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Adam Pearce Comments on Firing Bobby Lashley on WWE RAW

Robert Lentini
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WWE RAW ended in chaos this week following the number one contenders match between Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley.

Bobby Lashley appeared to have the match in control as United States Champion Austin Theory was shown watching backstage. Lashley got the Hurt Lock in but accidentally bumped the referee out of the ring.

Lashley connected with a Spear but the referee took a moment to get back into the ring and it allowed Seth to kick out at two. Bobby screamed at the referee before setting up for a 2nd Spear. Rollins was ready for it this time and countered into the Pedigree while Lashley was in midair for the pinfall victory. Seth Rollins has earned a US Title match against Austin Theory in the near future.

After the match, Lashley lost his temper and shoved the official against the turnbuckle. WWE Official Adam Pearce had already wanted The All Mighty about striking referees and confronted Bobby about it. Lashley then decided to shove Adam Pearce and it cost him his job. Pearce fired Lashley as RAW went off the air and stormed backstage.

Pearce dropped an F-bomb during the exchange and apologized on Twitter after the show.

WWE Raw Results, Takeaways (12/12/22): Bobby Lashley Fired, Alexa Bliss & Bianca Belair

Byron Saxton caught up with Adam Pearce backstage after RAW went off the air and here are his comments on the matter:

“With all due respect Byron, but seriously? It just happened. You saw what happened. It would be very very premature for me to comment at this time. Thank You”.

Adam Pearce then stormed off before Byron could get another question in. Saxton tried to interview Lashley backstage as well but Bobby was in no mood to talk.

AEW Hires Former WWE VP of Global Television Production

Thomas Lowson
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Michael Mansury is the latest person to become ‘All-Elite’ after honing his production skills for years as part of WWE.

Mansury is expected to begin his new job as AEW’s Senior Vice President and Co-Executive Producer with this Wednesday’s Dynamite, PW Insider reports.

Starting with WWE in 2009, Mansury was with the promotion for eleven years before leaving on his own accord in May 2020.

Michael Mansury

While he’s a name most fans will be unfamiliar with, Mansury had significant influence over WWE Premium Live Events and TV shows for years.

Upon his departure in 2020, it was reported that many saw Mansury as the successor to Kevin Dunn, who has worked for decades as WWE’s Head of TV production.

After Vince McMahon’s retirement in July of this year, it was suggested that Dunn would be on his way out of the promotion, though that did not happen.

Triple H is said to be a big fan of Mansury’s work, though a source who spoke to Fightful said that there there wasn’t much farther he could go above his position in WWE unless Dunn stepped aside.

Reaction

In their report, Fightful adds that both AEW and WWE are happy about Mansury’s hiring by Tony Khan.

The belief is that Mansury will go a long way in helping AEW’s content, with one WWE source saying he’s in touch with AEW’s core demographic.

One WWE source that has heavily criticized AEW has said that he saw this as AEW’s biggest hire this year.

Cody Rhodes Shares Terms Used By AEW’s Hiring Team

Eric Bischoff: Ric Flair Should Thank Me for Helping Him Get Over

Nick Perkins
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Before we begin, it’s important to note that this is probably some sort angle that will lead to either a match or, at the very least, a podcast debate.

That being said…the relationship between Eric Bischoff and Ric Flair is the stuff of legend. Their on-again, off-again friendship/business partnership has led to fist fights, lawsuits, and, this being 2022, mean tweets.

Such was the case recently when The Nature Boy took to Twitter to start the latest chapter in his decades-long beef with Easy E.

On December 8, Flair posted a video from one of the most memorable WCW Nitro moments of all time; that being when Flair returned to the company after the lawsuit with Bischoff, to reform the Four Horseman and tell Eric that he couldn’t fire Flair, Flair was already fired.

Of course, Eric being Eric, he couldn’t just let that Tweet stand, now could he? Instead, he Quote Tweeted Flair’s post and said that it was some of Flair’s best work ever. That would have been nice enough. But, you know…Controversy Creates Cash. So he also said ‘You’re welcome. I made you.’

Naturally, fans rushed to Flair’s aide, laughing at the fact that Bischoff said he ‘made’ the 16x World Champion.

Needless to say, Bischoff’s podcast partner (and Flair’s son in law) just couldn’t let those comments slide without discussing them, and Conrad Thompson didn’t waste any time on this week’s 83 Weeks podcast on confronting Bischoff and the ludicrous idea (to everybody but Eric) that he ‘made’ Ric Flair.

Eric Bischoff Ric Flair

Eric Bischoff Made Ric Flair?

“If you’re in such a good mood, why are you popping off with my father-in-law Ric Flair on social media?” Thompson asked his friend and confidante.

“He started it!” Bischoff responded indignantly. “I was perfectly content to sit back and just run my own business and stay quiet. But then he just started blabbing about a bunch of stuff that he was pissed off at me about. I was just defending myself.”

It’s hard to defend those comments, Thompson argued. But Bischoff didn’t just defend them; he doubled down on them.

“Ric posts a video of cutting a promo on me back in 1998, and I pointed out that this was some of Ric’s best work and he should thank me for that,” Bischoff scoffed. “I brought that out in him. I brought that level of emotion and I brought out what became, really, the best Ric Flair. He should be thanking me for helping him to get over, instead of just being a whiny baby about this whole thing.”

Bischoff then tripled down on his comments.

“The truth is, WCW couldn’t make any money with Ric Flair,” Bischoff said. “So what did Ric Flair do? He went to WWE and guess what? They couldn’t make any money with Ric Flair. So guess what? Ric comes back to WCW and WCW still couldn’t make any money with him in ’93, and ’94, which is why he had to go get Hulk Hogan.”

Of course, Bischoff said, none of this was personal; it was just business.

“Ric’s a great performer, don’t get me wrong,” Bischoff yielded. “He’s a legend. But when it comes to business, I had to do what I had to do with him and that just rubs Ric the wrong way and he can’t let it go.”

Naturally, Conrad Thompson was in a bit of an awkward position. He pointed out that there seem to be two different versions of Eric Bischoff; almost as if Bischoff is acting. He said that the former President of WCW was a good man, helping to raise money for Barry Windham after a heart attack, but then he goes around criticizing Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen.

“I’m not critical; I’m just pointing out facts,” Bischoff asserted. “Why is it that people that are fans of Ric and fans of the Four Horsemen get all bent outta shape when you present facts? I wasn’t being critical of the Four Horsemen; I put them over! They were very, very popular amongst a small regional group of fans. In the business of entertaining the entire country, that small pocket of fans in North Carolina and the Southeast in particular, dug the Four Horsemen.”

Bischoff continued, stating that “The Four Horsemen were great during their era, but they certainly weren’t a national act.”

Thompson and Bischoff then got into one of their trademark arguments about how and why WCW was sold to the WWF, similarities to Jim Crockett Promotions, and more. You can hear the whole debate by downloading the 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff podcast or by visiting adfreeshows.com.

Incidentally, in news that has absolutely nothing to do with this whole situation, Thompson and Bischoff are selling tickets now for a live podcast recording in ‘the heart of WCW country,’ on January 14.

https://twitter.com/HeyHeyItsConrad/status/1602401679642660873

We wouldn’t be surprised if a certain 16x World Champion found himself in the same area on that day. Because, it’s like we always say…

Controversy Creates Cash.

And for that, we are Grateful.

Matt Riddle Reportedly In Rehab During WWE Hiatus

Samantha Schipman
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Rumors have been swirling about why WWE pulled Matt Riddle off TV a few days ago. The storyline reason is that Solo Sikoa hit Riddle with an Asiatic spike and a Samoan Bulldozer. He was placed in a neck brace and put on a stretcher.

On December 9, WWE tweeted that the Superstar would be out of action for six weeks.

Matt Riddle Sent to Rehab

Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle was originally supposed to face Seth Rollins at SummerSlam when the match was inexplicably moved to Clash at the Castle the following month. Bodyslam.net is reporting that Riddle failed a drug test. If he failed another drug test, he would have to go to rehab or be fired.

According to Cassidy Haynes’ reporting, Riddle has either already entered rehab or will start soon. If he has entered a 30-day treatment, he will likely be able to return in the six week timeframe WWE has written him off for. It would put his return before Royal Rumble or WWE could potentially save his return for the rumble match itself.

Haynes also reportedly asked what the failed drug test was for and noted that WWE no longer tests for marijuana.

Watch: Kylie Rae Debuts for WWE Before Monday’s Raw

Robert Lentini
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Former AEW and Impact star Kylie Rae debuted for WWE tonight before this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw during a taping for Main Event. She will perform under the name “Briana Ray” in WWE. She attended a tryout recently at the WWE Performance Center and it apparently went well.

She signed with All Elite Wrestling and was a part of the promotion’s inaugural Double or Nothing event. She was advertised for a match against Leva Bates at Fyter Fester in 2019 but was replaced by Allie (The Bunny). Tony Khan announced during the All Out media scrum that Kylie had been granted her release and the split was “amicable”.

Kylie showed up at Impact Wrestling’s Bound for Glory in 2019 and entered the “Call Your Shot” Gauntlet match. Rae had a match scheduled against Deonna Purrazzo and Bound for Glory 2020 but didn’t appear at the event and was replaced by Su Yung.

Kylie Rae showed up in NWA to team with Taryn Terrell to defeat Thunder Rosa and Melina Perez at When Our Shadows Fall. It was announced that she had signed a contract with NWA in June.

Kylie Rae Signs With NWA Following Agreement With Impact

WWE Raw Results, Takeaways (12/12/22): Bobby Lashley Fired, Alexa Bliss & Bianca Belair

Robert Lentini
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WWE Monday Night Raw airs live tonight from the Fisev Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There were two #1 contenders matches on tonight’s show to determine the challengers for the RAW Women’s and United States Championships.

WWE Raw Results (12/12/22)

  • Alexa Bliss def. Bayley to become #1 contender for the RAW Women’s Championship
  • AJ Styles def. Chad Gable
  • Judgment Day def. Street Profits & Akira Tozawa
  • IYO Sky def. Candice LeRae
  • Solo Sikoa def. Elias
  • Rhea Ripley def. Asuka
  • Seth Rollins def. Bobby Lashley to become the #1 contender for the United States Championship

Here are the takeaways from this week’s episode of WWE RAW:

Becky Lynch Attacks Damage CTRL, Alexa Bliss Earned A Title shot

Bayley was set to battle Alexa Bliss in the first match of the night Becky Lynch attacked IYO SKY and Dakota Kai before the match and chased them through the crowd. Bayley then battled Alexa Bliss in the first match of the night. The winner will earn a shot at Bianca Belair’s RAW Women’s Championship. Bianca Belair made her way to the ringside area for the match.

The action spilled to the outside early and Alexa connected with a Senton off the ring apron. The Role Model battled back with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb but Alexa was able to kick out at two.

Bayley hit the Bayley to Belly but somehow Alexa managed to kick out at two. Bliss knocked Bayley out of the ring and she took a swing at Bianca but the champ blocked it. Back in the ring, Alexa hit a Dropkick and followed it up with Twisted Bliss for the pinfall victory. Alexa Bliss is the #1 contender for the RAW Women’s Championship.

After the match, Alexa Bliss almost hit Bianca Belair with the Sister Abigial but stopped short.

AJ Styles def. Chad Gable

AJ Styles faced Chad Gable of American Alpha tonight on WWE Raw. Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Mia Yim, and Otis was ringside for the match. Styles dominated early and hit a Neckbreaker for a near fall as Elias versus Solo Sikoa was announced for later tonight.

Gable battled back with a Belly to Back Suplex and both superstars were down on the mat. Chad applied an Ankle Lock in the middle of the ring but the Phenomenal One was able to escape. Gable connected with a Northern Lights Suplex but AJ kicked out at two and the match continued. AJ quickly responded with a Styles Clash for the pinfall victory.

Judgment Day Picked Up a Win

Street Profits (Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins) & Akira Tozawa faced Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damien Priest, Dominik Mysterio) in a 6-man tag team match tonight. Rhea Ripley was ringside for the match.

Damian Priest and Angelo Dawkins started off the action. Priest hit a shoulder tackle and dragged Dawkins to the corner. Dominik tagged in and continued to beat Dawkins down before tagging in Balor.

Finn taunted Tozawa and Ford and it cost him. Montez got the tag and leveled Finn with a Dropkick for a near fall. Tozawa tagged in and booted Finn in the face. Balor drove Akira to the corner and unloaded some chops to his chest.

When RAW returned from a break, Damian sent Ford flying over the announce table. Montez got back in the ring before a ten count and Dominik tagged in. Dominik dominated as Rhea watched on with a smile on her face.

Balor tagged back in and choked Ford against the ropes until the referee broke it up. Dawkins got the tag and planted Balor with a Spinebuster but Dominik broke up the cover at two. Tozawa tagged in and Priest hit the Crucifix Powerbomb. Dominik capitalized with a cover for the victory.

The Miz & Dexter Lumis Will Have a Ladder Match Next Week

Dexter Lumis and Johnny Gargano handed out free WWE merch to the crowd as Raw went to a break. When RAW returned, The Miz tried to get his money back but Adam Pearce stopped him. A Ladder match between Miz and Lumis was set for next week with money suspended above the ring.

IYO SKY def. Candice LeRae

Candice LeRae squared off against IYO SKY tonight on RAW. Dakota Kai and Bayley were ringside for the match. Damage CTRL are set to defend the Women’s Tag Team Championships against Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox this Friday on WWE SmackDown.

LeRae hit a Tornado DDT and went for the cover but IYO kicked out at two. Rhea Ripley versus Asuka was announced for later tonight as IYO battled back and sent Candice to the corner. SKY connected with a Dropkick and knocked Candice out of the ring.

SKY got Candice up in the Electric Chair but she countered into a reverse Hurricanrana and rolled IYO back into the ring. SKY responded with a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. IYO followed it up with the Moonsault for the pinfall victory.

Kevin Owens Confronted Solo Sikoa

Cathy Kelley interviewed Kevin Owens backstage. Elias interrupted and asked KO to be in his corner tonight. Owens brought up the mental torment he put him through with the whole Ezekiel thing. Owens noted that the last time he was in the ring with Elias he hit him with a guitar. Elias said he needed Owens ringside tonight for his match against Solo Sikoa because The Bloodline will be there.

Elias performed a song for Riddle before the match but Sikoa interrupted. Sami Zayn accompanied The Enforcer of The Bloodline to the ring for the match. Elias attacked Sikoa right away to start off the action as RAW went to a break.

When RAW returned, Sikoa went for a Headbutt but Elias got out of the way. The Drifter battled back and unloaded punches and chops on Sikoa in the corner of the ring. Elias followed it up with a couple of Splashes and a Spinebuster.

Elias hit a knee to the face and a Neckbreaker but Solo was able to kick out at two. Sami tripped Elias up and Sikoa capitalized with a kick to the face. Sikoa followed it up with the Spinning Solo for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Solo Sikoa attacked Elias and hit him with the Samoan Spike as Sami taunted The Drifter. Sikoa got out of the ring and grabbed a steel chair. He wrapped it around Elias’ head but Owens made the save. Owens sprinted down to the ring and hit Sikoa with a Stunner. Owens took the chair off of Elias’ head and challenged Solo to get in the ring but Sikoa retreated with Zayn. Owens planted Elias with a Stunner anyway.

Rhea Ripley def. Asuka

Rhea Ripley faced Asuka tonight. Dominik Mysterio accompanied Rhea to the ring and was ringside for the match. Asuka hit a Hip Attack and knocked Rhea into the ring post. The Empress of Tomorrow followed it up with another Hip Attack to knock Ripley to the floor outside the ring.

When the red brand returned from a break, Ripley went for a Suplex but Asuka countered into a roll-up for a near fall. Asuka and Ripley traded kicks to the head and both superstars fell to the canvas. The Empress connected with a spin kick to the head for a near fall.

Asuka locked in a submission hold in the middle of the ring but Dominik pulled her foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Asuka spit mist in Dominiik’s face but Rhea capitalized on the distracted by hitting Riptide for the pinfall victory.

Seth Rollins Earned a Title Shot, Bobby Lashley was Fired

Seth Rollins battled Bobby Lashley to determine Austin Theory’s next challenger for the United States Championship.

Before the match, Dolph Ziggler cut a promo backstage and claimed Austin Theory isn’t acting like a champion because he doesn’t know how to put the show on his back. Ziggler added that Theory’s arrogance will be his downfall and ended the promo by saying “watch your back kid”.

Seth Rollins and Lashley battled out of the ring to start off the match. Rollins connected with a running knee off the apron to Bobby’s face before the action returned to the ring.

Bobby sent Rollins right back to the outside with a Back Body Drop and sent him into the steel steps as Austin Theory was shown watching the match backstage.Lashley launched Rollins over the barricade and followed him into the crowd as RAW went to the final commercial break of the night.

When RAW returned, Lashley perched Rollins up on the top turnbuckle and went for a Superplex but Rollins blocked it. Seth bit Bobby on the top of the head and shoved him off the turnbuckle. Rollins hit a Crossbody off the top rope but Lashley kicked out at two.

Seth knocked Lashley out of the ring and connected with a dive through the ropes. Back in the ring, Rollins connected with an impressive Falcon Arrow but Lashley was able to kick out at two. Lashley battled back and bashed Seth’s face into the ring post.

The All Mighty went for a Spear but Rollins jumped over it. Seth booted Lashley in the face for a two count and then made his way to the top rope. Rollins connected with a Frog Splash but somehow Lashley was able to kick out at two. Seth went for the Stomp but Lashley blocked it.

Bobby hit a Powerslam and applied the Hurt Lock. The referee got knocked out of the ring and Lashley hit a Spear. The referee got back into the ring and Seth was able to kick out at two. Lashley went for another Spear but Rollins countered into a Pedigree for the pinfall victory.

Seth Rollins is the #1 contender for the United States Championship. Bobby Lashley was up right away and yelling at the referee again. Lashley elbowed another official in the face and Adam Pearce ran down to the ring. Bobby then shoved Adam Pearce and he fired him to end the show.

New Day’s Latest Ring Gear Influenced by Avatar: The Way of Water

Andrew Ravens
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The New Day is known to incorporate pop culture phenomena into their ring gear as they have sported things such as Power Rangers and Dragon Ball. 

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) went down to NXT last week to start a program with Pretty Deadly, which led to them working a match over the weekend where Kingston and Woods beat Pretty Deadly to win the NXT Tag Team Championships at the NXT Deadline premium live event.

The Influence

new day wwe
WWE

The tag team had ring gear to honor Avatar: The Way of Water, the sequel to the 2009 smash hit “Avatar.” Shawn Michaels, who oversees NXT creative, stated after Deadline that he is hoping to have The New Day around through the Vengence Day special in February. 

Here is the synopsis for the movie that was written and directed by James Cameron:

“Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.”

The movie, set to come out December 16, stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet.

Matt Riddle Spotted With ‘Adult Performer’ Misha Montana

Robert Lentini
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Matt Riddle has been spotted making out with adult film actress Misha Montana. She uploaded a picture with the former United States Champion on Instagram.

Matt Riddle and Misha Montana
(IG @themishamontana)

Riddle was supposed to team up with Elias to battle The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships last Monday on WWE RAW. However, The Bloodline attacked Elias at the beginning of the show in the parking lot and Riddle had to find a replacement. Kevin Owens replaced Elias in the match but it wasn’t enough. The Usos hit Riddle with the 1D to retain the titles.

After the match, Solo Sikoa brutally beat Riddle down while paying tribute to Umaga in the process. Riddle was then stretchered out of the arena and it was announced on SmackDown that he is expected to miss six weeks of action.

Riddle’s former tag team partner, Randy Orton, has been out of action since May. RK-Bro lost the SmackDown Tag Team Championship to The Usos on the May 20th edition of the blue brand in Orton’s last match before dealing with a back injury.

Seth Rollins recently mocked Riddle for his divorce and not being able to see his family during their rivalry but it appears that the Original Bro has moved on.

It will be interesting to see if Matt Riddle returns alone to in six weeks to get revenge or Solo Sikoa or if he will have some backup of his own against The Bloodline.

Sting Reveals he Recently Underwent Surgery

Andrew Ravens
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Sting is still going strong after decades of being in the pro wrestling business, but from time to time, he needs to repair his body. 

Two years ago this month, Sting made his debut for All Elite Wrestling at ‘Winter Is Coming’ and to promote the third annual Winter Is Coming event on Wednesday, Sting appeared on The K&C Masterpiece. 

Sting revealed that he underwent surgery six or seven weeks ago to have his knees cleaned out. 

“I just had surgery. It’s been six, seven weeks ago now. Basically just a clean out on my very old knees.”

Needed a Clean

Sting
Sting

Sting was most recently in action for AEW at Full Gear, where he and Darby Allin scored a win over Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. 

Sting recalled a story about how he blew his shoulders out in a match against Kurt Angle in TNA Wrestling and the surgeon telling him that it looked like a bomb went off inside of his shoulder. 

His recovery from surgery may explain why he didn’t accompany Darby to the ring for his TNT Title match on December 7th. 

H/T POST Wrestling

Ricky Starks Still Optimistic He’ll Get to Work With CM Punk

Michael Reichlin
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Ricky Starks faces the biggest challenge of his career later this week. The former FTW Champion looks to etch his name in the history books when he challenges MJF for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship at Winter is Coming.

Sparks spoke with DAZN about a number of topics, including the opportunity to work closely with CM Punk and William Regal in AEW over the past year.

Punk name-dropped Starks during one of his first promos after returning to pro wrestling. He thinks the ‘Punk thing’ really helped the way fans perceive him, but he’s a bit annoyed they never got to work together in the ring.

“It’s not to stroke my own ego, but it’s about iron sharpening iron,” he said. “I’m definitely a type of person that would be able to benefit from that in terms of just excelling in my talent.”

Starks says he learned a lot from working with Punk and Regal behind the scenes. Punk’s AEW status remains questionable at best, but Starks is still hopeful they’ll get to wrestle at some point down the line.

“I am hopeful that down the line I do get that matchup. If not, then I get it. That’s how the business is. But it would be nice (smiles). It would be nice to be able to work with somebody of that caliber because besides Sting, I’ve yet to work with someone of such a high caliber.”  

Catch Ricky Starks vs. MJF this Wednesday on TBS when AEW presents the special ‘Winter is Coming’ edition of Dynamite.

WWE Officials Reportedly ‘Very Happy’ With NXT Star’s Recent Performance

Ella Jay
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The future is looking bright for a certain WWE NXT superstar.

Last week on NXT Level Up, one of the WWE’s newest signees made quite an impression after showing off her new finishing maneuver. Former collegiate athlete Sol Ruca battled, and defeated, Valentina Feroz on the Friday show, electrifying the crowd after delivering an insane imploding cutter off the corner turnbuckle to Feroz.

The move consisted of a backflip transitioning into an explosive cutter, similar to a modified RKO. According to Fightful Select, Ruca’s move and overall performance highly impressed “numerous WWE sources,” and they were “very happy” with the virality it generated. Pro-Wrestling NOAH talent Dante Leon has also used the move in the past.

Among the WWE officials impressed, was Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who shared his praise for the 23-year-old. “Future is SO bright,” he wrote via Twitter.

Sol Ruca, real name Calyx Hampton, originally reported to the WWE Performance Center this past March, before completing her first ever match on June 24 at an NXT live event in Florida. There, she teamed with Solo Sikoa to defeat Grayson Waller and Tiffany Stratton. Ruca previously attended the University of Oregon, where she competed on the school’s Acrobatics & Tumbling team. In addition, she received NCATA Individual Event National Championship honors.

Though she only made her debut in June, Sol Ruca has garnered some more opportunities on NXT Level Up, and the main NXT show. On NXT’s Tuesday night show, the soulful surfer has tackled the likes of Amari Miller, Indi Hartwell, Elektra Lopez, and Zoey Stark, with a victory over the former.

Latest on When William Regal is Returning to WWE & His Expected Role

Andrew Ravens
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William Regal is set to leave AEW and return to WWE starting in the new year.

On last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Regal cut his final AEW promo in a pre-taped video where he explained why he turned on Jon Moxley at Full Gear to side with MJF by costing Moxley the AEW World Heavyweight Title. 

Regal said that he was teaching the last lesson to the Blackpool Combat Club – to keep eyes in the back of their head. 

The Latest

WIlliam Regal
(via AEW)

According to a report by Pwinsider.com, Regal has officially come to terms on his new deal with WWE, and is set to start in the new year. Per the report, Regal will have a Vice President position in the company upon his return, although there has been no word on his official title or role.

Last week during the ROH Final Battle media call, AEW/ROH President Tony Khan explained his reason why he let William Regal leave AEW and return to WWE, which was due to Regal asking the company not to renew his existing deal so he could go back to NXT to be with his son who currently wrestles as Charles Dempsey. 

Regal’s AEW departure has a clause that he would not be able to appear in an on-screen role for WWE upon his return.

William Regal Reveals Vince McMahon Ended WWE Non-Compete Clause Early to Let Him Join AEW

Taz Thinks UFC Copied One of His Biggest Ideas

Andrew Ravens
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Taz has called out the UFC for taking one of his ideas, and that idea is the FTW Title, which he first introduced in ECW. 

His son, HOOKis the current FTW Champion in AEW. Taz recently accused UFC of ripping off the FTW title. In a post on Twitter, Taz noted the FTW Title belt had had a buzz around it from the ECW years, negative or positive. 

He thinks the most important thing is that the belt is still around while all the others that wrestlers created are long gone. Taz claimed that the UFC BMF concept is a complete ripoff of the FTW title.

Taz’s Claims

Taz
(via AEW)

“Correct. Some fans don’t like it or feel it should be around, but that’s ok to me! It has had buzz around it from the ECW years, negative or positive..don’t matter. FTW belt is STILL here, all the others that wrestlers created been long gone.”

Taz followed up with another tweet that read: “Yes, that BMF concept is a complete ripoff of the FTW title… I really don’t give a shit because fans who know the history know that’s the vibe I started with the FTW title in late 90’s….”

The UFC BMF (Baddest Motherf*cker in the Game) belt was commissioned for a UFC 244 fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz in November 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Rock awarded Masvidal the championship when he beat Diaz. 

Veteran NXT Star Expected For Main Roster Call-Up Soon

Jon Fuentes
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One veteran NXT star is expected to be making their way up to the main roster soon.

According to a new report from Fightful Select, as of this fall, NXT star Cameron Grimes is expected to be called up to the WWE main roster soon. Grimes has already wrestled on the main roster after defeating Akira Tozawa on an October episode of WWE Main Event.

Initial reports believed that Grimes would be called up to the main roster after his feud with Joey Gacy was up. Now that the feud has come to a close, and Grimes hasn’t appeared on NXT television, many expect his main roster call up to happen sooner rather than later.

The 29-year-old has been competing in professional wrestling since 2014. Beginning his career on the independents, Grimes competed for notable promotions such as PWG before signing with IMPACT Wrestling.

Cameron Grimes
Cameron Grimes

However, in 2019, Grimes inked a deal with WWE, joining its NXT developmental brand. During his time on the program, Grimes has won the NXT North American Title once, and is also a former Million Dollar Champion.

With the newly-led main roster fronted by Triple H beginning to take shape, Grimes has the perfect opportunity to jump in and make a name for himself as a new regime continues into its infancy.

Ronda Rousey Talks Potential Tag Team Title Run

Jon Fuentes
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Current WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey has offered up her thoughts about potentially chasing a Tag Team Title run.

Rousey recently took to her latest YouTube live stream and answered some questions about her professional wrestling career. One such question being if she’d be interested in going after the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Currently, Rousey is a singles star at the top of her game, in the midst of her second reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion. However, despite mostly being known as a singles star, Rousey has no problem going after more gold with a partner.

“Yes. I’m happy just to have a tag title. I don’t need a singles title. A tag run would be fun. I mean, both is cool. I’ve been doing singles for so long, I’m ready to change it up. That’s another thing, too, people forget I only have a year-and-a-half of in-ring experience.“

Rousey has been with WWE since signing with the company back in 2018. Since, she has had a legendary career with WWE in just a few year’s time. Rousey was one-third of the first-ever women’s match to headline a WrestleMania card.

She is also a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion and one-time RAW Women’s Champion. Rousey is also a Royal Rumble winner, winning the 2022 Rumble earlier this year.

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

Spoiler on WWE Plans for Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania 39 Opponent

Andrew Ravens
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There have been several reports about WWE’s plans for WrestleMania 39 and the company looking to bring back past stars. Now, the question of who Brock Lesnar will be wrestling at the company’s biggest event of the year has been answered. 

WrestlingNews.co reports that Lesnar is Gunther is planned for the show. One person familiar with creative plans stated Lesnar vs. Gunther is one of the matches listed internally for the event. 

Gunther has talked about wanting the match with Lesnar because he feels a match with him would be his biggest possible challenge. He called it his dream match and spoke highly of Lesnar’s mind for the business. 

Lesnar’s Other Dates

Brock Lesnar
(via WWE)

The report added that Lesnar is scheduled to work the Royal Rumble in January and Elimination Chamber in February.

WWE is still months away from WrestleMania 39, and while plans can change, the report stated Triple H has all of the top matches laid out. Also, unlike under creative by Vince McMahon, “people in the company are not seeing the scripts being ripped up like before and chances are that, barring an injury, the current WrestleMania plans will not change.”

Gunther Names Top WWE Star as his Dream Opponent

Bullet Club Leader Wants Sasha Banks to Join

Ella Jay
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Jay White is gearing up for a high-stakes bout next month at Wrestle Kindom 17. On January 4, the “Switchblade” takes on the G1 Climax winner Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. This will mark the two’s first singles matchup since June 12th at NJPW Dominion, where White won the title from Okada.

Elsewhere on the card, KAIRI will defend her IWGP Women’s Championship against Tam Nakano. This will be her first defense since winning the inaugural title last month at NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over.

Whoever wins this matchup will reportedly make the championship’s United States debut, with the subsequent title defense slated for San Jose, California in February. Before that debut happens though, another likely debut has recently stirred up major discussion in the professional wrestling world. 

“I think she would make a great Bullet Club member.”

Jay White on Sasha Banks

“The Boss” Headed To Japan?

Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks

Former SmackDown and Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks will reportedly make an appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17. With this news, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White expressed his thoughts on “The Boss” appearing at the Tokyo Dome next month. “She’s great,” he told Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. “Big star, that would be another big thing that happened then, I guess.”

“Everyone is wanting to come over and return to Wrestle Kingdom led by the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, huh? You got Kenny [Omega] finally returning, maybe Sasha Banks, KAIRI coming back as well. I guess that would be cool,” I said. “I haven’t met the woman myself, but if I do, I’ll say hello.”

White is also a long-standing member of one of NJPW’s most popular factions, the Bullet Club. When discussing whether Banks would be a good fit for the group, White seemed open to the idea. “I think she would make a great Bullet Club member,” he added, “hence why I said I would say ‘hello.’”

William Regal Reveals Vince McMahon Ended WWE Non-Compete Clause Early to Let Him Join AEW

Andrew Ravens
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William Regal has opened up on the kind act that Vince McMahon did for him after working for WWE for over 20 years. 

Regal served as the on-screen GM for NXT and was active behind the scenes as a scout and coach before he was let go this past January. He made his AEW debut at AEW Revolution on March 6 by breaking up a fight between Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson.

While speaking at ITR Live, which was taped in October but recently released on YouTube, Regal revealed that McMahon ended his non-compete clause early so he could join AEW.

The Story

“Mr. McMahon was very good to me, to the point of, I will say this because whatever he’s going through, he was excellent to me. I had a talent contract, as well as an employee contract and it didn’t run out until the end of April because I played William Regal. I started for AEW on the seventh of March. I didn’t call anybody else, I sent a message straight to the boss, ‘Hey Boss, I’ve got this thing with Bryan,’ and he loves Bryan as well. ‘Absolutely, you go’ and still paid me until the end of my talent contract. I was the only person who ever got paid by both companies at the same time.”

As previously reported, Regal requested AEW not pick up his option at the end of the year, and AEW President Tony Khan honored his request as Regal wanted to join his son Charlie Dempsey in NXT. Regal will be working behind the scenes in WWE. 

H/T to Fightfu for the transcription

Cathy Kelley Reveals What Brought Her Back to WWE

Michael Reichlin
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Cathy Kelley is excited to be back in WWE and sounds like she is very happy working under WWE’s new leadership team.

Kelley first joined WWE in 2016 and worked for the company a backstage correspondent and host. After her release in 2020, she appeared on Confidence in Life Changes and spoke to Maria Menounous about what led to her to leave her dream job.

She cited exhaustion from the hectic travel schedule and “restrictions” placed on her as the two primary reasons. She also left the door open for an eventual return.

A lot has changed since then, most notably Vince McMahon retiring from WWE in July 2022. McMahon spent 40 years running the organization he purchased from his father in 1982.

WWE’s new executive team includes Stephanie McMahon serving as Chairwoman and co-CEO with Nick Khan, Paul “Triple H” Levesque as Chief Content Officer, Frank Riddick as President & Chief Financial Officer and Kevin Dunn as Executive Producer & Chief, Global Television Distribution.

What Brought Cathy Kelley Back to WWE?

Cathy Kelley, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
(Photo: WWE)

Cathy Kelley recently appeared on The Big Thing and revealed a ‘happy birthday’ text to Triple H got the ball rolling on her return.

She kept in touch with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon during her time away from WWE. They knew about all the projects she was working on and made it clear that the door was always open for her to return. She sent Hunter a birthday text earlier this year, which led to her having a Zoom call with Stephanie and the rest is history.

Kelley says she always enjoyed working closely with Triple H & Stephanie. In light WWE’s management shakeup, the ‘restrictions’ that hindered her first run were no longer an issue.

“Working for them was very appealing. They’re both the epitome of what great leadership looks like. To get to work for them is great. 

She was offered the chance to come back as a writer, a commentator or as a brand ambassador for WWE’s community events. She jumped at the chance to be a backstage interviewing on Raw when that idea was presented.

Kelley is a talented performer and a valuable asset to WWE’s broadcast team. Her sentiments about Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s leadership qualities have been echoed by countless others who have worked under them.

Follow Cathy Kelly on Twitter (@Catherinekelley) and Instagram (@CathyKelley).

SmackDown Star Reveals Hand Injury, Timetable For Return

Ella Jay
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The list of injuries continues to grow on WWE SmackDown.

Last month, Natalya took a nasty knee to the face from “The Queen of Spades” Shayna Baszler during a bout on SmackDown. As a result, “The Queen of Harts” sustained a dislocated nose. She would undergo nasal surgery a few days later to center it back, and will reportedly miss at least three months of in-ring action.

A few weeks later, Raquel Gonzalez fell to a similar fate. Ahead of Survivor Series: WarGames, Gonzalez was slated to team with Shotzi in a tag team match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, and her ally, Shayna Baszler. On November 25, Rousey and Baszler attacked Gonzalez backstage before their scheduled match, rendering her unable to further compete. WWE later announced that Gonzalez had suffered a broken arm and a dislocated elbow, effectively sidelining her for four to six weeks.

It was later reported by Fightful that Gonzalez’s injuries were “purely storyline.” Gonzalez was recently seen bandaged and taped up during her win over Shayna Baszler at a WWE live event in Charleston, West Virginia this past weekend.

Rousey & Baszler’s Mean Streak Continues

Shotzi
(Shotzi via WWE)

Last week on SmackDown, Shayna Baszler was scheduled to square off with
“The Ballsy Badass” Shotzi, but things didn’t go as planned. Prior to the show in Pittsburgh, Ronda Rousey joined Baszler in assaulting Shotzi in the arena parking lot, slamming her hand in a car door as Shotzi writhed in pain.

Following the attack, Shotzi revealed an x-ray of her broken hand, indicating she would be put on the shelf for six weeks. A six-week turnaround would accordingly put Shotzi in line to return ahead of, or maybe at, WWE’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 28, 2023.

“The Future of the Business” – Becky Lynch Praises WWE Star

Thomas Lowson
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Becky Lynch has high expectations for The Judgment Day’s Rhea Ripley, declaring the Australian Superstar the “future of the business.”

Ripley signed with WWE in 2017 and would become the first NXT UK Women’s Champion the following year, as well as the first female Australian champion in WWE history.

After moving to WWE NXT and capturing that brand’s Women’s Championship, Ripley would find similar success after being called up to Raw in early 2021.

The Future

Like Ripley, Becky Lynch is no stranger to success, having held the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships on multiple occasions.

 In an interview with Verge, Lynch praised Ripley’s success so far and said she considers her the future of the business.

“I think Rhea is one of the greatest female athletes that we’ve ever seen. I think she’s incredible. She is so young, so full of potential. I look at her and I go ‘well, that’s the future of the business and the business is in good hands.”

Becky Lynch.

Lynch added that while Ripley may indeed be the future, there’s only room for one top star to be called ‘The Man.’

“She’s the future but I’m still the present. There can only be one Man around the place. If I have to put her in her place then I’ll put her in her place.”

Becky Lynch.

Finn Balor

As a member of The Judgment Day, Ripley is working with a Superstar that Lynch has been very familiar with over the years: Finn Balor.

It was Balor who trained Lynch when The Man was starting her wrestling career, and Lynch said it is wise of Ripley to work closely with the inaugural Universal Champion.

“she’s hanging around with somebody that I know pretty well. In fact, somebody that taught me nearly everything that I know. There’s an interesting dynamic there because she’s got Finn Bálor in her corner. I’ve known Finn for over 20 years, so it would be interesting to see what side he would take, you know, if push came to shove.”

Becky Lynch.

Ripley and Lynch did face off during a 2019 episode of WWE NXT but the two are yet to go one-on-one on the main roster.

During last week’s Raw, the two former champions had an intense stare-off, teasing a feud.

“Very Big Push” for Raw Superstar Could Lead to WrestleMania 39 Title Match (Report)

WWE NXT’s Von Wagner Pitched for Possible Main Roster Call-Up

Thomas Lowson
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WWE NXT Superstar Von Wagner could soon find his way to the main roster, Fightful Select reports.

Von Wagner, the son of former WWE Superstar Beau Beverly, signed with the promotion in 2019 and debuted in NXT as part of the NXT 2.0 relaunch last year.

During his first night at NXT, Wagner unsuccessfully challenged for the vacant NXT Championship in a fatal four-way match.

Main Roster

Despite being on NXT programming for little over a year, WWE has main roster plans for the second-generation Superstar.

In their report, Fightful notes that they’ve heard Wagner’s name mentioned as someone WWE considers a main-roster call-up.

Wagner’s call-up was reportedly approved last year but ultimately did not happen.

The NXT Superstar has already had multiple main roster appearances, competing on WWE Main Event and also working dark matches for WWE SmackDown.

Prior to earning the Von Wagner name, the second-generation Superstar competed on an episode of Raw Underground in 2020 in a losing effort to Riddick (now Madcap) Moss.

Slow and Steady

Von Wagner, like all NXT Superstars, is working his way to the main roster, but call-ups could become less frequent in the coming months.

In their report, sources within WWE who spoke to Fightful said there will be a more “slow and steady” flow of NXT talent brought up to the main roster.

It is also reported that talent can expect “less years-long evaluation periods in NXT.”

There’s no word on who else WWE’s backstage team has considered for a main roster call-up from NXT.

Bron Breakker Retains WWE NXT Title Over Von Wagner

Update On Timetable For Thunder Rosa’s Recovery

Anutosh Bajpai
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Thunder Rosa’s back injury and her absence from AEW programming has made more headlines than her women’s title reign did. Though even after recent events, it doesn’t appear that we will be seeing her back in the near future.

Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline recently provided some update on the former champion’s recovery. He noted that the female star was hoped to be back in February:

“The last word we’d heard was she hoped to be back in February. There were a lot of people who thought she would be Saraya’s mystery partner against Britt Baker & Jamie Hayter on 1/11 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, but the last word on her return was February.”

Thunder Rosa originally announced back in August that she will be taking time off due to injury. She was the AEW women’s champion at the time.

Since there wasn’t a solid timetable for her recovery at the time, Tony Khan made the decision to keep the title on her and move forward with an interim champion.

This decision however was reversed last month. It was announced during the November 23 Dynamite that Rosa had relinquished her championship.

The former champion herself also provided some updates on her recovery recently. She revealed that she wasn’t allowed back in the ring yet which coincides with the belief that the AEW star won’t be returning before next year.

Watch: WWE Star Wrestles Final Match At Live Event

Anutosh Bajpai
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WWE Producer Jamie Noble laced up his boots one last time to compete in a final match during Sunday’s Live Event from Charleston, WV.

The former Cruiserweight Champion started his wrestling career back in 1995. He competed for promotions such as WCW, ROH and NJPW before ending up in WWE first as a competitor and later as a backstage producer.

The WWE star spoke to Byron Saxton for an interview before his final outing in the ring. Noble talked about getting back into the squared circle after 7 years and his pet raccoon among other things:

Jamie Noble’s Final Match

The bout at the WWE Live Event coming from his hometown saw Jamie Noble teaming up with Braun Strowman and The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) for an eight men tag team match.

This team went up against The Bloodline (The Usos, Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn) in the main event of the show. You can check out some photos and videos of the tag match below:

https://twitter.com/LanceStorm/status/1602158473621667841

This match was set up after The Usos vs. The Brawling Brutes tag team match ended in a no-contest earlier in the night. The ending saw Noble getting the pin over the Honorary Uce after hitting him with a Tiger Driver.

“He’s Like My Uncle” – The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa on His Relationship With Paul Heyman

Robert Lentini
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The Enforcer of The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa, recently revealed his backstage relationship with The Wiseman Paul Heyman.

Sikoa made his impact felt this past Monday on WWE RAW. The Usos retained the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against Matt Riddle and Kevin Owens. Jimmy and Jey were originally supposed to defend against Riddle and Elias on Monday but The Bloodline attacked Elias in the parking lot at the beginning of the show.

Owens was announced as Elias’ replacement but The Usos still retained. They defeated Sheamus and Butch of The Brawling Brutes this past Friday on SmackDown in a tag title match as well. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman were not at the show or ringside for the match. The Tribal Chief and The Wiseman will be returning next Friday on SmackDonw.

Speaking on the Superstar Crossover show, Sikoa discussed his relationship with Paul Heyman and disclosed that he viewed him “like an uncle”.

He’s like my uncle, man. First of all, he’s been around my family for over 50 years. He’s been around Roman’s dad, he was around my dad. I don’t know if a lot of people know this, but my dad was one of the first Paul Heyman guys when they started in WCW because he was their manager.

Now he’s with Roman and my brothers, and now with me. There’s a lot of things that he’s taught and is still teaching me. There’s just so many things that I can’t even… he does tell me, ‘This is the place where you go be a big superstar, make some money, and take care of your family.’ That’s one of the things that he does tell me.

Solo added that he feels very blessed to be working alongside Heyman and has learned a lot from him in the past couple of months.

He’s real, man. That’s what I love about Paul. They don’t call him the ‘Wise Guy’ for nothing. He knows the game, he knows the one, he knows the outs.

He’s been around the family. He knows our family. He knows how we move, he knows how we work. So I’m very blessed, especially coming up and only being here for two months, I’m very, very happy to be around him and to learn from Paul Heyman.

H/T:Fightful

Solo Sikoa Pays Tribute to Umaga on WWE Raw
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