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.
John Cena will be donning his jorts and sneakers for next year’s WrestleMania according to a recent report.
Cena, a 16-time WWE World Champion, was once the face of the promotion but has appeared less in recent years due to his thriving Hollywood career.
John hasn’t competed in WWE in over a year, with his most recent televised match seeing him lose to Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Summerslam 2021.
WrestleMania
Cena appearances are becoming increasingly rare, and the former World Champion has missed the past two WrestleManias.
“Cena should be there and Cena should be wrestling.”
WrestleVotes.
WrestleVotes also refuted the idea that Vince McMahon’s retirement from WWE in July this year would hurt Cena’s chances of a high-profile match on the card.
“Vince is out of the picture, Cena still has a love for this place. John Cena and Triple H have a respect for each other.”
WrestleVotes.
WrestleVotes added that Cena competing next year makes sense if John wants to be ‘the next Rock,’ as WrestleMania 39 will take place in Los Angeles, California.
Cena Vs. Theory?
With WrestleMania still months away, there’s no confirmation on who John Cena will face at WrestleMania 39.
Earlier this year, a feud was teased between Cena and Austin Theory, who like John held the United States Championship early into his career.
While many expected a match between the two at Summerslam, that did not take place, and Theory instead faced Bobby Lashley on July 30.
Despite this, Theory has said he expects to face Cena at next year’s WrestleMania.
AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone wants to see AEW do more to utilize Renee Paquette.
Schiavone spoke about his new colleague on the latest episode of his What Happened When podcast. During an ‘Ask Tony Anything’ round of Q&A, Schiavone spoke very highly of Paquette. He’s thrilled to have her on board as part of the team. She is a polished performer, the consummate professional and is so good that she makes other peoples’ jobs easier.
Paquette debuted on the first-ever AEW Dynamite in Canada, over two years after departing WWE where she worked as Renee Young.
“She’s wonderful. She’s such a pro, she is so good on camera, at what she does and it prevents me from running backstage 100 times now, too. I’m just really, really thrilled about us having her, and hopefully we use her more.”
– Tony Schiavone on Renee Paquette
Paquette recently joined All Elite Wrestling nearly two years after leaving WWE. During that time, she became a mother, released a cook book and worked on several other projects outside of wrestling.
She performed several functions during her extended run with WWE. She conducted backstage interviews, hosted television and digital shows and was was the first full-time female announcer on Monday Night Raw for a short period of time.
On a recent episode of her own podcast, The Sessions, Paquette said she’s not really interested in calling matches in AEW, but did not rule that out entirely.
Capable broadcasters can make a huge difference on the overall product of a wrestling show. Paquette has only been with AEW for a few weeks, but Schiavone is already convinced she’s been an important addition to the team.
“She looks so great on camera,” he continued. “She’s so cool, one of our best hires in a long long time, she really is.”
AEW’s ‘Hangman’ Adam Page has become the latest prominent name to leave Twitter following the Elon Musk takeover.
Musk began his acquisition of the social media giant in April 2022 and concluded his purchase last month.
Page told his fans that he would be deleting Twitter from his phone, and joins WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley in removing himself from the platform.
The former AEW World Champion is still available on Instagram, where he has over 227,000 followers.
Musk and Twitter
Musk’s time running the site has been mired in controversy, as he has faced backlash for his ‘Twitter Blue’ idea, which will charge users to have their accounts verified.
Others have criticized the reinstatement of several banned accounts which many fear will open up the risk of misinformation being spread.
Despite previously claiming that Twitter should be politically neutral, Musk has encouraged U.S. voters to vote a particular way in the 2022 mid-term elections.
The billionaire has also begun permanently suspending accounts parodying him, despite advocating for ‘free speech.’
While Musk has claimed that accounts that impersonate others but make it clear they are parody accounts are safe, accounts that follow this rule when parodying him have been banned.
Hangman’s Injury
Fans won’t be hearing from the former AEW World Champion on Twitter, and they won’t be seeing him in the ring either.
The match was quickly called off and it was later confirmed that Page suffered a concussion.
The Cowboy was inundated with a ton of positive messages after the injury, including from WWE’s Big E, who is still recovering from a broken neck suffered earlier this year.
There is no timetable for when Page will be back in the ring.
Colt Cabana was reportedly afraid that CM Punk’s arrival to AEW would result in him losing his job.
Punk joined AEW in August 2021 after over seven years away from wrestling following his WWE walkout in January 2014.
The Chicago-Made wrestler has captured two AEW World Championships in the company, the first at Double or Nothing 2022 and the second at September’s infamous AEW All Out event.
Losing a Job
Not long after Punk’s arrival in AEW, appearances by Cabana on TV dried up, and some have said that this was something Punk had orchestrated.
During the latest episode of his Keepin it 100 podcast, Konnan recalled meeting with Cabana at an AEW event and asking about Punk.
“When I saw Colt Cabana backstage, I remember asking him, ‘So what’s up with you now that Punk is back?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, man. We’re not really talking.’ I go, ‘Come on, dude. After all these years, you guys were boys’ He said, ‘Yeah, man. He just won’t talk to me.’ He would kind of look around, like, he knew [he was going to be fired.]”
Konnan added that looking back, it was clear that Colt thought he was “going to get the ax” and said that Khan would have done so to make Punk happy.
Cabana has not been fired from AEW, but has been moved to the Ring of Honor roster, which some have suggested was done to keep the former friends apart.
No Going Back
Punk and Cabana were once the closest of friends, but that changed due to a legal dispute regarding WWE.
When WWE physician Dr. Chris Amann sued the pair for defamation (over comments made by Punk on Colt’s podcast) Punk allegedly offered to pay Cabana’s legal fees.
Punk has claimed that this wasn’t the case, which led to the fallout between the two, something that Colt believes can’t be fixed, according to Konnan.
“I remember telling him ‘Bro, you can’t even sit down and just say, Hey, let’s reset our relationship.’ He said, ‘Nah, man. He won’t even talk to me.’“
Konnan recalls a conversation with Colt Cabana about CM Punk.
Konnan added that he was pleased to see Colt make his AEW TV return recently, challenging ROH World Champion Chris Jericho on the November 2, AEW Dynamite.
This marked Cabana’s first AEW TV match in close to a year, which Konnan summed as down to “chicanery” and “politics.”
John Cena has often been labeled as Mr. Five Moves of Doom, but that couldn’t be further from the truth according to AJ Styles.
Styles debuted for WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble as the #3 entrant after a lengthy career in TNA/Impact Wrestling.
The Phenomenal One has since gone on to become a two-time WWE Champion and captured WWE’s Grand Slam in 2021.
Surprised
After Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns, Styles’ third major feud in WWE came at the expense of John Cena.
After defeating Cena at Money in the Bank (thanks to interference by the O.C.) Styles would get a rare clean win over the Hollywood star at that year’s Summerslam.
Speaking on The Halftime Show, Styles reflected on his experience working with Cena and how the 16-time WWE World Champion surprised him.
“A guy that surprised me with how good he was in the ring would be John Cena. John is not known for being a technical mastermind in the ring, but he’s pretty good. I had some of my better matches against this guy.
“His mind for how everything needs to work and transition-wise. He’s just good. He knows what he’s doing. It’s one of those things were you thought, ‘I’m the superior wrestler in the ring,’ but once you get in there with John Cena, you realize, ‘Well, okay, I didn’t know that. Let’s keep going.’”
Styles would capture his first WWE Championship after the Cena feud, which he’d lose to Big Match John at the 2017 Royal Rumble.
Cena: Will he Wrestle Again?
Once considered the face of WWE, Cena’s appearances for the company have grown rarer as his career in films and on TV continues to grow.
Cena’s most recent match came at the Summerslam 2021 event in a losing effort to Roman Reigns, and some have questioned if he is done in the ring.
Earlier this year, a feud with Austin Theory was teased, but this did not lead to a match.
Despite this, Cena has remained adamant that his in-ring career isn’t over yet, and Theory has teased facing the former WWE World Champion at WrestleMania 39.
WWE Superstar Omos recently enjoyed a family reunion over close to a decade-and-a-half away from his loved ones.
The Nigerian Giant signed with WWE in 2019 and was called up to the main roster in 2020 as the henchman of AJ Styles.
A former WWE Raw Tag Team Champion, Omos’ most recent match saw him lose to Braun Strowman at last week’s Crown Jewel event.
Reunion
As a WWE Superstar (and previously a college Basketball star) Omos has spent much of his life in the United States and away from his native Nigeria.
This week, Omos traveled back home and was able to reunite with his family in person for the first time in 14 years.
TMZ was able to catch the emotional reunion and it is reported that Omos’ family had no idea he was going to be there.
It is also reported that Omos will be making an announcement in Nigeria at some point soon, believed to be related to WWE’s upcoming talent scouting in Africa.
Omos said earlier this year that he is confident WWE could fill a 100,000-seat arena if they held a Premium Live Event in Africa.
The Future for Omos
Omos came up short against Braun Strowman at WWE Crown Jewel 2022, but the future looks bright for the Nigerian Giant.
Nick Aldis’ relationship with the NWA reportedly soured quickly after the ‘disrespect’ shown to his wife Mickie James by Billy Corgan.
Within the last week, Aldis has confirmed that he intends to leave the NWA when his contract expires in January 2023.
Aldis, a two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, has been a top star of the promotion since its revival in 2017.
He has since been suspended and pulled from the upcoming NWA Hard Times Pay-Per-View.
Disrespect
Aldis was once the prized star of the NWA, even taking a pay-cut during the Pandemic, but the relationship between the two sides has soured quickly.
According to a report from Fightful Select, this hostility is partly due to what Aldis perceived as disrespect at his wife shown by Corgan.
It’s reported that Corgan was disrespectful towards Mickie James in the lead-up and following NWA Empowerrr, the promotion’s first all-female event which James did a lot of work for.
Aldis and the NWA chose not to speak about the matter publicly due to the British wrestler’s spot as a top name in the NWA.
Other Complaints
Aldis feels that Corgan has been disrespectful to the women of the NWA, and he’s hardly alone.
Fightful’s report added that “several women who have regularly appeared in NWA” have felt disrespected.
Corgan, as well as reigning NWA World Champion Trevor Murdoch, have questioned whether the NWA’s women’s division has enough depth to warrant a second Empowerrr show.
Aldis is expected to make media appearances later this week to address the matter further.
A source who spoke to Fightful confirmed that this situation is not a work and “has been brewing for quite some time.”
WWE’s relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may be controversial, but the success of the shows speaks for itself.
Last week, WWE held their annual Crown Jewel Premium Live Event, their eighth show as part of their lucrative deal with the nation.
WWE’s decade-long deal is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 project, the nation’s social and economic reform program.
Record Breaker
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 saw a stacked card and the show culminated with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns retaining against Logan Paul.
Fightful Select reports that after the show, a memo was shared internally, informing WWE staff that Crown Jewel 2022 is now the most-viewed international PLE in company history.
The record had previously been held by WWE Clash at the Castle which took place in September in Cardiff, Wales.
WWE also noted that the show did a seven-figure viewership on Peacock in the United States.
In an update, it was said that WWE’s next Saudi show will take place in May 2023.
WWE’s Saudi Shows
Fans may question WWE working with the controversial Middle East kingdom, but the shows in Saudi Arabia have proven to be popular in terms of viewers.
In their report, it was said that the Crown Jewel 2022 is the most-viewed Saudia Arabia event, followed by the first Saudi PLE, 2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble.
This year’s Elimination Chamber event takes third place, while Crown Jewel 2021, which saw Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in the main event, was fourth.
Super ShowDown 2019, which fans will recall for the infamous Goldberg Vs. The Undertaker match, is the company’s fifth most-watched Saudi Arabia event.
WWE has announced the first WarGames match for the upcoming Survivor Series premium live event on November 26th at the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss made their way to the ring during this week’s edition of RAW. Belair defeated Bayley of Damage CTRL in a Last Woman Standing match at Crown Jewel this past Saturday.
Bliss and Asuka lost the Women’s Tag Team Championships back to Damage CTRL at the premium live event a handful of days after winning them in the main event of the Halloween edition of Raw last week.
The EST called out Damage CTRL and said that their rivalry is far from over. Damage CTRL came to the entrance ramp and Dakota & IYO boasted about winning the titles at Crown Jewel. Alexa Bliss pointed out that Nikki Cross interfered in the match and that is the only reason they won on Saturday.
Asuka and IYO SKY then had a shouting match in the ring. The Empress of Tomorrow shouted WarGames and a brawl broke out. Nikki Cross joined Damage CTRL for the attack and seemingly is now a part of the group. Cross attacked both Bayley and Bianca Belair in a non-title match a couple of weeks ago on Raw but all is forgiven in times of war.
Damage CTRL was later ringside for Nikki Cross’ match against Dana Brooke for the 24/7 Championship. Nikki defeated Dana to win the title, only to throw it in the trash a few minutes later backstage.
WWE made the match official during official on social media and released a graphic for the match. Damage CTRL and Nikki Cross will need to add one more female superstar to their team before November 26th.
Bianca, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss are tasked with finding two teammates before Survivor Series: WarGames.
Seth Rollins issued an Open Challenge for the United States Championship tonight a couple of times on WWE Raw.
Finn Balor was about to accept the Open Challenge the first time but The OC interrupted. Mia Yim made her return to align with The OC and brawled with Rhea Ripley. Styles, Gallows, Anderson, and Yim sent the Judgment Day on the retreat as Rollins escaped backstage.
Rollins vowed to still have the Open Challenge and made his way to the ring towards the end of the show. Seth cut a promo first and announced that this month marks ten years with the company. Mustafa Ali showed up on the jumbotron and said he was going to accept the challenge.
Bobby Lashley attacked Ali from behind and accepted the challenge because Rollins was the one who cost him the US Title in the first place. Lashley opted to beat the hell out of Rollins before the bell rang. Austin Theory attempted to cash in his MITB contract on the US Title but Lashley dragged the referee out of the ring. Rollins capitalized on the madness and hit the Stomp to retain the United States Championship.
Bobby Lashley Sends Warning to Seth Rollins & WWE RAW Locker Room
The All Mighty Bobby Lashley was interviewed backstage by Byron Saxton following RAW in a WWE Digital Exclusive. Saxton asked Bobby to provide an explanation for his actions tonight and Lashley stated
I don’t care about any of this stuff because at the end of the day my title was stolen from me.
From now until I get it back, I am kicking everybody’s ass that stands in my way. I could care less.
I’m not about winning matches right now. I’m just about hurting people and making people pay for what they did to me.
Because when it happened to me, everybody was out there cheering right?
When Seth came in after Brock (attacked him) and jumped on me, he came in and took my title from me, and everybody was cool with that.
But now that I go out there and do what I have to do in order to be right back on top, now people have a problem with it. You know what? I could care less.
I’m going to have fun kicking everybody’s ass until I get my title back.
Mia Yim made her shocking return to WWE tonight on RAW. She was released from the company on November 4th last year and spent some time in Impact wrestling before her return tonight.
Seth Rollins issued an Open Challenge for the United States Championship on this week’s edition of the red brand. The Judgment Day’s music hit and the group surrounded Seth Rollins outside the ring. Finn Balor was about to accept the match when The OC interrupted.
AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson showed made their way to the ring as Seth Rollins escaped backstage. A brawl broke out and Mia Yim showed up as The OC’s answer for Rhea Ripley. The OC beat Judgment Day down and the heels retreated to end the segment.
After WWE RAW went off the air, Cathy Kelley caught up with Mia Yim backstage for a WWE Digital Exclusive interview.
The 33-year-old member said that it took her a year to try and find herself but now she’s ready to get her “retribution”. Mia Yim had a brief stint as “Reckoning” in the now disbanded RETRIBUTION faction in WWE.
Oh my gosh, it feels so good to be back. It took me a year to try and find myself but now I’m ready. I’m ready to go. I’m ready to kick some ass and get my retribution. But the boys are waiting on me so I’ll see ya later.
The November 7th edition of WWE RAW is in the books and what an eventful show it was.
RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair made her way to the ring fresh off her victory over Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match at WWE Crown Jewel. She was accompanied by former Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Asuka.
Asuka and Alexa Bliss captured the Women’s Tag Team Champions on last week’s RAW but lost them back to Dakota Kai and IYO SKY of Damage CTRL at the premium live event on Saturday. The trio called out Damage CTRL and suggested a WarGames match at Survivor Series. Nikki Cross attacked from behind and a brawl broke out.
Bianca, Asuka, and Alexa have to find two partners before Survivor Series: WarGames on November 26th. Damage CTRL will add one more superstar before the match.
Later on RAW, Damage CTRL spoke to Nikki backstage and wanted her on their WarGames team. Bayley added that Nikki doesn’t have to wait until Survivor Series, she can get her aggression out tonight against Dana Brooke.
Nikki cackled and made her way to the ring. She proceeded to demolish Dana Brooke as Bayley watched on from commentary. Cross hit a Swinging Neckbreaker and pinned Dana Brooke to win the 24/7 Championship.
After the match, Bayley draped the title on Nikki’s shoulders as she walked backstage with a crazed look in her eyes. Nikki then thew the title away in a trash can (or at least attempted to) and kept walking with Damage CTRL behind her.
Nikki Cross just tried to throw the 24/7 Title in the trash can, and missed. I'll have an update on that title this week on Fightful Select. I think it speaks volumes, though
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) November 8, 2022
On Friday, the Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) announced that legendary second baseman, Brandon Phillips had purchased a franchise in Dallas. They followed up their tweet welcoming Jade Cargill to “the fam”.
Cargill confirmed that she is co-owner of the franchise. She said they’ll be “providing more opportunities for women to prolong a passion of this amazing game long after college.”
The press release describes the WPF as “Women’s Professional Fastpitch (WPF) is the official professional softball league in the United States, founded by USA Softball, USSSA, and Smash It Sports. WPF showcases the best athletes in softball, provides a world-class experience for fans, and connects young fans to their idols.”
The league had its inaugural season last year with two teams, Smash It Sports Vipers and USSSA Pride. The Oklahoma Sparks will field a team next season.
Who is Jade Cargill’s partner, Brandon Phillips?
In WPF’s press release, Phillips said of the opportunity, “I’m very excited to become an owner of a franchise in the WPF. I’m looking forward to branching off into something new but very similar. It’s time to provide more opportunities for women to prolong their passion of this amazing game long after college to achieve their dreams.”
In addition to the Dallas franchise, Phillips is the co-owner of the Lexington Legends, an independent baseball team. He also played for the team last season. While playing in the MLB, Phillips racked up four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger while also playing in three All-Star Games.
Dallas will field a team in June 2023. Cargill and Phillips are asking for fans to help them name the team. They’re using the hashtag #ImGlovinIt.
Phillips and Cargill are a real life power couple and have a daughter. Cargill signed with AEW in November 2020. She won the TBS Championship tournament in January to become the inaugural title holder. Cargill is currently on a 41-win streak and on track to face Nyla Rose at Full Gear.
The trend of WWE bringing in NXT stars to work episodes of Main Event at weekly Raw events has continued.
At Monday’s Raw (November 7), a fan favorite NXT star made their main roster debut: Wendy Choo, also known as Karen Q and Mei Ying.
Wendy in Action
The episode featured Wendy Choo going up against Tamina for an upcoming edition of Main Event that will air later this week.
Since introducing the character, she has been a hit with the fans and gotten over with her character shedding their cheerful vibes from backstage to show off a more vicious side once the bell rings.
Choo recently competed in a match against NXT’s long-reigning Women’s Champion Mandy Rose, but came up short in her title pursuits.
Another NXT star that worked Main Event was Xyon Quinn. This marked his main roster TV debut as he has previously worked a dark match on the main roster as he wrestled in a pandemic-era SmackDown match under a former name.
Carmelo Hayes and Von Wagner are just some of the NXT names that have been put in this spot for WWE officials to get a look at these stars on a bigger stage.
Mia Yim is back in WWE as she returned to the company during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Yim made a comeback as a member of The OC and the equalizer that AJ Styles had mentioned. WWE United States Champion Seth Rollins entered the ring to begin his open challenge.
The Judgment Day cut him off, and shortly after that, The OC entered the ring. A brawl broke out between the two factions as Yim emerged from the crowd and attacked Rhea Ripley, with The OC standing tall in the ring to end the segment.
WWE released Yim in November 2021 after a run on WWE Raw as Reckoning, and in between, being swapped between brands without appearing anywhere. Yim didn’t wrestle any matches for 15 months while being sidelined by WWE and having her non-compete run out.
She spent five months with Impact Wrestling until parting ways with the promotion following their set of Bound For Glory tapings last month when she was free to wrestle once her non-compete clause expired.
WWE was reportedly interested in bringing back Yim after the expiration of her contract with Impact. WWE recently welcomed Emma (Tenille Dashwood) back to the company after years of being away.
After members of The Factory defeated the team of Rhett Titus, Cheeseburger, and Logan Laroux on AEW Dark: Elevation, QT Marshall cut a promo about how they were “running on cylinders” and repeatedly referred to the crowd as “pieces of crap”.
As he was yammering, a grainy video popped up on the screen. Two long nails were shown, with one being pulled away from the other. The video ended as abruptly as it started and all members of The Factory looked confused, as was Paul Wight on commentary.
Although the video was in black and white and reminiscent of House of Black, it’s unlikely that it’s them. They appear in their vignettes and don’t have any reason to be involved with The Factory.
There was speculation that Darby Allin was coming for Cole Karter after he attacked Allin on Dynamite while dressed as Sting. This led to the AEW arrival of Jeff Jarrett.
Some fans have been buzzing about “Evil Danhausen”. There is a photo of this version of his character in which he’s holding a long nail, similar to the ones seen in the video.
Last week, Marshall beat Danhausen during the main event of AEW Dark Elevation. Afterwards, Danhausen quote tweeted a clip of his loss with song lyrics from “Unclean Spirit” by Code Orange. The next night on AEW Dark, he beat Jon Cruz in a more vicious way than we typically see from him. He quote tweeted a clip of that win with “the executioner is here and he’s sharpening his axe.”
My body is conscious. My spirit is unclean. I am no longer fulfilled. Satisfy me. My body is conscious. My spirit is unclean. I am no longer fulfilled. Satisfy me. My body is conscious. My spirit is unclean. I am no longer fulfilled. Satisfy me. @AEW. https://t.co/I9voojBV6i
Evil Danhausen would bring a dimension to his character that AEW fans haven’t seen yet. It may move him away from Best Friends and company (and HOOK) and let him be on his own for a while.
