Punk also has appeared in multiple films, and was critically acclaimed for his role in 2019’s ‘Girl on the Third Floor.’
Going Back…
CM Punk may have options outside of wrestling, but moving on from AEW may lead to going back to WWE.
Punk walked out of the promotion in 2014 and was sent his termination papers on his wedding day, an unfortunate coincidence according to former WWE CEO Vince McMahon.
It has been reported that Triple H is open to working with Punk, realizing the huge deal that having arguably AEW’s biggest star on his roster would be.
While the Game is open to discussing a Punk return, others in WWE absolutely do not want him back.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson could be mere weeks away from his return to WWE as part of the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.
The 2023 Royal Rumble will take place on January 28, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and will kickstart the road to WrestleMania 39.
The 36th Rumble Premium Live Event, next year will be the sixth year that the show has featured a men’s and women’s Rumble match.
If You Can Smell…
For months, rumors of The Rock’s return to WWE have circulated, with many believing he will challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Both men have teased the highly-anticipated collision, which has also been referenced on NBC’s Young Rock.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that discussions within WWE have called for The Rock to not only compete in the Men’s Rumble match but to also win.
Meltzer stressed that rumors exist within WWE, and while this could be the plan, as “far as those who would be in a position to know,” nothing has been confirmed as the plan.
A win would see The Rock earn an Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match against Reigns at WrestleMania, but it’s noted that WWE would make a Mania match happen even if The Rock doesn’t make the Rumble.
Sources who spoke to the Observer said that plans for the WrestleMania main event will need to be locked down by mid-January so a decision from Johnson will be needed by then.
The report adds that a “pie-in-the-sky” idea is for The Rock to be a surprise as the #30 entrant.
Last Match
The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns, whether for a championship or not, is worthy of the WrestleMania main event, but could also mark Johnson’s final match.
Meltzer reports that the belief in the past has been that The Rock wants Reigns to be his last opponent, given they are related.
This is a match that has been talked about for years, and it’s reported that The Rock has hoped for his last match to be in Los Angeles, the home of WrestleMania 39.
Kevin Owens could soon be tearing it up on the independent scene once more, despite being a WWE Superstar.
Prior to signing with WWE in 2014, Owens competed as Kevin Steen in various promotions, including CZW, PWG and Ring of Honor.
The Prizefighter is one of several indie names to make it big in WWE, including El Generico (Sami Zayn,) Tyler Black (Seth Rollins,) and Matt Riddle.
Nakamura Vs. Muta
On January 1, Shinsuke Nakamura will face the Great Muta for Pro Wrestling NOAH, as part of Muta’s retirement tour.
Speaking about the match on WWE After the Bell, Owens expressed his excitement as a fan of both men to see the match.
“When I saw the announcement for the match, they had it when Shinsuke’s music hit in the video, it gave me absolute goosebumps. Knowing how incredible that is for the fans, it’s such a treat, it’s such a surprise. You never would have thought that it was something that could happen. Not only is it happening but it’s something I’m sure means a lot for Shinsuke.”
Muta Vs. Nakamura will take place as part of NOAH’s The New Year 2023 event at Budokan Hall.
Return to the Indies
The idea of a WWE-contracted Superstar working for Pro Wrestling NOAH would have seemed unfeasible during the Vince McMahon era of the company.
Since McMahon’s retirement, Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan, and Triple H have made several changes to a WWE that feels much different.
When asked if he hopes to see more crossover between WWE and other promotions, Owens expressed a desire to return to the independent scene while still working for WWE.
“Yeah, for sure [I’d like to have matches on the indies.] I’m very deeply rooted in the independent scene. That’s where I came up. I still have so many friends there. There are a few wrestling companies, independent companies that I still hold very near and dear to my heart that I’d love to maybe one day show back up on just for fun whether it’s a promo or maybe it’s a match.
“Now it feels like more of a possibility than ever.”
Kevin Owens on return to the Indpendents whilst working for WWE.
“That’s stuff that over the years I’ve always thought ‘hey man, it’d be really cool if I get to do that one day.’ Now it feels like more of a possibility than ever. And that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen but it feels that it could now. And that’s very exciting. The fans and the wrestlers.”
Owens concluded by highlighting how there is incredible talent on the independents, as people have dedicated themselves to an industry where it is difficult to make a living.
“If you get someone from the independent scene, most of the time, you’ll get someone who is very passionate.”
WWE’s Executive Vice President of Television Production was nowhere to be found last weekend at Survivor Series WarGames.
Survivor Series Wargames, the 36th Survivor Series Premium Live Event, saw the iconic double-ring cage stipulation be used on the main roster for the first time ever.
In the show’s opener, Team Bianca defeated Team Damage in the Women’s WarGames match, while The Bloodline stood tall at the end of the night over Team Brutes.
Kevin Dunn
Despite being in such an important role, Dunn wasn’t backstage at last weekend’s Premium Live Event, Fightful Select has confirmed.
The report specified that Dunn remains with WWE, and that there have not been any plans for him to not be working there anytime soon.
After Vince McMahon’s retirement earlier this year, questions arose about what role Dunn would have under the new regime led by Nick Khan, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H.
Here to Stay
Earlier this year, it was reported that Dunn was expected to leave WWE within the coming 12 months, either of his own accord or by being forced out.
It has been said that Stephanie McMahon is no fan of Dunn, and that he is not a Triple H ‘guy’ either.
Speaking to the media ahead of Summerslam this year, Triple H namedropped Dunn as someone who will be a key part of the new vision for the company.
To take it [WWE] beyond where it is now, the only way we’re gonna do that is with a team. That’s with Steph [McMahon.] That’s with Nick Khan. That’s with myself. That’s with Kevin Dunn
While the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy was focused on Jeff Hardy’s WWE return in 2006, the conversation turned to Chris Benoit.
Hardy reflected on how eerie it was that day. Benoit missed the pay-per-view. Hardy ended up filling in for Benoit on house shows earlier that weekend. “It was very strange because Chris was not one to be late. I’ve told you stories about how Chris and Eddie would stay by the gym. They would get a hotel near the closest Gold’s Gym so that they could work out first thing in the morning. They were very timely and very punctual, so Chris never missed shows, never missed shots, people always heard back from him. So, it was very strange the whole weekend. Very strange.”
“And I’ll never forget that day when they called a talent meeting to get everybody together. And keep in mind, we’ve been walking around all day long. There’s caskets in several different places for shots they’re going to do about Vince. There’s all these wreaths everywhere. There’s flowers everywhere, like it’s really like a funeral home. There’s so many weird, eerie vibes floating around that day as we’re doing the show that followed Vince’s explosion and the supposed “death” of the boss.”
Matt Hardy on How He Learned of Chris Benoit’s Death
“They had this talent meeting, they call everyone together. I’ll never forget I saw ‘Taker coming out slowly, walking out to where all the crowd was gathered around. I saw Michelle McCool like, crying. I remember turning to Ken Kennedy and going, ‘Chris is dead.’ I saw Undertaker and Michelle coming and Undertaker would’ve been given the heads up and Michelle’s just so upset, I thought ‘he’s gotta be dead.'”
“And then I remember them coming out and proceeding to tell us Chris had been found dead and his family had been found as well. We’re going to change the whole show that night and they’re going to go a different direction and remember Chris Benoit that night. It was a super eerie day and even having walking around all day seeing that funeral stuff, it was just a weird, creepy day. Corpus Christi, Texas. I’ll never forget it. I remember it like it was yesterday and how shocking it just was.”
Final Thoughts
Jon Alba clarified that they will never do an episode dedicated to Benoit. He will come up only in stories. Since it’s the only time they’ll talk about him out of respect for the victim’s families, he did ask a few more questions.
Vince McMahon and the top people in the office broke the news of Benoit’s death. “They told everyone about it and what their intention was for the show. I was asked to do a testimonial, but I said, ‘I’m okay’ and declined to do it because as the day was going on, as you know, more info started coming out and they weren’t really sure how his family died. There were some guys who were suspicious, it could be foul play. I was one of those guys who declined to speak just to be safe. I mean, very sad day, obviously.”
“Extremely sad. Just remarkably eerie in every way possible because of what we were there to do that day, the Vince storyline; the explosion angle. And then to have that real life storyline set in on you like that. It was so crazy. So yeah, there were guys who did to testimonies and it is what it is. It was meant to celebrate Chris Benoit’s wrestling career and life and it’s just very unfortunate how it all ended with him. It’s inexplicable to even try to explain why that happened or how that happened or could have happened. At the end of the day, it’s just heartbreaking. It’s just sad.”
“It hit everyone hard. Everyone was just floored. It came out of left field, no one was expecting that. Chris Benoit’s gone the whole day and not only is Chris Benoit dead, his family has passed away as well. That’s mind-blowing. It strongly effected everyone, even worse when we found out what truly happened.”
Hardy gave his final thoughts on that time. “That was just a very tough day, very tough day at work. Learning that information about someone you worked with very closely hand in hand, you spent time with, that you went on car rides with, that you shared hotel rooms with, to learn that was heavy, man. It’s the first time I can ever say I’ve been in some criminal, traumatic event like that and known someone that close. It was a heartbreaking day all the way around.”
If it goes ahead, this will be the first Hell in a Cell match in the history of the Royal Rumble, and the earliest in the year a Hell in a Cell match has ever happened.
Hell in a Cell
Since 2009, the Hell in a Cell match has had its own Premium Live Event, and has rarely been used outside of that show.
Earlier this year, it was reported that the Hell in a Cell PLE was “completely dead,” thanks to decisions made by Triple H.
The Game has been vocal about using stipulation matches when the storyline calls for it, instead of when it’s the right time of the year.
At the Survivor Series WarGames post-show press conference, the WWE Head of Creative and Talent Relations described Hell in a Cell as a “blow-off match” which should mark the end of a feud.
Triple H’s career saw him enter Hell in a Cell nine times, and won six of his matches in the structure.
Eric Young is returning to WWE. He was written off of Impact on tonight’s episode on AXS. The 42-year-old won the NXT Tag Team Championships with former WWE star Alexander Wolfe. SAnitY defeated the Authors of Pain at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II. SAnitY members Alexander Wolfe and Killian Dain were released last year. Nikki Cross is currently on the Raw roster.
According to a new report by PWInsider, the former SAnitY faction leader will be returning to the company. There are currently no details as to Eric’s role with the company, start date, or whether he will be on the main roster or in NXT.
Young was released by WWE in April 2020 in their first wave of COVID-19 releases. Eric returned at Slammiversary 2020 and went on to win the Impact Championship later in the year on the September 1st edition of Impact later that year.
Young appeared to be killed in a vignette featuring fellow Violent By Design member Deaner. The vignette was taped in prison and they were fighting over a shiv. Deaner won and Young shouted at him to “eliminate the sickness!” at the end of the video below.
Eric Young was interviewed by Chis Van Vliet following his release from WWE and had some harsh words for the former CEO. Young stated Vince failed as a leader because he had nothing for him.
If you have a 3-hour television show, pro-wrestling television show, and you can’t find something for me to do then you are failing as a leader.
Plain and simple. You failed your company. You failed the shareholders, you failed the fans and you failed yourself.
Has Randy Orton’s incredible professional wrestling career come to an unfortunate end?
That’s certainly what some people believe, with the Viper spending most of this year out with a back injury suffered in May.
Orton’s most recent match saw him and Riddle lose the Raw Tag Team Championships to The Usos in the title-unification match with the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Listen to the Experts
When Orton was moved to SmackDown in 2005, he worked with Teddy Long, the on-screen general manager of the blue brand.
Orton would work with Long again when he was redrafted to SmackDown in 2011.
Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling, Long discussed Orton’s future, calling the former WWE World Champion a good friend of his.
“Randy Orton, a great friend of mine, too, had a lot of great times with him there. I just hope Randy makes the right decision, you know. There are people like Edge, Kurt Angle, that said [sic] they wouldn’t come back once they found out they had injuries and the doctors told them it’d be dangerous for them to return to the ring.”
Later in the interview, Long again expressed the importance of listening to medical experts.
“I just hope Randy does the right thing. If the doctors tell you to stay out of the ring, I suggest you stay out of the ring.”
Teddy Long.
Original Plans
Orton’s injury is much worse than what WWE had first feared, and there had been plans for the Legend Killer to have returned by now.
In June, it was reported that the company’s plan for Summerslam would have seen Orton challenge Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Of course, that didn’t happen, and Reigns instead faced Brock Lesnar in a Last Man Standing match, promoted as the final collision between the two.
Former WWE Superstar Nikki Bella has a new series set to be released soon. Nikki captured the Divas Championship twice in her career and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020. She currently serves as an ambassador for the company.
The trailer for Nikki’s new limited series on the E! Network titled “Nikki Bella Says I Do” has been released. Nikki and Brie Bella’s “Total Bellas” reality series had a successful run from 2016 – 2021 on the E! Network. The “Total Divas” reality series ran form 2013-2019 on the network as well.
Nikki recently married Russian professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev. The four-part series will begin on E! on January 13, 2023 and you can check out the trailer below.
The Bella Twins on the Demise of Total Divas
Nikki and Brie Bella recently spoke to TV Insider and SEScoops’ correspondent Scott Fishman about Total Divas ending last year. Nikki stated that the show had a positive influence on girls showing up to WWE events.
“It doesn’t get enough credit. I believe it was also a reason why we had more girls showing up. Here were these reality fans that believed in us and our stories inside and outside the ring. They wanted to come to watch it live and grew into fans. It changed the game so much for us. It made people believe in women’s wrestling.”
She added that the show would have to have the right people behind it if it were ever to return. Nikki claimed they walked away from the show because of the drama surrounding it.
“It has to be the right people behind it. We started to go in a direction where it became more to do with bad girls’ club drama. It’s why we walked away.”
The trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 dropped today on YouTube and features former WWE Superstar Batista.
Batista (Dave Bautista) plays Drax the Destroyer in the films, and he first appeared in the original Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. He also recently was a co-star in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” on Netflix with Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, and Kate Hudson.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to release in theaters on May 5th next year and is directed by James Gunn. In the trailer, Batista’s character Drax launches a basketball at the face of a young creature and vowed to kill anyone that gets in their way before he is reminded by Star-Lord that he will not be killing anyone.
Earlier this year, Batista took to Instagram and posted about the production of the film wrapping up and confirmed that he is done playing Drax after Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.
Batista’s wrestling career came to an end a few years ago at WrestleMania 35. The Animal battled his former Evolution teammate Triple H in a No Holds Barred match. Their rivalry started when Batista attacked Ric Flair ahead of his 70th birthday celebration.
Triple H put his career on the line in the match and emerged victorious. He planted Batista with a Powerbomb on the steel steps, and struck The Animal with a sledgehammer in the match. In the end, it took two Pedigrees for The Game to pick up the victory. Batista announced his retirement from professional wrestling shortly after the match.
Malakai Black, Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart, aka the House of Black, recently returned to AEW television after an extended absence from the promotion.
The House of Black was rumored to be released and on their way back to WWE at one point, but at the end of the day, they came back to All Elite Wrestling on the November 23rd edition of Dynamite.
Speaking on episode 459 of the Jim Cornette Experience, the WWE legend reviewed House of Black’s return on last week’s Dynamite. The group showed up following Orange Cassidy and Jake Hager’s match.
Then they had a blackout, and then spooky music came on, and then to a big pop from this crowd, on the stage was Stevie Nicks, I’m sorry Julia Hart.
She looks just like Stevie Nicks in the day and that is never a bad thing. When the lights come on, the House of Black is in the ring behind the pudding gang (Best Friends and Orange Cassidy).
I mean there’s Pockets (All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy) there’s Muffin Top Taylor, there’s Trent, whoever else is in that crowd.
And they beat up, the House of Black did, all of the pudding gang while QT Marshall’s The Factory was in the ring too, and they stood there and applauded it. So then the House of Black beat up The Factory too.
Cornette pointed out that the AEW fans were chanting “welcome back!” at these “satanic heels” after they beat everyone down.
And the people cheered and chanted welcome back at these satanic heels. So you had a match with a guy facing Jake Hager from the Jericho Appreciation Society.
And the guy Pockets, and his crew won the match, and then stayed in the ring so that the House of Black could come and beat them up. The Factory came down so they could get beat up too.
Through all of this heat-getting stuff, the people chanted “welcome back!” to the heels that worship satan. And then Malakai Black spoke and it all went to bleh.
Then they went to break. This is like the first season all over again. This is like they are trying to get the Dork Order (Dark Order) over again.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Jim Cornette Experience with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Freddie Prinze Jr. recently appeared on the Insight podcast with Chris Van Vliet and said he has a friendship with AEW World Champion MJF.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman has stated on numerous occasions that he will be a free agent in 2024 and is expecting the biggest contract in wrestling history. Prinze is reportedly starting his own promotion and recently made an offer to a big name in WWE.
Last night on AEW Dynamite, MJF introduced a new title called “BBB” (Big Burberry Belt) and brutally attacked William Regal. This was apparently a way to write William Regal out of AEW as he’s expected to return to WWE.
Speaking on the Insight podcast, Freddie praised MJF and said he meets with him every time the AEW World Champion visits Los Angeles.
I’ve gotten to know Maxwell over the last two years. Every time he comes to L.A., we make it a point to go to dinner. And I try to take him to a different sushi spot every time.
I’m not the most experienced and educated wrestling cat in the world, but I did work for the WWE and I did ask a million questions to the Pat Pattersons of the world, to the Freebirds of the world, to the Arn Andersons, the Dean Malenkos – all these old school people, and everything they taught me this dude has in spades.
Freddie added that it cool MJF gets to see people give him his flowers while he’s such a young performer.
It’s like Bruce Lee out there, man. It’s crazy, I know – I’m speaking about him like he’s a poet or Picasso, but that’s what he is … And the good thing is, he’s been appreciated within his lifetime, instead of long after he’s gone.
Ronda Rousey is in the middle of another reign as the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Rousey made her most recent title defense against Shotzi at Survivor Series, where she was a heavy favorite to win the match, and that’s exactly what happened. The company is looking ahead to its next premium live event, Royal Rumble, next month.
When Vince McMahon decided to call up Raquel Rodriguez from NXT to the main roster, the idea was that she would become one of the top stars in the company as the former CEO and Chairman saw big things in her. She was also booked strongly in NXT under Triple H, and “The Game” has continued to be a supporter of hers on the main roster.
Royal Rumble Plans
(WWE)
Rodriguez is set for her biggest match to date at the Royal Rumble as WrestleNews.co reports the plan is for her to challenge Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Rodriguez has been selling her left arm after being attacked by Rousey as last week on SmackDown, Rousey forced Rodriguez to tap out to the armbar submission. It’s unclear what WWE has planned for Rodriguez after this show.
Still, Rousey is scheduled to go into WrestleMania as the champion, indicating she will retain the title at the Royal Rumble.
WWE NXT star Edris Enofe threw shade at AEW star Kenny Omega on Twitter while celebrating Mandy Rose’s NXT Women’s Championship reign.
Rose has been on an incredible run as she’s held the title for over 400 days and has been pushed as one of the top stars of the NXT brand. Omega, one of AEW’s top stars, has won championships all over the world utilizing his signature ‘V-Trigger’ knee strike.
In a post on Twitter, Enofe argued that Omega couldn’t perform the move as well as Rose can. He shared a GIF of Rose dropping Katana Chance on the November 30 edition of NXT.
The Shot
Enofe captioned the post: “Congrats to @WWE_MandyRose on 400 days as champ! Reminder that she hits this move better than Kenny, and I’m dead serious.”
This isn’t the first time that Enofe has taken shots at an AEW star, as he and Malik Blade notably shared a video in September poking fun at CM Punk’s post-All Out media scrum rant about Colt Cabana, Hangman Page, and The Young Bucks.
At last month’s Full Gear pay-per-view, Omega and the Young Bucks returned to the ring following their suspensions after the All Out backstage fight.
Enofe’s most recent televised match saw him team up with Blade and Odyssey Jones during the November 8 NXT Level Up taping.
Congrats to @WWE_MandyRose on 400 days as champ! ???? Reminder that she hits this move better than Kenny, and I’m dead serious https://t.co/qiHFhNWTIF
CM Punk has greatly reduced how much he posts on social media since the incident at AEW All Out, where he ripped Hangman Page, The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Colt Cabana at the post-event press conference and then got into a brawl with The Elite.
Wrestling Inc previously reported that members of Punk’s camp alleged that Larry’s teeth were knocked loose accidentally when the door to the wrestler’s locker room was kicked open. The report stated the teeth had to be pulled days later by a vet.
The Photo
Punk recently shared a photograph of his dog, Larry, to his Instagram story that shows Larry missing several teeth, seemingly confirming the report.
This photo is only a few things he has shared as of late in addition to occasional promotion for his wife AJ Mendez’s Netflix movie “Blade of the 47 Ronin.”
Punk had undergone surgery for a torn left triceps shortly after All Out during his AEW Championship match against Jon Moxley. The injury will likely keep him out of action for at least eight months.
As previously reported, there have been talks between Punk and AEW about a contract buyout. However, there’s been a hang-up on the non-compete clause period.
Stephanie McMahon believes WWE needs to bring another stadium show to Australia.
The co-CEO of WWE, alongside Nick Khan, discussed WWE’s broadcast deal with Foxtel in Australia while at the Wells Fargo TMT Summit. This is where she shared her belief about doing another premium live event in the country.
The last time that WWE held a PLE in the country was in October 2018 with the Super Show-Down event at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia.
McMahon’s Belief
(via WWE)
“You look at our new deal in Australia with Foxtel, where we need to bring a stadium event to Australia as well and how are we looking at that in terms of our international premium live events? How does that work in terms of our domestic strategy?… How are we gonna be able to maximize our opportunities there?”
McMahon also discussed WWE’s plans to launch Performance Centers in different locations around the world, which was an idea first introduced by Triple H several years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic paused those plans.
McMahon said that international growth is their focus and wants to do something they call ‘global localization’ or ‘glocal’ where they create local Performance Centers with local talent.
WWE is continuing to look for ways to improve WrestleMania week for fans.
The company has already announced three events at Crypto.com Arena as part of WrestleMania Week in Los Angeles. SmackDown and the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony take place on Friday, March 31, NXT Stand & Deliver on Saturday, April 1, and Monday Night Raw on Monday, April 3.
WrestleMania 39 takes place over two nights on Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, live from SoFi Stadium.
More Events Coming?
Graphic Credit: Business Wire
According to a new report by WrestleVotes, WWE wants to have additional shows throughout the week that are like The Undertaker’s 1deadMan show.
“I’m told WWE is looking into having additional shows throughout WrestleMania weekend similar to that of The Undertaker’s 1deadMan show. Live, interactive shows w/ Steve Austin & Trish Stratus to name a few have been discussed.”
There have been several reports about what WWE hopes to book at its biggest event of the year in 2023, including bringing back three of the biggest names in the history of the wrestling business to wrestle again in three separate matches.
Although he has denied speculation about him getting in better shape for another match, Steve Austin has reportedly been offered a match at this event against an unknown opponent after his successful return at WrestleMania 38 with a win over Kevin Owens.
WWE is looking to bring John Cena in for a match at Mania, which would be his first bout at a premium live event since SummerSlam 2021, where he lost to Roman Reigns.
It’s been well documented that WWE is hoping to have The Rock back for a match against Reigns, as it’s one of the biggest matches they can book. It all depends on whether The Rock’s Hollywood schedule will let him be available.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but that’s probably not what MJF was going for with his latest bombastic suit.
Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite saw Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s first appearance as AEW World Champion. It was an eventful segment that saw the 26-year-old send William Regal to the hospital and the introduction of his custom “BBB” AEW World title belt.
Friedman marked the big occasion by donning a custom suit that features the text, “Better Than You” all over it. As seen below, MJF will stop at nothing to express his feelings of superiority.
MJF has been throwing shade at Conor McGregor for years now and his “Better Than You” suit may be his latest attempt to goad The Notorious into an in-person confrontation.
The UFC megastar made headlines in 2017 when he wore the infamous “F-U” suit during his press tour for his fight against boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. The custom three-piece “F-U” suit was designed by David August and cost around $6,500.
There are similarities between MJF and Conor McGregor, but don’t tell that to MJF. Back in December 2020, he called comparisons to McGregor “cute” and “laughable.”
MJF said he appreciates what McGregor did in the UFC, but McGregor couldn’t spar with him and would get “absolutely bent over, if you know what I mean” on the microphone.
All Elite Wrestling star William Regal is expected back in WWE very soon. Over the past several weeks, there’s been conflicting reports over Regal’s contractual status with AEW.
Regal was released by WWE back in January. The decision caught a lot of people off guard and was attributed to the company’s decision to go in a new direction with NXT 2.0. His Lordship made a surprise debut at AEW Revolution in March and quickly aligned with Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley. They later formed the Blackpool Combat Club, one of this year’s most dominant factions in pro wrestling.
Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite saw Regal’s first public appearance with the man he helped win the AEW World Championship, Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The alliance was short-lived, as MJF ended the segment by blindsiding Regal with an attack that sent him to the hospital.
Regal Likely Returning Home to WWE
A lot has changed since Regal joined AEW, most notably Vince McMahon’s retirement. Regal’s longtime friend Triple H is now running the show, a situation that paved the way for his inevitable return.
On Thursday, a pair of reports strongly indicate Regal will be back at Triple H’s side in the very near future. According PWInsider, “there have been rumblings” within WWE that Regal will be returning soon in a backstage role. Regal was a driving force behind the success of NXT and served as the brand’s on-screen authority figure for several years.
In addition to this report, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful tweeted that he’s heard Regal’s AEW contract expires this month (December).
Regal is considered one of the brightest minds in the business and is an invaluable asset to whichever company he decides to work.
‘Hangman’ Adam Page is back on AEW programming, and the Cowboy is raring to go!
Page returned to Dynamite on last night’s episode, confronting Jon Moxley in the opening segment of the show.
The Cowboy’s appearance marked his first time on AEW TV since the October 18, episode of Dynamite, where he faced Moxley in an AEW World Championship match.
Cleared to Wrestle
During Page’s return, it was stated that the former AEW World Champion was in town to get medically tested.
The line certainly implies that Page has yet to be cleared, but as Dave Meltzer explained on Wrestling Observer Radio, that this is far from the case.
“He was (cleared to compete.) 100%.”
Dave Meltzer.
After an intense face-off with Moxley, the pair fought around the arena before wrestlers came in to break them up.
Page’s Injury
During the AEW World Championship match between the two, a lariat clothesline by Moxley left Page motionless in the ring.
The match was quickly called off, and it has been reported that there was an extra ten minutes of the match scheduled which didn’t take place.
It was later confirmed that the former World Champion had suffered a concussion during the match.
AEW’s medical team was widely praised for their immediate action, including by former WWE Superstar Chris Nowinski.
Sending positive thoughts to Hangman. This was not a high risk move. Something went wrong. Ref Paul Turner is trained to recognize a #concussion or a possible neck injury & stopped match. @DocSampson13 was ringside & there in seconds, gives us the best chance for a good outcome. https://t.co/wLbzKZa5xD
Nowinski was one of WWE’s promising Superstars in the early 2000s before a concussion derailed his career, and he has spent the years since doing research on CTE.
Three WWE Superstars made the trip to Hartford, Connecticut to present a police officer with a WWE Championship title for his bravery during a shootout.
In October, Officer Alec Iurato was injured in a shooting that killed two Bristol police officers, Lt. Dustin DeMonte and Sgt. Alex Hamzy.
Officials close to the case said that Officer Iurato killed the suspect with a single shot.
WWE
In a Facebook status from the Bristol Connecticut Police Department, Iurato can be seen with a WWE Championship, complete with customer Bristol PD side plates.
The championship was presented by Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, and Braun Strowman at the XL Center in Hartford, the host of the November 18, 2022, episode of WWE SmackDown.
Bristol PD said that WWE has been a support for the families of Lt. Demonte & Sgt. Hamzy, in addition to supporting Officer Iurato.
Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould called Iurato a true hero and said he maintained courage and composure and stopped the act of killing that October night.
Hero Champions
Police Officer Charlie Guenigault was presented with a WWE Championship by Triple H for his bravery during a terror attack in London in June 2017.
This isn’t the first time WWE has gone the extra mile to show their appreciation to someone for their acts of bravery.
In June 2017, off-duty police officer Charlie Guenigault was injured during a terror attack in London, England when he was trying to protect a British Transport Police officer.
The amateur rugby player and lifelong WWE fan was shocked later that month to be presented with a WWE Championship by none other than Triple H.
The Game said at the time “People say a lot of times that they watch WWE because these guys are like real-life superheroes. Well, Charlie is a real hero.”
Dakota Kai made her shocking return to WWE at Summerslam 2022 as part of Damage CTRl, but plans for the group were originally much different.
Damage CTRL, consisting of Kai, IYO SKY, and Bayley, debuted at the July 30 event, in Bayley’s first appearance on WWE TV in over a year.
Since debuting, the group has captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships twice and Bayley has challenged for the Raw Women’s Championship.
Original Plans
Bayley had planned on a stable for years, but the Role Model’s plans were only realized earlier this year.
Appearing on the Getting Over podcast, Kai explained how the original line-up for the group had many different members.
“When she [Bayley first mentioned it to me a couple of years…it was myself, Candice LeRae and Tegan [Nox.] Those were the ones that were from the start. And obviously things that happened from then until now, everything changes.”
Dakota Kai.
Kai later explained how a more recent roster for Damage CTRL included herself, SKY, Alba Fyre, and Raquel Rodriguez.
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion said that this group would have been “epic” but she is equally pleased to team with Bayley and SKY.
What’s Next for Damage CTRL?
After the group’s debut, Bayley set her sights on Bianca Belair, but failed to dethrone the Raw Women’s Champion.
At Survivor Series: WarGames, Team Damage lost to Team Bianca, seemingly marking the end of the feud.
On this week’s Raw, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai brawled with Becky Lynch, starting the group’s newest feud.
Lynch returned to WWE after four months away as the fifth member of Team Bianca and scored the pinfall for her team inside WarGames.
Sasha Banks was at the Boston Celtics versus the Miami Heat basketball game tonight. The Celtics defeated the Heat 134-121 to improve their record to an impressive 18-4.
5 Ways Sasha Banks can be Successful Outside of WWE
The game happened to be played at the TD Garden in Boston, MA. WWE Survivor Series WarGames has held at the same venue a few days ago in The Boss’ hometown.
Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of WWE on May 16th. The two were the Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time but were booked to face off against each other in a Six-Pack Challenge to determine Ronda Rousey’s opponent at Hell in a Cell 2022.
Instead, Sasha and Naomi walked into former EVP of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ office, left the titles on his desk, and left the arena. The two have not appeared in WWE since despite numerous rumors claiming their returns are inevitable.
Ahead of WWE Survivor Series, Bianca Belair was in search for a superstar to fill out her team in the Women’s WarGames match against Damage CTRL, Rhea Ripley, and Nikki Cross. Many fans were hoping that the mystery superstar would be Sasha Banks because the show was in her hometown.
Ahead of WWE Crown Jewel, Sasha posted a video teasing fans that “something so f***ing crazy” was coming.
I’m very excited and I hope you guys come along for this journey, which I know a lot of you have been with me for so long. So thank you. But I just want to let you know that there is going to be something so f***ing crazy coming!
“The day is coming that I’ve been waiting for for the past 6 months — There’s going to be something so fucking crazy coming”
All Elite Wrestling could soon introduce its own Hall of Fame, if AEW President Tony Khan takes the advice of Ric Flair.
Khan founded the promotion in 2019 as an alternative to WWE following the success of the independent supershow ALL IN in 2018.
The promotion is home to several veterans of wrestling, including Chris Jericho, Paul Wight, Mark Henry, and Billy Gunn.
AEW Hall of Fame
Ric Flair is no stranger to being inducted into a wrestling Hall of Fame, having been given the nod twice by WWE (2008 and 2012.)
Flair is also a member of the NWA Hall of Fame (2008,) the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame (1996,) and the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame (2021,) among others.
Speaking on the latest episode of his To Be the Man podcast, Ric called on Khan to give AEW an equivalent accolade.
“I wish Tony would start a Hall of Fame. That would create a lot of interest.”
Ric Flair.
The Nature Boy explained that the accomplishment wouldn’t solely be for the wrestlers of AEW, but for names associated with the company who are established legends of the sport.
“Do it based on people who he thinks were good in the history of the business not just guys from AEW the last three years.”
Ric Flair.
Ric Flair and AEW
If Tony Khan takes Flair’s advice on board, it may be a long time before the 16-time World Champion adds another Hall of Fame ring to his collection.
After leaving WWE in 2021, it was expected that Flair would manage his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo, but those plans were scrapped after the Dark Side of the Ring episode, documenting the Plane Ride from Hell.
Speaking about the infamous 2002 flight, Flair has denied all allegations of forcing a female flight attendant to touch his genitals.
