WWE broadcaster Pat McAfee is gearing up to become a father next year.
McAfee is currently on hiatus from WWE while he focuses on his role with ESPN College GameDay. He also hosts the wildly popular Pat McAfee Show.
On Wednesday, McAfee’s wife Samantha announced they are expecting their first child together in May 2023. The couple has been public about their parenthood journey, which has not been easy. They’ve endured two miscarriages and began IVF treatments back in July.
Samantha knows how difficult the journey can be, but hopes that sharing their story will bring hope to other couples who have traveled the same road.
“For those of you who haven’t followed along with our parenthood journey, we have lost two pregnancies, I almost lost my life both times with internal bleeding, resulting in losing both of my Fallopian tubes which has caused us to not be able to conceive naturally,” she wrote. She went on to expand on this big announcement.
In July, we started our IVF journey. It’s hard to put into words what all comes with IVF. It is physically demanding and emotionally challenging for the both of us. Pumping my body with so many hormones, the anxiety, the hope, truly being a human science project. Also despite my many tattoos, I absolutely hate needles so getting shots everyday (sometimes 3 in one day) was not easy on me or for Patrick to have to cause pain to me. I would like to believe IVF has made our relationship stronger.
Dear women and couples trying and battling, I hope this isn’t a trigger but rather serves as hope. Hope that you too can over come the battle of infertility. You will be parents! And remember that after a storm, a rainbow can occur.”
Pat and Samantha McAfee were married in August 2020. Samantha is the founder and president of Fur The Brand, a non-profit that provides support and financial assistance to families whose pet faces a cancer diagnosis requiring veterinary care in which they are unable to afford.
It’s not easy being a WWE Superstar and constantly being on the road. Countless performers have spoken about the difficulty of living out of a suitcase and the never-ending slew of airports, rental cars and hotels. Aside from the grueling schedule, talent also has to make time for exercise and eating healthy.
John Cena was the consummate professional during his time as an active member of the WWE roster. When you consider Cena’s charitable work with organizations like Make-a-Wish, it’s even more impressive that he was on top of the industry for as long as he was.
Cena carried WWE on his back throughout the TV-PG era, but even he faced challenges keeping up with the lifestyle.
Former WWE Superstar René Duprée worked alongside Cena in for several years in the mid-2000’s. According to Duprée, Cena regularly battled food poisoning and got “violently ill” at times.
Travel Woes
Duprée discussed Cena’s situation on the latest episode of his Cafe de Rene podcast.
“A guy that got food poisoning a lot was John Cena. The fact that he always ate so clean that anytime he’d have like some sort of undercooked meat or some type of weird spice, he would get like violently ill.”
– Renee Dupree on John Cena
Cena’s WWE career has been winding down in recent years. He’s been more focused on Hollywood than pro wrestling as of late, but he hasn’t wrestled his last match. He’s spoken about wanting to wrestle again and might be back on WWE television in early 2023…
We are currently on the road to WWE Survivor Series, which takes place in less than 3 weeks on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Attention will then turn to January’s Royal Rumble event, but planning is already well-underway for WrestleMania 39.
Looking back over a year ago, there’s been speculation that the main event of next year’s WrestleMania will be Roman Reigns vs. The Rock. Each man has spoken publicly about this hypothetical match-up, as has WWE’s Chief Content Officer and Head of Creative, Triple H.
Related: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania would do blockbuster business for WWE, but there is a big complication that could prevent it from happening. The Rock is the biggest star in the Hollywood. He’s also a successful entrepreneur, with multiple ongoing ventures including Project Rock Apparel, Teremana Tequila and the XFL, just to name a few.
The match could happen, but the odds are probably less than 50/50 at this point. Rock’s schedule is the biggest issue, but WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair thinks there’s another factor that could hold things up.
Flair Comments on Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania
On the latest episode of his To Be The Man podcast, Flair says there are major creative considerations to take into account. If The Rock does return for a retirement against Reigns, it makes sense that the part-time special attraction would ‘do business’ one last time.
Flair says that it would not make sense for The Rock to win the championship from Reigns, because he’ll never be a full-time wrestler again. He’s also not so sure The Rock wants to come back only to lose.
“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.”
– Ric Flair
The Other Option
There are ways around this predicament, including Reigns dropping the title before WrestleMania. If The Rock does not return next year, Flair likes the idea of Cody Rhodes facing Reigns at the biggest show of a the year, a match that many fans see as the most likely alternative to Rock vs. Reigns.
“I’ve said before, if The Rock happens, that’s great. If it doesn’t, I would like it to be Cody Rhodes… I thought those matches that Cody had with Seth Rollins were off the hook. Seth really did a good job getting him over.”
Rhodes has been sidelined since suffering a pectoral tear earlier this year. His most recent match took place at Hell in a Cell on June 5th. Since then, he’s undergone surgery to repair the injury. Earlier this month, Rhodes said his physical therapy is “fn’ awful. He’s a tough guy, but admits he regularly screams and even sheds a tear during the sessions.
Over the last few weeks, WWE has been airing mysterious vignettes to tease the arrival of a new NXT star. The company recently filed a trademark for the term Scrypts.
On Tuesday’s episode of NXT, Scrypts sent their last message, warning that they will have an imminent start on NXT television. The vignette had an altered voice left another voice message inside the halls of the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, after leaving voicemails. This mysterious person called themselves “Scrypts,” and said they were coming to watch NXT fall.
The Message
“My name is written on the walls, my voice sounds through the halls, and soon I’ll be in NXT to watch the whole thing fall. Pain is truly among thee. Imagine what will happen, has happened because it was always meant to be. Sincerely, Scrypts.”
"Soon I'll be in #WWENXT to watch the whole thing fall…"
This person is not WWE SmackDown AJ “Top Dolla” Francis, or so he claims as he took to Twitter to deny he is the person behind the voice following the vignette that aired on Tuesday night.
This mysterious character comes after the success of “The White Rabbit Project” that WWE did ahead of the return of Bray Wyatt at Extreme Rules. It’s been reported that WWE will do more of these mysterious videos as they’re popular with fans.
Logan Paul is wasting no time getting back to training after suffering serious injuries during his match against Roman Reigns at WWE Crown Jewel.
Paul came up short against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, but impressed everybody with his athleticism and charisma. He’s already being compared to Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey, two people who stunned fans with their ability to pick up the sport of pro wrestling so quickly. Not to take anything away from the 27-year-old, but it certainly helps when you’re training with all-time greats like Shawn Michaels.
Logan Paul Injury Update
The Maverick revealed on social media that he tore his meniscus, MCL & potentially ACL halfway through the match with Reigns. He’ll be out of the ring for some time while he recovers, but Paul is already back in the gym rehabbing.
He’s expected to miss 6-8 months of action, which means he most likely won’t be able to compete at WrestleMania 39 in April. This is a big setback for WWE, because there’s been talk of the Paul brothers, Logan and Jake, teaming up together at a future event.
Injuries are a part of wrestling, but Paul is showing guts and determination once again. He’s already eyeing a return to WWE and is wasting no time getting started on the road to recovery.
On Tuesday, Paul posted a video on Instagram of himself at the Sports Rehab LA facility in Encino, California. He included a caption on the video that reads, “I’ll be back in no time.”
Triple H made major waves in September when he dropped the insight in an interview that WarGames would make its debut on the WWE main roster at Survivor Series this year with not just one, but two matches under that gimmick. It’s a controversial move, given the match type may be unfamiliar to WWE-only fans who didn’t keep an eye on NXT. By all indications, Vince McMahon, who has owned the WCW intellectual property since 2001, didn’t see value in promoting such a match himself.
Nonetheless, given the rumors Triple H always wanted to work a WarGames match in his heyday, and the way he promoted it when he was in charge of NXT, it only makes sense that he’d make it a reality for the main roster this November. But what do fans want to see out of WarGames?
WWE Should Stick To Conventional WarGames Rules
One of the tricky things about booking WarGames is that fans can be uncertain what to expect. WCW and its predecessors booked it in relatively straightforward fashion with four or five-person teams going against each other, alternating which team got to add new combatants at timed intervals before the match could only via submission or surrender.
WCW contorted these rules almost beyond recognition in its final years to the point the matches were only WarGames in name. From there, NXT itself started running WarGames matches with a three teams of three format. While the resulting match was well-received, it was nonetheless refreshing when the matches to follow were composed of two teams of four.
Keeping the rules simple and traditional to deliver on what old school fans expect is key to the success of the gimmick as WWE both serves nostalgia and rolls WarGames out to a segment audience members who may not have seen it before.
WWE Should Tell Very Different Stories Between The Men’s And Women’s WarGames Matches
There’s always a danger when WWE books two iterations of a major gimmick match in the same night, as they’ve come to do regularly for the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, Hell in a Cell, and others. Will fans still be excited for the second go-round? How can WWE avoid fans feeling like they’re seeing the same story play out twice?
NXT was mostly successful at differentiating WarGames matches on the occasions when they booked two in the same night, so there is hope. There’s room for variation between which performers are booked into the match and what their storylines are, in addition to matters such as which team wins, what the key spots are, or if anyone turns on their team. Having one of the matches dedicated to male talent and the other to female talent will offer one step in that differentiation.
WWE Should Have The Bloodline Go To War
When WWE downgraded its Money in the Bank PPV from Allegiant Stadium to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, major names like Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar quickly disappeared from the marketing. Nothing suggests a “throwaway” PPV more than failing to feature the biggest stars.
While Money in the Bank generally had a good reception from fans, it also felt a bit underwhelming when it came to star power—reliant on the eponymous gimmick more so than the talents in the ring to sell the show.
One way to ensure WarGames does not feel like a crutch, but rather a vehicle for meaningful storytelling is to ensure big names and angles are in the mix. The Bloodline is the most obvious choice. Maybe it’s all five wrestlers, Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, The Usos, and Sami Zayn involved as the top pushed group in the company. Otherwise, it could be interesting if they promoted a four-man team with Reigns leading them to victory, or else sitting it out and setting up Zayn to cost them the match and jeopardize his tenuous standing in the faction.
WWE Should Not Feature WarGames At The Expense Of Traditional Elimination Tag Team Action
Survivor Series dates back to 1987, making it second only to WrestleMania as the longest running annual PPV WWE has, and the original gimmick-match-based PPV. From the beginning and with very few exceptions, the show has featured elimination tag team matches, traditionally among four or five-person teams.
Having two WarGames matches both consumes a large portion of the roster and already sets up two team-based feuds going into the PPV. These dynamics may make booking big elimination tag team matches less practical, but it’s nonetheless a good idea for WWE to maintain some of its roots in this scenario with at least one traditionally formatted bout.
Feature A Surprise Team Member
Triple H has proven himself a master of booking surprise returns and debuts since taking control of WWE creative and talent relations. That includes Braun Strowman, Johnny Gargano, Damage Control, and the pair of Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bourdeaux among the most dramatic examples to date.
Having two matches likely to feature at least sixteen wrestlers invites at least one mystery team member or last-minute replacement to be in the mix. With no shortage of allusions to Bray Wyatt potentially returning soon and other part time talents and free agents conceivably in the mix, it both feels as though WarGames would be a great platform for a major surprise and such a surprise could be a good way of establishing WarGames on the WWE main roster landscape.
In the end, Triple H’s respect for the tradition of WarGames and drive to introduce it first to NXT and now to the main roster bode well for how the concept will be handled at Survivor Series. Time will tell how it all plays out, but it should, at least, offer a unique spectacle for the fans.
WWE superstar Natalya thinks we will see the all-women’s Pay-Per-View Evolution again under the leadership of Stephanie McMahon.
Wrestling fans have wanted to see WWE hold another Evolution event since its inaugural PPV in 2018. Although fans have shown interest in another all-women’s PPV, WWE hasn’t shown any signs of doing it again. However, Natalya is optimistic fans may see it return now that McMahon has taken over the company after her father retired.
In an interview with Faction 919’s Darren Stone, Natalya shared she does think Evolution PPV will return and her reason why.
“I definitely see Stephanie wanting to do more with women’s wrestling,” said Natalya. “Stephanie always wanted women to have more representation. She doesn’t want a show where it’s like, okay, we have 75 percent male matches, and we’ve got 25 percent women’s matches. She wants a show where it’s half men and half women. She wants equality for the women in WWE.”
Triple H & Stephanie McMahon’s Leadership
Natalya believes that WWE’s future is bright under the leadership of McMahon and Triple H. She shared that both McMahon and Triple H’s thoughts on women wrestling could bring more opportunities for more female wrestlers in the company.
“One of the first things I thought about all these new changes, especially with Stephanie, is that Stephanie and Triple H, they really care about women’s wrestling, and you know the thing is that when you’re in that position of authority, you’re never going to please everyone,” said Natalya.
(WWE)
She continued, “…I know how hard that was for Vince McMahon because we wouldn’t have had any of this without Vince and so I always expressed so much gratitude to Vince because we wouldn’t have this company with to do our work and I wouldn’t have the dreams that I have without Vince McMahon having allowed those dreams come true because he built all this.”
Although Natalya expressed gratitude to the former chairman, she is looking forward to the new changes. She also shared in the interview that she hopes to have an opportunity to win the Raw Women’s Championship and become a Grand Slam Champion.
The future of WWE does look promising, but it’s unclear if that means we will see an all-women’s PPV again. Although, WWE superstars like Natalya are optimistic that fans will get to see the event make its return.
CJ Perry’s time with WWE may be over, but the former Lana will always be grateful to Triple H.
After a career in music and acting, Perry signed with WWE in 2013, initially the manager of real-life husband Rusev (now Miro in AEW.)
In 2016, Perry would transition into a wrestling role which would continue until her release in June 2021.
Forever Grateful
Perry has been absent from WWE for over a year, but has kept a close eye on the product in this time.
In July, Triple H was appointed WWE’s Head of Creative, replacing his father-in-law Vince McMahon after the latter’s retirement.
During a recent interview with Fightful, the former Total Divas star praised The Game as a genius for his work behind the scenes.
“Triple H is a genius. He hired me. He was at my tryouts in the beginning of 2013. He paired me with Miro. He guided me so much in the approach of creating, essentially, the character of the Ravishing Russian with the suit, the hair.
“He was really hands-on with that, very hands-on with Miro and I. So I will always be grateful for that because people still talk about the tank, still talk about the Ravishing Russian and her accent and her look. So I’m forever grateful for that.”
Miro and Perry would be split on-screen in 2015 but reunited later that same year after TMZ broke the news of the couple’s real-life engagement.
What’s Next?
Perry hasn’t competed since her WWE exit last year, which was said to have been partly due to her high-dollar contract.
Speaking last month, the Ravishing Russian told Busted Open Radio that she would “love” to go to AEW, as it is where the “hardcore” fans are.
Perry added that she misses seeing close friends who now call AEW home, including Saraya, Renee Paquette and Dustin Rhodes.
Austin Theory made history on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, but not in the way he would have wanted.
After U.S. Champion Seth Rollins issued an open challenge, it appeared that Mustafa Ali was going to answer, before Bobby Lashley assaulted the ex-Retribution leader.
Lashley also assaulted Rollins before a title match could begin, and Theory became the first man to cash-in Money in the Bank, not for a World Championship.
Producing a Cash In
Theory’s cash-in has divided fans, many of whom believe that WWE has wasted the Money in the Bank contract and buried Theory.
Jason Jordan was the one who produced Theory’s failed cash-in attempt, in one of many segments created by the American Alpha alum, according to Fightful.
Jordan was also responsible for all Seth Rollins segments this week, including his in-ring segment with The Judgment Day.
The son of Kurt Angle also produced Rollins’ segment issuing the open challenge, as well as Lashley’s assault on the United States Champion.
Theory’s cash-in attempt wasn’t listed backstage in WWE to avoid spoilers of what was going to happen being leaked.
Welcome to the Club
In failing to cash in successfully, Theory joins a select club of unfortunate WWE Superstars.
In 2007, Mr. Kennedy became the first person to win Money in the Bank and not win a title, but he lost his briefcase to Edge before he could even cash in.
John Cena would be the first person to cash in and not win a title, when he cashed in on WWE Champion CM Punk for Raw’s 1,000th episode in July 2012.
A year later, Damien Sandow would cash in on Cena but lose to the then-World Heavyweight Champion, and Baron Corbin failed to dethrone AJ Styles as WWE Champion in 2017.
In 2018, Braun Strowman’s cash-in attempt against Roman Reigns would be interrupted by a returning Brock Lesnar, and Otis would lose his briefcase to The Miz in 2020.
“They wanted me, like what Sable did, paint my boobs and walk out there naked, and I said no. There are certain things that I turned down that I could’ve gotten ahead with. But it just didn’t feel right.”
Torrie Wilson.
A similar spot was done by Sable in 1998, when the future Mrs. Lesnar appeared on Raw with her privates covered in handprints.
Torrie Today
Wilson’s days in the ring as a full-time Superstar may be over, but she hasn’t left wrestling entirely.
Less than a year after her 2008 release, Wilson returned to compete in a Battle Royal at WrestleMania 25 but was unsuccessful.
Wilson also competed in the first Women’s Royal Rumble in 2018, where she eliminated Dana Brooke before being thrown out by Sonya Deville.
Torrie also competed in this year’s Women’s Rumble, where she was again eliminated by an ex-MMA fighter (Shayna Baszler) and was the only Hall of Famer in the match.
Things are going to get ‘crazy’ during the upcoming Men’s and Women’s WarGames matches scheduled for later this month.
WarGames, a staple of the NWA and later WCW, was first used by WWE in 2017 as part of the NXT brand.
Ths year’s Survivor Series will mark the first time the match type has been used as part of the main roster.
WarGames
With this being the first usage of WarGames on the main roster, there is (unsurprisingly) a lot of excitement around this year’s Survivor Series. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alverez reported that WWE is planning for some “craziness” as part of both matches.
It was added that WWE wants exciting footage that they can use for future video packages of the match.
While WWE already has footage from NXT, many of the Superstars in those matches have since been released.
The only WarGames matches which were filled with still-employed Superstars took place at last year’s NXT WarGames event.
Filling the Cage
At this time, no men have been announced for their WarGames match, but the women’s match is nearly full. Its been confirmed that Damage CTRL, Nikki Cross, and a mystery partner will face Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, and two partners.
On this week’s Raw, a backstage segment teased that Rhea Ripley could feud with Belair next, and it’s likely she will be added to the heel team.
WWE’s upcoming Royal Rumble Premium Live Event is likely to be another sell-out show judging by the ticket sales.
The 2023 Royal Rumble will take place on January 28, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
The show will be the 36th Royal Rumble event, and the sixth to feature both a men’s and women’s Rumble match.
Tickets
So far, no matches (other than the two titular matches) have been announced for the show, and no participants have been named for either Rumble match.
That hasn’t stopped fans from purchasing tickets however as WrestleTix noted on Patreon the show has sold 30,157 tickets.
The venue will reportedly be set to a capacity of 33,874 seats, meaning there are 3,717 seats left to purchase.
WWE initially planned a smaller capacity, but added more rows of seats last week.
Favorites
Even with the show still 80 days away, there has been plenty of speculation about the Men’s Rumble match.
The winner will earn a guaranteed title shot against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 39, which is expected to be current-champion Roman Reigns.
One popular name being considered a favorite by fans is Cody Rhodes, who returned to WWE in April and vowed to become a WWE World Champion.
Bray Wyatt, who returned to WWE last month at Hell in a Cell 2022, is also being considered a favorite by fans.
It has been reported that WWE is planning Reigns vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 39, which will take place in Los Angeles.
The Rock won the 2000 Rumble match, and if victorious this year, would break the record for the longest gap between Rumble victories.
Austin Theory had an eventful night last night on WWE RAW. The 25-year-old superstar defeated Shelton Benjamin in a singles match on the show, a rare victory for Theory since winning the Money in the Bank ladder match in July.
Theory was added by WWE Official Adam Pearce as a surprise entrant in the ladder match and went on to win it. Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon had numerous backstage segments with Austin as a way to put his stamp of approval on the up and coming star.
However, things change fast in the wrestling business and Austin Theory has to start over. Vince McMahon resigned in late July and was Theory’s biggest supporter. The 77-year-old introduced Austin as a future WWE Champion at WrestleMania and Theory certainly has some work to do for that to come to fruition.
Seth Rollins issued an Open Challenge for the United States Championship last night on RAW. Bobby Lashley beat Mustafa Ali down backstage to prevent him from accepting it and made his way to the ring. The All Mighty opted to attack Seth and put him through the announce table rather than fight for the title.
Austin Theory seized the opportunity to cash-in his Money in the Bank contract on the United States Championship. He connected with the A-Town Down on Rollins and went for the cover but Lashley dragged the referee out of the ring. Bobby got the challenger in the Hurt Lock and Rollins capitalized with the Stomp for the pinfall victory.
Austin Theory took to Twitter following his shocking defeat on last night’s WWE RAW and delivered a message to fans. He vowed to never stop and included a rocket ship emoji to the tweet. The post also had a video of highlights of his main roster career thus far.
Austin Theory’s night on WWE RAW started off great with a singles victory over Shelton Benjamin. However, Theory would join the unfortunate list of superstars with failed Money in the Bank cash-ins at the conclusion of the show.
Seth Rollins had issued an Open Challenge for the United States Championship before the show. It appeared that Finn Balor was going to accept it but The OC interrupted. Mia Yim made her return to the company and joined The OC’s fight against Judgment Day.
The Visionary came to the ring at the end of RAW and issued the Open Challenge once again. Mustafa Ali showed up on the jumbotron to and a collective groan could be heard from the crowd. Bobby Lashley attacked Ali and accepted the Open Challenge.
However, the match never happened because Bobby opted to put Rollins through the announce table before the bell. Austin Theory took the opportunity to cash-in his MITB contract on the United States Championship, a mid-card title he’s already held, and it backfired. The 25-year-old hit the A-Town Down but Lashley dragged the referee out of the ring. Lashley attacked Theory and got him in the Hurt Lock. Seth capitalized and hit Theory with the Stomp to retain the title.
Here are three reasons Austin Theory’s failed Money in the Bank cash-in was the right call:
#3. The Crowd Didn’t React to Him
Austin Theory is a tremendous in-ring talent and has a bright future in WWE. However, he will need to find a way to connect with the crowd moving forward. The selfie gimmick has already been done and in a more entertaining fashion by Tyler Breeze.
Theory has one of the best Dropkicks I’ve ever seen but I can’t remember a word he’s said in a promo. The most memorable moment for Austin Theory on the main roster thus far is not his conversations with Vince McMahon, nor his “surprise” Money in the Bank win, it was when Roman Reigns mocked him. The worst reaction a wrestler can get from the crowd is indifference and far too often that was the case for Theory.
“Your daddy’s not here anymore.” – Roman Reigns to Theory
#2. He Never Should Have Won it in the First Place
WWE Money in the Bank 2022 took place at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. It was originally supposed to emanate from Allegiant Stadium but not enough tickets were sold to the event.
The men’s Money in the Bank ladder match closed the show and it ended on a sour note. Omos, Riddle, Seth Rollins, Madcap Moss, Sheamus, Sami Zayn, and Drew McIntyre were scheduled to compete in the main event.
However, WWE Official Adam Pearce showed up just before the bell rang and announced that Theory was added as the 8th superstar in the match. Theory had been having conversations with Vince McMahon and fans knew that the 25-year-old was about to be given a moment he hadn’t quite earned yet.
It appeared that Vince McMahon has picked his favorite and was about to shove him down the WWE Universe’s throat once again. However, everything changed on July 22nd. His biggest supporter, Vince McMahon, resigned on Twitter and it has been downhill ever since.
#1. He’s Not Triple H’s Guy
Vince McMahon saw a lot in Austin Theory and was positioning the young superstar to be the future of the company. That still may happen down the line, but Triple H clearly isn’t as high on Theory as the former CEO.
The wins have been few and far between for Theory since the regime change in WWE. Vince appeared to be building towards a potential matchup down the line between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Austin Theory and that doesn’t appear to be on Triple H’s radar at all.
Unfortunately for Austin Theory, the Money in the Bank briefcase quickly became a hindrance. This has become a bit of a trend for WWE, at least with the previous regime. Otis won the MITB contract recently and then lost the briefcase in a “court battle” with The Miz with JBL serving as the judge.
Theory is far more talented than Otis, but who gets more of a reaction? Austin wasn’t ready to win the Money in the Bank contract and was forced into that situation by a CEO that had long since lost his fastball. The product has greatly improved since The Game has gained power and things will likely improve for Theory down the line as well. It is not the end of the line for the 25-year-old, just a much-needed reset.
Do you think Austin Theory should have lost his Money in the Bank cash-in? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
The November 8, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.
WWE NXT Results
Joe Gacy defeated Cameron Grimes
Elektra Lopez defeated Sol Ruca
Charlie Dempsey defeated Andre Chase via throwing in the towel
Channing Lorenzo defeated Hank Walker
JD McDonagh defeated Axiom via ref stoppage
Damon Kemp defeated Brutus via DQ
NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Kayden Carter and Katana Chance defeated Zoey Stark and Nikkita Lyons
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Five Minute Challenge
Brutus Creed vs. Damon Kemp in a five minute challenge took place.
On last week’s episode, The Creeds insisted Kemp abide by the rules from Halloween Havoc. Kemp acknowledged his acceptance of the stipulation but did not provide a date.
The match saw Brutus jump Kemp from the get go and beat him down. Kemp tried to use a chair, but Brutus shot it down. Brutus hit him with a chair for the DQ.
.@BookerT5x is loving it! The NXT Universe is loving it!
NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Kayden Carter and Katana Chance defended against Zoey Stark and Nikkita Lyons.
Stark expressed her disappointment on last Tuesday’s NXT episode that she and Lyons had won the titles the previous week only for the referee to overturn their choice, resulting in Chance and Carter retaining the titles after the contest had resumed. Later, she was frustrated to the point of losing a match to Indi Hartwell.
The match served as the main event and was a solid match. The champs went over with their finisher. Post-match, Stark turned heel and attacked Lyons.
WWE booked the Grayson Waller Effect with NXT Champion Bron Breakker and Von Wagner.
On the November 15 episode of WWE NXT, Von Wagner will face Bron Breakker for the championship. In the last moments of last week’s show, Wagner attacked the champion.
The match was announced by Grayson Waller in a video shared on social media on Sunday. He also revealed that Breakker and Wagner would be guests on his talk show.
So what happened? Robert Stone said the fans never gave Von a chance because they judged him. Von said the fans can complain about him on social media, but it doesn’t matter because he’s here to be champion.
A tweet noted that a fan couldn’t wait to see Bron be dethroned. Waller teases beating Bron for the title. Bron said NXT is all about the future and he used to be that, but he is now the guy and if someone wants the title then they have to take it from him. Bron said no one will take it away from him.
Von said that he is dangerous and next week, he will ragdoll him around the ring. They had a staredown to end the segment.
Axiom vs. JD McDonagh in a singles match took place.
McDonagh just defeated Ilja Dragunov on the episode from October 25. Prior to that, Bron Breakker defeated McDonagh and Dragunov in a triple-threat NXT Championship match at Halloween Havoc.
In the last moments of last week’s broadcast, McDonagh was also seen walking toward Apollo Crews in the distance. Axiom recently lost a best-of-three match against Nathan Frazer. On the October 11 episode, he was defeated by Frazer in the third and decisive match.
The match saw JD go over with his finisher and the referee stopped it.
Post-match, JD did a promo about how it was a warning to the rest of the locker room and noted that he was looking at Apollo Crews.
Former WWE writer Court Bauer recently discussed plans for Bret Hart’s comeback in WWE following the Montreal Screwjob.
Bret Hart battled Shawn Michaels at WWE Survivor Series 1997 with the title on the line. During the match, the Heartbreak Kid got Hart in the Sharpshooter and the bell rang even though the Hitman didn’t tap out. The incident will forever be remembered in wrestling history, as Bret spit in Vince’s face and flipped out after the match.
Speaking on The Insiders podcast, Bauer said the original idea for Bret’s comeback was for a big tag team match between the Hart Foundation and the McMahons, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and his students. at WrestleMania 22.
“Well, the original version was supposed to kind of, sort of, got off the ground in WWE in 2006, or seven. Bret was back in the orbit of WWE after coming to terms with Vince and doing the DVD and at one point was going to be Bret versus Vince at WrestleMania 22 in Chicago, and then Bret was a little uneasy about doing that. They eventually did it much differently a few years later.
The original idea was gonna be the Harts and the Hart Foundation versus the WWE, Vince, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Shane, Shawn’s students at the time. The idea would be you know, you have Paul London.
You had Brian Kendrick, and then they were gonna sign Bryan Danielson. So you had like all these interesting ways against the Hart Foundation, which would have been Bret, Neidhart, and a new generation, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Nattie, Teddy and so on.
So we started the process and I got Harry Smith, Davey Boy Smith Jr. signed, Nattie and TJ, Tyson Kid and Teddy. I remember Vince looking at me saying. ‘You know, self-masturbatory gimmick.’ It was like a warning, like this is on you when this goes south. I’m like okay. Now truth be told Teddy outlasted me in WWE.
I left the summer of 2007 and he stayed around for a little bit more. So I don’t know how that ended up going, but clearly he didn’t end up on air and the other guys did. Nattie is still there doing great things, Tyson is contributing behind the scenes, and Harry’s had his tours of duty there since, so it was interesting what could have been with that. I think Jericho at some point was figured into the Hart story too, I think. I don’t remember the details off the top of my head.”
WWE legend and current AEW commentator Jim Ross recently revealed on his podcast that he didn’t speak with Bret Hart for years following the Montreal Screwjob despite having nothing to do with it. You can check that out in the link below.
Former WWE star Cain Velasquez is a free man. On Tuesday, a Santa Clara County judge granted the former UFC Heavyweight Champion bail after a pre-trial hearing that lasted almost 13 hours over two days.
“This incident is extremely serious but appears to be isolated behavior by Mr. Velasquez,” Judge Arthur Bocanegra stated (transcript courtesy of MMA Junkie). “There is also a viable heat of passion defense.”
The breakdown of his release includes a $1 million bail, a protective order to stay a minimum of 300 yards from alleged victims, and GPS monitoring and compliance to an extended set of terms.
Freedom at Last
(via WWE)
Velasquez has been jailed for over eight months while he faces several charges for allegedly being involved in a shooting in late February. The charges against him include 1st degree attempted murder, multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and shooting an occupied motor vehicle, among others. If found convicted, he faces decades in prison.
The incident alleges that Cain followed Harry Goularte, who was charged with one felony count of lewd and lascivious act for allegedly molesting Velasquez’s son, after Goularte was let out of jail under supervised release despite being charged.
The former UFC Heavyweight Champion allegedly fired shots at the vehicle with Goularte, his mom, and stepdad, where Velasquez hit Goularte’s stepfather.
His defense attorney, Mark Geragos, had previously requested bail three times but was shut down on each attempt.
R-Truth confirmed the injury he suffered on the November 1 episode of WWE NXT in a video shared on social media.
R-Truth’s most recent match was on NXT against Grayson Waller last Tuesday, where he had to be helped by the medical staff to the backstage area following a dive over the top rope that saw him land awkwardly on the mat.
The referee gave Waller the win after stopping the match. Waller then cut a heel promo after the match because it was cut short unexpectedly.
The bout was set up after R-Truth made an appearance the previous week when Waller interrupted NXT North American Champion Wes Lee, who was addressing the NXT crowd over his win at Halloween Havoc on October 22.
R-Truth Provides an Update
(via WWE)
As previously reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter by Dave Meltzer, R-Truth suffered from a serious injury.
In the video, R-Truth confirmed that he suffered a torn quad and is undergoing surgery. As of this writing, it’s unknown how long R-Truth will be sidelined depending on the recovery, but the usual recovery time is 4 to 6 months. He thanks fans for their prayers and support following his injury last Tuesday.
Before the injury, he made appearances on NXT and WWE Main Event. We wish him a speedy recovery.
The upcoming AEW Fight Forever video game will not be launching on Xbox Game Pass any time soon after all.
Fight Forever is All Elite Wrestling’s first console video game. In recent months, details about the game have been few and far between The game won the Best Sports/Racing Game Award at Gamescom. It was officially announced in August, but its release date and other information remain unclear.
Earlier this week, WrestleZone reported that Fight Forever would be included on the Xbox Game Pass when it releases, which would have made it available to more than 25 million subscribers on the subscription service.
AEW Fight Forever Update
On Tuesday, the official @AEWGames Twitter account poured cold water on the report about Xbox Game Pass. According to AEW, the game will not be part of any monthly gaming subscription services.
The next round of information about Fight Forever will be announced Saturday, November 19th during AEW’s Full Gear pay-per-view.
This also seems like a good time to share that we don't anticipate #AEWFightForever being part of any monthly gaming subscription services.
AEW: Fight Forever will be available in store at your favorite retailers or online. Reserve your copy today at: https://t.co/Nv3IuMVxiN
AEW Fight Forever will be released on Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Although no official release date has been confirmed.
A website with information has been launched and a teaser trailer is out. Wrestlers, move-sets, entrances, and arenas in the game will be customizable. There will also be a deep career mode.
Laredo Kid has opened up on having emergency surgery last month after suffering an injury during his match against El Hijo del Vikingo in Monterrey on October 23. The AAA star had to undergo the knife as a result.
He spent nine days in the hospital and spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with the Laredo Morning Times. The article noted that Kid’s representatives said he could not speak for days after the injury. Kid called it the toughest battle he had ever fought.
“As I ended my fight with Vikingo, I had to be transported to San Vicente Hospital immediately and had to receive emergency surgery, as one of my intestines have become ruptured during the fight. It has been the toughest battle I have ever fought in my career and life,” Laredo Kid said.
Laredo Kid on The Situation
Laredo Kid
Kid said the damage was life-threatening, and he spent more than a week in the hospital. In addition to announcing his return to his native country, the AAA star thanked everyone for their support. He also acknowledged AAA’s help.
“After being hospitalized for nine days and fighting for my life, I want to tell everybody that I am back,” Laredo Kid said. “I am back at my house with my family and my children, and it is thanks to all of you — and all of my Laredo fanaticos — that I am better, because you all sent your well wishes, vibes and prayers. I really want to thank you all for always wanting to stay updated about my condition, and I especially want to thank my company Lucha Libre AAA that was always looking as to how I was doing,” Laredo Kid said.
Kid stated that he still has a long way to go in his recovery but that his main priority right now is getting better so he can get back in the ring. With the fans’ support, he looks forward to getting back into the ring.
Laredo Kid was supposed to wrestle at PWG DINK on November 6. However, due to his recovery, he was unable to do so.
In the last few days, there has been a lot of drama between NWA owner Billy Corgan and former World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis, as Aldis announced on Sunday that he would be leaving NWA when his contract expires on January 1, 2023.
NWA suspended Aldis for his comments despite him being scheduled to wrestle Odinson at NWA Hard Times 3. Aldis has been part of the National Wrestling Alliance since 2017, when Corgan purchased the company and helped get the promotion to where it is today.
Billy Corgan Gives his Side
While appearing on Busted Open Radio, Corgan detailed his issues with Aldis.
“Nick Aldis and I entered into a business relationship five years ago where we bet on one another. That proved to be a good bet. He’s been the highest paid talent in the NWA the entire time, without question. He knows that. He’s had a lot of say, not only over the company but also with how he was booked. That’s transparent,” began Corgan. “Why is a man, who a week ago, emailed us to say, ‘Thanks for everything you’ve done, I’m going to kind of move on.’ ‘Cool.’ He gave his notice, privately, we didn’t do anything. Did we retaliate or leak some rumor? No, we didn’t say anything. We have shows booked, Nick is on the card. He’s doing interviews for the pay-per-view. Why is a guy, who is so disgruntled, doing interviews? We’re in business, right? A couple of days ago, he does a video where he says, ‘I’m opting out of my contract.’ He does it publicly. I wouldn’t do business that way, but it’s his choice. I didn’t like it, but okay, he’s leaving in 55 days. Do your business and go out the door. Hopefully, we’ll do business down the road. Then, he starts blasting the product. I want to remind everybody. Everything that he’s said, I’ve been hearing that stuff for years. It’s not like I heard it and got sensitive. Why in a pay-per-view week, with a talent who is leaving the company, does he decide to start blasting me and product, 55 days before he’s out and he can do whatever he wants to do? Why does he have to bury the locker room and the product? Again, I’ve heard all of this stuff privately for years. These are not new criticisms. He and I have battled about the product for years and he’s helped make the product better with those battles. This is not a sensitive reactionary thing. How do I, as the leader of this company, allow a key talent, the most highly visible talent in the company, up until he opens his mouth and tells people he’s leaving, blast the company? He’s still under contract and being paid. We don’t invite him. He’s still being paid, we didn’t take his money. I can’t have a guy like that show up because what message does that send to the locker room. There are a lot of people in the locker room not happy about this. They have to do their job. Why is the focus not on Matt Cardona, Tyrus, Trevor Murdoch, Kamille, KiLynn King, or Chelsea Green? The focus is on Nick Aldis, who is not on the show anymore. It’s not an animosity, it’s just, why are we doing this?”
Aldis apologized to fans after his suspension for not working the upcoming show and noted he intended to finish out his commitments ahead of his deal expiring.
Corgan talked about how he thought Aldis was attempting to create some publicity by saying he would be leaving when his contract expired.
When asked if there was tension before Aldis announced his departure, Corgan answered there wasn’t any, but he admitted that he wished he could have spoken to Nick beforehand.
How Things Have Changed
(NWA)
Corgan was certain that Aldis was using an angle throughout the entire interview. Tyrus took Aldis’ place in the NWA World Heavyweight Title match against Trevor Murdoch before moving it to NWA 74. The angle they were working on, according to Corgan, has changed to a shoot.
“He wasn’t happy with the way he was booked, he told me that, and we talked about that. He’s a top guy, he believes he’s a top guy, and he believes the company runs best when he’s in the top position. He was very clear about that. I told him, ‘I can’t build a company around one person.’ I have to get other people over to heat the company up. It can’t just be about you. If it’s just one guy, then it’s just the Nick Wrestling Alliance. He thinks guys in the locker room are hell of workers. He’s told me, ‘this guy is a great worker. This guy is great.’ Okay, so let me get these guys in position.”
Aldis said on social media that Corgan’s opinions about NWA EmPowerrr and the reasons he chose not to launch a second show were driven by his desire to depart the company. Corgan has commonly noted that he doesn’t think there is enough female talent to carry the show and raise it to the same level as the inaugural event.
When Corgan decided to make Aldis the center of the NWA in 2017, he was warned of his attitude, which Corgan then explained.
Corgan continued by saying, “None of this needed to be public. We could have all these intense feelings and still be thinking what we’re thinking, but why is this in public? That’s my argument. Nick picked this fight. Now we’re in wrestling-land. What are we talking about? A talent running a non-wrestling angle angle. He picked the fight. Now he’s in a fight. I’m not a weakling. I’ve been in the public forum for 34 years. Nick wants to fight, let’s fight. That’s not a challenge. Do you hear me blasting Nick or spilling family secrets? No. I’m talking strictly on a business level. This is a stupid play. He will regret this play later. I believe it hurts his stock in the public. If he were talking about running this angle on someone else, I would say, ‘Don’t do it.’ Nick had a reputation before coming to NWA as a bit of a headache and a locker room problem. He’s just reinforcing a stereotype that he spent five years erasing. Why? It’s bad for business. It’s bad for Nick Aldis business. I hope none of this rubs off on Mickie and hopefully I can resolve my issues with Mickie down the road. The issues with Mickie were business, nothing personal. If she felt disrespected, she felt disrespected on a wrestling business level. I would never disrespect Mickie as a woman or talent. She’s a Hall of Famer.”
Corgan concluded by stating that he was not working from an angle and that everything was a shoot.
WWE is again using JBL on television as Baron Corbin’s manager. In recent weeks, the WWE Hall of Famer has been doing promos on the behalf of Baron and calling him a wrestling god, a nickname he had when he was still wrestling.
This continued on Monday’s episode of Raw as JBL did a heel promo and Corbin beat Cedric Alexander in a quick match.
In a post on Twitter, WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair called out WWE for using JBL while endorsing an anti-bullying program and knocked WWE for having JBL in the Hall Of Fame. Flair wrote the following:
Ric Flair’s Tweet
(WWE)
“I Guess The Anti Bullying Program You So Heavily Endorsed Does Not Apply To Bradshaw!! Jason Roberts And Joey Styles!! What A Joke! And He’s In The HOF! Sad!”
For years, there have been stories from wrestlers and talent about JBL that have claimed he was a bully backstage in WWE by taking ribs/pranks too far that were not in good-nature.
Former ECW star The Blue Meanie accused him of taking hard shots at him during their brawl at an ECW One Night Stand show that left him bloodied and injured. Also, Justin Roberts accused JBL of being a bully in his book, while there were issues with former WWE announcer Mauro Ranallo when he paired with JBL on the SmackDown commentary team.
Joey Styles was bullied by JBL and punched him out as a result. This past July, Flair partnered up with his son-in-law Andrade El Idolo and faced Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett in the main event of “Ric Flair’s Last Match” event during SummerSlam weekend.
I Guess The Anti Bullying Program You So Heavily Endorsed Does Not Apply To Bradshaw!! Jason Roberts And Joey Styles!! What A Joke! And He’s In The HOF! Sad!
AEW star MJF is making his film debut in a pro-wrestling-related project, as he will be part of an upcoming biopic on The Von Erich family.
It was reported via Deadline today that MJF is joining the cast of “The Iron Claw.” The role that MJF will be playing hasn’t been revealed.
Sean Durkin is writing and directing the movie. The synopsis for the film notes that the movie “follows the rise and fall of the Von Erich family, a dynasty of wrestlers who made a huge impact on the sport from the 1960s to the present day.”
The Movie
(AEW)
Zac Efron (Kevin Von Erich), Harris Dickinson (David Von Erich), Jeremy Allen White (Kerry Von Erich), Holt McCallany (Fritz Von Erich), Maura Tierney (Doris Von Erich), and Lily James are also part of the cast.
A24 released a first-look picture of Efron in the ring as Kevin Von Erich on Monday. Marshall Von Erich, who wrestles for MLW and is one of Kevin Von Erich’s sons, previously commented on Efron playing his father by noting:
Could Will Ospreay step through the Forbidden Door and compete against some of WWE’s biggest stars?
Ospreay is currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling and is in his first reign as IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.
In June this year, Ospreay made his debut for AEW and defended his title against Orange Cassidy at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event.
Stepping Through the Forbidden Door
In addition to New Japan and AEW, Ospreay has competed for Progress Wrestling, Rev Pro, and Ring of Honor, among other promotions.
Ospreay has yet to compete in a WWE ring, but as he told Tokyo Sports, it is something he’s considering.
“I’ve been approached by them, so I have a lot to think about.”
Will Ospreay.
This year has seen WWE work more with other promotions, including having Impact’s Mickie James at the Women’s Royal Rumble match in January.
AEW stars were allowed to appear on Raw in June to mark the 20th anniversary of John Cena’s debut, and it is reported that the Good Brothers will compete for NJPW up until Wrestle Kingdom in January.
Opponents
If Ospreay does compete for WWE, there’s no shortage of potential Superstars for him to face.
In the interview, Ospreay discussed possible opponents, including a first-ever match and reuniting with an old foe.
“I’ve mentioned Seth Rollins’ name many times… Also, considering my history, it would be a dream to fight Ricochet again. I think that because I think we have become completely different wrestlers than when we fought in the past.”
Ricochet and Ospreay have faced off a total of 13 times according to Cagematch, which their most recent bout being in August 2017.
FTR is set to wrestle at the Tokyo Dome for the first time ever for the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 event.
Dave Meltzer confirmed on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) will be wrestling at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 as they’ll defend their IWGP Tag Team Titles at the event.
FTR’s History with NJPW
The AEW stars won the IWGP Tag Team titles by defeating Jeff Cobb & The Great-O-Khan and Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero in a three-way match at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door this June.
Since becoming the champions, FTR has retained against Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) and Great-O-Khan & Cobb in their two title defenses.
NJPW did an angle after NJPW Battle Autumn in Osaka last Saturday with FTR and Aussie Open as Aussie Open confronted FTR backstage, saying that they’re going to win NJPW’s World Tag League tournament and then go on to challenge FTR at Wrestle Kingdom.
This upcoming event is taking place at the Tokyo Dome on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. FTR wrestling at the event means they’ll miss that week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. It’s been previously reported that other AEW stars will also be working the show.
