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

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

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

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

The Gaming Wars

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

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

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

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

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

Lynell Jinks.

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

    AEW Fight Forever

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

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

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

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

    h/t – 411 Mania

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

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

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

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

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

    Matt Hardy
    Matt Hardy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Reaction

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

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

    Dustin and Dusty

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

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

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

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

    Brock Lesnar To Wrestle At Elimination Chamber, Updated Match Card

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

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

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

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

    Elimination Chamber Updated Match Card

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

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

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

    Watch: Lita Makes Surprise Return To End Raw

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

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

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

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

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

    Lita is Back!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Jake Hager Weighs In

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

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

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

    Jake Hager on CM Punk.

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

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

    What’s next?

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

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

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

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

    h/t – eWrestlingNews

    Another WWE Tag Team Has Switched Brands

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

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

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

    Moving Brands

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

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

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

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

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

    Los Lotharios

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Dominik Mysterio Screams for Mami

    Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio

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

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

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

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

    Creed Brothers Wrestle Before Raw

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

    Creed Brothers in NXT

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

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

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

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

    Live Coverage

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

    Angelo Dawkins vs. Damian Priest — Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match

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

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

    Winner – Damian Priest

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

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

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

    Winner – Dexter Lumis

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

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

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

    Winner – Carmella

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

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

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

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

    Winners – Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander

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

    Chelsea Green vs. Asuka

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

    Winner – Asuka

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

    Montez Ford vs. Elias — Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match

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

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

    Winner – Montez Ford

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

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

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

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

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

    Winner – Becky Lynch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The Rock

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    – Tony Khan

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

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

    h/t – Fightful

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

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

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

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

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

    MJF Defends Zachary Wentz

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

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

    – MJF

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

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

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

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

    GUNTHER: Brock Lesnar is My End Boss

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

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

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

    The Beast Vs. Der Ring General

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

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

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

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

    “That’s my end boss.”

    GUNTHER on Brock Lesnar.

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

    Future Plans

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

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

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

    h/t – Fightful

    Reason Why WWE Changed Iyo Sky’s Ring Name

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

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

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

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

    What’s Next For IYO SKY?

    Damage CTRL
    (WWE)

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

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

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

    AEW/ROH Stars Pulled From Beyond Wrestling Event

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

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

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

    The Statement

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

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

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

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

    Jamie Hayter Would “Happily” Wrestle Former AEW Women’s Champion Again

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    Jamie Hayter has accumulated a winning streak since obtaining the AEW Women’s World Championship at Full Gear last November. Along the way, she reached three tag team victories alongside Britt Baker, and most recently defeated Emi Sakura in a title eliminator match on the January 25 episode of Dynamite.

    Perhaps most notably, though, Jamie Hayter battled a former AEW Women’s Champion in the main event of the “Holiday Bash” edition of Dynamite on December 21. The match itself would receive much positive praise, as Hayter dueled back-and-forth with Hikaru Shida, before the current champion picked up the victory with a Hayter-ade.

    When discussing the possibility of wrestling Shida again Hayter noted she’d “happily” run it back.

    “I would happily wrestle Shida, she is the real deal,” Hayter told Dark Puroresu Flowsion. “She almost made me believe I might not beat her. But I loved the challenge. I think doing it on a bigger stage at a PPV will make things much more intense and raise the stakes even higher. Having that ‘big match feel’ always escalates the situation and I think she has even more to give. I want the challenge.”

    STARDOM

    Stardom logo

    In the same interview, Jamie Hayter was asked if there was any talent in STARDOM she’d like to face. From 2018-2020 she aligned with the Oedo Tai faction of the Japanese promotion, capturing the Goddesses of STARDOM Championship and SWA World Championship during her tenure there.

    “That’s a tough question because, honestly, I would love the opportunity to wrestle all of the women in STARDOM, so let’s say everybody!” Hayter said. “There is a plethora of talent I’d like to step in the ring with so it’s hard to single anybody out. I feel like it would be interesting to step into a ring with talent l’ve wrestled before to see how much we have grown and evolved. Someone like Utami for instance…”

    WWE Stable Officially Switches Brands

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    WWE has decided to move the Maximum Male Models from Friday Night SmackDown to Monday Night Raw. 

    WWE had the trio appear in a segment last week on Raw where Maxxine Dupri, ma.çé (Mace), and mån.sôör (Mansoor) were backstage. Dupri looked like she was interested in recruiting Otis of Alpha Academy.

    WWE has updated its website’s Raw roster page and added the three members to the red brand. 

    Explanation

    WWE is planning to do an angle on tonight’s Raw to solidify Maximum Male Models moving to the red brand, according to a report by Fightful Select. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether Otis or Chad Gable will be involved or what they have planned for the group. 

    WWE created the stable in April 2022 on SmackDown. Originally, LA Knight, known as Max Dupri, led the group. It was said the stable was a pet project of Vince McMahon while he was still in charge of creative. 

    Maxxine was later introduced as Max’s sister, while Knight left the group and returned to his previous gimmick. This was shortly after WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H took over creative.

    Before last week, WWE last used the faction on television during the January 20 SmackDown episode. This show saw them lose to Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde of Legado del Fantasma. They didn’t get much television time, but Mansoor, Mace, and Dupri continued to work non-televised live events.

    Jericho Cruise ‘Five Alive’ Announced for January 2024

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    Chris Jericho’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager at Sea’ cruise is returning in 2024. The fourth installment, dubbed Four Leaf Clover, just wrapped up. On Monday, organizers announced the first details about Five Alive.

    The Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Rager returns to the high seas January 26-30, 2024 from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico. Once again, Jericho and company will be commandeering the Norwegian Pearl.

    According to the official announcement sent in to SEScoops, “It’ll be the incredible Jericho Cruise experience that you know and love, full of insane AEW wrestling, Fozzy performances, up-close-and-personal meet and greets and more. This year, we’re adding a Top Rope Belly Flop competition and The Gimmick Gala.”

    Here’s all the information regarding the pre-sale and general on-sale events:

    • First Round Pre-Sale Deadline: 2/13 @ 11:59 PM ET
    • Final Pre-Sale Deadline: 2/15 @ 11:59 PM ET                      ?
    • Public On-Sale: 2/17 @ 2 PM ET

    For booking information, visit JerichoCruise.com.

    Candice LeRae Provides Insight Into Brief Absence In Late 2022

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    Candice LeRae made her grand return to WWE in late September, but a month later, she was written off of television for several weeks.

    On October 24, “The Poison Pixie” confronted Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY) in a backstage segment. After calling SKY “untrustworthy,” Kai “spiteful,” and pointing out Bayley’s failed attempts at capturing the Raw Women’s Championship, the three attacked LeRae. As a result, LeRae sustained a “shoulder injury” from the ambush, according to commentary.

    Candice LeRae would then be sidelined from action for over a month, returning on November 28 and defeating Dakota Kai in singles action. In a recent on The Sam Laprade Show, LeRae provided some more insight into her brief absence.

    “I just had a freak accident happen not that long ago,” she confirmed.

    LeRae’s New Approach To Handling Injuries

    Candice LeRae wwe
    (via WWE)

    No further details were mentioned, but LeRae continued to explain the inherent risk performers take when they sign up for wrestling. Her approach to handling them has also changed upon entering motherhood. “We’re always taking a risk when we step into the ring. What we do, it is very taxing on our bodies,” she said. “I’m a bit more — having a son now, it’s a bit more scary for me because when I do get hurt, it affects him now. Before, I was like, ‘Well, I don’t care, it’s myself. If it happens, it happens, then that’s the risk we’re taking.'”

    “Now, it does affect him as well. It’s a very real thing, but WWE takes such phenomenal care of us. The medical staff that we have, they do so much for us and we do everything we can to prevent anything.”

    “Of course, in the back of my head, I’m thinking, ‘I don’t want to get hurt because I want to be a present mother.’ I do feel not as worried as you’d probably think I would be. I feel people got my back, 1000%. I’ve been training for this for 20 years.”

    MLW Superfight 2023 Tapings Results (Spoilers)

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    Major League Wrestling held their Superfight tapings over the weekend in Philadelphia.

    The tapings were packed with title bouts and will air on upcoming episodes of MLW Fusion and Underground. Underground is coming to REELZ starting this week.

    Warning, spoilers ahead:

    Billie Starkz bested B3CCA.

    Davey Boy Smith beat Alex Kane in a No Ropes Catch Wrestling Match.

    Matthew Justice was confirmed to be the mystery competitor for the show’s Dumpster Match.

    MLW National Openweight Champion John Hennigan (best known as John Morrison to WWE fans) retained the strap against former PWG favorite Willie Mack. Sam Adonis and Hennigan’s real-life wife, MLW World Women’s Featherweight Champion Taya Valkyrie, are now coming with him as a packaged deal.

    AKIRA beat Calvin Tankman.

    MLW World Heavyweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone defeated former (and longest-ever reigning) champion Jacob Fatu,

    Sam Adonis picked up the win over La Estrella.

    MLW World Middleweight Champion Lince Dorado successfully defended against Delirious.

    MLW World Tag Team Champions The Samoan SWAT Team (Juicy Finau and Lance Anoa’i) bested The Mane Event (Midas Black and Jay Lyon).

    Alexander Hammerstone And Jacob Fatu Continue To Dominate MLW

    Alexander Hammerstone and Jacob Fatu are still running hot as Major League Wrestling’s premier main event acts. For Fatu, MLW has provided a great showcase of his hard-hitting monster talent. The fiery Samoan star appears to be incredibly loyal to the MLW brand. While that’s great news for Court Bauer, it’s been somewhat disappointing for the many fans who’d hoped to see him join his relatives in The Bloodline over in WWE.

    Hammerstone, meanwhile, has now been champion for a whopping 490 days and counting. An old school heavyweight star, Hammerstone’s has had a character metamorphosis of sorts during his time in MLW. Now, he’s the kind of charismatic top guy promotions like WWE and AEW should be eyeing.

    Who do you think will eventually dethrone Alexander Hammerstone?

    Double Or Nothing 2023 Date And Location Update from Tony Khan

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    AEW President Tony Khan hopes to keep Double Or Nothing in familiar territory this year.

    Upon its inauguration in 2019, the spring pay-per-view for All Elite Wrestling has belonged to Double Or Nothing. In its first four years, the event has gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada for the two years not surrounded by COVID (2019 & 2022).

    In a recent appearance on The Mark Hoke Show, the host asked if he should be making plans in Vegas for Memorial Day weekend — the traditional timeframe for the pay-per-view.

    “Yes, you should,” Tony Khan said.

    Though he didn’t officially confirm AEW would land in Las Vegas again for the show, Khan indicated that is indeed the intention. “I can’t wait. I really believe we’ve built something very special in Las Vegas with Double or Nothing weekend for the local fans in Vegas and fans who travel from all over the world to be part of Double or Nothing every year.”

    Tony Khan
    (AEW)

    “Absolutely, as long as I can make it happen, which I think will be for many decades to come, I expect Double or Nothing to be part of the Las Vegas calendar and Memorial Day in Las Vegas is about AEW now.”

    Khan continued, explaining that Memorial Day is not only a “very important American holiday,” but a “nice tradition” for AEW and its fans as well. “On Sunday in particular, in recent years, we’ve had a lot of success, so I would love to Double or Nothing in Las Vegas and I expect to,” he said.

    Last year, AEW brought Double Or Nothing to the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada — a suburb of the popular Las Vegas city. The main event saw CM Punk defeat “Hangman” Adam Page to win the AEW World Championship.

    Raw Preview (2/6): Catch Match, Elimination Chamber Qualifiers

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    WWE rolls into Orlando, Florida tonight for a live episode of Monday Night Raw from the Amway Center.

    We’re now less than two weeks out from Elimination Chamber, which takes place next Saturday, February 18 from Montreal.

    We’ve got four matches confirmed for tonight’s broadcast, including three Elimination Chamber qualifying matches and a steel catch match between two of the biggest female stars in WWE.

    Matches for Raw

    Here’s what we’ve got on tap:

    • Becky Lynch vs. Bayley in a Steel Cage match

    Elimination Chamber Qualifiers:

    • Michin vs. Candice LeRae vs. Carmella vs. Piper Niven in a Fatal 4-Way
    • Angelo Dawkins vs. Damian Priest
    • Montez Ford vs. Elias

    After Raw, the participants for each the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches will be set.

    On the women’s side, confirmed participants include Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Nikki Cross, Asuka and Natalya. The winner will challenge Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair at WrestleMania.

    For the men, Austin Theory’s United States Championship will be on the line. Confirmed participants include Theory, Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed and Johnny Gargano.

    Steel Cage Match Preview

    The steel cage match between Bayley and Becky Lynch was originally scheduled for the recent Raw 30 anniversary special, but was cut that night due to time constraints. WWE fans were so upset that the match was bumped that “WWE Women Deserve Better” trended on Twitter.

    Since then, there have been even more twists and turns in this heated rivalry. WWE has put together the following video recapping the ‘road to steel cage match’ between these two former friends:

    WWE Hall of Famer Calls Women’s Rumble the “Best WWE Finish In Years”

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    While fans were blown away by the closing moments of last month’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, Kurt Angle has a different pick for his segment of the night.

    The finale of the January 28 event saw Sami Zayn’s time with the Bloodline end after he refused to attack Kevin Owens and instead struck Roman Reigns.

    The segment has been praised by fans and those in the industry as an excellent culmination of Zayn’s near-year-long angle with the Bloodline.

    Women’s Rumble

    Before Reigns and Owens headlined the event, fans saw Rhea Ripley become the sixth woman to win a Rumble match.

    The Judgment Day’s Eradicator now joins Asuka, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, and Ronda Rousey, and is the first woman to win a Rumble from #1.

    Speaking on his show, Kurt Angle praised the finish which saw Ripley face off against a returning Asuka and Liv Morgan (who entered at #2.)

    “I thought it was a great Royal Rumble and I’m not gonna lie to you the women’s finish of the women’s Royal Rumble was the best finish I’ve seen in years. Rhea Ripley — the way that that match ended was incredible. I was so impressed by it. I have to give the women five stars for that match.”

    Kurt Angle.

    Ripley at WrestleMania

    On last week’s Raw, Ripley declared that she will be challenging SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39.

    This match will mark the second WrestleMania match between the two, after Flair dethroned Ripley to become NXT Women’s Champion at the crowd-less WrestleMania 36.

    Should Ripley win this year, she’ll be the first woman to hold the Raw, SmackDown, NXT and NXT UK Women’s Championships.

    h/t – Fightful

    Sonya Deville Suffers Facial Injury at WWE Pensacola Live Event

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    A triple threat over the SmackDown Women’s Championship came to an abrupt and unplanned end at the recent WWE live event in Pensacola, Florida.

    WWE returned to the stomping ground of Roman Reigns for their latest untelevised production, though Reigns did not appear or compete.

    Deville’s Injury

    In the penultimate match of the night, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defended her title against Sonya Deville and Liv Morgan.

    During the match, Deville suffered a laceration to her face, causing the match to be hurried to the finish.

    The former MMA fighter also received medical attention at ringside, and walked to the back immediately at the conclusion of the match.

    On social media, Deville shared her latest facial injury, with the caption “And 7 more.”

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    Deville’s caption is a nod to the facial injury she suffered at WWE’s Royal Rumble 2023 event where she suffered a gash above her left eye.

    WWE Pensacola

    The results for the WWE live event in Pensacola are as follows:

    • WWE RAW Women’s Title: Bianca Belair Vs. Bayley ends in a no contest after interference that makes a tag match. Bianca Belair & Becky Lynch defeated Bayley & IYO SKY
    • Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso defeated Braun Strowman & Ricochet
    • Candice LeRae defeated Piper Niven
    • WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther defeated Sheamus
    • Sheamus, Butch, and Ridge Holland defeated Imperium
    • Light’s Out Street Fight: Bray Wyatt defeated LA Knight
    • WWE SmackDown Women’s Title: Charlotte Flair defeated Sonya Deville and Liv Morgan.
    • Cody Rhodes defeated Seth Rollins