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.
Mick Foley was a key name in Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s career, which helped make him a big WWE star. They had a memorable rivalry in early 1999 before teaming together as the Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection.
The latest episode of Young Rock featured the story of both The Rock and Foley, with Foley teaching a lot of things to the young Johnson.
Foley took to Facebook to share a heartfelt message to The Rock for his appreciation after watching the show. He wrote the following:
Heartwarming Message
Mick Foley
“ROCK & SOCK: a true connection
I’m not sure words can do justice to how grateful I’m feeling after watching last night’s episode of #YoungRock While I’ve had some special wrestling moments in front of thousands, last night’s moment was just me, alone in my hotel, tears in my eyes, as I watched an actor portraying me (doing a fine job, too) teaching Dwayne Johnson’s character a lesson about the gift of Christmas giving.
It’s funny, because there was a time – many, many years ago – when I wondered if @TheRock appreciated me. Well, brother, he has answered that question in the affirmative so many times, in so many ways that I feel foolish for having ever wondered. In turn, my respect and admiration for Dwayne Johnson has only grown over the years – as has my appreciation for the incredible moments we shared together – on the road, in the ring, and on the microphone.
Thank you Rock, for being so good to me. Your kind words – in person, on social media, in texts and VM’s, have meant so much to me. If I did in fact, teach you a lesson about giving, it is one you have paid forward a thousand times over. Merry Christmas, my friend.”
The Rock has been rumored for a match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, and WWE has discussed the idea of him making an appearance at the Royal Rumble match next month.
Cody Rhodes is expected to lock up with an old nemesis once he’s back from his injury.
Rhodes returned to WWE in April of this year at WrestleMania 38, mere weeks after announcing his departure from AEW in February.
The former three-time AEW TNT Champion has been out of action since June after suffering a torn pectoral hours before the WWE Hell in a Cell event.
Rhodes Plans
Despite his torn pectoral, Rhodes fought through the pain to defeat Seth Rollins inside the barbaric Hell in a Cell structure.
This win marked Rhodes’ third Premium Live Event victory over Rollins, after defeating the Architect at WrestleMania and WrestleMania Backlash.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that there are plans for Rollins and Rhodes to continue their feud and that there will be “more talk” about the two soon.
It is unclear how this will affect Rollins’ current feud with United States Champion Austin Theory, or if this will result in him turning heel again.
When his injured happened, WWE announced that Rhodes would miss nine months, which would put his return in March of next year.
WrestleMania 39
WWE may want fans to believe Rhodes won’t be back until March, but nobody is buying this claim.
Instead, Rhodes is expected to return next month at the Royal Rumble, and is a favorite to win the Men’s Rumble match.
Upon his return to WWE, Rhodes told fans on the post-WrestleMania episode of Monday Night Raw that he returned to become WWE Champion.
Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart may be known as the best there is, was, and ever will be, but does he hold a candle to AJ Styles?
Hart is a two-time WWE Hall of Famer, having been inducted in 2006 and inducted as part of the Hart Foundation in 2019.
Styles, a two-time WWE Champion, debuted for the promotion at the 2016 Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View, and is also a Grand Slam champion.
Styles Vs. Hart
Both Styles and Hart are considered two of the best wrestlers of their respective eras, but which is better?
During the latest episode of his ‘Oh You Didn’t Know’ podcast, WWE’s Senior VP of Live Events ‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James gave his pick.
“He [Styles] is a better wrestler. He has been working very hard ever since he showed up at the [Royal] Rumble. He’s older now and he’s slower now and he wants to work smarter now, but when he first got here and I think he was very much in his prime, the road puts it on you and that life.”
‘Road Dogg’ Jesse James.
In recent months, Styles has been feuding with the Judgment Day, and has reunited with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.
Road Dogg also named AEW’s Kenny Omega as one of the greats, saying he is currently below the Phenomenal One.
Road Dogg and Bret Hart
This week is hardly the first time that ‘Road Dogg’ has spoken about Bret Hart, and while others have respect for the Hitman, James isn’t among them.
In November, James told listeners of his podcast that he “never saw what the big deal was” in regards to Bret as a performer.
“I don’t think Bret was a great wrestler. He was a wrestler. I think I was a better sports entertainer than Bret was and I think that’s where the money is.”
Former WWE and AEW star Bobby Fish has spoken about the lack of “direction” in the latter promotion.
Fish worked for years as part of NXT and the Undisputed Era before his release from the gold brand in August 2021.
In October of last year, Fish joined AEW where he reunited with Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly, but chose not to re-sign with the company when his deal expired in August of this year.
Direction
Fish made a big splash when he arrived in AEW, which made his abrupt departure from the promotion this year all the more surprising.
Speaking with The Wrestling Perspective’s Podcast this week, Fish was asked about his AEW run, and said he “would have liked a little more direction.”
Fish was quick to say that AEW, like any other promotion, will never get everything right and that thinking they would is an unfair assumption.
NXT
Before coming to AEW, Fish spent four years of his career in WWE NXT, where he is a former NXT Tag Team Champion.
Speaking about his time in the Undisputed Era, Fish said he and the group worked closely with Triple H and NXT Head Writer Joe Belcastro.
Fish is especially proud of his work in WarGames, saying he was a huge fan of the iconic structure during his youth and it was an honor to compete inside.
It was also said that the UE were given bullet points rather than a script to follow, and the group’s success in promos earned them the nickname ‘one-take UE’ amongst the production team.
Fish added that the WWE can be criticized for being overproduced and micromanaged, but it was nothing they dealt with much.
Since Triple H took over main roster creative, Kevin Owens has once again been a big part of WWE television and that importance will likely only grow as the road to WrestleMania picks up.
He was supposed to be on television for SmackDown this week, but that didn’t go as planned. WWE aired a live episode this week before taping next week’s Friday right after the show went off the air from Chicago.
What Happened
(via WWE)
Fightful Select reported that Owens was supposed to be on both week’s episodes, but he couldn’t make it due to what was called a “nightmare travel situation.”
The report added, “Owens had to be written out of the shows and major production and writing changes were made. Originally Owens was supposed to be face-to-face with the Bloodline to introduce the John Cena video.”
Cena will team up with Kevin Owens to take on Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn on the December 30th edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown.
This comes after The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn, & Solo Sikoa) vs. The Brawling Brutes (Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Butch, and Ridge Holland & Kevin Owens) in the Men’s WarGames Match at this year’s Survivor Series premium live event.
Kenny Omega has been a household name for years thanks to his in-ring skills as he is considered one the best pro wrestlers on the planet. Omega has always competed at a high level whether that be in New Japan Pro Wrestling or AEW. In that time, he has faced numerous top opponents all over the world.
The former AEW World Heavyweight Champion also doesn’t shy away from competing on less popular shows. Omega decided to compete during the latest taping event for AEW Dark, held on Saturday from Universal Studios.
In Action
Omega worked the set of tapings when he wrestled Hagane Shinno in singles competition. It’s unclear when the episode of AEW Dark with Omega will air.
Omega is set to team up with The Young Bucks and square off against Death Triangle in their next match in the best-of-seven series with Death Triangle, for the AEW Trios Titles. The two teams will clash in a No Disqualification Match on the December 21 Dynamite episode. If necessary, the sixth bout will be a Falls Count Anywhere contest.
We will have spoilers on the homepage later tonight. You can check out some tweets of Omega’s appearance below:
Kenny Omega working the Universal Studios AEW Dark tapings against Hagane Shinno! pic.twitter.com/VaThzizpJM
Last Saturday, Athena defeated Mercedes Martinez for the ROH Women’s Championship at Final Battle. The hard-hitting affair fits with the new version of Athena that fans have seen the last few months.
The ROH Women’s Championship is the second title Athena has held since being released from WWE. She is currently the Warrior Wrestling Women’s Champion. In WWE as Ember Moon, she was the NXT Women’s Champion and NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion with Shotzi Blackheart.
Athena to Defend ROH Championship
It was announced today that Athena will defend her ROH Championship against Miyu Yamashita. The match is for Prestige Wrestling at their Vendetta show on Saturday, January 21. The show will be live-streamed on IWTV at 7 PM PST.
? BREAKING NEWS ?
ATHENA will defend the RING OF HONOR Women’s Championship on 1/21 against MIYU YAMASHITA!
Yamashita is currently signed to TJPW. She is a three-time Princess of Princess Champion and current Pro Wrestling EVE champion. She was ranked #12 on PWI’s Women 150 this year. Yamashita faced Thunder Rosa for the AEW Women’s Championship in July.
Due to the crew being given time off to spend Christmas with their families, next week’s episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown from Chicago was filmed after the December 16 show.
WWE SmackDown Spoilers
Here are the spoilers for next week (December 23), courtesy of F4Wonline.com:
Raquel Rodriguez won a gauntlet match to become the number one contender for the SmackDown Women’s title. Xia Li beat Emma and Tegan Nox. Raquel defeated Li, Liv Morgan, and Sonya Deville to win the match. Shayna Baszler came out as a surprise entrant, only to be defeated by Rodriguez.
Bray Wyatt came out and said that LA Knight owes him an apology. Wyatt ends up attacking the cameraman.
Rey Mysterio defeated Angel of Los Lotharios as Karrion Kross and Scarlett were watching in the crowd.
The Bloodline came out for a promo. Solo Sikoa vs. Sheamus was booked for the December 30 show in Tampa. During the promo, Sami Zayn said that Kevin Owens was like a black cloud that is still following him.
The Usos defeated Hit Row to retain the WWE Undisputed Tag Team titles.
Braun Strowman and Ricochet defeated Imperium in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. Presents were everywhere and were used as weapons. The New Day was dressed as nutcrackers. Ricochet, at one point, was hurt as he was bleeding. He recovered and won the match for his team.
Sasha Banks’ time with WWE has come to an end, but the former Women’s Champion may not be gone for good.
This week, it was reported that Banks reached an agreement in June to leave WWE, on the basis that she would not do anything wrestling-related for the rest of the year.
Banks will be a free agent come January 1, and has reportedly signed a lucrative per-appearance deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Return to WWE
Banks’ first appearance for New Japan will come at the Wrestle Kingdom 17 event on January 4.
During the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that some in WWE are confident she will be back.
“There’s no reason at all that she can’t go back to WWE if she wants to. That door is not shut at all. People in WWE think she’ll be back, but who knows when? whereas with Mandy, she might. She might not, who knows? There’s a lot of questions because of the content, whether they would want her back with the sponsors.”
Dave Meltzer.
Mandy Rose’s departure from WWE was also confirmed this week, after the promotion learned of the content shared on her fan website.
Money
For now, Sasha Banks is out of WWE, a decision that comes down to money.
On his show, Meltzer explained how despite being a “given” at one time that she would be returning to WWE, the two sides were never close to a financial agreement
“It wasn’t close on money, but there were points when it was a given that she would be back. It was a question of when not even if. Their feeling from the WWE side is that she was asking too high of a price. From her side [she was not asking too high of a price.] That was the thing. She had how much she thought she was worth. And they were not close.
“She’s making a lot of money per date, and she’s got a lot of things she can do. Between the acting and things like that. She can market herself in many different ways. She has a better long-term than Mandy Rose, in the sense that she’s a really outstanding wrestler, and can go to Japan and wrestle. She’s in a good spot with the partial schedule.”
While it is unconfirmed how much Banks will be earning, it is believed she will earn more per appearance in Japan than with WWE.
Banks will reportedly be the highest-paid name under a contract with Bushiroad, the parent company of NJPW and STARDOM.
WWE Hall of Famer ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan has shown that he can still handle himself, even without his trust 2×4, now well into his 60s.
Duggan is best known for his time in WWE as a patriotic star of the Hogan era, but would later work for WCW.
In 2011, the winner of the very first Royal Rumble match was inducted into the WWE Hall of Famer alongside names including the Road Warriors and Shawn Michaels.
Home Invasion
Speaking to Wrestling Inc this week, Duggan explained that his South Carolina home was broken into on December 8, at around 6:45 pm local time.
A man in his mid-20s entered through the front door, but the wrestling legend tackled him to the ground.
Duggan later grabbed his .44 caliber pistol and held the intruder at gunpoint until the police arrived.
Jim and his wife Debra described the introducer as “hysterically frightened” and had claimed that people from a nearby home were coming after him to kill him.
According to Duggan, the intruder was fleeing individuals related to a burglary in a different home, leading him to seek refuge.
The man pounded on multiple doors without being answered before entering the Duggan household.
After the Invasion
Despite this scary incident, Duggan said he would not be pressing charges when presented with the opportunity.
Duggan did inform Kershaw’s County Sherriff’s department about the incident that he had apprehended the intruder.
Speaking at the time, the WWE Hall of Famer was grateful things did not escalate, saying “thank God we didn’t shoot him.”
“Immediately, day after retirement, I’d like to be doing movies. I’ve been lucky enough to have some opportunities within WWE. I was in Chucky season two and I got killed by Chucky, which was a dream and amazing. It was so cool. I never get starstruck over anyone, but when I saw Chucky, I was so starstruck.”
Liv Morgan.
Morgan also revealed that she recently filmed a role for ‘The Kill Room’ a Uma Thurman and Samuel L Jackson project that has yet to be released.
Other Plans
Morgan is hoping to do more in the world of acting, but that’s not all she has planned.
In the interview, the former SmackDown Women’s Champion added that she also plans on expanding her soap business.
Like many wrestlers, Morgan said that getting into real estate is an option that is “always in the back of my mind.”
Former WWE Superstar Mandy Rose was one of the four pillars of the NXT brand, according to Grayson Waller.
Rose was released this week from her WWE NXT contract after the promotion learned of the content she has been sharing with subscribers on her website.
Her departure from WWE comes just one day after losing the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez, ending Rose’s reign at 413 days.
Pillar
After returning to NXT in the summer of 2021, Rose would become one of the brand’s most popular stars and one of the most dominant champions.
Speaking during the latest episode of WWE After the Bell, Grayson Waller was asked about the four pillars of NXT, and namedropped the former Superstar.
“I’m 100% one of those four pillars. I think it’s me, Carmelo [Hayes], Mandy [Rose], and right on the end is Bron Breakker and it’s a little bit shaky, it’s barely standing up but if that pillar breaks, the other three are just as strong.”
Grayson Waller.
Based on how Waller spoke during the show, it is likely that this interview was recorded prior to Rose’s firing.
Grayson Waller
Waller has become a mainstay in WWE NXT, but has yet to hold gold in the promotion.
Speaking about his career so far, the Australian Superstar explained his slow rise, saying others needed a push from the get-go, more than him.
“I think from day one I was[ready for the top spot,] but I just hadn’t [been] given the platform or the opportunity yet. I think other people were given that straight away because they needed it and I took that opportunity.”
Grayson Waller.
Waller, the winner of the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge, has a guaranteed title match with NXT Champion Bron Breakker.
Ricochet battled Gunther tonight for the Intercontinental Championship tonight on WWE SmackDown. He gave it everything he had and was able to kick out of a big Powerbomb from The Ring General during the match.
However, Gunther proved to be too much for Ricochet and put the challenger away with a Powerslam to retain the Intercontinental Championship. After the match, Imperium surrounded Ricochet and were about to attack when Braun Strowman’s music hit.
The Monster of All Monsters charged down the entrance ramp and Imperium retreated. Strowman posed with Ricochet as SmackDown moved on to another segment.
WWE’s official Twitter uploaded an exclusive video to show that Ricochet received a standing ovation after losing his shot at the Intercontinental Championship. Ricochet earned the title shot by winning the SmackDown World Cup tournament.
Braun Strowman on Carrying on the Tradition of Giants in Wrestling
Braun Strowman was a part of the SmackDown World Cup Tournament but Gunther made sure to interfere in his semifinal match against Ricochet. Imperium’s interference wound up costing Strowman the match against Ricochet and The Ring General is clearly trying to avoid Braun at all costs. Perhaps Gunther is afraid of Strowman because he is one of the last remaining giants in wrestling.
Strowman recently spoke with CBS Sports and said that he is carrying on the fading tradition of giants in the world of professional wrestling.
Andre the Giant is sports entertainment. He is the reason why this industry is what it is. It’s world-renowned as a global entity. When you talk about WWE, you cannot mention this company without saying Andre the Giant.
So from him to the Big Show to Kane to Undertaker to Mark Henry to all these other giant men that have come and gone in this business, I’m one of the very last few of a dying breed of these dinosaurs, as I like to call it. So in my mind, I’m carrying on a tradition and a legacy that is fading.
When 2022 first started, everything was looking up for All Elite Wrestling. CM Punk was involved in an epic rivalry against MJF, free agents were swarming to the promotion, and it appeared that the company was well on its way to becoming must-watch television every week.
10 Best AEW Moments of 2022
Lack of accountability, direction, and leadership has exposed all of AEW’s flaws this year, and hopefully, 2022 will be the company’s reference point as to what not to do moving forward.
Here are the 10 biggest mistakes made by All Elite Wrestling in 2022:
#10. The Unfortunate Debut of Satnam Singh
Samoa Joe captured the ROH TV Championship on the April 13th edition of Dynamite. Joe defeated Minoru Suzuki in a physical match in the main event to capture the title. After the match, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal appeared on the entrance ramp with a present. They opened it and revealed Jay Lethal’s middle finger.
The lights then went out and Satnam Singh made his debut. The giant beat Joe down but his arrival did not generate the reaction AEW was hoping for. Chants of “who are you?!” echoed throughout the arena and AEW fans immediately rejected Satnam. He has become more of a background figure in the faction, as Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett appear to be entering a feud with AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed.
#9. Too Many Titles/ Interim Champions
One of the biggest gripes wrestling fans currently have with All Elite Wrestling is the absurd amount of titles in the promotion. Even with the surplus of championships, outside titles like the Regina Di Wave title are randomly defended within the promotion.
AEW set a precedent with CM Punk with Interim Champions that completely undermined Toni Storm’s title reign. The interim label made her seem like a temporary champion for the entire reign and hopefully, she will get another one to rectify that in the future.
The All-Atlantic Championship was the breaking point for many fans. Orange Cassidy has done his best to make the title relevant on Rampage but it still feels like an unnecessary title, as many think of the TNT Championship as the secondary title in the company.
#8. Lack of Transparency Regarding AEW Fight Forever
AEW Fight Forever was advertised to be released in 2022 all year until it became obvious that the video game wasn’t ready to be on shelves.
Fight Forever’s release date was pushed back until February 2023 in November, but there was just a very loud silence surrounding the game for months until finally a trailer was recently posted. Time will tell if the game delivers when it is released, but it is hard to feel confident that it will at the moment.
#7. Too Many Factions
Factions are great in wrestling. The leader of the group is usually a charismatic performer that helps elevate the talent around him. The Jericho Appreciation Society might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s little doubt that Chris has the ability to lead his own group and help other talents.
However, throwing talent together and slapping a name on them doesn’t mean anything. What has Private Party gotten out of being a part of the Hardy Family Office? Is Cole Karter getting more of a reaction now that he is in The Factory with QT Marshall?
The factions have to be interesting themselves for it to equate to fan interest. Otherwise, it is just a collection of wrestlers interacting with each other in segments nobody cares about.
#6. Too Much Ring of Honor
AEW President Tony Khan purchased Ring of Honor in March of this year. Nine months later, there is no TV deal for the promotion and he’s asking fans to sign up for Honor Club for ten bucks a month.
Even with that subscription, fans would still have to shell out $40 for the PPV as it will not appear on Honor Club until 90 days after it airs live. Chris Jericho became the ROH Champion by defeating Claudio Castagnoli and his reign came to an on December 10th at Final Battle.
From the outside looking in, it sure looks like he was made the ROH Champion to try and orchestrate a TV deal for the brand and it didn’t work out. Hopefully, there are big things in the promotion in the future, but there was far too much ROH involvement on Dynamite for asking fans to subscribe to Honor Club to be the end goal.
#5. The William Regal Situation
William Regal played a massive part in MJF becoming AEW World Champion and then left the company. It was a bizarre series of events and left many fans wondering why Regal played such a prominent part in the storyline when management knew he was on his way out.
Tony Khan did the right thing in letting Regal return to WWE after the regime change. It was just bizarre that he became the most prominent he had been as a television character on AEW TV as he was on the way out of the company.
#4. Lack of Focus on the Women’s Division
The women’s division in AEW is very talented but it just hasn’t clicked yet. Toni Storm was a big signing for All Elite Wrestling but her title reign was underwhelming. Jade Cargill is undefeated as TBS Champion but the promotion has struggled to find viable opponents or interesting feuds for her.
Jade’s feud against Nyla Rose for Full Gear was quite forgettable. The match at the PPV was fine, but the build to get us there was not. The talent is there, it remains to be seen if the creative writing will be in 2023.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRaYATCXcJ0
#3. Lack of Focus on Rampage
AEW Rampage became the most missable wrestling show on television this year. Rarely did anything of note happen in AEW on Friday nights during 2022. The show often features main events with wrestlers that are on the main event level and has a pacing issue.
There’s no time for anything to breathe on Rampage and there often is far too much crammed into an episode. It appears that AEW President Tony Khan has a renewed focus on Rampage following its recent record-low ratings and it will be interesting to see if AEW is relevant on Friday nights next year.
#2. Letting Cody Rhodes Leave
The American Nightmare returned to WWE as former CEO Vince McMahon’s selection for Seth Rollins’ opponent at WrestleMania 38. Cody Rhodes got an incredible reaction upon his return to WWE and became even more popular as the weeks went on. His promos connected with the WWE Universe and he seems destined to become champion one day.
Cody’s run in All Elite Wrestling had a bizarre ending. He took himself out of AEW World Championship contention by saying he would never get another title shot while he was in management if he lost to Chris Jericho at Full Gear 2019. Cody lost after MJF threw in the towel for him and hit Rhodes with a low blow after the match.
Rhodes then found himself disconnect from the AEW audience, sometimes booed relentlessly during his promos. A change of scenery was likely what Cody needed, but his presence is still missed in AEW. There aren’t too many that can cut a promo like The American Nightmare and consistently deliver in the ring at the same time.
#1. Lack of Leadership
There have been too many instances of AEW talent burying each other, burying their boss, brawling, and just general dysfunction this year in the company. CM Punk’s rant following AEW All Out was egregious, but it was also allowed to get to that point. There were stories about issues backstage for months but nothing was resolved. Talented wrestlers like Miro and Andrade have become disgruntled and were poorly used in the promotion from the day they signed.
It is a difficult task to manage all of the egos in the locker room but it has to be done by somebody. If everyone is just looking out for themselves in AEW, they will become the alternative to Impact rather than WWE in the years ahead.
