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Brian Myers: There is Far Too Much Entitlement in Wrestling Today

Thomas Lowson
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Impact Wrestling’s Brian Myers has spoken out against the sense of entitlement he’s seen in the professional wrestling industry today.

Myers, perhaps best known for his time as Curt Hawkins in WWE, was with WWE from 2006 to 2014, and later from 2016 to 2020.

The former Raw Tag Team Champion has since joined Impact Wrestling, where he recently held Impact’s Digital Media Championship.

Entitlement

In addition to wrestling, Myers also runs a wrestling school with Pat Bucks, the Create A Pro Wrestling Academy.

Speaking during the latest episode of ‘The Sessions’ Myers spoke about the sense of entitlement he has perceived in wrestling.

“There’s too much entitlement. What I had [showing respect] was maybe a little too deep. But what it is now, is too deep the other way. We need something in the middle because the entitlement that people have in the business nowadays is wild to me.

“the entitlement that people have in the business nowadays is wild.”

Brian Myers.

“The story is that when we first got called up, you were not even allowed in the locker room. So Matt and I, changed with extras in every building for at least the first three months. Then we had to go up to Chris Benoit as the locker room leader and say ‘Sir. We’ve been wrestling on TV for a couple of months. We’d like to know if it’s okay if we could change with the boys.’ I don’t know if it needs to be that extreme, but there’s got to be some kind of respect.”

When host Renee Paquette said that asking for permission to enter the locker room must have been a rite of passage, Myers said it served as a reminder of your place.

“It makes you realize just how low on the totem pole you are. That you can’t change with the boys.”

Brian Myers.

Changes

Myers is far from impressed by what he’s seen from young wrestlers today and believes that for things to change, those in charge need to lead by example.

“It [Change] has got to come from up top. It’s got to come from management or top-top locker room guys.”

Brian Myers.

When Paquette suggested that social media and the ability to control what responses you get could be a factor in this entitlement, Myers agreed with the notion.

“I think that’s another big problem in the business. People start blocking everyone who says something bad to them, and before they know it, their timeline is all praise and it messes up your self-impression.”

For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.

Apollo Crews Explains Why He Went Back To NXT

Anutosh Bajpai
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Apollo Crews is one of the stars who seemed to have huge potential when he started with WWE but his career didn’t go as planned. The former IC champion was called up to the main roster in April 2016, less than a year after his NXT debut in August 2015. A lot of people believed that he wasn’t ready for the main roster run and this was the primary reason why he got lost in the shuffle. This is why Crews took the opportunity to go back to the development territory with open arms earlier this year.

The WWE star recently appeared on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast. Speaking about his NXT return in June, Apollo discussed how he had been stuck wrestling on Main Event and hadn’t made a PLE appearance in over a year. So he decided to take a chance and ask about a potential opportunity in NXT:

“It was weird that nothing was happening [in my career]. It got to the point where it was just like ‘man, I don’t want to be coming here and doing Main Event anymore. I want to be on the main shows. I want to be one of the guys here that’s a household name, right? I want to be one of those guys.

So like, it wasn’t coming. So I made an approach and asked if there was any spot down here essentially for me at NXT and the opportunity came about and it happened. There happened to be a spot available. I was like, ‘Man, I’m 100% for it.'”

‘I’m Gonna Control What I Can’: Apollo Crews

Apollo Crews revealed that the officials asked what kind of run he wanted to have. But for him, it was about taking the full advantage of the opportunity:

“It was one of those things where it’s like, ‘Is it long term or it’s gonna be short term?’ and I was like ‘For me honestly. It doesn’t matter.’ I’m gonna control what I can control. You give me this opportunity. I’m gonna come out here and kill it.

If they bring me back to Raw or Smackdown two weeks later so be it. If they bring me back [in] two months, so be it. But in my head, I wanted to take full advantage of the opportunity that I was being presented with because essentially, I was presented with the opportunity to kind of change the trajectory of my career and kind of really start over which not a lot of people get to do.”

You can check out Apollo Crews’ full interview below:

Kevin Owens Has Pitched for Match with Shawn Michaels

Thomas Lowson
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After facing ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin at WrestleMania 38 this year, Kevin Owens has set his sights on another legendary Texan: Shawn Michaels.

In April, Owens faced Austin in the main event of Night One, losing to the Rattlesnake in Austin’s first match in 19 years.

Austin and WWE were said to be extremely pleased with how the match went and there have been discussions of another match at WrestleMania 39 next year.

Owens Vs. Michaels

Appearing on Kevin Raphael’s podcast this week, Owens revealed that he recently pitched a match between himself and Shawn Michaels.

Owens figured that after the Austin match happened, nothing was impossible and he and Michaels discussed the match when Owens came to NXT to host the KO Show in October.

Michaels told Owens that he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t considered getting back in the ring, especially after seeing the match with Austin in April.

However, he also said that he doesn’t think he should wrestle again.

Owens said on the podcast that the goal is to wrestle two of his all-time favorite wrestlers (Austin and Michaels) a goal that he’s already half-completed.

Michaels Back in the Ring

Owens Vs. Michaels would be a huge match, but he’s hardly the first person to set his sights on Mr. WrestleMania.

AJ Styles previously pitched a match with Michaels, one that the two-time WWE Hall of Famer turned down.

Michaels retired from in-ring competition in 2010, but competed at Crown Jewel 2018, teaming with Triple H to defeat the Brothers of Destruction.

The match was the biggest payday in Michaels’ career, and it is believed he earned around $3 million, equivalent to $1,800 per second of the nearly 28-minute match.

Kevin Owens Feels Return to the Indies is Possible Under WWE’s New Regime

Saraya Won’t Confirm or Deny Whether Sasha Banks is her AEW Mystery Partner

Thomas Lowson
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Saraya is neither confirming nor denying the reports that Sasha Banks will make her debut for AEW next month as her mystery partner.

The former Paige debuted for AEW at September’s Dynamite: Grand Slam and had her first match at Full Gear, defeating Britt Baker.

This also marked Saraya’s first match since a neck injury suffered at a December 2017 WWE Live event ended her in-ring career.

Sasha Banks

During that infamous WWE Live event, Saraya’s injury happened after she took a kick to the back of the head by Sasha Banks.

It was reported this week that Banks is ‘done’ with WWE, after being suspended in May for walking out of an episode of Raw.

During an interview with Forbes, Saraya responded to speculation that the former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion could team with her in AEW.

“I feel like anytime there’s a mystery, everyone always goes straight for Mercedes (Sasha Banks). They’re like—straight away—it’s her! There’s plenty of women out there, I’m not going to say yes or no to anybody, but there’s a lot of exciting prospects for a potential tag partner.”

Saraya.

Saraya and a mystery partner will face AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker on the January 11, 2023, episode of AEW Dynamite.

Banks in Japan

Banks could be in AEW soon enough, but that’s not the only promotion with an eye on the Boss.

It has been reported that Banks is set to appear at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4, one week prior to the Saraya tag match.

Bushiroad, the parent company for both New Japan and STARDOM, have reportedly reached a deal for Banks to have a handful of matches a year for them.

Banks’ per-appearance contract will make her the highest earner per appearance in Bushiroad history.

Sasha Banks’ Latest Trademark Covers ‘Performances by an Actor or Musician’

WWE Changing Up Several Championship Belts Soon

Thomas Lowson
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The landscape of NXT is set to change dramatically with the changing of the brand’s championship titles.

Belt Fan Fan, a reliable source for news on championship titles, revealed this week on Twitter that WWE will be moving away from the rainbow-colored titles.

Instead of brand new championships, WWE will keep the current belt designs but use the prior color schemes.

When asked if this change is related at all to Mandy Rose, who was fired this week a day after losing the NXT Women’s Championship, Dan said this decision was made weeks ago.

Taste the Rainbow

WWE introduced the rainbow-colored NXT and NXT Women’s Championships to coincide with the launch of NXT 2.0 last September.

The brand’s bold color scheme was also a point of contention for fans, many of whom saw the change as too far from the original NXT fans had loved.

Currently, the NXT and NXT Women’s Championships are held by Bron Breakker and Roxanne Perez, respectively.

New Tag Titles

While the only changes to the NXT and NXT Women’s Championships will be the color scheme, new WWE Tag Team Championships are in the works.

In November, Dan confirmed reports that new titles were coming to replace the Raw and SmackDown Tag Titles currently held by The Usos.

The new Championships will feature the current plates but on a black strap instead of red or blue.

The titles are expected to be presented to the Usos by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on an upcoming episode of Monday Night Raw.

Kofi Kingston Says WWE Could Introduce Trios Championships

WWE Hasn’t Closed the Door on Mandy Rose Possibly Returning

Thomas Lowson
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 Mandy Rose’s time with WWE has come to an end, but the former NXT Women’s Champion may be back with the promotion soon enough.

Rose was released this week due to the NSFW content found on her ‘FanTime’ account, which allows fans to pay for exclusive photos and videos of their favorite celebrities.

The Toxic Attraction member’s release comes 24 hours after her NXT Women’s Championship loss to Roxanne Perez on this week’s WWE NXT, who ended Rose’s reign at 413 days.

The Return

Rose’s release from WWE has come as a shock to fans, many of whom expected her to return to the main roster after losing the NXT Women’s Championship.

While speaking on Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez noted that WWE hasn’t exactly closed the door on a possible return.

“I was given the impression that it’s not like she can never come back, and there is a possibility down the road she will come back, but for now she is gone.”

Bryan Alvarez.

With her departure, many fans have lashed out at WWE over her release, with the hashtags #JuticeForMandy and #ThankYouMandy both trending on Twitter.

Rose After WWE

Perhaps Mandy Rose could return to WWE one day, but for now, she’s gone from the company.

Given that she was a main-roster performer, Rose is subject to a 90-day non-compete clause, despite having worked in NXT, where talent are subject to a 30-day clause.

On social media, some fans have suggested that Rose sign with All Elite Wrestling when she has the chance.

Rose’s FanTime account remains active at this time.

Toxic Attraction Reacts to Mandy Rose’s Release from WWE

Title Match, Stipulation for Match 5 Between The Elite & Death Triangle Set for AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash

Robert Lentini
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AEW announced a couple of matches and a stipulation for Match 5 between The Elite and Death Triangle for next week’s Holiday Bash edition of Dynamite.

Gunn Club has been a thorn in FTR’s side as of late. Last week on Dynamite, Austin and Colten announced that The Briscoes will challenge FTR at Final Battle in a Dog Collar match.

  • 8 Best Moments from ROH Final Battle 2022

The Briscoes defeated FTR at the PPV this past Saturday to become the new ROH Tag Team Champions. FTR challenged Gunn Club to a match next week during a vignette aired during Dynamite: Winter is Coming.

On this past Friday’s episode of AEW Rampage, Hikaru Shida defended the Regina Di Wave Championship against The Bunny. AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter said she will defend her title against the winner of the match and had a staredown with Hikaru after she defeated The Bunny on Rampage. It was announced tonight that Jamie will have her first title defense against Hikaru Shida next week at AEW Dynamite: Holiday Bash.

Stipulation Set for Match 5 Between The Elite & Death Triangle

The Elite returned to All Elite Wrestling at AEW Full Gear and battled Death Triangle for the Trios Championship. They came up short after Death Triangle used a hammer in the match and it was announced that Full Gear was just the beginning of a Best of 7 Series.

At Dynamite: Winter is Coming, The Elite battled Death Triangle in Match 4 of their Best of 7 Series. The Elite entered Match 4 down 2-1 and now have to dig themselves out of an even bigger hole. Nick Jackson hurt his ankle early in tonight’s match but toughed it out. Fenix took advantage and locked in a Heel Hook and Nick tapped out.

After the match, Kenny Omega grabbed a microphone and suggested that Match 5 be No Disqualifications. It was shown in a graphic on Dynamite that Match 6 will be Falls Count Anywhere and Match 7 will be a Ladder match if necessary. The Elite must defeat Death Triangle next week to extend the series.

AEW Dynamite Winter is Coming Results, Takeaways (12/14/22): MJF vs. Ricky Starks, Action Andretti

Wrestler Beats Chris Jericho in AEW Dynamite debut, gets signed

Samantha Schipman
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Chris Jericho said he was going to get a tune up on Dynamite when he wrestled an enhancement talent. He far underestimated his opponent.

Action Andretti was the lucky one to face “The Ocho” in his first match since dropping the ROH World Championship last Saturday at Final Battle. Andretti would not allow Jericho to look past him. He forced offense and even forced Jericho to wrestle in picture-in-picture.

Nine and a half minutes later, Andretti shocked the AEW Galaxy when he upset the former champion. He drew comparisons to the 1-2-3 Kid. He took notice.

Who is Action Andretti?

Fj CPViXoAA Vi0

After that performance, fans on Twitter were calling for Andretti to be signed. Minutes later Tony Khan tweeted out the #AllElite graphic with “Congratulations! It’s official! Action Andretti is ALL ELITE!”

For those fans that watch Dark, Andretti is someone they’ll recognize. Back in October, he had a tag team match against Tony Nese and Josh Woods. The next night, he would have a seven minute match against QT Marshall.

He regularly wrestles for MCW and just successfully defended the MCW Heavyweight Championship against Speedball Mike Bailey. He’s also competed in GCW and CZW.

Andretti had a memorable debut and it’ll be fun to see where he goes from here.

AEW Dynamite Winter is Coming Results, Takeaways (12/14/22): MJF vs. Ricky Starks, Action Andretti

Robert Lentini
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AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming airs live tonight from the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. MJF defended the AEW World Championship against Ricky Starks in the main event. In addition to the takeaways below, it was announced that Jon Moxley will face Sammy Guevara this Friday on Rampage. Moxley challenged Hangman to show up with Dark Order on Friday.

Dynamite Winter is Coming

  • Death Triangle def. The Elite to go up 3-1 in the series
  • Jungle Boy def. Brian Cage
  • House of Black def. The Factory
  • Action Andretti def. Chris Jericho
  • Ruby Soho def. Tay Melo
  • MJF def. Ricky Starks to retain the AEW World Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Death Triangle Leads the Series 3-1

Death Triangle battled The Elite tonight in Match 4 of the Best of 7 Series. The action started out back and forth for the first several minutes. Death Triangle took control and beat Matt Jackson down in the corner as Dynamite went to a commercial break.

When Dynamite returned, Omega hit a Rolling Senton and followed it up with a Moonsault off the middle turnbuckle for a near fall. Omega sent the Lucha Bros out of the ring and fired up the crowd.

Pac tripped him up from behind and delivered a Cutter. Pac tagged in and went for the Black Arrow as Nick Jackson hobbled back down the entrance ramp after suffering an injury early in the match.

Nick tagged in and went for a Superkick but Fenix booted him in the injured ankle. Fenix applied a submission hold on Nick and he had no choice but to tap out. After the match, Kenny suggested that next match will be No Disqualifications.

MJF Warns Ricky Starks

MJF was interviewed and mocked Ricky Stark’s promo from last week. He said that he doesn’t care that Ricky Starks was poor growing up and blasted all the fans for having his back.

Maxwell admitted that Ricky was right about him being born rich, funny, and attractive. Friedman claimed he wasn’t under any pressure tonight because he is already the guy. The AEW World Champion said we are going to find out what happens when pressure is applied to “The Pebble” (MJF’s nickname for Ricky Starks). He wondered if he Ricky will turn into the diamond everyone claims he is, or will the challenger turn into dust during tonight’s main event.

The Acclaimed Were Attacked From Behind

AEW Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed made their way to the ring tonight but were immediately attacked from behind by Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Satnam Singh, and Sonjay Dutt. Double J broke a guitar over Billy Gunn’s head.

Jungle Boy def. Brian Cage, The Firm Attacked

The Machine Brian Cage faced Jungle Boy in a singles match tonight on Dynamite. Cage dominated the match early and posed in the ring as Dynamite went to a break. When Dynamite returned, Jungle Boy battled back and got Cage in the Snare Trap for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Jungle Boy called out Big Bill but Stokely came to the entrance ramp instead. Stokely called Jungle Boy a “hoe” and Lee Moriarty attacked from behind. Big Bill joined in on the attack and rolled Jungle Boy into the ring. Lee hit him with a Splash before Hook made the save. The Firm retreated after Hook got inside the ring.

House of Black Dominated The Factory

House of Black (Malakia Black, Buddy Matthews, Brody King) faced The Factory’s Cole Karter, QT Marshall, and. House of Black cleaned house to start off the match and isolated QT in the ring. Malakai hit Black Mass for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Skye Blue challenged Britt Baker to match on Friday’s episode of AEW Rampage.

Action Andretti Stunned Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho faced Action Andretti tonight on AEW Dynamite. The crowd chanted “let’s go jobber!” early as Jericho beat him down. Chris connected with a Codebreaker but Andretti kicked out at two to pop the crowd. Jericho was in disbelief as Dynamite went to a break.

When Dynamite Winter is Coming returned, Andretti picked up some momentum and connected with a Clothesline. Andretti followed it up with a Neckbreaker as the crowd popped. Andretti went for a Moonsault but Jericho got his knees up. Action hit for a Crossbody and sent Jericho out of the ring.

Action followed it up with a springboard Moonsault outside the ring as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”. Back in the ring, Chris went for the Walls of Jericho but Andretti blocked it. Andretti hit a Running Shooting Star Press for the pinfall victory.

Ricky Starks Responded to MJF

Ricky Starks said he feels just as prepared as he did the first day he stepped in AEW. Starks added that he has paid his dues for the past eleven years and will take the title from MJF. Starks noted that MJF doesn’t have any supporters and has to find validation through AEW’s ratings.

Ruby Soho def. Tay Melo

Ruby Soho battled Jericho Appreciation Society’s Tay Melo in a singles match tonight at Dynamite: Winter is Coming. Tay dominated early and sent Soho into the steel steps outside the ring. The match officially started once Ruby was able to make it inside the ring. Soho planted Melo with a Suplex and followed it up with a Pele Kick for a two count.

When Dynamite returned from a break, Soho sent Melo into the middle turnbuckle and bounced her face off it several times. Tay and Ruby traded strikes before Melo connected with an Arm Drag. Melo followed it up with a Piledriver and went for the cover but Soho kicked out at two and the match continued. Ruby hit No Future for the pinfall victory. Before Ruby could get a chance to celebrate, Anna Jay attacked her from behind.

MJF Retained the AEW World Championship, Bryan Danielson Chased Him Through the Crowd

MJF defended the AEW World Championship against Ricky Starks in the main event of Dynamite: Winter is Coming. Ricky and Maxwell locked up early and the champ knocked him back with a shoulder tackle.

The AEW World Champion strutted around the ring but turned around into a shoulder tackle from the challenger. MJF rolled of the ring to regroup and Ricky fired up the crowd. MJF hopped over the barricade and threw a fan’s hat in the air before returning to the ringside area.

Starks rolled MJF up for a near fall and then leveled him with a Clothesline. Maxwell battled back and sent Ricky over the top rope and to the floor with a Back Body Drop as Dynamite went to the final break of the night.

MJF had Ricky in an Abdominal Stretch in the ring when Dynamite returned. Starks escaped and planted MJF with a Liger Bomb for a near fall. Maxwell rolled up Starks and grabbed his trunks for leverage but Ricky was able to kick out. MJF then hit Starks with a Powerbomb across his knees but the challenger somehow kicked out at two and the match continued.

Friedman hit Starks with an elbow strike but Ricky bounced off the ropes and hit MJF with a Spear. Starks couldn’t capitalize as both men were down on the canvas. Ricky went for the cover but MJF was waiting for him. MJF locked in the Salt of the Earth in the middle of the ring before transitioning into an Armbar. Starks was able to get his boot on the bottom rope and the crowd popped.

Maxwell went for the Salt of the Earth once again but Starks blocked it. MJF went for a Piledriver but Ricky escaped and Maxwell hid behind the referee. Maxwell hit Starks with a low blow and rolled him up for the pinfall victory to retain the AEW World Championship.

After the match, Bryan Danielson chased MJF around the ring and through the crowd. Danielson made his way back to the ring and raised Starks’ hand to end the show.

MJF on His AEW Title Match Against Ricky Starks on Dynamite: “This is a Chance for People to Witness History”

Robert Lentini
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MJF won the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley in the main event of Full Gear. William Regal betrayed Blackpool Combat Club member Jon Moxley and slid Friedman the brass knuckles.

Max bashed Moxley over the head with them to capture the title. MJF would then betray William Regal a week later and hit him over the head with the brass knuckles as well. He is set to make his first title defense against Ricky Starks at Dynamite: Winter is Coming.

Ricky earned the match by winning the World Title Eliminator Tournament. Starks also won the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale last week and will challenge MJF for the Dynamite Diamond Ring tonight in a Winner Takes All match.

Speaking with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the AEW World Champion hyped tonight’s match and as two homegrown talent fighting for the most important title in the business.

People have been waiting for fresh and new. They’ve been begging for it. Now, in the main event of AEW Dynamite, the MJF show, you get two homegrown guys wrestling for the most important world title in professional wrestling.

This is a chance for people to witness history. I’m hearing Ricky Starks is going to be the next big star. That’s interesting. Why are people talking about Ricky Starks? It’s because he got to share a ring with a generational talent. That’s me.

MJF on defending the AEW World Championship against Ricky Starks tonight

MJF continued to reference Bryan Danielson and it appears that will be his next rivalry. Friedman used the word “fickle” in one of his recent promos and mocked Danielson for not showing up to Dynamite last week after his attacked William Regal. Danielson left with Regal in the ambulance on the November 30th edition of Dynamite. Maxwell used “fickle” once again to describe AEW fans who want to see him wrestle for the promotion more.

I’m not going to go out and kill my body for people who are fickle. One second, you’re beloved. Then you’re hated. That shows you how fickle, disgusting and putrid mark wrestling fans are.

MJF on “fickle” AEW fans

H/T: Sports Illustrated

AEW Dynamite Winter is Coming Results, Takeaways (12/14/22): MJF vs. Ricky Starks, Action Andretti

Sasha Banks on Filming Her First Movie, Future Projects Outside of WWE

Robert Lentini
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WWE Superstar Bayley and Sasha Banks were on an Instagram Live earlier today and The Boss spoke about her first-time filming a movie. Sasha recently had a supporting role in Disney+ The Mandalorian series as Koska Reeves.

Insane how full circle that is, to get a first movie and to know that it’s in Boston. It came at a weird point where I was right in the middle of training in Mexico, so I kind of had to choose what days I needed to give up for that. To go back and forth between Boston and Mexico was such an incredible experience that I can say that I did it, I accomplished that, and it’s cool.

Sasha Banks on filming her first movie in Boston

The Boss then discussed her upcoming makeup line set to be released next year. Sasha noted that tutorials are coming as well, she just to get everything in order before 2023.

I’m trying to slow down because I do too much. A makeup line is coming. A makeup brand is coming, tutorials are coming. I’m doing so much, especially the last [month] of 2022, December, I have a couple more weeks to get everything in order before the new year. I’m just working.

Sasha Banks on her upcoming makeup line

Sasha Banks has not appeared on WWE TV since she walked out of the company with Naomi during the May 16th edition of Raw.

Since then, The Boss has teased fans that the date she has been waiting for is coming up and fans speculated that she would be returning to WWE at Survivor Series in her hometown of Boston, MA.

After it was revealed that Becky Lynch was the final member of Team Bianca for Survivor Series, rumors began to circulate that Sasha will be appearing WrestleKingdom 17. Banks did make an appearance in Boston recently, she was spotted at the Celtics game in the same venue Survivor Series was held.

Watch: Sasha Banks Spotted at Boston Celtics NBA Game

H/T: Wrestling Headlines

Toxic Attraction Reacts to Mandy Rose’s Release from WWE

Michael Reichlin
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The wrestling world is still processing the news that Mandy Rose is no longer with WWE.

The release comes less than 24 hours after Rose dropped the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez. The title change was a last-minute booking decision and not part of WWE’s original plans for this week’s NXT broadcast.

According to the initial report by Fightful, WWE made the call to fire Rose due to ‘adult’ content on her FanTime account that they felt violated the terms of her independent contractor agreement.

Rose was said to be blindsided by the release and did not expect WWE to take such drastic action in response to content that began circulating online over the past several days.

Wrestling fans have rallied behind Rose during this difficult time. Many have accused WWE of hypocrisy. She was fired for producing ‘adult content’ for her followers, but she’s been portrayed as a sex symbol throughout the entirety of her run.

Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jane React to Mandy Rose’s Release

Mandy Rose has yet to publicly address this situation, but some of her closest friends have.

Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, Rose’s partners in the Toxic Attraction faction, expressed their heartache regarding the situation on social media. They each tweeted ‘broken heart’ emojis.

AEW star Saraya also provided some support to Rose:

https://twitter.com/Saraya/status/1603123144553897986

MLW’s Lawsuit Against WWE Expected To Move Forward

Andrew Ravens
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MLW is moving forward with its lawsuit against WWE after initially filing it in January. 

Judge Edward J. Davila scheduled a conference yesterday to discuss a trial date for the case between the two sides, according to Pwinsider.com. The conference is scheduled for September 7, 2023, in San Jose, California. 

Davila also ruled that all amended pleadings in the lawsuit are due on February 13, 2023. MLW laid out the materials they were seeking in discovery on December 7th. 

The Latest

Court Bauer on WWE
Court Bauer on WWE

The court documents note that the Plaintiff anticipates taking discovery concerning its claims, including:

“(1) the relevant antitrust market; (2) documents related to VICE, Tubi and FITE; (3) WWE’s employment agreements, event venue agreements and distribution agreements; (4) WWE’s poaching of talent from MLW, AEW and other competitors; (5) WWE’s interference with booking arenas; (6) the impact of WWE’s conduct on entry into the market for broadcasting of professional wrestling programming and related consumer harm; (7) documents related to Jerry S. McDevitt’s appearance in the Dark Side of the Ring program; and (8) damages.”

Defendant anticipates taking discovery with respect to its defenses in the case, including “Plaintiff’s attempts to obtain broadcasting rights from the hundreds if not thousands of other potential buyers, Plaintiff’s efforts to start its own streaming service (which it acknowledges that WWE and Impact have started), and Plaintiff’s recent successes in obtaining broadcast agreement(s), such as its agreement with Pro Wrestling TV, which demonstrate the frivolous nature of its antitrust claims. The Parties are not proposing to conduct discovery in phases or to limit discovery to particular issues.”

Sources tell SEScoops WWE’s motion will be formally dismissed shortly. The judge found there is merit and a case for the court to examine.

In January, MLW filed a lawsuit against WWE, alleging that WWE attempted to undermine their competition by preventing Major League Wrestling from finalizing multiple media distribution deals. It also accused WWE of attempting to sign MLW talent while they were still under contract with the wrestling company. 

AEW Secures the Rights to Roundball Rock (‘NBA on NBC’ Theme)

Andrew Ravens
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AEW President Tony Khan has secured the rights to “Roundball Rock,” the iconic theme song NBC used for many years for their NBA broadcasts.

Khan announced the news on Twitter and also noted that it’s his favorite song. Khan tweeted: “We got the rights to my favorite song! See you tomorrow for Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite on @TBSNetwork at 8pm ET/7pm CT for Winter Is Coming!”

AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming Card

MJF Ricky Starks AEW Dynamite Winter is Coming
(AEW)

AEW has loaded up the card for this show with two title bouts featured, including the fourth match between Death Triangle and The Elite in their AEW World Trios Championship best-of-seven series. Also, MJF will defend the AEW World Heavyweight Title against Ricky Starks in the likely main event. 

Here’s the full card:

  • AEW World Championship and Dynamite Diamond ring winner takes all: MJF (c) vs. Ricky Starks
  • House of Black in action
  • AEW World Trios Championship best-of-seven series: Death Triangle vs. The Elite (Death Triangle leads 2-1)
  • Ruby Soho vs. Tay Melo
  • Chris Jericho in action

You can hear the song below in the preview video for the special edition of Dynamite: 

Mandy Rose Released By WWE

Andrew Ravens
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Mandy Rose is no longer under contract with WWE. 

In a surprising move for fans (and likely Rose), Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports that she’s been released effective immediately. She had been with the company since 2015.

WWE felt they were put in a position where she was not fit to be part of the organization due to the explicit nature of the content Rose shared on her FanTime page. The content was believed to be outside the parameters of what is permitted in wrestlers’ contracts.

FanTime, a service similar to OnlyFans, allows celebrities and content creators to communicate with their fans on a subscription basis. The content is often ‘adult’ in nature.

Some of the content from Rose’s FanTime page circulated on social media over the weekend, which may have been a factor in her being disciplined.

Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline tweeted that Rose was “very much caught off guard” by the firing. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer added, “the title change last night was a last minute decision based on the fact she was getting fired and not the original plan.”

Farewell to Mandy Rose

Mandy Rose NXT Womens Champion

Mandy Rose’s final match for WWE took place at Tuesday’s NXT broadcast, when she lost the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez. The bout was originally slated to happen on January 10 at New Year’s Evil, but after an angle shot in the opening segment, the match was moved to this show in a headlining spot. 

Rose won the NXT women’s title from Raquel Gonzalez last October at Halloween Havoc. Her reign lasted 413 days and successfully defended the title 10 times.

Rose signed with WWE back in 2015 after appearing on Tough Enough. While on the main roster, she was paired with Sonya Deville before going back to NXT in 2021. 

We’ll be following this story and will provide further details as they become available.

Triple H ‘Underwhelmed’ by Some Recent WWE Returns (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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Triple H has brought back a lot of WWE stars who the company had previously released under the Vince McMahon regime. 

Some of the signings were praised by fans as they thought the wrestlers shouldn’t have been released from the beginning, while others have been criticized as they hadn’t been big stars or seen with a high upside during their first runs with the company. 

WrestleVotes reported today that there are several stars who were brought back that have underwhelmed Triple H since coming back. 

The Report

Braun Strowman
(WWE)

“I’m told a handful of talent brought back in the ‘rehiring wave’ over the summer have underperformed and severely underwhelmed Triple H & others since returning to the company.”

Triple H has brought back names such as Johnny Gargano, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae, Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Karrion Kross, Scarlett, and perhaps most notably, Bray Wyatt.

Triple H attempted to bring back Naomi and Sasha Banks after they walked out of the company earlier this year due to creative differences. Naomi is still under contract with WWE while Banks is headed to NJPW in January as her contract expires this month. 

As previously reported, former Impact Wrestling stars Chelsea Green and Eric Young are on their way back to the company. Matt Cardona is rumored to be another possible star to make a return. 

Karl Anderson’s Never Openweight Title Match Confirmed for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

Thomas Lowson
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WWE’s Karl Anderson will step through the Forbidden Door next month to defend his NJPW Never Openweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 17.

Anderson returned to WWE alongside Luke Gallows in October of this year after being released from the promotion in April 2020.

The Machine Gun had been scheduled to defend his title at NJPW Battle Autumn in November but instead competed at WWE Crown Jewel that same night.

Tama Tonga

This week, Anderson made his way to Japan for NJPW’s World Tag/Super Junior Tag League finals.

Competing against Hikuleo, his planned opponent for Battle Autumn, Anderson retained his title and sent a message to the locker room after the bell.

“I ain’t coming over here to drop no titles. You think I’m coming back to New Japan Pro-Wrestling to do a jiz-zob?”

Karl Anderson.

Tama Tonga came out to confront Anderson but took a Stun Gun from the Never Openweight Champion.

Anderson told Tonga that he will see him again at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4.

Wrestle Kingdom 17

Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be the first time in years that the show will take place on one day, but the event has a stacked card.

IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI will defend her title against Tam Nakano, while Zack Sabre Jr. and Ren Narita will determine the first NJPW World Television Champion.

IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will defend against AEW’s Kenny Omega, and FTR will put their IWGP World Tag Titles on the line against opponents yet to be announced.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori vs. Master Wato vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado has been announced, and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White will take on Kazukchika Okada.

Sasha Banks Reportedly Appearing at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom

‘President Helmsley’ – Kevin Nash Says Triple H Would Make a Great Leader of the United States

Thomas Lowson
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Washington. Lincoln. Kennedy. Obama. Helmsley?

Could Triple H  one-day trade in his throne on top of WWE for a seat in the Oval Office? Kevin Nash isn’t against the idea.

Speaking during the latest Kliq This, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer said he believes Triple H would make a fine President of the United States one day and explained why.

“You can p*ss him off, but he doesn’t get p*ssed off like a normal dude. Especially once he got where he was a Senior Vice President, he just couldn’t. He always had control where the rest of us didn’t. Paul’s very level-headed.”

Triple H

Triple H in 2022

Triple H could make an excellent President (at least according to Nash,) but the former World Heavyweight Champion is kept plenty busy in WWE.

After losing control of NXT last year and suffering a cardiac event, the Game announced his in-ring retirement earlier this year and left his boots in the ring at WrestleMania 38.

In July, Triple H was appointed WWE’s Head of Creative, replacing his father-in-law Vince McMahon, and would later replace John Laurinaitis as Head of Talent Relations.

The McMahon Family and Politics

While Triple H likely isn’t making plans for the oval office, the McMahon family has never been far from politics.

In September 2009, Linda McMahon announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate, seeking to be the representative for Connecticut.

While WWE never publicly endorsed McMahon on-screen, the promotion did launch the political ‘Stand Up for WWE’ campaign, alleging that fans had been turned away from polling centers for wearing wrestling merchandise.

After earning the Republican nomination, McMahon lost to Democrat Richard Blumenthal in the 2010 election.

Linda hinted immediately after her loss that she would run again in 2012, and did just that, but lost to Democrat Chris Murphy that year.

The Rock Leaves The Door Open For Future Presidential Run

h/t – WrestlingInc

“I Love Vince McMahon” – Ric Flair Weighs in on Ex-CEO’s Possible Return to WWE

Thomas Lowson
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Vince McMahon has plans to make his shocking return to WWE, and Ric Flair isn’t against the idea.

McMahon retired from all roles with the company in July of this year, due to the allegations of misconduct with female employees, and the millions paid in hush money.

In his absence, Stephanie McMahon has been appointed Chairwoman of WWE and serves as co-CEO with Nick Khan.

Ric Flair

This week, it was reported that McMahon is seeking a comeback to the promotion and regrets retiring in July.

McMahon believes that he was given bad advice to retire at the time and that the allegations against him would have “blown over” had he stayed in his role as CEO and Chairman.

Speaking on his To Be the Man podcast, Ric Flair was asked by co-host Conrad Thompson for his thoughts on a possible McMahon return.

“You’re not going to get a negative word out of me. I love Vince McMahon. And I think that he should. He is entitled to whatever he wants. I’m telling you, shame on the people that don’t think so. He built it. Nobody else built it. Nobody helped him. He fought every war.”

Ric Flair.

It remains unclear how exactly McMahon will plan to return to WWE or when he plans on being in the board room once more.

Not Welcome

Flair may have nothing but good things to say about McMahon, but this attitude isn’t shared by those in the company.

It has been reported that the consensus in WWE is that it’d be extremely bad for McMahon to return, with one source saying he’d be “selfish” to do so.

In the months since McMahon’s retirement, it has been reported that backstage morale has improved significantly among both on-screen talent and staff under the new regime.

Vince McMahon Facing Fresh Demands Over Alleged Sexual Assault

Fans Signing Petition to Prevent Vince McMahon’s Return to WWE

Thomas Lowson
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Will Vince McMahon return to WWE? Not if the WWE Universe can help it.

McMahon retired from the promotion in July of this year after over four decades in charge, due to allegations of misconduct with female employees.

An investigation into McMahon determined that $12 million had been paid in Non-Disclosure Agreements over 16 years that should have been listed on the promotion’s expenses.

The Comeback

McMahon’s departure in July was a shocking moment many fans thought they’d never see, but the 77-year-old is reportedly eyeing up a return.

The Wall Street Journal reports that McMahon regrets retiring earlier this year, and believes that the allegations against him would have “blown over” had he stayed in the role.

McMahon also believes he was given bad advice to retire by those closest to him, though the report does not name any specific persons who advised him to go.

The Petition

While fans will ultimately have no say on if McMahon does make the mother of all comebacks, some fans are letting their voices be heard.

On Change.org, a petition has been started that is hoping to prevent the billionaire’s return to the company.

The petition notes that in the post-Vince McMahon era “employment has increased, revenue has increased and overall enjoyment and become a watchable product again in grand scale.”

It adds that keeping McMahon away is “best for business.”

The petition currently has over 300 signatures with a goal of 500.

You can check out the petition and sign it yourself by clicking here.

Roxanne Perez Reacts to Winning NXT Women’s Championship: “Everything Was Worth It”

Robert Lentini
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Roxanne Perez earned a title shot by winning the inaugural Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge this past Saturday night at NXT Deadline.

At the beginning of this week’s NXT, Mandy Rose hit Roxanne Perez with the NXT Women’s Championship. Perez demanded her title shot in the main event of NXT.

Mandy connected with the Kiss From a Rose but somehow Perez kicked out at two. Perez then connected with Pop Rox for the pinfall victory and captured the NXT Women’s Championship. Mandy Rose’s reign as NXT Women’s Champion lasted an impressive 413 days.

Roxanne Perez Reacts to Winning the NXT Women’s Championship

After winning the NXT Women’s Championship from Mandy Rose in the main event, the 22-year-old was interviewed backstage. Roxanne said that she started wrestling when she was 14-years-old and everything she has gone through to get to WWE was worth it.

2016 is the year I started wrestling, I was 14-years-old and that was the day I said I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that I get to WWE.

No matter what it takes, I am going to get there. My whole life revolved around wrestling, up until now.

Everything I did, literally every single thing I did was to be here and for this championship.

I’m sure you saw that I just broke down into tears out there but everything was worth it. All the trials and tribulations, the ups and the downs, every single thing was so worth it.

And this is proof to every little girl out there that no matter what you tell yourself, no matter what doubts there are in your mind. It can happen.

Please credit SEScoops for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

WWE NXT Results (12/13): Deadline Fallout, Women’s Title Match

John Cena to Team Up With Jason Momoa In Action-Comedy Movie

Robert Lentini
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John Cena is set to star in a new action/comedy film Aquaman star Jason Momoa.

According to Variety, the film will be called “Killer Vacation” and will be released through Warner Brothers. Details of the plot of the movie have not been revealed.

Cena currently stars in the HBO Max series Peacemaker, reprising his role from The Suicide Squad. He has also been cast in Peter Farrlly’s upcoming comedy film Ricky Stanicky alongside Jim Carrey and Zac Efron.

The Leader of the Cenation also had a supporting role in the recently released film The Independent.

Review: John Cena Eyes the Presidency in “The Independent”

John Cena to Return to WWE on the Final SmackDown of the Year

16-time World Champion John Cena will return to WWE on December 30th.

Cena will appear on the final SmackDown of the year emanating from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The news was first reported by Variety and the report added “more announcements are planned for the episode in the coming weeks”.

John Cena last appeared on WWE TV on the June 27th episode of RAW to celebrate 20 years with the company. He cut a promo and announced that he will be wrestling more than just one match when he returns.

Triple H took to Twitter and congratulated Cena on twenty years in WWE. He said that Cena is arguably the greatest superstar of all time and a great ambassador for the company as well.

He made himself the success he was for those twenty years, arguably the greatest superstar in the history of the WWE. Not only that, through those twenty years becoming the greatest ambassador and truly represented what it means to be a WWE Superstar.

WWE NXT Results (12/13): Deadline Fallout, Women’s Title Match

Andrew Ravens
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The December 13, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  •  
  •  Wes Lee def. Channing Lorenzo
  • Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne def. Tatum Paxley and Ivy Nile via DQ
  • Odyssey Jones def. Von Wagner
  • JD McDonagh def. Brutus Creed
  • Lyra Valkyria def. Amari Miller
  • Duke Hudson def. Damon Kemp
  • Roxanne Perez def. Mandy Rose to win the NXT Women’s Title

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

WWE NXT Deadline Fallout

4nxt

NXT Champion Bron Breakker retained his title over Apollo Crews in the main event of NXT Deadline. Following the bout, Grayson Waller laid out Breakker ahead of their New Year’s Evil match next month after Waller won the men’s Iron Survivor Match. 

Roxanne Perez won the women’s Iron Survivor Match to earn a shot at NXT Women’s Champion Mandy rose. 

Roxane Perez and Grayson Waller opened the show. Waller was bragging about himself when Perez told him to shut up. Waller said Perez peaked at 21 because there’s no way she’s ever beating Rose. Breakker said that Waller is wrong and Perez is the ironwoman of NXT and put her over. Breakker said Perez is the future NXT Women’s Champion. Waller vowed to become the new NXT Champion by outsmarting Breakker. 

Breakker chased off Waller while Rose laid out Perez with a title shot. Perez demanded that Rose put her title on the line tonight. 

The Main Event

perez

Rose put her NXT Women’s Title on the line against Perez in the main event. 

Rose dominated the majority of the match with Perez making a comeback at the end. Rose hit her finisher for 2. Perez rolled her up for 2. 

Tag Team Bout

0NXT 1

Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne of Toxic Attraction vs. Tatum Paxley and Ivy Nile took place. The match didn’t last long as Nile and Paxley were tossed into NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, who were on commentary. A brawl broke out and the DQ was called. 

New Day Celebrate

3nxt 1

The New Day came out to celebrate their NXT Tag Team Title win after beating Pretty Deadly at NXT Deadline. Woods bragged about Kingston’s 15 Tag Team Champion. Woods pointed out how he had the first-ever NXT match and it was against Big E. Pretty Deadly came out and they wanted a rematch. 

The New Day agree to give Pretty Deadly a rematch if they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen come to the ring with an American flag. Pretty Deadly declined and gave Briggs and Jensen a title match next week. 

Von Wagner vs. Odyssey Jones

2nxt 1

WWE booked Von Wagner vs. Odyssey Jones in a singles match. 

The match was kept short. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe got involved and Jones hit his finisher for the win. 

Lyra Valkyria Arrives

1nxt 1

Lyra Valkyria made her in-ring debut in a match against Amari Miller. 

The match was short and all Valkyrie. She went over with a frog splash. 

In a promo last week, Valkyria said that according to legend, the Morrigan would take form of a crow, and the crow would foretell who would be victorious in a battle. She has earned a feather for every match she has won.

Valkyria is the former Aofie Valkyrie, who wrestled for WWE’s NXT UK brand in 2020 and 2021. Her most recent appearance happened on the August 26, 2021 edition of NXT UK, winning a no disqualification match against Jinny.

Roxanne Perez Wins WWE NXT Women’s Title (Video)

Andrew Ravens
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Roxanne Perez was the person to dethrone Mandy Rose as the WWE NXT Women’s Champion. 

Perez defeated Zoey Stark, Cora Jade, Kiana James and Indi Hartwell in the first-ever Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge match at Saturday’s WWE NXT Deadline. As a result of winning the match, Perez earned the right to challenge Rose for the championship at a later date, which was supposed to be on January 10th at New Year’s Evil. 

The Match

At the start of Tuesday’s NXT episode, Rose attacked Perez from behind. This led to Perez challenging her to a title match on this show instead in the main event with Rose accepting. 

The back-and-forth match ended after Perez kicked out of Rose’s finisher and rolled up Rose for the win. 

Rose defeated Gonzalez to win the NXT Women’s Championship at Halloween Havoc last year with the help of Dakota Kai.  Rose became the unified champion at NXT Worlds Collide when she beat NXT UK Champion Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport in a triple threat match. 

Rose held the title for 413 days, making her the third-longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion.

Ricky Starks Comments on Comparisons to The Rock

Andrew Ravens
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Since making a name for himself in the NWA and finding more success in AEW, fans have compared Ricky Starks to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Although there are some similarities as Starks carries himself and looks like the former WWE Champion, he is his own man. 

Starks will challenge MJF for the AEW World Title this Wednesday at Dynamite: Winter is Coming. Last week during their promo exchange on Dynamite, MJF stated that Starks was a “dollar store, Dwayne.”

For Stars, he knows who he is and opened up on the comparisons while doing an interview with ComicBook.com’s Liam Crowley.

The Comparisons

Ricky Starks holding the AEW World Heavyweight Championship belt
(AEW)

“I tell this all the time, The Rock wasn’t my favorite wrestler. He was like my number three favorite wrestler,” Starks said “That’s not to discredit The Rock from any type of talent he has, but I say that to say he wasn’t a big inspiration.”

“I always tell this: I don’t hate the comparisons,” Starks continued. “What I do hate though, is being discredited for my natural creativity in lieu of someone saying, ‘Well, you’re just literally copying The Rock,’ which isn’t true at all.”

Starks pointed to his hometown of New Orleans for how he talks and doesn’t look to Rock as a mentor but respects him for having a great business mind and everything he has done in wrestling. 

Starks added, “If some by chance, somebody thinks that I’m Rock-lite, then that’s cool.”

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