More has come to light about Charlotte Flair’s situation and potential injury during this week’s episode on SmackDown.
This week’s show was WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops show and saw some of WWE’s top Superstar appear on the broadcast. Raw’s Cody Rhodes thanked the troops in attendance and around the world while CM Punk made reference to his AEW firing in an explosive promo. In the main event of the show, Randy Orton teamed with LA Knight to defeat The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.
Update on Charlotte Flair
During the latter part of her match with Asuka, Flair was obviously hurt and was seen being tended to by WWE’s medical crew after the match. PW Insider reports that Flair was setting up for a move but slipped and got caught on the ropes, wrenching her knee and striking her head. The move was not shown on TV as it took place during a commercial break. When WWE returned to the live broadcast, the commentary team said that Asuka had taken Flair out.
While the incident was not broadcast, fans at the show in Providence, RI caught the incident, which you can see above.
Flair was walked out by officials after the match and was seen telling senior WWE referee Charles Robinson about her knee. It’s been reported that “there was absolutely some concern among others talents about her knee specifically.” At this time, WWE has not given an update on Flair’s situation and it is unclear if she will miss any time.
The tournament brackets have been revealed to determine the next challenger for United States Champion Logan Paul.
On last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Paul announced the tournament to determine his first challenger. The Maverick said that while he would love to give Rey Mysterio a rematch but is unable to due to Mysterio’s injury. Paul captured the title from the WWE Hall of Famer at Crown Jewel 2023, giving the YouTuber his first taste of championship gold in WWE.
The U.S. Championship Tournament Brackets
On this week’s SmackDown, WWE gave the first-round tournament brackets for the United States Championship Contenders Tournament. The brackets are as follows:
Santos Escobar Vs. Dragon Lee
Bobby Lashley Vs. Karrion Kross
Austin Theory Vs. Kevin Owens
Grayson Waller Vs. An NXT Superstar to be announced
Two of the first-round matches took place on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Bobby Lashley defeated Karrion Kross to advance to the semi-finals, while Santos Escobar defeated Dragon Lee. Lashley and Escobar will face off in the next round.
This week’s SmackDown was an episode to send the Ruthless Aggression era fans a trip down memory lane, as it featured names such as Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton and CM Punk.
WWE also confirmed the brackets for the announced US Championship #1 contender tournament during the night as the competition kicked off.
The show opened with a first-round match that saw Santos Escobar defeating Dragon Lee. The second tournament match of the night then featured Bobby Lashley who beat Karrion Kross.
CM Punk’s announced appearance on the show gave fans a lot to talk about. The Straight Edge Star cut a promo, making references to Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes and the Brawl Out incident that eventually led to his AEW departure.
What Happened After SmackDown
In the main event of the show, Randy Orton teamed up with LA Knight against the common adversary in The Bloodline. Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa represented The Bloodline in the match but they couldn’t get the win.
Orton picked up the victory by delivering an RKO to Jimmy Uso. The broadcast ended with Randy Orton holding up the hand of LA Knight as the pair stood tall.
This wasn’t the end of action however, as fans got to see a rematch between Gunther and Chad Gable after SmackDown went off air. The two arch-rivals put on another great match reminding people of their previous encounters. The bout, however, ended in a disqualification with Gable picking up the victory.
The second dark match of the night saw Cody Rhodes once again taking on Dominik Mysterio. Cody cut a promo after winning the match and he then gave away another table to end the show.
Before the show closed this week, they confirmed a few things for the December 15th episode of WWE SmackDown on FOX. Roman Reigns will be back on the blue brand next week, so that will be a big draw. Only time will tell if he answers CM Punk’s call-out from this week.
Fans will also see Grayson Waller face off against an unnamed NXT Superstar in the 1st round of the United States Championship tournament. It was said that Shawn Michaels will hand-pick that Superstar. Also, Kevin Owens will battle Austin Theory in another 1st round match.
Kevin Owens has a broken hand, which they mentioned on commentary. That should add another layer to his match, because it nixes his infamous KO punch.
We will have to see who comes out on top when SmackDown goes live on FOX next week. For more updates, keep checking back with SE Scoops.
December 15th, 2023 WWE SmackDown Card
Roman Reigns returns to SmackDown
Kevin Owens vs Austin Theory – 1st Round United States Title Tournament Match
Grayson Waller vs NXT Superstar – 1st Round United States Title Tournament Match
What are you looking forward to most on SmackDown next week? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media!
WWE brought a loaded show for the December 8th episode of SmackDown. CM Punk shocked the world with a pipe bomb of a promo. Sadly, it appears that Charlotte Flair didn’t have quite as good of a night.
Charlotte Flair went after Asuka this week on SmackDown, but she had quite an uphill climb with Damage CTRL around. The two had a singles match, and that did not end well for Flair.
Flair needed to be helped out of the ring during WWE SmackDown according to multiple fans who were in attendance.
Real ugly spot toward the end, rushed to the finish. Charlotte Flair says “My knee” as she’s helped out of the ring. Seemed to hurt her neck, too. Just awful, wishing her the best. #SmackDownpic.twitter.com/kjMFIyOQix
The end of the match went down as Charlotte Flair looked for the Figure-8, but then Bayley emerged through the crowd. Flair ran over and knocked her off the apron. Bayley’s distraction allowed Asuka to secure the win. With a happy expression, Bayley exclaimed, “YES! I did that!” as Asuka celebrated her victory.
It appears this is the spot where the injury occured:
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) December 9, 2023
Of course, injuring Charlotte Flair was not the intended outcome of this match. We’re hoping that Charlotte Flair is okay. Keep checking back with SE Scoops for more updates.
What’s your take on Charlotte Flair and Asuka’s match during the 12/8 WWE SmackDown? You can also check out a video of Charlotte Flair being helped off this week. Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media.
CM Punk wasn’t expected to make a return to WWE at Survivor Series, but it happened anyway. He made his big return to the SmackDown brand for their December 8th episode, and it was quite an appearance for the Tribute to the Troops.
CM Punk opened up his promo by proclaiming that, since his promo was at the 9:00 PM EST hour, then he wouldn’t get his time cut. Then Punk brought up how Adam Pearce wants him to be exclusive to the RAW brand.
After saying that he will leave his brand future to the fans, CM Punk asked if they want him to be a RAW Superstar, and they booed that idea. The fans cheered when Punk asked if he should join SmackDown instead.
CM Punk then said that it’s not about “what do you want to talk about,” it’s about “who do you want me to talk about?” Punk said he could tell some stories about Cody Rhodes, but then he directed his focus to “someone who’s never here, Roman Reigns.”
"…I begin MY journey of finishing MY story and that means one thing…
Mentioning Roman Reigns’ name brought a huge pop from the WWE Universe, as he said that he was the OG Paul Heyman Guy. Punk gave a shout-out to Jey Uso, but then he suggested that he stick around SmackDown to scrap with Jimmy Uso, “but Jimmy Uso has endless cousins.”
Best In the World!: CM Punk Makes WWE Return At Survivor Series 2023
This is when CM Punk made a crack about his All In confrontation with Jack Perry. He made his way there by saying that he and Kevin Owens are too much alike, after suggesting that he may have a match with him.
“I don’t know how comfortable I’d feel about working with someone who randomly punches people backstage … I mean it’s 2023, you just can’t be doing that, that’s insane.”
This was followed by some massive CM Punk chants from the crowd. Then CM Punk drew attention to Seth Rollins, by calling him out as he somewhat encouraged the crowd to sing his theme song.
CM Punk will make a decision about his brand future on the 12/11 episode of WWE RAW. Punk said it’s not about finishing his story, it’s about finishing what he started.
After hyping up the crowd with his promo, CM Punk made it clear that his goal is to main event WrestleMania 40. He dropped the mic after that, as the fans cheered on the Second City Savior.
What’s your take on CM Punk’s latest promo? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media!
NXT is back with a PLE and it comes in the form of last year’s surprise success story — NXT Deadline. NXT Deadline will air live on Peacock from the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut Saturday night and features year two of the Iron Survivor Challenge matches that debuted as last year’s show.
The Iron Survivor Challenge bouts are the hook for this show. The concept is a good one, but this year’s lineup in the specialty match leaves a lot to be desired and doesn’t hide the outcome very well. WWE wants these matches to matter a lot because the winner of them earns an NXT title shot, but the field simply isn’t full with talent that audiences can actually buy as a title contender.
The matches surrounding the Iron Survivor Challenge’s are MID at best. There likely will be some strong in-ring work throughout, but the title defenses lack drama and would fit perfectly on a hyped New Year’s Evil level NXT television show.
Call this a preview, a calm look into the distant future, or a gaze into a wondrous crystal ball; just don’t hold me to anything, ok?
Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge 2023
Tiffany Stratton vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Lash Legend vs. Blair Davenport vs. Fallon Henley – Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge
It’s pretty much Tiffany Stratton against a bunch of up and coming talent in this one. Stratton will carry the load of the action here, but in order for this to be a success someone else will have to step up. I’ll say it’s Davenport. She’s a skilled wrestler that could thrive in an environment like this one. She won’t win, but she could turn a lot of heads due to her performance if it goes well. As for Jordan, Legend, and Henley — they kinda are just there. All three could elevate their stock with a strong match, but I haven’t seen enough to believe it will actually happen.
Prediction: Tiffany Stratton
Carmelo Hayes vs. Lexis King
Carmelo Hayes vs. Lexis King
NXT took a big swing and whiffed badly with Lexis King. King was a highly touted signee and got the full production run around for his debut, but then has stunk the joint out upon premiering. King seems extremely disconnected from his gimmick and has not found a way to organically resonate with the audience. The in-ring work with him hasn’t been anything of note either.
So, what do you do? If Hayes beats him, King pretty much is done. He’s that cold and this loss would be that definitive. If he wins, he beats one of the biggest stars NXT has to offer. Not a great choice either given he hasn’t clicked to this point.
Shawn Michaels has to give him the win and he will. If you saddle King with a loss he has no chance of recovering. Hayes is slated for the main roster anyway and can hold the L — especially if he’s protected a little with the Trick Williams storyline in the end.
Prediction: Lexis King
Dominik Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee
Dominik Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee – NXT North American Championship
Lee has joined the match due to Wes Lee’s back injury and is going to be rewarded with winning the North American Championship. It’s time. Mysterio did a nice job of making this title and the title helped make him, but it’s time. They don’t need each other anymore. Plus, Rey Mysterio has publicly advocated for Dragon Lee. You just don’t do that if Lee is going to take a loss. Mysterio’s guy goes over his son here and makes for a fun moment on the show.
Prediction: Dragon Lee
Roxanne Perez vs. Kiana James
Roxanne Perez vs. Kiana James – Steel Cage Match
This has been one of the best built matches on the show and I’ll go out on a limb and say it’ll be the match of the night too. Perez and James have a multi-month feud going here that has culminated with this stipulation match. The two women have cost the other opportunities, so this makes sense and is coming at the right time. James could use a big win, but unless Perez is going up to the main roster this week, she ultimately will get the W because it’s the kind of feud that the babyface should win.
Prediction: Roxanne Perez
Ilja Dragunov vs. Baron Corbin
Ilja Dragunov vs. Baron Corbin – NXT Championship
Ehhhhh. What is there really to say about this one? Nobody believes Baron Corbin is winning this one. Corbin has actually done a nice job carrying his end of the program and building up some heat in the rivalry, but the payoff just isn’t intriguing. Corbin is around for Dragunov to beat an everyone knows it.
Prediction: Ilja Dragunov
Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge
Bron Breakker vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs vs. Tyler Bate vs. Trick Williams – Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge
So, the men’s match has a little more fire power than the women’s match does — no question there. The winner might be even more obvious. Look, Breakker is someone you’d have to look at, but he’s on the main roster trajectory at this point. Plus, he’s faced Dragunov already. Been there, done that. He isn’t winning. Tyler Bate? I mean, no. Right? Babyface vs. babyface coming out of this for the title doesn’t work. Josh Briggs? Nothing against, the guy, but no. He’s a tag wrestler right now and hasn’t shown enough to be considered for a top of the card singles run. Trick Williams is a possibility, but again, do you want babyface Williams against babyface Dragunov? It’s not ideal. Plus, Williams has a stronger story going on with Carmelo Hayes and for as big as a title match would be for him, Williams vs. Hayes is bigger.
So, that leaves Dijak and he’s your winner. Raise your hand if you’re underwhelmed! All the hands went up right? It is underwhelming, but it makes sense too. NXT clearly isn’t trying to make a star with this match this year. They want to run with the concept, but then walk out of the show with limited responsibility to payoff the winner with a title win. In that world, Dijak is the guy. He’s a strong heel for Dragunov, but is also a heel that Dragunov can dust. Boom.
Alex Hammerstone will be a free agent to start the new year.
Similar tp his longtime “Dynasty bro” MJF, Hammerstone announced that his current contract will officially expire on January 1, 2024. The former MLW World Heavyweight Champion made the announcement via social media, noting that MLW One Shot was his last event under his current contract. Hammerstone also included ways to contact him for business opportunities.
Just last month, Hammerstone made his return to MLW after dropping the World Title to current champion Alex Kane earlier this year, ending his reign of over 600 days.
Last night during One-Shot, Hammerstone heeled it up in a bodybuilding competition, before brawling with longtime rival, Jacob Fatu. In tapings for MLW Fusion on Thursday, Hammerstone fought Fatu in what could be their third and final battle under the MLW banner.
The History Behind Alex Hammerstone
When first starting with MLW, Hammerstone started off as an arrogant heel before aligning himself with MJF and Richard Holliday, forming one of the promotion’s greatest factions, The Dynasty. The group dispersed when MJF moved full-time to AEW. During that run, Hammerstone became the inaugural National Openweight Champion, a title he never lost and eventually defeated Jacob Fatu to become the World Champion.
Hammerstone clearly became the face of MLW and defended his gold against countless competitors, including fellow Dynasty member Richard Holliday, who ironically enough, made his return to the company at One Shot Thursday evening.
As a free agent, Hammerstone will be a hot commoditiy in wrestling. With MJF in AEW, speculation could occur that he could sign there, but his physical presence, ring ability and charisma would make him an excellent fit in WWE. Along with Kenny Omega, Hammerstone is one of the few talents remaining to be protective of his finishing move, The Nightmare Pendulum. Only Jacob Fatu has ever kicked out of the manuever.
ACTION Wrestling returned on December 8 with an exciting card featuring a mixture of wrestlers from the independent wrestling scene and major promotions. In the main event, ACTION Champion Adam Priest put his title on the line in a three-way match against Alex Kane and Krule.
Priest aimed to defend his championship for the 11th time successfully. His last title defense was against Brandon Kirk at ACTION Bus Barn Brawl on November 10. On an impressive run as champion, Priest hoped to enter 2024 with his title and achieve a full year as champion on January 20, 2024. However, taking on two different opponents proved to be difficult.
In the three-way match, Kane was able to get the win after Krule landed a Full Nelson Facebuster on Priest. “The Suplex Assassin” speared Kruger to take him out of the ring and pinned Priest.
The event ended with Kane holding the Major League Wrestling Heavyweight Championship and the ACTION Championship as he exited the venue.
ACTION Wrestling Bangers Only 4 Billie Starkz vs. Daniel Makabe
Another match on the card featured an intergender match between All Elite Wrestling talent Billie Starkz and Daniel Makabe. Starkz is set to challenge Athena for the Ring Of Honor Women’s Championship at ROH Final Battle on December 15.
In the match, Makabe focused on the legs of Starkz to control the match. However, Starkz was able to rally back in the match and landed a Swanton Bomb for the win.
ACTION Wrestling Bangers Only 4 occurred at the Roger Spencer Community Center in Tyrone, Georgia. It went live on Independent Wrestling TV. To watch the event, you must pay $10 for a subscription.
ACTION Wrestling Bangers Only 4 Adam Priest vs. Alex Kane vs. Krule
ACTION Wrestling Bangers Only 4 Match Card Results
Diego Hill def. Landon Hale
Rachel Armstrong def. Deity
Bojack def. Austin Luke
Squatting Dragons (Erron Wade & Kody Manhorn) def. BK Westbrook & Ella Envy
Billie Starkz def. Daniel Makabe
Rico Gonzalez def. TJ Crawford
Channing Thomas def. Bobby Flaco
Alex Kane def. (C) Adam Priest & Krule to Win the ACTION Championship in a Three-Way Match
Independent wrestling promotion Dreamwave Wrestling had its first all-female show on December 8 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in LaSalle, Illinois. In the main event, Impact Wrestling star Masha Slamovich challenged Brittnie Brooks for the Dreamwave Women’s Championship.
Brooks faced a difficult challenge in her first title defense as she took on one-half of the Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champions(alongside Killer Kelly). She won the Dreamwave Women’s Championship by defeating Zayda Steel at Dreamwave Follow Your Hart on October 14.
Dreamwave Uprising Brittnie Brooks vs. Masha Slamovich
Since her title win, Brooks has stayed relatively inactive in her wrestling career. She’s had four matches in which she has been on the losing side. However, she turned it around with a big win over Slamovich to retain the Dreamwave Women’s Championship.
Another match on the card featured a matchup between Miyu Yamashita and Shazza McKenzie. Yamashita was coming into tonight’s contest with momentum after defeating Demi Exo at Major League Wrestling One Shot on December 7 for the Princess Of Princess Championship. While Yamashita went into the match with extra confidence, McKenzie was motivated to get the win.
CM Punk’s return to WWE sent shockwaves throughout the pro wrestling world. WWE fans were more than excited to welcome the Second City Savior back, and he will grace the SmackDown brand this week for their December 8th episode. Now we have a bit of a spoiler about what they are planning for this week.
WWE has a lot of plans in motion, and they are shifting some things after CM Punk’s arrival. A huge name like his will certainly carve out a substantial spot for himself on the WrestleMania 40 card.
Wrestle Votes noted that CM Punk is set to really amp up his WrestleMania direction on the December 8th episode of WWE SmackDown. It was noted that Punk will cut a promo, but it wasn’t spoiled who the target will be.
I’m told CM Punk’s in ring segment tonight on SmackDown will focus on his desire to “main event” WrestleMania 40. It’s clobbering time….
CM Punk never got that WrestleMania main event match during his last run in WWE. He may have returned during the perfect time to capture that WrestleMania moment for himself in 2024.
CM Punk has garnered praise since his return to WWE. Even Jey Uso said that Punk is on “a Tribal Chief status” in his reaction to Punk’s comeback. Fans have stood behind Punk, and they have also bought a ton of merchandise.
CM Punk is a free agent, so that gives WWE the freedom to have him float between main roster brands. All signs point to Punk mixing it up with Seth Rollins on RAW first, but fans may see some very important WrestleMania seeds planted on WWE SmackDown this week.
I’m told CM Punk’s in ring segment tonight on SmackDown will focus on his desire to “main event” WrestleMania 40. It’s clobbering time….
What’s your take on CM Punk appearing on WWE SmackDown this week? Are you watching the show live? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media!
WWE is on the long road to the Royal Rumble on January 27th, and you never know who may show up. Fans might see a familiar face on SmackDown this week, because a WWE Hall of Famer is around who has been known to mix things up.
A former WWE Champion is present backstage at today’s WWE Smackdown in Providence, Rhode Island. It was reported on Fightful Select that Corey Brennan has learned that former WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield is at the show.
As of this writing, “It’s unclear as of now whether or not he’ll appear on-screen.” JBL hasn’tbeen around the WWE main roster in a while, but you never know if he could start a new run with the company. Even if he’s just around to visit, JBL is always welcome backstage in WWE.
JBL was paired up with Baron Corbin earlier this year, and they had a nice run as a duo. As much as he tried, JBL wasn’t able to make a champion out of Corbin. That partnership ended, and JBL really rubbed salt in the wound upon his exit.
JBL last appeared on WWE programming on November 21, announcing the qualifiers for the Iron Survivor Challenge for NXT Deadline. That was a nice treat to see JBL on NXT television. Lita, Mick Foley and Jerry Lawler also appeared in those segments to announce Iron Survivor Challenge qualifier matches.
We will have to see if JBL shows up on WWE SmackDown this week. We will have coverage of the show, here at SE Scoops.
What’s your take on JBL showing up backstage at SmackDown this week? Do you want to see more from him on WWE programming? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
AEW has a lot of things going on, and Tony Khan has delegated responsibility to people he trusts to execute the job. It appears that Bryan Danielson has a huge role backstage in AEW, one that really matters for those who want to ruffle feathers.
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that Bryan Danielson has taken on the role in AEW of monitoring talent’s social media activity. He is now responsible for handing out fines as well.
If someone poisons the social media water hole, Bryan Danielson is one of those responsible for laying down the law. Fightful Select reported last week that Danielson was effectively the face of the disciplinary committee in AEW, and that it extended to laying out fines when necessary.
Bryan Danielson is known for his limited presence on social media, but it is reported that he has played a role in imposing fines for social media behavior recently. The focus of these fines is on maintaining AEW’s professional image, which can include actions like retweets and likes. There is no information suggesting that fines are frequent.
The report also noted that Bryan Danielson has taken charge of various meetings, including discussions about CM Punk’s termination after AEW All In this year, addressing interview conduct earlier this year, and a talent meeting last year following the Brawl Out incident.
AEW officials are also reportedly enthusiastic about the Bryan Danielson vs. Daniel Garcia match. We will have to see how Bryan Danielson continues in the Continental Classic, as he continues wearing multiple hats for AEW.
Last year, we offered @GarciaWrestling a spot in the BCC. Gave him an opportunity to show that he was a wrestler and not a sports entertainer. DG turned us down, and is still struggling to find who he is. Tonight on #AEWRampage, I’m going to beat the entertainer out of him. Check… pic.twitter.com/ssGXnb3sW1
What’s your take on AEW putting Bryan Danielson in a position where he can issue fines to talent? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media!
Evan Karagias was arrested on charges of simple assault and injury to personal property, but posted $25,000 bound.
Karagias, a North Carolina resident from Gastonia, now has a court date set for those charges on January 2, 2024, according to PWInsider.
The former WCW talent is best known for being the main focus of the heel “boy band” faction, 3 Count. While a member of the group, Karagias became the WCW Cruiserweight Champion alongside Shane Helms and Shannon Moore.
Karagias last wrestled in 2010, but unlike his 3 Count partners, never had a match with WWE.
The Pro Wrestling Trajectory Of WCW’s 3 Count
Even though Karagias was the top of the 3 Count trio in WCW, he arguably had the least notable career in the squared circle. Both Shane Helms and Shannon Moore had runs with WWE and also happen to be childhood friends of Matt and Jeff Hardy.
Helms really caught fire with his Hurricane Helms persona, becoming a multi-time Crusierweight Champion, both in WCW and WWE. Helms now works as a producer behind the scenes for WWE.
To this day, Shannon Moore remains an active talent in pro wrestling, but is more selective with his appearances. Moore’s pro wrestling road got rocky as much like his Hardy Boy brothers, battled substance abuse issues in the past. Now completely sober, Moore serves as a recovery counselor for celebrities, notably former athletes. He most recently appeared on an episode of Road Dogg’s podcast, “Oh … You Didn’t Know?”
Don’t worry, ladies, LA Knight is still on the market.
Instead of “I do” many fans were led to believe that LA Knight said “YEAH” to tying the knot this week as photos surfaced of him in a golden tuxedo standing by his girlfriend, Michelle Yavulla.
The photo, which could just as easily be taken for any kind of formal event, was captioned that Knight got married and much like any rumor, caught on like wildfire on social media.
Knight himself was certainly amused by the notion of his supposed nuptuals and took to social media to laugh them off.
“If anybody finds pictures from the wedding I’m hearing I was part of this week, I’m excited to see them! I must have blacked out, because i don’t remember any of it. Please send.”
If anybody finds pictures from the wedding I’m hearing I was part of this week, I’m excited to see them! I must have blacked out, because i don’t remember any of it. Please send.
LA Knight Has A Big Night This Week On WWE SmackDown
LA Knight will have a much different kind of “partner” this Friday night on WWE SmackDown as he’ll be teaming up with Randy Orton to take on Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline.
Orton himself is no stranger to feuding with The Bloodline as he blames the faction for being the ones to put him on the shelf for over a year. Orton just made his return at WWE Survivor Series and now has Roman Reigns in his sights, a fight that could very well go down at Royal Rumble 2024.
WWE and AEW often run the same markets, but there was an issue with Tony Khan’s company booking a lot of the same venues at times. It appears that issue is in the past.
In June, Dave Meltzer noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE was actively trying to prohibit their venues from booking AEW events. It was written:
“There is an interesting note that in arenas that do rent to both AEW and WWE, WWE has put clauses in its deals that AEW can’t run a certain number of weeks before or after the WWE show, and also that AEW and the arena can’t announce the show or sell tickets until after the WWE show has taken place.”
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that WWE is no longer blocking AEW from running certain venues. The Coca Cola Coliseum in Toronto was cited as an example, because AEW just announced a show at that venue, despite the fact that WWE is running the same building. Dave Meltzer reports:
It is notable that the new owners are not as vigilant, or maybe because of the lawsuit, regarding AEW having dates get out and tickets put on sale in buildings they are running shows in. AEW announced its return to Toronto even though WWE has a show in the same Coca Cola Coliseum
WWE’s current antitrust lawsuit with MLW may have also played into the company altering their tactics. They used to have a much different mindset toward the idea of AEW running the same venues that they do.
Tony Khan has previously expressed his appreciation for competition in professional wrestling, but he emphasized the importance of ethical practices. During the press conference following Double or Nothing, he noted that this hasn’t always been the case “from the other side.”
A WWE-imposed clause once restricted AEW from booking events seems to be a thing of the past now. We will have to see how this situation pans out in the future.
AEW has been having apparent issues packing their houses in recent memory as well. Either way, WWE will not stop Tony Khan’s company from running those venues, as they have apparently altered their philosophy on the matter.
What’s your take on WWE no longer restricting venues from booking AEW shows? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media!
ROH Women’s Champion Athena posted on Twitter that she had sustained a broken nose. That was cause for alarm, but she stated that she would still be participating in next week’s Ring of Honor Final Battle pay-per-view.
Later on, Athena removed the tweet, but PW Insider reported confirming the authenticity of the injury. The current ROH Women’s Champion is injured, but that won’t keep her from wrestling.
It seems that Athena incurred the injury during last week’s Collision and Ring of Honor taping in Montreal. She will be featured on the upcoming ROH episode on their streaming platform. While engaged in a scuffle with Billie Starkz, it is believed that Athena suffered the broken nose, possibly from being thrown into a guardrail or a ring post.
Athena’s deleted tweet mentioned that she had just received X-ray results confirming the broken nose. It appears that she will still wrestle Billie Starkz at Final Battle despite that setback.
We’re hoping that Athena has a speedy recovery, and it doesn’t cause too many issues for her upcoming match. You can check out the card for ROH Final Battle below.
ROH Final Battle 2023 Card:
The following matches are set for ROH Final Battle 2023, which takes place Friday, December 15 from Garland, TX at the Curtis Culwell Center:
ROH Women’s World Championship Match: Athena vs. Billie Starkz
ROH World Television Championship Survival Of The Fittest Match: Dalton Castle vs. Komander vs. Kyle Fletcher vs. Lee Johnson vs. Lee Moriarty vs. TBD*
I Quit Match: Tony Nese vs. Ethan Page
Wheeler Yuta, Bryan Danielson & TBD vs. FTR & Mark Briscoe
Vince McMahon shocked the pro wrestling world when he retired from WWE, a company he led for decades, only to come back and usher in a WWE sale. That sale never happened, but a merger did take place with the UFC, as Endeavor facilitated that corporate joining into TKO Group Holdings. Now, we have a new update on Mr. McMahon.
We previously reported that Vince McMahon has zero plans to leave WWE, despite selling so much company stock. He made that quite apparent with his most recent move by attending the company’s Holiday party.
PW Insider reports that Vince McMahon made a very rare appearance at WWE headquarters this week.
Vince McMahon, who has not been seen much at WWE Headquarters of late, was at the company’s annual holiday party, which was held at the new HQ for the first time this past Wednesday evening.
It was reported that Vince McMahon, who wouldn’t usually attend the holiday party in the past, was present and actively engaged in conversations with numerous company employees. Several attendees described him as “easy to talk to” and “cordial.”
It was also reported that, unlike previous years, there were no WWE Superstars present at the event. Typically, there would be around four to six WWE talents at the gathering to meet and interact with employees. Instead, they got Vince McMahon, and it seemed that he was in a mood to socialize.
Following the Endeavor acquisition, Vince McMahon’s involvement in the company has significantly decreased, and he has been rarely seen at the new Headquarters. This was a rare sighting for Mr. McMahon around WWE HQ, but it seemed to be a good one.
Endeavor gave Triple H their blessing, and he is off to the races in his booking direction. Vince McMahon has virtually zero input in WWE creative now, but he still has a reason to stop by headquarters.
What do you think about Vince McMahon’s most recent sighting at the WWE Headquarters? Let us know your opinion by engaging with us on social media!
WWE is making plans for the remainder of 2023, but they might not write anything for Sami Zayn at this point. The Underdog from the Underground may be getting a little break from the company.
Sami Zayn’s ascent in WWE was notable, and he remains one of the top Superstars on the red brand. After the December 4th episode of WWE RAW, he might be missing from the red brand for a stretch of time.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Zayn recently asked management for time off and that request was granted.
“It looked like they were doing an injury angle with McIntyre and Zayn when McIntyre stomped on Zayn’s bad knee. I don’t have it confirmed Zayn will be off for a while due to that, but do know that he had asked for time off recently and was granted it, but wasn’t told when that would begin…
He was not scheduled for 12/28 show in Laval, Quebec that would normally be built around him, as that was during the scheduled break, although it is possible they could have him do that show.”
Sami Zayn may get a little break from WWE as they kick off a new year. That will also mean that WWE will have to go without him as well. Sami Zayn’s profile as a WWE Superstar was certainly elevated over the last year, so they will lose a considerable amount of star power with his hiatus.
WWE also used that beatdown angle during the December 4th episode of WWE RAW to further Drew McIntyre’s storyline as a heel. He has a real mean streak going now, and it appears that took Sami Zayn out of action. Drew McIntyre’s contract situation is also an interesting discussion point.
Sami Zayn could get a break from WWE and still make his return to WWE by January 27th’s Royal Rumble premium live event. As it stands right now, he may get a little break from the road.
Drew beating Sami backstage like Sami’s got a break coming.#WWERAW
What’s your take on Sami Zayn missing time with WWE? Has he seen the biggest rise out of any Superstar in recent memory? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media.
IMPACT Wrestling (soon to be TNA Wrestling) is set to team with Endeavor to deliver its TNA+ on-demand streaming service.
IMPACT will make the move to TNA Wrestling official next month with their TNA Hard to Kill 2024 pay-per-view. The change was announced in the closing moments of Bound for Glory 2023 this past October. IMPACT World Champion Alex Shelley recently told SE Scoops in an exclusive interview that the reaction to the name change has exceeded the expectations of those in IMPACT/TNA.
In a statement, IMPACT Wrestling announced that Endeavor Streaming will power the new TNA+ app which will deliver “an enhanced user experience to all fans across the top streaming platforms.” The TNA+ service will come into effect on Friday, January 5, just eight days before TNA Hard to Kill 2024. The TNA+ app will feature a new look, expanded options and “increased functionality.”
The TNA+ app will feature TNA’s full archive of content, in addition to exclusive original content and wrestler-created series. Users will even have the chance to interact with some of TNA’s top stars.
The New TNA+
IMPACT/TNA Wrestling President Scott D’Amore gave the following statement:
“This is truly an incredible opportunity for us as we forge into an exciting new chapter of the TNA legacy. We are proud to partner with Endeavor Streaming on this initiative, and we look forward to continuing to provide our fans with the absolute best in new, classic and exclusive professional wrestling content, available to them anywhere, anytime, on their favorite devices, when TNA+ launches on January 5.”
Pete Bellamy, Chief Commercial Officer at Endeavor Streaming, added:
“Wrestling fans are some of the most passionate in the world of sports and entertainment and TNA+ is the perfect ‘always-on’ personalised OTT service to help TNA build a deeper relationship with its global audience. We’re looking forward to working with TNA to deliver the best streaming experience for wrestling fans.”
Further details and subscription information for the new service can be found at TNAwrestling.com.
Endeavor is no stranger to the world of professional wrestling. In April of this year, the company reached a deal with WWE to acquire the Sports Entertainment juggernaut for $9.3 billion. This acquisition was finalized in September with the launch of TKO Group Holdings.
NXT Superstar Tyler Bate could be a main roster Superstar soon enough as a call-up could be in the works.
Bate has been with WWE for some time now, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that he could soon be on the main roster. There has been ‘talk’ of calling up the British Superstar, and the report adds that his size isn’t considered as big a deal now with Vince McMahon no longer running WWE’s creative department. It is stated that WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque is far more open-minded as to who can be a top star.
Based on recent programming, Bate could be a SmackDown Superstar if he is called up to the main roster, as that is the current home of Butch. The pair have been both allies and enemies in WWE, and Bate was made an honorary Brawling Brute not too long ago. Butch is certainly in need of an ally right now, as he was recently abandoned by Ridge Holland and was attacked by Pretty Deadly on last week’s SmackDown.
Bate has accomplished plenty in WWE already despite not making it to the main roster. In 2017, Bate became the first WWE United Kingdom Champion (later rechristened the NXT UK Championship). Bate was also the final holder of the title when the title was unified with the WWE NXT Championship at Worlds Collide 2022.
Bate was also the only triple-crown champion in WWE NXT UK, having held the main championship, the NXT UK Tag Team Championships and the NXT UK Heritage Cup. In WWE NXT, he is a former NXT Tag Team Champion.
The Superstars of Monday Night Raw will be able to spend Christmas Day with their loved ones rather than compete on the three-hour show.
With Christmas Day falling on a Monday this year, there have been questions as to what this means for the red brand. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was pointed out that no show is being taped for the December 25, episode of the red brand. Instead, the plan is for a ‘Best Of 2023’ show to fill the three hours instead. While WWE hasn’t publicly confirmed this plan, one executive told the Observer that to the best of his knowledge, the reports of a ‘Best Of’ show are accurate.
WWE & Christmas Day
This news will come as a relief to the Raw roster, who would much rather spend the special day with friends and family than at work. In 2017, WWE hosted a live Christmas Day episode of Raw, meaning the 25+ Superstars who appeared on the show, in addition to the numerous crew members, had to be away from their families on Christmas Day. The practice earned WWE considerable backlash from fans at the time.
That show saw some of WWE’s top Superstars appear across the three hours. In the opener, John Cena defeated Elias, while later in the show, Samoa Joe defeated Roman Reigns by disqualification. In the main event, Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins captured the Raw Tag Team Championships from The Bar.
Get into the festive spirit with these five epic Holiday-themed moments. Click here to see what made the list.
AEW is apparently going through some changes, and that called for a big firing this week, one that left many in shock. Kevin Sullivan was fired from his position with Tony Khan’s company, and some are critical of this decision.
We previously reported that Kevin Sullivan was fired from AEW. Not to be confused with the wrestler Kevin Sullivan, AEW’s Sullivan joined AEW in October 2019, making him one of the organization’s most seasoned backstage figures. Prior to his time at AEW, he had an extensive background in the wrestling industry, having served as Vice President of Production and an executive producer during his tenure with IMPACT Wrestling.
Kevin Sullivan Departs AEW
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Kevin Sullivan, who has been with AEW since they started the company, was fired in a surprising fashion. Nobody saw it coming, as Michael Mansury simply told Sullivan that they’re going in a new direction for 2024. Meltzer wrote:
“The story going around was Mansury told Sullivan that morning that they were moving in another direction in 2024.
Sullivan had no idea it was coming and was given no real explanation as to why, just that it was a Mansury decision.
People in the division didn’t even know that Mansury was Sullivan’s boss, noting that among those who worked in production that was never made clear.
The story in production is that nobody else was expected to be cut, but it was a team created by Sullivan so they are his guys.”
Tony Khan reportedly faced criticism within AEW due to a recent firing that surprised many in the company. Kevin Sullivan held the position of Vice President of Post Production, and his termination left people within AEW feeling shocked by the decision. Some wondered why Tony Khan didn’t step in and stop this from happening as well.
Kevin Sullivan had been with AEW since its early days, earning respect behind the scenes. He also had played a pivotal role in building the post-production team, primarily based in Nashville.
It appears that AEW is going to go in a different direction production-wise in 2024. They no longer needed Kevin Sullivan around to fulfill his duties. At this time, Sullivan’s firing is the only one that is expected, but he did leave a team of his curated guys behind in AEW.
What’s your take on AEW going in a different direction with production in 2024? How will that change things for fans watching at home? Let us know what you think by engaging on social media!
In early November, the pro wrestling world started buzzing over word that WWE had interest in signing Giulia. That initial report led to some confusion over whether the STARDOM and New Japan Pro-Wrestling star was actually a free agent and when she may be available to sign with another company.
In the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer that WWE and Giulia have spoken on several occasions. Sadly, the part about her going to Orlando’s WWE Performance Center for a visit wasn’t true in the end. That being said, she still hasn’t told anyone in Japan which way she is going with things.
Regarding Giulia, the update is that she has not made her mind up and that she and WWE have spoken several times of late. They’ve talked enough that there is something to the story, although the story she was going to the Performance Center at this time ended up not being accurate. But she has not told those in Japan that she’s staying nor that she’s leaving.
There’s no guarantee that Giulia will end up making her way to North America. Bushiroad, the parent company of STARDOM and NJPW, is likely to work hard to keep her. There is a lot of fuss over the 29-year-old breakout star right now, whose could become a free agent in a matter of months.
WWE has a lot of money to throw at contracts for talent that they feel will benefit their operation. Someone like Giulia could see a lot of success in WWE, but she is also having quite a time in STARDOM at the moment.
Do you think WWE will end up signing Giulia to a contract? Would Triple H make good use of her? Let us know what you think about this by engaging with us on social media!
