an in-ring competitor, served as AEW President Tony Khan’s right-hand man for a period.
Internally, AEW is undergoing changes, marked by Kevin Sullivan’s abrupt release and the departures of QT Marshall, Dana Massie, and Rafael Morffi from the company. There could be more details to explore once the dust settles on this unfolding story.
WWE signed new contracts with Charlotte Flair, Rey Mysterio, and Dominik Mysterio at the end of 2023. The company was not finished inking deals with top talents.
Zelina Vega’s WWE Contract
PW Insider reports that Zelina Vega has come to terms with WWE, sealing a new multi-year deal with the company. The exact length of her deal was not disclosed.
Multiple WWE sources reportedly confirmed this signing, which took place in the aftermath of Endeavor’s takeover of WWE. Zelina Vega will remain with WWE for years to come.
Zelina Vega’s Road to WWE
Zelina Vega was known as Thea Trinidad in Impact Wrestling, Where she was a highlighted star when she started with the company in 2011. She eventually departed Impact Wrestling in 2013, and after a few years on the indies, WWE scooped her up.
Zelina Vega’s journey with WWE began with an NXT deal in 2017, and she has remained a consistent figure with the company
There was a notable exception to her WWE run, which was that eight-month stretch of time when she was released in 2020. There was tension over WWE changing their third party platform policy, which suddenly prohibited Vega from streaming on Twitch, something she was not willing to give up.
Zelina Vega eventually returned to WWE, and she has remained on Twitch as well. Vega evolved from serving as a manager for Andrade to becoming an active in-ring performer. As part of the LWO, Zelina Vega’s biggest standout moment may be her match against Rhea Ripley at Backlash in Puerto Rico. She received a hero’s welcome for that show, and the Puerto Rican fans were fully behind her.
The pro wrestling PPV calendar will wrap up with the brand new AEW Worlds End PPV event on Saturday night December 30, live from the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum on Long Island on Bleacher Report, Fite TV internationally, and traditional PPV. On paper, the event is a “B” show with the main hook being the final match in the first annual AEW Continental Classic tournament.
The Continental Classic has been the primary focus of AEW television for the past month, so it makes sense for that to be the key point of intrigue for fans. It’d be nice to see Tony Khan round out the show with strong bouts around it, but that simply isn’t the story.
MJF will defend the AEW World Championship against Samoa Joe in an all to predictable main event. Both women’s championships are on the line, but both are even more predictable the MJF vs. Joe. Outside of that, Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland should be interesting and Hook vs. Wheeler Yuta in an FTW Rules Match that has the potential to reignite Hook to 2021 levels of popularity.
The other reason why fans may purchase this event has nothing to do with the card itself. It’s that ‘ol devil mystery that AEW has cooking. The AEW Devil has been a prevalent story in AEW for months, but is overdue for some true narrative progression. On a show without a lot of news on it, a devil reveal is a logical move to keep people talking about AEW heading into the new year.
Call this a preview, a calm look into the distant future, or a gaze into a wondrous crystal ball; just don’t hold me to anything, ok?
Adam Copeland vs. Christian Cage – TNT Championship No Disqualification Match
Christian Cage has a win over Adam Copeland in AEW, but he’s not going to add to that record in this match. The Cage vs. Copeland feud has had it’s high points, but doesn’t seem to have captured the full attention and intrigue of the AEW faithful. There’s an element of “been there, done that” with these two that the new AEW environment isn’t adding to at this point in their career.
Cage has been wonderful in the heel role he occupies. He’s not only tormented Copeland, but has found a way to get real bad guy heat regularly.
It’s time to wrap this up so both guys can go their own way. That means the good guy goes over to finish the story properly. So, Copeland gets the win and finally silences The Patriarch.
Prediction: Adam Copeland
Toni Storm vs. Riho – AEW Women’s World Championship
Riho is a formidable opponent for Toni Storm given her history as a former AEW Women’s World Champion, but formidable doesn’t mean credible. Storm is the “it” act in the AEW women’s division right now and the only real over character in that division as well. It would be silly for her to lose the championship given those circumstances.
AEW jumped through the right hoops and had Riho earn her way to a title shot by winning, but the story between her and Storm starts and ends there. This is missing heat, but Storm’s “Timeless” persona is doing wonders to fill the void. Look for Storm to win clean.
Prediction: Toni Storm
Swerve Strickland vs. Keith Lee
This match has been over a year in the making, so it’s a bit tough to see AEW finally get to it with almost zero build or hype. Strickland has been involved in the Continental Classic and Keith Lee has been calling out “Him.” Apparently “Him” is Swerve Strickland and now both men are on a collision course.
There was a lot of meat on the bone here considering Lee and Strickland were tag team champions and the match will have a bit of meaning and context because of that. Outside of that context, though, there isn’t a broad story here. With Strickland losing in the Continental Classic semifinal he needs a win here and will get it cleanly opposite Lee.
Prediction: Swerve Strickland
Hook vs. Wheeler Yuta – FTW Championship FTW Rules Match
Honestly, this feels like an AEW Rampage main event. Hook and Yuta have a little history that the feud is leaning on, but it isn’t a deep one.
Hook hasn’t show and ability to connect on a narrative level with his stories and the end result is usually a flat tone and tenor. Yuta isn’t a beacon of charisma either, which leaves this match with an uphill battle to climb.
The high end of expectations would be these two tearing it up in a bloody brawl that changes the perception of both coming out regardless of who wins. The more likely scenario is a bloody brawl that leaves both in the exact same position.
In either scenario, Hook wins to retain his championship. The bottom line is the FTW Championship isn’t anything without Hook and Hook isn’t anything without the championship. They need each other.
Prediction: Hook
Andrade El Idolo vs. Miro
I’ve really liked what these guys have done with this feud. Lana and Miro have been at odds with one another because of Lana managing Andrade, but it’s been done in a tasteful way that very much features Miro’s dedication to wrestling. Andrade is a strong heel foil for Miro and has shown to have some chemistry with Lana.
As for Lana, she’s worked in a very believable way that shows off her sadness due to her split from Miro on the topic of wrestling, but also her determination to continue working in the business she loves.
At this point, Lana is the most important character in this story, so Andrade takes the win if for no other reason than to simply give Lana credibility as a returning manager.
Prediction: Andrade El Idolo
Julia Hart vs. Abadon – TBS Championship
The Abadon program is a holdover feud for Julia Hart and that’s ok. Establishing Hart as a winner is a key element of her run as champion, so it’s nice to see AEW take a couple weeks to try and establish Abadon as a challenger, so Hart can beat her.
This is the pinnacle of the Abadon character. In it’s current form, the gimmick can’t get past this spot on the card and to that end, Abadon has played things ok. Hart is a strong personality to play off of, which enhances the act.
Fans aren’t salivating for an Abadon title win here and that’s a good thing because she certainly isn’t getting one. Hart wins as clean as a sheet in the middle of the ring.
Prediction: Julia Hart
Sting, Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara & Darby Allin vs. Ricky Starks, Big Bill, Kyle Fletcher & Powerhouse Hobbs
Not much to this except for a one night brawl on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Kenny Omega getting sick threw off the courses of Jericho, Ricky Starks, and Big Bill and this is a way to collect some of those pieces and get them on the card. Sting is involved, so the babyfaces take this after a wild fight.
Prediction: Sting, Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin
20-Man Battle Royal
This one doesn’t have an announced participant list, but it is for a shot at the TNT Championship, so there are are some stakes even if it is on the PPV Zero Hour pre-show. That said, I’ll go out on a limb and say Malaki Black is the winner as I strongly believe Copeland is walking out of the show with the TNT title.
Prediction: Malaki Black
Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston – AEW Continental Classic Tournament Final
You’re looking at the match of the night with this one. The tournament final creates some very high stakes, but the personal nature of Moxley and Kingston’s friendship and rivalry adds significant depth to the match as well. The tournament has been about Eddie Kingston. He got the comeback angle and put up his championships to create the triple crown title that the winner of the tournament gets. It makes perfect sense for him to vanquish Moxley and get the W. Plus, Moxley simply isn’t going to be toiling around with lower card ROH and NJPW titles as part of the AEW Triple Crown. Kingston is a strong choice for that role.
Prediction: Eddie Kingston
MJF vs. Samoa Joe – AEW World Championship
AEW has a lot of balls to juggle with their final main event championship of the year. So many, in fact, it’s as if the Joe vs. MJF story and feud is a secondary player to everything else going on.
The big focus going into the match and within the build to the match itself has been the AEW Devil. The Devil has played a central role in the relationship between Joe and MJF, bringing both men together and on the same page ahead of the match. Not great given the fact you of course want the championship at the center of what’s happening, but it leaves AEW the opportunity to reveal who the devil is on PPV as the company heads into 2023.
The other big focus is on MJF himself. The champion’s contract ends at the end of this year and one has to wonder whether or not he’s signed a new deal. If he has, of course he’s retaining the title here. If not, Joe just may get a surprising world title win.
Now, my guess is MJF has re-signed or will re-sign and will retain his championship over Joe with the big devil reveal coming after the match. MJF will get a clean win on Joe and then execute the angle with the devil, leading to that feud taking over AEW programming in the first quarter of next year.
Corey Graves is best-known for his quick wit on WWE commentary. He was a talent in NXT years ago, a contemporary of Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, but Graves’ in-ring career was stopped short due to concussions. He honed his commentary skills, and the rest is history, but The Savior of Misbehavior isn’t saying no to a WWE in-ring return.
Corey Graves May Wrestle Again
In the world of professional wrestling, injuries are a common occurrence, often leading to premature retirements. Interestingly enough, Corey Graves has recently received medical clearance for an in-ring return, and he’s expressed openness to the idea of a one-off match.
During a recent interview with Steelers Takeaways, Corey Graves revealed that he has been medically cleared for an in-ring return for quite a while now. He made it clear that he is open to the idea of returning for a one-off match, drawing a parallel to the occasional returns we’ve seen from individuals like Pat McAfee in the past.
“I have a clean bill of health now, thanks. I actually got medically cleared a couple of years ago to perform in the ring again. I flirted with the idea and am waiting for a potential opportunity if it presents itself. More of a one-time thing like [Pat] McAfee has done – not as a full-time in-ring performer.”
It remains to be seen whether Corey Graves will take this opportunity to step back into the ring. He may want to knock off the ring rust and try his hand in the squared circle to see if that wrestling bug bites him once again.
Corey Graves’ Career as an NXT Superstar
Corey Graves actually started his wrestling career in 2000. He worked his way through the indies, and eventually landed in WWE, where he was an active in-ring star in NXT.
Graves participated in matches on a weekly basis, even capturing the NXT Tag Team titles alongside Adrian Neville, who is now PAC in AEW. However, Corey Graves’ wrestling journey took an unexpected turn in 2014 when he had to retire due to concussions.
Corey Graves’ final match took place nine years ago at WrestleMania Axxess against Troy McClain. 2023 was a very unpredictable year, so it’s anyone’s guess whether 2024 will see Corey Graves’ in-ring return.
WWE Superstar Sonya Deville has resolved the gun charge against her and will enter the new year without the legal issue over her head.
Deville was arrested in February for unlawful possessionof a weapon after the gun was found in her vehicle by an Atlantic City casino hotel valet. The gun had been lawfully purchased and registered in another state, but Deville lacked a permit for its possession in New Jersey.
Sonya Deville’s Gun Charge Dealt With
In an update, Courier Post Online reports that Deville resolved the charge by completing six months in a pre-trial intervention program. The matter was completed in late November, according to Atlantic County’s Prosecutor’s Office. Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury Jr. approved her entry into the program in May. This sort of handling of the situation was said to be “routine in cases with this fact pattern”.
At the time of her arrest, it was reported that there was no heat on Deville for the arrest as they understand why she’d wish to protect herself. Deville was the victim of an attempted kidnapping in 2020 by Phillip A. Thomas. Thomas arrived at Deville’s home with zip ties, tape, rope, and other equipment that would be vital in the kidnapping. Thomas also taunted Deville with messages including “Look outside, baby, by your pool. I’m here.” In police interviews, Thomas claimed he would make Deville heterosexual. In May 2023, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
WWE fans have collected home videos since the company’s early days. VHS box sets were on the top of so many Christmas wishlist for years, and DVDs replaced them. Now in the streaming era of 2023, WWE has pulled the plug on physical releases.
WWE recently made a big decision to end the era of home video releases, signaling a departure from the traditional format of physical DVD and Blu-ray collections.
WWE’s Final DVD Release
According to PW Insider, the final DVD release under this format was Survivor Series 2023, which became available on December 26th. We can only imagine that the DVD release will fly off the shelves due to its importance.
Why WWE is Dropping DVD Releases
This shift aligns with the evolving landscape of the entertainment industry, where there has been a noticeable decline in the demand for physical media. WWE previously relayed their intention to stop the allocation of “time and resources” to home video production. It is noteworthy that this decision extends not only to the UK market, but has a global scope.
The Wrestling DVD Network also reported that this move is not limited to a specific region. It is a worldwide decision that effectively brings the curtain down on WWE Home Video as the year draws to a close.
Haus of Wrestling corroborated this development with a source in WWE, who affirmed, “The home video business has long been in decline, and it will no longer be a place where the company dedicates time and resources.”
The withdrawal from the home video category was already announced by WWE Home Video UK, indicating a non-renewal of licensing deals in the upcoming year. Collectors all over will now have complete collections on their mind, because there is a definite end to this line.
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.
