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Kofi Kingston Tells WWE Fans to Expect More Surprise Returns

Robert Lentini
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WWE has undergone massive changes at the top of the company in 2022 and it has resulted in a completely new vision for the product.

Vince McMahon resigned in late July and was replaced by Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan as co-CEOs. The 77-year-old was being investigated by the company’s Board of Directors for alleged hush money payments to former female employees.

John Laurinaitis was dismissed from the company and replaced by Triple H as EVP of Talent Relations. The Game has since been named Chief Content Officer for the company as well.

Since gaining power in the company, Triple H has brought back several released stars and seems to be reverting some of the changes to WWE NXT.

Kofi Kingston on Triple H’s New Role

Speaking with Steve Fall of NBC’s Ten Count, Kofi Kingston was asked which former stars he wants to see return to the company. “I would have said Bray,” he said. I would have said Bray if he didn’t debut last week. But I don’t know man. Off the top of my head, there are just so many people.”

“Even people that haven’t been here in WWE I would love to see in WWE. There is so much talent. I’ve said it before, but this is a real special time in wrestling. There’s just so much talent out there.”

Kingston then brought up that there will likely be more surprises in store for WWE fans now that Triple H is at the helm.

Especially with Triple H at the helm right now, we are going to have a lot more surprises and we are going to have a lot more moments of people coming back. We are really ticking the people’s fancy and giving them what they want. And that is a great thing to be a part of.

WWE Crown Jewel

The New Day is not currently booked for WWE’s upcoming Crown Jewel premium live event from Saudi Arabia. Some people might enjoy a break from international travel, but Kingston says he loves Saudi Arabia and wants to be booked on every WWE show.

“I’m at the point now where I kind of, of course, I want to be on every single show,” he said. “You know what I mean? I’m still very hungry in that sense. But I just wait to see what is happening and how things are going to unfold. I know that things always change at the last minute.”

“So often times we are not on a show and then I’ll find out on social media that we are on the show. I’m always the last one to find things out. I would love to go to Crown Jewel. I love Saudi, I love the people there. “

“I was actually the first person to go there before we actually started running televised shows there. I stayed there for 7-8 days or so, and I got to really immerse myself in the culture. It was one of the best experiences that I’ve had as a WWE Superstar hands down.”

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

Kevin Nash Speaks About the Passing of His Son Tristen

Michael Reichlin
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WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash is speaking about the unspeakable tragedy that has touched his family. Nash’s son Tristen passed away unexpectedly last week. He was only 26. Nash addressed the situation on the latest episode of his Kliq This podcast.

Co-host Sean Oliver said he heard from Kevin last Tuesday afternoon. Tristen had been rushed to the hospital for what they believed was a seizure.

“The seizure caused a cardiac arrest, said Nash. “He was basically dead in his room on the floor with the EMT working on him, and they got him back, they got him in the ambulance and.. trying to save his life, so.. to the people at Halifax Hospital, doctors and nurses, I thank you.”

Oliver brought up that Tristen wasn’t feeling well in the days prior to his passing. Nash said they both decided to stop drinking alcohol. The effects of abstaining from alcohol after periods of excessive consumption can be very serious.

“We both decided that we were going to stop drinking,” he continued. “So, it was a situation where we both went cold turkey. I don’t think either of us felt great, because you stop drinking coffee for a day and you get a headache. I think we were both dealing with it, but also because we’re so close tot he cruise lines here, that Norovirus shit is always prevalent.”

Oliver asked what precipitated the decision for them to stop drinking. Nash said Tristen had had some alcohol-related ‘incidents’ and was hospitalized earlier this year due to his dependency.

“He had this situation, at the beginning of the year, hospitalized for almost 60 days due to drinking. This is my cross to bear. It’s alcoholism. It took one of my dearest friends, it took Scott, and now it’s taken my son.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kevin Nash and his family during this difficult time.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with alcohol dependency, you can contact the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

CJ ‘Lana’ Perry Reveals Much Different Original Plans for Table Storyline

Thomas Lowson
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CJ Perry was not punished by WWE for her husband Miro joining All Elite Wrestling, despite what some have claimed.

In 2020, months after his April 15, release, Miro joined AEW where he is a one-time TNT Champion.

Perry herself was released from WWE in June 2021, with her high-dollar contract reportedly a factor in WWE’s decision.

Not Punished

Not long after Miro’s AEW debut, Perry (known as Lana in WWE) was involved in a storyline that saw her put through tables each week.

Some speculated that WWE’s storyline was a form of punishment for Perry, who denied the claim in a talk with Fightful Select.

Not only was this not a punishment, Perry made it clear that she pitched for the angle to happen, adding that she had to fight Liv Morgan for the ‘honor.’

Perry explained how the tables spot was supposed to get Nia Jax over as a babyface, as Lana was a heel at the time.

Ultimately, fans would ultimately side with Perry for her resilience each week, culminating in a babyface turn.

Miro and AEW

Perry hasn’t appeared for All Elite Wrestling, but Miro has made references to his “hot wife” multiple times.

Speaking about the Bulgarian wrestler, Perry said that Miro never gives her a heads-up before referencing her on TV.

Addressing possibly joining AEW, the former Total Divas star said that there have not been “extended talks” with the company, but is open to a role.

Perry said that even though she loved wrestling, she would prefer to focus on outside-the-ring roles such as a manager or valet.

C.J. Perry (Lana) Joins “The Surreal Life” Reboot

WOW Women of Wrestling Champion The Beast Out with an Injury

Thomas Lowson
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WOW Women of Wrestling has faced another setback as their champion The Beast is out with an injury.

The Beast has held the title since May 2019 after defeating Tessa Blanchard.

The Beast’s Injury

Fightful Select reports that The Beast sustained a leg injury early into the first set of tapings of the show, resulting in “significant creative changes.”

The Beast, one of the few stars of the original Women of Wrestling, is said to be a personal favorite of WOW promoter David McLane.

One talent told Fightful that the injury is “unfortunate” and insinuated that talent were deceived when told that a taping was delayed due to Covid-19 precautions.

This talent believes that the taping was actually delayed to give The Beast more time to recover.

The Beast’s 1256+ day reign is the second-longest reign as WOW Women of Wrestling Champion, behind Jungle Grrrl at 1,300.

Another Setback

This is the most recent setback for WOW Women of Wrestling, which has had issues stemming from its relationship with Tessa Blanchard.

Blanchard, the first and only female Impact Wrestling World Champion, joined WOW but had significant heat within the company.

Prior to her Impact World title win, accusations were made of Blanchard using racist language and causing problems with other female wrestlers.

Dave Meltzer reported in May this year that the “two sides [Blanchard and WOW] had different ideas and were constantly butting heads.”

The controversial wrestler had been WOW’s lead trainer, which caused further resentment backstage, but was released from the company earlier this year.

Jessie Jones Talks New WOW Season, AJ Mendez

WWE Higher-Up Says They’d Vote No On a CM Punk Return

Thomas Lowson
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Is CM Punk going to return to WWE? Not if those close to Head of Talent Relations Triple H can help it.

After walking out of WWE in January 2014, Punk joined AEW in August 2021 but is currently suspended for his role in the AEW All Out 2022 post-show backstage fight.

It is reported that AEW’s higher-ups and the locker room do not want him back and are in talks to buy out the remainder of his contract.

Voting No

If Punk is fired from AEW as many predict, then the only possible promotion able to afford his services is WWE.

Despite the very critical comments both sides have had over the years, there is a belief that Triple H would be interested in making a move to bring Punk back.

During a recent PWTorch.com audio show, Wade Keller addressed a possible Punk return, and that those close to the Game are against the idea (via Wrestling News.)

“Somebody who’s currently in WWE, and is within the sphere of influence of Paul Levesque’s decision-making would be a hard ‘No’ as of me asking this person today. A hard ‘No’ on endorsing the return of CM Punk, even if it would help business.”

Keller has previously reported that Triple H is more inclined to bring Punk back than his father-in-law Vince McMahon, who retired from WWE in July this year.

Not Wanted Back

Given Punk’s past issues with WWE, he may not be willing to return to the company who handed him his firing papers on his wedding day (mere coincidence WWE claims.)

In his report, Keller added that if WWE says no, then AEW may not be willing to bring him back either.

“I talked to three people of significant stature in AEW in the last couple of days…I asked how would a vote go in the AEW locker room if they were asked if they wanted Punk to return? One person said he wouldn’t fare very well. Another person said he thinks he might not get a single vote.”

AEW’s roster is said to be vehemently anti-Punk at this time, believing his comments during the All Out media scrum damaged the company.

Punk was heavily critical of ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, who has been one of AEW’s biggest stars since the company’s launch in 2019.

Report: Talent who know CM Punk Predicted AEW Run Would Go Poorly

Former WWE Superstar Claims Cody Rhodes Was “Entitled” Early in His Career

Robert Lentini
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Cody Rhodes was an EVP of All Elite Wrestling before exiting the promotion earlier this year. He spent nine years with WWE before being released from the company in 2016.

The former TNT Champion returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38. He was former WWE CEO Vince McMahon’s handpicked opponent for Seth “Freakin” Rollins.

The American Nightmare went on to defeat The Visionary three times in a row but was injured ahead of their match at Hell in a Cell. Cody entered the steel structure with a torn pectoral muscle and left a legend amongst WWE fans.

  • WWE Crown Jewel 2022 Preview

Former WWE Superstar Rene Dupree on Cody Rhodes

Rene Dupree recently discussed Cody Rhodes on his Cafe de Rene podcast. The former WWE Superstar claimed that The American Nightmare was entitled early in his career. Rene recalled Cody getting hired by the company despite having little experience and trying to be an actor at the time.

I remember Cody Rhodes one time spotted off like yeah second generation guys don’t get along and I’m thinking what the f**k do you know about that. My days with Cody were different with other people because when I first met him like, entitled? like a hundred and f**king percent right… He got hired, no experience, no nothing, he was 21, he was trying to be an actor in Hollywood.

  • 5 Reasons MJF Should Win the AEW World Championship

H/T: Sportskeeda Wrestling

When Will Cody Rhodes Return to WWE?

Cody Rhodes isn’t expected to return to action this year. Many have speculated that he will return at the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event but time will tell. The American Nightmare recently spoke to TMZ Sports and said that he hopes his return is a run fans remember. Cody added that his return before injury was the best three months of his life.

  • Chris Jericho’s Best Gimmicks Ranked

Prominent Indie Wrestling Promotions Heading to FITE+

Samantha Schipman
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Several “prominent” indie wrestling promotions are heading to FITE+.

Fightful Select is reporting that multiple announcements are due to be made in November. At this time, Fightful hasn’t “learned whether or not there will be additional price points, packages, or details as right now most events are available there 30 days after airing. It was largely implied to us that several Indies will be joining as a live streaming option for one piece point of the subscription.”

FITE+ airs “premium events from Boxing, MMA, Pro Wrestling & other combat sports! Watch selected PPV events from over 140+ promotions 30 days after airing! Plus, enjoy an ad-free experience on all of FITE.” They currently offer two price points at either $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.

Is GCW’s Streaming Platform Through FITE+?

Joey Janela
(via GCW)

One promotion could be GCW. They’ve been hinting at a streaming deal for a while. During an interview on “The Business of the Business” podcast, GCW owner, Brett Lauderdale, said that an announcement was “coming between now and November 1.” After a sarcastic tweet from Joey Janela about WWE was taken seriously as the two companies working together, many have joked that GCW is headed to Peacock. Janela and Lauderdale have continued with the rib by tweeting about WWE regularly.

On Saturday night after the main event of GCW Drop Dead, Janela announced that DDT Pro will be coming to The Collective next year. There will be two shows in LA next year: DDT Goes Hollywood and GCW vs. DDT. This will be DDT’s first American shows in four years. GCW is one of the most popular independent promotions in wrestling today.

Many prominent indie promotions currently air on subscription services IWTV and Highspots. Enjoy Wrestling and Deadlock Pro currently air on YouTube. It remains to be seen if promotions that air on those services will leave for FITE+.

3 Reasons Chris Jericho is the Right Choice as ROH Champion

Robert Lentini
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Chris Jericho keeps adding to his incredible career and legacy. Jericho recently acquired his 8th world title at Dynamite: Grand Slam. He defeated Claudio Castagnoli to become the new ROH Champion at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

After winning the title, Chris Jericho vowed to defeat every former ROH Champion he can and even attacked ROH ring announcer Bobby Cruise. AEW President Tony Khan purchased Ring of Honor earlier this year and is hoping to secure a weekly TV show for the promotion in the near future.

  • Chris Jericho’s Best Gimmicks Ranked

Here are three reasons Chris Jericho is the right choice as the ROH Champion:

Reliability

Chris Jericho has proven to be one of the most valuable performers in All Elite Wrestling. His reign as the inaugural AEW World Champion laid the foundation for the promotion to be successful, and now Tony Khan is relying on Chris to do the same for Ring of Honor.

Jericho’s run as AEW Champion lasted 182 days after defeating Kenny Omega at Double or Nothing 2019. He eventually lost the title to Jon Moxley at Revolution 2020.

Jericho’s career has spanned three decades now and he has shown no signs of slowing down as of late. He recently got into the best shape of his life and is delivering consistently solid matches for AEW at 51 years old. Jericho signed a three-year contract extension with AEW last week.

It was rumored that WWE was expecting him to return to the promotion in 2024, which only further proves how valuable he remains in the professional wrestling business.

WWE Expected Chris Jericho to Return in 2024 (Report)

Creativity

Whether it be Y2J, Le Champion, or The Wizard, Chris has demonstrated an ability to reinvent himself countless times throughout the years. His run as Le Champion was a memorable one, and his “a little bit of the bubbly” catchphrase spawned a successful champagne brand for the wrestling legend.

Chris has already had two different factions in All Elite Wrestling and both of them have been a success. The Inner Circle and now the Jericho Appreciation Society. JAS refer to themselves as “sports entertainers” and oftentimes wear flashy outfits and ridiculous hats.

The storyline leading up to the ROH Championship match between Chris Jericho and Bryan Danielson surrounded ROH Pure Champion Daniel Garcia. Bryan Danielson wanted Garcia to be a professional wrestler and join the Blackpool Combat Club, while Chris wanted him to remain in JAS and be a sports entertainer.

Ultimately, Garcia opted to align with Jericho instead of his hero growing up, Bryan Danielson. Jericho Appreciation Society have already positioned themselves to be the focal point of Ring of Honor when the promotion launches a weekly TV show.

Chris can enter into a feud with anyone and make it entertaining. It is hard to imagine a trait more valuable than that when trying to build new stars in a relaunching a promotion.

Recognizability

Naturally, Chris Jericho has accumulated millions of fans throughout his thirty years in the wrestling business. Jericho performed in Mexico, Canadian Rocky Mountain Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, ECW, and WCW early in his career. He interrupted The Rock to make his WWE debut in 1999 and has remained a star ever since.

Jericho had three successful runs in WWE before returning to New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2017. Chris captured the IWGP IC Title at NJPW Dominion in 2018. AEW made Jericho it’s inaugural champion to instantly provide credibility to the promotion.

In addition to being a familiar face in wrestling, Chris has also become a star in the music industry. His rock band, Fozzy, debuted in 2000 and has released seven studio albums. Jericho’s entrance theme, “Judas”, is Fozzy’s most popular song to date. The music video is currently closing in on 60 million views.

Chris was also one of the first professional wrestlers to enter the podcast game. His “Talk Is Jericho” podcast has over 900 episodes to date and features interviews with some of the biggest stars in the industry today.

Jericho has a massive following and helped bring fans to All Elite Wrestling when the product first launched three years ago. It appears that we are about to watch history repeat itself when it comes to Ring of Honor.

AEW has had its pitfalls recently, but overall the promotion has provided what it set out to be, an alternative for wrestling fans. Chris Jericho carried the torch when AEW first launched and it will be interesting to see what the wrestling legend has in store for fans as the Ring of Honor Champion. One thing is for certain, many fans will tune in to find out.

Has Chris Jericho Revealed how he Really Feels about CM Punk?

Details on WWE Launching 2 New NXT Brands in 2023

Jesse Velasquez
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WWE is looking to introduce NXT brands globally as soon as 2023. During Saturday night’s NXT Halloween Havoc post-show media scrum, Shawn Michaels talked about moving the brand outside of the Performance Center as well as plans to expand globally.

NXT has had 3 different iterations over the last 13 months. The decision was made to move their USA network show from Wednesday to Tuesday nights. It also added a new logo and went to a more developmental style brand. It was renamed NXT 2.0.

Present day, the current iteration of the NXT brand is a hybrid between 2.0 and the black and gold era. Excitement is high, which is why Shawn Michaels says that the next step for the brand is moving globally.

Michaels, who serves as WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative,  is hopeful that they will be hosting Premium Live Events outside of the Performance Center.

“From an NXT standpoint, we’ve been getting out live events here in Florida and we certainly look forward to getting out of Orlando in 2023.” Michaels said.

“From an NXT standpoint, getting out for Premium live events. Hopefully, that means getting out for live events as well outside of Florida. Those are decisions that come from people above me. We certainly want to do it and we’re excited to do it, but we’re going to start with Premium Live Events and see how that goes first. “

NXT Mexico and Japan

NXT Black Gold Logo

Moving NXT outside of Florida in 2023 looks to be a lock. Moving the brand outside of the United States is a larger goal and also looks to be on the horizon sooner rather than later.

According to Fightful, WWE trademarked the term NXT Global back September. The United Kingdom version of the brand was added in 2018 and will be repackaged as part of NXT Europe.

It would make sense for NXT to move to other regions of the World. Michaels says that talks of NXT Japan and NXT Mexico have surfaced.

“I know there’s been talks of NXT Japan and NXT Mexico. As I understand it those announcements could be coming down the road in 2023, so this company continues to grow and expand.”

– Shawn Michaels

Michaels joked that he “knows a guy” who is very interested in NXT and its expansion, so he doesn’t think fans will have to wait long before some big announcements are made.

CM Punk Moved the Needle During His Time with AEW

Robert Lentini
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All Elite Wrestling is reportedly negotiating a buyout with CM Punk for the remaining years on his contract.

  • CM Punk Probably Won’t Return to AEW

The 43-year-old debuted to a sold-out United Center on the 2nd episode of AEW Rampage last year. AEW and Punk sold out the venue on a rumor that he would be making his return to professional wrestling after seven long years away.

It was electric in Chicago when “Cult of Personality” blasted through the speakers and The Voice of the Voiceless had finally returned. Unfortunately, the good vibes were short-lived and Punk seemingly has squandered the opportunity he always complained about not getting in WWE.

Was CM Punk a Draw in All Elite Wrestling?

One of the criticisms of CM Punk is that he wasn’t a draw for the promotion. AEW President Tony Khan once vehemently defended the former two-time AEW World Champion from criticism from Eric Bischoff during a media scrum.

‘It’s F*cking Bullshit’: Tony Khan Fires Back At Eric Bischoff For Saying CM Punk Is A Financial Flop

Wrestlenomics has provided some data that proves that CM Punk was a draw for All Elite Wrestling during his year in the promotion. According to Wrestlenomics, Punk increased quarter-hour ratings when he was on the screen. The five PPVs he appeared on are the highest-selling in promotion history. He main evented two $1m gates and has four of the top ten selling items on ShopAEW and PWTees this year.

Was CM Punk a draw for AEW? -His appearances often increased quarter-hours -5 PPVs he was on are AEW’s 5 highest-selling -Main evented two $1M gates, arguably drew a 3rd he wasn’t on -4 of 10 top selling items for the yr on ShopAEW & PWTees are his

CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley at AEW All Out in the NOW Arena in Chicago on September 4th. He tore his pectoral during the match and would have had to relinquish the title anyway.

However, CM Punk went on a rant to begin the media scrum after the PPV. During the rant, he insulted The Elite, Hangman Page, Colt Cabana, and others, all while AEW President Tony Khan was seated directly next to him.

After his rant, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks reportedly went to the former AEW World Champion’s locker room and a brawl broke out. CM Punk’s friend and former AEW producer Ace Steel has been released from the company.

Report: Talent who know CM Punk Predicted AEW Run Would Go Poorly

Kofi Kingston Has “No Idea” Why He Never Got a Rematch Against Brock Lesnar

Robert Lentini
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Kofi Kingston captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35 by defeating Daniel Bryan.

He wrestled 75 matches as the champion and had long rivalries with Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, and Dolph Ziggler during his reign.

WWE SmackDown debuted on Fox on October 4th, 2019. The main event for the show was Kofi defending his WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar.

Most fans expected Brock to win but The Beast absolutely dominated and squashed Kofi to win the title.

Kofi Kingston on why He Never Got a Rematch Against Brock Lesnar

The former WWE Champion spoke with Steve Fall on NBC Ten Count recently and was asked why he never received a rematch after the shocking defeat.

Kofi admitted that he has no idea why he didn’t get a rematch for the title but claimed that it is not something he dwells on nowadays.

I have no idea. I don’t really dwell on the why, there is a lot of things in the industry that you look at sometimes and you’re like ‘whoa, why did that happen?’. And you just move on and the wheel keeps on turning.

Again, for me to like dwell on what happened in that match with Brock Lesnar, it doesn’t serve me any purpose, right? It’s not going to make me better, it’s not going to change what happened, it’s not really going to do anything besides make me feel bad.

So, I’m not going to let it do that. I have a lot more career left to handle. I think that it is a scenario where like, again this is such a unique opportunity to be on this roster.

As far as my run being WWE Champion, I got to go six months almost to the day. So that is a very long reign.

I think if you look back at how many of the past or current champions have had a reign of six months or more it’s Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, Roman Reigns and myself.

Kofi spoke about his rivalries during his title reign and noted how it was cool to tie everything together by revisiting his rivalry with The Viper Randy Orton.

AJ Styles at the beginning, and then Randy Orton kind of like tying everything together.

Being that I was in for a push in 2009 and I was out in a rivalry with Randy Orton, and then it didn’t work out.

So to be able to kind of like button that up was great. So I enjoyed my title reign. I enjoyed every single moment of it because I know how rare it is to be in that championship role.

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

Report: Talent who know CM Punk Predicted AEW Run Would Go Poorly

Thomas Lowson
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0

Was CM Punk destined to have an underwhelming run in AEW? That’s certainly what those close to the former World Champion believe.

Punk joined AEW in August 2021 after a seven-year hiatus from professional wrestling, and is a two-time World Champion with the company.

The Chicago-Made wrestler is currently out with an injury and has been suspended for his role in the AEW All Out 2022 post-show backstage fight.

This week, it was reported that AEW intends to buy out the remainder of Punk’s contract and fire him.

Destined To Be

Punk’s days with AEW are seemingly numbered, and some close to him believed this would always happen

During a recent PW Torch Elite Audio stream, Wade Keller reported that when he spoke to sources close to Punk before his AEW debut, they predicted his run would not go well.

Those same sources also said that Punk’s run with AEW “wouldn’t last,” which appears to be the case now.

Punk’s personality and history of discontent were cited as reasons why his run with AEW would end poorly.

Returning to WWE

If Punk is fired from AEW, the only place he could realistically wrestle next is WWE.

If so, then a deal will need to be struck with WWE’s Head of Talent Relations Triple H, who Punk has been highly critical of in the past.

In his report, Keller stated that Triple H is more likely to bring Punk back than Vince McMahon, who “never fully got behind” the AEW star.

It was also noted that Triple H may attempt to bring him back, to move metrics such as viewership and prove that WWE has not missed a beat post-Vince McMahon.

The Future of AEW

AEW made a huge deal of CM Punk’s arrival in August last year on Rampage: The First Dance, but the company will be okay without him.

Keller reported that while Punk would be a “net plus” in bringing in ticket sales and moving merchandise, he is far from ‘needed’ in AEW.

Keller pointed to the many established main event talent and rising mid-card talent, and is more than capable of growing without Punk.

It was said that any growth in AEW’s viewership due to Punk being on the show has happened at this point.

Has Chris Jericho Revealed how he Really Feels about CM Punk?

Has Chris Jericho Revealed how he Really Feels about CM Punk?

Thomas Lowson
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CM Punk’s days with All Elite Wrestling are seemingly coming to an end, which may be good news as far as Chris Jericho is concerned.

Punk hasn’t appeared for AEW since being suspended for his explosive All Out post-show media scrum comments and the backstage fight that ensued.

It was reported this week that AEW is seeking to buy-out the remainder of Punk’s contract which is believed to have close to two years left.

  • Chris Jericho’s Best Gimmicks Ranked

Good Riddance

CM Punk’s arrival in AEW, over seven years away from the wrestling world, was a huge win for the company and met with excitement from fans.

In the 14 months since then, fans have soured on Punk, especially after his actions at All Out.

On Twitter, a fan noted how Punk had “one of the most triumphant comebacks ever” and has since become “so toxic that you’re not worth having around.”

The tweet gathered over 2,000 likes, including one from Chris Jericho.

https://twitter.com/Ibladedaily/status/1583528414723854336

Jericho has been a locker-room leader without Punk and the Elite around, alongside Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley.

In backstage meetings, Jericho has stressed the importance of keeping private matters private and not letting issues behind the scenes get leaked.

Punk in WWE?

AEW reportedly wants to be rid of CM Punk, but there is a fear that he could jump to WWE.

Punk walked out of WWE in January 2014, and received his termination papers in June on his wedding date, timing Vince McMahon insisted was coincidental.

While Punk has not spoken directly with WWE, he does speak with friends in the company including Adam Pearce and Paul Heyman.

WWE Expected Chris Jericho to Return in 2024 (Report)

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

Thomas Lowson
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Dominik Dijakovic is likely on his way back to WWE NXT according to a vignette played at last night’s Halloween Havoc.

Dijakovic was part of the gold brand from 2017 to 2020 where he unsuccessfully challenged for both the NXT Championship and NXT North American Championship.

In 2020, Dijakovic was called-up to WWE’s main roster as ‘T-Bar,’ part of the ‘Retribution’ stable.

The stable had limited success and was dismantled in early 2021.

Back to NXT?

During last night’s WWE NXT Halloween Havoc event, a vignette aired of a mask being burned in a fire.

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be T-Bar’s mask that was burned, which fans have taken as sign of the character being scrapped.

The fact that the segment aired during Halloween Havoc has also led fans to believe Dijakovic is returning to the gold brand.

Earlier this month, T-Bar wiped all images from his Twitter account, and his profile picture is just black.

After the Halloween Havoc vignette, T-Bar shared a quote from 1995 thriller ‘Se7en.’

https://twitter.com/TBARRetribution/status/1584006570454941697

Retribution

Retribution were booked strongly at the start, interfering in several matches, but quickly slipped down the card when they were given names and masks fans ridiculed.

Shane Thorne, who portrayed Slapjack, was repackaged as a Crocodile Dundee-esque character shortly before his release in November 2021.

Reckoning, aka Mia Yim, was also released last November, and has since joined Impact Wrestling, but left the promotion recently.

Mace has kept his name following the end of Retribution but is now part of the Maximum Male Models.

Mustafa Ali, the group’s leader, recently turned face and has teased involvement in the United States Championship scene.

Mercedes Martinez Opens Up About Decision To Leave Retribution

Ace Steel Makes First Public Comment After AEW Firing

Thomas Lowson
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0

Ace Steel’s time with All Elite Wrestling has come to an end and the former backstage producer has made his thoughts clear on his abrupt exit.

Steel was fired from AEW earlier this week, presumably for his role in the All Out backstage fight.

Perhaps best known as the trainer of CM Punk, Steel took the former World Champion’s side during the fight with the Elite.

Steel Comments

Steel is alleged to have bitten Kenny Omega, and thrown a chair that hit Nick Jackson in the eye.

In public appearances by Omega, a bite mark has been visible on his arm, adding credence to reports that he was bitten.

On Instagram, Steel insinuated that what some have said about him is not entirely accurate.

In his post, Steel used an image of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage having issues backstage, with the text reading “false accusations running wild.”

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Steel did not clarify who made the claims he believes to be ‘false accusations.’

CM Punk Next?

Steel’s time with AEW has come to an end, and CM Punk may soon be joining him.

This week, it was reported that AEW’s higher-ups do not want to bring Punk back to TV and are in talks about buying out his contract.

There is a concern that Punk could join WWE should he be fired by AEW.

While Punk and WWE have had negative things to say about each other, Triple H is reportedly dead-set on creating “compelling programming.”

Punk walked out of WWE after the 2014 Royal Rumble and was sent his termination papers on his wedding day, something that then-WWE CEO told Steve Austin on his podcast was pure coincidence.

Jim Ross Comments on Ace Steel Being Released by AEW: “I Thought he was a Good Hand”

WWE NXT Halloween Havoc Results: Triple Threat Headliner, Rose vs. Fyre

Andrew Ravens
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The WWE NXT Halloween Havoc 2022 special took place on Saturday, October 22, 2022 from Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center. 

WWE NXT Halloween Havoc Results 

  •  
  • Wes Lee defeated Carmelo Hayes, Oro Mensah, Von Wagner, and Nathan Frazer to become the new NXT North American Champion.
  • Apollo Crews defeated Grayson Waller in a Casket Match.
  • Roxanne Perez defeated Cora Jade
  • Julius Creed defeated Damon Kemp in an Ambulance Match 
  • Mandy Rose defeated Alba Fyreto to retain the NXT Women’s Championship.
  • NXT Champion Bron Breakker defeated Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh

Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:

Main Event

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NXT Champion Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh in a triple threat match headlined the show. 

The match was great.Dragunov hit coast to coast on JD and Bron. here was a spot where Bron hit a Frankensteiner to JD, who then was caught by Dragunov for a powerbomb. Dragunov hit a powerbomb to Bron for 2. JD with a 450 splash to Dragunov for a near fall. Dragunov with his finisher to Breakker, but JD broke it up. Breakker with a spear to Dragunov for the win. 

NXT Women’s Championship Match

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NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose defended her title against Alba Fyre

The match was split in half as there was a pre-tape where Rose and Toxic Attraction arrived at a creepy house to look for Fyre, who took everyone out and put Rose in her SUV back to the Performance Center. 

They kept the match short and while Fyre did get a near fall, the referee was taken out. Thanks to outside interference by Jayne and Dolin, Rose was able to retain the title with her running knee strike.

Spin the Wheel, Make a Deal Match

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Grayson Waller vs. Apollo Crews in a Spin the Wheel, Make a Deal Match was booked. The stipulation was a casket match. 

The match was interesting. Crews took him out on the floor with a back flip. Waller pushed Crews off the middle rope through a casket. The lights went out and Crews was out of the casket before he brought out the druids and they had a new casket. So the match was basically restarted. 

Ladder Match

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Carmelo Hayes vs. Oro Mensah vs. Wes Lee vs. Von Wagner vs. Nathan Frazer battled it out in a ladder match for the vacant NXT North American Championship.

The match opened up the show. Everyone started brawling to start off the match. The ladders were introduced early. Nathan hit a drop kick off the top rope to knock Hayes off a ladder before Carter with a leg drop while using a ladder to Nathan. Frazer with a spanish fly from the middle rope onto a ladder with Hayes.Trick William pushed Oro off the ladder so Oro jumped off taking everyone out. Frazer with a frog splash off the top rope to Von on a ladder outside the ring. Von tossed Carter from the ring onto the announce table.Lee won the bout. 

Roxanne Perez vs. Cora Jade

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Roxanne Perez vs. Cora Jade had a Weapons Wild Match.

The match saw them use various weapons including chairs and trash cans.  They both fell off a platform through a stack of tables. The finish saw hit a sunset flip powerbomb on the chairs for the win. 

Damon Kemp vs. Julius Creed

ambulance match

Damon Kemp vs. Julius Creed was booked in an ambulance match with the stipulation that if Julius lost, Brutus Creed would have to leave NXT.

The match saw them brawl all over the place and they used various weapons. Kemp put Creed in the ambulance, but held on and Kemp smashed the door on his hands several times. Creed hit him with a chair then powerbombed him through a stretcher for the win. 

Bron Breakker Retains WWE NXT Title at Halloween Havoc

Andrew Ravens
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WWE NXT Champion Bron Breakker made his latest title defense in a triple threat match that served as the main event of this year’s Halloween Havoc event from Orlando, Florida. Breakker defended it against JD McDonagh and former NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov. 

The match featured numerous memorable spots including when Dragunov hit coast to coast on McDonagh and Breakker. Breakker hit a Frankensteiner to McDonagh, who then was caught by Dragunov for a powerbomb. 

Dragunov hit a powerbomb to Breakker for 2. McDonagh with a 450 splash to Dragunov for a near fall. Dragunov with his finisher to Breakker, but McDonagh broke it up. Breakker with a spear to Dragunov for the win. 

How We Got Here

The September 27th edition of NXT opened with Dragunov and McDonagh laying claim to being the next contender for the NXT Championship. Breakker came out to address them. 

McDonagh suggested that Breakker and Dragunov face each other, with the winner facing him, but Bron didn’t like it so he came up with a triple threat match at Halloween Havoc, which was eventually confirmed.

This was after Dragunov made his return the previous week by confronting McDonagh after he won a number one contendership match, defeating Tyler Bate. Dragunov  said he never lost the NXT UK Championship as he had to vacate it earlier in the summer due to injury and that’s why he wanted a title bout. 

Mandy Rose Retains WWE NXT Women’s Title at Halloween Havoc

Andrew Ravens
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Alba Fyre wasn’t the person to step up and dethrone Mandy Rose as the NXT Women’s Champion in one of the top matches featured on the card of this year’s Halloween Havoc event in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.

Before the bout, Toxic Attraction went through a haunted house with Fyre taking out the group. The match did start in the ring though.

There was outside interference from Jayne and Dolin, but the bout was kept short. Fyre avoided a knee shot and hit her finisher, but the referee was out thanks to Dolin and Jayne, who took out Fyre on the floor and Rose hit her with a knee strike for the win. 

Rose’s Reign

Rose defeated Gonzalez to win the NXT Women’s Championship at Halloween Havoc last year with the help of Dakota Kai. Rose’s previous title defense came against former NXT UK Women’s Champion Cora Jade on the February 8, 2021 edition of NXT 2.0. 

Rose became the unified champion at NXT Worlds Collide when she beat NXT UK Champion Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport in a triple threat match. 

Wes Lee Wins WWE NXT North American Championship

Andrew Ravens
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WWE crowned a new NXT North American Champion in the way of booking a ladder match at this year’s Halloween Havoc event in Orlando, Florida at the Capitol Wrestling Center.

Wes Lee ended up winning the bout. Also in the match included Von Wagner, Nathan Frazer, Carmelo Hayes, and Oro Mensah.

The match opened the show. Some memorable spots included Carter with a leg drop while using a ladder to Nathan.Frazer with a spanish fly from the middle rope onto a ladder with Hayes. Trick Williams pushed Oro off the ladder so Oro jumped off taking everyone out on the floor. Frazer hit a frog splash off the top rope to Von, who was placed on a ladder outside the ring. Von tossed Lee from the ring onto the announce table. 

The Title Was Vacated

The title was vacated on the September 20th edition of NXT after the week prior where Sikoa, who made his main roster debut at Clash at the Castle, made a surprise appearance on NXT, by challenging Hayes after Hayes and Trick Williams laid out his original opponent, Wes Lee. An impromptu match was held, with Sikoa picking up the win. Shawn Michaels made Solo vacate the title. 

Although Hayes wanted the title, Michaels booked a ladder match at this show instead. Hayes automatically qualified for the title match. 

In his NXT debut under his new name, Mensah, formerly Oliver Carter, defeated Grayson Waller to advance followed by Lee. Von Wagner would be the fourth Superstar to join the fray after an emphatic qualifying victory over Andre Chase. Frazer defeated Axiom in their best of three series to earn the final spot in the ladder match.

Jon Moxley Set to Defend AEW World Championship on Dynamite

Robert Lentini
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AEW President Tony Khan has announced a big AEW World Championship match for this Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite.

The announcement came just a few minutes after NXT Halloween Havoc went on the air.

Jon Moxley will put the AEW World Championship on the line against Penta El Zero Miedo this Wednesday night on Dynamite.

Tony Khan took to Twitter to announce the match for next week’s show in Norfolk, VA.

Book it! This Wednesday, October 26 Chartway Arena, Norfolk VA Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite   LIVE on @TBSNetwork 8pm ET/7pm CT @AEW World Championship Match@JonMoxley vs@PENTAELZEROM See you this Wednesday on TBS!

Jon Moxley Confronted at Daily’s Place

AEW Rampage was live this week from Daily’s Place. AEW World Champion Jon Moxley cut a promo outside the venue and boasted about knocking out the #1 contender (Hangman) on Dynamite. Jon added that he’s not satisfied and wants to pick up where he left off next week on Dynamite.

I’m not happy, I’m not satisfied. I came here to Jacksonville this week for the sole purpose of walking into the Khan’s office and saying ‘I want to pick up on Dynamite next week right where I left off’. You only live once and I’ve wasted a lot of time in life. I don’t want to waste any more.

Penta and Alex Abrahantes interrupted Moxley outside of Daily’s Place. Penta claimed to be the only wrestler on the AEW roster that doesn’t have any fear and challenged the champion.

WWE NXT Reportedly Planning Next PLE on Same Day as ROH Final Battle

WWE Legend on JBL Managing Baron Corbin: “They’re Trying”

Robert Lentini
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Baron Corbin recently returned on WWE RAW with the legendary John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield as his manager.

JBL picked up Corbin in his limo on the September 2nd edition of SmackDown and they had not appeared on TV since Corbin’s return last week.

Rey Mysterio approached Triple H on a recent episode of SmackDown and tried to quit due to conflict with his son, Dominik Mysterio, and The Judgment Day. The Game opted to trade Corbin to the RAW roster and bring Mysterio to SmackDown instead.

Rey Mysterio Explains Why He Tried To Quit WWE & How Triple H Convinced Him To Join The SmackDown Roster

Baron battled Dolph Ziggler in a long match on RAW as JBL joined commentary. JBL referred to Corbin as the “Modern Day Wrestling God” after he defeated The Showoff.

Jim Cornette on Baron Corbin & JBL

Wrestling legend Jim Cornette praised JBL for his promo and on episode 266 of Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru. Jim and co-host Brian Last joked that JBL’s suit was a little too big for him.

Jim praised JBL for his promo ability and noted how he got the crowd to turn against him right away.

He acknowledged the people’s cheers and etc, and then went right into the f***ing best heel promo, the most natural.

He’s got the personality, the delivery, the material, it was all off the top of his head. He buried Oklahoma and praised Texas, like if you anyone from Oklahoma and Texas, that is all they do.

Cornette wondered if even the great JBL will be able to get Baron Corbin over with the crowd despite being a great promo.

JBL is a great promo. But can even he get Baron Corbin over? But it’s not Happy Corbin anymore. They’re trying.

It’s Baron Corbin. We were watching the show when he became homeless Corbin and then he became Happy Corbin, but did we ever just see a Baron Corbin? Before that he was the possum king, King Corbin.

Have we ever just seen Baron Corbin try to be serious?

The 61-year-old noted that Corbin’s new gear looks horrendous and compared him to “some kind of a mole creature” that resides underground.

His gear still looks horrendous. I don’t what the f***. He’s so hairless. He looks like some kind of mole creature. That lives underground and has no hair. I don’t know.

But his gear looks horrendous, which accentuates the paleness and lack of features he has. He seems to have lost weight. He’s trying to get in better shape.

His work, some of it looked okay. His physical appearance to me is odd and off-putting. I don’t know how to explain it.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru with a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

Stardom Unveils the New IWGP Women’s Championship Belt

Samantha Schipman
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With the IWGP Women’s Championship tournament in full swing, the championship belt was revealed today.

Round 1 saw two matches. Utami Hayashishita faced Himeka while Mayu Iwatani took on Momo Wantanabe. On October 23 at the 12th Goddess of Stardom Tag League, two semi-finale matches will take place.

The IWGP Women’s Championship was unveiled during the show. It was created by Belts by Dan, who has created belts for NJPW, AEW, NWA, and more. The belt fits in with other prestigious IWGP belts for NJPW. It is a mixture of classic and modern.

Stardom wrestlers coming to the U.S.

Mayu Iwatani

The inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion will be crowned on November 20 at the joint Stardom and NJPW show, X-Over. The title will be defended at NJPW shows in both Japan and the U.S. There’s a possibility the title will be defended at big Stardom shows as well.

Stardom wrestlers have been teased in a video for Rumble on 44th Street and The Night Before Rumble on 44th Street. The women who will be appearing have not officially been announced yet. This will be a great opportunity for U.S. fans that watch NJPW and NJPW Strong to see Stardom wrestling matches before the IWGP Women’s Championship match next month.

Black Adam is The Rock’s Biggest Opening as a Leading Man

Robert Lentini
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s new film ‘Black Adam’ is off to a strong start at the box office.

The film is expected to open with $60M-$62M over the weekend, making it the best domestic debut for The Rock outside of The Mummy Returns in 2001. As reported by Deadline, ‘Black Adam’ opened with a strong $26.8M on Friday and was The Rock’s best opening day for a film he’s the solo star of.

The reviews have been mixed for the film. The critic score on Rotten Tomatoes currently sits at 41% while the audience score is much more positive at 89% enjoyed the film. ‘Black Adam’ currently has a 7.2 rating on IMDb with over 28,000 reviews from fans.

The Rock on if a Presidential Run is Still on the Table

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson isn’t just a beloved wrestler and the biggest movie star on the planet, he’s also a potential presidential candidate in the eyes of some fans. The Rock recently shot down rumors of him running for public office in 2024.

The Rock Says Running for US President is ‘Off The Table’

However, The Great One claimed that he may consider it down the line in a recent interview with Jake Tapper on CNN. He noted that his main priority right now is to be a father to his daughters but wouldn’t rule out a possible run in the future.

Right now for my daughters, it is important that I’m home, and that stability is important for me to be there. That is the most important thing to me.

By the way, that is a tough thing I think to reconcile, I’m blown away by that. The fact that I’m even having this conversation with you.

The fact that I’ve been approached by the most influential in the world of politics, which I think you (Jake Tapper) know very well. It was really moving but right now the most important job I have is to be their father.

Backstage News on Willow Nightingale Signing with All Elite Wrestling

Robert Lentini
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Willow Nightingale was supposed to battle Penelope Ford last night but the 30-year-old was pulled from AEW Rampage with an injury. Nightingale was given a new opponent, Leila Grey of The Baddies.

The match went back and forth but eventually, Nightingale took control. Willow hit a Spinebuster and then a Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Tony Schiavone got into the ring to interview Willow. He announced that Nightingale was officially All Elite and the crowd cheered. Willow celebrated for a moment but it was short-lived.

TBS Champion Jade Cargill interrupted and demanded that Nyla Rose return her title. Rose was then shown outside Daily’s Place in Jacksonville with Marina Shafir and Vickie Guerrero. Nyla laughed and drove away with the TBS Championship as Jade Cargill beat down several AEW security guards.

Congratulations @willowwrestles! Welcome to the team! Willow Nightingale is ALL ELITE! #AEWRampage

Backstage Update on Willow Nightingale Signing with All Elite Wrestling

According to a new report from Fightful Select, it was known that Willow had signed with All Elite Wrestling in some capacity, but wasn’t confirmed to be full-time until the October 21st edition of Rampage. Nightingale now has merchandise on the AEW Shop.

Fightful added that when Nightingale finished with MLW, they believed that she was going to sign a full-time deal with another company. The report noted that independent promotions did not have to go through AEW to book Nightingale over the summer. Backstage reaction to the Nightingale signing is said to be very positive.

Nightingale debuted with All Elite Wrestling in May last year. She wrestled at ROH Death Before Dishonor earlier this year and defeated Allysin Kay.

5 Takeaways From AEW Rampage (10/21): All-Atlantic Title Match,The Acclaimed, Willow Nightingale, Hook

AEW Women’s Star Out With Another Injury

Robert Lentini
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Willow Nightingale defeated Leila Grey last night on AEW Rampage but that wasn’t the opponent she was originally scheduled to face.

All Elite Wrestling had advertised Willow versus Penelope Ford hours before the show but the match never took place.

On the October 21st edition of AEW Rampage, undefeated TBS Champion Jade Cargill sat down with Tony Schiavone to address Nyla Rose.

Nyla has stolen Jade’s TBS Championship and Cargill wants it back. During the interview, Schiavone mentioned that Cargill is going to hijack Rampage if she doesn’t get her belt back and then said “we also know Penelope Ford is injured and will not be able to wrestle Willow Nightingale tonight”. Jade would later hold Rampage hostage and beat down security after Nyla drove away from Daily’s Place with the stolen title.

The tweet from AEW of the interview states Penelope would not be able to compete due to a preshow injury. It is unknown how long Penelope will be out with an injury. She did not wrestle for AEW from mid-January to August with an undisclosed injury.

Penelope Ford last wrestled on AEW TV earlier this month on October 5th. She teamed with Jamie Hayter and Serena Deeb in a 6-woman tag team match. The trio lost to Athena, Toni Storm, and Willow Nightingale in the match on the 3 Year Anniversary of AEW Dynamite.

Ford, Hayter, and Deeb went on to defeat Brittany Blake, Jordan Blade, and Trish Adora on AEW Dark. The 30-year-old teamed up with her husband, AEW star Kip Sabian, to defeat Jeremy Prophet and Jessiki Neri on AEW Dark: Elevation episode #85.

5 Takeaways From AEW Rampage (10/21): All-Atlantic Title Match,The Acclaimed, Willow Nightingale, Hook
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