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“The Right Call” – AEW Star Defends Sami Zayn’s Loss at WWE Elimination Chamber

Thomas Lowson
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Should Sami Zayn have captured the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship last week at the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event?

Over the past year, Zayn, who always had a devoted fanbase, has become one of WWE’s most popular stars in recent memory, thanks to his work with the Bloodline.

At last weekend’s event, Zayn came up short against Roman Reigns, in the Canadian’s first one-on-one World Championship opportunity at a Premium Live Event.

The Right Call

Given Zayn’s immense popularity, and the fact that WWE Elimination Chamber was in Montreal, many have said that a title change should have happened.

WWE evidently felt differently, and at this time, the main event of WrestleMania 39 will see Cody Rhodes challenge Reigns for the title.

During the latest episode of his Extreme Life podcast, AEW’s Matt Hardy justified the booking decision.

“Cody has been an investment by WWE. Obviously, he was an investment when you saw that he had that injury and he still went into Hell in the Cell and he defeated Seth Rollins three matches straight. It was very obvious they had big plans for Cody Rhodes.”

“I think it’s the right move and I don’t think it hurts Sami one bit.”

Matt Hardy.

“Let him be the guy to defeat Roman, I think that’s the way to go. I think it’s the right move and I don’t think it hurts Sami one bit. If anything, that loss elevated Sami. It didn’t hurt him. It helped him. Also, you have a built-in competitor for Cody down the road with Sami.”

Hardy added that Sami is a “legitimate world champion level contender,” and reiterated that the loss in Montreal was the “right call.”

What’s Next for Sami Zayn?

While Sami Zayn will not be in the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship picture at WrestleMania, he may still leave with gold.

It is rumored that Zayn will team with Kevin Owens this April to challenge Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos.

Given Zayn’s popularity, there is a possibility that this match could headline Night One of WrestleMania, though nothing has been publicly confirmed at this time.

Eric Bischoff Compares Sami Zayn to Respected Veteran

h/t – WrestlingNews

Andrade El Idolo and Others React to Dominik Mysterio Smooth Talking Charlotte Flair on WWE SmackDown

Thomas Lowson
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Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley have proven to be quite the duo on WWE programming, and have caught the attention of those outside of the promotion.

In the run-up to WWE Clash at the Castle, Ripley repeatedly targeted Dominik, who at the time was aligned with his father Rey Mysterio and Edge.

After turning on his father and the Hall of Famer, Dominik and Ripley have been inseparable and have appeared together both at WWE events and away from the ring.

Reactions

During this week’s SmackDown, Dominik made a rare appearance on the blue brand to confront Charlotte Flair, who’ll defend the Women’s Title against Ripley at WrestleMania 39.

Mysterio went on about how he and Flair were both generational superstars, that they often get compared to their fathers but surpass them anyway

When Dominik tried to smooth talk the record-breaking champion, Flair was quick to shut him down, saying that she “has a real Latino man at home that calls me mami.”

On Twitter, Ripley’s real-life boyfriend, AEW star Buddy Matthews, reminded fans that ‘Mami’ has her own ‘Papi.’

Flair’s reference to her husband Andrade El Idolo, did not go unnoticed by the former NXT Champion, who reacted on Twitter with a single emoji.

Charlotte’s father Ric Flair also reacted to Dominik’s smooth-talking and encouraged the Judgment Day member to steer clear.

Ripley, the first woman to win the Women’s Royal Rumble from #1, will challenge Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39.

Charlotte Flair on What Kept Her Away from WWE, Nacho Libre Officiating Her Wedding

WWE Expected to Pursue Several Top AEW Stars This Year

Thomas Lowson
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WWE will seek out the very top names from All Elite Wrestling to add to their roster over the next 12 months, it has been claimed.

Since AEW was founded in 2019, Tony Khan’s promotion has welcomed plenty of former Superstars, thanks in part to WWE’s mass layoffs of talent.

FTR, Miro, Andrade El Idolo and Bryan Danielson are just some of the names in AEW who were calling WWE home not too long ago,

Go Hard

The next 12 months will see several current AEW deals expire, with World Champion MJF openly teasing leaving the promotion in January 2024.

FTR, who are currently taking a break from AEW, are also expected to have their deals expire within a matter of months.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that a lot of “key deals” will expire this year, and WWE is going to “go hard at everyone good.”

On the flip side, Meltzer added that there are a lot of WWE contracts ending this year, and AEW will likely make a play for some names.

With that said, it was added that right now the “perception” of WWE talent is to not go to AEW, despite the company’s lighter schedule.

AEW experienced several setbacks in 2022, at a time when the WWE product was noticeably improving under Triple H’s leadership.

Cody Rhodes

While AEW is home to some WWE alum, the biggest move saw Cody Rhodes part ways with Tony Khan to return to WWE last year.

On his show, Meltzer added that Cody’s treatment since returning to WWE could prove to be an incentive for others to jump ship.

Speaking about Kenny Omega, whose AEW contract is expected to end in late 2023, Meltzer said that Khan losing Omega would be “really, really bad.”

It was noted that Omega is in a “very good position” as both AEW will offer him a lot to stay, and WWE will offer him plenty to join them.

Details on Jon Moxley’s 5-Year AEW Contract Extension

Drew McIntyre is “Already” a Better Boxer than Jake Paul After One Training Session

Thomas Lowson
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Jake Paul may not be a WWE Superstar just yet, but that hasn’t stopped Drew McIntyre from calling him out.

Paul’s brother Logan made his in-ring debut at last year’s WrestleMania, and has impressed fans with his ability in the ring.

For his Crown Jewel match with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Logan recruited his brother, but the pair failed to dethrone the Tribal Chief.

McIntyre Vs. Paul

Away from YouTube, Jake Paul has been making a name for himself in the world, of boxing, earning victories over YouTuber AnEsonGib, NBA star Nate Robinson and former MMA fighters Ben Askren.

Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva have also fallen to Jake Paul, but these wins haven’t impressed WWE’s Scottish Warrior.

This week, McIntyre joined Sheamus for an episode of Celtic Warrior Workouts, which saw them train with three-time world kickboxing champion Bernard “Swiftkick” Robinson.

Sharing the video on social media, McIntyre took aim at Paul saying that he was already a better boxer after one training session.

Sheamus responded to McIntyre’s bold claim and encouraged WWE to book the match.

Jake Paul’s next fight will take place today when he faces off against Tommy Fury, the brother of lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Jake Paul in WWE

After the success of Logan Paul in WWE, it isn’t hard to see why some believe Jake could join the promotion.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, Jake said he would consider joining WWE, but is concerned about the risk it could have on his boxing career.

“I’m down. I just don’t want to get injured. My brother tore his MCL; it’s crazy out there. So, I just don’t want it to derail my boxing and all that, but I’m down.

“I love WWE. I love working with my brother. So that would definitely be something that could be on the horizon, for sure.”

Jake Paul.

As for Logan Paul, he is expected to face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 39 this April.

Jake Paul: “I’d Love to Have Paul Heyman in my Corner”

h/t – Fightful

Details on Mercedes Moné’s NJPW Contract

Andrew Ravens
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Mercedes Mone made her NJPW in-ring debut last Saturday night at the Battle in the Valley pay-per-view event where she defeated KAIRI to capture the IWGP Women’s Championship.

This was after she walked out of WWE last May due to creative differences, negotiated her release from the company, and signed with NJPW at the beginning of January before she made her promotional debut at Wrestle Kingdom 17 where she attacked the fellow former WWE star to set up the BITV match. 

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Mones winning the title at this show was the plan from the moment she signed with NJPW as the promotion felt having her as the champion would make the title feel important and raise its profile. 

Where Thing Stand

Meltzer also shared an update on Mone’s NJPW deal, and how many dates she has left, which is two dates. Mone will work the April 8th Sakura Genesis show at Sumo Hall where she will face STARDOM High Speed Champion AZM. The original plan was a rematch with KAIRI but things changed. 

Mone will also work the  23rd STARDOM event at Yokohama Arena where currently, she is scheduled to face Mayu Iwatami at that show. Should she not sign an extension with NJPW for more dates then she is likely to drop the title to Mayu at this event.

Eric Bischoff Compares Sami Zayn to Respected Veteran

Andrew Ravens
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Eric Bischoff recently made an interesting comparison between Sami Zayn and Diamond Dallas Page (DDP). 

Zayn had been portrayed as a lovable babyface in NXT after making a name for himself as El Generico on the independent wrestling scene. On the main roster, he continued the babyface character he came up with in developmental before portraying a heel for many years up until he was aligned with The Bloodline where the fans slowly turned him back into a babyface. 

Parallels 

While speaking on WrestleBinge, Bischoff explained how DDP and Zayn share similar trajectories.

“There are some parallels there. [DDP] was kind of in the middle of the roster, right, and he was pretty good,” Bischoff stated, “but once [DDP] made that transition, once he turned down the NWO and started working with Randy Savage and so many other top names, he just blew out of the pack. He didn’t slowly grow his way to the top of the roster; he just blew the doors off.”

There are some parallels there. [DDP] was kind of in the middle of the roster, right, and he was pretty good,” Bischoff stated, “but once [DDP] made that transition, once he turned down the nWo and started working with Randy Savage and so many other top names, he just blew out of the pack. He didn’t slowly grow his way to the top of the roster; he just blew the doors off.”

Zayn came up short when challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title at the Elimination Chamber after being kicked out of The Bloodline at the Royal Rumble. 

H/T to Wrestling Inc for the transcription

DDP reveals his advice to Sami Zayn

Samantha Schipman
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Sami Zayn may have come up short against Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber, but some fans are still rooting for him to be added to the WrestleMania match with Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

WWE is reportedly concerned about Zayn’s popularity overpowering Rhodes. There has been speculation that Zayn and Kevin Owens will headline Night One of WrestleMania 39 against The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Titles.

What DDP told Sami Zayn

DDP

WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page said in an exclusive interview with Forbes that he gave Zayn advice at Royal Rumble. “I literally walked up to Sami at the Rumble and gave him a hug.”

“I love the Bloodline stuff. And Sami is a guy that, if you look at it, you don’t say ‘that guy’s money.’ But if you watch him and his storylines, and his interviews and his work in the ring, he’s money. He’s top guy money. Put him in a main event and he will draw, especially against the Bloodline, but really anyone.”

“I told him ‘bro, I love what you’re doing. Just be patient. Because it’s gonna happen.’ That’s the hardest thing for talent, is to be patient.”

Do you think Sami Zayn should be added to the Rhodes vs. Reigns match or do you think he should compete with Owens for the tag titles?

Speculation over released star joining Bray Wyatt’s faction

Samantha Schipman
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When Bray Wyatt returned to WWE last year, there were rumors of a “Wyatt 6” faction. It would be his “Firefly Funhouse” characters come to life as actual characters.

Fans have been introduced to “Uncle Howdy”. Rumors have been running rampant that Wyatt’s real life brother, Bo Dallas, would be portraying him. After last night’s SmackDown, there is a new theory on the person behind the character.

Former WWE Superstar with Bray Wyatt

Uncle Howdy
WWE

During the “Firefly Funhouse” segment, there was a voiceover that said, “welcome everyone to America’s favorite game show. Can you keep a secret?” 

Some fans speculated that the voice belonged to former NXT Superstar, Eric Young. Young had been leading a faction in IMPACT Wrestling, Violent By Design. His character was killed by his stablemate last December. It was reported then that the former SAnity leader was WWE bound.

In the same segment, a box that “Evil Alexa” used in the “Firefly Funhouse” was also featured. A woman’s hands were seen playing with action figures. Could that have been Bliss’s hands?

Would you like to see Eric Young with the “Wyatt 6”?

Backstage news on potential AEW deal for Mercedes Moné

Samantha Schipman
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0

One week ago, Mercedes Moné made her in-ring for NJPW. She defeated KAIRI to become the second IWGP Women’s Champion.

Shortly after winning the title, AZM emerged as her next challenger. The STARDOM High Speed Champion was one of the women Moné named as someone she’d like to face. The match hasn’t been made official, but is rumored for NJPW’s Sakura Genesis show on April 23.

Will Mercedes Moné Go to AEW?

Mercedes Mone

Now that Moné has made her in-ring debut for NJPW, fans are wondering if they’ll see her in AEW.

AEW Trios champion and EVP, Kenny Omega, fueled rumors when he quote tweeted Moné this week. He wrote “Our work with NJPW isn’t quite done yet, so I’m sure they will! I hear they sometimes do mix matches now too…”

This has led to speculation that they might do something at Forbidden Door 2. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that should Moné wish to compete at Forbidden Door 2, she can. However, something more long-term with AEW isn’t a priority for her.

On “Wrestling Observer Radio”, Dave Meltzer reported that Moné isn’t eager to sign a long-term deal. He also reported that it’s believed “The CEO” is scheduled for two more matches with STARDOM. Besides the match with AZM, she is supposed to face Mayu Iwatani on April 23. At this time, she has not been announced for NJPW’s shows in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. in April.

In an interview with TV Insider, the champ said, “I’m a free agent. It doesn’t matter with New Japan. I can go anywhere. I can go to New Japan, Impact, Mexico, Germany, Europe. The potential matchups are endless. The same for New Japan. I know they have partnerships with CMLL, Impact, AEW.”

Who would you like to see Mercedes Moné face?

The Undertaker is No Longer the Highest-Ranked Character in a WWE Video Game

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker may have plenty of accolades to his name, but the Phenom recently lost his top spot in the annals of WWE’s gaming history.

At Survivor Series 2020, the Undertaker gave his ‘Final Farewell’ and retired from the ring after an iconic three-decade career in WWE.

The Texan was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame last year, and has made appearances out of his gothic persona for WWE since his retirement.

Gaming History

As one of the most iconic WWE Superstars of all time, it is hardly surprising that The Undertaker has been part of several WWE video games.

The Demon of Death Valley holds the record for appearing in the most officially licensed WWE games, with his first being WWF Super WrestleMania (NES & MegaDrive/Genesis) in 1992.

Since then, The Undertaker has appeared in a total 64 video games (if you include WWE 2K23) and has featured on the cover for 18 games.

Acknowledge Him

For WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw 2011, WWE ranked The Undertaker with a staggering 98 rating, the highest rating of any WWE Superstar in gaming history.

After over a decade though, that rating has now been superseded, as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been awarded a 99 rating for WWE 2K23.

Reigns, one of two men to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania, has appeared in 10 WWE games, as well as NCAA Football 2005.

The standard edition of WWE 2K23 is set for release on March 17 and will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows.

Players who pre-order the Deluxe and Icon Editions of the game will have access from March 14 to get in on the action early.

The Undertaker: I Wish I Could Work A Program With Roman Reigns

WWE King and Queen of the Ring Event Location Revealed

Andrew Ravens
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Following the report that WWE is planning to hold two PLEs in the month of May, the location of one of them has been revealed to be Saudi Arabia, and that’s the King and Queen of the Ring. 

As previously noted, WWE is planning to present Backlash on Saturday, May 6, an event that dates back to 1999, in addition to bringing back King of the Ring under the King and Queen of the Ring name on Saturday, May 27. 

WWE hasn’t used the tournament theme as a pay-per-view event since 2002. 

The Location

PWInsider Elite reports that WWE’s 2023 King and Queen of the Ring premium live event is slated to be in Saudi Arabia. WWE has yet to confirm either of these events, but WWE does have a 10-year deal with the Saudi Arabia government that calls for them to hold two PLE events each year in the country. The other 2023 event will take place later this year, likely in October or November. 

This will be the second time that Saudi Arabia hosted the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, as WWE previously held the tournaments in 2021 with them taking place at Crown Jewel. 

The 2021 tournaments saw Xavier Woods be crowned King of the Ring after defeating Finn Balor and Zelina Vega defeat Doudrop to become Queen of the Ring, then known as the Queen’s Crown.

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

WWE Money In The Bank Tickets Quickly Sold Out

Andrew Ravens
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WWE is off to a great start with this year’s Money in the Bank event ahead of its July 1st date at the O2 Arena in London as tickets for the show that went on sale on Friday quickly sold out. 

The Daily Mail’s Alex McCarthy first reported that tickets for the show sold out in just one minute after issues with Ticketmaster, leading to a brief delay in tickets being put on sale. 

The demand was strong for the event as over 30,000 fans were trying to get tickets during the general on-sale on Ticketmaster alone.

Build It and They Will Come

While it will be a historic event as it marks the first time since the 1992 SummerSlam event that one of the big 5 PLEs (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, MITB, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series) will be held in the UK, MITB will be without one notable name. 

Roman Reigns is not advertised for the show. Instead, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Cody Rhodes are advertised to appear.

Reigns headlined the last PLE in the UK back in September with Clash at the Castle where retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Drew McIntyre. Here is the updated WWE PLE schedule: 

  • WWE WrestleMania 39 night one, Saturday, April 1
  • WWE WrestleMania 39 night two, Sunday, April 2
  • WWE Backlash, Saturday, May 6
  • WWE King and Queen of the Ring, Saturday, May 27
  • WWE Money in the Bank, Saturday, July 1
  • WWE SummerSlam Saturday, August 5

Wrestler to Make AEW Debut in Face of the Revolution Ladder Match on Dynamite

Andrew Ravens
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0

AEW has announced several things for Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite including the debut of a wrestler. 

Komander will make his AEW debut in the Face of the Revolution ladder match on the show. He will be taking on Konosuke Takeshita, Ortiz, Action Andretti, Sammy Guevara, Powerhouse Hobbs, Eddie Kingston, and AR Fox in the bout.

The winner of the match will get a shot at the TNT Title, currently held by Samoa Joe who will be on commentary for the match. 

Kommander, a 24-year-old high-flyer, has worked for AAA, Lucha Memes, MDA, Pro Wrestling Mexico, EMLL, and WAR City.

Also announced for the show include Orange Cassidy will defend the All-Atlantic title against Big Bill, Hook vs. Matt Hardy in an FTW Title match, Toni Storm vs. Riho, and Chris Jericho vs. Peter Avalon.

Updated AEW Dynamite Card

  • Komander vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ortiz vs. Action Andretti vs. Sammy Guevara vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Eddie Kingston vs. AR Fox – Face of the Revolution Ladder Match for a future TNT Title shot
  • Top Flight vs. Aussie Open vs. Matt Menard & Angelo Parker vs. Best Friends vs. Alex Reynolds & John Silver vs. Mike Bennett & Matt Taven vs. Preston Vance & Rush vs. Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta vs. The Lucha Bros vs. The Butcher & The Blade – Casino Tag Team Battle Royale for a spot in the Tag Team Title Match at Revolution
  • AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy vs. Big Bill
  • FTW Champion Hook vs. Matt Hardy
  • Chris Jericho vs. Peter Avalon
  • Toni Storm vs. Riho
  • MJF & Bran Danielson speak

The Undertaker On How He Dealt With Wrestlers He Didn’t Like

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Undertaker served as a locker room leader in WWE for a long time. This included times like the Attitude Era where emotions were always running high. People fended for themselves more during this time instead of caring for the whole team. This gave birth to a high-tension environment leading to many personal rivalries. Though despite all this, Taker always stayed professional, even with his rivals.

The Last Outlaw recently joined Tony Hawk and Jason Ellis for a talk. The WWE star shared many stories from his active days during this time.

During the interview, Taker was asked if there were people he didn’t like in the business and how he dealt with them. The former world champion explained that he shook hands of everyone, no matter how he felt about them:

“There’s guys. I mean it’s just like any business. There’s guys that you like. There’s guys that you don’t like.” said The Undertaker, “Business being business. I may not like you personally, but when I come into a dressing room or when I come into arena, I’m gonna go up to you and I’m gonna shake your hand. That’s all I have to do, right? It’s just a matter of respect that I have for everybody that I work with.

He continued, “I’m not gonna go out and drink with you. I’m not going to party with you. I’m not gonna [celebrate with you], but I will do that. Then there was a lot of guys that I didn’t particularly care for on a personal note.”

Apart from this, The Undertaker also recalled almost losing an eye due to an injury, and said that he would wrestle even today if his body permitted. You can check out his full interview below:

More Originals From SEScoops:

If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

This article has been edited for clarity

GUNTHER To Receive Huge Main Event World Championship Push in 2023?

Thomas Lowson
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0

GUNTHER has dominated as the WWE Intercontinental Champion for over 250 days, but the Austrian’s future could be in the title picture of a bigger prize?

Called up to the main roster in early 2022, GUNTHER captured the Intercontinental Championship in June, dethroning Ricochet.

Recently, the leader of Imperium broke the record for the longest reign as Intercontinental Champion of the 21st Century.

World Title Aspirations

GUNTHER has shown no sign of ending his title reign prematurely, but bigger things may be in his future.

Speaking to Louis Dangoor of GiveMeSport, the Wrestle Votes account shared that GUNTHER’s work is loved by all the right people backstage.

“Triple H loves him. They all love him ever since he came into his own at Clash at the Castle. I’m not just talking about Triple H, Road Dogg is big on him, Jason Jordan really likes him.”

Wrestle Votes.

Wrestle Votes added that fans shouldn’t be surprised to see GUNTHER with some World Championship gold over the next 12 months.

“Once WWE gets two World titles, you double the amount of people in the main event. Gunther is ready to step up. I expect by the summer to see him at the top of the card. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins a World title. He might be next in line.”

Wrestle Votes.

WWE has been considering a new World Championship or splitting the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship for some time.

Not long after Roman Reigns unified the two titles at WrestleMania 38, it was reported that the USA Network was unhappy with how the World Champion rarely appeared on Raw.

GUNTHER’s Immediate Future

While GUNTHER could end 2023 as a World Champion, the Austrian powerhouse has more immediate concerns.

Next month, a battle royal inside Madison Square Garden will decide GUNTHER’s challenger at WrestleMania 39.

The match will feature eight former Intercontinental Champions as well as eight former WWE World Champions.

It has been reported that GUNTHER Vs. Drew McIntyre Vs. Sheamus is the plan for WrestleMania 39.

Triple H Praises “Incredible” GUNTHER After Record-Breaking Rumble Performance

h/t – NoDQ.com

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

Thomas Lowson
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0

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

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

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

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

Worst. Match. Ever!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s Next for Pat?

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

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

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

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

WWE Senior Vice President Terminated Over HR Violation

Thomas Lowson
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0

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

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

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

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

Termination

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reaction

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

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

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

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

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

Anutosh Bajpai
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0

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

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

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

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

The Bloodline In Action

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

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

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

Former NXT Star Wrestles After Three Months Before SmackDown

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

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

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

Cameron Grimes In Action

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

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

The Million Dollar Man

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

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

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

Top WWE Star Referenced AEW Wrestler During SmackDown

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

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

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

The Moment

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

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

AEW Star Injured in Recent Rampage Match

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

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

The Confirmation

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

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

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

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

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

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

Live Coverage

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

Toni Storm (with Saraya) def. Willow Nightingale

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

Sammy Guevara (with Daniel Garcia) def. Action Andretti

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

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

Live Coverage

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

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

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

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

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

Winners – Imperium

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

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

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

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

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

Kofi Kingston (with Xavier Woods) vs. LA Knight

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

Winner – Kofi Kingston

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner – Shayna Bazler

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

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

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

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

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

Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross (with Scarlett)

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

Winner – Karrion Kross

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

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

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

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

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

Live Coverage

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

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

Frankie Kazarian def. Kon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE SmackDown 

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

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

AEW Rampage

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

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

WWE Raw

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

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

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

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

WWE NXT

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

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

MLW Underground

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

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

AEW Dynamite

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

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

Ratings courtesy of ShowBuzz Daily and Brandon Thurston of WrestleNomics.

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