On this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Colt Cabana made his return to take on Chris Jericho for the Ring Of Honor (ROH) World Championship. He came up just short, losing to Jericho after a Code Breaker.
Mike Johnson of PWInsider offered an update on the situation. Johnson reports that Cabana’s Dynamite appearance was planned as a one-off event, and he’s still a part of the Ring Of Honor roster.
Cabana’s return was not about him returning to the AEW roster, but rather about Jericho simply knocking off another Ring Of Honor name.
Colt Cabana (Photo: AEW)
Some speculated that Cabana’s return was framed to be a shot at CM Punk amidst Punk’s current issues with AEW, and expected departure from the promotion. If it was, Johnson doesn’t expect anyone to admit it.
However, WrestleVotes did offer up a report on the situation, noting that Cabana’s appearance on Dynamite did not go unnoticed by WWE. The report could be indicating that WWE could swoop in and scoop up Punk for a return should things between him and AEW ultimately come to a close.
Colt Cabana showing up on Dynamite last night didn’t go unnoticed in Stamford. That’s all I’ll say on that right now…
We now have some idea of what WWE had planned for Randy Orton upon his return from injury.
Orton has been out-of-action for the past several months since he and Matt Riddle’s RAW Tag Team Title reign ended. However, initially Orton wasn’t expected to be sidelined as long as he has.
According to a report from WrestleVotes, the initial plan for Orton was to return and immediately turn on Riddle, sparking a feud between the pair.
Of course, those plans were initiated back in May, when Vince McMahon was still the frontman of WWE. Since, McMahon has retired and Triple H has assumed creative responsibilities.
There’s a possibility that Triple H could decide to go in a different direction. As for Riddle, WrestleVotes speculated that WWE might not have anything for Riddle at the moment because Orton isn’t back.
(via WWE)
Shortly after concluding his feud with Seth Rollins, Riddle has been working with Elias on RAW, teaming up against Alpha Academy on Monday Night RAW.
It will be interesting to see what WWE decides to do with both Randy Orton and Riddle should he eventually return. There’s said to be a bit of worry about Orton’s injury and its severity given how long he’s been away.
WWE is expected to be making regular cuts to NXT moving forward.
Earlier this week, WWE released names such as Bodhi Hayward, Sloane Jacobs, Erica Yan, Damaris Griffin, and Ru Feng from their developmental brand.
This isn’t something completely new, as regularly releasing talent is something that has been going on since Vince McMahon was still running operations.
However, under the Triple H regime, that practice will continue. Wrestling Observer Radio‘s Dave Meltzer shared a report on the situation recently.
WWE is planning on continuing to release NXT talent regularly if they feel they are not progressing the way the company wants.
Talent can expect to be let go anywhere from the six-month to one-year mark if progression expectations are not being met. Also, anyone who isn’t put on TV after two years can also expect to be let go.
Of course, Bodhi Hayward’s situation, in particular, was a bit different. Subsequent reports have since suggested that Hayward was actually a handful to deal with, which added to the company’s decision to let him go in the end.
While WWE will continue its efforts to search the globe for more potential stars, it seems they also have set a hard rule on how long they’re waiting to sit on a talent’s potential before cutting ties.
In a conversation of great years in professional wrestling history, 1992 has a tendency to go overlooked. The Golden Era in WWE was tapering off and business was slipping downward. Meanwhile, WCW went through its share of transitions, including Bill Watts taking over creative and instituting unpopular rules like making moves off the top rope illegal. Neither major promotion would really find its way the way they did again around 1996-1997 as the Monday Night War took off.
However, 1992 also featured a deceptive number of highlights and important shifts that set up the future of the business, making it arguably the greatest year in wrestling history, at least for the mainstream product in the US
1992 Had The Best Versions Of Important Matches
January 1992 saw the greatest Royal Rumble match of all time. Ric Flair put on the first iron man performance that culminated in a victory as he entered at number three and lasted an hour against a full catalog of WWE Superstars, including the Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, The Undertaker, Sid Justice, and Roddy Piper as legitimate contenders and a laundry list of iconic names in the supporting cast like Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan, The Big Boss Man, and The Texas Tornado to name a few. The match culminated in an electric finish with Hogan and Justice falling out—handing Flair the win and setting each other up as WrestleMania opponents. Speaking of WrestleMania, the event itself would feature arguably the best WWE Championship match in event history up to that point, with Flair defending against Savage.
On the WCW side of the equation, 1992 was host to the greatest War Games match of all time as the babyface Sting’s Squadron not only won an epic battle, but effectively ended The Dangerous Alliance, a great faction that crumbled by degrees after their defeat. This match featured a perfect blend of current top stars like Sting, Ricky Steamboat, and Rick Rude, alongside up and coming top talent like Steve Austin and Dustin Rhodes, with a fine mix of highly skilled and over role players like Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zbyszko, Nikita Koloff, and Barry Windham rounding things out.
WWE SummerSlam drew a full stadium crowd in England for an event highlighted by arguably the best main event in the show’s history: Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog for the Intercontinental Championship. This would prove to the be the first of many one-on-one PPV headliners for The Hitman as he rose up the ranks.
1992 Saw Major Stars Defined
1992 saw the evolution of Bret Hart. He started the year as Intercontinental Champion, stole the show beating Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 8, and went on to main event SummerSlam and Survivor Series alike. In between those events, he won his very first world championship, cementing him as a top guy.
January 1992 also saw Shawn Michaels famously superkick Marty Jannetty and throw him through the window of Brutus Beefcake’s Barbershop interview set. More than a simple heel turn or tag team split, this was the launch of one of the most important singles stars of the decade to follow.
Early 1992 was a critical point for The Undertaker as well. After a highly successful first year in WWE as a monster heel, there was a real risk of the character running its course. A babyface turn offered longevity and the rise of an unlikely favorite among the fan base. He’d defeat Jake Roberts at WrestleMania, and though he wouldn’t get back to the world title picture for some time, this run set him up to become an iconic character who spanned decades, as opposed to a monster with a couple-year shelf life.
On the WCW side of things, 1992 was the year when Ron Simmons realized his potential at the greatest level, becoming the first universally recognized black world champion after he defeated Big Van Vader.
1992 Was a Great Year For In Ring Performance
One of the biggest arguments in favor of 1992 comes down to in-ring quality. The world title picture in WWE tells its own story as the first year since 1983 when Hulk Hogan didn’t get his hands on the WWE Championship at all. In his place were a trio of all-time-great workers: Ric Flair, Randy Savage, and Bret Hart holding down the fort and elevating the quality of main event matches to a significant degree.
In WCW, Sting quite arguably reached his peak as an in-ring worker—an incredibly athletic and dynamic powerhouse who took well to being the franchise player. Meanwhile, Vader rose up not just an intimidating monster heel, but rare one who could work at an extremely high level. Add in Ricky Steamboat, Rick Rude, and Steve Austin all performing at the highest level and the company was quietly thriving when it came to big matches.
1992 may never get the full credit it deserves, but it was a historically important year, full of great wrestling as the business evolved and prepared for its next boom period. In addition the great signature matches, rise of top stars, and quality of performance on the whole, it was also the first year WWE staged a ladder match and the year WCW innovated Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal, all pointing the way toward even bigger things to come.
Bodhi Hayward was well-liked by fans and in the middle of a popular storyline, but that wasn’t enough to keep his job with WWE NXT.
Hayward was one of five Superstars released from the developmental brand this week, alongside Sloane Jacobs, Erica Yan, Ru Feng, and Damaris Griffin.
It has been reported that unlike previous years of ‘budget cuts,’ the releases this week were down to WWE not seeing enough improvement.
Trouble Backstage
Hayward’s release was the most surprising of the five, given that he was part of the Chase U stable at the time.
It was reported not long after that Hayward’s release was down to issues WWE had with him and not due to a lack of improvement.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer shared more details about Hayward’s backstage issues.
With Bodhi Hayward, it was more than that [not showing enough progress.] They didn’t like the work ethic. They didn’t like that he was late to shows and didn’t show up to shows. The primary reason for everyone [else] was lack of progression. But for him it was a little bit more than that. It had to be enough to overcome the fact that he was actually in a storyline that was a long-term storyline, and that the crowd liked him.
Speaking about future prospects for Hayward, Meltzer said that there are options for the former NXT Superstar.
“He does have friends. He might be able to get hooked up some place. He has a good look. He’s got that going for him. People naturally liked him. So it took a lot for him to get cut. He would be the kind of guy they would want to keep. He did get injured, which didn’t help.”
What’s Next?
After his release, Hayward shared a video saying that he is “hurt” and “embarrassed” to be release.
Speaking about the video, Meltzer acknowledged that there is a big difference between promising big things and delivering.
“There are so many guys when they get cut from WWE, they do the big speech. ‘I’m going to come back and this and that.’ And there are guys who do. But seven or eight out of ten, you never hear from them again. They don’t do indies. Remember Dan Matha? ‘Oh yeah you’ll be seeing me! You’ll be seeing me!’ I never saw him again.”
While not confirmed, it is believed Hayward is dealing with a 30-day non compete clause, as is customary for releases from NXT.
WWE Crown Jewel comes at us this Saturday, live from Saudi Arabia. Despite recent warnings of violence and an “imminent attack” in the nation, WWE has pressed on with running the show. Several members of the WWE crew are already overseas getting ready for the event.
Here are the betting odds for WWE Crown Jewel, courtesy of Bet Online:
Roman Reigns (-5000) is heavily favored to retain his WWE Undisputed Universal Championship over Logan Paul (+1000).
Bianca Belair is a slight favorite (-160) to retain the WWE Raw Women’s Championship against Bayley (+120).
The Usos (-4000) are heavily favored to retain their WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes (+900).
Asuka and Alexa Bliss (-200) are favorites to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships over Damage CTRL (+150).
Brock Lesnar (-450) is a clear favorite over Bobby Lashley (+275).
Drew McIntyre is a slight favorite (-140) in his steel cage match against Karrion Kross (+100).
Braun Strowman is a heavy favorite (-700) to defeat Omos (+400).
The O.C. (-400) is favored to defeat The Judgment Day (+250).
Keep it locked to SEScoops this weekend, as we’ll be covering WWE Crown Jewel from all angles, including results and news coming out of the event.
Becky Lynch is crossing over to the universe of Young Rock, the hit show about the life of pro wrestler turned Hollywood megastar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Friday night’s Season 3 premiere, titled The People Need you, takes place in 1985 during the lead-up to the first WrestleMania event. Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Vince McMahon, Lou Albano, Liberace ans Cyndi Lauper will also be depicted.
The episode synopsis reads, “After losing the election, Dwayne Johnson is ready to withdraw from politics. In 1985, Rocky Johnson learns there’s consequences to crossing Vince McMahon.”
On Thursday morning, Dwayne Johnson provided a ‘first look’ at Becky Lynch as Cyndi Lauper on Young Rock.
The Rock says he was present for Becky’s audition for the role, and “We were all very impressed at her high level commitment as an actor to become Cyndi Lauper.”
Becky Lynch is one of the most popular Superstars in WWE. This appearance on Young Rock is not her first time testing the waters in Hollywood. She’s already appeared on a 2020 episode of the show Billions as well as the 2021 Paramount+ movie, Rumble.
The Man has been off WWE television sinceSummerSlam, when she suffered a separated shoulder during her match against Bianca Belair. Lynch was written out of storylines the next night on Raw due to a vicious attack from Damage CTRL.
Young Rock returns this Friday 8:30 PM EST on NBC.
At the time, it was reported that Bray’s high-dollar contract and creative differences with then-CEO Vince McMahon led to the decision.
The White Rabbit
During the recent 2022 Q3 earnings call, WWE Head of Creative and Talent Relations spoke about Wyatt’s return.
The Game explained that ‘The White Rabbit Project’ was an incredibly effective tool in generating hype, as fans tried to decipher the use of the Jefferson Airplane song at Live events.
Triple H added that interest in the White Rabbit only grew with the introduction of QR codes, and said that these drove up the viewership of the 9pm hour of the September 23, 2022, SmackDown by 20%.
That episode was the most-watched episode of SmackDown since March of 2020.
Best for Business
After weeks of teases, the White Rabbit would be revealed to be Wyatt who earned a thunderous response from the live crowd.
Triple H explained how Bray, who he called “one of our biggest Superstars” has been a provable draw, going by their metrics (via NoDQ.com.)
“Bray Wyatt’s return at Extreme Rules resulted in a 30% increase in total viewership and became the most-watched Extreme Rules in history. Monday Night Raw just two nights later also benefitted increasing our audience to nearly 2 million, an increase of 14% week over week.”
Wyatt’s return to WWE has come with a ton of merchandise, which has been selling well so far.
On the call, Triple H explained that when Bray returned, his first shirt back became the top-selling item – not just among WWE merchandise – but across Fanatics’ entire network of e-commerce sites.
More merchandise is expected following the debut of the Uncle Howdy character on last week’s SmackDown.
The action didn’t end when this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite went off the air.
Last night’s episode aired from the Chesapeake Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, and saw Tony Khan’s promotion continue on the road to Full Gear.
The show is most notable for the debut of WWE Hall of Famer ‘Double J’ Jeff Jarrett, who has signed as the promotion’s Director of Business Development.
Joe and Wardlow
In the main event of the show, ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe put his title on the line against Brian Cage.
In an unsurprisingly physical match, Joe got the win via submission, but he was attacked by the Gates of Agony and other members of The Embassy.
The show ended with TNT Champion Wardlow running the group off, before being attacked by Powerhouse Hobbs, who ended AEW Dynamite by raising the title in the air.
According to several fan reports, Powerhouse Hobbs went backstage while the referee checked on Wardlow after the show.
Samoa Joe got back into the ring and shook hands with Wardlow, and the two champions raised hands before leaving.
Matt Hardy
After Wardlow and Joe left, Tony Khan came out and introduced Matt Hardy, but the pair were interrupted by Stokely Hathaway and The Firm.
Hathaway told Khan to go to the bank because he owns the contracts for Private Party and Matt, who he called “Matthew Hardy.”
Ethan Page told Hardy that he isn’t going to help him, and touted himself as a future AEW World Champion.
While Page and W. Morrisey’s backs were turned, Hardy hit Hathaway with a Twist Of Fate to send the crowd home happy.
WWE has big plans to launch NXT Europe next year, but the promotion will soon be traveling to Africa to recruit talent.
This week, WWE had its 2022 Q3 earnings call with investors, in which co-CEO Nick Khan confirmed a talent search starting next week.
Khan confirmed that the search will begin in Nigeria, but it is unclear whether the search will travel to other parts of the continent.
WWE had initially planned a two-day tryout back in 2020, but those plans were canceled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Broadcast Deal
WWE isn’t just searching for their next Superstars in Africa, but have also reached a deal regarding their content.
In a statement, WWE announced that the streaming service Showmax will become the new home of the WWE Network in sub-Saharan Africa.
Matt Drew, WWE Senior VP of International, was optimistic about plans for the new deal.
“Adding WWE to the Showmax platform is an exciting development that we know our entertainment and sport-loving African subscribers are going to enjoy, making WWE even more accessible and affordable.”
WWE and Africa
WWE has never hosted a Premium Live Event in the continent of Africa but has hosted several African-born Superstars.
Arguably the most successful of these stars is Kofi Kingston of Ghana, who has become a WWE Champion, Grand Slam Champion, and one of WWE’s longest-tenuring stars.
The colossal Omos also comes from Africa, having been born in Lagos, Nigeria, and is a former Raw Tag Team Champion.
In 2008, Justin Gabriel signed with the promotion, becoming the first South African wrestler under control, and would become FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion in September 2009.
Called up the following year, Gabriel would become a three-time WWE Tag Team Champion before he quit the company in January 2015, one day before being scheduled to appear at the Royal Rumble.
Could Vince McMahon return to WWE now that the investigation into him is over? Don’t bet on it.
In June, it was reported that McMahon had paid a total $12 million in NDA pay outs to female employees who it is alleged he had extramarital affairs with.
After an investigation into the matter was set up, McMahon retired from all roles with WWE in July with his role as Chair of the company going to Stephanie McMahon.
As part of the filing, it was said that “Mr. McMahon can effectively exercise control over our affairs,” leaving some to speculate on a return.
That isn’t the case, as a spokesperson from WWE who spoke to Fightful Select said that McMahon is “done, done” with the promotion.
Another WWE higher-up said that the morale in WWE post-McMahon has been the highest they’ve seen it in over a decade that they’ve been around.
Another longtime WWE employee said that rehiring the former Chairman would be a major step backward, and that the company’s success since his retirement proves it.
Still Paying
McMahon is alleged to have paid a total $12 million across 16 years to women it is reported he slept with to keep hush-hush about what happened.
In their statement on the matter, WWE disclosed that the investigation into the allegations totaled an estimated $19.4 million.
McMahon, who has a net worth of $2.7 billion, has agreed to pay the costs of the investigation.
Chris Jericho is the Ring of Honor Champion and has made it his mission to destroy the legacy of the promotion. Jericho challenged any former Ring of Honor to face him tonight on Dynamite and his Open Challenge was answered by Colt Cabana.
Colt got a big pop from the crowd in Baltimore and put up a good fight against The Wizard. In the end, Jericho connected with a Codebreaker to retain the title.
After the match, Jericho tried to attack ROH announcer Ian Riccaboni but Claudio Castagnoli broke it up. Jericho Appreciation Society and Blackpool Combat Club battled on the stage until security broke it up.
After victories at @ringofhonor Supercard of Honor & Death Before Dishonor, Cabana is looking pick up the biggest win of his career with a victory over #TheOcho, #ROH World Champion @IAmJericho!
Bobby Fish had a bizarre run in All Elite Wrestling that came to an end earlier this year. The Undisputed Era wasn’t meant to be in AEW but Bobby has since found a new home in Impact Wrestling. Fish took to Twitter to post Colt Cabana’s entrance said it was great to see Chicago’s own Colt Cabana.
Great to see this on my TV Tonight. Chicago’s own, @ColtCabana . One of the good ones!
Former two-time AEW World Champion and Chicago’s own CM Punk and Bobby Fish had a match on Dynamite in October last year. Speaking with Steve Fall on NBC Ten Count following his exit from All Elite Wrestling, Fish had some strong words for CM Punk.
“Phil is not a bad pro-wrestling, but what Phil is not is a martial artist,” said Fish. “I’ve been doing martial arts since I was eight years old so I take a lot of pride in it… You are insulting the audience’s intelligence. It’s honestly insulting for you as one of my co-workers. As a martial artist you’re asking me to go out and sell, put over your bunk-ass martial arts. It’s insulting to the audience. It’s insulting to me. At the same time, I’m working for AEW. They’re the ones paying my check. You asked me to go out and put my shoulders down for Phil Brooks. I go out and I do it.”
AEW commentator and wrestling legend Jim Ross recently revealed on his Grillin JR podcast that Bret Hart didn’t speak to him for years following Survivor Series in Montreal.
The famous Montreal Screwjob match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels went down at Survivor Series 1997. Jim Ross stated that The Hitman hated him after Screwjob took place.
“We went for years [and] never spoke because he didn’t believe I was not a party to it. The truth was, I was not a party to it. The truth was, I didn’t even know the f***ing finish.”
JR added that he and Jerry Lawler were “whisked away by security” during the chaos as Earl Hebner signaled for the timekeeper to ring the bell for a submission while The Hitman was in the Sharpshooter.
Ross said that he was upset after the show because he didn’t think it could “go to that extreme”. The 70-year-old referred to the championship as “a prom, a goddamn prop… stage attire-type thing. It’s a prop for a fictional presentation”.
Jim admitted that he is tired of hearing about the Montreal Screwjob but is glad Bret and Shawn finally settled their differences.
I’m glad to some degree that the story has a happy ending. It was emotional for Bret to come back, get a hug and be in a ring and then finally have his meeting with Shawn.
Two weeks ago, Jay Lethal told Allin that he had friend that knew his weaknesses. Jarrett has a history with Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, and Sting. While standing over a bloodied Allin, “Double J” told him that his admiration of Sting has made him Allin’s “biggest weakness”.
Jarrett also addressed the crowd by running down his family’s many decades in wrestling business from his grandmother, Christine, and his dad, Jerry. After insulting the audience, Jarrett declared:
“By the time I’m done with this place, there will be full of body bags. So AEW fans, you can choke on that, Slapnuts!”
– Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett Has A Backstage Position
Tony Khan tweeted that not only was Jeff Jarrett All Elite, he is also the AEW Director of Business Development. Khan is looking forward to expanding the live events calendar next year with JJ’s help. Jarrett held a similar position in WWE earlier this year. He was only employed by WWE for 3 months after a surprise appearance as a special guest referee at SummerSlam.
In addition to briefly working for WWE, Jarrett wrestled EFFY in GCW earlier this year. He was also a special guest referee in NWA when Nick Aldis defended the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Matt Cardona. Jarrett and Lethal faced Ric Flair and Andrade El Idolo in Flair’s last match.
The winner of the triple threat All-Atlantic Championship match between Orange Cassidy, Luchasaurus, and Rey Fenix would get to defend the title in a dream match this Friday on Rampage.
Jungle Boy returned with a surprise attack on Luchasaurus to take care of him. PAC tried to get Fenix to use the ring bell hammer to cheat. Cassidy ended up pinning Fenix and immediately paid for it when PAC attacked the champion. “The Bastard” was about to live up to his moniker and attack Cassidy with the hammer when Katsuyori Shibata’s music hit (yeah, you read that right).
Following him out of the tunnel was Rocky Romero and Best Friends. Shibata also had a hammer in hand while PAC safely awaited on the other side of the ring. He needn’t worry because “The Wrestler” wasn’t coming for him, he was coming for the All-Atlantic Champion. Cassidy handed Shibata the contract and a pen, which he signed on the spot.
???
The #AEW All-Atlantic City Dream Match HAS BEEN SIGNED! It's Katsuyori Shibata vs. Champion @orangecassidy!
Shibata had Orange Cassidy’s back at Forbidden Door
Shibata was last seen in AEW back in June at Forbidden Door. Will Ospreay attacked Cassidy and Shibata made the save. That makes it surprising that he wants to challenge Cassidy for his title.
Shibata hasn’t wrestled since January at Wrestle Kingdom 16. He beat his protege, Ren Narita. Last October, Shibata made his surprise in-ring return at the G1. He and Zack Sabre, Jr. went to a time-limit draw in a grappling match. Shibata stopped wrestling (he says he wasn’t retiring) in 2017 after suffering a subdural hematoma in a match against Kazuchika Okada, which left the right side of his body paralyzed.
His match on Rampage will only be his third match since that fateful day.
AEW announced another title match for Full Gear during this week’s episode of Dynamite.
Thunder Rosa was the AEW Women’s Champion heading into AEW All Out in September but announced that she was pulling out of the event due to an injury on the Dynamite before the PPV. She has not appeared on AEW television since. Toni Storm went on to win the Interim AEW Women’s Championship at All Out by defeating Jamie Hayter, Hikaru Shida, and Britt Baker in a Fatal 4-Way.
It was announced tonight that Toni Storm will put the AEW Interim Women’s Championship on the line against Jamie Hayter at Full Gear on November 19th. The PPV will air live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
A video package aired during the show and Toni Storm noted that she and Jamie go way back. She noted that the two actually lived together during the pandemic.
A lot of people don’t know this, but me and Jamie Hayter go way back. During the pandemic, me and Jamie actually lived together in England.
So we spent a lot of months together, and we became best friends. If anything, we became like sisters.
I knew straight away that we weren’t friends anymore. It is very obvious that she is Britt’s (Baker) friend now.
Toni Storm on her friendship with Jamie Hayter
Jamie Hayter then responded that she hasn’t changed at all.
I’m the same old Jamie Hayter that I’ve always been. Maybe people just didn’t notice who I was before.
Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter are set for a tag team match on Rampage this week. Britt was supposed to sit down with Saraya and Renee Paquette for an interview but didn’t show up. Renee asked Saraya if she was cleared to wrestle but she didn’t answer. Saraya said there is one more doctor she needs to check with (Britt Baker) next week on Dynamite.
AEW Dynamite aired live from the Chesapeake Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to the takeaways below, a vignette for House of Black aired during the episode. There were three title matches on this week’s Dynamite and a celebration for Daddy Ass Billy Gunn. Toni Storm versus Jamie Hayter was set for AEW Full Gear as well.
Jon Moxley def. Lee Moriarty in a World Title Elminator
Chris Jericho def. Colt Cabana to retain the ROH Championship
Jade Cargill def. Marina Shafir to retain the TBS Championship
Samoa Joe def. Brian Cage to retain the ROH TV Championship
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Jeff Jarrett Arrived In AEW
Darby Allin battled Jay Lethal in the first match of the night. Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh were ringside for the match. Singh provided a distraction and Jay capitalized by launching Allin into the steel steps. Lethal then beat Allin down against the barricade before returning to the ring to pose for the booing crowd.
Jay continued to beat the hell out of Allin by stomping on his ribs in the ring. Allin went for a Suicide Dive but simply bounced off Satnam Singh. Someone dressed as Sting rolled Darby into the ring. It was revealed to be Cole Karter and he got absolutely no reaction from the crowd. Jay hit Lethal Injection for the pinfall victory.
Another mysterious figure appeared and it was Jeff Jarrett. Double J bashed Darby over the head with his guitar. Jarrett grabbed a microphone and mocked the “rabid & delusional AEW fanbase”. Jeff said his family got into the wrestling business in 1946, and has made an impact for over 75 years. Jarrett sent out a warning to the locker room to close the show.
Jon Moxley battled The Firm’s Lee Moriarty in a World Title Eliminator match and Ethan Page joined commentary. Moxley controlled the match early and applied a headlock. Moxley controlled the first few minutes of the match as Dynamite went to a commercial break.
When Dynamite returned, Moxley and Moriarty traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Jon connected with a Clothesline and followed it up with several boots to Lee’s face. Moxley continued to beat Lee down and applied an Armbar for the submission victory.
After the match, The Firm’s Ethan Page rushed the ring and leveled AEW World Champion Jon Moxley with a Clothesline. Ethan posed in the ring as Stokely Hathaway angrily stared at Moxley.
By way of submission, #AEW World Champion @JonMoxley gets the victory! But #TheFirm's @OfficialEGO takes the opportunity to blast Moxley with a boot to the face!
Saraya Will Announce if She is Medically Cleared Next Week
Renee Paquette interviewed Saraya earlier today in the arena. Saraya noted that she has had to build divisions wherever she went and Britt should have felt lucky to have this interview. Britt was supposed to be a part of the interview but didn’t show up.
Saraya stated that she feels like she can help the women’s division. Paquette asked Saraya if she was medically cleared to compete and she didn’t answer. Saraya stated that she will save it for next week because there is one more doctor (Britt) she wants to consult on this.
William Regal was interviewed backstage by Tony Schiavone. Regal said that MJF has all the potential in the world but still has a long way to go before he becomes a full villain. William added that Maxwell will face a real demon in Jon Moxley at Full Gear,
AEW World Tag Team Champions The Acclaimed made their way to the ring with a big reaction from the crowd. Billy Gunn had his hands taped up because Swerve Strickland attacked them with pliers. They put a foam scissor hand on Billy so he could still scissor with the team. They also gave Daddy Ass a World’s Greatest Dad trophy.
Bowens and Caster then produced a certificate for adoption and the crowd chanted “sign it!”. Gunn Club interrupted and provided a distraction as W. Morrissey attacked from behind. ROH Tag Team Champions FTR made the save and The Firm retreated. FTR then took a look at the AEW Tag Team Championships before handing them to The Acclaimed and backing away.
Chris Jericho def. Colt Cabana to Retain the ROH Title
Chris Jericho defended the ROH Championship against any former ROH Champion. Jericho joked that he will even whip Lamar Jackson’s ass and the Ravens QB was shown in the front row. Colt Cabana answered the challenge and drove Jericho to the corner of the ring.
Cabana leveled Jericho with a shoulder tackle and then followed it up with another one. Colt perched Jericho up on the top turnbuckle but they both tumbled to the floor as Dynamite went to a commercial break.
Colt drove Jericho to the corner but Cabana battled back. Cabana connected with a Splash and climbed back up to the top rope. Jericho tripped Cabana up but Colt battled back once again. Cabana applied a reverse Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring on the ROH Champion.
Jericho escaped but Cabana rolled him up for a near fall. Cabana connected with a Moonsault onto JAS outside the ring. Back in the ring, Jericho hit a Codebreaker for the pinfall victory. Chris Jericho is still the ROH Champion.
Chris was about to attack ROH announcer Ian Riccoboni when Blackpool Combat Club broke it up. JAS and Blackpool Combat Club then brawled on the entrance ramp until AEW security separated the two factions.
Orange Cassidy Retained The All-Atlantic Championship
Orange Cassidy defended the All-Atlantic Championship against Luchasaurus and Rey Fenix in a Triple Threat match. Cassidy connected with a Tornado DDT and went for the cover but Rey Fenix kicked out.
Luchasaurus got into the ring and leveled them both with a giant shoulder tackle. He followed it up with a couple of Splashes as Dynamite went to a commercial break. When Dynamite returned, Fenix and Orange Cassidy teamed up and went for a Suicide Dive. Luchasaurus was ready for it and caught them both.
Luchasaurus sent Fenix through a table with a Chokeslam outside the ring. Jungle Boy then showed up and hit Luchasaurus with a Crossbody off the entrance ramp and through a table below. PAC came to the ring with the timekeeper’s hammer but Fenix refused to use it. Cassidy then hit the Orange Punch to retain the title.
After the match, PAC attacked but Katsuyori Shibata showed up with Best Friends and Rocky Romero. Shibata confronted Orange Cassidy and said he wanted a title match. They signed a contract and the match is official for Wednesday.
Jade Cargill was set to defend the TBS Championship tonight against Marina Shafir. Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero distracted Jade and she almost got counted out. Jade leveled her with a pump kick and followed it up with Jaded for the pinfall victory. Nyla left Kiera Hogan laying on the entrance ramp after the match.
Samoa Joe Retained the ROH TV Title, Powerhouse Hobbs Attacked Wardlow
Samoa Joe defended the ROH TV Championship against Brian Cage in the main event of tonight’s show. Joe dominated the match early and hit him with an elbow drop for a two-count. Brian Cage battled with a couple of Clotheslines and followed it up with a German Suplex.
When Dynamite returned from the final break of the night, Joe hit an Atomic Drop, a big boot, and followed it up with a Senton for a near fall. Samoa Joe followed it up with a Powerslam for a two count.
Cage hit an Elbow Drop but the champion wouldn’t stay down. Brian hit a Pump-Handle Slam and went for the cover but Samoa Joe powered out at two. Cage leveled Joe with a big lariat for another near fall. Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch for the submission victory. Samoa Joe is still the Ring of Honor TV Champion.
The Gates of Agony attacked after the match but TNT Champion Wardlow made the save. Powerhouse Hobbs then planted Wardlow with a massive Spinebuster and posed over him with the TNT Championship to close the show.
For years, fans and Bobby Lashley had wanted to see him share the squared circle with Brock Lesnar under the WWE banner.
That dream became a reality at WWE Royal Rumble 2022, where Lashley challenged Lesnar for the WWE Championship. Thanks to some interference from Roman Reigns, Lashley scored the win.
Although they were booked in an Elimination Chamber Match the next month, it wasn’t what fans had hoped to see as Lashley was removed from the bout due to an injury. Lesnar ended up winning the WWE Title.
Fast forward to last month, WWE started the feud again and booked a rematch between the two stars at Crown Jewel.
Lashley on Lesnar
(WWE)
Speaking with CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri, Lashley was asked to describe how he feels about the build to this bout compared to the first match.
“I like the buildup because I think the buildup is really important because of what happened last time. There wasn’t that real resolution to anything except me pinning him. This time is going to be a lot more hype. I think that it’s not going to be the last time. I think that is so much more that Brock and I can actually get into. So I think that this feud is going to be a feud that’s going to keep going, and it’s going to keep looking different, and there is going to be a lot more involved with it.”
Lashley stated that Lesnar wants to fight and is the type of person that’s just going to let somebody beat him up two times in a row and then not even come to avenge it, so the feud will continue in his eyes.
WWE announced today in its third quarter 2022 earnings report that the investigation into alleged misconduct by Vince McMahon “is now complete, and the Special Committee has been disbanded.”
McMahon resigned from his duties as Chairman and CEO of WWE amid the WWE Board investigating him for alleged sexual misconduct and hush money. The investigation cost WWE $19.4 million.
WWE’s Statement
“As previously announced, a Special Committee of independent members of the Board of Directors was formed to investigate alleged misconduct by Vincent K. McMahon, the Company’s former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who resigned from all positions held with the Company on July 22, 2022 but remains a stockholder with a controlling interest, and another executive, who is also no longer with the Company. The Special Committee investigation is now complete and the Special Committee has been disbanded. Management is working with the Board to implement the recommendations of the Special Committee related to the investigation. For the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2022, the Company’s consolidated pre-tax results include the impact of $17.7 million and $19.4 million, respectively, associated with certain costs related to the investigation. Please see the Company’s SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K/A and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q/A and Form 10-Q for further details and ongoing risks regarding this matter.”
The Wall Street Journal broke the news earlier this year about the WWE Board of Directors investigating McMahon over a $3 million settlement that McMahon had agreed to pay a former employee with whom he allegedly had an affair. McMahon allegedly paid them more than $12 million to four women formerly with the company to “suppress allegations of sexual misconduct and infidelity.” WWE later found more payments that were made.
McMahon resigned from WWE as Chairman and CEO. Since Vince’s resignation, Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan have been named co-CEOs, while Triple H has been named Head of Creative.
WWE says the investigation into alleged misconduct by Vince McMahon "is now complete and the Special Committee has been disbanded."
The investigation cost WWE $19.4M. My reading is that that's separate from the $19.6M in previously unrecorded payments made by Vince McMahon. pic.twitter.com/YewJQxQxBE
WWE’s Butch, fka as Pete Dunne in NXT, recently joined Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast. He discussed numerous topics, including Triple H as a boss in WWE and how Sheamus is having the best run of his career.
Butch and Ridge Holland are scheduled to battle The Usos this Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships. The Bloodline brutally attacked Sheamus on a recent episode of SmackDown and the challengers will look for revenge at WWE Crown Jewel.
During the conversation, Satin asked if Butch had a good relationship with WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H and the the 28-year-old said that their relationship was great.
It is great. He is a great boss to work for. There are no bad things to say at all. I loved the time under him in NXT and NXT UK was a blast. He has always been great with me and super approachable.
To be honest, I was just really happy to see him back in any capacity. Obviously, when he came back from his troubles, it was just great to have him around and to see him in some capacity and see him back to work.
Now for him to be heading creative and all that kind of stuff, it is even better because he is there every single week fully involved. He’s so approachable, I could go to him with any small thing. To be honest, a lot of the time I just leave him to it and I have full trust in him.
Sheamus Having the Best Run of His Career
Sheamus is the leader of The Brawling Brutes and Butch said that the 44-year-old is having the best run of his career.
The great thing about Sheamus is how hungry he still is. He has been with WWE probably as long as I have been wrestling, 14-15 years, whatever it is. But he is as hungry as day 1 and he actually has said quite a few times that this is his favorite and best run of his career.
Because this connection that he’s got with the crowd now is so organic and real. From my perspective, a lot of this is built on the effort he has put in during those matches. And I think that is more rewarding than any other run up until this point.
Butch noted that there is a “visceral” reaction from the crowd toward Sheamus and he can see how proud The Celtic Warrior is of that. The 28-year-old added that Sheamus still isn’t satisfied.
There is like a visceral reaction when he comes out and you can see how proud he is of that. But he is not satisfied with it, he wants to keep pushing forward.
And not just to elevate us (The Brawling Brutes) but to have the best run of his career.
Even though he’s been there that long and that is the most impressive thing about Sheamus I think.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Out of Character podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
It looks like AEW President Tony Khan has something special planned for the fans with tonight’s (November 2, 2022) edition of Dynamite that will have them talking after the show.
On today’s Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said that he was told on Tuesday about something big happening on tonight’s show, and he has heard similar things from other sources. He did note that he doesn’t know exactly what is happening but several people have told him that “something’s happening.”
Khan did appear on Busted Open Radio earlier in the day and previewed the show, but didn’t hint at any surprises for the show. The leading speculation will be about Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks returning to television because they were backstage last week after being suspended for the All Out Brawl with CM Punk.
AEW Dynamite Card
(via AEW)
ROH Champion Chris Jericho defends against a former ROH Champion of any kind
AEW All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy vs. Rey Fenix and Luchasaurus
TBS Champion Jade Cargill vs. Marina Shafir
AEW World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley vs. Lee Moriarty in a title eliminator match
Darby Allin vs. Jay Lethal
Saraya/Britt Baker interview with Renee Paquette
The Acclaimed’s Daddy Ass Birthday Bash
ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe vs. Brian Cage
WOL: Bryan Alvarez has been told something big is happening tonight on AEW Dynamite.
WWE Superstar Butch, fka as Pete Dunne in NXT, joined Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast today.
Butch is currently in the Brawling Brutes faction and they have entered into a feud with The Bloodline. The Brawling Brutes are scheduled to battle The Usos this Saturday at WWE Crown Jewel for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships.
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Preview
Pete Dunne had an impressive NXT career and is a former NXT UK Champion. He was called up the main roster this year and given the name “Butch”. Satin asked Pete about getting called and The Bruiserweight revealed that he wasn’t in a hurry to get to the main roster.
I knew that I was bound to be called up in the coming months, years, whatever it was going to be. Before that, I was all about NXT. I loved NXT with what we were doing in the UK and over here, I was in no rush to get up to the main roster.
Dunne added that WWE started bringing him up for matches on main event and dark to prepare him for the main roster. He said he was given the new name “Butch” and spent an entire flight trying to figure out how he was going to make it work.
I was just about to board the plane and I got a call saying the new name and a basic rundown of the vision. Yeah, then I spent the whole flight thinking to myself ‘how is this going to be received?’, knowing how it was going to be received for the most part.
Pete added that he talked to legends of the business such as William Regal and Shawn Michaels to get their take on it. He concluded that people didn’t connect with Pete Dunne because of the name, they connected with him for what he does in the ring.
The 28-year-old discussed children liking the Butch character and noted that he’s been told by parents that they he is their kids favorite wrestler.
What I will say about it, especially about the earlier Butch stuff, it is the first time in my career when I meet people in the street they say ‘you are my kids’ favorite wrestler’.
Before it has always been ‘you are my favorite wrestler’. It is always people around a similar age to me. Now it is a lot more like ‘my kid loves you’ and that was nice to see.
Okay, now I’m connecting with a completely different portion of the audience. And trust me when I’m in the ring it is going to come back again, I’m the same guy and going to put on the same show.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the Out of Character podcast with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Logan Paul is just days away from having the biggest pro wrestling match of his career thus far when he steps into the ring to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title in the main event of Saturday’s Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.
Paul’s brother, Jake, will be paying attention to the match, and he thinks Logan can dethrone Reigns as the champion.
Jake Paul Wants Paul Heyman in his Corner
“My brother is going to become champion. I believe that. This is his time. It’s crazy, so crazy Logan has this match,” Paul said to Sports Illustrated. “I’m so proud of him. It’s surreal he has this opportunity, and it’s serendipitous that his event and my event are happening on back-to-back weekends. We’re taking over the world. We’re the next Kardashians.”
Jake is four days removed from picking up a boxing victory against former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. He sees himself potentially working with WWE and would be open to partnering with the legendary Paul Heyman, the special counsel of Reigns.
“Paul Heyman is very entertaining and smart. I love a lot of the WWE characters, and he’s on another level. I’d love him in my corner. We’d be Paul and Paul.”
In July this year, Vince McMahon’s four-decade reign on top of the wrestling world came to a shocking end.
A month after stepping down as CEO and Chairman, McMahon’s time on top of the wrestling world ended in controversy, as he announced his retirement from his own promotion.
McMahon had been under serious scrutiny following the shocking allegations of Non-Disclosure-Agreements, totaling over $12 million, reported by the Wall Street Journal.
With McMahon gone, his daughter Stephanie has filled his shoes as Chairwoman and WWE, while she and Nick Khan share the title of Co-CEOs.
Best for Business
While Stephanie and Khan are the ones running the company, much of the responsibilities have fallen to Triple H.
Today marks 100 days since the Game was appointed Head of WWE Creative, replacing McMahon, and also serves as Head of Talent Relations, replacing John Laurinaitis.
At the time of McMahon’s retirement, there was plenty of uncertainty, but the stock market has bounced back nicely.
Last month, WWE’s stock reached a four-year high, closing the trading day at $74.12 a share.
This, ironically, benefitted Vince McMahon more than anyone else, as he still owns 28 million shares in the company, making him the majority shareholder.
When McMahon stepped down from his roles in June, WWE’s stock was at $62.23, and the new regime has certainly been good for the market.
Evidently, the markets appreciate what Triple H has done, and this is earning those with large shares in the company a small fortune.
Morale
Morale in WWE was said to be at an all-time low in January this year after Shane McMahon was released from his father over conduct at the Royal Rumble event.
It’s not just the markets that have been pleased with WWE’s post-Vince McMahon era, but the atmosphere behind the scenes has been said to have improved.
Not long after McMahon was gone, reports came out that things were far more relaxed backstage and employees no longer feel like they were walking on eggshells.
Many on WWE’s main roster first honed their talents in WWE working as part of NXT, and are said to be much happier working for him again.
An August 2022 report from Fightful said that morale backstage lifted “immediately” with Triple H in charge, a far cry from morale being at a reported all-time low in January this year.
It was during the Ruthless Agression era that fans would critique Triple H as someone who only thought of himself and his own ego, but the Game has proven to be a team player in his roles.
It’s hardly surprising, that someone who spent decades as a wrestler, knows what his wrestlers want, and Triple H has been an effective leader thus far.
Returns
Triple H’s leadership has led to some huge returns, the biggest being Bray Wyatt at Extreme Rules 2022.
Triple H’s tenure as Head of Creative and Talent Relations has been distinct with how many Superstars he’s been able to bring back.
Names like Dakota Kai, Braun Strowman, Candice LeRae, Johnny Gargano, Hit Row, Karrion Kross, and more have all returned to WWE under the watchful eye of the King of Kings.
Triple H’s biggest success story is by far Bray Wyatt, whose return at Extreme Rules 2022 racked up millions of views within hours on YouTube.
At the time of his controversial release in July 2021, it was reported that Waytt had been creatively frustrated working with McMahon, but the future looks very bright now with Triple H in charge.
What’s next?
Triple H is just 100 days into his roles as WWE’s Head of Creative and Talent, but with the success so far, he won’t be leaving the role anytime soon.
Even now, the Cerebral Assassin continues to make big moves, including allowing Shinsuke Nakamura to compete at the Pro Wrestling NOAH event on January 1.
As to what the future will bring, that’s uncertain, but the Game has already proven to be someone WWE talent and higher-ups can rely on.
At a time when AEW has been thrown into dissary, with multiple suspensions and injuries to their name, Triple H’s work so far has only proven to fans not to give up on WWE just yet.
WWE has a lot of options open going into 2023, including allowing more Forbidden Door crossovers, seeking more international PLEs and the return of top stars such as Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.
In just a few weeks time, WWE will kick off their first Road to WrestleMania with Triple H in charge, and if the past 100 days are indicative of the future, expect a wild road with the Game in the driver’s seat.
CM Punk’s pro wrestling future is up in the air for his involvement in the All Out brawl with The Elite and Ace Steel after a controversial All Out media scrum where he ripped Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Colt Cabana, and Hangman Page.
Punk is still on the shelf with an injury suffered at AEW All Out as he had surgery, and the expectation is he will be out of action for several months. The former AEW World Heavyweight Champion continues to be in talks with AEW about them buying out his contract and potential litigation. It’s been reported that most people do not expect Punk to return to AEW.
Punk’s Future
(AEW)
Fightful Select confirmed a previous Wrestling Inc report about no active litigation against Punk. There are no working plans to bring Punk back to the company.
A WWE source indicated the company would likely be interested in possibly working with Punk again. Fightful notes that representatives from multiple pro wrestling companies have said they would at least be interested in having talks with Punk. Still, they aren’t sure how motivated he’d be to continue his wrestling career.
Several people still expect a big demand for Punk to make appearances if he’s available.
One source close to Punk said they would not rule out him wrestling in the future because he “got the wrestling bug again.”
Punk is far from being able to wrestle again due to his torn left triceps injury, so it’s unclear whether Punk will feel the same way months down the line. The source close to Punk indicated that it’d been made clear to them that at least options would be available if and when Punk wanted to wrestle again.
