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CM Punk is “No Longer in the Company” Claims AEW Star

Thomas Lowson
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CM Punk has parted ways with All Elite Wrestling according to recent comments made by Stokely Hathaway.

Punk, who debuted for AEW in August 2021, has been suspended since All Out for his role in the backstage fight.

With the third-party investigation into the fight now finished, it has been reported that Punk is seeking a buyout of his contract.

Out of the Company

Following All Out, Tony Khan kept silent on any CM Punk matters, due to the investigation.

The now-infamous September Pay-Per-View went off the air with MJF, who had won the Casino Ladder match earlier in the night, staring down Punk.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Sessions, Stokely Hathaway spoke about his run in AEW so far, and his work with The Firm.

Hathaway noted that plans for the group to feud with CM Punk have fallen through.

“Everything that was supposed to happen with The Firm did not happen. Back at All out, what happened immediately after the Pay-Per-View, that was a huge part of it.

“[The person] We were supposed to directly feud with is no longer in the company. “

Stokely Hathaway.

Tony Khan has not confirmed CM Punk’s AEW status or whether he has been released by All Elite Wrestling at this time.

Wanting to work with CM Punk

CM Punk

Like Punk, Hathaway is able to more than hold his own on the mic, and a war of words between them would have been epic to see.

On the podcast, Hathaway said that he regrets not getting to chance to work with the former AEW World Champion.

“That was one thing I was looking forward to because I was hand-chosen for that role. I’m just going to say it. I don’t know the specifics about people choosing sides. I just know that CM Punk said ‘hey. I want to work with this guy.’ That means a lot, regardless of what has happened.”

At AEW Full Gear, MJF captured the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley thanks to a heel turn by William Regal.

Chris Jericho Told CM Punk he is a Cancer After AEW All Out Fight

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

Fans Offering to Donate Kidneys to Konnan Amid Health Struggle

Thomas Lowson
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Professional wrestling legend Konnan has received some good news amid his ongoing health struggles.

Last year, Konnan suffered a difficult bout with Covid-19 and would require heart surgery in January of this year.

In February, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Konnan was in need of a new kidney.

Donation

Earlier this month, Konnan told listeners of his Keepin It 100 podcast that he is still in search of a donor.

Speaking on the latest episode of the show, the AAA star gave a positive update, saying that fans have gotten in touch about a donation.

“I don’t really like to talk about myself or make myself the victim or poor guy or, you know, that’s not me. But something really nice happened, man. I had a lot of candidates say, ‘Hey, I will donate a kidney to you.’ I’m very touched. I haven’t gotten back to anybody yet. But I will. And somebody’s gonna save my life, bro. You know, and that’s a beautiful thing. So it restores my faith in humanity, which I have very little left in it.”

Konnan added that the stress over his health issues has deprived him of sleep for the past five to six months.

Konnan in AEW

In June of last year, Konnan made his debut for All Elite Wrestling, where he was attacked by FTR.

The segment ended with the popular tag team hitting him with a Piledriver, while Tully Blanchard mocked him.

Speaking about his appearance later on, Konnan said that one AEW star was shocked to see him, saying that Konnan “sh*ts on us so much” on his podcast.

Konnan Claims AEW Talents Complained To Him About Their Booking

Ex-WWE Referee Spent an Hour Teaching Mike Tyson How to Count for WrestleMania 14

Thomas Lowson
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Mike Tyson may be considered one of the greatest boxers to ever grace the ring, but his time as a WWE-sanctioned official leaves a lot to be desired.

After being suspended from boxing for biting the ear of Evander Holyfield, Tyson joined the World Wrestling Federation in January 1998.

Tyson aligned himself with D-Generation X, but turned on the group at WrestleMania 14, knocking out Shawn Michaels in the ring.

The Count

Despite WWF implying for weeks that Tyson would be competing at WrestleMania, the boxing legend was the ‘special enforcer’ for the main event between Michaels and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.

Speaking on the latest Mailbag Monday, former WWE referee Mike Chioda revealed that he was tasked with teaching Tyson how to count the pinfall, which was a difficult process.

“Believe me, I tried to teach him how to count. … He counted so fast, I was like ‘Oh sh*t.’ I must have spent like an hour with him, ‘Here, just 1-2-3.’”

Mike Chioda.

After this lengthy lesson, Tyson would count the pinfall for Austin, but despite all of Chioda’s training, the count is noticeably faster than it should be.

Tyson’s count would see Austin win his first WWF Championship and cement the ‘Attitude Era’ in professional wrestling.

Tyson in Pro Wrestling

In January 2010, Tyson would serve as the guest host of Monday Night Raw, before being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April 2012.

Tyson was also a playable character as part of downloadable content for WWE ’13.

In April 2021, Tyson once again served as a special enforcer, this time for AEW, and returned to the promotion for an episode of AEW Rampage earlier this month.

WWE Champion Approached About Possible Mike Tyson Fight

h/t – eWrestlingNews

Dexter Lumis Wins WWE Contract

Samantha Schipman
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For weeks, we’ve seen Dexter Lumis “stalk” The Miz. Except Johnny Gargano revealed that Miz had been faking the stalking. He paid Lumis to “stalk” him. This set up an Anything Goes Match. If Lumis won, he earned a WWE contract. He would also get the money Miz owed him.

Miz and Lumis fought all over the place while Adam Pearce was ringside with a briefcase containing a contract. Lumis elbow dropped “The A-Lister” through a table after motioning making it rain.

After winning the match, Lumis signed his contract. He also received a bag of $100 bills which he passed out to some kids in the front row. When he got to the top of the ramp, Miz attacked the WWE Superstar from behind. He also snatched a $100 bill from a kid.

The Miz paid for it with a super kick by Johnny Gargano. Gargano gave the bag back to Lumis and the money back to the kid. Gargano and Lumis gave one another a thumbs up.

Dexter Lumis Made Surprise Return

Dexter Lumis on Raw

Lumis was released from his contract in April. During his time away from the promotion, he wrestled for NWA.

He made a surprise return to the company in August. He’s been embroiled in a feud with The Miz since coming back. HHH had been bringing back some released talent at the time, including Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux.

WWE Raw Results, Takeaways (11/28/22): Survivor Series Fallout

Robert Lentini
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WWE Raw airs live tonight from the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. It is the first episode of Raw following WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2022. Kevin Owens battled Jey Uso in the main event.

WWE Raw Results (11/28)

  • The Judgment Day def. The O.C.
  • Street Profits def. Alpha Academy
  • Dexter Lumis def. The Miz to earn a WWE contract
  • Candice LeRae def. Dakota Kai
  • Kevin Owens def. Jey Uso

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

Becky Lynch Brawled with Damage CTRL

Becky Lynch kicked off the commercial-free hour of Raw and cut a promo in the crowd. Lynch cut a promo in the crowd before Bayley interrupted. The Role Model insulted a fan named Bob and Lynch came to his defense.

Dakota Kai and IYO SKY attacked Becky in the crowd and the brawl continued all the way to the merch stand until security broke it up.

The Judgment Day def. The O.C.

Mia Yim battled Rhea Ripley in the first match of the night with Dominik ringside. Yim hit a DDT and Rhea rolled out of the ring to regroup. Dominik Mysterio was ringside for the match.

Yim leveled Ripley with a Dropkick in the corner and the action broke down. Judgment Day and The OC brawled ringside and the referee called for the bell. The brawl continued and it eventually turned into an 8-person tag team match.

Gallows and Priest battled outside the ring and Luke launched Damian over the announce table. AJ connected with an inverted DDT on Finn Balor and went for the cover but Rhea broke it up. The Good Brothers went for the Magic Killer but Dominik avoided it. Rhea and Mia battled in the ring. Rhea connected with Riptide for the pinfall victory.

https://twitter.com/AjBlueBayBelt/status/1597406083844558849?s=20&t=q9OEJ6ReZXXHKbDPpBjVMQ

Jey Uso Challenged Kevin Owens

Sami Zayn and The Bloodline made their way to the ring at the end of the first hour of WWE Raw. Zayn complimented Jey on accepting him into The Bloodline. Sami got emotional and said it was “Ucey” the way Jey embraced him at the end of the match.

The Honorary Uce shared a hug with The Usos and then they all asked Solo Sikoa to join in. Kevin Owens interrupted and Sami told him to stop on the entrance ramp. KO stated that he wasn’t out here for a fight and claimed that he totally understood why Sami chose to do what he did on Saturday.

Owens noted that he’s stabbed Sami in the back countless times and doesn’t blame him for it. Kevin told Sami that he doesn’t want anything to do with him moving forward. Zayn claimed that he felt exactly the same way and shouted that he doesn’t need KO anymore. Jey Uso then stood up to Owens for Sami Zayn and challenged KO to match later on tonight.

The Bloodline confronted Elias and Riddle backstage after the segment.

Candice LeRae also returned after being off of TV and not included in Survivor Series WarGames. She challenged Dakota Kai to a matcher later tonight.

The Street Profits def. Alpha Academy

Street Profits battled Alpha Academy tonight on WWE RAW. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins dominated the action early and isolated Chad Gable in the ring. Street Profits launched Chad over the top rope and knocked Otis off the ring apron as Raw went to a break.

Gable hit Angelo Dawkins with a Dragon Screw and followed it up with a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Dawkins battled back with a Spinebuster and Montez followed it up with a Frog Splash for the pinfall victory.

Seth Rollins Confronted Austin Theory

United States Champion Austin Theory came to the ring and boasted about his victory over Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins at WWE Survivor Series WarGames. Theory claimed he is the face of Monday Night Raw and said that everyone is jealous of him. Austin added that he doesn’t want to be kid anymore and is the now.

Seth Rollins interrupted in an absurd outfit and claimed that Austin lucked his way into the title and called him a kid once again. Seth shouted that they can fight right here and dared Theory to give him his best shot. Theory said he will fight Seth on his time because the champion and added that he’s not Rollins’ kid to end the promo.

Dexter Lumis Earned a WWE Contract

Dexter Lumis battled The Miz in an Anything Goes match tonight on WWE RAW. If Lumis won the match, he would be given a WWE contract. The Miz hobbled down the entrance ramp with a duffle bag. He tried to go backstage but Adam Pearce showed up on the entrance ramp and walked him down the entrance ramp.

Lumis tackled Miz down to the canvas and unloaded some punches. Dexter bounced Miz’s face off the ring apron a couple of times before launching him into the barricade. Lumis cleared off the announce table and battled with Miz on top of it. Dexter shoved Miz off the table and into the barricade as Raw went to a commercial break.

Dexter set up Miz on a table and hit him with an Elbow Drop when RAW returned. Back in the ring, The Miz went for the Skull Crushing Finale but Lumis kicked out. The A-Lister rolled up Miz and used the ropes for leverage but Dexter was able to kick out. Lumis applied a Vice lock for the submission victory and won a WWE contract.

Dexter signed the contract after the match and started handing out money to the fans. The Miz leveled Dexter from behind and took the money back from a fan. Johnny Gargano attacked The Miz and gave the money back to the fan before posing with Dexter on the entrance ramp.

Candice LeRae def. Dakota Kai

Candice LeRae was set to battle Dakota Kai in a singles match tonight on RAW. She attacked Dakota during her entrance and a brawl broke out as Raw went to a commercial break. Kai booted Candice in the face and stomped on her when Raw returned. Candice rolled up Kai for a near fall. Dakota delivered another kick to the face and the Poison Pixie fell to the canvas.

LeRae sent Dakota to the corner and beat her down before hitting a Northern Lights Suplex. Dakota battled back and hit LeRae with a running kick. Candice shrugged it off and rolled Kai up for a two count. Candice went for a Moonsault but Kai got out of the way at the last moment. LeRae sent Dakota down with an avalanche Neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.

Kevin Owens def. Jey Uso

Jey Uso battled Kevin Owens in the main event of WWE RAW. The Bloodline was ringside for the match. KO started off the bout in control and launched Jey into the barricade. Uso battled back with an Enziguri and Owens tumbled to the floor as Raw went to a commercial break.

Owens planted Jey with a DDT and dragged him to the corner. KO went for a Swanton Bomb off the top rope but Jey got his knees up at the last moment. Kevin Owens and Jey battled to the top rope again and KO hit a Fisherman’s Buster.

Jey responded with a Suoerkick but Owens kicked out at two. Uso went for a Frog Splash but KO dodged it. Owens hit Jey with a Stunnter for the pinfall victory.

Becky Lynch Will Kickoff Commercial-Free Hour of WWE Raw Tonight

Robert Lentini
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WWE has announced that the first hour of tonight’s episode of WWE RAW will be commercial-free.

Byron Saxton broke the news in a video uploaded on WWE’s social media. Saxton also announced that Becky Lynch will be kicking off tonight’s edition of the red brand.

Tonight we expect a lot of special happenings. In fact, the first hour of Monday Night Raw will be completely commercial-free.

And kicking off that commercial-free first hour of Monday Night Raw will be none other than The Man, Big Time Becky Lynch.

Becky Lynch Returns to the Ring at WWE Survivor Series

The Man came around again this past Saturday at WWE Survivor Series WarGames. Becky was named the 5th member of Team Bianca for the Women’s WarGames match at the premium live event.

Lynch wound up being the MVP of the match for Belair’s squad and guided the team to victory. Becky climbed to the top of the steel cage and connected with a Leg Drop on Damage CTRL below to pick up the pinfall victory.

  • 8 Best Moments from WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2022

After Survivor Series WarGames went off the air, Belair and Lynch were a part of the press conference following the event. Lynch quoted Eminem and admitted she was terrified of doing the Leg Drop before the show.

“Lads, I was terrified [laughs.] No, I wasn’t terrified in the moment. I was terrified getting up there in practice today, I climbed up [the cage] as I wanted to see the height of it. And my palms were sweaty, knees weak, arms spaghetti [laughs].

Our live coverage of WWE RAW will begin right alongside the commercial-free first hour at the link below.

WWE Raw Results, Takeaways (11/28/22): Survivor Series Fallout

Unique Stipulation Match Pitched for WWE Royal Rumble (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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With Survivor Series in the rearview mirror, WWE will look ahead through the holidays and start building towards the Royal Rumble premium live event in January. 

WrestlingNews.co reports that WWE has already mapped out the entire card for the show. Last week, there was a pitch within the creative team for a “Pitch Black” match and it was being seriously considered for the show. 

Bray Wyatt’s Speciality? 

Bray Wyatt Backstage

However, the source didn’t provide any further details on the structure/rules of the match but another source in the company believes that the match is for Bray Wyatt. 

Since returning to WWE, he has been involved in a feud with LA Knight. Last week on SmackDown, Wyatt claimed to not have been involved in the attack on Knight. This has left the door open for more characters to be introduced or perhaps the first member of the rumored Wyatt 6 faction. 

The source said that they are being careful to not overexpose Wyatt in the ring because they want everything he does to feel extra special. WWE previously did this with him when he was portraying The Fiend character as he wrestled on a limited schedule. 

In addition to this possible match, WWE will of course have its two Royal Rumble matches – one for the men and one for the women – as well as a defense of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship by Roman Reigns. 

Spoiler on WWE Plans for Roman Reigns’ Royal Rumble Opponent

Randy Orton’s Father Provides an Update on His Recovery from Back Surgery

Andrew Ravens
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‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton Jr. has commented on his son’s recovery as Randy Orton has been out of action and off WWE TV since May. 

Last week, it was reported that Orton had fusion surgery on his lower back. When exactly Orton had the surgery done is unknown, although there’s no word on how long it will be for Orton to recover from the procedure. 

Randy’s father talked about his son’s recovery while doing a virtual signing for K & S WrestleFest and stated that Randy is ‘coming along,’ and he’ll be back in the ring. 

The Update

Randy Orton

“He’s [Randy Orton] coming along. I see him maybe once a week or so. But he’s coming along. He’ll be back in there before you know it.”

Regarding who he’d like to see Randy face when he comes back, the former WWE star named Cody Rhodes as a potential opponent and added that he used to wrestle Dusty Rhodes a lot.

“I think Cody [Rhodes versus Randy] would be a hell of a match. I wrestled Dusty a lot of times so, might as well keep it ongoing [Bob smiled].”

Bob did state that he would be open to the idea of becoming an on-screen character again if Randy asked him to, as he would enjoy doing something and working with his child. 

H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription

MJF Hilariously Mocks Young AEW Fan

Robert Lentini
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MJF, aka Maxwell Jacob Friedman, became the biggest star in All Elite Wresting simply by walking away.

He returned from his hiatus following his pipebomb rant at the now infamous All Out PPV. MJF confronted former AEW World Champion CM Punk to set up the third match in the rivalry but it never came to fruition.

MJF went on to battle Jon Moxley in the main event at AEW Full Gear after William Regal made a shocking decision. The former Blackpool Combat Club leader slid MJF the brass knuckles and Maxwell clobbered Moxley over the head with them to become the new AEW World Champion.

  • 5 Opponents for AEW World Champion MJF

MJF Mocks Young AEW Fan

A young wrestling fan sent a video to the AEW World Champion and said that he was going to be at Dynamite this Wednesday night. The kid poked fun at MJF needing outside interference to win matches.

I hope you don’t ever win any more matches and that somebody else has a shot at the AEW Championship without actually cheating.

MJF responded earlier today and joked that the kid will wind up doing nothing like his father and his father’s father.

You aren’t gonna do anything and you’ll grow up to never amount to anything. Just like your father and your fathers father.

MJF will make his first appearance since winning the AEW World Champion this Wednesday on Dynamite. It will be interesting to see if the young fan gets to mock MJF back to his face.

This is not an isolated incident. The Salt of the Earth doesn’t take crap from anyone, including children.

https://twitter.com/LanceVision/status/1132810917194948609?s=20&t=YZz3HY5KazKeu6Bva26xSw

Donovan Dijak Was Not a Fan of WWE Naming Him T-Bar

Andrew Ravens
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WWE star Dominik Dijakovic made his return to NXT at the end of last week’s episode of NXT under the name DIJAK. 

He attacked North American Champion Wes Lee following his title defense against Carmelo Hayes on the show. This name change comes after he spent two years of his career portraying the T-Bar character on the main roster, where he was part of the infamous ‘RETRIBUTION’ stable in 2020.

DIJAK isn’t able to change his Twitter name to match his current WWE name following the change in Twitter ownership and terms and services.

The Request

dominik dijakovic

The NXT star took to the platform to ask new owner Elon Musk if he could change his name if he paid for the new ‘Twitter Blue’ service. He wrote the following: 

“Hello @elonmusk, if I pay your stupid $8 fee would that mean I can finally change my God forsaken name officially to DIJAK because the last thing on this planet that I want to be is T-BAR. Thank you.”

DIJAK was not the only main roster star to debut a new gimmick on last week’s NXT show, as the mysterious Scrypts was revealed as former 24/7 Champion Reggie under a mask. WWE had been airing hype videos for him for several weeks.

Roman Reigns Angry at WWE Superstar After Survivor Series (Report)

Andrew Ravens
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The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn, & Solo Sikoa) were victorious over Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Butch, Ridge Holland & Kevin Owens in the Men’s WarGames match at Saturday’s WWE Survivor Series. 

Despite winning the match, Reigns wasn’t too pleased upon returning backstage after it. According to a report by Fightful Select, Reigns was visibly upset after the Survivor Series main event because of a spot in the match.

While not confirmed, it’s believed the spot in question can be seen in the video below:

https://youtu.be/uCoG5IxRPYQ

Possible Injury

Roman Reigns WWE
(WWE)

Reigns took exception to what he perceived as an unplanned spot between him and Owens. 

As Reigns walked backstage, he expressed concern that his eardrum was ruptured due to the spot not going as originally planned. The moment was said to have been “expletive-filled,” and it was clear to everyone around that Reigns wasn’t happy about it. 

Sources in WWE didn’t think there would be any extended heat regarding the situation, but rather it came across as a “heat of the moment” reaction by the top WWE star, but that’s only their perception of things. 

There’s been nothing said about a physical altercation between them over the incident, and talent that spoke with the media outlet said that they expected the two to be able to coexist for work purposes. 

One person put over both Reigns and Owens as passionate about what they do and figured if there were issues, they’d talk about it directly. Reigns did not appear at the post-show press conference as planned.

Spoiler on WWE Plans for Roman Reigns’ Royal Rumble Opponent

Sami Zayn Makes Solo Sikoa Break Character at WWE Live Event After Survivor Series

Robert Lentini
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Sami Zayn proved his worth to The Bloodline this past Saturday night at WWE Survivor Series WarGames.

  • 8 Best Moments from WWE Survivor Series 2022

In the main event, The Bloodline squared off against The Brawling Brutes, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens in the men’s WarGames match. Kevin Owens approached Sami Zayn outside The Bloodline’s locker room on WWE SmackDown the night prior.

KO suggested that Sami Zayn turn his back on The Bloodline before they betray him. Jey Uso was listening in and Sami denied talking to anyone when he was questioned. At Survivor Series, Jey informed Roman Reigns about Sami’s lie and the Tribal Chief called the Honorary Uce into his office.

Sami promised Roman that he had The Bloodline’s back and proved it at Survivor Series. Zayn hit Kevin Owens with a low blow and then offered him to Jey Uso. Jey climbed to the top rope and hit a Frog Splash to win the match for The Bloodline. Sami hugged Roman and Jey after the match and The Bloodline is now stronger than ever.

Sami Zayn Gets Solo Sikoa to Break Character

Solo Sikoa is The Enforcer of The Bloodline but couldn’t keep it together at a WWE Live Event on the day following Survivor Series WarGames.

  • 5 Funniest Moments of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline in WWE

The Honorary Uce grabbed the microphone and hyped Solo Sikoa and complimented him on what he did during the WarGames match. Sami introduced Sikoa by saying:

“Right here, this man right here, that’s my dawg. That’s my Uce. This man was an absolute legend at WarGames”.

Sikoa can be seen trying his best not to crack up during Sami’s intro in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQNeIkMQHKs

The Rock Repays 7-Eleven Store He Stole From in His Youth

Thomas Lowson
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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is making amends for some of his past misdeeds, one Snickers bar at a time.

The Brahma Bull is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood but did not always have much cash to his name.

In a video shared on Instagram, The Rock confessed that when he was 14, he would steal a king-sized Snickers bar every day from the same 7-11 store.

The video shows Johnson buying every Snickers bar in the store while also paying for another customer, totaling over $300.

The Rock added that he’s pleased to have made amends after decades.

“I finally [exorcized] this damn chocolate demon that’s been gnawing at me for decades.”

The Rock.

Growing Up Rough

Despite being the son of famed wrestler Rocky Johnson, life was far from easy for young Dwayne.

Rock’s production studio ‘Seven Bucks Productions’ derives its name from the seven dollars Rock had to his name in 1995, following his release from the Canadian Football League.

Speaking to Muscle and Fitness in 2014, the Great One said he was arrested “eight or nine times” in his teens for theft and fighting.

Johnson’s unfortunate past and stealing are covered in season 1 of NBC’s Young Rock.

Charitable Acts

With millions (and millions!) of dollars to his name, The Rock doesn’t shy away from spreading his wealth.

Last Christmas, the Great One gifted his mother a new car, and also gifted a long-time WWE veteran a vehicle earlier in the year.

Last month, the People’s Champion donated $100,000 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

The Rock Claims He Is The ‘Head Of The Table’

NXT Star Backstage at Monday’s WWE Raw

Andrew Ravens
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0

WWE has recently brought in several NXT stars to work main roster shows in recent months, and this week’s episode of Raw is no different. 

WWE has brought in another NXT star for the company’s flagship show; this time, it’s Zoey Stark. Pwinsider.com reports she is backstage at the show. Although not confirmed, she will likely be there to work the Main Event taping before Raw goes live. 

WWE is at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA, for tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw. As of this writing, The Miz vs. Dexter Lumis is the only match announced.

Zoey Stark’s Journey

002 NXTStand 04072021SM 01251 465dd2c978b6397e04d64f4f12c4fcf5

It was revealed that she signed a contract with WWE on January 20, 2021. She made her debut as Marina Shafir’s tag team partner in the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament on the January 29 episode of 205 Live, losing to Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart in the opening round. She made her NXT debut on the February 17 episode of NXT by defeating Valentina Feroz.

The NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship was won at The Great American Bash by Stark and Io Shirai over The Way (Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell). In a triple-threat tag team Scareway To Hell Ladder Match at Halloween Havoc that also featured Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta, they were defeated and lost the belts to Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne).  Because of a torn MCL/Meniscus, Stark was written off television last November. 

Stark returned from her injury in the 20-woman Battle Royal for the Number One Contendership for the NXT Women’s Championship on the July 19th episode of NXT. She turned heel earlier this month by attacking Nikkita Lyons.

Jey Uso Finds His Inner Ucey With Sami Zayn At WWE Live Event

Ella Jay
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The tension between Jey Uso and Sami Zayn has finally eased.

Within the last few months, former Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn integrated himself into WWE’s most dominant faction today, The Bloodline. Though met with open arms from Solo Sikoa and one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Jimmy Uso, Zayn immediately lost favor with the other half, Jey Uso.

Upon Zayn’s promotion to “Honorary Uso,” Jey was not pleased, revealing his distrust for the new Bloodline addition. In the weeks following, Jey and Sami continued to clash, leading to an intervention from “The Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns on an episode of SmackDown. There, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion demanded that the two solve their issues.

Accordingly, Zayn apologized and attempted to find peace with Jey, telling Reigns that the Uso had lost his “Ucey” feeling lately. Reigns then warned Jey that if he couldn’t find his “inner Ucey again,” then he’d promote Sami Zayn to “full-blown Uce” in his place.

Zayn then received a chance to possibly earn that “full Uso” status at Survivor Series: WarGames. The Bloodline tackled the likes of Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Butch, Ridge Holland and Kevin Owens inside the Men’s WarGames match this past Saturday, and with Zayn’s assistance, they prevailed. As Owens landed a Stunner on Reigns, Zayn jumped in to stop the referee from completing the pinfall count. Then, Zayn delivered a low blow and a helluva kick to his former friend, allowing Jey Uso to land a splash to gain the win for The Bloodline.

  • 5 Funniest Moments of Sami Zayn and The Bloodline in WWE

Sami Zayn & Jey Uso Bury The Hatchet

The Bloodline WWE WarGames
The Bloodline

Following their victory, Sami and Jey shared a celebratory embrace, effectively ending their internal rivalry, and cementing Zayn’s loyalty to The Bloodline.

The celebration didn’t end there though.

The next night, Sami and Jey were paired up once again, alongside Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa in a WWE live event tag team match. On Sunday from Portland, Maine, the four took on familiar opponents in the form of Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and The Brawling Brutes. Amidst the bout, Sami Zayn and Jey Uso added a handshake onto their hug, in a smiling moment shared between the two.

  • Best Moments of The Usos Historic Tag Title Reign

It appears Jey Uso has finally found his “inner Ucey” again, courtesy of Sami Zayn.

Jai Vidal is Impact Wrestling’s First Openly Gay Star

Andrew Ravens
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Jai Vidal has signed an exclusive multi-year contract with Impact Wrestling. 

This signing makes him the first openly gay male wrestler to sign with the company in its 20-year history. The news was made during a special episode of the Outsports podcast LGBT In The Ring where he noted that he was on “cloud nine” after signing his first contract with a big promotion in the United States.

Vidal was introduced to audiences as Shaw’s executive stylist and content creator ahead of her Knockouts World title match against Jordynne Grace. In late 2021, Vidal worked matches on Impact TV against Eric Young and Jonah. 

His signing comes just over three weeks after he made his re-debut on Impact TV alongside fellow LGBTQ pro wrestler Gisele Shaw in one of the first LGBTQ tandems seen on television in the United States. 

Vidal Garners Interest

After strong performances at several independent shows in Las Vegas, Florida and California, Impact became interested in signing him. According to Vidal, the contract offer came “out of nowhere.”

“When I got the call to sign with Impact, I had actually just come back to Florida from the [Impact] show in Vegas,” he told Outsports. “I was running on zero sleep. I got back and saw the voicemail and called them right back.”

Vida joins Anthony Bowens, Fred Rosser, Parrow, Quincy Elliott and Jake Atlas as the only out gay men to sign with one of the promotions in the United States. Impact began working with LGBTQ groups in 2022 including a partnership with the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance. 

Cody Rhodes Pays Tribute to Dusty After Survivor Series: WarGames

Ella Jay
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This past weekend, WWE hosted their 36th annual Survivor Series pay-per-view, with a special surprise. For the first time ever, the company premiered WarGames on their main roster. Though a popular attraction on the NXT brand in previous years, the dual-cage structure officially lent itself to the WWE Superstars of Raw and SmackDown on Saturday night. One of those superstars included former Universal Champion Kevin Owens, who paid a special homage to the original inventor of the WarGames concept.

Owens emerged onto the entrance ramp sporting a shirt and signature red elbow pad of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes. “The American Dream” is officially credited with creating the match format, which first debuted in 1987 at The Great American Bash for Jim Crockett Promotions.

Owens isn’t the only one pay homage to Dusty though. WWE instilled the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic on their NXT brand — which first debuted in 2015. The following year, the company debuted a bronze statue of the icon at their respective WrestleMania 32 AXXESS. In 2019, All Elite Wrestling re-named their “go position” backstage in remembrance of Rhodes, deeming it “The Dusty Position,” with the legend’s signature cowbell attached to it.

Cody Rhodes Responds

Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes

Though Kevin Owens fell short in his efforts for his team at Survivor Series: WarGames, the tribute caught the eye of Dusty’s real life son, Cody Rhodes. “The American Nightmare” seemingly responded to Owen’s kind act, recognizing his late father’s lasting effect on the professional wrestling landscape.

“Ha at home, he was all ours. But in the sport, he’s got a lot more kids,” Rhodes wrote via Twitter. “So many folks he started/mentored & all the concepts he created still being used fought through a decade of bad press from some rags, but seeing his fingerprints and genius shine from the grave is special.”

Rhodes has remained off WWE programming following his in-ring bout against Seth Rollins at Hell In A Cell, where he sported a wild pectoral injury.

New Day Honors Jason David Frank at WWE Live Event

Andrew Ravens
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The New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods did something special at Sunday’s WWE live event as they honored Jason David Frank, the actor who made a name for himself by portraying the Green and White Rangers on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. 

Jason David Frank passed away last week at the age of 49. The cause of death was declared as suicide. Since that time, fans and peers alike continue to mourn his demise, including these two WWE stars. 

Woods and Kingston are big fans of pop culture and use that in the world of pro wrestling through their colorful attire. They were deeply saddened by Jason David Frank’s passing as they shared a special connection with the late actor.

The Tribute

New Day
(WWE)

As seen below, Woods and Kingston wore their Power Rangers-inspired ring gear for their match at the show in Portland, Maine, to pay tribute to Frank. 

The former WWE Champion wore the Green Ranger outfit, while Woods was dressed as the White Ranger. Tommy did play the role of both the White and Green Ranger at one point in time.

Big E Helping WWE Scout Talent at IMG Academy Tryouts

Michael Reichlin
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Recruiting talent is a crucial component of ensuring WWE has a bright future.

WWE will hold its next tryout camp later this week, according to Sports Illustrated. The two-day event will take place from the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The prep school touts itself as, “the world’s foremost authority in athletic, academic and personal development.”

Approximately 30 to 35 athletes are expected to participate. WWE’s recruiting philosophy has evolved over the past few years. After a period of time focusing on wrestlers from the independent scene, the strategy has shifted to signing elite collegiate athletes.

The WWE NIL (Next in Line) program has been at the forefront of the new initiative.

WWE Tryouts

Paul “Triple H” Levesque has high hopes for this week. He wrote on Twitter, “As WWE continues to invest in recruiting college athletes, IMG Academy is an ideal venue for this week’s tryout. The next great Superstar just may be in attendance…”

Big E Scouting Talent for WWE

The IMG tryouts will mark WWE’s third big tryout camp of the year. 18 developmental contracts were awarded during WrestleMania weekend tryouts. Another 15 athletes were signed during SummerSlam weekend.

Big E will be in attendance for this week’s tryouts. James Kimball, WWE’s Head of Talent Operations and Strategy, says the former WWE Champion will have a big role in the process.

“E is such a critical part of what we’re doing,” says Kimball. “This recruitment strategy is really hitting home for him, and it’s something we should have had when he was a collegiate student-athlete at Iowa. He’s such a great ambassador, and he can relate to these athletes. He’s presenting with shared experience—that goes a long way.”

Big E has been out of action since fracturing his neck earlier this year. He is incredibly thankful to be living life pain-free and will have a better idea about his in-ring future when he gets checked out again by doctors in early 2023.

Finn Balor Believes This Judgement Day Member Will Be A ‘Huge Star’

Ella Jay
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The Judgement Day have steadily grown to be one of WWE’s most dominant, and menacing, factions. Throughout the year, the stable has undergone some leadership changes, with Finn Balor now poised atop the hierarchy. The group itself has also expanded over the months, with the additions of Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and most recently, Dominik Mysterio.

Dominik quickly rose through the ranks of WWE alongside his father, and former WWE Champion Rey Mysterio — later capturing the SmackDown Tag Team Championships with him. The young, bright-eyed star would soon gravitate towards to a much different, darker place though. Following a tag team bout at Clash At The Castle in September, Dominik attacked his allies: Rey Mysterio, and WWE Hall of Famer Edge. Two days later, Dominik unveiled his new allegiance to the Judgement Day, effectively turning heel.

Dominik Turns To The Dark Side

Dominik Mysterio Rey Mysterio
Photo Credit: WWE

Judgement Day leader Finn Balor recently spoke about Dominik’s drastic character change, praising his ability to adapt so quickly. “[It’s beautiful] to see Dominik kind of into the role so seamlessly,” Balor told BT Sport’s Rob Armstrong, “because people forget he kind of debuted about a year before he turned heel, and he was learning on the job.”

“He wasn’t doing that much training, and I mean that with the greatest amount of respect, but he had a couple months training I think with Lance [Storm] and little bits here and there with his dad and stuff, but not an immense amount of training to be in the deep end on live TV for WWE. He was only kind of adapting to that, and then he was thrown this huge curveball where he’s now turning on his dad and playing a completely different character.” “The way he’s stepped into that character, it’s incredible to watch.”

The former WWE Universal Champion continued on, recalling Dominik’s first promo as an official member of the Judgement Day. “I remember the first night that he was going out to do a heel promo and going up to him to try and calm him down a little bit. ‘Okay dude, don’t worry, it’s gonna be cool.’ He says, ‘I’m cool, bro. Don’t worry.’ I said, ‘You know what you’re gonna say?’ He says, ‘Nah, I’ll figure it out.’ He went out there, just super chilled and that’s how he is.”

“I think he’s gonna be a huge star for us,” Balor proclaimed.

William Regal Has Years Left on His AEW Contract

Michael Reichlin
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William Regal’s future with All Elite Wrestling has been speculated about over the past several weeks. Recent actions from AEW and WWE led to fans wondering if he’d be working for Triple H again in the near future, but that won’t be the case.

WWE released Regal in January 2022 as part of “the continued evolution of NXT 2.0.” Regal served as WWE’s Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting. A talent of his caliber does not stay on the sidelines for long.

Just two months later, Regal shocked the wrestling world when with a surprise debut at AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view. The longtime figurehead of WWE’s NXT brand stormed the ring after Jon Moxley’s match against Bryan Danielson.

Within a matter of weeks, they’d all be on the same page as part of the Blackpool Combat Club faction. The group later added Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta.

Regal’s AEW Contract

Regal turned on Jon Moxley earlier this month at AEW Full Gear and allowed MJF to capture the AEW World Championship. This past week on Dynamite, Moxley told Regal to run far away from him or else he will deliver on his violent intentions for revenge. It seemed like Regal was being written off television.

Triple H later invoked Regal ahead of Saturday’s WWE Survivor Series premium live event with a video of Regal shouting WarGames. He noted the show wouldn’t be the same without him.

Dave Meltzer stated on Wrestling Observer Radio that Regal still has “several months left” on his AEW deal. Early Monday morning, Meltzer clarified that his initial report about Regal signing a 1-year deal was incorrect. Regal actually signed a 3-year deal with AEW in early 2022, based on comments he made shortly after his debut.

Regal’s Role in AEW

William Regal is one of the brightest minds in pro wrestling and offers decades of experience that he’ll use to train the next generation of AEW talent.

AEW President Tony Khan spoke about Regal’s role with the company at the media scrum that took place after Revolution, the night of Regal’s AEW debut. Khan said he couldn’t believe that Regal became a free agent and has the utmost respect for his contributions to the business.

“Behind the scenes, I’m really excited to have him here,” said Khan. “I think Lord Regal can teach all of us here a lot. It’s gonna be great having him here and I’m very excited like I said, onscreen and offscreen. It came together very recently and I think it fits very well with what we’re doing here in AEW all around.”

AEW Rampage Catching Up to WWE Raw in the Wrong Demographic

Thomas Lowson
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The average age of your standard AEW Rampage viewer has increased dramatically over the last year according to the latest data.

Rampage, AEW’s second televised show, launched in August 2021 and provides matches and the continuation of storylines from AEW Dynamite.

Getting On in Years

AEW has always prided itself on being an alternative to WWE, but recent data suggests the two companies aren’t too far apart.

In data from Wrestlenomics, it has revealed that the average age of an AEW Rampage viewer is in their early 50s, a sharp increase from the average age from October 2021 (mid-late 40s.)

The average age of a Monday Night Raw viewer is also in their early to mid-50s, and it seems just a year or two separates WWE’s three-hour show and AEW Rampage.

AEW Dynamite has also seen an increase in the age of the average viewer, but nowhere close to how dramatic the rise has been for Rampage.

Both WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown have been able to win over younger fans this year and lower their average audience tuning in each week.

After an increase in late 2021 following the launch of NXT 2.0, WWE’s gold brand has seen the average age of their viewer also drop.

Other Promotions

AEW’s average live viewer’s age is on the increase, while WWE’s is seemingly falling, but there are plenty more companies around.

Impact Wrestling saw the average age of its viewers fall in early 2022, but has risen dramatically in recent months.

New Japan Pro Wrestling currently boasts the oldest age of the average fan tuning in, who are in their mid-60s.

Watch: AEW Star Unmasks on Rampage

Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat Teams with FTR – Wins First Match in Over a Decade

Thomas Lowson
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WWE Hall of Famer Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat proved he’s still got ‘it’ with a win last weekend in his first match in 12 years.

In September, it was confirmed that Steamboat would be wrestling for the first time as part of the Big Time Wrestling promotion.

Prior to last weekend, Steamboat’s most recent bout had been at a June 18, 2010 event for WWE’s then-developmental territory: Florida Championship Wrestling.

One Last Match

Competing at the appropriately named Big Time Wrestling Return of the Dragon event, Steamboat teamed with FTR in a six-man tag.

It had been confirmed before the event that the trio would face Brock Anderson and Jay Lethal as well as a mystery partner.

That partner was revealed to be Nick Aldis, but the two-time NWA World Champion and his team came up short against Steamboat and FTR.

When Steamboat hit his signature arm drag, the crowd popped loudly and at one point, Steamboat ran wild with knife-edge chops.

The finish saw FTR and The Dragon lock in three Figure-Four Leg Locks to get the submission victory.

More Legends

The show was built around the return of Ricky Steamboat, but he was far from the only legend to compete.

On the pre-show, Scott Steiner won a battle royal which also included Tommy Dreamer and Shane Douglas.

Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart appeared on the show via video to praise Steamboat’s career, and Teddy Long acted as “special commissioner” for the Big Time Wrestling World Championship match between “Dreamcrusher” Danny Miles and “Neon Ninja” Facade.

When Mr. TA laid claim to inventing the Cobra Clutch, he was on the receiving end of the hold by Sgt. Slaughter, and the Rock ‘n Roll Express defeated the Briscoes.

Ric Flair on Ricky Steamboat’s in-Ring Return: ‘At Any Level, he’s Better Than 50% of Today’s Wrestlers’

WWE Planning on Hosting More PLE Post-Show Press Conferences

Thomas Lowson
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Press conferences in wrestling may conjure up images of bitter veteran wrestlers badmouthing other members of their roster, but WWE is confident that won’t be the case for them.

This year has seen WWE host several press conferences in an effort to add a sense of realism to their shows.

The Press Conference

After last weekend’s Survivor Series WarGames Premium Live Event, WWE held a post-show press conference to discuss the show.

The press conference saw a blend of kayfabe and real-life, with Superstars speaking in character about their matches.

WWE’s Head of Creative and Head of Talent Relations Triple H fielded questions from the wrestling media and spoke openly about future plans in WWE.

Fightful Select reports that this press conference, like previous ones, has gone down well backstage, and that WWE is hopeful to hold more in the future.

WWE hosted a post-show press conference after WWE Clash at the Castle in September of this year, and hosted a press conference for WWE Crown Jewel last month before the show began.

Triple H and the Media

With Triple H now running a lot of WWE, it should come as little surprise that the promotion is open to hosting more press conferences.

The Cerebral Assassin has enjoyed a much more friendly relationship with the media, and hosted pre-show media calls prior to NXT TakeOver events.

Speaking at last weekend’s press conference, Triple H discussed the future of the traditional Survivor Series elimination match, given that none of these matches took place at Survivor Series WarGames.

Controversial Ex-Superstar Worked Backstage at WWE Survivor Series WarGames

Controversial Ex-Superstar Worked Backstage at WWE Survivor Series WarGames

Thomas Lowson
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Former WWE Superstar Brian Kendrick is seemingly back with WWE as a producer for the promotion.

Kendrick first joined WWE in 2002 and has made several returns, the most recent being in 2016 as part of the Cruiserweight Classic.

In January of the year, Kendrick asked for his release from the promotion, which was granted on February 1.

Survivor Series WarGames

Kendrick didn’t appear on-screen at last weekend’s WWE Survivor Series WarGames event, but he did have a role backstage.

Fightful Select reports that Kendrick worked alongside Jason Jordan to produce the SmackDown Women’s Championship match between Ronda Rousey and Shotzi.

Prior to his departure from WWE earlier this year, Kendrick had spent close to a year as a backstage producer for the WWE NXT brand.

After being attacked by Harland, Kendrick ‘resigned’ from his backstage role in order to face the now-AEW star, but the match didn’t take place due to Kendrick’s departure.

Controversy

The same day as his departure from WWE, it was announced that Kendrick would be making his AEW debut on the February 2, episode, in a match against Jon Moxley.

Hours after the announcement, the match was canceled due to controversial comments made by the former Cruiserweight Champion in the past.

Kendrick’s controversial claims include stating that the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting was staged, and said in 2011 that the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center was faked with the use of holograms.

Kendrick had also claimed that the number of people killed during the Holocaust had been exaggerated and that gas chambers were used to delouse Jewish victims, rather than kill them.

Kendrick later apologized for the comments and has worked with Holocaust memorial groups to learn more and try and make amends.

WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2022 Results, Takeaways: The Bloodline vs. The Brawling Brutes, New Champion
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