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Pat McAfee Reacts to Winning WON’s Worst Wrestling Match of 2022 Award

Thomas Lowson
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Pat McAfee may have won over fans with his enthusiastic commentary as part of WWE SmackDown, but his second match at WrestleMania 38 left a lot to be desired.

Last April, McAfee competed at his first WrestleMania, defeating Austin Theory who had been accompanied by Mr. McMahon.

In an impromptu match, McMahon defeated McAfee, thanks to interference by Theory.

All three men would receive stunners by ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin to end the segment.

Worst. Match. Ever!

Given that he was facing a 76-year-old man, McAfee’s bout with McMahon was far from a five-star classic.

In the recent Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards, fans voted the match as the worst bout of 2022, beating Ric Flair’s Final match from July by over 250 votes.

On Twitter, McAfee reacted to his ‘win,’ and is pleased that he got to experience WrestleMania as a wrestler.

Well… Me and Vince McMahon’s match at WrestleMania has officially been named ‘Worst (nonsanctioned) match of the year’ 

The old man was MUCH stronger than anybody could’ve imagined.. Caught me off guard quite a bit (and I was Cheap Shotted to start it all).. Fun Fact.. The 1st time Steve gave Vince a stunner was in 1997… I was 10 years old, from a working class community, and it made me fall in love with the business. Wonder if it would be magical to get one last BAHGAWD in Stone Cold’s State? But… How do we get there? OHHHH.. He has to abuse his power a little bit… ohhhhhh

When I was invited back in the ring.. I thought I was gonna get to celebrate Stone Cold finally ending the run with Vince.. ‘The Common Beer Drinking Employee’ has finally put the old ‘Power abusing Billionaire Boss’ away.. I was LIVING A DREAM whilst they wrapped (in my opinion) the greatest/most impactful storyline in the history of wrestling. BUT… “NEVER TRUST THE TEXAS RATTLESNAKE PAT

My brain may have been used during the planning of all of this.. So I appreciate the award.. obviously. I’m not a movie guy.. I didn’t watch shows.. I don’t play video games.. From an entertainment standpoint.. Football and Wrestling are literally the only 2 things I’ve ever consistently watched/loved for my whole life. Cheers to you all. I’ll remember that night, in Jerry World, forever. WHADDDD”

Other nominees for Worst Match of 2022 included the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble, the All Out 2022 Casino Royale Ladder Match, and Tyrus’ NWA World Championship victory.

What’s Next for Pat?

At the Royal Rumble, McAfee made a one-night return to the commentary table, as he has spent months with ESPN’s College GameDay.

After not appearing on SmackDown since then, McAfee took to Twitter to reflect on his future with the promotion.

In the said tweet, Pat questioned whether he would be willing to work with WWE’s potential new owners, but did not name which names listed as possible buyers would make him reconsider his position.

Pat McAfee Was Originally Supposed to Return in WWE Royal Rumble Match

WWE Senior Vice President Terminated Over HR Violation

Thomas Lowson
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WWE’s corporate world has seen a lot of changes over the past month, and now one Senior Vice President is no longer with the promotion.

In January, Vince McMahon made his shocking return to WWE, following his retirement in July 2022 over alleged activity with female employees.

McMahon’s return coincided with the resignation of his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, who had been appointed Chairwoman following Vince’s departure.

Vince’s return also resulted in several resignations from WWE’s Board of Directors, including Man Jit Singh, who led the investigation into the billionaire’s alleged actions last year.

Termination

WWE has parted ways with James Kimball, once WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Operations and Strategy, Fightful Select has learned.

It was said that an HR violation led to his immediate termination which took place last week.

In an update, it was stressed that an HR violation is relatively broad and could mean a variety of things.

Fightful stated that it could mean that no one else was directly affected by what he did which resulted in his termination.

Kimball had been with the company for two years, working on the NIL program, among other projects, and had spent a decade with the UFC.

The former SVP worked closely with Triple H during his tenure and only recently was speaking to free agents about joining the promotion.

Fightful clarified that Kimball’s termination was not a case of Vince McMahon making a firing upon his return to the promotion.

Reaction

Several WWE Superstars, as well as some UFC fighters, reached out to Fightful to say that they were surprised by his departure.

One talent said that they were “shocked” that Kimball was out, while several others inquired about the details behind the move.

Another wrestler stated that there was a time when it appeared that Kimball would be with WWE for years, if not decades to come.

Ex-WWE Champion Praises “Really Good Person” Stephanie McMahon After Resignation

Watch: What Happened With The Bloodline After SmackDown Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
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The duo of Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso represented The Bloodline and continued their dominance after this week’s episode of SmackDown went off air.

WWE continued the storyline between the dominant faction and Sami Zayn during this week’s episode of the show from Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

The show opened with a recap of Zayn vs Roman Reigns from Elimination Chamber. Jimmy Uso then revealed that he has asked his brother Jey Uso to meet him in the ring later in the night.

The main event segment then saw Sami Zayn confronting Jimmy as Jey watched from afar. This segment ended with Zayn delivering a Helluva Kick to Jimmy before leaving the ring as Solo Sikoa arrived:

The Bloodline In Action

Both Sami Zayn and Jey Uso returned to the back after the cameras stopped rolling. However, Solo Sikoa and Jimmy stayed in the ring for a dark main event.

The Bloodline duo went up against The OC in a tag team match after the event. Solo picked up the victory for his team in this match using the Samoan Spike:

WWE has announced Roman Reigns’ return for next week’s SmackDown. We can expect some big development in this story at the show.

Former NXT Star Wrestles After Three Months Before SmackDown

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE star Cameron Grimes returned to action after more than three months before this week’s episode of SmackDown from Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

The former NXT star last competed in a match against Joe Gacy during the November 8 episode of NXT last year.

It was reported that Grimes was done with the development brand after this bout and he was headed to the main roster. However, he wasn’t seen in the ring since then.

Cameron Grimes In Action

The former NXT star finally made his in-ring return before tonight’s episode of SmackDown. He competed against Hit Row’s Ashante Thee Adonis:

The 29-year-old made his wrestling debut back in 2009. He competed for promotions such as PWG and Impact Wrestling before joining WWE in 2019.

The Million Dollar Man

Grimes made his NXT debut in July, 2019. He had a successful run in the development brand where he won the North American Championship once.

At one point during his run with the brand, Cameron Grimes was even paired with WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase and held the Million Dollar Championship.

It was reported recently that the creatives had not come up with a plan for his main roster debut yet. His in-ring return indicates that his official call up will finally be happening soon.

Top WWE Star Referenced AEW Wrestler During SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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An AEW star was referenced on Friday Night SmackDown this week during a segment by Charlotte Flair while building to her WrestleMania 39 showdown. 

The SmackDown Women’s Champion came out to the ring for a promo segment and she gave an early Happy Birthday shout to her father, Ric Flair. She also referenced another Papi.

Flair was exchanging words with Dominik Mysterio when she referenced her real-life husband, Andrade El Idolo as a way to make it clear that she had no interest in Dominik or his shenanigans when he answered her call for Rhea Ripley to come to the ring for their advertised showdown.  

The Moment

Flair told him that she has a real Latino man at home that calls her Mami who does it with a much thicker accent.  Once Flair squared up with the son of Rey Mysterio then Ripley came out to the ring where they had a staredown before Ripley got out of the ring and went to the backstage area. 

Andrade and Charlotte were married last summer, the original reason why Charlotte went on hiatus from WWE TV. 

AEW Star Injured in Recent Rampage Match

Andrew Ravens
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Anna Jay AS has revealed why she has been sidelined for the last month in a message on Twitter. 

The AEW star suffered dislocated ribs during a recent AEW Rampage match. In a response to a fan on Twitter, Jay confirmed the injury that took place in a match that aired on January 13.

The Confirmation

“No bruised tailbone, but I did have some dislocated ribs. Not fun,” Jay AS wrote.

This injury would’ve happened when she teamed up with Tay Melo to wrestle Ruby Soho and Willow Nightingale in a street fight on the show that airs every Friday night on TNT. At one point in the match, Jay was grabbed by Nightingale and powerbombed her off the ramp. 

Both stars were supposed to go through a table. Unfortunately, Jay ended up missing the table. She landed hard on the floor and the ribs were dislocated.  As a result, she has not wrestled since the match took place.

In recent months leading up to this bout, Jay has aligned herself with the Jericho Appreciation Society and formed a tag team with Melo, who has been feuding with Soho since her return from a broken nose. Ironically, she was sidelined with the injury that was caused by Melo during the AEW All Out pre-show last September.

AEW Rampage Results (2/24): Young Bucks Face Aussie Open, Lance Archer Returns, More

Colby Faria
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AEW‘s latest edition of Rampage (2/24/23) is ongoing from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona! The Young Bucks face Aussie Open, Toni Storm takes on Willow Nightingale, Sammy Guevara battles Action Andretti, and Lance Archer makes his return!

Live Coverage

The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)

Toni Storm (with Saraya) def. Willow Nightingale

Lance Archer (with Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts) def. Bryce Saturn

Sammy Guevara (with Daniel Garcia) def. Action Andretti

WWE SmackDown Results (2/24): Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso Brawl, Jey Uso Doesn’t Help The Bloodline, More

Colby Faria
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WWE‘s latest edition of SmackDown went down on (2/24/23) from the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana! In the show’s closing segment, Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso brawled while Jey Uso watched from afar. Solo Sikoa rushed the ring to help his fellow Bloodline member but Jey remained off in the distance, which didn’t go ignored by Jimmy and Solo.

Live Coverage

The show begins and Kayla Braxton is backstage with Jimmy Uso. Kayla asks Jimmy if he’s spoken to his brother, Jey. Jimmy says he wasn’t able to reach Jey when attempting to call his brother but he texted him and told him that he can meet him (Jimmy) in the ring, tonight.

We then head to the arena where our commentary team of Michael Cole and Wade Barrett welcome us to tonight’s show in Evansville, Indiana and it’s time for our opening contest of the evening!

Braun Strowman, Ricochet, and Madcap Moss vs. Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci)

Moss and Vinci start this one off. Moss plants Vinci with a slam and makes the tag to Ricochet, who nails Vinci with a standing moonsault and goes for the cover but Vinci kicks out. Strowman wants a tag but Vinci clocks Ricochet with a massive lariat to avoid the tag and he makes a tag of his own to Kaiser. The former NXT Tag Team Champions double-team Ricochet and Kaiser shoves Ricochet face-first into the mat after bouncing off the middle rope. Imperium seclude Ricochet in their corner, Kaiser dumps Ricochet to the outside, Vinci distracts the referee, and Gunther wallops Ricochet with a back-body drop onto the apron as we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Kaiser is working over Ricochet back in the middle of the ring. Kaiser plants Ricochet with a slam and goes for the cover but Ricochet lifts the shoulders after a two count.

Kaiser makes the tag to the Intercontinental Champion Gunther. Former WWE Champion Drew McIntyre slowly makes his way down to the ring and he and Gunther lock eyes from afar. Gunther turns his focus back to Ricochet and makes the tag to Vinci, who stomps on Ricochet’s arm. Vinci delivers a trio of lariats but Ricochet spins out of the final attempt and dives to the corner to make the tag to Strowman! The ‘Monster Among Men’ takes out both Kaiser and Vinci and he and Gunther come face-to-face in the center of the ring. Gunther lights up Strowman with a chop then drop-kicks him into the corner and Moss makes the self-tag on Strowman. Moss cracks Gunther with some short spears in the corner but Gunther wallops his latest title challenger with a massive chop before planting him with a German suplex. Gunther flattens Moss with a massive power-bomb and gets the 1-2-3!

Winners – Imperium

After the match, Erik and Ivar of the Viking Raiders attack McIntyre on the stage. Sheamus rushes down and makes the save and Strowman wipes out both Erik and Ivar with a massive shoulder tackle. Ricochet comes flying over the top rope and takes out both Erik and Ivar and McIntyre and Sheamus send the Raiders over the barricade with a Brogue Kick and a Claymore Kick, respectively.

Backstage, we see Kayla Braxton, who’s with Rey Mysterio. Rey says he’ll put an end to Karrion Kross tonight and Santos Escobar interrupts. Santos says the one thing he and Legado del Fantasma value is respect. Santos says he was honored when he received a mask from the legendary, Rey Mysterio. Santos says it’s now time to show the WWE Universe how much he respects Rey and Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley interrupt. Dominik says Karrion Kross will put his father (Rey) to sleep tonight and Santos says he may need to teach Dominik some respect. Santos gets in Dominik’s face but Rhea steps in-between them and laughs at Santos before she and Rhea exit. Rey looks distressed and leaves after Santos tries to console him and we head to a commercial break.

Back from the break and Jimmy Uso is with Solo Sikoa backstage with Paul Heyman lurking in the background. Jimmy says he thinks Jey is ‘spooked’ over the whole Sami Zayn situation. Heyman says Solo should sit in the back with him while Jimmy ‘handles’ Jey in the ring, man to man, brother to brother, Uso to Uso. Jimmy agrees and we head back to the ring, where LA Knight is making his way down the ramp.

LA Knight is in ring gear but grabs a microphone and says ‘lemme talk to ya!’. Knight says everyone is talking about their WrestleMania moment but not him. Knight said he came to WWE to make money and win titles and he starts that journey by going to WrestleMania ‘YEAH!’. Knight says he won’t be the one having a WrestleMania moment and says Los Angeles can’t have a WrestleMania without LA Knight being there, so, he’ll give WrestleMania an LA Knight moment. The New Day’s music hits and out comes Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. Kofi laughs and says Knight doesn’t realize how WWE works. Kofi asks Knight who he even is thinking he can demand a WrestleMania match. Knight calls Kofi and Xavier the ‘Nerd Day’ and says if they stopped playing video games, they’d realize how much of a mega star he is ‘YEAH!’. Xavier says being nerds has made the New Day a lot of money and says he and Kofi can tell Knight loves hand outs considering the looks of the leather vest that he’s wearing. Xavier said Kofi had one of the biggest WrestleMania moments of all-time and Knight interrupts him and asks Kofi how ‘Kofi Mania’ worked out for him.

Kofi gets in the ring and says ‘Kofi Mania’ worked out pretty well for him and asks Knight if he wants him (Kofi) to ‘shut him up’ right here in Evansville, Indiana. The crowd seems to want it, and Xavier Woods calls for Adam Pearce to send out a referee and a referee makes their way down to the ring and we’ll have an impromptu match after the break!

Kofi Kingston (with Xavier Woods) vs. LA Knight

Kofi goes up top and lays Knight out with a diving axe-handle then goes for the cover but Knight kicks out. Kofi dumps Knight to the outside and he and Xavier dance before Kofi tosses Knight back into the ring and applies an arm-bar. Knight powers to his feet and slams Kofi to the mat and goes for the cover but the former WWE Champion kicks out. Kofi knocks Knight back to the corner and goes for a flying knee but Knight catches him and dumps Kofi to the outside and we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Kofi nails Knight with a flying knee. Kofi whiffs on an SOS, Knight plants him with a back-body drop and goes for the cover but Kofi kicks out. Knight slides to the outside and cracks Woods with a forearm to the back of the head before heading back into the ring but he walks into an SOS from Kofi for the 1-2-3!

Winner – Kofi Kingston

It’s then announced that SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley will come face-to-face after the break.

Back from the break and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair makes her way down to the ring. Charlotte immediately calls Rhea Ripley out and Charlotte’s challenger doesn’t oblige. Charlotte says Rhea must be having second thoughts about choosing her after winning the Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Dominik Mysterio makes his way down to the ring and says he’s not going to allow Charlotte to run down ‘Mami’ like that. Charlotte tells Dominik to be a ‘good little Nino’ and tell ‘Mami’ to come face her like ‘a real woman’. Dominik says Charlotte is a beautiful woman and while females are the ‘softer sex’ Rhea is aggressive and ‘breaks’ his back. Charlotte says she has a real Latin man at him (referring to AEW’s Andrade El Idolo). Dominik says he and Charlotte have a lot in common being second generation superstars who have ‘surpassed’ their father’s even if the fans refuse to agree with it.

Dominik says Rey’s father is a lot worse than Charlotte’s, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. Dominik says Rey messed his childhood up and because of that, he’ll always have a chip on his shoulder. Dominik says when ‘Mami’ beats Charlotte at WrestleMania, Charlotte will realize that Ric was right…she (Charlotte) just isn’t good enough. Charlotte says unlike Dominik, she loves her father, and Dominik is lucky because Ric isn’t here, because otherwise, he’d knock Dominik out. Charlotte takes off her title and gets in Dominik’s face and Rhea Ripley’s music hits. Rhea gets in Charlotte’s face but Dominik holds her back and they get out of the ring. Rhea rushes back in the ring as Charlotte hoists her title in the air and the challenger gets in the champion’s face. Dominik convinces Rhea to back off and the two The Judgment Day members make their exit as Charlotte laughs with her title in the ring.

Michael Cole and Wade Barrett announce that WWE has released more full view tickets for both nights of WrestleMania 39. We then see a Twitter exchange that happened earlier this week between Natalya and Shayna Baszler. Natalya, alongside Tegan Nox makes their way down to the ring and she’ll face Shayna Baszler after the break.

Natalya (with Tegan Nox) vs. Shayna Baszler (with Ronda Rousey)

Natalya attacks Shayna right as the bell sounds and kicks Shayna out of the ring. Shayna gets back in the ring and Natalya tosses her to the corner and unloads a bevy of strikes. Shayna slams Natalya to the mat and works over Nattie’s left arm. Natalya tosses Shayna to the mat with an arm drag but Shayna continues to work over Natalya’s left arm. Natalya clocks Shayna with a kick to the chest and plants her with a German suplex, then a lariat, before going for the cover but Shayna kicks out. Natalya looks for the Sharpshooter but Shayna slides out of then ring. Natalya nails Shayna with a Baseball slide and tosses Shayna back into the ring. Natalya gets in Ronda Rousey’s face but Shayna drills Natalya with a knee on the apron, drags Natalya back into the ring, and applies the arm-bar to get the tap out from Natalya!

Winner – Shayna Bazler

After the match, Tegan Nox rushes the ring and a quick brawl ensues between the four competitors as Ronda and Shayna make their exit.

It’s announced that Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Funhouse will go down after the break.

Back from the break and it’s time for the Firefly Funhouse! We see the Funhouse set and it turns red as the camera turns to the TV inside of the Funhouse. We see two Undertaker figures fighting each other and we see Bray Wyatt watching his promo back from last week where he called out the winner of Bobby Lashley and Brock Lesnar, which went down this past weekend at Elimination Chamber, where Lashley won via disqualification. Bray Wyatt pops back on the screen and he’s with Ramblin’ Rabbit. Bray asks Rabbit who opened the door but they then run a weather report, where we see Uncle Howdy. Bray then appears in game show attire and asks if everyone can keep a secret. Back at the Funhouse, things appear to get more serious as we see some flashes of horror movie scenes and Bray pops back up with a mask and asks if he told everyone a story, if they could keep a secret and that’s the end of the Funhouse.

Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman are shown backstage. Heyman shows Jimmy his phone where Roman Reigns texted him saying that Roman will be live at SmackDown, next Friday night. Heyman says that Roman also says that if Jimmy doesn’t handle Jey Uso, tonight, Roman said he’ll do it himself, next week.

It’s then announced that Rey Mysterio will face Karrion Kross after the break.

Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross (with Scarlett)

Mysterio dumps Kross right to the outside and lays Kross out with a diving cross-body through the middle rope and we head to a commercial break. Back from the break and Kross is working over Rey back in the middle of the ring. We see a picture-in-picture of Kross firing Rey into the ring post with a Razor’s Edge during the break, which is how he gained control. Rey springboards himself of the middle rope but Kross catches him and slides up to the outside. Kross goes out and scoops Rey before drilling him with a sidewalk slam over his own knee. Kross tosses Rey back into the ring and puts Rey on the top turnbuckle and climbs up with him. Rey gets behind Kross and plants him with posoinrana from the top turnbuckle. Rey shoves Kross into the middle rope and looks for the 619 but Scarlett comes diving into the ring, pretending she fell to distract the referee. Rey continues with the 619 but Dominik comes from under the ring and shoves Rey on the ground. Rey climbs back into the ring and walks right into an elbow from Kross, who locks up the Kross Jacket and Rey goes to sleep!

Winner – Karrion Kross

After the match, Dominik gets in the ring and shoves Rey and Rey gets in his son’s face but refuses to hit him. Dominik yells at Rey to hit him but he still won’t. Rey says something to Dominik and kicks the bottom rope before exiting.

It’s announced that we’ll hear from Jimmy Uso after the break.

Back from the break and one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, Jimmy Uso makes his way down to the ring. Jimmy grabs a microphone and directs his attention to his brother, Jey. Jimmy says if Jey isn’t there tonight, he knows he’s watching and he knows that he’s hurt. Jimmy says he knows Jey is torn and no matter what, he’s always been there and will be there for Jey. Jimmy says people are saying that there’s cracks in The Bloodline and that they have a Sami Zayn problem and a Kevin Owens problem and he (Jimmy) can’t do it alone. Sami Zayn comes through the crowd and gets in the ring. Sami grabs a microphone and says he’s not there to fight and he just wants to talk to Jey. Sami says he also wants to talk to Jimmy and says every time Jimmy says brother, it hurts him because they used to be brothers too. Sami says Jimmy always trusted him, even when Jey, Roman Reigns, and Paul Heyman didn’t. Sami says without Jimmy there’s no Sami Uso but when things went left, Jimmy turned on him immediately and that hurt him (Sami). Jimmy looks like he’s about to attack Sami but he says Sami is selfish. Jimmy says the blame isn’t on him because Sami’s the one who took a steel chair to Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. Jimmy says what he did was what family does, Sami interrupts and says family doesn’t make you prove yourselves every single week and family doesn’t manipulate each other like Roman did to him…and Jey. Speaking of Jey, he comes in through the crowd and Sami continues talking to Jimmy. Sami says there’s a way out for both he (Jimmy) and Jey. Sami looks up to Jey and Jimmy attacks Sami. Jimmy waves on for Jey to come help him but Sami drills Jimmy with a Helluva Kick. Solo Sikoa rushes the ring and chases Sami off and Jey remains behind the barricade and everyone locks eyes from a distance as the show goes-off-the-air!

IMPACT Wrestling No Surrender Results (2/24): Mickie James Defends Knockouts World Title Against Masha Slamovich

Colby Faria
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IMPACT Wrestling’s latest pay-per-view ‘No Surrender’ is ongoing (2/24/23) from the Sam Town’s Live in Sunrise Manor, Nevada! Mickie James defends the IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Championship against Masha Slamovich and Josh Alexander will defend the IMPACT Wrestling World Championship against Rich Swann!

Live Coverage

During the pre-show, Gisele Shaw defeated Deonna Purrazzo after Savannah Evans attacked Purrazzo while Shaw distracted the referee.

Former Ring Of Honor World Champion Jonathan Gresham defeated former IMPACT Wrestling X-Division Champion ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey to close out the pre-show festivities.

Frankie Kazarian def. Kon

The Death Dollz (Taya Valkyrie & Jessicka) (with Rosemary) (C) def. The Hex (Marti Belle & Allysin Kay) — IMPACT Knockouts World Tag Team Championship

Joe Hendry (C) def. Moose — IMPACT Digital Media Championship

Busted Open Radio Live Segment (Bully Ray, Tommy Dreamer, and Dave LaGreca)

Steve Maclin def. PCO, Brian Myers, and Heath — Number One Contenders Match (IMPACT Wrestling World Championship)

https://twitter.com/IMPACTWRESTLING/status/1629308368916553728?s=20

Bullet Club (Ace Austin, Chris Bey, and Kenta) def. Time Machine (Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, and Kushida)

Mickie James (C) def. Masha Slamovich — IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts World Championship

Josh Alexander (C) def. Rich Swann — IMPACT Wrestling World Championship

Viewership Report for WWE Raw, AEW Dynamite, NXT, MLW Underground, More

Andrew Ravens
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Another week of television ratings is in the books for WWE, AEW, and MLW. Let’s take a look at how the top shows performed. 

WWE SmackDown 

The February 17, 2023 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown averaged 2.383 million viewers on FOX, down from 2.468 million viewers, and did a 0.58 rating in the all-important 18-49 demographic, down from the 0.64 rating a week ago. 

The age demo group breakdowns were 18-34 – 0.34, 18-49 – 0.58, 25-54 – 0.81, 18-49 – 4.1, 18-49 – 7.9, and 50+ – 3.3. This was the Elimination Chamber go-home edition of SmackDown.  The show featured Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Madcap Moss and more. 

AEW Rampage

AEW Rampage that same night on TNT in the 7 pm ET timeslot drew 287,000 viewers and a 0.07 key demo rating, down from the show did 375,000 viewers and a 0.12 rating in 10 pm ET timeslot. 

Ratings were expected to be down due to coverage of the NBA all-star festivities. This caused Rampage to draw its lowest key demo rating and total viewership in its history. Rampage ranked #59 in the top 150 shows on cable for the night. 

WWE Raw

WWE Monday Night Raw drew an average of 1.2.006 million viewers and a 0.56 key demo rating on the USA Network, up from the 1.812 million viewers and 0.47 key demo rating the previous week.

The first hour did 2.186 million viewers with a 0.60 demo rating, hour two did 2.065 million with a 0.58 demo rating, and the third hour drew 1.768 million viewers with a 0.50 demo rating. 

Raw ranked #1 in the top 150 shows on cable for the night. Here are the ratings from the same week last year for comparison: 1.945M (0.54) in hour one, 1.868M (0.52) in hour two, and 1.666M (0.47) in hour three. 

This fallout edition of Raw for the Elimination Chamber PLE that featured Edge vs. United States Champion Austin Theory. 

WWE NXT

WWE NXT on February 21 drew 589,000 live viewers on the USA Network, down from the 640,000 viewers the show previously drew a week ago, while it did a 0.14 rating for the 18-49 demographic, down from the 0.15 rating one week ago.

It ranked #16 in the top 150 shows on cable for the night, up from last week’s #17 ranking. The episode featured NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. Jinder Mahal in the main event. 

MLW Underground

This past Tuesday’s MLW Underground episode on Reelz at 10-11 pm EST drew 97,000 viewers and did a 0.03 key demo rating while ranking #117 on cable for the night. 

This is up from last week’s 73,000 and 0.02 rating. The MLW Underground replay at 1 am drew 42,000 viewers last week for the replay. 

AEW Dynamite

Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite drew 1.028 million viewers, up from the 824,000 viewers the show drew last week, and did a 0.35 rating, up from the 0.27 rating. 

Dynamite ranked #1 in the top 150 shows on cable for the night and was the highest ratings of the year. The previous total viewership high was in October and the key demo rating in September. The episode featured Jon Moxley vs. Evil Uno in the main event and “Tony Khan’s important announcement.”

Ratings courtesy of ShowBuzz Daily and Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics.

The Rock’s Family Wants Him Back in WWE, “Including His Mama”

Tyriece Simon
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WWE fans hope that one day The Rock will return to the company. Now we know that his own family would like to see him make his comeback.

The Rock is one of the busiest celebrities in Hollywood. When he is not acting in a blockbuster film, he works on projects like running the XFL. However, it hasn’t stopped wrestling fans from wishing he’d work in WWE again.

For several months, people questioned if The Rock would be involved in WrestleMania 39 in April. WWE would’ve liked him to appear at WrestleMania if he could. Triple H has shared that the door is always open for him to return, but he couldn’t commit this year due to his availability. While fans want to see him compete again, his family also hopes to see The Rock back in wrestling.

In an interview with Insider, Tamina revealed that she and his entire family are looking forward to one day seeing him entertain wrestling again. Insider’s Alan Dawson transcribed the following quote.

“All of us, including his mama, want him to come back,” Tamina said. “I feel like everybody wants him to return,” said Tamina. She also added that The Rock could make his comeback and still be in his element as a performer.

Chances of The Rock Making A Return

The Rock
(WWE)

Although The Rock isn’t able to participate in this year’s WrestleMania, Triple H has shared that there are no hard feelings. WWE has a relationship with him that they ask, but they aren’t pressuring the Hollywood star to say yes or no. It also seems WWE feels confident in its plan for WrestleMania 39 and is already looking forward to a successful event.

The WWE can contact him for next year’s 40th anniversary of WrestleMania, which will take place at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to IMDB, The Rock has two films in production, but their progress is unclear. While it’s not a high chance, his schedule could make his decision easier to make his long-awaited return to WWE.

Roman Reigns Booked for Big Match at Upcoming WWE House Show

Andrew Ravens
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Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will be working a rare house show next month ahead of WrestleMania 39. 

“The Tribal Chief” defeated Sami Zayn to retain the championship in Zayn’s hometown of Montreal at the Elimination Chamber PLE earlier this month. Post-match,  Kevin Owens returned to television after the bout to make the save for Zayn, who had been beaten down further by Reigns and Jimmy Uso. Owens hit a stunner to Heyman while Zayn laid out Reigns to send the crowd home happy. 

On this week’s Raw, the show opened with Zayn doing a promo segment with Owens where he tried to reignite their friendship and form a reunion to go after The Usos’ Undisputed Tag Team Titles. However, because Owens tried to tell Zayn what was going on months ago with The Bloodline using him and Zayn shut him out, he turned down the offer and walked away. 

The Match

According to PWInsider, the Coke-Cola Coliseum in Toronto has announced that Reigns will be teaming with Solo Sikoa to face Zayn and Owens in the headliner of the March 4th house show. 

WWE hasn’t used Solo on television since the February 3 edition of SmackDown. Reigns is slated to make his next Undisputed WWE Universal Championship defense against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 this April.

Two WWE PLEs Including ‘King and Queen of the Ring’ Planned for May

Andrew Ravens
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WWE will run two premium live events in one month this year, according to a new report. 

This May, two notable shows will take place. Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics reports that WWE is planning to present Backlash on Saturday, May 6, an event that dates back to 1999. 

In recent years, WWE has renamed it WrestleMania Backlash. For 2023, the WrestleMania branding is being dropped for the upcoming event, which is Mania’s follow-up show. 

WWE is also bringing back King of the Ring under the King and Queen of the Ring name on Saturday, May 27. WWE hasn’t used the tournament theme as a pay-per-view event since 2002. Instead, they’ve used it on TV. 

Competition

It should be noted that the event will fall on Memorial Day weekend. AEW has held its Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event on this weekend and it will do so again. AEW President Tony Khan recently stated that fans should expect to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, during Memorial Day weekend to see the show live. 

The tournament was originally held on a single night. In later years, WWE spread out the opening round matches on television and saved the semi-finals and finals for the night of the event. 

WWE Expected to Bring Back King of the Ring as Premium Live Event

Spoiler: WWE Planning Injury Angle for Tonight’s SmackDown

Andrew Ravens
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WWE is seemingly writing off Tegan Nox on this week’s episode of SmackDown, an episode that will feature the Elimination Chamber fallout for the SmackDown brand. 

Nox returned to WWE TV on the December 2nd edition of SmackDown where she worked three TV matches that month. So far this year, she has only worked two TV matches including a win over Xia Li on January 13 and working this year’s 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match. Since returning in December, she worked several TV matches. 

The Idea

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports Nox is in town for the show and booked to do some sort of injury angle, although it’s unclear whether this is being done to write her off TV for a legitimate injury or not.

WWE has yet to announce anything for Sami Zayn or Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Here is the updated card for the show that will be held at the Ford Center in Evansville, IN

  • SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley come face-to-face ahead of their WrestleMania 39 match. 
  • Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Funhouse
  • Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross
  • Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss vs. Imperium

Update on Saudi Arabia’s Interest in Buying WWE

Andrew Ravens
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0

There is “definite interest” from Saudi Arabia about potentially buying WWE, a decision made by Vince McMahon when he forced his way back into the company last month as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors ahead of the next media rights deal being made. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that “We know someone involved on the Saudi side about the sale this past week and there is definite interest.”

Saudi’s Plan

Meltzer noted that WWE is not considered as important as Formula 1, which is something Saudi Arabia wanted, or LIV Golf, for Saudi. However, Saudi does want to buy properties in the number one in their market or be in the top five. They also have an interest in the EPL, the biggest and most well-known soccer league in the world, as well as the highest-profile soccer team in the world, Manchester United. 

Meltzer pointed out that Saudi is looking to buy franchises that have a worldwide fan base and they are not looking at them for revenue or profitability as they view it as simply getting publicity for their country and normalizing the world views of their country.

If Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, bought WWE they would focus on growing revenue and turning bigger profits. 

Meltzer mentioned that if Saudi bought the company it would change the salary structure just like they did with golf as they pay way more than the PGA tour. 

Meltzer added, “While those in WWE have told me they prefer to sell to a media company, most stories indicate media companies aren’t looking for that level of a purchase because of uncertainty over the future changes in consumption.”

If WWE is sold to Saudi then it raises questions regarding the future of Sami Zayn, who hasn’t worked any of the WWE events in Saudi Arabia since the partnership began in 2018 due to his Syrian descent. 

Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania Match Was Changed Recently (Report)

Anutosh Bajpai
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Brock Lesnar continues to be one of the biggest stars WWE has to offer. One would think that the company would have solid plans for him going into the WrestleMania season but it doesn’t appear to be the case.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer revealed some details about the conversation around The Beast Incarnate ahead of the Show of Shows.

Meltzer wrote that the company wasn’t planning on a match between Gunther and Brock as many expected. The original plan for him was changed just recently as well:

“The only thing we know is that whatever the Lesnar plan was, and it wasn’t Gunther, that is that it changed in the last week or two.”

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

This past Monday’s Raw saw MVP challenging Brock Lesnar for a match against Omos at WrestleMania 39. The former US Champion asked the retired MMA star to show up on Raw next week to give his answer.

It’s still possible that this may be a swerve and the company may be planning something completely different for the former Universal Champion.

The programming so far however, leads us to believe that the Nigerian Giant will be the one who will face the Alpha Male this year.

WWE’s Argument On Why Sami Zayn Lost At Elimination Chamber

Anutosh Bajpai
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Many fans are still confused and angry about WWE’s decision to not pull the trigger on Sami Zayn and have him lose to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber in his hometown of Montreal.

Dave Meltzer provided an update on this in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He explained the company’s internal argument on why this is the right move.

Meltzer mentioned how Sami Zayn’s story coming off of his match with Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania 38 has been a huge success. The officials asked how it would affect the ratings if he ended up defeating Reigns:

“The argument was that the ratings Zayn is drawing are in conjunction with being linked with the Bloodline, and would he draw television viewers away from storyline?

But the argument is that they could do that and the storyline continues particularly with the Usos and Sikoa along with Reigns now trying to eliminate Zayn, which should be the storyline now as well.”

The Bloodline continues to be the top merchandise seller for WWE. At the same time, Cody Rhodes is very hot as well.

Sami Zayn was unable to defeat Roman Reigns and capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber on February 18.

The post-Elimination Chamber Raw then saw Zayn proposing an alliance to Kevin Owens to take down The Bloodline. Owens however, refused this offer.

WrestleMania 39: Latest on WWE Reshuffling Plans for Remaining Matches

Tyriece Simon
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It seems WWE may have a new match in mind for WrestleMania 39 in April.

As we get closer to WrestleMania, WWE is making clear decisions on what matches will be on the card. The company has confirmed three matches for WrestleMania 39, including the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

They have also started teasing potential matchups like Brock Lesnar vs. Omos and Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins. However, it also seems like WWE could be changing their minds on one particular match.

WrestleMania 39 Match Change

On Feb. 6, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler would challenge Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and IYO Sky) for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 39. Since Rousey’s return, WWE has started to have her and Baszler team up more instead of positioning her as a singles competitor.

Fans may remember that she lost her Smackdown Women’s Championship to Charlotte Flair on the Dec. 31, 2022 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. WWE has moved on to Flair defending her title against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania, instead of a rematch with Rousey.

However, a new report from WON claims that Rousey will in fact have a marquee match at WrestleMania 39.

Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Match

“Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey will challenge for the women’s tag titles. It was originally against Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai, the champions, said the report. It continues, “… Lita & Becky Lynch face Sky & Kai, and WrestleMania is about marquee matches, and Lita & Lynch as a team against Baszler & Rousey is a bigger match.”

Lita and Becky Lynch will face Damage CTRL on the Feb. 27 episode of Monday Night Raw for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. If the report is accurate, Lita and Lynch may defeat Damage CTRL to win the tag titles, and WWE could start to build toward Lita and Lynch against Rousey and Baszler. It’s also unclear what the entire Damage CTRL (including Bayley) group will do for WrestleMania 39 if the WON report is accurate.

It’s important to note that WWE has yet to share the entire card, and while it’s reported, it has yet to happen. Fans must see how this upcoming Monday Night Raw episode will play out for the women’s tag titles.

Backstage News On Which Matches Could Main Event WrestleMania 39

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE has switched to a two-night schedule for WrestleMania since 2020, which means that we get to see not one but two Mania main events every year now.

It’s almost certain that the match between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will be one of the main events this year, but the place for the other marquee match is not fixed yet.

Dave Meltzer provided an update on this in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He revealed which match could be the second main event for WrestleMania 39.

Meltzer mentioned how both the nights last year were headlined by men. Due to political reasons, there is a feeling within the company that night 1 of the show should be main evented by female stars this year.

The SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley is the favorite for this spot, compared to the bout between Bianca Belair and Asuka for the Raw Women’s Title.

The other possible main event is the expected tag team match between The Usos and Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens for the Undisputed Tag Titles.

The main event of WrestleMania 38 night 1 featured the in-ring return of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who faced Kevin Owens in an impromptu match. Night 2 saw Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Title against Brock Lesnar.

Which one of these matches do you think should main event the show of shows this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Update On Kenny Omega’s AEW Contract

Anutosh Bajpai
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There has been a lot of talk about Kenny Omega’s future recently. Amid reports about his AEW contract and rumors of WWE interest, people have been wondering if The Cleaner could be the next big AEW star to jump ships.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently provided an update on the matter, confirming that Omega will not be going anywhere at least in the next few months.

Per Meltzer, the company has decided to add time to Kenny Omega’s deal for whatever time he has missed due to injury over the past four years.

It’s estimated that The former AEW World Champion’s contract could be extended by 9 months but the exact timeframe for it ‘hasn’t been finalized’ yet.

Omega missed the longest amount of time when he dropped the AEW world title to Adam Page and took time off to deal with multiple nagging injuries.

His hiatus from the company lasted from November 2021 to August 2022. He underwent both hernia and knee surgeries during this time.

Kenny Omega was also off TV from September 2022 to November 2022 in the fallout of the backstage brawl at All Out. Though it’s unknown if that time is also being factored into the decision.

Matt Hardy on Jeff: ‘He’s committed himself to getting better’

Samantha Schipman
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On Thursday, Jeff Hardy’s 2022 DUI case was closed.

The same day, a special AdFreeShow for Patreons only episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy was released. One of the questions was asking for an update on Jeff. The episode was recorded a day ahead of Jeff’s court date.

“He’s doing great. (…) He just wants to get this all behind him. Y’know, they feel like they’re in a pretty good position because he’s done like, all the work necessary. Rehab for many, many days. He did outpatient treatment for months. He has really dedicated himself and he’s committed himself to getting better. And the biggest barometer — my biggest judge — is how happy his wife is with him and where his life is. Every time I’ve talked to him, he’s been very good, very positive.”

What’s next for Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy
(via AEW)

While it’s too early to say if Jeff ever returns to AEW or wrestling in general, he may potentially have something lined up with his brother outside of the ring.

“Actually, I had a very long conversation with him today about some stuff myself and Reby are working on as far as business goes about expanding the House Hardy brand. He was definitely on board, he just has to get past this. (…) He just wants to get it all behind him and try and right his wrongs. He’s just, so to say — I can’t really compare these because they’re different things — but he’s ready to like pay his penance and move past it and begin anew.”

Early on Friday morning, Matt also tweeted about how proud he is of his brother. He praised how hard Jeff has worked on himself over the last nine months.

We hope for the best for Jeff Hardy moving forward.

Jeff Hardy June 2022 DUI Case Closed

Colby Faria
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It appears as if Jeff Hardy’s recent court case has been closed.

According to records from the Volusia County Clerk of Circuit Court, Jeff Hardy’s DUI case stemming from an incident in June 2022 was closed on Thursday, February 23, 2023.

Following ‘unreliable breath test results’, a motion to suppress was filed this past Monday on February 21, 2023:

  • 20. Mr. Hardy’s breath tests did not comply with FDLE’s requirements established in FDLE’s administrative rules to ensure reliable quantitative breath tests.
  • 21. There is insufficient probative evidence that the breath tests in Mr. Jeff Hardy‘s case were performed substantially in accordance with methods approved by FDLE and with a compliant machine approved by FDLE.
  • 22. For the above reasons, this Court should enter an order excluding any evidence of a breath test and breath test results obtained in this case.

On the morning on Wednesday, February 23, 2023, Jeff Hardy signed a written plea of ‘no contest’ for the charges of 3rd DUI offense in the last 10 years, driving with a suspended license, and causing a driving violation with a restricted driver’s license.

Jeff Hardy was credited with 38 days served in jail and will be on probation for two years (24 months), and fined $4,000 with an additional $586 to cover court costs. Hardy’s driver’s license has been suspended for 10 years and has had his vehicle impounded for 90 days.

Jeff Hardy was originally arrested on June 13, 2022 in Volusia County, Florida and was charged with DUI, driving with a suspended driver’s license, and allegedly violated restrictions that were placed on his driver’s license. The following day on June 14, 2022, Hardy was subsequently suspended without pay by AEW and it was noted that he cannot return to the company until he completes substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation.

SEScoops will provide any updates on the condition and status of Jeff Hardy as they become available.

Impact Wrestling Results (2/23/23): Monster’s Ball Match, Beat The Clock Challenges

Tyriece Simon
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The Feb. 23 episode of Impact Wrestling aired on AXS TV at 8 PM EST/5 PM PT.

The episode saw X Division Champion Trey Miguel defend his title against Crazzy Steve in a Monster’s Ball match. Impact Wrestling had built the feud up for several weeks when Steve confronted Miguel on the Jan. 26 episode. The episode also had Bully Ray and Tommy Dreamer compete in Beat the Clock Challenges to determine who would speak first at their live Busted Open show at No Surrender on Feb. 24.

Impact Wrestling also aired on their Youtube channel for Impact Insider subscribers. The company offers a monthly subscription to watch weekly episodes on Youtube for $1.49. Unfortunately, it aired at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT.

If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.

Impact Wrestling Results (2/23)

We started the episode with Miguel and Steve locked in their rooms as they prepared for Monster’s Ball.

“Speedball” Mike Bailey & Jonathan Gresham vs. Motor City Machine Guns(Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)

The match started with Jonathan Gresham and Alex Shelley. They tried to outpace each other until Gresham caught Shelley in a Dragon Leg Whip in the corner. Gresham brought his opponent to his corner and tagged in Mike Bailey to start working on his leg. Bailey Irish Whipped Shelley on his side, which Chris Sabin blind tagged in to land a Chop Block/Clothesline combo with Shelley.

Sabin worked over Bailey briefly but tagged Shelley back into the match. Shelley beat down Bailey and tagged Sabin back in. They tried to go for a tag team move, but Bailey counterd to tag in Gresham. Sabin and Gresham exchanged forearm strikes in the middle of the ring until Gresham hit Sabin with a kick to the gut. He Irish Whipped Sabin to a corner, and Shelley tried to help his partner by kicking Gresham. However, Gresham caught the kick and swung it to Sabin and hit him with a Enzugiri, which made Sabin land a Dragon Leg Whip on his partner.

Gresham tried to pin Sabin, but Shelley stopped him. Bailey tried to help but gets thrown out the ring. Sabin picked up Gresham in a Fireman’s Carry, and Shelley did an assisted neckbreaker. They followed it up with the Magic Killer for a two-count. Sabin tried to go for a Suplex, but Gresham countered with his Suplex on his opponent. Gresham and Sabin tagged out to their partners, but Bailey started to take control of Shelley. Sabin tried to help his partner, but Bailey took care of them. Bailey put Shelley in a Leg Lock and Sabin tried to go after him. Still holding on to Shelley, Bailey caught Sabin and did a Spinning Brainbuster and kept his hold on Shelley.

Shelley can make it to the ropes to break the hold. The action continued as both teams tried to gain the advantage. The match finished when The Motor City Machine Guns landed the Dirt Bomb on Gresham, and Sabin pinned him for the win.

We get a video package promoting the Impact World Championship match between Rich Swann and champ Josh Alexander at No Surrender.

We get a backstage promo with Deanna Purrazzo warning Gisele Shaw, who she faces at No Surrender.

Tommy Dreamer vs. Jason Hotch- Beat the Clock Challenge

Jason Hotch started the match by taking advantage of his speed against Dreamer. He hit a neckbreaker on Dreamer for a one-count. Hotch tried to go to the top rope but got stopped by Dreamer. Dreamer hit the Death Valley Driver from the top rope to beat Hotch in 1:15.

Allysin Kay with Marti Belle vs. Taya Valkyrie with Jessicka & Rosemary

Allysin Kay tried to go after Taya Valkyrie, but Valkyrie sent her to the corner. They exchanged blows in the corner, but Valkyrie landed a big chop on her opponent. Valkyrie Irish Whipped Kay, but Kay countered with a Clothesline. Kay tried to run the ropes but got caught with a Back Elbow. Valkyrie did a Snapmare into a unique Armbar, but Kay put her foot on the rope. Kay tried to gain momentum on her side but got caught with a Spear for a two-count.

Valkyrie continued to control the match until we went to a commercial break. However, when we returned from break, Kay controlled the match(We don’t see how she turned things around). It doesn’t last long as Valkyrie rallied back into the match. She landed a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Valkyrie followed up with an STF submission, but Kay got to the ropes. The finish came when Marti Bells distracted Valkyrie, which lead to Kay landing the AK47 for the win.

We had a contract signing backstage between Swann and Alexander. The champion tried to walk away with the title. However, Swann stopped him to apologize for accidentally kicking him last week. Alexander said it’s not a problem and that Swann doesn’t have it in him to attack Alexander like that. Swann took offense as he feels Alexander doesn’t think Swann can do what he needs to beat him. Steve Maclin interrupted their talk and told them that he will face the winner after he wins the Fatal Four Way number one contender match at No Surrender. Maclin called Swann a choke arrest, which led to Maclin and Swann getting into a brawl until it’s broken up by backstage officials.

Deaner & Sami Callihan with The Design(Kon & Alan Angels) vs. Frankie Kazarian & Yuya Uemura

The match started with Frankie Kazarian and Deaner until Deaner tagged in Sami Callihan. Deaner yelled at Callihan to take him out, which led to Kazarian telling him to shut up. Callihan took the opportunity to hit Kazarian and beat him down briefly. However, Deaner yelled at his partner to tag him back in.

Deaner started to work over Kazarian until he got caught with three Arm Drags and a big Clothesline from Kazarian. Kazarian tagged Yuya Uemura, and they landed a tag team move on Deaner for a two-count. Uemura started to work on Deaner’s arm, but Deaner grabbed his hair and sent him to the corner to Callihan. After Deaner tagged out, Callihan gouged the eyes of Uemura. Callihan and Deaner tagged in and out to control their opponent. Uemura and Callihan are the legal men in the ring and Uemura caught his opponent with a Pele Kick. Uemura tried to tag out, but Kon hit Kazarian with a Clothesline outside of the ring, while the referee is distracted.

Callihan tagged Deaner to go to the top rope for a Diving Headbutt. However, Deaner missed, and Uemura tagged in Kazarian. Deaner tagged in Callihan, but Kazarian started to get the better of him. Alan Angels distract Kazarian for Callihan to land an Exploder Suplex. Callihan tagged in Deaner, and they tried to go for a tag team move, but Kazarian countered to tag in his partner.

Uemura took offense to both of his opponents. He went to the top rope and landed a Crossbody on Deaner for a pin, but Callihan stopped the count. Callihan and Kazarian tagged in the match as both teams struggled to take control of the match. Callihan prepared to go for the Cactus Driver on Kazarian, but Deaner yelled at his partner to tag him in. He went to tag Deaner, but his partner left the ring apron. Kazarian took advantage and put Callihan in the Crossface Chicken Wing for the submission win.

We get a video package hyping up Impact Knockout Champion Mickie James defending her title against Masha Slamovich at No Surrender.

We got a backstage segment with Callihan confronting Deaner for leaving him. Deaner told him it’s part of his steps to join The Design. Callihan expressed his loyalty to The Design. Deaner said that Callihan has two more steps left before being a member.

Bully Ray vs. Bhupinder Gujjar- Beat The Clock Challenge

The match ended quickly as Hotch and John Skyler distracted the referee and Gujjar. As the referee is distracted, Ray hit his opponent with a steel chain to win in 0:45 to win the Beat the Clock Challenge.

We get a backstage segment with Gujjar and Dreamer. Dreamer motivated Gujjar and says he won because Ray had to cheat.

(C) Trey Miguel vs. Crazzy Steve- Monster’s Ball match for the X-Division Championship

The match started with Steve taking Miguel down with an STO. The challenger fought Miguel outside the ring as we cut to a commercial break. We come back from back to see four chairs set up. Steve lands a Suplex on Miguel through the chairs, but the champion counters, and Steve gets caught with a Drop Toe Hold into the chairs.

Miguel picked up Steve, who is also busted open. The champion tried to hit Steve with a chair to the face against the ring post, but Steve moved. Miguel tried to run at his opponent but got caught with a Back Body Drop through the chairs. They rolled back into the ring, and before Steve can capitalize, he got caught with a Dropkick by Miguel. The X-Division Champion went outside to get more weapons. He tried to hit his opponent with a trash can, but Steve used a Staple Gun to the groin of Miguel. He followed up his attack by put the trash can over the head of the champion, put him in the corner and landed the cannonball on Miguel. We go to another commercial break.

We returned from a commercial break with Steve trying to attack Miguel with a fork. The champion stopped him and landed a Neckbreaker. Miguel took the Fork and tried to stab his opponent’s eye unsuccessfully. He settled with landing a Double Foot Stomp. The X-Division Champion went to get thumbtacks and spread them in the center of the ring. He tried to run at Steve in the corner, but his opponent caught him with a strike. Steve landed the Black Hole Slam on Miguel into the thumbtacks and goes for the pin. Before the referee can count three, Steve stopped the pin to punish Miguel more.

However, Miguel kicked Steve to the point where he was on his knee near the Thumbtacks and landed a double foot stomp to have his opponent land chest first into it. The champion went for the cover but got a two-count. Miguel went to the floor for a table to place the weapon in the corner. They both tried to avoid crashing into the table until they simultaneously landed a Clothesline falling into the thumbtacks.

They both went outside for a weapon. Miguel got a spike, and Steve got Janice(a spiked wooden object). Steve missed Miguel with Janice but caught him in a Death Valley Driver through the table in the corner for the near fall. Steve went to bring chairs into the ring and positions it near the center of the ring. The champion recovered to hit Steve in the gut with a chair, but Steve fought back. Steve put Miguel on the top rope, but Miguel slid underneath him to hit his opponent with a Superkick and a Tiger Feint Kick. While Steve is down, the champion went to the top rope. However, the challenger recovered and tried to go after Miguel, but the champion jumped and rolled from the top rope into the thumbtacks.

Steve followed up with a Canadian Destroyer on Miguel into a chair and thumbtacks. While laying in the thumbtacks, Steve briefly did a snow angel and pinned Miguel for a two count. The challenger used Janice to scrape Miguel’s forehead. Steve took the champion to the ring apron as a wooden board with barbed wire is laid on top of chairs. Before Steve could slam Miguel through it, the champion hit Steve in the groin and landed the Roll of the Dice through the wooden board with barbed wire. Miguel put Steve back in the ring to pin for the win.

WWE Cautious About Balancing Cody Rhodes’ Storyline with Sami Zayn’s Popularity

J. Cunningham
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Sami Zayn’s immense popularity has reportedly become cause for concern behind-the-scenes in WWE.

At WrestleMania 39, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will lock horns with Royal Rumble-winner Cody Rhodes. ‘The American Nightmare’ has been a big hit with WWE audiences since he returned at last year’s WrestleMania.

Cody Rhodes backstage at Royal Rumble

Rhodes’ Hell in a Cell bout with Seth Rollins last year solidified him as a top dog in waiting. His return last month was greeted with huge cheers and his segments with Paul Heyman and Sami Zayn in the weeks since have garnered critical acclaim.

However, Zayn’s own rise to babyface stardom appears to be threatening Rhodes’. After a slow-burning run as ‘The Honorary Uce’ in The Bloodline, Zayn turned on faction head Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. The segment and subsequent feud between the pair was highlighted as a strong ratings mover for WWE in 2023.

Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber

While the rivalry seemingly came to an end at Elimination Chamber, there are concerns that Zayn’s connection with the audience could potentially derail the Reigns/Rhodes build.

“They Were Very Concerned About Sami Chants” – Dave Meltzer On Cody Rhodes Segment

On a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer discussed the segment Cody Rhodes had with Paul Heyman on this week’s RAW. He revealed that the pacing of the segment was designed to give fans little breathing room to potentially launch chants for Sami Zayn into the situation.

“The stuff with Cody and Heyman – they [WWE] were very concerned about Sami chants, which is one of the reasons why they got Heyman out there in seconds. They did not want Cody in there by himself because they thought that – it didn’t happen – but they did everything in their power to make sure they kept that moving, they did not allow the audience a chance to start chanting or anything like that, it was just back-and-forth.”

Meltzer went on to add that the general consensus is that Zayn chants potentially hijacking the show would hinder Rhodes’ momentum.

“It was designed to give the audience no chance to chant because of the feeling that if they did it would hurt Cody’s momentum. And perhaps it would, and then it could create that groundswell [for Zayn] which is exactly what they don’t want right now.”

‘The American Nightmare’ himself later commented on the segment. Seemingly in kayfabe at first, Rhodes joked about the segment being cut short due to Heyman getting under his skin during the exchange. The son of a son of a plumber then made mention of his high merchandise sales of late.

Do you think Cody Rhodes will go over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania?

All quotes from WrestleTalk.

Top WWE SmackDown Star Rumored for WrestleMania Angle at Monday’s Raw

Andrew Ravens
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WWE has added SmackDown star Ronda Rousey to the lineup for Monday’s episode of Raw.

Both WWE’s Events website and the Van Del Arena website are advertising Rousey for the show from Grand Rapids, Michigan. As of this writing, Shayna Baszler is not currently listed for the show, although that doesn’t mean she won’t be there with her good friend. 

As of this writing, WWE has not officially announced Rousey for the show.  WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai and IYO SKY are scheduled to defend against Becky Lynch and WWE Hall of Famer Lita on Monday’s Raw. 

The Angle

It’s been reported that Rousey and Baszler are expected to challenge Kai and SKY for the titles at WrestleMania 39 this April so it’s possible that WWE shoots an angle to set up the future title match on this show. 

Here is the updated card for Monday’s episode: 

  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai & IYO SKY) vs. Becky Lynch & Lita
  • Asuka vs. Carmella
  • Candice LeRae vs. Piper Niven
  • Will Brock Lesnar show up and accept Omos’ challenge to a match at WrestleMania?
  • WrestleMania edition of Miz TV
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