After becoming the first woman to sign with AEW, Baker would go on to become the first woman to win an AEW match, defeating Nyla Rose, Kylie Rae, and Awesome Kong, in fatal-four-way action at Double or Nothing 2019.
A legitimate concussion suffered at AEW Fight for the Fallen that July sparked a feud between herself and Bea Priestly (now WWE’s Blair Davenport) leading to a match on the Full Gear pre-show which Baker would win.
Turning heel in January 2020, Baker would suffer a leg injury that forced her to miss much of 2020, and would return at All Out to lose to Big Swole that September.
Baker’s breakout performance would come on the March 17, 2021 AEW Dynamite, where she lost to Thunder Rosa in the critically-acclaimed Lights Out match.
Despite the loss, Baker’s momentum was undeniable, and would win the AEW Women’s World Championship at Double or Nothing 2021, and won the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament at the following year’s event.
This Wednesday will see Baker team with her ally and current AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter to face Saraya and Toni Storm, in the former Paige’s second match with AEW.
This year’s Money in the Bank will be all about the pounds and not about dollar bills given the show’s location.
Last week, it was announced that WWE will host Money in the Bank 2023, the 14th annual event, at the O2 Arena in London, England.
This will mark the first time the event has ever taken place outside of the United States.
Why London?
Following the massive success of WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales, many assumed that another major UK event would be coming in the future.
Contrary to Clash at the Castle though, which took place in the giant Allegiant Stadium, WWE Money in the Bank 2023 will take place in the smaller O2 Arena.
WWE sources who spoke to Fightful Select said how the decision to host the show at the arena would practically guarantee a sell-out of one of WWE’s ‘big five’ events.
One WWE source said that they view O2 Arena as the “MSG of England” and it was a venue they wanted to travel to.
While WWE co-CEO Nick Khan was credited for many of the dates, locations and venues used by WWE in 2022, the company’s deal with the O2 Arena is being called a “collaborative effort.”
Money in the Bank
It wasn’t too long ago that reports circulated of WWE scrapping the Money in the Bank event and hosting the two titular ladder matches on the two nights of WrestleMania.
Another source who spoke to Fightful said that running an event in the O2 Arena helps establish the importance of MITB as one of their biggest events of the year.
When asked about the rumors of Money in the Bank being ended, that source said that this was not seriously considered.
This source added that no booking plans are set for WWE Money in the Bank 2023.
Chris Jericho has now added yet another promotion to his impressive collection by showing up at Pro Wrestling Guerilla’s Battle of Los Angeles.
Alongside the entire roster of the Jericho Appreciation Society, the former World Champion teamed with Sammy Guevara, Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Daniel Garcia, who is the reigning PWG World Champion
The Jericho Appreciation Society would face Jonathan Gresham, Evil Uno, SB Kento, Michael Oku, and Kevin Blackwood in a 10-man tag bout.
Jericho’s debut for PWG proved to be a successful one, with the leader of the JAS getting the pinfall on Blackwood after hitting the Judas Effect.
Dave Meltzer’s live notes on the match called it “super entertaining” and that the crowd and wrestlers treated it as a “major match, all action.”
Meltzer added that there was a slow-motion spot for minutes until Jericho started chopping Oku hard, and called Oku and Jericho the highlight of the match.
Jericho gave Blackwood multiple near-falls on him before hitting the Judas Effect.
After the Match
Jericho and his team were victorious, but the former AEW and WWE World Champion had plenty to say after the match.
Saying that they had a “f***ing blast,” Jericho added that PWG is “the modern-day ECW,” noting the passion of the fans and the lack of guard rails.
Jericho added that PWG, like ECW has a great atmosphere that allows indie wrestlers to hone their skills in front of a rabid crowd.
AEW’s Kyle O’Reilly has opened up about his recovery and the post-surgery issues that he’s had to deal with.
O’Reilly, a former WWE NXT Tag Team Champion, in December 2021 as he opted not to resign his contract, and debuted for AEW weeks later.
His arrival in AEW saw O’Reilly reunite with Adam Cole and Bobby Fish, members of NXT’s Undisputed Era, and briefly formed the Undisputed Elite with the Young Bucks.
Surgery
O’Reilly’s most recent match for AEW came in June of last year, where after winning a battle royal, lost to Jon Moxley in a AEW World Championship qualifying match for AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door.
In early September, O’Reilly posted an image to his Instagram story of himself laying in a hospital bed, and hinted that he had undergone neck fusion surgery.
Taking to Instagram this week, O’Reilly spoke about how it is a cliché, but he plans on this new year seeing a new him.
The 35-year-old wrestler added that he has been “dealing with a post-surgical issue” and promised to explain more later.
O’Reilly also spoke about living with diabetes and thanked those who have supported him change his approach to his condition and “hop off the blood sugar roller coaster.”
In an interview with Beyond Type 1 last October, O’Reilly said that this was his first “significant injury” throughout his 17-year wrestling career.
O’Reilly said that he will be using the time to evaluate himself so that he can come back better than ever, and be an overall better athlete.
Neither O’Reilly nor AEW have disclosed when fans can expect him back, but those who have dealt with neck-fusion surgery in the past have missed anywhere from nine months to a year of in-ring time.
O’Reilly’s Undisputed Era ally Bobby Fish left AEW last year and has since joined with Impact Wrestling.
Charlotte Flair may have one of her wishes come true regarding a dream match that she recently talked about.
Flair made a recent return to WWE television as she won the SmackDown Women’s Championship on her first night back against Ronda Rousey on December 30.
Fans are looking forward to seeing “The Queen” work against some of the current talent on the roster such as Shotzi and Raquel Rodriguez. However, there are some names from the past that she’s interested in stepping into the ring with. Flair recently spoke to WWE’s The Bump about several legends she wants to face.
The Tweet
Mickie James, Lita, and Michelle McCool were all names that she mentioned. McCool made it clear on Twitter that she is open to the idea of them working a match against each other.
She let Stephanie McMahon and Triple H know as she said, “Real Talk….RESPECT! Oh…..& I stay ready for anytime @wwe @TripleH or @StephMcMahon call! #FlawlessQueen.”
McCool wrapped up her full-time career in 2011, but has since worked one-off matches for the company. The first being in 2018 at the Royal Rumble as the former two-time Women’s and Divas Champion. She followed that up by competing in the 20-woman battle royal at WWE’s Evolution premium live event and then was part of the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble match.
What can be said about this man that hasn’t already been said?
While his contributions to the world of wrestling and sports cannot be understated, to many, he is a cutthroat business mogul who will ruin lives to get his way.
In the ring, McMahon holds shocking victories over the likes of The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Bobby Lashley and even John Cena.
But for as compelling (often in a car-wreck-esque way) as McMahon’s matches can be, they’re nothing compared to his work out of the ring.
McMahon has proven himself to be a fighter, and here are Vince’s biggest wins that took place out of the ring.
5: Survivor Series Triumphs over WarGames
Threatened by McMahon, Pay-Per-View providers opted to host Survivor Series 1987 over NWA’s Starrcade.
In 1987, WWE introduced their new November Pay-Per-View, Survivor Series, following the success of WrestleMania 3.
The November date was picked as it was a good middle-ground between WrestleManias 3 and 4, but that wasn’t the only reason.
The same night as Survivor Series, the NWA were hosting their own major event of the year ‘Starrcade’ and this led McMahon to launch into an attack.
In what McMahon himself has called nothing more than a direct threat, the then-WWF Chairman informed Pay-Per-View providers that if they aired Starrcade, then they would be banned from hosting WrestleMania 4 and all future WWF events.
Almost every Pay-Per-View provider relented, and only a handful aired Starrcade, in what would be a very special Thanksgiving night for the McMahon family.
4: WrestleMania
WrestleMania 1 in 1985 would be arguably the biggest risk in McMahon’s life, but it would certainly pay off.
Today, WrestleMania is an internationally known name and hosts the very top names in wrestling and entertainment.
There’s a reason why WrestleMania tickets sell out so fast, but in 1985, the show was McMahon’s biggest gamble.
Realising that times were changing, McMahon invested heavily in the concept of Pay-Per-View, and if urban legends are to be believed, even put his house down as collateral for the show.
Had WrestleMania 1 flopped, the WWF would have struggled to recover, and McMahon would have forever been tarnished as the man who tried and failed to force change.
Instead, WrestleMania 1 was a hit, and would add fuel to McMahon’s burning desire to do better, and it wasn’t long until other companies followed suit.
3: Ending the War
The fate of WCW was in Vince McMahon’s hands after he purchased his competition for a pittance in March 2001.
From the moment Lex Luger appeared on the first WCW Nitro in 1995, the Monday Night Wars were on.
The war saw McMahon and the WWF face the greatest competition they’d ever faced, and for a while, things looked bleak.
As Eric Bischoff will remind anyone within ear shot, WCW Monday Nitro demolished WWF Raw 83 weeks in a row, and there was a time when McMahon’s baby looked sunk.
A dramatic change of storytelling (complete with a new Attitude) would turn the tide, and thanks to inept heads at WCW, the war would end on March 26, 2001, with McMahon the victor.
As Paul Heyman on commentary called out “they say that Alexander the Great sat on a rock and cried, for he had no more world left to conquer” McMahon proved to be the conqueror of pro wrestling, buying out his competition.
2: The Steroid Scandal
McMahon wore a neckbrace during the 1994 steroid trial due to a surgery, though some believe it was a ploy to get sympathy from the jury.
During the 80s, WWF Superstars were larger than life, but to many, names like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and countless others were too large.
In November 1993, McMahon was indicted in a federal court and was accused of approving and distributing steroids to his roster.
McMahon temporarily ceded control of WWF operations to his wife Linda, and was looking at serious prison time if convicted.
McMahon’s saving grace would ironically come from a wrestler who played a prisoner, as Kevin ‘Nailz’ Wacholz testified that McMahon ordered him to use steroids.
That may sound like bad news for McMahon on the surface, but when Wacholz made it clear he was an unreliable and hostile witness, his credibility, and the credibility of the claims, were called into question.
In July 1994, a jury acquitted McMahon of all charges, proving that even the federal government can’t stop Vincent K. McMahon.
1: The Second Coming of Vince McMahon
What is the fate of WWE’s future now that Vince McMahon is back on the board of directors?
To paraphrase the late jazz singer Dinah Washington, what a difference a week makes.
This time last week, fans knew that McMahon was hopeful to return, but few believed it would happen.
After all, WWE has been doing so well without McMahon’s iron grip on production, that it just seemed to make no sense for him to return.
Yet, here we are.
There was a time when fans thought McMahon would never retire, and when he did, thought he’d never return, and hell has frozen over for the second time in six months.
Whether McMahon’s claim of merely being there to oversee a sale of WWE is genuine or not, McMahon is back on the board, in arguably the biggest win of his career.
Bayley’s post received well-wishes by both fans and those in wrestling, including Lance Storm and reigning IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI.
Bayley and Damage CTRL have been feuding with Becky Lynch in recent weeks, with the Role Model getting a win over the Man on the December 19, Raw.
This week, Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and Dakota Kai defeated Lynch and Mia ‘Michin’ Yim.
Bayley So Far
Signing with WWE ten years ago, Bayley’s career in the company actually began under a mask, as her in-ring debut saw her compete as Luchadora at an NXT live event.
It was in June 2013 that Bayley would adopt her doe-eyed fan-girl character which would make her one of the most popular babyfaces in recent years.
After multiple attempts, Bayley won the NXT Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn in August 2015, and would retain at NXT TakeOver: Respect that October.
After losing the title to Asuka, Bayley would be called up to Raw in 2016 and won the Raw Women’s Championship in early 2017.
After a run as one-half of the first WWE Women’s Tag Champions, Bayley would capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship in 2019, and would turn heel that September, marking her first run in WWE as a heel.
After a lengthy reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion, Bayley’s reign would end in October 2020, and an injury in July 2021 would keep her out of action until her return last year’s Summerslam.
Tama Tonga only recently captured the NJPW Never Openweight Championship, but his days with the promotion may be coming to an end if WWE can help it.
WWE has internally expressed interest in bringing Tonga into the fold, Fightful Select reports.
Word traveled through the locker room at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event earlier this week, but there is no confirmation if Tonga is interested.
Ironically, Tonga faced WWE’s own Karl Anderson at Wrestle Kingdom, dethroning the Machine Gun to start his second reign as Never Openweight Champion.
Sources in New Japan told Fightful that Tonga’s contract with the promotion is set to expire within “a matter of weeks.”
Tama Tonga
Beginning his training in 2008, Tonga would join NJPW in 2010 and is a founding member of the Bullet Club.
The 40-year-old is a seven-time IWGP World Tag Team Champion with his brother Tanga Loa, which makes sense considering he was trained by the Dudley Boyz.
After winning the ROH World Tag Titles at G1 Supercard, Tonga became the third man to have won a title in ROH, NJPW, and CMLL, behind Rocky Romero and Matt Taven.
Family Affair
Tama Tonga is on WWE’s radar as their next potential signing, but his brother may soon be calling himself a WWE Superstar.
It was reported earlier this week that WWE is also interested in Tonga’s brother Hikuleo but there is no confirmation as to whether talks have taken place.
WWE is said to have been interested in Hikuleo for months, and intermediaries have been used to express interest.
This is the same strategy as the Dragon Lee situation, as Finn Balor was the first to initiate contact with Lee regarding joining WWE.
Dragon Lee announced last month that he had signed a deal with WWE and relinquished his newly-won AAA World Tag Team Championship.
WWE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia may be a highly-controversial one, but the checks are certainly worth it according to Kurt Angle.
The decade-long deal between WWE and the middle-eastern nation began in 2018 and sees WWE be paid a small fortune to host shows.
WWE’s relationship with the country has been a source of controversy given Saudi Arabia’s restrictive views on women and approach to LGBTQ+ people.
Angle in Saudi Arabia
After returning to WWE in 2017, Kurt Angle would compete at some of WWE’s earliest shows in Saudi Arabia prior to his WrestleMania 35 retirement.
Speaking on his podcast, Angle was asked for his reaction to learning that WWE were working with Saudi Arabia.
“I loved it! And the main reason is money, money, money. When you go to these places they spend a lot. These were bought shows. Saudi Arabia… You’re talking 200 million dollars for two shows a year. That’s incredible.”
When asked if he ever thought he’d compete at such a unique event, Angle reiterated how well he was paid.
“No, [I didn’t think I would be part of a show like this.] But I was glad I was. I mean, the paychecks are very generous.”
Kurt Angle.
Unhappy
Angle may have been well-paid for his work in Saudi Arabia, but WWE’s use of him did not sit right with the Olympian.
On his show, Angle said he wasn’t a fan of his booking, but understood why WWE didn’t give him more prominent spots.
“What I will say is this. They didn’t put me in great spots as you know. I think I did I did a Royal Rumble [2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble.] I also did a seven-minute match with Dolph Ziggler [WWE Crown Jewel 2018.]
“They didn’t put me in great spots.”
Kurt Angle on his Saudi Arabia booking.
“The match wasn’t [good.] Dolph was great, don’t get me wrong but me at this point in time I wasn’t so great. I had really started to lose a step at this particular time in my career. The match wasn’t where I wanted to be. I was hoping more for the main event status, but still, the money was still really good.”
Tangling with the Dragon
Angle may not have had the prominent spots he was hoping for in Saudi Arabia, but he did get to lock horns with Bryan Danielson.
Danielson (then Daniel Bryan) also competed in the Greatest Royal Rumble, and nearly won the 50-man match.
Speaking about a spot where he locked up with Bryan, Kurt said it was a delight to do something in the ring.
“We wanted to do something special. So Daniel actually came up with it and it was a great little spot. I enjoyed working with him. Man he’s so talented and he’s not just an incredible high flyer he’s a great technician too. Daniel Bryan could be one of the best overall workers in the business today.”
Speaking about the expected Iron Man match between Danielson and AEW World Champion MJF, Kurt had doubts that the holder of the Big Burberry Belt will be able to keep up.
Fans of Xavier Woods’ popular UpUpDownDown YouTube channel will soon get to hear the group’s single ‘Can’t Stop Da Party.’
Da Party consists of Woods, former WWE Superstar and current trainer Tyler Breeze, Ring of Honor World Champion Claudio Castagnoli, and AEW’s Adam Cole.
On Twitter, Cole shared an image of the four members and said it is just two more days before the track’s release.
Given that the tweet was released yesterday, that means that ‘Can’t Stop Da Party’ will drop at some point tomorrow.
Fans can find out more information on how to purchase the track by clicking here.
Harley Cameron
Harley Cameron, who has performed with Shotzi and Scarlett, will feature in the track set to be released on Monday.
All four members of Da Party have proven themselves in the ring, and while Woods can hold his own on the trombone, none are known for their singing.
In addition to the foursome, the track will feature Harley Cameron, who is a wrestler/singer.
Cameron worked with Shotzi and Scarlett last October for a cover of ‘I Put a Spell on You’ and produced the theme song for The IInspiration in Impact Wrestling.
Da Party
The quartet of Woods, Breeze, Castagnoli, and Cole were highlights of UpUpDownDown for years, but the group’s run was cut short by factors outside of their control.
Breeze was released from WWE in 2021, and Cole would choose not to re-sign with the company shortly after.
In October 2022, members of Da Party teased a reunion and in November, streamed on Twitch for their first time playing together since Cole’s departure.
Slaughter may have had a less-than-warm response to Evans using the Cobra Clutch, but the two may soon become a regular act on TV.
Last December, the former WWF Champion tweeted that he would love the opportunity to manage Evans, and is confident that she would become a Women’s Champion.
Responding, Evans shared her eagerness to make the pairing happen, asking where does she report in.
While Slaughter claimed for years to have served and trained with the Marines, even off of WWE TV, he never served his country, while Evans is a real former Marine.
Lacey Evans
Lacey Evans was once poised to walk into WrestleMania 37 as Raw Women’s Champion, but her career has been a whirlwind since then.
After Evans announced her pregnancy, plans for a title win were scrapped, and she would return to TV in a vignette on the April 8, 2022 edition of SmackDown.
Initially poised as a face, Evans was quietly moved to Raw and was listed as a heel, but never appeared on the red brand.
The former Marine would be moved back to SmackDown, turned face again, and then turned heel again in the summer of 2022.
Jade Cargill is getting rave reviews for her improved ring work.
The reigning TBS Champion is coming up on the two year anniversary of her AEW debut (March 3, 2021). She’s still early in wrestling career, which has led some critics to call her green. Fortunately, Cargill has star power to spare and had joked that she’s “green like money.”
On Friday’s live edition of AEW Rampage, Cargill successfully defended her gold against Skye Blue. Cargill looked impressive – especially this finishing sequence:
Jade Cargill is really improving – she’s been “green like money” but will be the total package sooner than later #TBSpic.twitter.com/5Xq60Npf6d
Ospreay is one of the most talented wrestlers in the world, so an endorsement from him carries a lot of weight. He just wrestled a Match-of-the-Year candidate against Kenny Omega at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17. The match was so good that Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer rated it 6.25 stars (on a scale of 1-5).
Ospreay is not the only main event star who has taken notice of Cargill’s development. Last month, Cargill was asked about her dream opponent. She named WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, “because she can go.” Flair replied:
Keep killing it queen. #undefeated
– Charlotte Flair to Jade Cargill
Ex-WWE Writer Freddie Prinze Jr. is also a big fan of Cargill, calling her an incredibly unique performer and likening her to a unicorn who deserves to be booked in a special way.
“Lions and tigers and bears are cool, but a Unicorn, a Minotaur, a Cerberus,” said Prinze. “They’re magic, and they’re treated that way in the stories I read as a kid. And that’s what Jade is, she’s a Unicorn.”
There’s no doubt that Jade Cargill is one of the most promising home-grown stars on the AEW roster. The 48-0 champion has proven that she’s willing to put the work in to improve her skills. If she continues at this pace, she really will be the “total package” in the near future.
Sources who spoke to CNBC reported that J.P. Morgan will advise WWE on a potential sale, which if one happens, will be the first in the company’s history.
Those same sources said that if a deal is struck, it will likely occur within the next six to three months.
During a company-wide message, WWE President Frank Riddick clarified that McMahon’s return does not guarantee a sale of the promotion nor a merger with another company.
Buyers – Comcast
An internationally-known brand that reported record profits during the pandemic, it is hardly surprising that WWE is making for quite an attractive purchase.
CNBC reports that Comcast would make a sensible buyer of WWE, given that the company already deals with the McMahon-led promotion.
Comcast owns NBC-Universal, which owns both the USA Network and Peacock, the home of WWE Monday Night Raw and the WWE Network respectively.
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in October 2022 that the company isn’t in a rush to pursue an acquisition.
FOX
FOX is also named by CNBC as a potential buyer, and they two have experience with WWE.
The home of WWE SmackDown, FOX has reportedly been very pleased with WWE since their deal was struck in 2018.
Higher-ups at FOX have been delighted that WWE has been eager to please them, including having top-drawing names like Roman Reigns, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey on the blue brand.
Fox sold most of its entertainment assets in a $71 billion sale to Disney in 2019, though WWE would likely fit into the company’s sports and live events focus.
Disney
The House of Mouse has been collecting IPs like Thanos collects Infinity Stones, the Marvel villain of course being under Disney’s ownership.
With former CEO Bob Iger returning (the irony!) CNBC suggested that he could make a splashy acquisition to cement his return.
If so, WWE would likely be placed on ESPN+ and the WWE IP would be applicable for merchandizing and theme park businesses.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Current WBD CEO David Zaslav slashed costs upon his appointment to the top of the merged company, and spending billions on WWE is within the budget.
While a huge purchase like this would run counter to his cost-cutting strategy, Zaslav has spoken in the past about his interest in owning IPs.
With WBD pleased with the success AEW has had so far, it is possible that higher-ups will now set their sights on the much more internationally-known wrestling promotion.
Netflix
It has only been recently that Netflix has opened up to the idea of sports on their programming, with the success of various documentaries.
Netflix also boasts around 223 million paid subscribers (as of 2022 Q3) though the platform has been losing subscribers with many unpopular changes.
Speaking last month, co-CEO Ted Sarandos spoke about how Netflix wouldn’t be renting sports, only buying.
“We’ve not seen a profit path to renting big sports. We’re not anti-sports; we’re just pro-profit.”
Amazon
Unlike Netflix, Amazon has never shied away from acquiring sports, and pays $1 billion per year on Thursday Night Football.
Amazon could bolster Prime Video with live matches and WWE’s library content while easily boosting merchandizing opportunities.
Owned by the richest man on the planet Jeff Bezos, the price of a WWE purchase would not be a problem for Amazon.
Endeavour Group Holdings
In 2021, Endeavor purchased 100% of the UFC, but this may have just been the start of their plans.
Endeavor superagent Ari Emanuel has said that he wants to get into the business of live-events, making WWE a very attractive option.
UFC generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2022, proving that live events can be profitable to Emanuel.
Vince McMahon may be back with WWE, but staff at the company’s offices shouldn’t have to worry about one of his famed outbursts.
McMahon returned to WWE yesterday as a member of the Board of Directors after announcing his retirement in July of last year.
McMahon and WWE have claimed that his return is to oversee a possible sale of the company.
Out of the Office
For decades, McMahon ruled WWE, and as a result the wrestling world, with an iron fist from his office at Titan Towers.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that McMahon won’t be a regular at WWE HQ.
“I don’t think he’s coming back to TV, I mean, the word is he’s not. The word is he’s not even returning to his office. We’ll see how long that lasts.”
Dave Meltzer.
McMahon plans on creating a portfolio of WWE’s assets and advantages to pitch to potential buyers.
Names being thrown around as possible buyers include Comcast, FOX, Disney and Saudi Arabia.
New Home
McMahon won’t be returning to the famed Titan Towers, but soon no WWE employee will be calling the office home.
A report this week confirmed the news of a move, though WWE will stop be operating in the state of Connecticut.
A company spokesperson told CTinsider the move is planned to commence towards the end of the first quarter of 2023.
707 Washington Blvd in Stamford, CT, will be home to more than 800 people once the company’s new offices have been opened.
Everybody loves a title change, right? The joy of seeing history being made, and another name being added to a litany of champions.
For wrestlers, title victories mean that long after their careers are over, long after their lives are over, what they achieved will live on in the annals of history.
But for some wrestlers, their title changes were not meant to be, and while they had the joy of winning, they also felt the pain of having that win taken away.
With Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal almost becoming AEW World Tag Team Champions this week, we’re looking back at six times titles changed hands, but then didn’t.
The Rocket’s Reign Fizzles Out
Owen Hart held plenty of gold in the WWE, but never held the World Championship, despite what this image may suggest.
Bret Hart is considered one of the greatest WWF Champions of all time, but despite an impressive career of his own, his younger brother Owen would never win the gold.
Well, not officially at least, as during the August 17, 1994 taping of WWF Superstars, Owen defeated his big brother to capture the gold.
The problem for the Rocket though, is that Jim Neidhart had been caught interfering on his behalf, and the match was restarted.
In another excellent collision between the two, Bret would defeat Owen to retain his title, but the image of the Rocket with the title remains an epic sight.
Y2J Plays the Game
Chris Jericho’s arrival in the WWF in 1999 was a huge deal, and it wasn’t long before one of WCW’s most popular stars was hanging with the top guys.
On the April 17, 2000 episode of Raw is War, Jericho’s insulted Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, and was able to goad Triple H into putting his WWF title on the line.
With the hired APA holding DX at bay, Jericho was able to get the win over the Game, thanks to a fast count from Earl Hebner.
Hebner had been bullied by DX for weeks, but even he knew the decision couldn’t stand, and Jericho would have to hand back the title.
With this stricken from the record, Jericho would have to wait until late 2001 until he became the WWF Undisputed title, a title he’d ironically lose to Triple H.
The Miz Goes Over the Limit
The Miz held nothing back in his efforts to make John Cena quit, even using a recording of the future Hollywood star.
Last year saw The Miz become a two-time WWE Champion, and while his reign was short, it was a long-time coming for fans of the A-Lister.
After losing the WWE title in 2011 to John Cena, Miz tried to win it back, and in a shocking turn of events, his I-Quit match with Cena saw Big Match John utter those two words.
As Miz celebrated, his NXT protege Alex Riley dropped an item, revealed to be a recording of Cena saying those words, and the jig was up.
With the match restarted, Cena made Miz quit for real, and the Marine star would wait a long time before he earned his real second WWE Championship.
The Wrong Rope Break
The Rockers held the WWF Tag Team titles for a brief moment, but a ring rope breaking snapped their run.
When you think of tag teams who never held gold in the WWF, few teams are more celebrated than The Rockers.
The pairing of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty would wow fans with their high-flying skills, and on one fateful night, would even win the WWF World Tag Team Titles.
During an October 1990 taping for Saturday Night’s Main Event, the Rockers dethroned the Hart Foundation in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match.
The ring-rope breaking mid-match did not stop the action, but it was this rope break that would cost them dearly.
Unsatisfied with the match because of the rope, WWF higher-ups planned for it to be re-taped, but that never happened.
Explaining rumors of a phantom title change, WWF President Jack Tunney reversed the decision because the broken ring rope meant the bout was partially contested in an unfair environment, and on this occasion, it was Shawn getting screwed out of a title that was back in the hands of Bret Hart.
Inoki Makes History
Inoki’s career would include an unofficial run as WWWF World Champion, making him the first Asian WWE Champion.
When Antonio Inoki died last October, fans reflected on his incredible career, which included a reign as WWWF Champion.
Unlike others on this list though, Inoki’s title win was not immediately reversed and would come in November 1979, with a win over Bob Backlund.
A title rematch between the two went to a no-content, and the decision was made to strip Inoki of the title.
Backlund would defeat Bobby Duncum in a Texas Death Match to fill the vacancy, but the title controversy was never acknowledged, and fans at the time wouldn’t learn about Inoki’s win until years later.
Dusty’s Dream is Shattered
The American Dream celebrated his NWA World title win, before learning his win was being reversed and the reign nullified.
We couldn’t have an article like this without the namesake of the ‘Dusty Finish:’ The American Dream Dusty Rhodes.
As a booker, Rhodes often used the trope of the face seemingly winning only to heel come out on top, but at Starrcade 1985, Rhodes got a taste of his own medicine.
The show’s main event, which pitted Rhodes against NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair was a match for the ages, and one that saw Rhodes win the gold.
It wasn’t until the next WCW show that the elated fans learned the truth that Flair was still champion, as referee Tommy Young had been knocked out during the title match, and that since the first ref was down, the pinfall wasn’t official.
Flair regained the gold in a crushing moment for the American Dream, as the master of the Dusty finish got a taste of his own medicine.
Drew McIntyre and Sheamus were unsuccessful in their bid to become Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, and that was just the start of a bad night.
In the main event, McIntyre and Sheamus faced The Usos for the gold but came up short against the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions.
This match had originally been scheduled for weeks in advance but didn’t take place when McIntyre was medically disqualified.
After SmackDown
Following this setback, McIntyre and Sheamus (now going by the unfortunate moniker the Banger Bros.) were trying to recover in the ring.
After SmackDown went off the air, the pair of former WWE Champions were attacked by the Viking Raiders.
Erik and Ivar laid out both men with Ragnaroks (their name for the double powerbomb) and after exiting the ring, had a moment with Valhalla (Sarah Logan.)
With this attack, it appears that the Banger Bros. will be sticking together for the time being.
What Else Happened?
This week’s SmackDown was the first of the new year, and WWE looked to kick off the blue brand’s 2023 with a bang.
SmackDown also saw Top Dolla and Hit Row turn heel, attacking Ricochet after the One and Only’s Royal Rumble qualifier victory over Dolla.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match for the Rumble was confirmed as Roman Reigns will defend against Kevin Owens.
New WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair kicked off her latest reign with a successful title defense against Sonya Deville.
On last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Ricochet mocked Top Dolla for his botched dive during SmackDown a few weeks ago, which upset Top Dolla. The big man got fired up and shoved Ricochet.
This confrontation led to a match between the two, which was announced for the following week.
The Turn
Fast forward to Friday’s show, Ricochet defeated Top Dolla to qualify for the men’s Royal Rumble match. Post-match, Dolla offered Ricochet a handshake and raised his arm, but it was all a ruse as Ashante “Thee” Adonis blindsided the former WWE Intercontinental Champion.
Adonis hit Ricochet with a super kick before Top Dolla, and B-Fab also took part in beating Ricochet down until Braun Strowman ran down to the ring to make the save and send Hit Row retreating.
Ricochet now joins Kofi Kingston in the men’s Royal Rumble match. Kofi Kingston previously qualified for the match. 28 other stars will make up the match, with the winner earning a shot at the Undisputed WWE Universal Title that is currently held by Roman Reigns, who will also be in action on this show as he defends against Kevin Owens.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is emerging as a potential bidder for WWE.
WWE has close ties to the Middle Eastern kingdom through its 10-year partnership with the Saudi General Sports Authority, which sees WWE present two events per year in the country.
Their first show was held in April 2018 with the Greatest Royal Rumble. It was originally supposed to feature one event before the partnership was expanded to two large-scale events per year in late 2019.
PIV’s Backing
This is according to sources of Front Office Sports. The fund controls $620 billion in assets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman as Chairman.
LightShed Partners analyst Brandon Ross told Front Office Sports: “In the same way they did LIV, there’s an unlimited faucet of dollars there. The Saudis are already a decent part of the profitability of the company just on those two [Saudi-based WWE] events alone. They’re trying to be relevant in the entertainment world.”
The fund has looked into getting more involved in sports as they’re the majority shareholder in English Premier League football club Newcastle United, having acquired the club in October 2021.
Front Office Sports reported that PIF isn’t the only possible bidder, as other potential buyers would be Amazon, Comcast, Endeavor, Liberty Media, and CAA.
Talk of WWE being sold comes after Vince McMahon returned to the company where he elected himself, Michelle Wilson, and George Barrios to the Board of Directors. He has angled his return as wanting to oversee the sale of the company should there be bidders ahead of its television rights deals which expire next year.
It was emphasized that WWE might not be sold while taking the company private and was also touted as another “possible avenue” if it was “the best outcome for shareholders.”
Kevin Owens looks to right a wrong from 2021 at this year’s WWE Royal Rumble event when he steps into the ring once again and challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.
In recent months, Owens has been a thorn in the side of Reigns and The Bloodline. Owens has that he hasn’t gotten over the fact that he would have been WWE Universal Champion if not for Paul Heyman and Jey Uso getting involved in his match two years ago.
At that event, Owens and Reigns battled in a Last Man Standing bout, but dealt with interference from The Bloodline, a pair of handcuffs, and a referee’s decision not to count all the way to 10 eventually led to his loss against “The Tribal Chief.”
How We Got Here
On Friday’s episode of SmackDown, Owens challenged Reigns to a match at the Royal Rumble. This was as Reigns was in the middle of talking down to Sami Zayn.
Owens made it clear that Roman’s problem wasn’t with Zayn, but rather it was with him. Owens said he would see Roman at the Royal Rumble and see Zayn if he ever made the decision to get his balls out of the pocket of Roman Reigns.
This will be Reigns’ first defense on pay-per-view since facing Logan Paul at WWE Crown Jewel.
After a major upset last week, @WWERomanReigns wants to know one thing:
It’s been a wild 24 hours for WWE as Vince McMahon maneuvered his way back into WWE and got himself a seat on the Board of Directors. He brought Michelle Wilson and George Barrios with him.
WWE held an all-hands-on-deck meeting with employees, as talent was not invited. The meeting lasted for 10 minutes.
Pwinsider.com put together highlights from the meeting that noted employees were told there would be no changes to management or their responsibilities at this time.
What Was Said?
Paul Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Frank Riddick III will remain in place in their current positions and jobs.
They stated the move was a big positive and made to give the company everything they needed to make the most of their future rights revenue sales (TV rights deals for their weekly television shows) in addition to gauging the market for a potential sale of the company with the idea that with Vince McMahon back, the entire company would all be on the same page in maximizing WWE’s potential leading into the future.
The idea is they would be looking at potential sale offers ahead of any rights negotiations and would benefit more than another round of just selling TV rights. It was also greatly emphasized that a sale may not happen, and it should not be assumed it would. Vince McMahon has the final say as the controlling shareholder.
A “possible avenue” for the company could be for it to be taken private again if it was “the best outcome for shareholders.” This was among the potential strategic options. They did not take any employee questions.
It’s unclear whether Triple H will hold a talent meeting with wrestlers at Friday Night SmackDown.
WWE is keeping talent and those backstage at events in the dark regarding who is playing the role of Uncle Howdy.
There has been a lot of speculation among fans regarding who is behind the character. Apparently, WWE talent backstage is wondering the same thing, but the person portraying the gimmick isn’t talking.
Keeping Kayfabe
Fightful Select reports that WWE is playing everything close to the vest in regard to the identity of Uncle Howdy, and the person in the outfit is kayfabing people backstage by going as far as to keep his outfit on backstage so nobody knows who it is.
There have been various guesses among fans regarding who the person is, with Bo Dallas’ name being heavily rumored. It’s likely there won’t be a confirmation until whenever they decide to do a big reveal.
Wyatt is slated to compete against LA Knight in the Mountain Dew Pitch Black match at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view later this month. WWE confirmed the match on last Friday’s episode of SmackDown.
The segment to announce the upcoming match saw Knight and Wyatt exchange words. Before they could brawl, Uncle Howdy appeared, standing alongside Wyatt before hitting him with Sister Abigail. Knight quickly exited the ring.
Former WCW president Eric Bischoff has reacted to news of Vince McMahon’s WWE return.
As recently reported, Vince McMahon is back on WWE’s Board Of Directors, effective immediately. Last year, McMahon was forced to step down after allegations of sexual misconduct with female employees surfaced. Both Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon stepped in as co-CEOs in his place.
McMahon also retired from WWE soon after, leaving Triple H to take over as head of creative for the company. However, months later, McMahon then released a statement announcing his intention to return to the company, believing it was in the company’s best interest.
Initial reports suggest that McMahon has returned to seek a sale of the company. Currently, his 37% share of WWE stock gives him an 80% majority voter share over the board’s actions.
Taking to his podcast, “83 Weeks,” Bischoff offered his take on the situation, and the potential sale of WWE.
“I understand your question, but I think — now I haven’t read everything that’s come out in the last couple of hours. I’ve seen some of the bigger headlines and a couple other emails and stories.
“But I think Vince is — his reasoning for coming back and making this move is to aggressively pursue a sale. So in that case, I don’t think that matters. Because if he sells the company, he’s not gonna be running it anymore. And whether things ran better with him or without him is an irrelevant, a moot point.
“Because whoever buys it isn’t going to have Vince McMahon running it anyway. They’re gonna run it. So no, I think this is Vince’s exit strategy. And whether it’ll run better with him or without him isn’t really a discussion in an exit strategy like that.”
Today, via an SEC filing, it was confirmed that McMahon was back with the WWE’s Board Of Directors, effective immediately. He’s also returning alongside WWE co-Presidents Michelle Wilson and George Barrios.
They will be replacing now-former board members JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey R. Speed, and Alan M. Wexler. It remains to be seen if McMahon’s return will include a return to the creative side of the company as well.
WWE may be bringing back another wrestler that they had released a few years ago, and that’s EJ Nduka.
The former NXT star was let go in May 2021 after having been with the company since 2019. He made his MLW debut the following month when his non-compete clause expired.
In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE has expressed interest in bringing Nduka back to the company.
The Interest
Meltzer wrote: “EJ Nduka, who has gotten rave reviews from management [in MLW], has his contract coming due imminently, and there is interest in him from multiple promotions, including WWE having expressed some interest in bringing him back.”
Meltzer continued by noting that his name has come up in AEW as well as Japan.
Heis currently one-half of the promotion’s Tag Team Champions along with Calvin Tankman. The tag team will defend their titles against The Samoan Swat Team (Lance Anoa’i & Juicy Finau) on Saturday’s Blood & Thunder event from Philadelphia.
Nduka is also booked for a show with the KAOZ promotion on February 26, 2023, in Monterrey, Mexico.
Before breaking into the wrestling business, he played for both the Indoor Football League and Canadian Football League.
We have some more details to pass along regarding Charlotte Flair returning to win the SmackDown Women’s Title.
As we’ve noted, Flair made her surprise return on last week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, confronting Ronda Rousey. Rousey just successfully defended the SmackDown Women’s Title against Raquel Rodriguez.
Flair then challenged Rousey to a title bout right there on the spot, which Flair was able to win after a Spear. Now, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com reports that Rousey vs. Rodriguez was planned for the Royal Rumble in 2023 since mid-November.
Meltzer added Flair winning the title was a late change of plans, as Rousey was scheduled to go in a different direction, being penciled in as the champion through WrestleMania in preliminary plans.
He also previously mentioned that Rousey vs. Becky Lynch is no longer the plan for WrestleMania 39, and that match is “very unlikely” to happen.
(via WWE)
Previously, Charlotte Flair had not been seen since WrestleMania Backlash, where she dropped the SmackDown Women’s Title to Ronda Rousey in their I Quit match. She had suffered a fractured radius and the loss was used to write her off of television.
In her several months off, Flair actually got married to Andrade El Idolo, with names such as Apollo Crews, Finn Balor, Rey Mysterio, and Lina Fanene (Nia Jax) in attendance.
WWE has announced a significant shakeup to the company’s Board of Directors. In total, five board members are out, with three being removed by Vince McMahon and two resigning.
Vince McMahon, in his capacity as controlling shareholder of the Company, has removed JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey R. Speed and Alan M. Wexler. Additionally, Ignace Lahoud and Man Jit Singh have resigned from the Board, effective immediately.
SEScoops has learned WWE will be holding an “all hands on deck” Zoom call this afternoon at 3:30pm (Eastern).
Trading of WWE stock has been temporarily halted amid this Board of Directors shakeup.
WWE released the following press release Friday morning, including quotes from Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan and Paul “Triple H” Levesque:
STAMFORD, Conn., January 6, 2023 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) is providing the following update regarding the composition of its Board of Directors and the exploration of strategic alternatives.
“Today, we announce that the founder of WWE, Vince McMahon, will be returning to the Board,” said Chairwoman & Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon, Co-CEO Nick Khan and Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque. “We also welcome back Michelle Wilson and George Barrios to our Board of Directors. Together, we look forward to exploring all strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value.”
As Vince McMahon stated yesterday, “WWE has an exceptional management team in place, and I do not intend for my return to have any impact on their roles, duties, or responsibilities.”
In connection with the change in the composition of the Board of Directors and in cooperation with Vince McMahon as majority shareholder, the Company intends to undertake a review of its strategic alternatives with the goal being to maximize value for all WWE shareholders. There is no assurance that this process will result in a transaction.
Vince McMahon, in his capacity as controlling shareholder of the Company, has removed JoEllen Lyons Dillon, Jeffrey R. Speed and Alan M. Wexler from the Board. Vince McMahon, George Barrios and Michelle Wilson have been added to the Board to fill the resulting vacancies.
The Board currently consists of:
Vince McMahon
Stephanie McMahon
Nick Khan
Paul Levesque
Steve Koonin
Michelle McKenna
Steve Pamon
George Barrios
Michelle Wilson
Ignace Lahoud and Man Jit Singh have resigned from the Board, effective today.
About WWE WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, premium live events, digital media, and publishing platforms. WWE’s TVPG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide in 30 languages through world class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX, BT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all premium live events, scheduled programming and a massive video on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network.
