Wrestling world has been left in shock after the sudden passing of Jay Briscoe. One-half of the ROH tag champs passed away in a car accident earlier on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old had been one of the longest-tenured ROH employees. He made his debut for the company in 2002 and competed for them regularly until this year.
Wrestling personalities from across the globe have been mourning the loss of the wrestling veteran ever since the news was confirmed by Tony Khan.
WWE chief content officer Triple H took on his Twitter to pay tribute to the late star. He noted how Jay Briscoe had developed a deep connection with fans across the globe:
An incredible performer who created a deep connection with wrestling fans across the globe. My condolences to the family and friends of Jay Briscoe.
WWE star Cody Rhodes mentioned that he didn’t know Jay very well but he understood instantly that the ROH star was a family man:
I didn’t interact much with him, but upon meeting Jay I instantly understood something about him…his family was his everything. All the love in the world to them this evening.
Christopher Daniels who has also had several stints with ROH in his career noted that the late star was a tremendous brother and father:
Jay Briscoe was one of the toughest men I ever had the privilege of sharing a ring with, as well as being a tremendous brother, father, and man. I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to know him and wrestle him as often as I did. Rest in Peace, Jay, I love you.#RIPJayBriscoepic.twitter.com/6ZxNfgPcmw
Others who have paid tribute to Jay Briscoe include Tommy Dreamer, Brandi Rhodes, Nick Jackson, Gunther and many more. You can check out their posts below:
RIP to the homie Jay Briscoe. Condolences to the your family. Rest in paradise uso.?@SussexCoChicken#DemBoyz
I'm deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Jay Briscoe. He was always the kindest to me during my time in ROH. My heart goes out to the entire family. I don't have the right words but I just wanted to say that he was such a good man. ?
I've known Jay Briscoe since he was a fan Watched him become an amazing wrestler, best tag team & realest promo guy I was going to text him yesterday about the cost of eggs and I didnt I wish I did Whenever I saw them I'd say Luv me some Briscoes Prayers for his family pic.twitter.com/aTaQRTjilX
I cannot even begin to process this right now. I loved everything about my friend Jay Briscoe. His passion. His drive. His presence. Our wars in the ring. Most importantly, how much he loved his family. I am literally sick to my stomach… pic.twitter.com/XNK5ZHlqxu
Jay Briscoe showed me respect and love when everyone told me he wouldn't. If you knew Jay, you knew he would uplift everyone in that locker room regardless of whatever world they came to wrestling from. The best. Rest easy, brother.
Gutted, one of the realist & best. Thank you for amazing contributions to wrestling, my thoughts are with Mark, Jay’s Children & wife and that whole family.
Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne) did a promo on this show after the two women earned an NXT Women’s Title match against Roxanne Perez at NXT Vengeance Day.
Last week, they were the final two wrestlers in the match and they eliminated each other at the same time so WWE went with both stars.
They cut a promo about how the fans couldn’t believe they made it to the finish. They mocked the fans for thinking they were turning on each other. They said they fell at the same time on purpose and said Toxic Attraction’s revenge tour was in full effect. Lyra Valkyria came out and noted she almost won the match. They attacked her until Perez came out.
WWE had NXT Bron Breakker and Grayson Waller talk ahead of their rematch inside a cage at NXT Vengeance Day. Breakker won their match last week by countout on the New Year’s Evil special.
Waller said that Bron has beaten everyone except for him. He said Bron was everything he thought he would be. He vowed to beat Bron at Vengeance Day.
Bron did a sitdown interview where he noted he got caught with the running knee. He said he will prove the doubters wrong who thought he didn’t win the match last week.
NXT Tag Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) were part of the show.
This comes after they were confronted by a returning Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) on the January 10 episode. Gallus beat Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson), which prevented the former champions from earning an NXT Tag Team Title bout.
New Day noted that they will be facing Gallus at Vengeance Day. Pretty Deadly came out and said that they’ve been jumping through hoops to get the title shots. Gallus came out and said they’re all about ruining people’s good time.New Day threw out the challenge for a fight. Pretty Deadly attacked them and a brawl broke out. They will meet in a triple threat match at Vengeance Day.
Braun Strowman is touted as The Monster Among Men, but he met his match when stepping into the ring with Brock Lesnar. He even received the end of a stiff punch from Lesnar.
It happened when he worked a triple threat match at the 2018 Royal Rumble with Lesnar and Kane. Strowman caught The Beast’s head with a knee. This led to an angry Lesnar reacting with a legitimate right-hand punch to the jaw of Strowman.
Braun Strowman’s Reflection
Strowman described the moment in an interview with BT Sport:
“Sh*t got real! I mean at the end of the day it’s two scary guys, two dominant males not wanting to give an inch to either one and we took it from each other. Things happen, we’re not playing, we’re not ballet, we’re not badminton. We’re physical, he’s 300lbs, of just unadulterated animalistic beast and I’m a 385lbs monster. Things happen. At the end of the day, we made one hell of a segment, that’s what really happened.”
“I pat myself on the back, I think I’m the only person in history to take an overhand right from Brock Lesnar and not get knocked out. Anytime you get in the ring with The Beast and mix it up, the bigger the challenge the better. If you’re not wrestling the best, then who’d you beat?”
Lesnar won the match to keep the Universal Title until losing to Roman Reigns at Summerslam later that year.
AEW/ROH President Tony Khan shared some sad news on Tuesday night as he confirmed that Jay Briscoe, Jamin Pugh, has passed away.
The ROH star was just 38 years old. Khan didn’t provide a cause of death. He did issue the following statement on the passing of the fan-favorite star:
“Sadly, Jamin Pugh has passed away. Known to fans as Jay Briscoe, he was a star in ROH for over 20 years, from the first show until today. Jay and his brother Mark dominated ROH, reigning as champions to this day. We’ll do whatever we can to support his family. Rest In Peace, Jamin.”
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Jay died in a car accident today.
Tony Khan tweeted the death of Jay Briscoe in an auto accident. Two people in car died in an accident at 5:30 p.m. in Laurel, Maryland. Just horribly tragic news.
Jay was working for ROH at the time of his passing as he is the current one-half of ROH World Tag Team Champions with Mark Briscoe in their thirteenth reign. He was also a former two-time ROH World Champion and ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion.
Jay and Mark Briscoe made their wrestling debut for Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) in 2001. They had a run in Impact Wrestling last year and have worked for NJPW since 2016. Jay and Mark were inducted
Our thoughts are with the Briscoe family at this time.
Tony Khan has weighed in on the WWE sale rumors following Vince McMahon’s return to the company as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. McMahon has returned to the company to explore the possibility of a sale as well as lead the company in its negotiations for the next TV rights deal.
Last week, Barron’s reported that Tony and Shad Khan were “in the pool of” potential WWE buyers and the Khan family will likely look for a financial partner if they are to acquire WWE. CNBC later reported that the Khans were interested in a merger between AEW and WWE.
While appearing on The Maggie and Perloff Show, the AEW President was asked about his interest in potentially purchasing WWE.
Khan’s Thoughts
“I am interested in the news that there is potentially a sales process and certainly, I think we’ve shown, when there are acquisitions and transactions, we’re capable of making the big purchases, whether my dad steps up with the (Jacksonville) Jaguars or Fulham FC in the Premier League and he’s done such a great job building up the club and putting resources into it and we’re playing football at a high level. With AEW, we’ve shown that we can build a company.”
Khan noted that when he bought ROH, he enjoys running it and has done all-time highs in terms of every business metric since they took over.
“AEW is my main focus, but certainly, when that news is out there, it’s very interesting. Stay tuned to AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage, you never know when I’m going to address something. On the other hand, it’s very preliminary to talk about that process. If there is a process there, which it sounds like there may be, I’m interested in being part of it.”
Regarding whether he has a relationship with Vince McMahon, Tony noted he doesn’t have a relationship with him, but has talked with Stephanie in the past and had good conversations.
It seems more WWE legends will appear on the Raw 30th-anniversary show.
WWE has reached a major milestone with their longest-running TV show, Monday Night Raw reaching 30 years of programming. Although the first episode of Monday Night Raw happened on Jan. 11, 1993, WWE decided to celebrate their milestone on Jan. 23.
The company has advertised several WWE legends, including The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, to appear at the event. However, it seems WWE has at least two unannounced legends to pop in for the 30th anniversary of Monday Night Raw.
Spoiler Warning
The Daily Items’ Francis Scarcella reports former WWE talent Rikishi and Samu will appear at the 30th celebration of Monday Night Raw. In the article, Samu confirmed that he would be at the event on Jan. 23.
“…I want to thank the WWE for everything they have done for myself and my family,” Anoa’i said. “I look forward to next week when I can see a lot of familiar faces and be reunited with a lot of my family members,” said Samu(h/t Francis Scarcella).
Rikishi hasn’t shared if he will be at the event yet. The WWE has yet to advertise either Samu or Rikishi, so it’s possible their potential appearance is to be a surprise. The Bloodline faction led by Roman Reigns is to have a segment on Monday Night Raw listed as the “Acknowledgement Ceremony.” Samu and Rikishi could make an appearance during that segment.
What to Look Out For During the 30th Anniversary of Monday Night Raw?
The 30th anniversary of Monday Night Raw could be an exciting event to watch. While the WWE has advertised several legends, there could be more surprise appearances. WWE has also promoted two championship matches and a steel cage match between Becky Lynch and Bayley.
WWE fans may also be curious if WWE Chairman Vince McMahon will come out on the show. He hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since he unceremoniously retired from WWE following allegations of misconduct with female employees on July 22.
WWE has lost another employee this month as the Vice President of Communication departs the company
The company is off to a rough start to the year. It began with the unexpected return of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon after retiring last year. His comeback led to uncertainty for the company’s future, as WWE might be sold. As a result of McMahon’s return led to the departure of WWE Board of Director members JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey R. Speed, Alan M. Wexler, Man Jit Singh, and Ignace Lahoud.
One of the significant departures from the company was former Co-CEO and daughter to the WWE Chairman, Stephanie McMahon. She resigned from her role with the company after taking over with current CEO Nick Khan after Vince’s retirement. While WWE fans may have hoped that would be the end of employees leaving the company, it’s now reported not to be the case.
Fightful Select reports that WWE’s VP of Communications, Adam Hopkins, has left the company. Hopkins has worked for WWE for over 25 years, from Fan Service Coordinator to his last role as VP of Communication. It’s unclear if his departure is a resignation or if he was fired.
On Jan. 13, it was reported that Triple H met with talent before Smackdown to reassure them that he is still the Chief Content Officer and that McMahon’s return would not affect WWE creative or talent relations. He also acknowledged that McMahon’s stance could change.
It’s unclear what the future holds for WWE. However, the departure of employees is not a good sign to help concerned fans.
WWE is sending two top Superstars to the NFL playoffs this coming weekend.
The 2023 playoffs brackets are set after an exciting, long weekend of wildcard games. On Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs will play the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Giants battle the Philadelphia Eagles. The following day, it will be Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
WWE Superstars Montez Ford of the Street Profits and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair are headed to Kansas City to see the Chiefs play the Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium.
Ford and Belair will be appearing on on NBC’s broadcast of the game, although it’s unclear exactly what they’ll be doing there. The couple will soon be starring in their own reality series on Hulu, so it’s possible they’ll be on hand to promote the new show.
Interestingly, the Jags are owned by billionaire Shahid Khan. His son, AEW President Tony Khan, serves as the team’s Chief Football Strategy Officer.
Bianca Belair is scheduled to defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss later this month at the Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 28.
Former MLW World Middleweight Champion Myron Reed has hit the free market after being released by the company earlier this month. The 25-year-old was released from his contract on January 14, according to Fightful Select. The two sides parted ways amicably.
Reed began his wrestling career in 2016 initially doing backyard wrestling and putting it on YouTube. He then got a chance at Kentucky-based World Wrestling Alliance, where he went by the name Brother Reed.
On Tuesday afternoon, Reed confirmed that he’s a free agent. “The Young Goat” is ready for whatever comes next and says, “The stars and the sky is the direction!”
I'd like to take the time to thank @MLW and @courtbauer for all they have done for me within the past 4 1/2 years. @MLW will always be remembered as one of my first real homes.
With that being said The Young GOAT is now a FREE AGENT! The stars and the sky is the direction! pic.twitter.com/Uumb9haV1H
The high-flying star joined MLW back in 2018 and he had been part of the company ever since. He is one of the founding members of the Injustice group alongside Rich Swann.
Reed won the MLW World Middleweight Championship back in November 2019. He defeated Teddy Hart for the title and went on to have an impressive 424 days long reign with the belt before dropping it to Lio Rush.
Apart from MLW, Myron Reed has wrestled for promotions such as AAW and Glory Pro Wrestling. He was ranked at #84 in PWI’s Top 500 Wrestler list in 2021.
There is no word on what the former champion is planning for his future. At his age, he would be a great signing for all potential bidders including AEW and WWE.
Former WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool has clarified her status for the upcoming 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match.
The event will go down from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on January 28. As per tradition, the winner of the women’s Royal Rumble match will go on to headline WrestleMania against the World Champion of their choice.
Every year the WWE brings back familiar faces to participate in the match, providing some exciting surprise returns for fans. One name that has already returned for the Rumble back in 2018 is none other than Michelle McCool.
The former WWE Women’s Champion took to Twitter and responded to a fan question about whether or not we can expect her in this year’s Royal Rumble match. However, McCool admits that WWE hasn’t contacted her about getting involved in the match.
McCool is a two-time WWE Women’s Champion and two-time Divas Champion. She retired from professional wrestling full-time in 2011, but has made sporadic appearances for WWE over the years.
(via WWE)
These include matches at WWE’s Evolution pay-per-view (PPV), as well as her appearance in the 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble, where she had the highest number of eliminations on the night at five.
It remains to be seen if WWE will ultimately decide to reach out to McCool to get her in the match with just a little over a week to go.
However, his shareholders disagreed with his return and took action against McMahon. On Jan. 11, a WWE investor filed a fiduciary lawsuit regarding McMahon’s return to the company. The claims from investor Scott A. Fellows allege that the chairman asserted himself into his Chairman role illegally and that he disregarded the other WWE Board of Director members. Following the lawsuit filed by Fellows, it’s reported that McMahon is facing another similar lawsuit.
Sportico’s Michael Mccann has reported that the Detroit Police and Fire Retirement System has filed a lawsuit that they hope will prevent McMahon from selling the company and regaining control from the Board of Directors.
Mccann wrote the following quotes regarding the Detroit Police and Fire Retirement System complaint.
“…The complaint argues that McMahon has breached fiduciary duties as controlling stockholder by trying 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.”
Although McMahon owns approximately 39% of WWE’s equity, he enjoys far greater stockholder power due to the company’s financial configurations. According to the complaint, McMahon owns about 92% of outstanding Class B shares, which contain 10 votes per share, whereas Class A shares hold only one vote per share. “Overall,” the complaint asserts, “McMahon controls 81% of WWE’s total voting power,” wrote Mccann.
What Happens Next for Vince McMahon Lawsuit Issues
(via WWE)
The two lawsuits against McMahon both alleged that he had gone against the interest of the WWE’s business partners wrongfully. It’s also possible more cases will be filed against McMahon for similar grievances. The added lawsuit could halt McMahon from selling the company as fast as he could hope. However, WWE is still preparing to sell the company to buyers potentially.
Another thing to note in Mccann’s report is that he shared that the Detroit Police and Fire System Retirement believes that “…McMahon’s moves run afoul of both Section 141 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and WWE’s charter. Altering the company’s governance structure in the absence of bargained for exchange between WWE and McMahon, the system asserts, “usurps the power of the Board over critical corporate management functions and vests it solely in McMahon in his capacity as a stockholder.” Neither Delaware law nor WWE’s charter permits the kind of transfer of power the system says occurred, and the system wants a declaration the consent is void.”
Both lawsuits make the case that McMahon is wrong, and they have grounds to halt him from doing what he wants with WWE. The report adds at the end that the process of litigation could take some time and effectively complicate a sale from happening.
The Rock has offered up his reaction to rumors of a potential WWE sale going around.
Since the return of Vince McMahon to the WWE’s Board Of Directors, reports have been circulating suggesting that McMahon’s return is centered around the intention to help facilitate a trade of the company.
No deal has been made official just yet, however, during a recent interview with on CNBC’s “Squawk In The Street” show, WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson offered his thoughts on the matter.
“Well, I can tell you this, I can tell you it’s an exciting brand. It’s a brand that I’ve been fortunate enough to have tremendous success in over the decades. We’ve seen tremendous success over the years. I think it’s a very attractive company.
“I’m excited, and I wish Vince [McMahon] and that company all the best. I think with the world of professional wrestling and the world of WWE it’s so unique. The fan base is very large and very passionate, and there’s nothing like the WWE.
“I think with the new owners if there are new owners, and acquirers that are going to come in, I think they have to share that same passion that Vince has for the company and for the world of pro wrestling, which isn’t always easy to do.
– The Rock
“With a company like this, it’s been so incredibly successful over the years, a sale and acquisition could be very complicated, but there’s that unique added anchor to this I believe to this that Vince feels where you gotta find the right buyer who still has that passion and love for this very unique world.”
Former professional wrestler @TheRock responds to reports of a possible sale of @WWE : "There's nothing like the $WWE…if there are new owners and acquirers that come in, they have to share that same passion that [executive chairman Vince McMahon] has for the company." pic.twitter.com/XGNQeNGh82
While it has been several years since The Rock last competed inside the WWE’s ring, it’s heavily believed that WWE is attempting to secure him for a massive bout at WrestleMania 39 later this year.
The idea being having The Rock face off against current Unified WWE Champion Roman Reigns at “The Show Of Shows.” However, it has yet to be confirmed whether or not that match will actually come to fruition when it’s all said and done.
WWE Superstar R-Truth has provided an update on his health. He’ll be back in WWE, but his return has been delayed due to an infection that led to him needing another surgery.
Truth has been out of action for several months now. He tore his quad during a match on the November 1 edition of NXT TV. He underwent surgery the following week and later told his fans the surgery went well.
On Monday, the former 24/7 Champion checked in with a live stream and revealed he was forced to undergo a second surgery due to an infection that developed. Thankfully, it sounds like he’s out of the woods and already plotting his big return.
Truth assured the WWE Universe that he’ll be back, he just needs to heal up.
“I had to have two surgeries. A lot of people don’t know that. I caught an infection, so I had to have another surgery. So that set me back. Y’all know me> I’m coming back probably sooner than y’all think.”
– R-Truth
A torn quad tendon typically takes about 4 months to heal, which would have kept him out of the ring through March 2023. Truth did not give an updated time frame for when we can expect him back in action, but it seems unlikely he’ll be healthy in time for WrestleMania.
The 50-year-old veteran has done it in all since making his WWE debut way back in 1999. At this stage in his career, he could easily hang it up and be proud of everything he’s accomplished. He is not going to let an injury force him into retirement and plans to write the final chapters of his story on his own terms.
WWE’s Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships would have likely never been unified had it not been for Randy Orton’s injury.
The two titles were unified less than a year ago when The Usos (SmackDown) defeated RK-Bro (Raw) on the May 20, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown on FOX.
Since then, the Usos have retained against the likes of the Banger Bros., the Brawling Brutes, the New Day and the Street Profits
Unifying
The titles being unified came as a surprise to fans, as WWE hurried into making the two tag titles into one championship.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained WWE’s original plans had Randy Orton not gone down with an injury.
“The tag titles were not going to be unified, and then… that’s when Randy Orton’s career almost ended.
“Riddle and Orton were just gonna stay at as the Raw champions… So without Riddle and Orton, RK-BRO, who are a hot team…they just went with The Usos to hold both belts.”
Dave Meltzer.
The Viper has not competed since the unification match due to a severe back injury with concerns growing that he could be finished in the ring.
Jade Cargill has improved considerably in the ring since her start in wrestling a couple of years ago. There are a number of people who have contributed to the AEW star’s improvement. One of them is none other than Bryan Danielson, who has thought Cargill how to get comfortable inside the squared circle.
The TBS champion recently spoke to Bootleg Kev. She revealed that Danielson has started training her every Wednesday. According to the former Basketball player, the former WWE champion has taught her how to live in the moment:
“What you see is how he really is. He’s a really nice guy. He doesn’t play off. He doesn’t let people try him but he’s a very sound guy. He trains me on Wednesdays. Tony Khan is the one who set that up. He’s really, really great. The first thing he always asks me when I come back is like I will say, ‘Oh, man, I messed this up’ or whatever I have to say. He’s like ‘Jade, but did you enjoy yourself?’ So now I’m living in the moment.”
Do Karaoke
Bryan Danielson has not only helped Jade Cargill in getting better in the ring, but he has also been teasing her how to get comfortable on the mic. For this, the wrestling veteran offered a very unique piece of advice to the young star:
“He’s like, ‘If you want to get comfortable with doing promos, do karaoke. You should definitely do karaoke and you’ll be fine.’ Working with someone like that, I’m getting very comfortable in the ring.
He’s like ‘You need to just breathe in the audience. You’ll have so much fun if you just live in the moment and like with the hits and all this kind of stuff. Just breathe and take it in and listen. You’re gonna be fine.” Now I’m getting more comfortable.”
You can check out Jade Cargill’s full interview below:
Will Ospreay is regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers working today, but the Covid-19 pandemic proved to be especially tough on the Brit.
Due to the pandemic, several wrestling promotions brought in strict measures to stop the spread of the virus, with WWE, AEW, and Impact going without live fans.
New Japan has kept some of its pandemic-era rules in place, including a restriction on cheering to lower the risk of oral transmission.
Nothing
Despite the Pandemic, Ospreay and the New Japan roster attempted to make the best of things by putting on high-quality matches when they had the chance.
Speaking to Renee Paquette on The Sessions, Ospreay recalled an emptiness inside him during arguably the heights of his career.
“For the last three years I do feel I’ve been on auto-pilot a little bit. I remember last year’s Wrestle Kingdom, and Great-O-Khan is massaging my shoulders just as I’m about to go out and he goes ‘how are you feeling?’ And I went ‘I feel nothing’ because honestly, it was one of those where even though it was the main event of the Tokyo Dome, it wasn’t the real thing. It wasn’t the real experience.”
“Great-O-Khan is massaging my shoulders just as I’m about to go out and he goes ‘how are you feeling?’ And I went ‘I feel nothing.'”
Will Ospreay on his feelings at Wrestle Kingdom 16 in 2022.
Ospreay went on to say that he tried to make the best of it by trying to goad the crowd into an audible reaction.
“It’s heartbreaking, but I tried to see it almost like a game where I was like ‘okay I’m going to be so good, that I make you make noise.’ I saw it like that but you can only play that game now and again before it becomes tedious and tiresome.
“It was heartbreaking at points because I really did feel like I was doing the best work I’ve ever done, and it was kind of going under the radar because I’m not on national TV. I’m not on weekly TV. New Japan at one point was the hottest thing going. When 2019 came in, all of our arenas were sold out. It was the best G1 we’d ever done, we performed at Madison Square Garden. All systems were go and then that f***ing pandemic came.”
Wrestle Kingdom 17
For this year’s Wrestle Kingdom, New Japan relaxed its policy on cheering and allowed fans in the Tokyo Dome to be as loud as they wished.
Speaking of the difference from last year’s show, Ospreay was grateful and much more relaxed thanks to the change.
“I don’t know anyone who likes watching clap-crowds at all. I want to hear the people, I want to engage with them, and for three years, it’s felt like I was in a prison. So it was really nice to let the doors open and let them all make noise again.
“Getting to walk out there [this year] to my music, to be in my own skin again, it felt like the old me. To do it on that platform, it felt like, for the first time that the eyes of the wrestling world were really on me.”
Ospreay would lose the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship to Kenny Omega, a result that “gutted” the British wrestler.
With her impressive physique, some have compared Cargill to the late Chyna, who spent much of her wrestling career facing male WWF Superstars.
Fellow AEW star Saraya recently spoke about the possibility of intergender wrestling in the promotion, saying she too would love to square off with her male counterparts.
The first woman to win the SmackDown and Raw Women’s Championships (albeit at separate times) Alexa Bliss is no stranger to gold.
Bliss is a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion and three-time Raw Women’s Champion, in addition to two reigns as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions (with Nikki Cross.)
In recent years though, the Goddess has been on something of a singles title drought, with her most recent Raw women’s title reign ending at Summerslam 2018 at the hands of Ronda Rousey.
Bliss’ only singles title reign since then was the seconds she spent as WWE 24/7 Champion during the July 18, 2022, episode of Raw.
WWE is pulling out all the stops to make next week’s 30th-anniversary celebration of the red brand a night to remember.
The promotion’s flagship show premiered back in January 1993 and celebrated its 1,000th episode in July 2012.
For the past decade, Raw has been a three-hour show, adding an extra hour following Raw 1,000.
Legends
With thirty years of programming, there’s no shortage of names who would be suitable for next week’s show.
On this week’s Raw, it was confirmed that The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, who both appeared on the very first episode of the red brand, will be at Raw is XXX.
Michaels will be joined by his DX comrades Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman and ‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James, the latter being WWE’s Senior Vice President of Live Events.
Ric Flair has been confirmed for the show, after stating last month on his podcast that he had been invited to attend.
WWE Raw commentary veteran Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler has also been announced, as has Teddy Long and former RAW GM Kurt Angle.
WWE’s resident Hall of Fame twins Nikki and Brie Bella have also been announced to appear.
Raw is XXX
The legends scheduled to appear are just part of what will be a stacked celebration of WWE’s weekly flagship show.
It has been announced that Roman Reigns and the Bloodline will be part of an ‘Acknowledgement Ceremony’ with representatives of all generations of the Anoa’I family scheduled to appear.
United States Champion Austin Theory will defend against Bobby Lashley, who earned a shot at the young champion on this week’s Raw.
Becky Lynch Vs. Bayley will take place next week inside a Steel Cage
Finn Balor was once the name and face of WWE’s NXT brand, but losing the NXT Championship was hardly a sad moment for the Judgment Day member.
Balor, who debuted for WWE in 2014, captured the title from Kevin Owens in Japan at WWE’s Beast in the East event in July 2015.
The Irish Superstar would hold the title for 292 days, a record that was only broken in 2020 by Adam Cole.
Winning the Gold
Balor’s victory inside Sumo Hall in Tokyo would at the time be Finn’s biggest victory as part of WWE.
While speaking to Rob Armstrong for BT Sport, Balor recalled his ascension to the throne of WWE’s gold brand.
“That was one of the most full-circle moments that I’ve had in my career because not only it wasn’t in Japan, but it was in Ryogoku, which was Sumo Arena, where we wrestled for New Japan quite a lot. I actually had my final match for New Japan, in that arena, in the paint.”
Finn Balor.
Balor’s victory would end the 142-day reign of Owens, who won the title from Sami Zayn at February 2015’s NXT TakeOver: Rival.
Career Highlight
Balor’s reign on top would end off-screen at an NXT Live event in Lowell, MA at the hands of Samoa Joe.
In the interview, Balor spoke about how special the title loss off-screen meant to him.
“We’d done that on a house show. That was something that was so rare, and I remember this sheer surprise and shock of the people in the front row that just couldn’t believe what they had witnessed on a house show.
“After [292 days], I had been champion, and Joe pins the champion at a house show in Lowel. That was a special night. That, for me, is probably the coolest moment of my career.”
“That was one of my favorite nights of my career.”
Finn Balor.
Joe would lose the title to Shinsuke Nakamura before later winning it back, and along with his brief 2021 victory is the only three-time NXT Champion.
Cody Rhodes will be making his return to the ring at the WWE Royal Rumble event.
WWE confirmed the news on Monday’s Raw where they aired a video package that showed the rehab that Cody has been doing since suffering a torn pec several months ago. It also included clips of him in the hospital and rehab at the Nightmare Factory near his home in Atlanta.
Cody’s wife, Brandi Rhodes, was also interviewed. He vowed to deliver on his promise of becoming a World Champion in WWE. The first step in that direction is by winning the men’s Royal Rumble match.
WWE pushed Rhodes as a top star from the moment he returned to the company during WrestleMania 38, as his feud with Seth Rollins further elevated him and established Rhodes as a big star.
However, he was sidelined following his Hell In A Cell match with Rollins due to a torn pectoral muscle that he suffered heading into the match. Rhodes underwent surgery for his injury and was sidelined for most of 2022.
GCW is back with its annual set of shows during WrestleMania weekend, The Collective. The group of shows always present some of the best of indie wrestling, at times mixed with stars from IMPACT and AEW (although the latter probably won’t be happening, unless Jon Moxley books directly with Brett Lauderdale).
The Collective will be taking place beginning on Thursday, March 30 and will run through Sunday, April 2.
GCW’s The Collective 2023 Schedule
Some fan favorite shows will be returning along with three new shows. There will also be the Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame that weekend.
The Santino Bros. are the premiere wrestling school in Southern California. Some alumni from the school are Kidd Bandit, Brody King, Tito Escondido, Che Cabrera, and Heather Monroe.
DDT Pro will be having two shows. One will be on Thursday at 8 PM. On Friday at 3 PM, DDT vs. GCW will go down.
GCW will be having a show called #EmoNight, but no other details have been provided.
EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 9, Joey Janela’s Spring Break 7, For the Culture, Gringo Loco’s The Wrld on Lucha, and Jimmy Lloyd’s Degeneration-F will all be returning.
More info on ticket packages and streaming will be coming on Tuesday. FITE+ is now GCW’s streaming home and it costs $4.99 per month. Some shows may need to be purchased separately.
Frankie Kazarian appeared at last Friday’s Impact Wrestling Hard To Kill pay-per-view where he revealed that he had signed a long-term deal with the promotion.
Kazarian said in his promo that he requested his release from AEW to join Impact. It was later confirmed that was true.
While speaking with PWInsider, Kaz talked about his decision to join Impact Wrestling.
“I still had two years left on my contract, two years to get rolled over. AEW management contacted me in early December, which was only a few weeks after [Josh Alexander] match. They contacted me 30 days out, which is what they’re supposed to do, and had talked about rolling me over and wanted to get the process going. I basically said, ‘thanks but no thanks.’ I voiced concerns and frustrations and goals and aspirations and had a really good talk with management and left it there.”
Kazarian noted that he was still going to TV events and had a meeting with Megha Parekh, head legal of AEW, at his last AEW show in San Antonio. They had a long talk about why he wanted to leave and bet on himself. He prides himself on doing business the right way and wanted to leave before any feelings of resentment or bitterness.
WWE Talks
He became a free agent on January 1. Kazarian continued on, saying that he spoke to people in WWE prior to signing with Impact
“In the spirit of transparency, I had great talks with the people at WWE. Those talks could not have been better, positive, and more professional. I have nothing but great things to say about everybody in that organization, especially the people I spoke to and texted with.”
Kazarian thought Impact was the best fit for him at this stage of his career and noted he has a great relationship with Scott D’Amore. He also has a history with the promotion and a legacy.
Days after holding a talent meeting with the blue brand at Friday’s WWE SmackDown, Triple H held another talent meeting, this time with the red brand at Monday’s WWE Raw.
Bryan Alvarez posted to his Super Followers that staff and talent met with company management in Cincinnati, Ohio, ahead of the show. Also, Fightful Select provided some details on the meeting. They noted it was led by Triple H, Kevin Dunn, and Dan Ventrelle, who was hired as WWE’s executive vice president of talent in September.
The Details
It was said today’s meeting addressed many of the same points discussed with SmackDown talent on Friday. Triple H once again reiterated that he is still the company’s Chief Content Officer and that Vince McMahon’s return as Chairman of the WWE Board Of Directors will not impact creative or talent relations.
Triple H also debunked last week’s rumors that the company had already been sold to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
Triple H told SmackDown talent last week that if the company is to be sold, the process will be a long one. He also noted that while discussing with Vince McMahon about creative, Vince always defers to him for the final say.
Last Tuesday, Stephanie McMahon announced she had resigned as the Chairwoman and co-CEO of the company.
It appears that Matt Hardy is at least considering the idea of bringing back his popular Broken gimmick to television.
Hardy first started doing the gimmick in Impact Wrestling in 2016 before portraying it briefly in 2017, months after he made his WWE return alongside his brother, Jeff, at WrestleMania 33, where they won the Tag Team Titles.
It began as a crazed iteration of Matt and slowly evolved into a “broken universe,” with a series of supernatural elements. In WWE, he was ‘Woken’ instead of ‘Broken.’
Hardy has been Broken in AEW before, as he first debuted in the company with that gimmick back in March 2020. Although he continued with that persona for a couple of months, he ultimately returned to his “Big Money” moniker by that year’s end.
AEW President Tony Khan publicly gave his thoughts on the match in a past interview by noting some aspects of it were a little too much for him.
Broken Return?
However, the gimmick could be returning, as the latest episode of Being The Elite showcased Matt briefly transforming into his Broken persona before the screen went black.
Although Hardy has never been shy about teasing “Broken” elements, this is the first time in years that he has completely transformed with gray hair and sleeveless coat.
