Matt Riddle has had his personal business aired on not only WWE television, but also social media.
WWE used Riddle’s personal struggles and family life in his storyline with Seth Rollins while recreating a split interview segment from years ago in the UFC between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones.
Riddle was written off WWE television on the December 5 episode of Raw after the Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa viciously attacked him.
The attack angle was reportedly done because Riddle failed a second drug test this year with the expectation that he would be going to rehab. Riddle previously violated the company’s wellness policy over the summer, although a source close to him denied this report and stated he wanted time off.
This time it was not part of a storyline as adult actress Jordan Maxx tweeted about Riddle’s situation in response to a user’s joke about Riddle being with another adult actress known as Misha Montana.
The Tweets
Matt Riddle
“Does it make you feel better about yourself to kick people when they’re down? Try to imagine for one second, the man you’ve spent the last 6 months with, who said ‘I love you’ for the first time 2 months ago, is all of a sudden making out with someone else WHO IS IN YOUR INDUSTRY, and then, rather than keeping plans for Christmas and NYE, he’s going to rehab? Do you have any idea how confusing and hurtful that is?”
Twitter user @IAmRockReigns replied with, “Wait.. you would rather have him be with you at Christmas than to let him get the help he needs? He dodged a bullet with you, that’s for sure.”
Maxx responded to the user by writing: “Can you even read? That’s not what I’m saying at all. He told me that he quit drugs, and then to find out he’s a) with another girl b) doing those drugs with her and c) failing drug tests so he has to go to rehab for it is disappointing.”
Does it make you feel better about yourself to kick people when they’re down?
Try to imagine for one second, the man you’ve spent the last 6 months with, who said “I love you” for the first time 2 months ago, is all of a sudden making out with someone else WHO IS IN YOUR (1/2) https://t.co/sd2RGAbH2s
— Jordan Maxx // LAS VEGAS 12/18-12/23 (@TheJordanMaxx) December 19, 2022
Can you even read? That’s not what I’m saying at all. He told me that he quit drugs, and then to find out he’s a) with another girl b) doing those drugs with her and c) failing drug tests so he has to go to rehab for it is disappointing https://t.co/6ECTpiom9H
— Jordan Maxx // LAS VEGAS 12/18-12/23 (@TheJordanMaxx) December 19, 2022
Real1 (Enzo Amore in WWE) doesn’t want to hear comparisons to MJF because he thinks he is on another level with promos than the AEW World Heavyweight Champion.
Real1 got over in WWE as a babyface alongside Big Cass (Big Bill in AEW) for his microphone skills. Many fans consider MJF one of, if not the best, on the microphone and one of the best talkers in the business.
While speaking on Busted Open Radio, Real1 was asked about MJF’s mic skills.
“Don’t ever compare apples to oranges. You can’t compare a career heel to a career babyface.”
The Showdown?
Rearl1 was asked whether he’d be willing to go toe-to-toe with MJF in a promo battle, and Real1 replied.
“It’s not even a question. We don’t have to ask those questions because if that’s the truth of the matter, my phone is on. People know where to call me. People know where to find me. If you want to give the people that shit tomorrow, you’d be wasting a lot of time, money, and investment because that’s a build that deserves to be built. I’m not taking anything away from other people who do great work on the microphone, I want to see other people eat. Generational talent? I had ten years in this business. My first generation, my decade is done. What I did is undeniable. You can’t ever discredit it. I’m called a babyface because I got over. I don’t have to shit on the people and bury the people. I can make people love me. I can make people listen, cheer, chant. You can’t do that. Until you make people chant your catchphrases, love you, and book you as babyface, it’s easy to be a heel. It’s easy to shit on these people. It’s real easy. “
Real1 brought up how he created the word, Sawft, and mentioned that he didn’t curse for seven years in WWE to get a cheap pop. Rearl1 thinks he would destroy MJF on the mic in a five-minute promo battle.
“Don’t ever compare apples to oranges. Don’t ever disrespect me. Five minutes? Brutalize him. You give me five minutes on a live microphone, I’m trending number one in the world. When is the time you drew a two? When CM Punk got there is when they drew a two? If I show up on that screen, you’re getting the number one trend in the world, guaranteed, with or without MJF on the screen. I didn’t have to be there when Cass showed up, and he trended, and I trended number five on my fucking couch. It wasn’t Wardlow trending, it wasn’t Cass, it was Enzo trending.”
Real1 said that no three letters could hold him, including WWE, AEW, and MJF, before reiterating that he didn’t need to take cheap shots on the microphone to get over.
WWE released Real1 in January 2018 due to sexual assault allegations before the Phoenix Police Department ceased their investigation due to insufficient evidence a few months later.
Is Bill Goldberg and an errant really to blame for Bret Hart’s career-ending concussion?
That’s certainly been the consensus for decades after the Hitman took a stiff kick from Goldberg during their match at Starrcade 1999.
After the match, Hart would be diagnosed with a concussion which would lead to his retirement from wrestling, and the Hitman has loathed Goldberg ever since.
The Real Concussion
Due to this kick, Goldberg has spent years being labeled ‘dangerous’ and ‘unprofessional’ by countless fans as well as some wrestlers.
On the latest edition of his 83 Weeks podcast, former WCW President Eric Bischoff argued that another spot from the match is to blame.
“I’m looking at Bret bouncing his head off the concrete or the ring post, whatever it was, and if I had to put my money, I would put it on that concussion occurring on that bump as much or more so than the kick to the head.”
Eric Bischoff.
Hart would defeat Goldberg in the main event by submission when ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper called for the bell, mimicking the Montreal Screwjob of two years earlier.
Bret and Goldberg
Whether it was a shot by the ring post or the superkick, Bret Hart has been very anti-Goldberg in the decades since what happened.
A Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling star has captivated audiences all across the world for her unique blend of in-ring skills, charisma, and singing capabilities.
Former International Princess Champion Maki Itoh emerged as a standout talent within the Japanese wrestling scene. In early 2021, Itoh made her way over to the United States for a special venture. Although falling short in the AEW Women’s World Title Eliminator Tournament in February, Itoh garnered a great reception from fans. The next month, she made a surprise appearance as Britt Baker’s mystery partner in a successful tag team match at AEW Revolution, defeating Riho and Thunder Rosa.
Earlier this year, Itoh returned to All Elite Wrestling as the “Joker,” battling Baker in the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Though she mostly remains with TJPW now, Itoh has racked up a few independent appearances in the USA this year as well, including GCW and Prestige Wrestling. With Itoh’s subsequential rise in stock, many wondered if she’d received a formal contract offer from AEW, or their rival, WWE.
“No, nothing,” she told Steve Fall of WrestlingNewsCo, via her translator. “The reason she became this popular is thanks to AEW. Whatever happens, even if WWE gives her a cheeky offer from nowhere, she would not accept it and she would stay right beside AEW all the way.”
New Year Goals
(via AEW)
With the new year quickly approaching as well, Maki Itoh explained her goals for the upcoming 2023 year.
“In Japan, she wants to get a title belt, obviously,” Itoh said via her translator. “She feels maybe a tag team title belt would be really nice, just about now. Where for America, she wants to go back to being on AEW television again. As you know, there is only so much time available on American TV and you can’t really leave much of an impact due to how much time you get to be on TV. She definitely wants to leave a big enough impact to where everyone will remember the name of Maki Itoh.”
Most recently, Itoh returned to the USA for a few independent wrestling dates, including a bout with IMPACT Wrestling star Masha Slamovich at Game Changer Wrestling. In addition, Itoh returned to AEW, partnering with Emi Sakura to take on Nyla Rose and Marina Shafir on Dark: Elevation, airing on November 28.
Wherever Maki Itoh eventually ends up, she’ll be sure to make her mark.
WWE pulled D-Von Dudley from making a scheduled appearance at an ECW tribute event over the weekend.
The WWE Hall Of Famer was slated to appear at the Battleground Championship Wrestling’s “A Tribute to the Extreme” show at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday night.
The promotion stated they had received a legal letter from WWE, according to Pwinsider.com.
The Report
D-Von Dudley. Image Credit: WWE.com
The report noted that “D-Von was then pulled from the show, despite, according to the promotion, personally reaching out to WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque to get the edict reversed, which was not successful.”
Dudley, who works for WWE as an NXT coach and producer, was also removed from the Icons of Wrestling convention that was being held in conjunction with the show.
Dudley was supposed to appear during a match between Bully Ray and Matt Cardona at the show. Last Friday, Icons of Wrestling wrote about the situation:
“Here we go: Due to circumstances beyond my control D-Von will no longer be at Icons & Battleground. D-von is beyond devastated by this and I want everyone to know that this turn of events had absolutely NOTHING to due with D-von. Currently I’m hesitant to put the reasoning in writing but I will have zero hesitation telling the entire wrestling world why this happened inside the ring. To those who made this decision you will not deter us. You will not stop us. You may think you have control but rest assured you do not. All Dudley boy presales will be refunded first thing Monday Morning. The Dudleys platinum VIP will be replaced by 3 guests of your choosing. One final message to those responsible, I’ll see you in the ring and we shall let the people be the judge & jury.”
The Dudley Boyz were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.
Sasha Banks, real name Mercedes Varnado, will go to Japan earlier than expected.
It was originally reported that the former WWE Women’s Champion is expected to appear at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17. It has since been revealed that Varnado has verbally agreed to a deal with NJPW after negotiating her release from WWE months ago with the stipulation that she couldn’t do anything wrestling related until 2023.
Hiroaki Sawa confirmed that Varnado would be back in Japan in the middle of this week. Sawa tweeted (Translated from Japanese):
The Announcement
“Sasha Banks, a female top wrestler who has surpassed 5.6 million Instagram followers and is active in the American professional wrestling organization WWE, will be staying in Japan from the middle of this week. Hope to collaborate with Japanese brands. If you are interested in brands or agencies, how about MTG including her on the night of 12/21 (Wednesday) or 12/23 (Friday)? I’ll be waiting.”
Although not confirmed, the belief is Banks will appear at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4 to confront KAIRI, who will be defending her IWGP Women’s Championship on the show.
Contract talks between Banks and WWE fell through due to money, as Banks wanted to be paid on the level of Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. They also thought she had peaked as a top star.
The professional wrestling and mixed martial arts industries often interconnected with one another.
Following her departure from Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ronda Rousey famously made her professional wrestling debut in 2018, racking up multiple title wins in the years after. Conversely, Brock Lesnar started his wrestling career in WWE, touted “the next big thing” in 2002. “The Beast” would go on to claim the WWE Championship and various ventures in NJPW, before taking a five-year hiatus from professional wrestling to pursue his MMA aspirations.
Another former WWE Superstar recently made his professional MMA debut on Saturday, December 17. After previous experience in amateur mixed martials and bare-knuckle boxing, Jack Claffey — better known as “Gentleman” Jack Gallagher — squared up for Full Contact Contender. Airing on UFC Fight Pass, the event entitled “FCC 32” featured Claffey taking on Marlon Jones in a bantamweight bout.
Marlon quickly gained the victory via TKO, defeating Claffey in 1 minute, 7 seconds in round one.
Marlon Jones brings it EARLY and gets the first-round TKO finish
Following his loss, Claffey expressed disappointment with his performance via Instagram.
“Here’s my favorite photo from last night,” he shared. “Very disappointed in myself and my performance. Happy the night ended with a win for @blackiechan_soda, who’s worked exceptionally hard for it. (Pictured here doing his best Steve Austin impression.) Thank you to everyone that’s reached out. Messages of support are always welcomed and appreciated. One win and one loss in 2022; life is all about balance. Bring on 2023! But first, coffee, cake, and @clara_sinclare.”
Claffey served in WWE from 2016 until his eventual release in 2020 after a sexual assault allegation. Most notably, he competed in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, before moving over to WWE’s 205 Live show.
The modern generation of wrestlers have gotten smarter with their career choices. Unlike the older generation, many of the current-era wrestlers have started thinking about their future after retirement. They have started branching out to other professions they can work in after hanging their boots. Dolph Ziggler is one such star who has found an unlikely career in stand-up comedy.
The former world champion originally started it off as a hobby but he has slowly been creeping it up. It has gotten to a point where Ziggler has taken extended periods off from WWE to headline comedy tours.
During a recent appearance on The Archive of B-Sox podcast, the 42-year-old was asked if he plans to transition to a full-time comedy career in the coming time. Ziggler explained that he doesn’t want to leave the wrestling space but slow it down with time:
You Don’t Get To Wrestle Forever: Dolph Ziggler
“It’s really fun for me to devote half of my week to that kind of stuff. You don’t get to wrestle forever. I’ve been very lucky so far. I may be here for 10 nonstop years in a row. who knows?” said Dolph Ziggler, “But I like being able to branch out and do some other things. Whether go talk politics somewhere, do an interview, do a one man show do an improv show. Do an audition for something on Broadway.
Everything that gets you on stage, get that presence and just gets the rap going and gets you smoother and comfortable. That helps you as a stand up, but it also helps you in the ring, so [it] makes me a better wrestler. So either way, it’s a win-win. But I would love in 15 years from now, I’m showing up at WWE four times a year to wrestle somebody in a big match, and the rest of the year, I’m bouncing around. Me and Mick Foley are doing a comedy show or something.”
Though WWE’s retelling of wrestling history has not been too kind to the legacy of WCW, there are certain undeniable truths from that time. One of them is that 1997 was a white-hot year for the promotion.
The New World Order caught fire in 1996 and rode high into 1997 as WCW continued to tell a wide range of stories with one of the deepest rosters in pro wrestling history. Starrcade 1997 looked to be a crowning achievement with a star-studded PPV card that had enormous buzz around it.
Kevin Nash and The Giant would have a big man war. Larry Zbyszko and Eric Bischoff would blow off their heated non-wrestler feud in a novelty match. Most importantly, Sting was set to blow off a year and a half long angle with Hollywood Hogan.
The fact that WCW signed Bret Hart immediately before this PPV should have been a crowning achievement that added more momentum going into 1998. However, there’s a real argument that it instead sabotaged the biggest event in company history and foretold WCW’s demise.
Bret Hart’s Involvement Contributed To Sting Vs. Hollywood Hogan Unraveling
There’s no two ways about it—the Starrcade 1997 main event match between Sting and Hollywood Hogan was a mess. Fans had waited through the launch of the nWo, Sting’s transition to his Crow persona that haunted WCW from the rafters, and Hogan’s reign of terror over the company. By Starrcade, the stage was set to pay it all off with Sting as the prodigal son, returning to the ring to take the title.
A variety of factors contributed to the match’s failings. Eric Bischoff infamously claimed that Sting didn’t show up ready—claiming that his failure to get a tan was just one sign he wasn’t in the right mental or physical place to become “the guy.” Something went wrong on a re-planned finish, too. Whether Sting or referee Nick Patrick were more at fault, Hogan won clean and decisively only for Bret Hart to nonsensically demand the match be restarted and officiate the do-over ending.
The execution certainly got botched, but even if it hadn’t, the idea of an unjust finish before Hart had to restart things (on dubious authority) was a huge mistake to muddy the waters of Sting having his crowning moment. The match should have been kept simple and straightforward to give fans the most satisfying moment possible, after which they could’ve allowed Hogan to get his heat back one way or another in the weeks to follow.
Bret Hart’s Involvement Hurt Larry Zbyszko Vs. Eric Bischoff Too
The story of Eric Bischoff vs. Larry Zbyszko at Starrcade 1997 should have been very simple and straightforward. This was a retired wrestler vs. non-wrestler match, which offered some intrigue and made reasonable sense in its creative context. It should’ve come down to Bischoff maybe getting in a shot or two, but mostly the Living Legend putting him in his place in a five-minute squash.
Instead, Bischoff mostly dominated with special referee Bret Hart seeming to help him at every turn. Finally, Bischoff went too far, using a steel plate to bolster a knockout kick at which point The Hitman nonsensically switched allegiances, beating up Bischoff and his corner man, Scott Hall. Finally, Hart proclaimed Zbyszko the winner by disqualification to put the confusing, ill-conceived farce of a match out of its misery.
How Bret Hart Should Have Been Used At WCW Starrcade 1997
There are two main ways in which Bret Hart may have been put to his best use at Starrcade. One would have been the delayed gratification of him simply having a presence, maybe cutting a short promo or coming out to celebrate with Sting to close the show to make his presence known without altering the course of the night.
Another option would’ve been to book Hart into a one-on-one match built to highlight his wrestling acumen and star power without distracting from the rest of the show. WCW had such a deep roster of fresh opponents for The Hitman who weren’t booked for the event like Booker T, Juventud Guerrera, or Chavo Guerrero.
Having Hart mix it up with one of these under-appreciated talents—making them look good before he submitted them with the Sharpshooter in a formula he’d used opposite mid-carders like Hakushi and Jean-Pierre Lafitte in WWE for years earlier —could’ve highlighted what Hart does best alongside the prestige of being able to say the event featured Hart’s debut match for WCW.
Signing Bret Hart should’ve marked a crowning Monday Night War moment for WCW as they welcomed a hot star who was arguably the most talented in ring performer in the world at that moment. Instead, he became a distraction, misused to the extreme in ways that neither he, nor WCW on the whole ever fully recovered from.
Liv Morgan is having the most successful year of her WWE career, but she’s already planning ahead for life after pro wrestling.
At 28 years old, she could be an active competitor for many years to come. Advancements in nutrition and training allow for wrestlers to compete well into their late 30’s, even early-to-mid 40’s. That said, it’s never too early to start planning ahead.
Not everybody wants to wrestle until they are physically unable to. Many people view WWE as a chance to gain financial security, become famous and branch out into other fields. Back in October, Morgan fulfilled a lifelong dream by getting killed on screen by Chucky of the popular Child’s Play horror series.
During their discussion, Morgan revealed that she’s already studying to become a real estate broker. She still has a long road ahead, but she hopes to one day open her own brokerage.
She revealed that she recently had “kind of a quarter-life crisis.” Despite her accomplishments, she felt that she was not doing enough with her life. She’s a successful public figure, but highly-motivated people are rarely satisfied with their accomplishments.
Morgan says a real estate brokerage license is just one of the new interests she’s decided to pursue. She also opened up a soap business and began taking acting classes.
Between real estate, her soap business and acting, she’s most looking forward to getting into movies when her days in the ring are over. She reiterated that getting killed by Chucky was a dream. She was starstruck by the killer doll and “melted” when she saw him in person for the first time.
Morgan also has a movie in the works titled, “The Kill Room” with Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson. She acknowledged that movie roles like this are available to her due to the popularity of WWE’s platform.
She has a lot going on outside of WWE, but has no plans to retire any time soon. While discussing real estate, her soap business and acting, Morgan said, “One day, if I ever part ways, I mean I will wrestle forever…”
The All Elite Wrestling star recently confirmed his involvement in a new toy line, scheduled to officially launch in the summer of 2023. Outside of his in-ring work, Page runs a popular YouTube channel, showcasing his love for action figures and retro toys. After many ventures of being gifted, purchasing, opening, and reviewing the toys, the “Toy Hunt Vlog” host is now a part owner of a toy line.
As revealed on his Instagram, Page is the official part owner of the Asylum All-Stars toy line. The Asylum Wrestling Store will include figures of the Road Warriors, Earl Hebner, Buff Bagwell, and more. In addition, he confirmed that pre-orders are available now.
“In the toy industry, I have checked many of the boxes, other than one, and that’s making toys, until today,” Page said. “I can happily, you can see the smile on my face, announce that I am officially part owner of a freakin toy line, Asylum All Stars.”
“The pre-order’s already available, by the way. If you want to support Ethan Page in his toy-making endeavors, this is how; go pre-order these brand-new figures. Get the Road Warriors, get Earl Hebner, get Buff Bagwell, and Scott Norton, ‘vicious and delicious.’ Do it. Go pre-order these bad boys.”
Page continued, explaining his ultimate hope for the project. “My goal is to bring as much awareness to this toy line as possible,” he said. “I think it’s a great throwback. It hit me with nostalgia the first time I saw it, so it’s very cool. I’m excited for you guys to see footage of that. I’m excited for you guys to follow me along the journey of helping create toys and having my name attached to wrestling toys that will be brought to the world. I feel the potential is limitless.”
Will The Judgment Day one day walk down the ramp on Monday Night Raw glistening with gold? Perhaps, but that’s not something the group needs.
The Judgment Day was founded by Edge earlier this year and the Rated-R Superstar recruited Priest and Rhea Ripley.
After Finn Balor joined, the group turned on Edge and welcomed Dominik Mysterio as a member at WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff.
Championships
While all four members of The Judgment Day have held gold in the past, none have won a championship as part of the faction.
Speaking on The Archive of B-Sox show, Priest said that the group’s success without titles just goes to prove how impressive all four members have been.
“How do you become a focal point of the show not being a champion? That makes you just that much more valuable, and I think that’s where we’re at right now. Let’s make this show revolve around us. Let’s be the main thing on this show, without even having championships.”
Damian Priest
While The Judgment Day is yet to hold gold, Rhea Ripley recently teased going after Bianca Belair and the WWE Raw Women’s Championship.
The Future
The Judgment Day has been around for less than a year, but Priest is optimistic about the future.
Speaking about his tenure with the group so far, the former U.S. Champion said that The Judgment Day is just getting started.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been a roller coaster, yes, but we’re ending it at the highest point. We all feel like we’re not even where we need to be yet, which is crazy. The things that we look forward to, the things that we talk about, and what we want to accomplish, we’re just getting started.”
In recent weeks, The Judgment Day has been feuding with the O.C. (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, and Mia Yim.)
It may be a good while yet before Snoop Dogg and his gold WWE Championship are reunited after the title went missing this week.
On social media, the rap legend and WWE informed fans that the title had been ‘stolen’ during Snoop’s ongoing ‘Holidaze of Blaze’ tour.
Snoop, a WWE Hall of Famer as part of the celebrity wing, was presented the title by Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch at the WrestleMania 39 tickets launch party in August of this year.
Lost and Found
On Instagram, WWE shared footage of comedian Guillermo Rodriguez with the golden title, saying he won’t give it back to Snoop.
After a ‘moments later’ cut, Rodriguez revealed that he has already lost the title, and it is unclear where it is now.
Rodriguez is best known for his work on Jimmy Kimmel Live as the sidekick of the popular late-night talk show host.
Expert belt creator Dan Beltzer (@BeltFanDan) senses this developing news story might be seasoned with a hint of show business. Beltzer noticed that more than one belt has been used as part of the news coverage, a sign that this may be part of an angle to generate publicity for Snoop and/or WWE.
The Custom Snoop belt being stolen seems like a storyline. 2 different belts have been shown if you look closely.
When asking for the help of fans, Snoop Dogg stressed that he needs to find the gold WWE Championship before WrestleMania 39.
Many have taken this as a sign that the rap legend will have some involvement with the show which will take place on April 1, and April 2, next year.
Snoop is no stranger to WrestleMania, having performed his cousin Sasha Banks to the ring for her WrestleMania 32 triple threat match for the WWE Women’s Championship.
WWE WrestleMania 39 will take place at SoFi Stadium, in Los Angeles, California and mark the fourth two-night WrestleMania in a row.
The lives and careers of three former WWE Superstars have been celebrated at the inaugural Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
The Women’s Wrestling Hall of Fame was announced in October of this year, with Angel Orsini, Christopher Annino, “Tex” Green, and Gary “Pitbull” Wolf being considered responsible for the idea.
Slam Wrestling was the first to report that Alundra ‘Madusa’ Blayze, Jazz, and the late Luna Vachon are among the first three inductees.
Blayze and Jazz collected their awards in person at the ceremony this past weekend, while Vachon, who died in 2010, was represented by her ex-husband David ‘Gangrel’ Heath.
Other names reported to be inducted include Cora Livingston, Mildred Burke, Beverly Shade, Marva Scott, and Ethel Johnson.
Babs Wingo, the tag team of Toni Rose & Donna Christanello, Susan Green, ex-WWE referee Rita Chatterton, the entire GLOW promotion, and 2014 Olympic gold medalist Iryna Merleni are also set to be inducted.
The niece of Maurice ‘Mad Dog’ Vachon, Luna’s wrestling career began in 1985 and she would join the WWF in 1993.
Leaving in 1994, Vachon would have stints in ECW and WCW before returning in 1997, and would remain until 2000, when she was released over an outburst backstage.
Vachon would continue wrestling on the independent scene until 2007, before her death aged 48 in August 2010 due to a drug overdose.
Jazz
Inspired by Jaqueline Moore, Jazz set out to become a professional wrestler in the late 1990s, and would join ECW in 1999.
Joining the WWF after the collapse of the extreme promotion, Jazz would later capture the WWE Women’s Championship and successfully defended the title at WrestleMania X8.
Winning the title again the following year, Jazz would leave WWE in 2004 and compete for Chikara, Shine and AEW among other promotions, before her retirement in Impact last year.
Alundra Blayze
Alundra Blayze’s wrestling career may be best remembered not for what she did in the ring, but what she did with a trash-can.
After leaving the WWF while still the Women’s Championship, Blayze appeared on WCW programming and threw the title in the trash, saying it is what she thought of the WWF Women’s Title.
In actuality, Blayze was very concerned about the spot, but was forced into it by Eric Bischoff.
Blayze would be blamed for the spot and blacklisted from WWE for 20 years, before her WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2015.
This week’s episode of WWE RAW will air live tonight from the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
Becky Lynch and Bayley will square off tonight on the red brand in a singles match. Damage CTRL interfered in a Triple Threat match a couple of weeks ago in the main event of Raw and attacked Becky Lynch. Alexa Bliss capitalized and went on to win the match to advance to a #1 contenders match the following week.
Bliss battled Bayley last week to determine the #1 contender for the RAW Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch got her revenge and attacked Damage CTRL ringside. The distraction cost Bayley this time and Alexa capitalized to win and earn a title match against Bianca Belair.
Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Finn Balor are set to take on Street Profits in a tag team match tonight. Rhea Ripley and Dominik are advertised to be ringside. Montez Ford sent out a warning earlier today and warned fans to put on their seatbelts ahead of Raw.
The Miz and Dexter Lumis are set to battle in a Winner Takes All Ladder match tonight on WWE Raw after months of feuding. Johnny Gargano played a key role in WWE Official Adam Pearce making this match last week.
AEW announcer Mark Henry has defended AJ “Top Dolla” Francis of Hit Row following his botch on this past Friday’s edition of WWE SmackDown.
Hit Row battled Legado Del Fantasma and Viking Raiders in a Triple Threat Tag Team match. During the match, Top Dolla went for a dive over the top rope but didn’t make it and tumbled to floor as SmackDown announcer Michael Cole joked that is probably the reason why he doesn’t do high flying moves too often.
Hit Row went on to win the match and earn a shot at the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships this Friday on WWE SmackDown.
Top Dolla has defended himself over the botch and posted clips of him hitting the move in the past.
I was 50 lbs heavier in this video than I am now. My leg gave out on live TV and some of y’all jokes are actually very funny but calling me a liar is super weird. It could’ve been way worse so I’m blessed ?? Y’all don’t care doe ??
Top Dolla
AEW commentator Mark Henry responded to the post and defended Top Dolla. Mark also questioned why he would listen to those who have no idea what it takes to do the move while the cameras are rolling.
Bro, anyone that has ever performed has failed. It’s a part of the process to get better. Why would you listen to people that have no idea how to do what you did,the ability or confidence to do what you did an the athleticism to perform that maneuver when the cameras are rolling.
Mark Henry
Bro, anyone that has ever performed has failed. It’s a part of the process to get better. Why would you listen to people that have no idea how to do what you did,the ability or confidence to do what you did an the athleticism to perform that maneuver when the cameras are rolling. https://t.co/ciGSX04ZKK
Top Dolla spoke with Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast last month and revealed his goals for after WWE.
The former NFL player signed with the promotion in 2020 and debuted in NXT in 2021. The stable briefly debuted on the main roster before they were surprisingly released in November 2021. Triple H brought the group back earlier this year besides Swerve Strickland, who signed with All Elite Wrestling after he was released by WWE.
Top Dolla told Ryan Satin that his goal is to host The Tonight Show following his WWE career and believes that his years of being in front of the camera will make him ready for that opportunity down the line.
Charlotte Flair wished former rival and WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus a happy birthday today.
WWE legend Trish Stratus celebrated her 47th birthday. She recently appeared on the September 5th edition of WWE RAW when the company was in Toronto. Damage CTRL confronted the WWE legend but Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss made the save.
Stratus took to Twitter earlier today and thanked wrestling fans for all the birthday wishes she received. Charlotte Flair responded and wished Trish a happy birthday as well. Flair has not appeared in WWE since her loss to Ronda Rousey in an I Quit match at WrestleMania Backlash.
10 Hut @trishstratuscom Have A “Happy?Birthday” My Friend & That’s An Order??Hope YOU’RE Having A Fun & Wonderful Celebration????????YOU Deserve It??PS:THANKS For Making My @_SgtSlaughter Shirt Look Sooooooo Good??? Ok At Ease & I’m?Dismissed!!!
Trish Stratus Says Charlotte Flair is the Best Female Superstar
WWE released a list of the 50 greatest female Superstars in modern WWE last year on Peacock and Trish Stratus was ranked number one. Sable, Lita, Gail Kim, AJ Lee, and other legends were featured on the list.
Trish was asked about the list on Busted Open Radio and claimed that she would have put Charlotte Flair at number one already.
It’s a bold thing for them to put out. Lists are subjective. I don’t know who was behind the list. Did my mom vote? Internally, with me and my team, I knew there was the top five and I was grateful to be in the top five.
I for sure thought Charlotte was going to be number one. That’s where I put her. It was crazy when they put that video package together and you get emotional looking back on that ride and they position you the way they did. I was lucky, I say all the time that I only got any accolades that I got because of the people that surrounded me.
Mandy Rose walked into Tuesday’s edition of WWE NXT as the reigning Women’s Champion. She left the show without the title and her job.
WWE released Mandy Rose on Wednesday morning after Roxanne Perez ended her 413-day reign as NXT Women’s Champion. The company believed they had no choice due to the explicit content Mandy was posting on her subscription site for fans.
Speaking on the Jim Cornette Experience podcast, the legendary manager and promoter discussed Mandy Rose’s release from WWE. He noted that he is pro-porn, but not if you are representing a company trying to make deals with Disney.
In all honesty, and by the way, I’m completely pro-porn. But if they’re supposed to be [PG], they can’t do Playboy anymore, right? Because they’re a PG company, the sponsors they don’t want [it].
So I haven’t seen the material so I don’t know whether it’s mild to wild or anything in between. But if the executives of the company that she works for said well she’s a featured person in NXT and she’s the champion and all this stuff but holy sh*t, if anybody sees and finds out.
You know, that’s the thing if they say Jesus Christ, you can’t, you know, have an aunt Fanny out there in front of God and everybody. Whether it’s a private or personal deal or not, or whatever.
If it’s going to show up on the internet in some fashion, this is probably something you should have not done while representing us and we’re trying to do deals with Disney, then I understand that.
Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette on Mandy Rose possibly earning more outside of WWE
It was reported that former WWE Superstar Lana (CJ Perry) earned more this year on her subscription site than she did during her best year in WWE. Mandy Rose’s subscription site will likely rise in popularity following her release from the company and the added attention it has received.
Cornette noted on his podcast that it makes sense that Mandy would choose modeling over wrestling if she can earn similar money.
The question becomes which endeavour was she making a bigger profit at? Was she making more money travelling all over the place getting in a ring with people that are going to land on her and landing on sh*t herself and getting beat up or whatever the f*ck?
Or is she gonna make more money in I assume a less violent setting showing off, as aunt Lola would say, what God gave her? So if it’s anywhere close maybe that’s the preferable f*cking direction there.
Roman Reigns’ dominance in WWE seemingly has no end in sight. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion has become unstoppable with The Bloodline by his side and it would take the right set of circumstances for The Tribal Chief to be defeated.
Reigns successfully defended the title against Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, Riddle, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, and Seth Rollins this year. The Head of the Table has gone through the best of the best to stay on top of the company.
Here are five superstars that could potentially become Undisputed WWE Universal Champion in 2023:
#5. Solo Sikoa
Solo Sikoa is The Enforcer of The Bloodline and a man of few words. However, he recently showed what he is capable of with a brutal attack on Matt Riddle on WWE RAW. It will take someone special to topple The Tribal Chief and perhaps Sikoa is equipped to do.
He mainly uses the Spinning Solo (Uranage) as his finisher but has recently introduced the Samoan Spike to his moveset. His uncle, Umaga, used the move and Solo paid tribute to him several times during his attack on Riddle. Roman Reigns seems to like having Solo by his side and will make for an easy target if Sikoa ever decides to go after the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Solo Sikoa's face says "Yep… That's me. You're probably wondering how I got in here." pic.twitter.com/1vNxaB2fdO
The Rock has been rumored to return to WWE for some time now and challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
WrestleMania 39 is in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, a perfect venue for the match as The Rock has become one of the most popular actors on the planet following his wrestling career.
The Great One could return to try and humble his cousin, while The Tribal Chief may view The Rock as inferior at this point. A match of this magnitude may not need the title due to the star power involved, but it would make the match even bigger Roman’s historic title reign was on the line as well.
Roman has the power to tell WWE Official Adam Pearce that The Rock doesn’t deserve a title shot based on his name. It would make for a great story if The People’s Champion won the Royal Rumble to earn a title shot and conquered The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 39.
— ????? ????? ????? ?????? ¹³¹? (@_RomansLegacy) December 5, 2022
#3. Austin Theory
Austin Theory has had a bizarre 2022, and it looked like it was going to be back to square one for the 26-year-old. He won the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match as a surprise entrant and fans immediately rejected it. Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon gave Theory his stamp of approval but it didn’t resonate with fans.
Vince and Theory had a series of awkward backstage conversations, including the former chairman just taking away his first name because he didn’t like Stone Cold Steve Austin. After Vince McMahon resigned in July, it appeared that Triple H and the new regime were not sold on Austin Theory at all.
He couldn’t buy a win on television, and his cash-in attempt at Clash at the Castle was foiled by Tyson Theory punching him from the crowd. Theory then decided to cash in on the United States Championship and it backfired. He is one of the few superstars that have a failed cash-in attempt on his resume but has quickly overcome it. Austin captured the US Title for the 2nd time at Survivor Series and time will tell if he goes after the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship next year.
Who's Your Daddy! Chants lead to Roman Reigns Warning Austin Theory " If he Keeps Messing Up the Tribal Chief is going to be his Daddy". Rough night for theory ???#WWERaw#AcknowledgeMepic.twitter.com/jiSNpWdkDY
Cody Rhodes has made it known that he has returned to WWE to go after “the big one”. The former AEW EVP boxed himself into a corner in All Elite Wrestling by saying he will never challenge for the AEW World Championship if he lost to Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing 2020.
The American Nightmare wound up losing the match after MJF threw in the towel for him. Maxwell showed his true colors and hit Rhodes with a low blow after the match as well. There are two things keeping Cody Rhodes from going after Roman Reigns at the moment, injury and his rivalry with Seth Rollins.
Cody returned to WWE as Vince McMahon’s handpicked opponent for Rollins at WrestleMania 38. Rhodes defeated Rollins at the biggest event of the year, and went on to defeat him two more times in 2022. Unfortunately, Cody tore his pectoral muscle training for their third bout at WWE Hell in a Cell 2022.
He wrestled the match anyway with the injury, and revealed his severely bruised chest at the premium live event. The American Nightmare will likely have to finish his feud with Seth Rollins when he returns, as Seth attacked him with a sledgehammer on the RAW after HIAC to write Cody off TV. If Rhodes is able to get the fans as invested in him as they were in June, he should be in line to challenge Roman Reigns next year.
.@CodyRhodes in two-minutes sells his match with Rollins, plus highlights the sheer importance of wins and losses.
Sami Zayn has spent the majority of 2022 trying to earn the respect of Roman Reigns and the rest of The Bloodline. Roman has quickly grown found of The Honorary Uce but it took some time for Jey Uso to come around.
At WWE Survivor Series WarGames, Sami proved his worth to The Bloodline. On the SmackDown before the premium live event, Kevin Owens attempted to warn Sami that The Bloodline will eventually turn their back on him and he should betray them first. The Honorary Uce was unaware that Jey Uso was listening in on the conversation and lied to his face when he was asked if he had spoken to anyone.
Roman Reigns confronted Sami Zayn about the lie during Survivor Series and Sami admitted everything. He claimed he was simply trying to protect The Usos because they had a big match in the main event to determine which team got the advantage at WarGames.
Zayn went on to guide The Bloodline to victory at WWE Survivor Series. He booted his old pal Kevin Owens in the groin and followed it up with the Helluva Kick. In a selfless act, The Honorary Uce stepped aside to allow Jey Uso to hit KO with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory. Sami is now set to team up with Roman Reigns against Kevin Owens and John Cena on the final episode of SmackDown of the year.
If Sami continues to earn the trust of The Tribal Chief, he can perhaps finally begin to destroy The Bloodline from within. Zayn’s plan to reach the top of the company may come to fruition in 2023.
El Hijo del Vikingo is one of the hottest wrestlers in the world and promotions in the US have been waiting to book him for a very long time. That has finally been able to happen in recent weeks as Vikingo was able to obtain his visa.
It seems like a new show or promotion is announcing he’s booked every day with GCW being the first. There’s just one caveat. AAA will not allow any Vikingo matches to be streamed. So if you’re ordering shows or paying $4.99 for every GCW show, you’re out of luck.
PWG has Vikingo booked for their Battle of Los Angeles (BOLA) shows in January. This might be one of the rare times it’s a good thing they don’t stream and you can only watch shows by buying DVDs. It is suspected that Vikingo’s matches will be available on the DVDs. Night One of BOLA has been announced and Vikingo will be taking on Black Taurus and Bandido in what will certainly be a banger and potentially an early Match of the Year candidate.
N1 2023 BOLA:
Bandido vs. Black Taurus vs. El Hijo del Vikingo Titus Alexander vs. Daniel Garcia Michael Oku vs. Konosuke Takeshita Jordynne Grace vs. Jonathan Gresham Aramis vs. Shun Skywalker Alex Shelley vs. Masha Slamovich SB KENTo vs. Lio Rush Latigo vs. Komander
On Wrestling Observer Network (via WrestlingCovers), Dave Meltzer said there’s a possibility that AAA could waive the “no streaming” rule if Vikingo were booked for AEW or IMPACT.
Meltzer on WON said there could be a possibility of AAA waiving the no streaming policy for Hijo Del Vikingo’s US matches should AEW or IMPACT decide to book him. ??? pic.twitter.com/erj0JEKpqv
IMPACT has had a relationship with AAA in the past. They’ve done crossover shows and Vikingo wrestled on those shows.
He also has ties to AEW as the AAA Mega Champion. He was scheduled to face former Mega Champion, Kenny Omega for the title. Omega vacated the title due to injury. Vikingo defeated Bandido, Samuray Del Sol, Bobby Fish, and Jay Lethal to become champion. Just today, he said that he could come to AEW to finally get his match with “The Cleaner”.
“The third time’s the charm. It’s now been two occasions that Kenny Omega and I were gonna wrestle, but for this and that, it wasn’t able to happen, but now I have the Visa. So if he doesn’t come (to Mexico), then I will go look for him. Expect some big surprises. Why not have ‘El Gran Jinete’ go and look for him in his own house? Anything can happen. My home, AAA, is always giving surprises. I don’t know, maybe in the future, I will go to his house, or him in ours, or somewhere in the middle. Anything can happen.” (h/t Fightful)
Vikingo versus Omega is a pay-per-view worthy match. It would be interesting to see how AAA would treat television match leading up to a pay-per-view or if AEW would have to air the match on one of it’s big themed TV shows, St. Patrick’s Day Slam.
The demand for Vikingo to appear in either (or both) promotions is huge and will only get bigger as Vikingo wrestles for more promotions in the US and more fans are able to see what he can do.
Former WWE Superstar Lana, now known as CJ Perry, is reportedly making more money on her subscription site for fans than she did during her best year in WWE.
Lana managed Rusev for the majority of her run on the main roster in WWE. Rusev is now signed with All Elite Wrestling as Miro, while Lana remains a free agent. The 37-year-old may not be in any rush to return to the professional wrestling industry, as she is reportedly making more money on her BrandArmy site than she ever did in WWE.
According to Fightful Select, Perry is currently earning more than she ever did in WWE, just like the recently released Mandy Rose. Lana has appeared in a couple of films since her release in 2020 but has mainly been focusing on her BrandArmy content. Her site launched earlier this year and she made over $20,000 on the first day.
— Savelina-Fanene.Com | Fansite (@SavelinaFCom) November 2, 2020
Lana on if She Would Work for All Elite Wrestling
Lana spoke with The Man Cave Chronicles earlier this year about her acting career and if she would ever join Miro in All Elite Wrestling.
During the conversation, Lana disclosed that she would love to do something with AEW one day, whether it be with Miro or others. She claimed that she just wants to tell compelling stories and would love the opportunity if it ever came about.
I love television and movies, but you don’t get that instant gratification. You don’t even know, all you really get is online with the critics. When you are live performing in the wrestling arena, you know exactly how they feel immediately.
It is just such a relationship that I really am thankful for that I have with the audience. So I’d love to do something with AEW. If the story is right, I’d love to do something with Miro or maybe with other people. But I want to tell compelling stories, so if it is right I would absolutely love it.
Goldberg hasn’t been seen on WWE television for months and while he has publicly expressed interest in wrestling again, he has been waiting on the sidelines for that to happen.
There was word that Goldberg had a new WWE contract, but that’s not the case. Last week, rumors went around that the Hall Of Famer had inked a new deal that would keep him under contract for two years with five matches guaranteed over that time and three matches to be against new talent that he hasn’t faced.
The rumored deal would’ve also seen those five matches take place in Saudi Arabia and WrestleMania.
The Truth
Fightful Select reports those close to him say not so fast and specifically, they said, “that would be news to his reps that negotiate those kinds of deals.”
Goldberg’s current WWE agreement runs through 2022, but there are no matches remaining on it. There’s always a chance he signs a new deal with WWE, but according to his reps, that’s not the case yet.
Goldberg has only wrestled once in 2022, which was the Roman Reigns match at Elimination Chamber. In 2021, he worked three matches – a loss to Drew McIntyre at the Royal Rumble and Bobby Lashley at SummerSlam before beating Bobby Lashley at Crown Jewel.
Former WWE Superstar Velveteen Dream made his views on law enforcement perfectly clear during his arrest earlier this year.
Dream, real name Patrick Clark, was part of 2015’s WWE Tough Enough and while he did not win, his impressive performance earned him an NXT contract.
In 2020, Clark was accused of sexual misconduct with minors, and while WWE claimed their investigation provided no evidence, he was quietly released from the company the next year.
Earlier this year, Clark was arrested after an incident at a gym, where it was alleged that he attacked and bit an employee at the facility.
The Video
In a new video published by TMZ, the former NXT Superstar can be seen being taken into custody by law enforcement.
Clark tells police that he did not commit battery and that they should allow him to call a lawyer.
The ex-Superstar can be heard ranting at the officers, before admitting that he is “a little drunk.”
Clark also repeatedly tells the police that he was never told his Miranda Rights and that his lawyer would file a lawsuit, adding that he is a “WWE wrestler.”
After the Arrest
After the arrest, Clark was officially charged with two misdemeanor counts of assault and trespassing, charges that he would plead not guilty to.
The former NXT North American Champion was released from jail on September 9, after posting a $1,200 bail.
The matter was disposed of in September after the claimed victim indicated he did not intend to prosecute.
Despite the controversy to his name, Clark has shown interest in being rehired by WWE and believes it could happen one day.
From uninspired storylines to older stars taking the spots of younger talents, there were a number of factors that led to the downfall of TNA after a historic rise. One such factor was sideling top stars such as Kurt Angle when factions like Aces & Eights dominated the TV programs.
The Olympic Gold Medallist talked about this time in the company’s history on the latest episode of his podcast. He was asked if the officials ever invited him to be part of the infamous faction. Angle replied negatively saying that he is glad he was never asked to join the group:
“No. no, they didn’t. I’m glad they didn’t. I don’t think I would have liked being [a part of it]. I know this – if I would have went in, I wouldn’t have been one of the top guys. I would have been hanging out in the mid card somewhere so that it wouldn’t [have] help me at any point in time.”
-Kurt Angle
‘It Grew Out Of Control’: Kurt Angle
When Aces & Eights were running roughshod at the TNA roster, top stars such as Kurt Angle and AJ Styles were working a meaningless programs. Speaking about the time, the former TNA champion discussed how they were just trying to stay relevant and figure out what their position in the roster would be once the storyline was over:
“That was the problem, the Aces & Eights storyline took over TV. It got so big. Same exact thing happened with the nWo in WCW. It was a cool little faction, then all of sudden it grew and out of control. They were just too many. At this point in time, there were a lot of members of Aces & Eights.
We were just treading water just trying to get through the storyline and see where our places were going to be afterward. It’s really difficult when they’re doing a storyline [and] they’re not trying to involve you. You’re not really involved in the storyline. That’s the main storyline going on TV and you got your top two guys – AJ Styles and Kurt Angle, that’s no part of it.”
Planning is well underway for next month’s Royal Rumble premium live event, with things kicking into high gear after the holidays.
WWE presents the Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 28, 2023 from San Antonio, Texas at the Alamodome. The event will stream live on Peacock in the US and on the WWE Network internationally.
Matches the Rumble will be announced in the coming weeks, but WWE has already locked in the top of the card. Some aspects of the Rumble can’t be announced until after the December 30th edition of SmackDown, which will be headlined by John Cena teaming with Kevin Owens against Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns.
Royal Rumble 2023 Matches
Here’s what’s currently in the works for the Royal Rumble, according to our friends at WrestlingNews.co:
Barring an injury, the card will feature Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Kevin Owens.
Ronda Rousey defending the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship against Raquel Rodriguez
Edge will battle Finn Balor, who will revive his Demon alter-ego. There’s been talk of this being a Hell in a Cell match.
It’s also been rumored that WWE will be introducing a new stipulation match at the Rumble, a Pitch Black match. Bray Wyatt, who has been feuding with LA Knight, was linked to this Pitch Black concept. However, it seems unlikely WWE would hold four big stipulation events on the same card (two Royal Rumbles, Hell in a Cell and Pitch Black), so it’s likely we’ll see either Hell in a Cell or Pitch Black.
