Paul Levesque (Triple H) wasn’t always on board with Judgment Day as he reportedly “changed his mind” about pushing a particular WWE act since he took over main roster creative from Vince McMahon.
WrestleVotes discussed Levesque’s current perception of the group while doing an interview with GiveMeSport. Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Dominik Mysterio make up the current group after kicking out Edge, the original leader, weeks ago.
Triple H Changed His Mind
“I know back in late July or early August, whenever this whole shift happened, from what I was told Hunter wasn’t really cool with Judgment Day. Not personally, but he just didn’t like the idea. But since he’s grown behind it, I think that they’re going to be around for longer than anticipated.”
The group has since Triple H has taken over creative as there is a dynamic between Ripley and Dominik, and now they’re feuding with The OC.
This past Monday night on Raw, the feud was pushed forward as Mia Yim returned to WWE and aligned with the OC as a female equalizer to Judgment Day’s Rhea Ripley. It looks like WWE is building to another match between the groups at Survivor Series later this month.
KC Navarro has made a name for himself on the independent wrestling scene and is now seemingly close to getting a tryout with the largest pro wrestling company in the world, WWE.
Fightful Select reports that a WWE source told them that Navarro is on WWE’s radar and Navarro is even being considered for a private WWE tryout. WWE usually holds tryouts with several wrestlers at one time, so this could be a good sign the company wants to sign him if a private tryout set up.
KC Navarro’s Background
MLW
Navarro has wrestled almost 300 matches since his wrestling debut, including for the likes of Impact Wrestling, MLW, Warrior Wrestling, and DEFY.
The independent standout has also wrestled a handful of matches for AEW’s Dark brand between October 2020 and March 2021.
On Thursday, WWE announced its Fall 2022 class of Performance Center recruits as 14 people have joined the promotion on developmental deals where they will be training at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Many of the names announced were part of the July set of tryouts in Nashville, TN, ahead of the SummerSlam premium live event. These recruits are hopeful that they will one day make their WWE TV debuts on NXT.
There are many dream matches for Gunther on the main roster that fans are looking forward to seeing happen. For the WWE Intercontinental Champion, he has shared a dream opponent: Brock Lesnar.
Gunther’s success in WWE has followed him from NXT UK where he was a top star, to NXT to the main roster. He’s been booked as a dominant force on the main roster, winning the Intercontinental Title in June.
GUNTHER has defended the title in several dream matches, most recently putting on banger after banger with Sheamus.
Gunther vs. Lesnar
While speaking with WMBD News, Gunther revealed he has his eye on a match with Brock Lesnar.
“If I had to pin it down to one name, I’d say it’s Brock Lesnar at the moment. When I was young and watching WWE, I enjoyed watching his matches. Later on when I progressed in my career, I was able to watch wrestling and analyze how people work. He’s always been somebody I was impressed with. He’s one of the best to ever do it. I think that’s the biggest possible challenge for me at the moment.”
Lesnar last wrestled at the Crown Jewel premium live event on November 5th by defeating Bobby Lashley.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are back with WWE, but only after a tumultuous exit from the company.
The former Raw Tag Team Champions returned to WWE last month to aid AJ Styles in his feud with The Judgment Day.
The pair had been released from WWE in April 2020 as part of the first wave of releases explained as ‘budget cuts.’
Offended
Gallows and Anderson’s final appearance for WWE before being released came at WrestleMania 36, during the much-acclaimed Boneyard match between Styles and The Undertaker.
Speaking about being released on After the Bell, Luke Gallows explained why it was kind of offensive to be cut after such a popular match.
“It’s eleven days removed from this Boneyard match that we got all this praise for. so we didn’t see it coming. It offended him and it offended me too a little bit. We’re eleven days out from main eventing Wrestlemania.”
Luke Gallows.
The match, which would also be The Undertaker’s final match, saw the Deadman win in the main event of WrestleMania 36: Night One.
A Total Surprise
Gallows and Anderson were one of dozens of names cut in April 2020, which included Matt Cardona, Miro, Kurt Angle among many more.
During the podcast, Anderson explained that when he was called, he did not figure he would be one of the many released.
“When the Talent Relations person called that day, I saw them ringing my phone. I said ‘you must be having a bad day and wanting to hear a good voice.’ He goes ‘well it’s not so good for you either.’ I go ‘Huh?!'”
Like Anderson, Gallows had no idea he was going to be released, even as more names were added to the list of cuts.
“He [Gallows] doesn’t even know what’s going on because he’s outside mowing his lawn. The guy rings and the HR guy goes ‘I just got off the phone with your partner’ and Gallows go ‘why?’ It just came as a surprise to us.”
Hitting the Ground Running
Gallows and Anderson’s departure in 2020 came less than four years after the joined WWE, which in Gallows’ case, was a return.
Anderson explained on After the Bell that he and Gallows immediately went to work after receiving the dreaded call.
“Those kind of things set people back for days. But after that first hour, we had CBD Oil, we had a beer, and we had a wine label. We had an Impact Wrestling offer. We had New Japan on the phone. All of this was rocking. By the end of the day, I had almost forgotten what had happened.”
Gallows and Anderson would return to New Japan, debut for AEW, and compete for Impact Wrestling before their return to WWE this year.
Natalya could be out of action for at least three months following surgery, which may mean missing the WWE Royal Rumble in January.
The SmackDown star underwent nose surgery on November 7th and shared a photo from her hospital bed. WWE covered the surgery by doing an injury angle on television that saw Natalya receive the end of a knee to the face from Shayna Baszler during a recent edition of SmackDown.
Out of Action
Natalya Neidhart
At the time of the surgery being revealed, it was not clear how long Natalya would be out following the surgery.
An indication of the timeframe has now emerged as Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that “she will be out of action a minimum of three months and perhaps a little longer because they will be waiting for it to fully heal and this isn’t the three weeks back after ankle surgery she did a few years back to prove she could.”
Natalya will miss Survivor Series: War Games later this month from Boston and potentially the Royal Rumble on January 28, 2023 in San Antonio. We wish her a speedy recovery.
The next Undertaker 1 deadMAN SHOW is planned for January, ahead of the Royal Rumble premium live event.
WWE confirmed today that on January 27, The Undertaker will host another edition of his 1 deadMAN SHOW at the Tech Port Center + Arena. WWE’s first premium live event of 2023 will be Royal Rumble, which will take place on January 28 at San Antonio’s Alamodome.
The Show
The show “will feature The Phenom in an intimate setting, sharing never-before-heard stories from his Hall of Fame career and taking questions from the WWE Universe in attendance.”
Tickets for it will go on sale this Tuesday, November 15 at 10 AM CT via Techportcenter.com. A limited number of VIP tickets, which include premier seating and a meet-and-greet with the legendary wrestler, will also be available.
This will be the fourth time that WWE has held the Royal Rumble in San Antonio and the third time the event has been hosted at the Alamodome. It will feature 30-men and 30-women Royal Rumble matches, with the winners of both receiving a Championship match opportunity at WrestleMania 39 in April from SoFi Stadium in LA.
The Undertaker last held a 1 deadMAN SHOW ahead of the Extreme Rules premium live event in October.
.@undertaker 1 deadMAN SHOW is heading to San Antonio! Listen to never-before-heard stories of his Hall of Fame career on January 27th! Tickets available Tuesday!https://t.co/NZeNT9EXYT
Steve Maclin and Deonna Purrazzo have been dating since 2020 and were engaged this past February.
The former two-time Knockouts World Champion and a former Knockouts World Tag Team Champion has now tied the knot with the former WWE star.
The Wedding
Deonna recently posted photos from her wedding on Instagram that revealed several wrestlers were in attendance for it, such as Chelsea Green, Dr. Britt Baker, Wendy Choo, McKenzie Mitchell, and Tasha Steelz.
She also shared photos from her bridal party. In one post, Maclin is holding a glass of wine as they kissed on the stairs, and she captioned her post, “Let’s do the DAMN THANG.”
Deonna opened up about her marriage with Maclin recently as she announced the date and explained why they chose it. The explanation was, “It is November 10th, which is also the Marine Corps birthday, so he is excited because it is a double whammy for him.”
From all of us here at SEScoops, we wish the happy couple the best as they embark on a new chapter in their life together.
Although The Elite (The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega) have yet to make their return to AEW television, they have been backstage at recent AEW Dynamite events.
As previously reported, Warner Bros. Discovery is filming a behind-the-scenes reality TV show with AEW, although at the time, the talent involved in the show was unknown.
Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that filming is underway, and it’s believed The Elite will be featured on the show. This may explain why the trio has been backstage at recent events before returning to TV following their suspension.
Latest Development
(via AEW)
Meltzer wrote, “They are now filming the AEW reality show each week, starting with the 11/2 show in Baltimore. I believe the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega are part of the show, which may be why they have been in despite not appearing on the television show. At least when the show was conceived, they were a part of it.”
The Elite hasn’t been seen on AEW programming since capturing the Trios Championships at the All Out PPV on September 4th. They were suspended and stripped of the titles due to their involvement in the ‘Brawl Out’ situation with Ace Steel and CM Punk.
In recent weeks, vignettes have aired teasing the trio’s return, leading many fans to believe that The Elite will finally be returning at the Full Gear PPV on November 19th.
The public feud between Nick Aldis and NWA owner Billy Corgan has become a trending topic of discussion very fast. It all started when the former NWA champion announced on social media earlier this week that he had given his notice to the company. In response to this, the promotion suspended the heavyweight star.
Aldis recently appeared on the Not Sam Wrestling podcast. He opened up about his issues with Billy Corgan and NWA in detail. When asked how he reacted to his suspension from the organization, Nick claimed that he didn’t even know about it, until someone reached out to him:
“‘Okay’ That’s pretty much what I said ‘Okay.’ One of the wrestling media guys [reached out]. Like, ‘Can you comment on being suspended?’ I went ‘Hein? Wait, I just gave my notice.’
It’s kind of like, to me I just likened it to be like when you’re in like high school or grade school. It’s like, ‘I broke up with him.’ ‘No, I broke up with him'”
– Nick Aldis
Apart from this, Nick also detailed the issues that led to him making the decision to leave NWA. According to him, he was wearing a lot of hats in the company without being compensated for it. The former TNA star claimed that Billy Corgan also put him in an uncomfortable position by asking to intervene when Corgan had a fallout with Thunder Rosa, which wasn’t his job.
WWE and their gaming partner 2K are appealing a courtroom defeat over the use of Randy Orton’s tattoos in video games.
In April 2018, artist Catherine Alexander filed the suit, alleging that she was not properly reimbursed for the use of tattoos on the Viper’s body used in gaming.
In 2015, Alexander submitted applications to register copyrights on each of the tattoos she inked on the former World Champion’s body.
The Appeal
Last month, after years of delays thanks in part to the Covid-19 pandemic, a jury ruled in Alexander’s favor.
WWE had argued that the tattoos came under ‘fair use,’ and were necessary to depict Orton in video games.
Despite the lengthy case, Alexander was awarded just $3,750 in damages.
Bandido’s decision to sign with AEW over WWE was thanks in part due to the wrestler not wishing to relocate to Flordia.
Bandido made his AEW debut during the September 28, 2022, episode of AEW Dynamite, challenging Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho in a losing effort.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Bandido’s decision was influenced by having a family in Mexico, who would not want to move to Florida.
The belief is that had he signed, Bandido would have gone to WWE’s Performance Center first and later competed in NXT, both of which are based in Florida.
It was also noted that if/when he was called up to the main roster, Bandido would have far fewer opportunities to spend time with his family than by signing with AEW.
Bandido’s Contract
Now officially part of the AEW roster, Bandido’s deal is reported to be the standard three years, typical for now AEW signings.
The Observer adds that Bandido has a “maximum number of dates,” which is more matches than most AEW wrestlers work in a year.
It was also noted that the maximum number of matches an AEW star can do a year could change if the promotion introduces house shows.
Alexa Bliss has had many characters during her years with WWE, and that’s expected to continue if the former Women’s Champion has her way.
Bliss debuted for WWE in 2013 and is a former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion, a WWE Women’s Tag Champion, and a one-time 24/7 Champion.
More recently, Bliss has been aligned with Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Asuka in their war with Damage CTRL, and the two teams will face off inside WarGames.
Going Through Changes
Bliss has undergone several changes since her debut as a glitter-loving babyface, and that trend is likely to continue.
Speaking to Sebastian Hackl of WWE Deutschland, Bliss explained that her current character on TV is something she hopes to change.
“I think about it [changing her character] a lot more recently because I don’t really know where I’m at right now when it comes to character-wise.
“So I think about like, ‘Man, I’ve been eight to nine different personas in my career. I tried to always evolve, and I am actually trying to even change from what I’m doing now.”
Bliss captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles last week (her third reign overall) but she and Asuka lost the titles days later at WWE Crown Jewel.
Bliss’ Personas
It was on the July 24, 2013 episode of NXT that Bliss would make her on-screen debut and would remain a glitter-loving face who wore a tutu to the ring.
Turning heel in 2015, Bliss would align with Blake and Murphy (she was dating Buddy Murphy at the time) and would often associate cosplay with her attires.
This trend continued upon her call-up to SmackDown in 2016 as a heel, where she would be compared to DC’s Harley Quinn for her colorful hair and persona.
After a run as ‘The Goddess’ Bliss would miss months of action due to injuries and would adopt various roles, including being WWE’s head of the Women’s division.
Bliss’ biggest character change came in 2020 when she became her ‘Dark Alexa’ persona and aligned with Bray Wyatt.
Earlier this year, Bliss ditched the Dark Alexa character, though some believe it will return now that Wyatt has been rehired by WWE.
Anthony Ogogo is an established fighter, but that hasn’t translated into TV time on AEW Dynamite or Rampage.
Ogogo joined AEW in 2019 and comes from a boxing background, having won Silver at the 2010 New Dehli Commonwealth Games and Bronze at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
A 2017 fight resulted in one of Ogogo’s eye sockets being fractured and he would be forced to retire from professional boxing years later.
I Just Want to Wrestle
In March 2021, Ogogo would make his AEW TV debut and would immediately enter a program with Cody Rhodes.
Despite the prominent feud, that saw Rhodes win at Double or Nothing 2021, Ogogo has all but vanished from AEW TV.
Speaking to Fightful, the Olympic Bronze medalist reflected on how little he’s been featured over the past 18 months.
“I just want to wrestle. I want to get good and have time. I just want to be on TV and show people how hard I’m working and how good I can be.”
Anthony Ogogo.
Ogogo added that he’s being “patient” and continues to make appearances for indie promotions and PROGRESS Wrestling.
Everything has Changed
Ogogo was away in the UK from June 2021 to December 2021 dealing with his passport and visa issues, after both items were stolen during his time in the States.
Speaking about his return to AEW, the British star explained how nothing is quite the same as it once was.
“When I came back, everything had changed. They signed Bryan Danielson, the best wrestler who has probably ever lived, they signed (CM) Punk and this, that, and the other person.
“The whole landscape changed. Cody left, me coming back and doing something with him, that was gone because he’s not there. Everything just changed and with me, I think I’m such a unique talent that it’s hard to know what to do with me.”
Ogogo’s most recent match for the promotion saw him defeat Luke Kurtis via knockout on the August 21, 2022 taping of AEW Dark.
Tonight’s episode of SmackDown will have a touch of class added to the broadcast as Lacey Evans will be making her return to TV.
PW Insider reports that Evans will be part of a six-pack challenge, with the winning earning a title shot at WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
The Sassy Southern Belle will face Xia Li, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville and Shotzi.
This will mark Evans’ first match in close to two months, and only her third televised match since July.
Evans’s Wild Year
In 2021, Evans was on the cusp of becoming Raw Women’s Champion, before she was pulled from programming due to her pregnancy.
Mere months after giving birth, Evans returned to SmackDown on the April 8, episode, initially as a babyface.
The former U.S. Marine spoke about being a mother and her time serving her country but was moved to Raw shortly after and as a heel.
Before she could appear in person on the red brand, Evans was moved back to SmackDown, and despite being listed as a heel, returned as a face.
After failing to win the Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase, Evans would turn heel once more, attacking Aliyah.
SmackDown
Evans’ return to TV isn’t the only big thing coming to tonight’s SmackDown in Indianapolis.
It’s been confirmed that the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos will put their titles on the line against the New Day.
The SmackDown World Cup Tournament will also begin tonight.
Shinsuke Nakamura will face Santos Escobar on the show, and there will also be an appearance by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
WWE SmackDown airs live tonight from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Usos defended the Undisputed Tag Team Championships against New Day tonight. There was also a Six-Pack Challenge to determine Ronda Rousey’s next opponent for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Best Moments From The Usos Historic Tag Title Reign
SmackDown Results (11/11/22)
The Usos def. New Day to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships
Santos Escobar def. Shinsuke Nakamura to advance in the SmackDown World Cup
Shotzi won a Six-Pack Challenge to earn a title shot against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series
Braun Strowman def. Jinder Mahal to advance in the SmackDown World Cup
Here are the takeaways from this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown:
The Usos def. New Day to Make History
The Usos put the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships on the line against Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods of New Day in the first match of the night. Jimmy and Jey are just a couple of days away from breaking New Day’s record as the longest-reigning tag champions in WWE history.
Xavier Woods and Jey Uso started off the action. Woods applied a Headlock but Jey escaped. Woods hit a shoulder tackle for a near fall and tagged in Kofi Kingston. The Former WWE Champion hit a Clothesline but The Usos took control. Jimmy tagged in as the champs as The Usos isolated Kingston in the corner.
New Day battled back and took turns stomping on Jimmy in the corner of the ring. Kofi climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit a Trust Fall onto The Usos below as WWE SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, The Usos brought Kingston out of the ring and launched him into the barricade. Jey hit Kofi with a dive through the ropes before the action returned to the ring. The crowd chanted “we want Sami!” and Jey blocked his ears. SmackDown announcer Michael Cole announced that Sami wasn’t at the show tonight due to a personal issue.
Jey caught Kingston with a cheap shot as Jimmy distracted the official. Kofi booted Jey away and went for the tag but Jimmy pulled Xavier Woods off the ring apron. Jey connected with a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Kingston kicked out at two as SmackDown went to another break.
When SmackDown returned, Xavier Woods and Jimmy Uso tagged into the match. Woods ducked under a Clothesline and hit an elbow to the face. Xavier hit Jey with a Russian Leg Sweep and fired up the crowd. Woods connected with a Gutbuster on Jimmy and went for the cover but Uso kicked out at two.
Kofi tagged in and hit Jimmy with a Splash. Woods followed it up with a Leg Drop off the top rope and Kingston went for the cover but Jimmy was able to kick out at the last moment. Kingston hit the Boom Drop and went for Trouble in Paradise but Jimmy dodged it.
Jey Uso tagged in and Kingston greeted him with an SOS for a close near fall. Kingston pounded on the mat in frustration as the match continued. The WWE Universe chanted “this is awesome” as Woods tagged in. Xavier hit Jey with a headbutt but Uso responded with a Superkick.
Jimmy tagged in and The Usos hit Woods and Kingston with several Superkicks. The Usos climbed to opposite corners of the ring and hit Woods with a double Splash but somehow Xavier kicked out at two!
Jey tagged in Jimmy Uso and The Usos posed in the ring and waited for Woods to get up. Kofi dragged Jey to the outside and sent him into the steel steps. New Day hit Midnight Hour on Jey outside the ring. Back in the ring, Xavier hit Jimmy with a DDT. Kofi tagged in and New Day hit Midnight Hour on Jimmy in the ring. Kofi went for the cover but Jey broke it up at the last moment and the match continued.
Woods and Jey battled out of the ring and Uso hit a Superkick that sent Xavier into the timekeeper’s area. The Usos isolated Kofi in the corner and brought him up the top rope. Kingston tried to battle back but jumped into a 1D from The Usos for the pinfall victory. The Usos retained the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions and will make history as the longest-reigning team. Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman were shown watching on backstage after the match.
Santos Escobar Advanced to the Semifinals SmackDown World Cup
Shinsuke Nakamura battled Santos Escobar in the first round of the SmackDown World Cup. The winner of the tournament will get a shot at Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. Nakamura controlled the match early and knocked Escobar out of the ring as SmackDown went to commercial.
When SmackDown returned, Escobar was in control as Legada del Fantasma watched on from ringside. Nakamura caught Santos with an Enziguri but Wilde dragged Santos out of the ring. Shinsuke hit Wilde with a Dropkick and rolled Santos back into the ring. Del Toro jumped off the steps but Nakamura hit him with a knee.
Shinsuke climbed to the top rope but Santos booted him in the face. Escobar hit a Phantom Driver for the pinfall victory. Santos Escobar has advanced to the semifinals of the SmackDown World Cup.
Shotzi Earned a Title Shot Against Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series: Wargames
Liv Morgan, Xia Li, Raquel Rodriguez, Shotzi, Sonya Deville, and Lacey Evans competed in a Six-Pack Challenge tonight. The winner of the match earned a shot against Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Raquel and Xia battled outside the ring as Lacey sent Shotzi into the turnbuckle. Li shoved Rodriguez into the ring post as Lacey delivered the Woman’s Right to Shotzi. Evans went for the cover but Deville broke it up at two. Morgan bounced Deville’s head off the turnbuckle several times before throwing her out of the ring. Liv sent Deville into the steps as Li shoved Raquel into the ring post.
Liv set up the steel steps next to the announce table but Sonya slammed her down on top of them. Xia dragged Shotzi to the corner of the ring and climbed to the top rope. Rodriguez joined her up there and hit a Superplex. Sonya tried to steal the win but Li kicked out at two. Sonya hit a knee strike to Raquel’s face as SmackDown went to a commercial.
Back from the break, Liv hit a Dropkick on Xia and delivered a Splash to Lacey Evans. Liv hit several Splashes on Evans and Li in opposite corners of the ring. She connected with a Codebreaker on Evans and then a DDT on Raquel. Deville threw Liv out of the ring and tried to steal the win again but Morgan broke it up at two.
Shotzi hit Sonya with a DDT but Evans caught her with a Clothesline. Xia hit an Enziguri but Raquel caught her with a massive Powerbomb. Rodriguez went for the cover but Sonya pulled her out of the ring. Raquel delivered a big boot and brought a table out from under the ring as the crowd cheered.
Rodriguez set up for something but Liv jumped off the table. The move was completely botched and all three superstars fell to the floor awkwardly next to the table. Shotzi hit the Never Wake Up on Lacey Evans for the pinfall victory. It was announced after the match with a graphic that Shotzi will battle Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series: WarGames.
After the match, Emma congratulated Shotzi backstage and wished her luck. She asked if Shotzi had seen Madcap Moss around (the two are a couple in real life) and Shotzi claimed that Emma was crushing on the SmackDown star.
Shayna Baszler confronted Shotzi and said Ronda will break one of her limbs at the PLE. Ronda showed up for a stare-down with Shotzi but Baszler choked the challenger out with the Kirifuda Clutch from behind.
LA Knight cut a backstage promo about not being in the SmackDown World Cup. Bray Wyatt’s logo kept flashing behind him and Bray showed up. Wyatt said he can see all the anger and rage brewing inside Knight. Bray added that his whole life people have been saying that his rage will make a monster out of him.
He laughed and said he knows what it takes to get respect. Bray asked LA Knight how far he is willing to go to get respect. LA Knight suggested that he go play with his puppets and Wyatt headbutted him to end the segment.
Braun Strowman Advanced in the SmackDown World Cup
Jinder Mahal made his triumphant return and vowed to win the SmackDown World Cup. Jinder battled Braun Strowman in the first round of the tournament. Mahal got in some offense early before the Monster of All Monsters hit some shoulder tackles outside the ring. Back in the ring, Strowman hit a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. Braun Strowman has advanced to the semifinals of the SmackDown World Cup.
Zelina Vega was set to battle B-Fab but the match never happend. The Viking Raiders returned as Sarah Logan attacked B-Fab. Ivar hit Del Toro with a Splash against the barricade. Viking Raiders dragged Adonis to the corner and Ivar hit him with another Splash. Viking Raiders isolated Top Dolla and beat him down. Erik and Ivar connected with a big Powerbomb as Sarah Logan dragged B-Fab out of the ring. Viking Raiders beat both teams down and posed in the ring.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his way to the ring with The Usos and Paul Heyman at the end of tonight’s episode of SmackDown. Heyman insulted Indianapolis and the crowd booed. Paul joked that wasn’t very “Ucey” of the crowd.
Heyman hyped up The Usos before handing the microphone to the Tribal Chief. Reigns noted that it is not being his cousin and their whole lives, everyone has always acknowledged Roman for his greatness. Roman was about to acknowledge The Usos but the Brawling Brutes interrupted.
Ridge Holland and Butch said that they are sick of The Bloodline using the numbers game every week. Holland said it is Fight Night and they have brought back up. The Celtic Warrior’s theme hit and Sheamus made his way to the entrance ramp. The microphone didn’t work and Roman laughed about it.
The Brawling Brutes got into the ring and a brawl broke out. The Bloodline beat The Brawling Brutes down as Reigns posed in the ring. Drew McIntyre marched down to the ring and delivered a big boot. McIntyre knocked Jimmy to the outside and knocked Solo down. Reigns hit McIntyre with a boot to the face but Sheamus attacked him from behind. The brawl continued as SmackDown went off the air.
This Sunday will mark 17 years since the untimely death of the legendary Eddie Guerrero. On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy shares stories and memories about his time with Guerrero as well as his death.
Guerrero died at age 38 on November 13, 2005. He had a heart attack while brushing his teeth in his hotel room. His nephew, Chavo Guerrero, Jr., discovered him barely alive. Upon arrival of an ambulance, Eddie was pronounced dead.
Hardy Shares One of His Last Conversations with Eddie Guerrero
When he arrived at the arena, Hardy said people were upset and someone was crying. He asked someone what was going on and that’s how we learned of his friend’s death. “Obviously, extremely shocking.”
“Obviously, it’s heartbreaking and shocking. It’s like you don’t even want to believe it’s real when you hear something like that, especially someone you worked with so much, spend so much time with them, and you have these bonds with them.”
“I just remember the tribute show if it’s going to be the last thing we’re going to be able to give Eddie, let’s give it our all and make this special and make it important just like he’d want it to be. It just didn’t seem real. It just didn’t seem real that he was gone. He was a beloved figure in the locker room.”
“I remember on the day of the show, we just tried to make it a celebration of his life and career. We tried to honor him in the best way that we possibly could. (…) It’s very unfortunate. We left us way too soon.”
Hardy said one of the last conversations he remembers having with Guerrero was after he won the WWE Championship. He said it would’ve been a while before he died because they had a lot of small talk. Hardy told him that he was so happy that he won the title and got to be a main event guy.
“I just remember him saying, ‘Oh, thank you so much, Matt. You and your brother are such sweethearts. It was such a pleasure to work with you guys and share a locker room with you guys. Thank you so much. I appreciate you saying that.”
Hardy wrestled Carlito on the SmackDown tribute show for Guerrero. He countered Carlito into a Twist of Fate for the win, a tribute to his friend who is remembered for his counters.
Braun Strowman battled Omos in a clash of the giants at WWE Crown Jewel. The Monster of All Monsters went toe-to-toe with the Nigerian Giant in front of the packed crowd at Mrsool Park.
Omos dominated the majority of the match but couldn’t keep Strowman down. Braun battled back and showed off his incredible strength by somehow lifting Omos up onto his shoulders. Strowman connected with his Running Powerslam for the impressive victory.
9 Best Moments from WWE Crown Jewel 2022
It didn’t take long for Strowman to boast about his victory on Twitter. Unfortunately, he decided to trash wrestlers that perform different styles than his in the process and got called out by WWE Superstars Ricochet, Mustafa Ali, and wrestlers in various promotions.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Braun Strowman has “very real” heat backstage in WWE. Strowman was criticized by several of his coworkers for mocking “flippy” wrestlers and comparing them to grocery baggers.
The report states that Braun has been on his “best behavior” since his return to the company, but “social media Braun” is a different story. His social media posts are also not a part of an upcoming angle and most likely will not be turned into one. The company may rib Strowman about his tweets on commentary or during a segment on television.
Fightful spoke to a wrestler who claimed that they will “never do a flip in their life” but noted that wrestling needs different styles and there is no right or wrong way of doing it. The wrestler added that Strowman didn’t come into the business like most wrestlers and likely just doesn’t understand.
Jeff Jarrett Takes Shot at Braun Strowman on Dynamite
Jeff Jarrett appeared last night on AEW Dynamite at the Agganis Arena in Boston. Double J was released from WWE earlier this year and has now joined AEW in an on-screen and backstage role. Jarrett mocked Strowman and Triple H during the promo hyping up Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Satnam Singh.
This isn’t no make-believe monster who wears red skinny jeans and is produced by the banana nose circus.
Vince McMahon made resigned from WWE in July. The 77-year-old made the announcement on Twitter as the company launched an investigation into alleged hush money payments to former female employees. John Laurinaitis was also involved in the scandal and was dismissed as the company’s EVP of Talent Relations.
Following Vince McMahon’s departure, Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan were named co-CEOs. Triple H took over as EVP of Talent Relations and was also given the title of Chief Content Officer. The reported sentiment backstage within WWE is that it would be a step back for the company if the former CEO were to return.
Michael Cole joined his SmackDown commentary partner Pat McAfee on his show today. McAfee is currently not on the SmackDown broadcast after signing a full-time deal with ESPN for College Gameday. He presumably will return to the blue brand after the college football season.
Speaking on the Pat McAfee show, Michael Cole said that everything has been great following Vince’s exit and the show must go on.
Everything has been great. It’s been a great change of scenery the past couple of months. Things are going wonderfully. Ratings have been good, stories have been great, it’s a different world.
I worked under Vince for 25 years and I knew nothing else. He’s a second dad in many ways, I grew up in the company. It was a shock when it first happened and we’ve all settled in and realized the show must go on. The show is going on and we’re doing well.
CM Punk returned to the airwaves Thursday night for Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC).
Punk has been doing commentary for CFFC since November 2018. The former AEW World Champion hasn’t made any public appearances since September’s explosive AEW All Out pay-per-view, but he was back cageside alongside MMA journalist John Morgan for CFFC 114.
Morgan posted a photo alongside his broadcasting partner, which you can see below:
CFFC 114 takes place from Tampa, Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. The main event features Blake Smith vs. Kendly St. Louis. The 13-fight card streams on UFC Fight Pass.
“ive missed the fight but tonight im not gonna do that” tears rolled down my face pic.twitter.com/Hho8looH5f
On this day in WWE 25-year-ago, Rocky Maivia confronted Stone Cold Steve Austin. It was the first encounter between the two legends, but it was also the first time Dwayne ever referred to himself as “The Rock”. Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock went on to have a legendary rivalry in WWE. Stone Cold defeated The Rock at WrestleMania 15 and 17.
The Rock got his revenge and defeated Stone Cold at WrestleMania 19. It was The Rattlesnake’s final match before he returned and defeated Kevin Owens at this year’s WrestleMania.
During the promo on WWE RAW, he scolded the crowd and said the following to Stone Cold Steve Austin:
If you’ve got enough manhood to accept my challenge, then your bottom line will read ‘has-been, compliments of The Rock’.
Ric Flair not Convinced The Rock will Return to WWE for WrestleMania
The Nature Boy recently hung up his boots (at least for now) at Ric Flair’s Last Match on July 31st. He teamed with his son-in-law, disgruntled AEW star Andrade El Idolo to defeat Jay Lethal and new AEW signee Jeff Jarrett during SummerSlam weekend.
Speaking on the latest edition of his To Be The Man podcast, Flair discussed the rumored matchup between The Rock and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Hollywood. While most fans believe that it would make sense for The Great One to battle The Tribal Chief at WWE’s biggest event, Ric wasn’t so sure.
The 73-year-old stated that it wouldn’t make sense for The Rock to defeat Roman because he’s not a full-time wrestler anymore. The Nature Boy added that he’s not sure if The Rock would want to return only to lose again.
I don’t think it’s a given that the Rock is going to do it. As much as he might respect Roman, I’m sure they do, all those guys. It’s a brotherhood like no other. I don’t think The Rock would come back and do a favor.
Why would he? Tomorrow morning, what, he goes back to his acting career with a loss? I don’t think so. I don’t see that happening.
Nick Aldis recently announced on a video meant for Instagram subscribers only that he will be exiting NWA in January.
In the deleted video, Aldis was critical of the product and owner Billy Corgan. Nick later posted a message on social media saying that he will provide more details once he learns how to post videos only for his subscribers.
I released that video earlier but it was supposed to be for subscribers only. Wtf… anyway as you may have seen I gave my notice to the NWA. I’ll be a free agent on January 1st. Once I figure out how to do videos for subscribers only I’ll be back with more insight on the decision, conversations with Mickie and my agent and more…
Love you all.
Quote via WrestleZone
The two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion has been with the company since Billy Corgan arrived in 2017. Following the announcement of his departure, NWA suspended Aldis. He was scheduled ti face Odison at NWA Hard Times 3 on the 12th.
NWA star Trevor Murdoch spoke with Sean Radican of PW Torch to promote NWA Hard Times 3. Murdoch said that his relationship with Aldis hasn’t fallen apart and he has all the respect in the world for him. The 42-year-old took issue with Nick dragging the company and the guys in it.
I have a ton of gratitude for Nick in that aspect. I think where the heat is with Billy with Nick, is the fact that Nick wasn’t happy with — I’m only repeating what he said. He wasn’t happy with the company. He wasn’t happy with the relationship between what was going on between him and Billy.
My only issue was, I didn’t agree with Nick dragging the company and dragging the guys in it. When you start making comments, like the show’s too embarrassing for me to be a part of. First off, I think that’s a little bullsh*t.
Trevor added that Powerrr has been all about Aldis since it started and there are many talented wrestlers that have made NWA successful.
Secondly, you’re disrespecting all the men and women that you know, Nick’s not the only part of the show.
And since we’ve started Powerrr, it hasn’t been Powerrr about Nick. It’s been NWA Powerrr. So there’s been a lot of talented wrestlers that have come through there that’s helped make NWA successful.
And I just don’t think bringing all those men and women into the middle of your argument or your public squabble. I just don’t think that was the right thing to do. If Nick and Billy want to air out personal grievances, I also think that both sides of the story need to be told.
Trevor noted that only half the story is being told at the moment and the easy thing to do is agree with the negative side because it is a lot more exciting. Murdoch complimented Corgan on not airing his grievances publicly.
It’s very easy for everybody to jump on the negative end and say that’s how it was because it’s a lot juicier. You know what I mean? It’s a lot more exciting.
But there’s only half stories being told on some of this. And I think, the NWA and Billy have taken a stand on being a little bit more professional, and not interested in airing those grievances publicly.
Murdoch agreed with Corgan taking Aldis off of Hard Times 3 because he publicly buried the company on his way out.
Why is Billy any different than WWE in this aspect of the business? And why is it any different than AEW?
If you have a talent that is on their way out and they know they’re leaving, and they decide to just publicly bury the company and the boss, would you be okay with having that guy on your next show and pretending as if none of that sh*t happened?
Not to mention Billy has not only focused on this [but] he has a whole locker room. What does that say to the locker room when that kind of stuff happens? It’s it’s no different than any other job. We’ve all had regular jobs.
If I go run my mouth, and my boss finds out that I’ve been publicly burying him in the company I worked for, I don’t intend to be employed much longer. I mean, where else in the f**king world does that sh*t work?”
Mick Foley may have just left Twitter but is making a boatload of cash on another application.
Cameo is service that in exchange for money, a celebrity, former athlete, or anyone with any notoriety whatsoever, will create a video message in exchange.
According to Betting.com, WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has reportedly earned close to $500,000 and is the highest-earning athlete on the application. Brett Favre ranks at #2 and the former Packers QB may be in dire need of the funds in due time with his current legal issues.
The other wrestlers in the top ten are WWE legend Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and AEW’s Matt Hardy and Danhausen. Wrestling is currently the top-earning sport on Cameo. DDP, Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, and AEW’s Darby Allin have done well on the platform as well.
Many celebrities film quick videos for their fans that pay them on Cameo. Mick Foley does the opposite and puts a lot of effort into the personalized videos and it is clearly paid off for him. The 57-year-old will often make Cameos for fans as his wrestling personas Cactus Jack or Dude Love.
Mick Foley on Paying the Price for His Wrestling Career
Mick Foley had a legendary wrestling career, spanning decades and multiple promotions. He earned a reputation for his hardcore styles during his career, and perhaps his most memorable moment was being launched off the top of the HIAC by The Undertaker. The WWE legend also has a comedic side to his character in WWE and The Rock n’ Sock Connection is still beloved by wrestling fans.
Speaking on his Foley is Pod show, the Hardcore Legend said that the price he is paying for his wrestling career is steeper than he thought was imaginable.
We’ve been looking over your MRIs and your X-rays. You’ve got too many issues. You got muscular, neurological, skeletal, and even if we are able to help from a neurological standpoint, there’s nothing we can do with those other things.
I’m looking at all these things I did during the course of my career and I mean, I’m paying a steeper price than I thought imaginable.
Chris Jericho is The Ocho (an 8-time World Champion), a wizard, and the leader singing of the popular rock band Fozzy. He recently appeared on The Masked Singer and fans were quick to point out that that is the voice of Le Champion.
The Masked Singer is a show where celebrities dress up in mascot costumes and then sing a tune. A panel of judges and the audience guess which celebrity is under the costume.
On a recent episode of the show, a giant pink dinosaur in a wedding dress, labeled “The Bride”, sang Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance” hit from 2014. The Wizard also performed Smash Mouth’s “All Star” on the show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phIEp7oGD0s&t=18s
AEW Fans Sing Chris Jericho’s Theme
Chris Jericho has been with All Elite Wrestling since its inception and has become one of the leaders of the promotion. After the brawl between CM Punk and The Elite after All Out, it was reported that Moxley, Danielson, and Chris Jericho all took more of a leadership role in the company backstage.
The inaugural AEW World Champion had one of the cooler moments in the promotion’s short history thus far. Dynamite aired live from the Jericho Cruise Ship and fans sang Fozzy’s Judas as Jericho made his way to the ring with Jake Hager behind him. AEW fans have been singing his theme ever since as he comes to the ring.
Chris Jericho is scheduled to defend the ROH World Championship on November 19th at Full Gear. He will put the title on the line in a 4-Way match against Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli, and Sammy Guevara.
No, Ethan Page does not think women belong in the kitchen or that gay people are fatherless. He may or may not believe that Christ is King, but he certainly isn’t posting about it on social media.
Indeed, Ethan Page’s Twitter has been hacked and the person who did it is saying some super weird, offensive stuff.
We’re not going to link to the Tweets, because they’re probably going to get deleted, but here are some screenshots that show just how creepy some people can be.
Don’t Fall For It
And so on. It’s very clearly not ‘All Ego,’ but there are inevitably some fans who could think this was some sort of awkward “heel turn.” It’s not. He was hacked. Page even took to Instagram to let his followers know he was hacked, as well as what he was having for lunch.
It’s important to note that while it may seem like a good idea to report the account, in today’s crazy Twitter climate, his account may get banned if it’s reported. So it’s best to just ignore what the poster is saying and move on. Don’t respond, don’t engage and, most importantly, DO NOT click on any links that he may post.
Cameron Grimes debuted in WWE NXT in 2019 and it appears that his time in the developmental promotion may be coming to an end.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the plan is to bring Cameron Grimes to the main roster following his program with Joe Gacy in NXT.
Cameron Grimes is supposed to go to the main roster. I was told he’s going to finish up with Joe Gacy and then go to the main roster.
Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio
Grimes battled Joe Gacy in this week’s episode of NXT but came up short after Ava Raine interfered in the bout.
The 29-year-old recently appeared on the main roster in a backstage segment on the October 17th edition of RAW. He asked for The Good Brothers to join him in a 6-man tag team match against Joe Gacy’s Schism faction on NXT. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson accepted and the trio defeated Schism the following night on NXT.
The New York Post recently spoke with Grimes following his debut on RAW and the purchase of a new home. Cameron said it was indescribable to have his debut with AJ Styles as he looks up to him.
“I always thought I was gonna have that moment, but you never know how it will come. I thought I might be an extra — like a security guard in the arena or something — but to come in and to be featured in a spot with AJ Styles, who I’ve looked up to since I was a child and I emulated a lot of his career early on because he’s just so good.
So to be able to be featured with him and the Good Brothers [Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson] was so cool. It’s indescribable.”
