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3 Ways Jon Moxley Saved AEW This Year

Robert Lentini
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Jon Moxley has been the MVP for All Elite Wrestling in 2022. The company has gone through unprecedented drama this year but Moxley has always been the constant. He has formed a connection with AEW fans and has signed a new deal that will ensure he’s with the promotion for years to come.

  • 5 Reasons Jon Moxley is AEW’s MVP in 2022

Here are three ways Jon Moxley saved AEW this year:

The Constant

All Elite Wrestling has been through it this year. At AEW All Out, the company crowned a new AEW World Champion in CM Punk and the inaugural Trios Champions in Kenny Omega and The Elite. They were all stripped of the titles on the following Dynamite.

AEW President Tony Khan was put in an impossible position during the AEW All Out media scrum. AEW World Champion CM Punk sat down directly beside Tony and went on a rant that insulted the company and several of its top stars. Tony was left to do nothing besides take a sip of his coffee and hope that Punk eventually stopped talking.

Jon Moxley had just lost the AEW World Championship to CM Punk at the PPV. He was set to go on a vacation but then Brawl Out happened. The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega went into CM Punk’s locker room and a brouhaha erupted.

Moxley became AEW World Champion once again because CM Punk couldn’t get it done. Jon was the AEW Interim Champion during CM Punk’s injury and is now carrying the ball after Punk dropped it. CM Punk is a two-time AEW World Champion without making a single title defense. Jon will make another title defense tonight on Dynamite.

The Promo

Wrestling fans were ecstatic when Jon Moxley arrived in All Elite Wrestling at Double or Nothing 2019. He made his way to the ring through the crowd and confronted Chris Jericho. Moxley planted Jericho with the Paradigm Shift and then battled with former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega.

If you take a step back now, Moxley’s debut remains the most important for AEW. Bryan Danielson is popular but hasn’t connected with AEW fans as much as Jon Moxley. Most of the other ex-WWE signings get a huge pop for their debut then quickly fritter away. Moxley has not only stuck around, he’s made it to the top of the company and isn’t going anywhere.

Jon cut quite possibly the best promo of his career on the Dynamite following All Out. AEW President Tony Khan had just been booed by AEW fans as he awkwardly announced that Punk and The Elite were being stripped of their titles. MJF had just hoodwinked the Buffalo crowd by wearing a Bills jersey and pretending he was their friend.

Mox made his way to the ring and told Maxwell that this was not the time. He added that MJF’s theme music sucks before delivering the promo that AEW fans needed to hear. Moxley stated that winners always want the ball when the game is on the line and went on to defeat Bryan Danielson at Dynamite: Grand Slam to once again become AEW World Champion.

The Future

The most important thing Jon Moxley has done for AEW this year is provide them with a foundation. AEW has seen an absurd amount of drama this year, whether it be Sammy Guevara, Thunder Rosa, CM Punk, Andrade El Idolo, etc. It has been never-ending this year.

Moxley inked a five-year contract extension with the promotion. The AEW World Champion is sticking around for a long time. His wife, Renee Paquette (formerly Renee Young in WWE) also recently signed with the promotion.

Details on Jon Moxley’s 5-Year AEW Contract Extension

Jon’s new contract also expands his responsibilities to include coaching and mentoring younger talent. The 36-year-old might not be everyone’s cup of tea but there is no denying that he puts in the work.

Moxley has performed in the independent scene during his time in All Elite Wrestling and was the GCW Champion up until recently. Jon’s new contract states that he will work exclusively for AEW and its international partners, including NJPW. Less time on the indies means more time for Moxley to devote to helping AEW.

MJF will challenge Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear. It was clearly supposed to be CM Punk in this spot, as Maxwell confronted the former champion at the conclusion of the All Out PPV.

However, the brawl at the media scrum forced All Elite Wrestling to change course and revert back to the man that has been there all along. Jon Moxley now has the task of helping MJF not just become a bigger star, but become the face of AEW. Moxley’s track record in AEW suggests that Tony Khan made the right call by making him champion once again and Jon will deliver at the PPV on November 19th.

Report: 13-Year WWE Event “Completely Dead” Thanks to Triple H

Thomas Lowson
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One of WWE’s staple events of the past 13 years is said to be “completely dead” as part of changes made under the new regime.

Since July, Triple H has operated as both Head of Creative and Head of Talent Relations, implementing several changes.

The Game’s tenure has seen several released Superstars be rehired, including Bray Wyatt, Braun Strowman, Karrion Kross, and Hit Row among others.

Completely Dead

WWE Hell in a Cell

Triple H isn’t just changing the rosters of WWE, but is also changing the line-up of Premium Live Events. According to Wrestle Votes, the annual Hell in a Cell Premium Live Event is said to be “completely dead” and will not return next year.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Wrestle Votes explained Triple H’s personal attachment to the stipulation.

“That match, from what I understand, means a lot to Hunter, just think of the classics that he’s had in there. Roman Reigns & Jey, so they’ve been feuding for six weeks. They got to be there now because the calendar says so… That’s not going to happen anymore.”

Wrestle Votes.

Triple H entered Hell in a Cell for the first time at No Way Out 2000 with a victory over Cactus Jack, and has competed in the match nine times.

The King of Kings has the second most Cell appearances (behind The Undertaker at 14) and boasts a 66.6% win rate.

It is believed that the stipulation will still be used but only when the storyline demands it.

More Changes

WWE Hell in a Cell may be finished as an event, but it may not be the only show on the chopping block.

This month, it was reported that WWE’s new regime will move away from stipulation events, meaning shows like Elimination Chamber and WWE TLC could also be scrapped.

WWE is also reportedly interested in hosting more international Premium Live Events, following the monumental success of WWE Clash at the Castle in Cardiff, Wales.

3 Reasons to Love WWE’s New Premium Live Events Strategy

Tommaso Ciampa Undergoes Surgery for Torn Hip Labrum

Andrew Ravens
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Tommaso Ciampa has undergone the knife to repair a torn hip labrum. 

The WWE star hasn’t wrestled since a WWE live event on Sept. 17 and has been absent from Monday Night Raw for the past few weeks. On Monday Night Raw this week, Johnny Gargnao mentioned Ciampa was dealing with an injury during a backstage promo with The Miz, but it was unclear at the time if this was merely a storyline or real-life. Obviously, the injury is real. 

Road to Recovery

Ciampa

Ciampa confirmed on Wednesday that he had undergone surgery to repair a torn hip labrum. He wrote the following on Instagram: 

“The road to recovery begins. It’s a familiar road. Almost too familiar,” Ciampa wrote in an Instagram post. “Special thanks to Dr Emblom and his team for taking such incredible care of me. Thanks to the WWE medical team for once again putting me back together. And thanks to my ‘nurses’ at home for always giving me perspective. It took awhile but we finally found the cause to all of that glute/SI/back pain. A hip labrum that ‘looked like shredded cheese’ according to my wife, who watched the surgery.”

He also included an inspirational quote by beloved fictional character, Rocky Balboa:

“But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

– Rocky Balboa

Ciampa had been pushed by Triple H since taking over creative from Vince McMahon this past July. Ciampa had gone from being Miz’s henchman to challenging Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship.

Kofi Kingston Names His WarGames ‘Dream Team’ for WWE Survivor Series

Robert Lentini
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This year’s WWE Survivor Series premium live event will feature a special WarGames theme, with men’s and women’s double-cage matches set to headline the event. This is a departure from recent years, which saw a contrived ‘brand supremacy’ format involving the Superstars from Raw, SmackDown and NXT competing.

Triple H recently commented on the changes coming to Survivor Series:

“The tradition of the Survivor Series has ebbed and flowed and changed slightly over time, but this will be similar to that,” he said in a press release. “This will not be Raw versus SmackDown. It will be much more story-line driven. I still look at it as a traditional component of Survivor Series in there because it’s large teams of people competing. We just upped the ante a little bit with WarGames and made it evolve.”

Kofi Kingston’s WarGames Dream Team

Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston recently spoke with Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston and named his ideal partners in a hypothetical WarGames match. Unsurprisingly, his New Day teammates (Big E & Xavier Woods) were included.

We have actually teamed up with Braun Strowman a couple of times and he is just amazing to be in the ring with.

I find him to be such a character. He lives such a crazy life. He lives in the woods, hunts boars, and so many awesome stories.

So even sometimes when we are like, Woods will be in there wrestling and we are on the apron, I’m just like man this dude is huge. He’s a force to be reckoned with.

I would put Braun on my team. Shoot, I’ll put Bray on my team too. I don’t know if he’s looking for a team but I’ll put Bray on there.

I don’t know if Orton is coming back, but I’ll put Randy on my team. The Viper and the experience factor.

You mentioned Carmelo (Hayes), I’d put him and Trick Williams on my team because I think they have got a lot of potential.

I’m excited to see what they bring to the table when they get to the, well I guess Carmelo is on the main roster, he’s been on Main Event a few times now.

WWE Survivor Series takes place Saturday, November 26th from Boston’s TD Garden.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit NBC Ten Count and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

The Kingdom Signed to Full-Time Contracts with AEW

Thomas Lowson
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The Kingdom has become the newest team to be All Elite, after signing full-time deals with AEW.

The group currently consists of Matt Taven, Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis-Bennett and debuted for AEW during the October 14, episode of Rampage.

The group has previously worked in Ring of Honor and recently finished up with Impact Wrestling.

All-Elite

Despite debuting close to two weeks ago, The Kingdom were not signed to AEW at that time.

Fightful Select reports that Taven and Bennett lost the Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Championships during the Bound for Glory tapings, but the match hasn’t aired yet.

This means that given delay, the group were in canon, still Impact’s top team when they appeared on Rampage.

The report adds that all three members of The Kingdom have signed multi-year deals with AEW.

WWE

Before appearing on the October 14, Rampage, it was reported that WWE had been interested in signing Matt Taven.

In their report, Fightful notes that both Mike and Maria had conversations with WWE, but clearly did not reach an agreement.

It is not currently known if a firm offer was made by Head of Talent Relations Triple H.

All three signings had been part of Impact’s Honor No More stable, alongside Vincent, who was backstage at a recent Monday Night Raw.

Friends

The Kingdom debuted by challenging FTR for the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championships, but the two groups aren’t enemies.

In fact, Fightful’s report noted that it was FTR who were pushing backstage for Taven and the Bennetts to be hired.

While Maria has openly discussed helping Tony Khan with the ROH Women’s division, she is contracted solely as an on-screen performer.

Matt Taven Shares When He Found Out About ROH Hiatus

Britt Baker on ‘Toxic’ Wrestlers: Anybody Can be Replaced in AEW

Thomas Lowson
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Dr. Britt Baker DMD has become one of AEW’s most featured stars, but she’s well aware that she could be replaced.

Baker signed with AEW in January 2019 and was the first female wrestler to ink a deal with the upstart promotion.

At Double or Nothing 2021, Baker captured the AEW Women’s World Championship and held the title for 290 days before losing the gold to reigning Champion Thunder Rosa.

Replaceable

Baker is, to many fans, the biggest female star in AEW today but is aware that this is only thanks to Tony Khan.

Speaking on the Swerve City podcast, Baker spoke about what she believes to be the most ‘toxic’ attitude a professional wrestler can have.

“What’s so toxic is when somebody thinks they’re bigger than the company. Or that the company needs them. There’s literally no one in AEW that they need, other than Tony Khan to survive. Everybody can be replaced.”

– Britt Baker

Baker is currently embroiled in a feud with Saraya, who debuted at the AEW Grand Slam: Dynamite show last month.

A match between the two, which would be Saraya’s first match in nearly five years, is yet to be announced.

Baker Vs. Rosa

Baker’s on-screen feud with Thunder Rosa is long over, but there is reportedly very real beef between the two.

It was reported earlier this year that Rosa has significant heat, not just with Baker but in the AEW locker room, especially after breaking the nose of Jamie Hayter.

Rosa is currently out of action with an injury but has not been stripped of the AEW Women’s World Championship.

Some have claimed that the injury is not legitimate and that AEW is using this as an excuse to keep her away from the locker room, a claim Rosa has denied.

It has also been claimed that Rosa has exaggerated her real injury, as she only told AEW of the injury after learning she’d be losing her title to Toni Storm at All Out 2022.

Britt Baker Comments on Thunder Rosa’s Hiatus from AEW: “I Was at Work Every Week”

HT: PWTorch

WWE NXT Teases New Character with Cryptic Video

Thomas Lowson
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WWE NXT will soon have a new cryptic character, according to a video shared during this week’s episode.

Last night, a video segment was aired detailing a voice mail sent to the WWE Performance Center from a character called ‘Scrypts.’

In the bizarre message, Scrypts encourages people to “let go of all your pain” and “awaken from the pits you call the dark.”

In a more direct statement and threat to the roster, Scrypts vowed to leave their mark and “rip all of NXT apart.”

Unique Marketing

Scrypt’s arrival on WWE NXT is far different than the traditional introduction, and whoever they are, they may have Bray Wyatt to thank.

Wyatt returned to WWE at Extreme Rules 2022, 15 months after his controversial release under the previous regime.

Prior to Wyatt’s return, WWE used cryptic videos fans found by scanning QR codes that were produced by recent WWE hiring Rob Fee.

The videos, as well as Wyatt’s return, proved to be a hit with fans, and PW Insider reports that WWE is interested in using similar unique promotional methods.

Their report added that WWE Head of Creative and Talent Relations Triple H is far more open to unique marketing ideas than his predecessor Vince McMahon.

Debut or Return?

While the Scrypts character is debuting, it is possible that this is someone fans have seen before.

Some fans have pointed out that the voice for Scrypts has been modulated, which may mean WWE are deliberately trying to disguise a familiar voice.

WWE Superstar’s Return to NXT & Gimmick Change Teased at Halloween Havoc

Solo Sikoa Weighs In on One Day Facing his Cousin Roman Reigns

Thomas Lowson
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Could Solo Sikoa one day turn his back on The Bloodline and face off with his cousin and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns? Don’t bet on it.

Sikoa joined WWE last year as part of NXT 2.0, and was called up to the main roster in September 2022.

A former North American Champion, Sikoa made his main-roster debut by aiding his cousin during the WWE Clash at the Castle Premium Live Event against Drew McIntyre.

Reigns Vs. Sikoa

Since being called up, Sikoa has served as the enforcer of the Bloodline and regularly appears with Reigns on-screen.

Speaking with Sportskeeda, Sikoa addressed the Royal Rumble, and has no plan on winning the 30-Man match (via Fightful.)

“I might not win the Royal Rumble. I might eliminate myself. I don’t know, you never know. If that opportunity presents itself, Maybe. But I know my role as the enforcer and that it’s to protect — anybody that tries to step up to Roman Reigns, gets knocked down.”

The 2023 Royal Rumble will take place on January 28, 2023, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Rumble Favorites

While Sikoa does not have WrestleMania main event ambitions (at least not against Roman Reigns) countless Superstars would love to win.

Right now, the current favorite among fans to win is Cody Rhodes, who has been out since June with a torn pectoral.

Rhodes is also a favorite among fans to dethrone Reigns and end his tenure as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

The Rock, a fellow member of Reigns’ family is also being considered by some, with rumors of a Rock-Reigns match at WrestleMania 39.

“I’m Having A Lot Of Fun” – Solo Sikoa On Being A Part Of The Bloodline In WWE

Buff Bagwell Risks Amputation Over 2020 Car Accident

Thomas Lowson
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WCW veteran Buff Bagwell fears he may soon lose a limb due to a car accident from over two years ago.

In August 2020, Bagwell was involved in a serious collision when his 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe crashed into another car.

Shortly after the crash, investigators believed that Bagwell was impaired by prescription medication at the time of the accident.

Losing his Leg

The August 2020 accident left Bagwell in a bad way, suffering from broken ribs, a broken right hip, a broken left socket bone, a broken nose, a torn right groin muscle, and heavy bruising.

Even now, two years later, Bagwell is dealing with his injuries and could risk losing his leg.

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet of Insight, Bagwell explained the injuries and the long-term effect they have had (via Wrestling Inc.)

“The actual injury is my patella tendon exploded; it’s not there. So, they cut you down your calf, and they bring a piece of your calf muscle to your knee, and they rebuild your patella tendon. It’s called a gastrocnemius flap.

“Amputation is on the table. It’s on the table.”

Buff Bagwell.

“Well, as I went to the doctor that day, the flap isn’t even there anymore. Now, there are all kinds of stuff, chips, and arthritis. All kinds of stuff is going on, and it’s bad news. Amputation is on the table. It’s on the table. Not that they want to do that, but it’s on the table.”

What’s Next?

Bagwell, of course, wants to avoid amputation and is leaving no stone unturned to avoid the procedure.

In the interview, the former WCW World Tag Champion explained the course of action he and his medical team have devised.

“The deal is we’re gonna keep it clean, keep the wounds good and clean, and we’re getting blood tests every four weeks.”

Buff added that only when his blood and wounds are fully clean and free of the risk of infection, they can take amputation off the table.

Bagwell went on to say that AEW star Sting has been regularly checking in on him.

Buff Bagwell Reaches Milestone In Battle with Substances

NJPW Warns Karl Anderson Over Booking Conflict with WWE Crown Jewel

Robert Lentini
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Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson recently returned to WWE to help AJ Styles in his battle with The Judgment Day.

Finn Balor had been trying to get The Phenomenal One to join the faction but AJ ultimately declined. The Judgment Day attacked Styles in response and The Good Brothers made their return.

WWE has announced that The OC will battle The Judgment Day in a 6-man tag team match at Crown Jewel on November 5th.

NJPW Warns Karl Anderson That They Will Vacate His Title If He Works Crown Jewel

Karl Anderson is the current NEVER Openweight Champion and was scheduled to defend the title on the same day against Hikuleo. Karl and Luke recently uploaded a video and said that they will not be at Battle Autumn. Gallows added that Anderson’s bookings must go through him and NJPW didn’t clear it with him.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling has responded today with a statement that refutes the claims made above by Luke Gallows. NJPW stated that they booked the match through the proper channels with Karl Anderson and the match was announced on October 4th. NJPW added that Karl will have to vacate and return the NEVER Openweight Championship if he does not compete in the match he was scheduled for.

You can read the entire statement below:

Thank you for supporting New Japan Pro-Wrestling. 

Early morning Japan time on October 20, NEVER Openweight Champion Karl Anderson posted a video on social media indicating that he would not be making his advertised commitment on November 5 in Osaka. 

NJPW had announced Anderson’s match with Hikuleo for the NEVER Openweight Championship on October 4. Despite comments from Doc Gallows to the contrary in Anderson’s video, the booking was made through the appropriate channels, and with Anderson’s expressed approval.

However, after the match’s announcement, both Gallows and Anderson would appear on the October 10 edition of WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” broadcast. This led to WWE announcing a match featuring both men for their Saudi Arabia event on November 5, in direct conflict with Anderson’s prior commitment.

NJPW has for the past several days attempted to negotiate with Anderson, but has not been met with a response. Should Anderson decide to renege on his scheduled championship match, he will be required to vacate the NEVER Openweight Championship and return the title belt to NJPW immediately. 

New Japan Pro-Wrestling holds its champions to the highest standards of professionalism, and sincerely apologizes to fans for any disappointment or inconvenience caused by this matter. 

Britt Baker Comments on Thunder Rosa’s Hiatus from AEW: “I Was at Work Every Week”

Robert Lentini
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Britt Baker has shared her thoughts on AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa’s hiatus from the company.

Thunder Rosa was scheduled to defend the AEW Women’s Championship against Toni Storm at the now infamous All Out PPV. She announced on the Dynamite before the PPV that she was pulling out of the match due to injury in a backstage interview.

Toni Storm is the current AEW Interim Women’s Champion and has taken some shots at the situation surrounding Thunder Rosa. She said the following to Bleacher Report:

I guess my first thing would be to beat Thunder Rosa and stop this interim nonsense. That’s kind of what’s been bothering me. I think that’s been bothering a lot of people because she’s still calling herself the AEW women’s world champion and I’m the one here every week doing the work.

Thunder Rosa responded on Busted Open Radio and said she will hopefully be returning to AEW in January. The AEW Women’s Champion added that she doesn’t book the show and it is not her problem what is decided backstage.

Thunder Rosa Responds to Toni Storm’s Comments About The AEW Women’s Championship

Britt Baker Comments on Thunder Rosa

Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker recently spoke with Swerve Strickland on The Swerve City podcast and commented on not missing time from All Elite Wrestling while out with an injury. Britt noted that she was at TV every week because she wanted to be there.

I never missed any episodes of TV, with every like broken bone and injury. I’m just sayin’.

What bone have I not broken at this point? My leg, my nose twice now, my wrist, the concussion, and I was at work every week because that is where I wanted to be.

I had my nose surgery on a Monday, Dynamite was on a Wednesday, and I was there cutting a promo. Because I wanted to be.

Tony (Khan) is the most caring and wonderful guy. But I was like this is an opportunity, I’m going to have a black eye, I’m sick in the head and thought I’m going to look cool.

Britt added during the podcast that they don’t get along but complimented Thunder Rosa for upping her game.

It is kind of like The Batman and Joker, like one needs the other for the success story to happen.

We don’t like each other. There’s always tension but that tension makes good TV. So, I still think it’s my division.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Swerve City podcast and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

CM Punk Breaks Silence on Social Media for First Time Since Fight at AEW All Out

Robert Lentini
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Former AEW World Champion CM Punk has reemerged on social media for the first time since the All Out PPV.

CM Punk captured the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley at the All Out PPV on September 4th. He was injured during the match and would likely have had to relinquish the title regardless.

However, the 44-year-old opted to go on a rant during the media scrum following the PPV. Despite just winning the title, CM Punk wanted to discuss his issues with The Elite, Colt Cabana, and Hangman Page while AEW President Tony Khan was seated directly beside him.

The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega reportedly went to CM Punk’s locker room following the rant and a brawl broke out. Ace Steel was released from the company and AEW is reportedly in negotiations for a contract buyout with the former champion.

CM Punk was stripped of the AEW World Championship on the Dynamite following All Out. He is a two-time AEW World Champion without defending the title a single time.

The Elite were stripped of their Trios Championships and have not appeared on AEW TV since the PPV.

AEW Negotiating to Buy Out CM Punk’s Contract (Report)

CM Punk Hypes AJ Mendes’ New Film

CM Punk’s wife, AJ Mendes (FKA as AJ Lee in WWE), co-wrote the film ‘Blade of the 47 Ronin’ which was released today on Netflix. The 44-year-old posted a story on Instagram and told fans to go check out the film.

cm punk social media

‘Blade of 47 Ronin’ is a sequel to the 2013 film ’47 Ronin’ starring Keanu Reeves. The story takes place 300 years after the original film and is about modern-day Samurai clans that exist in complete secrecy. You can check out a trailer for the film below.

WWE NXT Results (10/25): Two Title Matches, The Rock’s Daughter Arrives

Andrew Ravens
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The October 25, 2022 episode of WWE NXT aired live on the USA Network from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Results 

  • Katana Chance and Kayden Carter defeated Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark to retain the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships.
  • Shotzi defeated Lash Legend 
  • Pretty Deadly defeated Blade and Enofe to retain the NXT Tag Team Championships.
  • Indi Hartwell defeated Solo Ruca
  • JD McDonagh defeated Ilja Dragunov

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Ava Raine Arrives

ava raine 2
WWE

Ava Raine made her NXT television debut as the newest member of Schism, a group led by Joe Gacy. She said that love and acceptance that the Schism has given her defies any preconceived notions of who she’s supposed to be. She said this family completes her. The segment ended with her posing with the group. 

This is The Rock’s daughter, Simone Johnson. 

What’s Next for Bron?

drag

NXT Champion Bron Breakker defeated Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh in a triple threat match in the main event of Halloween Havoc this past Saturday. So what’s next?

Throughout the show, there were video packages recapping the match. There were also videos of Dragunov and JD talking about their history to further build up their match in the main event of this show. WWE announced Bron would return to NXT next week. 

The bout saw an injury angle where Dragunov was checked out for his shoulder by the doctors. The finish saw JD have him in a choke and Dragunov started to bleed and passed out. Dragnuov was stretchered out of the arena. 

NXT Tag Team Titles Match

1nxt 1

NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly defended the titles against Edris Enofe and Malik Blade

On last week’s show, WWE did contract signing for the match to make it official. During it, Enofe and Blade suggested that they would shock the world when they become champions after they became the number one contenders to the NXT Tag Team titles by winning a three-way match for the number one contendership.

The match was a good one that had plenty of time to tell a story with the champions going over with their finisher to retain the titles. 

NXT Women’s Tag Team Titles Match

0 nxt 1

NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter defended the titles against Zoey Stark and Nikkita Lyons.

WWE did contract signing for the match on last week’s show t set up the bout. During the signing, Stark said that they will prove that they are a team when they win the tag team titles while Chance said that they will see what happens when they lose.

The match opened the show and had to be restarted. Stark reversed a kick into a rollup for the victory. However, Chance complained that she wasn’t the legal person to the referee. A 2nd referee ran out and reset the match. Chance and Carter hit Lyons with their 450-Backbreaker finisher to give Chance the win.

Lash Legend vs. Shotzi

2 nxt 2

Lash Legend vs. Shotzi in a singles match was booked. 

The match was set up at Saturday’s Halloween Havoc as Shotzi hosted the event along with Quincy Elliot. Legend confronted them towards the end of the show where she stated she would be a better host than either of them. Legend was eventually laid out with a DDT.

The match was the second on the card and ended with Shotzi hit Lash Never Wake Up (Leg Trap DDT) for the victory.

The Rock’s Daughter Ava Raine Makes WWE NXT TV Debut

Andrew Ravens
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The Rock’s daughter, Simone Johnson, has made her WWE NXT television debut as the newest member of Schism. 

Johnson, known as Ava Raine in NXT, took off her mask in a segment to reveal she is part of the faction led by Joe Gacy. In her promo, she talked about how love and acceptance that the Schism has given her defies any preconceived notions of who she’s supposed to be. 

She said this family completes her. The segment ended with her posing with the group, including Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid.

Ava Raine’s Journey

Raine made her WWE NXT live event debut in July by scouting talent and then cut her first promo the following night and called herself “The Final Girl.”

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight over the summer, The Rock talked about his daughter making her debut. 

“She’s made history. Very, very proud of her. She is fiercely independent. It’s very important for her to make her own way, blaze her own trail, blaze her own path. She doesn’t come to me looking for a lot, which I respect that. And I’m here watching and supporting.”

Raine has been with WWE for several years, although she has not wrestled in a sanctioned match as of this writing.

The Boogeyman Set to Return to WWE Programming This Week

Robert Lentini
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The Boogeyman is set to make his long-awaited WWE return this week as Halloween approaches.

He has been very active on social media as of late with fans trying to return to the company and now it appears that The Boogeyman has gotten his wish. The Boogeyman will appear on WWE programming this week a few days before Halloween.

The Boogeyman Will Return to WWE on The Bump

WWE legend The Boogeyman will make his triumphant return to the company tomorrow at 1 PM. The Boogeyman will join stars Liv Morgan and Shotzi on WWE’s The Bump tomorrow afternoon. It will be interesting to see if he makes an appearance on RAW or SmackDown as well.

The Boogeyman is currently on a legends contract with the company but has made it known that he wants to return to television on social media. He recently posted on Twitter that he wants to face Bray Wyatt following his return at the Extreme Rules PLE.

Shotzi hosted the NXT Halloween Havoc over the weekend and recently teamed up with Raquel Rodriguez to battle Damage CTRL. The team fell short of capturing the Women’s Tag Team Championships.

Liv Morgan lost the SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey in an Extreme Rules match at the Premium Live Event. Since losing the title, Liv’s attitude has completely changed. The 28-year-old attacked Sonya Deville backstage and Powerbombed her through a table on a recent episode of SmackDown. She went on to defeat Sonya in a singles match last week on the blue brand and hit her with a Superplex onto a stack of chairs after the match.

WWE Stars Honor The Ultimate Warrior on 35th Anniversary of His Debut

Robert Lentini
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The Ultimate Warrior debuted in WWE 35 years ago today. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 and tragically passed away shortly after. Ultimate Warrior died at the age of 54 on April 8, 2014. WWE has since created the Warrior Award in his honor. Shad Gaspard was the recipient of this year’s Warrior Award.

WWE uploaded a video today featuring several of today’s most popular superstars discussing their favorite moments of The Ultimate Warrior’s career to pay tribute to the wrestling legend on the anniversary of his debut. He debuted in WWE 35 years ago and defeated Terry Gibbs.

Drew McIntyre said that WrestleMania VII was his favorite moment of The Ultimate Warrior’s career and claimed to have worn out the VHS tape of the event watching it with his brother growing up. The Ultimate Warrior defeated Randy Savage at the event.

The Miz stated that Ultimate Warrior was his favorite wrestler growing up. The Miz joked that his favorite “moment” of the Hall of Famer’s career was whenever he cut a promo because you couldn’t really understand what he said. The Miz added that he has “load the spaceship with the rocket fuel” embedded in his head.

Sheamus revealed that his favorite Ultimate Warrior moment was at SummerSlam 1988. The Ultimate Warrior demolished The Honky Tonk Man in quick fashion at the event. The Celtic Warrior added that it is moments like that one that will stick in fans’ heads forever.

Tamina Snuka told a story of The Ultimate Warrior signing a jacket for her when she was younger and her dad gave it to her on Christmas. Natalya selected his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame as her favorite moment from his career.

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson also discussed how The Ultimate Warrior influenced their career. Gallows picked Warrior’s return at WrestleMania 8 as his favorite moment. You can check out the video presented by Mattel below.

Ric Flair Says He Would Love to Return to WWE

Robert Lentini
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Ric Flair wrestled his last match during WWE SummerSlam weekend in Nashville.

The 73-year-old teamed up with his son-in-law, Andrade El Idolo, to defeat AEW star Jay Lethal and wrestling legend Jeff Jarrett in a tag team match.

Ric Flair’s Last Match was an event produced by Conrad Thompson and Jim Crockett Promotions and it was very successful. The event sold out the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, drawing 6.800 fans with a live gate of $448,402.

Ric Flair’s Last Match also brought in estimated 20-25k viewers on FITE and is the 2nd highest-grossing North American independent professional wrestling event behind All In in 2018.

Ric Flair on a Potential Return to WWE

The Nature Boy spoke about a potential return to WWE recently on his To Be The Man podcast. Ric said that he would “love to return to the company and do stuff with them” but did not disclose what his return would entail.

He also discussed his upcoming documentary and claimed that it was going to be better than the 30 for 30 produced by ESPN.

This will be better than my 30 for 30 on ESPN because I made them promise me that whatever I said, they wouldn’t edit. I’m not going to do something that’s going to be edited again.

“I was passionate and I expressed everything that I thought was good or bad in my life. I discussed my personal life, my personal problems, family problems, wrestling problems, issues with people that I have had.

I just answered questions and I answered them as truthfully as I could.

H/T: F4WOnline

WWE Legend Praises Logan Paul: “I Think This Guy is Going to do Very Well”

Robert Lentini
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0

Logan Paul sent a message to Roman Reigns on last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

The 27-year-old made his way to the ring at the end of SmackDown for a promo. He suggested that he was going to shock the world and defeat Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel to capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Honorary Uce Sami Zayn was on the phone with Roman Reigns earlier on the show and was instructed to inform The Bloodline not to confront Logan Paul. Sami told The Bloodline not to do so but Jey Uso didn’t listen. Jey made his way to the ring and Logan knocked him out with one punch.

Jim Cornette Praises Logan Paul

Wrestling legend Jim Cornette had high praise for Logan Paul following his segment on last week’s episode of SmackDown. Speaking on the Jim Cornette Experience, the legendary manager praised Logan Paul for his promo ability and for taking the business seriously.

This guy can talk. He’s taking the business more seriously than the guys that are in it. He’s constructed, whether it is his story or whether they gave it to him and he’s fleshed it out, about nobody takes him seriously.

They don’t think he’s going to beat Roman Reigns but what if he gets one lucky shot? They said he couldn’t do this, they said he couldn’t do that and look where he is now.

He seems serious and motivated. And he’s got personality. It is not just scripted bullsh** or a monotone uninteresting delivery like Ronda Rousey has been, where she’s just like in a trance and doesn’t give a sh**.

I think this guy is going to do very well. Also, we’ve seen before he takes the physical part seriously too and he’s been training.

Cornette added that he is more offended by wrestlers like Orange Cassidy or Joey Janela than celebrities such as Logan Paul trying their hand in the wrestling business.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Jim Cornette Experience and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

Former WWE Champion Very Impressed with Logan Paul

Details on How NBCUniversal Feels About WWE NXT

Andrew Ravens
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WWE is coming off its latest NXT premium live event – Halloween Havoc – this past Saturday night was headlined by Bron Breakker defending the NXT Championship in a Triple Threat match against Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh.

The show was a huge hit over at Peacock, according to the Wrestling Observer’s Andrew Zarian, who on Twitter dropped an interesting stat for the event: 

“Halloween Havoc was NXT’s most-viewed standalone PLE since the start of the Peacock relationship. By standalone, I mean running a weekend where there is no main roster PLE.” 

TakeOver: In Your House 2021, TakeOver 36, and WarGames 2021 were the only three standalone premium live events the brand put on since the Peacock partnership began in early 2021. 

Internal Feeling

Shawn Michaels NXT
(WWE)

Halloween Havoc 2022 can now be added to that list, topping them all. Zarian also added how NBCUniversal, the parent company of the USA Network, the home of weekly NXT TV and Peacock, feels about the brand. 

“More on Halloween Havoc — Execs were “encouraged” that additional promotion helped translate into additional viewership for this PLE. The overall attitude towards NXT from NBCU side of things has been very positive over the past few weeks.”

A few weeks ago, WWE dropped the “2.0” from the NXT name as the brand had taken on a new identity starting in September in 2021. WWE will present the next NXT premium live event, NXT Deadline, on December 10 — the same day as Ring of Honor’s Final Battle pay-per-view. No matches for NXT Deadline have been announced just yet.

Shawn Michaels Addresses Rumors of Real-Life Heat With The Rock

Andrew Ravens
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Shawn Michaels and The Rock never worked a singles match together in their wrestling careers. The only time that they shared the ring was when Michaels served as a special guest referee for two of The Rock’s matches.

Over the years, there have been rumors that Michaels’ attitude in the 90s towards The Rock caused Rock to never want to work with him. In 2017, Rocky Johnson, the father of the Rock, shared that Rock was upset that Michaels caught him too hard with the Sweet Chin Music, leading to a confrontation between the two.

Before Rock became a top star, Michaels retired in 1998 but made sporadic appearances in the following years. He returned full-time in 2002 at WWE SummerSlam against Triple H. 

While speaking to Logan Paul on ImPAULsive, Michaels was asked where things stood with The Rock and noted that it wasn’t as bad as people thought. 

Shawn Michaels on The Rock

Shawn Michaels NXT
(WWE)

“I’ve never worked with him. His daughter [Simon Johnson] is here [in NXT]. The times I’ve seen him, we’ve always gotten along okay. I don’t think it was as bad as everyone made it out to be. I know I gave everybody a hard time back when I was younger. When I came back, I made sure I went up to everybody and was at least like, ‘Sorry.’ That’s the best that I could do. When I came back in 2002, I knew there was going to be, ‘We’ll see.’ It was important to me to go around and make amends and at least tell everyone, ‘Sorry about the way I was. I have no excuse. I’m willing to earn back whatever. If you never talk to me again, I’m cool with that too.” 

Michaels is currently the Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative at WWE, while The Rock is arguably the biggest movie star in the world,

H/T to Fightful for the transcription

Britt Baker Details Advice She Received From Charlotte Flair

Andrew Ravens
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Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker has opened up on some advice she received from former WWE NXT/Raw/SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Baker has been pushed as a top star for AEW since the start of the promotion in 2019 and had a reign as the Women’s Champion for over a year after winning the title from Hikaru Shida back at Double or Nothing in 2021. She dropped it to Thunder Rosa back at St Patrick’s Day Slam.

While speaking to Swerve Strickland and Monteasy on Swerve City, Baker had the following to say about comparisons made between herself and the Queen.

“I do get compared to Charlotte all the time on Twitter. For me, okay cool, one of the best women’s wrestlers of all time. You’re so mean for calling me that. People don’t understand the constant pressure that comes with all the hate that you get. We are people.”

Britt Baker on Charlotte

Britt Baker
(via AEW)

She said being the face of a division means you’re under a microscope no matter what you do. She said that you can’t let the negative comments get to you or it will drive you insane.  Baker continued by revealing some words of advice Flair gave her.

“Back to Charlotte, her and I have chatted, and she has given me so much great advice just to get through this. She’s given me solid advice to just stay true to what you know is true. Don’t worry about the narratives that fans are creating or what they want to be true because you know what’s going on and what you’re working with. She’s been fantastic to me.”

Baker most recently teamed with Jamie Hayter in a losing effort against Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm on the October 12 edition of AEW Dynamite.

Transcription courtesy of Fightful.

Backstage News on the Next WWE Saudi Arabia Event

Andrew Ravens
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0

With WWE gearing up for its return to Saudi Arabia in just over a week and the announcement on Monday of what the company has planned for the Elimination Chamber event, there has been speculation as to when WWE will hold its first Saudi Arabia in 2023. 

On November 5th, WWE will present its Crown Jewel premium live event headlined by Roman Reigns defending the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Logan Paul from Saudi Arabia. 

On February 18, 2023, the Elimination Chamber event will be held from the Bell Centre in Montreal, marking a change from this year, where they held the Chamber event from Saudi and had a main event that saw Brock Lesnar regain the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match.

For November, WWE will have two premium live events with Crown Jewel and then hold the Survivor Series event later in the month. WWE won’t be doing this in February, a typical month that WWE holds Saudi shows. 

WWE’s Return

WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia
WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia

According to Pwinsider.com, there will not be a Saudi Arabia event in February as is planning to hold the next Saudi Arabia show in the Spring, although an official date has yet been locked down. 

WWE and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority have a long-term partnership through 2027. That contract states that WWE is obligated to hold two events annually in the country.

Tessa Blanchard Gives Update on her Life and Wrestling Career

Thomas Lowson
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Tessa Blanchard is in no hurry to get back in the ring at this time and is instead focussing on what makes her happy.

Blanchard, once considered one of the best female wrestlers at the time, has wrestled just one match in the past two years, competing for Hurricane Pro Wrestling in July 2022.

Shortly before her Impact World Championship victory in January 2020, Blanchard was accused of using racist language among other accusations of bullying.

Life Outside the Ring

Blanchard’s in-ring career is uncertain at this time, but the former Impact World Champion is building her skills outside of the ring.

Speaking to Bill Apter for Sportskeeda, Blanchard said that her focus right now is her education (via Fightful.)

“Right now, I’m in school, which is my main focus. That’s my main focus right now. I try to do one or two of the wrestling get-togethers or matches a month. Honestly, not too much more than that at the moment.”

Blanchard is studying at the University of Texas in San Antonio and is doing a course on International Affairs.

Wrestling Future

Blanchard was able to hold her own against both male and female wrestlers, but hasn’t stepped in the ring full-time in years.

Addressing her future in the ring, Blanchard did not rule out wrestling again, but made it clear that it is not a priority at this time.

“Doing whatever makes me feel happy, that’s really my main focus right now. My happiness. I don’t want to compromise my happiness for anything. Not for money, not for popularity, not for followers, not for any of that.”

Tessa is the daughter of wrestling legend Tully Blanchard, who is signed to AEW and is working with the company’s sister promotion Ring of Honor.

Tessa Blanchard Seemingly Responds To Reports Of Tension With WOW

Dana Brooke Fires Back At Seth Rollins For RAW Comment

Jon Fuentes
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0

Dana Brooke has fired back at Seth Rollins for his comment about her on Monday Night RAW this week.

During the show last night, while on commentary, Rollins addressed the possibility of Austin Theory cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase on him for the United States Championship.

Rollins said that Theory “has a better chance cashing in on Dana Brooke!” Brooke definitely caught wind of this, and was seemingly not happy about it. She took to Twitter to fire back at Rollins, saying the following.

“Talk is CHEAP!! I work my a** off every single day & will not tolerate this sh*t anymore! I can promise you I am the hardest working WOMAN around, never have I taken off work, always worked through injuries, proved multiple times I can fit any position given & DO IT W/ A SMILE!”

Brooke, who is no stranger to being poked fun at on live TV by her peers, has been with WWE since 2013, having worked on both RAW and SmackDown Live. Throughout that time, Brooke has yet to win a championship title outside of the 24/7 Championship.

Dana Brooke RAW
Photo Credit: WWE.com

As of this writing, Brooke is a 13-time WWE 24/7 Champion, and currently holds the title, which is what Rollins was referencing in his comment last night.

Alexa Bliss Opens Up On ‘Disheartening’ Targeting From WWE Fans

Jon Fuentes
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0

Alexa Bliss has opened up on the criticism that she and other WWE stars receive from fans, and how “disheartening’ it can be.

Bliss was recently interviewed by The UK Metro, where she discussed what it’s like to be in the spotlight and receive so much criticism from the likes of WWE fans. The former RAW Women’s Champion believes everyone has a right to their own opinion.

However, when the line is crossed and fans are not criticizing their storylines or characters – but rather themselves as people – it’s a “disheartening” experience.

“I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand – nine times out of 10 when you see us performing, we are going on no sleep, we are going on beat up bodies because we do travel four, five, six days a week.

“We are emotionally exhausted, we are mentally exhausted, we are physically exhausted but we are doing it to entertain everyone else. I agree that everyone should have the right to speak their opinion.

“But when you talk about us as human beings, people, and not our characters, that’s where the line stops, and I don’t feel like that’s OK. But we do it because we love what we do, we love entertaining people. It’s really disheartening and heartbreaking when we are putting our all out there.”

Alexa Bliss
(WWE)

Alexa Bliss recently made her return to WWE TV after a lengthy layoff in which she got married. Now, Bliss has separated herself from her former supernatural persona alongside Bray Wyatt, who has also since returned to WWE.

Now, Bliss is back on Monday Night RAW, looking to get back in the World Title picture that is currently lead by champion Bianca Belair.

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