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MLW on REELZ: Open Letter to Fans Ahead of Tonight’s Premiere

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Major League Wrestling founder Court Bauer has penned an open letter to fans ahead of Tuesday night’s MLW Underground premiere on REELZ:

Dear MLW Fan,

It’s been more than five years since we embarked on bringing back Major League Wrestling. During that time, we’ve introduced a new generation of wrestlers while showcasing gifted talent who had been underappreciated and underutilized elsewhere. 

Together we broke through barriers, broadcasting MLW in 60 countries and hitting amazing milestones from live specials to our new Boss Fight Studio action figures to Pay-Per-View. 

Along the way, you helped build the foundation of MLW by showing up and supporting us. Whether it’s watching us every week, coming to our shows, spreading the word on social media, buying your favorite MLW shirt or just telling a friend about us. You are the heart of MLW.

We’ve endured a lot together. From a pandemic to billionaires attempting to cripple the hard work so many have put into your league. 

For five years MLW has been the best kept secret. Our secret. All we needed was the platform. 

Now we have the platform with REELZ. Now we have an opportunity to show the world what Major League Wrestling, its roster and its fans are all about.

Tonight begins a new chapter for us. 

Tonight, and every Tuesday at 10pm MLW Underground will be on one of the top 25 networks in cable TV in REELZ. 

This moment is about more than MLW. It’s an opportunity for wrestlers, fans, and the sport of professional wrestling to usher in a challenger to the status quo. 

MLW Underground is the culmination of five years of blood, sweat and tears of MLW wrestlers, staff and crew and we couldn’t be more pumped to be here… watching it together with you on REELZ in prime time across the country.

Welcome to the Underground! See ya 10pm tonight.

Sincerely,

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MLW on REELZ Preview

The following matches are scheduled for tonight’s MLW Underground on REELZ premiere:

  • Last Man Standing Match: Alex Hammerstone vs. EJ Nduka
  • Bomaye Fight Club leader Alex Kane has an open challenge

Plus, Real1, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Mance Warner will appear.

Damian Priest Praised by WWE Legend: “He Has Come So Far”

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One WWE Hall Of Famer has a lot of praise for current Monday Night RAW star Damian Priest.

Road Dogg recently took to his podcast, Oh You Didn’t Know, and had nothing but good things to say abut the Judgement Day member. He suggested that Priest has the potential to go on and become a WWE Universal Champion.

“Damian Priest, I think I’ve said it said it before, actually maybe on here, but he has come so far.”

– Road Dogg

He added, “Think about the people that Damian Priest is surrounded by — Finn Balor, Rhea, Dom — and he’s even in that group stepping out and shining, and so, big things [are coming], I predict he’ll be a Universal Champion one day. I do believe that, and I believe he could carry it.”

Since joining the main roster from NXT in 2021, Priest has certainly been impressive. He has enjoyed one run as United States Champion before going on to join the Judgement Day faction alongside Edge.

After being joined by Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley, the trio then turned on “The Rated-R Superstar,” taking over the faction themselves and later adding Dominik Mysterio to the mix as well.

Priest recently defeated Angelo Dawkins on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW to qualify for the United States Championship Elimination Chamber Match. On February 18 he’ll step into the chamber against Austin Theory, Seth Rollins, Johnny Gargano, Bronson Reed, and Montez Ford with the title on the line.

Quotes via 411Mania

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Location and Date Announced

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WWE SummerSlam is headed to Detroit, Michigan this summer. The event will take place Saturday, August 5 from Ford Field, home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions. The stadium has a capacity of approximately 65,000 people.

  • This will be the first time SummerSlam emanates from Detroit, although the 1993 installment was held in the Detroit-area (Auburn Hills, MI).
  • This will be the third consecutive year that SummerSlam is held in a football stadium, following Allegiant Stadium (Paradise, NV) in 2021 and Nissan Stadium (Nashville, TN) last year.
  • Ford Field hosted WrestleMania 23 back in 2007. That event, which featured the infamous Battle of the Billionaires (Vince McMahon and Donald Trump) is one of the biggest box office successes in company history.

Here’s the official SummerSlam press release:

SUMMERSLAM® HEADED TO FORD FIELD IN DETROIT AUGUST 5

First WWE Event at Ford Field Since WrestleMania® in 2007 and First SummerSlam To Be Held in Michigan In 30 Years

SummerSlam 2023

STAMFORD, Conn., February 7, 2023 – WWE® (NYSE: WWE) today announced that Ford Field in Detroit will host SummerSlam on Saturday, August 5.

SummerSlam marks the first WWE event to be held at Ford Field since WrestleMania in 2007 and the first SummerSlam to take place in the state of Michigan since 1993.

“We are excited for Ford Field to host WWE’s biggest event of the summer and look forward to the WWE Universe converging on Detroit to celebrate SummerSlam’s long-awaited return to Michigan,” said Dan Ventrelle, EVP, Talent at WWE.

“Landing WWE SummerSlam at Ford Field is a signature win for Detroit and continues the momentum of the Detroit Sports Commission in attracting major sporting events to the region,” said DSC Executive Director Dave Beachnau. “Metro Detroit enjoys a special place in WWE history and has produced many iconic moments. Thank you to the entire WWE family for entrusting us with this incredible opportunity, and we look forward to delivering a first-class experience.”

Tickets for SummerSlam will go on sale Friday, April 14, 2023, via Ticketmaster.com. To learn more about registering for presale opportunities, please visit:
https://www.wwe.com/summerslam2023-presale-registration

In addition, official SummerSlam Priority Passes will be available soon through exclusive partner On Location, giving fans the opportunity to purchase ticket packages before they go on sale to the general public. SummerSlam Priority Passes will offer fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment, including premium seating, all-inclusive pre-show hospitality with WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities, exclusive merchandise, and much more. For more information about SummerSlam or to secure your access with a refundable deposit, please visit https://onlocationexp.com/wwe/summerslam-tickets or call 855-346-7388.

Chris Jericho Gifted the Intercontinental Title He Won in 1999

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Chris Jericho has claimed an important piece of memorabilia from his legendary wrestling career.

The WWE Intercontinental championship has long been considered one of the industry’s most prestigious prizes. Often referred to as the ‘workhorse’ belt, there have been 89 IC champions since the title was introduced in 1979. Pat Patterson was crowned the inaugural champion after winning a grueling, very-real tournament held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The list of men who have held the IC championship includes Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, Steve Austin, The Rock and more.

Chris Jericho and the Intercontinental Title

The IC title holds special meaning for Jericho. He’s had a record nine IC title reigns. It was also the first championship he won as a WWE Superstar.

Jericho’s first reign came when he defeated Chyna at ‘WWE Armageddon’ on December 12, 1999. He lost possession of his first Intercontinental belt at some point over the years. Now, it’s back where it belongs.

Dan Lambert, founder of the American Top Team MMA gym, is an avid wrestling fan and belt collector. Lambert was on board the recent Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager: Four Leaf Clover cruise and brought a special gift with him.

As seen below, Lambert presented Jericho with his first Intercontinental belt. The smile on Jericho’s face as he hoists the gold over his head once again shows how much the gesture means to him.

chris jericho ic title

WWE Tag Team Negotiated an Interesting Stipulation in their Contracts

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Competition among promotions is always good for the workers. It appears that The OC have taken advantage of the rivalry of AEW and WWE.

The duo of Gallows and Anderson weren’t seen at Royal Rumble last month. They missed the following Raw episode as well, making people wonder about their status.

Wrestling Journalist Sean Ross Sapp hosted the most recent episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy. Hardy talked about the advantages of the AEW schedule. Sapp then revealed that The OC have negotiated a similar clause in their contract:

“People were asking why The Good Brothers were not at the Rumble or at Raw. In their new deals they said if you’re not going to use us, we don’t want to be there.”

– Sean Ross Sapp

“Just don’t send us there. [With] all due respect we will do our jobs but we don’t want to be there for not being used, and WWE said okay,”

This wasn’t the case previously as there are many stories of WWE bringing in talents to tapings for months without using them.

Gallows and Anderson returned to WWE in October 2022 after a two-year absence. They reunited with AJ Styles and started feuding with The Judgement Day.

If you use the quotes from this article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

WWE Had Plans for New World Championship at WrestleMania 39 (Report)

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WWE was set to introduce a new World Champion at WrestleMania 39, had plans with The Rock not fallen through.

Last year, it was reported that WWE was actively pursuing the Great One for a match with Roman Reigns, a bout both men have teased over the years.

In January 2023, The Rock informed WWE that he does not believe there is time for him to prepare sufficiently for a match this April.

New Championship

It was at WrestleMania 38 last April that WWE made the much-contested decision to unify the WWE and Universal Championships.

Not long after, it was reported that the USA Network was unhappy with the move, given that Reigns, now WWE’s sole World Champion, was making few appearances on Raw.

On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that in the event of Rock Vs. Reigns, a new title was going to be created.

That title would allow Cody Rhodes to win on Night One, while leaving Reigns free to defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against his cousin on Night Two.

Meltzer added that other names considered to be the holder of this new World Championship included Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins.

What Now?

With the match between The Rock and Roman Reigns not happening (this year at least) then WWE does not need to create a title to avoid Rhodes defeating Reigns.

While many expect that the American Nightmare will be the one to dethrone Reigns this April, this will still leave WWE with one World Champion, much to the chagrin of those at the USA Network.

On this week’s Raw, Rhodes and Reigns’ Special Counsel Paul Heyman had an emotional in-ring promo that caught the attention of Cody’s brother, AEW’s Dustin Rhodes.

“It Could have been Different” – Mandy Rose Says She Was Never Warned About Website

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Mandy Rose has refuted the idea that she received some kind of warning from WWE over the content of her website.

The former Superstar was released in December 2022 due to the explicit videos and photos shared on her platform which users can subscribe to see.

Since parting ways with WWE, Rose has been serving a non-compete clause but has also made a fortune with her website.

No Warning

Given the NSFW content the former NXT Women’s Champion was putting online, WWE’s higher-ups felt they had no choice but to release her.

Speaking on the latest edition of The Sessions, Rose refuted the idea that she was warned about her website prior to her release from the company.

“I lost the title and got fired the following day. I never had a warning. I know there is news out there that says I was warned, I never did.”

Mandy Rose.

Rose added that perhaps if she had been warned by WWE about the consequences of her website, she’d be with WWE to this day, saying “it could have been different.”

What’s Next?

While Rose is unable to compete or talk contracts with another promotion at this time, she is still allowed to operate her site.

In December 2022, Rose made $1 million in the month but later clarified on the Tamron Hall show that it took her just over two weeks in December to reach seven figures.

Impact Wrestling’s Deonna Purrazzo has offered Rose an invitation to join the promotion, while joining AEW would allow Rose to reunite with ex-WWE names including her Absolution ally Saraya.

Mandy Rose Shares First ‘Inclination’ of her WWE NXT Release

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Mandy Rose’s release may have come as a shock to fans, but it was something that the ex-Superstar had seen coming for 24 hours.

Rose was let go by WWE in December 2022 due to the nature of the photos and videos being shared with subscribers on her website.

Prior to her release, Rose had been one of the most dominant champions in recent history, holding the NXT Women’s Championship for 413 days.

The Inclination

Mandy Rose’s release came just one day after she lost the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez, the winner of the 2022 Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge.

Speaking on The Sessions, Rose said that it was after arriving at the taping for NXT where she was informed of the title change, that she first suspected her time was up.

“[I was] completely surprised with everything. I went to work like a normal Tuesday for TV and I was told that the title match that was supposed to happen down the line [was happening.] At Vengeance Day, was when it was supposed to maybe happen, but that was all up in the

Right away, I had the inclination that something was up. Everyone had treated me so great at NXT. I had a great relationship with Shawn Michaels, the writers, the producers, everyone. I was never kept out of the loop either, being champion for 413 days, I was in the loop for everything. I didn’t really have that many surprises. So [arriving that day] was very like ‘whoa did I do something? What’s going on?” Obviously, I had some inclination because of what was going on on social media.’

“Right away, I had the inclination that something was up.”

Mandy Rose.

“[Moving up the title change] It came from Shawn Michaels himself. Obviously, I know it was coming from the head of creative so I knew in that sense that I didn’t have to try and go seek other answers, even though I wanted other answers. But at that moment I had to do my job and get planning our match and everything else.”

Losing the Title

After capturing the NXT Women’s Title at Halloween Havoc 2021, Rose’s reign (the third-longest in history) ended abruptly on the December 13, 2022 edition of NXT.

Speaking about the match, Rose said that she tried her best to be in the right frame of mind, despite knowing something was coming.

“It was weird. In the moment, I felt that I was focused, and I always loved working with Roxanne. We had a good relationship so that was good. It [the title change] actually went smooth, as did the rest of the day, but in my mind, and I didn’t sell it, I didn’t show it, I was like ‘this is so messed up. What is going on?’ And I had multiple people coming up to me being like ‘what is going on?'”

When asked about the new NXT Women’s Champion, Rose said that she felt mixed about Perez’s big win.

“I felt bad for Roxanne because she’s so amazing, and I really do love her as a person. It was so exciting, anytime you get told you’re going to win the title, it’s very exciting. But I just felt bad because I felt like it was rushed.”

Mandy Rose.

Kevin Nash: Bobby Lashley “Always Seems To Be Missing Something”

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WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash believes Bobby Lashley is missing something as a superstar.

Since returning to the company in 2018, Lashley has had great success in WWE. He left the company in 2008 to pursue other opportunities like MMA. He has won the Intercontinental Championship and WWE Championship twice since his comeback. Although he’s had a tremendous second run in WWE, Lashley still has his critics.

Nash has shared his thoughts on Lashley on his podcast Kliq This, which was aired on Ad Free Shows. He believes that Lashley may be too nice of a person, which prevents him from being taken as a threat compared to Brock Lesnar.

Wrestling Inc’s Dakota Cohen transcribed the following quotes.

“I love Bobby, he’s a sweetheart,” Nash said. “He just always seems to be missing something. I don’t know what it is … I think he comes across, to me, like he is a nice guy. He’s not a killer. Bobby Lashley is not a killer, you know? He’s the nice f****** guy. Where Brock Lesnar, who’s a nice guy, he, he just has that something in him. If you said, ‘Please, I’ve had enough,’ I think Bobby would stop. I think Brock would stomp you two more times.”

Kevin Nash
Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar

Is Another Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar Match Happening Soon?

WWE may look to have another match between Lashley and Lesnar. Both talents have loosely been in a feud for over a year. Wrestling fans may remember Lashley defeated Lesnar at the Royal Rumble on Jan. 29, 2022, to win the WWE Championship. WWE didn’t follow up on the feud until Lesnar attacked Lashley on the Oct. 10, 2022, episode of Monday Night Raw.

The attack led to their second match at Crown Jewel on Nov. 5, 2022, which Lesnar won. However, WWE made sure Lashley attacked “The Beast Incarnate” after the match to extend the feud. Lesnar took some time off until he returned to attack Lashley again to prevent him from winning the United States Championship at Raw is XXX on Jan. 23. In response, Lashley eliminated Lesnar from the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match on Jan. 28.

Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar
Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar

Both wrestlers have one win against each other, which sets up a match to end the year-long feud. WWE could have the third encounter between Lashley and Lesnar in April at WrestleMania 39. Lashley also wanted this as he challenged his rival to a match at WrestleMania in May of last year.

While it could be a big match at WWE’s biggest show of the year, the company could decide to go a different route. However, it makes sense for the feud to end soon.

Are you interested in a third match between Lashley and Lesnar?

WWE 2K23 Director: AEW Fight Forever Will Drive Us to be Better

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AEW’s much-anticipated debut into the world of console gaming will strive those working at WWE 2K to be better, it has been claimed.

Next month will see the launch of WWE 2K23, the latest installment in the franchise and sequel to last year’s successful 2K22.

Prior to 2K22, WWE’s previous game WWE 2K20, had received universal panning, with reports that WWE’s relationship with 2K on the rocks.

The Gaming Wars

While WWE’s relationship with 2K is seemingly back on track, AEW is yet to release its Fight Forever video game.

First announced in late 2020, a playable teaser has been used at gaming events, but fans are still far from getting their hands on a completed copy.

While speaking with WCCF Tech, WWE 2K23 Creative Director Lynell Jinks addressed the competition AEW Fight Forever brings.

“I love competition. I started on NBA 2K, I spent 10 years on it, and at that time, we were going against NBA Inside Drive. Then we were going against [NBA] ShootOut and NBA Live, and every year, we would look at what they did and be, like, “that’s interesting” or “they did this better than us.” That only makes our games better.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing what they’re gonna do that’s going to drive us to be even stronger.”

Lynell Jinks.

“Same thing you can say about wrestling in general — having competition, to me, it’s no coincidence that the storylines [in WWE] have been the best they’ve been in a long time. I think it’s because of that competition. It’s the same with video games. I’m looking forward to seeing what they’re gonna do that’s going to drive us to be even stronger.”

    AEW Fight Forever

    With an eight-digit investment into their gaming department (at least $10 million) a lot is riding on the success of Fight Forever.

    The game will feature wrestling game staples, including singles matches, tag matches, ladder matches and battle royales, as well as more unique match types including the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch and Intergender wrestling.

    The game will feature a full creation suite, including wrestlers, movesets, entrances, and arenas and a career mode will allow players to take their own created wrestler

    Despite initially being scheduled for a 2022 release date, no release date is now known for AEW Fight Forever.

    h/t – 411 Mania

    Matt Hardy: ‘Tony Khan Is The Best Boss I’ve Ever Worked For’

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    Matt Hardy has been in the wrestling business for over 3 decades. He has worked for many different promotions and under many different bosses in this time. According to him, Tony Khan is the best boss he has ever worked for, because the AEW president cares for their wrestlers.

    The wrestling veteran answered fan questions on the latest episode of his podcast. A fan asked what is the best thing about working for All Elite Wrestling. Hardy mentioned how the AEW schedule allows for much greater work life balance:

    “The schedule is much more friendly to someone who has a family like I have. because my kids, they grow so fast. It’s crazy. It seems like yesterday Maxwell was just born, and he’s seven and a half now. So time flies, and I get a lot more time at home with my kids and my wife and my family, which is really important to me in this day and age. I have a very healthy balance of like professional life and personal life.”

    ‘The Best Boss I’ve Ever Worked For’: Matt Hardy

    Matt Hardy
    Matt Hardy

    Matt Hardy explained that generally, he is only on the road for three days a week. There are exceptions such as PPV weeks but even then, Tony Khan lets them go home if they are not appearing on the PPV:

    “I know this for a fact Tony Khan is the best boss I’ve ever worked for, because Tony looks at his wrestlers as human beings. They’re not just cogs in the machine where he’s focused on what they’re going to do for him in wrestling. He realizes they have a personal life at home, especially people who have families and kids.

    If I’m away and he knows I’m not going to be on the pay per view on Sunday and I finish at the Fan Fest on Saturday, he lets me go home on Saturday. He doesn’t want to just keep you around just in case. He’s usually pretty set. So he’s very lenient, and I’m very grateful for that. If I’m not needed, he’ll let me go home and be with my kids. He wants me to be with my kids. So I really appreciate and I’m very grateful for the care and love he has for people having personal lives.”

    More Originals From SEScoops:

    If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

    AEW Star Reacts to Emotional Cody Rhodes-Paul Heyman Raw Segment

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    The emotional in-ring war of words between Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman has got everybody talking, including a member of the AEW roster.

    During Raw, Cody Rhodes’ address to the WWE Universe was interrupted by Heyman, who spoke about the close bond he had with Cody’s father Dusty.

    After some heartwarming reminiscing, Heyman spoke about the names Dusty trained, including Roman Reigns (Rhodes’ WrestleMania 39 opponent), and noted that the American Dream did not train his son.

    Heyman (fighting back tears) recalled his final talk with Dusty, who said that Cody was his favorite son, but Roman Reigns is the son he always wished he had.

    In response, Cody said that since Heyman has made this personal, he vows to dethrone Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania

    Reaction

    Cody may have been Dusty’s favorite son (according to Heyman) but the American Nightmare isn’t the only son of the American Dream.

    Dustin Rhodes now works in AEW, and in a tweet, showed his support for his brother, and had a piece of advice for what Cody should do to Heyman.

    Dustin and Dusty

    Dustin Rhodes and his father would share the screen throughout the respective careers of both men.

    As part of Dusty’s feud with the ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase, the father and son teamed at the 1991 Royal Rumble in a losing effort to DiBiase and Virgil.

    After making appearances together in WCW and outside televised wrestling, the two reunited for Goldust’s green card wedding to Aksana on NXT in 2010.

    The American Dream would also be present for his son’s tag-team match against The Shield (Reigns and Seth Rollins) at Battleground 2013, which earned a Match of the Year nomination at that year’s Slammy Awards.

    Brock Lesnar To Wrestle At Elimination Chamber, Updated Match Card

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    WWE has confirmed that The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar will be competing at Elimination Chamber. He will be going up against Bobby Lashley.

    Lashley eliminated Lesnar from the Royal Rumble match last month. Brock cut a promo on this week’s Raw mentioning how it has been bothering him.

    He challenged the All Mighty for a match at the upcoming PLE and presented a ‘multi-million-dollar contract’. While Bobby Lashley did come out, he refused to sign a contract saying that things will be done on his terms.

    This angered Brock Lesnar who then delivered an F5 to Lashley and placed the contract on his chest. Lesnar delivered another F5 on fan demand before leaving.

    Elimination Chamber Updated Match Card

    WWE has announced a contract signing segment for next week’s Raw to make this match official. Including this bout, here is the updated match card for Elimination Chamber:

    • WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn
    • Elimination Chamber Match For US Title: Austin Theory vs. Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Bronson Reed vs. Montez Ford vs. Damian Priest
    • Elimination Chamber Match To Determine #1 Contender For Raw Women’s Title: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Liv Morgan vs. Nikki Cross vs. Asuka vs. Natalya vs. Carmella
    • Mixed Tag Team Match: Beth Phoenix and Edge vs. Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley
    • Singles Match: Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley

    Elimination Chamber will be taking place on Saturday, February 18 from Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

    Watch: Lita Makes Surprise Return To End Raw

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    Lita is back and she hasn’t forgotten how to kick ass.

    WWE had announced a Steel Cage match between Becky Lynch and Bayley for this week’s Raw. The match was originally supposed to take place at Raw XXX but was cut due to timing issues.

    The bout main evented this week’s episode of the red branded show. Lynch came alone for this fight while Bayley was accompanied by Dakota Kai and IYO SKY as expected.

    The Damage CTRL leader hit a Bayley-to-Belly on The Man towards the ending of the match but she failed to get the pin.

    Bayley then tried to escape the cage by climbing out but Becky climbed up to stop her. Lynch sent Bayley crashing. It looked as if she might escape to win the match but SKY interfered.

    Lita is Back!

    SKY forced Becky Lynch to go back and Dakota Kai handed Bayley a crutch. This is when Lita’s music hit and she came to the aid of The Man.

    The Hall of Famer first pulled SKY off the cage and took down Kai using her own crutch. She hit a Twist of Fate on SKY and then stopped Bayley from escaping the cage.

    This allowed Becky Lynch to hit the Man Handle Slam on her opponent to win the bout. Lita and Lynch celebrated in the ring to end the show.

    CM Punk Was Not “Correct” With All Out 2022 Actions Claims AEW Star

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    Was CM Punk right with what he said and did following AEW All Out 2022?

    Since the infamous September Pay-Per-View, Punk has not been seen on AEW programming, due to his comments on the post-show media scrum.

    After lashing out at several roster members, including The Elite, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, and Colt Cabana, Punk was involved in a fight backstage that led to several suspensions.

    Jake Hager Weighs In

    Punk is now the only person suspended at the time to still be suspended from AEW, and many believe his days with the company are through.

    While Tony Khan refuses to speak about Punk when asked in interviews, Jake Hager weighed in when speaking on Story Time with Dutch Mantell.

    “Who knows how animosity builds and how lack of communication leads to certain things. I think it all stems from how you view things, and obviously one person in that party was viewing things so negatively. And I don’t think he was correct.”

    Jake Hager on CM Punk.

    AEW has not revealed the results of the investigation into the backstage fight that was conducted by a third party.

    Given that the Elite are back on TV and AEW Trios Champions again, while Punk is still suspended and his ally Ace Steel fired, the results have seemingly damned the former AEW World Champion.

    What’s next?

    Today is day 155 since the All Out altercation, and Punk’s future in AEW, and wrestling as a whole, remains uncertain.

    It has been reported that Punk is seeking a buyout of his AEW deal, something that Tony Khan is in no hurry to grant.

    Some speculate that Punk wants out of AEW in order to return to WWE, the promotion he walked out of in 2014.

    It has also been reported that people from both companies believe Punk returning to AEW or WWE is a bad idea and that he will only cause more trouble.

    h/t – eWrestlingNews

    Another WWE Tag Team Has Switched Brands

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    Mere hours after it was reported that the Maximum Male Models have been moved to Raw, another WWE team has found a new home on the main roster.

    The Models, consisting of ma.çé And mån.sôör, alongside their manager Maxine Dupri had been appearing on SmackDown since their call-up to the main roster.

    After appearing on last week’s Raw where they tried to recruit Otis as their next client, it was confirmed that the group will be on the red brand moving forward.

    Moving Brands

    In addition to the Maximum Male Models, Los Lotharios, the duo of Angel and Humberto, are also heading to Monday Night Raw.

    This news was broken by PW Insider, who were the first to report on the models.

    Like the Maximum Male Models situation, no explanation has been given as to why Los Lotharios have been moved away from SmackDown.

    The Maximum Male Models appeared on last night’s Raw, as part of a segment with WWE authority figure Adam Pearce that was interrupted by Chelsea Green.

    Angel and Humberto did not appear on last night’s Monday Night Raw.

    Los Lotharios

    Angel and Humberto are real-life cousins, but it wouldn’t be until 2021 that they began teaming together.

    Their first official match came on the September 20, episode of Raw, where they defeated Mansoor and Mustafa Ali.

    Los Lotharios were moved to SmackDown as part of the 2021 draft in October 2021, and it was the following month that their names were shortened from Angel Garza and Humberto Carillo to Angel and Humberto.

    The most recent match for Los Lotharios saw the pair lose to Hit Row’s Ashante ‘Thee’ Adonis and Top Dolla in the SmackDown Tag Team Tournament.

    Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. Finn Bálor and Rhea Ripley Set for Elimination Chamber

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    Monday Night RAW kicked off with Edge and Beth Phoenix in the ring. Edge said that Judgment Day is his fault. He talked about how he only said “I quit” at Extreme Rules because Rhea Ripley assaulting Phoenix. Judgment Day, minus Ripley, made their way to the ring.

    Bálor told Edge it was time to make him say “I Quit” again. Dominik Mysterio told them that he’ll treat them like he does his dad if they don’t back off Judgment Day. They all exchange barbs and Phoenix said she came to beat Ripley’s ass, but since she wasn’t there how about Bálor and Ripley face them at Elimination Chamber.

    Dominik Mysterio Screams for Mami

    Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio

    Bálor said they will only if she and Edge make it to Elimination Chamber. They begin circling the ring when Angelo Dawkins comes to assist Edge and Phoenix. Mysterio attempted to leave only to be met by Montez Ford. Ford tosses him into the ring where Phoenix puts him in the Glam Slam, while he screamed for “MAMI!”

    After the match, Phoenix sent a message to Ripley via Twitter. She posted a picture of a close up of Mysterio screaming “MAMI!” with the caption that reads, “missed you this week, Rhea!” She also made the image her Twitter avi.

    Ripley quote tweeted her nemesis and declared that she was “dead meat walking.”

    Elimination Chamber will be live on Saturday, February 18 at 8 PM ET from Montreal, Canada.

    Creed Brothers Wrestle Before Raw

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    Julius and Brutus Creed wrestled for Main Event tonight before RAW. They took on the Good Brothers, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson.

    Creed Brothers in NXT

    Fn3YEl7aMAE7FM7

    This past Saturday at NXT Vengeance Day, The Creed Brothers finally faced Indus Sher. While it was a solid match for the brothers, they were not victorious.

    Main Event airs Thursdays on Hulu and on Sundays on Peacock.

    WWE RAW Results (2/6/23): Becky Lynch Defeats Bayley In A Steel Cage Match with Help From WWE Hall of Famer

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    WWE’s latest edition of Monday Night RAW went down on (2/6/23) from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida! Becky Lynch defeated Bayley in a steel cage match due to the assistance from WWE Hall of Famer Lita in the show’s main event!

    Live Coverage

    • Our show begins and WWE Hall of Famers, Edge and Beth Phoenix make their ways down to the ring. We then see a video package of Edge and Beth’s past with The Judgment Day. Edge says while it’s great to be back in Orlando, Florida, everyone knows why they’re here…The Judgment Day. Edge says The Judgment Day is his fault but while his mission is now his problem, it worked…because Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Dominik Mysterio are all in better spots than they ever have been in their respective careers. Edge says he knew Finn Balor didn’t have what it takes to make him say ‘I Quit’ at Extreme Rules, but when he saw Rhea Ripley hit Beth with brass knuckles and the steel chair, he felt helpless and had to say it. The crowd chants ‘you still got it!’ and Edge says he never lost it. Edge calls himself a sick, sadistic bastard and Beth chimes in and says if Finn and Rhea have the ‘stones’, she and Edge…but The Judgment Day’s music hits and out comes Finn, Damian, and Dominik.
    • Finn says Edge made his triumphant return to the ring, just for The Judgment Day to knock him down a peg…again, again, and again. Finn says it’s time for Edge to say ‘I Quit’ and Dominik says since Edge and Beth have been gone, he’s served hard time. Dominik calls Rey Mysterio a dead beat dad and says he’ll treat Edge and Beth with the same fate as he did to Rey if they don’t stop messing with The Judgment Day. Damian says Edge and Rey don’t know when to give up and says the next time they beat them down, they’ll make what happened at Extreme Rules child’s play. Damian says he’s going to ‘cook’ Angelo Dawkins tonight and go on to Elimination Chamber and become United States Champion. Dominik says he wishes ‘mami’ was here but she’s too busy promoting WrestleMania 39. Edge tells Dominik to shutup and says all Damian does is follow around Finn like a labradoodle.
    • Edge makes fun of Finn’s outfit and says the biggest difference between The Judgment Day and he and Beth is that they actually have each other’s back. Edge says if it came to it, The Judgment Day would ‘drop each other quicker than Dominik dropped his drawers in the clink.’ Beth says she didn’t come to RAW to talk, she came to beat Rhea Ripley’s ass but since Rhea isn’t there tonight, how about she and Edge face Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley at Elimination Chamber. Finn asks Dominik if Rhea would accept, he says yes, and Finn says he’s in…but only if Edge and Beth make it to Elimination Chamber. The Judgment Day circles the ring and they attack Edge but Angelo Dawkins rushes the ring and he and Edge take control. Dominik scurries up the ramp but Montez Ford pops ip behind him and tosses him into the ring, where he’s surrounded by Angelo, Edge, and Beth. Dominik is crushed by a Glam Slam by Beth and we head to a commercial break.

    Angelo Dawkins vs. Damian Priest — Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match

    Angelo goes on the attack early. Damian fights back and plants Angelo with a Falcon Arrow and goes for the cover but Angelo kicks out. Damian applies a head-lock and slams Angelo’s head against the mat before going for another cover but Angelo kicks out once again. Damian reapplies the head-lock, Angelo powers out and cracks Damian with a bevy of strikes, then a drop-kick, and sends Damian to the outside. Angelo slides out and tries to sneak up on Damian but eats a massive lariat from The Judgment Day member. Damian slams Angelo on the outside with a suplex, then goes into the ring before sliding right back out to reset the referee’s ten count. Damian comes back to the outside and cracks Angelo with a leaping kick off of the steel steps and we head to a commercial break.

    Back from the break and Angelo nails Damian with a spinning back kick, then a corner splash, and an exploder before going for the cover but Damian lifts the shoulders after a two-count. Angelo climbs to the top turnbuckle, Damian rushes over to the corner, Angelo kicks Damian back but gets caught in a flatliner before Damian goes for the cover but Angelo kicks out. Damian goes for a choke-slam but Angelo counters into a DDT then goes for the pin but Damian kicks out. Angelo goes up top and nails Damian with a swanton bomb and goes for another cover but Damian kicks out at two-and-a-half! Heavy strikes and exchanged by both competitors and Damian plants Angelo with a choke-slam and gets the 1-2-3!

    Winner – Damian Priest

    • Damian Priest has now qualified for the United States Championship Elimination Chamber match where Austin Theory will defend his title against Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano, and now Damian Priest. Later tonight, Montez Ford will face Elias for the final spot in the match.
    • We then see the aforementioned United States Champion, Austin Theory arriving to the arena earlier tonight in a Lamborghini. It’s then announced that we’ll take a closer look at the happenings between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn from this past Friday night’s edition SmackDown before we head to a commercial break.
    • Back from the break and as previously mentioned, we see a video package highlighting what went down between the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn from SmackDown this past Friday night. Reigns will defend his titles against Sami in the challenger’s hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the Elimination Chamber premium live event on Saturday, February 18.

    Dexter Lumis (with Johnny Gargano) vs. Baron Corbin (with JBL)

    Corbin attacks Lumis right as the bell sounds. Corbin applies a head-lock, Lumis fights his way out, and Corbin cracks him with a lariat. Corbin lays into Lumis with a bevy of elbows before reapplying the head-lock. Lumis powers out and plants Corbin with a running bulldog then a back-body drop and a leg drop. Corbin sends Lumis to the corner and looks for a splash but Lumis evades and crushes him with a flatliner and gets the 1-2-3!

    Winner – Dexter Lumis

    • We then see Byron Saxton backstage, who introduces Becky Lynch. Byron asks Becky what tonight’s steel cage match against Bayley means to her. Becky says everything started with Bayley 10 years ago right here in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center. Becky says Bayley was the sweetest person in the entire locker room but her (Becky’s) way of being great was being aggressive and kicking down doors, daring to be great. Becky says Bayley is jealous of her but now that she’s brought her (Becky’s) family into this, it’s over for Bayley. Becky says there’s a hand that she hasn’t played yet…and tonight may be the night. Commentary hypes up tonight’s main event of the evening, which is Becky vs. Bayley, and it’s announced that Brock Lesnar is here and we’ll hear from the ‘Beast Incarnate’ after the break!
    • Back from the break and Brock Lesnar is here! Brock says he appreciates the crowd and thanks them for the massive pop. Brock asks the crowd of they watched the Royal Rumble…Brock says he did…and he had a bad experience. Brock apologizes for not being at RAW last week but says he had to get his head together after being eliminated from the Men’s Royal Rumble Match by Bobby Lashley. Brock says Bobby is all he’s thought about recently and he just can’t get him out of his head ever since their interaction at the Royal Rumble. Brock says even when he climbs into bed with his wife…but a good or four or five hour later (with a wink) all he can think about is Bobby Lashley. Brock says he has a multi-million dollar contract that shows Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley at Elimination Chamber…and Brock calls out Bobby…who’s music hits and out comes the former WWE Champion!
    • Bobby says it’s nice that Brock is gracing everyone with his presence. Bobby says it’s time to take a walk down memory lane. Bobby mentions in their first match, he won…in their second match, Brock won, but notes that he (Bobby) left Brock unconscious after the match. Bobby calls back to the Royal Rumble where he eliminated Brock and says he’s going to take Brock’s contract and let his agent and his manager take a look at it and he’ll get back to Brock with an answer. Bobby says Bobby ‘Who’ has a one-up on you (Brock). Bobby walks away but Brock spins him around and plants him with an F-5 as the crowd begs Brock for one more…and Brock obliges and drills Bobby with a thunderous F-5 before grabbing his cowboy hat and walks off.
    • Backstage, Johnny Gargano and Dexter Lumis approach Candice LeRae and Johnny tells Candice that Dexter wanted to draw her something for her big night…and there’s a mystery woman in the picture and it’s Nikki Cross, who’s lurking in the background and scurries off.
    • Back in the ring, Carmella is making her way down to the ring and it’s time for the women’s elimination chamber qualifying match, which will go down after the break.

    Michin vs. Piper Niven vs. Carmella vs. Candice LeRae — Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match

    Piper gets in Carmella’s face and Carmella wants no part of it and escapes the ring. Carmella sneaks up behind Piper and latches on with a choke but Piper quickly tosses her out of the ring. Candice and Michin launch Piper out of the ring and Michin goes to work on Candice in the corner. Piper comes in and takes everyone out and fires Carmella out of the ring and celebrates as we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Michin is going at it with Carmella. Piper and Candice enter the fray and everyone is going at it now. Candice nails Piper with a springboard moonsault, Piper fights back and plants Michin with a slam then goes for the cover but Candice breaks it up. Piper goes for a splash but Candice evades and lands a senton. Carmella comes in and rolls Candice up but Candice rolls out but Carmella sends her to the corner and unloads a bevy of kicks and a bronco buster. Piper comes out of nowhere and lands a cannonball in the corner on Carmella and trips Piper out of the ring and rolls up Candice for the 1-2-3!

    Winner – Carmella

    • Carmella now joins Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez, Nikki Cross, Liv Morgan, and Natalya in the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match at the namesake premium live event with a spot against RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39 on the line.
    • Backstage, we see JBL and Baron Corbin. JBL calls Corbin a clown and says that Corbin doesn’t even belong near him. Corbin promises to be better but JBL shuts him down and says he tried to polish a turd before walking off.

    Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander (with MVP) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis)

    Alexander and Gable start this one off. Gable plants Alexander with a massive German suplex and makes the tag to Otis, who cracks Alexander with a lariat. Alexander makes the tag to Benjamin and he and Otis exchange heavy strikes in the center of the ring. Shelton sends Otis to the corner and goes for a running knee but Otis catches him and plants him with a slam. Otis lands a splash and tosses Shelton to the corner but the former Intercontinental Champion evades and makes the tag to Alexander and Otis tags in Gable.

    Alexander lays into Gable with lighting fast offense and drills Gable with a Pele kick that sends Gable to the outside. Alexander dives through the ropes but Gable catches him and sends him into the commentary table with an exploder. Gable sends Alexander back into the ring, goes up top, and lands a diving splash before going for the cover but Benjamin makes the save. Everyone is brawling in the ring, Benjamin dispatches Otis with a massive Samoan Drop, Gable and Alexander are brawling in the ring and Alexander crushes Gable with a back-breaker and gets the 1-2-3!

    Winners – Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander

    • Backstage, Cathy Kelley is with The Miz and asks about his reaction to what happened between he, Rick Boogs, and Adam Pearce last week. Miz says he’s going to send Pearce an invoice for the suit he forced Miz to ruin and Boots comes out of Pearce’s office. Miz asks Boogs how he got an appointment with Pearce before he did. Boogs says it’s all thanks to the ‘Boots Crew’. Miz calls Pearce incompetent and says if he had enough time and had his gear on, he would’ve easily beaten Boogs. Pearce pops up behind Miz and books the rematch for next week. Boogs celebrates, Miz exits, and Pearce smirks his way back into his office…but Chelsea Green stops him and says she’s headed to the ring and if he doesn’t find her an opponent, she’s going to call his manager and we head to a commercial break.

    Chelsea Green vs. Asuka

    Chelsea Green’s mystery opponent is revealed as none other than Asuka! The former RAW Women’s Champion takes control early and often. Asuka makes quick work of Chelsea and gets the tap with an arm-bar.

    Winner – Asuka

    • As the match went down, Raquel Rodriguez, Nikki Cross, Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Natalya all made their way down to the ring. Following the match, RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair comes down and tells everyone surrounding the ring who truly has what it takes to defeat the EST. of WWE. Bianca says she was in their spot, last year, and did what she had to do to take the RAW Women’s Championship. Bianca wishes everyone luck and says she’ll see the winner at WrestleMania.
    • It’s announced that we’ll hear from the Men’s Royal Rumble Match winner, Cody Rhodes after the break.
    • Back from the break and Cody Rhodes makes his way down to the ring. Cody starts talking about his pending WrestleMania match against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Cody mentions how Reigns must first get through Sami Zayn at the Elimination Chamber before he and the ‘Tribal Chief’ can lock horns at the ‘Showcase of the Immortals.’ Paul Heyman makes his way down to the ring. Heyman says on behalf of he and Roman Reigns, they’d like to congratulate Cody on winning the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble Match. Cody says he has a ton of respect for Heyman and he assumes Heyman knows why. Cody says he’s going to peel the curtain back for everyone. Cody says he and his family went broke. Cody calls back to his father Dusty doing car commercial for free just to be able to keep the family car…but then he got a phone call…from Paul Heyman. Cody says Heyman told Dusty that ECW was in town and Steve Corino was going to ‘talk a little smack about him’ and if Dusty agreed to appear on camera, Heyman would pay Dusty…and pay him well. Cody says Heyman kept his word and not only did ECW give him a much-needed paycheck, he gave his father his confidence back.
    • Cody says he knows they’re not supposed to talk about it, but before he came back to WWE, he was ‘somewhere else’ and was the disruptor…and back in the day, Heyman was the disruptor so from one disruptor to another, he thanks Heyman. The crowd is hot for this one and Heyman says Cody is good because he’s got him personally when he was just trying to come out here and ‘schmooze’ about some business. Heyman says if they’re going to pull the curtain back, it’s time to shoot from the hip and go all the way. Heyman says it’s not about his dad, it’s about Cody. Heyman says it’s about everything Cody has fought for, from walking through the door, to walking out of it, to coming back through it and winning the Royal Rumble and winning the title at WrestleMania. Heyman says Cody needs this story to finish to see if it’s a dream come true or if it’s a nightmare of coming just ‘this’ close. Heyman says Cody isn’t just trying to win at WrestleMania but trying to knock off the biggest box office attraction professional wrestling has ever seen…Roman Reigns. Heyman says Cody has no idea what it is to be under that kind of spotlight because nobody has ever prepped him for that.
    • Heyman says right down the road is the WWE Performance Center…which is where Dusty Rhodes trained and prepped the biggest stars of this generation…including Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Kevin Owens…and the ‘Tribal Chief’…Roman Reigns. Heyman says Cody’s father didn’t train nor prep his own son and as a father himself, he could council Cody that maybe Dusty wanted Cody to make it on his own and step out of Dusty’s shadows and make his own name for himself. Both Heyman and Cody are tearing up, what an emotional promo from both men. Heyman says he can’t explain how much he loved and admired Dusty…and he knows how much Dusty loved Cody. Heyman says in his last conversation with Dusty, he told him that Cody was his favorite son…but Roman Reigns was the son he always wanted. Cody’s face goes from tearful joy to absolute disgust. Heyman drops the microphone and Cody gets right in Heyman’s face. Cody offers a handshake, Heyman is reluctant and Cody snatches Heyman’s hand. Cody says he’s just trying to win a championship and everyone else are the one’s trying to make it personal…and Heyman won’t have to pay for it…but Roman Reigns will…at WrestleMania, when he takes those titles…personally! Cody’s music plays and ‘The American Nightmare’ heads out while Heyman looks on in shock from the ring.
    • We then see a trailer for the upcoming WWE 2K23 video game. Back to the ring and Montez Ford is making his way down to the ring and he’ll face Elias in an elimination chamber qualifying match after the break.

    Montez Ford vs. Elias — Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match

    United Staes Champion Austin Theory joins Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves on commentary for this one while Elias applies a head-lock on Montez to start the match. Montez escapes the hold and drills Elias with a lariat followed by a high drop-kick. Elias sends Montez to the corner and lays into Montez with a bevy of strikes. Elias dumps Montez to the outside with a back-body drop and crushes Montez with a suplex onto the steel steps as we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Elias is working over Montez in the center of the ring. Elias climbs to the top turnbuckle, Montez pops up and joins him, Elias goes for a power-bomb, Montez holds on cracks Elias with an elbow. Elias sneaks underneath Montez and plants him with an electric chair before going for the cover but Montez lifts the shoulders after a two-count.

    Montez trips Elias to the mat, goes up top and drills Elias with a diving cross-body. Montez lands a standing moonsault on Elias and goes for the cover but Ezekiel’s older brother kicks out. Elias cracks Montez with a flying knee and plants him with a slam then goes for the pin but Montez kicks out. Montez sends Elias to the outside and goes flying over the ring post and crushes Elias with a dive to the outside! Montez sends Elias back in the ring, goes up top and drills Elias with a frog splash for the 1-2-3!

    Winner – Montez Ford

    • Montez Ford now joins United States Champion Austin Theory, Seth Rollins, Damian Priest, Bronson Reed, and Johnny Gargano in an elimination chamber match at the namesake premium live event on Saturday, February 18.
    • After the match, Austin Theory stands on the commentary table and hoists the United States Championship high in the air. Seth Rollins comes out of nowhere and attacks Theory and crushes him with his patented curb stomp. Seth celebrates as the crowd sings along with his theme song as he exits.
    • We then see Bayley alongside her Damage CTRL stablemates, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai in the locker room as Bayley prepares for her steel cage match against Becky Lynch in our main event of the evening, which goes down after the break!

    Bayley (with IYO SKY & Dakota Kai) vs. Becky Lynch — Steel Cage Match

    Bayley immediately tries to climb the cage but Becky knocks her back down to the ring. Both competitors trade strikes and the fight is on! Bayley kicks Becky in the back of the knee but Becky trips Bayley to the mat and sends her into the cage wall. Bayley clocks Becky with a back elbow and launches Becky into the cage. Becky regains control and fires Bayley into the cage…and then again…and one more time. Becky drills Bayley with a sliding drop-kick into the cage and stomps Bayley’s face into the cage wall. Becky makes the climb but Bayley recovers and climbs up next to ‘The Man.’ Bayley tosses Becky down to the mat and flattens her with a diving elbow drop before going for the cover but Becky kicks out before we head to a commercial break.

    Back from the break and Bayley is climbing but Becky follows. Becky trips Bayley onto the top rope and drills her with a diving leg drop then goes for the pin but Bayley lifts the shoulders after a two-count. Becky goes for the Man-Handle Slam but Bayley counters with a back-suplex and goes for the cover but Becky kicks out. Both competitors struggle to their feet, Bayley is first up and begins her climb up the cage wall. Becky catches Bayley and tosses her down to the mat but Bayley locks-in an ankle lock. Becky calls for the cage door to be open and she crawls towards the door. Bayley is forced to break the hold and drag Becky back inside the ring. Bayley reapplies the submission, Becky crawls to the fence for leverage and knocks Bayley face-first into the cage wall. Becky climbs up the cage, Bayley is holding onto Becky’s ankle, Becky kicks her back, Bayley climbs up and now they’re both on the top turnbuckle.

    Becky knocks Bayley down to the mat and continues her climb, Bayley gets back up and drops Becky down to the mat with a massive diving Bayley-to-Belly and goes for the cover but Becky kicks out at two-and-a-half! Bayley starts climbing and she gets to the top but Becky catches her and a brawl ensues at the top of the cage. Becky has the Disarm-Her locked-in at the top of the cage and Bayley falls down to the mat. Becky is alone atop the cage wall but IYO SKY starts climbing the outside and tosses Becky back down to the mat. Dakota Kai sneaks in one of her crutches to Bayley but Lita’s music hits and out comes the WWE Hall of Famer! Lita takes out IYO and rips away the crutch from Kai and starts beating IYO down with it. Lita plants IYO with the Twist of Fate, Bayley opens the cage door but Lita slams it on her and Becky plants Bayley with the Man-Handle Slam for the 1-2-3!

    Winner – Becky Lynch

    • After the match, Lita gets into the ring and celebrates with Becky Lynch as the show goes off the air!

    Cody Rhodes: WrestleMania Doesn’t Need Roman Reigns vs. The Rock

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    Cody Rhodes has already confirmed that he will challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39, a title currently held by Roman Reigns. 

    Rhodes earned the shot by winning the 30-Man Royal Rumble match. If Reigns retains the title against Sami Zayn at the Elimination Chamber on February 18, Reigns will meet Rhodes in the main WrestleMania event. 

    For nearly a year, WWE had hoped to have The Rock back for a match with Reigns at Mania. However, The Rock didn’t feel like he was in good enough ring shape for a WrestleMania main event match and turned it down. 

    Some fans have been pushing for Sami Zayn to be inserted into the WrestleMania main event because of his strong storyline with The Bloodline. 

    While speaking to Alex McCarthy of Daily Mail, Cody talked about the ongoing story between Zayn and The Bloodline. Rhodes noted that sometimes fans think it should be one wrestler or another in a top spot. He thinks the fans can get everything if decided upon by management. 

    “I was fully expecting these things to converge, and I’m still expecting them to converge just because we have these wonderful options.” 

    This was when he noted that the current WWE stories are better than having The Rock back at WrestleMania 39. 

    The Rock

    “With all the respect in the world to one of the GOATs The Rock, it looks like the options we have here within the roster are even better because of the stories that are happening. One story about finishing something that started in 1978 – seven years before I was even born – and another story of really the tragedy of being welcomed into the Bloodline and then what you saw unfolds.

    I think with the amount of time between now and WrestleMania, it’s important I keep my eyes squarely fixed on WrestleMania, squarely wrestling for the WWE Undisputed Championship and as you hinted that may not be against Roman Reigns. Now I don’t know if anyone can beat Roman Reigns, I truly don’t, but for me, it’s about picking up the chip. I love the melodrama,I love the heaviness in these stories that develop in our industry, but I am very simply a man who’s looking for a belt.

    I’m looking for a championship title belt, the most important one in our world the biggest in all – not just in the WWE bubble but in all the bubbles – and be the first to say as a Rhodes I did it, and it wasn’t Dusty Rhodes and it wasn’t Dustin Rhodes it was Cody Rhodes.”

    The Rock has reportedly left the door open to doing the match at WrestleMania 40 next year. 

    Tony Khan Says He’s “Certainly” Interested in Buying WWE

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    AEW President Tony Khan wouldn’t mind adding another wrestling promotion to his portfolio.

    Last month, Vince McMahon made his grand return to WWE’s board of directors, where he currently sits as Executive Chairman. The move came less than six months after he ‘retired’ after nearly four decades running the company.

    McMahon has returned to facilitate a sale of the promotion. One of the most interesting names on the list is Tony Khan, the AEW founder, and head of Ring of Honor who has opposed WWE since 2019.

    It is believed that if Khan and his father Shahid were to make an attempt to purchase WWE, they would seek the backing of at least one other financial partner.

    Khan appeared on the Marke Hoke Show and was asked about his level of interest in the WWE’s ongoing attempts to find a buyer.

    I don’t know exactly what will happen there. I’ve been told, and I think they’ve said publicly, that there may be a sale process. If there is a sale process, certainly I’m interested in it and potentially being involved in it. We’ll have to see what that process is, and who exactly they’ll let get involved in it. Certainly, I’m interested in it very much.

    – Tony Khan

    WWE CEO Nick Khan has said that Vince McMahon will do whatever is best for the company, even if that means retiring again.

    However, there are many who believe McMahon would refuse to hand the keys to Titan Towers to the Khans, seeing it as a defeat and concession to AEW.

    h/t – Fightful

    MJF: “Zachary Wentz Isn’t an Anti-Semite”

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    AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman wants people to know his longtime friend Zachary Wentz (Zachary Green) is not an anti-Semite.

    Wentz, who previously wrestled for WWE as NXT star Nash Carter, was released in April 2022 after his ex-wife alleged he was physically abusive to her. She also released a photo of him sporting a ‘Hitler’ mustache.

    The former NXT tag team champion later issued a statement explaining how ashamed and apologetic he was for the photograph, which was taken in 2015. He stated, “There is no excuse for such behavior and I take full responsibility for my actions and ask for forgiveness.”

    He took a bad situation and made the best of it by reflecting on his conduct, re-educating himself about the horrors of the Holocaust and vowed to ‘do better’ in the future.

    MJF Defends Zachary Wentz

    On Monday, MJF posted a thread on Twitter defending Wentz. MJF has spoken about his experiences with anti-Semitism in high school and in the wrestling industry. There are a lot of ignorant and hateful people out there, but he wants to make it known that Wentz is not one of these people.

    Zachary Wentz isn’t a antisemite. I lived with him. The fact he’s not on TV right now because a girl (who got caught lying about abuse) couldn’t handle a break up and posted a photo of him doing something in jest is wild.

    – MJF

    MJF continued, “When a wrestler who shall remain nameless keyed my car and called me a kike, Zachary went out of his way when everyone else turned a blind eye to check in on me.”

    He added that fans on Twitter can sometimes run dirtbags out of the industry, but fans aren’t right about everything and they’re wrong in this case.

    Wentz has been wrestling on the independent scene since leaving NXT in April 2022. Over the past several months, he’s wrestled for REVOLVER, Warrior Wrestling, AAW and other independent promotions.

    Last week, he wrestled a tag match with The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Myron Reed) at REVOLVER’s A Night at the MOXbury event. Last month, he wrestled against AEW star Konosuke Takeshita at Warrior Wrestling 27.

    GUNTHER: Brock Lesnar is My End Boss

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    WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER is ready to step back in the ring with Brock Lesnar, calling the Beast Incarnate his final boss.

    The Austrian powerhouse has been on a role since joining WWE in 2017, and was the longest reigning NXT UK Champion.

    After his main roster call-up last year, GUNTHER captured the Intercontinental Championship in June, which he holds to this day.

    The Beast Vs. Der Ring General

    During the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match, GUNTHER and Brock Lesnar would have a brief face-off that thrilled the Houston audience.

    Speaking on the Rob Brown show, GUNTHER speculated on a one-on-one match with WWE’s Beast.

    “Brock is a one-in-a-million guy, one in ten million. I always liked those guys that have stood out from the pack. I stopped watching wrestling for a while when I was a teenager and then I got back into it again when I started training.

    “There was a time when Brock was young and he was wrestling Eddie (Guerrero) and Big Show and Kurt Angle, and the guy was fantastic. I always loved his matches and was very impressed with that and also with the recent years in WWE.”

    “That’s my end boss.”

    GUNTHER on Brock Lesnar.

    “I always thought it would a thing for wrestling and my style, that’s my end boss. I’ve been portrayed as the end boss in wrestling for a lot of guys, but I think Brock could be my end boss. I really hope the match goes down at some point.”

    Future Plans

    The Imperium leader is hopeful for another match with Lesnar, but his more immediate future will feature two other former champions.

    Despite reports last December of GUNTHER Vs. Lesnar for WrestleMania 39, a more recent report has said it will be GUNTER, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus this April.

    Both men have spoken about dethroning GUNTHER, and an Intercontinental Championship win for Sheamus will earn him the Grand Slam.

    h/t – Fightful

    Reason Why WWE Changed Iyo Sky’s Ring Name

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    A long-asked question about IO Shirai’s name change may have gotten answered.

    WWE surprised wrestling fans with the return of IYO Sky (FKA IO Shirai) at Summerslam on July 30, 2022. She made her return alongside Bayley and Dakota Kai to confront Becky Lynch and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. At the time, the commentators referred to Sky by her former name. However, the next night she had her name changed to what it is today.

    The company has yet to share why it wanted Sky to change her name publicly. Name-changing in WWE happens on a case-by-case basis for new talent. However, Sky’s name seems to result in WWE wanting to own her IO Shirai, according to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer.

    Meltzer was asked a question on Twitter about why WWE changed Sky’s name, which he answered, “They wanted to own her WWE name, and she had used the name Io Shirai her entire career, so they couldn’t own it.” Someone also asked why Chelsea Green, who returned at the Royal Rumble on Jan 28; however, Meltzer has yet to respond.

    What’s Next For IYO SKY?

    Damage CTRL
    (WWE)

    It seems that Sky is headed for a big match alongside her tag team partner Kai at WrestleMania 39. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter on Feb. 6 reported that Sky and Kai would defend their Women’s Tag Team Championship against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler at the event.

    While this is the reported plan WWE has, the company hasn’t acknowledged or hinted that the match will happen. Rousey is also not involved in any storylines at the moment. She lost the Smackdown Women’s Championship to Charlotte Flair at the Friday Night Smackdown episode on Dec. 30, 2022. Although WWE could’ve had Rousey challenge Flair in a rematch, it doesn’t seem like it will happen.

    If Sky and Kai are defending their titles against Rousey and Baszler, WWE fans should expect a build to the match soon.

    AEW/ROH Stars Pulled From Beyond Wrestling Event

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    Several AEW/ROH stars were slated to work an upcoming Beyond Wrestling event but have been pulled due to a conflict with the reported ROH TV tapings. 

    On Monday, Beyond Wrestling announced that Wheeler Yuta, Willow Nightingale, Tracy Williams, and Trish Adora would no longer be appearing at their Perfection or Vanity show in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Sunday, February 26.

    As previously noted, the belief is that ROH is scheduled to hold TV tapings that weekend, most likely at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. 

    The Statement

    “Wheeler YUTA, Willow Nightingale, Tracy Williams, and Trish Adora will no longer be appearing or competing at ‘Perfection Or Vanity’ on Sunday, 2/26 at White Eagle in Worcester,” Beyond Wrestling’s statement read”Email [email protected] if you’d like a refund.”

    Yuta and Nightingale are under contract with AEW, while Williams and Adora, who were both part of the ROH roster before Tony Khan bought the promotion, have also made appearances for AEW.

    Yuta currently holds the ROH Pure Championship after he won back the title by defeating Daniel Garcia at Final Battle. Adora was also in action at this same show, losing to Nightingale on the pre-show.

    It was announced last December that weekly ROH TV was coming to the HonorClub streaming service, although no start date was given.