Snoop Dogg appeared for AEW on the January 6, 2021 edition of Dynamite, which was the company’s ‘New Year’s Smash’ special.
Appearing in the corner of Cody Rhodes for his match with Matt Sydal, the rap legend would get physical himself later on, delivering a frog-splah to Serpentico.
Rhodes would then deliver a three-count, given Snoop an unofficial victory in AEW.
Snoop was one of the four judges for season one of the Go-Big Show, which Rhodes is also a judge for.
Snoop and WWE
Snoop has appeared for AEW, but the vast majority of his wrestling appearances have come with WWE.
The rapper was the Master of Ceremonies for a women’s tag team match at WrestleMania, and later shared a kiss with Maria Kanellis, who won the match alongside Ashley Massaro.
In March 2016, Snoop was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame the night before WrestleMania 32.
At WrestleMania, Snoop would perform for the entrance of his cousin Sasha Banks, who unsuccessfully competed for the WWE Women’s Championship.
Ronda Rousey issued an Open Challenge last night for the SmackDown Women’s Championship and a familiar face answered the call.
Emma, outside of WWE known as Tenille Dashwood, returned to the company and challenged the champion. She was released from WWE in 2017 and spent several years in Impact.
The 33-year-old put up a good fight but in the end The Baddest Woman on the Planet locked in the Armbar for the submission victory to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Following her shocking return to the company, Emma took to Twitter to send a message to the WWE Universe.
She revealed that she was heartbroken following her release from the company five years ago, but her heart is overwhelmed by the support she has now.
5 years ago today I was heartbroken feeling like my dream had come to an end. Today my heart is so full! I’m overwhelmed by the amount of support I have. You guys are the best. Now… I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of!@WWE
5 years ago today I was heartbroken feeling like my dream had come to an end. Today my heart is so full! ?? I’m overwhelmed by the amount of support I have. You guys are the best. Now… I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of! ? @WWEpic.twitter.com/PspxTxEhLF
Former WWE Superstar Paige, now known as Saraya in All Elite Wrestling, reacted to Emma’s return to the company last night on SmackDown. Saraya tweeted out “proud of you sister” earlier today following Emma’s appearance on the blue brand.
Saraya debuted in All Elite Wrestling last month at Dynamite: Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 30-year-old confronted Britt Baker and is scheduled to have a face-to-face interview with her on Dynamite with Renee Paquette serving as the moderator.
Gunther is scheduled to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Rey Mysterio on Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
Rey Mysterio was a member of the RAW roster until a couple of weeks ago. He approached Triple H backstage and tried to quit the company because he refused to fight his son, Dominik Mysterio, and The Judgment Day anymore.
The Game orchestrated a trade with the red brand and sent Baron Corbin to RAW in exchange for the WWE legend. Rey won a Fatal 4-Way on his first night on the blue brand to become #1 contender for the IC Title.
Karrion Kross was originally scheduled to be in the match but Drew McIntyre attacked him following losing to him in the Strap Match at WWE Extreme Rules.
Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci) appeared on The SmackDown LowDown this week ahead of the title match this Friday.
During the interview, The Ring General claimed that Rey Mysterio is a legend of the sport but the current version of him is despicable. Gunther added that Rey is in this business for himself while Imperium is in it for the greater good.
Rey Mysterio is a legend of this sport. But the version of him I see right now disgusts me. It’s despicable.
I’m glad he’s happy to be over here on SmackDown and he is having a good time.
And he wants to prove himself again but not at my expense. He’s running away from family issues.
That’s again a difference. He is in this for himself, we are in this for the greater good.
The Bloodline almost imploded last night on WWE SmackDown but Honorary Uce Sami Zayn saved the day.
Sami Zayn and Jey Uso argued at the beginning of the show until Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his way to the ring. SmackDown announcer Michael Cole stated “daddy’s here!” as The Tribal Chief made his way to the ring.
“Daddy’s here” should be said by Michael Cole everytime he shows up and put it on a shirt to ??? pic.twitter.com/vvp9wZSM6z
Roman Reigns told Sami and Jey to work out their differences and the Honorary Uce wanted a truce. Jey wasn’t interested at all and Zayn noted that Roman wants them to work togehter.
Jey shouted that he didn’t care what The Tribal Chief thought and the audience let out a collective gasp. The Great Liberator stepped in and calmed the situation down.
Sami suggested that Jey hasn’t been feeling very “Ucey” lately and the crowd started chanting the word as Roman and Jey Uso cracked up in the ring.
The Tribal Chief regained his composure and told Jey that if he doesn’t work things out with the Honorary Uce, he was going to rename him to Sami Uso. The camera then cut to an elated Sami Zayn standing behind the Head of the Table.
Despite the growing tension within The Bloodline, the group appears to be on the same page once again. Earlier today, Honorary Uce Sami Zayn took to Twitter to ensure fans that everything is fine within The Bloodline.
Time will tell if The Bloodline are on the same page or not. The Usos are scheduled to defend their Undisputed Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes at Crown Jewel. The Bloodline recently brutally attacked Sheamus on an episode of SmackDown.
She returned at this year’s SummerSlam premium live event alongside Dakota Kai and IYO SKY. The trio has become known as Damage CTRL in the company. Dakota and IYO are the current Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Bayley battled Bianca in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules but came up short and The EST retained the RAW Women’s Championship. The two clashed once again on this past Monday’s edition of RAW in a non-title match.
Nikki Cross is no longer almost a superhero and interfered in the match. Bayley capitalized on the interference and pinned the champion. Nikki then attacked Bayley after the match as well.
WWE announced last night during SmackDown that the two rivals will battle once again on November 5th at Crown Jewel. Bianca Belair will put the RAW Women’s Championship on the line against Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match at the premium live event in Saudi Arabia.
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Preview
Ahead of the big title match, Bayley took to Twitter to deliver a message to the RAW Women’s Champion. The Role Model be the last woman standing at Crown Jewel. The 33-year-old noted they are continuing to grow the roles of a woman in Saudi Arabia in her post.
In a time and place where we are ever growing the roles of a woman, I will be the last one standing vs @BiancaBelairWWE. #WWECrownJewel
Earlier this year, Cody Rhodes shocked the wrestling world by leaving the company he co-founded to go back to WWE. He debuted at WrestleMania 38 in of the most anticipated moments in recent WWE history.
Unfortunately, “The American Nightmare” has been out with a torn pectoral muscle. He wrestled Seth Rollins at Hell In A Cell with the painful-looking injury. His return is believed be around Royal Rumble in January.
Rhodes Clarifies Why He Left AEW
(via WWE)
A Twitter account posted a picture of The Elite and Rhodes with the caption, “They changed the world”. Someone replied to the tweet and asked “then why did Cody leave?” This drew a direct reply from Rhodes.
In his response, Rhodes clarified that he didn’t leave AEW because of The Elite or CM Punk. In fact, he said that he didn’t “have issues with Punk. We got along.” He also stated that he is “forever bonded” with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks.
Rhodes said he left due to a “personal issue and my wanting to go for the big one.”
I didn’t leave because of the Bucks/Kenny. I’m forever bonded to those men over what we created and I remain very proud of it, and I didn’t leave because of/or have issues with Punk. We got along. Not money, not booking, just a personal issue and my wanting to go for the big one.
Since his return to WWE, Rhodes has stated his desire to be WWE Champion. According to reports in recent months, there were no plans to make him champion prior to his injury.
Emma made her return to WWE last night at SmackDown. Ronda Rousey issued an Open Challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Championship and Emma answered the call.
The 33-year-old put up a good fight but in the end The Baddest Woman on the Planet retained via submission after locking in the Armbar.
Ronda was supposed to have the Open Challenge last week on SmackDown but decided not to as an insult to the fans.
Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE, took to Twitter to congratulate Emma on her return. Paige and Emma were instrumental in beginning the Women’s Revolution in WWE, along with The Four Horsewomen.
Saraya debuted for All Elite Wrestling at Dynamite: Grand Slam. The 30-year-old arrived after Toni Storm retained the AEW Interim Women’s Championship in a Fatal 4-Way.
After the match, Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Serena Deeb attacked Toni Storm and Athena in the ring. Saraya’s music hit and she made her way down the entrance ramp as the heels retreated.
Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker and Saraya recently brawled on Dynamite and may be setting up a match for November 19th at Full Gear. Britt and Saraya are set for an interview moderated by Renee Paquette on next week’s episode of Dynamite.
WWE is getting aggressive in building up its women’s division.
With the return of Emma on SmackDown Friday night, there has been word that WWE has interest in bringing back several performers that were released during one of the many budget cuts.
Tegan Nox is someone that WWE would like to bring back, per Fightful. The former NXT star hasn’t wrestled since her release last year and says visa issues have delayed her return to the ring.
When Nox was previously in WWE, she was mostly in NXT. She has teamed with and feuded against Dakota Kai. Shotzi is another person that Nox has teamed with. Perhaps she will be main roster bound if she returns.
Another talent rumored to be brought back is Chelsea Green. She is currently a member of VXT, where she teams with Deonna Purrazzo and Gisele Shaw.
Prior to the addition of Shaw, Green and Purrazzo were Knockouts Tag Team champions. Green has reportedly filmed an exit vignette, which has lead to the speculation that she is headed back to WWE.
Is WWE prepared to add another singles championship to its women’s division? Bayley certainly hopes so.
In the Men’s division, each brand has a mid-card championship, the United States title (Raw,) the Intercontinental title (SmackDown,) or the North American Championship (NXT.)
In AEW, the company has a Women’s World Championship (and currently an Interim Women’s World Champion) but also has the AEW TBS title held by Jade Cargill.
WWE does not have a mid-card title for their women’s division, only the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships and the Women’s Tag Team titles.
Mid-Card Championship
Bayley has had reigns as the Raw, SmackDown, and NXT Women’s Championships, and is a multi-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, the Role Model said it wouldn’t hurt WWE to introduce a mid-card title for their women’s division.
“I mean, it wouldn’t hurt. It would be nice to have another title. I think it’s just gonna take time. When we wanted those Women’s Tag Team titles, it took a long time and it took someone actually fighting for them.
“So if that’s what we want, someone has to stand up for it and really fight for it and prove that it’s going to be a benefit for the division.”
WWE introduced their Women’s Tag Team Titles in early 2019 which fans, and Bayley herself, had been calling on for some time.
Bayley and Sasha Banks would become the first Women’s Tag Team Champions, winning a tag-team Elimination Chamber match.
Rallying Support
Bayley is hopeful to see WWE introduce a women’s mid-card title, but she’s not the only one.
Due to the crew flying overseas for Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, next week’s episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO, was filmed after the October 28th show.
WWE SmackDown Spoilers
Here are the spoilers for next week (November 4), courtesy of F4Wonline.com:
Liv Morgan defeated Sonya Deville in a no disqualification match. Morgan kicked out of a powerbomb onto a pile of chairs, then won with a springboard facebuster on top of the chairs.
LA Knight defeated Ricochet. Knight hit on ring announcer Samantha Irvin before the match, causing Ricochet to attack him as she and Ricochet are in a relationship. Knight won after reversing Ricochet’s roll-up and grabbing the ropes for leverage.
The Usos cut a promo saying they will be the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions after Crown Jewel. The New Day said that if The Usos retain, they will be waiting for them. The Brawling Brutes attacked the Usos, with Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa coming in to even the odds. The Bloodline end up standing tall.
Shayna Baszler (with Ronda Rousey) defeated Natalya via submission.
Braun Strowman defeated five men picked by MVP. Strowman ended up repeatedly powerslamming MVP.
Gunther defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley wowed fans for years with his work in the ring, but that has come at a hefty price.
Considered by many as ‘the King of the Death Match,’ Foley earned a reputation for his hardcore style, which would be used in WWE, WCW, ECW, and other promotions.
Foley’s last official match came at a February 2015 event for OMEGA (the promotion founded by Matt and Jeff Hardy) where he defeated Mickey Gambino.
Paying the Price
In 2012, after a run in TNA Wrestling which saw Foley become World Champion, Mick returned to WWE as an ambassador for the company.
Speaking on the latest Foley is Pod, the Hardcore Legend said he imagined he’d have a handful of matches a year, but that was before a grim diagnosis from a physician.
“He said, ‘We’ve been looking over your MRIs and your X-rays. You’ve got too many issues. You got muscular, neurological, skeletal, and even if we are able to help from a neurological standpoint, there’s nothing we can do with those other things.’ I’m looking at all these things I did during the course of my career and I mean, I’m paying a steeper price than I thought imaginable.”
“I’m paying a steeper price than I thought imaginable.”
Mick Foley.
Foley’s one and only in-ring appearance for WWE after returning would be as an entrant in the 2012 Royal Rumble.
The #7 entrant, Foley would eliminate Primo, Epico, and Justin Gabriel before being dumped out by Cody Rhodes.
Returning?
In 2016, Foley returned to WWE again as the General Manager of Monday Night Raw but was fired by Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon in 2017.
Speaking about a possible return to WWE, Mick said it is unlikely to happen.
“I can’t remember a written promo. That’s one of the reasons why if I do get a call for TV, I’m more likely to say no… If you’re gonna bring me back, I want to help out with the storyline.
“I don’t want to just get the pop. I don’t want to just promote something I have coming up. I want to make a difference. Now, I’m going to tell them I cannot remember a storyline, and I don’t want to just be a hanger-on in the back for an old school day.”
Foley’s most recent Raw appearance came in 2019 when he was attacked by ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt.
Cody Rhodes’ agent has been fired from his role with Hyperion Talent Agency after allegations of misconduct.
Deadline reports that Brian Wittenstein, who represents both Cody and Brandi Rhodes, has left the agency after a client made a complaint about inappropriate behavior.
When the agency looked into the matter, they found more instances of unprofessional conduct, leading to his dismissal.
In a statement, the agency told Deadline “Brian Wittenstein is no longer an employee of Hyperion Talent Agency. We have no further comment at this time.”
In addition to the Rhodes family, Wittenstein is said to have represented several other wrestlers though it is not public knowledge who they are.
Wittenstein has said that he and Hyperion parted ways amicably.
Wittenstein in Wrestling
Wittenstein has been involved in the world of professional wrestling, as he worked for Impact, then TNA, until 2011.
After his departure from TNA Wrestling, Wittenstein joined WWE, resulting in a lawsuit filed by TNA against him and WWE.
The lawsuit alleged that Wittenstein had violated a Non-Disclosure Agreement by sharing confidential information with WWE.
TNA alleged that this information allowed WWE to gain an advantage in contract negotiations but withdrew the suit in 2013.
Cody Rhodes Out of the Ring
Cody Rhodes is best known for his time with WWE and AEW, but he has also taken on TV roles outside of wrestling.
Rhodes made his non-WWE debut in a 2010 episode of ‘Warehouse 13,’ and had seven appearances in CW hit series ‘Arrow.’
Rhodes was the feature of AEW series ‘Rhodes to the Top’ before his departure and is a judge on the Go-Big Show.
Booker T has lashed out at fans of All Elite Wrestling, saying they treat the wrestlers as nothing more than toys who can be broken.
AEW has been plagued with injuries this year, with CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole all being on the shelf at some point in 2022.
In Cole’s case, he has been out since June’s AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event with a concussion and there have been concerns he may never be cleared to wrestle again.
Don’t Care
During last week’s Tuesday edition of AEW Dynamite, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page was left motionless after a lariat during his title match with AEW World Champion Jon Moxley.
The match was ended ten minutes earlier than scheduled, and the Cowboy has been diagnosed with a concussion.
Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker said that AEW’s audience don’t care about who gets hurt as long as they are entertained (via 411 Mania.)
“The AEW fans, man. They don’t care about those guys in the ring. They do not care about those guys working. Those guys could — they’re nothing more than toys, video games for these guys.
“They don’t care about those guys in the ring.”
Booker T on AEW fans.
“If they’re not out there getting a ‘This Is Awesome’ chant, they don’t give a damn about these guys going out there getting hurt. They really don’t.”
Hangman Page
After the match was ended, Page was stretchered to the back and later taken to Cincinnatti trauma center.
Former world champion boxer “Iron” Mike Tyson will return to All Elite Wrestling next week.
As announced on the October 28th edition of AEW Rampage, Tyson will once again appear on the Friday night show. Next week, Tyson will serve as a special guest commentator as AEW emanates from Atlantic City, New Jersey.
What Went Down During Mike Tyson’s Last AEW Appearance?
Tyson’s last AEW appearance occurred on April 7th, 2021 at Dynamite. There, Tyson bolted to the ring to fend off The Pinnacle as they attacked Chris Jericho. Tyson would lay a series of punches on “The Chairman” Shawn Spears before The Pinnacle members pulled him to safety. The Inner Circle then emerged, joining Tyson in the ring as The Pinnacle fled backstage. Tyson shared a hug with former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho as the two had seemingly patched things up from their previous encounters in the company.
Tyson also joined The Inner Circle in being named to Pro Wrestling Illustrated‘s 2021 Faction of the Year. Since Tyson’s last appearance in AEW, though, Jericho has gone on to adopt a heel persona and formed the Jericho Appreciation Society.
Will Y2J and Iron Mike meet again? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
AEW Rampage aired live tonight from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Wardlow defended the TNT Championship against ROH’s Matt Taven in the main event.
Rampage Results
Jon Moxley def. Matt Menard in a World Title Eliminator match
Keith Lee def. Serpentico
Tay Melo def. Madison Rayne
Wardlow def. Matt Taven to retain the TNT Championship
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
Jon Moxley Picked Up a Win, Will Battle Lee Moriarty Next Week on Dynamite
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley battled Matt Menard in a World Title Eliminator match tonight. If Matt won, he would get a future shot at the AEW World Championship.
Menard got in some offense early and kept the champion on the mat. Jon battled back and got Matt in the Bulldog Choke for the submission victory. Jon will defend the AEW World Championship against MJF next month at Full Gear.
Stokely Hathaway and Lee Moriarty interrupted and boasted about The Firm’s attack on Moxley. Stokely suggested that Moxley battle Lee Moriarty next week on Dynamite and rolled highlights of Lee’s career. Moxley accepted the challenge and claimed that Lee will never be the same after their match.
A tournament was announced to determine the next number one contender. The winner of the tournament will receive a title shot at Dynamite: Winter is Coming. The finals will take place at AEW Full Gear on November 19th. Dante Martin was the first wrestler announced for the tournament.
Keith Lee Dominated, Swerve Strickland Kidnapped Billy Gunn
Keith Lee faced Serpentico tonight on Rampage. The match was over in a matter of moments after Keith connected with a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.
Tony Schiavone was about to interview Keith Lee when The Acclaimed interrupted. Bowens apologized that there was no rap tonight because they have a problem that Keith Lee might have the answer to.
The AEW Tag Team Champions said that Billy Gunn is missing and wondered where Swerve Strickland was. Swerve Strickland showed up on the jumbotron and revealed that he has kidnapped Daddy Ass Billy Gunn. Strickland had an interrogation light on Billy Gunn. Swerve said he’s going to make sure Billy Gunn will not be at Full Gear to interfere in the match.
Strickland pulled out some pliers and attacked Billy as The Acclaimed sprinted backstage. Ketih Lee stood in shock to end the segment. The Acclaimed will defend the AEW Tag Team Championships against Swerve in Our Glory at Full Gear on November 19th.
Jade Cargill did pull-ups while cutting a promo on Nyla Rose. Cargill stated that while Nyla is at home eating chips with her title, she is setting out to prove to everyone why she is “that b****”. Nyla Rose recently stole Jade’s TBS Championship on last week’s episode of Rampage from Daily’s Place.
Tay Melo battled Madison Rayne tonight on AEW Rampage. Sammy Guevara accompanied Tay during her entrance and the two kissed on the ramp before the match.
The action started off back and forth with Tay going for an Armbar but Madison breaking free. They started trash talking and slapping each other in the face. Rayne hit some forearm strikes and then delivered a Dropkick for a two count.
Madison and Tay battled to the top turnbuckle. Tay hit a Backbreaker and Madison fell to the mat. Melo posed in the ring as Rampage went to a break. When Rampage returned, Tay connected with a Suplex and both wrestlers fell to the canvas.
Rayne hit a Neckbreaker and went for the cover but Melo powered out at two. Rayne caught Tay with a couple of jabs and perched her up on the top turnbuckle. Madison hit a Cutter off the top rope and went for the cover but Melo kicked out at the last moment.
Tay hit a slam and went for the cover but Madison kicked out at two. Madison hit a Back Body Drop and then a Clothesline for another two count. Tay knocked Rayne to the corner and unloaded some strikes. Madison battled back with some strikes of her won but Tay responded with a knee to the face. Melo followed it up with the TayKO for the pinfall victory.
Ethan Page Vowed to Win the Tournament & the Title at Winter is Coming
Ethan Page was interviewed backstage about The Firm attacking MJF. Ethan claimed that MJF decided to change the plans and that he can do everything by himself and “the right way”. Page noted that The Firm made MJF the #1 contender and were going to make him AEW World Champion. Ethan stated that he is entered into the World Eliminator tournament and vowed to walk out of Dynamite: Winter is Coming.
Wardlow Retained, Powerhouse Hobbs & The Embassy Attacked
Wardlow defended the TNT Championship against Matt Taven in the main event of this week’s Rampage. Taven drove the champion to the corner and hit a couple of chops to start off the action. Matt connected with a Dropkick and posed in the ring.
Wardlow leveled Taven with a headbutt and then launched him across the ring. The TNT Champion knocked the challenger to the outside and followed him out there. Wardlow bounced Matt’s head off the ring apron and then slammed him into the ring post.
The champion sent Taven into the barricade and fired up the crowd. Maria Kanellis was shown distracting the referee. Mike Bennett hit Wardlow with a cheap shot and Taven followed it up with a Suicide Dive. Bennett sent Wardlow into the steel steps before the action returned to the ring.
Taven climbed to the top rope and hit a Splash on Wardlow’s knee and posed in the ring once again as Rampage went to the final commercial break of the night. When Rampage returned, Wardlow reached the ropes to break up a submission hold.
The challenger focuses his attack on Wardlow’s injured knee and taunted the champion while doing so. Wardlow battled back but Taven booted him in the knee. Matt followed it up with a running knee to the face and went for the cover but Wardlow powered out at two.
Taven climbed to the top turnbuckle and went for a Stomp but Wardlow got out of the way. Wardlow hit an F10 on one leg but Taven shrugged it off. Wardlow leveled him with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Belly to Belly throw. The champ hit a Spinebuster and fired up the crowd. Wardlow set up for a Powerbomb but Maria distracted him. Wardlow then delivered a massive Powerbomb but didn’t go for the cover. Maria pounded on the mat for Taven to get up but it wasn’t going to happen.
Wardlow hit another Powerbomb and then stared at Bennett. Wardlow delivered a couple more Powerbombs for the pinfall victory. Wardlow is still the TNT Champion. After the match, Mike Bennett attacked Wardlow from behind. ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe rushed to the ring and beat Bennett & Taven down as the crowd chanted “Joe!”.
Powerhouse Hobbs then showed up and walked down to the ring. The Embassy then attacked from behind and beat Wardlow & Samoa Joe down. Brian Cage leveled Samoa Joe with a Clothesline. Powerhouse Hobbs planted Wardlow with a Spinebuster and posed with the TNT Championship to close the show. Brian Cage posed with the ROH TV title as well as Rampage went off the air.
WWE SmackDown aired live from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns appeared on tonight’s episode of SmackDown.
5 Opponents for Roman Reigns After WWE Crown Jewel
SmackDown Results
The Brawling Brutes def. The Bloodline
New Day def. Maximum Male Models
Ronda Rousey def. Emma to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship
Karrion Kross def. Madcap Moss
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
The Brawling Brutes def. The Bloodline
Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa battled Ridge Holland and Butch of The Brawling Brutes to begin the show. Before the match, Sami said that he needs all hands on deck tonight and asked for Jey’s help. The Honorary Uce added that Roman Reigns isn’t here yet and he needs to see The Bloodline’s hand raised in victory when he arrives.
Butch and Sami started off the match as The Usos paced around ringside. Butch and Ridge isolated the Honorary Uce in the corner and took turns beating him down. Zayn battled to the corner and Sikoa tagged himself in. Solo leveled Butch with a Clothesline and followed it up with a Leg Drop in the middle of the ring.
Jimmy Uso connected with a cheap shot on Butch as Solo distracted the referee. Sami tagged back in and continued to beatdown Butch. Sikoa tagged in as Butch knocked Zayn to the outside. Butch hit Sami with a knee strike but got distracted by The Usos. Sikoa capitalized and slammed Butch onto the ring apron as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
When SmackDown returned, Sami and Jey started arguing outside the ring as Butch climbed to the top turnbuckle. Solo Sikia tripped Butch up and tried to break up the argument. Ridge Holland leveled them both with a shoulder tackle as Sami retreated into the ring. Butch rolled up Sami for the pinfall victory. After the match, Zayn and Jey Uso continued to argue in the middle of the ring.
Jimmy Uso got in Jey’s face before Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his way to the ring as SmackDown went to a break.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns entered the ring and referred to Sami & Jey as children. Reigns stated that he wants them to let everything out right now to solve the problem.
Sami wanted to bury the hatchet but Jey wasn’t having it. Jey shouted that Sami is a “fake ass Uce”. Zayn wondered why Jey is mad at at him and Uso responded that he doesn’t give a damn about what The Tribal Chief has to say.
Zayn stated that Jey didn’t mean that and said he hasn’t been very “Uce-y” lately. The crowd chanted “Uce-y!”. Roman threatened Jey that he will make Sami a full-time Uce if Jey doesn’t change his attitude. Reigns added “we are going to name him Sami Uso” and the crowd loudly chanted the name.
The Wiseman, Paul Heyman, then promoted the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Logan Paul at Crown Jewel. Paul then said “and now here’s a word from our sponsors” as SmackDown went to a break.
Maximum Male Models (Mace & Mansoor) battled New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) in a tag team match tonight on WWE SmackDown. Maxxine Dupri was ringside for the match. New Day isolated Mansoor in the corner but Maxxine provided a distraction. Mace hit Woods with a cheap shot and tagged himself in. MMM hit a couple of shoulder tackles and posed like models in the middle of the ring.
Kofi Kingston tagged in and leveled Mansoor with a Clothesline. The former WWE Champion followed it up with the Boom Drop and geared up in the corner. Kofi connected with a Frog Splash on Mansoor and tagged in Woods. New Day hit Midnight Hour and Woods covered Mansoor for the pinfall victory.
Liv Morgan Attacked Sonya Deville Again
Kayla Braxton interviewed Sonya Deville backstage tonight on SmackDown. Sonya claimed that Liv Morgan is completely broken following her loss to Ronda Rousey at Extreme Rules. Deville added that Liv never deserved the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Liv came out of nowhere and tackled Sonya to the floor. Morgan unloaded a bunch of punches before WWE officials broke it up.
Ronda Rousey Retained, Two Matches Announced For Crown Jewel
Ronda Rousey issued an Open Challenge tonight for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Emma made her return to the company and answered the Open Challenge as SmackDown went to a break.
When SmackDown returned, Emma battled back and climbed to the top turnbuckle. The challenger connected with a Crossbody for a two count. Ronda hit a knee strike but Emma bounced off the ropes and responded with a Clothesline. Rousey applied an Ankle Lock but Emma escaped and connected with a Suplex.
Emma followed it up with a Splash in the corner for a two count. Rousey went for Piper’s Pit but Emma escaped. Ronda raked Emma’s eyes while the official was distracted. She followed it up with Piper’s Pit and then an Armbar for the submission victory. Ronda Rousey is still the SmackDown Women’s Champion.
After the match, Natalya confronted Ronda Rousey backstage but Shayna Baszler snuck up from behind and choked Natalya out before leaving with Ronda Rousey.
Bayley versus Bianca Belair for the RAW Women’s Championship in a Last Woman Standing match at Crown Jewel. The Usos will also defend the Undisputed Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes at the show.
Shinsuke Nakamura joined Top Dolla and Ashante Adonis of Hit Row tonight to battle Ledago Del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro) in a 6-man tag team match. Hit Row and Nakamura beat down Legado Del Fantasma before the match. B-Fab then leveled Zelina Vega as SmackDown went to a commercial break.
Legado Del Fantasma isolated Ashante Adonis in the ring and took turns beating him down to start off the match. Top Dolla tagged in and connected with a Powerslam on Cruz and Joaquin. Santos entered the ring and hit Top Dolla with a Dropkick. Shinsuke Nakamura connected with a Kinshasha for the pinfall victory.
Paul Heyman warned Roman Reigns that he spoke to a doctor who knows a doctor about Logan Paul. The Wiseman stated that it just takes one lucky punch because Logan Paul has had metal pins put in his hand during a surgery in the past. Heyman also compared Logan to Brock Lesnar before stumbling over his words. Roman laughed it off and Heyman nervously exited the room.
Give me Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman segments and I’m happy ? they are so good pic.twitter.com/SrEwfQEKEK
— ????? ????? ????? ?????? ¹³¹? (@_RomansLegacy) October 29, 2022
Imperium Attacked Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio was set to be interviewed backstage but was interrupted by Imperium. Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci attacked Rey backstage and beat him down. Gunther will defend the IC Title against Rey next week on the blue brand.
Karrion Kross battled Madcap Moss tonight on WWE SmackDown. Moss connected with an Atomic Drop and followed it up with a Crossbody to start off the match. Kross battled back with a flurry of strikes and then a big boot to the face.
Moss followed it up with a leaping shoulder tackle off the middle turnbuckle and Kross rolled out of the ring to regroup as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Kross battled back and locked in the Kross Jacket for the pinfall victory. Kross sent a message to Drew McIntyre after the match.
Bray Wyatt made his way to the ring at the end of this week’s episode of SmackDown. Wyatt stated that it is just “me and you” right now and he’s not hiding behind a mask.
Wyatt added that “this is the best version of me that will ever be”. Bray claimed that he is going to do some “spectacular” things while he is here. Bray claimed that he has been a mess in the past and sometimes doesn’t feel anything at all no matter how hard he tries.
He said that he has to do some horrible things to get here and there is a part of him that likes that he is not afraid to do horrible things. The lights went out, a QR code flashed, and a masked man appeared. “You killed the world”, “you sent him away”, “you are just a shell of what you once were”, “you’re a liar”, and “you’ll never be able to hide from your Uncle Howdy” was said by the masked man to close the show.
There were two more title matches announced for WWE Crown Jewel during this week’s episode of SmackDown.
WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Preview
Bianca Belair defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Bayley in a Ladder match at WWE Extreme Rules. The EST emerged victorious but will once again have to face The Role Model on November 5th.
WWE announced that Bianca Belair will put the RAW Women’s Championship on the line against Bayley in a Last Woman Standing match at Crown Jewel. Bayley battled Bianca in a non-title match in the main event of this week’s RAW. Nikki Cross returned and interfered in the match. Bayley capitalized on the interference and won the match but Nikki attacked her after the bell.
The Usos will also be defending their Undisputed Tag Team Championships at Crown Jewel against The Brawling Brutes. On last week’s episode of SmackDown, The Bloodline brutally attacked Sheamus and Butch & Ridge Holland will seek revenge at the Premium Live Event next month.
On tonight’s episode of SmackDown, Roman Reigns addressed the tension between Jey Uso and Sami Zayn in The Bloodline. The Tribal Chief told them both the let everything out and Sami offered a truce.
Jey refused to shake Sami’s hand and said he didn’t care what Roman had to say. Sami calmed Reigns down and said that Jey isn’t being very “Uce-y” lately. Roman suggested that they take the Honorary Uce title away and just refer to him as “Sami Uso” moving forward, which pissed Jey off even more.
Paul Levesque (Triple H) is planning more ‘mystery’ storylines for WWE programming after the company’s success with the build-up to Bray Wyatt’s return with the White Rabbit teases.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Triple H had considered incorporating more ominous teases and angles before Wyatt’s return.
“Paul Levesque had told people even before Wyatt debuted that the type of teases that were being done would be used more often as a facet of storylines and mystery. With the success of the Wyatt angle, expect there to be more of it.”
Mystery Storylines Continuing
(BT Sport)
Wyatt’s return at Extreme Rules on October 8 was teased with a series of QR codes onscreen during TV events while the White Rabbit song played for the live crowd in attendance.
The teases had clues that led fans down a rabbit hole, following red herrings to creepy videos of butchered pigs interspersed with cartoons.
The company is reportedly thrilled with how the campaign was received, and fans seemed to enjoy the teases, as well as Wyatt being the bestseller of merchandise in the company. Plans were recently reported that WWE intends to create a line of plushes of the FunHouse characters.
On this week’s episode of NXT TV, WWE began teasing a new character called Scrypts and the company recently filed a trademark for the term. As of this writing, it’s unclear who is behind this character as no clear hints were given past the vignettes, as the first one had someone leaving a distorted voice message for the Performance Center.
It appears that it hasn’t been that bad of a week for Sheamus after all.
The 44-year-old reportedly was married this past weekend and the attack from The Bloodline was done as a way to write The Celtic Warrior off of television for the time being.
Drew McIntyre is reportedly not going to be on tonight’s edition of SmackDown because he was the best man at Sheamus’ wedding. Sheamus’ wife, Isabella Revilla announced their engagement last year.
Former WWE Superstar Lana (CJ Perry) and Miro (FKA Rusev in WWE) were in attendance for the ceremony. Miro can be seen as a groomsman in the photo below.
Sheamus recently was involved in a bitter rivalry with Gunther over the Intercontinental Championship. The two battled at Clash at the Castle, WWE’s first UK Stadium show in over thirty years. The Celtic Warrior and The Ring General provided the 60,000+ fans in Cardiff with an instant classic but Sheamus ultimately came up short.
The Celtic Warrior received a standing ovation after the match and then another opportunity on a recent episode of SmackDown. Gunther retained by hitting Sheamus over the head with a shillelagh. Time will tell if Sheamus challenges Gunther again down the line or now has his sights set on getting revenge on The Bloodline.
Wrestling Inc’s Nick Hausman has found himself a part of the CM Punk scandal with All Elite Wrestling because he did standup comedy with Colt Cabana years ago.
After defeating Jon Moxley to capture the AEW World Championship at All Out, CM Punk went on an explosive rant during the media scrum. He spoke very little of winning the title, his match against Jon Moxley, or MJF returning to confront him at the end of the show.
Instead, CM Punk ripped Hangman Page, The Elite, and Colt Cabana while AEW President Tony Khan sat next to him. The Elite confronted Punk after the rant, resulting in a brawl, and the AEW World and Trios Championships being vacated on the following Dynamite.
Nick Hausman on CM Punk Contacting Him After the All Out Media Scrum
Wrestling Inc’s Nick Hausman recently appeared on the WrestleRoasts podcast and discussed CM Punk getting into contact with him following the media scrum. Dave Meltzer had reported that Punk spoke with Hausman after the PPV. Nick revealed that he told Dave that off the record but will discuss it now that he’s made it public.
I told Dave that off the record, so cool. It was something I was going to try and keep for the book but I guess the cat is out of the bag.
It was a very surreal experience. I was up very late doing the scrum and got a message from an unlisted number the next day when I woke up at like 1 in the afternoon.
I rolled over and it was this number that said ‘hi Nick, this is Phil’ and I knew who it was. Yeah, I got to message back and forth with Punk a little bit that day. Like I told him and like I’m telling ya’ll, there’s no heat with me.
Just for some historical perspective, when I was doing comedy with Scott Colton (Colt Cabana) years ago, like a decade ago, Punk was really cool to me. He’d come to our shows, he brought the WWE title around.
He definitely made me some money because people knew he was coming to our shows. I went his house one night after a PPV and hung out.
Nick added that he had a falling out with Colt Cabana and Punk wasn’t aware when he referenced them doing comedy together at the media scrum. Hausman reached out to Punk’s camp yesterday and was informed that Larry (Punk’s dog) was allegedly injured during the brawl because the door was “kicked open”, according to Punk’s camp.
I was just explicitly told communication had broken down and there had not been communication from their side (AEW) with Punk’s camp.
It does not sound like a guy who’s coming back. And that is surprising to me because I really thought that he was going to come back.
And the fact that it just seems dead is surprising to me.
It felt to me as I was being given information, there was a kind of resentment towards how much of the story had been told from one side.
I think that is kind of why I got this waterfall of information at all to be honest.
I don’t know what Dave’s (Meltzer) motivations are, I mean I’ll trust him. It would seem to me that people on the other side of the aisle are easy for Dave to get a hold of, not me. Not the case with me.
Nick stated that he’s reached out to AEW President Tony Khan multiple times since the media scrum at All Out but has not heard back. He added that he’s operating under the assumption that he will be invited back to Full Gear to participate in the media scrum at the PPV on November 19th. Hausman said that the injury to Larry the Dog during the brawl may not have been reported initially because he was taken to the vet days after All Out.
There was obviously reporting the dog was involved, the dog got touched, picked up, pushed, taken, whatever. We knew the dog was involved in the melee.
We now know that days later, it sounds like. Dog gets taken to a vet, that vet says two teeth that were not loose before are now loose and we are going to have to remove these teeth.
The conclusion I obviously feel was drawn here was that the dog got knocked in the face, and his teeth got loose and he had to lose some teeth.
I don’t know if that detail didn’t get leaked initially because they didn’t know, right?
There was obviously talk about the dog, but at that point, they didn’t know that the dog was going to be losing teeth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clAmK_Rr1ws
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WrestleRoasts with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Triple H has already made changes to the 2023 WWE premium live event schedule as he nixed the Day 1 and Hell in a Cell shows. He is also looking to go away from gimmick-themed shows.
Some fans think WWE should make a change to the Money in the Bank event with it being moved back to WrestleMania instead of its stand-alone event.
WrestleMania to Host MITB Again?
While speaking with GiveMeSport, WrestleVotes noted that WWE has talked about bringing Money in the Bank back to WrestleMania.
“Putting Money in the Bank on WrestleMania, one night women’s and one night men’s is something I’ve heard. I know since Hunter has taken over, the idea of one night women and one night men is alive.”
The person behind the Twitter account did explain that while WWE is considering the idea, this person doesn’t think it will happen.
“I don’t think they’re going to do that. Let’s say Money in the Bank was scheduled for Allegiant Stadium, and they’re hoping to get 50,000 people. If you can do that on the back of Money in the Bank, I don’t think you put that show in the garbage and put the matches WrestleMania.”
In July, Money in the Bank was originally scheduled to be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, but the show was moved to MGM Grand Garden Arena due to poor ticket sales.
WWE has plans to use Bray Wyatt on tonight’s episode of SmackDown and next week’s show, which will also be taped from St. Louis, MO.
Fightful Select reports WWE plans to include several pieces of Wyatt’s past as of Thursday. One thing stated was that WWE wanted to bring in the rocking chair that Wyatt used during his early years in the company. Also, there has been talk of The Fiend mask being ripped up by Bray or another talent.
Wyatt Rumors
The report added that rumors about Wyatt vs. Reigns imminently starting a feud are false because “Where would we go from there?” Another person in the company said they learned from the Fiend run.
Seth Rollins, who feuded with Wyatt in 2019, has said publicly that the previous Fiend run was difficult on the wrestlers he worked with because The Fiend had to be booked to be indestructible.
Dave Meltzer noted in this week’s Wrestling Observer about those two names potentially feuding, but Meltzer never said when the feud could happen. Meltzer wrote, “While it would be best to keep them apart for a while, the idea is Reigns vs. Wyatt could be the biggest program in a long time since Wyatt is so hot right now.”
ORIGINAL: Former WWE star Tennille Dashwood aka Emma, is returning to the company as she is backstage at tonight’s SmackDown TV event in St. Louis, Missouri.
Pwinsider.com reported the news this afternoon. Per the report, she is expected to return tonight as the person responding to SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey’s open challenge.
Emma’s Homecoming
Tenille Dashwood aka Emma
Dashwood, the first Australian woman signed to a WWE deal, had two runs on the WWE main roster, with the first being tied to Santino Marella and then a heel run leading to her rebranding as Emmalina eventually. This character was dropped before she came back to television. She also found success in NXT.
Dashwood was released in October 2017. After her WWE release, Dashwood spent a year working for Ring of Honor before several years in Impact Wrestling but finished up with the promotion this past August when her contract with the company expired.
Dashwood got over with fans as a loveable babyface on the NXT women’s roster during Triple H’s time in charge of the promotion. Dashwood is currently dating SmackDown’s Madcap Moss.
She is one of the world’s best wrestlers and helped create the women’s revolution alongside several names, including Paige.
AEW has another Schiavone working behind the scenes as Tony Schiavone’s son, Matt, is now in the promotion.
Tony is one of the most accomplished wrestling announcers of all time, and after years away from the wrestling business, he joined AEW to return to calling the action. Schiavone has various responsibilities behind the scenes in AEW
Matt Schiavone’s AEW Role
Tony Schiavone (Photo: AEW)
On the latest episode of AEW Unrestricted, Tony announced that his son Matt is also working behind the scenes in AEW. It started at last week’s AEW Rampage in Jacksonville, Florida.
“I’ve really kind of wrestled with even mentioning this, but I’m going to, we have just hired a brand new producer to help us backstage. It’s a producer who’s had 15 years of network TV experience, and really knows what he’s doing. I really wrestled with even wanting him to come to work for us, and it’s my son, Matt. He will start as a producer in Jacksonville, and as this thing airs, it’s already happened. He had such a good job, but he just like us, just absolutely loves pro wrestling and wanted to do it. I went, ‘Matt, are you sure? Because it’s freaking crazy back there!'”
Tony noted that AEW President Tony Khan told him that his son will be working under Sonjay Dutt.
Matt previously worked for Fox News as his LinkedIn notes that he was a producer for America’s Newsroom w/ Bill Hemmer & Dana Perino.
CM Punk showed no interest in the safety of his dog Larry during the backstage fight at AEW All Out 2022, it has been claimed.
After Punk’s explosive comments during the All Out post-show media scrum, a fight broke out backstage which resulted in CM Punk, Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks and others being suspended.
This month, Ace Steel was fired from AEW, presumably for his role in the fight, and the investigation into the matter has since concluded.
Total Psycho
This week, it was reported that CM Punk’s dog Larry was injured during the All Out fight, when the Elite ‘kicked’ the door to Punk’s locker room.
Punk’s camp claimed that the door connected to Larry’s face, damaging two teeth which were later removed, though many are suspicious of the claim.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that Punk showed no interest in his pet, according to a neutral source who was present for the fight.
“The dog story is a complete lie. When the altercation was happening Punk was a total psycho and could [not] have cared less about the dog. Kenny picked the dog up to save him from being hurt and gave him to Megha. Megha was holding the dog screaming at Punk to stop. Punk didn’t even register that his `baby’ was being held by a stranger in the middle of a fight. It didn’t stop him one bit.”
“Punk was a total psycho and could [not] have cared less about the dog.
The Outright Lie
This is the latest claim against the dog story, which has been previously described as an “outright lie.”
Meltzer questioned, if Larry’s injury is true, why did Punk’s side not mention this in the seven weeks since the All Out fight?
It is believed that AEW will buy out the remainder of Punk’s contract with the company and release him soon.
