WWE has announced the signing of 15 athletes to the company’s ‘Next In Line’ program, which aims to recruit elite collegiate athletes from around the Untied States.
As the Next in Line program enters its second year, WWE has finalized the third class of prospective future Superstars. The program now encompasses 46 athletes (26 male, 20 female) from 13 sports.
This round of signees includes two-time NCAA All American wrestler Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State University), four-time NCAA National Champion thrower Turner Washington (Arizona State University) and NCAA Champion hurdler Alia Armstrong (Louisiana State University).
Is CM Punk the best wrestler in the world as he claimed during his iconic June 2011 Raw pipebomb?
Perhaps, perhaps not. But he’s a darn fine ‘Sports Entertainer.’
Punk has been a huge topic of discussion ever since his actions following last September’s All Out 2022 event, and he has been suspended ever since.
Sports Entertainer
Punk has often credited himself as a professional wrestler, and during his 2011 pipebomb spoke about ‘sports entertainers’ like The Rock and John Cena.
Oh his Oh You Didn’t Know podcast, ‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James admitted that Punk is a great wrestler, but believes that the Sports Entertainer label fits him better. He added:
“Punk’s a great example of a guy that if you just went with wrestler, wrestler, wrestler, wouldn’t have made it without the attitude, mic skills and I don’t want to say character because Punk was never really a character, he was just himself, but he’s good at it.”
‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James.
CM Punk’s Future
Punk’s future with AEW remains uncertain, with Tony Khan refusing any and all requests for comment on the former World Champion’s situation.
It has been reported that some top names in AEW have refused to work with Punk if he is brought back, and that Chris Jericho is one of them.
Things are not looking better for Punk in WWE, with reports that some in the company absolutely do not want him to return.
The belief is that Punk (who walked out of WWE in 2014 on bad terms) will only bring the problems seen in AEW if he is rehired.
Mark Briscoe was allowed to appear on this week’s Dynamite but only after the monumental efforts of AEW President Tony Khan.
The Briscoes were not allowed to appear on AEW programming due to an edict by Warner Bros. Discovery, over problematic comments made by Jay a decade ago.
After Jay’s death earlier this month, Mark was allowed to compete on this week’s Dynamite, where he faced Jay Lethal.
Khan’s Efforts
Briscoe’s debut on this week’s Dynamite came hours after a report stating that WBD wanted no part of him on their show, due to Jay’s comments.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that it was Tony Khan who went to bat for the Briscoes.
“You have to credit that one to Tony Khan. I mean, he pushed and pushed and I mean, he pushed really hard on this one and got them to change their minds. They [Warner Bros. Discovery] were pretty dead-set against it. I mean, the social media stuff, that possibly could have helped.”
Dave Meltzer.
Team Effort
While Khan was able to convince WBD to ditch their ban on either Briscoe, he wasn’t the only one who worked on this.
On his show, Meltzer said that it was a team effort of people who showed the better side of Jay Briscoe to AEW’s broadcast partners.
“It was certainly a lot of people. We said it last Wednesday, but a lot of people had been saying it all week like ‘how do you ban Jay Briscoe, the tribute show? How do you ban the tribute show when you’re showing Dana White on Slap-Fight?’ Dana White’s mistake was December 31st, 2022 [and WBD moved on.] Jay’s mistake, a big mistake, both of them were big mistakes. His mistake was in 2013 and he had certainly apologized and atoned for it. Just read the article that I did. The stuff from [ROH commentator Ian] Riccaboni and other people. Cary Silkin and others.
“Nobody hid from that part of Jay Briscoe’s life, and neither did he. So [allowing Mark on Dynamite] was the right thing to do and I’m glad he got to do it. But it took a lot a lot a lot of work to get it done.”
Meltzer added on his show that Mark is free to compete on AEW going forward, implying that his appearance this week was not a one-off.
LA Knight got to live one of the biggest moments of his career this past Monday during Raw. He got to share the ring with one of the greatest performers of all time in The Undertaker. According to the Raw star, the moment gave him chills.
The former NXT star recently appeared on Insight WithChris Van Vliet. When asked about his segment with the Deadman, Knight revealed that he was told about the segment at the last minute. Per the former champion, he previously didn’t believe in the stories of Undertaker’s entrance but he does now:
“I’ll tell you the truth. It’s funny because you always hear the cliche. ‘When you are standing in that ring and that bell tolls. It’s chills’ and I’m like ‘Oh yeah sure.’ That’s legit. It was chills. It was pretty wild. But at the same time to be standing there and doing my thing and to be very recognized. That audience was right on top of everything I had to say even with The Undertaker. That’s a big feather in my cap as far as I’m concerned.”
‘Beyond Grateful’: LA Knight
LA Knight shares a very interesting similarity with The Last Outlaw. The 40-year-old was also managed by the legendary Paul Bearer during one point in his career in Championship Wrestling From Hollywood. Speaking about his interactions with Bearer, Knight claimed that he was beyond grateful to share any advice:
“Three years, three years that guy led me to the ring. I loved him. He was so good to me. Anytime I ever had to ask him anything. He was like, it wasn’t even like he was willing to give it. It was beyond that. It was like he was so grateful to have an outlet to give any kind of advice or insight or anything like that. Like he thanked me profusely for asking, which just to me shows an enormous sign of his character.”
The wrestling world is in mourning following the death of Jay Briscoe, but that is no excuse to harass the family of the other driver killed in last Tuesday’s accident.
Briscoe, 38, was killed in a vehicular collision mere minutes from his home in Laurel, Delaware and his daughters (who were in the car) were also seriously injured.
Delaware State Police confirmed that another driver crossed the center line and collided with Jay’s vehicle head-on and that they too were killed in the accident.
Harassment
While the wrestling world has come out in support of Briscoe and the Pugh family, the response to the other victim’s family has been far more hostile.
Lillyanne Ternahan, a mother of two, was the driver of the other vehicle, and her family has been on the receiving end of hurtful comments.
Josh Wharton, a friend of the Pugh family, addressed these attacks on Facebook, and made it clear he and the Pughs are against such comments.
“It’s been a tough week for our community, but also has been heartwarming to see the outpouring of love towards the Pugh family during this tragedy. Once again-Jamin touched so many lives across the world and that has been evident by the daily tributes, comments and love we’ve all witnessed. The girls are still progressing, as God continues to hear all of our prayers.
“Unfortunately this has not been the case for the other family, as there have been numerous rumors and information out there which has led to attacking/degrading comments on social media that the family has seen. Her children will read these at some point.
“Jamin, Ashley, the Pugh family, myself and K.c. do not stand for this. In a time of tragedy, pointing fingers does not reverse what has been done.
“The driver of the other vehicle has 2 young children, and we all should be showing the same love and compassion for them as we have done for the Pugh’s. Be reminded that their world has also been turned upside down undeservingly, and there is a huge hole left in their family.
“I am sincerely asking that everyone stop with the negative comments and feelings towards them. Let me remind you all that none of us, and I know myself better than anyone-have things we are not proud of. We all struggle with something.
“To judge an entire life by the outcome of this tragedy is not who we are. Only love can conquer hate. Instead of expressing harsh feelings, pray for them.”
Our thoughts remain with the Pughs and the Ternahan family at this sad time.
A donation page for the Pugh family can be found here, and a donation page for the Ternahan’s can be found here.
A former WWE NXT Superstar will be making their presence felt on next week’s AEW Dynamite, as part of the feud between Bryan Danielson and MJF.
Danielson is currently working towards a match with the reigning AEW World Champion but must remain undefeated until February 8 to do so.
If Danielson does reach that date without taking a loss, the AEW World Championship match between the pair will be a sixty-minute Iron Man match at AEW Revolution 2023.
AEW Debut
During this week’s Dynamite, Danielson continued his winning ways, defeating Brian Cage, who attacked the American Dragon after the match.
MJF would join Cage in the ring, but Konosuke Takeshita would arrive to make the save.
Later on, MJF appeared in a video promo where he stated Danielson’s next opponent will systematically eliminate him.
That opponent turned out to be Timothy Thatcher, who will face Danielson next week on AEW Dynamite.
Before coming to WWE in 2020, Thatcher proved his toughness on the independent scene, working for promotions like wXw and Evolve.
The former Evolve Champion would be assigned to NXT in 2020, replacing Pete Dunne as Matt Riddle’s tag partner, when the Bruiserweight was unable to travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Not long after his debut, Thatcher walked out on Riddle, turning heel, and would defeat the Original Bro in WWE’s first Fight Pit match.
After transitioning into a teaching role at the WWE PC, Thatcher would be released on January 5, 2022, and make his debut for Pro Wrestling Noah that June.
WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam is feeling “awesome” ahead of this Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.
Van Dam, a veteran of six WWE Royal Rumble matches, hasn’t competed for WWE since August 2014 when he was on the losing end of a match to Seth Rollins.
Outside of WWE, RVD has competed for TNA/Impact Wrestling and various other smaller promotions.
Rumble Return
With only 15 spots filled in the Men’s Royal Rumble match, there are plenty of available spots for returning Superstars such as RVD.
“It’s happened before [returning at a Rumble.] you know when I left way back in 2006 or seven. I guess it was six. But yeah, hey, that’d be cool. I got no plans to share with you.”
Rob Van Dam.
Van Dam in the Rumble
After signing with the WWF in 2001, RVD would make his Rumble debut in January 2002 as the 29th entrant.
Van Dam would not last long, being eliminated by Booker T (his future tag-team partner) in just over two minutes.
Van Dam would fare much better the following year, lasting 33 minutes and scoring two eliminations, before being thrown out by Kane (another tag-partner of his.)
After an injury forced Rob to miss much of 2005, he returned in 2006, and would make a one-night return as part of the 2009 Rumble match (which was won by Randy Orton.)
Wes Lee is one of the most athletic talents on the current NXT roster. Though he didn’t start out as such and according to the current NXT North American Champion himself, a lot of the things he is able to do are self-taught.
The 34 year old was recently interviewed on The Mark Moses Show. Wes was asked if he has always been this athletic. Replying to it, the high-flying star revealed that he couldn’t play a lot of sports during his childhood due to a heart condition:
“So my mother was rather protective of me growing up. I was a smaller kid growing up, so I didn’t really have the opportunity to play too many sports, basketball was out of the question. Football was somewhat out of the question as well because I was born with a heart murmur. So there were a lot of medical reasons why I could not play sports.”
Heart murmur is a condition where blood does not flow through heart valves how it should. It could cause serious problems in many patients but some do have the ability to live a normal life without getting surgery for it. The NXT star did not mention going through one.
Old Mattresses and Love For Professional Wrestling
The former Impact Wrestling star then revealed how he honed his athletic ability and learned to wrestle. According to Wes Lee, it became possible by ignoring the disclaimers before wrestling shows:
“So a lot of the things that I ended up learning were self-taught from either movies or just from common knowledge between shared friends. I lived in an area where I had many athletic friends as well. Tumbling was a thing that we used to do in our neighbourhood. We’d grab old mattresses and sit them out, run and jump off of those and practice our flips. So that was the way that I really honed in on my athletic ability was starting out on that.
Then that led to the growth of my love for professional wrestling and sports entertainment. Once that happened, I started to you know, not listen to the disclaimer at the very beginning of our shows and stuff like that of not trying this at home. That was the early stages of me, breaking into the love of professional wrestling and starting to really expand on my expertise when it comes to my athleticism.”
A third lawsuit has been filed against Vince McMahon since the chairman of the boards returned to WWE earlier this month.
According to reports from Bloomberg, the lawsuit stems from the allegations that the boss paid up hush money to cover up sexual harassment allegations against him.
With this new case, the investors are seeking to “sever their case from the consolidated action” and they can “keep the bylaw-related claims alive, interfering with any fee request” if they succeed.
Carole Casale and Chrystal Lavalle are the two investors behind the suit. The lawsuit is not publicly available so not a lot of details have been revealed.
Vince McMahon forced his way back into the WWE Board of Directors on January 6 after having retired on July last year. He was then voted the chairman on January 10.
The WWE owner has since been sued by both Scott Fellows and the Police and Fire Retirement System of Detroit claiming that he “breached fiduciary duties as controlling stockholder.”
They claimed that with the manner of his return, McMahon aims to “impose his personal will on WWE and its [board] by purporting to adopt a package of invalid and inequitable bylaw amendments that would hamstring the Board from making critical business decisions.”
We will provide more information on the new lawsuit when it becomes available.
JungleHOOK (“Jungle Boy” Jack Perry & HOOK) def. Ethan Page & Matt Hardy
Bryan Danielson def. Brian Cage
Ruby Soho def. Toni Storm
Jay Briscoe Tribute Match: Mark Briscoe vs. Jay Lethal
Clips & Recap
Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara vs. Ricky Starks & Action Andretti
Action Andretti started to get heated up and hit a dive on both Jericho and Guevara on opposite ends of the ring. Sammy and Action were paired up for most of the match, leaving Ricky and Chris to face off. Ricky was able to hit a spear on Jericho, but Sammy broke it up. Chris tried to sneak a roll up and Ricky kicks out. Andretti was getting some steam against Sammy before Chris interfered. Ricky hit Chris with a Rocheambeau on the outside. Garcia interfered and hit Andretti with the bat for Sammy to hit the GTS to get the win.
TNT Championship: Darby Allin (with Sting) vs. Buddy Matthews (with Julia Hart)
Buddy Matthews came prepared in the mind game department because his face paint almost exactly matched Darby’s. Buddy pulled the apron out from under Darby, and it looked like Darby injured his leg. The lights go black and Malakai Black and Brody King appear. Ortiz comes out with a kendo stick to help Sting fend them off. Darby hit a Scorpion Death Drop in the ropes. Buddy kicked out, but Darby stayed on him. He hit a Coffin Drop on Buddy while he hung on the ropes for the win.
After the match, Tony Schiavone interviewed Darby in the ring. Before Darby could even speak, Samoa Joe appeared on the screen and said he’s coming to take back his title.
Adam Cole appeared in a vignette where he said he didn’t know he was returning but the video ended with him staring at a Revolution poster.
Ethan Page & Matt Hardy vs. JungleHOOK (“Jungle Boy” Jack Perry & HOOK)
Ethan Page let his ego get the best of him. JungleHOOK worked really well together and had great tag teamwork. HOOK was able to grab Matt Hardy’s legs to prevent him from breaking up the Snare Trap that Jungle Boy had locked in.
Winner: JungleHOOK (“Jungle Boy” Jack Perry & HOOK) by submission.
Family Therapy with The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens), Billy Gunn, and The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) ended with The Gunns saying they want the AEW Tag Team Championships
Hangman Page talked with Renee Paquette and said he wanted another match with Jon Moxley but Wheeler Yuta challenges him to a match on Rampage for this Friday
Bryan Danielson vs. Brian Cage
Danielson struggled to get offense in at the beginning due to Brian Cage simply throwing him around. Cage hit Bryan with many German suplexes. He worked fast and constantly relied on his strength. Bryan was able to transition some of his power moves into submission moves and deliver some moves of his own. Cage tried to go for a powerbomb symphony, but after the first one, Bryan was able to roll through for the pin.
After the match, Brian Cage attempted to break Danielson’s arm to get the money offered by MJF. MJF came out to the ring and had Cage twist Bryan’s arm in the chair and sent him into the ring post. MJF got in the ring to beat down a defenseless Danielson.
Takeshita came out to save Bryan Danielson and got the one up on Brian Cage.
Toni Storm cut a promo calling the original AEW women “homegrown idiots” and said that Ruby should join her side.
Ruby cut a promo and said that the AEW women gave her great opportunities and that Toni Storm’s journey ends with her.
Toni Storm vs. Ruby Soho
Ruby used strikes, while Toni used suplex combinations. Toni Storm faked a nose injury to lure in Ruby Soho. She then took advantage with a suplex and a rolling DDT. When Toni was looking for Storm Zero, Britt Baker made her entrance. This helped Ruby hit Destination Unkown for the win.
MJF cut a promo saying Takeshita is very talented. He tried to warn him to stay out of his business or there will be consequences. MJF then announced that Timothy Thatcher will face Danielson next week on Dynamite.
Jamie Hayter called Emi Sakura a legend. She showed her respect, but promised to hit her hard.
Ian and Caprice joined Excalibur on commentary for the Jay Briscoe tribute match.
Jay Lethal came out wearing a Jay Briscoe shirt.
Mark Briscoe came our in great spirits and holding both ROH Tag Team Championship titles.
Jay Briscoe Tribute Match: Mark Briscoe vs. Jay Lethal
Mark and Jay traded chops in the corner with neither backing down. They matched each other’s speed and combinations. Mark had to break out the Red Neck Kung Fu and the Iconoclasm. After a close call, Mark was able to roll out the ring. Mark hit a Blockbuster on the outside and on to the floor. He dropped a Froggy Bow from the top rope on to the Time Keeper’s table. Mark hit the Jay Driller for the three count.
Eight days after Jay Briscoe’s shocking death, AEW was finally able to pay tribute to him with a video.
On the Dynamite following Briscoe’s death, AEW was not allowed to show any type of tribute video for him due to a long-standing decision by Warner Media Discovery. Commentary spoke about him and several wrestlers paid tribute to Briscoe throughout the night.
Jay Briscoe Tribute Video
On Tuesday, Tony Khan announced that Jay’s brother, Mark would be facing Jay Lethal on this week’s Dynamite. With this announcement, Dave Meltzer confirmed that AEW was cleared to pay tribute to Jay this week.
After the opening match, Excalibur spoke about Jay before this video aired. It features clips of his daughters, who were injured in the car accident.
One of the top up and comers in WWE’s developmental system is taking a positive outlook on an injury that will keep her out of the ring for several months.
On Wednesday, Nikkita Lyons announced specific details regarding her knee injury. Unfortunately, her she’s torn her ACL and meniscus.
Despite the setback, she remains full of love, light and positivity. Many athletes would see this as a serious career setback, but Lyons is taking a different outlook. Instead of focusing on the injury, she sees this as a life lesson and is laser focused on making a comeback.
Lyons’ most recent match for WWE took place on the January 20 edition of NXT Level up. In her Level Up debut, the 23-year-old from Las Vegas defeated Jakarta Jackson.
SEScoops wishes Nikkita Lyons a speedy recovery from this injury.
Impact Wrestling has announced a special ‘season pass’ of tickets for three upcoming double-header events in the Chicago area.
All six shows will take place from Cicero Stadium. The venue hosted Impact Emergence last summer, as well as several Major League Wrestling and mixed martial arts events.
For the first time ever, secure your ticket for all 6 nights! It all starts with Spring Slugfest this April and continues through July with Chicago Heat and it all leads to an unforgettable Bound For Glory. The Season Pass secures your ticket for all events!
The Season Pass Ticket Option is valid for 1 Ticket to all 6 Events. Spring Slugfest, Chicago Heat and Bound For Glory.
Here’s the official schedule for the shows:
April 28-29: Spring Slugfest
July 28-29: Chicago Heat
October 21-22: Bound for Glory and BFG Fallout
Tickets are available at Eventbrite.com starting this Friday. The Season Pass Ticket option is valid for 1 Ticket to all 6 Events (Spring Slugfest, Chicago Heat and Bound For Glory).
Jeff Cobb appears open to an appearance in WWE’s Royal Rumble match.
Cobb recently took part in an interview with WrestlingNews.co and was asked about potentially being a surprise entrant in the match. While Cobb admits he hasn’t been contacted for such an appearance, he seems open to the idea.
“You know what? You never say never. But it all depends on if the stars lined up and all that stuff. Again, if they wanted me for some odd reason, then they’d have to go through the right avenues. I don’t think they could contact me directly because I don’t think that’s legal.
“I don’t know how those things work. But yeah, if for some odd reason, they were like, ‘Hey, we wanna put Jeff in the Royal Rumble,’ I’m not good at Royal Rumbles. I don’t want to run down to the ring either. But yeah, if the stars aligned, I’d be totally down to do it.”
(via AEW)
This year’s Royal Rumble takes place from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on January 28. Jeff Cobb could’ve been part of the Royal Rumble as a member of the WWE roster, but decided to turn down a contract offer from the company in 2020.
The veteran has worked for Lucha Underground, PWG, Ring Of Honor, AEW, and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) throughout the years. He’s currently signed to the latter where the 40-year-old is still going strong.
Ric Flair issued an apology to Becky Lynch backstage at this week’s RAW XXX anniversary show.
This week, Flair was backstage for the special RAW XXX anniversary show that featured several legends returning for the event. Speaking on his podcast, “To Be The Man,” Flair talked about his experience backstage at the show.
Flair said he spoke to both Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, apologizing to the latter over their spat regarding the “The Man” moniker.
“It started out with me and Hunter talking for about an hour, which is a private discussion, but resolving a lot of issues that have been lingering for a couple years, and then I apologized to Becky Lynch. I walked up to her and said, ‘May I speak with you for a minute’, and I said, ‘I’m sorry that this got to where it is.’
“I went over and shook Seth Rollins hand and I said, ‘I’m going to apologize to your wife.’ I’ve just decided that, you know, it all comes with the documentary. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in things that you just forget, and you say it so many times for so many years.
“Actually, the whole ‘The Man’ trademark was decided by someone besides she and I. It’s not that as much as the money that was involved in it which the company reaps the better part of it anyway.
“Then I saw them with their child and I thought, ‘My God, this is going to be Ashley someday.’ It’s not worth it. I am not The Man anymore. The Man is who the people think it is, and basically we’ve turned it over to social media to decide who The Man is.”
Saul Badman
Ric Flair had been using the moniker since the 80s, while Lynch only adopted it in recent years for use on television. This started a trademark dispute between the two sides over the moniker, souring the relationship between not only Lynch and Flair, but Rollins and Flair as well.
However, it looks like the two sides have now been able to put all of that behind them.
Chris Jericho has been in the wrestling business for 30 years, where he found success in ECW, WCW, WWE, and now AEW.
Throughout his career, he has reinvented himself at various times. Once he went to NJPW for a one-off match with Kenny Omega in 2018, it opened up his mind to what could be outside of the WWE bubble, eventually leading to him going to AEW when the promotion launched in 2019.
Jericho became the inaugural AEW World Champion at All Out in August 2019 when he beat Hangman Page.
Retirement
While speaking on the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, the top AEW star discussed what would cause him to quit the business.
“People say, ‘Well, how much longer are you going to do this?’ I could end tomorrow. I could end five years from now, or who cares? Sting is 63 and still doing great stuff. So who knows, man? To me, as long as you can still compete at a high level — like I have a high standard for myself. If I went out there and two, three, four times in a row I felt like, ‘Oof, I’m starting to f*cking phone this in,’ I would quit.”
On this week’s AEW Dynamite, Jericho teams with Sammy Guevara to face the duo of Action Andretti and Ricky Starks.
WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair made her surprise return to the company last month. She has come out to share that she felt overwhelmed by the crowd’s response to her comeback.
Flair made her return to WWE on the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night Smackdown, where she confronted Ronda Rousey. She was met with a positive reaction from the crowd, working as a babyface. Before her return, WWE had her acting as a heel. Flair defeated Rousey to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship.
In an interview with Joseph Staszewski for the New York Post, Flair shared her experience from the Dec. 30 return. She spoke openly about how the crowd response had overwhelmed her.
“I was very overwhelmed. For me to get overwhelmed out there, I’m usually controlling the emotions and the pace and where I’m at. I was just like, I had never had that comeback moment. I never had that feel-good [moment]. Maybe when I won [at] WrestleMania 32, but it wasn’t a surprise. It was a big moment in my career, but no one’s ever missed me. I’m always there”
– Charlotte Flair
What Kept Charlotte From Returning Sooner?
Flair has stayed off WWE TV since her loss to Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash on May. 8, 2022. Before her return, she had stayed off of WWE TV for several months to enjoy her personal life and take care of dental procedures. She and AEW star Andrade El Idolo got married in May. 27, 2022. During her interview with the Post, Flair shared that time away alongside her husband was a needed break, and she had time to relax.
“Usually I’m thinking, even if I do go to the beach while I’m working, I could go for a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but I’m thinking, What am I doing on TV Friday, where are my live events,” said Flair. She continued,
“To completely be disconnected and in the moment was so nice, and getting that one-on-one time with Manny [Andrade] that I never have had before, it was priceless.”
Since her return, she has feuded with Sonya Deville. Flair defeated Deville for the Smackdown’s Women’s Championship on the Jan. 6 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. However, it seems WWE has teased that they could have another match.
Tony Khan is on board with the idea of a ‘World Cup’ of pro wrestling. He knows it wouldn’t be easy to get WWE on board working with the likes of All Elite Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling, but he’s open to working with “anybody” for the greater good.
“You never know.”
– Tony Khan
Last year’s AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view was successful, despite injuries nixing plans for several inter-promotional dream matches. An event of this magnitude involving competing promotions can present a lot of hurdles that need to be cleared. Khan worked hard to establish a level of trust with NJPW executives. Having been down that road once before, the AEW President is optimistic this could be done on an even larger scale.
Tony Khan Open to a ‘World Cup’ of Wrestling
(AEW)
Earlier this week, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada expressed interest in organizing a wrestling World Cup. He said he’d be willing to meet with Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque to broker a deal to make such an event a reality.
Tony Khan appeared on the Battleground podcast and was asked about the wrestling World Cup concept. During his conversation with Tim Battle, TK said he loved last year’s Forbidden Door show and would be willing to work with “anybody” on an even bigger inter-promotional super-event.
“There are challenges to putting on an event like that, and getting the matches set, but it’s certainly something I would be open to,” he said. “I’m open to working with anybody in pro wrestling. You never know.”
Khan has already co-promoted a pay-per-view with NJPW. He’s featured talent (and championships) from Impact and AAA on AEW television. Without saying who “anybody” is, it’s clear who the big holdout would be. It’s unlikely that WWE would sign off on working with AEW in any capacity, but 2022 and (already) 2023 have shown us that even the most outlandish scenarios may come to pass.
All Elite Wrestling superstar Britt Baker won’t compete on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite due to injury.
The company broke the news this morning on its Twitter account. AEW wanted Baker to compete in a 3-way match against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm on the Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite. Since Baker is injured, Soho and Storm will compete in a singles match.
Due to injury, Dr. @RealBrittBaker D.M.D. will not be able to compete in the scheduled 3-Way Match on #AEWDynamite.
It’s unclear what the severity is of the injury or how long Baker will be out of action. Her last aired match was against Billie Starkz on AEW Dark on Jan. 24. Baker took a kick to the face that caused her nose to bleed during the match. AEW hasn’t shared if it’s a nose injury or if there is another issue.
AEW Dynamite Preview
The Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite will be an emotional one. Tonight’s episode will have Mark Briscoe making his AEW debut against Jay Lethal in tribute to his late brother Jay, who tragically passed away last week. The significance of the match happening tonight is also because today would’ve been Jay’s 39th birthday.
The rest of the show will have exciting matchups. The Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite will have TNT Champion Darby Allin defending the title against Buddy Mathews. The show will also continue the build to the main event of the AEW Revolution pay-per-view, MJF’s hand-picked opponent Brian Cage taking on Bryan Danielson.
You can check out our preview article here to see the rest of the AEW Dynamite card.
Mark Briscoe will make his AEW Dynamite debut one week after his brother Jay Briscoe (Jamin Pugh) was tragically killed in an automobile accident.
The wrestling world has been rallying around the Pugh family during this incredibly difficult time. There’s been an outpouring of support from Jay’s friends and fans and a fundraiser has been set up to ease the family’s financial burden. Unfortunately, AEW has not been able to do much to honor Jay Briscoe due to a longstanding policy by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Up until this week, the Briscoes have been effectively blackballed from TBS & TNT due to insensitive (homophobic) comments made by Jay many years ago that he’d since atoned for. Thankfully, it appears that policy has been changed.
Tony Khan announced on Tuesday that Mark Briscoe will be in action on Dynamite, thus ending their controversial ban. He’ll wrestle Jay’s longtime friend and rival, Jay Lethal.
According to TK, the match was requested by both men to honor Jay Briscoe on what would have been his 39th birthday.
Charlotte Flair has admitted to being somewhat “jealous” that her father and her husband were able to share the ring last year.
For Flair’s last match in July 2022, the father and son-in-law duo teamed to defeat Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett.
This match marked Flair’s first match in over a decade, when he lost to Sting on the September 12, 2011, episode of TNA Impact.
Jealous
While Ric and Charlotte have both had impressive careers, they have never had the chance to be on the same team in the ring.
While appearing on NBC’s The TODAY Show to promote Saturday’s Royal Rumble, Flair admitted to being jealous that her father and husband got such a special moment.
“Honestly, I was a little jealous (seeing them in the ring together) because I was like, “Oh, I wanna be a part of this,’ because I’ve shared the ring with my dad but not in that capacity.”
Charlotte Flair
Charlotte also spoke about her brother Reid, who died in 2013, and who is the reason Charlotte is a wrestler today.
“I’m like, ‘Man, I wish my little brother could see this.’ My husband is a third-generational wrestler, and then with my dad…it was awesome, picture-perfect.”
Charlotte Flair.
Ric Flair made his first appearance on WWE TV in two years on this week’s Raw when he introduced Charlotte.
Fans were left extremely disappointed with this week’s Steel Cage match on Monday Night Raw, which did not go as planned.
The match, pitting Damage CTRL’s Bayley against Becky Lynch, had been promoted all week long, and had been as one of the main attractions for Raw’s 30th-anniversary episode.
Instead of a match, Lynch was attacked by WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY and Dakota Kai during her entrance and thrown into the ring.
Locking the cage door, the SKY, Kai, and Bayley beat down on Lynch, and left only after Adam Pearce had broken the lock on the cage door.
Original Plans
The Steel Cage match WWE had planned had to be scrapped due to segments earlier in the episode going long.
It has been reported that the Trial of Sami Zayn that opened up this week’s Raw went much longer than expected.
PW Insider reports that the plan for the cage match was for Lynch to win, and then be attacked post-match by Damage CTRL.
There has been no confirmation yet as to whether this match will be used in full down the line.
Backlash
WWE felt it was the right call to scrap the Steel Cage match, as the alternative was having the actual match go for approximately two minutes.
However, the decision to scrap the match has led to backlash by fans, who have called into question WWE’s treatment of their women for the Raw is 30 event.
Ahmed Johnson was a force to be reckoned with throughout his WWF career, but the powerhouse was hardly making friends in the locker room.
Johnson debuted in the WWF in 1995, and captured the Intercontinental Championship at the following year’s King of the Ring event.
This win made Johnson the first African-American Intercontinental Champion, setting the path for future stars including modern-day talent like Kofi Kingston, Shelton Benjamin, and Big E.
The Kiss
Prior to his IC title win, Ahmed feuded with Goldust, who played mind games with the powerhouse.
On the May 27, 1996 Raw, the Bizarre One performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Johnson, who was laid out backstage.
This act of CPR played into the gay panic that was more prevalent at the time, which Jake Roberts addressed on the latest Snake Pit podcast.
“I was there when they had him [Goldust] kiss Ahmed. Oh, boy, I wouldn’t have wanted to be in his way. He lost his sh*t!”
Jake Roberts.
Injuring Talent
As a former Football star, Johnson was used to letting his intensity do the talking and garnered a reputation among some for being dangerous in the ring.
On his podcast, Roberts suggested that Vince McMahon, well aware of how Ahmed would react to the kiss, booked it on purpose to try and get Johnson to leave the promotion.
“Vince did that on purpose. Vince needed a black superstar, and Ahmed was gonna be it, but then Ahmed just got to where he wouldn’t show up. He was hurting people every f*ing night. He just became unruly, unable to deal with him. Too demanding. They finally had to let him go.”
Jake Roberts
After leaving the WWF in 1998, Ahmed would join WCW in 1999 as ‘Big T,’ and would form ‘Harlem Heat 2000’ with Stevie Ray.
In a feud that would have filled arenas on Sesame Street, Big T feuded with Booker T over the usage of the letter ‘T,’ a feud Big T would win, leaving the future WWE Hall of Famer to go by just ‘Booker.’
Will Matt Cardona be returning to WWE, possibly as soon as this weekend’s Royal Rumble?
Cardona spent over a decade with WWE under the name Zack Ryder, and previously worked as Brett Major.
The former Intercontinental, U.S., and Tag Champion was released in April 2020 as part of one of WWE’s ‘budget cut’ mass layoffs.
Trademark
In recent months, Cardona has teased a return to WWE following the comebacks of names like Karrion Kross, Johnny Gargano, Bray Wyatt, and others.
Over the past week, Cardona filed a trademark for the term ‘WOO WOO WOO. YOU KNOW IT,’ a line synonymous with his Zack Ryder character.
The trademark was filed with Michael E Dockins, who has assisted dozens of wrestlers with their trademark filings.
The term has been filed for the use of merchandise, including clothing and action figures.
It has been reported that Cardona’s wife Chelsea Green is set to return to WWE, and that both sides are just waiting on a creative decision for her TV comeback.
On His Own Terms
After spending much of his WWE career as little above an enhancement talent, Cardona has become a main eventer on the independent scene.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling last November, the former NWA World Champion said that it would have to be on his own terms.
“I said Zack Ryder is dead because, and listen, never say never, right, but if I were to ever go back, it has to be as Matt Cardona.”
In addition to the NWA, Cardona has competed for Impact, Game Changer Wrestling (where he is also a former World Champion) and had a brief appearance in AEW.
WWE’s Hall of Fame has always been a controversial subject. Many wrestling talents over the years have questioned its credibility over the lack of any criteria for inductees. John Morrison is one who doesn’t care about an induction because he thinks that it’s political and made up.
The former WWE star recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet. Among other things, the former ECW champion was asked if he thinks he has had a Hall of Fame career. Morrison replied by saying that he doesn’t care about it:
“Funny thing is I don’t care. I think the Hall of Fame is political and made up. It doesn’t matter that much to me.”
– John Morrison
Chris mentioned that John Morrison still has a lot left in the tank. The wrestling star then explained that it might be the reason for his disinterest: “Me too. Maybe that’s why I don’t care so much about Hall of Fame. I feel like it’s too early for that question.”
In his two runs with WWE, Morrison has won over half a dozen titles in the company. He has given fans many moments to remember and is certainly worthy of a Hall of Fame induction once he is ready to call it a career.
You can check out John Morrison’s full interview below:
