Things could’ve gone much differently for Gunther in the second half of 2022 if Vince McMahon was still running WWE’s main roster creative instead of Triple H.
WrestleVotes has provided more details on its original report from earlier this year, where it was reported that McMahon soured on Gunther and there were plans to bury him on TV following his segment with R-Truth on the July 4th edition of Monday Night Raw.
The Intercontinental Champion interrupted an Independence Day skit hosted by the veteran wrestler before beating him in a match. It wasn’t clear at the time what the issue was with McMahon and Gunther.
Vince McMahon on Gunther
While speaking with GiveMeSport, WrestleVotes noted that Gunther was going to be buried and send to NXT if McMahon was still in charge, but McMahon resigned two weeks later from this episode before he went forward with his plans.
“I know that Vince McMahon just didn’t like what he saw on Raw and was over him, like legitimately wanted to bury him, go back to NXT, that type of stuff.”
According to the report, Triple H thinks Gunther can be the star of big WWE events. The Intercontinental Champion’s bout with Sheamus at Clash at the Castle is credited with dramatically improving that perception.
Kevin Owens will be on the sidelines for the foreseeable future as the WWE star suffered a right knee injury at Sunday’s WWE house show in Madison, Wisconsin, during a match with Austin Theory.
Fans in attendance had noted coming out of the event that it appeared Owens was injured when it looked like he blew out his knee after planting it during the bout. They went right to the finish, where Owens scored the victory with a stunner, although Owens needed help from the referee to get to the back.
Owens was said to have a concerned look on his face as he was limping to the backstage area, and for good reason.
Kevin Owens
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter confirmed the injury is an MCL sprain and “the way it was worded was that hopefully that is all the injury is with the idea it could be more than that.
The former WWE Universal Champion has been off Monday Night Raw for the past few weeks because he wasn’t going to the Saudi Arabia Crown Jewel event on November 5th but has been wrestling on the house shows.
We hope to have more information shortly. From all of us at SEScoops, we wish Owens a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back in the ring.
All Elite Wrestling star Abadon has unfortunately sustained an injury this past weekend.
On Saturday, November 12, “The Living Dead Girl” wrestled Joey Ace at Warriors of Wrestling in Staten Island, New York. There, the two battled amidst the promotion’s “Intergender Warfare” event.
According to PWInsider, Abadon performed a routine hurricanrana against Ace, before she “landed wrong” and appeared to suffer an injury. Subsequently, the match was quickly halted, and Abadon was then driven to a hospital. It was later believed that the AEW star sustained a broken collarbone, but that was not officially confirmed. In addition, no official details were gathered on how long Abadon may be absent from in-ring action.
We wish Abadon a speedy recovery.
During the same weekend, Abadon was spotted with WWE Superstar and former SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan. The duo posed together amidst their appearances at the Big Event NY, one of pro-wrestling’s biggest conventions
In AEW, Abadon last competed on the November 4 AEW: Dark tapings against Leva Bates.
Previous Injuries
Photo Credit: AEW
In October 2020, Abadon suffered an injury during a scheduled AEW: Dynamite match against Tay Conti. Conti reportedly delivered an elbow strike to Abadon’s throat, rendering her opponent unable to breathe. Subsequently, the match was stopped, and Abadon was sent to the hospital for evaluation.
Abadon eventually returned a month later on the November 25 edition of Dynamite. There, she targeted then AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida, eyeing her title. The two later clashed in January 2021, as Shida retained her title against Abadon at New Year’s Smash.
Jimmy and Jey Uso have made WWE history once again.
November 14, 2022 marks the 484th day of The Usos’ reign with the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships. This number remains significant, as the Usos now eclipse the New Day’s previous record of 483 days with the Raw Tag Team Championships, which lasted from August 23, 2015 to December 18, 2016.
Now, the Usos are the longest reigning Tag Team Champions in WWE history. In honor of their incredible feat, the Usos shared their excitement on Twitter:
On the November 11 edition of SmackDown, the Usos battled their long-time rivals, the New Day. With the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships on the line, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods looked to preserve their previous set record. The match would surpass 20 minutes, with a plethora of back-and-forth action before Jimmy and Jey gained the upper hand. In the end, Kingston landed into a 1D by the Usos, allowing Jey to get the pinfall victory for his team, and ensure their place in the company’s history books.
The duo first captured the Smackdown Tag Team Championships last year at Money in the Bank in July after defeating Rey and Dominik Mysterio. In May 2022, the team collected the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships by defeating RK-Bro (Matt Riddle and Randy Orton) on SmackDown, subsequently securing themselves as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions.
Over the last 17 months, The Usos have successfully retained their titles over a dozen times during the respective reign, most recently against New Day, and the Brawling Brutes at WWE Crown Jewel.
The Best Moments from The Usos’s Historic Tag Title Reign
WWE held their usual Saturday Night’s Main Event house show this past weekend in Peoria, Illinois. However, the show would later take an unfortunate turn.
“The Scottish Warrior” Drew McIntyre rekindled his rivalry with Karrion Kross in a bout between the two. Accordingly, Kross’ real-life wife and on-screen manager, Scarlett, accompanied him to ringside. During their match, a routine spot occurred, where Scarlett fueled up their heel roles, slapping McIntyre as the referee was distracted.
As a heel, Scarlett certainly drew disfavor from the crowd, but on this night, that heat was turned up to the extreme, as multiple fans were soon ejected and the police arrived.
Following her slap to McIntyre, Scarlett pivoted to gauge the crowd’s reaction, but was met by an alcoholic beverage, to the face. A woman from the third row reportedly launched the drink at “The Smoke Show.”
Security then quickly attended to Scarlett, checking on her safety. Eventually, the WWE fan and her family in attendance would all be ejected, before a member of the crew cleaned up the mess at ringside.
After getting cleaned off, Scarlett posted a tweet about the incident, with a clear message for the woman who threw the drink at her.
As a classy woman from Chicago, I’m not surprised that something like this would happen in Peoria.
PS. To the granny who threw the drink, your booze was as cheap as your hairdo.
Scarlett, via Twitter
McIntyre vs Kross
Prior to Saturday’s match, Drew McIntyre and Kross last met inside a steel cage at WWE Crown Jewel. There, he defeated Kross, but later revealed to be battling a severe case of the flu, per PWInsider. Although he was highly sick, McIntyre was “adamant” about the match going on. McIntyre soon pivoted his attention to a new venture though.
McIntyre soon returned on the November 11th edition of SmackDown, evening the odds for Sheamus, Ridge Holland, and Butch, as they fended off the Bloodline to close out the show ahead of the company’s impending Survivor Series: WarGames pay-per-view.
With a truly-historic 2022 coming to an end, the wrestling world is looking ahead to 2023, and what will happen over the next 12 months.
With January approaching, WrestleMania season is drawing near, and with WrestleMania comes the Hall of Fame.
Many of wrestling’s biggest stars have already received the nod, but not everyone and these are some of the huge names yet to go in.
5: The Great Muta
The Great Muta will retire from wrestling in 2023, but will he soon become a WWE Hall of Famer?
Right now, the Great Muta is on his retirement tour, after a truly iconic career in wrestling.
Considered by many to be one of, if not the greatest Japanese wrestler of all time, Muta has held gold with AJPW, NJPW, WCW, and Pro Wrestling NOAH, among others.
Away from titles, Muta has been an inspiration for so many wrestlers, yet a WWE Hall of Fame induction continues to allude the legend.
On January 1, Muta will compete against WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura, in a rare example of WWE allowing one of their stars to compete elsewhere.
Could a Hall of Fame induction have been part of the deal for Nakamura? Perhaps, but whether that happens or not, Muta is worthy of the induction.
4: Owen Hart
The Blackheart, Owen Hart will likely never be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame due to his tragic death in 1999.
It’s nothing short of a crime that for many wrestling fans (and non-fans alike) Owen Hart will be best known for his final moments.
Hart’s tragic passing at the Over the Edge 1999 event has forever cast a shadow on a career certainly worthy of the Hall of Fame.
In this instance, it is Owen’s widow, Martha Hart, who has rejected calls from WWE (and fans) to induct her husband, holding the company responsible for his death.
While Martha has been more open to wrestling this year, even appearing for AEW at their Double or Nothing Pay-Per-View, a relationship with WWE remains non-existent, so don’t expect to see the Rocket receive the nod next year.
3: Batista
The Animal was announced for the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020, but later pulled out because of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
When Batista broke into the wrestling business, it came at a time of his life when many would be considering winding up their careers.
Undeterred, the Animal not only became a wrestler but a six-time WWE World Champion, along with a handful of Tag title reigns.
Unlike many on this list, we know that Batista will be inducted, as he was announced in 2020, but pulled out due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It’s understandable, the Animal was worthy of headlining the ceremony, and the 2020/2021 dual induction would not have been right.
With The Undertaker headlining this year’s Hall of Fame, expect Batista to receive the long-awaited honors next year.
2: The Rock
The Brahma Bull electrified fans for years, but why is he not in WWE’s Hall of Fame.
The Bramha Bull. The People’s Champion. The Great One. The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.
Whatever you call him, Dwayne Johnson should be called a WWE Hall of Famer.
Frankly, it’s baffling he’s not already been given the nod, and we can only imagine one reason for why either he’s said no, or WWE has refused to put him in.
Either Rock, WWE, or both, believe he’s not done in the ring.
It’s hardly a secret that WWE wants the Great One back, with many predicting the long-awaited match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.
Will that match happen? At this time it’s difficult to say, but one thing we know for sure is that Dwayne Johnson is Hall of Fame bound.
1: Vince McMahon
McMahon changed the wrestling world, but his exit from WWE earlier this year could cause problems for an induction.
When fans think of the biggest star in wrestling, they may conjure names like Hulk Hogan, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, John Cena or even Roman Reigns.
Well none of these names would have reached the heights they soared to without Vince McMahon.
Of course, a McMahon induction is problematic, thanks in part to his controversial exit from WWE in July over allegations of misconduct.
As wrestling fans have made clear, they don’t forget. Just ask Hulk Hogan and the chilly reception he received at WrestleMania 37 in his home state of Florida.
There is perhaps no bigger name in wrestling who is more deserving than any induction than Vince McMahon, but whether it will ever happen is another matter entirely.
So huge names from the world of professional wrestling left empty-handed after competing at a show for New Evolution Pro.
The event, which took place on November 13, saw prominent names including Ultimo Dragon, Josh Alexander, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Naomichi Marufuji, and Alberto Del Rio appear.
Fightful Select reports that these stars were told that there was no money for the show and that they would not be getting paid.
Medical Emergency
The rightly-irate wrestlers were informed that the promoter of the show had to leave early, due to what was called a ‘medical emergency.’
Instead of payment for appearing, the talent was told to split the profits from meet-and-greets between them.
Fightful reports that Josh Alexander had to “chase down” the promoter who had money on him.
When counted, it came to $14,000 less than what was owed to the roster.
Pro Wrestling NOAH
In the report, it’s added that talent from Pro Wrestling NOAH was not paid and that the promotion will have to chase down the money.
Despite this, Nakajimi, Marufuji and Dragon all worked hard despite missing their payday.
The main event of the show saw a six-man-tag, pitting Alexander, Ricardo Rodriguez and Alberto Del Rio against Ultimo Dragon, Nakajima and Marufuji.
Post-Match
After the match, Del Rio cut a promo saying nobody was getting paid, which while not exactly true, did highlight how nobody was getting near what they were owed.
Fightful adds that some of the talent signed free autographs to help out the crowd.
The promoter reportedly insisted fans pay him via Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App, and there was no point of purchase for actual tickets.
All Elite Wrestling’s Jay Lethal is going to be sticking with the company for the long haul according to recent comments by Lethal himself.
Lethal debuted for AEW one year ago at the Full Gear 2021 Pay-Per-View and has aligned himself with Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh.
Before arriving in AEW, Lethal competed for Ring of Honor and holds the record for the most combined days as Ring of Honor World Champion.
Staying in AEW
Lethal is a well-traveled wrestler, having competed in AEW, ROH, and Impact Wrestling, among other smaller promotions.
Now that he’s with AEW though, Lethal is ready to settle down, as he told Kurt Angle on the Olympian’s podcast.
“I’ll be at AEW until the company closes, they let me go, or they fire me, because, to me, in wrestling, if I’m going to put my body, my life, and my career on the line for you, I’ve got to appreciate and love you. There is some bond between us and I’m going to try my hardest to not ever break that bond.”
Lethal has certainly been booked prominently since arriving in AEW, and will compete at this weekend’s Full Gear event.
The man once called Black Machismo will team with Jeff Jarrett to face Darby Allin and Sting in Double-J’s AEW in-ring debut.
What Could Have Been…
Lethal is happy with his role in AEW, but is aware that things could have been much different.
Speaking about his sense of loyalty, Lethal believes he would not have tried to leave either Ring of Honor or Impact had things been different.
“My dad and I have always talked about being loyal and wrestling and not just going to the highest bidder.”
“I would have been in IMPACT Wrestling, I believe, to this day if they didn’t let me go. Ring of Honor, if they didn’t close down, I would still be wrestling for them to this day.”
Jay Lethal.
In late 2021, Ring of Honor temporarily ceased operations due to costs, and resurfaced in March 2022, now owned by AEW President Tony Khan.
The crowd in Dubai may not be interested in seeing Guevara competing in pro boxing, but that is the reported plan.
After Guevara was announced for the Global Titans event, Dave Meltzer reported that the show’s promoters are hopeful that Guevara will compete at a future show.
The former AEW TNT Champion does not have any professional fighting experience.
Guevara in AEW
Joining AEW in February 2019, Guevara is a record-tying three-time AEW TNT Champion, an accolade he shares with Cody Rhodes.
Once part of the Inner Circle, Guevara is now part of the Jericho Appreciation Society.
The Spanish God’s actions out of the ring have also been noteworthy, as he engaged in an altercation with Eddie Kingston earlier this year, and was more recently attacked by Andrade El Idolo.
Guevara’s most recent match came on last week’s AEW Dynamite, where he lost to Bryan Danielson in a two out of three falls match.
Former TNT Champion Miro hasn’t been featured on AEW television lately and there hasn’t been any reason provided for his absence.
He was randomly thrown in a 6-man tag team match at the now infamous All Out PPV on September 4th. Miro teamed up with Darby Allin and Sting to defeat the House of Black at the PPV.
Buddy Matthews bashed Miro with Sting’s baseball bat to take him out of the match. Sting spit mist in Malakai Black’s eyes and Darby capitalized for the pinfall victory. Darby Allin and Sting have been booked for a match at AEW Full Gear on November 19th. The duo will battle Jay Lethal and the recently signed Jeff Jarrett in a tag team match.
AEW Full Gear 2022 Preview
Miro is not currently booked for a match for the PPV at the Prudential Center this Saturday. All Elite Wrestling is holding another World Title Eliminator tournament with the finals taking place at the PPV. Miro was a part of the tournament last year but lost to Bryan Danielson in the finals via submission at Full Gear 2021. The former TNT Champion was a replacement for Jon Moxley when he stepped away last year. He was not included in the tournament this year.
A fan on Twitter put together some highlights of The Redeemer in All Elite Wrestling and Miro responded. The 37-year-old responded with “remember that guy?”, a nod to his mysterious lack of television time on Dynamite or Rampage.
Former WWE Superstar CJ Perry (Lana) and Miro’s better half joined Busted Open Radio recently and was asked about her husband’s bizarre booking in All Elite Wrestling. She noted that AEW President Tony Khan has his favorites that he is going to push.
Tony Khan has his favorites and he’s going to push the favorites just like Vince [McMahon] would push his favorites, just like Hunter is going to push his people. It’s show business.
Liv Morgan has had a career year in WWE. She won the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match and cashed in on the same night. She defeated Ronda Rousey to become SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Morgan picked up another victory over Ronda at this year’s SummerSlam in a controversial finish. The Baddest Woman on the Planet recaptured the SmackDown Women’s Championship in an Extreme Rules match at the premium live event. Liv has since taken a liking to extreme matches, while Ronda is set to defend the title against Shotzi at Survivor Series WarGames.
Liv Morgan was spotted with AEW star Abadon over the weekend. The two were a part of the Big Event expo in New York and took a photo together.
Liv Morgan recently made a cameo on the Chucky TV show. The 28-year-old’s appearance on the show didn’t last long as the villainous doll killed her off immediately.
She spoke with USA Insider to promote the show and revealed she reached out to WWE and asked to be in the show.
So I just went to WWE and I was like, ‘Do you think there’s any opportunity for me in any capacity? Because I’d love to be involved in any way, shape, or form.’
And so they reached out, and I was actually put in touch with Don Mancini, the show’s creator – he’s been so gracious to me.
We jumped on a Zoom and he was able to write me into the script. It’s been almost a pipe dream come true. It started with an ask that turned into something unbelievable.
The SmackDown World Cup began this past Friday on WWE SmackDown. Santos Escobar of Legado del Fantasma defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in the first round. Braun Strowman picked up a victory over former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal to advance to the semifinals. The superstar that wins the SmackDown World Cup will earn an Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther.
Rey Mysterio was scheduled to be a part of the tournament to potentially earn a rematch against The Ring General. Mysterio was traded to WWE SmackDown after he tried to quit the company to avoid dealing with his son, Dominik Mysterio, and the Judgment Day on RAW.
Triple H orchestrated a trade that sent Baron Corbin to the red brand in exchange for Rey. On his first night on the blue brand, Rey replaced Karrion Kross in a Fatal 4-Way after he was attacked by Drew McIntyre in the parking lot. Mysterio won the match to become the #1 contender for the IC Title. Gunther defeated the 47-year-old on the November 4th edition of SmackDown to retain the title.
According to a report by Ringside News, Rey Mysterio was seen backstage with a walking boot and is currently dealing with a “short-term” injury. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer backed up the report and said Rey is dealing with an ankle or foot injury.
Mustafa Ali has replaced Rey Mysterio in the SmackDown World Cup tournament and will battle Ricochet on the November 18th episode of SmackDown. Despite being in the tournament on SmackDown, Mustafa is still currently a member of the RAW roster.
Nick Aldis has given his take on Saturday’s NWA Hard Times 3 pay-per-view event.
Aldis had been the face of the company for years, but announced last week he is leaving the brand and will be a free agent in January 2023.
Following Hard Times, Aldis shared a message to his Instagram subscribers saying that he hopes people understand why it was important for him to announce why it was important for him to share that he was giving his notice prior to the Hard Times event.
He also added that he believes the National Wrestling Alliance is now the most toxic brand in all of wrestling. He wrote the following:
Nick Aldis’ Latest NWA Take
“I hope now you see why it was important to me to let you know that I had given my notice to the NWA BEFORE this ppv. What was once a promising endeavour that I turned down bigger opportunities to take the lead on, has become the most toxic brand in pro wrestling. Thank you all for the support.”
At Hard Times, the main event saw Tyrus become the NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion by beating Trevor Murdoch and Matt Cardona.
American eXcellence Wrestling will launch in 2023. Former WWE announcer and current NJPW commentator, Kevin Kelly announced its launch on Sunday via Twitter.
The promotion’s inaugural event takes place just three days after Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 7 in Hamburg, Pennsylvania at the historic Hamburg Field House.
Kelly confirmed that the has a financial stake in the promotion. He also said that he hopes to do some podcasts about the promotion and how it came about, but mentioned the possibility explaining it in a Facebook video. He did reveal a little bit of why he wanted to start AXW including the “history of the building, Ron Fuller Welch and his Studcast inspired me to put on my ‘promoter hat’. My Sales experience, leading a team of entrepreneurs who love wrestling, will help.”
This is what I've been dying to share! American eXcellence Wrestling is the first promotion I have a financial stake in and the first event is January 7 at the Historic Hamburg Fieldhouse. pic.twitter.com/A681NlBR4z
Knowing the history of the building plus @RonFullerWelch and his Studcast inspired me to put on the "Promoter Hat". My sales experience, leading a team of entrepreneurs who love wrestling, will help. https://t.co/hDHKgiGQyQ
NWA referee, Jarrod Fritz has confirmed his involvement in the promotion. Fritz has also worked shows with NJPW Strong and Premiere Wrestling Experience (PWX) in Charlotte, NC, where Kelly has done some commentary work in the past.
AEW holding a show in the UK has been years in the making. In fact, Ogogo’s former rival Cody Rhodes was talking about bringing ‘elite’ wrestling to the country since 2019.
The former Olympic boxer recently spoke withDesert Island Graps and used a hockey analogy to explain how hard he’s working to get back in an AEW ring.
“When I do get the chance, I will score a hat trick and I won’t give up,” he said.
When asked if AEW’s UK debut was the place for him to score this hat trick, Ogogo couldn’t contain his excitement.
“Mate, I’ve got a f**king stiffy.”
The Guv’nor’s AEW career has been hampered with injuries. Last summer, he revealed his in-ring career was on hold due to him undergoing his 10th eye surgery since suffering a broken eye socket during a 2016 boxing fight.
His biggest AEW feud as was against Cody Rhodes, a feud both men reget. He hasn’t wrestled in 2022.
Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Shawn “The Heartbreak Kid” were recently profiled by The Ringer on the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Screwjob.
At Survivor Series 1997, Bret defended the WWF Championship at the time against Shawn Michaels in the main event. The Heartbreak Kid locked in Bret’s finishing move, the Sharpshooter, and the bell rang even though Hart had not tapped out. Hart spat in former WWE CEO Vince McMahon and motioned the letters “WCW” to the camera.
Speaking with The Ringer, Bret admitted that he held bitterness toward Shawn Michaels for a long time. He claimed that it was watching Michaels and The Undertaker at WrestleMania that caused him to finally bury the hatchet.
We had our issues over the years. But I watched Undertaker and Shawn Michaels wrestle at one of the WrestleManias. Even then, I had such a bitterness towards Shawn, but I had to admit it was one of the greatest matches I ever watched.
That’s where I ended up deciding to make friends with Shawn and bury the hatchet and all that
The Hitman added that shaking hands with Shawn Michaels in 2010 was very real and moving for him.
Me and Shawn making up in the ring (in 2010) and shaking hands and all that, that was all very real and very moving for me. And was not something that was orchestrated.
Shawn wanted that off his back and I was in a position to take it off his back and that was the best resolution for both of us. We’ve been friends ever since. And I’m grateful that he’s in a better place today
Bret took another shot at Goldberg and said that he wished he never left WWE because he probably wouldn’t have had to get in the ring with the former WCW Champion.
I wish that none of the bad history that we had-had ever happened. I wished I’d never left for WCW because I probably wouldn’t have had a stroke and I probably wouldn’t have had to wrestle Bill Goldberg.
Hart referred to himself as a “WWE guy” and said he was proud of everything he did in the ring.
I was always a WWE guy, always. And I almost resent when someone talks about me like I wasn’t. They’re surprised I’m even around today. But I gave everything I had to that company and I’m proud of everything I did in the ring and I’m proud of what I represented.
Sami Zayn was conspicuous by his absence on this week’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
The show saw The Usos successfully defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against the New Day, and celebrated after the match with Roman Reigns.
Tomorrow, The Usos will officially reach the record for the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions of all time, eclipsing the New Day.
Zayn’s Absence
Zayn was nowhere to be seen during SmackDown, despite often being a highlight of the show.
WWE explained Zayn’s absence as due to ‘personal reasons,’ which may, unfortunately, be tragic.
A familiar face was making his way around the WWE Performance Center this week in Orlando, Florida.
Former WWE Superstar Kalisto was at the PC this week doing some guest coaching throughout the week. According to Fightful, He also did some producing of matches, participating in the NXT live event on Friday night. In particular, it was noted that Kalisto produced the women’s matches on the show.
Kalisto has been absent from WWE since he was released in April 2021. He had been with the company for eight years but was released during one of their rounds of “budget cuts.”
Since his time with WWE ended, Kalisto has had some health issues including a nasty bout with Covid-19. He did work one match for AEW on November 3, 2021, teaming with Aero Star in a losing effort against FTR on AEW Dynamite.
It’s unknown right now if Kalisto’s guest coaching and producing for WWE will continue or if it was a one-off. We’ll update as more becomes known.
Kalisto first achieved notoriety in his WWE run when he teamed with Sin Cara as the Lucha Dragons, winning the NXT Tag Team Championships in the process. As part of the main roster, he went on to capture the WWE United States Championship on two occasions and the WWE Cruiserweight Championship once.
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news. Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
All Elite Wrestling presents Full Gear this Saturday night, live from Trenton, New Jersey. The PPV event begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, and there will be a one hour pre-show
It’s the fourth installment of Full Gear, which originated in 2019 with a show from Baltimore. Last year’s event took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota and featured “Hangman” Adam Page capturing the AEW World Championship.
It’s been a long road to Full Gear following the real-life backstage brawl that occurred after the All Out PPV in Chicago. However, AEW has started to get back on course in recent weeks. The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) look to be scheduled to return on the PPV, and MJF gets a world title opportunity against Jon Moxley in what could be the young star’s crowning moment.
The lineup will be finalized after Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite. We will update the card here as needed.
Stay tuned for our AEW Full Gear predictions coming later this week.
AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed vs. Swerve In Our Glory
AEW World Championship Eliminator Tournament Finals (TBD)
AEW Women’s World Interim Champion Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter
ROH World Champion Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Sammy Guevara
AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Nyla Rose
Britt Baker vs. Saraya
Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal vs. Sting and Darby Allin
Luchasaurus vs. “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry
The card listed here will be updated as it changes.
When is AEW Full Gear 2022
Full Gear takes place this Saturday, November 19th, from Trenton, New Jersey at the Prudential Center.
The event starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern / 5:00 p.m. Pacific. There is a one-hour pre-show that begins one hour before the main card. Matches for the pre-show will be finalized this week.
How to Watch AEW Full Gear 2022
AEW Full Gear 2022 streams live on Bleacher Report in the United States and on FITE.tv internationally.
Mustafa Ali will be competing in the SmackDown World Cup Tournament, despite being a Raw Superstar.
The tournament kicked off on this week’s SmackDown, with Mexico’s Santos Escobar defeating Japan’s Shinsuke Nakamura.
The United States’ Braun Strowman qualified for the semi-finals with a convincing victory over Jinder Mahal who is representing India.
Mustafa Ali
Ali is one of eight names in the tournament and is the only one who is a Raw Superstar.
The former Retribution leader has been feuding with United States Champion Seth Rollins in recent weeks, and there has been speculation over his roster status.
When Fightful Select asked sources within WWE, they were told that Ali is still a member of the Raw roster, and is expected to work both shows during the tournament.
Ali was a last-minute replacement for Rey Mysterio, who was pulled from the tournament for unspecified reasons.
Mustafa Ali, who is representing Pakistan, will face Ricochet (USA) in a first-round match on next week’s SmackDown.
The SmackDown World Cup
The SmackDown World Cup Tournament Trophy was revealed this week.
In addition to Ricochet Vs. Ali, next week’s SmackDown will also see Sami Zayn (Canada) taking on Butch (England.)
Michael Cole noted on commentary that the SmackDown World Cup Tournament will take place over three weeks, meaning it will conclude on the November 25, SmackDown.
That show will also be the go-home event for Survivor Series WarGames.
The winner of the tournament will receive a Championship match at Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, likely on the Premium Live Event.
The SmackDown World Cup Trophy was revealed on last week’s SmackDown.
The iconic NWA World Heavyweight Championship is now in the massive hands of Tyrus who captured the gold at Hard Times 3.
Last night’s Pay-Per-View saw Tyrus win the gold in the main event from Champion Trevor Murdoch, in a match that also included Matt Cardona.
Cardona had held the NWA World Title earlier this year but vacated the gold due to a biceps injury.
This marks Tyrus’ first World Championship win.
Other title changes on the show saw Clearwater defeating AJ Cazana to win the Television title and Kerry Morton defeating Homicide to win the NWA Junior Heavyweight Title.
Road to the Gold
Tyrus captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Hard Times 3, defeating Trevor Murdoch and Matt Cardona.
Tyrus first challenged for the NWA World Championship at NWA 74: Night Two in August of this year, but was unsuccessful.
The former WWE Superstar earned the title match at Hard Times by cashing in the NWA World Television Championship, which he had successfully defended seven times.
Outside Influence?
Tyrus’ victory at Hard Times 3 is by far the biggest victory of his career, but his push to the top may not be entirely down to wrestling.
Earlier this week, Fightful Select reported that his appearances on FOX News have helped his popularity immensely, and have led to him being the most-purchased Major Bendie figure released in the Major Pod line.
Tyrus appeared on Greg Gutfeld’s “Gutfeld!” program and plugged the action figure, which apparently led to a boost in sales.
Tyrus began appearing for FOX in 2016, and was promoted to his own show ‘Nuff Said in 2019.
In the report, Fightful added that a custom-length NWA World Championship had been designed, presumably to match Tyrus’ size.
Green was called up to WWE’s main roster in late 2020 but suffered a hand injury during her first match on SmackDown.
Despite being released, she was allowed to continue attending WWE’s Performance Center while her hand was healing.
Speaking earlier this week, Green rejected the idea of going to AEW and said that she had maintained a great relationship with WWE’s Head of Talent Relations Triple H.
Ronda Rousey is really enjoying herself in WWE, but it wasn’t always this way.
The reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion has had some ups and downs since joining the company on a full-time basis in January 2018. She’s had a contentious relationship with fans and even got some heat from her co-workers by calling pro wrestling “fake fighting.”
During the latest episode of her “Ronda on the Road” YouTube series, Rousey explained that she’s finally feeling more comfortable in WWE. It took some time to get there, but she believes she’s paid her dues and has earned the right to speak up for herself behind the scenes.
“I think this run is easier because I kind of know how things work around here and I’ve kind of paid up more of my dues.”
– Ronda Rousey
Paying Her Dues
Rousey was a global sports icon when she made the leap into pro wrestling. She was a natural from the moment she first step foot in the ring, but being a high-paid rookie can come with some drawbacks. At times, she’s felt like she couldn’t fully speak up for herself.
Several years into her WWE career, she feels confident enough to speak up for herself and is humble enough to accept pushback as well.
“I have put enough time here that they’ll at least hear me out and explain to me why I’m wrong (if I am), you know, and that way I learned something. I think I feel like I have more of a voice this time and confidence to use it.”
The Baddest Woman on the Planet has been feuding with Shotzi in recent weeks. They’ll battle for Rousey’s SmackDown Women’s Championship at WWE Survivor Series later this month.
Michael Cole may have bitten off more than he can chew with a recent remark he made about Rhea Ripley.
The 26-year-old grappler from Adelaide, Australia is one of the most feared Superstars in WWE – and we’re not just talking about the women’s division. Ripley’s career was growing stagnant earlier this year, and she even spoke about the need to get herself back on track. She did just that earlier this year when she joined the Judgment Day faction, which also includes Finn Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio.
The group has been feuding with AJ Styles and The OC. The Judgment Day has gotten the upper hand in this gang warfare so far, with OC leader stating that Ripley is the reason the group has been so dominant.
At WWE’s recent Crown Jewel premium live event, announcer Michael Cole said that someone needs to kick Ripley’s ass. That didn’t go over so well with Ripley. She’s letting Cole know comments like that won’t be tolerated and has since challenge him to a fight.
On Saturday morning, Ripley wrote on Twitter, “Fight me @Michael Cole”
Doin’t expect to see Cole take her up on this challenge. However, one thing is for sure. You can’t just run your mouth about the Judgment Day’s toughest member.
The OC recently brought in Mia Yim to feud with Ripley as part of this ongoing feud.
CM Punk’s future in wrestling remains unclear as he could stay with AEW, return to WWE or never wrestle again following his backstage fight with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks after AEW’s All Out pay-per-view.
As a result of his involvement in the fight, he was stripped of the World Title and suspended. Punk is reportedly in talks with AEW about a contract buyout.
Eric Bischoff shared his opinion on CM Punk while speaking with Wrestling Inc. According to Bischoff, he doesn’t think Triple H should bring him back.
Eric Bischoff on CM Punk
(A&E)
“I don’t know what Paul Levesque is thinking, I don’t know what their plans are, their strategies are, so I have no idea. I can tell you from my perspective, I wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole. I think CM Punk had a mystique because of WWE, and because of the pipe bomb interview, and because he walked out, that created this aura and mystique that [AEW CEO] Tony [Khan] brought to AEW and took advantage of for a minute. And once that mystique was gone, once you kind of let that air out of the balloon, and now you’re just performing every week, I didn’t see it in Punk. I just didn’t see it in him as a character, I didn’t see it in him in the ring –- he was good, but he wasn’t phenomenal.”
Bischoff also shared a handful of reasons he doesn’t think Punk would find success in returning to the company ranging from his age, lack of being in great shape, and WWE being more intense and physical than AEW with its style.
Bischoff also thinks the fans turned on Punk and left a bad taste in their mouth, and they realize that that mystique is no longer there as he’s just another guy. Bischoff doesn’t see value in Punk anymore.
